yǒu le yào wáng zōng zhū wèi dì zǐ de jiā rù guǎn lǐ ， lǐ fán zì rán shì bù yòng zài guò duō cāo xīn 。
有了药王宗诸位弟子的加入管理，李凡自然是不用再过多操心。
With the help of the disciples from the Medicine King Sect, Li Fan naturally didn't need to worry much.
yòng le yí gè yuè de shí jiān ， jiāng shòu zhǒng jiè de yóu lí tiān yùn jìn shù xī shōu hòu ， tā zhōng yú dá dào le zhì biàn de chéng dù 。
用了一个月的时间，将兽种界的游离天运尽数吸收后，他终于达到了质变的程度。
After a month, he had absorbed all the wandering fate energy in the Beast Kindom. He finally reached a qualitative change.
xuán niǎo zhī yǔ zhōng ， yǐn yǐn kě yǐ kàn jiàn yī tóu gāng gāng chū shēng bù jiǔ 、 yǔ máo shàng wèi zhǎng chū de chú niǎo xū yǐng 。
玄鸟之羽中，隐隐可以看见一头刚刚出生不久、羽毛尚未长出的雏鸟虚影。
In the feather of the Xuan Bird, faintly visible was the image of a newly born bird with its feathers yet to grow.
hé xiǎo hēi xiǎo shí hòu ， zhèng yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì 。 què yòu yǒu jǐ fēn bù tóng 。
和小黑小时候，正有几分相似。却又有几分不同。
It resembled Xiao He when he was young but also differed from him.
lǐ fán bì mù ， xià yī kè ， zhěng gè shòu zhǒng jiè ， wǎn rú yī tuán guāng wù ， fú xiàn zài tā de yǎn qián 。
李凡闭目，下一刻，整个兽种界，宛如一团光雾，浮现在他的眼前。
Li Fan closed his eyes and instantly, the entire Beast Kindom appeared before him like a ball of light mist.
qí zhōng chǎng jǐng ， shì wú jù xì ， dōu néng qǐng kè dòng xī 。
其中场景，事无巨细，都能顷刻洞悉。
Every detail in the scene could be perceived at once.
dàn lǐ fán yě fā xiàn ， fāng zài jì 、 liǔ sān zhè liǎng gè hé dào qiáng zhě de shēn biān qū yù ， chū xiàn le yí dìng fàn wéi nèi de guāng yǐng jī biàn 。 kàn de bù shèn qīng xī 。 zhè hái shì zài tā men liǎng chá jué dào shì lǐ fán kuī shì ， méi yǒu zuò zhē yǎn de qíng kuàng xià 。
但李凡也发现，方再济、柳三这两个合道强者的身边区域，出现了一定范围内的光影畸变。看的不甚清晰。这还是在他们两察觉到是李凡窥视，没有做遮掩的情况下。
However, Li Fan noticed that around Fang Zaiji and Liu San, two Realm-Bonded experts, there was some range of distorted light. It wasn't very clear to see. This was still under the condition that they had sensed his窥视and did not hide it.
“ xuán huáng jiè ， hé dào qiáng zhě de néng lì yǐng xiǎng fàn wéi ， jìn hū yī zhōu zhī yù 。 ér zài zhè xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， hé dào jìng xiū shì yǐ jīng néng hé shì jiè xiāng kàng héng le 。 zhè jiù shì tiān rán de céng jí chà jù 。” lǐ fán yǐn yǒu suǒ wù 。
“玄黄界，合道强者的能力影响范围，近乎一州之域。而在这小世界中，合道境修士已经能和世界相抗衡了。这就是天然的层级差距。”李凡隐有所悟。
"The Xuanhuang World, the influence radius of a Realm-Bonded expert is nearly an entire state. And in this small world, Realm-Bonded cultivators can already challenge the world. This is the natural hierarchy," Li Fan had some insights.
niàn tou wēi dòng ， tā yī jiǎo mài chū ， shùn jiān kuà yuè wàn lǐ ， chū xiàn zài le yī zuò shān dǐng qīng tán páng 。
念头微动，他一脚迈出，瞬间跨越万里，出现在了一座山顶清潭旁。
With a slight thought, he stepped out and instantly crossed ten thousand miles to appear beside a clear pond at the top of a mountain.
