I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 45 - 43: This Is Also an Ancestral Secret

(There will be a big release tonight, and a guaranteed three Chapters next week. It’s time to burn bright, brothers and sisters, so please reserve your recommendation votes!)

Zhou Feng gestured wildly, overcome with excitement. ’That’s it! That’s the key!’ The tempering of his Snake Demon Inner Core had been adequate, but the problem was that he’d been so focused on preserving the Demon Power within the Inner Core that he’d neglected to expel its evil energy. The best way to drive out the evil energy while preserving the Yin Power was to add a restorative supplement. Snow Ginseng, an all-purpose tonic, was undoubtedly the perfect choice. The ingredients were common, but the method was the masterstroke that brought it all to life!

Laughing wildly, Zhou Feng rushed into his alchemy chamber, startling the disciples outside. A moment later, the fire in his furnace roared to life.

Although Elder Zhou was usually mild-mannered, he became extremely irritable when he was performing alchemy. He would refuse to see anyone, even the Ancestral Master. It was sheer folly to disturb him. Once, someone from the Zhao Family had come looking for him, unaware of the rules, and had been unceremoniously thrown out. Zhou Feng had even declared he never wanted to see anyone from the Zhao Family again. The matter was only settled after the Ancestral Master personally intervened.

Everyone stood a cautious vigil for three days and three nights. Then, with an earth-shattering BOOM, a soot-covered Zhou Feng emerged, letting out an unearthly howl that woke nearly everyone in the Main Hall.

"I succeeded! I succeeded~~~~~~~~~~~~~"

For cultivators at Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang’s level, the Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill was a godsend.

Cultivators generally find it easiest to advance through the Life Mark Levels before the age of thirty. After thirty, their progress tends to slow, and for a considerable time, their focus shifts primarily to perfecting and mastering their magic. Thus, the path for many cultivators is set very early on. During this critical window for breakthroughs, those with superior resources are bound to advance by leaps and bounds, while those without must waste their time on other matters.

Both Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were quite talented. With the help of the Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pill, coupled with the guidance of two Elders, they made progress every day.

Meanwhile, Wang Meng methodically practiced the Nourishing Essence Technique and the Blast-Inducing Technique. His Life Mark Level had also climbed to the Seventh Layer. While others might endlessly crave power, for Wang Meng, the journey and the world itself were what mattered most.

Wang Meng browsed through the Holy Hall’s various Cultivation Talismans, finding that his thousand-plus contribution points could indeed be exchanged for quite a few low-level magic techniques.

There were all kinds—for Sword Cultivators, Body Cultivators, Bow Cultivators, you name it. Wang Meng liked to sit with his head bowed, his Spirit Rhinoceros squatting beside him, as he flipped through the Talismans one by one. He would occasionally mutter commentary on the differences between Saint Cultivators and Evil Cultivators, gaining new insights from time to time. On this new path of cultivation, he was still a rookie—albeit a rather unusual one.

’Even with my Godhood,’ he thought, ’I have to accumulate the insights of a Saint Cultivator step by step. To be honest, this is a completely different domain. All paths may lead to the same end, but you only understand that once you get there. And on this journey, there is no room for deceit.’ 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Xiaoben, go get me some water."

The Spirit Rhinoceros stood up. It spent all day staring at its patch of land, all three-point-two mu of it. Of course, the Spirit Beast knew that what grew here was its food.

"Elder Zhou, this is where Senior Brother Wang lives," Ma Tian’Er said.

Zhou Feng was stunned as he stared at the thatched hut before him. ’...Am I seeing things?’

’The disciple who completed the mission for the Double-headed Wind Thunder Roaring Python is living in a dump like this? And he has to till his own Spirit Field???’

"Senior Brother Wang."

"Well, if it isn’t Junior Sister Xiaotian. What’s up? Have the mission rewards come in? Your senior brother here is a little short on cash these days."

Wang Meng chuckled. He really was broke. Middle-Grade Spirit Stones didn’t last long, and his contribution points had only been enough to buy some low-level cultivation techniques. The more advanced ones were far more expensive.

"Senior Brother Wang, Elder Zhou is here! The one who issues missions for the Sect Hall. This is a huge opportunity!"

Ma Tian’Er blinked, revealing a pair of small, fang-like canines. She looked absolutely adorable.

