“ wǒ dāng rán zhī dào ！”
“我当然知道！”
"I of course know!"
xǔ kè de shēng yīn yǒu xiē dé yì 。
许克的声音有些得意。
Xu Ke's voice sounded rather smug.
“ wǒ shuō guò ， lù yá shī xiōng rén hěn hǎo de 。”
“我说过，陆涯师兄人很好的。”
"I told you, Senior Brother Lü Ya is a good person."
“ dài wǒ lái dào yù shòu zōng de shí hòu ， zōng mén zhè me dà ， tā zhī dào wǒ tiáo pí ， xǐ huān dào chù luàn cuàn 。 wèi le fāng biàn zhǎo dào wǒ ， tā jiù sòng le yí gè yù pái gěi wǒ 。”
“带我来到御兽宗的时候，宗门这么大，他知道我调皮，喜欢到处乱窜。为了方便找到我，他就送了一个玉牌给我。”
"When I came with him to the Beast Taming Sect, he knew that I was mischievous and liked to run around. To make it easier for him to find me, he gave me an jade token."
“ kě yǐ suí shí gǎn zhī dào wǒ de wèi zhì 。”
“可以随时感知到我的位置。”
"It can always sense my location."
“ ér qiě zhè ge gōng néng shì shuāng xiàng de ， wǒ yě néng suí shí zhǎo dào tā 。”
“而且这个功能是双向的，我也能随时找到他。”
"And this function works both ways; I can also find him anytime."
“ hēi hēi ， qí shí wǒ zhī dào ， shì lù yá shī xiōng pà wǒ gāng jìn zōng mén bèi rén qī fù ， suǒ yǐ cái liú le zhè ge yù pái gěi wǒ 。”
“嘿嘿，其实我知道，是陆涯师兄怕我刚进宗门被人欺负，所以才留了这个玉牌给我。”
"Haha, actually, I know that Senior Brother Lü Ya kept the jade token because he was worried about me being bullied when I first entered the sect."
xǔ kè yī biān huí yìng zhe ， yī biān xiàng lǐ fán zhǎn shì le tā guà zài xiōng kǒu de yù pái 。
许克一边回应着，一边向李凡展示了他挂在胸口的玉牌。
Xu Ke showed Li Fan his pendant as he spoke.
lǐ fán wàng qù ， zhǐ jiàn yù pái de mú yàng hé zhī qián lù yá qí chéng de nà tóu rén miàn hǔ shēn de yì shòu yǒu xiē xiāng sì 。
李凡望去，只见玉牌的模样和之前陆涯骑乘的那头人面虎身的异兽有些相似。
Li Fan looked at it and saw that its appearance resembled the strange beast Lü Ya had ridden—a man-faced tiger-bodied creature.
bù guò kàn zhe xǔ kè dé yì yáng yáng de yàng zi ， bù zhī zěn de ， zhè jù shēn tǐ xīn zhōng jiù bù yóu dì shēng chū yī gǔ qì nǎo de qíng xù 。
不过看着许克得意洋洋的样子，不知怎的，这具身体心中就不由地生出一股气恼的情绪。
However, seeing Xu Ke's smug expression, for some reason, this body felt a surge of annoyance.
dāng xià lěng shēng dǎ jī dào ：“ jì rán yù pái dōu shì shuāng xiàng de le ， nǐ zhè me guò qù lù yá shī xiōng kěn dìng zhī dào le 。”
当下冷声打击道：“既然玉牌都是双向的了，你这么过去陆涯师兄肯定知道了。”
He coldly retorted, "Since the jade token works both ways, he must have known you came."
