"You say you belong to an Imperial Clan. Might you have proof?"
Yan Ruyu looked at Chen Yu before her, her gaze quite cautious now.
If an Imperial Clan member had truly arrived from the other shore of the starry sky, the implications would undoubtedly be enormous.
After all, everyone knew that only Saints could cross the void.
Since he had come from the other shore, crossing the starry sky to reach the Big Dipper, could a true sage be standing behind him?
"Proof?"
Chen Yu smiled, having expected this.
He had not expected Yan Ruyu to simply believe him. After all, how many people would believe an empty claim that he belonged to an Imperial Clan?
Still, Chen Yu had never expected Yan Ruyu to believe him immediately.
After all, proving this could not have been easier for him.
Under the gazes of Yan Ruyu and the others, Chen Yu simply cut open his palm, letting crimson blood drip out.
As the crimson blood scattered, it seemed to hold some strange magic, with a faint trace of divinity and a lofty presence emerging within it.
Chen Yu did nothing more, merely offering the blood to Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu did not hesitate either. Looking at the blood dripping before her, she immediately activated a secret art.
As an Imperial Clan, they naturally had their own unique methods of identifying a Great Emperor's bloodline. A single test would reveal whether he truly belonged to an Imperial Clan.
The next moment, she channeled her divine power and unleashed a secret art.
Boom!
An astonishing scene instantly unfolded.
When Yan Ruyu activated the secret art, those few drops of blood suddenly radiated boundless light.
Dazzling light bloomed within them, as though the sound of thunder could faintly be seen within, while a wisp of Imperial Qi emerged, carrying an incomparably noble quality.
Without question, this was a manifestation only descendants of an Ancient Great Emperor could possess, incomparably terrifying and incomparably noble.
When this extraordinary phenomenon appeared, everyone present was stunned.
Even Yan Ruyu was no exception.
"Though I do not know which imperial bloodline you belong to, this bloodline power is unquestionably genuine..."
Her face was filled with shock. "And this bloodline power... how can it be so powerful?"
Yan Ruyu was no rogue cultivator who knew nothing about Imperial Clan bloodlines.
On the contrary, as a direct descendant of the Azure Emperor Lineage, she knew a great deal about Great Emperor bloodlines and understood all the more clearly what the concentration of Chen Yu's bloodline meant.
From what she could sense, Chen Yu before her was far more than a mere Imperial Clan member.
"Such concentrated imperial blood... could you be the direct son of a Great Emperor?"
Looking at Chen Yu before her, she asked for confirmation, her voice still carrying shock.
As her words fell, the expressions of the demon cultivators around them also changed.
The direct son of an Ancient Great Emperor? Would that not make him a genuine imperial son?
If this identity was real, it would truly send terror in every direction. Once word spread, the entire Big Dipper would be shaken.
In truth, this was merely because Yan Ruyu's knowledge was insufficient.
The Azure Emperor Lineage had long since declined. Given her current circumstances, she could not possibly know what a true imperial son was like, or just how powerful his bloodline power would be.
As she saw it now, Chen Yu before her was clearly no different from the imperial sons of legend. His bloodline power was just as mighty, unfathomably deep.
"Your Highness believes in my sincerity now, I trust."
Meeting Yan Ruyu's gaze, Chen Yu merely smiled without saying anything more about his identity, neither admitting nor denying it.
To Yan Ruyu, this was essentially a tacit admission.
"May I ask what sort of cooperation you seek in coming to Ruyu, Daoist Brother?"
Once Chen Yu's identity was confirmed, the atmosphere immediately changed, and Yan Ruyu's attitude instantly became considerably more respectful.
This was only natural.
Even setting aside the strength he had just displayed, which far surpassed theirs, his suspected identity as an imperial son alone warranted such treatment.
Ultimately, Yan Ruyu was merely a descendant of the Azure Emperor. After tens of thousands of years, the Azure Emperor Bloodline within her had long since thinned, leaving her only the tallest among dwarfs.
If he truly was an imperial son, however, he would be a figure of their ancestors' generation. No amount of respect would be excessive.
"I merely hoped we could huddle together for warmth."
Chen Yu sighed. "My lineage comes from the other shore of the starry sky. That place is in an age of declining Dharma, and the cultivation environment is exceedingly harsh."
"For the sake of cultivation, I came here alone. Apart from myself, I have no other support."
"As it happened, I heard the Azure Emperor Lineage was here, so I hoped we might cooperate."
"I originally thought that two imperial bloodlines cooperating would at least let us huddle together for warmth, but now..."
Standing there, he looked at the few elderly demon women around them, making no effort to conceal the disappointment on his face. "A mere few tens of thousands of years, and the illustrious descendants of the Azure Emperor have already fallen this far?"
These words were partly deliberate, but more than anything, they came from his heart.
After all, he had deliberately sought out the Azure Emperor Lineage because he genuinely wanted to hug a thigh.
But looking up now at this mere scattering of cats, big and small, what sort of thigh could they possibly be?
He would not even need to put much thought into it. If Chen Yu wished, he could wipe this entire group out right now.
"We have disappointed you, Daoist Brother."
Hearing Chen Yu's words, the elderly demon women around them lowered their heads in shame. Yan Ruyu also sighed softly, unsure what to say at that moment.
Had anyone else spoken those words, they would certainly have regarded them as contempt for the Azure Emperor Lineage.
But spoken by a member of another Imperial Clan, they were another matter entirely.
"I am willing to forge an alliance with Your Highness. Would Your Highness be willing?"
Opposite her, Chen Yu suddenly spoke.
An alliance?
Yan Ruyu went still, instinctively feeling somewhat puzzled.
She had not expected that, even after the Azure Emperor Lineage had fallen this far, someone would still be willing to form an alliance with them.
Just how badly was he failing to think things through?
But after that thought, she quickly recognized the opportunity.
The Azure Emperor had already weakened to this extent. Any opportunity that could revitalize the Azure Emperor Lineage was precious.
Since he came from an Imperial Clan and was suspected to be an imperial son, even if he had come to the Big Dipper alone as he said, he would surely have brought some portion of his Imperial Clan's reserves with him.
Even without those things, the Mighty Figure-level combat strength he had displayed earlier was already exceedingly precious to the Azure Emperor Lineage as it stood.
After all, in the current Azure Emperor Lineage, forget a Mighty Figure-the entire clan could not even produce a Half-Step Mighty Figure of the Immortal Platform Realm.
A single Mighty Figure already possessed enough combat strength to wipe out their clan.
As for ulterior designs?
The Azure Emperor Lineage had already fallen this far. What could they possibly have for him to covet?
This was an excellent opportunity.
Not only Yan Ruyu, but the other elderly demon women present also thought of this, and excitement immediately began to appear on their faces.
They looked at Yan Ruyu, signaling for her to agree quickly and not waste this rare opportunity.