Chapter 479: Chapter 462: Even Life Artifacts Are Crazy
The scene was quite lively, filled with internal members of the Little Holy Hall and some of Hex Zui’s friends. They weren’t necessarily reliable in a pinch, but the Little Holy Hall’s development now required deepening its relationships with other sects. This was the Holy Hall’s path to growth, and Hex Zui was quite experienced in this area, having spent a long time at the Cultivation Academy.
Wang Meng naturally kept Ling Fei and Ji Rushan company. Though they were just making small talk, Ji Rushan was constantly probing him.
"Wang Meng, there are all sorts of rumors circulating about your strength," Ji Rushan said. "Some say you’ve already reached the Great Perfection realm. Others claim you’re just relying on the power of the Dragon Pearl, and that even your Holy Statue is just a byproduct of its light."
Ling Fei smiled faintly. "Wang Meng had his Holy Statue before he got the Dragon Pearl, didn’t he? Still, you hide your strength well. I actually thought you’d gained nothing when you broke through to Minor Perfection."
Wang Meng shrugged nonchalantly. "Let them talk. People will say whatever they want."
Ling Fei knew that Ji Rushan was extremely curious. It seemed that no matter how powerful someone with a Life Artifact was, they never commanded the same prestige as someone with a Holy Statue. This was a point of frustration for Ji Rushan and others like him, even though the actual difference in strength wasn’t necessarily that great.
The Drunken Immortal Tower was bustling, but Wang Meng didn’t join the main festivities. The moment he entered, he would steal the spotlight from everyone else. Besides, it was time for Hex Zui and the others to take charge of matters at the Cultivation Academy.
Once you got to know Ji Rushan, you realized he was actually quite talkative. "There are quite a few people with their eyes on you now. You should know about Jii Wanli. He’s always proclaiming himself number one among our peers. It probably won’t be long before he comes looking for you."
"Jii Wanli? But if we’re talking about pure power, wouldn’t that be Lin Jinghao and Zou Chuang?"
"Heh, Lin Jinghao is an oddball. With his strength and the backing of the No Illusion Demon Sect, he could easily be the leader of the younger generation. But honestly, who knows what goes on in his head? As the successor to the foremost Demon Cultivator, his mind is completely occupied with finding a chance to defect to the Saint Cultivators. The No Illusion Demon Master must have a massive headache over it. And you should be more familiar with Zou Chuang—he’s a recluse who’s only interested in cultivation," Ji Rushan said.
It had to be said that among the younger generation of the Star Alliance, the one who possessed a significant background, formidable strength, and the right kind of charisma was Jii Wanli.
The Golden-Winged Roc, at its core, was of the top-tier Great Demon level—an existence that could soar proudly for thousands of miles and pierce the very heavens.
"The Star Alliance has actually been focusing its efforts on the younger generation. The older generation is already set in their ways; what they’ve achieved is their limit. Jii Wanli fits the Star Alliance’s requirements quite well. Unlike Lin Jinghao’s eccentricity or Zou Chuang’s reclusiveness, you can’t find a single flaw in him. But now, you’ve shown up. The Star Alliance’s recent level of support for the Holy Hall speaks for itself. It would be strange if he *didn’t* come after you."
Wang Meng shrugged. "The battle for the Other Shore isn’t that far away. If he’s interested in a little warm-up before then, I’ll be happy to oblige."
Ling Fei shook her head. "Jii Wanli doesn’t make a move lightly. When he does strike, it will be with absolute certainty. You must not underestimate him. Among our group, Jii Wanli is very likely the strongest. The Ten Thousand Spirits Sect has mastered many secret Spirit Communication techniques and has the closest relationship with Spirit Beasts among all the major sects. This is an incredibly good fit for Jii Wanli’s Holy Statue. Of all of us, he is the most likely to achieve complete fusion with it."
A Holy Statue is a borrowed power. The strongest state is achieved by using the Holy Statue to transform one’s own body, and this is the goal every Sacred Body holder pursues.
