Chapter 1266: The World's Best

"Greetings, Great Saint Cao! I'm Zhou Yun, a reporter from Heaven's Morning Post. Could you tell us what your state of mind was when you were pursuing the Martial Maniac? Were you truly unafraid of this invincible figure, who is renowned throughout history?"

When they arrived at the rear base of the Yongzhou camp, a swarm of war correspondents rushed forward, almost crushing some of the large tents.

"I am unrivaled! My generation is second to none, and I have never known the meaning of fear!" Chu Feng declared, puffing out his chest with a solemn expression.

Everyone present was speechless. They wondered if he was truly going to change his name to Cao from now on.

Long Dayu felt an urge to smack him on the back of the head. What a show-off! Long Dayu knew perfectly well that when Ji Dade (Chu Feng) was pursuing the Martial Maniac, he was clearly trying to escape.

"Great Saint Cao De, so valiant and courageous across the three battlefields, may I ask which sect you hail from?" another war correspondent asked. This was a sensitive topic.

Previously, people generally believed he was a rogue cultivator, but after he displayed the Ultimate Fist, many suspected that a formidable orthodox lineage might be behind him.

"A minor, insignificant sect, not worth mentioning. However, against a prominent clan like the Nine-headed Bird tribe, we could probably wipe out dozens of them."

Chi Feng, the God King of the Nine-headed Bird tribe, was nearby. He scoffed at Chu Feng's initial humility, but upon hearing the latter half of the statement, he immediately wanted to kill him!

"Hello, Great Saint Cao De! I'm Zhou Yu, a reporter from Tonggu News, the largest circulating newspaper in the Yang Realm. On behalf of all the Saints, I would like to formally inquire how you achieved the Great Saint fruit status. If it's convenient, please guide later generations to a clear path. Everyone would be grateful."

A beautiful woman with long, fiery red hair had flushed cheeks, deeply excited to interview Chu Feng and delve into the secrets of a Great Saint.

"To become a Great Saint, you must continuously enhance your physique. A strong body is an essential element. I remember that ever since I was born, my ninth master hunted Nine-headed Birds for me daily. I drank their blood and ate their bone marrow to strengthen my sinews and bones, imbuing all the cells in my body with the potential for forbidden attributes. See, the moment I exert even a little Saint-level energy, my vital energy surges, and visions of fallen gods appear. This is a manifestation of my profound foundation!"

Chu Feng prattled on, spouting whatever came to his mind.

Those around him were deeply excited. "Is this one of the secrets to becoming a Great Saint?" they wondered.

Many quickly took notes, eager to ask more questions.

However, Chi Feng, the Nine-headed Bird God King standing nearby, had cold, boundless killing intent in his eyes. He admitted he had always wanted to kill Cao De but had never found an opportunity.

And the other party was no benign figure. This was utter nonsense, clearly designed to bring the Nine-headed Bird tribe to ruin. If such rumors truly spread, powerful clans across the world would hunt Nine-headed Birds to extract their true blood, which would undoubtedly lead to their extinction.

Although many would likely not believe it, some desperate tribes, or old monsters who were at their wits' end and doted excessively on their descendants, might genuinely try to hunt Nine-headed Birds for their blood. That would be dangerous!

Chi Feng's face was ashen. Because of one statement from that scoundrel Cao De, his tribe had suddenly accrued many potential risks.

"Great Saint Cao De, why is it necessary to drink the blood of Nine-headed Birds? Is there a specific cause and effect?" another reporter asked.

"As I just said, it's to absorb forbidden energy and cleanse the body. It is well-known that pure-blooded Nine-headed Birds emerge from the eleventh forbidden land under heaven, so they naturally carry the unique attributes of forbidden lands. What are 'forbidden attributes'? They are found within those forbidden places of the world. Do you understand now? In fact, I am not the only Great Saint in the current era; there are certainly others, all within those forbidden lands."

Chu Feng answered very seriously and earnestly.

According to him, creatures from forbidden lands inherently contained special energy factors, carrying certain forbidden attributes from those places, making them incredibly potent tonics.

God King Chi Feng felt like his lungs would burst. This Cao De couldn't go three sentences without mentioning the Nine-headed Bird tribe; he wouldn't rest until he had destroyed them. This continuous slander was endless.

He was ready to kill, but fortunately, the high command of the Yongzhou camp also couldn't stand it anymore. They stopped the war correspondents and ended the interviews.

"I just spoke my mind for a moment and revealed the cultivation secrets of our Dao Path. You mustn't spread this recklessly. If it truly gets out, I won't admit it. You should adhere to the principles of 'don't believe rumors, don't spread rumors.' At the same time, I won't debunk any rumors either. You figure it out!"

Even at the last moment, Chu Feng was still prevaricating.

A group of old monsters was left speechless. This young man was not only shirking responsibility but also adding fuel to the fire.

"Does Nine-headed Bird blood really work?" the Monkey asked, baring his teeth as he approached.

"Absolutely!" Chu Feng nodded emphatically.