“ xiàn zài tā hé bái xiān shēng zài yì qǐ ， zhī qián yòu bù xiǎng ràng nǐ gēn bái xiān shēng jiàn miàn 。 suǒ yǐ zhè cì bì rán yě huì duǒ zhe nǐ 。”
“现在他和白先生在一起，之前又不想让你跟白先生见面。所以这次必然也会躲着你。”
"Now that he and Mr. Bai are together, and he didn't want you to meet Mr. Bai before, he will definitely avoid you."
xǔ kè bù yǐ wéi yì ， shǎ xiào dào ：“ xiǎo xuán nǐ xiǎng duō la ， kěn dìng bù ……”
许克不以为意，傻笑道：“小玄你想多啦，肯定不……”
Xu Ke paid no mind, grinning foolishly: "Little Xuan, you're overthinking it. It's... not..."
rán ér tā huà hái méi shuō wán ， què hū rán dāi zhù le ：“ zěn me huí shì ？ gǎn yìng jū rán zhēn de tū rán xiāo shī le ？！”
然而他话还没说完，却忽然呆住了：“怎么回事？感应居然真的突然消失了？！”
But his words were cut short as the jade token suddenly stopped sensing him.
shēn xià de qīng luán niǎo hái méi fǎn yìng guò lái ， yī rán dāi dāi dì cháo zhe yuán xiān xǔ kè zhǐ yǐn de fāng xiàng fēi qù 。
身下的青鸾鸟还没反应过来，依然呆呆地朝着原先许克指引的方向飞去。
The green phoenix bird under Xu Ke didn't react and continued flying in the direction Xu Ke had indicated.
xǔ kè kū sāng zhe liǎn ， mán yuàn dào ：“ xiǎo xuán nǐ zhēn shì wū yā zuǐ 。 hǎo shì bù líng ， huài shì yī shuō yí gè zhǔn ……”
许克哭丧着脸，埋怨道：“小玄你真是乌鸦嘴。好事不灵，坏事一说一个准……”
Xu Ke looked dejected and complained, "Little Xuan, your mouth is really bad. Good things don't work, but bad things always come true..."
lǐ fán lěng xiào zhe gěi le tā yī zhuǎ zi 。
李凡冷笑着给了他一爪子。
Li Fan gave him a sharp claw.
xǔ kè mō le mō nǎo dài ， què shì méi yǒu fàng qì xún zhǎo lù yá de mù biāo 。
许克摸了摸脑袋，却是没有放弃寻找陆涯的目标。
Xu Ke scratched his head but still didn't give up on finding Senior Brother Lü Ya.
yǎn jīng yī zhuǎn lái le zhǔ yì 。
眼睛一转来了主意。
He came up with an idea: "Little Xuan, since you're the legendary Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird, shouldn't you be quite powerful?"
“ xiǎo xuán ， jì rán nǐ shì chuán shuō zhōng de tiān mìng xuán niǎo ， yīng gāi běn shì hěn dà ba 。”
“小玄，既然你是传说中的天命玄鸟，应该本事很大吧。”
"Can you help me find where Senior Brother Lü Ya and Mr. Bai are now?"
“ nà me néng bù néng bāng wǒ zhǎo dào lù yá shī xiōng hé bái xiān shēng tā men xiàn zài suǒ chù de wèi zhì a 。”
“那么能不能帮我找到陆涯师兄和白先生他们现在所处的位置啊。”
Li Fan slightly raised his head, looking proud.
lǐ fán wēi wēi tái tóu ， yī liǎn ào rán 。
李凡微微抬头，一脸傲然。
Xu Ke immediately flattered him, promising to look for three [Jingchong Grass] for Li Fan.
xǔ kè jiàn zhuàng ， dùn shí shuō le xǔ duō hǎo huà ， xǔ xià le wèi lǐ fán xún zhǎo sān gēn 【 jīng chóng cǎo 】 de chéng nuò 。
许克见状，顿时说了许多好话，许下了为李凡寻找三根【荆虫草】的承诺。
The memory of that red insect grass's unparalleled delicacy still lingered in the phoenix bird's soul.
dāng chū nà zhǒng hóng sè chóng cǎo de jué shì měi wèi yī rán shēn kè lào yìn zài xuán niǎo de líng hún zhī zhōng 。
当初那种红色虫草的绝世美味依然深刻烙印在玄鸟的灵魂之中。
Driven by the prospect of food and wanting to see Mr. Bai, he jumped up to Xu Ke’s head.
