Chapter 80: The God of the Mortal Realm

"Why do they call me the God of the Mortal Realm?" Li Jiufeng frowned slightly.

Logically, in the past ten years, he had not made a move, lived in seclusion, and kept a low profile.

Meanwhile, the outside world had been tumultuous, with the revival of spiritual energy, the rise of geniuses, the birth of qilin, and the fall of ancient dragons—so many events piled up, who would still remember him?

Bai Yunfei shook his head. "Senior brother, perhaps the new rising stars in this cultivation era don't remember you, but many others have walked through the era when spiritual energy was sparse and the Dao was not apparent."

"In that time, you were the God of the Mortal Realm," Bai Yunfei said firmly.

Li Jiufeng shook his head and laughed bitterly. "God of the Mortal Realm? That title only brings hatred. I've kept a low profile all this time, so who gave me that name?"

Bai Yunfei smiled. "If an ordinary person said this, everyone would scoff, but this came from the mouth of the Master himself."

"The Master?" Li Jiufeng was surprised. "I have never met him. Why would he call me the God of the Mortal Realm?"

Bai Yunfei shook his head. "You may say you haven't met the Master, but you can't say the Master hasn't seen you."

Li Jiufeng looked at Bai Yunfei in confusion. What did that mean?

Bai Yunfei gazed into the distance, where the clouds drifted lazily, and said softly, "Senior brother, you may not know, but back then, when you brought great shock to the cultivation world..."

Li Jiufeng furrowed his brows, still silent, waiting for Bai Yunfei to continue.

"Over ten years ago, the entire cultivation world had no hope. Breaking through the Ninth Restriction was a near-impossibility. It was you, Senior Brother, who, in that time, slashed a sea of swords, offering methods for breaking through the Ninth Restriction and giving hope to the world."

"Although that sword sea has now been abandoned and no cultivator of the Eighth Restriction has sought its wisdom, the sword sea, which once gathered thousands, remains fresh in the minds of many."

Bai Yunfei spoke as if recounting a legend.

"That was just a sword sea. It doesn't make me the God of the Mortal Realm," Li Jiufeng said, shaking his head.

"Yes, the sword sea may be impressive, but the Master wouldn't care about it. But when people ask the Master who the strongest person in the world is, do you know what the Master said?" Bai Yunfei asked mysteriously.

Li Jiufeng raised an eyebrow. "What did he say?"

Bai Yunfei imitated the Master's voice, his tone filled with deep emotion. "He said, 'In today's world, there are many geniuses, divine beasts, and countless experts from all walks of life. But if you want to know who is the strongest, it is the sword I saw eleven years ago.'"

Li Jiufeng's eyes widened in realization. "That sword, the one I struck toward the Supreme Dao, is it?"

"Yes, that sword. It completely wiped out the Supreme Dao, which had existed for thousands of years and dominated for just as long. The Master could certainly recognize that sword."

Li Jiufeng nodded, understanding now.

"But just based on that sword, the Master calls me the God of the Mortal Realm?" Li Jiufeng raised an eyebrow. "That seems too hasty."

"Others asked the Master the same question, and the Master replied, 'That sword had the power of the Tenth Restriction, and at that time, spiritual energy hadn't even exploded yet. Now, so many years have passed, and that sword's wielder has only grown stronger. As for the so-called Ten Kings, none of them can match the God of the Mortal Realm.'"

Bai Yunfei continued to mimic the Master's words.

"From then on, the title of the God of the Mortal Realm spread. The cultivation world erupted in discussions, and everyone was eager to learn who could have earned such high praise from the Master."

"Many who had witnessed that sword that night came forward, affirming the Master's words and agreeing that you are indeed the God of the Mortal Realm."

"As more and more people spoke out, your name became widely known, and my Yu Hua Sect gained immense fame as well."

"The people of the new era finally learned that there was such a terrifying existence within our Yu Hua Sect. Just as they began to doubt, your three beloved disciples came forward to vouch for you." Bai Yunfei laughed.

Li Jiufeng furrowed his brows. "This has something to do with them?"

"Of course! Without their help, the title of the God of the Mortal Realm would never have become so famous," Bai Yunfei said with a mischievous grin.

Li Jiufeng's expression darkened as he had a bad premonition. "What did they do?"

