Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 361 Widely Acclaimed
Demons run rampant, heroes draw their swords!

A sword comes from the north, cleansing away demonic energy and illuminating the universe...

My classmate is the hero who saved the world!

Looking at the short videos with exaggerated titles, Shang Qingjun felt both amused and exasperated.

Her brother has recently become a hot topic in the online community, and with his popularity soaring, countless self-media outlets have come out to try and ride his coattails.

In order to attract traffic, self-media outlets will say anything.

If you randomly click on any video, you'll find that it's mostly composed of clips from high-level martial arts videos, along with some sensational commentary.

For short video viewers, the more sensational and exaggerated the content, the more attractive it is. They don't bother to distinguish whether the content is true or false; they're just there for the excitement.

In order to attract traffic, the platform also intentionally allows these exaggerated short videos to circulate.

Shang Qingjun looked around and saw that everyone was praising Gao Wu in various ways, to the point that they looked like haters.

That's why each video gets huge views. And most of the comments below are praise.

Some people will question the authenticity of the video, and then there will always be enthusiastic fans who will hurl insults at them...

Shang Qingjun was speechless about this, saying that 99% of these people are actually bloodsuckers who leech off whoever has traffic.

For them, as long as there's traffic, that's all that matters; they don't care about principles or even the law.

That's why no one dares to criticize high-level martial arts, because praising them generates more traffic. Criticizing high-level martial arts, on the other hand, carries enormous risks.

In the long run, these self-media outlets will cause some damage to Gao Wu's reputation.

There are just too many people chasing traffic, which is how self-media survives. She can't possibly report them all; as long as the content isn't excessive, she can only pretend not to see it.

Zhou Hongying was furious. She said fiercely, "We're going to sue them! We can't let a single one of them get away with it!"

Shang Qingjun comforted him, "Forget it, Xiao Wu is in a high position now, it's not worth going to court for this little bit of traffic. We'll just focus on managing his video account well."

Logically speaking, Gao Wu is now the deputy chief of the security headquarters, so making money on short videos doesn't seem like a good idea.

However, Gao Wu didn't care about this. Although he would no longer accept ordinary advertisements, his cooperation with Longteng Group continued uninterrupted.

Now, Longteng Group transfers a large sum of money to the company every month, and the payments are made with exceptionally punctuality. Shang Qingjun doesn't have any particular ambitions; she's quite satisfied with her current life.

Zhou Hongying, however, felt that Shang Qingjun was too easygoing. She muttered, "Qingjun, we can't be too easy to talk to. This isn't about traffic; it's about protecting Xiaowu's reputation."

"If we don't teach a few guys a lesson, they'll get too big for their britches."

Shang Qingjun thought about it and agreed that it made sense. They couldn't really help Gao Wu, so they could only do their best to protect Gao Wu's reputation in this regard...

Seeing that Shang Qingjun had agreed, Zhou Hongying was also very excited: "Xiao Wu is at the peak of his career now, he's amazing! Now even my relatives have to watch their step... hehe..."

Although she came from a privileged background, she was a girl and not valued at home. Relatives often tried to introduce her to wealthy and powerful heirs, or even first-generation rich kids…

Zhou Hongying was also greatly annoyed. Since last year, whenever someone brought these things up with her, she would say she needed to consult Gao Wu. Then all the noise would disappear.

Ordinary people are fine with it, but the more powerful one is, the more they understand the authority and strength that the name "Gao Wu" represents.

Now, for some important matters in the Zhou family, they even have to come and consult Zhou Hongying. Even her parents often remind her to maintain good relationships with Gao Wu and Shang Qingjun.

The implication was that she should completely obey Gao Wu and not throw any tantrums...

Zhou Hongying was somewhat speechless about this, but she also understood that this was the way of business for a businessman. Without this awareness, one could not become wealthy.

Therefore, compared to Shang Qingjun, Zhou Hongying actually understands better how high Gao Wu's current status and power are, and how important he is.

She has also become more politically sensitive to voices online.

In the early stages, it's acceptable to let independent media outlets ride the wave of traffic, as this can be considered a form of indirect promotion.

Now, however, we can no longer allow self-media outlets to exploit this situation indiscriminately. We must set a standard.

Even if other big internet celebrities had a lot of fans, they still couldn't stop this kind of thing from happening.

Zhou Hongying didn't know the upper limit of Gao Wu's power, but she knew very well that no online platform could afford to offend Gao Wu...

With reports from major media outlets within the alliance, coupled with online self-media trying to capitalize on the trend, news about Gaowu has become ubiquitous, spreading across various public and private platforms.

On Dongyang Lake in Dongzhou, an old-fashioned painted boat is slowly gliding along the lake.

The reeds along the shore are already a tender green, and further away there are green trees and red flowers. Along the gentle hillside, a vast expanse of green stretches forward.

Standing on the top floor of the painted boat, Chu Shenxiu looked at the vast lake and the distant green mountains. A gentle breeze stirred his sleeves, taking away the heat of spring. He felt refreshed and indescribably relaxed.

The anxiety that had been building up in my heart over the past few days seemed to have drifted away with the gentle breeze.

Tian Wuji sat in the chair behind him. He noticed the subtle change in his disciple's demeanor and asked, "Have you figured it out?" Chu Shenxiu turned around, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "No."

He paused for a moment and then said, "But seeing the beautiful mountains and rivers and the flourishing of all things, I feel that there is no need to be attached to them. Gao Wu's achievements are my role model."

Previously, Gao Wu had killed two bishops in Beizhou. Although the news had been sent back, no one could confirm it.

