Chapter 457: A Mortal Body, Comparable to Gods!

By the time Ning Fei emerged from the stairwell, a massive crowd had already gathered outside.

"It's Temple Master Ning!"

"He's out! He's out!"

"You're amazing, Temple Master Ning!"

"You're a real hero!"

The crowd cheered the moment they saw him.

Truth be told, Ning Fei looked a little worse for wear.

His Daoist Robe bore several scorch marks, the hair at his temples was slightly singed, and the billowing smoke had left streaks of soot across his face and hands.

Yet, this disheveled state only made his image seem all the more imposing.

Furthermore, that gentle smile still rested on his face.

It was a look that filled everyone who saw it with a profound sense of warmth.

Every bit of soot and singed fabric was a testament to his bravery.

Countless reporters rushed forward, shoving microphones and camera lenses in his direction.

The crowd roared his name.

The internet was similarly exploding with cheers.

"So badass! The undisputed god!"

"Truly amazing!"

"A living immortal!"

With his monumental feat, Ning Fei had won the absolute respect of everyone watching.

"Thank you, everyone. I just did what was within my power."

"I think anyone else in my position would have done the same."

It was just a polite deflection. Not particularly fond of such grand scenes, he simply waved to the crowd and headed straight for his car.

The netizens watching the broadcast were completely dumbfounded by his words.

Did Temple Master Ning have some sort of misunderstanding about his own abilities?

Seriously, aside from him, who else could brave such a raging inferno and scale twenty-six floors barehanded!

Even without the fire, few would dare pull off such a death-defying stunt!

They could only conclude that Temple Master Ning's Realm was simply too high. He was willing to risk his own life just to save others!

This was what a true role model looked like.

Ning Fei kept walking toward his car.

The reporters swarmed, desperate for an interview.

"Temple Master Ning, please tell us! What was going through your mind at that moment?"

"Temple Master Ning, how did you find the courage to free-climb so high?"

"Temple Master Ning, during the rescue, did you ever feel fear or hesitation?"

The questions came in a ceaseless barrage.

Unwilling to engage with the media circus, Ning Fei pressed onward without stopping.

"The firefighters are still putting out the blaze. They are the real heroes," he said.

"Everyone should direct their attention and support to the fire department."

That was the only statement he offered.

Nearby, firefighter Zhang Meng was still battling the flames. Seeing Ning Fei walking away, he felt a sudden surge of anxiety.

He desperately wanted the young Daoist priest to stay, even if just to ask for an autograph and a photo.

To pull off something so monumental and walk away without a ripple of emotion... the man was truly a legend!

Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the sky.

Everyone looked up to see a helicopter soaring overhead, hauling a massive water bucket suspended beneath it.

A helicopter airdrop was a rare sight, so many reporters instantly swung their cameras upward to capture the moment.

Ning Fei took advantage of the distraction to slip back into his car.

"Woof!"

Seeing Ning Fei's haggard state and smelling the scorch marks on his clothes, Little Dog let out a bark of concern.

Little Fox and the Xiao Heijiu also stared at him with wide, confused eyes.

In all their time with him, they had never seen him look so bedraggled.

Ning Fei smiled at them.

"It's nothing. Just took care of a little errand. Don't worry," he said.

He stripped off the ruined blue Daoist Robe, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and drove out, continuing on his way toward Qincheng.

Back at the Wenxin Garden Community, the scene remained somewhat chaotic. The massive fire had cast a heavy, oppressive shadow over everyone's hearts.

It was only thanks to Ning Fei's timely appearance that the absolute worst tragedy had been averted.

Safely on the ground, Lin Sen watched Ning Fei's retreating back. A look of fierce resolve gradually settled into the boy's eyes, as if he had just made a life-altering decision.

Soon after, the internet utterly exploded.

There was a renowned blogger who went by the handle Cold Eyes on the World. Known for his sharp, biting critiques of society's darker realities, he had amassed a massive following.

When he watched the video of Ning Fei, he sat completely stunned.

Scaling the burning high-rise, leaping across the dizzying void with a child in his arms—the short, two-minute clip was an unbroken string of heart-stopping moments.

He was deeply moved.

Society desperately needed people like Ning Fei.