bèi měi shí suǒ yòu huò ， zài jiā shàng lǐ fán yě què shí xiǎng shì yī shì ， néng bù néng jiàn dào nà wèi shén mì mò cè de bái xiān shēng 。
被美食所诱惑，再加上李凡也确实想试一试，能不能见到那位神秘莫测的白先生。
He activated his innate divine power and looked towards the distance.
yú shì tā yí gè tiào yuè ， lái dào xǔ kè tóu dǐng 。
于是他一个跳跃，来到许克头顶。
Both Lü Ya and Mr. Bai must have extraordinary fortune; they should be quite noticeable within the Beast Taming Sect.
yùn zhuàn tiān fù shén tōng ， wàng xiàng yuǎn fāng 。
运转天赋神通，望向远方。
Li Fan thought as much, but the result was somewhat unexpected.
wú lùn shì lù yá hái shì bái xiān shēng ， tā men de qì yùn dìng rán dōu yì yú cháng rén 。
无论是陆涯还是白先生，他们的气运定然都异于常人。
Not far away, he indeed saw a striking azure aura of fortune.
zài zhè yù shòu zōng nèi ， yīng dāng shí fēn xiǎn yǎn cái duì 。
在这御兽宗内，应当十分显眼才对。
But beside that blue light, there was nothing else.
lǐ fán zhè me xiǎng zhe ， jié guǒ què yǒu xiē chū hū yì liào 。
李凡这么想着，结果却有些出乎意料。
"Could it be that Mr. Bai has already left the Beast Taming Sect?"
bù yuǎn chù ， tā dí què shì kàn dào le yī dào zhàn lán de qì yùn guāng huá ， shā shì xǐng mù 。
不远处，他的确是看到了一道湛蓝的气运光华，煞是醒目。
"Or is this prominent aura not related to Senior Brother Lü Ya?"
dàn shì nà lán sè guāng huá shēn biān ， què shì kōng wú yī wù 。
但是那蓝色光华身边，却是空无一物。
Li Fan was puzzled but still marked the location for Xu Ke.
“ mò fēi bái xiān shēng yǐ jīng lí kāi yù shòu zōng le ？”
“莫非白先生已经离开御兽宗了？”
Xu Ke was extremely excited and urged the green phoenix bird, Qingniao, to fly towards the target at high speed.
“ hái shì zhè dào xiǎn yǎn de qì yùn ， bú shì shǔ yú lù yá ？”
“还是这道显眼的气运，不是属于陆涯？”
Qingniao, despite only recently knowing him, obediently carried him as they accelerated their flight.
lǐ fán yǒu xiē yí huò ， bù guò hái shì zài xīn zhōng jiāng wèi zhì biāo shì gěi le xǔ kè 。
李凡有些疑惑，不过还是在心中将位置标示给了许克。
Lü Ya seemed to be in a small house on top of a mountain.
xǔ kè jí wéi xīng fèn ， lián máng cuī cù xiǎo qīng cháo zhe mù biāo fēi sù gǎn qù 。
许克极为兴奋，连忙催促小青朝着目标飞速赶去。
Just when Xu Ke and Li Fan were about to get close, a thin figure flew out from the peak and disappeared instantly.
qīng luán niǎo yě shì jí wéi tīng cóng zhè gāng gāng rèn shí bù jiǔ de xiǎo nán hái de huà ， rèn láo rèn yuàn de zài zhe tā ， jiā sù fēi xíng 。
青鸾鸟也是极为听从这刚刚认识不久的小男孩的话，任劳任怨的载着他，加速飞行。
Li Fan could faintly sense that the person had glanced at Xu Ke's direction just now.
lù yá suǒ chù de wèi zhì ， sì hū shì zài yī chù shān dǐng de xiǎo wū nèi 。
陆涯所处的位置，似乎是在一处山顶的小屋内。
"Mr. Bai!" Xu Ke exclaimed.
