Chapter 552 - 535: Aura
To be precise, Wang Meng and Mingren were now nearly equals. Lin Jinghao and Jii Wanli followed closely behind. The four great human experts had indeed defended the glory of the Star Alliance for many years.
The defeated Demon Race was indeed a bit dispirited, but for the Demon Race, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If their restless younger generation caused trouble, they would surely be annihilated by the Human Cultivators.
The era when a hundred races vied for supremacy was long gone. This was the age of Human Cultivators.
"Old Xie, did you know he was this powerful all along?" Yue Shan asked. The young miss of the Treasure Artifact Sect had extensive connections. She had initially helped the Holy Hall because of the friendship they’d forged through shared hardship, and she also felt that Wang Meng’s temperament suited her. ’Now that I think about it,’ she mused, ’it was probably a very successful investment.’
Xie Tianhua just smiled. "As a junior, it is not my place to comment recklessly."
Yue Shan was stunned for a moment before she remembered: Xie Tianhua called Wang Meng "Martial Uncle." The thought was vexing.
Xie Tianhua’s seniority among the younger generation was quite high; those familiar with him called him Old Xie or Brother Xie. ’But now,’ Yue Shan realized, ’doesn’t this make me a generation lower than Wang Meng?’
Fan Ru and the other juniors cheered without reservation, right in front of all the Sect Leaders. This was like rubbing salt in the Demon Race’s wounds, but it was just too damn awesome.
Song Yifan’s large eyes blinked and blinked. Unconsciously, all the younger generation members who were on good terms with the Holy Hall had gathered together. It was as if Wang Meng possessed an incredible, magnetic charm. It was like that before, and it was still like that now; it hadn’t changed just because his power had.
This was Wang Meng.
The Sect Leaders were also abuzz with discussion. In truth, everyone was now paying close attention to the few Sect Leaders with the closest ties to Wang Meng.
Yang Jian, Fan Ru, Yuu Kunlun, and the others.
The power and level Wang Meng had just displayed were too heaven-defying, and it piqued their curiosity. To be honest, aside from the Holy Light Demon Collapse Body, they hadn’t seen anything stronger in all these years. But Wang Meng clearly possessed a power that was in no way inferior to the Holy Light Demon Collapse, yet it wasn’t the Dragon Emperor Body. Obviously, no one dared to question the Dragon Emperor about it.
When Yang Jian and Fan Ru had helped Wang Meng, it was for various reasons; how could they have foreseen this day? They had simply felt that young friend Wang Meng was a fine person, worthy of their support.
Yuu Kunlun and the others had also been holding in their curiosity for too long. They all looked at Mo Chen, because only Mo Chen knew the truth. But he had always been unwilling to say, so it was awkward for everyone to ask.
Yuu Kunlun and his group looked toward Mo Chen, which led the other Sect Leaders to look at Mo Chen. In the end, even the four great experts were staring at Mo Chen. Only then did everyone realize something: apparently, not even the Dragon Emperor knew the answer.
Mo Chen gave a wry smile. It seemed he wouldn’t be able to get out of this without saying something.
"To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either. But it’s definitely not purely the Dragon Emperor Body. He probably only used about half of his power."
The Taiyin Sect wasn’t known for making baseless claims. As soon as Mo Chen spoke, the Sect Leaders were stunned once more. ’The power he just displayed,’ they thought, ’had to be at least ninety percent of his full strength.’
’Barely half?’
’Was it a third?’ Mo Chen thought to himself.
But he couldn’t bring himself to say more. Even so, what he’d said was enough to nip the Sect Leaders’ desire for further discussion in the bud.
A strong signal had emerged.
The Holy Hall’s entry into the Ten Great Sects was now a certainty. But with a Sect Leader like Wang Meng, backed by the formidable Holy Hall Beings, their relationship with the Dragon Race, and their alliance with the Taiyin Sect and numerous other strategic sects...
The Holy Hall would absolutely not stop there!
The expression of Demon Ba, Sect Leader of the No Illusion Demon Sect, turned grim. This was a powerful shockwave, one that could even shift the Saint Demon balance of power.
The emergence of such a powerful sect and leader, one with terrifyingly infectious influence, was definitely not good news for Demon Cultivators.
If this momentum was to be stifled, it would all depend on Lin Jinghao.
Demon Ba wouldn’t completely believe Mo Chen’s words. Besides, Lin Jinghao hadn’t used his full strength either. It was still uncertain who would come out on top.
However, the War of the Other Shore had reached a point where it was completely out of control. Neither they nor the four great experts had anticipated this.
The Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable’s expression was also grave. He had the urge to annihilate the entire Celestial Secret Sect. ’Those idiots!’ he fumed internally. ’Wang Meng was on the verge of becoming a member of the Extreme Dao Alliance, but they forcefully pushed him to the opposing side. Then, we finally managed to get Mingren, only for him to be snatched away by the Pure Land. Most importantly, the growth rate of both their powers is completely spiraling out of control.’
But no matter what, he still had some semblance of a connection with Mingren. But Wang Meng...
The Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable had planned flawlessly his entire life and never had regrets, but he truly felt a pang of remorse about these two matters.
The Dueling Platform was completely destroyed and was being replaced by Pure Land Knights. The dozens of valiant and heroic-looking Pure Land Knights were quite efficient.
And with this one battle, Wang Meng shattered all doubts and suspicions, cementing the Holy Hall’s position in the Star Alliance. More than that, he attracted countless younger-generation Cultivators, for they saw in the Holy Hall a passion and hope that other Sects lacked.
The Holy Hall had completely turned Starlight City into their home turf, with countless Cultivators shouting and cheering.
Meanwhile, in Snow Moon City, every one of Wang Meng’s domineering attacks was met with thunderous cheers. In the Slaughter Space, the most dangerous place under the Star Alliance’s system, the Cultivators were far more hot-blooded than elsewhere.
It was worth noting that Wang Meng was also one of the Sect Leaders of Snow Moon City. For the past three years, the Holy Hall had been far too low-key. As part of the city’s defense, the power they contributed was quite weak. The upper echelons had reached a consensus for various reasons, but for the Cultivators on the lower rungs, Thunderbolt and his people had had a very hard time. Through the War of the Other Shore, they were finally about to turn things around.
Of course, their rival, Demon Blade City, was probably feeling a chill down its spine. Wang Meng was their nemesis, and his actions had single-handedly led to Demon Blade City’s decline.
Many Cultivators present were also captivated by Wang Meng’s style. It wasn’t something you could fake. Throughout the War of the Other Shore, there had been countless victories met with expressions of wild joy; winning was truly not easy. But after defeating a heaven-defying expert like Mengg Lord, the kingly aura Master Wang displayed had indeed charmed many people.
This really wasn’t something one could put on. If there was one other person with that kind of style, it was Jii Wanli. But a part of Jii Wanli’s was an act. Wang Meng’s was not; it was a natural aura.
Wang Meng was just that kind of person. He had fought his way up step-by-step from Thunderlight Hall. Broadly speaking, his life experiences were already astounding, and his time in the Demon Spirit Space had further honed his mind, allowing him to truly mature.
Although he was considered young in the Cultivation Realm, his experience, strength, and status truly gave him the air of a Sect Leader.
When it came to the quarter-finals, the battle between Zhang Xiaojiang and Wang Meng once again captured everyone’s attention, completely stealing the spotlight from Mingren, Lin Jinghao, and Jii Wanli.
Below the stage, the wrinkles on Zhang Xiaojiang’s face had smoothed out considerably. If not for Ma Tian’Er’s Tree of Life, Zhang Xiaojiang would have likely needed several more years to recover, and it was questionable whether the skin on his face could even be fixed. In truth, Master Zhang was quite concerned about his face.
Walking over to Zhang Xiaojiang’s side, Wang Meng slowly channeled his Elemental Power into him. He had a Five Elements Body, and while he couldn’t heal the injuries, he could replenish Zhang Xiaojiang’s Five Elements Primordial Power. As expected, the color in Zhang Xiaojiang’s face improved.
"It’s all up to you now." Zhang Xiaojiang’s words represented the feelings of everyone else. Truthfully, Hu Jing and the others really wanted to accompany Wang Meng further—one more person meant that much more strength—but the intensity of this War of the Other Shore was simply too high.
Wang Meng nodded and smiled faintly. "From here on, you can count on me."
It was just one sentence, but it was enough to make those around him feel they could rely on him.
"Help me up," Zhang Xiaojiang said. Liuu Mei, at his side, was about to shake her head, but she shut her mouth when she saw the look in his eyes. She quickly helped Zhang Xiaojiang to his feet. Although the fatty grimaced in pain, he stood firm.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment. These were the Holy Hall Beings who would one day shake the Star Alliance and influence the development of all Human Cultivators.
This was their debut in the Star Alliance.
The seventh match: Zou Chuang of the Taiyin Sect versus Longyue of the Holy Light Sect.
It had to be said, the previous battle had been too overwhelming. Wang Meng was a completely unreasonable person; whenever he appeared, the matches both before and after were affected.
