I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 51 - 49: Chess is like Life

As she finished her Sword Dance, Yang Ying’s forehead was beaded with sweat, giving her a unique kind of beauty. A Female Sword Cultivator standing by quickly offered her a towel.

"Reporting, Senior. A message has arrived from Zhang Liang."

"Oh? Let me see."

Yang Ying was practicing the Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens, Yellow Springs Below Sword Technique. It was a Sword Technique in no way inferior to the Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword, but it was incredibly difficult to master. Even with her Nineteenth-Layer Elemental Power, it was a struggle. As her Life Marks constantly combined and shifted, her Elemental Power would falter and her movements would lose their form. This was why she was so moved by the fact that Li Tianyi was forcibly practicing the Nine Heavens Separation Fire Sword at only the Fifteenth Layer.

Only by reaching this level could one truly appreciate the difficulty. The baseless rumors circulating about Li Tianyi seemed laughable in comparison.

Zhang Liang’s intelligence was quite reliable. Although his personal strength was average, he was a real pro when it came to gathering information, able to dig up news from the most obscure nooks and crannies.

Yang Ying was taken aback as she read the message. In her eyes, among the current younger generation of the Holy Hall, only Li Tianyi and Ning Zhiquan of Dao Guang Hall were her rivals. ’So why would Li Tianyi be interested in Tang Wei from Hengshan Hall?’

’That guy is all brawn and no brains.’

Following the message was Zhang Liang’s analysis, which suggested that the person Li Tianyi had been searching for might appear at this event.

A faint smile touched the corners of Yang Ying’s lips, leaving the female disciples beside her completely mesmerized. Beauty of that caliber truly transcended gender.

Indeed, with her natural aptitude, had she been an Evil Cultivator, Yang Ying would have been the ideal candidate for practicing the Enchantment Technique.

Yang Ying was hailed as the most beautiful Female Sword Cultivator Flying Phoenix Hall had seen in decades. The truth is, the world of women is rife with gossip, and they often privately speculated about who would ultimately win her heart. But no matter who it was, winning Yang Ying would mean becoming the public enemy of all male Cultivators in the Holy Hall.

’Thunderlight Hall...’

Every one of Yang Ying’s expressions was captivating. It was a good thing Flying Phoenix Hall was a Sub-Hall for Female Cultivators. Otherwise, the male disciples would be so utterly smitten all day that they wouldn’t get a damn bit of cultivation done.

’Since there’s going to be a show, why not join in? I’ll get to see for myself if this Li Tianyi is really so extraordinary.’

Dao Guang Hall. As the Sub-Hall that had firmly held the top spot in overall strength for many years, its status was clearly special. Many Cultivators with even a little foresight and the right connections considered it an honor to join.

The competition here was undoubtedly fierce, but improvement was also rapid, and the conditions in every respect were the best available.

The Spirit Stones Dao Guang Hall received from the Main Hall each year were almost equivalent to the total of all other Sub-Halls combined, a fact that contributed to its undefeated dominance.

Dao Guang Hall was the Bright Pearl of the Holy Hall. And as the Senior of Dao Guang Hall, Ning Zhiquan was undoubtedly a cut above the other Nine Heroes of the Holy Hall.

Even if their strengths were currently similar, Ning Zhiquan would inevitably pull ahead over time. Because he was the Senior of Dao Guang Hall!

Whether in the Main Hall or among the vast number of Holy Hall Disciples abroad, Dao Guang Hall was regarded as the most powerful. This created an exclusive circle. A creed of pride in Dao Guang Hall had formed, and the principle of the strong helping the strong only made them even stronger.

Perhaps this mutual aid wasn’t as sentimental as Lingyin’s, nor was it the thuggish free-for-all of Hengshan. It was a recognition formed among the powerful, where everyone, senior or junior, would eventually have their use.

In such a positive atmosphere, Dao Guang Hall’s power was a matter of course. Many of the current Elders in the Main Hall hailed from Dao Guang Hall, and this itself was a force that supported the sub-hall’s continued growth in strength.

Ning Zhiquan was the leader of the younger generation of disciples and one of the Nine Heroes of the Holy Hall. The status Zhao Guang enjoyed in Thunderlight Hall was like that of a mere village chief compared to him.

