This humble mortal dares to request the immortal's esteemed name.

The coffin shattered. The moment the corpse made contact with the edge of the Yinfeng Sword, it disintegrated into ash, leaving not a trace behind.

For the grace of imparting the Dao, Su Ji considered kowtowing in gratitude.

But it remained merely a thought.

In the end, facing the empty remnants of the ice coffin, Su Ji simply cupped his fists and bowed deeply.

"Senior, safe travels."

To be honest, it was lamentable.

An existence as powerful as the Night King still could not escape the fate of death.

The path of cultivation was truly so long that one could not see the end.

Su Ji sheathed the Yinfeng Sword and turned to leave.

He had barely taken two steps when his vision went black; he swayed, nearly planting his face in the dirt.

Quickly bracing himself against the stone wall, Su Ji steadied his figure and shuffled out of the underground chamber, one agonizing step at a time.

By this time, a massive crowd had already gathered outside the City Lord's Manor.

The commoners who had tried to flee earlier hadn't been able to leave, as Anyang City was currently sealed—easy to enter, impossible to exit.

Many of the bolder citizens had spontaneously gathered here, craning their necks in anticipation.

When Su Ji’s slightly slender figure slowly emerged from the manor’s main gates, the entire street instantly erupted in thunderous cheers.

In their eyes, Su Ji appeared ethereal and transcendent. His steps seemed unsteady, yet they believed this actually concealed a profound, mystical rhythm.

To them, his swaying gait trod the positions of the Seven Stars, exuding an immortal demeanor that mortals could never hope to comprehend.

"The Immortal Elder has emerged!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

The next moment, every citizen—men and women, young and old—dropped to their knees in unison.

"Great Immortal, your benevolence and virtue will never be forgotten by the people of Anyang!"

"We wish to erect a longevity tablet in your honor and offer incense day and night!"

"Immortal Elder, you are like a second parent to everyone in Anyang City!"

The tsunami of gratitude nearly drowned Su Ji.

Standing on the steps, looking down at the tear-streaked faces and listening to the incredibly cheesy flattery, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch upward.

Satisfying.

It was too satisfying.

This feeling was even better than kissing his Junior Sister.

Just as he was floating on cloud nine, losing his bearings in the praise, a middle-aged man aged forty or fifty, dressed in brocade robes, squeezed out from the crowd.

He had a scholarly air about him; one could tell at a glance he was an educated, decent man.

He hurried to Su Ji, respectfully knocked his head against the ground three times, and then looked up, speaking with immense excitement.

"Honored Immortal, this lowly one is the President of the Anyang City Merchant Association."

"If not for the Immortal Elder's intervention today, the hundreds of thousands of lives in this city would have long since become meals for that evil spirit."

"Words cannot express even a fraction of our gratitude."

"This lowly one boldly implores the Immortal Elder to leave his name, so that the people of Anyang may know which deity descended to save us from our suffering!"

After speaking, he knocked his head against the ground again.

Su Ji just watched him silently.

Leave my name?

Had all his shouting earlier been for nothing?

This man lacked situational awareness; he wasn't fit for important tasks.

Seeing Su Ji remain silent, the Merchant Association President, being a quick-witted man, assumed their sincerity was lacking. His eyes darted around, and he immediately had an idea.

"Immortal Elder, this lowly one has a proposal!"

He raised his voice so all the surrounding citizens could hear.

"That City God Temple in the west of the city—I say we shouldn't keep it anymore!"

"That City God accepts our incense and offerings on normal days, yet today, when Anyang City faced such a catastrophe, he didn't do a damn thing!"

"What use is he?!"

"Why don't we... why don't we join forces to tear down that City God Temple and build a new temple with a golden statue to worship you instead, Immortal Elder!"

"Let the people of Anyang kowtow to you daily and offer incense every night!"

These words were spoken with conviction. The surrounding citizens found logic in them and immediately started clamoring in agreement.

"Right! Tear down the City God Temple!"

"The City God is useless; we'll worship the Immortal Elder instead!"

"Please, Immortal Elder, accept our worship!"

The crowd was worked into a frenzy, looking ready to go dismantle the temple right then and there.

Su Ji looked at the Merchant Association President in surprise.

Is he this radical?

Seeing Su Ji’s expression change, the President’s heart skipped a beat.