xiān qián tā gēn fāng zài jì sǎo dàng shòu zhǒng jiè de shí hòu ， céng jīng lù guò cǐ chù shān fēng 。 dàn què jū rán méi yǒu fā jué shān dǐng de shuǐ tán 。
先前他跟方再济扫荡兽种界的时候，曾经路过此处山峰。但却居然没有发觉山顶的水潭。
Previously, when he and Fang Zaiji swept through the Beast Kindom, they passed by this mountain peak but didn't notice the water pond on top. It was only after he fully grasped the world's fate energy that he noticed something amiss.
hái shì tā wán quán zhǎng wò le shì jiè tiān yùn hòu ， cái chá jué zhè lǐ de yì cháng 。
还是他完全掌握了世界天运后，才察觉这里的异常。
By the water pond stood a wooden house. Li Fan pushed open the wooden door and entered.
shuǐ tán biān ， yǒu yī zuò mù wū 。 lǐ fán tuī kāi mù mén ， zǒu le jìn qù 。
水潭边，有一座木屋。李凡推开木门，走了进去。
Inside the room, there was an Xuan Bird whose feathers had lost their luster, standing tall with its head held high.
fáng jiān nèi ， yī tóu hún shēn yǔ máo yǐ jīng shī qù guāng zé de xuán niǎo ， zhèng áng shǒu zhàn lì 。
房间内，一头浑身羽毛已经失去光泽的玄鸟，正昂首站立。
Though it looked majestic, it no longer had any life force.
suī rán kàn shàng qù shén jùn yī jiù ， què yǐ rán shī qù le shēng mìng de qì xī 。
虽然看上去神俊依旧，却已然失去了生命的气息。
"Xiao He..." Li Fan recognized the identity of the Xuan Bird at once.
“ xiǎo hēi ……” lǐ fán yī yǎn jiù rèn chū le xuán niǎo de shēn fèn 。
“小黑……”李凡一眼就认出了玄鸟的身份。
"This... is death due to old age."
“ zhè shì …… shòu jǐn ér wáng me 。”
“这是……寿尽而亡么。”
After observing for a while, Li Fan remained silent.
guān chá le piàn kè hòu ， lǐ fán bù jīn mò rán dào 。
观察了片刻后，李凡不禁默然道。
Even though the lifespan was much longer than that of cultivators, this Xuan Bird, which lived through the Upper Ancient Era, had finally reached its end.
jí biàn shòu mìng yuǎn bǐ xiū shì yào jiǔ ， dàn cóng shàng gǔ shí qī huó dào xiàn zài ， zhè zhǐ tiān mìng xuán niǎo yě yíng lái le shēng mìng de zhōng jié 。
即便寿命远比修士要久，但从上古时期活到现在，这只天命玄鸟也迎来了生命的终结。
But soon, Li Fan noticed something odd.
dàn hěn kuài ， lǐ fán jiù chá jué dào yī xiē bù tuǒ zhī chù 。
但很快，李凡就察觉到一些不妥之处。
According to logic, Xiao Qing should be from the same era as Xiao He. Moreover, the strength of a Green Phoenix was far inferior to that of an Xuan Bird.
àn lǐ lái shuō ， xiǎo qīng nǎi shì gēn xiǎo hēi tóng yī shí dài de yì shòu ， ér qiě qīng luán niǎo de shí lì ， yào yuǎn xùn yú tiān mìng xuán niǎo 。
按理来说，小青乃是跟小黑同一时代的异兽，而且青鸾鸟的实力，要远逊于天命玄鸟。
Not to mention, Xiao He had already fused with this world's fate energy.
gèng bú yòng shuō ， xiǎo hēi yǐ jīng róng hé cǐ fāng shì jiè tiān mìng 。
更不用说，小黑已经融合此方世界天命。
There was no reason for Xiao Qing to still be alive while Xiao He had already perished.
méi yǒu dào lǐ xiǎo qīng hái huó de hǎo hǎo de ， xiǎo hēi què yǐ jīng xiān xíng yǔn luò le 。
没有道理小青还活的好好的，小黑却已经先行陨落了。
"Could it be that Xiao He lost a significant amount of his lifespan due to some reason?"
