I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 347 - 331: Return of the King

"Zhao Guang, this can only be submitted to the Ancestral Masters if all our Sub-Halls agree!"

"I already told you rules can be changed. Hu Jing, stop causing trouble. Otherwise, our Dao Guang Hall will declare a Hall Battle on your Thunderlight Hall!"

Zhao Guang’s gaze was sharp as he spoke. In recent years, the Thunderlight Hall had advanced by leaps and bounds. With ample resources, their momentum was soaring. However, the Dao Guang Hall’s strength was not to be underestimated. Furthermore, Zhao Guang had used his family connections to acquire numerous Magical Artifacts, bolstering his own faction. If a battle really broke out, the victor would be hard to predict.

Zhao Guang was forcing their hand.

"Senior Brother Zhao, we are all Holy Hall Disciples. Shouldn’t we be united at a time like this?"

Zhao Lingxuan couldn’t hold back any longer. She could see that Zhao Guang’s actions weren’t just offending the Thunderlight Hall. The other Sub-Halls were also suppressing their discontent, held back only by the Zhao Family’s current influence. It was just that Zhao Guang was completely blind to this.

Yes, in the Cultivation World, might makes right, but the Zhao Family wasn’t *that* powerful.

"Junior Sister Zhao, you should remember your surname!"

Zhao Guang said coolly.

This was a public slap in the face. If Hu Jing refused, her Hall would lose face and momentum. But if she agreed, she had no absolute confidence in victory. Should she lose, she would have even less say in the future.

She was in a dilemma.

CLAP... CLAP... CLAP

"I never thought I’d walk into such a good show right after coming back. Zhao Guang, it’s been a few years, and you still haven’t improved at all. So you want to start a Hall Battle with our Thunderlight Hall? We’ll gladly oblige. You and I didn’t get to spar last time. How about I play with you now?"

As the voice rang out, the Thunderlight Hall instantly fell silent. Wang Meng had been listening from the side for a while.

All eyes turned to the doorway as a figure walked in. Instantly, everyone rose to their feet.

At that moment, Hu Jing seemed frozen. ’Am I dreaming?’

Zhang Xiaopang and the others were stunned for a moment before rushing over in a single wave. A whole crowd of them hugged Wang Meng tightly. The news of Wang Meng’s return instantly swept through the Thunderlight Hall, and from there, it began to spread throughout the entire Holy Hall.

Wang Meng was back!

"Brother Meng, I’m not dreaming, am I? How are you back?!"

Zhang Xiaopang pinched and squeezed Wang Meng. Not far away, Sanmao bared its teeth in a wide grin. ’So Master gets a taste of it too!’

"Damn it, stop pinching! You’ll ruin my handsome face!"

"Boss, it’s really you!" Suo Ming was so excited he could barely form a sentence.

"Heh, Suo Ming, not bad. Look at this build. You’ve made some good progress."

"Wang Meng, you’re still alive!" Zhou Qian said with a wide smile.

"Brother Zhou, since you’re still alive, how could I bear to die? Haha."

After hugging Zhou Qian, Wang Meng opened his arms. "Little Jing, you’ve got quite the presence now. And you’re even more beautiful."

They shared a light hug. Hu Jing didn’t say a word, merely staring at Wang Meng in a daze, apparently still unable to process his return. Such is the difference between a woman’s reserved nature and a man’s ardent passion.

Zhao Lingxuan wasn’t as reserved as Jia Shidao and the others. She practically burrowed her way through the crowd, completely disregarding the fact that she was now the head disciple of Lingyin Hall.

"Brother Wang, do you still remember me???"

"Heh, Little Lingxuan, my, my. You’ve gotten even prettier."

"No, I haven’t," Zhao Lingxuan said, a little bashfully. This left the others dumbfounded. ’She has this side to her?’

"Where’s Little Red?" Wang Meng chuckled. Not far away, the Nine Heavens Fire Simurgh proudly lifted its head and rolled its eyes at him in disdain. ’Even after ten thousand years, he’s still so tacky!’

