I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 149 - 147: Exiting Seclusion

In the distance, Sword Qi surged to the heavens. Li Tianyi instantly sheathed his sword. His cultivation in the Secret Realm during this time had granted him a deeper understanding. By suppressing his Elemental Power, he could now acutely perceive the various problems with his Sword Technique when his power was scarce. This gave him a clearer grasp of the Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword. He didn’t just know the Sword Technique; he understood its true meaning.

Clearly, he was after something far greater than mere skill and power...

Hm?

The flames caught Li Tianyi’s attention. With a flicker of his body, he rode his Lihuo Sword and flew over.

Sensing the intense Flame Power, Hu Jing also awoke from her cultivation. A circle of Fire Talismans surrounded her—Ice Soul Talismans and Bursting Fire Talismans. They were all in a semi-activated state, yet miraculously, they did not conflict.

Hu Jing slowly stood up, sensing the towering flames. ’Is this Wang Meng’s signal?’

Zhao Xiaojiang’s training method was a bit peculiar. He was wildly firing at Suo Ming. One focused solely on attack, the other solely on defense. It was a good way for them to train together.

"What’s Brother Meng up to now? He’s a grown man, still playing with fire."

"Brother Jiang, let’s go check it out. We can’t let anything happen to the boss."

"What could possibly happen? This flame is obviously under someone’s control." Although Suo Ming’s cultivation was higher, he thought, ’It looks just like a big chrysanthemum.’

The flames soared into the sky, and it did look a bit like a blooming flower—not a chrysanthemum, but a lotus.

Mingren and the Lingyin Four Tigers had already arrived. During this time, they had all made significant progress. This was especially true for Mingren; a sharp glint would unintentionally flash in his eyes. This place was clearly a godsend for the Senior of Lingyin Hall, helping him break through his bottleneck at the last moment.

"Senior, what’s Wang Meng up to now? Is he self-immolating?" Anx Dao asked, dumbfounded. He had always been curious about Wang Meng. The man had stayed alone in the ghostly ruins for three months without eating or drinking. ’He’s practically a god... or a ghost.’

"He wouldn’t be practicing some kind of Demon Cultivator Magic, would he?"

Mingren shook his head. "This fire is grand and natural, filled with an intent of Purification. Although it lacks the benevolent will of a Saint Cultivator, it follows the Celestial Dao. It seems Wang Meng has activated some kind of Array Technique."

"Why isn’t he out yet? He’d better not burn himself to death."

The Lingyin Four Tigers were also discussing it amongst themselves. The fire was ferocious, seemingly centered on the ruins and not spreading.

A figure flashed by, and Zhou Qian arrived. Zhou Qian also had a healthy, glowing complexion. Although the poison in his body was not yet neutralized, that damned Soul Refining Pill was surprisingly docile. The three months of cultivation in this Secret Realm were practically equivalent to a year outside. He could now use some Talisman Magic that he couldn’t before. As long as he could use them once here, he’d understand the mechanics. Even if he ran into obstacles outside, he was confident he would find a solution. It was like a bottleneck; once broken, regardless of the conditions under which it was broken, the same bottleneck would never return.

This was the true value of the Secret Realm.

Li Tianyi arrived, quietly watching the towering flames.

Although everyone was cultivating in the Secret Realm, they usually didn’t disturb each other. They had originally planned to spar, but once they began to cultivate in earnest, they realized how precious this place was. Who had time for sparring?

Hu Jing appeared without a sound. It was clear that everyone had gained a great deal.

The silence was only broken when that pair of clowns, Zhang Xiaojiang and Suo Ming, showed up.

"What a huge bonfire! Are we having a barbecue?" Zhang Xiaopang said. "Where’s Brother Meng? Brother Meng, come on out!"

"If I’m not mistaken, Wang Meng should still be inside," Mingren said with a sigh.

The fire grew more and more intense. Although Mingren said that, he had assumed that even if Wang Meng were inside, he must have had another way out or was already out. They had arrived as soon as the fire started and hadn’t seen anyone emerge.

"What!"

Zhang Xiaopang panicked as soon as he heard. This was no time for jokes! "Put out the fire! What are you all standing around for!"

"Junior Brother Zhang, this is Celestial Fire. Besides, there’s no way to extinguish a blaze this intense. I think..."

Before Mingren could finish, Zhang Xiaojiang shot up. "The hell you think! Fuck! Brother Meng, I’m coming to save you!"

Zhang Xiaopang recklessly charged in, and Suo Ming tried to follow. Before they could get close, a wave of fire knocked them back.

"What’s wrong? You two trying to die for your love?"

Wang Meng’s jovial voice rang out from within the flames. The moment he stepped out, the fire swelled to its peak, like a blooming Red Lotus Flame. Then, with a BANG, it burst into countless sparks of light, illuminating the entire ruins. The aura of death and gloom that had shrouded the ruins was swept away, replaced by an unparalleled clarity.

"Brother Meng!"

Zhang Xiaopang immediately shot up and leaped over, latching onto Wang Meng.

Wang Meng was stunned. "Damn, how did you manage to get fatter even in here!"

Zhang Xiaopang jumped off as if electrocuted. "No way, how is that possible? I think I’ve lost weight!"

At that, everyone shot him a look that said otherwise.

"Boss!" Suo Ming only managed to get out that single word. Unlike Zhang Xiaopang, who was incredibly extroverted, he was extremely introverted. Otherwise, the two wouldn’t have gotten along so well.

"Wang Meng, do you always have to make such a huge scene!" Hu Jing said, both annoyed and delighted.

"Haha, Little Jing, it’s only been a few days, how have you gotten even more beautiful? You’re stunning!"

