My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

He watched the bear demon charging towards him, his left hand fingers lightly gliding across the blade of his sword.

The sword emitted a clear, soft sound, not loud, but everyone heard it. It sounded like a sigh, yet also like an echo.

He brandished his sword.

It was a very simple sword strike, without any fancy moves or techniques; it was just a horizontal swing.

But when that sword was swung out, Zhao Tieshan felt the whole world go silent for a moment.

The wind stopped, the insects stopped chirping, and even the bear demon's roar ceased.

A flash of sword light streaked past.

Lü Yang and the bear demon passed each other.

He stood behind the bear demon, the tip of his sword pointing diagonally at the ground, the blue light on the blade shifting erratically.

He remained in that position, motionless.

The bear demon was still charging forward.

It rushed three steps, and then its body split in two.

It's not cracked, it's separated.

The upper and lower body were neatly divided into two halves.

Blood gushed from the cut, like two red waterfalls, splashing up a cloud of blood mist in the twilight.

The bear demon's roar stopped.

Its body crashed to the ground, causing the ground to tremble violently and raising a cloud of dust.

Its eyes were still open, but the bloodline in its pupils had disappeared, leaving only a murky brown.

The entrance to the village was deathly silent.

Zhao Tieshan stood there, staring at the bear demon that had been cut in two, and at the young man standing in the pool of blood, his mind blank.

The four martial artists at the Blood Exchange Realm stood there, their mouths agape, forgetting to close them.

Among those in the village who were peeking through the cracks in the doors, some knelt down, some cried, and some murmured "gods."

Lu Yang stood there, gripping his sword, breathing slightly heavily.

His legs were shaking, his hands were shaking, and he felt completely drained, even standing was difficult.

But he didn't sit down or lean against the tree; he just stood there, his back ramrod straight.

He knew that many people were watching him.

The guard captain Zhao Tieshan was watching him, the four martial artists at the Blood Exchange Realm were watching him, and the heads peeking out from the cracks in the doors of the village were also watching him.

Their eyes held surprise, disbelief, and a look he had never seen on anyone else's face before—awe.

Lü Yang's heart was beating very fast.

It wasn't nervousness, it was excitement.

He recalled how the immortal master was watched every day, standing calmly and composedly among the crowd, neither arrogant nor humble, neither happy nor angry.

So this is what it feels like to be a saint in front of others.

His scalp tingled, and every pore on his body seemed to be cheering.

That sword strike had exhausted all his strength, but now he felt that strength returning a little, not because he had rested, but because of those gazes.

Those gazes were like a pair of hands, supporting him, making him stand straighter, and making him look more like someone important.

Zhao Tieshan walked over.

His knife was broken, his right arm hung limply at his side, and blood was still seeping from the wound on his shoulder.

He then endured the pain, clasped his hands together, and bent over deeply.

"Thank you very much, Young Master Lü, for saving my life."

The other four martial artists at the Blood Exchange Realm also came over and bowed along with Zhao Tieshan.

Sun Dayong's clothes were torn, Qian Laosan's mouth was still bleeding, Liu Heizi's left arm hung down unnaturally, and Zhou Xiaoqi had a long gash on his leg.

They were covered in wounds, but their backs were bent very, very deep.

Looking at their bent backs, Lü Yang suddenly felt a little panicked.

He had never been worshipped like this before, and he didn't know what to say or do.

He recalled that when the immortal master was worshipped, he would always wave his hand and say, "No need for such formalities."

He imitated the immortal master, raising his hand and waving it, as if to say "No need for formalities," but his throat was very dry and his voice was a little hoarse.

"No need...no need for such formalities."

Zhao Tieshan straightened up, looked at Lü Yang, and there was something else in his eyes.

"Young Master Lü," Zhao Tieshan said, "we'll take care of the bear demon's corpse for you. Bear gall, bear paws, and bear skin are all valuable. Once it's cleaned up, we'll deliver it to your lodgings."

Lu Yang nodded slightly and said.

"Thank you for your trouble, Captain Zhao."

Zhao Tieshan clasped his hands in a fist salute, then turned and beckoned the four men to clean up the bear carcass.

Lu Yang stood there, watching their backs as they walked away, and let out a long sigh of relief.

His legs were still shaking, his hands were still shaking, but he felt like he had grown a little taller.

In the village, the closed doors were opened one by one.

Some people peeked out from behind the gate, some stood at the entrance looking around, and some slowly walked into the street, looking in the direction of the village gate.

They looked at Lü Yang and whispered among themselves.

"Is that him? He doesn't look very old."

"Did you see that sword just now? I saw it. It flew out from inside the village, a beam of light, and cleaved that bear in two."

"That's that Taoist priest's disciple. If the disciple is so powerful, my goodness, the master must be a celestial being from heaven!"

"I wish he were my husband..."

As Lü Yang listened to the whispers, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

He quickly suppressed his anger, mimicking the immortal master's calm and composed demeanor, and stood expressionless.

But his mind was in turmoil.

So this is how the immortal master is talked about every day, so this is how the immortal master is watched every day.

He used to think that the immortal master didn't like to talk because he had a cold personality, but now he understands that it's not that he doesn't like to talk, but that he can't talk.

The moment you opened your mouth, that ethereal aura dissipated.

Lu Yang stood there, looking at the bear carcass that had been cut in two, watching Zhao Tieshan and his men skin the bear, take out the bear gall, and chop off the bear paws.

His legs and hands had stopped shaking, but he felt as if he were walking on cotton, soft and unsteady.

He knew he should go back; the immortal master was still waiting in the courtyard.

But he couldn't bear to leave.

He wanted to stand there a little longer, to feel those gazes a little longer.

......

Arlo heard about this on her way back.

She came out of the clan elder's house and turned into the alley, intending to go to the village entrance to see if Miao Gui and Lü Yang had returned.

But as soon as they reached the alley entrance, they saw several people running frantically from the direction of the village gate, shouting things like "Bear Demon," "Three-Story Building," and "Hundred Years of Cultivation."

A Luo paused for a moment, then instinctively grabbed an older woman who was running past and asked what was wrong.

The woman's face turned deathly pale, and she could barely speak: "A bear...a bear has come to the gate of the village! It's huge, so huge! The guards can't stop it!"

Aro's heart sank.

Her first reaction wasn't to run or hide, but to run home.

For some reason, she didn't think of Lin Wusheng immediately, but instead thought of the Taoist priest.

She ran very fast, her skirt billowing in the wind, and she didn't even bother to tidy up her disheveled hair.

The doors on both sides of the alley were closed, and the muffled cries of children came from inside the houses.

She didn't stop, running all the way to her own yard gate, pushing it open, and rushing inside, panting heavily.