I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 198 - 196: Battle Flying Phoenix

Everyone was thrilled. For years, aside from a single stir caused by Dao Guang Hall, no one had managed to break the established hierarchy. The Lower Three Halls were destined to remain the Lower Three Halls, the Middle Three Halls progressed as expected, and the Upper Three Halls reigned supreme, high above the rest. Likewise, upon reaching a certain age and level of Elemental Power, disciples graduating from different Sub-Halls held vastly different statuses. Everyone yearned to climb higher, but it was just too hard. The upper echelons had superior talent, superior resources, guidance from outstanding Elders, and the backing of the Main Hall. To challenge them was a complete fantasy—let alone accomplish a heaven-defying feat like Thunderlight Hall’s.

Everyone longed to see this structure shattered—everyone except for the disciples of the Upper Three Halls, of course.

"Did you guys hear? I heard even Dao Guang Hall is getting nervous!"

"For real? There’s no way they pose a threat to them."

"Who knows? To be honest, I think Thunderlight Hall has probably hit its peak. The chances of them threatening the Upper Three Halls are zero. But Elder Wang’s influence is immense, and now our younger generation doesn’t just have Ning Zhiyuan. We also have Wang Meng."

"That’s true. We finally have someone who can stand up to Ning Zhiyuan. You can just imagine how pissed the Dao Guang Hall disciples are."

"Shh... Keep it down."

Inside the Holy Hall Pavilion, disciples from the various Sub-Halls gathered in clusters, chatting and laughing. Everyone was discussing the upcoming battle between Thunderlight Hall and Flying Phoenix Hall. For once, it was a major event that had nothing to do with Dao Guang Hall.

"Pah! As if trash like Thunderlight Hall deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as us!" A young Dao Guang Hall Disciple spat on the ground. It was obvious he had just joined the Holy Hall not long ago and was filled with an immense pride for Dao Guang Hall. "Senior Brother, I’ll go teach them a lesson!"

A few of the older Dao Guang Hall Disciples offered a faint smile. "Forget it. Let the nobodies have their moment of glory. We’ll see what they have to say when they can actually reach the threshold of Dao Guang Hall."

"They’re just a bunch of frogs in a well. How could they possibly know what true strength is? Stooping to their level would only diminish our own status."

The Dao Guang Hall Disciples were exceedingly arrogant and made no effort to lower their voices, clearly intending for everyone else to hear.

And indeed, the other disciples didn’t dare to provoke them. They might dare to challenge Lingyin Hall or Immortal Origin Hall, but Dao Guang Hall had established an immense, oppressive presence over the years. This was especially true because of Ning Zhiyuan; no other disciple dared to even aspire to his level. Dao Guang Hall had become a uniquely special entity within Jiufen Hall.

Watching the Dao Guang Hall Disciples depart, the crowd couldn’t help but feel indignant, yet they were utterly helpless.

"I really hope Thunderlight Hall can pull off a miracle and make those arrogant pricks understand that they’re made of the same flesh and blood as the rest of us!"

"Whatever, I’m rooting for Thunderlight Hall!"

"Are you crazy? Their next opponent is Flying Phoenix Hall! We..."

"Come on, show some spine! I’m staying neutral!"

Tsk~~~~

Anything involving Flying Phoenix Hall never failed to draw a crowd, and this time, the attention had reached an unprecedented height.

Thunderlight Hall had already worked a miracle, but was this the end of their journey?

No one knew. The answer would be revealed in three days at Flying Phoenix Hall.

「Three days passed in a flash」

Flying Phoenix Hall threw open its gates, and countless disciples flooded in. A chance to admire beauties and witness a spectacular battle—who wouldn’t be eager for that?

Since the start of his challenge, Wang Meng had maintained a perfect winning streak, and each victory was significant. He had demonstrated an unbelievable understanding of Magic and incredible Insight.

Most critically, he was at the Twentieth Layer of Elemental Power!

If he were only at the Fifteenth Layer, no one would dare have such high hopes. The disciples of Flying Phoenix Hall and the halls above it were likely all at the Twentieth Layer or higher. Although people like Yang Ying had never revealed their exact strength, it was a no-brainer that they hadn’t been stagnating.

