“ zhī qián tīng nǐ men shuō ， dì guó nà wèi shèng dì ， hěn yǒu kě néng shì wǒ men de gòng tóng zǔ xiān 。 wǒ duì tā shí fēn gǎn xìng qù ， yú shì shāo wēi fèi le diǎn gōng fu ， tuō rén diào chá le yī fān 。” xǔ bái kàn xiàng dì nǚ ， dàn dàn dì shuō dào 。
“之前听你们说，帝国那位圣帝，很有可能是我们的共同祖先。我对他十分感兴趣，于是稍微废了点功夫，托人调查了一番。”许白看向帝女，澹澹地说道。
"Previously, when you mentioned that the Holy Emperor of the Empire might be our common ancestor, I was quite interested. So, I spent a bit of effort and had someone investigate for me," Xu Bai said to the Empress Daughter, speaking calmly.
bù děng dì nǚ yǒu suǒ fǎn yìng ， xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng xiān shì jī dòng le qǐ lái ：“ nǐ chá dào shén me le ？”
不等帝女有所反应，小青与小红先是激动了起来：“你查到什么了？”
Before the Empress Daughter could react, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong got excited: "What did you find out?"
“ nǐ men yě xiǎng zhī dào ？” xǔ bái xiào le xiào ，“ nà jiù ná shèng xuè huà tāi fǎ lái huàn 。”
“你们也想知道？”许白笑了笑，“那就拿圣血化胎法来换。”
"Are you also curious?" Xu Bai smiled. "Then let's trade it with the Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique."
xiǎo hóng zhèng yù dá huà ， què bèi xiǎo qīng shēn shǒu lán le xià lái 。
小红正欲答话，却被小青伸手拦了下来。
Xiao Hong was about to speak when Xiao Qing stopped her with a hand gesture.
cǐ shí tā wēi wēi píng fù xīn qíng ， shēn xī le kǒu qì ， duì xǔ bái shuō dào ：“ jǐn píng zhè yī jù huà ， dào yǒu jiù xiǎng kōng shǒu tào bái láng ？ zuì qǐ mǎ ， nǐ dé ràng wǒ men zhī dào ， nǐ dǎ tàn dào de qíng bào dí què yǒu zhí de ràng wǒ men jiāo huàn de jià zhí cái shì 。”
此时她微微平复心情，深吸了口气，对许白说道：“仅凭这一句话，道友就想空手套白狼？最起码，你得让我们知道，你打探到的情报的确有值得让我们交换的价值才是。”
At this moment, she took a deep breath to calm down and said to Xu Bai: "Just based on that sentence, do you think you can get something for nothing? At least, you need to let us know that the intelligence you gathered is indeed valuable enough for us to exchange."
“ yǒu dào lǐ 。” xǔ bái zàn xǔ shì de diǎn le diǎn tóu ， ér hòu shēn chū yòu shǒu 。
“有道理。”许白赞许似的点了点头，而后伸出右手。
"Good point," Xu Bai nodded approvingly. Then he extended his right hand.
chà nà zhī hòu ， yī gēn qī hēi de yǔ máo chū xiàn zài xǔ bái de shǒu zhǎng zhōng 。
刹那之后，一根漆黑的羽毛出现在许白的手掌中。
In an instant, a black feather appeared in Xu Bai's palm.
cóng nà yǔ máo shàng ， xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng jù shì gǎn shòu dào le yī gǔ shú xī de qì xī 。
从那羽毛上，小青与小红俱是感受到了一股熟悉的气息。
Both Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong felt a familiar aura from it.
“ xiǎo hēi ？” tā men shēn qū jù zhèn ， qí qí shī shēng dào 。
“小黑？”她们身躯剧震，齐齐失声道。
"Xiao Hei?" They trembled as they exclaimed in unison.
zhèng yù ná guò xuán niǎo zhī yǔ zǐ xì guān kàn ， què fā xiàn xǔ bái yǐ jīng qiǎng xiān yī bù 、 jiāng qí shōu huí 。
正欲拿过玄鸟之羽仔细观看，却发现许白已经抢先一步、将其收回。
Just as Xu Bai was about to take the feathered bird's wing to examine it closely, he had already retracted it first.
