I Pick up a Lost Godhood

In the past, only by reaching the Great Perfection realm could one achieve comprehensive mastery, but the times had completely changed.

No one thought Lin Jinghao was showing off. Frankly, if it weren’t for Jil Zhen’s highly unique Bow Technique, he wouldn’t have been interested in making such a display.

After the calm, thunderous cheers erupted from the cultivators of the five great cities. From the very beginning, Lin Jinghao had been a symbol of perfection. Hailing from the Vital Point Sect, he was known as the "Number One Under Heaven"—suave, composed, and not without a sense of humor. The only thing he lacked was the strength to prove he deserved such a reputation.

This battle introduced the world’s cultivators to the Demon Crown Prince.

When backed by immense power, that same smile and courtesy carried a different, more shocking impact.

A figure emerged from the Cultivator Area: Jii Wanli!

Like a Great Roc soaring for ten thousand li, Jii Wanli, Lin Jinghao’s most powerful rival, had ambitions to rule the world. He had to strike back. In the face of such momentum, to hide, retreat, or show cowardice would mean a complete and utter rout.

His opponent was Lightning of the Demon Race.

Jii Wanli took the stage. As the most high-profile figure and the nominal leader of the Star Alliance’s younger generation for many years, all he needed was to prove himself.

However, Jii Wanli’s low profile in recent years had made many doubt his strength. After all, given his usual personality, it was unthinkable for him to be so reserved. His discretion could only mean one thing: he had been intimidated by the Demon Race.

Before Jii Wanli could even step onto it, a shimmering figure materialized on the Dueling Platform, as if appearing from the void itself.

It was the Leopard Demon, Lightning.

Lightning wore nothing but a beast-hide loincloth. This wasn’t to say the Demon Race was backward—that was an image from centuries ago. Lightning had dressed this way intentionally to flaunt the athletic physique of his people.

Both male and female members of the Demon Race enjoyed showing skin. They considered it a form of beauty, as well as a form of intimidation.

Lightning’s muscles were indeed sculpted, not the overly bulky type, but aesthetically pleasing. Every line of his physique hinted at explosive power.

On such a grand stage, the fighting spirit he had suppressed for years erupted all at once.

On the Dueling Platform, Lightning began performing the characteristic dance of the Leopard Demons, completely ignoring his surroundings. His movements elicited a wave of howls from across the Pure Land.

The Leopard Demons were a large and numerous clan within the Demon Race. As their prince, Lightning had a massive following.

Suddenly, Lightning’s figure became jerky and intermittent, as if lagging. The members of the Demon Race, however, roared with excitement.

This was the pinnacle of the Leopard Demon clan’s Flash Spirit Dance, an effect that could only be produced by achieving extreme speeds.

The Body Cultivators in the audience could surely appreciate what this meant.

In his previous battles, no opponent had even managed to touch him. Clearly, Lightning didn’t take Jii Wanli seriously. ’I know exactly how strong he is,’ he thought. ’Human Cultivators are always posturing and exaggerating. Their reputation rarely matches their actual ability. Three years ago, if it hadn’t been for the Demon Race...’

Jii Wanli had already reached the Dueling Platform, but Lightning continued to act as if he weren’t there, ignoring him completely. A chorus of jeers and curses rose from the cultivators of the five great cities, who were clearly displeased with Lightning’s behavior.

Zhang Liang silently collected feedback from his intelligence network. He had conducted a very interesting survey: who among the younger generation was most likely to become the new Alliance Leader of the Star Alliance.

The survey essentially asked who the people *hoped* would become the next Alliance Leader.

Surprisingly, the most popular candidate was Jii Wanli, and by an absolute margin.

Among the four top prodigies, Jii Wanli ranked first, Lin Jinghao second, Wang Meng third, and Mingren fourth.

Lin Jinghao’s problem was that he was too much like a Crown Prince, out of touch with the lower ranks, giving him an "ivory tower" air. Wang Meng’s issue was that the Holy Hall was not yet one of the Ten Great Sects, so its foundation was weak. As for Mingren... despite having the support of the Pure Land, which also signified the Demon Race’s approval, he ranked the lowest, even though he might be the strongest of them all.

Jii Wanli, in contrast, was well-liked and respected among the many prodigies of the younger generation. His personal strength was formidable, and he had the powerful backing of the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect. Thanks to the performance of its disciples in the Battle of the Other Shore, the gap between the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect and the Taiyin Sect was rapidly shrinking. Furthermore, the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect had recently recruited several top-tier Loose Cultivators, making its power no less than that of the Taiyin Sect. ’The Taiyin Sect’s position as the third-ranked sect is in serious jeopardy.’

Under these circumstances, Jii Wanli had amassed considerable prestige.

Zhang Liang knew he was just a minor figure, but he paid attention to details. From what he had gleaned through casual interactions with Yue Shan, it was clear that the mid-tier powers of the Small Thousand Realm—who would one day become the leading force in the Star Alliance—all favored Jii Wanli. Favoring him didn’t mean they liked him, but rather that they acknowledged his capabilities.

Zhang Liang was inwardly indignant about this. ’These people were all born with silver spoons in their mouths. When it comes to leadership, who can compare to our Sect Leader? Wang Meng should be considered the strongest!’

If there was one major change in Jii Wanli compared to three years ago, it was his shrewdness; to put it more charitably, his magnanimity.

Watching Lightning showboat in front of him, Jii Wanli actually began to applaud, his eyes filled with admiration.

"I have heard that the Leopard Demon clan’s Flash Spirit Dance is famous throughout the Demon Race, a combination of speed, power, and beauty. Seeing it today, I can confirm it truly lives up to its name."

