Chapter 165: A Show-Off Moment

Upon seeing this grand spectacle, Ye Qiu smiled faintly.

Not bad! So many people? Could it be that it is time for me to flex again?

Well, come to think of it, going even a single day without flexing makes it feel a bit rusty. It seems flexing is something that must be done frequently.

"Ahem, everyone, please rise!"

With a grand wave of his hand, Ye Qiu remained calm and collected, perfectly embodying the demeanor of an enlightened master.

As for this kind of flexing, Ye Qiu had done it countless times. He had long since mastered every single detail, so how could he possibly suffer from stage fright?

"Senior, what kind of terrifying things actually lie deep within the forbidden zone? Would you mind telling us about them?"

For millions upon millions of years, no one had ever entered the forbidden zone and returned alive and unscathed. Ye Qiu was the very first.

How could this not command respect? More importantly, they were genuinely curious: what horrifying entities actually existed within that so-called life-devouring forbidden zone?

Ye Qiu glanced at him with a deadpan expression and said calmly, "Actually, it's not as terrifying as you all imagine.

Just a few thousand Terrestrial Immortals, a few hundred Great Luo Golden Immortals, and... deep within the forbidden zone, countless Supreme Immortal masters.

And the most terrifying part is that the legendary Dark Heavenly Emperor, who has been plotting through the ages, is also in there!"

As soon as Ye Qiu said these words, the entire crowd was shaken to their core!

"Th-Thousands of Terrestrial Immortals?"

"Hundreds of Great Luo Golden Immortals?"

"Countless Supreme Immortal masters?"

"Hiss... Good grief, so this is the true nest of the calamity! I never imagined that this tiny forbidden zone would harbor so many supreme dark overlords."

"Good heavens, how can this be! Senior managed to emerge from the forbidden zone completely unscathed; this is simply unbelievable..."

For a moment, the entire crowd erupted in a frenzy. No one could imagine what kind of earth-shattering battle must have taken place inside.

The most terrifying thing was that they could not detect even a trace of an injury on Ye Qiu. This meant that even when faced with the joint siege of thousands of dark overlords, he had still managed to withdraw unscathed!

It was simply unbelievable; his strength was outrageously formidable.

The most absurd part was that he actually claimed it wasn't even that terrifying in there?

Oh heavens, I beg you to strike down this braggart with lightning right now! Wasn't that terrifying enough? Then what on earth could possibly be considered terrifying?

"Thousands of dark overlords?"

Xing Tian glanced at the completely composed Ye Qiu, looking very puzzled as he muttered to himself, "Wasn't it only a dozen or so? Besides, those dozen or so scum were dealt with by me. How did it somehow become his achievement?"

Xing Tian was beginning to doubt his entire existence. Could it be that his memory failed him just now? Were there really thousands of dark overlords? Otherwise, how could Ye Qiu say such words with such a straight face?

"Ah, I understand now! This must be what that kid surnamed Cao called on the way here: flexing!"

Xing Tian seemed to have figured something out, though he was already doubting reality itself. Were eras nowadays really this wild?

When you say such things, do you honestly not even blush?

To flex, one could throw away their face entirely and exaggerate to such an extreme?

"Oh my mother, a shopkeeper is truly a shopkeeper! Compared to him, I am still too young! How can a single person reach such a level of flexing?

Thousands of them? Hundreds already seemed preposterous enough to me, how on earth does he have the nerve to say that out of loud?"

Cao鹤 called himself an expert, his jaw dropped so wide he couldn't close it. This person was far too terrifying.

Therefore, when it came to flexing, one still had to look to Ye Qiu. Anyone else attempting it would likely just choke...

"Shopkeeper, aren't you afraid your act will fall apart if you flex like this?"

This was the question Cao鹤 cared about the most. Wasn't Ye Qiu afraid of being exposed?

"Your perspective is too narrow, simply too narrow! If a person can elevate their aura and prestige to my level, do you think... the world would rather believe the words of an unknown nobody, or rather choose to believe my words?"