Zhao Guang’s expression flickered between shock and disbelief. ’How is this possible!?’

Others might not know, but he was certain: the Great Yuan Realm was a one-way trip. The Cultivation Academy would never release anyone below the Fifty Layers.

"Wang Meng, you have some nerve! You dare to escape without permission? Do you have any idea what kind of disaster this will bring upon the Holy Hall!"

Zhao Guang roared.

Wang Meng shot Zhao Guang a cool glance. "Go stand aside. I’ll deal with you when I have time!"

To the current Wang Meng, Zhao Guang wasn’t even worth his attention.

"Zhao Guang, you good-for-nothing! You think a mere Cultivation Academy could hold back our Brother Meng?" Zhang Xiaopang didn’t hesitate to flip him the middle finger. With Wang Meng back, Zhang Xiaopang felt completely unrestrained. If there weren’t so many beautiful women around, he would have already started cussing up a storm.

"Everyone, it’s good to see you all well."

Wang Meng smiled at Qiao Qian and the others, who all came over to greet him.

"Wang Meng, it’s really you. How did you get back?"

"Heh, I’m on vacation. Just came back to see everyone. The Great Yuan Realm isn’t some kind of dragon’s lair or tiger’s den," Wang Meng said with a laugh.

From his tone, Qiao Qian and the others understood perfectly. The Great Yuan Realm might be an unfathomable mystery to them, but to Wang Meng, it was probably nothing special. Rules were made to be broken. If Wang Meng could do it in the Holy Hall, why not in the Great Yuan Realm?

In just a few short years, the gap between them had become insurmountable.

"Today’s Hall meeting is adjourned! We’re celebrating Wang Meng’s return!"

Hu Jing said.

"Heh, a wise decision, Senior Sister!"

Wang Meng smiled. It felt great to be home. Seeing Zhao Guang still standing there like a sore thumb was an eyesore. "Zhao Guang, what are you still doing here? Go on, get lost."

Zhao Guang gritted his teeth in fury. But looking at Wang Meng, he didn’t dare to spit out the words on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t even have the courage to retaliate and simply slunk away in defeat.

Such was his presence.

When Wang Meng opened the door, he found all the junior disciples of the Thunderlight Hall had gathered. Many new disciples had joined over the years; they had only heard the legends of Wang Meng but had never seen him in person.

The moment they saw Wang Meng, the entire Thunderlight Hall erupted. Wang Meng had returned!

Wang Meng’s return shook the entire Holy Hall, not just the disciples, but the Ancestral Masters as well.

The six great Ancestral Masters gathered at the Thunderlight Hall. It hadn’t been this lively in a very, very long time.

All the disciples were stunned. ’So this is the legendary Senior Wang Meng?’

He truly was a legend. For a single disciple to return and have six Ancestral Masters come to see him personally... such was his influence, such was his power.

Li Xiuwen, Zhou Luodan, Zhao Tianlong, Ma Hezi, Thunderbolt, Wu Fatian... and of course, Zhou Feng was there as well.

The group gathered in the inner hall while the other disciples were in the outer hall. This was a welcome banquet for Wang Meng.

Now, even the Ancestral Masters didn’t put on airs in front of Wang Meng. They were the ones who knew the inside story.

To describe Wang Meng, only one phrase would do: a golden carp is no simple pond-dweller; once it meets the wind and clouds, it transforms into a dragon.

"Wang Meng, you’re probably the first person to ever break the Cultivation Academy’s rules. How did you manage it?" Zhou Luodan was visibly surprised.

Wang Meng just smiled. "The dean of the Cultivation Academy needed my help with something, so I asked him for a leave of absence."

The Ancestral Masters exchanged glances. The dean of the Cultivation Academy was a core figure in the Star Alliance, one who held the power of life and death. ’And Wang Meng has reached a level where he can converse with him?’

’A leave of absence?’ Wang Meng made it sound so simple. Forget about them; among all the sects in the various Small Thousand Realms, how many, even at the Sect Leader Level, could ever get an audience with such a figure?

