zhè xiǎo xiǎo hái tóng ， dùn shí xī yǐn le xǔ kè de mù guāng 。
这小小孩童，顿时吸引了许克的目光。
This tiny child immediately caught Xuke's attention.
tā yǎn jīng dèng dé lǎo dà ， zhí dīng zhe duì fāng dǎ zhuàn 。
他眼睛瞪得老大，直盯着对方打转。
His eyes widened as he stared intently at her. Curious, he approached and reached out to pinch her face. "Are you human too? How did you end up on this demon mountain?"
hào qí de còu jìn ， lái dào tā de miàn qián ， shēn chū shǒu zài duì fāng de liǎn shàng niē le niē ， shí fēn hào qí dào ：“ nǐ yě shì rén lèi ma ？ zěn me huì zhè yāo shòu shān shàng ？”
好奇的凑近，来到她的面前，伸出手在对方的脸上捏了捏，十分好奇道：“你也是人类吗？怎么会这妖兽山上？”
The child tilted her head and mimicked his action by pinching his face as well.
hái tóng wāi le wāi nǎo dài ， yě jǔ gāo shǒu ， zài xǔ kè liǎn shàng jiū le yī bǎ 。
孩童歪了歪脑袋，也举高手，在许克脸上揪了一把。
"Who said humans can't live on demon mountains? You're a mere mortal like me, yet you've made it here safely."
“ shuí guī dìng ， yāo shòu shān shàng jiù bù néng yǒu rén lèi jū zhù le ？ nǐ bù yě shì fán rén ， hái ān rán wú yàng de dào le zhè lǐ me ？”
“谁规定，妖兽山上就不能有人类居住了？你不也是凡人，还安然无恙的到了这里么？”
She replied seriously.
tā yī běn zhèng jīng dì huí dá dào 。
她一本正经地回答道。
Xuke was momentarily stunned but then seemed to agree with the child's words. He clapped excitedly: "You're right. Demons and humans can coexist harmoniously."
xǔ kè xiān shì lèng le lèng ， suí hòu shì shì duì zhè hái tóng de huà shí fēn zàn tóng 。
许克先是愣了愣，随后似是对这孩童的话十分赞同。
"In our sect, that’s how it is."
gāo xìng dì zhí gǔ zhǎng ：“ nǐ shuō de bù cuò ， yāo shòu hé rén ， wán quán kě yǐ hé xié gòng chǔ de 。”
高兴地直鼓掌：“你说的不错，妖兽和人，完全可以和谐共处的。”
"Perhaps in this Southern Abyss demon mountain as well."
“ zài wǒ men zōng mén ， jiù shì zhè yàng 。”
“在我们宗门，就是这样。”
A hint of innocence appeared in her eyes as she shook her head. "The Beast Taming Sect? I heard that the human cultivators in the Beast Taming Sect rely on the Beast Taming Technique to forcibly control and manipulate demons."
“ xiǎng lái zài zhè nán míng yāo shòu shān ， yě shì rú cǐ 。”
“想来在这南冥妖兽山，也是如此。”
You can try it out yourselves.
hái tóng mù guāng zhōng lù chū yī sī tiān zhēn ， yáo le yáo tóu ：“ yù shòu zōng me ？ wǒ què tīng shuō ， yù shòu zōng lǐ miàn de rén lèi xiū shì ， dōu shì kào zhe yù shòu jué ， qiáng xíng shù fù 、 cāo zòng zhe yāo shòu 。”
孩童目光中露出一丝天真，摇了摇头：“御兽宗么？我却听说，御兽宗里面的人类修士，都是靠着御兽决，强行束缚、操纵着妖兽。”
"Many demons don't genuinely want to be their companion beasts; they're just controlled by the technique, unable to resist."
dà jiā qù kuài kě yǐ shì shì ba 。】
大家去快可以试试吧。】
"Is this what you call coexistence?" she asked seriously.
