Chapter 111: The Entire Audience in Shock

"Uh..."

Ye Qiu's words left Daoist Kumu completely speechless, choking him to the point where he didn't know how to respond. He had heard the phrase "it's as easy as using one's hands" before and hadn't thought much of it, but now, the more he heard it, the more bizarre it sounded.

Good grief, does that mean in the entire Great Wilderness, you are the only person who actually has hands? Could you please act like a normal human being?

"Senior is joking! If I dare not speak for others, just that single stroke you unleashed earlier—in all of eternity, there could never be a second person capable of such a feat. Such a divine stroke of genius, how could it be as simple as 'just using one's hands' as you claim? I beg you, Senior, please stop teasing us..." Daoist Kumu said, his face burning with shame.

Ye Qiu blinked. "Ah? Really? Was I actually that awesome just now?"

Daoist Kumu: "..."

*Showboating? Are you really showing off right now?*

You attacked without restraint, and you don't even have a clue about your own power? Good heavens, everyone here saw it, yet you act as if you weren't the one fighting just a moment ago. This man is truly a master of pretense. Is it that all high-level experts have such peculiar hobbies, where they feel unwell if they don't show off for a single day?

In reality, Ye Qiu wasn't pretending. He genuinely had no idea what had happened. If he had known, he would have memorized a few lethal moves to use in the future. The problem was that after that jar of wine, he had been dazed and tipsy. Then, when the vast, righteous energy within his body surged, he had blacked out completely. The battle had been fought entirely by his body's autonomous consciousness—it was a form of self-defense, instinctual and beyond his control.

For someone who had reached his level of cultivation, it was impossible for anyone to ambush him, even while he slept. His immortal body would automatically launch a defense the moment it sensed a dangerous aura. That was the true strength of his physique.

"Senior is truly an extraordinary person! This old man is completely impressed..." Daoist Kumu felt ashamed. This conversation was impossible; Ye Qiu's ability to act oblivious was simply too strong. If he kept talking, he feared he might suffer a mental collapse. Every word out of Ye Qiu's mouth was anything but human—it was a malicious assault on his self-esteem.

"Ahem, stay humble, stay humble! Honestly, I'm not as powerful as you all imagine. I'm just an ordinary person; you all just hold me in too high regard." Ye Qiu smiled modestly. This remark was even more infuriating, though he did it on purpose.

Daoist Kumu was stunned, his expression shifting to one of sudden, enlightened surprise. "Ah, this..."

"Incredible! I never expected that a senior of your caliber would possess such a steady temperament. Despite having such formidable cultivation, you still view yourself as an ordinary person. Such a state of mind is truly breathtaking! It seems the saying is true: the greatest experts are always the most low-key. This is not a lie..."

Daoist Kumu sighed in admiration and continued, "Senior is right to teach me. I have learned much!"

"Actually, a true master must always maintain the heart of a student. Seeking the Dao of Immortality is, in itself, a slow, upward journey. If you give up learning, you give up progress, and then only mediocrity awaits you. Little do you know, there is always a sky above the sky! The path of cultivation is endless... Even someone weaker than you has something worth learning—their spirit, their persistence—these are things you should study. Therefore... never look down on anyone in this world. Why ask what the Dao of cultivation is? It is the Dao within one's heart. If one cannot achieve self-discipline and self-awareness, that person will never go far. You can never imagine just how terrifying the potential of a self-disciplined and self-aware person can be..."

Seeing how intently they were listening, Ye Qiu went all out. To be honest, he might not be good at much else, but when it came to posturing, he was a grandmaster. As soon as these words left his lips, the scene erupted, and everyone fell into deep contemplation.

"A true master must always keep the heart of a student? *Hiss*... Such truth! This is the true essence of immortal cultivation."

"What does it mean to contend for destiny? To tread the path of the immortals? It is to walk step by step to the very peak through hardship and baptism... Cultivation is indeed endless!"

"I never imagined the Senior had already reached this level of understanding. It is beyond imagination..."

"Since ancient times, the world has believed that reaching the Dao of Supreme Freedom was the pinnacle. Little did we know, someone had quietly opened up another realm: the Earthly Immortal! Yet, even the Earthly Immortal is not the end. Above that lie the Great Luo Golden Immortals, Immortal Venerables, Immortal Kings, and the singular, eternal Immortal Emperors. Those with narrow vision, like frogs in a well, think they have reached the human pinnacle; with such a mindset, they can never take another step forward. Only with a mindset like Senior's can one continue to grope forward and carve out a true path to eternal life."

Ye Qiu had no idea how much of an impact his words had on their hearts. As soon as he finished, the entire crowd was stunned. Everyone closed their eyes as if a door to a new world had been opened, entering a strange, meditative state.

"Hm? Did I say something wrong again?"

Watching the scene, Ye Qiu stood dazed for a long time. He didn't know what he had said wrong; why were they all closing their eyes? Could it be that his words contained some profound truth? That was impossible; it was just a line from a game. Can you really do that? Should I drop another one, like 'The Dao of Infinity continues within my heart'?

At this moment, the Chaos Heavens were a spectacular sight. Hundreds of people broke through their barriers in succession, and one saintly elder even successfully stepped into the realm of the Earthly Immortal. Seeing this, the dark titans who hadn't managed to flee were dumbfounded, especially Dark Xifeng. He had come to save the World-Ending Elder, but while he had succeeded in the rescue, he had found himself trapped instead. He had been looking for a chance to escape, but after hearing Ye Qiu's words, he felt as if he had seen a path of light, and he fell into a state of self-doubt.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible! A single sentence could cause such a massive impact? This man... how exactly does he do it?" Dark Xifeng was utterly flabbergasted. Losing to such an opponent was no shame, but he was filled with deep resentment.

He wasn't the only one. Even the sacred Ruoxi, who had spent years in the Heavenly Kingdom, took a long time to recover. Upon hearing Ye Qiu's words, her mind cleared, and she felt as if she were soaring into the clouds.

Ruoxi looked at Ye Qiu with a complex gaze, whispering, "A god among men! He is truly peerless... I never thought that after a hundred years of turbulence, the Great Wilderness could produce such a supreme master. How laughable that we call ourselves gods, shrinking back in the Heavenly Kingdom and enjoying what we call a peaceful, prosperous age. Little did we know, in these hundred years, the beings of the Great Wilderness—in their thoughts and their Dao—have already surpassed us. Faced with such a civilization, we were self-satisfied, thinking we were so great, not realizing that we are like fireflies trying to compete with the brilliance of the moon."

Sacred Ruoxi bowed her head. Despite her pride and her absolute confidence in the Heavenly Book civilization, she could no longer muster any faith. Was Ye Qiu's speech not directed at them? Blind confidence, arrogance toward the world, stubborn thinking, believing themselves to be invincible—not realizing that there is always a sky above the sky, and people beyond people.