I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 130 - 128: A Crime Against Heaven Not to Be a Pill Cultivator

Thunderbolt actually summoned the patience to instruct a few people, but it wasn’t long before he was about to explode with anger. He was terrifying when he berated someone. Not understanding wasn’t an option—you *had* to get it. That was just Ancestor Master Lei’s temper. Soon, no one dared to ask him anything.

No wonder the Thunderlight Hall was in decline. Who could possibly endure a temper like that?

After making a round, Thunderbolt headed back, still fuming. ’Out of sight, out of mind.’ He figured he’d see what Wang Meng was up to.

At that moment, Wang Meng was completely focused on his experiment. A piece of common iron continuously changed shape under his hammer, yet just as it was about to take a distinct form, it would dissolve into formlessness again.

Thunderbolt sat to one side, watching in silence without asking a single question.

The disciples outside were beyond impressed. They had finally come to understand that Ancestor Master Lei was truly a walking thunderclap. Every moment in his presence felt like an eternity, yet Wang Meng was somehow able to endure it. An entire day passed just like that.

Wang Meng slowly lowered his hammer, emerging from his deep state of exploration. During a pause, he asked a few questions. The answers he received were incisive, piercing right to the heart of the matter and instantly clearing his confusion.

It wasn’t that Thunderbolt was unwilling to teach; he just couldn’t stand slowness. What master wouldn’t adore a disciple who understood with a single hint and could even pose profound questions of his own?

Thunderbolt left, as brusque and direct as ever. He despised long-windedness, not just from Wang Meng, but from any disciple.

Wang Meng, for his part, sauntered back, lost in thought. He had tried to apply his method for comprehending the Five Elements Flame to the Metal of the Five Elements, but it now seemed they were somewhat different.

When he got back, Zhou Feng was already waiting for him. He leaped to his feet the moment he saw Wang Meng. "Where’ve you been, kid? I’ve been waiting forever! Quick, come see if I’ve got it right!"

The Pill Furnace was in place, and a Pill Flame shot out. All the materials were clearly prepared. It had to be said, Zhou Feng’s control over his Pill Flame was truly masterful. Neither man spoke; Zhou Feng clearly believed he had found the key.

THUMP...

Halfway through the refinement process, a sound like a muffled fart echoed from inside the Pill Furnace. The furnace hadn’t exploded, but the alchemy had failed.

Elder Zhou was looking a bit disheveled; he had obviously been completely absorbed in his work for the last few days.

"Tsk, still not right!" Zhou Feng said, dejected. He had tried so many methods and had finally settled on this one after careful analysis, but it had still ended in failure.

A knock sounded at the door, and Yang Ying walked in. "Elder Zhou, Wang Meng, have some fruit."

Wang Meng didn’t hesitate, immediately starting to munch on the fruit. The presence of an outsider finally pulled Elder Zhou from his contemplation. The Elder would have been short-tempered with anyone else, but seeing it was Yang Ying, he had nothing to say.

"...Why does it stink so much in here?"

"That’s the scent of a man, Old Zhou, if you don’t mind." Only then did Wang Meng remember he had been forging all day and was drenched in sweat.

"And you, kid! I haven’t even gotten to you yet. Where did you run off to? I sent Xiaoben to fetch you, but you wouldn’t come back."

Xiaoben had gone, of course, but Wang Meng had been discussing the art of forging with Thunderbolt. Who would dare to interrupt that?

"Haha, my bad. I waited all morning and figured you weren’t coming, so I went to the Forging Pavilion. Ancestor Master Lei must have arrived, so Xiaoben couldn’t get in."

Zhou Feng tensed up instantly. ’Damn it. Of all my worries, my worst fear has come true. That Ancestor Master Lei is so shameless! We all agreed not to personally take on disciples, yet he dares to pull a stunt like this? This is intolerable!’

"Look at you! Instead of focusing on your alchemy, you’re messing around with forging. It’s filthy and exhausting! And what about Yang Ying here? You should be more considerate of others. You reek!"

Yang Ying was taken aback. Even with half a brain, she could tell that Zhou Feng was taking a jab at Ancestor Master Lei. ’So the rumors are true?’