“ xǔ duō yāo shòu ， bìng bú shì zhēn xīn xiǎng chéng wéi tā men de bàn shēng shòu 。 zhǐ shì bèi gōng fǎ kòng zhì ， shēn bù yóu jǐ 。”
“许多妖兽，并不是真心想成为他们的伴生兽。只是被功法控制，身不由己。”
Xuke hurriedly waved his hand. "It's not like that..."
“ zhè jiù shì nǐ suǒ shuō de ， hé xié gòng chǔ ma ？”
“这就是你所说的，和谐共处吗？”
He opened his mouth to argue but couldn’t find where to start. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and brought a small black creature named Xiao Hei into his palm, showing it off to the child as if it were a treasure: "Look, this is Xiao Hei. We get along well!"
hái tóng rèn zhēn de wèn dào 。
孩童认真的问道。
"Although he became my companion spirit beast due to the Beast Taming Technique,"
xǔ kè wén yán ， lián máng bǎi le bǎi shǒu ， zháo jí dào ：“ bú shì zhè yàng de ……”
许克闻言，连忙摆了摆手，着急道：“不是这样的……”
"Our feelings are genuine. Don't you think so, Xiao Hei!" Xuke shook his hand, trying to elicit a response from Li Fan.
tā zhāng le zhāng zuǐ ， xiǎng yào fǎn bó ， yī shí què bù zhī cóng hé shuō qǐ 。
他张了张嘴，想要反驳，一时却不知从何说起。
Li Fan flew back to Xuke's head and gave him a sharp claw, making him stop talking in pain.
hū de ， tā fǎng fú xiǎng dào le shén me ， jiāng tóu dǐng de xiǎo hēi zhuā dào shǒu xīn ， xiàn bǎo shì de zhǎn shì gěi miàn qián de hái tóng ：“ nǐ kàn ， zhè shì xiǎo hēi 。 wǒ men de guān xì kě hǎo le ！”
忽的，他仿佛想到了什么，将头顶的小黑抓到手心，献宝似的展示给面前的孩童：“你看，这是小黑。我们的关系可好了！”
Ignoring Xuke’s antics, Li Fan stared at the child who looked like a piece of jade. A hint of doubt flashed through his mind.
“ suī rán tā yě shì yīn wèi yù shòu jué de yuán yīn ， chéng wéi le wǒ de bàn shēng líng shòu 。”
“虽然他也是因为御兽决的原因，成为了我的伴生灵兽。”
His intuition told him that this child was no ordinary mortal; she had some significant background. Yet, there was no trace of demonic aura on her.
“ dàn wǒ men zhī jiān de gǎn qíng ， kě shì zuò bù dé jiǎ de a 。 nǐ shuō shì bú shì ， xiǎo hēi ！” xǔ kè huǎng le huǎng shǒu ， xiǎng yào ràng lǐ fán biǎo tài 。
“但我们之间的感情，可是做不得假的啊。你说是不是，小黑！”许克晃了晃手，想要让李凡表态。
Even when he used his innate divine power to see her fate, it appeared ordinary and unremarkable like any other human's.
lǐ fán què shì chóng xīn fēi huí xǔ kè tóu dǐng ， gěi le tā yī zhuǎ zi ， ràng tā chī tòng ān jìng xià lái 。
李凡却是重新飞回许克头顶，给了他一爪子，让他吃痛安静下来。
This left him puzzled.
méi yǒu lǐ huì shuǎ bǎo de xǔ kè ， lǐ fán dīng zhe miàn qián rú tóng yù shí bān jīng zhì de hái tóng ， xīn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī yí huò 。
没有理会耍宝的许克，李凡盯着面前如同玉石般精致的孩童，心中闪过一丝疑惑。
Seeing the pair interact harmoniously, the child giggled happily.
