Managing a Divine Beast Kindergarten in the Immortal Realm

Chapter 61: Secret Island

Yun Zhao snuggled in Xiao Long's (little dragon) arms, rubbing against him affectionately, saying, "I haven't seen anything, you're the most handsome!"

Xiao Long's cool hand stopped on the young man's back, fingers gently caressing the skin behind his ear. Although no words were spoken, Yun Zhao could already sense that tonight might not be easy for him, judging from his narrowed eyes.

Ao Yu enjoyed the sight of the blushing youth softly coaxing him. He leaned his head closer, resting his chin on Yun Zhao’s shoulder.

With a warm breath spreading near his neck, Ao Yu took advantage of Bai Ze looking out the window and swiftly nipped the young man's neck with his sharp fangs.

"Um."

Yun Zhao trembled all over, widened his eyes in disbelief, and turned his head to look at Xiao Long beside him.

Ao Yu wrapped his arm around Yun Zhao's waist, his tongue savoring the remaining taste on his sharp fangs. He quite enjoyed the shy appearance of the youth, and even a smile formed at the corners of his eyes.

When Bai Ze turned around, he saw Ao Yu lazily leaning on Yun Zhao, his eyes squinted with a foxy look as if he had stolen something. He made a sound of surprise, scanned them up and down, and commented, "You're so delicate."

Yun Zhao was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Xiao Long leaning against him, nodded in agreement with a giggle, and casually tugged at the white hair beside him, whispering, "Delicate little dragon."

Ao Yu frowned, pinched the soft flesh on Yun Zhao's face, and warned Bai Ze with a stern look, "Don't make me force you to sit with that bunch of brats."

Bai Ze immediately fell silent and considerately stuck his head out the window again, shouting dramatically, "Wow, the underwater scenery is so beautiful! Can't get enough of it!"

Yun Zhao: "..." No need to be so exaggerated.

On the other side, Wu Mu and Luo Xue stood by the window, fixated on the big fish outside. The triangular ears on their heads twitched happily.

Wu Mu grinned, revealing his small fangs, and said, "The underwater world is truly beautiful."

Coral reefs, swimming schools of fish, and the dazzling and lively cities were even more fun than the markets on land.

Ao Jing was taken aback. Seeing the genuine joy in everyone's eyes, he murmured softly, grasping the fine golden threads on his robe, "You won't feel the same if you look at it for too long."

The prosperity of the Four Seas was the result of the Dragon Clan's guardianship throughout generations. Ao Yu had achieved a thousand years of peace, but now that the Abyss was in turmoil, he wondered if he could shoulder this heavy burden like his elder brother.

Ao Jing gazed at the sea view outside with a hint of confusion in his eyes. He had once envied Ao Yu's position and abilities, but only after being welcomed into the Dragon Palace did he realize how agonizing it could be.

Lost in thought, fiery feathered wings fanned on his lap, and Ao Jing looked up to find the little phoenix. Le Huang grew tired of the sea view and asked, "Is there anything fun here?"

Luo Xue and the others also turned their attention to Ao Jing.

"Something fun?" Ao Jing was a bit puzzled, not fully understanding what kind of amusement they were seeking.

Wu Mu gestured and said, "Something like what we had at Yuming Mountain, catching fish in mountain springs, digging bird nests in trees, and sliding down slides!"

Sun Yang sighed, "This is the sea, there are no slides here."

Wu Mu realized his mistake and scratched his head, saying, "Oh, right."

Ao Jing didn't know what they meant by slides, but from their tone, he guessed they were tired of being in the sea.

After pondering for a moment, he suggested, "I have an island we could visit."

Luo Xue's eyes instantly lit up. An island! An island where they could gather seashells and dig for razor clams!

The kitten cubs quickly gathered around Ao Jing, one saying, "Xiao Long gege, take me there," while another chimed in, "Let's all go clam digging together." Their sweet and coaxing voices overwhelmed Ao Jing for a moment.

He pursed his lips and moved away slightly, whispering, "I-I'll take you there, but I need to inform my elder brother."

Inside the palanquin, the Dragon Lord, who was playing with the young man's fingers, was startled by the sudden sound of childish voices.

Furrowing his brow, he and Yun Zhao turned their heads, only to see Wu Mu waving his hand and shouting loudly, "Yun Zhao! Ao Jing is taking us to an island to play!"

Bai Ze had mentioned earlier about going to a trench to gather some shells, and Yun Zhao wanted to go and have a look, so he agreed to the cubs' request, replying, "I'll come find you later then."

"Okay!"

