I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 287 - 278: Phoenix Soaring Kill

With Thunderlight Hall in their hands, Yang Ying and Hu Jing would never let anyone mess things up.

Qiao Qian and Jia Shidao exchanged a look. Of course, they knew about the pressure from Zhao Guang, and they knew the Zhao Family was currently very powerful and prosperous.

But regardless, the Sect Leader was still present, and the other families hadn’t been annihilated. Most critically, Qiao Qian and Jia Shidao had no desire to be eaten alive by Zhao Guang. In contrast, Hu Jing had offered them the new beginning they had long craved. They were all intelligent people; if they produced results, uniting would give them strength.

Besides, even though Ning Zhiquan and Wang Meng were not present, their influence remained. They had also received news that the Main Hall placed immense importance on performance in the Great Yuan Realm. They didn’t know the specifics, but they knew it was crucial. Wang Meng had worked miracles with them before. So, on one hand, there was Hu Jing’s sincerity; on the other, there was their faith in Wang Meng.

"You have to take a gamble in life sometimes. Junior Sister Hu is completely sincere, and we have to fight for ourselves and for the Holy Hall."

Qiao Qian made his stance clear. If Hundred Herbs Hall could control its own resources, it wouldn’t be stuck in second to last place every time.

"My dear Seniors, I came from a merchant background in the mortal world. I may not know much else, but I know how to do business. Whether it’s Spirit Beasts, Immortal Grass, or anything else, the more they circulate, the more we’ll have. With a ton of Spirit Stones, everyone’s cultivation will be twice as effective with half the effort, won’t it?"

Zhang Xiaojiang said. He was their resident schemer. Say what you will, but Zhang Xiaopang’s mind was incredibly agile. Once he was in his element, the ideas flowed one after another.

"Haha, you can plan this out with Zhang Liang. If you pull it off, it will be a major accomplishment."

Qiao Qian’s face was beaming.

Yang Ying and Hu Jing exchanged a glance, sharing a knowing smile.

If Thunderlight Hall were to forcibly take charge of the nine Sub-Halls now, using its status as the premier Sub-Hall, it would inevitably face a series of issues: Zhao Guang’s aggression, the resentment of the other Sub-Halls, and so on. Rather than being passive, it was better to unite everyone. At the very least, this would prevent Zhao Guang from doing whatever he pleased.

Although Zhao Lingxuan had successfully joined Thunderlight Hall, her situation was unique. Zhao Tianlong kept her on a tight leash, and it seemed she was a member in name only. If not for the need to save face, he might have made Zhao Lingxuan transfer out directly.

That ancestor’s influence was immense.

What Yang Ying and Hu Jing had to do was strengthen Thunderlight Hall and relieve some of the pressure on Wang Meng, who was battling in the Great Yuan Realm!

「In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and the Cultivation Academy’s assessment was drawing near.」

Everyone was busy preparing. The fights in the Battle Space were just for survival, and a match or two didn’t mean much. There was still time. The upcoming assessment, however, would affect how their respective Sects viewed them. They had to give their Sects confidence, so everyone was taking it seriously.

He Zui and Mu Ziqing couldn’t help but put on airs again, but this time, the two of them had learned to be smarter. They didn’t pick an expensive venue, finding a relatively affordable one instead.

"This assessment is extremely important. You all must take it seriously and give it everything you’ve got. Do not bring shame upon the Holy Hall. If the Holy Hall’s ranking is dragged down because of one person’s performance, that person will be a pariah!"

The target of this jab was obviously Wang Meng. Everyone else was proactive and obedient. Only Wang Meng continued to be absent without reason, skipping group activities and treating his two Seniors as if they were mere decorations.

And once again, Wang Meng hadn’t shown up. Needless to say, He Zui and Mu Ziqing were beyond annoyed. Even Ma Tian’Er had given them face and attended.

Ning Zhiquan gave a wry smile. He had notified Wang Meng, but he had no idea what Wang Meng was up to. After their long talk, it seemed he had become even harder to find. Ning Zhiquan had given up on him; he wasn’t pinning any hopes on this Wang Meng anymore.