zhí jué gào sù tā ， zhè ge hái tóng ， kěn dìng dà yǒu lái lì ， bú shì xún cháng fán rén nà me jiǎn dān 。
直觉告诉他，这个孩童，肯定大有来历，不是寻常凡人那么简单。
"Follow me; the city is complex. Be careful or you might get eaten," she warned again before walking inside.
dàn shì tā shēn shàng ， què yòu méi yǒu yī sī yī háo shǔ yú yāo shòu de qì xī 。
但是他身上，却又没有一丝一毫属于妖兽的气息。
Xuke quickly followed suit.
shèn zhì lǐ fán dòng yòng tiān fù shén tōng ， suǒ kàn dào de qì yùn guāng zhù ， yě shì pǔ pǔ tōng tōng 、 hé fán rén wú yì 。
甚至李凡动用天赋神通，所看到的气运光柱，也是普普通通、和凡人无异。
The surroundings were eerily quiet with no sign of other demons. The ones they had seen earlier seemed to have vanished without a trace.
zhè jiù ràng tā yǒu diǎn zhuó mó bù tòu le 。
这就让他有点琢磨不透了。
Only two children, one in front and one behind, walked through the empty city.
jiàn dào miàn qián zhè yī duì zhǔ pú xiāng chǔ de pǒ wèi róng qià ， hái tóng fā chū gē gē de xiào shēng ， sì hū shí fēn kāi xīn 。
见到面前这一对主仆相处的颇为融洽，孩童发出咯咯的笑声，似乎十分开心。
After climbing several dozen steps, the child led Xuke into a room where the walls instantly became transparent, as if suspended in mid-air.
“ gēn wǒ lái yō ， chéng lǐ dào lù fù zá ， xiǎo xīn bié bèi chī le 。” tā zài dù dīng zhǔ dào 。
“跟我来哟，城里道路复杂，小心别被吃了。”她再度叮嘱道。
The view was excellent, revealing everything around them. Below, countless demons of various shapes and sizes gathered densely.
shuō bà ， jiù zhí jiē cháo zhe lǐ miàn zǒu qù 。
说罢，就直接朝着里面走去。
They seemed to be having an intense discussion.
xǔ kè jiàn zhuàng ， lián máng gēn shàng 。
许克见状，连忙跟上。
"Quiet!"
zhōu wéi jì jìng wú bǐ ， jiàn bú dào qí tā yāo shòu de zōng yǐng 。
周围寂静无比，见不到其他妖兽的踪影。
Several large light orbs hovered slightly below Xuke's space, with vague figures visible inside.
yuán xiān yì qǐ de nà xiē yāo shòu ， cǐ kè què shì qí qí xiāo shī 、 bù zhī qù le hé chù 。
原先一起的那些妖兽，此刻却是齐齐消失、不知去了何处。
A red nine-headed bird spoke, its voice grating like metal rubbing against each other. Despite the unpleasant sound, it held a high position among demons; they instantly fell silent at its command.
zhǐ yú liǎng gè hái tóng ， yī qián yī hòu de jiǎo bù shēng ， zài zhè kōng dàng dàng de chéng chí zhōng huí xiǎng 。
只余两个孩童，一前一后的脚步声，在这空荡荡的城池中回响。
"My fellow demons, I have called you here because we are facing another critical moment that could determine our species' fate."
yī lù cháo lǐ ， pān pá guò shù shí zuò jiē tī ， bù zhī guò le duō jiǔ ， hái tóng lǐng zhe xǔ kè ， lái dào le yī chù fáng jiān nèi 。
一路朝里，攀爬过数十座阶梯，不知过了多久，孩童领着许克，来到了一处房间内。
The voice of the First Emperor was peculiar—mysterious and mechanical yet strangely lively, blending together in an odd way.
jìn rù qí zhōng ， zhōu wéi de qiáng bì jiù shùn jiān biàn dé tòu míng 。
进入其中，周围的墙壁就瞬间变得透明。
"Xuanhuang World is about to face a great calamity. This time will be even more brutal than before," he continued.
fǎng fú chà nà jiān ， xuán yú gāo kōng 。
仿佛刹那间，悬于高空。
"Not only humans but demons and the entire world are at risk. Even if we have enough experience from our blood memories, this time might still be catastrophic..."
shì yě jí hǎo ， zhōu wéi jǐng sè yī lǎn wú yú 。
视野极好，周围景色一览无余。
The demons below erupted into chaos upon hearing his words. The light orbs wriggled as shadows danced above their heads.