"What do you mean a few days? It’s been three months!"

"Three months?" Wang Meng was taken aback. ’It felt like only a moment passed, how could it be...’

"Junior Brother Wang, it really has been almost three months. If you hadn’t come out soon, we would have had to call for you. The Spirit Stones are almost depleted. It’s time for us to leave."

Li Tianyi stared at Wang Meng. "It seems you’ve had another breakthrough."

"Same to you."

"Very good. I’ll see you at the grand competition, then. This time, I will definitely defeat you."

"Is that so? I don’t see it happening."

Everyone stood on the Teleportation Array. Unlike the danger they faced on arrival, they left with newfound strength and confidence.

A flash of light, and their figures vanished. The Secret Realm returned to its tranquility, leaving behind only the completely transformed ruins.

An unknown amount of time passed. Suddenly, the calm earth twitched. A moment later, with a BANG, a hole cracked open in the ground, and a deathly pale hand reached out.

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the Secret Realm...

Wang Meng and the others had returned to Thunderlight Hall. They could clearly feel the atmosphere building up for the grand competition. Some Holy Hall Disciples who had been out training had also returned, including some of their senior brothers and sisters from Thunderlight Hall. The grand competition was always a festival for the Holy Hall Disciples, a time to share in the glory of the Holy Hall.

To put it bluntly, regardless of how well you were doing, whether you were a big shot or not, you were a Holy Hall Disciple!

As the senior sister, Hu Jing couldn’t just focus on cultivation; there were matters waiting for her to arrange. Wang Meng, however, leisurely returned to his own small cabin.

The insights from the Secret Realm were a shock to him as well. He had felt that a significant amount of time must have passed, but he never would have imagined it was nearly three months.

But his gains were astonishing. The surging Elemental Power in his body flowed endlessly. He had finally grasped the first layer of the Hinayana Five Elements Technique, the Red Lotus Flame. His Life Mark had also expanded directly to Twenty Layers.

This was the terrifying power of a Five Elements Skill.

If he completely mastered the Little Five Elements Technique, even if he didn’t reach Minor Perfection, he would probably be close.

The Array Technique left behind by that Demon Cultivator was similar in effect to an Essence-Gathering Array. It was a complete waste for him to have used it just to gather and disperse Demonic Qi. In Wang Meng’s hands, the array finally displayed its true power, allowing him, who had already comprehended the Five Elements Flame, to complete the most crucial step.

If not for this Array Technique, Wang Meng himself would never have known what the Five Elements Technique was truly like.

The Blast-Inducing Technique had finally fulfilled its historical purpose. However, he could continue to practice the Nourishing Essence Technique. Though it was the lowest-level Cultivation Technique for a Saint Cultivator, Wang Meng was quite fond of it. In reality, the higher his level, the more minuscule the effect of the Nourishing Essence Technique became. But for Wang Meng, it was a habit. Call it stubbornness or obsession, it didn’t matter. Wang Meng just liked it!

The cabin was dusty, and so was Zhou Feng’s. It seemed that with Wang Meng gone, Old Zhou hadn’t found much reason to stick around.

Lying on the bed, he suddenly realized it was no longer his original bare bed plank. The cushion must have been left by Yang Ying. It still carried a faint, fresh scent. ’It’s actually quite nice to have a woman looking after you.’

’But any woman who ends up with me would just be unlucky. It’s better not to bring disaster upon others or myself.’

’Speaking of which, isn’t the Demon God Sect a little too incompetent? There’s been no movement from them this whole time. Even if they can’t find me, are they really just going to do nothing? When I had the Godhood, I thought the Demon God Sect was declaring war. But with the Godhood sealed, thinking from the perspective of an ordinary Cultivator, the Demon God Sect definitely wouldn’t do something so pointless if they had nothing better to do. They must be looking for me; it’s just that finding me is too difficult. No one can be certain who inherited the Godhood. If there is a clue, it probably lies with the Saint Cultivators. They can’t possibly kill every single Saint Cultivator, can they?’

Meanwhile, in Thunderlight Hall, Hu Jing and the others were stunned by the news.

"Is this for real???" Zhang Xiaopang was ecstatic. ’Awesome! This isn’t just awesome, this is legendary!’

"Could anyone joke about something like this? This isn’t just Wang Meng’s glory, it’s our Thunderlight Hall’s glory! Ah, ah, my mistake, it’s Elder Wang!!!"

Chen Haiguan was grinning from ear to ear.

"Where did this news come from?" Hu Jing was more level-headed. After all, there had been no official announcement.

"It came from Zhang Liang. That kid is a major figure in the Holy Hall now; he wouldn’t go back on his own word. The announcement will be made once Senior Brother Wang returns from his cultivation, which should be in the next day or two."

"Little Jing, I told you! Brother Meng is a true master who doesn’t show off. He’s freaking amazing! We’ll see who dares to mess with us in the future!"

Zhang Xiaopang was incredibly smug. Wang Meng’s strength was his strength.

"Last time at the Hundred Treasures Hall Meeting, we made a big splash, and a lot of people weren’t happy about it. Who knows what they were saying about us behind our backs. Let’s see what they have to say now! This is an acknowledgment from the Ancestral Master himself!"

"Could anyone joke about something like this? This isn’t just Wang Meng’s glory, it’s our Thunderlight Hall’s glory!"

Hex Ziyuan also clenched his fists. "I’ve seen plenty of people in Thunderlight Hall. Maybe there are some stronger than Junior Brother Wang, but none of them are as much of a stand-up guy as him. If someone else became an Elder, I might even get jealous. But for Wang Meng, we Body Cultivators have to give him a big thumbs-up and a round of applause!"

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)