jiù zài xǔ kè tā men kuài yào jiē jìn de shí hòu ， yī dào shòu ruò shēn yǐng zì shān diān fēi chū ， zhuǎn yǎn jiān jiù yǐ jīng xiāo shī bú jiàn 。
就在许克他们快要接近的时候，一道瘦弱身影自山巅飞出，转眼间就已经消失不见。
But Li Fan was somewhat serious.
lǐ fán què néng yǐn yǐn gǎn jué dào ， gāng gāng nà rén ， sì hū cháo zhe xǔ kè suǒ zài de wèi zhì ， kàn le yī yǎn 。
李凡却能隐隐感觉到，刚刚那人，似乎朝着许克所在的位置，看了一眼。
He clearly saw that there was no aura of fortune above Mr. Bai’s head.
“ bái xiān shēng ！” xǔ kè jīng hū 。
“白先生！”许克惊呼。
"Perceiving one's fortune is a Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird's innate divine power. What kind of cultivation could make even the Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird unable to detect it?"
lǐ fán què yǒu xiē níng zhòng 。
李凡却有些凝重。
In the memory of this phoenix bird's bloodline, its ancestors had never encountered such a situation before.
yīn wèi tā kàn de hěn qīng chǔ ， bái xiān shēng de tóu dǐng ， jū rán guān chá bú dào rèn hé de qì yùn de cún zài 。
因为他看的很清楚，白先生的头顶，居然观察不到任何的气运的存在。
Xu Ke stood there for a moment as he looked in the direction Mr. Bai disappeared from.
“ chá jué qì yùn ， nǎi shì xuán niǎo yī zú de tiān mìng shén tōng 。 jiū jìng shén me xiū wèi ， cái néng ràng tiān mìng xuán niǎo ， dōu wú fǎ duì qí jìn xíng guān cè ？”
“察觉气运，乃是玄鸟一族的天命神通。究竟什么修为，才能让天命玄鸟，都无法对其进行观测？”
He then hesitantly instructed Qingniao to fly towards Senior Brother Lü Ya’s small house on top of the mountain.
lǐ fán suǒ fù shēn de zhè tóu xuán niǎo de xuè mài chuán chéng jì yì zhōng ， tā de zǔ xiān men ， sì hū yě bù céng yù dào guò rú cǐ qíng kuàng 。
李凡所附身的这头玄鸟的血脉传承记忆中，它的祖先们，似乎也不曾遇到过如此情况。
Arriving at the summit, Xu Ke eagerly leaped down and rushed into the house with Li Fan.
xǔ kè wàng zhe bái xiān shēng xiāo shī de fāng xiàng ， dāi lì le piàn kè 。
许克望着白先生消失的方向，呆立了片刻。
"Senior Brother Lü Ya!"
suí hòu hái shì jiū jié de ràng xiǎo qīng wǎng lù yá shī xiōng de shān dǐng xiǎo wū nèi fēi qù 。
随后还是纠结的让小青往陆涯师兄的山顶小屋内飞去。
Xu Ke excitedly pushed open the door but was surprised to find that there were others in the room besides Lü Ya.
fēi lín shān dǐng ， xǔ kè dài zhe lǐ fán pò bù jí dài yī yuè ér xià ， cháo zhe wū nèi fēi bēn 。
飞临山顶，许克带着李凡迫不及待一跃而下，朝着屋内飞奔。
A thin face, white eyebrows, and a long beard exuded an aura of authority without needing to be angry. Xu Ke's body suddenly stiffened.
