I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Wang Meng and his companions weren’t the only ones to face such dire straits. Many did. Some failed, some gave up, some fled, and some found their final release.

But they persisted. Not for themselves—a person’s will to live isn’t that strong. It was for others. For their brothers! This is the Holy Hall!

Watching Shen Zhenhai squatting on the ground, sobbing his heart out, no cheers or praise were needed.

Even the Sect Leader of the No Illusion Demon Sect felt the pressure.

’What a terrifying sect.’

Every single one of them possessed terrifying strength and willpower. What was even more frightening was their unity, their willingness to live and die together. One could only imagine the future of such a sect. Most importantly, through the Star Alliance, their name would spread to every Small Thousand Realm in the world.

’I’ve heard the Holy Hall’s philosophy is very similar to the Star Alliance’s...’

The one who felt this most deeply was Yuu Kunlun. Even he found Wang Meng to be an incredibly charismatic man. ’The strength of one person is not true strength,’ he thought. ’The strength of an entire sect—that is true power.’

The reason the Taiyin Sect had prospered for so long was the unbreakable bond between its martial brothers. Otherwise, they would have been surpassed by the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect long ago.

But compared to the Holy Hall, they seemed to be on a different level entirely.

Yuu Kunlun knew with certainty that nothing could stop the Holy Hall’s rise now.

Seven members of the Holy Hall entered the third round of the main tournament. Everyone had thought it would be impressive enough if just one or two made it to the Pure Land. Instead, five of them had fought their way in, claiming half of the available spots.

And not a single one of them had gotten in by luck. Each had displayed terrifying strength.

When Zhang Xiaojiang walked off the platform, the Holy Hall disciples could no longer contain their excitement. They leaped to their feet, pumping their fists and cheering wildly. Today, they were proud to be disciples of the Holy Hall. Tomorrow, they would make the Holy Hall proud of them.

It was as if the final battles in Starlight City had already concluded. In reality, there were still three matches left, but no one was paying them any mind. The cultivators suddenly burst into applause, a scattered clapping that grew louder and more fervent.

They weren’t Holy Hall Disciples, and most weren’t even from the Four Directions Small Thousand World. For many, this was the first time they had ever heard of a sect called the Holy Hall.

But in this moment, they were all applauding for the Holy Hall.

This was a form of power, a form of conquest.

Remember this man. His name is Wang Meng. No, his name is Conquest!

Starlight City had become the Holy Hall’s world. All other sects, regardless of their ranking, were reduced to mere background characters.

Some forms of strength inspire fear. Some inspire admiration. And some resonate deep within one’s soul.

Somehow, seeing the Holy Hall was like seeing a reflection of themselves.

This strange feeling stirred within every cultivator present. It wasn’t fear or jealousy. It was a kind of envy, mixed with the burgeoning hope that perhaps, one day, they too could achieve something like this.

The subsequent matches were actually quite intense as well. Ji Rushan, the chief disciple of the Celestial Rainbow Sect, defeated Xuee Xingyu of the Flower Fairy Sect, but it wasn’t an easy victory. Ji Rushan had to use the Soul-Lowering Sound of his Life Artifact, the Heaven and Earth Soul Falling Bell, to finally beat his opponent. In addition to Elemental Power attacks, his Life Artifact also possessed the ability to launch Heart Spirit Attacks, making it another powerful Life Artifact to emerge during the Battle of the Other Shore.

In truth, the battle was spectacular. The two disciples from renowned sects put on a magnificent display of Magical Combat. However, the light from the Holy Hall simply shone too brightly, overshadowing everything else.

Fei Yun’an of the Treasure Artifact Sect defeated Fei Yun of the Cloud Dragon Sect. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought they were related. In this battle, Fei Yun’an simply pummeled his opponent into unconsciousness with one Magical Artifact after another.

The Treasure Artifact Sect was actually divided into two branches. One specialized in Artifact Refining, while the other focused on combat—specifically, the use of Magical Artifacts.

