378: childlike innocence

After a few breaths, "Yue Ning" slowly opened her eyes.

She scanned her surroundings, seemingly assessing the situation.

When "Yue Ning" saw Luo Shuihan, who was dressed in a water-blue long dress, her gaze shifted noticeably, but when she looked at the man beside Luo Shuihan, she lightly furrowed her brows...

At this moment, the consciousness within Yue Ning's body was clearly no longer her original self.

Instead, it was someone else using Yue Ning's body, employing some secret technique to briefly descend before Mu Wuchen and the others...

"Who are you?"

A voice suddenly emanated from "Yue Ning."

What reached their ears was surprisingly a crisp, childish voice.

Hearing this, Mu Wuchen was slightly stunned.

Through previous introductions, Mu Wuchen already knew that the person who had arrived was very likely an expert from the Water God Palace within the Water Moon Immortal Palace.

Yet he had not expected that this expert from the Water God Palace would have such a voice...

Seemingly sensing Mu Wuchen's confusion, Luo Shuihan, who was beside him, softly explained.

"Master, she is the Palace Master of the Moon God Palace, named Yue Zhenzhen. Don't let her childish voice fool you; she is much older than me..."

"It is said that Elder Zhenzhen has been by Senior Sister's side since she was young, and her current Cultivation has already reached the seventh level of Supreme..."

"Elder Zhenzhen used to be very playful, just like a child, but as her strength and status improved, her childishness faded quite a bit..."

Mu Wuchen listened quietly to Luo Shuihan's explanation, noncommittal.

"You do not know her true identity?"

Before Luo Shuihan could finish, Mu Wuchen looked at her and suddenly spoke.

Hearing Mu Wuchen's words, Luo Shuihan was suddenly stunned, her expression revealing a trace of confusion and bewilderment...

Although Luo Shuihan's strength was not weak now, she was still young after all, and her experience and knowledge were naturally not comparable to the vast memories of Mu Wuchen.

With just one glance, he already knew the true identity of this Moon God Palace Master.

Seeing that Luo Shuihan did not know, Mu Wuchen continued to explain.

"She is the Childlike Heart of your Senior Sister."

"Your Senior Sister Cultivates the Dao of Ruthlessness, but her childlike heart remained, so she wanted to sever it. However, if she forcefully severed it, it would inevitably affect her Foundation, so she allowed it to form its own entity, and they Cultivate separately."

"The main body is freed from constraints, greatly increasing the speed of Cultivation, and as the main body's Dao of Ruthlessness reaches Major Achievement, the severed Childlike Heart will also tend towards ruthlessness. When needed, the two can undergo Fusion once again."

Hearing Mu Wuchen's explanation, Luo Shuihan's gaze flickered, as if deep in thought...

She was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"The Palace Master of the Water God Palace is named Xue Qingchun; her strength is similar to Elder Zhenzhen's, but she only appears to be fifteen or sixteen years old. Then she..."

"That is the Maiden's Heart."

Mu Wuchen spoke again.

Hearing Mu Wuchen's words, Luo Shuihan seemed to have already guessed it, and suddenly sighed softly.

"It seems that Senior Sister's persistence and her heart towards the Dao are even stronger than I imagined..."

Just as Mu Wuchen and Luo Shuihan were talking, "Yue Ning" suddenly spoke again.

She seemed not to have heard the conversation between Mu Wuchen and Luo Shuihan, instead staring solely at Luo Shuihan with a hint of coldness in her expression.

"Junior Sister..."

"To have an illicit affair with a man, and even debase yourself to become his slave—do you know how you should be punished according to the Sect's rules?"

At this moment, "Yue Ning's" voice was very childish, but the words she spoke were stern and mature, even carrying a faint air of natural authority...

Since her identity had already been revealed by Mu Wuchen, she no longer needed to hide it.

"Yue Ning" had expected Luo Shuihan to avoid the question or offer an explanation, but facing her gaze, Luo Shuihan did not shy away at all.

