Chapter 460: Chapter 443: Return of the King
A routine change of Sect Leaders was no big deal for the Star Alliance, but for a local Small Thousand Realm, it was a major event.
A week before the grand ceremony was to begin, Wang Meng returned to the Holy Hall. He met with no one except for Hu Jing, Yang Ying, and the others in his close circle.
When the group gathered, they were once again filled with emotion. It seemed that every time Wang Meng returned, he had changed dramatically.
This time, the change was a bit intense.
Zhang Xiaopang was the most excited. He had finally realized his dream. "Brother Meng, if you ask who’s the strongest in this world, there are all sorts of opinions. But if you ask who has the best eye for talent, it’s definitely me, Master Zhang! The first time I met you on the street back then, I felt this overwhelming aura of power wash over me. Ah, in that moment, I just knew that following you was absolutely the right choice!"
Even as the number one figure in the Thunderlight Hall, Zhang Xiaopang was still as irreverent as ever.
He had been the most flamboyant of them all recently.
"Zhang Xiaopang, be low-key! Keep it down! Don’t cause trouble for the Sect Leader." Liuu Mei now held a sense of awe towards Wang Meng. The man before her, whom she had once looked down on, was now completely out of her reach. It was truly moving to think about it. How many years had it been? Of course, the Star Alliance was a factor—the times create the hero—but Wang Meng’s own strength was undeniable.
"Tch, it’s just a Sect Leader. Brother Meng’s goal is to become the Star Alliance Leader!"
Master Zhang immediately set this goal for Wang Meng, leaving him at a loss for words. "Zhang Xiaopang, you... Don’t just spout nonsense. The Star Alliance is unfathomably deep."
Zhang Xiaopang just chuckled and didn’t argue.
Hu Jing had a smile on her face, but there was also worry. "I’m afraid Zhao Xinglun isn’t acting with the best intentions by yielding the Sect Leader position to you this time."
"It’s fifty-fifty, I’d say. Whether it was Sect Leader Xuee’s request or not doesn’t matter anymore. No matter what, Zhao Xinglun also wants what’s best for the Holy Hall. What must be faced, must be faced."
Perhaps it was from spending so much time in the Taiyin Sect and interacting with top-tier experts like Yuu Kunlun as an equal, but Wang Meng had truly developed an undercurrent of confidence in his every move.
Hu Jing knew that managing the Holy Hall was like her role as the lead Senior Sister of the Nine Hall: one had to seek common ground while accepting differences. Balance was the key to success.
"No matter what, we can’t have any accidents at the ceremony," Zhou Qian said.
"Heh, accidents are bound to happen. We just need to be fully prepared to deal with them. Wang Meng, how many people have you found to back you up? We can’t count on Zhao Xinglun."
Hu Jing said this. Even though Wang Meng had become the Sect Leader, everyone still treated him the same. This was especially true for Hu Jing; no matter what he became, he was still the same Wang Meng she knew from the beginning.
Wang Meng smiled. "I’ve been knocking around out there for so many years, after all. I’m bound to have made a few friends. Even if I’m the least popular guy in the world, a few should show up, right?"
"Heh heh, I hear Brother Meng knows all the big shots. You have to introduce me when the time comes."
Zhang Xiaopang said, his eyes narrowed.
"What for? Zhang Xiaopang, are you planning on going somewhere?"
"Meimei, I’m not going anywhere. This Holy Hall place is pretty good, and there are so many pretty junior sisters."
That guy Zhang Xiaopang was quite the womanizer, and Liuu Mei mostly turned a blind eye to it. After all, he still treated her very well.
"After the ceremony, all of you need to prepare. I’m going to help you break through to the Minor Perfection realm in one go."
Everyone was instantly stunned again. Hu Jing looked at Wang Meng. "The Holy Hall’s current resources can’t support all of us."
Wang Meng nodded. "I’m not counting on Zhao Xinglun. I have my own methods. Just as you said, the Holy Hall is facing troubles from within and without. Strength is the only thing that matters. Not only do you all need to reach Minor Perfection, but you also need to cultivate your Life Artifacts and Holy Statues as much as possible."