"Seniors, I’m sure Wang Meng has his reasons. He isn’t an irresponsible person," Ma Tian’Er said.

Ma Tian’Er’s progress could be described as advancing a thousand miles a day. Coming to the Cultivation Academy was truly the best decision she had ever made. Her talent might have been wasted in the Holy Hall. She was a true genius; it would be impossible to make Demon Beasts submit without exceptionally strong talent in each of the Five Elements, and her aptitude was utterly domineering. In the Holy Hall, this was merely seen as a special ability, but the Cultivation Academy could see the essence behind it and understood where Ma Tian’Er’s greatest strength lay.

He Zui and Mu Ziqing found it strange. Ma Tian’Er’s relationship with Wang Meng seemed average at best, yet she always spoke up for him at times like these. The two didn’t think much of it, just assuming that Ma Tian’Er was kind-hearted and treated everyone this way.

"Junior Sister Ma, nothing can be accomplished without rules. Let’s just see how he performs tomorrow. If he passes, we won’t say a thing. But if he drags down the Holy Hall’s reputation, we’ll have to do something about it. The road ahead is long; we can’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch!"

Mu Ziqing said. Ma Tian’Er was very good-natured, and since Mu Ziqing and He Zui were shrewd characters, they quickly figured out her personality. They wouldn’t hesitate to pull rank as Seniors when they needed to.

As expected, Ma Tian’Er didn’t argue back. The others couldn’t really chime in either. Li Tianyi was currently fixated on that Double Arc Sword Qi and had no interest in anything else, while Tang Wei was just focused on eating.

Meanwhile, the "bad apple" was covered in scruffy stubble. He had been incredibly diligent during this period, busy as a bee. The battles he fought within his Heart Spirit were even more numerous.

It was finally time for a breather. Wang Meng noticed a series of reminders on his Star Ring.

...One of them was from Ma Tian’Er, which was a surprise.

Wang Meng channeled a stream of Elemental Power, and Ma Tian’Er’s image appeared.

The image of Ma Tian’Er seemed to hesitate. "Senior... are you okay? The academy assessment is tomorrow. Don’t forget."

The image faded and dissipated.

Wang Meng couldn’t help but smile. ’Right, the academy assessment is tomorrow.’ Of course he knew. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been willing to emerge from his seclusion. His cultivation had been going extremely well recently. Wang Meng had never been so hungry to learn new magic. In all this time, however, he had only managed to familiarize himself with Sword Cultivators. Once he was done with them, Wang Meng planned to learn about the other paths. There was a saying at the Cultivation Academy that made a lot of sense: whether one was a Sword Cultivator, Talisman Cultivator, Bow Cultivator, or Body Cultivator, or followed the path of Holy, Demon, or Evil—they were all just different ways of pursuing power.

Wang Meng was dedicated to the Holy Hall, but he had also obtained the Godhood of an Evil Cultivator, so he was free of constraints. Hailing from the mortal world, he also lacked the deep-seated attachments common to Cultivators born in a Small Thousand World.

He was unbound.

「Battle Space」

Wang Meng needed to follow through on a few things and warm up for the next day. It didn’t matter what kind of assessment they threw at him.

When that familiar anonymous name abruptly appeared on the matchmaking list, the entire Battle Space seemed to hold its breath. The previously cautious and tense atmosphere instantly erupted with excitement among the Cultivators.

Last time, Zhao Wuji had used an incredibly strong Defense Array, only to be instantly and utterly defeated by a spectacular Double Arc Sword Qi.

And this time?

Would it be the Double Arc Sword Qi again?

Wang Meng waited quietly for his opponent. Soon, one appeared, stepping out of the void. He was a magnificent...

Yes, "magnificent" was the only word for him. He wore a shimmering, dark green robe with gold trim, a phantom-like sigil embroidered over the chest. In his hand, he held an exquisite bow that glowed with golden light. His head was tilted up slightly as he looked down on Wang Meng, his entire being exuding a lofty, aristocratic air.

