I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 180 - 178: Casting a Long Line to Catch a Big Fish

"Senior Brother Zhao, what a shame. The Array Talisman Bow was quite the big deal, yet they were so easily defeated. Such a pity, such a pity."

Ma Hezi said with a look of regret, though in every way it seemed he was just fanning the flames.

Zhao Tianlong remained unflustered. "Junior Brother Ma, there’s nothing to be said when we’re simply outmatched. These disciples focused too much on researching new Skill Techniques, and it affected their cultivation. It always takes a few years for a new innovation to truly show its power."

Clearly, Zhao Tianlong wasn’t entirely convinced. Any new combat system has to go through a period of growing pains, a transition. It’s during this process that it’s at its weakest, and Thunderlight Hall just happened to catch them at that very time.

"The contribution of the Array Talisman Bow is undeniable," Ancestor Kuchan said. "I will bring it to the Great Yuan Realm, where it will surely bring great improvements. Junior Brother Zhao, this is an absolutely major contribution. Fire Cloud Hall must be rewarded."

In his eyes, victory and defeat were not truly important; the Array Talisman Bow would be a massive help in the battles of the Great Yuan Realm, making its significance extraordinary.

"You are too kind, Senior Brother Kuchan. The disciples did their best."

"Those who deserve rewards must be rewarded. If we cannot be clear about rewards and punishments, the Holy Hall wouldn’t be the Holy Hall." Having experienced countless battles in the Great Yuan Realm, Kuchan clearly valued practical results above all else.

Li Xiuwen and the others nodded in agreement. The Array Talisman Bow had delighted the Ancestral Masters. Its design was filled with incredible ingenuity—placing a Talisman Array on a bow was truly a masterstroke. The profound subtleties within were something that could only come from a stroke of genius. Yao Yuan would definitely be rewarded handsomely.

What set the Holy Hall apart from other Cultivation Sects was its ability to fully utilize the strength of every Cultivator and unearth the potential of every talented disciple. Sometimes, a casual idea from one of them could be transformed into immense power by the Ancestral Masters.

The Holy Hall had reaped the benefits of this approach, whereas other Cultivation Sects were completely unwilling to cast such a wide net. Even if they tried to copy it, their attempts would be clumsy imitations at best.

Wu Fatian, who had been holding his anger in, let out a grunt. "Thunder Old Ghost, do you dare to make another bet with me!"

Thunderbolt laughed. "Wu the Kid, have you lost your mind? You dare to challenge me again? Fine, a bet it is! You think I’m afraid of you? How could a mere Hengshan Hall possibly stop the advance of my Thunderlight Hall!"

The other Ancestral Masters frowned. Thunderbolt’s strength was indeed considerable, but he had never overcome his impulsive nature. A three-win streak was already a miracle. Hengshan Hall was the current powerhouse of Body Cultivators, and fighting them was the most draining type of combat. Most importantly, all of Thunderlight Hall’s trump cards were now on the table; it was impossible for them to win by surprise.

Take the battle between Hu Jing and Song Zhong, for example. From now on, no one would be foolish enough to give Hu Jing as much time to prepare as Song Zhong had.

Aside from Wang Meng, who had displayed inconceivable skill, the other members’ weaknesses were all too obvious. Given Tang Wei’s unscrupulous, win-at-all-costs personality, there was no way he would be careless.

Wu Fatian smiled. "Excellent. I bet that Hengshan Hall will win. But what’s important are the stakes. Betting with Spirit Stones is too boring, there’s no challenge in it. Let’s play for something real!"

Thunderbolt’s eyes went wide. "What, getting angry from the shame of losing? You’re a Talisman Cultivator. All you have are those worthless Ghost Talismans. What use would I have for them!"

Wu Fatian chuckled slyly. "Haven’t you always wanted my Fire Flood Dragon Tendon? I’ll put that up as the stake!"

Thunderbolt froze. "Are you serious?"

Everyone exchanged glances. These two were really playing for keeps now. Kuchan gave a few dry coughs. "My two senior brothers, we are all family here. A small wager is for fun, but a large one can cause real harm."