“ kàn lái ， nǐ men duì zhè tóu tiān mìng xuán niǎo yě bìng bù mò shēng 。 zhè xià hǎo bàn le ， shěng de wǒ hái yào zài fèi kǒu shé 。”
“看来，你们对这头天命玄鸟也并不陌生。这下好办了，省的我还要再费口舌。”
"It seems that you are not unfamiliar with this Heavenly Mandate Black Bird. This makes things easier; I won't have to waste my words."
“ duō kuī zhe wàn jiè lián hé huì ， néng gòu lián tōng wàn jiè de biàn lì 。 wǒ jiǎo xìng zài yī chù xiǎo shì jiè zhōng ， zhǎo dào le xiǎo hēi de shī gǔ 。”
“多亏着万界联合会，能够联通万界的便利。我侥幸在一处小世界中，找到了小黑的尸骨。”
"Thanks to the Inter-World Alliance, which can connect all worlds conveniently, I luckily found Xiao Hei's remains in a small world."
“ zhè gēn xuán niǎo zhī yǔ ， jiù shì tā de shī tǐ shàng wéi yī suǒ liú cún xià lái de dōng xī 。 yǔ zhī yì qǐ de ， hái yǒu xiǎo hēi shēng qián de yī duàn jì yì 。”
“这根玄鸟之羽，就是它的尸体上唯一所留存下来的东西。与之一起的，还有小黑生前的一段记忆。”
"This black bird feather is the only thing left from its body. Along with it was a fragment of Xiao Hei's memories before his death."
shuō dào cǐ chù ， xǔ bái hū de zhǐ zhù 。
说到此处，许白忽的止住。
Xu Bai suddenly stopped speaking.
“ xiǎo hēi sǐ le ？” xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng xiān shì yǒu diǎn zhèn jīng ， ér hòu jǐn jǐn dīng zhe xǔ bái 。
“小黑死了？”小青与小红先是有点震惊，而后紧紧盯着许白。
"Xiao Hei died?" Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong were shocked at first, then stared intently at Xu Bai.
diào zú le tā men de wèi kǒu hòu ， xǔ bái piē shì yī yǎn ， zhè cái chī xiào zhe shuō dào ：“ xiǎo hēi kě bǐ nǐ men zhōng xīn duō le 。 wèi le xún zhǎo wǒ nà wèi zǔ xiān de zōng jì ， tā bù xī sǔn hào zì shēn shòu yuán ， dōu yào tà biàn xuán huáng jiè gè gè xiǎo shì jiè 。”
吊足了她们的胃口后，许白瞥视一眼，这才嗤笑着说道：“小黑可比你们忠心多了。为了寻找我那位祖先的踪迹，它不惜损耗自身寿元，都要踏遍玄黄界各个小世界。”
After teasing them enough, Xu Bai glanced at them and sneered: "Xiao Hei is much more loyal than you. To find the traces of my ancestor, it was willing to sacrifice its lifespan and traverse through countless small worlds in the Xuanhuang Realm."
“ suī rán zhí dào sǐ ， dōu zhōng jiū méi néng zhǎo dào 【 xǔ kè 】。 dàn shì yě bìng fēi yī wú suǒ huò 。”
“虽然直到死，都终究没能找到【许克】。但是也并非一无所获。”
"Although it never found 'Xu Ke' until death, it wasn't entirely fruitless."
“ xǔ kè tā ， hěn yǒu kě néng hái huó zhe 。” xǔ bái huǎn huǎn shuō dào 。
“许克他，很有可能还活着。”许白缓缓说道。
"Xu Ke might still be alive," Xu Bai said slowly.
qīng shēng xì yǔ ， luò zài xiǎo hóng yǔ xiǎo qīng èr rén ěr zhōng ， què wǎn ruò jīng léi 。
轻声细语，落在小红与小青二人耳中，却宛若惊雷。
His soft words sounded like thunder in Xiao Qing's and Xiao Hong's ears.
“ bù kě néng ！” tā men qí shēng fǒu jué dào 。
“不可能！”她们齐声否决道。
"It can't be!" They rejected this idea in unison.