“ nán dào shì ， xiǎo hēi yīn wèi mǒu zhǒng yuán yīn ， dà liàng sǔn hào le zì shēn shòu yuán ？”
“难道是，小黑因为某种原因，大量损耗了自身寿元？”
Li Fan narrowed his eyes and activated the [Fate in Me] divine technique. The realm of fate protected him as he gently touched the Xuan Bird's corpse.
lǐ fán mī qǐ shuāng yǎn 。
李凡眯起双眼。
"Whoosh!"
yùn zhuàn 【 tiān mìng zài wǒ 】 shén tōng ， tiān mìng lǐng yù hù wèi jǐ shēn ， lǐ fán qīng qīng chù pèng xuán niǎo shī tǐ 。
运转【天命在我】神通，天命领域护卫己身，李凡轻轻触碰玄鸟尸体。
As if a gentle breeze, Xiao He's body instantly turned into fine particles that vanished without a trace.
“ hū ！”
“呼！”
At the same time, countless blurry images flashed through Li Fan’s mind.
fǎng fú wēi fēng fú guò ， xiǎo hēi de shī tǐ chà nà jiān huà zuò yī kē kē xì xiǎo de wēi lì ， piāo sàn wú zōng 。
仿佛微风拂过，小黑的尸体刹那间化作一颗颗细小的微粒，飘散无踪。
Initially, it was similar to his experiences in the Fallen Realm.
yǔ cǐ tóng shí ， wú shù mó hú de huà miàn zài lǐ fán nǎo hǎi zhōng shǎn guò 。
与此同时，无数模湖的画面在李凡脑海中闪过。
The joyous growth with Xu Ke in the Beast Taming Sect, meeting Mr. Bai and entering the mountain pass, then being dispatched to Southern Abyss Sacred Beast Mountain...
zuì kāi shǐ ， hé lǐ fán zài yǔn xiān jìng zhōng jīng lì de shì qíng dà tóng xiǎo yì 。
最开始，和李凡在陨仙境中经历的事情大同小异。
Ultimately, he failed the "Heart Cord" test and was exiled here by Emperor San Mo.
yù shòu zōng lǐ hé xǔ kè gòng tóng kuài lè chéng zhǎng 、 yù jiàn bái xiān shēng chuǎng rù shān mén 、 suí hòu bèi pài qián wǎng nán míng shèng shòu shān ……
御兽宗里和许克共同快乐成长、遇见白先生闯入山门、随后被派前往南冥圣兽山……
The difference was that Xiao He didn't seize the opportunity to meet Mr. Bai in reality.
zuì zhōng méi néng tōng guò “ tóng xīn huán ” kǎo yàn zhōng ， bèi dì sān mò fàng zhú zhì cǐ 。
最终没能通过“同心环”考验中，被帝三貘放逐至此。
Without the True Profound Art of Fate, he could only rely on his innate memories to cultivate in this small world.
qū bié jiù shì ， xiàn shí lì shǐ zhōng de xiǎo hēi méi néng bǎ wò zhù jiàn dào bái xiān shēng de jī yuán 。
区别就是，现实历史中的小黑没能把握住见到白先生的机缘。
Though he had endured countless years, barely reaching the realm of [Fate in Me], he had already been bound to the fate of this world.
méi yǒu zào huà zhēn xuán gōng ， lái dào zhè chù xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， zhǐ néng kào zhe zì shēn xuè mài zhōng de jì yì shén tōng xiū xíng 。
没有造化真玄功，来到这处小世界中，只能靠着自身血脉中的记忆神通修行。
While leaving this world wasn't impossible, it would require a hefty price.
suī rán lì jīng le màn cháng suì yuè ， miǎn qiǎng dá dào le “ tiān mìng zài wǒ ” de shén tōng ， dàn què yě yǐ jīng hé cǐ fāng shì jiè de mìng yùn kǔn bǎng zài le yì qǐ 。
虽然历经了漫长岁月，勉强达到了“天命在我”的神通，但却也已经和此方世界的命运捆绑在了一起。
However, as long as he didn’t frequently leave his original world or continue using the fate energy to nourish himself after returning, he wouldn't suffer fatal harm.
xiǎng yào lí kāi cǐ jiān shì jiè ， suī bú shì bù xíng ， dàn què xū yào fù chū jí wéi bù fēi de dài jià 。
想要离开此间世界，虽不是不行，但却需要付出极为不菲的代价。
But Xiao He did just that.
bù guò zhǐ yào bú shì tè bié pín fán de lí kāi zì jǐ de běn yuán shì jiè 、 yòu huò zhě huí lái hòu jì xù yòng tiān yùn zī bǔ zì shēn ， yě méi nà me róng yì shòu dào zhì mìng shāng hài 。
不过只要不是特别频繁的离开自己的本源世界、又或者回来后继续用天运滋补自身，也没那么容易受到致命伤害。
Because...
