I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 48 - 46: Risking It All

(It’s Monday again, so I’m doing my best to ask for recommendation votes. I have to trouble all of you at a time like this, but it’s the new book release period, which is absolutely crucial. Though I’m surrounded by a pack of wolves all clamoring for votes, I still sincerely ask everyone to please support Holy Hall this week!)

Zhou Feng was gleefully fiddling with his Pill Furnace, which was piled high with ingredients. He wiped the furnace down, completely absorbed and looking utterly content.

Suddenly, Wang Meng saw a reflection of himself in Zhou Feng. His own pursuit of cultivation was much the same—full of joy. He had to admit that since the fusion, his personality had undergone some undeniable changes, but his fundamental approach to people and events hadn’t changed.

The power of the Godhood receded like the tide. Wang Meng fell back onto his bed and slept soundly.

Meanwhile, in the Thunderlight Hall’s Talisman Sect, Ma Tian’Er was not the least bit sleepy. Lying on her bed, five Middle-Grade Spirit Stones were arranged in a neat row. Ma Tian’Er, wearing a pink, sheer nightgown, propped her chin on her hands and gazed happily at two of the Spirit Stones as if they were precious treasures.

"That Wang Meng is a strange one. Two Middle-Grade Spirit Stones... Tsk, tsk. He’s quite generous. It looks like he’s interested in you!"

Luu Mei walked in, fresh from a bath, with large patches of her delicate skin exposed. Compared to Ma Tian’Er’s budding youth, this Senior Sister Liuu was quite voluptuous. In the mortal world, they’d say she had the wide hips and full chest of a woman who could bear many children.

"Senior Sister!"

"Still, Tian’Er, you should be careful. Who knows if he’s aware of your identity? The great young miss of the Ma Family, giving it all up to come slum it with us here... I really don’t know what goes on in that head of yours."

Luu Mei spoke as she dried her hair. The brief flashes of skin and the swaying of her voluptuous figure were enough to dazzle Ma Tian’Er.

"Senior Brother Wang isn’t that kind of person. Please don’t tell him, Senior Sister."

"I know, I know. You’re all a bunch of weirdos. Still, I advise you to keep your distance from him. Otherwise, it might not necessarily be a good thing for him!"

Liuu Mei shook her head. ’The young miss of the Ma Family, who has seen everything, is treating five Spirit Stones like they’re some priceless treasure,’ she thought. ’This little girl has really fallen for him. But to have caught Ma Tian’Er’s eye... it’s hard to say if that’s a blessing or a curse for him.’

Ma Tian’Er froze, her expression dimming for a moment. But she quickly hugged the Spirit Stones and smiled happily again. ’Who knows what the future holds, anyway?’ she thought.

Zhou Feng didn’t go and bother Wang Meng; he was focused on refining his Spirit Void Pills. Wang Meng, in turn, methodically cultivated the Blast-Inducing Technique and the Nourishing Essence Technique. He would either do that or go to the Spirit Field to stare at a large pile of Low-Level Talismans. When the mood struck, he would even swing his broken blade around a few times. If there was anything he needed to focus on, it was Earth and Wood Element Magic—areas where Moo Shan had been lacking. Both men were immersed in their own worlds, and it felt rather pleasant.

The rapport between people is a matter of destiny, and that was precisely the case for Wang Meng and Zhou Feng.

Wang Meng would take the initiative to chat with Zhou Feng, who really didn’t put on the airs of an Elder. This was especially true when they discussed the Alchemy Dao, where Zhou Feng was eloquent and logical. Pill Cultivators have a much deeper understanding of the Five Elements than other Cultivators, and Zhou Feng was a prime example. The two had no trouble conversing, and some of Wang Meng’s particularly unique opinions on the Alchemy Dao were like a sudden revelation to Zhou Feng.

Though Moo Shan hadn’t been a Pill Cultivator, his knowledge of the Alchemy Dao was far from shallow. Back in the day, Evil Cultivators had to know a little bit of everything.

"Brother, do you think a Pill Cultivator can achieve ascension?" Zhou Feng asked, moved by their conversation. After spending so much time together, he no longer saw Wang Meng as a mere Holy Hall Disciple, but as a friend. Wang Meng’s grasp and understanding of certain things was far superior to his own, and his ability to draw insights from analogy was simply astounding.

Just as he loved Alchemy, he knew that while being a Pill Cultivator was certainly the most practical and safest path, it was also the one from which it was most difficult to achieve ascension.