Everyone agrees that there's a lot of exaggeration involved.

While no one witnessed Gao Wu's killing of three bishops in Nanzhou, many people did see Gao Wu's annihilation of Qu Hanshan.

That's Qu Hanshan, the Fire King, whose power shakes the Southern Continent and whose reputation is renowned among the many seventh-level Martial Kings in the alliance.

Although there was no ranking among the many seventh-level Martial Kings, everyone acknowledged Qu Hanshan's prowess and believed he could easily be among the top five seventh-level Martial Kings.

The Alliance's Level 7 powerhouses are all very proud and look down on the Federation's Level 7s, believing that although they have many Level 7s, they are too weak and not qualified to be compared with the Alliance's Level 7s.

While Gao Wu's public killing of Qu Hanshan might be gossip for ordinary people, it is a momentous event for many level six and seven experts.

Chu Shenxiu was stunned for several days after hearing the news. He wasn't jealous of Gao Wu, but he just couldn't understand it. Last April, they were all cultivating together, and at that time, he was even stronger than Gao Wu.

By July, Gao Wu was already capable of killing a level six expert on his own. While in Yingzhou, Gao Wu even consumed a large amount of level eight Fish-Dragon Elixir on his own.

To be honest, Chu Shenxiu was somewhat jealous at the time. But he felt that these external resources were not the key; the key was martial arts aptitude and devotion to martial arts.

Chu Shenxiu felt that he could gradually catch up with Gao Wu and eventually surpass him!
At the beginning of the year, he advanced to level six and felt that he was no worse than Gao Wu in July. Then, he heard the news that Gao Wu had killed Qu Hanshan.

It's hard to describe the shock he felt upon hearing the news, and the intense sense of defeat he experienced.

He suddenly felt that chasing after Gao Wu was pointless, as the two were not even the same species!
Chu Shenxiu was no ordinary person after all. After a few days of adjustment, he accepted reality and adjusted his mindset.

He has always looked down on his peers since he started practicing martial arts, and now there is a peer who is far ahead of him, making him the best target to catch up with.

Moreover, Gao Wu actually did a fantastic job this time!
Several cult bishops committed numerous evil deeds, and Qu Hanshan, who colluded with them, was no better.

Chu Shenxiu felt extremely satisfied after killing several villains in one go and greatly praised it.

He knew, of course, that his teacher had connections with Qu Hanshan, but he believed that his teacher still had principles and wouldn't get involved in such matters...

Tian Wuji admired his disciple's comprehension and fighting spirit, but Chu Shenxiu was still too young. He didn't understand the significance behind Gao Wu's rise, nor did he comprehend what Gao Wu's killing of Qu Hanshan meant...

The alliance's high-profile promotion of Gaowu was clearly a form of praise and appreciation for his actions, and also a way of stating the alliance's position to all level seven powerhouses.

There must be many level seven experts here who are dissatisfied, or even resentful. But who dares to actually stand up and oppose them?

Judging from the current situation, it's clear that no one wants to be the one to take the lead.

Tian Wuji was also helpless. Although a level seven expert was strong, the times had changed, and it was no longer possible to carve out a territory to fight against the alliance.

Tian Wuji didn't intend to oppose the alliance; it's just that the two southeastern states had been doing business with the Federation for decades, and there were always many connections and shared interests.

He wasn't as deeply entangled as Qu Hanshan, but if you really investigate, he couldn't escape either.

The main problem was that Gao Wu acted aggressively and tyrannically, directly forcing Qu Hanshan to rebel without any evidence, a tactic that chilled Qu Hanshan to the bone.

If Gao Wu were to use this tactic in Dongzhou, how should he respond?

Tian Wuji couldn't say these things to Chu Shenxiu, so he turned his gaze eastward. Dongwei Island there had already fallen, and if it wasn't dealt with soon, it would pose a huge threat to the two southeastern states sooner or later...

He's actually starting to regret it now; these guys from the Federation have no bottom line, and things got out of control in no time!
That's tens of millions of people. Even if 99% of them are native Dongwei residents, such a huge loss is unacceptable to the alliance.

Gao Wu ruthlessly killed Qu Hanshan, and no one made a move because everyone knew that Qu Hanshan was connected to Dongwei Island!

Tian Wuji sneered inwardly. He didn't know the Federation's arrangements, but he could imagine that there must be at least two level eight Saints in charge of Dongwei Island.

Dongwei Island is the battlefield chosen by the Federation. If the Alliance cannot resolve this quickly, the Demon God's influence will definitely expand to the southeastern states...

By then, I just hope Gao Wu can be as tough as he is now!
Gao Wu, who was stationed in Dongdu, paid no attention to the various voices from the outside world. He dealt with Qu Hanshan, and Old Qin, as expected, cooperated by directly boosting his reputation.

It's clear that Old Qin knows he needs humanitarian power. It's just unexpected that he collects it in a different way…

Regardless, this reputation boost was very effective. Killing two bishops last time didn't cause much damage, after all.

This time was different; the tragic state of Old Licun alone revealed the evil of the Demonic Cult to everyone.

They all strongly agreed with his execution of the three bishops and Qu Hanshan. Over the next few days, merit accumulated like a tidal wave…

These past few days, Gao Wu has been staring at the Book of Boundless Merit, glancing at it every now and then, afraid of accidentally missing the crucial moment of upgrading to 10 billion.

Tonight, the total amount of merit accumulated has finally exceeded 10 billion, and Gao Wu can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He immediately called Song Mingyue over to share the spoils of victory with him...

(End of this chapter)