“ rú guǒ zhǔ rén zhēn de hái huó zhe ， nà me wǒ men kěn dìng néng gòu gǎn zhī dào 。 dàn hěn jiǔ yǐ qián ， wǒ men jiù shī qù le duì tā de gǎn yìng le 。”
“如果主人真的还活着，那么我们肯定能够感知到。但很久以前，我们就失去了对他的感应了。”
"If the master is truly alive, we would definitely sense it. But long ago, we lost all signs of him."
xiǎo qīng méi tóu zhòu qǐ ， fèng mù zhōng shǎn guò yī dào shā qì ：“ wèi le piàn qǔ shèng xuè huà tāi fǎ ， jū rán tè yì biān zào yǔ zhǔ rén shēng sǐ yǒu guān de huǎng yán ……”
小青眉头皱起，凤目中闪过一道杀气：“为了骗取圣血化胎法，居然特意编造与主人生死有关的谎言……”
Xiao Qing frowned as a hint of killing intent flashed in her eyes: "To fraudulently claim that the master has died and to fabricate such lies for the Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique..."
miàn duì suí shí kě néng huì bào zǒu de xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng ， xǔ bái zé shì yí rán bù jù ， yáo tóu gǎn tàn dào ：“ suǒ yǐ shuō dāng nián ， wèi shén me xǔ kè duì xiǎo hēi zuì wèi xǐ ài yǔ xìn lài ， dí què shì yǒu yuán yīn de 。”
面对随时可能会暴走的小青与小红，许白则是怡然不惧，摇头感叹道：“所以说当年，为什么许克对小黑最为喜爱与信赖，的确是有原因的。”
Faced with the potential outburst of Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, Xu Bai remained unperturbed. He shook his head and sighed: "That's why, back then, why Xu Ke was so fond of and trusted Xiao Hei the most—there must have been a reason."
“ nǐ men dōu néng gǎn yìng dào xǔ kè de shēng sǐ ， nán bù chéng xiǎo hēi fǎn ér wú fǎ zuò dào zhè diǎn ？ kě tā réng rán wèi shén me jiān xìn xǔ kè méi yǒu sǐ wáng ， tà biàn wàn qiān xiǎo shì jiè ， dōu yào xún zhǎo dào tā ？”
“你们都能感应到许克的生死，难不成小黑反而无法做到这点？可它仍然为什么坚信许克没有死亡，踏遍万千小世界，都要寻找到他？”
"Both of you can sense the master's life or death. Could it be that Xiao Hei cannot do this? But if it still firmly believes that the master is not dead and traverses countless small worlds to find him, why?"
shuō zhe ， xǔ bái líng kōng yī zhǐ 。
说着，许白凌空一指。
Saying so, Xu Bai pointed at the air.
zài shēn qián xiǎn xiàn chū yī duàn yǐng xiàng chū lái 。
在身前显现出一段影像出来。
An image appeared before his body, originating from Xiao Hei's remains as it searched for Xu Ke through numerous small worlds.
zhèng shì yuán yú xiǎo hēi de yí tǐ ， tā chuān suō zhū duō xiǎo shì jiè zhōng 、 bù duàn sōu xún xǔ kè de jì yì 。
正是源于小黑的遗体，它穿梭诸多小世界中、不断搜寻许克的记忆。
Watching the succession of different small world scenes flash by, along with Xiao Hei's increasingly sluggish movements due to old age, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong trembled. Complex expressions flickered across their faces.
kàn zhe nà cì dì shǎn guò de bù tóng xiǎo shì jiè jǐng xiàng ， yǐ jí xiǎo hēi yīn wèi shuāi lǎo ér yuè lái yuè huǎn màn de dòng zuò 。
看着那次第闪过的不同小世界景象，以及小黑因为衰老而越来越缓慢的动作。
The scene abruptly ended, and Xu Bai remained silent, just watching them.
xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng shēn qū wēi zhèn ， liǎn shàng fú xiàn chū fù zá wú bǐ de shén sè 。
小青与小红身躯微震，脸上浮现出复杂无比的神色。
After a long while, he said: "Although there are countless Xuanhuang small worlds, we know that there is an upper limit."
huà miàn jiá rán ér zhǐ ， xǔ bái chén mò bù yán ， zhǐ shì jìng jìng kàn zhe tā men 。
画面戛然而止，许白沉默不言，只是静静看着她们。
"Xiao Hei personally visited some of these in the past. It has already excluded those."
xǔ jiǔ zhī hòu ， yòu kāi kǒu dào ：“ xuán huáng xiǎo shì jiè ， suī shuō shù zhī bù jìn 。 dàn wǒ men dōu zhī dào ， qí shí yǒu gè shàng xiàn 。”
许久之后，又开口道：“玄黄小世界，虽说数之不尽。但我们都知道，其实有个上限。”
"The first thing we can be certain about is that my ancestor did not leave the Xuanhuang Realm back then."
