I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 358 - 342: New Goal

"The future is the most difficult thing to gauge. To peek into it is to spy on the Power of Laws. If you were to speak of it, the future would be destroyed, and you might also have to bear the burden of causality. Unless the Star Alliance is facing a life-or-death crisis, don’t even think about it," the Star Lord said lightly.

The others nodded in agreement. The magic of the Prophetic Element was incredibly mystic and far more unfathomable than offensive power. Moreover, the price one had to pay was surely no small matter. Even in the entire Star Alliance, only the Saintess was capable of it.

"Let’s intensify the conflict between the Saint, Demon, and Evil."

Everyone nodded in unison. On one hand, it could help them find answers, and on the other, it could strengthen their rule.

As the light faded, the figures vanished one by one from the great hall, leaving behind only darkness.

What, then, was the Star Alliance’s ultimate goal?

A flash of light streaked across the Sky City, and everything returned to calm. A few more white clouds appeared in the sky, and the city was gone, as if it had never existed.

「At that moment, on Holy Hall’s Thunderlight Peak.」

Elemental Power surged everywhere, and shouts filled the air. The most outstanding members of the Holy Hall’s younger generation were all gathered here for special training.

Such an opportunity was rare. In everyone’s eyes, Wang Meng was already a formidable existence who surpassed even the Ancestral Masters.

The news couldn’t be contained. The story of how the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s Barbarian Ghost Ancestor had to "beg for mercy" from Wang Meng had already spread among the Holy Hall Disciples.

The Great Yuan Realm... what a mysterious and powerful place. It was said that experts there were as common as clouds, yet Wang Meng could still display his domineering authority in a place like that, forcing even the Ten Thousand Demons Sect to submit.

The current unscrupulousness of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was known throughout the Four Directions Small Thousand World, yet they had to curry favor with Wang Meng. Just the thought of it made these disciples feel like their blood was boiling.

And now Wang Meng was going to personally guide them. This was an opportunity that no disciple of the Holy Hall wanted to miss.

The disciples from the various Sub-Halls were separated according to the Five Elements. Having been exposed to the methods of the Cultivation Academy, Wang Meng knew better than anyone that cultivation without differentiating the Five Elements was a dead end. Although the Holy Hall had Cultivation Techniques in this area, they were never given any importance. In fact, Wang Meng himself had practiced some of them, and they were quite good.

Everyone knew about Five Elements Skills, but no one really spent time cultivating them. If they had the time, they would rather practice a Sword Technique or something else.

But Wang Meng placed special emphasis on the Holy Hall’s Nourishing Essence Technique and Five Elements Skills. The tedium encountered while practicing the Nourishing Essence Technique might be intense, but in Wang Meng’s experience, it was a true unsung hero at critical moments, especially when facing an opponent of equal strength.

People like Zhang Xiaojiang had, at Wang Meng’s request, been persistently practicing the Five Elements Skills corresponding to their own element. Although the effects weren’t visible after a few days or a month, the difference gradually became apparent after a few years.

Zhao Guang wasn’t completely without his merits. At the very least, his presence put immense pressure on Zhang Xiaopang and the others, preventing them from slacking off in the slightest.

Wang Meng checked everyone’s progress. They had all made considerable improvements. But he truly appreciated the advantages of the Great Yuan Realm; the pure Elemental Qi was genuinely beneficial for growth. There were also some subtle benefits that couldn’t be quantified.

This strengthened Wang Meng’s resolve to get everyone into the Cultivation Academy. People like Zhang Xiaopang with his Earth of the Five Elements, Hu Jing with her Water and Fire Dual Cultivation, and Yang Ying with her Water of the Five Elements were actually quite talented. Although they didn’t seem as impressive as those from the Great Yuan Realm overall, given time, they wouldn’t necessarily be worse than the students at the Cultivation Academy.

Suddenly, Wang Meng felt that the Holy Hall wasn’t as bad as he had thought. At least, there were many "talented" people around him. These individuals might be inconspicuous in the Holy Hall, but they were better suited to the rules of the Great Yuan Realm.

Sometimes, genius was truly relative.

Take Ning Zhiquan, for example. He was a traditional genius, but it had to be said that he wasn’t a genius of the Five Elements Element. He was somewhat out of his depth at the Cultivation Academy. Some people were highly sensitive to Five Elements Skills and could unleash their power, while others were not sensitive to the Five Elements but had a great aptitude for Magic itself.

Both types of talent were still talent, and it was hard to say which was stronger. But the discovery of the generation and restriction cycles of the Five Elements had indeed given hope to some of the so-called "mediocre" disciples.

Wang Meng was a beneficiary of this himself. He had instinctively realized this from the beginning and had Hu Jing, Zhang Xiaopang, and the others strengthen their cultivation in this area. After returning from the Cultivation Academy this time, his instinctual awareness had become crystal clear. Because he possessed all Five Elements, he had a discerning ability that others could not hope to match.

Wang Meng lectured for one ancient hour every day, mainly explaining the subtle applications of Five Elements Skills. The cultivation methods for different elements were completely different. Among the disciples, some could adapt, and some could not. Those who couldn’t adapt could only be eliminated.

After more than ten days of selection, a total of fifty-two Holy Hall Disciples, including Hu Jing and the others, remained in the special training. They had all been chosen for their sensitivity to the Five Elements and their ability to find their own elemental affinity within the Cultivation Techniques. This meant they could continue to advance on this path of cultivation.

The path of cultivation was, without a doubt, a cruel one.

A blazing fire burned in the eyes of everyone who remained. To gain Wang Meng’s approval was, for them, a supreme honor—even more important than the approval of an Ancestral Master.