"Alright then," the Monkey declared fiercely. "I'll go hunt a few later. If I don't achieve Great Saint status, I won't re-emerge in this life."

In the distance, the Old Monkey's six ears twitched. Hearing this, he nearly ripped out a few whiskers. "If you don't re-emerge, wouldn't you be crippled?"

"After I go back, I'm also going to drink a jar of Nine-headed Bird king's blood!" Peng Wanli nodded, showing his support and actively cooperating.

This instantly thrilled the departing war correspondents, bringing them to a near frenzy. They left very satisfied, knowing they had a sensational headline for tomorrow.

"Alright, everyone, disperse! Don't believe rumors, don't spread rumors, and don't debunk rumors!" Chu Feng waved his hand.

Someone from the Nine-headed Bird tribe wanted to rush over and kill him. He was causing trouble without direct confrontation, and still shirked responsibility. Cao De was utterly shameless.

Chu Feng swaggered away, leaving a group of people grinding their teeth, but they couldn't openly act against him.

However, Chu Feng's situation wasn't particularly good. While killing the Great Saint Li Chentian was a minor issue, chasing the Martial Maniac was far more troublesome. Everyone was worried that members of the Martial Maniac's lineage would emerge and directly attack the battlefield.

Inside the golden tent, the atmosphere was solemn. All the occupants were old figures, shrouded in chaotic energy, making the entire tent hazy and indistinct, their figures barely visible.

Some advocated for immediately tying up Cao De and waiting for the Martial Maniac's lineage to arrive, then pushing him out to appease their wrath.

This sparked a heated argument. Haoyuan, the grand-disciple of the Yongzhou Overlord, was the first to step forward, adamantly opposing the idea. If they did that, the Yongzhou camp would be ruined. They would lose loyalty and morale, and no one below them would fight for their lives. It would be self-sabotage, destroying their solid foundation!

The Nine-headed Bird tribe's ancestor stated sinisterly, "Let alone the Martial Maniac himself, even if his lineage's paramount disciple emerges, who could stop them?!"

This brought silence and a heavy atmosphere. Rumors circulated that the Martial Maniac's youngest disciple had become a mighty being many years ago, let alone his other followers.

And his youngest disciple was a woman, and one of *her* disciples was Taiwu Heavenly Venerate!

The more one thought about it, the more chilling it became. The Martial Maniac's lineage was terrifyingly powerful. If they were to make a move and cause trouble in the Yang Realm, they might be able to wipe out all the major sects.

Even the Li clan and the Buddhist clan, among the strongest, would struggle to resist being overrun by the Martial Maniac's lineage if their patriarchs had already passed away.

The argument grew fierce. The ancestor of the Nine-headed Bird tribe, the ancestor of the Twelve-winged Silver Dragon tribe, and others all had cold eyes, advocating for handing over Cao De.

"Absolutely not!" Heavenly Venerate Yu Shang vehemently interjected.

The ancestor of the Six-eared Macaque tribe also disagreed, believing that it wasn't a case of cutting off a tail to survive; instead, it would cause a mutiny, with many cultivators defecting.

"Don't bring that up again!" Haoyuan stated, solemnly emphasizing that his master's master, the Yongzhou Overlord, was capable of matching the Martial Maniac and feared him not!

Everyone fell silent. While they knew the Yongzhou figure was impossibly strong, comparing him to the Martial Maniac was still uncertain.

Many believed that the two were powerful figures of the same caliber.

However, the Martial Maniac was far more ancient; perhaps his methods were even more unfathomable.

Of course, some also believed that the Yongzhou figure had obtained the Chaos Mace, which was the tangible form of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, while the two figures in Hezhou and Zhanzhou had obtained the Myriad Tribulation Mirror and the Samsara Lamp, respectively.

Some said that the three artifacts combined would lead to the ultimate power!

Currently, the Yongzhou Overlord had obtained one, reaching incredible levels of cultivation and becoming invincible. Even if he wasn't as cunning as the Martial Maniac, with the Chaos Mace in hand, he should be inherently undefeatable.

Legend had it that in his previous life, the Yongzhou figure was turned into charcoal and vanished for a long time after forcefully seizing the tangible form of the Great Dao—the Chaos Mace.

In that era, he had already controlled one-twentieth of the Yang Realm's territory, his divine might shaking the world!

However, because he prematurely collected the three artifacts, aiming to become the ultimate cultivator, he was struck down by the most powerful heavenly tribulation in the history of the Yang Realm.

In fact, he didn't die; his body simply withered, turning into a charcoal-like state. After a long period, he revived in the current era and fully recovered.

In a sense, the Yongzhou Overlord also had an incredibly defying origin, unfathomable to anyone, his true background unknown.

Therefore, some held great confidence in him.

Even so, despite the calls from Haoyuan and Yu Shang to maintain composure and not sow internal discord, the stalemate persisted. They had not yet decided whether to protect Cao De or hand him over.

Inside the golden tent, chaotic energy swirled, blurring everything. The high-level discussions yielded no results.

