A World Worth Protecting

The entrance of the god-like man sent the entire Presidential Pavilion into silence. The thousands of people simultaneously felt the imposing aura exuding from him. Unconsciously, they started shuddering inwardly and lowered their heads.

Part of it was due to his authority and status, and the other due to his cultivation. Be it due to his position as the strongest man in the Federation, the sole wielder of a Divine Armament, or the president, the white-robed man walking in was the focus of everyone’s attention. He shone like the sun.

The hundred chosen seedlings stirred under the pressure, their emotions surging like waves. They felt like a solitary boat in a raging ocean. A natural fear and awe rose within them.

Be it Zhuo Yifan or Zhao Yameng, or even Kong Dao, who had a confirmed placement, none dared show any other feelings on their faces. They couldn’t help the awe and respect in their eyes.

Wang Baole, as well, stilled his breathing under the imposing aura. However, he was different from the other seedlings. His eyes held the same awe and respect, but at the same time, they had a strange look to them, as if they were looking at his future self.

Such an expression immediately set him apart from the rest.

Under the stares of the crowd, the stern-faced Duan Muque broke into a smile the moment he stepped into the Presidential Pavilion. He walked towards the hundred seedlings, stood before them, and looked at every single one of them. His smile deepened with warmth and pleasure, as well as approval.

“The future of the Federation belongs to you!”

His voice carried the tone of encouragement as well as approval. The spirits of the hundred seedlings, including Wang Baole, immediately soared. They cupped their fists and gave Duan Muque a deep bow.

“Bring the medals over. I’ll present them to you. This medal represents your status, and the Federation’s approval and expectations of you. I hope, from today onwards, you will be a representation of something extraordinary to the Federation!” Amidst Duan Muque’s laughter, a guard who had been standing behind him immediately came forward and delivered the hundred medals the Federation specially made for the seedlings to him.

Duan Muque took the medals and started presenting them one by one. Every time he presented a medal to someone, he would offer words of encouragement. The limelight would fall on each prodigy receiving the medal during that moment. He or she would become the focus of the attention of the billions of people across the entire Federation watching the event in front of their screens.

Such presentation ceremonies were broadcast live throughout the entire Federation.

“Good. This era belongs to us and belongs to you as well!”

“Is this little Yameng? Not bad, I hope to see you surpass your mother one day!”

“Kong Dao, you have to continue to work hard!” Duan Muque walked past the group, presenting the medals. His words of praise resounded throughout the air. The Federation government officials accompanying him nodded with a smile, their eyes carrying looks of encouragement.

The people who had received his praise and encouragement felt varying degrees of excitement. That sight was also seen in the eyes of the billion Federation residents through the screen.

That carried on until Duan Muque stood before Wang Baole. Wang Baole inhaled deeply and pushed his chest out, presenting what he thought was his most good-looking side before the entire Federation.

His feeling of looking at Duan Muque and seeing his future self intensified.

“Wang Baole? I know who you are!” Duan Muque looked at Wang Baole. His smile, compared to his earlier ones at the others, had a little something else to it. Even though he felt that there was something strange in Wang Baole’s stare, he didn’t think too much on it. He stepped forward, raised his hand, and patted Wang Baole on the shoulder. He turned towards the Federation government officials following him and said with a smile.

“When General Dexi spoke to me about Wang Baole, I said something to him. Today, I’m going to repeat what I said. The Federation… needs ten thousand Wang Baoles!”

As soon as the words were out, the surrounding government officials were stunned. They started paying more attention when they looked at Wang Baole. Duan Muque’s actions and his words of praise to Wang Baole were clearly stronger than what he had given the rest.

Even amongst the other seedlings around him were many who looked at Wang Baole with jealousy. However, they had risen above countless others to where they were, and every one of them had own means and ways. They kept their feelings hidden deep within their hearts and revealed nothing on their faces.

At the same time, in the tens of thousands of homes, the residents of the Federation witnessed the scene through their screens. In that instant, surprise spread throughout the Federation. The sounds of debating voices could be heard across the entire Federation.

“That little fatty is Wang Baole? That’s the guy who had a confirmed placement?”

“He might be the fattest of them all, but clearly how outstanding one is has nothing to do with their weight!”

“His treatment is obviously different. There must be something going on behind the scenes!”

As the tens of thousands of households continued their discussions, in Phoenix City, on the highest building, a huge screen had been erected and was currently broadcasting that exact scene.

Wang Baole, who had come from Phoenix City, was the pride of the city. Wang Baole’s parents, especially, were excited beyond measure at the moment.

“Old Wang, our son’s done something great to make us proud! He’s on television! He’s being commended by the president!” As Wang Baole’s mother drowned in her joyful mood, the voice transmission ring beside her soon started ringing. She received a flood of congratulatory messages from her relatives and friends.

