Chapter 738: The Rules to a Good Robbery!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
w.a.n.g Baole’s breakthrough in cultivation hadn’t been particularly impressive in terms of the power displayed during the breakthrough. However, it still managed to create a surge in spirit energy in the restricted zone. Waves of spirit energy flooded the area, sending waves of shock surging through the cultivators working in the battles.h.i.+p.
The Grand Supreme Elder and the sect’s six Nascent Soul realm elders were taken aback when they sensed the sudden breakthrough. The Grand Supreme Elder was the first to recover from his shock. He teleported away instantly and appeared in midair, hovering above Team Seven. He lowered his head, ignored the members of Team Seven, who had rushed away from their stations with surprise on their faces, and allowed his senses to sweep across the area. His senses immediately locked onto the chamber that w.a.n.g Baole was in!
The Grand Supreme Elder’s eyes widened after his closer inspection. Incredulity colored his eyes.
Long Nanzi? He’s attained a breakthrough?
The Grand Supreme Elder could clearly sense what was happening inside the chamber. w.a.n.g Baole sat inside, his cultivation surging as Nascent Soul realm spirit energy continued to gather. The Grand Supreme Elder could sense w.a.n.g Baole’s Golden Core cracking and his Nascent Soul forming rapidly.
The sect’s six elders arrived one after another. They were equally surprised when they realized that Long Nanzi was the one who was currently in the midst of a breakthrough in cultivation.
Long Nanzi had shown limited potential. Despite the opportunity he had come across in his earlier years, he had only managed to reach the Core Formation realm. The Nascent Soul realm wasn’t technically out of reach for him, but the chances of him actually attaining the Nascent Soul realm had been slim.
They had felt incredulous at first. Then, they gave the idea some more thought. Long Nanzi had shown himself to be a late bloomer in the area of artifact refinement. His sudden improvement in that aspect could have been the catalyst that led to his breakthrough. It was a possibility that shouldn’t be discounted.
Both the elders and the Grand Supreme Elder had verified Long Nanzi’s sudden advancement in artifact refinement. They hadn’t managed to find anything amiss with the cultivator. Nothing was out of the ordinary with Long Nanzi. His soul, his physical form, and his aura showed no signs of him being possessed or replaced by someone else.
Long Nanzi’s breakthrough might have been unexpected, but it was a happy surprise. The emergence of another Nascent Soul realm cultivator in the sect was a boost to the sect’s power and influence. In addition, his skill in artifact refinement was clear for all to see. His skill, his length of service in the sect, and his breakthrough in cultivation would contribute greatly to the repair works of the battles.h.i.+p.
The Grand Supreme Elder’s eyes shone intensely at that thought. He immediately ordered for the area to be locked down. Everyone in Team Seven was made to leave. Then, he and the remaining six elders sat down and stood watch over w.a.n.g Baole.
Members of Team Seven didn’t waste time, immediately spreading the news of Long Nanzi’s breakthrough. Everyone in the restricted zone soon knew him to be the source of the sudden surge in spirit energy that signified a breakthrough!
Shocked gasps and heated discussions could be heard throughout the restricted zone. Some people expressed envy, others expressed jealousy, and many sighed with longing and a tinge of bitterness.
The person who was the epitome of bitterness and resentment was Li Chen.
Has the Divine Eye gone blind? Is every Tom, d.i.c.k, and Harry going to break through now? Li Chen glared furiously at the battles.h.i.+p floating in the air. He cursed at w.a.n.g Baole, wis.h.i.+ng fervently that his breakthrough would fail. But his curses were useless. Three days later… w.a.n.g Baole ended his cultivation and stepped out of his chamber. The Grand Supreme Elder immediately announced his promotion as the seventh elder of the sect!
Following w.a.n.g Baole’s promotion, the Grand Supreme Elder’s att.i.tude towards him changed. He was no longer as stern to him as he would be to other disciples. He smiled more at w.a.n.g Baole, as did the other six elders.
w.a.n.g Baole was familiar with such politics. He had climbed the ranks while he had been in the Federation, rising from the bottom to become a high ranking official. So, he was skilled in public relations. He responded in kind and established a cordial relations.h.i.+p with the elders.
In the days that followed, w.a.n.g Baole went through a series of ceremonies that saw him officially promoted to the position of sect elder. His access rights were modified accordingly. This was something he had been looking forward to. Besides gaining access to cla.s.sified literature and sect techniques, he also gained the right to enter the battles.h.i.+p’s core sector.
w.a.n.g Baole directed his focus to the battles.h.i.+p’s core sector in the days that followed. Besides studying the sect’s cla.s.sified records and learning more about its refinement techniques, he also attempted to repair the Dharmic Artifacts in the battles.h.i.+p’s core sector.
