I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 182 - 180: Unity is Strength

The disciples of Thunderlight Hall were cultivating far more diligently than ever before. The biggest change was the atmosphere. It was perfectly normal for cultivators to jealously guard their own secrets.

Share? Damn, the saying "teach the apprentice and starve the master" was no exaggeration. They were all rivals. Who didn’t want to get stronger?

But Thunderlight Hall had an exceptionally good atmosphere. It wasn’t that everyone was a saint, but they were certainly more magnanimous and united. When everyone was willing to act this way, the entire atmosphere changed.

Passionate, diligent, and united—this was the Thunderlight Hall of today.

Every disciple from other Sub-Halls who visited could feel this strange, family-like atmosphere.

In the dog-eat-dog Small Thousand World, this was simply incredible.

"Brother Chen, I have a treasured Moonlight Red Flower. It’s fifty years old and is said to be very effective for treating serious injuries. Do you think Elder Wang, Senior Sister Hu, and the others could use it?"

"Brother Chen, I don’t have much, but I’ve saved a dozen or so Spirit Stones. Can they be of use?"

"Brother Chen, we may not be very skilled, but we have strength and time. If there are any odd jobs, just give them to us!"

Chen Haiguan cupped his hands. "Brothers, if I need your help, I won’t hesitate to ask. For now, everything is fine. What we need to do is stand united. We absolutely cannot let those thugs from Hengshan Hall look down on us in Thunderlight Hall!"

Every disciple pumped their fists. Only those who had been at the very bottom could understand how precious and hard-won dignity was.

With Wang Meng and the others in seclusion, the Hall’s affairs were handled by Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan. Every day, an endless stream of disciples came looking for something to do. Their abilities varied, but they were genuinely willing to offer up their most treasured possessions.

As a member of Thunderlight Hall, Chen Haiguan was filled with immense pride.

He also knew how terrifying Hengshan Hall was. In the last Hall battle, his opponents probably hadn’t even used half of their strength.

But no matter how strong their opponents were, they would see this through. As long as Wang Meng and his team didn’t stop, they would follow them to the end, willing to risk everything.

「Hengshan Hall, Hengshan Martial Arts Pavilion.」

The elite disciples of Hengshan Hall had all gathered, including experts like Guo Rongjin who were usually away. Evidently, Tang Wei wasn’t underestimating his opponent just because it was Thunderlight Hall. This was almost the full A-team he would assemble to fight Flying Phoenix Hall.

"What’s the word from Zhang Liang?" Tang Wei asked.

Shenn Tu stood up. "Ever since Zhou Feng won them over ten days of rest, they’ve been holed up cultivating on Thunderlight Peak. With Zhou Feng’s mastery of Pills, I’m afraid they’ll recover to at least ninety percent of their full strength."

"Senior, isn’t this making a mountain out of a molehill? I thought I was called back to challenge one of the Upper Three Halls. Turns out it’s just to deal with Thunderlight Hall!"

A burly man over nine feet tall said, his voice as deep as thunder. He was bare-chested, his skin the color of red copper, crisscrossed with terrifying scars.

"Gang Lian, although Thunderlight Hall is mostly made up of new disciples, they’ve defeated Hundred Herbs and..." Shenn Tu started to say.

"Shenn Tu, I have no interest in hearing about that. Trash is trash. Senior, I came out of respect for you, and now that I’m here, I can’t be bothered to leave. Save the strongest one for me!"

Gang Lian said in a low voice, then stood up. "I’m going to go stretch my muscles. Anyone want to spar a few rounds?"

No one moved. Gang Lian let out a loud laugh. "How boring."

With that, he walked off by himself.

Shenn Tu’s expression was grim, but he remained silent. A Power Cultivator, unable to watch any longer, couldn’t help but speak up. "Senior, Gang Lian is too arrogant! This is a Hall meeting, and he just..."