"Wang Meng, I heard from the Sect Leader that you rendered a great service in the Slaughter Space. Tell us about it."

"That’s right, kid! This brings great honor to our Thunderlight Hall, no need to be modest!" Thunderbolt was grinning from ear to ear. It was a huge point of pride. He suddenly felt that the greatest achievement of his life wasn’t becoming an Ancestral Master, but becoming the Ancestral Master of the Thunderlight Hall.

"It was just a fortunate coincidence." Wang Meng didn’t want to dampen everyone’s spirits. Even the Ancestral Masters only knew the general outline; Li Xiuwen was the one who knew a bit more.

They knew Wang Meng had achieved something great. Their ranking, which they had struggled fruitlessly to improve, had started to skyrocket in the short three years since his arrival. He had even nullified the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s offensive. Now, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was in chaos. Unable to launch a war of annihilation, their power had no outlet and they could only turn on each other in internal power struggles.

Everyone listened, clicking their tongues in amazement. They never would have imagined that Wang Meng could now easily insta-kill Demon Cultivators above the fortieth layer. What kind of power was that? When they were at that level, none of them could have done such a thing.

Zhao Tianlong and Ma Hezi were quieter than the others. Wang Meng’s return, and the sheer power he brought with him, put immense pressure on them both. If he continued on this trajectory, it wouldn’t be long before Wang Meng surpassed them. This wouldn’t just be a matter of strength; he would ascend to a height that even they would have to look up to.

’Should we make an enemy of someone like that?’

’And it wasn’t just his personal strength. It seemed he was actually building a relationship with the Star Alliance!’

"Ancestral Masters, I’ve established a Holy Hall Faction at the Cultivation Academy. We’re currently short-staffed, so I plan to select outstanding disciples from the Holy Hall to enter the Academy and bolster our numbers. This will also be a great benefit to the Holy Hall’s ranking."

Wang Meng took the opportunity to say.

The elites of the various Sub-Halls, including Hu Jing and Yang Ying, were seated with them, but no one dared to interrupt the conversation with the Ancestral Masters. Much of what Wang Meng said went over their heads, leaving them bewildered. Hearing that he could casually insta-kill experts above the fortieth layer in the Great Yuan Realm filled them with a sense of awe. And judging by the Ancestral Masters’ tone, they were speaking to him as a complete equal.

This was Wang Meng.

None of the Thunderlight Hall disciples outside were eating or drinking. They all had their ears pricked and their eyes wide open. Just listening and watching was enough to make their hearts pound with excitement.

Li Xiuwen gave a wry smile. "Wang Meng, it’s not that we don’t want to. Sending your group over last time cost us five years’ worth of our accumulated resources. Besides, the Star Alliance’s rules are strict. Sending more people will be very difficult, I’m afraid."

Wang Meng paused. "I overlooked that. I’ll figure out a way to solve this problem. It won’t be a burden on the Holy Hall."

Li Xiuwen and the others exchanged glances. ’He can solve that too?’

If anyone else had said that, they would have thought he was out of his mind. But this was Wang Meng, and it was impossible to doubt him. He truly had a knack for creating miracles.

"Haha, Wang Meng, if you can really pull it off, you’ll have performed yet another great service for the Holy Hall!" Thunderbolt exclaimed.

"Ancestral Master, I’m a member of the Holy Hall. It’s only right that I do my part."

"Haha, well said!" Thunderbolt gave him a thumbs-up. "I think we should all raise a glass to Wang Meng!"

"Damn it, Old Lei, you took all the good lines! What’s left for us to say?" Wu Fatian laughed, green with envy. He was just a little unlucky; otherwise, Wang Meng would have been a disciple of his Lingyin Hall.

Zhao Guang huddled in a corner. He hadn’t wanted to come, but Zhao Tianlong had specifically sent for him, leaving him no choice. The moment Wang Meng appeared, it was as if the world itself had shifted. He had become completely insignificant.

Yang Ying, Hu Jing... everyone stared at him as if he were a god. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)