I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 55 - 53: Little Cutie

A talismanic array made of Bursting Fire Talismans... How many people in the Holy Hall today could possibly pull that off?

As one of the most outstanding Technique Cultivators, Mingren knew this better than anyone. ’Things seem to be getting a little interesting,’ he thought.

Zhou Qian’s hands formed a Hand Seal, and Shenn Tu’s eyes went wide as saucers. ’If those eight Bursting Talismans hit me head-on,’ he realized, ’it’ll be nearly impossible to block them at my current level.’

He gripped his twin axes tightly. A match that should have been a foregone conclusion, a complete joke, had suddenly reached a level of skill one would only expect to see in the grand tournament. No one had seen this coming.

"Kill!"

Shenn Tu took a step forward, completely ignoring the Fire Talismans. His War Axe lunged toward Zhou Qian like a viper’s fangs.

And for the first time in his life, Zhou Qian didn’t retreat. Eight Bursting Fire Talismans howled through the air as they shot forward.

"Explode!"

BOOOOOOM...

It was a while before the roaring finally stopped. To control eight Bursting Fire Talismans simultaneously was simply unheard-of. But when the smoke cleared, the crowd saw Shenn Tu still standing. A cheer erupted from the Hengshan Hall disciples, only to die in their throats a moment later.

"That... had... some kick!"

THUD. With those words, Shenn Tu collapsed. Not far from him, Zhou Qian had also fallen, a massive gash running diagonally down from his right shoulder. He was already unconscious.

In a battle of this caliber, the first to pull their punch was the first to die.

In a flash, Wang Meng was at Zhou Qian’s side. He took out the Soul Lock Pill Xu Huang had given him and fed it to Zhou Qian. At the same time, he slowly infused his Elemental Power into Zhou Qian, protecting his vital organs. This was no common street-vendor medicine; it was a genuine Mid-grade Pill. ’A Body Cultivator’s attacks are ferocious, but the damage is mostly physical. Just a few broken bones,’ he assessed.

On the other side, the Hengshan Hall disciples were giving Shenn Tu a Pill.

"Senior Brother Wang, use this! I’m sure he’ll be fine," Ma Tian’Er said, hurrying over and holding out a small jade vial.

Wang Meng smiled. "He’s fine now."

"Was that a Soul Lock Pill? Looks like Thunderlight Hall has some deep pockets."

"Yeah, and look at the jade vial in that Sweetie’s hand. You can tell by its quality it’s no common trinket."

"Who would’ve thought Thunderlight Hall had a master like that? I must be seeing things."

Mingren glanced at both sides and announced, "The first match is a draw. Any objections?"

Tang Wei snorted. Even thugs have their code. ’But Thunderlight Hall’s luck runs out here!’

"Zhang Heng, leave a mark on them!"

Tang Wei was furious that the first match had ended this way. Anything less than a three-to-nothing sweep would be an insult to Hengshan Hall.

Zhang Heng drew his large saber, his face devoid of expression. The scar on his cheek made him look especially grim and menacing.

The blade’s edge glinted lethally in the sun. Who would Thunderlight Hall send up to face him?

"I’ll go!"

Ma Tian’Er walked up with a sweet smile. Wang Meng and the others were shocked and rushed to stop her. The girl was only there to fill out their roster. ’Does she think this is just a spar back at Thunderlight Hall?’ Judging by her opponent’s face, he was not the type to go easy on a pretty girl.

Compared to the ferocious Zhang Heng, Ma Tian’Er... this sweet-looking little girl was just asking for trouble by stepping up.

"Brother Zhang, you’d better go easy on her! Don’t ruin such a flower-like beauty!"

"Yeah, little beauty! It’s not too late to join us at Hengshan Hall."

"That’s right! Why hang around with those wimps from Thunderlight Hall? The real men are all at Hengshan Hall!"

A chorus of whistles rose from the men, some even flexing their pectoral muscles. Ma Tian’Er quickly turned her head away, which only made the men more brazen.

Yang Ying and the other disciples from Flying Phoenix Hall could hardly bear to watch. ’The rumors were true; Hengshan Hall is full of thugs,’ she thought. Seeing the proud look on Tang Wei’s face, Yang Ying could only sigh. ’Some people will just never have any class.’