Tang Wei’s cold gaze swept over them. "If you have his strength, you can act like that too. Hengshan Hall only cares about strength. Shenn Tu, continue!"

"Yes, Senior. The Talismans in your hands contain detailed information on the abilities and weaknesses of these individuals."

"Remember, we are Hengshan Hall! Our target is the Upper Three Halls! I want to crush Thunderlight Hall with a clean three-to-zero sweep! Anyone who brings shame to Hengshan Hall shouldn’t blame me for ignoring the bonds of brotherhood!"

Tang Wei’s voice was firm and resolute.

Every disciple of Hengshan Hall knew this was no longer a simple matter of winning or losing. If Hengshan Hall were to lose, they would be nailed to the pillar of shame in the Holy Hall’s history, forever a footnote to the legend of Thunderlight Hall.

’That year, on that day, Thunderlight Hall defeated Hengshan Hall, making new history in the Holy Hall’s Grand Competition.’

As the Senior of Hengshan Hall, the mere thought made Tang Wei’s skin crawl. That was why he had recalled all of Hengshan Hall’s true experts.

Even at the risk of revealing his hand, he absolutely could not allow Thunderlight Hall to gain the slightest advantage.

「Li Xiuwen’s Furnace Sword Peak.」

"This disciple pays his respects to the Ancestral Master." A Sword Cultivator Elder knelt on one knee.

Li Xiuwen nodded. "Daoming, you’ve worked hard. Are there any results?"

"Ancestral Master, your fears were justified. The recent disappearances of disciples and the failures during their excursions are no coincidence. They’re being deliberately orchestrated!"

Li Daoming said in a low voice, "In recent years, the casualty rate for Holy Hall Disciples on their training excursions has risen by thirty percent. At first, it was dismissed as a coincidence. After all, encountering danger on such trips is normal, and a thirty percent increase isn’t an astronomical figure. But the rate has remained stable for several years in a row. What’s strange is that the disciples who die are neither the most outstanding nor the weakest. Instead, they are the core strength of our ranks. And in reality, there haven’t been any other significant changes during these years. A deeper investigation revealed that information about certain missions was being leaked, leading to ambushes. The disciples might complete their objectives, only to be intercepted on their way back by members of some other power, never to be seen again."

"Conflicts between Demon Cultivators and Saint Cultivators are normal, but this situation is different. It’s clear that some power is specifically targeting the Holy Hall."

"Do you know who it is?"

"As it stands, the most likely culprit is the Ten Thousand Demons Sect!" Li Daoming said. "Unfortunately, we have no proof. Regardless of who it is, for them to have hidden within the Holy Hall for so long is a terrifying thought."

"This mole is most likely a disciple," Li Xiuwen mused. "An Elder couldn’t get too involved in the affairs of the disciples from the various Sub-Halls. It would be too conspicuous."

"If it’s a disciple, the scope is too broad."

"But to have access to this much information, this person’s status among the disciples can’t be low."

Both Li Xiuwen and Li Daoming clearly realized the gravity of the situation. This was a ruthless move by their enemy—cutting them off at the source.

"What do you think?"

"The senior disciples of each Sub-Hall, especially those who participate in the Grand Competition, are all suspects. Furthermore, this person must be well-connected, making it easy for them to gather intelligence. With these criteria, the scope narrows considerably." Li Daoming continued, "Although the nine major Sub-Halls don’t prohibit visiting one another, in practice, apart from a few special occasions, everyone mostly keeps to themselves."

’Who would be so interested in the affairs of others?’

Half a month wasn’t a long time for a cultivator, but it wasn’t exactly short, either. If used well, one could achieve twice the results with half the effort.

Healing wouldn’t have been so fast if they had stayed in Thunderlight Hall, not even with the abundant Spiritual Qi on the peak. But after Zhou Feng successfully applied for a half-month recuperation period, Mingren had someone deliver a Teleportation Talisman.