“ xiǎo hēi dāng nián qīn zì zǒu fǎng guò qí zhōng yī xiē ， yǐ jīng jiāng zhè xiē xiǎo shì jiè pái chú 。”
“小黑当年亲自走访过其中一些，已经将这些小世界排除。”
"So..."
“ ér shǒu xiān kě yǐ kěn dìng de shì ， wǒ de nà wèi xiān zǔ ， dāng nián bìng méi yǒu lí kāi xuán huáng jiè 。”
“而首先可以肯定的是，我的那位先祖，当年并没有离开玄黄界。”
Finally understanding, a glimmer of hope flashed across Xiao Qing's eyes as she stared at Xu Bai: "Is the master still among the remaining small worlds?"
“ suǒ yǐ ……”
“所以……”
Xu Bai neither confirmed nor denied this.
zhōng yú míng bái guò lái ， xiǎo qīng yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī xī jì ， dīng zhe xǔ bái ：“ zhǔ rén jiù zài yú xià de nà xiē xiǎo shì jiè lǐ ？”
终于明白过来，小青眼中闪过一丝希冀，盯着许白：“主人就在余下的那些小世界里？”
Instead, he casually changed the topic: "Even if we knew about this, in front of countless unknown small worlds, we would have been powerless. But now it’s different."
xǔ bái jì méi yǒu chéng rèn ， yě méi yǒu chū yán fǒu rèn 。
许白既没有承认，也没有出言否认。
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is now aiming to unify Xuanhuang and conquer all these small worlds."
ér shì zài bù jīng yì jiān ， zhuǎn yí le huà tí ：“ běn lái jiù suàn zhī dào cǐ shì ， miàn duì shèng xià máng rán zhòng duō de xiǎo shì jiè ， wǒ men yě jī běn zhǐ néng yǒu xīn wú lì 。 dàn xiàn zài què bù yí yàng le 。”
而是在不经意间，转移了话题：“本来就算知道此事，面对剩下茫然众多的小世界，我们也基本只能有心无力。但现在却不一样了。”
"Through the efforts of many cultivators who risked their lives, they've already probed into the details of many small worlds. Thus, the range where Xu Ke might still exist has been narrowed down."
“ wàn xiān méng rú jīn yào yī tǒng xuán huáng ， suǒ yǒu xiǎo shì jiè dōu yào bèi qí chè dǐ sǎo dàng 、 zhēng fú 。”
“万仙盟如今要一统玄黄，所有小世界都要被其彻底扫荡、征服。”
Xiao Hong finally couldn't hold back: "That means the master is likely to face danger?"
“ zài zhū duō xiū shì shě shēng wàng sǐ de zhēng fá xià ， yǐ jīng tàn qīng chǔ le bù shǎo xiǎo shì jiè de dǐ xì 。 yú shì ， xǔ kè shèng xià kě néng cún zài de fàn wéi yòu suō xiǎo le 。”
“在诸多修士舍生忘死的征伐下，已经探清楚了不少小世界的底细。于是，许克剩下可能存在的范围又缩小了。”
Xu Bai nodded: "If the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance finds Xu Ke before us, given their usual methods, it would be very dangerous."
xiǎo hóng zhè shí hòu zhōng yú rěn bú zhù chū shēng dào ：“ nà qǐ bù shì shuō ， zhǔ rén hěn kě néng huì yù dào wēi xiǎn ？”
小红这时候终于忍不住出声道：“那岂不是说，主人很可能会遇到危险？”
Xiao Hong's expression turned grim: "No, I must..."
xǔ bái diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ rú guǒ wàn xiān méng zài wǒ men zhī qián zhǎo dào xǔ kè de huà ， àn zhào tā men xiàn zài yí guàn de xíng shì fēng gé ， kǒng pà xiōng duō jí shǎo 。”
许白点点头：“如果万仙盟在我们之前找到许克的话，按照他们现在一贯的行事风格，恐怕凶多吉少。”
"Stay calm, Red," Xiao Qing remained composed.
xiǎo hóng liǎn sè shùn jiān biàn dé shí fēn nán kàn ：“ bù xíng ， wǒ yí dìng yào ……”
小红脸色瞬间变得十分难看：“不行，我一定要……”
She stopped Xiao Hong with a glance and said to Xu Bai: "Your words are hard to verify."
