I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 161 - 159: A Great Joke

Her composure and decisiveness were far greater than that of any man.

At that moment, however, Xu Song revealed a brilliant smile. A small, delicate bow appeared in his hands as if by magic. Compared to Zhang Xiaopang’s Golden Silk Iron Bow, it looked more like a toy, but its power was anything but playful.

TWANG...

Heart-Piercing Arrow.

It wasn’t even an explosive type. The arrow wasn’t aimed at Hu Jing, but at the Fire Talisman in her hand.

BOOM...

The Ice-Fire Talisman was just about to form, but the arrow shattered its balance.

Hu Jing was blasted away. The moment she landed, THWIP THWIP THWIP THWIP...

The small bow in Xu Song’s hand radiated light as three arrows formed a triangle, pinning Hu Jing’s head and neck in the center.

"Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to bows."

Xu Song smiled faintly, immediately sending a group of female disciples from Beast Hall into a frenzy of screams. It had to be said, in terms of appearance, Jia Shidao couldn’t hold a candle to Xu Song. The kid was incredibly popular in Beast Hall.

He had won the battle with both style and grace.

Hu Jing slowly got to her feet. She had nothing to say. It was a complete defeat.

The second match was another decisive victory for Beast Hall.

The miraculous Thunderlight Hall had been knocked back to reality. With even Hu Jing suffering such a crushing defeat, the Thunderlight Hall disciples couldn’t muster a single cry of defiance against the roaring disciples of Beast Hall.

In their eyes, Hu Jing was a genius, the hope of Thunderlight Hall. Zhao Ya herself had said more than once that Hu Jing could become a top-tier expert. Combined with her unique Ice-Fire Talisman, her fame had been unparalleled for a time.

But... how could defeat have come so quickly, so completely?

Hu Jing’s face was a little pale, but she was calmer than Zhang Xiaojiang had been. This was a gap in strength. Although the taste of defeat was bitter, Hu Jing knew what she needed was time. She would definitely grow stronger.

Although Xu Song was considered a newcomer to the tournament, he had been in his hall for five years. It was just extremely difficult for disciples from other Sub-Halls to make it onto the tournament roster. Xu Song himself was very talented, and since this was his first opportunity to compete, he was still counted as a newcomer.

The definition of a "newcomer" for other halls was different from Thunderlight Hall’s. Thunderlight Hall truly had rookies shouldering the responsibility, people like Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang who hadn’t even fully learned their Magic.

Unfortunately, these were the rules of the Cultivator world. Your opponent wouldn’t make excuses for you, nor would they hold back on targeted attacks just because your repertoire of Magic was incomplete. On the contrary, the moment you exposed a weakness, you would be met with a targeted, torrential onslaught.

After watching Hu Jing’s previous fight, Xu Song had already figured her out completely. This match may have looked like an easy win, but in reality, it was all part of Xu Song’s plan.

For his first hall battle, he needed a decisive victory—a perfect one!

As Xu Song raised his hand, he was met with the wild cheers of the Beast Hall disciples. He had succeeded.

Beast Hall was now leading two to nothing. A clean sweep of Thunderlight Hall was only a matter of time.

The Thunderlight Hall disciples were truly beaten into submission. On the surface, Beast Hall was only one rank higher than Hundred Herbs Hall, but each rank represented an insurmountable gap. Moreover, while the rankings of other halls like Beast Hall, Fire Cloud Hall, and Hengshan Hall fluctuated amongst themselves, any one of them could reliably suppress Hundred Herbs Hall. Deep down, Hundred Herbs Hall and Thunderlight Hall were in the same tier; it was just a question of which one was worse.

"Brother Fang, are we really going to keep watching? This is so boring. It’s just a bunch of rookies bullying even bigger rookies."

Yao Yuan had no interest in a battle of this level. He had actually held some expectations for Thunderlight Hall, for the person rumored to be as talented as he was. But it turned out to be... this. ’Looks like the legend was better than the real thing,’ he thought.

