novelraw Chapter 205 - 203: The Meaning of Battle
Chapter 205 - 203: The Meaning of Battle
Watching the fervent celebration of the Thunderlight Hall disciples, Jingg Yanyun couldn’t help but sigh. This was probably for the best. ’No wonder Ancestor Master Zhou has such high hopes for him.’
Flying Phoenix Hall wasn’t without a chance of winning if they’d fought to the death with Thunderlight Hall; after all, there was only one Wang Meng. But that wasn’t Flying Phoenix Hall’s style. They were thoroughly convinced by this outcome and accepted their defeat.
But Flying Phoenix Hall was just a buffer. The real test was only just beginning.
The Holy Hall’s strongest factions were the Upper Three Halls. That was where the true elites gathered.
Regardless, Thunderlight Hall had won. Today, they could forget everything and celebrate to their hearts’ content.
Amid the cheers, Wang Meng pumped his fist forcefully.
On the outskirts of the crowd, Ma Tian’Er smiled happily, clapping softly...
Now, Thunderlight Hall had finally accomplished something that could only be called a miracle.
They had achieved an unprecedented five-match winning streak in the grand tournament.
The battle between Wang Meng and Yang Ying would one day be revered as a classic by countless young disciples, but for now, everyone was still buzzing about the duel between the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens and the Green Fall Yellow Springs Sword Technique.
The impact of this battle extended beyond the disciples’ circles; it also drastically shifted the balance of power among the Ancestral Masters.
Previously, Ancestral Master Thunderbolt was old and decrepit, and with no influential backing, the other Ancestral Masters paid him little mind, even yielding to him on certain matters. But now, things were different. Thunderlight Hall had risen, and its rise was nothing short of astonishing.
A group of young disciples led by Wang Meng and Hu Jing was more than enough to support Thunderlight Hall. It was clear this was no mere flash in the pan.
With Thunderlight Hall’s current momentum, abundant resources, and growing influence, it was foreseeable that the next few years would be their time to shine. While Dao Guang was strong, he had hit a bottleneck, and his potential for growth was now limited.
And this was a development that Zhao Tianlong and Ma Hezi were absolutely unwilling to see.
Li Xiuwen had always stayed out of such affairs. Zhou Luodan had invested heavily in Wang Meng, clearly intending to align herself with Thunderbolt. And Thunderbolt wasn’t a fool. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to strengthen Thunderlight Hall before; he simply lacked the means. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he would surely seize it.
Zhao Tianlong and Ma Hezi had worked too hard to bring their families to their current standing; they certainly didn’t want to see it all fall apart. It was just a shame that their own people had failed to stop Thunderlight Hall. Now, their only hope was Immortal Origin Hall.
As long as Zhou Luodan didn’t throw the match, Immortal Origin Hall could pull off a reverse sweep and secure victory!
The strength of the Upper Three Halls was beyond question, and Immortal Origin Hall had made exceptionally thorough preparations for this tournament.
Zhou Luodan knew this all too well, and it was precisely this that troubled her.
Zhou Feng was pacing back and forth in anxiety. Beside him, Luu Yun had been keeping her temper in check lately; in the past, she would have already started arguing with him.
"Old Zhou, stop pacing. It’s already incredible that they’ve made it this far."
"If I’d known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have refined those Pills."
Zhou Feng hadn’t expected this either. Initially, Immortal Origin Hall had been ruthlessly bullied by Lingyin Hall. With the addition of Li Tianyi, Lingyin Hall seemed poised to completely dominate Immortal Origin Hall. As this was the Zhou Family’s territory, the Zhou Family naturally couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Lingyin Hall had acted unscrupulously by poaching Li Tianyi. Of course, Immortal Origin Hall knew that this move wasn’t aimed at them, but rather at Dao Guang Hall.
But plans can never keep up with reality. Who would have thought Thunderlight Hall would completely disrupt the rhythm of things? Facing an incomplete lineup that repeatedly worked miracles, even Immortal Origin Hall dared not be complacent.