But there was no trace of a smile on Zhang Heng’s face. With a SWISH of his large saber, he struck the ground, leaving a CRACK in the earth.

"I’ll give you one chance to surrender," Zhang Heng said coldly. "Otherwise, don’t blame my blade for being merciless!"

Ma Tian’Er stubbornly shook her head. Wang Meng had planned to save her for last, but what was done was done. "Xiaotian, don’t push yourself if it’s too much."

Ma Tian’Er looked back, smiled, and pumped her fist. "I’ll definitely win!"

This was met with another round of roaring laughter, though a few people in the crowd weren’t laughing. Zhang Liang was rubbing his eyes furiously. ’This girl... she looks so familiar...’ Zhang Liang had an excellent memory—it was one of his talents. He felt certain he’d seen her somewhere before, but after mentally running through the rosters of all nine Sub-Halls, he came up with nothing.

"You’re seeking death! You’ll have no one to blame but yourself!"

Zhang Heng truly was not the type to go easy on a woman. His large saber became a blur of light as he slashed down at Ma Tian’Er.

As a Technique Cultivator, this was the moment she should have unleashed a volley of Fire Talismans and blasted him into oblivion. And Ma Tian’Er did indeed blast away...

She threw all the Fire Talismans in her hands. Zhang Heng was at about the Fourteenth or Fifteenth Layer, while Ma Tian’Er was only at the Eleventh Layer. The gap was obvious. A Technique Cultivator’s attacks were inherently weaker, and unable to use Bursting Fire Talismans, she stood little chance against him.

Especially since...

The crowd erupted in laughter. Was this supposed to be a fight?

Ma Tian’Er had shut her eyes and was just flinging the Fire Talismans wildly. They shot out in every direction. Surprisingly, the sheer chaotic volume of the barrage actually forced Zhang Heng to back away.

Zhang Heng was clearly the calm and ruthless type. Unlike Shenn Tu, he didn’t charge headfirst into the barrage of Fire Talismans. Instead, he dodged to the side, letting Ma Tian’Er waste her ammunition.

The Fire Talismans burst in the air like scattered fireworks, and the laughter from the crowd grew even louder. Ma Tian’Er’s face turned bright red.

When she finally opened her eyes, she realized her opponent wasn’t even in her line of fire.

"You’re courting death!"

Zhang Heng roared, his heavy footsteps—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP—shaking the ground as he charged and slashed at Ma Tian’Er.

Just then, Ma Tian’Er’s Elemental Power was at its lowest point, drastically depleted from her wild barrage. She was on the verge of exhaustion.

Wang Meng quietly palmed a stone.

’But... at least react! Dodge or something!’

Ma Tian’Er stared blankly at the large saber bearing down on her, then suddenly let out a piercing shriek. "HELP ME!"

...

Shouting for help now? Was this some bizarre way of surrendering?

But Zhang Heng wasn’t buying it. The large saber in his hand continued its downward arc without pause.

CLANG...

It was a strike that should have minced Ma Tian’Er, but instead, the saber shattered. The impact was so great that the webbing between Zhang Heng’s thumb and forefinger split open.

A giant beast had appeared in front of Ma Tian’Er... To be more precise, it was a Spirit Beast!

A Red Roar—a type of giant, monstrous ape. It was hideously ugly, possessed limitless strength, and its body was as hard as steel. Furthermore, it had an extremely high resistance to Magic, was completely immune to any Enchantment Technique, and had a foul temper. For any Cultivator, it was the kind of creature you went out of your way to avoid.

And this Red Roar had been tamed as a Spirit Beast?

Zhang Heng tossed aside his broken saber and bared his teeth. His muscles began to bulge, and his bones started to grow larger. This was a special ability of a Body Cultivator.

Not only did his physique expand, but his strength increased along with it.

"Little Cutie, beat him up!" Ma Tian’Er chirped.

Everyone present suddenly felt the urge to bang their heads against a wall. ’There isn’t a single hair on that thing that has anything to do with the word "cute"!’