In fact, as soon as the rest period was approved, they had all thought of that place. But being invited was one thing; asking for an invitation was another entirely. Who would have thought Mingren would be so generous? Everyone was a little overwhelmed by the favor. The one who delivered the Teleportation Talisman was Anx Dao of the Lingyin Four Tigers, whom they were all quite familiar with by now.

The abundant Natural Primordial Qi there was perfect for recuperation. Combined with Zhou Feng’s Alchemy Skill, it would allow them to recover to peak condition before facing Hengshan Hall.

But there was a problem... Everything was ready, except for one crucial thing.

They were broke...

Their cultivation and healing over this period had consumed a massive amount of resources, and Thunderlight Hall’s reserves were simply not deep enough. Zhou Feng was already working for free; they couldn’t possibly expect him to provide all the materials, too.

Lingyin Hall had already gone above and beyond by lending them the Teleportation Talisman. They couldn’t possibly expect them to also provide the Spirit Stones needed for activation. Even someone as shameless as Wang Meng or Zhang Xiaopang wouldn’t have the nerve to ask for that.

Besides, there were unspoken rules for borrowing an array technique; a usage fee was expected. Even though Lingyin Hall didn’t ask for one, Thunderlight Hall couldn’t just ignore the custom.

As a result, the group stared blankly at the Talisman for what felt like an eternity. It would have been one thing if they’d never gotten it, but someone had eagerly sent it over, and now they couldn’t afford to use it. The frustration was almost too much to bear.

"We can’t go on like this," Hu Jing said. "If we can’t use it, then let’s just forget it. All this indecisiveness is just a waste of time!" She felt that Zhao Ya allowing them to use the summit of Thunderlight Peak was already more than enough.

"Hu Jing is right. He who hesitates is lost. Instead of agonizing over this, we should use the time to consolidate what we’ve gained recently!"

Zhou Qian also agreed.

The three Hall battles had brought about world-altering changes for Zhou Feng and his team, both in terms of their strength and their confidence. They desperately needed some time to process it all, but that required peace of mind. This Teleportation Talisman, however, had truly unsettled them.

Nothing was more disruptive to one’s state of mind—not having something, not not having it—than seeing it right within your grasp, yet being unable to take it.

"Brother Chen and the others went to find a way. Shouldn’t we wait a little longer?" Liuu Mei said.

Zhou Qian shook his head with a wry smile. "Others might not know what our Thunderlight Hall disciples are like, but we do. Everyone has already done more than enough to help. This huge sum of Spirit Stones isn’t something they can just scrounge up. The others need to cultivate, too."

Zhou Qian had come from the bottom ranks. Back in the day, he had made a meager living selling Talismans, and life had been tough. He knew the situation in Thunderlight Hall better than anyone. Everyone had to split a single Spirit Stone in half just to get by.

Wang Meng was at a loss as well. Even if they tried to procure the Spirit Stones now, it would be too late.

Just then, Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan returned.

"Brother Chen, did you find a way?" Zhang Xiaojiang asked.

Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan exchanged a helpless glance. Chen Haiguan gritted his teeth. "We’re useless. We pooled everything we could from everyone and only managed to come up with twenty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones... It’s not even close to enough..."

Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan looked utterly ashamed. As senior brothers, they felt completely useless for being unable to help at such a critical moment. ’If only we’d been more diligent in the past,’ they thought, ’we wouldn’t be in a position where we can’t even produce a few Spirit Stones.’

Staring at the twenty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones, Zhou Feng and Liuu Mei were stunned. The two of them, more than anyone, knew the current state of Thunderlight Hall. To think they had managed to gather this many...

Zhou Feng couldn’t help but ask, "Brother Chen, where did these come from? How did you get so many?"

"Some of our brothers pitched in. It’s our fault we’re so useless... it’s only this much. It’s definitely not enough to activate the array technique, but you all should take it. It’s better than nothing."(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)