"Elder Zhou?" Wang Meng thought for a moment. "Don’t know him."

Ma Tian’Er grew a little anxious. "The Elder Zhou who posted the mission for the Double-headed Wind Thunder Roaring Python! He’s the second-in-command of the Pill Cultivators, Ancestor Master Zhou’s future successor!"

"Oh, a Pill Cultivator. He must be here to deliver the mission reward. That’s great. So, where is he?"

Ma Tian’Er stared blankly for a moment. ’Senior Brother Wang is usually so sharp,’ she thought. ’How can he be so dense right now? Elder Zhou came in person! This is a golden opportunity!’

"He’s at your hut."

"Ah, nice. Talk about great service," Wang Meng said, standing up. He brushed the dirt from his pants, gathered the Talismans scattered all over the ground, and stuffed them back into his Qiankun Bag.

"Xiaoben, keep a good eye on the field. No slacking off."

The Fifth-Transformation Spirit Rhinoceros nodded.

Wang Meng shouldered his hoe and followed Ma Tian’Er back to his hut. When he opened the door, both he and his guest were taken aback by the other’s appearance.

In Wang Meng’s experience, anyone with even a little status in the Holy Hall made putting on airs their top priority. Yet this Elder Zhou was dressed rather plainly and looked a bit disheveled.

Zhou Feng, however, was even more astonished. ’This is the guy who completed the Double-headed Wind Thunder Roaring Python mission? And according to Ma Tian’Er, he was the one who specified that the Fish Scale Grass and Snow Ginseng be included. If adding those two ingredients was a coincidence, what about the amounts?’

’For both the Fish Scale Grass and the Snow Ginseng, the amounts had to be precise. Too much or too little would have been disastrous.’

’And yet... a genius like this looked like a common farmer.’

"Elder Zhou! I’ve heard so much about you. Your presence brings light to my humble home," Wang Meng said with an enthusiastic smile.

Ma Tian’Er smiled. "Elder Zhou, Senior Brother Wang, I’ll let you two talk. I’ll be going now."

"Go on. Come visit the Main Hall when you have time," Zhou Feng said with a smile. ’What an interesting girl,’ he thought, ’running all the way out here.’

"You’re Wang Meng, I take it," Zhou Feng said. "Among Cultivators, status means little; mastery is what commands respect. I’ve come here because I have some questions for you."

Wang Meng set down his hoe, sat on a chair, and held out his hand, crooking his fingers. "Elder Zhou, shouldn’t we settle the payment first? You know how hard it is for us disciples. I nearly died because of that Snake Demon."

"Oh, right. Silly me, I completely forgot. What would you like for your reward?"

’I wouldn’t say no to eighty or a hundred Spirit Stones,’ Wang Meng thought, ’but I probably shouldn’t be too greedy.’

"Spirit Stones would be best. If you don’t have any, contribution points will do."

Zhou Feng patted his Qiankun Bag... only to find it was filled with various herbs, Pill Formulas, and other such materials. He really hadn’t brought any Spirit Stones. A man of his stature in the Holy Hall simply had to ask for something to receive it; why would he bother himself with such mundane things?

"Ah, my apologies. I don’t have them with me today. I’ll make it up to you next time. The reward was fifteen Middle-Grade Spirit Stones and one thousand five hundred contribution points, if I recall correctly."

Wang Meng nodded. "That works."

’Given how obsessed Saint Cultivators are with their reputation,’ he figured, ’it’s unlikely he’d welsh on the deal.’

"Why did you add Fish Scale Grass and Snow Ginseng to the Inner Core?" Zhou Feng asked, unable to restrain his impatience. Ever since his breakthrough success with the Spirit Void Pill, Zhou Feng hadn’t had a moment to savor his joy. Instead, he’d spent his nights lost in thought. The solution to all his problems had been this one, seemingly minor change. Why had it worked? He couldn’t figure it out for the life of him. And so, throwing all caution to the wind, Zhou Feng had left the Main Hall, a place he almost never departed from.

Wang Meng smiled and held up a single finger.

Zhou Feng rubbed his stubble. "What do you mean?"

"Elder, as you know, these are priceless secrets passed down from my ancestors. The Holy Hall has been gracious enough to teach me, so I can’t just hoard them for myself. However, there has to be a price. One question for one Middle-Grade Spirit Stone."