I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 370 - 553: The Newcomers Are a Big Hit

Lv Buwei and Li Lishang exchanged a glance and suddenly attacked at almost the same time, Lv Buwei’s War Axe and Li Lishang’s sword striking toward Wang Meng.

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Even Yanm Yuyue was taken aback, and Ning Zhiquan jumped in fright.

’Was it a trap???’

Wang Meng just beamed. A figure flashed to his side, catching Lv Buwei’s War Axe in one hand and pinching Li Lishang’s sword between two fingers.

Mingren smiled faintly. "Gentlemen, even if you only meant to test his strength, this is hardly a polite way to go about it."

The entire crowd was stunned. Aside from Wang Meng, it seemed no one had expected Mingren to be so overwhelmingly powerful.

Lv Buwei and Li Lishang were utterly horrified. ’...How is this possible? We may not have used our full strength, but for one person to stop both of our attacks at the same time... Just how powerful is he???’

’And this guy is only ranked second???’

"Lv Buwei and Li Lishang wish to join the Holy Hall Faction, obey Wang Meng’s commands, and will stand with the Holy Hall Faction through thick and thin!"

Lv Buwei and Li Lishang declared in unison. All the flowery praise in the world couldn’t compare to a practical demonstration of power.

Yanm Yuyue smiled faintly. "Wang Meng, though we were originally part of the Dragon King Faction, we were drafted; it wasn’t our own choice. You can trust them."

A smile spread across Wang Meng’s face. "Welcome to the faction!"

Thanks to Mingren’s display, Wang Meng now seemed even more profound and inscrutable. They recalled him being somewhat unusual back in the Sea Emperor’s Small Thousand World, but they hadn’t expected such a massive change in so short a time.

"Heh heh, I love friends with drive! You’re welcome to come spar with me anytime. Really, there’s no need to be so formal. The Holy Hall Faction exists to give everyone a chance to learn from each other and improve together!"

Wang Meng said with immense sincerity.

The others immediately began looking around nervously. Li Lishang and Lv Buwei sighed with emotion. ’For a faction leader, Wang Meng is so approachable! It’s always good to be able to spar with an expert; it’s just that most masters are unwilling to waste their time on those weaker than themselves.’

Deep down, Li Lishang and Lv Buwei were quite interested in the challenge.

Li Tianyi sighed to himself. ’I was fooled by that same sincere, honest smile back in the day. Damn it, the guy’s a total freak. Even a battle fanatic like me is no longer willing to "spar" with Wang Meng. That should tell you how painful the process is.’

’Ah, newbies. They always have to pay a price.’

No wonder the others were unwilling to spar with him. Wang Meng had been fighting the Godhood inside the Heaven and Earth Spirit Locking Array for so long that the habit had carried over into reality. When he sparred, he was a bit demonic.

It was fine at first, but after a few sessions, you’d likely get beaten into a pulp.

Wang Meng very enthusiastically explained the Holy Hall’s situation and philosophy to Li Lishang and Lv Buwei, essentially transplanting the entire system from the Four Directions Small Thousand World.

Yanm Yuyue had already heard about it from Ma Tian’Er. The number one rule for survival in the Little Holy Hall: never, ever spar with Wang Meng.

Fortunately, while Master Wang was a battle enthusiast, he wouldn’t go out of his way to pick a fight with a beautiful woman. He wouldn’t be able to let loose.

Men, however, were another matter entirely.

The others went their separate ways to practice their magic, while the two eager newcomers were led away by Wang Meng.

Li Tianyi watched them go, shaking his head helplessly. "I finally found a decent training partner. You’d better save some for me."

Mingren smiled wryly. "This hobby of Wang Meng’s is really a problem."

"Sigh. We’ll have to recruit more people in the future, just so he stops staring at us all day," Li Tianyi shrugged.

It wasn’t as if Wang Meng would pick just anyone, either. Li Lishang and Lv Buwei were quite skilled.