Fired with inspiration, Cold Eyes on the World immediately penned a passionate article:

"Born from the Flames! This is True Positive Energy in Society!"

The piece triggered a massive tsunami of reactions across the internet.

Countless people shared and liked it.

A sweeping craze took over the entire web, and all the major media outlets slapped Ning Fei's rescue mission on their front pages!

Toutiao News: With a Mortal Body, Comparable to Gods! This is a True Immortal!

Penguin News: He Created an Impossible Miracle!

Baidu News: In This Moment, He Showed the World What a True Hero Really Is.

The topic erupted with an unstoppable momentum across Huaxia.

The image of Ning Fei free-climbing a skyscraper engulfed in flames became permanently seared into the nation's collective memory.

After the rescue, Ning Fei drove all the way back to the Qinshan Mountain range.

He had intended to return quietly. Little did he know, he had accidentally become the epicenter of another explosive trend.

With the entire internet watching and the nation cheering, the evening news broadcasted footage of his rescue. The video of Lin Sen and Lin Yin's parents dropping to their knees to thank him was endlessly reshared online.

This was the absolute peak moment for him to rapidly amass fame.

Countless reporters and talk shows were clamoring to invite him.

In Ning Fei's eyes, however, the rescue was nothing more than a passing chore he had handled along the way.

With his exceptional physical fitness and climbing skills, all he had suffered was a bit of superficial heat on his skin. To him, it left no real impact.

If it meant saving the lives of two children, why wouldn't he do it?

Ning Fei had completely blown up in popularity.

He heard that the area outside his Daoist temple was already packed with crowds.

The public's enthusiasm was far more intense than anyone could have imagined.

Even the Wenyan Deer Enclosure saw quite a few fans arriving in hopes of catching a glimpse of him.

Fortunately, the deer enclosure was private property and generally off-limits to the public. Ning Fei also managed to keep a low profile.

"Temple Master, your popularity has been sitting at number one on the Huaxia trending charts for a while now."

Inside the Wenyan Deer Enclosure, Jiang Xue poured him a cup of tea and spoke with a smile.

Ning Fei offered a helpless smile. "The rescue event probably generated a lot of buzz, so everyone is a bit fired up."

At this moment, he was sitting in the gardens of the Deer Sanctuary.

A sheet of fine white rice paper lay spread across the table before him, alongside a bottle of black ink and a brush.

Having a moment of free time, he had decided to paint a picture of Xiao Yu the Deer and the red-crowned cranes.

The scenery before him was exceptionally beautiful.

Xiao Yu the Deer wagged its furry little tail as it lowered its head to graze in the grass.

Nearby, two red-crowned cranes arched their necks and flapped their wings, looking as though they were dancing.

Little Dog and Little Fei chased and tumbled around in the background.

Meanwhile, Little Fox and the Xiao Heijiu curled up quietly by Ning Fei's side, keeping him company.

Dipping the brush in ink, Ning Fei worked swiftly across the paper.

The brush tip swept over the rice paper, and with just a few strokes, the vivid figures of a small deer and two cranes leaped onto the page.

Watching his fluid, effortless movements from the side, Jiang Xue's eyes were filled with pure admiration and awe.

It didn't take long for him to finish the painting.

Even though the paper only held black ink, the lifelike demeanor of the deer and the elegant postures of the cranes were captured flawlessly.

If such a piece were put on the market, it would likely fetch a handsome price.

Just then, his phone rang.

It was the village chief, Qin Zheng.

As it turned out, Huaxia State Television had dispatched a reporter to conduct an exclusive interview with him.

The reporter, named Wang Bingbing, had recently become highly popular on the Huaxia internet. Thanks to her comforting smile, she had instantly become the idol of countless netizens.

There was even a wildly popular catchphrase circulating online: "The weather is really cold today, my whole body feels 'Bingbing'."

Truth be told, in an era saturated with beauty filters and plastic surgery, a naturally beautiful girl with a distinct look was simply more likely to resonate with the public.

Unlike an interview with an entertainment journalist, a segment with the Huaxia Official Authorities carried significant weight.

Recognizing this, Ning Fei gladly agreed to the interview.

And the agreed location for the sit-down was right inside Qingfeng Temple.