"Junior Brother, don’t be so hasty. We’re already here, so let’s watch. Besides, Elder Wang hasn’t gone up yet."

"It’s useless even if he does. The defeat is already sealed. I doubt Jia Shidao will even bother to fight."

Yao Yuan shrugged helplessly. If the goal was to scout the enemy, then Jia Shidao would be the one to fight. But given the current situation, Jia Shidao would have to be an idiot to expose his true strength.

Besides, that wasn’t Jia Shidao’s style at all.

Yao Yuan’s guess on this point was spot-on. Thunderlight Hall would have to send up Wang Meng next. Otherwise, if they lost this match, they could just pack up and go home.

"Yushu, go on up and play with them for a bit."

"Yes, Senior," Anx Yushu replied with a faint smile.

Anx Yushu was a Body Cultivator—or to be precise, a scholarly-looking Body Cultivator. He was different from the typical brawny types and lacked their usual ferocious aura. His weapon was a Great Sword, making him look more like a Sword Cultivator.

"Which expert from Thunderlight Hall will grace me with a lesson?"

Anx Yushu asked, his gaze locked on Wang Meng. Thunderlight Hall was at a life-or-death moment. ’Let me test Wang Meng’s mettle. I want to see what gives him the right to be an Elder!’

Wang Meng knew that if he didn’t fight now, there would be no other chance.

Suddenly, Zhou Qian stepped forward. "Leave this match to me."

Hu Jing and the others stared at Zhou Qian, not expecting him to volunteer. Wang Meng smiled. "Then I’ll leave it to you."

Seeing Zhou Qian take the stage, not only was Anx Yushu disappointed, but the Beast Hall disciples erupted in boos, all of them aimed at Wang Meng.

He was such a coward. Seeing that his Sub-Hall had no hope of victory, he actually backed down. How damn pathetic.

Yao Yuan and Fang Lufei also glanced at each other, speechless. ’Is this for real? He’s giving up just like that?’

Some of the Thunderlight Hall disciples began to quietly leave. They truly couldn’t bear to watch any longer. If Zhang Xiaojiang’s loss was tolerable, Hu Jing’s complete defeat had broken some of them. After all, they had just emerged from despair. They weren’t afraid of failure, but they couldn’t stand being beaten back into their "trash prototype" state.

By not watching, they could still hold on to a sliver of hope in their hearts. Whether it was a numbing anesthetic or self-deception, it was the only way for a person to survive.

The ones who remained were simply holding on to that last sliver of possibility. After all, there was still one match left. They hadn’t lost yet. And even if they did, it would be worth it if they could at least fight with spirit.

Anx Yushu confirmed that Wang Meng had no intention of coming up. He looked at the timid-faced Zhou Qian opposite him and couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. The grand tournament wasn’t just for resources; it was also about glory and displaying one’s power.

’I came here to fight experts. Fighting a rookie like this is a complete waste of time.’

"Go ahead," Anx Yushu said casually, dragging his Great Sword on the ground.

Zhou Qian was the same as ever, saying humbly, "After you, Senior Brother Anx."

Elder Yu Lingzi’s face, however, was expressionless. "Third match, begin!"

Anx Yushu’s body was slightly slouched, looking nonchalant, but the moment the starting cry faded, it was like a thunderclap on flat ground.

He shot forward like a meteor, his Great Sword dragging a stream of sparks across the ground. In an instant, he was in front of Zhou Qian, his flaming Great Sword chopping down from above!

—KILL!!!!!

’A Technique Cultivator challenging a Body Cultivator. What was he thinking? I wonder which wire in his brain is crossed.’

BOOM...

Zhou Qian was sent flying, tumbling and scrambling as he barely dodged the strike. The ground where he’d stood exploded.

At the same time, he blasted out a Fire Talisman, hoping to obstruct Anx Yushu. But Anx Yushu was a defense-oriented Body Cultivator and couldn’t care less about such a low-level Fire Talisman. He charged straight through it.