The Little Holy Hall’s Dueling Hall wasn’t quiet for the rest of the afternoon. Inside, sounds of CLANGING and BANGING rang out, but the people outside just went about their business.

Lv Buwei and Li Lishang didn’t emerge until evening, seemingly uninjured.

Yanm Yuyue looked at the two of them. "So, how was it? You two look like you’re in one piece. No injuries?"

Li Lishang shook his head. Lv Buwei sighed, his face a mask of misery. "My heart is broken."

"Ahem. I forgot to tell you two the number one rule of the Little Holy Hall: never spar with Wang Meng."

"...Why didn’t you tell us earlier!"

"We’re going to go rest. We’ll be back tomorrow!" With that, Lv Buwei and Li Lishang vanished like frightened rabbits.

Wang Meng emerged after a change of clothes. "Ah, where did they go? Yuyue, those two are pretty skilled! And they have a great fighting spirit!"

Yanm Yuyue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You scared them away!"

Wang Meng froze, touching his own face. "What’s so scary about me?"

Nearby, Sanmao was nodding frantically. "Sanmao, come here! Let’s you and I go have some fun!"

The moment Sanmao heard that, its whole body trembled and it instantly dove behind Ma Tian’Er. The mere mention of "cultivation" gave it a headache, and the words "have some fun" made its fur stand on end.

"Wang Meng, don’t scare Sanmao! It’s still just a kid!" Ma Tian’Er’s compassionate side flared up again.

Wang Meng glanced at the cunning Sanmao, then looked at Ma Tian’Er and gave a helpless shrug. "Alright, fine, I’ll let it go for today. But no slacking tomorrow. I’m going to go see Old Zhou."

Only then did Sanmao let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a twinge of nostalgia for its old, carefree life.

"Sanmao, you have to be serious when you cultivate. No slacking off, you hear?" Ma Tian’Er said gently, stroking Sanmao’s head.

Sanmao nodded obediently. ’If only Sister Tian’Er was the one teaching me, that would be great.’

Having resolved the issue with the Five Elements Cultivation Array and enjoyed an enthusiastic round of sparring, Wang Meng felt refreshed in body and spirit. He was in a great mood. And now he could go see Old Zhou. This was the life he wanted.

’Looks like I really have to thank the Old Demon Dean,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to put in more effort in the next battle!’

At this moment, the Holy Hall was in the grip of an indescribable cultivation frenzy. It seemed Wang Meng’s arrival had ignited a fire in everyone’s hearts. The disciples were no longer content to stagnate, to live out their lives without ever seeing the greater world beyond.

Unlike the Elders who followed a rigid, step-by-step routine, the younger generation had time, dreams, and passion. In the Sects of the Small Thousand Realms, all these things were suppressed as unrealistic. The accepted path was to keep your head down, cultivate obediently, and follow orders. But now, someone had suddenly burst onto the scene and told them life didn’t have to be that way. If you were willing to fight for it, anything was possible!

Of all those who set foot on the path of cultivation, is there anyone truly content with being ordinary?

Not a single one!

This even included Hu Jing and the others. Wang Meng’s return, the immense changes in him, and his infectious charisma all served as a profound motivation. They had to work harder!

Wang Meng could do everything he said he could, and they didn’t want to be an embarrassment to him when they reached the Great Yuan Realm!

Cultivation can be a passive pursuit or a selfish one, but the Holy Hall had now entered a phase of selfless cultivation.

This was partly due to the atmosphere, where everyone was willing to help and support one another. But it was also because every disciple knew there was a vaster world out there. The petty gains and losses they might squabble over now would be worthless in the future. In light of that, why not focus their energy on cultivating properly?

Previously, the Holy Hall had kept matters concerning the Great Yuan Realm secret. This was to prevent people from becoming overly ambitious, which might dampen their enthusiasm for cultivation or, worse, instill a useless sense of dread.

But now, all they felt was yearning. The Great Yuan Realm’s strict laws of survival didn’t scare them; on the contrary, it sparked a powerful counter-reaction.