“ lěng jìng diǎn ， hóng 。” hái shì xiǎo qīng chén zhù le qì 。
“冷静点，红。”还是小青沉住了气。
"Not only is there no evidence that the master is still alive, but even if he still exists in this world, how can we be sure that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has not probed into those small worlds?"
xiān yòng yǎn shén zhì zhǐ le xiǎo hóng de xíng wéi ， ér hòu duì xǔ bái shuō dào ：“ nǐ zhè fān shuō cí ， shí zài jīng bù qǐ tuī qiāo 。”
先用眼神制止了小红的行为，而后对许白说道：“你这番说辞，实在经不起推敲。”
Xu Bai laughed loudly before interrupting her.
“ qiě bù shuō gēn běn méi yǒu zhèng jù ， zhèng míng zhǔ rén hái huó zhe 。 jiù suàn tā rú jīn shàng cún yú shì ， yòu rú hé bǎo zhèng wàn xiān méng yǐ jīng tàn míng de xiǎo shì jiè lǐ ……”
“且不说根本没有证据，证明主人还活着。就算他如今尚存于世，又如何保证万仙盟已经探明的小世界里……”
"Dear Daoist Friend Xiao Qing, you are indeed very rational. Yes, I admit that what I said earlier was based on guesses from Xiao Hei's memories. But can you deny the possibility that Xu Ke still exists in one of these remaining small worlds?"
huà wèi shuō wán ， què bèi xǔ bái hā hā dà xiào shēng dǎ duàn 。
话未说完，却被许白哈哈大笑声打断。
"When faced with countless unknown small worlds back then, Xiao Hei wasn't afraid at all. Now it has been greatly narrowed down, yet you are still unwilling to face reality."
“ qīng dào yǒu ya qīng dào yǒu ， nǐ dàng zhēn shì lǐ zhì de hěn a 。 bù cuò ， wǒ chéng rèn ， gāng gāng wǒ suǒ shuō de ， quán dōu shì jī yú xiǎo hēi jì yì suǒ de de cāi cè 。 dàn nǐ gǎn fǒu rèn ， xǔ kè dí què réng rán hái cún zài yú shèng yú xiǎo shì jiè de kě néng xìng me ？”
“青道友呀青道友，你当真是理智的很啊。不错，我承认，刚刚我所说的，全都是基于小黑记忆所得的猜测。但你敢否认，许克的确仍然还存在于剩余小世界的可能性么？”
"What is it that you fear, Daoist Friend Xiao Qing?" Xu Bai's piercing gaze stared directly into Xiao Qing as he asked.
“ dāng chū miàn duì màn tiān wèi zhī de xiǎo shì jiè ， xiǎo hēi dōu háo bù wèi jù 。 rú jīn yǐ jīng dà dà suō xiǎo le fàn wéi ， nǐ què réng rán bù gǎn miàn duì xiàn shí 。”
“当初面对漫天未知的小世界，小黑都毫不畏惧。如今已经大大缩小了范围，你却仍然不敢面对现实。”
Xiao Qing seemed struck by a heavy blow and trembled continuously.
“ nǐ dào dǐ zài hài pà zhe xiē shén me ， qīng dào yǒu ？” xǔ bái mù guāng rú jù ， zhí zhí dì dīng zhe xiǎo qīng ， zhì wèn dào 。
“你到底在害怕着些什么，青道友？”许白目光如炬，直直地盯着小青，质问道。
Her mouth opened but no sound came out.
xiǎo qīng shēn xíng hǎo sì bèi zhòng chuí zá guò ， bú zhù chàn dǒu qǐ lái 。
小青身形好似被重锤砸过，不住颤抖起来。
"Moreover, what I seek is merely a technique随意 passed down by Xu Ke. I didn't expect that his people would disregard his life for such a minor Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique," Xu Bai said with a hint of mockery.
zuǐ bā zhāng le zhāng ， què méi yǒu sī háo shēng yīn fā chū 。
嘴巴张了张，却没有丝毫声音发出。
Xiao Qing was about to speak when the Empress Daughter, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up: "I will fulfill your request. Regardless of whether the Holy Emperor is dead or alive, I won't let him wander again." She said resolutely.