Lightning slowly ceased his movements. His pupils constricted as his leopard-like eyes fixed on Jii Wanli. A dazzling smile spread across his face. "Of course. My clan’s Flash Spirit Dance is one of the three marvels of the Demon Race. Since you have such good taste, I’ll try not to embarrass you too badly."

Jii Wanli smiled faintly. "Lightning, after you."

Jii Wanli appeared poised and confident, drawing nods of approval from the watching Sect Leaders. It wasn’t enough to just have strength to lead a Sect. Historically, Sect Leaders weren’t always the strongest members, but they were always the ones with the greatest leadership ability. Otherwise, the Sect would inevitably collapse. This was especially true under the Star Alliance’s system.

In this regard, no one in the younger generation could compare to Lin Jinghao.

If one had to find someone else, Wang Meng was certainly a noteworthy figure. He seemed to be on good terms with many Sect Leaders. It was a pity; if he were a disciple of the Taiyin Sect, his prestige would be far greater than it was now.

The higher the Holy Hall climbed, the greater the challenges it would face. The intricate web of relationships among the top fifty sects presented a massive challenge for Wang Meng as a Sect Leader.

Lightning made his move. With his streamlined muscles and lithe body, he vanished in an instant.

On the surface, the Demon Race and humans didn’t look that different, but their skeletal structures were distinct. There were even variations within the Demon Race itself, a fundamental difference from humans.

On the Dueling Platform, only the explosive crackle of Lightning’s movement could be heard; his figure was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, Jii Wanli extended his right hand.

BOOM—

Lightning’s figure reappeared, his neck caught in the crook of Jii Wanli’s right arm. He was sent tumbling through the air, his body contorted unnaturally.

BOOM—

Lightning was thrown over ten meters away. He quickly scrambled to his feet, his leopard-like eyes blazing with fury. ’How could he keep up with my speed?’

The Mengg Lord and Desire Spirit were also clearly stunned. ’How can this be!’

"Impossible," Desire Spirit muttered. "When they fought three years ago, Lightning said he only needed eighty percent of his speed to defeat him."

"Three years ago, Jii Wanli used fifty percent of his strength at most. Three years later... heh."

Mingren said lightly. What else could he say? ’From my time in the Pure Land, all I can say is that the younger generation of the Demon Race is truly simple and naive.’

’With Jii Wanli’s cunning, he probably showed weakness to his enemy on purpose. Still, the fact that he could endure it for so long, given his personality... that’s something you can’t ignore.’

The Mengg Lord’s face was impassive, but Desire Spirit’s jaw had dropped.

’I’d always heard Human Cultivators were treacherous, but I never imagined they were *this* treacherous.’

Having suffered a setback, Lightning went berserk. He clearly hadn’t grasped the situation yet, assuming Jii Wanli had just gotten lucky.

Lightning launched a frontal, high-speed charge. Jii Wanli sidestepped and, with a flick of his palm, sent Lightning tumbling away again.

Lightning stood up, his face covered in blood, his brilliant image from moments ago completely shattered. Although they were only superficial wounds, he had thoroughly disgraced the Demon Race. Jii Wanli’s suave smile, in particular, served as a perfect foil, making Lightning look like a complete country bumpkin.

This was the last straw.

With a furious roar, Lightning’s Demon Power erupted. Raging energy engulfed him, causing his body to contort slightly. Sharp claws, no less deadly than any human Magical Artifact, shot out from his hands. The Demon Race were not known for their cunning, especially not the hot-tempered Leopard Demons. Having lost so much face, Lightning could no longer keep his composure.

The violent Demon Power burned, suffusing Lightning’s entire body with a silver glow.

Humans knew little of the Demon Race’s Magic, but the Sect Leaders present were clearly more knowledgeable. Lightning’s entire body had turned a solid, glistening silver.

The Leopard Demon’s Aurora Body!

This was a form that could push one’s speed to its absolute limit. Bathed in light, movement became instantaneous. Not only did it maximize speed, but it also offered the greatest possible resistance to all attacks, be they physical or magical.

SWISH—

He shot toward Jii Wanli like a silver bolt of lightning. His speed was truly astounding; in the blink of an eye, he was upon Jii Wanli, silver claws slashing open the air, intent on tearing him to shreds!

Lightning was enraged!

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

A mad flurry of claws filled the air, and the sound of rending filled the space between them.

...Jii Wanli hadn’t moved from his spot?

Did he miss???

’Was I moving so fast that I misjudged his position?’

A smile touched Jii Wanli’s lips. He showed no intention of counterattacking.

The two of them were inches apart!

Lightning’s claws moved in a mad frenzy, a blur that could only be tracked by the sound of them ripping through the air. Streaks of light pierced through Jii Wanli’s body, tearing at the space around him.

But Jii Wanli remained standing there, motionless.

Lightning was completely stunned. ’My attacks all missed?’

Jii Wanli extended a finger. The movement wasn’t fast—at least, the cultivators in the audience could follow it clearly—but Lightning’s body was as if frozen, unable to dodge. The finger connected squarely with his forehead.

There was no sound, no movement.

Lightning stood there, perfectly still. Three seconds passed. Then, his body went rigid and he toppled over.

POP...

A crisp cracking sound echoed through the air.

It was as if the sound had only just arrived.

The arena fell silent. Suddenly, a single, sharp clap broke the quiet. Everyone’s gaze followed the sound.

It came from one of the four great powerhouses: the Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable, Yellow Springs.

"Truly the fastest under the heavens, without a doubt!"

The surrounding Sect Leaders couldn’t help but nod in agreement. The Mother of Ten Thousand Spirits’ face was filled with pride.

As for what Jii Wanli had just done, perhaps only half of the Sect Leaders present had truly perceived it.