The Star Alliance, the Cultivation Academy, the Slaughter Space, massive Cultivator battles involving tens of thousands of people—all these things were like tales from a Celestial Book that made the disciples’ blood boil with excitement.

The frenzy of cultivation was underway!

Meanwhile, in Snow Moon City, top expert Yang Jian of the Celestial Rainbow Sect led a surprise raid on the Demon Cultivators’ stronghold, Demon Blade City. Having lost its Energy Crystal Stones, Demon Blade City was without its most valuable asset—its super City Defense Array. Yang Jian and his forces launched a furious assault, plundered the city, and then departed.

The Saint Cultivators’ forces were still relatively weak; otherwise, they would have conquered the city outright. Even so, the battle was a massive morale boost for the Saint Cultivators, while Demon Blade City suffered grievous losses.

This forced the previously hesitant City Lord of Demon Blade City, Zhang Mang, to make a painful decision: He had to gather vast resources from various Sects to purchase Energy Crystal Stones from the Star Alliance.

’There’s no choice but to buy them! If the Saint Cultivators are going to keep pulling stunts like this, who can possibly hold out?!’

Zhang Mang was so furious he gnashed his teeth. ’Saint Cultivators aren’t usually thugs, but when they decide to be, they really go all out! Who would have thought Yang Jian could be so shameless? It wasn’t a real siege; he just brought a group of experts to go raiding!’

’If the City Defense Array had been up, I would’ve wiped them all out in one go!’ The more he thought about it, the more Zhang Mang hated the brat who had reduced him to this miserable state.

’He might have the protection of the Cultivation Academy, but I know exactly what kind of organization the Star Alliance is.’

’As long as that brat is alive, this hatred in my heart will never be appeased!’

’Zhang Mang’s Puppet Sect may not be in the Starlight City Cultivation Academy, but there are always ways. As long as Wang Meng doesn’t spend his entire life cooped up in the academy, as long as he eventually comes out, as long as he’s a normal man...’

Master Wang, however, didn’t feel a certain someone’s "summons." His life was quite fulfilling. The coordination of the Five Elements Group Training Array was complete, and the cultivation of the five divisions—with Wang Meng’s group of five as the core—officially began to take form.

This method of cultivation was truly unique. A powerful force could clearly be felt, gradually coalescing.

Wang Meng felt this most profoundly. In the past, he had always cultivated alone. But now, not only was his cultivation twice as effective for half the effort, but there seemed to be something else—something indescribable—accumulating bit by bit.

For someone like Wang Meng, who possessed Godhood, this was a pleasant surprise. But for the others, it was a truly indescribable experience. When Fan Hong and his group tried this method of cultivation, they were absolutely ecstatic.

On the path of cultivation, talent played a crucial role. In their respective Small Thousand Realms, they might have been considered prodigies. But upon arriving at the Cultivation Academy, some of these disciples suddenly found themselves lost in the crowd. This huge disparity could sometimes lead directly to a mental breakdown. It wasn’t uncommon for students at the Cultivation Academy to commit suicide each year. They weren’t afraid of dying, but they could not withstand the immense pressure from those around them.

After arriving at the Cultivation Academy, people like Fan Hong and Ning Zhiquan had been desperately trying to catch up. They cultivated painstakingly when no one was looking, but the harder they chased, the wider the gap seemed to grow. It was a disheartening reality. But with this Cultivation Array, they too could finally see a glimmer of hope.

The initial stages of cultivation progress quickly, especially for the talented. But the further one advances, the slower it becomes. Progress becomes particularly sluggish after the fortieth layer. Aside from a few exceptionally gifted individuals, most people find themselves in a constant state of struggle.

Ning Zhiquan and the others didn’t hold themselves to Wang Meng’s impossibly high standards; they simply wanted to increase their strength as quickly as possible.

Within the array, the quality of one’s Elemental Power was enhanced, and the strength of the body’s Five Elements was supplemented.