But now, Zhou Feng was completely on Wang Meng’s side. Suddenly remembering this, Old Zhou had rushed over to find the Ancestral Master.
"What’s eaten is eaten. Can they spit it back out? Old Zhou, you can’t be so biased."
"I cannot interfere in this matter, and you are not to cause trouble," Zhou Luodan said. "A five-match winning streak is already glorious enough for Thunderlight Hall. Sometimes, having things go too smoothly isn’t a good thing. Failure can also be a valuable experience."
Zhou Luodan continued, "No matter how much I value Wang Meng, he is still a member of Thunderlight Hall, while Immortal Origin Hall is my home. For reasons of both sentiment and logic, I cannot interfere. A cruel reality lies before them now: either become stepping stones for Thunderlight Hall or become the heroes who bring an end to the legend."
Thunderlight Hall was no longer just an ordinary challenger, and this tournament was no longer just a simple tournament. It had come to embody far too much beyond the battles themselves.
The Ancestral Masters had other considerations as well. The Holy Hall had always been under the control of the Four Great Families. No matter what, Zhou Luodan was the head of the Zhou Family. Wang Meng’s emergence had not only created a stir among the ordinary disciples but had also caused a considerable impact among the Elders. In truth, the Four Great Families were only a small fraction of the Holy Hall. They maintained their firm control over everyone by relying on the power of the Four Ancestral Masters, their years of accumulated resources, and their prestige. Many people, such as Elder Xu Huang and Elder Wang Bodang, wished to rally behind Thunderbolt. They disliked the clan-dominated atmosphere but were unwilling to be suppressed. If Thunderbolt were to issue a call to arms now, a massive force outside the family factions would form around him.
Frankly, Zhou Luodan didn’t oppose this, but she wouldn’t support it either—and she certainly wouldn’t do so at the expense of Immortal Origin Hall.
’If Wang Meng has what it takes, then let him overcome this obstacle himself.’
’On the path of cultivation, you ultimately have to rely on yourself.’
Zhou Luodan warned Zhou Feng a few more times. The man had spent so much time with Wang Meng it was like he’d been brainwashed, constantly thinking of Thunderlight Hall’s interests.
Outside the Ancestral Hall, Luu Yun was also trying to reason with Zhou Feng. "Stop provoking the Ancestral Master for no reason. This is a very sensitive issue right now. Thunderlight Hall has become too prominent, and there are other factors at play. Ancestral Master Zhao Tianlong and Ancestral Master Ma Hezi are already quite displeased."
Zhou Feng stomped his foot in frustration. "This is exactly what I can’t stand!"
"Alright, don’t be angry. There are some things they can only handle themselves. The Ancestral Masters have their own difficulties, and as disciples, we should try to understand. Besides, Thunderlight Hall is already in a great position."
Luu Yun consoled him. Nourished by love, a woman’s nature softens in an instant. Zhou Qian, on the other hand, was becoming more and more imperious.
"Do you think they might try to pull..."
Before Zhou Feng could finish, Luu Yun quickly made a gesture for him to be quiet. Neither the Zhao Family nor the Ma Family were to be trifled with. They already had a grudge with the Ma Family in particular; if not for Zhou Feng’s special status, he would have likely been expelled by now.
"It’s best to just be on guard. The tournament is too high-profile; they probably wouldn’t dare. But you can’t act rashly. If you get caught and give them leverage, you’ll end up hurting your friends instead."
"I can’t help much anyway. Thunderlight Hall is in a bad spot right now. Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang’s injuries haven’t fully healed. With only Wang Meng, Suo Ming, and Zhou Qian, there’s no way they can get past Immortal Origin Hall."
"Old Zhou, don’t be like that. You have to consider the Ancestral Master’s position as well. Besides, what they’re trying to accomplish is something no ordinary person could do, so they must be prepared to pay a higher price. This is a test for them, too. What’s more, the right to challenge is in their hands. They can always choose to give up."
Luu Yun had hit upon a key point.
