Chapter 480: Chapter 463: Avoid the Real, Strike the Void
It was truly difficult to overestimate Wang Meng. This was what set him apart; the battles and training he had experienced were beyond anyone’s imagination.
When the gathering ended, Wang Meng rushed back to the Slaughter Space. He couldn’t afford to be as carefree as Ji Rushan and Ling Fei, who had plenty of time for their own affairs. As a Sect Leader and a member of Snow Moon City, he had to shoulder his responsibilities.
And for Wang Meng at this moment, those responsibilities were likely a heavy burden.
His first assigned mission since arriving in Snow Moon City had already come.
For the top experts of the various sects, advancing further at their level was no longer so dependent on resources—special divine artifacts notwithstanding. The most crucial factor was comprehension. To increase a Sect’s power, they had to focus their efforts on the younger generation of successors.
This traditional, single-sect lineage stemmed from a crucial part of Human Cultivators’ progress, something that not even the Star Alliance could interfere with.
Wang Meng’s appearance, and certain aspects about him, had deeply provoked Zou Chuang. Never before had Zou Chuang so desperately craved to fight—and defeat—someone.
Wang Meng possessed certain unique qualities—qualities that were the opposite of his own. Zou Chuang preferred solitude and quiet, but he wasn’t antisocial; he simply couldn’t muster the same passion as ordinary people. He yearned for the enthusiasm he saw in Wang Meng, yet it didn’t suit his nature. The approval that the Sect Leader and the three Supreme Elders showed Wang Meng had truly stung his pride. Zou Chuang had never conceded to anyone.
Yet without a fight, it was clear the Sect Leaders already considered him inferior to Wang Meng.
Zou Chuang’s response was to cultivate even harder. There was no resentment in this; before his debut, he had always been looked down upon. Wang Meng had done the Taiyin Sect a great service. He wanted an honorable fight with Wang Meng. ’To respect an opponent is to use your full strength to defeat them.’
However, Zou Chuang had to be serious and become even stronger. He had witnessed Wang Meng’s epiphany in the Land of Reversing Heaven and Earth, and it had been of great help to him, even influencing his own Holy Statue.
It had to be said that Zou Chuang’s comprehension was remarkably high. After his own insight, it took him several months to fully process it. Normally, no matter how much progress he made, you could never see any particular joy on his face. This time, however, Zou Chuang was genuinely happy and wanted to spar with Wang Meng.
However, this simple request was blocked by Mo Chen.
At first, Zou Chuang was a little resistant. ’Elder Mo is being too protective of Wang Meng,’ he thought. ’It’s just a spar. What’s the big deal?’
That was until he heard a different explanation from Xie Tianhua. As it turned out, Xie Tianhua had been reporting the details of Wang Meng’s great battle to Cheng Cheng. He had gotten carried away in his excitement and said more than he should have, and part of what he revealed concerned Zou Chuang.
Mo Chen had stopped Zou Chuang not for Wang Meng’s sake, but for Zou Chuang’s own.
The reasoning was simple. Mo Chen was one of the few who truly knew the terrifying depths of Wang Meng’s foundation. He had to admit, however, that Wang Meng was not yet mature. At this stage, if he were to face the more well-rounded Zou Chuang, Wang Meng would be forced to go all out. And once Wang Meng unleashed his full power, he likely wouldn’t be able to control it. The result would cast an indelible shadow over Zou Chuang.
For the future of the Taiyin Sect, it was imperative to protect Zou Chuang as well.
Zou Chuang was deeply shaken when he learned this. He didn’t want to believe Wang Meng was that strong, yet he couldn’t help but find it credible. ’What is the true extent of Wang Meng’s power? No one can say for sure. His luck is just too good; either someone helps him or some divine artifact assists him. His victories lack substance. In terms of comprehension, Wang Meng is certainly not bad, but his foundation is weak. How can he compare to disciples like us, who were nurtured with the painstaking efforts of renowned Major Sects?’
It was a contradiction. And because of this contradiction and doubt, he wanted to test Wang Meng even more.
But Zou Chuang trusted Mo Chen—or more accurately, the Sect Leader’s judgment. If it were truly necessary, Kunlun Ascendant would surely intervene. After all, he, Zou Chuang, was Yuu Kunlun’s Closed-door Disciple.
After Xie Tianhua recounted everything he had witnessed that day, Zou Chuang had a better understanding of the situation. But then Xie Tianhua added one final, tantalizing comment: Wang Meng hadn’t used his full strength. This threw Zou Chuang into a state of bewilderment.
’Who fights someone at the Great Perfection realm without even going all out?’
Xie Tianhua, of course, couldn’t make that judgment. But others could.
There were only two possibilities for why he hadn’t used his full power.
One: Wang Meng’s Dragon Emperor Holy Statue possessed other abilities. Defeating the Celestial Demon had relied on the power of the Dragon Pearl, something any dragon-type Holy Statue could do.
The second possibility... was far more frightening. ’Could he also possess a Life Artifact?’
Possessing both a Holy Statue and a Life Artifact was extremely rare, but not unheard of. And as it happened... he himself was one such case.
Zou Chuang was a patient man. Under these circumstances, his urgency faded away. He would cultivate patiently, filled with anticipation.
Meanwhile, Xie Tianhua was gathering intelligence on the other rising stars. In short, the competition among the Ten Great Sects had already begun to play out among the younger generation. The struggles of the older generation had stabilized, barring any major developments. Previously, the younger generation wasn’t ready for the main stage, but now, the time had come. All factions were busy gathering information.
