Free Web NovelChapter 427: Chapter 410: The Infiltration of Influence
Ma Tian’Er smiled faintly. Although she wasn’t entirely convinced, she was still happy that Wang Meng had told her everything and trusted her.
Quite a few Cultivators were interested in Linglong. As a Dragon Princess, her beauty was impeccable. Her long, slender legs, in particular, were beyond compare to those of human women. Her skin was as white and translucent as jade, and when combined with her elegant yet haughty aura, it was more than enough to stir a desire for conquest in the hearts of the Cultivators present.
In a place like this, her bone-deep indifference was, ironically, the greatest challenge.
However, Lin Jinghao and Jii Wanli were simply too powerful. The two of them had implicitly formed an imposing presence, a clear warning to everyone else: if you weren’t on their level, you should stay on the sidelines and not try to join the fun.
Jii Wanli was most worried that Wang Meng had some sort of connection to this Linglong. While he wasn’t sure of Linglong’s origins, she was clearly extraordinary—he could tell just by looking at Lin Jinghao’s behavior.
Others might not have known the source of Lin Jinghao’s confidence, but it couldn’t be hidden from him. Jii Wanli was from the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect, which ranked fourth in the Star Alliance, and he had a deep understanding of both the Taiyin Sect and the No Illusion Demon Sect. That fellow Lin Jinghao acted foolish on the surface, but he was incredibly sharp on the inside. Anything that caught Lin Jinghao’s interest was sure to hold a massive opportunity.
The No Illusion Demon Sect’s goal was to challenge the Pure Land; how could they possibly be passive?
Besides, that was definitely not the style of Demon Cultivators.
Jii Wanli didn’t need to know the inside details. All he needed to know was that if Lin Jinghao was interested, it had to be something good.
This was the cleverness of a clever man.
Of course, Jii Wanli knew that being too hasty would put him at a disadvantage. The more outstanding a woman was, the less interest she would have in an overly eager man. Thus, the enthusiasm he displayed was entirely that of a host treating a guest. The respect he showed was exactly what one would expect from a Cultivator from a prominent and well-established family!
In contrast, there was Wang Meng. ’Damn it,’ Jii Wanli thought, ’that guy is stuffing his face in the corner again, completely without decorum.’
Jii Wanli sneered inwardly. ’A nouveau riche is always a nouveau riche, never fit for high society. But this is for the best. This person doesn’t warrant much attention. My main rivals are still Lin Jinghao and Zou Chuang!’
Zou Chuang wasn’t interested in women; the Tiger Crown Prince was, however, extremely fond of his drink.
The Ghost Crown Prince, on the other hand, welcomed all comers and was surrounded by a large crowd.
Although Linglong was aloof, she didn’t reject the enthusiastic attention of Lin Jinghao and Jii Wanli. Lin Jinghao was rather relaxed, telling her interesting stories of his adventures, while Jii Wanli subtly hinted at his own excellence.
"Brother Wang, is this really okay? I think Jii Wanli has ill intentions, and Sister Linglong is new to the world. What if she gets deceived?" Ma Tian’Er said, a little worried.
"Silly girl, don’t you worry. That girl Linglong is as cunning as they come. If Jii Wanli wants to trick her, he’d better grow a few more heads."
Master Wang, for his part, continued to eat and drink without a care. ’If only the cost of all this could be converted into resources and sent to the Holy Hall,’ he thought, ’how wonderful would that be.’
In truth, Wang Meng really had no idea. Due to the Holy Hall’s massive leap in rankings, its current situation was a bit... indescribable.
「The Holy Hall.」
Hu Jing had become the true Senior Sister of the sect, her prestige even surpassing that of Ning Zhiquan back in his day.
"The Hundred Treasures Hall Meeting is about to start. It’s definitely going to be lively this year."
"Of course it will be. Senior Sister Hu Jing is personally supporting it! Our Holy Hall is really flourishing now. The number of new disciples in every hall has broken records again this year. It looks like the grand competition this year will be a hundred times more intense than before."
"Thunderlight Hall is too ferocious these days. There’s no way to compete with them. They’re a bunch of monstrously strong freaks!"
"I don’t think so. Everyone has a chance. Thunderlight Hall might be strong, but Dao Guang Hall and Lingyin Hall aren’t bad either. Don’t underestimate Senior Sister Zhao Lingxuan."