“ lù yá shī xiōng ！”
“陆涯师兄！”
Mr. Bai and Lü Ya merely glanced at the impudent Xu Ke before continuing their previous conversation as if he wasn't there.
xǔ kè xīng fèn dì tuī kāi wū mén ， què jīng yà dì fā xiàn ， wū zi nèi chú le lù yá ， hái yǒu lìng wài de rén cún zài 。
许克兴奋地推开屋门，却惊讶地发现，屋子内除了陆涯，还有另外的人存在。
"Since we've already agreed, let's do what he asked," Mr. Bai said.
liǎn xíng shòu xuē ， bái méi bái xū 。
脸型瘦削，白眉白须。
"It might not be entirely bad that he forced his way in."
yī gǔ bù nù zì wēi gǎn cóng qí shēn shàng chuán lái ， ràng xǔ kè de shēn tǐ dǒu rán jiāng zhù 。
一股不怒自威感从其身上传来，让许克的身体陡然僵住。
Lü Ya looked surprised: "Senior, what did you see?"
bái xū lǎo zhě hé lù yá jǐn jǐn shì kàn le yī yǎn mào shī chuǎng rù de xǔ kè hòu ， jiù jì xù tán lùn xiān qián wèi jǐn de huà tí 。
白须老者和陆涯仅仅是看了一眼冒失闯入的许克后，就继续谈论先前未尽的话题。
Mr. Bai didn't answer but instead asked with a smile, "Do you believe what Mr. Bai said?"
méi yǒu bì zhe xǔ kè de yì si ， bái xū lǎo zhě shuō dào ：“ jì rán yǐ jīng dā yìng le duì fāng ， nà jiù àn zhào tā de yāo qiú zuò ba 。”
没有避着许克的意思，白须老者说道：“既然已经答应了对方，那就按照他的要求做吧。”
Lü Ya fell silent.
“ suī rán shì tā dǎ shàng mén lái qiǎng pò de ， dàn yě wèi bì quán shì huài shì 。”
“虽然是他打上门来强迫的，但也未必全是坏事。”
Mr. Bai shook his head: "Humans make mistakes. Sometimes admitting one's fault openly isn't shameful."
lù yá de liǎn shàng biǎo qíng yǒu xiē chà yì ：“ qián bèi nǐ kàn dào le xiē shén me ？”
陆涯的脸上表情有些诧异：“前辈你看到了些什么？”
Lü Ya stated bluntly, "I only trust my own eyes."
bái xū lǎo zhě méi yǒu huí dá ， ér shì xiào zhe fǎn wèn dào ：“ lù yá ， nǐ xiāng xìn nà wèi bái xiān shēng de huà me ？”
白须老者没有回答，而是笑着反问道：“陆涯，你相信那位白先生的话么？”
"Often, what we see is not the truth," Mr. Bai sighed softly.
lù yá dǒu rán jiān chén mò xià lái 。
陆涯陡然间沉默下来。
But he seemed to know Lü Ya’s stubborn nature and didn’t dwell on it.
bái xū lǎo zhě yáo yáo tóu ：“ rén zǒng yǒu fàn cuò de shí hòu 。 yǒu shí hòu dà fāng chéng rèn zì jǐ de guò cuò ， bìng bú shì shén me diū rén de shì 。”
白须老者摇摇头：“人总有犯错的时候。有时候大方承认自己的过错，并不是什么丢人的事。”
Instead, he changed the subject: "A great calamity is coming; our Beast Taming Sect might not survive."
lù yá què shì zhí yán dào ：“ wǒ zhǐ xiāng xìn wǒ zì jǐ de yǎn jīng 。”
陆涯却是直言道：“我只相信我自己的眼睛。”
"But in this bleak situation, I saw a glimmer of hope."