ér xià fāng de kōng jiān lǐ ， mì mì má má ， jù jí le shǔ bù qīng 、 xíng zhuàng gè yì de gè shì yāo shòu men 。
而下方的空间里，密密麻麻，聚集了数不清、形状各异的各式妖兽们。
Silence fell again as all the demons bowed in reverence.
tā men sì hū zài tǎo lùn zhe shén me ， zhēng lùn de shí fēn jī liè 。
它们似乎在讨论着什么，争论的十分激烈。
"This... is the First Emperor?" Xuke stared at the mass of flesh below, tongue hanging out.
“ ān jìng ！”
“安静！”
"How ugly it looks..."
zài xǔ kè suǒ zài kōng jiān shāo xià de wèi zhì ， pán huán zhe jǐ gè páng dà de guāng tuán 。
在许克所在空间稍下的位置，盘桓着几个庞大的光团。
He whispered cautiously.
guāng tuán zhōng ， yī xī kě jiàn mó hú de shēn yǐng 。
光团中，依稀可见模湖的身影。
The child didn't seem to mind and nodded in agreement. "Haha, I agree. It's indeed very ugly!"
cǐ shí shuō huà de ， nǎi shì yī zhī chì sè jiǔ tóu niǎo 。
此时说话的，乃是一只赤色九头鸟。
Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat.
tā de shēng yīn rú tóng jīn shǔ bǎn hù xiāng mó cā bān ， shí fēn cì ěr nán tīng 。 dàn shì tā zài yāo shòu zú qún zhōng dì wèi sì hū hěn gāo ， tā yī fā huà ， yāo shòu men shùn jiān ān jìng xià lái 。
它的声音如同金属板互相摩擦般，十分刺耳难听。但是它在妖兽族群中地位似乎很高，它一发话，妖兽们瞬间安静下来。
Daring to say that the most revered demon looked ugly in its own lair...
“ zhū wèi ， ràng wǒ men huān yíng ， wěi dà de 【 dì yī 】 bì xià ， shí gé duō nián ， zài cì zhào jí wàn yāo ， shāng tǎo yì huì ！”
“诸位，让我们欢迎，伟大的【帝一】陛下，时隔多年，再次召集万妖，商讨议会！”
This child...
hōng ！
轰！
Before Li Fan could think further, the First Emperor's words drew his attention.
suí zhe tā de yī xí huà ， zhěng gè kōng jiān nèi de yāo shòu ， dōu fǎng fú tóng shí bào dòng qǐ lái 。
随着它的一席话，整个空间内的妖兽，都仿佛同时暴动起来。
"My fellow demons, today, I have called you here because we are facing another critical moment that could determine our species' fate."
gè zì fā chū xīng fèn zhì jí de hǒu shēng ， biǎo dá zhe nèi xīn de huān xǐ 。
各自发出兴奋至极的吼声，表达着内心的欢喜。
The voice of the First Emperor was peculiar—mysterious and mechanical yet strangely lively, blending together in an odd way.