dàn xiǎo hēi què piān piān zhè me zuò le 。
但小黑却偏偏这么做了。
Li Fan sorted through and examined Xiao He's memories since arriving in the Beast Kindom.
zhè shì yīn wèi ……
这是因为……
Initially, Xu Ke would often send messages to keep Xiao He company, recounting his experiences.
lǐ fán zhěng lǐ 、 chá kàn zhe xiǎo hēi lái dào shòu zhǒng jiè zhī hòu de jì yì 。
李凡整理、查看着小黑来到兽种界之后的记忆。
"Xiao He, do you know how thrilling this journey was! We encountered many strange small worlds and were even chased by beasts!"
zuì chū de shí hòu ， wèi le fáng zhǐ xiǎo hēi gū dān ， xǔ kè hái huì jīng cháng fā lái xiāo xī ， jiǎng shù zì shēn de jiàn wén 。
最初的时候，为了防止小黑孤单，许克还会经常发来消息，讲述自身的见闻。
"Ay, at first we thought someone had leaked information. But later, it turned out that our bad luck led us to run into a group of beasts appearing in the same small world for unknown reasons. We attacked first but ended up letting one beast escape, causing our retreat to be exposed."
“ xiǎo hēi ， nǐ zhī bù zhī dào ， zhè yī lù shàng kě shì tài jīng xiǎn cì jī le ！ bù jǐn yù jiàn le xǔ xǔ duō duō qí tè de xiǎo shì jiè ， hái zāo dào le yāo shòu men de zhuī shā ！”
“小黑，你知不知道，这一路上可是太惊险刺激了！不仅遇见了许许多多奇特的小世界，还遭到了妖兽们的追杀！”
"Fortunately, we were close to our destination!"
“ āi ， yī kāi shǐ wǒ men hái yǐ wéi shì shuí zǒu lòu le fēng shēng 。 hòu lái cái fā xiàn ， chún cuì shì wǒ men yùn qì bù hǎo ， hé yī duì bù zhī dào wèi shén me tóng yàng chū xiàn zài xiǎo shì jiè zhōng de yāo shòu zhuàng shàng le 。 wǒ men shuài xiān chū shǒu ， què zuì zhōng ràng yī tóu yāo shòu táo le chū qù ， dǎo zhì wǒ men chè lí de xiāo xī yě suí zhī bào lù 。”
“哎，一开始我们还以为是谁走漏了风声。后来才发现，纯粹是我们运气不好，和一队不知道为什么同样出现在小世界中的妖兽撞上了。我们率先出手，却最终让一头妖兽逃了出去，导致我们撤离的消息也随之暴露。”
...
“ hǎo zài wǒ men lí mù dì dì yě kuài le ！”
“好在我们离目的地也快了！”
"Xiao He, Xiao He! Do you remember Mr. Bai? I thought he was already strong enough. But it turned out that he's even stronger than I imagined! A group of senior disciples and I were sent to explore a small world. We unexpectedly encountered an incredibly terrifying monster!"
……
……
"Nine heads, a massive body sprawling across the sky! Each mouth could tear apart or swallow part of the world!"
“ xiǎo hēi ， xiǎo hēi ！ nǐ hái jì de bái xiān shēng ma ？ wǒ yuán běn yǐ lái ， tā yǐ jīng gòu lì hài le 。 kě méi xiǎng dào ， tā bǐ wǒ xiǎng xiàng de hái yào qiáng ！ wǒ hé yī qún shī xiōng dì men ， shòu mìng qián wǎng yí gè xiǎo shì jiè tàn suǒ 。 méi yǒu xiǎng dào jū rán yù shàng le yī tóu kě pà wú bǐ de guài wù ！”
“小黑，小黑！你还记得白先生嘛？我原本以来，他已经够厉害了。可没想到，他比我想象的还要强！我和一群师兄弟们，受命前往一个小世界探索。没有想到居然遇上了一头可怕无比的怪物！”
"I thought I was doomed! Never seeing you again, Xiao He!"
