“This feeling…”
“It’s truly incredible.”
The young girl’s voice carried a hint of fascination. “It’s like looking into a mirror and seeing another version of myself. An inexplicable sense of closeness wells up in my heart.”
“Master Qing, what exactly is happening?”
Hearing the girl’s confirmation, Xiao Qing’s eyes flickered with disbelief.
“Could it be…”
Meanwhile, Xu Bai remained unaware of what was happening just beyond the wall.
At this moment, his entire focus was immersed in the realization of the Red Rope Sword Intent.
As his comprehension deepened, the red rope that was suppressing the black flesh seemed to come alive. It floated gently beside Xu Bai, affectionately circling around him.
A barely visible red light flickered between his fingertips before shooting toward the twisted mass of flesh in front of him.
For a brief instant, the eerie wails echoing throughout the temple came to an abrupt halt.
Although they resumed shortly after, this unusual occurrence left the veiled woman standing behind Xu Bai utterly shocked.
“My lord…” She couldn’t help but speak.
Xu Bai, however, raised a hand to stop her from asking further questions. His gaze was fixed on his wrist, where an unexpected thin cut had appeared.
With the physical resilience of a Nascent Soul cultivator under the New Method, even wounds inflicted by blades or swords should have healed in an instant.
Yet this minor cut seemed innate—impossible to erase.
“Such severe side effects?” Xu Bai frowned slightly.
“It seems that Xu Ke’s disappearance back then may have been related to his repeated use of the Red Rope Sword Technique.”
“A wooden sword embodies the principles of all sword techniques, yet it cannot strike first.”
“A rope sword possesses unparalleled killing intent, but it demands the user’s life in exchange.”
A sharp glint flickered in Xu Bai’s eyes. “So they both have limitations… Interesting.”
Xu Bai proceeded to explore the remaining eight temples one by one.
Beyond gaining a deeper understanding of the Red Rope Sword Technique, he also witnessed firsthand the three remaining heads of the fallen Red Nine-Headed Beast, which refused to rest even in death.
One of the heads had already been hollowed out by the Empire’s people, leaving behind only a bleached skull.
The other two, however, remained eerily lifelike—just as they had been at the moment of death.
Even from a distance, Xu Bai could feel the overwhelming malice and resentment emanating from them.
“What a monstrous creature!”
This was Xu Bai’s first encounter with a true Ancient Ferocious Beast, and he couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart.
“A thousand years after death, its ferocity remains undiminished. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been at the height of its power. And to think that someone was able to slay it with nothing more than a single red cord…”
Xu Bai’s mind wandered, pondering the legendary figure known as Mr. Bai.
After completing his observations, Xu Bai returned to the palace atop the high tower.
There, he saw a veiled woman seated beside Xiao Qing.
The moment he laid eyes on her, an inexplicable sense of connection arose within him.
Curious, he raised his right hand.
To his surprise, the veiled woman mirrored his action in perfect synchronization.
No words had been exchanged, yet their movements were eerily identical.
It was as if a mirror stood between them, reflecting their actions.
Apart from a slight difference in appearance, the veiled woman was almost identical to himself.
“The Holy Blood Embryo Transformation.”
In that instant, Xu Bai understood the cause of this strange phenomenon.
And at the same time, he recognized the veiled woman’s identity.
She was the Imperial Princess.
Xu Ke’s descendant, the nominal ruler of the empire.
However, he clearly could not reveal himself.
Feigning extreme shock, he abruptly stood up, pointed at the imperial princess, and exclaimed, “What is going on?”
Xiao Qing carefully observed every nuance of Xu Bai’s expression, trying to detect any flaw. But to her disappointment, she found none.
Xu Bai’s reaction was almost identical to that of the imperial princess.
“It seems he is also unaware of his true identity,” Xiao Qing thought to herself.
“What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?” she still decided to probe further, feigning ignorance.
By this point, Xu Bai seemed to have recovered somewhat from his initial shock. He stared at the imperial princess, his eyes filled with deep confusion.
“This person is…? Although it’s my first time meeting her, I feel an inexplicable sense of closeness and familiarity.”
“It’s not an illusion. I feel the same way,” the imperial princess softly replied.
Xu Bai appeared even more shaken.
Turning to Xiao Qing, he asked, “Fellow Daoist, what exactly is going on?”
Xiao Qing held his gaze for a long time before finally speaking. Instead of answering, she countered with a question:
“Daoist Xu, how much do you know about your own lineage?”
“My lineage?” Xu Bai was momentarily stunned.
“I am merely a descendant of ordinary mortals. I originally lived in a small world. Later, by a stroke of luck, I joined the Federation of All Worlds and embarked on the path of immortality. My blood relatives have long since passed away…”
“Why? Is there something wrong with my lineage?” Xu Bai asked.
Xiao Qing studied Xu Bai’s eyes, as if trying to discern whether he was speaking the truth.
After a long silence, she finally gave up.
Then, Xiao Qing took out a portrait. The figure in the painting looked almost identical to Xu Bai.
“This is…” Xu Bai continued to feign ignorance.
“This is the founder of the empire. He was also my master,” Xiao Qing said in a solemn tone. “His name was Xu Ke.”
“Many years ago, he bid farewell to everyone. Since then, he has vanished without a trace.”
Xu Bai stared at the painting, seemingly overwhelmed by the weight of this revelation, standing there in a daze.
After a long while, he finally spoke slowly:
“He also had the surname Xu. Could it be… that I am a descendant of Xu Ke?”
“At present, that seems to be the only reasonable explanation,” Xiao Qing said, though her tone carried a hint of uncertainty.
“Daoist Xu, where exactly is your homeland? From what I know of my master, he was not the type to take a wife or father children…” Xiao Qing asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
“My homeland is…” Xu Bai started to speak but suddenly stopped.
Snapping back to his senses, he immediately turned the tables. Looking at Xiao Qing and the imperial princess, his face was filled with suspicion.
“Daoist Qing, are you toying with me like a child? What an unbelievable coincidence!”
“Speak. What exactly is your purpose?” Xu Bai coldly fixed his gaze on Xiao Qing.
Faced with Xu Bai’s sudden change in attitude, Xiao Qing was momentarily taken aback.
Then, she let out a bitter laugh.
“To be honest, I also find it hard to believe. But everything aligns too perfectly. As if it were destined… That after thousands of years, when I had already given up, I would meet you.”
“As for whether my words are true, there is a way to find out immediately.”
After saying this, Xiao Qing exchanged a glance with the imperial princess.
The imperial princess took out a scepter and lightly tapped it against the ground.
Suddenly, a hole appeared in the floor, swallowing all three of them in an instant.
Xu Bai did not resist.
In the next moment, he found himself in a vast space with no visible end.
Rows upon rows of different exotic beast corpses filled the area.
In the distance, various mechanical devices also seemed to be arranged in an orderly fashion.
Xu Bai attempted to move forward but quickly discovered that an invisible barrier blocked his path.
“This is the empire’s treasury, where the accumulated wealth of thousands of years is stored.”