I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 74 - 72: Taking the Bait

In the Cultivation Realm, one explosive piece of news after another erupted.

The Lihuo Sect urgently recalled all its disciples, declaring that the entire sect was entering seclusion.

The Evil Spirit Hall, on the other hand, sent out all its disciples in search of someone. Its Sect Leader had just given Lingdu Mountain a vicious tongue-lashing, berating him so severely he could barely lift his head.

"You idiot! An Ancestral Master was right in front of you! If you had invited him back, tell me, wouldn’t the Heaven-Dominating Hall have to step aside? I..."

Tan Yingtian wished he could just kick that idiot Lingdu Mountain into the sky. Besides the forefather of Evil Cultivators, who could possibly complete that Sword Technique? This fool usually thought of himself as quite clever, but he dropped the ball when it mattered most.

"Sect Leader, the disciples have all gone to search for him."

"The Ancestral Master is as elusive as a Divine Dragon, showing its head but never its tail. Since he has already appeared, it means he shares a karmic bond with our Evil Spirit Hall. I believe we will meet again."

Everyone in the Evil Spirit Hall, from top to bottom, was excited. Tan Yingtian was ecstatic. If they could invite the Ancestral Master back to preside over the sect, the Three Great Sects wouldn’t be worth a damn!

But if the actions of the Five Great Sects caused a stir in the Small Thousand World, what happened in the Tongming Realm was far more shocking.

The Mad Sword Sect had been massacred!

Pu Ba, the leader of the Mad Sword Sect, was a Sword Cultivator of over the fortieth layer with extraordinary Sword Techniques. He had more than two hundred disciples under him, a mix of outcasts from other Sects and dregs of the Cultivation Realm, but without exception, all of them were quite powerful.

Plus, with the backing of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, practically no one in the Tongming Realm dared to provoke them. Not long ago, they had even massacred Tongming City, yet the various powers did not react. This was, in effect, an acknowledgment of the Mad Sword Sect’s influence in the region.

And yet, in a single night, the Mad Sword Sect had been slaughtered to the last man. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Not even someone at the Ancestral Master Level should have been able to accomplish such a feat!

As for Pu Ba, his head had been cut off. From the looks of it, he had been killed before he could even make a move. The opponent’s strength was likely beyond imagination.

’Could it have been the Sword God, Xuee Zhongnan, who acted?’

’Impossible.’

The Holy Hall Master was in seclusion. Besides, with Xuee Zhongnan’s personality, he would have killed Pu Ba at most, yet all two hundred and thirty-one members of the Mad Sword Sect had been wiped out, with none escaping.

’The weapon was something like a hammer. Such a terrifying Body Cultivator?’

Some said the Mad Sword Sect had suffered heavenly retribution, that those who commit many injustices are doomed to destroy themselves. Regardless, for the Tongming Realm, it was a gratifying event that brought joy to the people.

Others said a senior had acted because they could no longer stand by and watch. However, judging by this senior’s style of despising evil as a mortal enemy, perhaps they were a Saint Cultivator.

For a time, Tongming City saw an influx of all sorts of Cultivators, each arriving with their own agenda.

Some wanted to seize the power vacuum left in Tongming City, some wanted to try their luck and see if they could find a master to study under, and others were there looking for someone.

The situation grew frantic with the involvement of the Evil Spirit Hall. Tongming City was not within their sphere of influence, and their flagrant, rule-breaking disregard for this fact drew the attention of many factions, all of them speculating as to the identity of the person who had acted.

The Evil Spirit Hall’s involvement was one thing, but when people from the Holy Hall joined the search, it immediately captured the attention of the entire Cultivation Realm. ’It was one thing for the Evil Spirit Hall to be looking for someone, but why the Holy Hall?’

Before long, even more explosive news broke: the Sword God, Xuee Zhongnan, had come out of seclusion!

"Senior Brother Lei, are you certain it’s true?" As the Master of the Holy Hall, Xuee Zhongnan projected the true air of a supreme expert, one of near perfection.

In terms of seniority, Thunderbolt was actually considered Xuee Zhongnan’s senior brother.

"Sect Leader, my senses can’t be wrong. I always thought that venerable master had already achieved the Dao and ascended, but to think he is still in the mortal world!"

Thunderbolt was thrilled. He shared a deep connection with Moo Shan.

