novelraw Chapter 217 - 215: The First Kiss
Chapter 217 - 215: The First Kiss
There were plenty of shady dealings within the Holy Hall, especially since Dao Guang Hall had been the dominant power for so many years. If they truly decided to make a move, it would be a major headache.
The Ancestral Masters could no longer turn a blind eye. When Thunderlight Hall fought their way to Lingyin Hall and initiated a Sacrificial Battle, the Ancestral Masters had to pay close attention.
Thunderbolt was finally able to hold his head high, but he also had his frustrations. Wang Meng’s talent in Sword Techniques was what truly shone, thwarting Thunderbolt’s original plans. Of course, this was also a point of smug satisfaction for Wu Fatian. ’So what if you’re gloating, Old Lei? No matter how strong Wang Meng is, he’s a Sword Cultivator. It has nothing to do with your Body Cultivators.’
However, because of this, the Ancestral Masters seemed to have rekindled their interest in winning Wang Meng over.
If Wang Meng were primarily a Body Cultivator, then the others wouldn’t have been able to do anything. But as a Sword Cultivator, he could at least assist with Alchemy, so there was no conflict.
They could get past Zhou Luodan. The Zhou Family had never vied for the top spot, so they posed no threat. Besides, there was the matter of Zhou Feng. That rascal had brazenly gone against orders to help heal the members of Thunderlight Hall, nearly making Zhou Luodan faint from anger. But looking at it now, it was precisely because of this that Zhou Feng had become the most popular Elder in Thunderlight Hall, even more so than Zhao Ya and the others.
Looking at it from another angle, Zhou Feng had essentially infiltrated Thunderlight Hall and won the respect of its disciples. This was equivalent to the Zhou Family gaining influence within Thunderlight Hall.
The carefully planted flower failed to bloom, while the careless willow cutting grew into a shady tree.
If Zhou Luodan couldn’t see this and adapt, she would have been an Ancestral Master for nothing.
Although Wang Meng was a Sword Cultivator, he was a poor fit for the Li Family. His personality, with its wild and untamable streak, was clearly different from the traditional great families of the Sword Sect and was indeed a better match for Thunderlight Hall. The Li Family would never lower themselves to recruit Wang Meng; Li Xiuwen’s pride would certainly never allow it. Besides, he had Li Tianyi, so he truly didn’t care.
By convention, the Ancestral Masters would only possibly attend the final grand tournament, but it seemed this convention was about to be broken.
Back at Thunderlight Hall, Wang Meng also went into seclusion. He spent two days organizing his thoughts on the Nourishing Essence Technique and the Hinayana Five Elements Technique.
In such grueling battles, the Nourishing Essence Technique had truly shown its miraculous effects. It was the most basic Cultivation Technique, one that nearly every Holy Hall Disciple knew, yet it was overlooked by so many.
In the past, the Nourishing Essence Technique was only used to complement the Blast-Inducing Technique. But ever since he had perfected the Hinayana Five Elements Technique, there was no longer any value in practicing the Blast-Inducing Technique. However, Wang Meng had never neglected his Nourishing Essence Technique. It no longer had any value for increasing his Elemental Power; once he reached the Twenty Layers, he couldn’t see any effect no matter how much he practiced.
After the recent series of major battles, Wang Meng discovered that the Nourishing Essence Technique wasn’t ineffective; its effects were just difficult to perceive. The Nourishing Essence Technique subtly solidified his Life Mark while also enhancing the recovery rate of his Elemental Power. It was like the relationship between bones and muscles. Just building up muscles was useless; thick, strong bones were the key. Otherwise, one was just strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
And that’s what the Nourishing Essence Technique did. It didn’t obviously increase anything, but it was always quietly making changes.
This was an unexpected discovery for Wang Meng. Many great Cultivation Techniques actually originated from the basics.
Just as Wang Meng emerged from his seclusion, he ran into someone unexpected: Yang Ying.
Zhou Feng chuckled. "Well, look at you, kid. You just quietly shut your door, and she’s been coming here every day."
Zhou Feng’s hint was anything but subtle, causing Yang Ying’s face to flush bright red.
Wang Meng smiled. "Senior Sister Yang, what brings you here?"
"Isn’t that a stupid question? She’s here to see you, of course. You two chat. I’m going to find that kid Suo Ming and get some good food."
The two of them sat down. Ripples of emotion appeared in Yang Ying’s beautiful eyes. "You seem to be in good condition. You’re really prepared for the Sacrificial Battle."
Wang Meng smiled. "It’s not that dramatic."
"Are you confident?"
"Of course... not," Wang Meng said. "Neither Li Tianyi nor Mingren is an easy opponent. There’s a chance, but it all depends on what strategy they use."
Yang Ying gave him a knowing smile. "Li Tianyi is a famous genius of the Li Family, but you certainly know the reality of his situation better than I do. As for Senior Brother Mingren, I know a bit more about him. He’s very low-key and might not even use his full strength in the individual ranking battles. In a hall battle, however, he definitely won’t hold back in the slightest. Talisman and Sword Dual Cultivation is very difficult to deal with. You must control the distance."
Wang Meng nodded and teased, "Thank you. A kind Senior Sister Yang is even more beautiful."
"Is that so?"
Yang Ying gently tucked a strand of her long hair back. Bathed in the moonlight, her face was slightly flushed. For the first time, she felt a sweet warmth from being praised for her beauty.
Whether it was some primal urge or something else, Yang Ying’s beauty at that moment truly stunned Wang Meng. As if possessed, he reached out his hand and caressed her captivating face.
Yang Ying’s face grew redder. She gazed gently at Wang Meng, her pride and confidence completely melting away before this man.