She had long since anticipated that this moment would come.

She looked straight at "Yue Ning" and spoke softly.

"Senior Sister, Shuihan is no longer an Elder of the Water Moon Immortal Palace; she is only Master's Shuihan."

"Coming here this time, it is only because I am fortunate enough to have Master's compassion, saving the Water Moon Immortal Palace from fire and water."

"If Master punishes Shuihan, regardless of right or wrong, Shuihan will willingly kneel and accept it without complaint; but if you use the rules of the Water Moon Immortal Palace to punish me, Shuihan will not accept it!"

Hearing Luo Shuihan's words, "Yue Ning" suddenly fell silent...

That silence lasted for a full few minutes before "Yue Ning's" body moved again.

"Fine, since you are willing to leave, I cannot stop you."

As she spoke, "Yue Ning's" gaze turned back to Mu Wuchen, seemingly wanting to see through something, but she could see nothing at all...

"He is your Master, but he is not my Master."

"You trust him, but I cannot entrust the lives of ten thousand palace maids of the Water Moon Immortal Palace to an outsider..."

"If he harbors malicious intent, or has long been colluding with the Holy God Hall, the consequences are something the Water Moon Immortal Palace cannot bear..."

"Junior Sister, go. From this day forward, you are no longer a person of the Water Moon Immortal Palace. Everything about the Water Moon Immortal Palace has nothing to do with you!"

After speaking, "Yue Ning" slowly turned around, as if to leave, but there was no movement for a long time; the jade hand beneath her cloud sleeve clenched slightly and then slowly relaxed...

After a few breaths, "Yue Ning," who had already turned, looked back at Luo Shuihan. She pointed her fingertip, and a snow-white token appeared out of thin air in front of Luo Shuihan.

The cold and childish voice sounded once more.

"Junior Sister, this token contains the whereabouts of a hundred palace maids. Take them and leave here, leave the Qianyan Immortal Domain, and you and the Water Moon Immortal Palace will owe each other nothing..."

As the voice fell, before Luo Shuihan could answer, "Yue Ning's" delicate body slowly went limp, and that aura belonging to Yue Zhenzhen had already vanished without a trace...

Mu Wuchen reached out and took the fainted Yue Ning into the System World.

Luo Shuihan looked at the snow-white token in front of her, lowered her head slightly, and fell into silence.

"Senior Sister, she..."

Mu Wuchen looked at the somewhat despondent Luo Shuihan and spoke indifferently.

"This Senior Sister of yours cannot achieve the Dao of Ruthlessness."

"She is not a ruthless person. By forcefully cultivating the Dao of Ruthlessness, barely reaching the Emperor Supreme level is her limit. It is difficult to fuse with the Dao, so it is difficult for her to become a true Great Emperor..."

"If she were truly for the Dao and not for emotion, this would be a heaven-sent Opportunity for her."

"She only needs to abandon the lives of the ten thousand palace maids of the entire Water Moon Immortal Palace and leave alone, severing all ties, and she could Breakthrough in an instant."

"When the Holy God Hall slaughters the entire Water Moon Immortal Palace, if she can still remain calm and composed, with a heart like flowing water, when facing the thousands of heads of her former fellow maids hanging on the city walls, then her achievement of Emperor Supreme is just around the corner, and becoming a Ruthless Empress in the future is not impossible..."

Hearing Mu Wuchen's words, Luo Shuihan suddenly shuddered.

Such a Great Emperor, it is better not to become.

However, after hearing Mu Wuchen's words, Luo Shuihan's mood improved significantly.

"Then, Senior Sister, she..."

Mu Wuchen nodded slightly and explained.

"She trusts you, and she trusts me, but she dares not gamble. She fears that if she gambles wrong, she might harm the lives of ten thousand palace maids in a single thought, and she also fears implicating you and me."

"Therefore, she placed the lives of these hundred palace maids into your and my hands, for the purpose of leaving hope for the Water Moon Immortal Palace."