It turns out, they were the main characters.

She could tell that although Mu Zhian was slightly injured, it wasn't serious, and that his staying wasn't entirely for the purpose of protecting the Dharma, but rather had other deeper meanings.

"I think Fellow Daoist Ye should come with us. He has always been accompanied by a maid with top-notch strength and talent. I just used telepathy to summon her here, and she is already at the door."

Yao Meng smiled faintly, her voice clear and melodious, yet she resolutely rejected Ye Qingxin.

This Azure Emperor was no pushover; his awareness of defense against GNAK was at its peak, so he naturally sensed the change in Ye Qingxin's attitude towards Mu Zhian.

This change also made her more wary.

Yao Meng is good in every way, except that she is very strict in guarding against the great sharks at the Dao Integration Realm, not giving them a chance to enter the fishpond... Mu Zhian felt a little regretful, but he did not show it on his face.

"Since Fairy Yao Meng has said so, let's go together."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxin didn't know what else to say, and ultimately accepted the Azure Emperor's invitation.

Her body was engulfed in crimson-gold flames, wisps of which resembled a fiery witch, perfectly complementing the ethereal and aloof Yao Meng beside her.

The next moment, Luo Tan and Qing Di transformed into a beam of light and disappeared from the main hall.

Ye Qingxin was also engulfed in crimson-gold flames, but before leaving, she glanced at Mu Zhian with a teasing smile in her eyes.

"You've got some nerve."

These words seemed to carry a somewhat ambiguous meaning, but Mu Zhi'an understood the implication. He raised his hand and clasped his hands in a helpless gesture, saying, "This junior did not intend to scheme against you, senior. I was simply ambushed in secret. Sister Qingdi was not present at the time, so I had no choice but to come to you, senior..."

The people present were all beings who had lived for tens of thousands of years, so they were naturally aware of Mu Zhi'an's scheming.

From the moment Mu Zhian came to find her, to the exposure of the matter of the Innate Furnace's advancement, and then to Mu Zhian's subsequent obstruction of their efforts to resolve the Void Nightmare... with so many things happening together, Ye Qingxin naturally guessed what was going on.

The three people present all knew about this matter but kept it to themselves.

Ye Qingxin knew, and Luo Tan guessed as well. The way Qingdi looked at Mu Zhian just now—she knew it too without even thinking.

From the very beginning, Mu Zhian did not believe that this plan could be completely foolproof or even be seen through.

But so what?

The facts are clear: the Void Nightmare was indeed a creature summoned by Xiao Hua and was indeed under Xiao Hua's command. Coupled with the many suspicious points surrounding Xiao Hua, Luo Tan could not possibly protect him.

Given the final outcome, the process is no longer important.

As for Luo Tan and Ye Qingxin's dissatisfaction with his performance afterward, there might be some, but it wouldn't be significant.

As for Luo Tan, there's no need to say more. If it really was someone she brought who attacked Mu Zhi'an, she would naturally punish them severely.

If it is further revealed that Xiao Hua is no longer the real Xiao Hua... then this Medicine King should thank him instead.

Moreover, he was born as a furnace, and Luo Tan now also knows about the Heavenly Court's spiritual energy.

Even those at the Dao Integration Realm cannot afford to disregard the spiritual energy originating from the Heavenly Court.

As for Ye Qingxin...

"I'm not blaming you, but there are some things you can tell me directly without needing to hide them."

Looking at Mu Zhian, who had a helpless and apologetic expression, Ye Qingxin's voice softened, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Since you are half a member of the Ye family, if someone deliberately makes things difficult for you, I will naturally not sit idly by."

A touch of emotion appeared in Mu Zhi'an's eyes: "Senior is so kind to me~"

Ye Qingxin nodded slightly, her crimson-gold flames burning. The next moment, her graceful figure transformed into a streak of fire and disappeared into the hall.

Her black and red dress fluttered in the wind, her full breasts swaying gently, making Mu Zhian sigh inwardly: Ruoxi has really met her match.

……

At the same time.

In a grand hall on the south bank, when Xiao Hua opened his eyes and saw the Void Nightmare appear before him, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The Void Nightmare will not give up until it achieves its goal. Although it has consumed one-fifth of its essence and even damaged its lifespan this time, it is not a big deal.

In his previous life, he was a powerful figure who could command the wind and rain in his world.

The loss of over ten years of lifespan is negligible once one refines the spirit and returns to the void, causing a surge in lifespan.

"You dare to lay a hand on the woman I've set my sights on; you're just unlucky."

Xiao Hua sneered inwardly, about to raise his hand to form a hand seal to send the Void Nightmare away and erase the last piece of evidence.

In this way, he would have no further connection with this matter, and even if Mu Zhian's protectors wanted to investigate the real culprit later, they would not be able to find him.

however--

"No...why?"

"I can't control the Void Nightmare?!"

"When did it sign a master-servant contract with someone else?!"

After Xiao Hua was about to order the Void Nightmare to leave, he found that the creature was completely motionless. After a brief hesitation, his expression turned grim.

At this moment, even this powerful figure, who had seen countless storms in his previous life, couldn't help but slightly change his expression, feeling a vague sense of unease.

It's important to understand that the attack on Mu Zhi'an using the Void Nightmare was specifically designed to be undetectable and difficult for anyone to discreetly observe. If the Void Nightmare refused to leave on its own, and the investigation later traced it back to him…

Just then, Xiao Hua seemed to vaguely sense the approaching danger and suddenly raised his head. He saw that from the only eye of the Void Nightmare, a pitch-black mark shot out and was directly imprinted on his spiritual consciousness.