His proficiency in artifact refinement advanced rapidly once again. Repeated experimentation and practice deepened his understanding of the battles.h.i.+p and its construction. His confidence in crafting his own battles.h.i.+p grew as well.
In his spare time, w.a.n.g Baole began mentally drafting the blueprints for his battles.h.i.+p. The construction had to be logically sound and had to adhere to the laws governing composite Dharmic Artifacts. It was going to be a complex blueprint. Despite his skill in the area, it still took him months to come up with a complete blueprint in his head.
With the first draft of his blueprint complete, a new problem arose… resources!
The Holy Crest Sect had to auction off nearly half of its buildings in order to repair its battles.h.i.+p. w.a.n.g Baole, on the other hand, was starting the construction of his battles.h.i.+p with nothing. The resources required to build a battles.h.i.+p from scratch would be immense. In fact, it might be so expensive that it was impossible to put a price tag on the venture.
I have to think of a way… w.a.n.g Baole studied the blueprints he had drafted in his head and did a rough calculation of the resources he required. The final figure was a heavy weight on his chest. The stress was immense.
If only I could use my good looks to get me the resources I need. This would hardly be a problem… What should I do now? Should I make use of my ident.i.ty to steal resources? w.a.n.g Baole sighed at the vast amount of resources he was going to need. The gears in his head began moving.
The Grand Supreme Elder and the other elders had long acknowledged his new position as one of the sect’s elders. He could sense their concealed wariness against him waning.
After understanding the nature of the Divine Eye civilization and how it centered around plunder and pillage, w.a.n.g Baole came to another realization. Even though the Grand Supreme Elder and the sect elders appeared friendly, their cordial appearances were just that—appearances. Good men were rare in this civilization. Those who wanted to advance further in their cultivation had to venture out and become bandits. Killing became second nature for them.
w.a.n.g Baole might have pa.s.sed multiple rounds of inspections, but his drastic transformation still incited suspicion. During this period, he had sensed eyes constantly watching him. He had no intention of ruining the sect though. That was why the Grand Supreme Elder and the other elders couldn’t find anything wrong with him.
If w.a.n.g Baole wanted to, he could secretly divert resources to himself for his own use. His position would make that a convenient solution, but the sect was too poor and lacked sufficient resources. After some thought, w.a.n.g Baole concluded that he would have to drain the sect dry and rob it of its battles.h.i.+p in order for this to work. Anything less wouldn’t work.
A grown man shouldn’t be so fixated on the small stuff. I’ll either go big or go home. I shouldn’t waste my time with small fry. w.a.n.g Baole coughed and narrowed his eyes. There was a glint in his eyes.
The Divine Eye civilization is a big place. There are plenty of rich sects around… w.a.n.g Baole licked his lips. He thought for a bit and made up his mind, he was going to avoid the spying that was still occasionally being done on him over the next few days. He would begin emptying his storage bags and start buying resources secretly.
He did exactly what he planned to. Then, one moonless night, w.a.n.g Baole sneaked out from his residence without anyone’s notice and appeared… in the sky outside the Holy Crest Sect.
There may be many sects in the fifth ring, but most of them will have hidden their resources carefully. Even if I infiltrate a sect, I’ll have to take on someone’s ident.i.ty in order to search the place. Then, I’ll have to rely on luck to find anything valuable. That’s not efficient at all. It’s a waste of time and troublesome as well…
The best way is to get the sects to get their resources organized of their own accord. It’ll make things easier for me when I come for the resources.
That’s why… if I want to conduct a robbery, the ideal target… is a battles.h.i.+p that has just returned from a successful raid and is filled with loot. Not only am I guaranteed a bountiful harvest, but I can also take the battles.h.i.+p apart and harvest it for parts! w.a.n.g Baole’s eyes shone intensely. The feeling of being in a foreign civilization, unbound by obligation, excited him. He concealed his presence and headed for the stars.
The main star of the Divine Eye Star System housed numerous sects. That meant that there were plenty of battles.h.i.+ps around. Some of those battles.h.i.+ps were capable of long-distance travel, while others were only capable of travel within the star system. Numerous battles.h.i.+ps arrived and departed the star system. The number might not be astoundingly high, but it was still considerable.
That was the sight that greeted w.a.n.g Baole when he appeared outside the outer atmosphere of the Divine Eye civilization. His eyes swept across the numerous battles.h.i.+ps, he rubbed his chin, and his appearance began to s.h.i.+ft rapidly as he transformed from Long Nanzi to… Zhuo Yixian.
He coughed, then raised his right hand in a wave. In his storage bag, the donkey, which had been sleeping soundly just a moment earlier, stirred awake.
“My dear son, it’s time for you to prove yourself. Come, tell your daddy. Based on your vast experience of munching on everything in sight, which battles.h.i.+p do you think has the most resources hidden inside?”