I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 158 - 156: Battle of Beast Taming

Thunderlight Hall had won. It was a three-win sweep, a complete shutout of Hundred Herbs Hall that truly vented years of pent-up frustration.

Every disciple of Thunderlight Hall celebrated as if it were a holiday. One could only imagine after losing for so many years, they had almost forgotten the taste of victory.

However, this wasn’t Thunderlight Hall’s home turf, so they only cheered for a short while. The real celebration would have to wait until they were back in their own Sub-Hall.

This was the first time since their fall from grace that the members of Thunderlight Hall had walked out of Hundred Herbs Hall with their heads held high. Only those who had lived through the decline could understand what that felt like.

The news immediately spread throughout the Nine Peaks of the Holy Hall. Although the other Sub-Halls had yet to begin their matches, they were paying attention to the results here. In truth, the higher-ranked Sub-Halls didn’t care who won between bottom-feeders like Thunderlight Hall and Hundred Herbs Hall. They only paid slight attention to the skill level of the lead disciples, since that would be relevant in the individual matches.

Still, Thunderlight Hall sweeping Hundred Herbs Hall three-to-nothing caused a small stir.

"Senior Brother, Hundred Herbs Hall is done for," Fang Lufei said, clearly still in shock.

Song Zhong nodded faintly. "Hundred Herbs Hall reeks of money from top to bottom. It was about time they had a day like this."

"I’m still a little surprised. Hundred Herbs Hall poached quite a few skilled fighters this time, yet they were swept three-to-nothing. Is Thunderlight Hall really that strong?"

"How strong can people who’d trade their dignity for a little profit be? There’s no need to pay much attention to this ruffian-level Hall battle. Focus more on Hengshan Hall. Tell Zhang Liang that as long as he has valuable intel on Hengshan Hall, he can name his price. I’ll show him some favor in the future."

"Yes, Senior Brother. That Zhang Liang kid knows what’s good for him, but can we really trust a turncoat like him?"

"A turncoat only serves the strong. We just need to make sure our own secrets are well-kept."

「Hengshan Hall」

Shenn Tu was speechless. ’That’s possible? That kid Suo Ming actually managed to defeat Jin Zhigang...’

Shenn Tu had fought Jin Zhigang before and even come out slightly worse for it. After receiving resources from Hundred Herbs Hall, Jin Zhigang had obviously reached a new level, yet he was taken out by Suo Ming. It was just...

Tang Wei sneered. "Suo Ming has decent talent. Perhaps he had some fortuitous encounter. As for that idiot Qiao Qian, he thinks money can solve anything. He gets his hands on some broken-down sword and thinks he’s invincible. Fights are won with real skill. Losing to Wang Meng, who’s a whole level beneath him, is a true disgrace."

"Hundred Herbs Hall won’t be recovering from this anytime soon. It’s a windfall for Thunderlight Hall, but I wonder if they have the guts to continue challenging others."

Shenn Tu nodded.

By defeating Hundred Herbs Hall, Thunderlight Hall would not only swap resource allotments with them but also receive half of Hundred Herbs Hall’s first-year resources. This was the reward for the victor and the punishment for the loser.

However, if Thunderlight Hall chose to challenge Beast Hall, the stakes would be higher. Success meant taking Beast Hall’s rank and half of their first-year resources. But if they lost, they would not only have to forfeit the half they won from Hundred Herbs Hall to Beast Hall, but they would also have to give up half of their own first-year resources.

This was the penalty for being greedy and failing to realistically assess one’s own strength.

As the leading Senior Brothers and Sisters of a Sub-Hall, they had to have a clear understanding of their own strength. Acting on pure impulse rarely ended well.

There was a fine line between a hero and a reckless fool.

After a Hall battle, there was a three-day adjustment period. On the first day, Thunderlight Hall was completely lost in celebration. They didn’t care about anything else. In life, when there was a reason to laugh, you laughed. Whatever difficulties lay ahead were a problem for another day.

