Chapter Thirty-Nine: How Dare You Slander My Little Ning

“Hey, are you back with us, Luo?” Chu Hanyu waved a hand in front of Xing Qiluo’s eyes. “Luo? Luo!” Only then did Xing Qiluo realize he had been lost in thought for quite some time.

Chu Hanyu shot him a slightly disdainful glance. “You really haven’t changed a bit.” As he spoke, he scratched the stubble on Xing Qiluo’s chin in the same way one might scratch a dog’s jaw.

Veins bulged on Xing Qiluo’s forehead in anger, yet he still didn’t dare lose his temper with Chu Hanyu.

“So now we’re standing at the very pinnacle of the Azure Sky Realm. Doesn’t that mean we can do whatever we wish? …From what you said, I’ve been absent for quite a while due to secluded healing. Should I make a public appearance to reassure everyone?”

Xing Qiluo stared at Chu Hanyu in disbelief. He certainly believed Chu Hanyu could think of such a thing, but to hear this version of him—at his current age—being so sensible and obedient? That was hard to believe.

Sure enough, a mischievous smile soon appeared on Chu Hanyu’s face. “I recall the Grand Freedom Heaven Sect selects disciples based on physical beauty as one criterion, don’t they? There must be a whole group of handsome men and beautiful women by now. Doesn’t that mean I can enjoy their company as I please?”

Xing Qiluo, who had just managed to regain his composure and sit down calmly, now sprang up in fury, slamming the table. “How dare you?! If you even think of doing such a thing! You’re a master now, with five personal disciples of your own! Your eight-hundred-eighty-eighth birthday is coming up… Can’t you show a little dignity?!”

Chu Hanyu, however, looked even more incredulous than Xing Qiluo. “What? Someone like me is worthy of accepting disciples? Did those disciples choose me as their master willingly?”

“What do you mean, worthy or not?” Xing Qiluo asked in confusion, but before Chu Hanyu could answer, realization dawned on his face. Of course—Chu Hanyu must have misunderstood. He probably thought that his current position at the peak of the Azure Sky Realm was due to the person he married, not that he himself had become the Supreme of Martial Dao. He still believed everyone saw him as a mere pretty face.

Xing Qiluo opened his mouth, but because the two of them had always grown up as ordinary brothers, he’d never developed the habit of checking on his brother’s mental well-being. He barely had time to care whether his brother got beaten; what brother would worry about such things?

Of course, knowing now was another matter entirely.

Xing Qiluo regarded Chu Hanyu with utmost seriousness, and with the most solemn expression of his life, he declared, “Of course you’re worthy! There is nothing in the Azure Sky Realm you are unworthy of doing!”

Chu Hanyu’s eyes, deepened by his comprehension of the Dao of Time, became unreadable. He was just about to reply when a communication jade talisman appeared out of thin air before him, gleaming with spiritual light. Chu Hanyu realized it was addressed to him, so he seized it and pressed it to his brow.

Xing Qiluo asked with concern, “Is this about Ning? What did Meng Qingchen say?”

But Chu Hanyu’s expression changed dramatically, his eyes practically ablaze. “That wretch Meng dares to accuse my disciple! How could my disciple possibly steal from him?! Though I’ve never met them, my disciples must be exceptionally gifted and noble of character! To slander my… my Ning! I’ll make him regret it!”

With that, he stepped out and vanished from the quiet chamber.

Xing Qiluo, who had attained the pinnacle of mastery in the Dao of the Universe within the Azure Sky Realm, was momentarily stunned—was Chu Hanyu really going to confront Meng Qingchen just like that? And yet, deep down, he wasn’t in the least surprised by Chu Hanyu’s tendency to shield his own without understanding the full story.

Xing Qiluo was about to chase after him when someone knocked at the door and reported, “Esteemed one, urgent intelligence from the Third Prince!”

Xing Qiluo’s brow furrowed. Chu Hanyu’s third disciple was always the most composed and meticulous—what kind of urgent news could he have sent? Changing his tone, he quickly accepted the report, afraid to miss anything important. Normally, meddling in someone else’s affairs like this would have been a serious breach of etiquette, but with Chu Hanyu in his current state, letting him handle it might have caused even more trouble.

But the further Xing Qiluo read, the more shocked he became.

He had always thought Han Zun was just stubborn and arrogant, but with himself keeping Han Zun in check, what could possibly go wrong? At worst, he might provoke some other righteous sects. He never imagined Han Zun could even start a fight with their allies in the demonic sects!

The report detailed how Han Zun had led all the disciples of the Dark Underworld Palace into battle against the disciples of the Grand Freedom Heaven Demon Sect. The two sides clashed fiercely atop the Great Belly Boat, fighting with real weapons—Xing Qiluo couldn’t help but wonder, what kind of blood feud or romantic rivalry could possibly justify this?—and in the end, Han Zun led his people to disappear without a trace…

The word “escape” was used quite aptly! It seemed Yi was furious as well. Someone unfamiliar with the situation might think Han Zun had led his entire force in rebellion!

Xing Qiluo had to return at once. The disciples Han Zun had taken were all elite, many of whom Xing Qiluo considered especially talented. For them to suddenly clash with the Grand Freedom Heaven Demon Sect and then vanish under Han Zun’s leadership—he, as Palace Master, had to step in to offer reassurance. Otherwise, outsiders might believe the two factions were on the brink of war, and if he failed to clarify the situation in time, the consequences would be unimaginable!

As for Chu Hanyu… Xing Qiluo felt another wave of headache. It should be fine, right? It’s just a problem with his thinking, not his cultivation—so if I don’t follow him for now, nothing disastrous should happen? And that Meng fellow is so sly and cunning…

No, this won’t do!

I’d better wrap up the palace’s affairs as quickly as possible, then see what exactly Chu Hanyu is up to—after all, the destructive power of a Supreme is no less than that of an entire major sect!

Above the Leiyin Rainforest

Aboard a magical vessel

Zhang Ning reclined comfortably on his couch, eating fruit while someone massaged his temples and pounded his legs. He felt as if he’d reached the very pinnacle of existence.

Reading through the reports, Zhang Ning asked Su Ye, who sat below him, in surprise, “Didn’t the backend data show good results? Why can my character only do two more live broadcasts?”

Su Ye replied seriously, “Your Highness, the persona of ‘a prince pained by the loss of sect disciples to mere misadventure, now demonstrating survival techniques for everyone’ can only be sustained for two more broadcasts at most. Any more than that, and the clever ones will suspect you have ulterior motives. That wouldn’t align with your long-term goals.

“Moreover, during the next broadcast, Your Highness should have a real encounter with a wild beast or a mutated creature—and feel deeply your own shortcomings. Then, starting with this broadcast, you can shift focus to the application and exploration of martial arts, and also discuss alchemy and artifact forging techniques with everyone.

“Your insights will serve as the most official and authoritative demonstration for ordinary martial artists with no other resources. In this way, Your Highness will not only open up new avenues for discourse, growing in a manner never before seen in the Azure Sky Realm, but viewers will also feel as though they’re growing alongside you. Watching your broadcasts may even become a habit.”