ér zài tiān kōng zhōng ， jù dà de yīn yǐng yě shà shí jiàng lín 。
而在天空中，巨大的阴影也霎时降临。
"Xuanhuang World is about to face a great calamity. This time will be even more brutal than before," he continued.
yī tuán bù tíng rú dòng zhe de 、 shàng miàn bù shí yǒu tóu lú fú xiàn 、 yòu xiāo shī de ， huī sè “ ròu tuán ”， rú tóng wū yún yì bān ， chū xiàn zài zhòng yāo tóu dǐng 。
一团不停蠕动着的、上面不时有头颅浮现、又消失的，灰色“肉团”，如同乌云一般，出现在众妖头顶。
"Not only humans but demons and the entire world are at risk. Even if we have enough experience from our blood memories, this time might still be catastrophic..."
zài chǎng suǒ yǒu yāo shòu ， cǐ kè quán dōu ān jìng xià lái 、 dī tóu xíng lǐ 。
在场所有妖兽，此刻全都安静下来、低头行礼。
The demons below erupted into chaos upon hearing his words. The light orbs wriggled as shadows danced above their heads.
“ zhè …… zhè jiù shì dì yī shòu ？” xǔ kè dīng zhe xià fāng de ròu tuán ， tǔ le tǔ shé tou 。
“这……这就是帝一兽？”许克盯着下方的肉团，吐了吐舌头。
Silence fell again as all the demons bowed in reverence.
“ zěn me kàn shàng qù …… zhè me chǒu a ……”
“怎么看上去……这么丑啊……”
"So, for the future of our species, I need to hear your opinions," a similar-looking demon with no features spoke from one of the light orbs below: "Your Majesty, First Emperor, whatever you say, we will follow."
tā yā dī le shēng yīn ， xiǎo xīn yì yì dì shuō dào 。
他压低了声音，小心翼翼地说道。
"I Ziwushou, am always your most loyal servant!"
nà hái tóng tīng le ， yě bù shēng qì ， ér shì jū rán shí fēn zàn tóng de diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ xī xī ， wǒ yě zhè me rèn wéi 。 dí què hǎo chǒu ！”
那孩童听了，也不生气，而是居然十分赞同的点点头：“嘻嘻，我也这么认为。的确好丑！”
With Ziwushou's words, many demons echoed in agreement.
lǐ fán tīng le ， xīn zhōng yī tiào 。
李凡听了，心中一跳。
"Oh? Then I decide to lead you out of Xuanhuang World and find a new home?" The First Emperor suddenly asked, surprising the gathered demons.
gǎn zài yāo shòu de dà běn yíng zhōng ， shuō dì wèi zuì wèi zūn chóng de nà tóu yāo shòu zhǎng dé chǒu 。
敢在妖兽的大本营中，说地位最为尊崇的那头妖兽长得丑。
"What?" Ziwushou was taken aback. Before it could answer, an old Azure Divine Dragon beside it spoke up: "First Emperor, why are you doing this? Can't we protect ourselves in such a great calamity with our formidable strength?"
zhè ge hái zi ……
这个孩子……
"Indeed. We've survived many disasters so far. Besides, where can we go if we leave?"
This tiny child immediately caught Xuke's attention.
His eyes widened as he stared intently at her. Curious, he approached and reached out to pinch her face. "Are you human too? How did you end up on this demon mountain?"
The child tilted her head and mimicked his action by pinching his face as well.
"Who said humans can't live on demon mountains? You're a mere mortal like me, yet you've made it here safely."
She replied seriously.
Xuke was momentarily stunned but then seemed to agree with the child's words. He clapped excitedly: "You're right. Demons and humans can coexist harmoniously."
"In our sect, that’s how it is."
"Perhaps in this Southern Abyss demon mountain as well."
A hint of innocence appeared in her eyes as she shook her head. "The Beast Taming Sect? I heard that the human cultivators in the Beast Taming Sect rely on the Beast Taming Technique to forcibly control and manipulate demons."
You can try it out yourselves.
"Many demons don't genuinely want to be their companion beasts; they're just controlled by the technique, unable to resist."
"Is this what you call coexistence?" she asked seriously.
Xuke hurriedly waved his hand. "It's not like that..."
