Chapter 1461: Fame

On a desolate island outside the Buried Immortal Sea in the South China Sea, Li Tianyang and others gathered on a low dirt mound, their brows furrowed.

"The Spirit-Slaying Qi erupted so suddenly. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Qian and the others managed to eliminate Zhou Sihong," Li Tianyang said, his expression grim. Only a few days had passed, and the sudden outbreak of Spirit-Slaying Qi meant that Qian Tianming and the others were simply unlucky.

The Buried Immortal Sea was not called that for nothing; being trapped by the Spirit-Slaying Qi was a death sentence. Each outbreak lasted anywhere from several months to over a hundred years. Otherwise, the Ten Great Sects would have long ago organized forces to mine the metal veins in the Buried Immortal Sea, instead of leaving them untouched until now.

Huang Fugui's eyes darted about. "With the abilities of Fellow Daoist Wang and Fellow Daoist Qian, as long as they found Zhou Sihong, eliminating him would certainly be no problem," he said. "My efforts searching for him would not have been in vain." A hint of mockery flashed in Shen Wenbin's eyes. Huang Fugui was clearly worried about losing his reward, the greedy wretch.

The calm sea surface suddenly burst open, and Qian Tianming flew out of the water, his face pale.

Fortunately, he had a teleportation stone, a spatial shifting treasure. Otherwise, he would have been permanently trapped in the Buried Immortal Sea. Regrettably, the teleportation stone was a single-use treasure that could teleport a cultivator to an unknown, distant location. Once used, it was gone. The Divine Weapon Palace's treasury only held three such stones; Qian Tianming had taken one, leaving two.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, you're finally out! What about the others? Is Zhou Sihong dead?" Li Tianyang asked, a touch of nervousness in his voice.

Qian Tianming's gaze swept over the cultivators present. After a slight hesitation, he recounted the events. While eliminating Zhou Sihong was a significant achievement, the major powers were more concerned about the Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure. If Qian Tianming claimed not to have obtained the treasure, it would be difficult to explain, especially if Wang Changsheng and the others had escaped. Given that the Divine Weapon Palace possessed teleportation stones, who could guarantee that Wang Changsheng's group didn't have other valuable artifacts? There was no need for him to lie. With the Divine Weapon Palace's strength, securing the Blood Demon Blade would not be an issue. He then produced Zhou Sihong's corpse, allowing everyone to inspect it carefully. Once confirmed, a collective sigh of relief swept through the group.

"The Blood Demon Blade appeared once before, but then it vanished," Li Tianyang said, frowning. "This Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure is too sinister. Fellow Daoist Qian, your Divine Weapon Palace must not abuse this treasure." With this treasure in hand, the Divine Weapon Palace's standing would be as solid as a mountain; no one could shake its position unless a Soul Transformation cultivator intervened. This also presented a problem for the Divine Weapon Palace, as those ancient Soul Transformation cultivators would undoubtedly covet the treasure. Li Tianyang was more concerned that the Divine Weapon Palace's Nascent Soul cultivators might use the treasure to go on a rampage.

Qian Tianming smiled triumphantly. "Rest assured, this treasure will be enshrined in the Divine Weapon Hall, serving as our Divine Weapon Palace's sixth foundational treasure. Now, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave." With that, Qian Tianming transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and vanishing into the horizon.

"This time, we managed to eliminate Zhou Sihong. Fellow Daoist Huang, your reporting was meritorious, and we will certainly fulfill our promise to reward you with a sum of wealth," Dai Ren said, his face beaming. "Truth be told, we owe a great deal to Fellow Daoist Wang; otherwise, that fiend might have escaped. Our sect leader's decision was indeed correct." Wang Changsheng had made a significant contribution in this battle, and Huang Fugui's report was crucial—all demonstrating the wise leadership of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. The Ten Thousand Swords Sect could leverage this opportunity to gain greater benefits in the power struggle among the Ten Great Sects.

"Exactly," Huang Fugui nodded in agreement, "if Fellow Daoist Wang hadn't repeatedly persuaded me, I wouldn't have gone searching for Zhou Sihong. Of course, Fellow Daoist Wang's high level of awareness is undoubtedly thanks to your sect's guidance, and Fellow Daoist Dai must have influenced him too." He complimented Dai Ren and Wang Changsheng while subtly mentioning his own involvement.

"Regardless, the menace of Zhou Sihong has finally been resolved," Dai Ren concluded. "Fellow Daoist Wang has made a tremendous contribution this time, and the South China Sea cultivation world will forever remember it. Let's head back! After such a long period of martial law, the South China Sea should return to peace." The cultivators dispersed, each returning to their homes, while Huang Fugui followed Dai Ren to the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to claim his reward.