Yun Zhao watched the cubs excitedly retract their heads and urged the stingray to move faster, unable to help but laugh softly.

"What are you laughing at?" Ao Yu asked.

Yun Zhao looked at the trail of water left behind by the stingray and chuckled, "I didn't expect them to get along so harmoniously with Ao Jing."

Bai Ze nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it's surprising. Ao Jing is usually so calm and boring, playing with Wu Mu and the others might be good for him. He's been walking around every day with a stern face like an old man, right, Ao Yu?"

Ao Yu leaned against Yun Zhao without responding, and after a while, he half-opened his eyes and muttered softly, "None of my business."

Bai Ze pouted, "No fun."

Yun Zhao tilted his head slightly, his peripheral vision catching Ao Yu's smooth face. Ao Yu's brows were still furrowed, his long lashes lowered, lost in thought.

...

On the sea surface, a small island bloomed with lush flowers, surrounded by seabirds and sparrows. The leaping waves adorned the sea with a layer of golden light, continuously crashing onto the beach.

Within the golden and soft sand, there were several sets of beautiful and delicate paw prints.

Luo Xue and Wu Mu reverted to their beast forms, leaping down from the stingray and cautiously extending their little paws to step on the beach.

The fine sand warmed by the sun felt comfortable beneath their paws, but they had to restrain their instinct to dig holes.

Ao Jing led them along the beach, introducing, "This island is small, but it's rich in resources. The highest point in the center of the island is a good spot for stargazing at night."

As he walked and spoke, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. Turning around, he found no one behind him. They were all gathered not far away.

"What are you doing?" Ao Jing walked back, curious as he asked.

Wu Mu extended his paw and waved, saying, "Ao Jing, come here quickly! The razor clams here are tricky!"

"Razor clams?"

Ao Jing approached and saw the kittens and the little phoenix crouching on either side, with a dense cluster of small holes in between, left by the razor clams.

Seeing Luo Xue licking his lips with enthusiasm, Ao Jing said, "If you want to eat razor clams, I can have the maidservants bring you better ones."

However, Wu Mu shook his head and disagreed, "That's no fun! It's only delicious if we catch them ourselves with our paws!"

Just as he said that, Sun Yang used a trace of spiritual power to hook out a razor clam. The little phoenix swiftly snatched it with a paw, proudly lifting its magnificent tail feathers.

He exclaimed with joy, "I'm the first one to catch one! Little cat, you're too slow!"

Luo Xue fell with its erect ears drooping, discontentedly scratching the sand.

Wu Mu squinted at the showy Le Huang, and said, "Meow... How come I remember someone saying they wouldn't play this game that would dirty their paws?"

Le Huang: "..."

The chubby little bird tossed the clam aside, raised its head, and walked away, huffing, "I was just showing off the agility of a phoenix. You guys can play on your own!"

Wu Mu covered its mouth with a paw and chuckled a few times. It moved to Le Huang's previous spot and continued playing, even inviting Ao Jing, saying, "Why stand there? Let's catch together!"

"Alright," Ao Jing couldn't refuse the guest's invitation and crouched down, leaning closer.

Sun Yang, as usual, swept the beach with spiritual power, and a large clam emerged from a hole.

Ao Jing reached out to catch it, but a dark cat paw grabbed it first, and with a "smack," the clam flew out of his hand.

"Ah," Ao Jing looked up in surprise and saw Wu Mu licking its paw, its tail held high. "Meow! You're too slow!"

Ao Jing gave Wu Mu a deep look and whispered to Sun Yang, "Again."

"Meow! I won!" 

"One more time!"

"Keep going!"

"Again!"

The evening sun's glow spilled onto the sea, shimmering like a row of golden red fish scales.

Xuanming lazily yawned. The clams next to him had piled up like a small mountain, and the green dragon was still playing with the kitten, enjoying the feeling of a worthy opponent.

The clear cry of a seabird snapped Ao Jing back to reality. He looked up and belatedly realized the time.

After playing all afternoon, Ao Jing's cheeks were slightly flushed from the sunlight. He stood up, took out a handkerchief to wipe his face, and suggested, "Elder Brother and the others haven't arrived yet. Shall we go back to the Dragon Palace?"

"No way! It's still early!" Wu Mu shouted, "Didn't you say the night view here is great? Let's wait for Yun Zhao to come and play a little longer!"

Luo Xue nodded in agreement, "Big Brother Yun Zhao's dragon jade is even more powerful. It can attract a lot of seafood!"

"Dragon jade..." Ao Jing murmured, surprised, "Dragon jade! He uses dragon jade to attract seafood for you?"

"Yes."

