Chapter 117: Hero Conquers All Directions Debate Meeting

"That's a beautiful drawing," Liu Qiyue said, only after Meng Chuan had finished. She looked at the painting in amazement. "Achuan, I've seen you paint many times since we arrived at Yuanchu Mountain. Although today's drawing is simple, I truly feel it's your best."

The emotions conveyed in the painting resonated deeply.

The scenes seemed to come alive.

Liu Qiyue had seen Meng Chuan paint many times, and she admitted his other works were astonishing. However, none had resonated with her soul as profoundly as this one.

"Mm," Meng Chuan nodded. He too admitted it was the best painting he had done since coming to the mountain. His primordial spirit was radiating with spiritual light, undergoing a transformation, becoming increasingly solid and clear.

"Qiyue, I'm sending this painting back today," Meng Chuan asked. "Is there anything you'd like me to take for you?"

"I'll write a letter to my father," Liu Qiyue quickly said. "Wait for me; it won't take long."

With that, Liu Qiyue sat down at her desk and immediately found letter paper to start writing.

Meng Chuan also smiled, sat down, and began writing. The painting was a gift for his father, but he also had more to tell him, and he wanted to know the current situation back home.

Half an hour later.

He had the servants prepare silk to securely wrap the painting scroll and letters. These were then placed inside a wooden tube Meng Chuan had crafted himself. The inside of the tube, perfectly smooth and round from his True Yuan blade energy, was then sealed with a stopper.

He then personally went to the Treasure Pavilion to have Yuanchu Mountain help send it to his father, Meng Dajiang, in Dongning Prefecture.

"Rest assured, Sir Meng Chuan, it will be sent out tonight," a managing elder at the Treasure Pavilion said enthusiastically. "It should arrive in Dongning Prefecture by tomorrow afternoon."

Only then did Meng Chuan leave.

As he left, he inwardly observed his primordial spirit. Within his vast sea of consciousness, his primordial spirit had stopped transforming; it was much more solidified than before he started painting. Meng Chuan vaguely judged that although the painting time was short, the transformation of his primordial spirit was no less significant than when he painted "Towards the Morning Sun"!

"Clearly, the transformation of the primordial spirit has little to do with the painting time; it's mainly about 'questioning one's true self'," Meng Chuan thought to himself. His master had told him that each time one could question their true self and undergo a spiritual transformation, their primordial spirit and soul would also transform.

The deeper the self-reflection,

the greater the transformation.

This time, his intense longing for his father and the retrospective painting of his past twenty years resulted in a transformation comparable to that of "Towards the Morning Sun." As for the painting "All Living Beings," its impact on his soul was unclear because he hadn't yet condensed his primordial spirit before painting it; he only did so after finishing. The extent of improvement was unknown.

"Although my primordial spirit has improved, it hasn't undergone a qualitative change," Meng Chuan understood. "I still only have a 'ten-zhang domain,' can only sense within a one-li range, and my control over my physical body's True Yuan remains the same as before."

Evidently, he was still in the accumulation process. A complete transformation would only occur after sufficient accumulation, and this couldn't be rushed.

That evening, at Discussion Peak.

The day Meng Chuan became a Godfiend was August twentieth, which also happened to be the day of the ten-day Discussion Gathering.

"Please come in, Sir Meng Chuan," the manager at Discussion Peak said, leading the way.

The Discussion Peak gatherings were usually held in two separate areas: one for disciples who hadn't yet become Godfiends, and another for Godfiend disciples.

As a newly ascended Godfiend, Meng Chuan was attending the gathering of his Godfiend peers for the first time.

"Please wait here for a moment, Sir Meng Chuan," the manager said with a smile. "Every time a new Godfiend attends the gathering, there's a simple celebration ceremony. It's still being prepared, but you can go over shortly."

"Alright."

Meng Chuan waited patiently in a hall.

Just a moment later, a servant in the distance nodded, and the manager said to Meng Chuan, "Sir Meng Chuan, we can go now."

Led by the manager, they arrived in a garden. Nearly two hundred Godfiends were gathered in the spacious garden, chatting in small groups. When they suddenly saw Meng Chuan being led in, all the Godfiends immediately stood up, each raising the wine cup that had been prepared beside them.

Godfiends naturally presented a different aura from ordinary mortals.

All of them possessed various mysterious powers; Meng Chuan was no exception, imbued with lightning and fiendish qi.

Furthermore, since most of these Godfiends had reached the 'Intent Realm,' their dispositions were extraordinary.

As each of them stood up and looked at him, Meng Chuan felt an invisible pressure.

"Sir Meng Chuan," a servant said, standing nearby with a wooden tray on which a full wine cup rested.

Meng Chuan immediately took the cup.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Meng Chuan, on passing through the trials of life and death and becoming a Godfiend!" all the Godfiend disciples exclaimed, raising their cups with both hands in a formal congratulation.

"Thank you, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters," Meng Chuan said, raising his cup in return.

They then all drank together.

Becoming a Godfiend was no easy feat! To celebrate every newly ascended Godfiend had been the tradition among generations of Godfiends at Yuanchu Mountain.