"Sigh, I tried to sign up for Thunderlight this year, but I was rejected again. It’s so hard to get into Thunderlight Hall now."
"No kidding! Thunderlight Hall has the best benefits in the entire Four Directions Small Thousand World, and they improve every year. Outside the sect, just mentioning the name ’Thunderlight Hall’ makes everyone look at you with more respect!"
"Yeah, not only do people from the Eight Great Castles Alliance give them a wide berth, but even Heaven-Dominating Hall and the Demon Heart Sect are unwilling to provoke them."
"You’re kidding, right? We’re all Holy Hall Disciples. How come I haven’t felt any of that in Dao Guang Hall?"
"Buddy, you must be new. How can Dao Guang Hall even compare to Thunderlight? Let me educate you. Within the Holy Hall, even the Ancestral Masters have to give Senior Sister Hu Jing some face. The Elders have no status in Thunderlight Hall whatsoever; the Senior Sister makes all the decisions. Outside, Thunderlight Hall disciples have it even better. None of the strongest sects in the Four Directions Small Thousand World dare to provoke them. Brother Zhang from Thunderlight Hall may be fat, but he’s incredibly petty and fiercely protective. If anyone provokes Thunderlight Hall, he’ll never let it go."
"Brother Zhang... is he really that amazing?"
The surrounding Cultivators burst out laughing, their faces filled with immense pride.
The Sword Cultivator in the lead smiled proudly. "Of course Brother Zhang is powerful, though not yet strong enough to sweep through the ages. But no outsider would ever dare to make a move against him, whether they’re an Ancestral Master or some old patriarch!"
The rookie was stunned silly. This was just too badass, too formidable.
Then, the rookie Cultivator played along perfectly, asking "Why?" with a look of combined awe and confusion.
The others exchanged a smile. "That’s a legend in itself."
The Holy Hall was now receiving several times the resources it used to, so things were much more comfortable. Thunderlight Hall was especially well-funded. Hu Jing, Zhang Xiaojiang, Suo Ming, and Zhou Qian were known by the Holy Hall Disciples as the Four Saints of Thunderlight. It was said that all four had broken through the fortieth level of Elemental Power. Not only were their Elemental Levels high, but their combat strength was formidable, and any Cultivation Technique they used was several times more powerful in their hands.
Aside from Yang Ying of Flying Phoenix Hall and Zhao Lingxuan of Lingyin Hall, who could put up a fight, no one else was their match.
However, given Yang Ying’s relationship with Thunderlight Hall, she was practically one of them.
Zhang Xiaojiang’s soul-chasing arrows, Suo Ming’s heaven-shaking hammer, and Zhou Qian’s sky-scorching Fire Talismans.
As for Senior Sister Hu Jing, with her Ice-Fire Talismans, she could hardly find a worthy opponent.
"Zhang Xiaopang, how are the preparations for the Hundred Treasures Hall Meeting coming along?" Hu Jing asked.
"When I’m on the job, you can rest assured!" Master Zhang declared magnificently.
"How could I possibly rest assured when you’re on the job? Still, with Liuu Mei supervising, there shouldn’t be any problems," Hu Jing said with a nod.
Master Zhang’s pride was wounded. "Jingjing, I’m very strong now! Even Brother Meng would have to look at me in a new light when he gets back!"
Yang Ying smiled faintly. "Jingjing, Zhang Xiaopang has actually been working very hard. Given how lazy he is, if he weren’t afraid of Wang Meng coming back to check on his progress, I really don’t know what level of sloth he would have sunk to."
"We’re going to fight our way to the Cultivation Academy and help Brother Meng!"
Zhang Xiaopang was still ambitious.
They all exchanged a smile. Over the years, not only had they not slacked off, but they had worked even harder than before. There was a reason Yang Ying hadn’t gone to the Great Yuan Realm. In truth, in their current state, they would most likely be a burden if they went there, and would only hold Wang Meng back.
The Great Yuan Realm had its advantages, but the Small Thousand Realm had its own as well. For them, progressing in such a stable environment was actually faster. If they were suddenly thrown into the brutal competition of the Cultivation Academy with their shallow foundations, it would be easy for them to be overwhelmed.
