I Pick up a Lost Godhood

Chapter 393: Chapter 376: A Narrow Escape from Death

Sanmao’s body was pierced. THUD. He landed in front of Wang Meng, his blood spattering onto Wang Meng’s face.

"Master... run... quick."

"What a pain!" A flash of sword light streaked past, piercing straight through Wang Meng’s Sea of Fate.

Wang Meng’s eyes were fixed on Zheng Dasheng. The stare sent a chill down Zheng Dasheng’s spine, and he viciously swept his sword across again.

THUD. Wang Meng collapsed beside Sanmao. Perhaps even at that moment, Wang Meng never imagined he would die.

The Celestial Fire Cauldron ceased its resistance. A smug smile touched the corners of Zheng Dasheng’s lips. ’It’s a shame he had to die,’ he thought, ’but it’s best not to invite unnecessary trouble.’

The distant sky was a murky yellow—a sandstorm was coming. A Star Array appeared at Zheng Dasheng’s feet, and he slowly sank into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

Wang Meng lay motionless on the ground, his eyes wide open. Sanmao crawled toward Wang Meng, bit by bit. With every movement, a red glow seeped from his body—the life of a Spirit Beast. Sanmao strained to move. The distance was only a few steps, but it felt as vast as the heavens.

Finally, Sanmao reached Wang Meng’s side. He stretched out his tongue and licked Wang Meng’s face, his big eyes welling up as he whimpered.

What is life?

When Sanmao was the Sea of Fire Consciousness, he had no concept of it. But now, a sorrow deeper than death itself washed over him.

Wang Meng did not open his eyes. His life force was fading away. Within his Sea of Heart, his Godhood was desperate to heal its host, but the Heaven and Earth Spirit Locking Array firmly suppressed it. The power seeping from that single crack was not enough to stop his life from slipping away.

Sanmao’s life was also fading, and he finally collapsed beside Wang Meng, powerless.

Night fell upon the desert in an instant, bringing an icy chill.

A fierce wind rose. The sky-blotting sandstorm had arrived.

The red moon in the sky was exceptionally eerie. A figure seemed to descend from the moonlight, slowly approaching Wang Meng.

The sandstorm raged, yet it halted before this woman.

In just a blur, only sand remained in the desert. The paused sandstorm resumed its roar...

Wang Meng felt his body grow very, very cold. Then, he fell into a warm place, enveloped by something soft and comforting. His consciousness drifted between a blur and a coma. He didn’t know how much time had passed.

When Wang Meng opened his eyes, he was met with a brilliant light that made him dizzy. There seemed to be a pleasant aroma in the air, sweet and soothing.

"You’re... awake."

Wang Meng thought he saw someone—a woman in white. He couldn’t see her clearly, but he could remember her smile.

"Rest well. Your injuries are severe."

Wang Meng nodded—or rather, he only thought he did. His body wouldn’t move, and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead. He passed out again.

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he woke again. Drops of dew fell onto his head. He was surrounded by lush greenery. Wang Meng tried to get up, but the slightest movement sent searing pain throughout his body.

The dew fell drop by drop onto Wang Meng’s head, gradually bringing him to his senses. This time, however, the awakened Wang Meng’s eyes held a chilling killing intent.

After a moment, Wang Meng sat up. The heart-rending agony was nothing to him now.

He was surrounded by towering trees, and the Elemental Power was abundant. Clearly, he was no longer in the Five Elements Desert Space.

Sanmao was gone. He was alone again. Wang Meng stood up; maybe the physical pain would make him feel a little better.

’It’s like a dream. How did I get here? The sandstorm? That woman... was it a dream?’

The wounds on his body had already scabbed over. Everything felt like a dream, but Wang Meng knew that Sanmao was truly gone.

A roar echoed through the forest...

The roar also attracted the attention of a local denizen. A striped tiger had been eyeing Wang Meng and suddenly pounced, sinking its teeth viciously into his shoulder.

Did it hurt?

ROAR...

The striped tiger was torn in two. Wang Meng’s own body felt like it was breaking apart, but he had to live!

He had to get revenge!

Wang Meng tore into the bloody meat. ’Extreme Dao Alliance!’

Now, Wang Meng finally had an enemy he was determined to annihilate from the bottom of his heart. No matter who they were, no matter how powerful, as long as he was alive, he would make them pay!

Perhaps this was the Celestial Dao, the path of Cultivation!

The unlucky striped tiger replenished Wang Meng’s energy. He fashioned its pelt into clothing. He was truly left with nothing now. Without his Star Ring, he couldn’t even return to the Cultivation Academy.

But that wasn’t the most despairing part. Although Wang Meng had survived, his Sea of Fate had suffered a devastating blow. It was possible the power of his Godhood had saved his life at the critical moment, but with his Sea of Fate’s Vitality draining away, even Wang Meng’s Life Mark was in a withered state.

Wang Meng tried to circulate the Five Elements Technique, but the slightest attempt sent a piercing pain through his Sea of Fate, and he immediately fainted.

’Have I become a cripple?’

Wang Meng wasn’t afraid of powerful enemies, but if he was a cripple, how could he ever get revenge?!

Just then, a Two-headed Wolf Demon locked its eyes on Wang Meng. In its view, Wang Meng was definitely a fine dinner.

SWISH... SWISH...

Two flashes of light streaked past, and the Two-headed Wolf Demon’s heads exploded. An old man with a pipe dangling from his mouth was pleased to see his prey, but he froze when he saw Wang Meng on the ground.

When Wang Meng awoke, he found himself lying in a small wooden cabin. For a moment, it felt like he was back in Thunderlight Hall—simple and warm.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, he’s awake!"

