I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 244 - 241: A Cure for All Displeasure, Action

Zhang Xiaojiang, Hu Jing, his parents... ’Could he really leave them behind?’

He looked at the faces around him—envy, jealousy, mockery, clamor, one-upmanship, smugness...

Such were the myriad states of human life.

’Is Wangtian really that much more impressive than Moo Shan? Not necessarily. With a backer as powerful as the Demon God Sect, Moo Shan could be even more impressive.’

’And what about him?’

Back when he was fighting in the mortal realm, he and Zhang Xiaopang would go all out, fighting ruthlessly. But they still lost more than they won. Even their victories were hard-won, often just scaring their opponents away with sheer ferocity.

Inside the hall, outside the hall—only a few steps apart. He thought about everything that had happened since he arrived at Celestial Heart Castle.

Wang Meng smiled. He understood. Since he couldn’t just ignore Yang Ying, Little Fatty, and the others, there was only one path for him to take!

"Hey, buddy, what’re you grinning like an idiot for?" a young man with a ball of fire embroidered on his clothes asked from beside him.

Wang Meng was surprised someone was talking to him. "It’s nothing. I’m just a little excited, this being my first time at such a grand event."

The man glanced around, then cupped a hand to his mouth and whispered, "To be honest, me too. But at an event like this, we have to act like we’ve got some presence, or people will look down on us. Squint your eyes a little, curl the corner of your lip up a bit. It gives you a special kind of style, and people won’t dare to underestimate you."

Wang Meng chuckled. "Valuable advice. And how should I address you?"

"I am Zhan Wushuang, a disciple of the Undying Evil Spirit Hall," Zhan Wushuang said, though his tone was so light it seemed it might float away.

"The Evil Spirit Hall? That’s a famous and powerful sect."

"COUGH COUGH, it’s the *Undying* Evil Spirit Hall, not *the* Evil Spirit Hall." Zhan Wushuang’s face reddened in embarrassment. "Actually, I thought it was the Evil Spirit Hall at first, too. That’s why I joined so eagerly. Sigh."

Wang Meng couldn’t help but laugh. ’How amusing,’ he thought. ’Joining the wrong sect... These smaller sects don’t care about propriety; they just add a couple of words like ’Evil Spirit’ to their name to ride on the coattails of a famous one. Things like this are all too common in the Small Thousand World.’

"I’m Wang Meng, a disciple of the Holy Hall’s Thunderlight Hall."

Zhan Wushuang looked at Wang Meng with an expression of pure sympathy and sighed. "Buddy, we’re truly bound by fate. I joined by mistake, but your situation is just tragic. I’ve heard the Thunderlight Hall is even worse than your average cultivation sect. Sigh. No wonder you and I are stuck out here."

The Holy Hall was ranked among the Three Sects, but due to its unique structure, it had disciples as numerous as ox hairs. Consequently, its disciples didn’t stand out. This was especially true on the outside; people had heard of Dao Guang, Lingyin, Immortal Origin, and the all-female Flying Phoenix halls, but those from the halls below were generally not even considered true Holy Hall Disciples. Their standards were thought to be very low.

The Thunderlight Hall... even its chief disciple wasn’t presentable enough for the big stage.

Even a disciple from a minor sect like the Undying Evil Spirit Hall looked down on the Thunderlight Hall. One could only imagine what the disciples from the Three Sects, Five Schools, and Eight Great Castles thought.

In their eyes, only the Dao Guang Hall and Lingyin Hall were considered the true Holy Hall. The rest were just there to do odd jobs.

The Three Sects and Five Schools, on the other hand, were extremely strict about recruitment. Those with insufficient strength could only become servants and were not allowed to call themselves disciples when outside the sect. Learning things like Magic was no easy feat. From the perspective of other sects, the Holy Hall’s practice of mass recruitment was unorthodox. If not for the Sword God, Xuee Zhongnan, holding down the fort, the Holy Hall would have been replaced long ago.

It was as if a floodgate had opened for Zhan Wushuang; he had found a kindred spirit. He originally thought his own situation was miserable, but to his surprise, Wang Meng’s was even worse. Clearly, news of the Thunderlight Hall’s recent miracle hadn’t spread outside yet. After all, it was an internal matter of the Holy Hall, so not many people were paying attention.

These days, the ones in the spotlight were the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, the Evil Spirit Hall, the Lihuo Sect, and the much-hyped alliance of the Eight Great Castles.

"I’m telling you, Brother Wang, that Thunderlight Hall is really a dead end. Why don’t you just transfer to our Undying Evil Spirit Hall? We’re not actually Evil Cultivators; we’ve got a bit of everything. We might not be famous, but we get by comfortably. The Thunderlight Hall really has no future."

Zhan Wushuang said with great feeling, leaving Wang Meng not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Thanks, but I think the Holy Hall is fine. Besides, all my brothers are in the Thunderlight Hall, and on top of that, the Thunderlight Hall is now..."

Zhan Wushuang waved his hand dismissively. "I get it, I get it. Most people who join the Thunderlight Hall hope to transfer to another hall one day, or maybe become an Elder. But honestly, it’s all just a trap, a scheme. It’s not that easy."

Wang Meng gave a wry smile. He had wanted to explain but suddenly realized it would be pointless. Who was it that said explaining is just making excuses, and making excuses is an admission of guilt?

"The Castle Lord of Moon Shadow Castle, Xiao Sha, has arrived~~~!" a disciple at the entrance announced loudly. His tone changed depending on the status of the guest.

The disciples all craned their necks to look. This Xiao Sha was not yet a hundred years old, but it was said he could already touch the threshold of the Ancestral Master realm. He was an absolute pillar of strength among the Eight Great Castles and a rival to Celestial Heart Castle.

From a great distance, Xiao Sha’s booming laugh could be heard. "Congratulations, Elder Yang! May you have many happy returns of this day!"

However, he didn’t bring any lavish gifts. The smaller the sect, the more extravagant the gift. For those of equal standing, it depended on the relationship. A rival like Moon Shadow Castle, while not yet at the point of open hostility, was most likely here to cause trouble. The birthday gift was merely a symbolic gesture.

In the Inner Court, Yang Yingtian smiled faintly but did not reply. Yang Molong stood up. "Since you’re here, Brother Xiao, please come in. No need to stand on ceremony."

Xiao Sha’s words had a hidden barb, and Yang Yingtian was clearly trying to deflate his momentum.

As Xiao Sha entered the Inner Court, his eyes, too, were drawn to the disciples in surprise. Not even an Ancestral Master, it seemed, could be immune to Yang Ying’s beauty.

Yang Yingtian put on a full display of his status, offering only a faint smile. "Be seated."

Protocol could not be ignored. The Three Sects, Five Schools, and Eight Great Castles were seated in clearly distinct sections. And though they were both part of the Eight Great Castles, Xiao Sha was seated behind Long Family Castle.