I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 120 - 118: To Sleep on Firewood and Taste Gall

The Golden Palace Technique, Water Wave Technique, Flame Technique, Wood Spring Technique, and Earth Kun Technique were all Basic Five Elements Techniques. They weren’t even offensive, but rather foundational cultivation techniques for tapping into the Five Elements Power. They seemed easy—one simply had to find the technique that matched their elemental affinity to cultivate it. The Five Elements Body, however, was a completely different matter. Simply practicing was worthless; one had to achieve a balance between the techniques, a task that was incredibly difficult even for the current Wang Meng.

If he could just overcome this hurdle, he would have a way to deal with the Five Elements Body.

While Wang Meng was tirelessly experimenting, Hu Jing and the others were getting a taste of what could only be called a cultivator’s hell.

Of course, they also came to understand what true combat prowess was. Whether they were Body, Bow, Sword, or Talisman Cultivators, each had their own set of attack patterns. The Cultivation Techniques and Magic they normally learned were merely the fundamentals; they had to be continuously combined to form a fighting style.

And what Hu Jing and the others were now learning were the formal styles. Saint Cultivators had their fighting methods, Evil Cultivators had their paths, and Demon Cultivators had their means.

Among Saint Cultivators, the styles of the Holy Hall were the most widespread. There was a saying: "All styles under heaven originate from the Holy Hall." Many Holy Hall Disciples would found their own Sects and improve upon the Cultivation Techniques after leaving, but their roots could always be traced back to the Holy Hall.

At that moment, Zhang Xiaopang was standing on the edge of a cliff. His muscles were rigid as he held his bow with an arrow nocked. Wan Jing stood nearby, his expression cold.

"Master, I’ve been standing here for a whole day. My bones are killing me. Can I take a break?"

Zhang Xiaopang felt like he couldn’t take it anymore.

Wan Jing remained expressionless. "This is only the beginning. Your build isn’t suited for dodging, so your attacks must be one-shot kills. What I’m teaching you is the Ten Thousand Arrows Kill Stream. Either the enemy dies, or you die."

"Master, I’m a flexible fatty."

Zhang Xiaopang gave a bitter smile. Turns out this special training was no vacation.

Wan Jing just kept staring at him silently. In the past, Wan Jing would always respond when Zhang Xiaopang cracked a joke. His silence meant he was serious.

’But for the Ten Thousand Arrows Kill Stream, is it really necessary to hold one pose for this long?’

Wan Jing kept his eyes fixed on him, not giving Zhang Xiaopang any chance to slack off. His Elemental Power had to be fully gathered at all times. The slightest lapse would add another ancient hour to his training.

You could literally stand until you dropped dead.

Meanwhile, with the Body Cultivators, Wang Bodang was drilling Suo Ming. "Generally speaking, Body Cultivators don’t specialize in offense or defense. But if you want to become a master, you must choose one. For example, our Ancestor Master Lei chose offense, becoming a Power Cultivator. Now it’s your turn to choose. Will you pick defense or offense?"

Suo Ming was carrying a giant boulder on his back, and Wang Bodang was sitting right on top of it.

"Defense!" Suo Ming answered without hesitation. Though young, his life experiences were unlike those of most disciples. He was abandoned as a child, taken in by Lin Ying, joined Hengshan Hall, was cast out, joined Thunderlight Hall, witnessed the Lin Family’s massacre, and then saw Wang Meng’s revenge. All of it had made Suo Ming far more mature than his peers.

He knew his own talent for offense was average, but he felt he could succeed in defense.

A cruel smile touched the corner of Wang Bodang’s mouth. "Kid, you’ve chosen a good path. Once you commit, there’s no changing it. And as a Defensive Body Cultivator, your life can be summed up in a single word—endure. Are you prepared?"

Body Cultivators entering the Holy Hall usually didn’t specialize in offense or defense, and in fact, many never did. But experience had proven that for long-term development, a Body Cultivator had to push one of those abilities to the absolute extreme. Not many chose defense, because defense meant pain.