“ kuàng qiě ， wǒ suǒ qiú de ， bù guò shì yī mén dāng chū xǔ kè suí yì chuán xià de fǎ mén ér yǐ 。 méi xiǎng dào shí guò jìng qiān ， tā de shēn biān rén ， què jū rán wèi le zhè qū qū shèng xuè huà tāi shù ， jiù néng zhì tā de shēng sǐ bù gù 。” xǔ bái wēi wēi yǒu xiē cháo fěng de shuō dào 。
“况且，我所求的，不过是一门当初许克随意传下的法门而已。没想到时过境迁，他的身边人，却居然为了这区区圣血化胎术，就能置他的生死不顾。”许白微微有些嘲讽的说道。
Facing the Empress Daughter's decision, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong were speechless.
xiǎo qīng zhèng yù shuō huà ， yī páng shǐ zhōng chén mò bù yǔ de dì nǚ ， cǐ kè zhōng yú chū shēng 。
小青正欲说话，一旁始终沉默不语的帝女，此刻终于出声。
Xu Bai nodded in approval: "A wise move."
“ wǒ dā yìng nǐ de yāo qiú 。 wú lùn shèng dì shì sǐ shì huó ， wǒ dōu jué bú huì zài ràng tā zài liú luò tā xiāng 。” dì nǚ yǔ qì jiān jué dào 。
“我答应你的要求。无论圣帝是死是活，我都绝不会再让他再流落他乡。”帝女语气坚决道。
Then he gently waved his hand, and a map of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared before everyone.
miàn duì dì nǚ de jué dìng ， xiǎo qīng yǔ xiǎo hóng mò rán bù yǔ 。
面对帝女的决定，小青与小红默然不语。
"Over thousands of years, the Xuanhuang Realm has undergone tremendous changes."
xǔ bái zé shì diǎn tóu chēng zàn dào ：“ míng zhì zhī jǔ 。”
许白则是点头称赞道：“明智之举。”
"But our Inter-World Alliance has been secretly monitoring and recording everything. Therefore, the small worlds Xiao Hei visited can still be matched," Xu Bai said.
"Previously, when you mentioned that the Holy Emperor of the Empire might be our common ancestor, I was quite interested. So, I spent a bit of effort and had someone investigate for me," Xu Bai said to the Empress Daughter, speaking calmly.
Before the Empress Daughter could react, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong got excited: "What did you find out?"
"Are you also curious?" Xu Bai smiled. "Then let's trade it with the Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique."
Xiao Hong was about to speak when Xiao Qing stopped her with a hand gesture.
At this moment, she took a deep breath to calm down and said to Xu Bai: "Just based on that sentence, do you think you can get something for nothing? At least, you need to let us know that the intelligence you gathered is indeed valuable enough for us to exchange."
"Good point," Xu Bai nodded approvingly. Then he extended his right hand.
In an instant, a black feather appeared in Xu Bai's palm.
Both Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong felt a familiar aura from it.
"Xiao Hei?" They trembled as they exclaimed in unison.
Just as Xu Bai was about to take the feathered bird's wing to examine it closely, he had already retracted it first.
"It seems that you are not unfamiliar with this Heavenly Mandate Black Bird. This makes things easier; I won't have to waste my words."
"Thanks to the Inter-World Alliance, which can connect all worlds conveniently, I luckily found Xiao Hei's remains in a small world."
"This black bird feather is the only thing left from its body. Along with it was a fragment of Xiao Hei's memories before his death."
Xu Bai suddenly stopped speaking.
"Xiao Hei died?" Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong were shocked at first, then stared intently at Xu Bai.
After teasing them enough, Xu Bai glanced at them and sneered: "Xiao Hei is much more loyal than you. To find the traces of my ancestor, it was willing to sacrifice its lifespan and traverse through countless small worlds in the Xuanhuang Realm."
