I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 93 - 91: Overt and Covert Struggles

Wu Fatian said with a stern and righteous air.

’That bastard,’ Thunderbolt cursed inwardly. ’He’s so damn devious, deliberately choosing Hengshan Hall to make a direct comparison and provoke me.’

’But if he thinks he can outplay me, he’s still wet behind the ears!’

"Alright. I’ve heard Hengshan Hall is quite good. We should go take a look."

Wu Fatian was taken aback for a moment. "Good, then let’s be on our way."

The joint visit from Thunderbolt and Wu Fatian sent a shockwave through Hengshan Hall. When Tang Wei received the news, he was stunned for a long moment before he finally reacted, hurriedly leading his disciples out to greet them.

"Tang Wei pays his respects to the two esteemed Ancestral Masters." Tang Wei’s heart churned like a stormy sea. ’Have the heavens finally smiled upon me?’

"No need for such formalities, Tang Wei. We’re just here for a casual look. With Ancestor Master Lei here today, this is a rare opportunity. I hear you all excel at forging now, so why not hurry and bring out your work for him to give some pointers?"

Wu Fatian said with a smile, his attitude betraying none of the lawlessness his name might suggest.

"Yes, yes! Please wait a moment, esteemed Ancestral Masters. We’ll bring them right out."

Hengshan Hall was now abuzz with activity. Upon hearing that two Ancestral Masters had arrived, disciples from the surrounding areas all flocked over.

Body Cultivators actually have sub-specializations. Most focus primarily on defense. After all, Sword Cultivators and Bow Cultivators possess far more formidable offensive power. In the Holy Hall, where teamwork is paramount for conquering Secret Realms, the main role of a Body Cultivator is to be a defender. Of course, most Body Cultivators also harbor a desire to attack. Some channel their Elemental Power into enhancing their own offensive abilities. These people, who love to attack, are known as Power Cultivators, and their weapons are naturally divided into offensive and defensive types. Tang Wei was a prime example of a Power Cultivator, believing that only immense offensive power could guarantee one’s place in the world of Cultivators.

Rows upon rows of weapons were carried out by the disciples of Hengshan Hall. A single glance revealed them to be exquisitely crafted and imposing. Tang Wei was very confident; he had truly poured his heart and soul into this work. He just never imagined he would one day have the chance to display it before an Ancestral Master.

"Reporting to the two Ancestral Masters, our weapons are all forged from the finest Cloud Steel from the Hengduan Mountain Range," Tang Wei introduced.

Thunderbolt swept his gaze over them but said nothing. Wu Fatian, on the other hand, picked up a War Axe and clicked his tongue in admiration. "Not bad, not bad at all. It has a great feel. A pity I’m a Talisman Cultivator, or I’d get one of these for myself."

Thunderbolt shot Wu Fatian a sidelong glance. ’This guy is just blatantly trying to humiliate me.’

"Ah, that’s right, Tang Wei. In our Holy Hall, besides you all, what was the name of that other hall also known for its forging?"

"Thunderlight Hall. But Thunderlight Hall is a complete joke now." Tang Wei was so excited that the words tumbled out before he could think. The moment they left his mouth, his face went deathly pale. The Ancestor Master Lei standing right in front of him was from Thunderlight Hall.

His mind went blank. ’It’s over. It’s over. I’m finished.’

Thunderbolt gave Tang Wei an indifferent glance, and Tang Wei felt his world go dark. However, Thunderbolt didn’t bother arguing with a junior. "Wu the Kid, what are you trying to say with all this beating around the bush? We’ll see for ourselves what state Thunderlight Hall is in."

"Right, right. Seeing is believing. Tang Wei, come on. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to come with us for a stroll over to Thunderlight Hall. I hear they also specialize in weapons."

Tang Wei was caught between a rock and a hard place. ’You two Ancestral Masters are having your magical duel, why do you have to drag a little shrimp like me into it? A single slap from either of you would be enough to crush me.’

"Let’s go. It would be good to take a look. The Hundred Treasures Hall Meeting was established precisely so you all could learn from each other’s strengths to improve upon your weaknesses," Thunderbolt said calmly.

Wu Fatian found this strange. ’But I really don’t believe Thunderbolt can pull any new tricks out of his hat. The old coot is pretty good at posturing, though.’

’Did he personally craft something? Hmph, his handiwork is recognizable at a glance. No amount of pretending will work.’

