I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 216 - 214: Sacrificial Battle

’This was completely unbecoming of a Cultivator, especially a new disciple. Or perhaps, a new Elder. As a newly promoted Elder, he should have been even more low-key. But now... a look at the expressions on Sunx Changxing’s and Luu Yun’s faces revealed a new hint of dread in their eyes.’

Wang Meng was no match for them at the moment, but given time, who could possibly stop him?

Thunderlight Hall, a sword sharpened for twenty years, was finally unsheathed.

Yang Ying glanced at Mingren, who of course understood what she meant. The Senior of Lingyin Hall couldn’t help but smile wryly, while Fang Xiang, standing to the side, was utterly dumbfounded. "Senior, Junior Brother Li was right. We’re really going to fight Thunderlight Hall."

Yang Ying was taken aback. "Junior Brother Li really thought so?"

Mingren shrugged helplessly. "He did say that, and there’s no denying it now. Perhaps he and Wang Meng are the same kind of people—complete madmen."

Hearing such an assessment from Mingren, Yang Ying wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Just then, she saw Wang Meng walking toward them.

The noisy Magic Arena gradually fell silent. It was no exaggeration to say that all eyes were on him. Wang Meng’s target was clearly Mingren. ’What will he say?’

’What is he going to do?’

’Declare war?’

Song Zhong and the others were also staring at them.

Wang Meng walked up to Mingren and cupped his hands in a salute. "The next stop is Lingyin Peak."

Mingren returned the salute with a faint smile. "Junior Brother Li and I have been waiting for you."

Whispers broke out all around. From his words, it sounded as if Lingyin Hall had known Thunderlight Hall would make it this far.

In truth, of all the sub-halls, Lingyin Hall understood Thunderlight Hall the best, as the two had trained together before. With his keen judgment, Mingren knew Thunderlight Hall wasn’t as weak as others believed. Of course, he had never expected a day like this to come, making it both surprising and yet not entirely unexpected.

"Brother Mingren, I have a proposal."

"I’m all ears," Mingren nodded.

Everyone pricked up their ears, wondering what on earth Wang Meng was about to say.

"For the battle between Thunderlight Hall and Lingyin Hall, I will fight alone!"

After a moment of silence, Immortal Origin Hall erupted.

Another Sacrificial Battle!

Five years ago, in a sub-hall battle, the famous Ning Zhiquan, whose name shook the Holy Hall, had fought one. A "Sacrificial Battle" was a special rule for sub-hall battles: if the other members of a team were unable to fight for any reason, a single member could take their place. This meant one person had to fight all five opponents alone in a continuous gauntlet. To win, they had to achieve a complete victory.

Ning Zhiquan had succeeded once, and his Sword Technique had since been known as the Sacrificial Sword. After that battle, no one dared to challenge his authority again.

However, that hadn’t been during the grand tournament, but in a sub-hall battle between Dao Guang Hall and Hengshan Hall.

A Sacrificial Battle was a double-edged sword with no turning back.

And this time, Wang Meng was facing the second-largest sub-hall in the Holy Hall: Lingyin Hall.

He was actually initiating a Sacrificial Battle.

At this point, on this day, Wang Meng had to shoulder the burden for everyone and carry them forward.

All eyes turned to Mingren.

Mingren smiled faintly. "I will await you at Lingyin Peak!"

With that, he led the Lingyin Hall disciples away on their swords.

The Sacrificial Battle was set for three days later at Lingyin Hall! Never had a grand tournament been so out of the ordinary.

Thunderlight Hall, despite its six consecutive victories, had been pushed to the brink. All of its main fighters were severely injured, and Wang Meng’s Sacrificial Battle was likely their last resort.

But even with Wang Meng’s Twenty Layers of Elemental Power, how much could he possibly have left after one grueling fight?

What about two? Or three? Or four?

Thunderlight Hall could only advance if he won all five matches. Daring to use such a tactic meant putting everything on the line.