Ye Qiu smiled as he explained, instantly hitting the nail on the head and leaving Cao鹤 astounded.

"Good grief, there is such a philosophy? Lesson learned, lesson learned!

Turns out that aura and prestige can truly sculpt a perfect image, making people unconsciously choose to believe your words. This is the supreme profound meaning of flexing..."

Wasn't that simply the case?

Once Ye Qiu uttered these words, who would dare to question whether his words were false? Absolutely no one.

Because his strength was universally recognized. Even if you discovered he was merely bragging, it would mean you were in the wrong, not him.

This was the ultimate proof of his supreme status.

"Hiss... Good grief, you can actually play it like this?"

Listening to the two of them speak with such enthusiasm, even Xing Tian felt his blood boiling, wishing he could immediately step up and pull off a grand flex himself.

Wasn't this simply too wonderful? The process of flexing not only brought physical and mental satisfaction, but it also shaped one's tall and mighty image. It was killing two birds with one stone!

"Hehe, no, I must secretly learn a trick or two! I'll try it out another day and see how the effect turns out..."

Xing Tian felt a secret thrill in his heart, having seemingly discovered yet another life goal, and gradually undergoing a comical mental transformation...

Oh boy, he corrupted another one! Just how many people had Ye Qiu corrupted by now?

"Senior's Dao techniques are profound and truly admirable! Unsurpassed by those before and unmatched by those to come, please accept our bow..."

As expected, the moment Ye Qiu pulled off this flex, his status invisibly rose by several stages in everyone's hearts.

Being able to walk out of the perilous dark forbidden zone was enough to prove Ye Qiu's terrifying nature. Even those who did not know Ye Qiu previously would now hold yet another supreme and revered name in their hearts starting today.

"Hehe, not bad, not bad! Today marks yet another successful flexing case. It seems I should properly organize my 'Code of Flexing' in the future!"

Ye Qiu felt a surge of joy inwardly while maintaining his serene, calm, and composed facade.

At a single glance, he looked precisely like an immortal banished from the heavens, his aura nailed to perfection.

Magnificent, simply magnificent! Within the crowd, Qing Cheng cast a gaze of admiration, tugged at the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow beside her, and pointed at Ye Qiu. "Did you see that? Now that is what you call professionalism! A shopkeeper is truly a shopkeeper, able to command such a grand scene with just a few words. Compared to him, I still have so much to learn..."

"By the way, are there really thousands of Terrestrial Immortals in there?"

Liyuan, standing nearby and clearly unfamiliar with this routine, asked with a completely blank expression.

The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow replied with a sidelong glance, "Heavens know! Screw all that, let's go..."

With that, the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow spread its wings and instantly soared toward Ye Qiu. Xing Tian, thinking someone was launching an ambush, immediately flashed his giant axe.

"Brother, don't get excited! We're on the same side..."

Startled out of his wits, Cao鹤 hurriedly blocked him, terrified that the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow might be turned into braised turkey in the next second.

He had witnessed Xing Tian's terrifying strength with his own eyes. Let alone the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, even if everyone present combined, it wouldn't even be enough between his teeth.

This guy was an absolute god of slaughter! You could offend Ye Qiu, but you definitely couldn't offend him—there was simply no room for negotiation.

Though perplexed, Xing Tian saw that Cao鹤 claimed they were allies and lowered his weapon. He watched as Ye Qiu leaped gracefully into the air and landed softly upon the back of the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow.

That aura of his instantly elevated by yet another several levels.

"Damn! So this creature is his mount? Hmm... I must admit, having such a massive bird as a mount certainly exudes a high level of prestige.

I should go capture one myself another day. I am, after all, an almighty deity of a region; how can I venture out without a proper mount..."

Learning by example, in order to blend into this current era more quickly, Xing Tian felt it necessary to take a page out of Ye Qiu's book.

He would start by catching a mount.