Chapter 112: What Exactly Do You Desire, Your Excellency?

Could it be mere coincidence that this mysterious powerhouse obtained the Source Force Crystal? Or... was there truly a method in this world to acquire such a crystal? Chu Hanyu was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Yet the enigmatic figure, seemingly unaware of the crystal’s preciousness, calmly observed Chu Hanyu’s flustered state without pressing him.

After a brief silence, Chu Hanyu said, “Countless beings of the Azure Realm will be forever grateful for your noble deed!... May I ask how you came into possession of the Source Force Crystal?”

Only then did Zhang Ning exhale quietly within, realizing that everything was likely unfolding far more smoothly than he had imagined.

Having obtained the Source Force Crystal in the Thousand Worlds, Zhang Ning had followed a common pattern, speculating that altering the course of the world’s progression might be one of the ways to acquire such a crystal. He felt a surge of happiness at having found a potential solution to the Azure Realm’s predicament.

Though further exploration was needed, Zhang Ning had no intention of working alone. The system’s “World Linkage” function could only be fully leveraged with sufficient resources and backing.

He certainly would not underestimate beings from other realms, especially the Martial Sovereigns. Though they currently lacked the means to acquire the Source Force Crystals, their limitations were merely due to imagination and vision.

Once they discovered how to obtain these crystals, their ability to act would undoubtedly surpass Zhang Ning’s half-baked efforts. Therefore, Zhang Ning’s task was to make them aware that the solution resided with “Zhang Ning,” without revealing that he himself was the source of the answer. Just consider how convoluted this sounded—it hardly resembled normal speech, underscoring the difficulty of the matter. Thus, Zhang Ning had to don the guise of this mysterious powerhouse, caring little whether his master would later beat him senseless upon learning the truth. For now, the immediate matter had to be settled.

Hence, the “mysterious powerhouse” spoke: “The key lies entirely with Zhang Ning.” Zhang Ning sought to downplay the connection between this alias and himself, but he overlooked one detail—the tone was too detached, so much so that it hardly sounded like he was speaking of a disciple or even a valued piece on a chessboard. Rather, it was as if he were discussing some trivial object, a tone that grated on Chu Hanyu’s ears.

“Could you be a bit clearer?” Chu Hanyu asked.

The mysterious figure merely chuckled lightly, seeming indifferent to whether Chu Hanyu understood or whether the Azure Realm’s problems would be resolved, then turned to leave. This time, however, Chu Hanyu was wiser and swiftly grasped Zhang Ning’s wrist. “If that is so, what exactly are you provoking?”

Chu Hanyu had come to see that part of his earlier assumptions about the mysterious figure were wrong. Though undeniably powerful, perhaps it was precisely because he was so strong that his mindset had become detached. He cared for very little, possibly even indifferent to the Azure Realm’s future. After all, people like them could easily start anew elsewhere no matter the realm’s fate.

So Chu Hanyu needed a clear answer—everything else could be handled, but he feared this mysterious figure was merely capricious, caring nothing for the Azure Realm’s future, only seeking amusement by toying with others.

This half-hearted “mysterious powerhouse” was easily caught by Chu Hanyu, startling Zhang Ning to the point that he almost resorted to his trump card—the Absolute Escape Talisman.

That talisman was his true last resort, exchanged for millions of attention points, a single-use charm guaranteed to allow escape under any circumstance. Crafted by the system, it was a top-tier item. Despite previous system glitches, Zhang Ning, hailing from the Blue Water Star, had a deep-seated trust in such data-driven artifacts.

Yet poverty breeds hesitation. Though the situation grew perilous, Zhang Ning was reluctant to use the talisman—especially on his master, which felt like a loss no matter how he considered it. So he merely remained tense, ready to deploy it at a moment’s notice.

This was the fruit of Zhang Ning’s decision to adopt the identity of Chu Hanyu’s fifth disciple from the start, tirelessly accumulating attention points like a rolling snowball until now. Had he pursued a farming path instead, he might have only just begun his martial journey.

Unexpectedly, because Zhang Ning hesitated and did not flee immediately, circumstances shifted. Zhang Ning felt—

He clenched his teeth, barely stifling a groan. What? How could it feel so good?! An invisible force seemed to flow from Chu Hanyu into him. Gazing down, Zhang Ning saw that Chu Hanyu was no longer gripping his hand directly; instead, a swirling purple orb of energy hovered in his palm. Clearly, some power was being used, transmitted to Zhang Ning through their contact.

Chu Hanyu held Zhang Ning’s wrist with one hand, while manifesting the energy of the Cosmic Path with the other, slowly drawing nearer. They were already beneath the Tree of Leisure, and with such movements, Zhang Ning nearly leaned against the tree trunk. Though the distance was close, the approach was anything but gentle. Seeing Chu Hanyu bringing that unfamiliar energy toward him, Zhang Ning could not help but wonder: was his master about to... blow his head off?

Despite having no reason to think that Chu Hanyu was so cruel, Zhang Ning’s face was etched with tension as he watched the other hand draw near.

It was fortunate that Chu Hanyu had tied his sash over his eyes; otherwise, he would surely have seen through the mysterious powerhouse’s true nature as a fraud.

As Chu Hanyu’s hand neared Zhang Ning’s head, it veered about an inch and struck the tree trunk instead. The trunk trembled slightly, but did not explode as Zhang Ning had imagined.

Yet Zhang Ning was soon astonished to see the fruits on the Tree of Leisure visibly swell in size, and the grass beneath their feet began to grow wildly. Life rippled outward from them like waves emanating from a stone cast into a pond.

Chu Hanyu listened intently to Zhang Ning’s response. In his mind, Zhang Ning was a mysterious master of the Cosmic Path, surely able to perceive how much Chu Hanyu’s own understanding of the Cosmic Path had deepened during his brief return from the Ten-Thousand Mountains.

Chu Hanyu’s actions served a dual purpose: to show the mysterious powerhouse that while he was indeed formidable, the Azure Realm’s venerables were not to be trifled with; and to signal that, since the mysterious figure also cultivated the Cosmic Path, he was in fact a true kindred spirit. Chu Hanyu awaited his response.

Of course, Chu Hanyu was simply demonstrating his strength—though his method was exceedingly sophisticated.

Zhang Ning was indeed concerned for his life, but now that he was safe, his mind was momentarily captivated by the wondrous cultivation displayed by Chu Hanyu. Then, irresistibly, his gaze fixed upon Chu Hanyu...

For some reason, where moments ago Zhang Ning had merely found Chu Hanyu’s grasp comforting, now he saw him as a delectable piece of tender flesh—like the most delicious Tang Monk meat—making Zhang Ning yearn to devour him whole, bite by bite.