The group was shocked once more. Suo Ming scratched his head. "Boss, uh... I’m so clumsy..."
In truth, the others also lacked confidence. Although their innate talent was good, there were far too many people with great talent out there. They had worked very hard to cultivate to the fortieth-plus level, but at that level, they would just be lost in the crowd within the vast Star Alliance.
"Don’t sell yourselves short. No one knows you better than I do. Minor Perfection is a major hurdle. You could say that everything before this doesn’t matter; what’s crucial is taking this next step well. And when it comes to aptitude, you all have your own unique strengths."
Zhang Xiaojiang, Hu Jing, and Yang Ying all had unique characteristics. Suo Ming and Zhou Qian were a bit weaker. Li Tianyi and Ma Tian’Er had greater potential. He Zui could reach Minor Perfection by following the established steps, and even without a major breakthrough, his years of accumulated comprehensive strength meant he wouldn’t be too bad off.
Fortunately, Wang Meng’s goal was only to stabilize the Four Directions Small Thousand World for now, not to dominate the Slaughter Space.
Sometimes, one’s true strength didn’t matter. The key was to build momentum and put on a show of force, to intimidate your opponents first and buy precious time.
Li Tianyi and the others were also returning for the ceremony; they were due back in the next few years. The Old Demon Dean was quite accommodating. To the Old Demon Dean, the title of Sect Leader was completely meaningless—far less useful than being a member of the Star Alliance. However, he still provided Wang Meng with some conveniences, for which Wang Meng was deeply grateful. To be honest, he had truly met several benefactors in his life. Master Wang could only keep this gratitude in his heart, because the people who helped him basically didn’t need his help in return.
Looking at Hu Jing and the others, his heart filled with warmth.
Yang Ying just watched Wang Meng gently and silently, not interrupting his conversation with Hu Jing and the others. Although she and Wang Meng were partners, when it came to understanding and emotional connection, Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were definitely ahead of her. This was especially true for Hu Jing. After all these years, Yang Ying knew exactly what was in her heart. Sometimes, she really admired Hu Jing for being able to wait so silently, finding sweetness in the bitterness.
That was why she was so content with the happiness she had now.
In the Holy Hall, Yang Ying was responsible for taking care of all of Wang Meng’s daily needs. She was the Sect Leader’s woman now.
Yang Ying wasn’t skilled in operations and management like Hu Jing, but she had her own virtue: she was content.
In terms of appearance, Yang Ying was definitely the best match for Wang Meng. Even across the entire Star Alliance, Yang Ying’s beauty was top-tier. It was just that in the wider world, looks were only one factor; status, position, and other things also mattered.
「Two days later.」
Ma Tian’Er, Li Tianyi, and He Zui arrived. Unfortunately, Mingren was not among them. Of course, Mingren had likely long since stopped paying any mind to the Holy Hall. Even in the Pure Land, he was a very special existence.
This gathering was a bit larger, as Zhao Lingxuan had come as well. When Wang Meng handed Eight Discount to Zhao Lingxuan, she was so overjoyed that she threw her arms around him in a hug, disregarding all the watching eyes.
Others didn’t really know the relationship between Zhao Lingxuan and Wang Meng. Speaking of which, the two of them truly shared an uncommon destiny. Wang Meng gently patted Zhao Lingxuan’s head. "The little girl has grown up and become a great beauty."
Zhao Lingxuan had indeed grown up. She and Yang Ying could be called the two most beautiful women in the Holy Hall. Yang Ying was a famed flower who already had a master, holding a position of absolute reverence in the Holy Hall. But Zhao Lingxuan was a flower bud waiting to bloom. This Senior Sister of Lingyin Hall was not only beautiful, but her strength was also the only thing that could break the Thunderlight Hall’s monopoly. Her suitors were cautious, but then again, Miss Zhao’s standards were exceedingly high.
The elites of the Nine Hall had all arrived. Many of them had been members of the last special training session and had now grown into the core strength of the Nine Hall.