“ hěn duō shí hòu ， nǐ suǒ kàn dào de ， wèi bì shì shì qíng de zhēn xiàng 。” bái xū lǎo zhě qīng shēng tàn dào 。
“很多时候，你所看到的，未必是事情的真相。”白须老者轻声叹道。
"This thread of life is related to Mr. Bai's mission and this little friend."
bù guò tā sì hū yě zhī dào lù yá de pí qì ， bú shì zhè me róng yì jiù bèi quàn shuō de 。
不过他似乎也知道陆涯的脾气，不是这么容易就被劝说的。
Mr. Bai’s gaze fell on Xu Ke, who was still standing there, confused.
yú shì yě méi yǒu zài zài zhè ge huà tí jiū chán ， ér shì zhuǎn ér shuō dào ：“ dà jié jiāng zhì ， wǒ men yù shòu zōng ， kǒng pà nán yǐ xìng miǎn 。”
于是也没有再在这个话题纠缠，而是转而说道：“大劫将至，我们御兽宗，恐怕难以幸免。”
"He?" Lü Ya turned his head towards Xu Ke, his expression ambiguous.
“ dàn zài yī piàn huī bài zhōng ， wǒ yòu kàn dào le yī sī shēng jī 。”
“但在一片灰败中，我又看到了一丝生机。”
"None other," Mr. Bai nodded.
“ zhè lǚ shēng jī ， hé bái xiān shēng de rèn wù yǒu guān 。 yě hé zhè wèi xiǎo péng yǒu yǒu guān 。”
“这缕生机，和白先生的任务有关。也和这位小朋友有关。”
Lü Ya shrugged: "Though you are the wise beast, Emperor San Mo, known for knowing everything in heaven and earth, if we say this little guy is our sect's only hope..."
bái xū lǎo zhě de mù guāng kàn xiàng jiāng zài yuán dì ， yī tóu wù shuǐ de xǔ kè 。
白须老者的目光看向僵在原地，一头雾水的许克。
"It’s too far-fetched."
“ tā ？” lù yá zhuǎn guò tóu lái kàn zhe xǔ kè ， shén sè mò míng 。
“他？”陆涯转过头来看着许克，神色莫名。
"I don’t believe it."
“ fēi tā mò shǔ 。” bái xū lǎo zhě diǎn diǎn tóu 。
“非他莫属。”白须老者点点头。
Emperor San Mo didn't argue but smiled instead. "Who dares to claim they know everything? The so-called 'knowing all' is just a misunderstanding from outsiders."
lù yá sǒng sǒng jiān ：“ suī shuō qián bèi nǐ shì hào chēng tiān shàng dì xià 、 wú suǒ bù zhī de zhì huì zhī shòu 【 dì sān mò 】， dàn ruò shuō yù shòu zōng de wéi yī xī wàng jiù luò zài zhè xiǎo zi shēn shàng ……”
陆涯耸耸肩：“虽说前辈你是号称天上地下、无所不知的智慧之兽【帝三貘】，但若说御兽宗的唯一希望就落在这小子身上……”
"But..."
“ yě shí zài yǒu diǎn guò yú lí qí le 。”
“也实在有点过于离奇了。”
He paused: "This little guy came in today and has an inexplicable connection with Mr. Bai and you."
“ fǎn zhèng wǒ shì bù xìn 。”
“反正我是不信。”
"Thus, it makes me more confident about my judgment."
dì sān mò yě bù zhēng biàn ， ér shì xiào zhe shuō dào ：“ mìng yùn cháng hé ， shuí yòu gǎn shuō néng gòu jǐn zhī ne ？ suǒ wèi 【 wú suǒ bù zhī 】， yě bù guò shì wài rén duì wǒ de yī zhǒng wù jiě ér yǐ 。”
帝三貘也不争辩，而是笑着说道：“命运长河，谁又敢说能够尽知呢？所谓【无所不知】，也不过是外人对我的一种误解而已。”
"After all, I only trust my own eyes."
“ bù guò ……”
“不过……”
Emperor San Mo's smile suddenly vanished; his expression turned grave.
dì sān mò dùn le dùn ：“ zhè xiǎo zi jīn rì chuǎng jìn lái ， yòu gēn bái xiān shēng hé nǐ yǒu míng míng zhōng de guān lián 。”
帝三貘顿了顿：“这小子今日闯进来，又跟白先生和你有冥冥中的关联。”
Seeing this, Lü Ya could only nod slightly: "Anyway, before Mr. Bai..."
