As the Heavenly Fate Black Bird, Xiao Hei was naturally well aware of how extraordinary Xu Ke’s fortune was.
A Purple-Gold fourtune, one in a billion. No matter where he went, he could turn misfortune into blessings, transform crises into opportunities, and effortlessly obtain countless treasures and opportunities.
How could someone like him possibly die so easily?
Of course, destiny is not omnipotent. Possessing great fortune does not mean one is immortal. If an individual encounters a calamity beyond what their fate can withstand, they still face the risk of perishing.
However, aside from his own formidable destiny, Xu Ke also had the Red String Protection of Mr. Bai. Even a single strand from that red string was capable of severely injuring a top-tier powerhouse from the Demon Beast Clan, (Red Nine-Headed). The sheer might of Mr. Bai was simply unimaginable. From his last conversation with Xu Ke, Xiao Hei learned that there were still some remnants of that red string on Xu Ke’s wrist. Xiao Hei firmly believed that, no matter what dangers Xu Ke encountered in the Xuanhuang Realm, the remaining red string should have been enough to help him escape alive.
Therefore, Xu Ke’s inexplicable death was something Xiao Hei simply could not understand or accept. He vowed to uncover the truth behind Xu Ke’s demise.
When the seal placed by Emperor Sanmo weakened, Xiao Hei forcibly broke free from the restrictions of the Beast Realm, disregarding the shackles this world had imposed upon him. He sought to retrace Xu Ke’s life path and investigate the mystery surrounding his death.
The Xuanhuang Realm was vast, filled with innumerable subsidiary worlds. Trying to piece together the truth from mere fragments of past events was an incredibly difficult task. However, as the Heavenly Fate Black Bird, Xiao Hei had once been Xu Ke’s companion, bound by fate’s unseen threads. After spending a thousand years searching, a chance encounter finally led him to an expansive minor world—a place where a massive floating corpse of Red Nine-Headed lay suspended in the sky. At that moment, Xiao Hei knew he had found the right place.
Upon meeting an old acquaintance, the Azure Luan Bird, Xiao Hei finally learned the full story.
Due to the continued restriction of ‘incompatibility of cultivation techniques,’ the Beast-Taming Sect devised two parallel future plans. The first was to gather the most talented disciples within the sect and have the sect leader and elders teach them everything they had learned in their lives, hoping that this group could eventually develop new cultivation techniques for the sect’s members to practice. The second was to research a method that would allow disciples to establish a mental connection with beasts even without practicing the ‘True Beast-Taming Technique.'”
Although Xu Ke lacked talent in comprehending Dao, he possessed an innate affinity with spirit beasts. Following the sect master’s guidance, he joined the group researching new methods of beast taming. Day after day, he immersed himself in studying the sect’s sacred artifact, the Ten Thousand Reincarnation Beast Wheel, losing himself in the pursuit of knowledge, unaware of time’s passage.
One day, however, he received shocking news—his senior brother, Lu Ya, had suffered severe injuries and fallen into a coma. Despite everyone’s objections, Xu Ke secretly returned alone to the Xuanhuang Realm.
At that time, a terrifying miasma had begun to spread from mortal bodies, engulfing the entire cultivation world. Upon his return, Xu Ke, too, became infected. Fortunately, his luck held, and he inexplicably recovered after seven days.
At the same time, the dying Lu Ya suddenly regained consciousness, his complexion returning to a healthy glow. However, Xu Ke knew it was nothing more than a final burst of energy before death. Grief overwhelmed him.
Lu Ya, however, remained serene. Dismissing everyone else, he called Xu Ke to his bedside.
That night, no one knew what the two of them talked about.
From that moment on, Xu Ke remained in the ruins of the Beast Taming Sect in the Xuanhuang Realm. When the Great Migration Plan was later initiated, he became the sole representative of the sect, tasked with relocating countless mortals to the Spirit-Devoid Small World.
A hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.
The final group of mortals was sent to the very minor world where Xu Ke had once encountered Red Nine-Headed.
Having completed his mission, Xu Ke never returned to the Beast Taming Sect in the Lingxu Realm. Instead, he deliberately severed all ties, hiding his identity and choosing to live among mortals.
Of course, this did not mean he lived as an ordinary mortal.
Without those around him realizing it, Xu Ke used the six severed heads of Red Nine-Headed, which had fallen into this world, as incubators. He combined them with gentler beast species he had brought from the Beast Taming Sect, breeding and cultivating various mutant spirit beasts.
His two loyal avian companions, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, never understood his true intentions. Yet, they assisted him, meticulously recording all his research findings.
Over the generations, the number and variety of mutant spirit beasts grew exponentially.
Though these mutant creatures were weaker than their original counterparts, their innate aggression had diminished. At the very least, they no longer attacked humans indiscriminately.
Many years passed, and the world witnessed an explosion of new exotic beast species.
Then, one day, Red Nine-Headed reappeared—without warning.
It seemed to still be haunted by lingering fear, lying atop the firmament and observing for a long time. Only after confirming that there were no threats did it finally relax. Accompanying it was a brown Great Peng. Both creatures looked extremely battered, with multiple scorch marks covering their bodies.
“If I had known earlier, I would have left with Lord Di Yi.. There was no need to suffer this humiliation in the Xuanhuang Realm!”
“Without the great leadership of Lord Di Yi, we demon beasts have indeed declined year after year. Originally, we thought that after the Great Catastrophe descended, humanity would soon be wiped out. But unexpectedly, powerful figures keep emerging one after another! This is simply unjust!”
“That guy from the Purple Heaven Sect is alright, not too outrageous. Speaking of true powerhouses, back in the day, I was right here…”
“Tsk tsk, the scars on my head still ache from time to time!”
The two fearsome demon beasts conversed freely in the sky, treating the many mortals of this world as nothing more than livestock to replenish their blood and vitality.
“Heh heh, big brother, don’t take it to heart. Once we devour this realm and restore our strength, we’ll go and settle the score with those people!” The Great Peng’s eyes were fixed on the shivering mortals below, its saliva nearly dripping.
However, among demon beasts, hierarchy was strict.
“Big brother, please go first!” The Great Peng forcibly suppressed its hunger and flattered its companion.
Red Nine-Headed let out a cold snort, and in an instant, its body expanded once more. Its three remaining heads opened their enormous bloodthirsty mouths, ready to swallow this entire world.
But at that very moment, it caught sight of that familiar streak of red once again.
“How is this possible…?!”
This time, Red Nine-Headed was not as lucky as before.
Threads of silk directly pierced through its body, dragging it down from beyond the world.
Seeing its elder brother being slain in an instant, the Great Peng was so terrified that its soul nearly shattered.
No longer caring about any bonds of kinship, it transformed into a streak of black light and fled in panic.
The mortals, whose eyes could not perceive the full extent of what had transpired, only saw the two ferocious demon beasts about to commit atrocities—only to be slain by an immortal at the last moment.
Rejoicing in their miraculous survival, they erupted into cheers, chanting praises of the immortal’s divine grace and power.
Only Xu Ke, standing among the crowd, silently caressed the now noticeably thinner red string around his wrist, saying nothing.