novelraw Chapter 229 - 227: Prestige
Chapter 229 - 227: Prestige
This time, Yang Ying didn’t blush. Her heart was filled with sweetness, but also a little anxiety. She had given herself to Wang Meng without telling her family yet... ’But what’s done is done. I guess there’s nothing my family can do about it now.’
For the next three days, the Holy Hall Jiufen Hall was abuzz with excitement from top to bottom. However, the Thunderlight Hall and Dao Guang Hall were experiencing the calm before a great battle.
The disciples all knew this was a changing of the guard. ’Could Ning Zhiyuan hold his ground?’
"Brother, this is the latest intelligence report I got from that brat Zhang Liang. That kid Wang Meng’s reputation is actually on par with Brother Ning’s, and his support in the Lower Three Halls even surpasses the Senior’s."
Zhuang Xuan smiled. "But as for the odds, eighty percent of people still think Brother Ning will win."
Zhao Guang revealed a savage grin. "It’d be best if both of them were finished. That would solve everything once and for all."
Zhuang Xuan nodded. "Ning Zhiyuan’s future is uncertain, but he definitely won’t be staying here. That kid Wang Meng is just some lowly scum from the mortal world. In the current Holy Hall, only you, Brother, can lead the masses."
Who would have thought that the original number three figure in Dao Guang Hall was actually from the Ma Family? And the Zhao Family and Ma Family had struck a deal: in this generation of disciples, they would strongly support Zhao Guang to prepare for Zhao Lingxuan’s future rise to power within the Holy Hall. Of course, only they knew what price the Zhao Family had paid.
With such a powerful backer, Zhao Guang dared to openly challenge Ning Zhiyuan. The combined forces of the Zhao Family and the Ma Family were indeed enough to contend with him.
"How’s the investigation into the mole going?" Zhao Guang asked. "The Ancestral Masters are very concerned about this. If we handle it well, it’ll be a great merit for the both of us."
"The scope is narrowing," Zhuang Xuan said, "but this person is truly well hidden. They leave no trace when passing information. It seems their position isn’t low."
The Ma Family and Zhao Family’s major move this time—directly intervening in the division of power among the disciples—was, in a way, forced by Wang Meng stirring things up. Moreover, Wang Meng was different from Ning Zhiyuan. At least Ning Zhiyuan had no specific allegiance, but Wang Meng had grown too close to the Zhou Family, which made the Ma Family and Zhao Family very wary.
"Unfortunately, this started happening before Wang Meng arrived," Zhuang Xuan said. "Otherwise, he would be the prime suspect."
Zhao Guang nodded. "With this kind of thing, you either don’t make a move, or when you do, you must have undeniable proof that leaves him no room to argue. No matter what, we cannot betray the trust the Ancestral Masters have placed in us!"
Zhuang Xuan nodded. The people of the Ma Family were all deeply calculating. His ability to lie low in Dao Guang Hall for so many years was a testament to his prowess.
It was nothing new for there to be moles within the Holy Hall. Every sect investigated potential disciples before recruiting, but since the Holy Hall recruited so widely, it was inevitable for spies to infiltrate. However, there was a clear boundary between the Sub-Halls and the Main Hall, and they weren’t worried about things like Cultivation Techniques being stolen from the Sub-Halls. The problem now was that elite disciples were continuously being assassinated. This tactic of striking at the very foundation of their strength was utterly vicious.
Both Zhao Guang and Zhuang Xuan were very ambitious, and they knew very well that if they wanted to rise to the top, they had to rely on the support of the Ancestral Masters. If they could handle this matter well, it would count as a great achievement.
After discussing serious matters, Zhuang Xuan couldn’t help but sigh. "That bastard Wang Meng really got lucky. To think a beauty like Yang Ying was plucked by him... It pisses me off just thinking about it. And after being ’nourished,’ Yang Ying has become even more radiant and captivating!"
This was also something that made Zhao Guang’s teeth itch with hatred. For all these years, everyone had treated Yang Ying like a precious treasure held in the palm of their hand—partly because of her status, and partly because her family was a renowned and influential clan on the Vermilion Bird Continent. In the end, that guy Wang Meng got her for nothing. ’If I’d known, I would have struck first.’
"Once we get rid of Wang Meng, there will be opportunities. What’s important right now is to consolidate our position and not let Wang Meng exploit any openings."
