I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 336 - 320: Demon Attack

It took a bite like a ravenous beast, and Wang Meng watched as Little Flame’s belly slowly bulged out. Its tiny body had actually managed to eat a corner off the Spirit Stone.

Little Flame finally couldn’t eat another bite. It rubbed its bulging belly and grinned in satisfaction, then patted and prodded the giant Spirit Stone. And then, another magical scene unfolded.

With a flash of light, the giant Spirit Stone shrank layer by layer, finally transforming into a blue, diamond-shaped crystal that hovered above the array formation... missing one corner.

Wang Meng tossed the crystal into his Qiankun Bag. ’Damn, I’m rich! I can’t believe my luck!’

The moment the Spirit Stone was removed from the array formation, a great howling sound erupted from Demon Blade City. The entire city trembled as all the remaining Demon Cultivators charged toward this location.

Since I’m already here, I might as well light the place up.

Wang Meng took out the Flame Encyclopedia. The roly-poly Little Flame stood on his shoulder; this was the first time it had ever been this full since its birth.

The Demon Cultivators left guarding Demon Blade City were flying over, only to see a red light flash from the peak of the spiraling tower. A massive BOOM followed, and the tower burst apart in an explosion like a Fairy Scattering Flowers.

Amidst the fiery glow, Wang Meng and Little Flame rode Broken Heaven Edge, flying north.

Meanwhile, the battle at Snow Moon City had reached a grueling stage. The Great Perfection masters had finally made their move, and the result was world-shattering. Xuee Zhongnan stood at the center like a god, coordinating with the other Great Perfection masters to hold the Defense Array against the Demon Cultivators’ superior assault. Even with the support of Snow Moon City’s power, they could only defend. Their opponents understood that Xuee Zhongnan’s actions were suicidal and that he couldn’t keep it up for long. Thus, they relentlessly pressed their attack, forcing him to borrow the city’s power again and again. If Xuee Zhongnan showed even the slightest opening, the Demon Cultivators would absolutely seize the chance.

After several ancient hours of fighting, the fires of war gradually subsided as both sides rested and regrouped. However, it was clear the Demon Cultivators’ morale was sky-high. After a full day of battle, Snow Moon City was at a complete disadvantage. The next assault after this break would likely decide the victor. Demon Blade City had made such a huge move with the clear intent of winning in one fell swoop, while also preventing reinforcements from other Saint Cultivation Cities.

"Sect Leader Jinn, we’ll have to trouble you to take action next. Xuee Zhongnan is an old rival of yours. The primary goal of our strategy is to eliminate one of their Great Perfection masters. If they can’t hold on after that, we can take Snow Moon City in one go!"

So said Zhang Mang, the Sect Leader of the Puppet Sect. He was the City Lord of Demon Blade City and the leader of the most powerful sect under its banner.

"Sect Leader Zhang, rest assured," Jinn Qiushui said faintly, her cold, beautiful face devoid of any emotion. "Xuee Zhongnan is doomed."

"Heh heh, Sect Leader Jinn and Xuee Zhongnan go way back. You wouldn’t still be carrying a torch for him, would you?"

Li Gui, the Sect Leader of the Ghost Heart Sect, laughed sinisterly.

"Sect Leader Li, what are you implying!" Jinn Qiushui said coldly.

"Heh heh, what could I be implying? Everyone knows you and Xuee Zhongnan are old acquaintances. I was just watching. Why didn’t you use your Demon Heart Sect’s Demon Heart Technique?"

Li Gui chuckled, the way his wrinkled face bunched up was sickening to behold.

"Sect Leader Li, are you questioning my loyalty? Sect Leader Zhang, this is an insult to me and to my Demon Heart Sect! I demand a duel to the death with him!"

Jinn Qiushui was furious.

Zhang Mang let out a hearty laugh. "Sect Leader Jinn, don’t be angry. That’s just how Sect Leader Li is; he’s looking out for everyone’s best interests. This war has been incredibly costly. If we can’t manage to kill a Great Perfection master, it will all be for nothing, and that’s a loss we can’t afford. So, we’re counting on you to give it your all!"

"Of course I will. But if anyone questions me again, don’t expect me to be polite!"

