I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 220 - 218: The Ancestral Master Arrives

After the Grand Competition, Thunderlight Hall was not going to have an easy time.

Lingyin Hall had already prepared for battle, even more seriously than when they faced Dao Guang Hall, because all of Li Tianyi’s predictions had come true.

Including the Sacrificial Battle.

Li Tianyi carefully wiped his Lihuo Sword, his face filled with long-awaited joy. The battle was finally here.

Just as Wang Meng had guessed, Li Tianyi would inevitably be the one to fight first. Li Tianyi’s pride would never allow him to take advantage of a weakened opponent. Besides, he couldn’t care less about any competition, grand or small; he just wanted to settle things with Wang Meng once and for all.

The Lihuo Sword emanated a soft glow. Li Tianyi held it upright, his gaze fixed upon it. "It’s finally time. You must have been lonely too. To think that after so many opponents, not a single one could force him to use his true Sword Technique!"

Perhaps even Wang Meng himself didn’t know that the person who understood him best was, surprisingly, Li Tianyi.

Meanwhile, in the Main Hall, the poor Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh was being tormented to the point of delirium.

"Little Spirit, don’t run away! Get down here!"

The Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh flew up high. ’Heck no! Only a fool would go down there. She’s already plucked out several of my poor, beautiful feathers!’

Zhao Lingxuan stomped her foot in anger, then suddenly sat on the ground, her eyes welling with tears. She looked truly pitiful.

The Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh was helpless. This was her trump card, and it worked on everyone. It had no choice but to fly down.

’Fine, pluck them. Just remember to leave me a few.’

Zhao Lingxuan hugged the Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh as tears welled up in her big eyes and finally spilled down her cheeks.

The Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh couldn’t help but sigh. ’What is this, if not a disastrous fate? Why, of all the rotten luck, was I bought by *him*? And fine, I was bought, but why did I have to run my big beak and tell my master everything?’

Whether you called it precociousness or a first crush, the fact was that Zhao Lingxuan liked Wang Meng. Admittedly, she hadn’t had much contact with boys. In the Zhao Family, under the imposing authority of Zhao Tianlong, hardly any of her peers dared to even lift their heads when speaking to her.

Only Wang Meng had been so kind to her. Thinking back on all the little moments with him made Zhao Lingxuan’s heart ache even more, because she couldn’t go looking for him anymore. He was going to be with Yang Ying, a perfect pair flying off into the sunset.

The Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh shook its head helplessly. ’Humans are so complicated. If you like someone, just go after them. Why make things so difficult?’

...

Zhao Lingxuan stopped crying and stared blankly at the Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh, which felt its feathers stand on end under her gaze.

"Little Spirit, what did you just say?"

The bewildered Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh transmitted the thought again.

Zhao Lingxuan suddenly clapped her hands. "That’s right! How could I forget? In a few more years, when I’m grown up, I’ll definitely be prettier than Senior Sister Yang!"

The Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh nearly stumbled. ’What kind of logic is that? Well, whatever. As long as she’s happy. This girl is so hard to please.’

"Little Spirit, you’re the best!"

「The Seventh Battle. Lingyin Peak.」

The normally tranquil Lingyin Peak was, for the first time in its history, bustling with activity. Countless disciples swarmed the peak, eager to witness this moment.

"It’s a miracle! Thunderlight Hall actually made it this far."

"Haha, it’s unbelievable! A Sacrificial Battle! Someone actually dared to initiate a Sacrificial Battle in the Grand Competition!"

"Can they win?"

"I don’t know, I really don’t know. This is Lingyin Hall we’re talking about. To be honest, it feels like they don’t have a single chance!"

"I think so too, but just for that courage, I have to cheer for Thunderlight Hall!"

"Yeah, it’s been years since someone this badass has appeared in the Holy Hall."

"Why else would Senior Sister Yang take a liking to him? A man really needs to be a bit more badass and brave to have a chance."

"That kid Wang Meng is too lucky!"

"Yes, Elder."