The thought of a beauty like Yang Ying writhing in pleasure beneath Wang Meng gave Zhao Guang the urge to go berserk.
’If I’d known back when that kid first arrived at the Holy Hall, I would have just had him killed. It would have saved me all this trouble.’
Unfortunately, even in the Small Thousand World, there was no such thing as a Regret Pill.
「Three days later.」
Dao Guang Hall threw open its gates to welcome this unprecedented battle. The disciples gathered in great numbers. In past competitions, the individual ranking battles were always the highlight. It was rare for the anticipation of a Hall-versus-Hall battle to be this high; it could be called an all-time peak.
Inside and outside Dao Guang Hall were disciples from every Sub-Hall. The supporters of Wang Meng and Ning Zhiyuan were clearly divided, splitting the crowd almost down the middle. After so many years, a disciple had finally appeared who could truly threaten Ning Zhiyuan.
Dao Guang Hall truly had the imperious aura of the number one Sub-Hall. Faced with such a massive crowd, its disciples remained calm and composed. In their minds, Ning Zhiyuan was no longer a mere disciple. He was their god, their legend, possessing more authority than even the Elders.
If not for the powerful momentum from defeating Lingyin Hall in a Sacrificial Battle, they likely would have been intimidated the moment they arrived. Disciples from Sub-Halls like Hundred Herbs Hall were very reserved, but Thunderlight Hall couldn’t care less. To them, it didn’t matter if it was Dao Guang Hall; they were here to crush it.
The new wave drives the old, and the old wave gets smashed on the shore whether it likes it or not!
This time, the elite disciples of the other seven Sub-Halls were all present. Dao Guang Hall’s Dueling Platform was the largest—five times the size of those in the other Sub-Halls. Individual battles were sometimes held here, as were certain Hall battles that required official witnesses.
But even so, Dao Guang Hall was still packed, and the disciples had never seen it so lively.
"I really didn’t expect this to happen. Even now, I still find it a little hard to believe," said Qiao Qian, who had arrived with Jia Shidao.
"If someone had told me before that Thunderlight Hall would make it this far, I definitely would’ve smacked them. But now... haha, this is just fascinating."
Jia Shidao shook his head repeatedly.
"Junior Brothers, let me introduce you. This is Junior Sister Zhao Lingxuan." Song Zhong walked over with Zhao Lingxuan.
Jia Shidao and Qiao Qian exchanged a look. "This battle is really causing a huge stir. Even Junior Sister Zhao has come down from the mountain."
Zhao Lingxuan bowed gracefully. "Greetings, Senior Brothers."
"Our Ancestral Master wanted our Junior Sister to come out and broaden her horizons," Song Zhong explained, "and to get to know all of you Senior Brothers. We hope you will look after her in the future."
"Not at all, not at all. In the future, we’ll be the ones needing Junior Sister Zhao to look after us."
Jia Shidao and Qiao Qian had no idea what Song Zhong was up to. It seemed the huge commotion Wang Meng had caused this time had changed quite a few things.
But today, the main characters were Wang Meng and Ning Zhiyuan.
The disciples of Thunderlight Hall and Dao Guang Hall were diametrically opposed. Dao Guang Hall clearly looked down on Thunderlight Hall, who came from the bottom ranks. ’They’re the sort of rabble we normally wouldn’t even bother to glance at. What right do they have to compare themselves to our Senior, Ning Zhiyuan?’
And Thunderlight Hall didn’t give a damn about Dao Guang Hall. ’Are kings and generals born to their high stations?’ Dao Guang Hall hadn’t been born the number one Sub-Hall, and what Thunderlight Hall had achieved was far beyond anything they had ever done.
The Holy Hall had rarely seen such a fiery confrontation. The Thunderlight Hall disciples withstood the pressure, and the disciples of the other Halls grew more and more animated.
The disciples of Immortal Origin Hall and Hengshan Hall were more inclined to support Dao Guang Hall. Lingyin Hall remained neutral; after all, having just suffered a defeat in a Sacrificial Battle, its disciples were still feeling bitter. Meanwhile, most of the disciples from Flying Phoenix Hall, Fire Cloud Hall, Beast Hall, and Hundred Herbs Hall stood with Thunderlight Hall. This was especially true for Flying Phoenix Hall, which offered its full support—with Wang Meng and Yang Ying together, the two Halls were naturally one family now.
