Chapter 349: A Donkey for Starters
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The candidates and their servants had either strange or mocking expressions on their faces when they looked at w.a.n.g Baole. The Martian Colony Governor and Deputy Governor, as well as many of the Martian administration, were at the command center. They saw the scene and blinked. Some pretended they hadn’t seen it, while others shook their heads and smiled wryly.
They didn’t have high hopes for w.a.n.g Baole. This had nothing to do with w.a.n.g Baole himself. The trial might not be fixed, but it was a battlefield for the various political forces. Every one of them had poured in a lot of their resources and expended a lot of energy into their preparations. The servants and servants they had prepared for their candidate were armed with a comprehensive range of skills.
They had brought along Combat cultivators, Array Formation cultivators, and Dharmic Armament cultivators. They had everything prepared so that they could overcome whatever obstacle they came across.
They had come to understand what had happened to w.a.n.g Baole. The other political ent.i.ties had also dug up what had happened. They knew that w.a.n.g Baole had made the decision to go against the arrangements of the four Dao Colleges. He had unilaterally applied for candidacy.
Everyone had the same a.s.sessment regarding his decision. w.a.n.g Baole had no one supporting him. Even if he had been chosen as a candidate, what awaited him was a tragic failure.
There was no need to compare oneself with him. He was but one man. His resources were paltry compared to the other candidates.
The main objective of this trial was to set up a line of defense in the short span of time available before the Beast Tide descended upon them. As they held the Beast Tide back, they had to fight against time and construct the base for the new city zone so that they could defend against stronger waves of Beast Tides and remain standing at the end.
w.a.n.g Baole was a one-man party with no resources. He was going to shatter his jade slip and teleport out after making a brief appearance in the entire trial. He was going to be eliminated from the selection…
“He’s still young. This is a fight between the various political forces. It’s not possible for a lone candidate with no support to win.”
“There’s no chance. This w.a.n.g Baole is being quite foolish here. This is a farce.”
“That’s right. I heard the White Deer Dao College was furious. The college actually openly criticized the Ethereal Dao College…”
While everyone was sighing in the command center, the giant tree remained expressionless. He had a faint sneer on his lips as he stared at the distant figure of w.a.n.g Baole. In his opinion, w.a.n.g Baole had overestimated himself this time.
Does he think this is the Mystic Luna Realm?
They were either deep in discussion or shaking their heads. The Governor couldn’t bear to see this continue, so she issued a command.
“Get the cruisers to take off. The trial will commence as soon as the cruisers reach the Divine Armament zone!”
All ten cruisers in the port immediately roared to life as soon as the Governor issued her orders. They were ready to take off anytime. Li Yi and the other candidates received the notification and immediately raced for their cruisers.
As Li Yi boarded her cruiser, she gave w.a.n.g Baole a sweet smile. Then, she entered her cruiser. In the privacy of the cruiser, with no one else but her around, condescension and disdain shone clearly in her eyes.
“That pig!” She cursed. Li Yi was extremely pleased at the moment. She imagined that once she became the new zone’s mayor, she might not have to continue with the Heartless Willow Art. After all, her status would be changed then. She could no longer stand to flirt with w.a.n.g Baole. She not only found that disgusting but shameful as well.
While Li Yi was deep in thought, Zhuo Yixian had boarded his own cruiser as well. He had a sneer on his face the entire time. He didn’t hide the hostility in his eyes as he stared at w.a.n.g Baole. His thoughts were similar to Li Yi’s. He was scornful and proud.
You’re only one of many graduates from the four Dao Colleges. Without their support, you’re just tras.h.!.+
Kong Dao didn’t display his disdain and enmity as openly. However, he had never held any friendly feelings towards w.a.n.g Baole. His views of him had worsened because of what had happened to his white donkey. He gave w.a.n.g Baole an icy stare then ignored him entirely.
The other candidates did the same. Some didn’t hide their mockery as they shook their heads and laughed at w.a.n.g Baole. They looked at him as if he were a clown. They didn’t pay him any further attention and boarded their own cruisers.
w.a.n.g Baole didn’t see some of these looks directed at him. The others, he caught clearly. They made him angrier.