Xuee Zhongnan nodded. "I sensed a Celestial Tribulation appear in the direction of Bright Void Mountain, but it seemed incomplete. It appears that venerable master may have already reached the verge of ascension. If fate allows us to meet, I will be sure to ask for his guidance."

Those capable of reaching the state of ascension would generally choose to ascend, but there were always exceptions who chose to remain in the Small Thousand World. To do so, however, they would have to suppress their power. This person had likely reached a level where they could even fool a Celestial Tribulation. For Xuee Zhongnan, who yearned for ascension, a few words of guidance would be worth more than ten years of secluded cultivation.

On the path of cultivation, experience was undoubtedly the most precious treasure.

Unfortunately, such an encounter truly depended on fate. As the Holy Hall Master, he could not openly express his desires, no matter how much he yearned for it. Thunderbolt, however, was different. Although he was a Holy Hall Disciple, he shared a worldly connection with that person. Just a small pointer had been enough for Thunderbolt to break through a bottleneck that had plagued him for a long time—that alone was a testament to the person’s power.

Filled with envy, he could only sigh at the whims of fate.

Meanwhile, the instigators of all this, Wang Meng and Suo Ming, had already returned to Thunderlight Hall. For Suo Ming, the world was simple: Wang Meng was his faith.

Wang Meng’s return caused no great stir in Thunderlight Hall. Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were the new idols of the hall now. For the two of them, however, nothing made them happier than seeing Wang Meng return safe and sound.

At Hengshan Hall, he was surrounded by nothing more than fair-weather friends. Here at Thunderlight Hall, however, Suo Ming felt truly at home. To Hu Jing and the others, anyone Wang Meng approved of was their friend.

During this time, with advantageous resources and the careful nurturing of the Elders, Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang had also made extreme breakthroughs. Zhang Xiaopang reached the fourteenth layer, and Hu Jing even reached the unprecedented Fifteenth Layer, creating a miracle for Thunderlight Hall. Zhou Qian also reached the Perfection of the Sixteenth Layer, and Suo Ming was another pleasant surprise.

His arrival absolutely delighted Wang Bodang. As an Elder of Thunderlight Hall, he certainly couldn’t go poaching disciples—that would be too shameful. But if someone transferred over of their own accord, that had nothing to do with him! A diligent and hardworking Body Cultivator at the seventeenth layer... Suo Ming had become Wang Bodang’s prized treasure.

The disciples of Thunderlight Hall could also feel the hall’s burgeoning vitality. Perhaps their strength was still lacking, but they could now see hope. No one was born strong; everyone started weak and grew stronger, one step at a time.

Hu Jing’s intelligence and decisiveness, combined with Zhang Xiaojiang’s motivational skills, had truly whipped Thunderlight Hall into shape. Although Zhou Qian was lazy, he was sometimes dragged in to help. The atmosphere in Thunderlight Hall was now something special.

After returning, Wang Meng would still go to the thatched hut to keep Zhou Feng company. He still preferred the quiet here. Right now, Thunderlight Hall was brimming with confidence, preparing to make a big splash at the grand competition. Everyone was busy preparing to achieve this goal.

Wang Meng, however, was leisurely playing Go with Zhou Feng. Having his Godhood sealed had certainly created a lot of trouble for him. For instance, this Wumu Essence—with his Godhood, Wang Meng could have converted it directly. But now, he actually had to resort to Alchemy. He was familiar with Zhou Feng, but not *that* familiar, and explaining it all would be a hassle.

Halfway through the game, Zhou Feng was about to throw in the towel again. "I say, kid, don’t you have any respect for your elders? Would it kill you to leave me a little face!"

Wang Meng wasn’t angry. He just smiled. "Old Zhou, let’s make a deal. You teach me Alchemy, and I’ll teach you how to play Go. How about it?"

A smile flickered across Zhou Feng’s face but was quickly suppressed. He pretended to ponder deeply for a moment. "Hmm, I teach you Alchemy, you teach me Go... A fair exchange. Good, very good."

’Inwardly, he was bursting with joy. ’If it wasn’t to drag you into this, kid, why would this old man suffer here? You finally took the bait!’

’That hag Luu Yun has been pissing me off ever since she picked up a bargain disciple from who-knows-where. This time, I’ll show her what a true genius looks like!’