And who did Lingyin Hall have? Mingren, Li Tianyi, Anx Dao... all top-tier experts, masters of Talisman and Sword Dual Proficiency. ’Take on five of them alone?’

Yang Ying gazed at Wang Meng on the Dueling Platform. She, whose heart was usually as still as water, felt it begin to pound. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.

Meanwhile, in the Thunderlight Hall area, Ma Tian’Er clasped her hands tightly, praying silently.

The talk was all about Thunderlight Hall. All about Wang Meng. All about the Sacrificial Battle.

Initiating a Sacrificial Battle during the grand tournament was an incredibly unwise move. One person had to shoulder all the responsibility, facing a decisive battle against five powerful opponents. Once a Sacrificial Battle began, the opponents were guaranteed to fight with their lives on the line, holding nothing back. If their opponent actually managed to win the Sacrificial Battle, they would be utterly finished. Such a blow would be an unbearable humiliation for both the individuals and their sub-hall.

Everyone said Thunderlight Hall and Lingyin Hall were on good terms. People had been wondering if they would have a friendly sparring match, similar to the one with Flying Phoenix Hall. Instead, it had become the most brutal engagement possible: a Sacrificial Battle.

There was no turning back for either side.

Zhang Liang, however, was like the fisherman profiting from the clam and the snipe. Thanks to this grand tournament, his intelligence network was expanding rapidly. He wasn’t just disseminating news; he had also begun to collect it. Anyone who provided reliable and valuable information was rewarded based on its worth. The payments ranged from Holy Hall Contribution Points and Spirit Stones to even Magical Artifacts, Immortal Swords, and medicinal herbs. Such items were difficult for others to obtain, but Zhang Liang could procure them all through his network.

He had always spared no effort when it came to Thunderlight Hall. After all, without the hall’s meteoric rise, his intelligence network would never have developed so quickly.

Recently, Gongsun Wuqing had been summoning him much more frequently, always to ask about Thunderlight Hall and Wang Meng. It was obvious that these weren’t just Gongsun Wuqing’s questions; Senior Ning Zhiquan wanted to know as well.

After Wang Meng initiated the Sacrificial Battle with Lingyin Hall, both Dao Guang Hall and Ning Zhiquan himself had no choice but to take him seriously.

This was especially true of Wang Meng’s influence. From one perspective, it signaled the changing of an era. The age of Ning Zhiquan’s dominance over the Holy Hall Branches was over, and Wang Meng’s era was about to begin. Even if Wang Meng failed in his Sacrificial Battle against Lingyin Hall, his status was already established—second only to Ning Zhiquan. And Ning Zhiquan himself was bound to leave eventually.

That would leave only Wang Meng to lead the Holy Hall Branches. However, this didn’t mean Ning Zhiquan was happy about it. At least, Zhang Liang didn’t think so. ’Any king in Ning Zhiquan’s position, even if they’re about to leave, wouldn’t want to be pushed out the door.’

Moreover, Wang Meng was from Thunderlight Hall, not Dao Guang Hall. The influence a promoted Elder wielded was directly tied to the strength of their sub-hall.

Thunderbolt had the least influence in the Main Hall, especially when it came to critical decisions, all because Thunderlight Hall was too weak. On minor issues, others might defer to him out of courtesy, but on major ones, Thunderbolt could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

’Times change. Once Ning Zhiquan leaves and Wang Meng rises—especially with the terrifying charisma and personal strength he’s shown, not to mention Thunderbolt’s full support and the goodwill from Zhou Luodan and Zhou Feng—Dao Guang Hall will be in danger.’

’An opponent’s failure is one’s own opportunity. Zhao Tianlong and Ma Hezi are more than happy to watch the other halls fight, as it gives their own factions more room to grow. In fact, that’s precisely how the Zhao and Ma Families have developed over the years.’

Although Zhang Liang was only a disciple, he understood this point very well. That was why, when questioned, his answers were always that Wang Meng was a casual, easygoing person with no real ambition.

When facing Gongsun Wuqing, this was the most he could do. (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.)