"Master, I’ve decided." Suo Ming carried many burdens; he wasn’t afraid of any amount of pain.

BOOM...

Wang Bodang exerted his strength, and Suo Ming’s feet sank into the ground. "If you choose to be a Body Cultivator, the first step is to treat pain as pleasure. You must understand who you are defending. Only when that goal is worthy can you erect an unbreakable wall of bronze and iron."

Suo Ming gritted his teeth. He was willing to become that person’s shield, and he would never falter.

Wang Bodang could feel the energy erupting from within Suo Ming’s body, and even more, he could sense the will that would rather die than retreat.

Among Cultivators, Sword and Talisman Cultivators required great talent. But for Body Cultivators, willpower was more important than talent. This was especially true because everyone loved offense; no one wanted to be a meat shield.

But Wang Bodang could sense that Suo Ming was doing this willingly. In fact, he was enjoying the sensation.

The pressure was increasing bit by bit, but Suo Ming clenched his jaw and stubbornly refused to make a sound. He had nothing left to lose. He was fearless!

Wang Bodang had already added a significant amount of pressure, far more than someone at Suo Ming’s current level should be able to handle. It completely exceeded Suo Ming’s limits. The kid was holding on purely through sheer Elemental Power. The key point was that his power wasn’t explosive; it was remarkably restrained.

Those who liked explosive power were best suited to be Power Cultivators. Only someone with this kind of inner fortitude and resilience could become a true Body Cultivator. In all his years, Wang Bodang had only seen two such talents. One was the Power Cultivator prodigy, Feng Jin—what a pity... The second was Suo Ming. This aptitude for bitter endurance was rare. Still, he’d have to see if it was just a fleeting passion. He had plenty of time to find out.

Once they discovered a promising seedling, the Elders became extremely enthusiastic about training them, for these were the ones who could inherit their legacy.

The style Suo Ming was to cultivate was the Holy Light Thorn Stream—to bear the glory of a Saint Cultivator and offer one’s body in reverence to the heavens.

Compared to Suo Ming, Zhang Xiaopang had it pretty comfortable.

Things were much better over with the Talisman Cultivators. There were more of them, too: Hu Jing, Ma Tian’Er, Zhou Qian, and Liuu Mei.

"Your fundamentals aren’t bad," Zhao Ya began. "Below the Twenty Layers of Elemental Power, a Talisman Cultivator’s main attacks are the Fire Talisman and the Bursting Fire Talisman. But how do you achieve victory?"

Zhao Ya asked. Compared to those two poor kids, things were much happier here.

"The power of the Fire Talisman?" Ma Tian’Er suggested.

Zhao Ya shook her head. "At your level, the power of a Fire Talisman is more or less the same for everyone. The most you can vary is its duration and consistency. If you want to win, it comes down to two things: either master a more powerful, lethal Talisman, or master the rhythm of battle." For most Talisman Cultivators, their first thought would definitely be to increase power.

"Master, Hu Jing’s water-fire Combined Talisman and Zhou Qian’s Bursting Fire Talisman Group are both very powerful. I can’t use combinations like that. What should I do?"

Liuu Mei had been around for a long time. Before Hu Jing arrived and Zhou Qian had his breakthrough, she had been the strongest among them, but now she was clearly outshone.

Zhao Ya nodded. "Hu Jing, Zhou Qian, you two listen carefully as well. Combined Talismans are powerful, but once they lose the element of surprise, your opponent won’t necessarily give you the chance to land a hit. The strongest Attack Talisman is useless if it can’t hit the target. Conversely, even a weaker attack can have great results if it hits every time. This is what’s called attack rhythm. Liuu Mei, you attack me. I’ll give you all a demonstration."

"Yes, Master!"

Although Liuu Mei didn’t have special Talisman combinations like Hu Jing, she was still extremely proficient with the basic Fire Talisman and Bursting Fire Talisman. She began blasting one after another at Zhao Ya.