Luo Xue nodded happily, "Just like what Sun Yang did today. Brother would shake the jade pendant over the small holes, and the clams would come out. Amazing, right?"

Ao Jing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before nodding, "Yes... it's very impressive."

Indeed, his elder brother's Dao companion was indeed... special...

After thinking for a moment, Ao Jing continued, "Shall I have the attendants bring some food over?"

However, Wu Mu shook its head and said, "No need for that trouble."

It pointed its paw at the clams, "Let's catch some more, and we'll have enough to eat, won't we?"

"True, no need to trouble those people," Sun Yang agreed.

Luo Xue tilted her head and looked at the seafood, then suddenly suggested, "Since Brother hasn't arrived yet, why don't we prepare a meal for him too?"

Wu Mu was taken aback, "Us?"

Le Huang nodded gracefully, "Yes." As a way of repaying a little for the food preparations on ordinary days.

The youngsters wasted no time and immediately divided the tasks. Wu Mu and Xuanming went to catch fish and lobsters, Le Huang and the ferret went to gather firewood, and Sun Yang dug a pit for the stove. Only Ao Jing stood still in his spot.

He looked at Sun Yang in confusion and asked, "Yun Zhao... also cooks for you?"

Sun Yang replied, "His cooking skills are excellent, and we all love it."

Wu Mu trotted over, holding a lobster in its mouth, and shook its fur. "Not only regular meals, but he also makes various desserts like cakes, sugar drawings, and sparkling fruit juices. They are incredibly delicious!"

Ao Jing listened curiously to their descriptions of the food, realizing he had never heard of them before. Wu Mu looked at the young dragon in front of him with a hint of regret and sighed, "What a pity. If you have the chance, come to our Yuming Mountain. Once you taste it, you'll know."

"Yuming Mountain..."

Ao Jing gazed at the calm sea surface and began to envy his elder brother. In the past, he envied his brother's strength, but now, he started to envy the freedom his brother possessed.

Lost in thought, a splash of icy water sprayed over Ao Jing, soaking him from head to toe.

He turned around in surprise and saw Wu Mu blinking its eyes, raising its wet paw with confusion. "Since we're here, why not play with water?"

Of course, Ao Jing wouldn't let the kittens splash water on him without retaliation. He quickly scooped up seawater and prepared to strike back, but Wu Mu swiftly dodged, causing Xuanming, who had just come ashore, to be drenched in chilling water.

The black panther calmly placed the fish it had in its mouth aside and approached them, swishing its tail.

Ao Jing: "..."

Wu Mu: "..."

Just as Yun Zhao and the other two arrived at the beach, they coincidentally ran into Le Huang, who was collecting firewood.

Le Huang looked up proudly and said, "You've arrived at the perfect time. We plan to grill some seafood for you."

"Is that so?" Yun Zhao smiled, pleased that his efforts in feeding these youngsters hadn't been in vain. They even knew how to cook for him.

He picked up Xiao Fenghuang and the ferret, eagerly heading towards the designated spot mentioned by Le Huang. Bai Ze and Ao Yu exchanged a glance and followed along.

In Yun Zhao's arms, Xiao Fenghuang (Le Huang) incessantly complained about the hardship of gathering firewood, how its paws had gotten dirty, and even tried to show its paws to Yun Zhao. However, its own round belly blocked its line of sight, and it struggled to lift it for quite some time.

Xiao Fenghuang: "..."

Damn, so embarrassing.

Fortunately, Yun Zhao didn't mind and comforted it softly, walking forward with a cheerful demeanor. Before they had taken a few steps, they heard the sound of splashing waves and playful laughter.

Ao Yu took out a night pearl and tossed it, raising an eyebrow in slight surprise at the scene before him.

On the sandy beach, the group of youngsters was completely drenched, their fur or hair covered in fine sand. The half-dug fire pit was filled with obstructing seafood, and the water that had turned into water balls burst with a loud pop, drenching Wu Mu from head to toe.

Wu Mu, frustrated, exclaimed, "You cheater!"

Ao Jing confidently retorted, "You didn't say we couldn't use our powers."

Wu Mu choked, realizing that it made sense, but then it dawned on him that he didn't know any water-based spells!

In the midst of his frustration, they all turned their heads towards the source of light, locking eyes with the dumbfounded Yun Zhao...

Yun Zhao: "?"

Perplexed, Yun Zhao looked at the little phoenix that had just boasted about cooking for him.

What happened to the promise of making me food?

Embarrassed, Le Huang buried its head in the feathers on its belly, indicating, "Don't ask me, I don't know anything. I'm just a beautiful little phoenix..."