For the disciples of Thunderlight Hall, this was a dream they had only dared to imagine, and now it was real. Disciples could be seen roaring wildly all over Thunderlight Hall, but no one cared about their lack of composure.

Thunderlight Hall was no longer the Waste Hall.

Wang Meng and the others had created a miracle. Hu Jing’s surprise tactics, Suo Ming’s perseverance, and Wang Meng’s stroke of genius had ultimately made their dream a reality. Some said Wang Meng’s final victory was a fluke, that Qiao Qian’s cultivation level was too low to control an Immortal Sword like the Hundred Spirits Sword. Others said Wang Meng’s Five Elements Attribute happened to counter Qiao Qian’s, meaning Qiao Qian was just terribly unlucky and Thunderlight Hall’s good karma had finally paid off. It was even rumored that Qiao Qian would have won easily if he hadn’t used the Hundred Spirits Sword.

All sorts of gossip ran rampant, but a win was a win.

A difficult question now lay before Hu Jing and the others: should they quit while they were ahead, or continue to fight?

Suo Ming’s injuries were serious. Even though he had taken a Healing Pill, he still wouldn’t be able to fight in the match against Beast Hall. Furthermore, Hu Jing’s trump card was completely exposed. Would it be specifically countered?

"What does everyone think? Do we fight or stop?"

Hu Jing looked at the group. Logically speaking, they should quit while they were ahead. In their current state, facing the stronger Beast Hall would put them at a serious disadvantage. They would, in all likelihood, suffer a double loss.

The room fell silent. Everyone was clearly conflicted. They knew their own strength, and they knew the price of failure even better. But for some reason... ’Why do I feel so unwilling to stop here?’

Wang Meng smiled. "I’ll share my thoughts first. I don’t think too much about resources. For me, the moment I stepped into this Small Thousand World was for the sake of fighting epic battles just like this. If there ever comes a day when I give up moving forward for the sake of profit, that person won’t be me. But I respect everyone’s choice."

The group looked at one another, sharing smiles of mutual understanding.

"Since we’ve already toppled Hundred Herbs Hall, we’ve come out ahead. How could things possibly get any worse than they were before? I also want to see just how far I can go!"

Hu Jing said.

"I haven’t even gone on stage yet! Of course we have to keep fighting! When has your big bro ever chickened out?" Zhang Xiaopang was always the most boisterous when there wasn’t a real challenge in front of him.

"We were already at rock bottom. The barefoot aren’t afraid of those with shoes," Zhou Qian said with a smile. He had endured so much, nearly losing his life in the process. He wasn’t willing to back down now either.

Those who had strength would always crave a challenge.

Ma Tian’Er and Liuu Mei were relatively easy-going and didn’t have as much of a competitive streak, but they were still willing to support everyone.

Everyone reached a consensus. The news that Thunderlight Hall had decided to continue and challenge Beast Hall spread in an instant.

Zhang Liang’s speed was always top-notch. Most importantly, he had already predicted this outcome. Thunderlight Hall would never be satisfied with second-to-last place. Perhaps Thunderlight Hall’s foundation was weak, but Hu Jing and the others were young and ambitious, in the prime of their vigor. Add to that the unfathomable Wang Meng, and it was only natural they would fight again.

Regardless of the outcome, Thunderlight Hall had shown their spirit. Even if they failed, no one could treat them like trash anymore.

"The weak are bound to get cocky after a small win. This is a gift for a smiling tiger like Jia Shidao."

"There’s no pressure at all. Thunderlight Hall’s cards are all on the table."

"Too naive. They don’t know when to rein it in."

"But they have an Elder backing them, hahaha."

"I wonder who that dear Elder will favor. I’d love to have a ’try’ myself, if I get the chance."

"Senior Brother, even if Thunderlight Hall chugged a few bottles of Small Rejuvenation Pills, they still wouldn’t make it to our level."

...