"Although it never found 'Xu Ke' until death, it wasn't entirely fruitless."
"Xu Ke might still be alive," Xu Bai said slowly.
His soft words sounded like thunder in Xiao Qing's and Xiao Hong's ears.
"It can't be!" They rejected this idea in unison.
"If the master is truly alive, we would definitely sense it. But long ago, we lost all signs of him."
Xiao Qing frowned as a hint of killing intent flashed in her eyes: "To fraudulently claim that the master has died and to fabricate such lies for the Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique..."
Faced with the potential outburst of Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, Xu Bai remained unperturbed. He shook his head and sighed: "That's why, back then, why Xu Ke was so fond of and trusted Xiao Hei the most—there must have been a reason."
"Both of you can sense the master's life or death. Could it be that Xiao Hei cannot do this? But if it still firmly believes that the master is not dead and traverses countless small worlds to find him, why?"
Saying so, Xu Bai pointed at the air.
An image appeared before his body, originating from Xiao Hei's remains as it searched for Xu Ke through numerous small worlds.
Watching the succession of different small world scenes flash by, along with Xiao Hei's increasingly sluggish movements due to old age, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong trembled. Complex expressions flickered across their faces.
The scene abruptly ended, and Xu Bai remained silent, just watching them.
After a long while, he said: "Although there are countless Xuanhuang small worlds, we know that there is an upper limit."
"Xiao Hei personally visited some of these in the past. It has already excluded those."
"The first thing we can be certain about is that my ancestor did not leave the Xuanhuang Realm back then."
"So..."
Finally understanding, a glimmer of hope flashed across Xiao Qing's eyes as she stared at Xu Bai: "Is the master still among the remaining small worlds?"
Xu Bai neither confirmed nor denied this.
Instead, he casually changed the topic: "Even if we knew about this, in front of countless unknown small worlds, we would have been powerless. But now it’s different."
"The Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance is now aiming to unify Xuanhuang and conquer all these small worlds."
"Through the efforts of many cultivators who risked their lives, they've already probed into the details of many small worlds. Thus, the range where Xu Ke might still exist has been narrowed down."
Xiao Hong finally couldn't hold back: "That means the master is likely to face danger?"
Xu Bai nodded: "If the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance finds Xu Ke before us, given their usual methods, it would be very dangerous."
Xiao Hong's expression turned grim: "No, I must..."
"Stay calm, Red," Xiao Qing remained composed.
She stopped Xiao Hong with a glance and said to Xu Bai: "Your words are hard to verify."
"Not only is there no evidence that the master is still alive, but even if he still exists in this world, how can we be sure that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance has not probed into those small worlds?"
Xu Bai laughed loudly before interrupting her.
"Dear Daoist Friend Xiao Qing, you are indeed very rational. Yes, I admit that what I said earlier was based on guesses from Xiao Hei's memories. But can you deny the possibility that Xu Ke still exists in one of these remaining small worlds?"
"When faced with countless unknown small worlds back then, Xiao Hei wasn't afraid at all. Now it has been greatly narrowed down, yet you are still unwilling to face reality."
"What is it that you fear, Daoist Friend Xiao Qing?" Xu Bai's piercing gaze stared directly into Xiao Qing as he asked.
Xiao Qing seemed struck by a heavy blow and trembled continuously.
Her mouth opened but no sound came out.
"Moreover, what I seek is merely a technique随意 passed down by Xu Ke. I didn't expect that his people would disregard his life for such a minor Holy Blood Fetus Transformation Technique," Xu Bai said with a hint of mockery.
Xiao Qing was about to speak when the Empress Daughter, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up: "I will fulfill your request. Regardless of whether the Holy Emperor is dead or alive, I won't let him wander again." She said resolutely.
Facing the Empress Daughter's decision, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong were speechless.
Xu Bai nodded in approval: "A wise move."
Then he gently waved his hand, and a map of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared before everyone.
"Over thousands of years, the Xuanhuang Realm has undergone tremendous changes."
"But our Inter-World Alliance has been secretly monitoring and recording everything. Therefore, the small worlds Xiao Hei visited can still be matched," Xu Bai said.