Seeing the proud Miss Zhao looking shy and bashful as Wang Meng patted her head, the hearts of the onlookers went cold. It was one thing for Master Wang to be a legend, but he didn’t have to steal the hearts of all the beauties, too. At least leave some for the next generation!
Wang Meng didn’t put on any airs as the Sect Leader, and everyone quickly relaxed. Having gotten Eight Discount back, Zhao Lingxuan was like a cheerful little bird, finally able to stop pretending to be mature.
Among the younger generation, everyone was quite supportive of Wang Meng. The Holy Hall was currently in a period of transition, with the new replacing the old. In the past, reaching the fortieth level of cultivation took a very long time and was fraught with obstacles. But in recent years, the Thunderlight Hall had brought about tremendous changes—with the support of the Star Alliance’s resources, of course. The Holy Hall developed rapidly, and the younger generation actually grew faster than the middle generation. This left those in the middle generation feeling quite disgruntled, as if they were being left behind.
They lacked the determination to change their Cultivation Techniques, were unwilling to give up their lofty positions, and still wanted to boss around the disciples below them. Naturally, this created some problems. On this point, Hu Jing had handled things extremely well. She gave them face, but when it came to important issues, she didn’t yield an inch. Wherever you went, strength was what ultimately mattered.
These Holy Hall Disciples didn’t think about it that much. They only felt that their idol had become the Holy Hall Master, breaking the constraints of age and status. To them, this was a huge encouragement. They were also getting really fed up with the old-guard Elders.
Because of its special system, the Holy Hall integrated with the Star Alliance very quickly and was the first to encounter this kind of problem. The awakening of the younger generation was inevitable. Wang Meng becoming Sect Leader gave this force even greater confidence. This was something Zhao Xinglun had completely failed to anticipate. He still believed the older generation of Elders held dominant power. In reality, these Elders would sooner or later have to take a backseat and become support for the new generation. Only then could the Holy Hall truly walk the path of development.
Wang Meng and Hu Jing had thoroughly discussed this point in their conversations, which was also the reason for meeting with these young elites. Hu Jing was truly formidable in this regard. Despite never having been to the Star Alliance, she could accurately grasp the key points. Wang Meng only had to give her some information, and she would organize it methodically and lay out the next steps as if she had experienced it all herself.
It was never wrong to discuss matters with Hu Jing.
The key question now was who would show up in six days.
Wang Meng roughly estimated that Mo Chen would come no matter what, and Fan Ru would probably come too. The Old Demon Dean said it would depend on the situation, and Wang Meng didn’t press him. With the current momentum of the Star Alliance’s expansion, the deans of the five great academies were the public face of the Star Alliance’s core. Besides the Star Lord and the Saintess, they were the direct representatives of the Star Alliance, and their every move had a massive impact.
Wang Meng didn’t care if these people came or not; he sent invitations to everyone he was supposed to... He even sent an invitation to Mingren.
Wang Meng didn’t hate Mingren at all. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling. They were rivals, and Mingren was an opponent Wang Meng was extremely eager to defeat.
Besides the older generation, he also invited Ling Fei. They were on pretty good terms. Wang Meng wouldn’t normally want to make such a big fuss just for his own affairs, but right now, the Holy Hall needed a grand spectacle to bolster its position in the Slaughter Space. After all, besides Yang Jian, the other Sect Leaders remained highly skeptical about the Holy Hall’s continued presence. This skepticism could erupt at any moment and become a force that could crush the Holy Hall. But if they put on a powerful display, the others would have to think twice, buying Wang Meng more time.
Wang Meng was very confident in the Holy Hall. Among all the sects, the Holy Hall was the one that best integrated with the Star Alliance’s system. Others, including powerful sects like the Taiyin Sect, were actually still quite insular. The Taiyin Sect was the Taiyin Sect, and the Star Alliance was the Star Alliance.
Three days before the grand ceremony, Zhao Xinglun and his entourage also returned from the Slaughter Space. Protector Zhao’s return was made with far greater pomp and a much larger retinue; it was much more glorious than Wang Meng’s.
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