He opened his mouth to argue but couldn’t find where to start. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and brought a small black creature named Xiao Hei into his palm, showing it off to the child as if it were a treasure: "Look, this is Xiao Hei. We get along well!"
"Although he became my companion spirit beast due to the Beast Taming Technique,"
"Our feelings are genuine. Don't you think so, Xiao Hei!" Xuke shook his hand, trying to elicit a response from Li Fan.
Li Fan flew back to Xuke's head and gave him a sharp claw, making him stop talking in pain.
Ignoring Xuke’s antics, Li Fan stared at the child who looked like a piece of jade. A hint of doubt flashed through his mind.
His intuition told him that this child was no ordinary mortal; she had some significant background. Yet, there was no trace of demonic aura on her.
Even when he used his innate divine power to see her fate, it appeared ordinary and unremarkable like any other human's.
This left him puzzled.
Seeing the pair interact harmoniously, the child giggled happily.
"Follow me; the city is complex. Be careful or you might get eaten," she warned again before walking inside.
Xuke quickly followed suit.
The surroundings were eerily quiet with no sign of other demons. The ones they had seen earlier seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Only two children, one in front and one behind, walked through the empty city.
After climbing several dozen steps, the child led Xuke into a room where the walls instantly became transparent, as if suspended in mid-air.
The view was excellent, revealing everything around them. Below, countless demons of various shapes and sizes gathered densely.
They seemed to be having an intense discussion.
"Quiet!"
Several large light orbs hovered slightly below Xuke's space, with vague figures visible inside.
A red nine-headed bird spoke, its voice grating like metal rubbing against each other. Despite the unpleasant sound, it held a high position among demons; they instantly fell silent at its command.
"My fellow demons, I have called you here because we are facing another critical moment that could determine our species' fate."
The voice of the First Emperor was peculiar—mysterious and mechanical yet strangely lively, blending together in an odd way.
"Xuanhuang World is about to face a great calamity. This time will be even more brutal than before," he continued.
"Not only humans but demons and the entire world are at risk. Even if we have enough experience from our blood memories, this time might still be catastrophic..."
The demons below erupted into chaos upon hearing his words. The light orbs wriggled as shadows danced above their heads.
Silence fell again as all the demons bowed in reverence.
"This... is the First Emperor?" Xuke stared at the mass of flesh below, tongue hanging out.
"How ugly it looks..."
He whispered cautiously.
The child didn't seem to mind and nodded in agreement. "Haha, I agree. It's indeed very ugly!"
Li Fan’s heart skipped a beat.
Daring to say that the most revered demon looked ugly in its own lair...
This child...
Before Li Fan could think further, the First Emperor's words drew his attention.
"My fellow demons, today, I have called you here because we are facing another critical moment that could determine our species' fate."
The voice of the First Emperor was peculiar—mysterious and mechanical yet strangely lively, blending together in an odd way.
"Xuanhuang World is about to face a great calamity. This time will be even more brutal than before," he continued.
"Not only humans but demons and the entire world are at risk. Even if we have enough experience from our blood memories, this time might still be catastrophic..."
The demons below erupted into chaos upon hearing his words. The light orbs wriggled as shadows danced above their heads.
Silence fell again as all the demons bowed in reverence.
"So, for the future of our species, I need to hear your opinions," a similar-looking demon with no features spoke from one of the light orbs below: "Your Majesty, First Emperor, whatever you say, we will follow."
"I Ziwushou, am always your most loyal servant!"
With Ziwushou's words, many demons echoed in agreement.
"Oh? Then I decide to lead you out of Xuanhuang World and find a new home?" The First Emperor suddenly asked, surprising the gathered demons.
"What?" Ziwushou was taken aback. Before it could answer, an old Azure Divine Dragon beside it spoke up: "First Emperor, why are you doing this? Can't we protect ourselves in such a great calamity with our formidable strength?"
"Indeed. We've survived many disasters so far. Besides, where can we go if we leave?"