While there was no outcome here, no bad news had spread. However, Chu Feng was already acting up. He couldn't wait any longer and sought out Heavenly Venerate Qi Rong to gain access to the secret realm, intending to harvest creation materials.

Some old monsters were speechless. Here they were, debating whether to sacrifice him, yet he was still hopping around as if nothing was wrong, completely lacking discretion.

In reality, Chu Feng had a bad feeling. He wanted to harvest the creation materials early, plunder all the secret realms he was entitled to, and then flee.

As a result, Heavenly Venerate Qi Rong personally emerged from the tent, a wide smile on his face, urging Chu Feng not to rush. He explained that the three major camps were still coordinating their choices regarding the secret realms, still delineating their boundaries, and hadn't finalized everything.

"How long will that take?" Chu Feng asked.

"At least two or three days," Heavenly Venerate Qi Rong replied.

Upon hearing this, Chu Feng's hair stood on end. He truly couldn't wait that long. Even if the Yang Realm was vast and the Martial Maniac's true body might still be dormant, news would surely reach him within two or three days.

If he didn't leave by then, he would undoubtedly be refined into ashes.

As for the 'sect' he mentioned, such a place indeed existed, but it had little to do with him. He had been fortunate enough to visit that mysterious region, but the beings there were not his masters, and he probably couldn't persuade them to help!

That day, Chu Feng left Long Dayu and tried to find a deserted place to escape, intending to use the Heaven-Escape Talisman that Old Gu had given him!

However, a Heavenly Venerate appeared, waving his hand, forbidding him from leaving.

Clearly, he was being closely monitored and couldn't get away.

Chu Feng assessed the situation. Old Gu had given him a Heaven-Escape Talisman, which, in theory, a single Heavenly Venerate couldn't block.

But there was more than one Heavenly Venerate present. If the old fellows collectively attacked, he estimated he would die terribly, and the spatial tunnel would be shattered.

Heavenly Venerate Qi Rong comforted him, saying the secret realm would open soon, and he just needed to wait two more days.

Soon after, God King Chi Feng arrived and taunted him, saying, "Heh, you're sneaking around like a thief, trying to escape? I advise you to give up that idea and just wait for the Martial Maniac's lineage to arrive!"

Three-headed Divine Dragon Yun Tuo and others also appeared, gloating, their faces showing delight and coldness. They unanimously believed that if Cao De was given time, they would be no match for him in the future. Once they clashed, they would all be killed terribly.

"Your kind of face, typical traitors, Yongzhou traitors, two-faced dogs! Damn it, sooner or later, I'll swat you, Chi Feng, dead with the sole of my shoe!"

Chu Feng gave them no courtesy, speaking coldly, then simply turned his back, ignoring them.

Chi Feng was furious and truly wanted to act, but he thought for a moment and restrained himself. Since Cao De was to be handed over to the Martial Maniac's lineage, how would they explain it if he killed him now?

At the same time, he understood that if he truly made a move, others would not be courteous to him. Li Jiuxiao, Mi Hong, and others were approaching and were not far away.

Heavenly Venerate Yu Shang also arrived but was blocked by others, unable to get close to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng's expression was far from pleasant. Finally, he thought it over: "When in doubt, treat a dead horse as if it's alive." He decided he still had to seek help, to try and find someone to deal with the Martial Maniac!

If he could truly invite that person out, perhaps great things could be achieved!

"Help me prepare sacrificial offerings! I want to invite someone from my sect to emerge and slay that mad devil!" Chu Feng sent word, requesting the logistics personnel to prepare rare and potent "blood food" for him.

"Playing crazy, acting foolish, what's this trick? Just honestly wait for death!" Chi Feng scoffed coldly.

"What do you know, you idiot? Go get Heavenly Venerate Qi Rong and the others! I'm going to perform a sacrifice! I'm going to invite someone, a truly invincible existence under heaven. Do you know why I'm called Cao? It's related to my sect—number one under heaven! If you don't understand, then shut your mouth!" Chu Feng roared, scolding him like a chick, showing no fear towards the infamous God King Chi Feng, this Nine-headed Bird.

"You're truly seeking death!" Chi Feng's face turned grim.

However, Li Jiuxiao, Monkey's brother Mi Hong, and others appeared, blocking his path.

Instantly, the news spread: Great Saint Cao De was going to invite someone, his master, to emerge and suppress the Martial Maniac's lineage!

This caused a massive sensation. Which sect was Great Saint Cao De's master from? What was their background? It piqued everyone's interest and caused a huge uproar.

Even the Heavenly Venerates were disturbed, unable to remain calm.

"Heh, grandstanding! What sect do you have? You just happened to enter some ruins and gained a legacy, that's all. If you had true roots, why hide it before? Why didn't you have protectors and so on?" Chi Feng sneered.

He didn't believe it, then added, "I'll see who you can invite today. Don't tell me you're going to bring some random cat or dog to make up the numbers?"

Chu Feng's smile was cold. "Alright, just for that remark, I'm going to invite a master from my sect. He absolutely loves blood food. I think the Nine-headed Bird tribe's ancestor's leg might be in serious trouble!"