In terms of influence, Jii Wanli was currently the most successful. As for who was actually stronger, no one could say for certain before the Battle of the Other Shore. However, Jii Wanli was undoubtedly the most influential figure apart from the Saintess, and he maintained good relations with many sects.
Details about Jii Wanli’s cultivation were also the most difficult to obtain; their security was airtight. Due to its unique nature, the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect was likely the most difficult of the major sects to infiltrate, second only to the Pure Land.
It was common knowledge that Lin Jinghao had gained immensely in the Dragon Tomb. He was the type of person no one dared to provoke, and no one wanted to provoke. Even Jii Wanli, in his current position, would not cross him lightly.
The strength of the No Illusion Demon Sect was self-evident. Anyone who wanted to move against Lin Jinghao had best not resort to petty, underhanded tricks; the No Illusion Demon Sect were the masters of that game. The only way was to defeat Lin Jinghao in the Battle of the Other Shore.
Bu Qingyun was another figure worth watching. In fact, many held suspicions about him.
These tasks were handled by dedicated personnel. In the Taiyin Sect, that person was Xie Tianhua.
In this model, as long as the two of them—Zou Chuang and Xie Tianhua—cooperated well, the Taiyin Sect would become even stronger. This gave them an advantage over someone like Jii Wanli, who shouldered everything alone.
At a Star Alliance conference, the Sect Leaders gained a deeper understanding of the significance of the Battle of the Other Shore, the recent initiatives pushed by the Star Alliance, and the grand plans for the future. Both the Star Lord and the Pure Land had thrown an incredible amount of weight behind this, far more than anyone had initially anticipated.
One piece of news, in particular, sent shockwaves through all the Sect Leaders.
The top four finishers in the upcoming Battle of the Other Shore would become candidates to be the Star Lord’s heir.
One didn’t even have to become the Star Lord; just being a candidate would bring an incredible level of support to one’s Sect!
Every Sect had to fight for it. Strong sects would contend, and weaker sects would contend even more fiercely. This was an opportunity. If one of their disciples could achieve a stunning success, it would be a chance for their entire Sect to skyrocket.
In the past, this would have been impossible. But under the Star Alliance’s system, anything was possible!
An opportunity like this was rare, and no one knew if another would ever come again. To not seize it would be an unforgivable mistake.
At first, this news only circulated among a few powerful sects, but clearly, something like this couldn’t be kept secret for long. Soon, the other sects learned of it as well.
All those who dreamed of soaring to prominence had to start preparing.
If there were any objections to this proposal, they came not from external parties, but from within the Star Alliance itself.
Ji Guang, along with certain individuals from the Pure Land, were incredibly bullish on Mingren. In their view, Mingren smoothly ascending to the position of Star Lord was essential for the Demon Race to maintain its privileged existence among the Human Cultivators.
But now the situation had changed, introducing new variables.
Even if they had to create an opportunity, it should have been only for first place. But now there were four slots. They were confident Mingren could take first, but they couldn’t prevent three others from also becoming candidates.
Ji Guang didn’t know what the Star Lord and the Saintess were thinking. It had not been easy for the Demon Race to reach its current position. What would happen if some upstart human became the Star Lord?
The Demon Race was powerful, but they couldn’t possibly stand against the endless tide of Human Cultivators.
However, this wasn’t the only explosive development.
First, the Lord of Pure Land announced that disciples from the Pure Land would also participate in this Battle of the Other Shore!
Certain discerning individuals seemed to sense something was afoot.
Second, the Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable—that mysterious and powerful entity—would also send a direct disciple to compete, further complicating the Battle of the Other Shore.
What if the Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable’s disciple made it into the top four...? What then?
The Extreme Dao Immortal Venerable was one of the four greatest powerhouses. If he was sending a disciple, there was a very real possibility they could succeed!
The final bombshell concerning the Battle of the Other Shore was dropped by Dragon Emperor Tu Mu.
As the most mysterious of the four great powerhouses, the Dragon Emperor sent an emissary from the Dragon Race to the Star Alliance with a declaration: the Dragon Race would also participate in the Battle of the Other Shore!
At that, the entire Cultivation Realm erupted.
Whether there would be successors to follow was unknown, but this was certain to be an unprecedented war.
It was the single greatest event in the history of the Cultivation Realm.
At this moment, Master Wang had no interest in this major event. His very first mission had left him speechless.
The challenge from Demon Blade City had finally arrived.
Zhang Mang was not one to swallow his anger and do nothing. Besides, while he couldn’t assassinate Wang Meng and the others, he could use the Star Alliance’s rules to his advantage.
Demon Blade City and Snow Moon City were already rivals, so a customary Magical Combat was to be expected.
Of course, Zhang Mang wouldn’t act himself. Instead, he dispatched the Gloom Sect, a member of Demon Blade City, to issue the challenge.
They challenged the Holy Hall directly.
The Gloom Sect was currently ranked below the Holy Hall. This move by Zhang Mang was quite vicious, a deliberate attempt to humiliate the Holy Hall.
But Yang Jian was clearly more seasoned and had already assigned Wang Meng his mission.
The mission was to develop the Immortal Spirit Realm, a Secret Realm discovered by Snow Moon City. The word "develop" usually brought to mind immense danger, but in reality, this was an absolutely wonderful assignment for the Holy Hall.
A Secret Realm of this caliber was bound to be filled with abundant Elemental Qi, especially one like the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm. Members of Snow Moon City took turns visiting it, with the duration of their stay determined by their rank and contributions to the city. For the Holy Hall to receive such a benefit right after arriving was truly enough to make others green with envy.