"Really, Sect Leader Li. Apologize to Sect Leader Jinn already. We can’t bear to watch this."

The other Demon Cultivation Sect Masters quickly tried to smooth things over. There were internal conflicts among the Demon Cultivators, too. After every battle, the City Lord naturally took the largest share of the spoils, and the rest was distributed based on contribution. The Demon Heart Sect happened to rank just above the Ghost Heart Sect, a fact that had irritated Li Gui for a long time. However, this was a time for unity.

Of course, Li Gui knew how to play the part. His expression changed in an instant, his wrinkled face twisting into a shameless smile as he offered Jinn Qiushui his apologies.

"In half an hour, we begin the final assault!"

Zhang Mang declared decisively. The rule of the Star Alliance was survival of the fittest. By destroying Snow Moon City, he, as the City Lord of Demon Blade City, would naturally reap the greatest rewards.

In Snow Moon City’s meeting hall, the mood was grim. Xuee Zhongnan was still meditating to regulate his energy. Even a Great Perfection master’s body couldn’t withstand borrowing the power of Snow Moon City multiple times. But if it hadn’t been for him, they would have fallen long ago.

"Sect Leader Yang, it seems we can’t count on reinforcements," said Ximen Bujian, the Sect Leader of the Hehe Sword Sect. "Zhang Mang is dead set on wiping out Snow Moon City this time. We have no choice but to fight them to the death!"

"That’s right! Since there’s no way out, we fight to the bitter end!"

"If Sect Leader Xuee can’t hold on, I’ll take his place!" Ximen Bujian declared.

"I’ll be next!"

Yang Jian’s brow was tightly furrowed. They had sent out calls for help, but every city was under its own pressure. To this point, they hadn’t received a single reply. It was a massive headache.

"Fellow Sect Leaders, rest assured. I can still hold on." Xuee Zhongnan walked out from the Quiet Chamber. Though his face was pale, his eyes were sharp. He had already put all thoughts of life and death aside. He had even arranged his affairs: if he died in battle, the position of Sect Leader would be passed to Li Xiuwen. Losing a Great Perfection master would be a devastating blow to the Holy Hall, but as long as their seat in the organization remained, they would have a chance to rise again.

The other Sect Leaders wore equally determined expressions. With no path of retreat, they would fight to the death.

Just then, an ancestor walked in. It was Zhao Xinglun of the Holy Hall—the very ancestor from the Zhao Family who had recently gained much renown.

"Sect Leader, wonderful news! The Sect Leader of the Dharma Flower Sect from the Tide Small Thousand Realm has arrived!"

Yang Jian and the others shot to their feet, their faces alight with joy. At a time like this, even a single reinforcement made a world of difference.

"Sect Leader Yang, fellow Daoists, I trust you have all been well."

Fan Ru, the Sect Leader of the Dharma Flower Sect, walked in.

"Sect Leader Fan, you’re a godsend!"

"Everyone, let’s dispense with the formalities," Fan Ru said. "All Saint Cultivators are one family. I couldn’t simply stand by while Snow Moon City is in peril. However, the others from Tendou City were unable to come. I hope you all can understand."

Yang Jian and the others exchanged a smile. Of course they understood. It would have been generous enough for Tendou City to send an ancestor; for them to send a Sect Leader was an act of monumental support.

"Brother Xuee, you seem to be injured. Would you like..." Fan Ru began.

Xuee Zhongnan smiled slightly and shook his head. "I know your Alchemy Skill is extraordinary, Brother Fan, but please don’t trouble yourself. I’ve just drawn upon Snow Moon City’s power twice. The damage is severe and not easily healed."

Fan Ru was filled with solemn respect. He knew Xuee Zhongnan was laying his own life on the line to defend Snow Moon City. Even if he survived, he would be gravely injured, and recovering from such wounds would be incredibly difficult.

"I have long heard that the Holy Hall of the Four Directions Small Thousand World produces the most dedicated of Saint Cultivators. Seeing you today, I truly understand the saying that a great master produces a brilliant student!"

Xuee Zhongnan was taken aback. In truth, while their factions were aware of one another, they didn’t know the specifics. Even among Saint Cultivators, the Holy Hall’s system was unique. However, because their overall strength wasn’t overwhelmingly dominant, this reputation was mostly just a saying. After all, the Great Yuan Realm had far too many unique sects.