"Of course they can," Wang Meng said with a smile. There were some things he just couldn’t talk about. The so-called ascension of a Small Thousand World was merely the process of entering a Middle Thousand World, but for the Cultivators of a Small Thousand World, it was something they would strive their entire lives to achieve.

"You’re so certain?"

"Ascension is simply a natural reaction that occurs when one’s Elemental Power and cultivation realm reach a certain level. It’s the same for Pill Cultivators. Once your understanding of the Alchemy Dao reaches a certain point, it will also trigger a Celestial Tribulation, though its form may be different."

Wang Meng had completely given up on the things he had bought, even the food for his Golden Rhinoceros. Although its name was Xiaoben, it was not the least bit foolish. The things Wang Meng had bought at the Thunderlight Pavilion were basically junk food. Zhou Feng’s thatched hut might have looked dilapidated, but it was a different world on the inside.

Feeling indebted after being fed so well, Wang Meng naturally took the opportunity to offer some pointers. The more he got to know Zhou Feng, the more he realized the man was a quintessential Pill Zealot. For someone like him, staying in the Holy Hall might actually be a blessing in disguise.

"Old Zhou, don’t overthink it. It’s not like you love Alchemy for the sake of ascension."

"Haha, good point!"

Zhou Feng nodded. "I’ve been thinking about the points you raised about the Spirit Void Pill for the past two days, and they make a lot of sense. I’m planning to enter seclusion for a while to improve it."

"That’s great news! I also need to focus on my cultivation and prepare for the battle with Hengshan Hall. But, as for the food..."

"I’ve already prepared it for you. And Xiaoben’s rations, too."

Wang Meng didn’t stand on ceremony, giving a light kick to his fickle Spirit Rhinoceros. The creature had really been sucking up to Zhou Feng lately, and Zhou Feng had grown quite fond of it, even feeding it some of the Pills meant for Cultivators. It was truly living a life of luxury.

Spirit Beasts could consume Pills to absorb the Elemental Power within, but human Cultivators didn’t have such robust digestive systems. Indiscriminately consuming Pills was out of the question.

After bidding farewell to Zhou Feng, Wang Meng planned to make a push for the Tenth Layer of Life Mark. Only upon reaching the tenth layer would his techniques contain a trace of the Five Elements Power, making it easier for him to experiment with his new insights.

On the surface, every day seemed simple and dull, but for Wang Meng, they were incredibly fulfilling. Many things he had previously overlooked were now coming back to him, bit by bit.

Saint Cultivators placed more emphasis on humanity and engagement with the mortal world.

Meanwhile, over at Thunderlight Hall, Zhang Xiaojiang and Hu Jing were already in the thick of training. In a way, Hengshan Hall’s provocation had thoroughly galvanized the four Elders. ’They’ve gone too far!’

They knew there was a disparity in strength, but even if they were to lose, they had to lose with dignity. Hu Jing’s batch of Strengthening Foundation and Nourishing Essence Pills had been used up long ago. The Spirit Stones they were now using for cultivation were all provided by the Elders. Seeing their disciples work so hard, the Elders were not about to be stingy.

This was especially true for Wan Jing. The cold-faced Elder actually had a passionate heart. He gave the Golden Silk Iron Bow he had used in his youth to Zhang Xiaojiang. Normally, Elders wouldn’t bestow such items so early. While powerful, a good Magical Artifact could make a disciple become overly reliant on it and neglect their actual cultivation.

But at a critical moment like this, how could they let Zhang Xiaopang be at a disadvantage?

Zhou Qian had also entered seclusion. He paid lip service to not caring, but he knew better than anyone that on the battlefield, if you lack strength, you don’t even get to choose how you lose.

He had pretended not to care about what Wang Meng had said, but a voice was shouting deep inside him. No one is born a masochist who enjoys being crushed. Even if you want to be an opportunist and bend with the wind, you still need the strength to do so. At the very least, if he perfected his Bursting Fire Talismans, he would have a fighting chance when they faced Hengshan Hall.

Only Ma Tian’Er continued to enjoy life as usual. She cultivated when it was time, not too much and not too little, and she did her chores around Thunderlight Hall when they needed doing. She continued to be teased by her senior sisters. For Liuu Mei and the others, teasing Ma Tian’Er daily was a vital part of life, a bright spot in the otherwise dull years of cultivation at Thunderlight Hall.