After all, people like Wang Meng and Mingren were heaven-defying anomalies. Even Ma Tian’Er was practically a work of art in her own right.
As for the others... even someone with Ning Zhiquan’s abilities couldn’t escape death, and that had served as a wake-up call for everyone.
That was why everyone had been pushing themselves so hard all these years.
"How is Wang Meng doing now? Junior Sister Hu, have you heard any recent news? You must have called us here for a reason, so don’t keep us in suspense," Zhou Qian said.
Brother Zhou was famously a good guy in Thunderlight Hall, known for being modest and easygoing. He was now the heir of the Zhou Family and had earned the deep trust of Ancestor Master Zhou Luodan. He was also a core figure in Thunderlight Hall—a man of truly high status and great power, yet he didn’t put on any airs. Disciples from both Thunderlight Hall and the other halls all enjoyed interacting with him, and Zhou Qian had now basically become the chief steward of Thunderlight Hall.
"Recently, our Holy Hall’s ranking in the Star Alliance has shot up by a huge margin. I just received the news myself, and it’s likely that very few people in the entire Four Directions Small Thousand World know about it yet." A smile touched Hu Jing’s lips.
"It must be good news! Hurry up and tell us! I love hearing good news."
Zhang Xiaopang was beaming.
Hu Jing shot Zhang Xiaopang a glare. "It is indeed good news. Wang Meng and Mingren have both successfully advanced to Minor Perfection. Mingren has cultivated the Holy Light Demon Collapse Body, which is said to be one of the absolute top-tier physiques in the entire Star Alliance. Mingren was accepted into the Pure Land by special exception—that’s the most mysterious, number-one-ranked sect in the Star Alliance. At the same time, he became an official member of the Star Alliance, which means he’s now at the same level as the Sect Leader."
Zhang Xiaopang was stunned. "Damn, did that guy Mingren eat a Great Rejuvenation Pill or something? How did he suddenly get so strong? What about Brother Meng?"
"Wang Meng also entered Minor Perfection, but it seems the Holy Statue and Life Artifact from the Star Alliance’s power rating system didn’t appear for him. However, he also obtained the status of an official Star Alliance member," Hu Jing said.
"...Does reaching Minor Perfection automatically make you a member of the Star Alliance?" Liuu Mei couldn’t help but ask.
Hu Jing shook her head. "It’s very, very difficult. Mingren only made it because he possesses one of the Ten Great Sacred Bodies. As for how Wang Meng did it, no one really knows. But he succeeded nonetheless. Usually, the minimum requirement to become an official Star Alliance member is Great Perfection."
Hu Jing’s eyes were filled with adoration. That’s right—for Hu Jing, her feelings toward Wang Meng had turned into a kind of worship and trust. Although she didn’t know what kind of power he had obtained, she had always believed in him!
But Hu Jing knew better than anyone: while the result was good, how perilous must the process have been?
Everyone started pumping their fists. Wang Meng had now reached the same level as the Sect Leader.
But then Zhang Xiaojiang suddenly deflated. "Damn it, Brother Meng is moving way too fast. He’s not giving us a chance to catch up at all."
"If he waited for us, he’d be nothing but dust by now. No wonder the Ancestral Masters have been getting more and more polite with me whenever I visit the Main Hall lately. They’re so polite it’s almost embarrassing," Zhou Qian said with a laugh.
As long as Wang Meng was still out there, as long as he maintained this momentum, no one would dare to touch Thunderlight Hall. That was deterrence. Wang Meng didn’t need to return, or even say a word; others would take care of everything for him.
This news had surely reached Heaven-Dominating Hall and the Demon Heart Sect as well. Given Yanm Yuyue’s relationship with Wang Meng, her reaction went without saying. Heaven-Dominating Hall already had a good relationship with the Holy Hall, and now it would certainly become even closer. To be honest, Wang Meng reaching Minor Perfection wasn’t a huge deal in itself. But to reach Minor Perfection and immediately step into the ranks of the Star Alliance—that held a completely different meaning.
The people he associated with, the connections he had, and his own potential had already put him beyond what an ordinary sect from a Small Thousand Realm World could ever hope to contend with.
You could say that any sect not ranked in the top fifty of the Star Alliance simply couldn’t afford to provoke a Star Alliance member.