Their Magic was also designed around the use of these artifacts. Cultivators in this branch needed to have exceptionally abundant Elemental Power and a resilient Heart Spirit. By mastering this and pairing it with powerful Magical Artifacts, their efforts yielded double the results.

The final match saw Yinn Qiang of the Evil Intent Sect defeat Luu Hongyu of the Celestial Rainbow Sect. The Celestial Rainbow Sect’s luck had run out. Yinn Qiang redeemed the name of his sect; the Evil Cultivation Sword Method was indeed unique and incredibly difficult to defend against. Still, Yinn Qiang’s strength was clearly inferior to Li Yilong’s.

It was just the Evil Intent Sect’s rotten luck that Li Yilong had run into Wang Meng. The saying "comparisons are odious" held true; seeing the difference made the cultivators even more curious about Wang Meng’s hidden trump cards.

The man seemed omnipotent.

But no one was truly omnipotent. It was just that Wang Meng had yet to meet a worthy opponent.

And in truth, Wang Meng wasn’t the only one of his caliber in the Battle of the Other Shore.

The news that five members of the Holy Hall had advanced to the Pure Land finals quickly spread throughout the other four major cities. Upon hearing this, the cultivators were beyond shocked.

Any sect would have been immensely proud to have even two members advance. For the Holy Hall to have five... it was an unprecedented show of dominance.

The legends surrounding these five from the Holy Hall were already becoming vivid tales: three with Holy Statues and two with Life Artifacts. People also knew that the two Holy Statue users from the Holy Hall who were eliminated had only lost because they ran into Ling Fei and Purple Dragon. These two were also monstrously powerful figures; no one would dare claim victory if they had to face either of them.

The most crucial takeaway from the third round of the main tournament was that it shattered the "talent theory." Everyone had been talking about how talented the Holy Hall Disciples were. In reality, the most terrifying thing about them wasn’t their talent, but their fundamentals and their willpower.

And then there was the unfathomable Wang Meng—the monster who had sent the Tiger King flying with a single punch!

From the start of the Battle of the Other Shore until now, it seemed no one had been worthy of him taking action.

By this point, the Holy Hall had captured the attention of countless cultivators, even those in the other cities.

And the news of Wang Meng sending Tiger King Lishan flying with a single punch had fanned the flames for certain individuals.

「At Star Alliance Academy, a showdown worthy of the Pure Land finals was about to unfold.」

Because Mingren had unexpectedly been matched against the Demon Race’s Lord of Punishment in the final round of the main tournament.

This was the second-ranked expert of the Demon Race, a Main Level Great Demon.

Before the match, a Pure Land Knight had already reported the results of Wang Meng’s battle to Mingren.

The Pure Land Knight spoke with a heavy heart, clearly still shaken by what he’d witnessed. Yet, a warm smile graced Mingren’s face.

The sight left the Pure Land Knight feeling rather dejected. No one could ever figure out the wielder of the Holy Light Demon Collapse Body.

This was a battle that had captured everyone’s attention. The number of cultivators watching was several times larger than the crowd at Starlight City. After all, the Lord of Punishment represented the pinnacle of the Demon Race’s power.

’Could Mingren, with his mysterious reputation, truly withstand such a test?’

The Lord of Punishment, for his part, had been looking forward to this battle for a long time. As far as the Demon Race was concerned, they had two primary adversaries: Mingren and Lin Jinghao.

The Lord of Punishment had a massive frame and long fingers. His clan originated from the powerful Behemoth Divine Beasts, a race even more tyrannical on land than the Dragon Race.

It was this heritage that allowed him to reach the Main Level within the Demon Race.

The Lord of Punishment took the stage, as did Mingren. The Magic Arena erupted in thunderous cheers.

This was undoubtedly a battle between the top echelons of power for both humans and the Demon Race. A fight like this shouldn’t have happened so early, but such was luck. The only question was, whose luck was worse—Mingren’s, or the Lord of Punishment’s?

