I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 197 - 195: Step by Step

"It’s Wang Meng. It’s that kid. Forget Suo Ming and Zhou Qian—I feel like I’ve been infected by him, too. I’m supposed to be the First Elder of Pill Cultivators, and yet I’ve become their follower."

Zhou Feng couldn’t help but give a wry smile. He just enjoyed being with Wang Meng and his friends. At first, he thought it was just because they got along well, but now he saw that he had been infected by their passion and selflessness.

Striving and fighting for one’s goals, for power, for glory—there’s nothing wrong with that. But these people were fighting for Thunderlight Hall, for the glory of the entire Sub-Hall, not for personal fame.

Selflessness begets strength!

That’s why they dared to make sacrifices.

Zhou Luodan nodded. "Cultivation geniuses are bound to appear every few decades, but someone like Wang Meng... we’d be lucky to see one in several hundred years."

Zhou Feng nodded. "But it’s becoming harder and harder for people like him to survive in this day and age. Ancestral Master, you must protect him!"

Cultivators are selfish, and those in the Holy Hall are no exception. Without even realizing it, someone like Wang Meng will offend many people and even make a lot of enemies. No matter how talented he is, he simply hasn’t been cultivating for long enough.

"Rest assured. The Holy Hall is still the Holy Hall, not the Demon Hall!"

An aura of power and conviction, befitting the Ancestral Master of the Alchemy Dao, emanated from Zhou Luodan.

News of Thunderlight Hall’s victory over Hengshan Hall sent a wave of excitement through the entire Holy Hall. The once-tranquil Holy Hall was now abuzz, all because of Thunderlight Hall.

Having come this far, it was clear Thunderlight Hall would press on, never stopping. They had already moved beyond a simple desire for victory or fear of defeat. They were fighting for the conviction in their hearts.

While the goal was the same, what drove each of them was different.

「Thunderlight Hall.」

Hu Jing lay in bed, wrapped in bandages. Her face was still a bit pale, and though her spirits had improved, that alone couldn’t heal her wounds.

Wang Meng sat by her side. Everyone else had already left. For the upcoming battle against Flying Phoenix Hall, neither Hu Jing nor Zhang Xiaojiang would be able to fight. Hu Jing had internal injuries and needed absolute rest. Zhang Xiaojiang, on the other hand, only had external wounds, but they were severe—a few had even pierced to the bone. Even with a Cultivator’s physique, he was bound to suffer. Still, with Miss Liuu taking care of the ’fatty’ now, it was a painful yet blissful experience for him. Moreover, as Zhang Xiaopang’s presence grew more commanding, Senior Sister Liuu became gentler.

’There was actually some truth to the saying that a woman’s gentleness is proportional to her man’s strength.’

"Do you want some water?" Wang Meng asked.

Hu Jing shook her head slightly. "It’s rare to see this gentle side of you."

Wang Meng gave an embarrassed smile. "I’m always so thoughtless, and I have a knack for stirring up trouble. Everyone’s suffered a lot because of me."

"Don’t take all the blame on yourself. We’re fighting for ourselves and for the glory of Thunderlight Hall. Even without you, we’d still be doing this. Besides, once you decide to become a Cultivator, you don’t exactly expect to live to a hundred!" Hu Jing said, glancing at Wang Meng.

"Little Jing, what’s your dream?" Wang Meng asked. Among everyone in their group, Hu Jing was the easiest to talk to.

"Me? It’s simple. To just keep moving forward, one step at a time."

Hu Jing’s smile was beautiful.

"What I admire most about you is your mindset. No matter what happens, you always find your own pace."

"You know what you want, too. I remember you saying you have a powerful rival you have to defeat."

Wang Meng gave a bitter smile. "My rival isn’t just powerful. He has a massive organization behind him."

"How massive?"

"...Probably even more terrifying than the Holy Hall."

"No matter how powerful your rival is, you’re not alone. We’ll fight together," Hu Jing said with conviction.