“ jiǔ gè tóu lú ， páng dà dào jí diǎn de shēn qū pā zài tiān kōng zhī shàng ！ měi zhāng yī kǒu ， fǎng fú dōu néng jiāng shì jiè de yī bù fèn gěi sī chě 、 tūn jìn qù ！”
“九个头颅，庞大到极点的身躯趴在天空之上！每张一口，仿佛都能将世界的一部分给撕扯、吞进去！”
"But just as I left Xuanhuang World, Elder Luyaya gave me a red rope woven by Mr. Bai. When those nine-headed beasts looked at me, a thin thread shot out from the red rope!"
“ yuán běn wǒ yǐ wéi zì jǐ sǐ dìng le ！ zài yě jiàn bú dào xiǎo hēi nǐ le ！”
“原本我以为自己死定了！再也见不到小黑你了！”
"Before I could react, the red thread sliced through the air like a sword and instantly severed six heads of that monster!"
“ kě zhī qián wǒ lí kāi xuán huáng jiè de shí hòu ， lù yá shī xiōng gěi le yī gēn bái xiān shēng biān de hóng shéng 。 jiù zài nà jiǔ tóu guài niǎo ， mù guāng kàn xiàng wǒ de shí hòu ， cóng hóng shéng shàng fēi chū yī dào xì xiàn ！”
“可之前我离开玄黄界的时候，陆涯师兄给了一根白先生编的红绳。就在那九头怪鸟，目光看向我的时候，从红绳上飞出一道细线！”
"And the red rope didn't dissipate; it actually pulled the beast down from the sky alive!"
“ wǒ hái méi fǎn yìng guò lái ， hóng sè xì xiàn jiù xiàng yī bǐng lì jiàn yī yàng ， pò kōng ér qù 。 shùn jiān jiù bèi bǎ nà guài niǎo de tóu lú ， zhǎn xià liù kē ！”
“我还没反应过来，红色细线就像一柄利剑一样，破空而去。瞬间就被把那怪鸟的头颅，斩下六颗！”
...
“ ér qiě hóng shéng hái méi yǒu sàn qù ， yòu huó shēng shēng bǎ tā cóng tiān kōng zhī shàng ， gěi lā chě le xià lái ！”
“而且红绳还没有散去，又活生生把它从天空之上，给拉扯了下来！”
"I was stunned! Mr. Bai is truly powerful!"
“ wǒ dāng shí dōu kàn dāi le ！ bái xiān shēng kě zhēn shì tài qiáng le ！”
“我当时都看呆了！白先生可真是太强了！”
...
……
……
"Xiao He, I received an extremely important task. I might not be able to communicate with you for a long time."
“ xiǎo hēi ， wǒ shōu dào le yí gè jí wéi zhòng yào de rèn wù ， kě néng jiē xià lái hěn zhǎng yī duàn shí jiān dōu bù néng gēn nǐ tōng xùn le 。”
“小黑，我收到了一个极为重要的任务，可能接下来很长一段时间都不能跟你通讯了。”
"I'm sorry. But don’t worry, I’ll return soon!"
“ zhēn shì bào qiàn a 。 bù guò méi guān xì ， děng wǒ huí lái jiù hǎo ！”
“真是抱歉啊。不过没关系，等我回来就好！”
...
……
……
"Xiao He, do you know why cultivators, who were once humans, become so ruthless towards their own kind once they embark on the path of cultivation?"
“ xiǎo hēi ， nǐ shuō ， wèi shén me xiū shì míng míng yuán xiān yě shì rén lèi 。 kě wèi shén me yí dàn tà shàng xiū xiān lù ， jiù huì duì zì jǐ de tóng lèi nà me cán rěn ne ？”
“小黑，你说，为什么修士明明原先也是人类。可为什么一旦踏上修仙路，就会对自己的同类那么残忍呢？”
...
……
……
Scene after scene flashed before Li Fan's eyes.
yí mù mù chǎng jǐng kuài sù zài lǐ fán yǎn qián huá guò 。
一幕幕场景快速在李凡眼前划过。
He knew that Xu Ke had come to this Beast Kindom and met Xiao He once. At that time, Xu Ke was already a handsome young man.
lǐ fán yú shì zhī dào ， xǔ kè céng jīng lái dào zhè shòu zhǒng jiè ， jiàn guò xiǎo hēi yí miàn 。
李凡于是知道，许克曾经来到这兽种界，见过小黑一面。
Together, the master and servant chatted for a long time by the mountain pond.