This is the realm Mingren achieved. It’s just that Mingren has a natural Holy Light Demon Collapse Body, so he got to skip the entire process.
The difference between a Holy Statue and a Life Artifact isn’t that significant, but once a Holy Statue fuses with its wielder’s body, that’s a whole other level of power.
A trace of envy appeared on Ji Rushan’s face, but such a thing truly couldn’t be forced.
"Brother Ji, there’s a Body Cultivator among the new Holy Hall disciples. You’ll have to give him some pointers when you have time."
No man is omnipotent, and Wang Meng really couldn’t guide everyone individually, especially when it came to the more profound insights required for certain Skill Techniques.
"Oh?"
Ji Rushan showed little interest. Just then, Hex Zui walked in, a strange look on his face.
"Hua Jianyu is here."
Hua Jianyu and the Holy Hall definitely had bad blood between them. But after all their past conflicts, they had reached a point of uneasy truce. This was a Holy Hall gathering, however, so this uninvited guest’s arrival likely meant trouble.
Hua Jianyu, however, was all smiles. "Congratulations, Brother Wang."
But his smile held not a trace of genuine congratulations.
The Holy Hall’s growing power was the last thing Hua Jianyu wanted to see. Just when he thought the Holy Hall was in dire straits, they had staged an incredible comeback. It was so explosive that it had reached a point where he was powerless to stop it.
"Heh, to what do we owe the honor of your visit, Brother Hua?"
Wang Meng’s tone was anything but polite.
Hua Jianyu’s expression flickered. He still wasn’t used to this shift in status. Someone of Wang Meng’s caliber now dared to act so arrogantly before him—this was the same guy who, not long ago, had to hide behind a woman’s protection just to stay alive.
He was filled with regret. ’It’s not just me, either,’ he thought. ’So many people must be thinking the same thing. We all had chances to get rid of Wang Meng, but we just let him walk, step by step, to where he is today.’
"I’ve come on behalf of another. Crown Prince Wanli is holding an Immortal Inquiry Conference in a few days and has invited you to attend," Hua Jianyu said.
Wang Meng had heard of this Immortal Inquiry Conference. It was an organization founded by Jii Wanli for like-minded individuals to spar and practice their Magic together. Of course, there were plenty of other benefits, and it was said that many Cultivators considered it an honor to be invited.
The Immortal Inquiry Conference was co-founded by Jii Wanli and Longyue and was extremely influential among the younger generation. The only ones who could compete with Jii Wanli—Lin Jinghao and Zou Chuang—clearly had no interest in such things. As for Ghost Crown Prince Wu Wang... unless one had a very peculiar taste, pretty much no one wanted to join his Ghost Beast Alliance.
Ling Fei had an aloof nature and was rumored to have ties to the Pure Land, so she rarely associated with such groups. All these factors had contributed to the Immortal Inquiry Conference’s position as the sole dominant organization.
Seeing Wang Meng’s hesitation, Hua Jianyu revealed a smug smile. "Wang Meng, not just anyone can join the Immortal Inquiry Conference. Only elite disciples from the top thirty sects are eligible. Of course, the benefits of joining are beyond your wildest imagination."
Wang Meng suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, that’s too bad. The Holy Hall doesn’t meet the standard yet. And I’m the kind of person who hates breaking rules."
Hex Zui, standing to the side, nearly burst out laughing. If Wang Meng hated breaking rules, then there wasn’t a single rule-breaker in the entire world.
Hua Jianyu’s face darkened. "So you’re refusing to give him face?"
Wang Meng glanced at him coolly. "What face? I don’t recall us being close."
Hua Jianyu turned to Ling Fei and Ji Rushan. "Ling Fei, Rushan, we’ve known each other for years. Don’t tell me you’re going to mess around with this brat too? Crown Prince Wanli is watching, you know."
Ling Fei’s expression remained unchanged; she couldn’t care less. Ji Rushan, however, frowned. "Jianyu, you’re the lead disciple of the Cloud Dragon Sect. When did you become Jii Wanli’s errand boy?"
Hua Jianyu’s face grew even uglier. "Fine. Just fine. Remember what you said today. We’ll see about this!"