Time seemed to stand still. Not far away, the Golden Rhinoceros lifted its head, gave its master a bored look, and started dozing off again. ’What’s the point of all this groping around late at night instead of sleeping?’
Yang Ying had already closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes were veiled in the brilliant glow of the moon, a beauty so bewitching it could steal one’s soul.
An uncontrollable heat surged from within him, and Wang Meng leaned in and kissed her. Yang Ying trembled helplessly. Under the moon’s witness, the number one beauty of the Holy Hall finally gave away her first kiss.
Was this their act becoming real?
The Small Thousand World was different from the mortal realm. In the mortal realm, such things weren’t taken too seriously, but for Cultivators, this kind of contact was already considered a vow, unless one was the Demoness type who practiced Dual Cultivation techniques.
Especially for someone like Yang Ying.
Yang Ying did feel a little helpless. She came from the Small Thousand World and had entered the Holy Hall to cultivate at a very young age, remaining there ever since.
Wang Meng, of course, wasn’t exactly self-taught. He and Zhang Xiaojiang had been getting into all sorts of petty mischief since they were kids, and they’d peeked at women bathing more than once or twice. Of course, that was just childish stuff, but with his masculine instincts and precocious experience, he quickly became a natural.
At least, he was more than enough to handle Yang Ying.
At this moment, silence was more eloquent than words.
Wang Meng suddenly realized how stupid he’d been before. Under Moo Shan’s influence, he’d almost resigned himself to being a bachelor for life. Wouldn’t such a life be incomplete? If his life itself was incomplete, what was the point of talking about defying the heavens?
Yang Ying could feel the man’s hands growing bolder. She wanted to resist, but she couldn’t summon a shred of strength.
It had to be said, Wang Meng was a later bloomer than Zhang Xiaopang. The fatty had known from a young age that beautiful women and cultivation were two equally important matters in life.
Wang Meng kissed Yang Ying’s red lips, then slowly moved lower, to her jade-white neck. The last bit of Yang Ying’s struggle vanished like smoke. ’It has already come to this,’ she thought. ’He’s the one I’ve accepted. Let him do as he pleases.’
Yang Ying gave Wang Meng a deep look, closed her eyes, and the hand holding his back went limp. Wang Meng’s hand slipped inside the opening of her clothes.
But Wang Meng made no further moves. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. Yang Ying, with her eyes slightly closed, was simply too beautiful—a natural-born stunner. ’Why have I never noticed this before?’
Thinking about it, Wang Meng was quite impressed with himself. His self-control was far greater than the legendary Liuu the Virtuous.
Yang Ying was also getting nervous. ’Why has he stopped moving?’ She opened her eyes slightly, only to find him staring intently at her.
The two of them just gazed at each other quietly, getting closer and closer...
The moon in the sky apparently couldn’t bear to watch any longer and pulled a dark cloud over itself to hide.
Time seemed to flow like water. A dry cough from outside suddenly startled Wang Meng and Yang Ying awake.
Even with his well-practiced thick skin, Wang Meng couldn’t help but blush a little. Yang Ying, even more flustered, scrambled to tidy her clothes. Without realizing it, they had both completely lost track of time.
After a moment, Zhou Feng’s figure appeared. Elder Zhou was a man of experience. ’Young people, like dry wood meeting a raging fire, a passionate affair... it’s normal to forget the time.’ But he was also hungry.
"Looks like you two are making good progress. Excellent. I’m still the humane one around here, getting you some food. Want some wine to celebrate?"
Zhou Feng laughed, his eyes darting back and forth between Yang Ying and Wang Meng. He was inwardly delighted. Part of it was genuine happiness, and part of it was seizing the opportunity to tease Wang Meng. It was rare to see the kid get shy.
Unfortunately, Wang Meng’s ability to adapt was quite strong. He quickly relaxed and took Yang Ying’s hand in a firm grasp. She struggled symbolically for a moment. To see the proud Senior Sister of Flying Phoenix Hall as gentle as water was simply incredible.
"Of course we should celebrate! Old Zhou, you’re the witness!"
Wang Meng laughed.
"Haha, you sure are thick-skinned, kid. Fine, I’ll be the witness. Dammit, I’ll fight anyone who tries to take the job from me. Wait here, I’ll go get the wine."
Yang Ying glanced at him. His sudden domineering manner really made her heart pound.
In truth, Wang Meng wasn’t much better off; he was practically buzzing with excitement. He suddenly understood how Zhang Xiaojiang felt. No wonder that kid wanted to stick to Liuu Mei all day long. The feeling was truly wonderful.
Yang Ying couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Wang Meng’s dazed expression, though she felt sweet inside. Normally, she disliked people staring at her, especially when they only cared about her looks. But at this moment, she was grateful for her beauty, because it could be appreciated by the person she cared about.
The two of them just held hands, gazing at each other until Zhou Feng returned.
"What is cultivation? It’s just a damn way of life, that’s all. Only when yin and yang are in harmony can one achieve the Great Dao. Those sanctimonious prudes are just plain nuts."
After three rounds of drinks, Zhou Feng slurred, "But, you youngsters can’t just indulge in pleasure. You need to have some self-control."
It had to be said, Old Zhou really loved to nag. He was also a lightweight, and he got even more preachy when he drank. His words left Wang Meng and Yang Ying not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’What pleasure? What indulgence?’
Seeing that Zhou Feng was drunk and drowsy, Wang Meng quickly carried him back to his room. When he returned, Yang Ying was sitting quietly in the courtyard.
Yang Ying was struggling internally. She really should have left. Things had already moved very quickly today; it could be said they had truly established their relationship as a cultivation couple.
Seeing Wang Meng approach, Yang Ying stood up. "Wang Meng, it’s getting late. I..." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)