A knowing smile spread across Wang Meng’s face. "That’s all I needed to hear. Get some rest. Our goal is to knock Dao Guang Hall off its pedestal!"

Hu Jing nodded and slowly closed her eyes, listening as Wang Meng’s footsteps faded into the distance.

’My dream... is to walk alongside you, every step of the way...’

From a nobody at the Second Layer of Life Mark to a powerhouse at the Twenty Layers. If someone had predicted this three years ago, everyone would have thought they were out of their mind.

But the living proof was right before their eyes. Not only that, but this supposedly untalented disciple, once destined to be cast aside, had instead led the revival of Thunderlight Hall.

Just a few months ago, people were still debating whether Thunderlight Hall should even exist. Now, it had become a shining example for the entire Holy Hall.

Every disciple, regardless of their status or level, was discussing the miracle of Thunderlight.

And the question that intrigued everyone the most was: why was Wang Meng so incredible?

Words like ’diligence’ and ’focus’ were now associated with Wang Meng. The common theory was that through his relentless effort, some latent talent had been awakened, leading to his current success.

One couldn’t say that the heavens are fair to everyone, but it’s rare for someone to be born with no talent whatsoever. Some talents simply need to be discovered.

Wang Meng, through his own hard work, had turned the impossible into reality.

And it wasn’t just him. He had galvanized all of Thunderlight Hall. Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were prime examples. But if one were to argue that Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang came from the same hometown as Wang Meng, or that the three of them were all secretly talented, what about Suo Ming and Zhou Qian?

Those two had been complete nobodies, yet now they had also fought their way to prominence.

The "Thunderlight phenomenon" sent shockwaves through the Holy Hall. After all, geniuses were the minority. Every Cultivator arrived in the Small Thousand World and came to the Holy Hall filled with boundless hope. But after several years, or even more than a decade of cultivation, they discovered the vast gap between their dreams and reality. Cultivation was tedious and dull, and they even had to face life-threatening dangers. They could see no hope. Thunderlight Hall’s victory wasn’t just a victory for their hall—it had ignited a fire in all of them.

Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan had become the de facto managers of Thunderlight Hall. Wang Meng and the others were busy preparing for their next battles and obviously couldn’t handle these administrative matters. Even if they tried, they wouldn’t be as adept as Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan. The two had been in the Holy Hall long enough and had a much better understanding of the situation among the rank-and-file disciples.

Aside from Thunderlight Hall itself becoming more and more lively, its Sub-Hall missions were now being snatched up the moment they were posted. Disciples from other halls wanted to get in on some of Thunderlight Hall’s good luck.

Many disciples even wanted to transfer to Thunderlight Hall, some of them quite powerful. They were particularly drawn to the hall’s unity and its atmosphere, which was completely different from any other Sub-Hall.

「Three days later.」

Thunderlight Hall was set to challenge Flying Phoenix Hall. This would be yet another difficult trial, as Flying Phoenix Hall was even stronger than Hengshan Hall. But that wasn’t all. There was another, much more complicated problem: the Beauty Pass.

Wang Meng and Yang Ying’s relationship was once again the topic of conversation.

"So what do you guys think is the real deal between Wang Meng and Yang Ying?"

"It’s hard to say, really. Feels like there’s a secret there. They don’t act like a couple, but if they aren’t, how would they even know each other?"

"Maybe Senior Sister Yang has a sharp eye for talent and knew that Elder Wang was no ordinary man?"

"Bullshit! What level was Elder Wang back then? You actually believe that?"

"Fair point. Who cares, anyway? We’ll find out when we go watch the fight at Flying Phoenix Hall."

"It’s gonna be packed. I heard that even people from the Upper Three Halls are turning out in full force. If Thunderlight Hall can clear the hurdle of Flying Phoenix Hall, they’ll be challenging the Upper Three Halls next. I’m trembling just thinking about it!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)