He didn't know what he had said wrong to displease the Immortal Elder.

An immortal's rage could leave a million corpses in its wake—he had seen the power with his own eyes.

Cold sweat instantly beaded on the President's forehead. He hurriedly kowtowed again, his voice trembling.

"Im... Immortal Elder, please calm your anger!"

"It was this lowly one's stupidity! I was too presumptuous!"

"The Immortal Elder is a deity from the heavens; why would he care for the incense of mortals?!"

"I will slap myself! I deserve death!"

As he spoke, he actually raised his hands and fiercely slapped his own face, left and right.

The crisp sound of the slaps silenced the surrounding noise.

Su Ji watched the man’s face swell up rapidly, the corner of his mouth twitching.

No, wait...

The President looked up again, forcing a smile that was uglier than crying, and asked tentatively.

"Immortal Elder... could it be... could it be that you find the quality of our offerings insufficient?"

"Rest assured! I will immediately mobilize every merchant in the city to donate their entire fortunes!"

"With beams of gold and walls of white jade! We will build you the most magnificent temple in the world!"

Su Ji: "..."

If the man kept talking, Su Ji was afraid he might actually agree.

He finally decided to speak. "Merchants prioritize profit. Let someone else speak to me."

But the moment he opened his mouth, an overwhelming wave of weakness crashed over him. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up blood on the spot.

He managed to force the blood back down, but his face instantly turned ghastly pale.

In the eyes of the Merchant Association President and the surrounding crowd, however, this scene took on a completely different meaning.

The Immortal Elder... why did he suddenly look so terrible?

He just slew an evil entity; he must have expended a massive amount of energy and injured his vitality!

Yes!

That must be it!

Looking at Su Ji’s pale face and recalling his earlier heroic claim of "sacrificing a thousand years of lifespan," a lightbulb went off in the President's head. He instantly "understood" everything.

The Immortal Elder is holding on by sheer will!

To save us, he sacrificed a thousand years of cultivation and is now completely spent!

Yet, to keep us from worrying, he's still standing here wasting time with us!

What magnanimity! What spirit!

At this thought, tears welled up in the President's eyes, and his voice choked with emotion.

"Immortal Elder!"

"You... you don't need to push yourself any longer!"

"Everything you have done for Anyang City, we have seen it, and we will remember it in our hearts!"

He suddenly stood up and raised his arm in a rallying cry.

"Everyone! The Immortal Elder has suffered grievous injuries to save us! How can we stand here and disturb his rest?!"

"Stand back! Everyone, stand back immediately!"

Hearing this, the surrounding citizens realized their mistake. With expressions of guilt and worry, they spontaneously backed away, clearing a wider path for Su Ji.

Watching this sudden turn of events, Su Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Still, this was for the best.

It saved him the trouble of explaining.

He nodded at the Guild Master—a weak yet profoundly enigmatic gesture—acknowledging the man's "sensibleness."

Seeing this, the Guild Master grew even more certain of his conjectures, and his reverence for Su Ji instantly ascended several levels.

He bowed deeply to Su Ji once more.

"Exalted Immortal, please rest and recover well."

"We, the people of Anyang, will never fail your expectations. We shall rebuild our homes and live good lives!"

"I have indeed sustained some injuries."

"Tell you what."

"Since you are all so sincere."

"Arrange for me to stay in the highest residence in Anyang City."

"It would be best if I could look down upon the scenery of the city. That would be excellent for my recovery."

Having said this, Su Ji took two steps forward before stopping.

He glanced back at the high platform that had been reduced to absolute ruins.

There lay the City Lord of Anyang, his cultivation crippled, slumped over like a pile of mud.

Su Ji thought for a moment, then finally spoke indifferently to the Guild Master.

"That man is yours to deal with."

"Kill him or flay him, do as you see fit."

Watching the direction Su Ji departed, the Guild Master fell to his knees again, tears streaming down his face.

"Farewell, Exalted Immortal!"

Behind him, thousands upon thousands of citizens knelt in unison.

"Farewell, Exalted Immortal—!"

Their voices converged into a mighty torrent, echoing in the skies above Anyang for a long time.

Wait a minute...

Isn't the highest residence in Anyang City the Spring Breeze Pavilion?!

...