Chapter Eighteen: The Mountain Treasure Emerges

"Boss, a crowd has gathered outside the restaurant. They look fierce and predatory—this might not be easy to handle..." Cao He spoke with a worried expression.

No one knew why so many had suddenly appeared. In the distance, four ferocious beasts were approaching, and in the next moment... this place might well become a sea of fire.

"Why panic? If soldiers come, we meet them; if floods come, we block them. Whether gods or ghosts, I welcome them all, no matter how many..." Ye Qiu spoke with bravado, though even he didn’t believe his own words.

Still, it was emboldening.

What Ye Qiu didn’t realize was that, as soon as he spoke, everyone from the Radiant Sanctuary felt a chill run through their hearts, breaking out in cold sweat.

"Trouble! Has the senior made up his mind to kill?" Everyone was terrified. Their elders from the sect were also outside—if Ye Qiu truly decided to kill, they’d all be caught in the crossfire.

"Senior, please show mercy. Our masters mean no harm. Please don’t unleash carnage..." Yang Xuan quickly pleaded, afraid Ye Qiu might wipe everyone out with a single move.

Previously, they doubted Ye Qiu’s power, but after recent events, no one dared question him anymore.

Ye Qiu glanced back at him, secretly amused.

"Oh? They actually think I’m some recluse master? Not bad, not bad—I almost believed it myself..."

He had no such ability. If he did, he wouldn’t need to lie low.

Still, it was another opportunity to play the role, and he enjoyed it.

"I’ll do my best..." Ye Qiu replied calmly. After hearing his words, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Junior Sister, maybe I should go out first, tell the elders not to act rashly and avoid offending the senior, or things could get complicated..."

Fu Yao shook her head and said, "I don’t think that’s necessary..."

As soon as she spoke, a blaze soared into the sky—the chaos had broken out completely.

Above the abyss, the Devouring Sparrow spread its wings and flew over with overwhelming force. In an instant, flames engulfed the area.

"Damn it, retreat!"

Everyone in the sky was startled by the sudden turn of events, even Fu Feng and the others had to retreat.

But as they pulled back, the restaurant was left exposed to the Devouring Sparrow’s flames.

"This is bad! Stop it!"

Fu Feng reacted instantly, but it was already too late.

In the urgent moment, the fire touched the sword formation outside. Instantly, tens of thousands of sword energies exploded.

"Run!"

Everyone panicked—the terrifying sword energy spread everywhere, covering the sky, leaving no one unscathed.

The moment the sword energy erupted, everyone retreated thousands of miles, barely escaping the attack, still shaken to the core.

But the Devouring Sparrow did not evade. It never cared about the sword energy, looked down with disdain, and sent another wave of fire.

Next moment, the flames were dispersed, tens of thousands of sword energies burst forth, slicing the Devouring Sparrow cleanly in two.

"My god, the ancient ferocious Devouring Sparrow was just cut down like that?"

"Heavens, how is this possible!"

The whole scene was in shock. The Devouring Sparrow died without ever knowing why, and even its rival, the Suan Ni, stood dumbfounded.

In the distance, the Nine-Headed Lion and the Fearless Lion were left speechless.

"Good heavens, what kind of terrifying existence is this! Even the ancient Devouring Sparrow couldn’t withstand a single blow—this is insane!"

Silence fell on the scene. Everyone stared at the restaurant, not daring to approach.

The Wang Clan, the Tianfeng family, all were stunned, hearts pounding with fear.

Elder Tianyi said gloomily, "There is indeed a master inside! Nearly fell for Wang Yuan’s trick. Luckily, we didn’t provoke him, or we’d have been the ones wiped out..."

"Even ancient ferocious beasts can’t survive a single blow—this is terrifying! What kind of existence is hiding inside?"

Everyone was stunned, and the silence was chilling.

Inside the restaurant, Ye Qiu, witnessing the scene, was equally baffled.

"What happened?"

Ye Qiu asked in confusion. Cao He shook his head, replying, "I don’t know either. The entire restaurant was covered in flames just now—we couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, the Devouring Sparrow died out of nowhere! Boss, was it your doing?"

"Me?"

Ye Qiu replied gloomily, "No, I didn’t do anything! Hey, what’s with those looks?"

Ye Qiu noticed all the admiring gazes turned toward him, leaving him even more confused.

What the heck, seriously? I really didn’t do anything, and now I’m the hero again?

How is this possible?

Damn, what ridiculous plot is this? Did the author not finish elementary school, writing such melodramatic nonsense? Have they run out of words?