The opponent was also in a random match. When he saw Wang Meng, a look of contempt naturally flashed across his face. ’So plain from head to toe, and still using a Soldier-level Sword.’

’In short, trash.’

Clearly, the Master was famous, but only within a certain circle. People of a higher echelon had no interest and paid him no mind.

"He’s from the Heavenly Pride Small Thousand Realm. You can tell by his upturned nose."

"That guy is practically glowing with the light of Spirit Stones."

"That’s a Spirit Void Robe! It’s King-Level! It’s still incredibly effective even in battles for those at the fortieth layer of Elemental Power."

"Well, what do you expect? The Heavenly Pride Small Thousand Realm is swimming in Spirit Stones. They have more Spirit Stones than rocks. You could probably find one just by kicking a pebble."

People looked at Qin Yu and wondered how he got matched with such an opponent. There was no way for him to show off his true strength. Still, you don’t turn down a free win.

The battle began.

Qin Yu instantly had the Simurgh Phoenix Bow in hand. Blinding light radiated outward as he fired an arrow straight at Wang Meng.

In an instant, the entire Dueling Platform seemed to be lit up by the brilliant light erupting from the Simurgh Phoenix Bow.

Was there any way to counter it?

There wasn’t. The moment he drew the bow, everyone sighed. That shameless bastard—his weapon was King-Level too.

Wang Meng could feel the immense pressure bearing down on him. The bow in his opponent’s hand was a powerful Magical Artifact!

A single, casual shot had the power of an ultimate move.

Qin Yu still held his head high, ever the aristocrat. ’Ants. They’re all just ants!’

From the perspective of the Heavenly Pride Small Thousand Realm, what was Cultivation?

Cultivation was a competition of who was richer!

Wang Meng’s figure flashed as he narrowly dodged the arrow, but the force of its passing still tore several small cuts into his skin.

’This is even more ferocious than the Sword Qi of a Sword Cultivator.’

A contemptuous smile curled Qin Yu’s lips. "For a peasant, pointless resistance only prolongs the suffering."

SWISH... SWISH... SWISH...

Three more incredibly magnificent arrows flew out, and the entire Dueling Platform seemed to tremble as if it couldn’t bear the power.

This Qin Yu was at the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh layer of Elemental Power at most, but with that jaw-dropping Magical Artifact, he could unleash terrifying might equivalent to the Thirtieth Layer or higher. This was power on the level of the Great Yuan Realm.

Normally, there would be many ways to dodge three arrows, but the first shot had already proven that it wasn’t going to be that easy.

But Wang Meng’s figure drifted lightly. He looked like he was dodging with great difficulty, yet the three arrows somehow missed him completely.

Qin Yu was stunned. His record was thirty-one wins and nine losses. He had spent a fortune on this Bursting Simurgh Phoenix Bow precisely to improve that win rate. The bow contained a King-Level Array, which could unleash superlative combat power with just a simple infusion of Elemental Power. This wasn’t some piece of junk from a Small Thousand Realm; it was a premium item from the Star Alliance.

He could imagine the waves of envy, jealousy, and hatred from the onlookers. So what?

’But this little piece of trash actually dodged two of my attacks. This is making me lose face. It seems I’ll have to get serious if I want to end this.’

Elemental Power flared. The Simurgh Phoenix Bow began to burn fiercely, and the phoenix insignia on its body looked as if it were about to spread its wings and take flight.

"Phoenix Soaring Kill!"

VMMMMMM~~~~~~BOOM!

An arrow exploded forth like a cannonball, hurtling violently toward Wang Meng. Wang Meng had already missed the optimal window to attack—not that there really was one. Because the Simurgh Phoenix Bow was a King-Level Spiritual Artifact, it required almost no time to channel its techniques.

The moment his opponent’s attack was launched, a piercing light erupted from Wang Meng’s eyes!

The Elemental Power enveloping the long sword in his hand began to burn fiercely.