The two Ancestral Masters came and went in a flash, and Tang Wei was swept away with them like a leaf in the wind. His experience was completely different from Liangyuan’s.

In contrast to the clamor elsewhere, Dao Guang Hall was considerably more formal. The disciples from various Sub-Halls who came and went were all well-behaved, and no one dared to speak loudly. Everything Dao Guang Hall displayed was of the highest quality, from Pills and the creation of Magical Artifacts to insights gained from various missions. It was safe to say that any disciple who visited would leave with something valuable, which naturally made them yearn to join Dao Guang Hall even more.

Dao Guang Hall’s meeting was a clear message to all disciples: this was the best place in the Holy Hall, the home of the elite.

Ning Zhiquan and the elites of Dao Guang Hall were all present, as they were certain at least two Ancestral Masters would be visiting today.

The first to arrive was Zhao Tianlong. Ning Zhiquan immediately led the assembled disciples out to greet him.

"Disciple Ning Zhiquan pays his respects to the Ancestral Master!" Facing the Ancestral Master, Ning Zhiquan was perfectly formal.

"Haha, Zhiyuan, no need for such ceremony. Rise," Zhao Tianlong said with a laugh. A bright-eyed, graceful little girl emerged from behind him, smiling as she looked everyone over.

"This must be junior sister Ling Xuan. You are truly as extraordinary as the rumors say. Dao Guang Hall has a place waiting for you."

Ning Zhiquan said. This was no empty flattery; at his level, all that was required of him, even before an Ancestral Master, was to show proper respect.

Still, Zhao Tianlong was very pleased to hear it. "This girl insisted on tagging along, so I brought her to see the world. Ling Xuan, you must learn well from your Brother Ning."

Zhao Lingxuan nodded obediently. "Greetings, Brother Ning."

Ning Zhiquan was slightly taken aback. "If I’m not mistaken, has junior sister Ling Xuan already reached Twenty Layers of Elemental Power?"

At that, Dao Guang Hall fell completely silent. How old was Zhao Lingxuan? Twenty Layers of Elemental Power?!

Compared to her, Li Tianyi was nothing but scum.

Zhao Tianlong smiled faintly, but his eyes were filled with unconcealable pride. "The child’s talent is decent, I suppose. However, Elemental Power alone is far from enough; her Basic Swordsmanship still needs to be honed. And it seems your Self-sacrifice Technique has improved again, Zhiyuan."

"I wouldn’t dare hide it from the Ancestral Master. I have had some new insights recently. It looks like Dao Guang Hall is about to have its first Head Senior Sister," Ning Zhiquan said in admiration.

The prodigies of Dao Guang Hall all gazed at Zhao Lingxuan with envy. The Family Disciples from the Main Hall only came to the Sub-Halls after reaching a certain age. The appearance of Li Tianyi was already intimidating enough, but this Zhao Lingxuan was on a whole other level of terrifying.

Led by Ning Zhiquan, Zhao Tianlong toured Dao Guang Hall’s exhibition and was quite satisfied. The disciples’ level of skill was impressive. Although Zhao Lingxuan remained obedient, she was clearly distracted. She had worked herself to the bone to reach the Twenty Layers so she could go out and explore on her own, but instead, she ended up being chaperoned by her Ancestral Master. She was thoroughly disappointed.

From start to finish, Zhao Guang merely followed behind Ning Zhiquan without uttering a single word, and Zhao Tianlong never mentioned him. But his very presence was statement enough, and it also served as an endorsement of Ning Zhiquan’s actions.

The Magical Artifact Zhao Guang displayed was the Flying Fire Wheel, a Third-Grade Magical Artifact that showcased the Zhao Family’s deep foundations in Artifact Refining. It was modeled after Zhao Tianlong’s own famous artifact, the Heaven- and Sun-Covering Dharma Wheel. Although it was only a copy, it revealed Zhao Guang’s profound understanding of Magical Artifacts; no wonder he was so confident. This move was a masterstroke, killing two birds with one stone by expressing his reverence for Zhao Tianlong while also displaying his own skill. After all, Zhao Tianlong couldn’t very well criticize an imitation of his own signature creation.

After a full tour, all objectives had been met. Zhao Guang was beaming with delight. Zhao Lingxuan, however, tugged on Zhao Tianlong’s sleeve.