KILL~~~

Zhou Qian hastily threw out a Trapped Dragon Talisman Array, trying to contain Anx Yushu’s terrifyingly explosive attack. If a Body Cultivator ever fully caught up to a Technique Cultivator, it was certain death.

Once the battle started, Anx Yushu was like a completely different person. He slammed his sword down on the Trapped Dragon Talisman Array, smashing it apart. He then swept toward Zhou Qian, his body almost horizontal. A Technique Cultivator’s mobility was far inferior to a Body Cultivator’s.

BOOM...

A kick landed on Zhou Qian’s abdomen, sending him flying dozens of feet. Zhou Qian hadn’t even had time to use a Defense Talisman.

For a Technique Cultivator to take a direct kick from a Body Cultivator without a Defense Array up... it was enough to take half his life.

But Zhou Qian quickly scrambled back to his feet, gritting his teeth. Seizing the brief pause from his opponent, he immediately blasted out a Bursting Fire Talisman.

Of all his Magic, Zhou Qian was best at using the Bursting Fire Talisman. Most Cultivators would master one or two signature spells. The kind of fluid and perfected Skill Technique displayed by Luu Miaoyin required a considerable amount of time to achieve.

Her victory over Zhang Xiaojiang had looked simple, but it wasn’t entirely because Zhang Xiaojiang was weak; it was because Luu Miaoyin was too strong. Once you exposed a weakness, you wouldn’t even get the chance to cast your stronger Magic.

Faced with the Bursting Fire Talisman’s attack, Anx Yushu actually didn’t dodge. He swung his Great Sword in a half-spin, chopping down violently at the talisman.

BOOM...

The collision produced a deafening explosion. Anx Yushu charged out from it, rushing toward Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian’s Fire Talismans flew out in a continuous stream. He also cultivated the Hundred Talisman Butterfly Stream, and his mastery was no worse than Hu Jing’s. Facing such a ferocious Body Cultivator, if he didn’t fight for his life now, he’d have no chance at all.

The barrage of Fire Talismans would have suppressed even the strongest of Body Cultivators. Anx Yushu didn’t dodge much; most of the talismans hit him directly. But the strength of a Body Cultivator lay in their defense. His Great Sword constantly blocked the Fire Talismans as he closed in on Zhou Qian step by step. Meanwhile, Zhou Qian’s movement slowed considerably as he focused all his effort on casting the talismans.

No one had expected Anx Yushu to be so ridiculously tough.

The cheers from Beast Hall were like a tidal wave. ’This is so damn satisfying! A total slaughter! This is the power of Beast Hall! We’re winning decisively without even using our Spirit Beasts! A salted fish is still a salted fish, even if it flips over!’

KILL~~~ KILL! KILL! KILL!

Anx Yushu met offense with offense, relentlessly attacking with his Strong Charge Skill. Although this increased his exposure to attacks, four consecutive bursts brought him right in front of Zhou Qian again.

Zhou Qian’s Fire Talisman had already shot out. Anx Yushu blocked it with his Great Sword and kicked out at Zhou Qian’s chest again.

BOOM...

Zhou Qian was sent flying once more. This time, he could no longer suppress the blood rising in his chest and spat it out.

Anx Yushu rested his Great Sword on his shoulder, a cold smirk playing on his lips. "Is this all Thunderlight Hall has to offer? Just give up. You’re no match for me. Some people are too cowardly, still hiding in their shells at a time like this. How boring."

At this, a few more Thunderlight Hall disciples quietly slipped away. They couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Every time Zhou Qian’s efforts were crushed, it felt like a blow to them as well.

Beast Hall, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Their morale was sky-high. ’This feels great! Let’s give Thunderlight Hall a three-to-nothing shutout! Teach these brats who don’t know their own limits that bullshit miracles don’t mean a thing! Strength is the only truth!’

’They actually dared to challenge us? Did they really think they could win?’

’The biggest joke in the Holy Hall!’

Zhang Liang was in the crowd, quietly observing everything around him. ’As an intelligence agent, I must remain calm and not get emotionally invested.’ This was the rule Zhang Liang had set for himself.