The Twentieth Layer, however, was a crucial threshold. As long as he had reached it, he had a fighting chance. There was hope.

Unlike the messy, dirty state of the other halls, Flying Phoenix Hall was impeccably clean and permeated with a delicate, feminine fragrance. The male disciples visiting from other Sub-Halls couldn’t resist taking a few deep breaths of the fragrant air. ’It’s their natural scent!’

Ordinarily, visitors to Flying Phoenix Hall had to abide by strict rules. While there wasn’t a strict "look but don’t touch" policy, any overtly inappropriate actions would earn you a beating. Although Flying Phoenix Hall was comprised solely of women, it was home to a concentration of outstanding Female Cultivators. And while Female Cultivators were women, they were not like ordinary mortal women. Here, weakness and strength were determined not by gender, but by power.

In the Small Thousand World, the strongest woman on the Vermilion Bird Continent was Jinn Qiushui, the Demon Heart Sect Leader. She was truly someone no one dared to provoke. After all, a Female Cultivator was still a woman, and one should never, ever cross a woman.

But on this special occasion, the senior and junior sisters of Flying Phoenix Hall were feeling more magnanimous. At the very least, they wouldn’t fly into a rage just for being stared at by the male cultivators. It was a special day.

Unlike the solemn atmosphere of previous competitions, this one had an extra something. Even the Flying Phoenix Hall disciples themselves felt there was less killing intent in the air and a bit more... romantic tension.

Gossip flew wildly throughout Flying Phoenix Hall about the exact nature of Yang Ying and Wang Meng’s relationship. The only ones who truly knew the inside story were the hall’s "Four Golden Flowers," but it was clear no one could pry a single word from them. Private speculation was unavoidable, but since their Senior Sister said nothing, no one dared to ask her directly. After all, no one in Flying Phoenix Hall could question Yang Ying. Her authority was fundamental to the hall’s stability.

"Who do you think will win, Yang Ying or Wang Meng?"

"It’s hard to say, really. Bow Cultivators, Technique Cultivators, Body Cultivators, Sword Cultivators, and even some of the more obscure paths all have their own merits. But frankly, the ones who truly reach the summit are always Sword Cultivators. Senior Sister Yang placed second in the last individual rankings, and several years have passed since then. Her power has likely risen to another level. The Twentieth-Layer Undying Golden Body was a perfect counter for Tang Wei, but it’s hard to say how it will fare against Senior Sister Yang’s Flying Phoenix Sword."

Currently, the strongest disciples in the Holy Hall—Ning Zhiyuan, Yang Ying, Mingren, and Liangyuan—were all Sword Cultivators. Now, Li Tianyi had to be added to that list. In other words, this was a golden age for Sword Cultivators.

"...I heard that Wang Meng is also a Sword Cultivator?"

A disciple from Hundred Herbs Hall suddenly interjected.

The crowd fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. "He probably just picked that when he first joined. From what we’ve seen, being a Technique Cultivator or a Body Cultivator are both good paths for him. But a Sword Cultivator? Forget it."

"Yeah, he has that broken sword. If he were serious about being a Sword Cultivator, he would’ve gotten a proper sword by now."

The senior disciples of Flying Phoenix Hall stood in neat, crisp formations, their bearing heroic and impressive. Their eyes, however, were also fixed on the distance, awaiting the arrival of their challenger.

Many of them had never seen Wang Meng in person, but they’d heard so many rumors they felt like their ears would fall off. Regardless of his relationship with their Senior Sister, the fact that he’d made it this far was enough to pique their curiosity.

And at that moment, a cheer erupted from the mountain gate. It was unmistakable: Thunderlight Hall had arrived!

All the disciples stared in astonishment at the members of Thunderlight Hall. They held their heads high with pride. Embroidered on their chests was the large character for "Thunder"—the symbol of Thunderlight Hall. And on their backs was an imposing character: "Meng." This was their way of thanking Wang Meng. It was Wang Meng who had given them a new lease on life!

Chen Haiguan and Hex Ziyuan led the procession. This display had been their idea; they had to project an imposing aura. They couldn’t just stand idly by and watch—they had to do whatever they could to contribute.