Zhao Ya suppressed her Elemental Power to the Fifteenth Layer, even lower than Liuu Mei’s. She dodged continuously, occasionally feinting an attack. Every feint made Liuu Mei feel as if she were about to be hit. Even though Liuu Mei was the one attacking, it was Zhao Ya who constantly applied pressure. By the end, a Talisman had appeared right in front of Liuu Mei’s face, yet Zhao Ya hadn’t actually thrown a single one.

The three of them were left completely dumbfounded.

"This is the focus of your special training: rhythm. You could also call it footwork. As Talisman Cultivators, our attacks aren’t as fierce as a Sword Cultivator’s, our defense can’t compare to a Body Cultivator’s, and our range is shorter than a Bow Cultivator’s. But we have our own strengths: the versatility of our Talismans and the diversity of our Array Techniques. However, all of that is predicated on one thing: you must have the opportunity to cast them and hit your target."

Zhao Ya said. What she was teaching them today was the true essence of combat. The skills they usually practiced were just disparate moves, lacking a soul.

"Simple moves, when arranged in a precise pattern, can become powerfully lethal. What I am going to teach you is the Holy Hall’s Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream, a battle method for Talisman Cultivators. Do you see the footprints I left on the ground? Over the next few days, I want you to master this footwork completely. You must maintain the continuity and stability of your steps no matter what kind of attack you face. As long as you persevere, you will inevitably find the perfect opportunity to unleash a killer combination!"

Hu Jing closed her eyes and focused, Zhao Ya’s attack footwork replaying over and over in her mind.

Zhou Qian, Ma Tian’Er, and Liuu Mei, on the other hand, stared at the footprints on the ground, recalling the movements as they watched.

This was a matter of talent. Those with good talent could directly visualize the image in their minds, allowing for a much deeper understanding.

Zhao Ya smiled faintly and didn’t disturb them. First rhythm, then Array Techniques. Though in the grand competition, there likely wouldn’t be much opportunity to use Array Techniques.

Zhao Tianlong had restarted the Thunderlight Hall project, but Zhao Ya genuinely wanted to help these few disciples. In any case, the Zhao Family was also part of the Holy Hall. And as an Elder of Thunderlight Hall, Zhao Ya had her own plans. As a Female Cultivator, she didn’t have grand, ambitious schemes, but she did hope to raise a few good disciples.

It was a pity Xu Huang wasn’t here; otherwise, he could have really trained Wang Meng. Even now, Zhao Ya had to admire Xu Huang’s eye for talent. Although Xu Huang had already gone to a distant Secret Realm to pioneer new grounds, she was sure the boy, Wang Meng, would make him proud.

Zhao Ya could see that her disciples were all very serious. The recent series of ordeals had given them hope, but Zhao Ya was well aware of the strength of the other Sub-Halls. All she could do now was help them improve as much as possible.

「Hengshan Hall」

Tang Wei stood in the center. In an instant, a dozen or so disciples around him brandished various weapons and took turns hacking at him, striking his body with brutal force.

To be cruel to your enemies, you must first be cruel to yourself!

"Shenn Tu, use your full strength!" Tang Wei roared.

"Yes, Boss!"

Shenn Tu’s War Axe came chopping down viciously. Tang Wei crossed his arms, taking the full brunt of Shenn Tu’s attack. At the same moment he suffered Shenn Tu’s heavy blow, the weapons of the other disciples also smashed into his body.

The Hengshan Hall disciples watching from the sidelines were dead silent. Body Cultivators were skilled at defense, but when they took a heavy blow, other parts of their body became vulnerable. Yet Tang Wei had just taken Shenn Tu’s attack and was simultaneously being hit by others. The sight made the hair of all the Body Cultivators present stand on end.

HRAAAGH!

With a fierce roar, Tang Wei’s body suddenly erupted with power, sending all the weapons flying. At the same time, he slammed both fists into the ground, knocking nearly everyone off balance. A Giant Horse-Cutting Saber had appeared in his hands.

"Kill!"

THUD, THUD, THUD...