And this battle was crucial for both the Taiyin Sect and the Holy Light Sect. Neither could afford to lose. Both combatants were the last remaining members of their respective Sects, and whether they could break into the semi-finals was of the utmost importance.
This was especially true for the Holy Light Sect. The Holy Hall’s rise was already unstoppable, putting even more pressure on them as Saint Cultivators. Classical Saint Cultivator sects like the Cyan Cloud Sect were somewhat limited in their development, and the Cyan Cloud Sect itself was very stubborn. But the Holy Hall, led by Wang Meng, was different. The Holy Hall’s own rules were extremely progressive and unique, and its integration with the Star Alliance was seamless. With its current explosive rise, it was bound to put immense pressure on the Holy Light Sect. Whether they could protect their reputation as the number one Saint Cultivator Sect now depended on Longyue’s performance.
A person dies, but their name lives on. Fame and fortune—even among the Sect Leaders, how many could truly see past them?
The people who were once as famous as Zou Chuang had all had their explosive moments of glory. It seemed the once world-shaking Tiger Crown Prince had now been relegated to a side character.
But Zou Chuang remained set in his ways. This was also a weakness of his personality, and there was nothing the Taiyin Sect could do about it. That was why they had to promote Xie Tianhua. Otherwise, with a personality like Zou Chuang’s, even if he became invincible, the Taiyin Sect would still collapse. In the eyes of the Sect Leaders, people like Wang Meng were complete monsters.
Zou Chuang and Longyue were old acquaintances and understood each other to a certain degree. There was no need for pleasantries. They nodded to each other, and Longyue’s Holy Zither appeared.
Zou Chuang’s expression was unchanged as he stared intently at Longyue. He was one of the few Cultivators with extremely rich combat experience, having participated in many of the Star Alliance’s dangerous battles. However, rich experience didn’t always equate to greater strength. Many Cultivators who advocated for passive cultivation could also become incredibly powerful. Longyue, for instance, had taken a path completely opposite to Zou Chuang’s, and she was also exceedingly strong.
Longyue’s slender fingers pressed against the zither strings. Her Lofty and Refined Holy Statue radiated with light. Across from her, a faint roar echoed from behind Zou Chuang as a massive White Tiger appeared.
The battle between Wang Meng and Mengg Lord had been simply too overwhelming, and the emotions of these two combatants were also running high. Their fighting spirit was at its peak, so both entered their combat states right from the start.
This match was between equals. Their auras were nearly indistinguishable as they continuously built up their power. Then, Longyue made her move.
With a wave of her jade-like hand, DONG DONG DONG...
Waves of Holy Sound blasted toward Zou Chuang. Zou Chuang’s calm eyes instantly turned sharp and fierce, and a sudden gale erupted.
Zou Chuang had already vanished, reappearing in an instant above Longyue.
Clearly, Zou Chuang was in no mood to listen to Longyue’s complete performance. Moreover, he couldn’t comprehend this style of combat. ’A fight should be an all-out, life-or-death struggle. Why all the unnecessary fuss?’
As Zou Chuang arrived in mid-air, Longyue was not the least bit surprised. Rampant sound waves exploded outward simultaneously, like countless Elemental Power scythes sweeping toward Zou Chuang.
But at that moment, Zou Chuang’s Elemental Power erupted—the Silent Extinction White Tiger Holy Statue!
VMMMMMMMM—
Never let a White Tiger Sacred Body get above you. The momentum of a tiger pouncing down a mountain is unstoppable.
Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger.
Right from the start, Zou Chuang showed Longyue no courtesy, nor did he treat her like a woman. In Zou Chuang’s eyes, there was only the enemy!
BOOM...
The sound waves had no effect. She had used her Sound Wave Technique once before, and for an expert, this kind of defense was clearly no problem. A Cultivator like Longyue was a bit slower to get into the zone, but Zou Chuang was different. As a battlefield veteran, he instantly entered his optimal state the moment a fight began. Moreover, once he found a weakness, he would show no mercy. He possessed none of that so-called "gentlemanly conduct."
Longyue was sent flying, looking quite battered. This was something she hadn’t expected. At that moment, Zou Chuang’s attack had already arrived, aimed directly at her vitals.
Longyue’s temper flared. As she fell back, she waved her hand, and a swath of white light swept toward Zou Chuang.
Zou Chuang dodged, and the white light landed directly on the Dueling Platform, melting a huge, deep pit into it.
The Purification of Lofty and Refined was the most profound form of incineration.
(Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. Another busy year has passed. Thank you to all my brothers and sisters for your support of Skeleton. As we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, I wish everyone everlasting happiness, joy every day, and feel free to toss a monthly ticket my way as a red envelope for Skeleton, haha) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)