dāng shí xǔ kè yǐ jīng chéng zhǎng wèi yī wèi piān piān shào nián ， yīng wǔ bù fán 。
当时许克已经成长为一位翩翩少年，英武不凡。
Eventually, Xu Ke came and went hurriedly.
yī zhǔ yī pū xiāng jù ， jiù zài zhè shān diān qīng tán biān liáo le xǔ jiǔ 。
一主一仆相聚，就在这山巅清潭边聊了许久。
Xiao He originally wanted to follow Xu Ke but couldn't due to the restrictions set by Emperor San Mo at the time. Additionally, Xu Ke mentioned that there were significant changes in the outside world, making it dangerous for Xiao He to go out with him.
hòu lái xǔ kè zhōng jiū shì cōng cōng ér lái ， cōng cōng ér qù 。
后来许克终究是匆匆而来，匆匆而去。
He told Xiao He to stay here and wait until he came back to take him away.
xiǎo hēi yuán běn yù gēn suí xǔ kè ér qù ， nài hé yī lái nà shí hòu dì sān mò de shè xià de jìn zhì hái zài ， èr lái xǔ kè yě shuō wài jiè yǒu dà biàn gù fā shēng ， tā gēn zhe chū qù fǎn ér huì yǒu wēi xiǎn 。
小黑原本欲跟随许克而去，奈何一来那时候帝三貘的设下的禁制还在，二来许克也说外界有大变故发生，它跟着出去反而会有危险。
After their parting, they communicated several times but with increasing intervals. The frequency of communication and the tone reflected Xu Ke's growth.
ràng xiǎo hēi dài zài zhè lǐ ， děng shí jī chéng shú ， tā huì lái jiē xiǎo hēi lí kāi de 。
让小黑待在这里，等时机成熟，他会来接小黑离开的。
One day...
lí bié zhī hòu ， liǎng rén yòu tōng xùn le shù cì 。
离别之后，两人又通讯了数次。
Xiao He suddenly lost all sense of Xu Ke.
zhǐ shì měi cì de jiàn gé dōu yù fā zhǎng le ， cóng tōng xùn de huà miàn yǔ qì 、 yě néng jiàn zhèng xǔ kè de chéng zhǎng 。
只是每次的间隔都愈发长了，从通讯的画面语气、也能见证许克的成长。
Even though they were companions, even after losing their master-servant relationship, there was still some mysterious connection between them.
zhí dào mǒu yī tiān ……
直到某一天……
No matter how far apart or across multiple worlds, Xiao He could vaguely sense Xu Ke’s presence.
xiǎo hēi hū rán shī qù le xǔ kè de gǎn yìng 。
小黑忽然失去了许克的感应。
The disappearance of this sense only meant one thing: Xu Ke had died.
With the help of the disciples from the Medicine King Sect, Li Fan naturally didn't need to worry much.
After a month, he had absorbed all the wandering fate energy in the Beast Kindom. He finally reached a qualitative change.
In the feather of the Xuan Bird, faintly visible was the image of a newly born bird with its feathers yet to grow.
It resembled Xiao He when he was young but also differed from him.
Li Fan closed his eyes and instantly, the entire Beast Kindom appeared before him like a ball of light mist.
Every detail in the scene could be perceived at once.
However, Li Fan noticed that around Fang Zaiji and Liu San, two Realm-Bonded experts, there was some range of distorted light. It wasn't very clear to see. This was still under the condition that they had sensed his窥视and did not hide it.
"The Xuanhuang World, the influence radius of a Realm-Bonded expert is nearly an entire state. And in this small world, Realm-Bonded cultivators can already challenge the world. This is the natural hierarchy," Li Fan had some insights.
With a slight thought, he stepped out and instantly crossed ten thousand miles to appear beside a clear pond at the top of a mountain.
Previously, when he and Fang Zaiji swept through the Beast Kindom, they passed by this mountain peak but didn't notice the water pond on top. It was only after he fully grasped the world's fate energy that he noticed something amiss.
By the water pond stood a wooden house. Li Fan pushed open the wooden door and entered.
Inside the room, there was an Xuan Bird whose feathers had lost their luster, standing tall with its head held high.
Though it looked majestic, it no longer had any life force.
"Xiao He..." Li Fan recognized the identity of the Xuan Bird at once.
"This... is death due to old age."
After observing for a while, Li Fan remained silent.