A peculiar mark from a nightmare appeared on his forehead, as if he wanted everyone to know that he had previously used a curse-killing technique.

"Why? Why is this Void Nightmare completely disobeying my commands?!"

Xiao Hua roared inwardly, filled with fear and unease.

Then, his heart skipped a beat. Recalling the Void Nightmare's behavior and reactions just now, Xiao Hua's expression suddenly changed drastically. As if remembering something, he whispered, almost word by word:

"Mu Zhi An!"

The Void Nightmare only became uncontrollable after attacking Mu Zhi'an, and just now it even left a mark on him. Once news of Mu Zhi'an's injury from the Nightmare attack gets out, the fate of the one who summoned the Void Nightmare is predictable.

"This young man is more cunning than I imagined. Although I don't know how he subdued the Void Nightmare, I can no longer stay in the Two Elements Sect..."

When Xiao Hua thought of this, his heart was filled with despair.

That being said, he had just been defeated by Bai Ruoxi today, and his spiritual consciousness was severely damaged. In addition, he had just sacrificed his essence, so he was now so weak that he could not walk at all.

In this situation, how can one escape?

"Does this mean that my life has only just begun, and I am destined to perish here before even reaching the summit?"

"I am not reconciled!"

At that moment, Xiao Hua's mind raced, and then his eyes suddenly lit up.

Oh, right, that fragment of the ancient treasure map!

Not long ago, he obtained a fragment of a treasure map from that ancient ruin during a tribulation of lightning. That treasure map fragment could store the spiritual consciousness of others.

The nightmare mark from earlier was imprinted on his spiritual consciousness. As long as he hid his spiritual consciousness within the fragments of the treasure map and pretended to be unconscious, even if he was discovered, there would be no evidence...

Ultimately, as long as his spiritual consciousness remains, it doesn't matter if this body is truly gone later.

Thinking of this, Xiao Hua hardened his heart and slapped his chest.

His vision went black, and he collapsed in the main hall. His spiritual consciousness then entered the fragments of the treasure map.

……

With the departure of the three Dao-Merging experts, the main hall returned to silence.

Wei Mengrou was already beside Mu Zhian at some point, and through their conversation, she roughly knew the young master's purpose.

The aloof maid immediately gave him a cold, sidelong glance and said indifferently, "Is it worth getting yourself into this state just to eliminate an enemy?"

As aloof as ever, her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back, and her slender, shapely legs were accentuated by the swaying hem of her skirt. Her features were exquisite, and her gaze was radiant.

His gaze toward Mu Zhian was filled with displeasure.

"Let's not talk about that now, can you lend me a hand?" Mu Zhian reached out his hand to Wei Mengrou and smiled.

Those slightly pale lips and weak words made Wei Mengrou bite her lip lightly, but she finally helped Mu Zhian sit down in a chair next to her.

"Sister Mengrou, please sit here."

Noticing Wei Mengrou's gaze, which was intentionally or unintentionally directed at him, Mu Zhian gently patted the chair next to him, gesturing for Wei Mengrou to sit down and keep him company.

"My wound hurts so much, Sister Mengrou..."

Seeing that Wei Mengrou seemed angry and didn't want to talk to him, Mu Zhian covered his injured shoulder and started to act pitiful.

A hint of reluctance flashed in Wei Mengrou's eyes, but she eventually sat down beside Mu Zhian at his suggestion.

Where are you injured?

After glancing at him a few times and remaining silent for a moment, Wei Mengrou finally couldn't help but ask. Although her face was cold, there seemed to be a hint of heartache in her eyes.

"It's just some external injury; it will heal in a day or two."

As Mu Zhian spoke, his hand had already intentionally or unintentionally wrapped around her slender waist, and he smiled, "Does Sister Mengrou feel sorry for you?"

"You deserved it; you didn't have to get hurt."

Wei Mengrou's voice carried a hint of coldness, but her heart inexplicably fluttered. Her face burned, and she silently turned her face away, only giving Mu Zhian a stunning profile.

“Even if Sister Qingdi and the others know I’m acting, the play can only begin after I’ve performed,” Mu Zhi’an said with a smile.

As for what the outcome will be for Xiao Hua, he doesn't really care.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether Xiao Hua dies or not. As long as Xiao Hua's luck is suppressed, his side's luck will rise, and that's enough.

“Even so, you should be gentler with yourself,” Wei Mengrou said coldly.

Mu Zhian didn't say anything, but simply put his arm around Wei Mengrou's shoulder, letting her lean against him.

Wei Mengrou initially struggled slightly in Mu Zhi'an's arms, but seemingly afraid of aggravating Mu Zhi'an's injuries, she eventually leaned slowly against his shoulder.

Mu Zhi'an's hand, which was initially well-behaved, gradually became more and more unrestrained on her slender waist.

Wei Mengrou blushed slightly, glanced at the young master with a hint of resentment, and then lowered her eyes.

At this moment, she seemed to have shed her usual coldness and arrogance, transforming into a well-behaved and obedient girl, immersed in her young master's tenderness.

After a short while, Wei Mengrou gently pressed down on Mu Zhian's hand that was resting on her leg and whispered, "Wait, wait... don't do this in the main hall..."

"How about we go back to Tianhe Garden now?" Mu Zhian whispered in her ear.

"If you're not worried about being discovered by others, then so be it." Wei Mengrou had already prepared her reason. Although her pretty face was flushed, her tone was calm.