Chapter 146 Sneaking Out to Play

Yet now, the demise of the ten Mystic Immortals has instead fostered the rebirth of the Nanling Mountain Range.

Didn't an ancient saying once go that a falling whale nourishes all things?
The words spoken by her Master just now surely carried this very meaning.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Huanyue became that she was right.
She nodded to herself in secret.

The confusion that had previously filled Huanyue's mind was now completely replaced by crystal clarity in her wide eyes.

Zhu Xiaoyuan led Huanyue and Ruofeng as they began to scale the mountain peak.
Step by step, they walked solidly toward the highest point.

Up there on the peak, the timing was just right; the setting sun was at its most magnificent.
The sky resembled a massive mirror stained with fresh blood.
Ethereal and crystalline!

"Huanyue, come take a look. Starting today, you can learn to paint the sun. Look at the setting sun..."
Zhu Xiaoyuan said.

Huanyue was instantly engulfed in a surge of wild ecstasy.
She had previously witnessed how Zhu Xiaoyuan painted the setting sun—the beauty it held and the terrifying power contained within!

Now, she too would finally be able to paint the sunset!
Was she finally about to touch upon paintings that harbored such terrifying energy?

Zhu Xiaoyuan spread out the drawing paper.
He ground the ink and moistened his brush.
He raised his eyes to gaze far into the sunset across the sky.

Within a few minutes, Zhu Xiaoyuan lowered his head.
He lifted the brush and began to paint upon the Xuan paper.

The entire painting was completed in a single, flowing stroke!
Time drifted by quietly, and the passage of years leaped vividly onto the paper.

Huanyue stood right beside Zhu Xiaoyuan, observing every detail closely.
A pensive expression appeared on her face.
She was utterly lost in fascination.

The profound meaning carried within Zhu Xiaoyuan's paintings was something others could not comprehend in a short moment.
Huanyue needed to observe closely and savor it slowly.

At the same time,
Ruofeng set up her zither beside the two of them.
With her slender fingers, she lightly stroked the strings.
The aura around her transformed in an instant.

The demeanor she had displayed last week while playing the *Emperor Immortal's Array-Breaking Tune* burst forth immediately.
The heroic spirit all over her body—the very aura that had shattered ten Mystic Immortals!

...

Back in the secluded courtyard,
Xinjing glanced around.
Her big eyes rolled this way and that, turning round and round.
Who knew what she was thinking.

All of Zhu Xiaoyuan's disciples were busy with their tasks.
Some were hoeing the earth and feeding fish, while others were practicing calligraphy and sweeping the floor.
No one paid her any attention.

So, she scampered back into the kitchen in a flash.
From a small basket on the side, she found the corn that Zhu Xiaoyuan used to feed the chickens.
Xinjing reached out her little hand and grabbed a handful of corn kernels straight from the corn jar.

Turning around, she trotted into the courtyard.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward several domestic chickens wandering idly about the yard with the corn clutched in her hand.

Just as she reached one of the chickens and before Xinjing could make a move, the chicken suddenly raised its head and glanced at her.

In that fraction of a second, Xinjing felt an overwhelming, terrifying aura wash over her.
It felt as though she were being stared at by some savage, brutal beast; her heart was filled with panic, and she felt as if endless, boundless pressure was bearing down upon her entire body.

Xinjing's face and head were drenched in sweat.
Resisting the terror in her heart, she slowly squatted down and opened her small hand.
The corn kernels in her palm were revealed.

The little girl stuttered in fright, "Senior... Seniors. I'm truly sorry... I—I didn't mean to."
"Please believe me... I really harbor no ill intentions."

She truly had no other motive.
She merely wanted to take advantage of Zhu Xiaoyuan's absence from the small courtyard to sneak out and find Ming Yexin.

However, even though Zhu Xiaoyuan was away, it was not a place where she could act willfully.
Xinjing understood this clearly in her heart.

Therefore, she figured that before leaving, she ought to at least announce it to these seniors of the household...
Which led to the scene unfolding today.

After that, the chicken stopped making any further movements.
It pecked the corn directly from her palm of its own accord.
Xinjing immediately heaved a sigh of relief; since these chicken seniors had eaten, it meant they consented to her going out.

She immediately turned on her heel and dashed toward the exit.
As she hurried away, she called out to them over her shoulder, "Rest assured, I'll be right back, I'll be very fast!"

Xianchen was sweeping the floor. Seeing Xinjing running toward the outside, she couldn't help asking with a hint of perplexity, "Xinjing, where are you heading off to?"
"I just want to go out and play for a bit. I haven't gone out anywhere since I came here," Xinjing said, her big eyes wide open.
Her large eyes were brimming with a pitiful expression.

Seeing this, Xianchen smiled.
"Alright then, but you must return early and not let Master worry!"

"Okay, I know!"
Xinjing readily agreed.
She pushed open the courtyard gate and departed.

Not long after she left, a small white cat also sneaked out stealthily.
The little white cat, Hong Xiaoyue, moved secretively, looking precisely like a thief with a guilty conscience.

As soon as Xinjing stepped out of Zhu Xiaoyuan's small courtyard, she immediately channeled her internal energy, intending to summon Ming Yexin over.

Upon receiving the message, Ming Yexin rushed to Xinjing's side almost without stopping to catch his breath.
He knelt respectfully at Xinjing's feet.
"Your Majesty the Demon Monarch, your subordinate pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Xinjing nodded and spoke directly to Ming Yexin, "Apart from the people of the Immortal Realm, I've discovered that there are others in the Tianwu Realm attempting to contend for the World Tree. I suspect they must be plotting some grand conspiracy! I just don't know what it is."
"Leave this place immediately, and travel to all the lower realms surrounding the Tianwu Realm to see if there are any unusual occurrences."

Hearing Xinjing say this, Ming Yexin was instantly gripped with anxiety.
"Your Majesty, this subordinate believes this is unwise."
"If I am not by your side, who will protect your safety?"

Hearing these words from Ming Yexin, Xinjing couldn't help rolling her eyes inwardly: *With your level of skill, you aren't necessarily capable of protecting me anyway!*
"Rest assured, I am extremely safe staying by Senior's side. Even if the most powerful figures from the Immortal Realm were to come, Senior possesses boundless methods to safeguard my safety."

Hearing her Demon Monarch utter such words, Ming Yexin felt a chilling sensation seep deep into his heart.
He had no idea what to even say.
For a moment, he even wondered if he was experiencing auditory hallucinations.

After all, the person standing right before his eyes was none other than the Heavenly Saint Demon Monarch!
An existence who had always been the ultimate backing for others.
Yet now, the renowned Heavenly Saint Demon Monarch spoke casually about relying on someone else for protection.

...
Put that way, just how unfathomably powerful could this Senior be?

As Ming Yexin pondered this, the scene of ten Mystic Immortals being struck down and slain flashed vividly before his eyes.
He could not help taking a deep breath and shaking his head vigorously to banish the image from his mind.
"This subordinate understands; I shall set out to handle this immediately!"

At that moment,
A stream of light flashed past in a blur.
Moving at a speed impossible for the naked eye to catch, it darted swiftly out of the small mountain village.

That streak of light was none other than the little white cat, Hong Xiaoyue!
At this moment, it pushed its power to the absolute limit, charging relentlessly in a single direction.
In a flash, it vanished into a small grove of trees.