Seeing Xuee Zhongnan’s confusion, Fan Ru smiled. "My Closed-door Disciple entered the Cultivation Academy in the same year as one of your disciples. I believe his name is Wang Meng. He is quite an extraordinary young man."

Xuee Zhongnan grew even more confused. ’Wang Meng... I’ve heard my sect brothers mention the name, but how could a mere disciple attract the attention of a Sect Leader? And the Sect Leader of the Dharma Flower Sect, no less?’

Fan Ru was overjoyed by his son Fan Hong’s transformation. Fan Hong, for his part, had praised Wang Meng to the heavens. To bolster Wang Meng’s status, he had naturally claimed Wang Meng was Xuee Zhongnan’s disciple. In truth, Snow Moon City’s crisis had little to do with Fan Ru. The problem was that if the Holy Hall fell, Wang Meng would surely die. If that happened, there was no telling what would become of his son. Despite having many women after reaching the Great Perfection realm, Fan Ru only had this one descendant. He had tried countless methods to make the boy mature, all to no avail. Then, suddenly, Fan Hong had changed completely, a transformation that was a delightful surprise to Fan Ru.

Of course, Wang Meng himself didn’t command this much respect. It was also a matter of mutual dependency—if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Furthermore, Fan Ru was doing Snow Moon City a great favor. In truth, he had arrived much earlier. When he saw that Snow Moon City’s defenders were determined to fight to the death, he had made his own assessment. The Demon Cultivators held the advantage, but if their seven Great Perfection masters were willing to fight to the death, they still wouldn’t be able to conquer Snow Moon City.

"Sect Leader Fan, you are too kind," Zhao Xinglun quickly added, though his heart was pounding. ’Of course I know of Wang Meng; the boy is a thorn in the Zhao Family’s side. But he’s just a disciple who has been fooling around at the Cultivation Academy for a few years. How on earth did he get connected to the Sect Leader of the Dharma Flower Sect? From Fan Ru’s tone, it seems a large part of his reason for coming is for Wang Meng. This is just too bizarre.’ "The boy, Wang Meng, is indeed very special. He performed a miracle back at the Holy Hall, earning an exception to enter the Cultivation Academy."

The other Sect Leaders were all shrewd people and naturally figured it out as well. They all looked toward Xuee Zhongnan. They had never heard about him having such a special disciple; if anything, the one they knew of was a boy named Li Tianyi.

Fan Ru smiled faintly. "To take a mortal disciple at the Natural Life Mark Second Layer and nurture him into an elite of the Cultivation Academy... that is something only the Holy Hall is capable of. It is in line with our Saint Dao. In this battle, we will surely be victorious!"

"With Sect Leader Fan arriving like a timely rain, our confidence is soaring!" A smile spread across Yang Jian’s face; he truly felt confident now. "It will be a bitter fight, but victory will belong to us Saint Cultivators!"

The situation was urgent, so no one engaged in idle chitchat. They all performed their final meditations, regulating their energy and awaiting the coming battle.

Outside Snow Moon City, the dense horde of Demon Cultivators had also just about finished their regrouping and were making final preparations for the assault.

If Snow Moon City fell, even the ordinary disciples would reap handsome rewards. Not only would they acquire a vast number of Magical Artifacts, but they could also capture slaves. The female Saint Cultivator disciples, in particular, were the Demon Cultivators’ most prized Furnace Cauldrons.

Once captured, they would be "protected" by the laws of the Star Alliance, becoming the private property of their captors.

The horns of war sounded. Led by their respective ancestors, the Demon Cultivators from every sect launched an all-out assault. From the sky and the ground, countless points of light bombarded Snow Moon City’s great Defense Array.

High above Snow Moon City, Xuee Zhongnan occupied the core of the array, directing the city’s overall defense as the Demon Cultivators’ attacks blotted out the sun and sky.

With one additional Great Perfection master, the situation was much better than before. However, it did not change the fact that the Demon Cultivators still held the advantage.

Zhang Mang hadn’t expected some fool who didn’t know life from death to actually come to the rescue. But it was only one more Great Perfection master. At most, it added a bit of difficulty to their task; it was far from enough to stop them.