“ fǎn dào shì ràng wǒ gèng jiā xiāng xìn le wǒ de pàn duàn 。”
“反倒是让我更加相信了我的判断。”
"There’s still some time for his mission. This little guy can grow enough."
“ bì jìng ， wǒ yě zhǐ xiāng xìn wǒ zì jǐ de yǎn jīng 。”
“毕竟，我也只相信我自己的眼睛。”
"But what about the troublemakers in our sect now?"
dì sān mò liǎn shàng xiào róng dǒu rán xiāo shī ， shén qíng yán sù wú bǐ 。
帝三貘脸上笑容陡然消失，神情严肃无比。
"Should we just ignore them?"
lù yá jiàn zhuàng ， yě zhǐ dé wēi wēi diǎn tóu 。
陆涯见状，也只得微微点头。
"Our Beast Taming Sect isn’t dead yet; now?"
“ fǎn zhèng lí bái xiān ……”
“反正离白先……”
Lü Ya frowned, his tone displeased.
“ lí tā de rèn wù hái yǒu yī xiē shí jiān ， yě zú gòu zhè xiǎo zi chéng zhǎng le 。”
“离他的任务还有一些时间，也足够这小子成长了。”
"Let those who want to leave go," Emperor San Mo remained calm.
“ bù guò ， zōng mén lǐ xiàn zài nà xiē zuò luàn de rén zěn me bàn ？”
“不过，宗门里现在那些作乱的人怎么办？”
"During this great calamity, every disciple we protect requires extra effort."
“ zhēn jiù bù guǎn le ma ？”
“真就不管了嘛？”
"This is a good opportunity to streamline our sect."
"I of course know!"
Xu Ke's voice sounded rather smug.
"I told you, Senior Brother Lü Ya is a good person."
"When I came with him to the Beast Taming Sect, he knew that I was mischievous and liked to run around. To make it easier for him to find me, he gave me an jade token."
"It can always sense my location."
"And this function works both ways; I can also find him anytime."
"Haha, actually, I know that Senior Brother Lü Ya kept the jade token because he was worried about me being bullied when I first entered the sect."
Xu Ke showed Li Fan his pendant as he spoke.
Li Fan looked at it and saw that its appearance resembled the strange beast Lü Ya had ridden—a man-faced tiger-bodied creature.
However, seeing Xu Ke's smug expression, for some reason, this body felt a surge of annoyance.
He coldly retorted, "Since the jade token works both ways, he must have known you came."
"Now that he and Mr. Bai are together, and he didn't want you to meet Mr. Bai before, he will definitely avoid you."
Xu Ke paid no mind, grinning foolishly: "Little Xuan, you're overthinking it. It's... not..."
But his words were cut short as the jade token suddenly stopped sensing him.
The green phoenix bird under Xu Ke didn't react and continued flying in the direction Xu Ke had indicated.
Xu Ke looked dejected and complained, "Little Xuan, your mouth is really bad. Good things don't work, but bad things always come true..."
Li Fan gave him a sharp claw.
Xu Ke scratched his head but still didn't give up on finding Senior Brother Lü Ya.
He came up with an idea: "Little Xuan, since you're the legendary Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird, shouldn't you be quite powerful?"
"Can you help me find where Senior Brother Lü Ya and Mr. Bai are now?"
Li Fan slightly raised his head, looking proud.
Xu Ke immediately flattered him, promising to look for three [Jingchong Grass] for Li Fan.
The memory of that red insect grass's unparalleled delicacy still lingered in the phoenix bird's soul.
Driven by the prospect of food and wanting to see Mr. Bai, he jumped up to Xu Ke’s head.
He activated his innate divine power and looked towards the distance.
Both Lü Ya and Mr. Bai must have extraordinary fortune; they should be quite noticeable within the Beast Taming Sect.
Li Fan thought as much, but the result was somewhat unexpected.
Not far away, he indeed saw a striking azure aura of fortune.
But beside that blue light, there was nothing else.