“Baole’s mother, your son is exceptional. I just saw it on the television!”

“Baole’s mother, does your Baole have a girlfriend yet? What do you think of my daughter? How about we get them together?” The many congratulatory messages, as well as matchmaking proposals, painted a big smile on Wang Baole’s mother’s face. She started replying without pause.

“Superficial!” Compared to the pride and joy Wang Baole’s mother was feeling, Wang Baole’s father seemed comparatively collected. He threw a glance filled with disdain, puffed up his chest and raised his head high, then turned and left for the bedroom. His steps were steady.

As soon as he entered the bedroom, his eyes started shining brightly. He swiftly pulled out his voice transmission ring and started actively sending messages to his old friends.

“Old Zhang, what are you doing? Have you seen what’s on the television…”

“Old Li, haha, you saw what’s on television as well? That’s nothing, you know that little rascal; he’s been a smart kid since he was young. He has great potential. You can tell with one look that he’s going to become the pillar of the Federation.”

“Old Sun… you didn’t watch the TV? If you’re not doing anything, you can go take a look. Oh yes, the marriage proposal you spoke to me about the last time. I feel there’s a need to reconsider the matter.”

As the entire Federation fell into a heated discussion, in the Federation capital, inside the Presidential Pavilion—following Duan Muque’s compliment and after Wang Baole received the medal—he was overwhelmed with excitement. He felt that a rare opportunity that might never appear again and hurriedly spoke, loudly.

“Mr. President, can I say a few words…”

Before Wang Baole’s turn, there were also other seedlings who had exchanged a few simple words with Duan Muque in their excitement. Most of them had spoken more softly, but while Wang Baole’s voice was loud, Duan Muque did not dwell too long on his request—nodding with a smile.

“That is… I want to know, what has to be done to have the mantle passed onto myself and become the next term’s Federation President!” Wang Baole’s eyes shone with a bright fervor. His excitement was colored by intense anticipation as he stared at Duan Muque.

Duan Muque was stunned speechless and burst out into laughter. The government officials around him began to smile as well. Many of the thousands of people as well as the other seedlings around him, however, stared at Wang Baole with an odd expression on their faces. They marveled at how the little fatty would dare to ask anything. What he had just said was akin to asking Duan Muque how he could snatch the position of the Federation President from Duan Muque’s hands… and he had done it live, before the entire Federation…

That was indeed what had happened. Many of the residents of the Federation, upon witnessing the scene and hearing what had been said, were taken aback. They stared at Wang Baole on their screens and felt then that the child… was indeed extraordinary…

The problem was not as serious as they thought, however. Duan Muque accepted Wang Baole’s question readily, with encouragement in his eyes.

“If there comes a day when the people of the Federation have chosen you to be their president, then you would become the president of the Federation. Of course, your cultivation must surpass mine as well.” Duan Muque laughed, patted Wang Baole on the shoulder again, and moved on to the next person.

The ceremony lasted for an hour before it finally ended. The entire event was telecast live. Duan Muque’s answer to Wang Baole and Wang Baole’s own ambition made him stand out instantly from the hundred people. He became known throughout the Federation and became the center of the entire Federation’s attention.

With the ceremony coming to its end, the week-long group cultivation in seclusion would commence as well. Following Duan Muque’s departure, a cruiser heading towards the military camps outside the city transported the hundred people away.

They were going to head to their destination to learn a technique that was only shared with those who had been awarded the position of a seedling… the Federation’s mystic technique, Supernova!

At the same moment that Wang Baole and company landed in the military camp—in a forest far far away from the Federation capital, in the middle of a swamp—the corpse of a flying monster lay half submerged in the swamp. Its death seemed recent, its corpse almost halfway to becoming completely decomposed.

But suddenly, from within the bird’s corpse, a tree branch burst out, reaching upward!

The tree branch was shriveled and seemed devoid of all life. It was littered with scars, but gradually, the scars started to shed. A young sprout started to grow, slowly, from the tip of the branch!

Accompanying the appearance of the green shoot was the explosion of an immense, startling aura!

The power of the aura surpassed the Foundation Establishment realm and reached the Core Formation realm!

If Wang Baole, Zhuo Yifan, and Zhao Yameng were there, they would definitely be able to sense how familiar the aura was… it belonged to the middle-aged black-robed man who had been frightened off by them!

It was clear that, while he appeared to have perished under the extermination of the Ethereal Dao College, he had utilized some tricks to fake his death and escape from the jaws of death. He had even evolved, and his cultivation level had broken through!

“Wang Baole!” A face slowly emerged from within the green sprout. Its features twisted with a tinge of fear and savagery as it softly muttered.