When the six Ancestral Masters arrived, the event reached its climax. The fact that all of them had gathered showed just how much importance they placed on this battle.
The primary proponent for this battle was none other than the Sword Cultivation Ancestor Master, Li Xiuwen. Li Xiuwen, who rarely involved himself in such affairs, could finally no longer sit still. He, too, wanted to see what was so different about this disciple who had defeated his own successor twice in a row.
’That child, Tianyi, is too stubborn. He has clearly reached the Twenty-first Layer, yet he stubbornly refuses to use its power. But that’s fine. Only by being utterly devoted to the sword can one achieve greatness. A few setbacks are nothing.’
Ning Zhiyuan was another type of genius Li Xiuwen had discovered over the years. He was calm, steady, and possessed extremely high comprehension. To put it more grandly, he was the kind of person who could one day establish his own sect.
Countless great techniques originated from the Holy Hall. Many Holy Hall Disciples, after reaching a certain status, would leave to establish their own Cultivation Sects or families.
For example, the famous Dao Guang Hall among the Saint Cultivators was one such case.
Although they had left the Holy Hall, they had originated from it and were thus considered part of the greater family.
The Holy Hall also used this method to expand its influence in the Small Thousand World.
Li Xiuwen drew back his Heart Spirit and waved his hand. The disciples quickly fell silent. "The eighth match of the competition: Thunderlight Hall challenges Dao Guang Hall. Begin."
Wang Meng stepped onto the vast Dueling Platform, and the disciples below immediately erupted in cheers. He had finally made it here. Wang Meng represented the dreams of countless disciples—the dream that one day, they too could stand on the highest stage of the competition. A miracle was truly unfolding before their eyes.
The cheers quickly swelled into a deafening roar, like a tsunami of sound. The disciples of the Upper Three Halls watched the disciples from other Halls go just as wild and found it baffling. ’What sort of Enchantment did Wang Meng cast on them? Is all this really necessary? Even if he wins, the glory belongs to Thunderlight Hall. What’s it got to do with them?’
Zhang Liang was also in the crowd, waving his arms frantically. Normally calm and collected, he cast his composure aside. This moment was meant to be savored, a moment to relish the fight.
Wang Meng had shown them that as long as you unleashed your own talents, anything was possible.
What he had created gave something to the disciples at the bottom who had already despaired or were on the verge of it: hope.
This was more precious than any Spirit Stone or Magical Treasure.
This was something the disciples of the Upper Three Halls, who enjoyed the best treatment, could not understand. Wang Meng didn’t need to give them anything more.
"WANG MENG~~~~~"
"MIGHTY~~~~~"
The six Ancestral Masters exchanged glances. They had heard plenty of stories, but this was the first time they had witnessed it firsthand. For a disciple who had joined only a few years ago, and wasn’t even a direct disciple of an Ancestral Master, to receive this level of support was absolutely unprecedented.
The Holy Hall’s history was not short on geniuses. The Ancestral Masters present, figures like Li Xiuwen, and even the Sect Leader himself had all been titans who shook the Small Thousand World in their youth. But at most, they had inspired envy and awe.
What Wang Meng inspired, however, was support.
Just then, Ning Zhiyuan ascended the platform. The cheers gradually died down. Wherever his gaze swept, the disciples subconsciously lowered their heads, avoiding his eyes. The authority Ning Zhiyuan had built over so many years could not vanish in an instant.
He was the undisputed Overlord of the Jiufen Hall.
Ning Zhiyuan appeared to be in his thirties, with bright, spirited eyes. His frame was broad, yet his hands were remarkably slender and immaculately kept. His rugged appearance held a hint of refinement, and he radiated an imposing presence.
Below the stage, Zhao Guang stared jealously at the two men on the Dueling Platform. Beside him, Zhuang Xuan was observing him. Zhuang Xuan sneered inwardly. ’This piece of trash actually wants to be the Senior? He really doesn’t know his own limits. But then again, that’s fine. If Zhao Guang were too capable, I’d never get my chance.’
Although Wang Meng was technically an Elder by title, Ning Zhiyuan’s presence was far more commanding. Without uttering a single word, he had single-handedly shifted the atmosphere.
All eyes turned to Wang Meng. Suddenly, he smiled.