Hua Jianyu stormed off, but the moment he was out the door, his expression returned to calm. ’It would have been a real problem if Wang Meng had actually agreed to go. The Star Alliance might be propping him up as a model right now, but compared to Jii Wanli, he’s all flash and no substance—an arrogant fool who doesn’t know his own limits.’
The seeds of conflict had been sown. Now, it was all up to Jii Wanli.
"Wang Meng, you could have been a bit more diplomatic," Ji Rushan said.
"Heh, Hua Jianyu came here looking for a fight. Even if I wanted to be friendly, he had no such intention. Besides, Jii Wanli and I are not cut from the same cloth. I didn’t get where I am by playing those games!" Wang Meng said with a slight smile.
Ling Fei and Ji Rushan were visibly moved. Such immense confidence was contained within that simple smile.
They suddenly realized how different Wang Meng was from them. They thought about his journey, how tumultuous and epic it must have been for him to reach this point. They, on the other hand, were born into prestigious major sects where everything was arranged for them. The two paths were completely different concepts.
Without that kind of experience, they had no idea how much depth they truly lacked.
"Who’s this Body Cultivator you mentioned? Let me meet him," Ji Rushan said, returning to their earlier topic.
Wang Meng called Suo Ming over. "Suo Ming, Brother Ji is the foremost Starlight Body Cultivator. You must take this opportunity to ask for his guidance."
Suo Ming stared at Ji Rushan, who sized him up in return. It was hard to imagine that such a small sect could produce a disciple with such a powerful aura.
"Heh, since you’re showing him off, he must have something extraordinary about him," Ji Rushan said. Since Wang Meng had already made the introduction, Ji Rushan felt he had to ask.
Wang Meng didn’t hide anything from them. The abilities of a Life Artifact like Suo Ming’s were difficult to conceal anyway. Besides, Wang Meng never believed that hiding would lead to true greatness. Only by being tempered through countless trials and exposing one’s weaknesses to enemies could one truly overcome them!
"A Life Artifact. Dual Hammers. Their ability is Forbidden Magic."
The moment Wang Meng spoke, Ling Fei and Ji Rushan stared at each other in utter shock. ’Is something that broken even possible???’
The appearance of four Holy Statues had already put immense pressure on everyone else. Who would have thought there was also a Life Artifact this ridiculously powerful?
Forbidden Magic... Wouldn’t that drive Sword Cultivators, Pill Cultivators, and the like to despair?
"Suo Ming."
"Yes."
Suo Ming took out the Life-taking Forbidden Hammer. The shimmering red light from the Dual Hammers and the strange runes on their faces immediately captivated Ling Fei and Ji Rushan.
"These hammers are inscribed with an Ancient Forbidden Array. Anyone struck by them will have their Magic suppressed," Ling Fei said, her insight proving formidable. She had recognized at a glance what Master Wang couldn’t comprehend. The Flower Fairy Sword was a sect with a long and storied history, and the disciples it produced possessed an extraordinary depth of knowledge.
Ji Rushan’s eyes gleamed. "More than that. Once his Cultivation reaches a certain level, he could activate the Forbidden Magic Formation just from the shockwave of the hammers colliding. If he were to reach Great Perfection..."
One could just imagine it: Suo Ming clashes his Dual Hammers, triggering the Forbidden Magic Formation on his Life Artifact. Everyone except Body Cultivators would become sitting ducks, ready to be picked off.
Unless one’s power was tyrannical enough to resist the Forbidden Magic Formation, but people like that were exceedingly rare.
Suo Ming scratched his head. "How did I not think of that?"
Ji Rushan’s casual remark was a moment of enlightenment for Suo Ming. He had been focused on how to land a hit on his opponents, but in truth, that was no easy task if they were prepared. Aside from his Life Artifact’s special ability, Suo Ming held no advantage in other areas.
This was precisely why they had come to the Cultivation Academy—they still needed to be further tempered.
This included Hu Jing and the others. They had their Holy Statues, but how strong was their actual combat prowess?