"Fine, fine, I’ll go take a bath. You’d better clean up your fart-Pills."

Wang Meng chuckled. He sniffed himself; the smell really was a bit strong. Then he glanced at the immaculate, jade-like Yang Ying and had to admit his current state was rather impolite.

Zhou Feng’s face flushed red. ’Damn it all,’ he thought. ’I’ve been in this business for so many years, but since meeting this kid, I’ve lost every shred of dignity I ever had.’

"Ahem, don’t listen to his nonsense. It was just a rare slip-up. A rare slip-up."

Yang Ying smiled. "Elder, you’re very protective of him. Is he truly that suited to being a Pill Cultivator?"

Yang Ying was curious. To be honest, she still believed Wang Meng was better suited to being a Sword Cultivator. His Elemental Power might be lacking right now, preventing him from learning profound Sword Techniques, but with his talent, he would surely make a name for himself one day.

Yang Ying’s question opened the floodgates for Zhou Feng. "Now that’s the right question to ask! Do you have any idea what this kid has accomplished?"

"I only know that he blows up furnaces a lot?"

"More than just ’a lot’! He’s blown up five of my finest-grade furnaces—and I had to borrow one of them! But never mind five. It would have been worth it even if he’d blown up fifty! It would be a crime against the heavens for this kid *not* to become a Pill Cultivator!"

Although Zhou Feng was agitated, Yang Ying was ultimately just a disciple and not a Pill Cultivator, so he didn’t want to say too much.

After a few more words, Zhou Feng went back to ignoring Yang Ying and resumed pondering the cause of his recent failure. He felt he was just a single step away from the truth. ’Ever since I met that stinking brat Wang Meng, my patience has gotten so much worse.’

Before long, Wang Meng returned, and Yang Ying took her leave. It was clear to her that Zhou Feng’s politeness had been entirely on Wang Meng’s account.

She was the First Senior Sister of the Flying Phoenix Hall, an influential figure in the Holy Hall whose call would be answered by countless followers. ’So why,’ she wondered, ’do I feel more and more like a maidservant since I came here?’

Zhou Feng didn’t press the issue of forging. That was his business to handle—or more precisely, it was a matter for the Ancestral Masters. Ancestor Master Lei had broken the rules, and he absolutely had to inform the others.

"Kid, I know for a fact your Pill wasn’t made by adding Fire Attribute ingredients, nor was it catalyzed with the Power of Pill Fire. So what’s the secret!"

Zhou Feng finally broke. The last two days had been absolute torture. For a Pill Zealot like him to discover something that seemed to overturn the very Power of Laws, yet be utterly unable to find the answer... The Pill’s grade wasn’t high, but its nature was unconventional. And most crucially, for someone who had absorbed a Five Elements Master Flame, using this Emergency Pill would reduce the side effects to an absolute minimum.

What was the biggest fear when using an Emergency Pill?

The biggest fear was that even if it saved your life, you’d be left crippled by the debilitating side effects of the vital energy overdraft.

This would be a monumental revolution in the world of alchemy!

Facing the anxious Zhou Feng, Wang Meng remained unhurried. "Old Zhou, getting all worked up like this is bad for you. Let me have a drink of water first."

"Just tell me! How is this Pill made!"

Wang Meng smiled. "The principle behind a Life-Saving Pill is to stimulate one’s potential—or more deeply, to activate one’s Life Force. During this process, the body’s own dominant Five Elements Attribute is catalyzed most intensely. Take the Fire Attribute, for example. This causes a deficiency of fire among the Five Elements. Sometimes, the biggest reason for catastrophic failure isn’t the energy overdraft, but an imbalance in the Five Elements. Once that imbalance occurs, not even nine lives would be enough to save you. So, I just thought, ’why not replenish whatever is missing?’"

"That’s obvious! I already know that! I’m asking *how* you replenished it. That’s not something you can do with a First-Grade Pill! And what’s more, I first thought you were using the principle of a Fire Spirit Pill, but that’s not it at all. The Power of Fire in our Pills can be used for cultivation, but it can’t remedy a Five Elements Deficiency."

