Chapter Eighty-Three: Is the Disciple an Impostor?

Wu Youshu was truly left with no choice. If she wanted the other party to feel no sense of threat from her, she had to make herself seem even more humble than a dog. Apart from that, she simply couldn’t think of any other way. What could a second-rate clan with meager strength possibly offer that would catch their eye? Even if she sacrificed everything, she doubted they would spare the slightest glance!

The only thing of value was herself. Wu Youshu’s martial talent was exceptional, after all. Yet even this value was relative—not as a wife or a concubine, but as a mere vessel for childbirth, a plaything. Only the children she bore might barely be of use to the Grand Celestial Demon Sect.

She had always been held up and praised... It seemed she had forgotten that only those geniuses who lived to maturity could be considered true prodigies; those who perished halfway were merely corpses.

Wu Youshu smiled faintly, but dared not let any trace of self-mockery show on her face.

Just then, startled exclamations rang out behind her, snapping her from her thoughts. She looked back in terror and saw several figures standing in midair—the cultivation of Martial Emperors! Some even radiated stronger, more terrifying auras—could they be Martial Saints? If so, not a single promising youth in her clan would survive. Why deploy such an overwhelming force against the Wu family? Clearly, they intended to leave none alive!

Despair filled her as she looked at the relentless young man determined to exterminate them. To her surprise, this resolute youth paused, his gaze lingering on her with a trace of hesitation. No one could make out his low murmur: “Would he perhaps like someone like her?”

Aboard the Krusu battleship

Zhang Ning covered his face, torn between laughter and tears. He dared not imagine how his senior brothers now saw him. When the fourth senior brother had left without a backward glance, Zhang Ning assumed he would return with news of the enemy’s annihilation. Who would have thought that not even a dog was harmed—all because he might like that alluring woman?

His body in the Azure Sky Realm was only eight years old! Was he now seen as a little lecher in others’ eyes? And if so, why did his senior brothers indulge him so?

Staring at his fourth senior brother’s stern face, Zhang Ning’s lips twitched. He decided to postpone dealing with the captured Wu clan members... or perhaps leave it to the resourceful Su Ye. After all, those capable should bear more responsibility, and Su Ye always handled things impeccably!

He wondered how Su Ye was faring these days...

Three days later
Grand Celestial Demon Sect

“So, your little Ning…”

Xing Qiluo, noticing Chu Hanyu’s expression, hurriedly bit down on the morsel in his mouth and forced back a laugh. Fortunately, he was well-practiced at controlling himself. “So, your ‘fifth disciple’ is actually an imposter?”

Sitting across from him, Chu Hanyu shot him a glare. “Is that really what concerns you most after all I’ve said?”

Now that his initial anger at someone impersonating his disciple had faded, Chu Hanyu felt the full weight and complexity of recent events. After some thought, he had called over his longtime friend Xing Qiluo. Xing Qiluo, having just untangled a mess indirectly caused by Zhang Ning, was more amused than enraged by the revelation.

It wasn’t that Xing Qiluo lacked a sense of gravity, but compared to major matters—like the source crystal they had sought for years ending up in the hands of a demon clan Martial Saint for ascension, or the sudden appearance of a mysterious human powerhouse—this ethical farce was far more entertaining! It was rare to see Chu Hanyu wrong-footed, and for such an absurd and endearing reason. He had even suspected his good friend of secretly taking a fifth disciple; who would have thought it was just a misunderstanding?

After a moment’s thought, Xing Qiluo said, “Ah, I’ve already sent Han Zun to protect little Ning.”

Chu Hanyu almost lashed out at Xing Qiluo’s affectionate tone, but Xing Qiluo continued, “Leaving aside the chain reaction that could follow if this misunderstanding is made public, I know you’re not one to care about others’ opinions. But... do you know what little Zhang Ning has been up to lately?”

Chu Hanyu frowned in silence. In truth, he did know what the boy—who hailed from the same place as his eldest disciple—had done. Though Zhang Ning only offered a few brief insights about the aftermath left by his senior, each was incisive and far-sighted, as if he already saw centuries into the future.

Moreover, every action he took since being admitted as a disciple was from the perspective of the Grand Celestial Demon Sect, thinking and acting as a successor of a sacred land. Most importantly, his conduct was nothing short of impeccable. The live broadcast venture he launched seemed to inject new vitality into the Azure Sky Realm.

Within the Grand Celestial Demon Sect, if Chu Hanyu wished to know something, there was nothing he could not discover.

A plan had even leaked from Su Ye, who had returned to the sect. After learning of Zhang Ning’s intentions, Chu Hanyu could vaguely discern his strategic vision and the long-term impact it would have. Even a man as shrewd as Chu Hanyu was astounded—who could have guessed that this young man’s planning was so far-reaching, and that he was so devoted to the Grand Celestial Demon Sect?

Xing Qiluo continued to tip the balance in Chu Hanyu’s mind. “You know what we did to the cultivation world of the Azure Realm... If word of that ever got out, not just us, but even the righteous venerables...”

He didn’t finish, but Chu Hanyu knew exactly what he meant. For centuries, the venerables had exalted martial arts above all, rejecting other mystical arts. When the upper echelons set such a trend, in a realm where martial prowess was paramount, it was easy to sway the masses.

So, in just a few centuries, they had transformed the Azure Sky Realm almost beyond recognition. Yet, if that world continued to spawn talent and treasures like an endless spring, the world’s source energy would be steadily depleted. Without source energy, the Azure Sky Realm would face calamities of unprecedented severity.

Moreover, the Azure Sky Realm no longer lagged behind the Great Thousand Worlds in terms of magical arts or top martial artists, and now faced the challenge of world ascension. At this moment, the need for source energy was greater than ever. Every aspect was riddled with contradictions, making the venerables’ decision back then an agonizing one.

It was easy to imagine that most people would never understand the venerables’ painstaking intentions. If the truth were exposed now, they would surely be condemned to eternal infamy and face the endless scorn of the Azure Sky Realm’s people.

It wasn’t that they were too pessimistic, but rather that, in the Azure Sky Realm, the mighty always stood above the masses. A few decided the fate of the many. The common people feared and revered the strong, but rarely believed those in power acted for their sake (with Chu Hanyu’s eldest disciple being a rare exception). There was almost no channel for communication between the upper and lower classes.