Wang Meng looked at the crowd. "Starting today, you have stepped onto a brand new path of cultivation. Your goal is to enter the Cultivation Academy, become a member of the Holy Hall Faction, and make the Holy Hall stand tall at the pinnacle of the Great Yuan Realm!"

Wang Meng’s words sent a surge of excitement through the crowd.

Thunderbolt watched from a distance, with Wu Fatian by his side. The two old men were sneakily peeping, looking quite devious.

"This kid really has a silver tongue. Look at these disciples, he’s got them all spellbound, as if the Cultivation Academy was founded by our Holy Hall."

Wu Fatian said with a laugh.

"If even the Sect Leader told me this, I’d think it was wishful thinking. But when this kid says it, I can’t help but find it believable. If this guy were a professional con man, he’d definitely have a bright future."

Thunderbolt said.

"It’s a pity. Our Cultivation Techniques are already set and can’t be changed. Otherwise, I’d really want to try out the Five Elements Element." Wu Fatian shook his head. At their level, changing one’s Cultivation Technique was undoubtedly the same as using a Dissipating Technique—a risk they absolutely couldn’t afford.

"Hehe, but we have hope in the younger generation. Maybe a miracle will happen with their generation."

Thunderbolt chuckled.

Something like this would be unthinkable in any other Sect; it would be impossible. In a way, it was changing the cultivation direction of an entire Sect. But things were different in the Holy Hall.

From its very inception, the Holy Hall was an anomaly. It existed for the sake of ordinary people who yearned to cultivate. Although it had undergone certain changes over the years in order to survive, its fundamental nature had not changed. This openness and inclusivity was something no other Sect possessed.

Sects like the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, the Demon Heart Sect, and the Heaven-Dominating Hall certainly gained stronger and more focused power due to their persistence and rigid traditions. In contrast, the Holy Hall seemed to be in decline. The Holy Hall’s practice of accepting disciples widely caused a waste of cultivation resources and was no longer suited for a Small Thousand World. But in reality, every existence has its reason. Wang Meng’s appearance seemed accidental, but it was actually inevitable.

A wondrous reaction was taking place within the Holy Hall, and it was only just the beginning.

Over the next ten-plus days, Wang Meng ignited the spark of the Holy Hall. It was impossible for these people to make a qualitative leap in just over ten days, but it was enough to open up a new world for them.

Time spent together is always fleeting. Everyone was truly reluctant to part, not to mention Zhang Xiaopang and the others; even the new disciples felt the same. They had never met someone who helped them so wholeheartedly. Before, they had only heard the legends of Wang Meng, but now, after less than a month of contact, they had seen a completely different world. They could never go back to living in such a muddle-headed way.

It seemed that reunions were only for the sake of partings. Zhang Xiaopang was crying his eyes out, which in turn made it so Yang Ying couldn’t even cry.

Wang Meng’s gaze remained firm. He would find a way to change all of this and reunite with everyone here. The rules of the Star Alliance would not stop him.

Amidst Yang Ying’s gentle, water-like affection, Wang Meng stepped into the Teleportation Array. He felt much better about leaving this time than the last. He was no longer completely ignorant about the Great Yuan Realm and the Star Alliance. Besides, the Star Alliance was not made of gods.

Upon returning to the Holy Hall Faction headquarters, Ma Tian’Er and the others all crowded around him, chattering and asking about the situation in the Holy Hall. Wang Meng had no choice but to recount everything once more. He felt that the most tired part of him from this trip was his mouth. After speaking so fluently, he could probably switch careers and become a storyteller.

After learning about the Holy Hall’s situation, everyone felt relieved. With the Holy Hall safe, they could go all out in the Cultivation Academy. They hadn’t expected their efforts in the Cultivation Academy to have such a significant impact.

Wang Meng smiled. "Has anything else happened recently?"

Suddenly, no one spoke. They just looked at each other. Wang Meng was taken aback. This clearly wasn’t the expression of people who had nothing to report.

Fan Hong shrugged helplessly. "I don’t know what’s going on, but things have been far from peaceful for us. We just dealt with the Demon Refining Faction, and now we’ve become a thorn in the side of other factions, a piece of meat on their plate. You’ve been gone for a while, and we’ve had a really tough time."

Wang Meng looked at Fan Hong’s expression. "Fan Xiaoniao, keep spinning your yarn."

Wang Meng sat down in a nearby chair, waiting for Fan Hong to continue his performance.

"Brother Wang, Fan Hong is telling the truth. There really have been quite a few factions plotting against us, both openly and secretly. It was especially bad while you were gone. It’s all thanks to Brother Mingren holding down the fort."

Ma Tian’Er said. She couldn’t bear to tease Wang Meng like that.

"The Holy Hall is on the rise! I never expected Junior Brother Mingren to break through the Thirtieth Layer as well. And his understanding of the Five Elements Flame is quite astonishing."

Hex Zui praised. Who would have thought that Mingren’s progress in the Cultivation Academy would be so rapid? The focus had always been on Wang Meng, so Mingren was overlooked. And since Mingren himself didn’t like to show off, now the Holy Hall had gained another great general. The future was bright.

Mingren smiled faintly. "Don’t listen to their exaggerations. The opponents were just a bit wary, so it wasn’t that serious. I just managed to fend them off. Besides, I wasn’t the only one putting in the effort. Junior Sister Ma repelled two people, Brother Hex also repelled one, and Miss Jiangg defeated two as well. It was everyone’s strength."

"Haha, since everyone is being so modest, I might as well join in. We’re not in a hurry to recruit more people. We need to think of a way to transfer our people from the Holy Hall over here."

Wang Meng said. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)