"Exactly. I didn’t use any Fire Attribute herbs, nor did I inject my Pill Flame. Anything forcefully added is just an External Flame; it can never truly merge with the body. My technique is what I call ’Five Elements Deficiency.’"

Wang Meng said, wiping the water from his hair.

And those three words, "Five Elements Deficiency," struck Zhou Feng like a bolt of lightning, sending his world into a tailspin.

He had studied Pills for decades, yet in that moment, he felt as if he had lived his entire life in vain.

Five Elements Deficiency, Five Elements Deficiency!

Whenever a Pill Cultivator discovered something was lacking, their first instinct was always to add more of it from an external source. But in truth, that method was only effective for superficial injuries. When it came to the Five Elements of the soul, it was utterly useless.

Wang Meng’s method, however, was to create a *natural* deficiency of the Five Elements during the alchemy process. Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth are intrinsically present in any complete object. If you can create a state where one is missing, the Power of Laws will naturally act to fill the void. The flame generated by this process is the true Five Elements Flame that can be integrated into the soul, not the illusory fire found in common Spiritual Medicines.

It was no wonder Zhou Feng was so agitated. In all his decades of performing alchemy, he had never once considered such a thing. Yet this kid hadn’t just thought of it—he had actually succeeded in doing it!

"Kid, forget blowing up five furnaces! Even if you blew a hole through the Holy Hall, no one would dare say a single word!"

With that, Zhou Feng charged out without a backward glance. Wang Meng had barely started to reach out before the man was gone.

Wang Meng was exasperated. ’The wine’s all gone, and he makes a trip back without even bringing any more.’

Forging and alchemy were different. One required constant, vigorous movement; the other demanded stillness and a perfectly focused mind. Having a drink to relax was a simple pleasure.

’Whatever,’ Wang Meng thought. ’I’ll just add it to his tab.’

What truly occupied Wang Meng’s mind now was how to grasp the Metal of the Five Elements. ’Forging deals with external things,’ he pondered, ’but what if I can penetrate its very essence to find a true comprehension of Metal?’

「Holy Hall, Heaven-Reaching Hall.」

The six great Ancestral Masters were gathered. In addition to them, there was another person present, one who carried the transcendent air of an immortal sage.

"Junior Brother Kuchan, it has been many years. It seems your recent journey has been most fruitful."

"You flatter me. I see that Senior Brother Lei’s own aura is so vibrant, it’s a match for my many years of tempering."

Thunderbolt let out a booming laugh, causing Wu Fatian at his side to roll his eyes in irritation. ’Fine, laugh if you want to, old man, but why must you always laugh in my direction?’

"Senior Brother Kuchan, what is the situation over in the Great Yuan Realm?" Zhou Luodan, as always, was more concerned with this matter.

At the mention of this, everyone’s expression turned serious.

"The Demon Cultivators are indeed running rampant these days. Their Cultivation Techniques allow for rapid advancement and are completely without moral restraint. When disciples from any sect cross over, the Demon Cultivators are the quickest to adapt. For now, the Heaven-Dominating Hall is maintaining a balance behind the scenes, so the situation remains stable. However, we must guard against future troubles. My return this time is to have you make preliminary preparations. As for the specifics, we must await the Sect Leader’s instructions."

The six great Ancestral Masters were the pillars of the Holy Hall, while other Ancestral Masters and Elders were stationed in the Great Yuan Realm, the focal point of the struggle for the Small Thousand World. To put it simply, there were pros and cons to both guarding the Holy Hall and fighting in the Great Yuan Realm. Everyone had made their choice and had their own duties to perform; Thunderbolt and the others could not interfere much.

At this moment, a disciple entered, bowed respectfully, and Kuchan immediately left with him.

"Senior Brother Kuchan may have spoken lightly, but I believe the situation is not optimistic. If we’re relying on Evil Cultivators for balance, doesn’t that mean we’ll be at their mercy?" said Ma Hezi.

"The way I see it, if the Demon Cultivation Disciples adapt the fastest, then we must be the slowest," Zhao Tianlong added, also displeased.

"Everyone has their own responsibilities. I find Junior Sister Zhou’s arrangements for this grand competition to be excellent," said Li Xiuwen, who rarely made an appearance.