"Could it be that Mr. Bai has already left the Beast Taming Sect?"
"Or is this prominent aura not related to Senior Brother Lü Ya?"
Li Fan was puzzled but still marked the location for Xu Ke.
Xu Ke was extremely excited and urged the green phoenix bird, Qingniao, to fly towards the target at high speed.
Qingniao, despite only recently knowing him, obediently carried him as they accelerated their flight.
Lü Ya seemed to be in a small house on top of a mountain.
Just when Xu Ke and Li Fan were about to get close, a thin figure flew out from the peak and disappeared instantly.
Li Fan could faintly sense that the person had glanced at Xu Ke's direction just now.
"Mr. Bai!" Xu Ke exclaimed.
But Li Fan was somewhat serious.
He clearly saw that there was no aura of fortune above Mr. Bai’s head.
"Perceiving one's fortune is a Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird's innate divine power. What kind of cultivation could make even the Heaven-Determined Phoenix Bird unable to detect it?"
In the memory of this phoenix bird's bloodline, its ancestors had never encountered such a situation before.
Xu Ke stood there for a moment as he looked in the direction Mr. Bai disappeared from.
He then hesitantly instructed Qingniao to fly towards Senior Brother Lü Ya’s small house on top of the mountain.
Arriving at the summit, Xu Ke eagerly leaped down and rushed into the house with Li Fan.
"Senior Brother Lü Ya!"
Xu Ke excitedly pushed open the door but was surprised to find that there were others in the room besides Lü Ya.
A thin face, white eyebrows, and a long beard exuded an aura of authority without needing to be angry. Xu Ke's body suddenly stiffened.
Mr. Bai and Lü Ya merely glanced at the impudent Xu Ke before continuing their previous conversation as if he wasn't there.
"Since we've already agreed, let's do what he asked," Mr. Bai said.
"It might not be entirely bad that he forced his way in."
Lü Ya looked surprised: "Senior, what did you see?"
Mr. Bai didn't answer but instead asked with a smile, "Do you believe what Mr. Bai said?"
Lü Ya fell silent.
Mr. Bai shook his head: "Humans make mistakes. Sometimes admitting one's fault openly isn't shameful."
Lü Ya stated bluntly, "I only trust my own eyes."
"Often, what we see is not the truth," Mr. Bai sighed softly.
But he seemed to know Lü Ya’s stubborn nature and didn’t dwell on it.
Instead, he changed the subject: "A great calamity is coming; our Beast Taming Sect might not survive."
"But in this bleak situation, I saw a glimmer of hope."
"This thread of life is related to Mr. Bai's mission and this little friend."
Mr. Bai’s gaze fell on Xu Ke, who was still standing there, confused.
"He?" Lü Ya turned his head towards Xu Ke, his expression ambiguous.
"None other," Mr. Bai nodded.
Lü Ya shrugged: "Though you are the wise beast, Emperor San Mo, known for knowing everything in heaven and earth, if we say this little guy is our sect's only hope..."
"It’s too far-fetched."
"I don’t believe it."
Emperor San Mo didn't argue but smiled instead. "Who dares to claim they know everything? The so-called 'knowing all' is just a misunderstanding from outsiders."
"But..."
He paused: "This little guy came in today and has an inexplicable connection with Mr. Bai and you."
"Thus, it makes me more confident about my judgment."
"After all, I only trust my own eyes."
Emperor San Mo's smile suddenly vanished; his expression turned grave.
Seeing this, Lü Ya could only nod slightly: "Anyway, before Mr. Bai..."
"There’s still some time for his mission. This little guy can grow enough."
"But what about the troublemakers in our sect now?"
"Should we just ignore them?"
"Our Beast Taming Sect isn’t dead yet; now?"
Lü Ya frowned, his tone displeased.
"Let those who want to leave go," Emperor San Mo remained calm.
"During this great calamity, every disciple we protect requires extra effort."
"This is a good opportunity to streamline our sect."