A small head was eagerly watching Wang Meng. The girl had a cute ponytail, and her big, crystal-clear eyes blinked as she stared at him.

A pang of sorrow struck Wang Meng’s heart.

"Heh heh, you’re awake, young man." An old man walked in, tapping his pipe.

"Thank you for saving my life, Senior."

"No need for thanks, I was just passing by. Little Cheng, let him rest. Go make something to eat."

"Okay, Grandpa! Big Brother, you be good now, don’t move around."

Little Cheng skipped out of the room.

The old man sat down beside Wang Meng. "Young man, your injuries are quite severe. Who would strike such a heavy blow?"

"Senior, I apologize for the trouble. I’ll leave as soon as I can move."

"Heh heh, no rush, no rush. You can take your time to recover. Little Cheng seems to like you."

The old man looked at Wang Meng unhurriedly.

"Senior, where is this place?"

"This is Wolong Mountain in the Dragon Soul Small Thousand World. Outsiders rarely come here. You can rest assured that your pursuers won’t find you."

The old man puffed out one smoke ring after another.

Wang Meng felt a warmth spreading through his body, as if he had taken something. But his Sea of Fate still felt depleted.

Seeing the bleak look on Wang Meng’s face, the old man patted him. "Young man, look on the bright side. It’s a miracle you’re even alive after your Sea of Fate was so heavily damaged. As for everything else, as long as you’re alive, there’s hope."

Wang Meng didn’t reply. ’Just let it go? Absolutely not. I am Wang Meng.’ But the old man was right about one thing: as long as there’s life, there’s hope. He needed to recover quickly. ’Wallow in self-pity?’

’That’s not what a Cultivator does!’

Seeing the spirit return to Wang Meng’s eyes, the old man smiled. "Just rest here and recuperate. This old backwoods doctor knows a thing or two."

"Senior’s medicine is very effective. My body doesn’t hurt as much anymore."

"Heh heh, my boy, my medicine is just for pain relief and recovery. You must have taken some kind of miraculous Spirit Pill before this. Otherwise, your Sea of Fate would have been completely depleted by now."

Wang Meng was stunned. ’Could it be... that woman wasn’t a dream?’

’But who could it have been? Who would save me at a time like that???’

’And then bring me here? What does it all mean?’

"Don’t dwell on it. You’ll have plenty of time to think once your body has recovered."

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I made Qixi Flower and Black Chicken Soup! It’s good for recovering from injuries, right?"

Little Cheng zipped back into the room.

"You little rascal. You’re not willing to give your grandpa a sip, but you’re giving it to someone else."

"Grandpa, you’re not hurt!"

"Haha, fine, give it to him. He needs to rest now, so don’t talk for too long."

Little Cheng nodded. As she brought the soup over, a fragrant aroma wafted out, invigorating Wang Meng’s spirits.

"Big Brother, what’s your name? I’m Little Cheng."

"Wang Meng. The ’Meng’ from ’fierce’."

Wang Meng said. In his current state, though, he didn’t look very fierce at all.

Wang Meng drank the entire bowl of soup. A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he slowly drifted off to sleep. In his dreams, he seemed to see a lively Sanmao, jumping and playing.

Suddenly, he felt that bringing Zhang Xiaopang and the others to the Great Yuan Realm might not have been a good thing. He had to become stronger.

His attack on the Dragon King Faction had been too reckless. If Hua Jianyu hadn’t been absent by chance, it could have been a complete disaster.

This was a world where power spoke loudest.

In his dream, Wang Meng clenched his fists. As long as he didn’t die, he would pursue power with everything he had!

The following days were the most peaceful Wang Meng had experienced since entering the Cultivation World. Every day, Little Cheng would brew something delicious for him—though, admittedly, she only knew how to make soup.

The old man’s real name was Mo Chen. He was clearly a Cultivator living in seclusion. Healing required a calm mind, especially in Wang Meng’s case. His main priority now was to reactivate the Vitality of his Sea of Fate.

Wang Meng and the old man played chess in the courtyard while Little Cheng dozed off on a small wooden stool. ’This is so boring,’ she thought. ’Why do they like playing this stuff?’

"Kid, your chess skills are quite impressive. And your style is so experienced."

Wang Meng smiled faintly. This was Old Moo’s influence; it hadn’t faded with time.

"Old sir, why is there such a huge difference once someone enters Minor Perfection?"

"Every sect and school has a different view on the path of Cultivation. Some follow the heavens, some defy them. Some borrow momentum, some go against it. The methods are endless. But to put it bluntly, it’s all about cultivating Inner Strength to command external forces. Before Minor Perfection, we can only cultivate our Inner Strength. But after stepping into Minor Perfection, we can borrow external power to a certain degree. This is the fundamental difference. Before, you were just a small pond, with the only difference being the size of the pond. But once you enter Minor Perfection, you become a tributary of a great river or sea. Your perspective and everything else changes. That’s why, no matter how well or how powerfully you cultivate before Minor Perfection, it’s all for naught in the end."

Mo Chen laughed as his black piece continued its attack. Although Mo Chen looked like a gentle old man, his chess style was ferocious, as if he didn’t know the meaning of defense.

Wang Meng’s white piece moved to defend, but even his defense carried an offensive edge.

"Doesn’t that mean all the Magic and techniques learned before Minor Perfection are useless?"

"Heh heh, of course not. Everything you comprehend is a form of wealth. It will also transform into a type of power when you reach Minor Perfection. It’s just that sometimes, this power doesn’t necessarily manifest as combat strength." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)