Bai Yunfei casually replied, "They didn't do much, just that everyone found out you're the Grandmaster of Yu Hua Sect and went to ask them."

"Warm Cloud directly said, 'Senior Uncle was invincible ten years ago, and now, in the mortal realm, there is no one who can match him.'"

"Zhou Tianzi, in the Magic Sect's Holy Land, said, 'Senior Uncle will always be the one I look up to. I can't even land a single blow in front of him.'"

"Yue Dashan, by the Northern Sea, said, 'Even if the so-called Ten Kings joined forces, they would not be Senior Uncle's match.'"

"Their words caused an uproar. Now, your title as the God of the Mortal Realm has both believers and detractors, and the debate is even hotter than the discussion of the Ten Kings."

Bai Yunfei laughed, looking at Li Jiufeng.

Li Jiufeng closed his eyes in frustration, feeling a pang of irritation in his chest. "These three troublemakers! What did they do to drag me into this? I just wanted to live in peace! Now they've pushed me into the spotlight."

The title of the God of the Mortal Realm was the last thing he wanted.

At that moment, the quiet White Fox, who had been listening silently, spoke up. "I think the God of the Mortal Realm sounds rather domineering. It suits you well."

Bai Yunfei also persuaded him, "Senior brother, you're just too humble. I also think the Master's words were spot on. Only you are worthy of the title of God of the Mortal Realm. No one else can bear such a weighty title."

Li Jiufeng sighed. "This title is too full of enmity. Cultivation isn't all about fighting and killing; it also involves social nuances. Just the fight for the Ten Kings title causes such uproar—if people start calling me the God of the Mortal Realm, wouldn't they come knocking on my door to challenge me?"

"Throughout history, countless grudges and killings have arisen because of hollow titles."

"What if those who don't agree with my title come to challenge me at Yu Hua Sect? Should I accept? If I defeat one, what happens next?"

"Or if I refuse, what will people think of Yu Hua Sect?"

Just as Li Jiufeng felt the headache creeping in, a loud voice echoed from outside Yu Hua Sect.

"Zi Chuan Dao Sect, Tenth Restriction, Zi Su Daoist requests the God of the Mortal Realm for guidance!!!"

The voice was brash, filled with arrogance and disdain.

The so-called "God of the Mortal Realm" was spreading far and wide, and today, Zi Su Daoist would come to shatter that legend.

Outside Yu Hua Sect, a young Daoist with a proud look stood in mid-air, holding a treasured sword and gazing at the Sect.

From the Scripture Hall, Li Jiufeng, hearing this voice, felt a deeper headache.

Bai Yunfei laughed silently. He thought this would be a good opportunity for his senior brother to face the world again—after all, he had been hidden away for too long.

"Zi Chuan Dao Sect, Tenth Restriction, Zi Su Daoist requests the God of the Mortal Realm for guidance!!!"

Another shout rang out, shaking the air and catching the attention of everyone in Yu Hua Sect.

Li Jiufeng, speechless, knew it was no longer possible to ignore the challenge. He glanced at Bai Yunfei.

Bai Yunfei quickly said, "I'm only at the Ninth Restriction; he's at the Tenth. Shouldn't you be the one to go?"

Li Jiufeng looked at White Fox, then immediately turned away.

She too was at the peak of the Ninth Restriction.

"Zi Chuan Dao Sect, Tenth Restriction, Zi Su Daoist requests the God of the Mortal Realm for guidance!!!"

The shout rang out again, this time reaching everyone in the nearby area. Everyone turned their attention toward the voice.

Li Jiufeng sighed helplessly. He knew he couldn't ignore it any longer. With a swift motion, he plucked a random weed from the ground and tossed it forward.

Boom!!!

The weed transformed into sword energy, a brilliant meteor streaking across the sky, directly hitting the shouting Zi Su Daoist.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Zi Su Daoist was instantly sent flying thousands of miles away, crashing to the ground with such force that a massive crater formed, extending for miles.

At that moment, his clothes were torn by the sword energy, his body covered in sword marks, each wound equally shallow—just enough to draw blood but not kill.

Zi Su Daoist, now covered in blood, stared in horror at the direction of Yu Hua Sect.

The God of the Mortal Realm... was this terrifying?