"Senior’s cultivation is truly unfathomable, as radiant as the sun and moon in the heavens..."

Yang Xuan started to praise him, but Ye Qiu quickly cut him off, "Stop, stop! Don’t start that. I really didn’t do anything..."

"I get it, I get it! Low profile, right? Hehe... I understand, senior, no need to remind us. We saw nothing..."

Yang Xuan grinned.

Ye Qiu was speechless, "What did you see? Are you kidding me? Why am I the only one who didn’t see anything—can it really be so magical?"

Just now, Ye Qiu saw nothing but overwhelming flames, then the fire dispersed, and the Devouring Sparrow was sliced in two.

"Forget it! No matter what I say, they think I’m amazing. Whatever I explain, they say I’m pretending. It's too much..."

Fine, if explanation doesn’t work, there's no point in trying. Let them think what they want.

Outside, silence reigned. The battle had ended. Whether clans, sanctuaries, or beasts, all stared blankly at the restaurant.

"Senior brother, there really is a master inside. Did you feel it? That sword energy carried a majestic aura, as if enforcing the laws of heaven itself—unyielding and inviolable. Just a single sword energy could have wiped us all out. Such a realm is beyond ordinary mortals. Could this person be the legendary Supreme Carefree Master?"

Tian Zhong spoke, his heart filled with fear.

Fu Feng frowned; he too had sensed that aura, and was deeply perplexed.

He shook his head, saying, "I don’t think so! I am half a step away from the Supreme Carefree realm. Though I haven’t crossed the final threshold, I can say for certain—this power is not something the Supreme Carefree can possess. This person... is far more than that. Perhaps... a true immortal."

"Immortal? How is that possible? Since the primordial era, not a single immortal has appeared in the Great Wilderness. How could he be one?"

Tian Zhong was shocked, unable to believe Fu Feng.

Fu Feng shook his head and gave a bitter smile, "Junior brother, we are but frogs at the bottom of the well. We've only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg in this world. Beyond, in that dark uncharted region, there are countless strange and wondrous things. All these years, many have ventured to explore—have you ever seen anyone return?"

We pride ourselves on being invincible, but even the Supreme Carefree Master would not dare claim true invincibility.

His words brought silence.

This world, they had only ever touched the surface. Who could claim to truly understand it?

"To think such a supreme being is hidden here—it's unbelievable!"

The silent wilderness erupted once again in fierce battle as a flash of light appeared.

From the Devouring Sparrow’s corpse, a faint glow emerged. The moment it appeared, everyone went wild.

"Look! The mountain treasure has appeared..."

At that moment, everyone rushed toward the mountain treasure.

"Roar..."

The Suan Ni let out a thunderous roar, driving everyone back, while the Nine-Headed Lion and Fearless Giant Ape arrived at the scene—the three titans were about to battle fiercely.

Suddenly, the mountain treasure emitted a bright light. In the night, a brilliant white lotus bloomed slowly.

Beneath the white lotus lay a box, which seemed to sense a summons and slowly floated toward the restaurant...

"Is the master about to make a move?"

Those who had intended to fight for the treasure paused—they dared not provoke the master inside the restaurant.

Even the three ancient ferocious beasts didn't dare.

They could only watch as the mountain treasure flew into the restaurant, powerless to stop it...

Inside, Ye Qiu was baffled, staring at the box in his hand, lost in thought.

"Cao, is this the treasure everyone risked their lives to fight for?"

"Probably... I guess?" Cao He wasn't sure, but was even more curious—why had the mountain treasure suddenly ended up in Ye Qiu’s hands?

Could Ye Qiu really be a master?

"Damn, it's confirmed! Good grief, you've hidden so deeply. I've followed you for more than twenty years, and you even kept this from me—too much! If I'd known you were so amazing, I wouldn't have lived so frustrated. Why did you hide it from me..."

Cao He nearly shouted—clearly, Ye Qiu was incredible, but acted so timid he made even Cao He feel inferior. What was the point?

"What did I hide? Nonsense..."

Ye Qiu glared at him, unable to understand his thinking.

If he were a master, why would he hide? He’d have gone out to flaunt ages ago.

Others travel between worlds, so does he. Others show off, he lies low. Others fight monsters and level up, he lies low. Did he really enjoy this life?

Damn!

Every time he saw others show off, he envied them for ages. He wanted to show off too, he wanted to slap faces, but his ability didn’t allow it...

Ye Qiu was troubled. He truly hadn’t hidden his power—he really didn’t know anything. Now even his own subordinate didn’t believe him?

How could he go on living like this?