The Lord of Punishment bared his sharp teeth. "I finally get my turn with you. It seems my luck is pretty good after all."

Mingren smiled and nodded. "Yes, my luck is quite good as well."

’Wang Meng finally made his move, so I’m itching for a fight too,’ Mingren thought. ’An opponent of the Lord of Punishment’s level will make for a great warm-up.’

The Lord of Punishment let out a savage grin and smashed his fist into the ground. BOOM!

A Vibration Wave shot toward Mingren. The entire Dueling Platform shook violently. The Star Alliance’s Dueling Platforms were supported by Energy Stones from Cultivation Cities, with an Array Technique that cultivators shouldn’t be able to budge. This just showed how ferocious the Lord of Punishment’s strength truly was.

Mingren neither dodged nor evaded. The Vibration Wave swept directly through his body.

This was a shredding force, a power that could sunder the heavens and crack the earth. If any other cultivator, regardless of their cultivation path, tried to block it with their body, they would be torn to ragged pieces.

But as the Vibration Wave swept through Mingren, he remained completely unharmed.

The Human Cultivators grew excited. Although many hadn’t been fond of Mingren at first, his domineering advance had gradually earned both him and Lin Jinghao a massive following.

In the Cultivation Realm, strength was the only thing that truly mattered. Mingren’s ability to suppress the Demon Race was proof of his strength.

The Lord of Punishment sneered, and his body shot forward. BANG!

His figure vanished, hurtling toward Mingren like a cannonball. BOOM!

Mingren was sent flying. Roaring, the Lord of Punishment followed, unleashing a frenzied barrage with his massive fists that blasted Mingren higher and higher into the sky.

Landing back on the ground, the Lord of Punishment looked up at the airborne Mingren with a bone-chilling smile. He suddenly shot into the sky like a golden sphere of light, launching another round of frantic attacks. Finally, he grabbed Mingren and plunged toward the ground with a piercing whistle.

BOOM... WHOOSH...

Demon Power erupted in all directions. Mingren was smashed deep into the Dueling Platform.

The Lord of Punishment wildly flexed his muscular arms, his Demon Power surging. He was, after all, a full level higher than the Tiger King.

Just then, Mingren slowly rose from the ground, leaving a deep, man-shaped crater behind him.

His face still wore that faint, almost imperceptible smile. The Lord of Punishment hated that smile. To be precise, he had hated it from the very beginning.

’This is contempt!’

ROAR!

BOOM!

The Lord of Punishment’s hand suddenly shot out, sharp claws extending and piercing straight through Mingren’s body.

Mingren looked slightly stunned, but it was the Lord of Punishment who suddenly recoiled. His extended claws had vanished inside Mingren’s body.

Inside Mingren’s body was nothing but darkness.

The Holy Light Demon Collapse Body.

Terrifying. Monstrous. A name synonymous with invincibility. So what if he was a top-tier Main Level expert of the Demon Race!

The Lord of Punishment retreated several steps, a trace of blood-red light seeping into his golden eyes. His body swelled, doubling in size as a red glow flickered across his skin.

"Die!"

With a savage swipe of his claws—SHING! SHING! SHING!—the sheer force created vibration waves that tore through space as they swept toward Mingren.

But... it was useless. Mingren simply stood there, allowing the attacks to wash over him.

Ineffective!

The Lord of Punishment flew into a rage. He leaped into the air and came crashing down on Mingren like a small mountain.

BOOM!

Mingren was smashed to the ground, and the nearly indestructible Dueling Platform collapsed with a deafening roar.

Even the Array Technique began to destabilize.

The power the Lord of Punishment had unleashed already surpassed that of a Great Perfection Body Cultivator.

This was a terrifying level of power.

The Lord of Punishment let out a cathartic roar, but from within the crater, Mingren once again floated out languidly.

The Lord of Punishment’s roar died in his throat. ’This is impossible! The Holy Light Demon Collapse Body is just an ability! Could it be that my power hasn’t surpassed its defensive limits?’

’Impossible!’