It could be said that the power and resources Ning Zhiquan could wield surpassed even those of an Elder from an ordinary Sub-Hall.

This was no exaggeration.

"Senior, Lingyin Hall has been getting pretty arrogant lately. I heard they’re taking on the sixth-ranked mission again. It’s like they don’t even see us. Shouldn’t we teach them a lesson?"

Ning Zhiquan smiled faintly. "Li Tianyi has the ability. I hope they get a little stronger; otherwise, it’s no fun. Don’t you think?"

"Ah, that’s true. It is getting pretty boring, taking first place even while holding back our full strength."

"The Main Hall has its considerations as well. They don’t want our lead to be too overwhelming. A reasonable gap can motivate the others and encourage them to catch up. But if the gap becomes too large, they’ll simply give up. That’s why we have to give them hope."

Ning Zhiquan said. He was the lonelier one.

"Heh, that’s true. We only have to think about Dao Guang Hall, while you, Senior, must consider the entire Holy Hall."

"Alright, enough with the flattery. You came to see me, so there must be some kind of trouble."

"It’s Zhao Guang. The guy just arrived at Dao Guang Hall and is already trying to pull strings and form his own little clique. Even if he is from the Zhao Family, he has to abide by the rules of Dao Guang Hall now that he’s here. In our hall, there are no distinctions based on family background."

Lv Yi said.

"You can handle a trivial matter like that as you see fit."

"Yes, Senior. There is one other matter of note. Elder Zhou has gone to Thunderlight Hall. Does this mean the Main Hall intends to give them a boost?"

Ning Zhiquan shook his head. "Elder Zhou has a peculiar temperament; this was most likely his own decision. Xu Huang is being held responsible for Thunderlight Hall’s decline and has already been assigned to an expeditionary force. This is a precursor to being completely removed, but they have to consider Master Lei’s reputation. The whole affair will probably take some more time."

Lv Yi nodded. It seemed that almost nothing happening in the Main Hall could escape his Senior’s notice.

Thunderlight Hall, having lost its Sword Tomb, was truly in a precarious position.

"Wang Meng, you certainly are relaxed. I heard the Sub-Hall battles are imminent. Are you that confident?"

Zhou Feng and Wang Meng were playing chess at the edge of a field, while the Spirit Rhinoceros sunbathed nearby.

"I have to fight whether I’m relaxed or nervous, it makes no difference," Wang Meng said with a smile. "Old Zhou, I didn’t realize you were actually decent at chess."

"You arrogant brat! I’m renowned throughout the Holy Hall for my Pill and Chess Dual Expertise! Chess is like life!"

Zhou Feng hadn’t expected Wang Meng’s skill in chess to be so formidable. Wang Meng, in turn, felt he had finally met a worthy opponent, as Hu Jing and Zhang Xiaojiang were no match for him.

For Cultivators, a game of chess was more than just the game itself; it was a reflection of their recent insights and mental state upon the board.

Some Cultivators preferred calligraphy and painting, while others favored music; the underlying principle was the same.

Those who did nothing but cultivate, day in and day out, usually ended up falling to their inner demons.

"Heh. Even though I don’t pay much attention to Sub-Hall business, I know Thunderlight Hall always finishes last."

CLACK. A piece landed. Zhou Feng was clearly trying to shake Wang Meng’s composure.

Wang Meng calmly retorted, "Old Zhou, nothing stays the same forever. When things reach an extreme, they swing back in the opposite direction."

CLACK. A white stone landed. A large black dragon was trapped. Zhou Feng had clearly been worried about this exact move, and his attempt at a distraction had failed completely.

"Heh. The difference in our strength is plain to see. Creating miracles isn’t that easy!"

CLACK.

Although his dragon was trapped, the black stones still controlled the overall initiative. The attacker always has the advantage.

"The difference between humans and beasts is our intelligence. Seize the critical point, and the weak can defeat the strong."

CLACK...

The white stone landed firmly in what looked like a dead space on the board, but it instantly brought the whole situation to life, forming an ingenious counter-encirclement.

Zhou Feng stared intently at the board, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "Haha, what fine weather today! Oh, shoot, I just remembered I have an Ancient Formula I need to organize. Let’s play again tomorrow."