Many of the Godfiend disciples gave Meng Chuan a slight smile. Most then sat back down and resumed chatting in their respective groups.

"Junior Brother Meng Chuan," five individuals, male and female, said as they approached. All of them were Immortal Godfiends.

"Senior Brother Qiao Yong," Meng Chuan said, "and all Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters."

Among these five, he was only familiar with Senior Brother Qiao Yong, as Senior Brother Qiao Yong enjoyed making friends and often went to the 'Mortal Disciple Gatherings' to meet fellow disciples.

"My name is Zheng Can," one said. "It's a pleasure to finally meet Junior Brother Meng Chuan. I've long heard of your great reputation, and today is the first time I've had a chance to speak with you."

"I am Zheng Ruyu, it's a pleasure..." another began.

Qiao Yong and the other five Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were quite enthusiastic. They were now tasked with introducing Meng Chuan to all the Godfiend disciples at the Discussion Gathering, a long-standing custom within the sect.

Compared to the mortal disciples, Godfiend disciples were more united and had stronger bonds.

This was because many of them would descend the mountain after reaching the Immortal Realm to battle across the land. Some truly never returned.

"After becoming a Godfiend, there isn't much difference compared to mortal disciples," Senior Brother Qiao Yong explained. "However, there are a few additional responsibilities. First, whenever there's a new Godfiend, you must attend that Discussion Gathering to celebrate their ascent. Second, when Godfiend disciples pass through the Nine Xuan Cave and descend the mountain, all other Godfiend disciples must see them off. Third, if a Godfiend disciple falls in battle, you must be present on the day their name is carved onto the Crimson Blood Cliff. Unless there's a truly special reason, these three events are mandatory."

Meng Chuan nodded slightly.

These were three very important events for Godfiend disciples.

Becoming a Godfiend, descending for battle, and falling in combat.

"Junior Brother Meng, let's go, let's go meet the other fellow disciples," the only female Senior Sister, Zheng Ruyu, quickly said. These five Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters then led Meng Chuan from group to group, introducing him to his peers. Each introduction involved a few sips of wine and a brief chat, thus marking an acquaintance.

"Senior Brother Wang treated me exceptionally well, often guiding my swordsmanship. We trained together on Ten Thousand Swords Peak for three years," a slightly dejected Godfiend disciple said, drinking continuously. "But it's only been five years since he descended the mountain. He was safe on the city gate battlefield for three years, yet while guarding a prefecture and protecting its peace, he was ambushed by a lurking demon monarch and lost his life."

"The city gate battlefield is dangerous, but that's an overt danger," another said. "In seemingly safe prefectures and cities, there might be demon monarchs lurking."

"Lurking demon monarchs are few in number after all," another Godfiend added. "Moreover, there are Marquis Godfiends and even King Godfiends who regularly patrol the world to slay such demon monarchs. Lurking demon monarchs usually only act when they have a specific objective."

"Junior Brother Lu, don't be too sad," other Godfiends said. "Every Godfiend disciple who descends the mountain knows there will be a day they might fall in battle. I'm sure Senior Brother Wang was prepared for that."

The dejected Godfiend disciple shook his head. "I just feel it's unfair for Senior Brother Wang. He had just gotten married after leaving the battlefield and didn't even have an heir. Furthermore, he recently wrote to me, saying he would definitely reach the Great Sun Realm within two years! If he had reached the Great Sun Realm, that demon monarch's ambush wouldn't have been able to harm him. It was just those two years! Missing those two years cost him his life. Senior Brother Wang came from an ordinary family; how difficult was it for him to cultivate to his level? I am truly heartbroken."

Other fellow disciples offered comfort, but many fell in battle at Yuanchu Mountain every year, and after experiencing much grief, they gradually became able to bear it.

Only that dejected Godfiend disciple, who had a very deep bond with Senior Brother Wang, was still overwhelmed with grief.

"Everyone," Qiao Yong and his four companions said, bringing Meng Chuan to this group. "This is Junior Brother Meng Chuan."

Immediately, the group of Godfiend disciples in that circle stood up.

"Junior Brother Meng Chuan, you've mastered the Nine Refinements Thunder World-Exterminating Demonic Physique; we've long heard of your renown," one of them said.

"Junior Brother Meng Chuan, I am Liu Hezhou," another offered.

They all had brief conversations.

"Junior Brother Lu Fang," Qiao Yong said, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," the dejected Junior Brother Lu Fang said, standing up. He looked at Meng Chuan and raised his wine cup. "Junior Brother Meng Chuan, you've mastered the Nine Refinements Thunder World-Exterminating Demonic Physique and the Black Iron Heavenly Book, making you top-tier among all Godfiend disciples. You must surely slay many demon monarchs in the future to avenge our fallen fellow disciples."

"My cultivation is precisely for slaying demonkind," Meng Chuan stated.

"Good!" Lu Fang's spirits seemed to lift. He raised his cup. "Yes, we cultivate to slay demons! For this sentiment, let us all drink together!"

"Let's drink!" The others also joined Lu Fang.