Aside from Thunderlight Hall itself, ninety-nine percent of the disciples from other Sub-Halls were just waiting to watch the show. The other one percent found the situation downright hilarious. No matter how much you might like someone personally, from the standpoint of your own Sub-Hall, everyone was united. In a Hall battle, you only support your own Sub-Hall. Everyone else is an enemy.

The disciples of Hundred Herbs Hall had complicated feelings. Those idiotic rookies from Thunderlight Hall were about to hand over a huge pile of resources to Beast Hall for free. It was a complete giveaway! In truth, these resources were nothing to the well-established Hundred Herbs Hall, but they had been rivals with Beast Hall for years. The sheer frustration was enough to suffocate them. The people over at Beast Hall must be laughing their heads off.

Thunderlight Hall, however, was united from top to bottom. Every Sub-Hall has its own style. Perhaps it gets worn down or buried by fluctuations in strength, but it will erupt the moment an opportunity presents itself. Among the nine major Sub-Halls, the spirit of Thunderlight Hall, inherited and carried forward by the Thunder Ancestor Master, was ferocity.

In its heyday, Thunderlight Hall was undoubtedly the most ferocious hall in the Holy Hall. One could still vaguely recall the tales of its unparalleled, thunderous conquests.

When the news came out that they would continue to fight, a cheer that shook the heavens erupted from Thunderlight Hall.

Admittedly, Thunderlight Hall had been lacking resources for years, but what they lacked most wasn’t resources. It was courage.

Fight! We must fight!

Thunderlight Hall was united as one. From the Hundred Treasures Hall Meeting until now, every disciple of Thunderlight Hall had been changing. They had more backbone.

Three days was but the blink of an eye for a Cultivator. Although Suo Ming did his best to recuperate, he was still unable to fight. This time, he could only be a spectator on the sidelines. Ma Tian’Er would be taking his place.

Beast Hall’s style was very different from Hundred Herbs Hall’s. It was wilder. Stone carvings of various Spirit Beasts could be seen everywhere in Beast Hall. Other Sub-Halls merely treated their Messengers as a convenient communication tool; if it happened to be a Spirit Beast that could assist in battle, all the better. But in Beast Hall, regardless of whether their Messenger was a Spirit Beast or a Little Demon, it was considered the other half of their life.

The creed of Beast Hall was to protect your Spirit Beast as you would your own life, and in turn, your Spirit Beast would protect you with its life.

In Beast Hall, regardless of whether one was a Body Cultivator, Sword Cultivator, Talisman Cultivator, or Bow Cultivator, by the time they reached the level to leave the sect, half of them would possess a Spirit Beast, with the only difference being the beast’s power. In other Sub-Halls, only ten to thirty percent of disciples would have a Spirit Beast.

The saying that "Spirit Beasts run wild in the streets of Beast Hall" was no exaggeration, especially during the Grand Competition.

In Beast Hall’s Divine Beast Square, statues of the Cyan Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise stood with domineering majesty. The disciples of Beast Hall were already waiting in formation. As the challengers from Thunderlight Hall arrived, they let out a surging war cry, and a hundred beasts roared in unison, the sound shaking the heavens.

This was Beast Hall’s show of force.

Jia Shidao approached with a wide smile. "Welcome, brothers and sisters of Thunderlight Hall."

This was the first time the disciples of Thunderlight Hall had received such a welcoming ceremony. Previously, this treatment was reserved for Hundred Herbs Hall.

The Thunderlight Hall disciples were indeed intimidated. So many Spirit Beasts of all shapes and sizes—it was a truly rare sight for them. The wealth of Hundred Herbs Hall could never produce an effect like this.

"Beast Hall certainly has a unique way of doing things. Brother Jia, let’s begin."

Hu Jing said faintly. This time, Elder Zhao Ya and the others hadn’t come. The three Elders had only come the first time to bolster their courage. From now on, they had to walk their own path. The Elders of the Holy Hall did not involve themselves too much in the disciples’ affairs; this was the custom.