"Haha, the Grand Competition isn’t over yet, right? Calling him by his name is friendlier. Don’t worry, he won’t mind. My friends in Thunderlight Hall say Wang Meng is super approachable and never puts on airs. He’s a true friend, loyal to the bone. Just look at the people around him—isn’t every single one of them getting stronger? And has he ever given up on any of them? Following a guy like that is a solid bet!"

"But those are his sworn brothers who’ve been through life and death with him. To have a brother like that, even just once, would make your whole life worthwhile."

"Well, at least we’re all from the same Holy Hall. That’s an honor in itself."

"That’s true. Thunderlight Hall is part of the Holy Hall too, haha. Maybe a miracle really can happen."

"Exactly! Anything is possible. I, for one, believe!"

The final battle against Lingyin Hall. The clash of sword and blade resounds.

In the Holy Hall’s early days, the Jiufen Hall did not exist. As the Holy Hall strengthened the training of its new disciples, the Nine Hall gradually took shape. Lingyin Hall is one of the oldest Sub-Halls, boasting a long and glorious history. Many experts who made a name for themselves throughout the Small Thousand World emerged from Lingyin Hall. Some went on to found their own sects, while others established their own cultivation families in the Small Thousand World. But no matter where they went, they never forgot their origins in the Holy Hall and Lingyin.

Lingyin Hall was a symbol of glory.

The disciples of Lingyin Hall embodied the Hall’s style. They carried a pride unique to them, yet they never underestimated their opponents. Beneath their calm demeanor lay a steely perseverance, and they never shied away from a challenge.

This time, they would face the most unique opponent in their history.

Compared to the elegant and almost ethereal bearing of the Lingyin Hall disciples, Thunderlight Hall’s style was completely different, despite them all being Holy Hall Disciples. Now that they were here together, the contrast was even more stark.

Many Thunderlight Hall disciples were looking around everywhere. Generally, disciples from the Lower Three Halls rarely visited the Upper Three Halls, let alone those from Thunderlight Hall. Whether they’d even be allowed past the mountain gate was usually a question.

But today, Thunderlight Hall was Lingyin Hall’s opponent—an opponent that forced even Lingyin Hall to be cautious.

A Sacrificial Battle!

Of all the Hall battles so far, this one was the most star-studded, even more so than the match against Dao Guang Hall. Of course, this was mainly due to the presence of Li Tianyi.

Li Tianyi had been the center of attention since the moment he transferred from the Main Hall to Lingyin Hall, and he had truly lived up to his reputation. To this day, countless disciples had challenged him, both openly and in secret, but all had ended in their crushing defeat. Now, this genius, famous throughout the Holy Hall since childhood, was about to face his first official battle as a member of Lingyin Hall.

The combatants from both Thunderlight Hall and Lingyin Hall had arrived, but the Elder presiding over the competition had yet to appear.

Across the Dueling Platform, Wang Meng saw Li Tianyi. Li Tianyi’s eyes were also fixed in his direction. From that gaze alone, Wang Meng knew his opponent was ready.

His first fight with Li Tianyi hadn’t been a proper one. He had won back then largely due to the intimidating power of his Godhood, and Li Tianyi hadn’t used his full strength either. This would be the first true battle between them.

Zhang Xiaopang and the others were both excited and nervous. It would be a lie to say they weren’t worried. Even with all his faith in Brother Meng’s Divine Power, Zhang Xiaopang couldn’t help but feel anxious. Their first opponent was Li Tianyi. Even if Wang Meng won that fight, he’d likely be nearly spent. Then there was still Mingren waiting in the wings, not to mention three other Lingyin Hall experts. The mere thought of it was enough to make one’s skin crawl, let alone actually fighting them one by one.

There were indeed a few unusual faces on the Thunderlight Hall side. Yang Ying and several other female disciples from Flying Phoenix Hall were standing with them, which added a peculiar dynamic to the scene. Normally, no matter how close friends were, they would maintain some distance at a formal event like this. But from the looks of it, Yang Ying had no intention of keeping up appearances.

Yang Ying was, after all, more familiar with Lingyin Hall. "You need to be careful," she said, her expression grave. "Besides Li Tianyi and Mingren, the other three from Lingyin Hall are not to be trifled with."