The Fire Flood Dragon Tendon was a true treasure. Wu Fatian had obtained it by risking life and limb to slay a five-hundred-year-old Fire Flood Dragon during his cultivation journey. It was a genuine treasure.

Wu Fatian nodded. "When have I, Wu Fatian, ever gone back on my word? However, if you lose, you must agree to one condition of mine!"

"Name it! Name it! I’ll put up anything I own against you!"

"I don’t want any of your scrap metal. If I win, Wang Meng must come and study Talismans with me for a period of time!"

Everyone was stunned. Only then did Thunderbolt understand. ’So that’s his game,’ he thought. ’He’s casting a long line to catch a big fish.’

"Brother Wu, Wang Meng has no interest in Talismans," Zhou Luodan said.

"Heh," Wu Fatian chuckled. "Junior Sister, this kid was able to borrow power to use the Celestial Fire Dragon Transformation Technique. Could you do that when you were at the Fifteenth Layer?!"

In an instant, a fire ignited in Wu Fatian’s eyes. He had literally jumped to his feet when he’d heard the news. He had always been heartbroken that Wang Meng had no interest in Array Talismans; he felt like he had all this energy with nowhere to direct it. But now, Wang Meng had actually used the Celestial Fire Dragon Transformation Technique! If not for his prior agreement, Wu Fatian would have sought out Wang Meng long ago.

Thunderbolt had known all along that Wu the Kid was up to no good, yet he’d still fallen into his trap. But he also knew that Wu Fatian, like himself, was indebted to a great benefactor.

"Fine," Thunderbolt said. "I’ll give you ten days with him after the tournament. But after those ten days, you can’t interfere any further!"

"Haha! Old Lei, it’s rare to see you be so reasonable! I’ll take that bet!"

"Screw you! I’m just giving you a sliver of false hope. You’re guaranteed to lose!"

Thunderbolt rolled his eyes. "Anyone else want to get in on this?"

The others all backed away. The stakes were too high, and given Wu Fatian’s and Thunderbolt’s personalities, no one else was going to get involved in their nonsense.

Of course, the real reason they were all gathered here wasn’t just for the disciples’ competition. The situation in the Great Yuan Realm was dire. The Sword God had already entrusted the matter to Li Xiuwen, but the Ancestral Masters still needed to discuss among themselves the manpower and resources they would commit to support the realm.

The Holy Hall had its own considerations, and the Great Yuan Realm had its own difficulties. The two sides were bound to engage in some back-and-forth negotiations. The Elders of the Main Hall were also doing their best to prepare and mediate.

「In Zhou Feng’s thatched hut.」

Hu Jing was receiving treatment. Although Zhou Feng was happy about their victory, he couldn’t help but complain.

"You kids are truly reckless! You only get one life; once you throw it away, it’s gone! You have no sense of what’s truly important!"

Hu Jing’s use of the Ice-Fire Melting Break this time had severely overdrawn her energy, nearly causing a Five Elements deficiency.

To escape Zhou Feng’s nagging, Suo Ming, Zhou Qian, and the others went out into the courtyard to watch Wang Meng play chess as soon as their follow-up examinations were over. Chen Haiguan was a decent player himself, and with a whole group of kibitzers chiming in, the real excitement was happening off the board.

"It’s a good thing we have Elder Zhou. Otherwise, our cultivation would’ve been crippled."

"Elder Zhou may be a bit of a mother hen, but his skills are incredible!"

"Shh... Keep your voice down."

Everyone couldn’t help but chuckle. Zhao Ya’s Pills were decent, but they couldn’t compare to Zhou Feng’s. In terms of healing experience, Zhou Feng was the best in the Holy Hall—aside from Ancestor Master Zhou Luodan, of course.

Without Zhou Feng’s care, Zhou Qian and Suo Ming would have been crippled long ago. It was also uncertain how long Hu Jing would need to recuperate; fighting Hengshan Hall would have been a complete fantasy.

"Elder, how much of my strength will I have back in three days?" Hu Jing asked. The others all looked on eagerly. Right now, the only ones at full fighting strength were Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang. Who would have thought that the fatty had now become Thunderlight Hall’s secret weapon, and with only a few flesh wounds at that? (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)