After the battle with Flying Phoenix Hall, Thunderlight Hall hadn’t chosen to issue their next challenge immediately. Everyone was tacitly assuming their next opponent would be Immortal Origin Hall, but no formal declaration had been made.
Having reached this point, many of Thunderlight Hall’s disciples were already quite content. They had achieved both fame and fortune. But to challenge again would be to step into a minefield.
One wrong move and all their previous achievements would be for naught. Was it worth it?
Once a person is satisfied, it’s easy to lose motivation. Without a will to fight, how can one even speak of victory?
Sometimes, your greatest enemy isn’t your opponent, but yourself!
The most terrifying obstacle isn’t failure, but success.
Before, everyone had been holding their breath, pushing forward with a single-minded drive. But now, the most dangerous problem of all had emerged.
Thunderlight Hall had now achieved both fame and fortune. The reality facing them was an incomplete roster. Although Zhou Qian and Suo Ming weren’t seriously injured, who knew what hidden issues might have developed from the successive high-intensity battles.
The core members Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were still injured and couldn’t be forced to fight. And there was no need to even mention the condition of Ma Tian’Er and Liuu Mei.
What was the point in them continuing to fight?
When all their goals had been met, what reason was there to risk their lives and fight on?
However, this wasn’t a question for the average Thunderlight Hall disciple, but for Wang Meng and his team.
Continue? Or quit while they were ahead.
The most terrifying part was that the choice was entirely in their hands. Immortal Origin Hall wouldn’t force them, the Elders wouldn’t pressure them, and the Ancestral Masters wouldn’t interfere at all.
Perhaps stopping here was the best choice for everyone involved.
Just because Ancestral Master Thunderbolt was unwilling to participate in the clan struggles didn’t mean he was completely clueless. Thunderlight Hall had become too prominent, reaching an almost uncontrollable level. Pushing further might not be a good thing.
Thunderbolt’s choice was to support the youngsters’ decision.
They had earned this outcome through their own hard work; the decision should be theirs to make.
It was their path to choose. Whatever the outcome, there would be no regrets.
In the Thunderlight Pavilion, the team gathered. This was a question they had to confront.
Thunderlight Hall wasn’t a dictatorship. They were all in this together, fighting for a common goal.
Wang Meng, without a doubt, wanted to continue fighting. Whether for the gains reaped in battle or to deepen his understanding of what it meant to be a Saint Cultivator, he would choose to press on relentlessly.
Frankly, for the others, there was no reason left to fight.
The atmosphere grew heavy. No one was the first to speak.
Wang Meng was already an Elder. He could easily prove his personal strength in individual matches.
But for Wang Meng, leading Thunderlight Hall forward had become a personal challenge. It had built a momentum of forging ahead relentlessly. If that momentum were to be broken, it would be a complete and utter failure for him, even if others saw their journey so far as a victory. It could even affect his Cultivation.
But this was something that couldn’t be described in words. If one hadn’t reached his realm, they simply wouldn’t be able to understand.
Everyone held their breath until finally, Zhang Xiaopang shot up, waving his arms wildly. "Alright, that’s enough! I told you guys you couldn’t out-stubborn Brother Meng! Seriously!"
"Zhang Xiaojiang, couldn’t you have a little more patience!" Hu Jing said with a laugh.
"Zhang Xiaopang, you’re treating us now," Zhou Qian said. "Damn it, it was your rotten idea, and you’re the one who couldn’t stick with it."
Ma Tian’Er and Liuu Mei exchanged a smile. The truth was, they had all reached a consensus long ago: they would keep going. None of them wanted to stop. While stopping might seem like the best choice logically, deep down, it felt like the worst possible option.
’If we stop this time, will we also stop the next time we face a similar choice on our cultivation path?’
’Stop enough times, and it becomes a habit.’
And the path of cultivation—whether for Saint, Demon, or Evil—was all about seizing Celestial Power through one’s own methods.
This desire for comfort was something a cultivator absolutely could not afford to have.
"Brother Meng, in the next match against Immortal Origin Hall, I want in!" Zhang Xiaojiang declared.
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)