"The other three from Lingyin Hall must be chosen from the Lingyin Four Tigers, right?" Zhang Xiaopang said. "Those four aren’t weak, but they’re definitely no match for Brother Meng. At best, they’ll just serve to wear him down."

Yang Ying shook her head slightly. "Look at their positions. In the official lineup this time, Anx Dao is the only one from the Lingyin Four Tigers. As for the other two... I know one of them, Zhang Yue’e. Three years ago, she already mastered the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens and the Green Fall Yellow Springs Sword Technique."

A deep chill instantly ran through the group. They all looked toward a woman on the Lingyin Hall side, who seemed to be curiously sizing them up as well.

Zhou Qian said with a bitter smile, "All of the Upper Three Halls have much deeper reserves than we do. They don’t use their full strength unless it’s a Hall battle with special meaning. It looks like Lingyin Hall is really pulling out all the stops this time. I thought they would use the Lingyin Four Tigers just to wear Wang Meng down. With his grasp of Magic, he’d have a decent chance of defeating those three and then taking a shot at Mingren. But now... they’ve only put up the strongest of the Four Tigers, Anx Dao. The other two are definitely more powerful, not less..."

Everyone understood the implication and looked at each other in dismay. They swallowed hard, unable to utter a single word of comfort. They couldn’t even lie to themselves.

’Who knows, maybe this Zhang Yue’e and that other guy are just as strong as Mingren. We really should have realized this back during the Hengshan Hall match. If even Hengshan Hall knew to hide their true strength, then it goes without saying for the Upper Three Halls.’

Qiao Qian and Jia Shidao were chatting and laughing, until Qiao Qian recognized Zhang Yue’e and Lang Kun.

"Even Zhang Yue’e and Lang Kun showed up? Isn’t Mingren being a little too cautious!" Qiao Qian said with a hint of resignation.

Jia Shidao recognized them as well. He hadn’t expected Mingren to be this cautious either. With a spearhead like Li Tianyi, Wang Meng’s chances of winning were absolutely zero. There was no need to bring in Zhang Yue’e and Lang Kun, but Mingren had done it anyway.

"Wang Meng has no chance at all now. Now it’s just a matter of seeing how many he can beat."

"Hehe, isn’t that what everyone came to see? I bet he’ll beat two!" Jia Shidao said.

"Oh, it seems you have high hopes for Wang Meng. I bet he won’t even get past Li Tianyi!"

Qiao Qian and Jia Shidao were at odds once more. Wang Meng might be special, but Li Tianyi was in a league of his own. His strength couldn’t be measured by the standards of Lingyin Hall.

Lingyin Hall hadn’t assembled this lineup for Wang Meng. It was more of a show of force—a message to Dao Guang Hall: We’re coming.

"Why is Junior Sister Yang over on Wang Meng’s side?" Zhang Yue’e asked, puzzled.

"Senior Sister Yue’e, they’re on good terms. They almost became cultivation partners, but it was later confirmed that Senior Sister Yang was just using him to ward off her many admirers," Anx Dao explained.

Zhang Yue’e gazed at Yang Ying across the platform, then at Wang Meng, and shook her head. "Hehe. Junior Sister Yang’s Red Simurgh star is in motion. I’m afraid what started as an act has become real."

The others were taken aback. They stared for a long while, but all they could see was that Yang Ying seemed even more beautiful than usual; they couldn’t discern anything else. Still, they couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

Suddenly, a whistling roar filled the sky. Surging Elemental Power flared out like the rosy light of dawn as a figure slowly descended.

The disciples were stunned. The disciples of Lingyin Hall were so moved they immediately fell to their knees in reverence. It was the first time an Ancestral Master had graced their Grand Competition with their presence.

The Technique Cultivation Ancestor, Lawless Heaven Wu Fatian, had arrived.

Immediately after, a red halo of light slowly descended. The light dissipated, revealing another figure.

The Alchemy Ancestor Master, Zhou Luodan, had arrived.

(Recommendation votes are available every day. Please take a moment to cast yours. Thank you!!!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)