So what if you have status and your family backing you? I’m my own backing! w.a.n.g Baole shoved his annoyance down. He clenched his teeth and headed for his cruiser. He and his donkey boarded the cruiser that could seat ten thousand people. He stared at the wide s.p.a.ce before him and thought it felt great. At least he had s.p.a.ce…
The ten cruisers lifted off and dashed away at full speed. They sped across the Martian wilderness, reaching their destination in six hours.
w.a.n.g Baole’s excitement grew as they approached. This was the first time he had been so far away from the colony city. The travel had taken such a long time. Their progress was slow because there was strong, disruptive radiation surrounding the periphery of the Divine Armament zone. It was like an electromagnetic force that dragged the cruisers down. They had no choice but to slow down.
There were loud collisions heard outside the cruiser. The ten-thousand seat cruiser rocked turbulently as it flew. However, if one were to take a look outside, one would see clear skies and nothing else. w.a.n.g Baole was shocked by the sight.
As the cruiser flew ahead, the ground slowly turned from snowy white plains to lands with exposed patches of red earth. The nearer they got to their destination, the more startling and exposed the red earth was.
The entire land looked like it was drenched in fresh blood. It was a disturbing sight to everyone who was seeing it for the first time.
Another hour pa.s.sed. The ten cruisers finally made their way steadily across the blood-red lands. Mountain ranges began to appear before the pa.s.sengers’ eyes. Their breathing grew uneven. Finally… they reached their destination…
The Divine Armament Zone!
This was the center, the belly of the Martian planet. It stood far away from the Martian Colony City, and mountains covered the lands. The catacombs in which the Divine Armament was hidden was amongst the mountains… There was a vast plain amidst the towering peaks. From afar, it looked like a valley.
This plain was where the New Mars Region was going to be built. There was a gigantic catacombs in the middle of the plain, and a colorless, glowing seal blanketed the hole. It ensured that everything in the catacombs stayed inside. One could see numerous gruesome-looking beasts headb.u.t.ting the seal.
The seal shone every time anything collided into it. Its blinding light colored the skies.
One could hear the faint, frustrated growls of beasts ringing out from inside the sealed catacombs. They resounded in the air. The ten cruisers approached steadily. Everyone on board immediately saw the ten zones spread out around the catacombs on land.
The ten zones bordered one another, and there was a clear boundary between each zone. Inside each zone was a vast land empty of buildings, though some areas were blanketed in strange plant life.
The cruisers soon landed. As soon as the engines were killed, Li Yi and the other candidates leaped off their cruisers. They led their servants and rushed for the various zones. They seemed to have spoken to one another earlier and had claimed a zone for themselves. Everyone made their way forward in an orderly manner.
It took but a few moments before everyone found the zones they had decided upon earlier. There wasn’t a moment’s delay as they issued commands swiftly. Their servants immediately pulled out countless resources from their storage bracelets… and started construction rapidly!
This was what w.a.n.g Baole saw when he got out of his cruiser. In nine of the ten zones, servants bustled around, pulling out various building materials and ingredients. Even though w.a.n.g Baole had mentally prepared himself for this, he couldn’t help salivating at the sight.
“They’re so rich!” He muttered, then sighed. He saw the last abandoned zone that no one seemed to care for. It was covered in dead weeds and rotting trees. It seemed more barren than a dessert…
Unwilling to call it quits, w.a.n.g Baole rushed forward and decided to start with weed removal first. After the first few yanks, he found out that the weeds were really st.u.r.dy. It would have been fine if he had more people with him, but if he was the only one doing this, it would take a long time before he could clear such a large area of all its gra.s.s.
That’s too much. They didn’t even discuss with me before leaving me the worst piece of land! w.a.n.g Baole felt aggrieved. He had half a mind to pull out his construction puppets, but it wasn’t the time to reveal them yet. He turned towards the donkey.
“a.s.shat, eat!” w.a.n.g Baole coughed.
The donkey took one bite and almost threw up. Before it could do that, it saw the hostile look w.a.n.g Baole was giving it, and it cowered instead. It stared sorrowfully at the other crowded and bustling zones before lowering its head in resignation and continuing its nibbling…
The ten cruisers rose steadily into the air. They hovered in mid-air and started filming from various different angles. At the same time… the live streaming across the entire Federation started!
Instantly, hundreds of thousands of families across the Federation got a look at the Divine Armament Zone through the spirit screens belonging to various media companies. They saw Li Yi and the others busy with construction in the nine zones. Naturally, they also saw… w.a.n.g Baole, alone, with his hands behind his back, kicking the donkey scornfully as it nibbled gra.s.s slowly…
His lonesome figure immediately and forcefully captured the attention of countless stunned viewers…