A month later, exhilarating news spread rapidly throughout the South China Sea: Under the wise leadership of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, True Lord Taihao had successfully slain the great fiend Zhou Sihong. The major sea regions of the South China Sea returned to normal, and cultivators could once again use teleportation arrays to travel to other sea areas and hunt demonic beasts.

Due to Zhou Sihong's presence, the South China Sea had been under martial law for over a decade to prevent his escape. Trade and commerce had been severely impacted, especially for rogue cultivators, as the reduced number of merchants meant they couldn't sell their materials for high prices.

Upon the news, the South China Sea cultivation world erupted in excitement. Various sea regions seized the opportunity to hold grand celebrations and large-scale auctions to attract business. For a time, the entire South China Sea cultivation world was enveloped in a festive frenzy.

Propelled by the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, the name of True Lord Taihao spread throughout the South China Sea cultivation world. His prestige reached new heights, with some even comparing him to the Four Seasons Sword Venerable. The Ten Thousand Swords Sect also greatly enhanced its reputation through this event, and other sects made various concessions, allowing the Ten Thousand Swords Sect to gain significant benefits without expending a single soldier.

Ao Qing had perished, and Shi Hou's whereabouts were unknown. The demon race suspected human involvement and sought to launch an invasion. However, leadership became an issue, as neither the Black Phoenix Tribe nor the Flood Dragon Tribe submitted to the other, and every other tribe desired to be the head of the demon race. Deterred by the presence of the human race, the demon race did not engage in large-scale conflict. In the short term, the demon race would not pose a significant threat; it would be difficult for them to unite against humanity. Given the existence of the sea tribes and barbarian tribes, humanity also did not wish to proactively seek trouble.

At the Golden Lotus Market, on a vast hundred-mu bluestone plaza, Huang Fugui stood on a bluestone arena. Thousands of cultivators gathered nearby, listening to him recount the process of eliminating Zhou Sihong.

Of course, these cultivators had all paid spirit stones, ten per person. Huang Fugui personally narrated the events leading to Zhou Sihong's demise, making a substantial profit.

"True Lord Taihao repeatedly persuaded me, and I was moved by him, so I searched everywhere for Zhou Sihong," Huang Fugui narrated. "I went to the Myriad Ghosts Sea, where I almost died at the hands of demonic entities. I visited the Spirit-Severing Sea, nearly getting surrounded by Spirit-Slaying Qi. I even ventured to the Fallen Immortal Ice Plain, where I almost ended up in the belly of a Fourth-Tier demonic beast. Heaven does not disappoint those who have a heart; after several close calls with death, I finally found Zhou Sihong's whereabouts. The Ten Thousand Swords Sect invited True Lord Taihao to intervene, and I originally wanted to go too, but unfortunately, I am not a body cultivator, and at that time..."

In a splendid, golden pavilion, Guangdong Ren and An Ran sat together, sipping tea and chatting. They had a clear view of Huang Fugui.

"Senior Huang is truly an eccentric," An Ran said with a smile. "As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he's actually explaining the process of eliminating Zhou Sihong to so many low-level cultivators, all for a few spirit stones." The Wang family had paid Huang Fugui a hefty sum to recount Zhou Sihong's demise, aiming to build a grand image for True Lord Taihao. Huang Fugui, meanwhile, was collecting money from both the Wang family and the low-level cultivators, making a profit from both ends.

"That fellow is famously greedy," Guangdong Ren said with a wry smile. "I had the backing of a sect to get to where I am today, so it's not without reason that Huang Fugui has reached his current standing." Many cultivators looked down on Huang Fugui, but if they were in his shoes, could they act as shamelessly as he did? Guangdong Ren admitted he couldn't. Among the Core Formation cultivators of Huang Fugui's era, only Guangdong Ren and Li Haifeng had successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul stage; the others had either passed away or remained stuck at a bottleneck.

"There are Three Thousand Great Daos, and all can lead to immortality. Perhaps being greedy and shameless is his path!" An Ran said, her face full of curiosity. Since Huang Fugui entered the cultivation world, he had never been favored by other cultivators, yet he repeatedly challenged their perceptions of him. "Afraid of death, so he can't form a Nascent Soul? Didn't Huang Fugui still advance to the Nascent Soul stage?"

Guangdong Ren chuckled. "Who knows? I'm more concerned about True Lord Taihao's safety. So much time has passed, and he still hasn't returned. I hope he's alright."

"The Azure Lotus Immortals are people of great fortune; otherwise, their Nascent Soul formation wouldn't have attracted auspicious phenomena," An Ran comforted him. "True Lord Taihao should be fine." Being on the same boat as the Wang family, they naturally didn't want anything to happen to Wang Changsheng.