Chapter 1728: True Colors

Many turned to look, for this sect master was not one to mince words. Though his voice was not loud, some still heard him clearly.

Shi Hao also raised his head and glanced in that direction. There stood a middle-aged man with flowing black hair and piercing eyes, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Shi Hao recognized him—he was the sect master of the Jade Radiance Sect, who had initially extended goodwill and sought a marital alliance with the Shi Clan.

It was precisely because he took the lead that other sects followed suit, creating a lively atmosphere at the time. Many had jokingly proposed alliances with the Shi Clan.

Beside the middle-aged man stood a young woman in green robes, ethereal and strikingly beautiful. Shi Hao remembered her name—Lü Zhu—her elegance truly standing out.

“Let’s go, child. Hah, I was worried earlier that he might go mad and cause trouble, but now there’s no need to fear,” the Jade Radiance Sect master said.

His voice remained low, yet audible to some, as if he didn’t care who heard. Shi Hao and his family could make out every word clearly.

Shi Hao understood—this man bore hostility.

In truth, had it not been for their fear of Shi Hao’s retaliation, many sects would never have come to Mount Buxian.

This very fact proved that those who had arrived had once clashed with Shi Hao—ambushing him in the Spirit Realm or targeting him in the mortal world—and thus sought to atone.

Now, with this unexpected turn of events, their attitudes had shifted.

Take the Jade Radiance Sect master, for instance. Not long ago, he had been all smiles in the Qin Clan’s grand hall, chatting amiably with Shi Ziling and Qin Yining, even proposing a marital alliance.

Yet now, he had turned hostile without hesitation. Shi Hao’s crippling had changed everything. The sect master, recalling how he had humbled himself to seek an alliance, now felt his pride wounded.

The thought that he, a dignified sect master, had once considered marrying off his daughter to avert disaster gnawed at him, leaving him deeply unsettled.

“Hah, what an unexpected outcome. Such is the will of heaven,” someone laughed, barely concealing their amusement before striding away.

“Let’s go,” the Jade Radiance Sect master said with a faint smile, taking his daughter Lü Zhu with him as he summoned a treasure artifact and soared into the sky.

The scene was chaotic. The news of Shi Hao’s crippling—his fall from grace—was earth-shattering, and the crowd could not remain calm.

Some lamented, pitying the fate of this once-gifted prodigy.

Others sneered, reveling in schadenfreude—these were the sects that had once opposed Shi Hao, delighted to witness his downfall.

A few remained indifferent, merely watching in silence.

“Why bother staring at a cripple? There’s nothing worth seeing here.”

Some were outright cruel, voicing their disdain directly to Shi Hao’s family, their words sharp and cutting.

“Best hold your tongue. He’s already suffered enough—a genius stripped of his cultivation. How pitiful,” a woman remarked.

Yet her tone carried no sympathy. She spoke with a mocking smile, her words dripping with malice.

“Hmm, I believe we’ve left something behind in the Qin Clan,” a elder suddenly spoke, his gaze flickering toward Shi Hao’s family.

Qin Yining bit her lip hard, tears welling in her eyes. Her eldest son’s fate was tragic enough, and now these people were kicking him while he was down, their jeers only deepening her sorrow.

“Brother Daoist, what did you leave behind?” someone played along, smiling knowingly.

“Some precious divine materials, forgotten in the Qin Clan’s grand hall,” the elder replied.

It was clear—he was referring to the lavish gifts they had presented to appease Shi Hao.

With his words, the crowd understood. They wanted their treasures back.

“Ah, now that you mention it, I left something there too.”

“Indeed, we departed in such haste that we forgot to retrieve our belongings.”

One by one, they spoke up, demanding the return of their gifts—their true colors revealed in an instant.

“Right, we also left something behind,” the Jade Radiance Sect master, who had already taken to the skies with his daughter, suddenly declared, turning back.

*Hmph!*

At that moment, Qin Changsheng reappeared, stepping out from the mountain gates with a cold snort.

The clamor died down slightly, the crowd growing quieter.

Many were wary. Even knowing Shi Hao was crippled, none dared to assault Mount Buxian outright. Their earlier taunts had been mere bravado.

Now, with Qin Changsheng’s displeasure made clear, they hesitated, unease creeping into their hearts.

“Fine, keep the gifts. Consider them charity for the crippled Shi Clan,” someone spat, their words venomous to the last.

It was both a final jab at Shi Hao and a face-saving retreat. Many took to the skies, preparing to leave.

“The Half-Immortal said I still have a month before I’m crippled. Have you forgotten?”

Shi Hao’s voice cut through the air—cold, sharp, his gaze like lightning as it swept over the crowd.

“You… won’t live that long. The Immortal Palace’s Supreme Being has decreed that the three thousand provinces have rules—you won’t be allowed to act recklessly!” someone retorted.

Yet most paled, their confidence wavering. They had indeed nearly forgotten—Shi Hao still had a month of power left.

*Boom!*

Without hesitation, Shi Hao struck. His right hand lashed out, unleashing a terrifying gale that seemed capable of obliterating stars.

“Ah—!”

The man who had invoked the Immortal Palace screamed as the attack struck him. A flash of light, and his body exploded into a mist of blood—dead on the spot.

“You—don’t act rashly!” someone shrieked, terrified.

None had expected Shi Hao, even in his current state, to be so ruthless.

“You, you, and you…” Shi Hao pointed at them one by one. “You have three days to deliver ten times the gifts you brought earlier. Fail, and I will pay you a visit. If you don’t want rivers of blood and utter annihilation, you’ll obey.”

His voice was ice as he singled out those who had mocked him earlier, his warning clear.

Their faces froze. He wasn’t crippled yet? He still had a month?

Cold sweat broke out on many brows. They had truly overlooked this detail, assuming Shi Hao was already powerless.

A few cursed inwardly, regretting their loose tongues.

Those who had remained silent were spared.

The Jade Radiance Sect master wore a look of bitter regret—he, too, had been marked, now forced to offer an even greater tribute.

Gradually, the crowd dispersed.

Their moods varied—some seethed with humiliation and anger, while others laughed darkly to themselves.

Here, the drama had ended.

Yet the news spread like a storm, sweeping across the three thousand provinces.

Word of Shi Hao’s crippling flew far and wide, reaching the ears of countless great sects.