Even though the lifespan was much longer than that of cultivators, this Xuan Bird, which lived through the Upper Ancient Era, had finally reached its end.
But soon, Li Fan noticed something odd.
According to logic, Xiao Qing should be from the same era as Xiao He. Moreover, the strength of a Green Phoenix was far inferior to that of an Xuan Bird.
Not to mention, Xiao He had already fused with this world's fate energy.
There was no reason for Xiao Qing to still be alive while Xiao He had already perished.
"Could it be that Xiao He lost a significant amount of his lifespan due to some reason?"
Li Fan narrowed his eyes and activated the [Fate in Me] divine technique. The realm of fate protected him as he gently touched the Xuan Bird's corpse.
"Whoosh!"
As if a gentle breeze, Xiao He's body instantly turned into fine particles that vanished without a trace.
At the same time, countless blurry images flashed through Li Fan’s mind.
Initially, it was similar to his experiences in the Fallen Realm.
The joyous growth with Xu Ke in the Beast Taming Sect, meeting Mr. Bai and entering the mountain pass, then being dispatched to Southern Abyss Sacred Beast Mountain...
Ultimately, he failed the "Heart Cord" test and was exiled here by Emperor San Mo.
The difference was that Xiao He didn't seize the opportunity to meet Mr. Bai in reality.
Without the True Profound Art of Fate, he could only rely on his innate memories to cultivate in this small world.
Though he had endured countless years, barely reaching the realm of [Fate in Me], he had already been bound to the fate of this world.
While leaving this world wasn't impossible, it would require a hefty price.
However, as long as he didn’t frequently leave his original world or continue using the fate energy to nourish himself after returning, he wouldn't suffer fatal harm.
But Xiao He did just that.
Because...
Li Fan sorted through and examined Xiao He's memories since arriving in the Beast Kindom.
Initially, Xu Ke would often send messages to keep Xiao He company, recounting his experiences.
"Xiao He, do you know how thrilling this journey was! We encountered many strange small worlds and were even chased by beasts!"
"Ay, at first we thought someone had leaked information. But later, it turned out that our bad luck led us to run into a group of beasts appearing in the same small world for unknown reasons. We attacked first but ended up letting one beast escape, causing our retreat to be exposed."
"Fortunately, we were close to our destination!"
...
"Xiao He, Xiao He! Do you remember Mr. Bai? I thought he was already strong enough. But it turned out that he's even stronger than I imagined! A group of senior disciples and I were sent to explore a small world. We unexpectedly encountered an incredibly terrifying monster!"
"Nine heads, a massive body sprawling across the sky! Each mouth could tear apart or swallow part of the world!"
"I thought I was doomed! Never seeing you again, Xiao He!"
"But just as I left Xuanhuang World, Elder Luyaya gave me a red rope woven by Mr. Bai. When those nine-headed beasts looked at me, a thin thread shot out from the red rope!"
"Before I could react, the red thread sliced through the air like a sword and instantly severed six heads of that monster!"
"And the red rope didn't dissipate; it actually pulled the beast down from the sky alive!"
...
"I was stunned! Mr. Bai is truly powerful!"
...
"Xiao He, I received an extremely important task. I might not be able to communicate with you for a long time."
"I'm sorry. But don’t worry, I’ll return soon!"
...
"Xiao He, do you know why cultivators, who were once humans, become so ruthless towards their own kind once they embark on the path of cultivation?"
...
Scene after scene flashed before Li Fan's eyes.
He knew that Xu Ke had come to this Beast Kindom and met Xiao He once. At that time, Xu Ke was already a handsome young man.
Together, the master and servant chatted for a long time by the mountain pond.
Eventually, Xu Ke came and went hurriedly.
Xiao He originally wanted to follow Xu Ke but couldn't due to the restrictions set by Emperor San Mo at the time. Additionally, Xu Ke mentioned that there were significant changes in the outside world, making it dangerous for Xiao He to go out with him.
He told Xiao He to stay here and wait until he came back to take him away.
After their parting, they communicated several times but with increasing intervals. The frequency of communication and the tone reflected Xu Ke's growth.
One day...
Xiao He suddenly lost all sense of Xu Ke.
Even though they were companions, even after losing their master-servant relationship, there was still some mysterious connection between them.
No matter how far apart or across multiple worlds, Xiao He could vaguely sense Xu Ke’s presence.
The disappearance of this sense only meant one thing: Xu Ke had died.