Chapter 742: Nine Heads Won't Give Up

"This feeling."

"It's truly marvelous."

The maiden's tone grew somewhat hazy: "It's like looking at another version of myself in a mirror; a spontaneous sense of closeness arises in my heart."

"Master Qing, what exactly is going on?"

Upon hearing the maiden's affirmative reply, Xiao Qing's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Could it be that..."

Xu Bai was, of course, unaware of what was happening just beyond the wall.

At this moment, his mind was completely immersed in his enlightenment of the Red Rope Sword Intent.

As his comprehension deepened, the red rope that had been suppressing the black flesh seemed to come alive. It gently floated to Xu Bai's side, intimately wrapping around him.

After an unknown period, Xu Bai suddenly opened his eyes and lightly flicked his finger.

A faint, almost imperceptible red light flashed from his hand, then shot forward towards the twisted flesh.

The continuous wails echoing in the temple instantly fell silent.

Though they resumed immediately moments later, this anomaly still horrified the woman in the gauze dress waiting behind Xu Bai.

"My Lord..." she couldn't help but ask.

Xu Bai, however, raised a hand to stop her question, simply looking at a faint blood mark that had appeared on his wrist at some point.

With the physique of a Nascent Soul cultivator practicing the new methods, even sword cuts could be healed in an instant.

Yet, this slight blood mark seemed innate and could not be dispelled.

"Such severe side effects exist?" Xu Bai couldn't help but frown slightly.

"It seems Xu Ke's disappearance back then might also be related to his frequent use of the Red Rope Sword Art."

"The wooden sword, while embodying all sword principles, cannot initiate an attack."

"The rope sword, while possessing unparalleled destructive intent, requires one's own life as a price."

A glint appeared in Xu Bai's eyes: "So they all have certain limitations. Interesting..."

Next, Xu Bai visited the remaining eight temples one by one.

In addition to deepening his understanding of the Red Rope Sword Art, he also personally saw the three unseeing heads of the Crimson Nine-Headed Beast.

The hair, flesh, and eyeballs of one head had been hollowed out by the imperial people, leaving only a mottled skull.

The remaining two, however, were still remarkably lifelike, just as they were when they first died.

Even before approaching, one could feel the boundless malevolence and resentment emanating from them.

"What a beast!"

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.

"Even a thousand years after death, its ferocity endures. I truly wonder how formidable it must have been in its prime. And Mr. Bai, who could slay it with just a single red rope..."

Xu Bai's mind was filled with various thoughts.

After the visit, Xu Bai returned to the high tower palace.

Looking at the veiled woman sitting beside Xiao Qing, Xu Bai felt a strange connection in his heart.

He tried raising his right hand.

Something surprising happened.

The veiled woman opposite him also, coincidentally, raised her right hand.

There was no prior agreement, yet their movements were almost perfectly synchronized.

It was as if a mirror existed between the two of them.

Aside from slight differences in appearance, the veiled woman was almost exactly like himself.

"Holy Blood Gestation Method." In an instant, Xu Bai understood the reason for this phenomenon.

He also knew the identity of the veiled woman before him:

The Imperial Daughter.

Xu Ke's descendant, the nominal ruler of the empire.

But he clearly couldn't reveal his knowledge.

Feigning immense surprise, he abruptly stood up, pointed at the Imperial Daughter, and exclaimed, "What is going on?"

Xiao Qing carefully observed Xu Bai's every expression, trying to find any flaw. But she was disappointed.

Xu Bai's reaction was almost identical to the Imperial Daughter's.

"It seems he's genuinely unaware of his true identity," Xiao Qing thought to herself.

"What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?" she still decided to probe further, asking despite knowing.

Xu Bai now seemed to have recovered somewhat from his initial shock. He stared at the Imperial Daughter, a deep look of confusion in his eyes.

"Who is this? Although it's our first meeting, I feel an intense sense of closeness and familiarity with her."

"It's not an illusion. I feel the same way," the Imperial Daughter responded softly.

Xu Bai now appeared even more stunned.

He turned to Xiao Qing: "Fellow Daoist, what exactly is going on here?"

Xiao Qing looked him in the eyes for a long time before speaking. Instead of answering, she counter-questioned, "Fellow Daoist Xu, how much do you know about your origins?"

"My origins?" Xu Bai paused, feigning surprise.

"I am merely the descendant of ordinary mortals, originally living in a minor world. It was only by chance that I joined the Myriad Worlds Alliance, thus embarking on the immortal path. My blood relatives have long passed away..."

"Why, is there something wrong with my origins?" Xu Bai asked.

Xiao Qing gazed into Xu Bai's eyes, seemingly trying to discern the truth in his words.

After a long silence, she finally gave up.

Then Xiao Qing took out a portrait. The person in the painting looked almost exactly like Xu Bai.

"This is..." Xu Bai continued to feign ignorance.

"This is the founder of the Empire, and also my master," Xiao Qing said softly. "His name is Xu Ke."

"Many years ago, he bid farewell to everyone and has been missing ever since."

Xu Bai stared at the portrait, as if stunned by this significant piece of information, standing motionless.

After a long time, he slowly spoke: "He also has the surname Xu. Could it be that I might also be a descendant of Xu Ke?"

"At present, this seems to be the only plausible explanation," Xiao Qing's tone was also somewhat uncertain.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, in which minor world is your hometown? From what I know of my master, he doesn't seem like the type to marry and have children..." Xiao Qing asked unexpectedly.

"My hometown is in..." Xu Bai began, then suddenly stopped.

Regaining his composure, he decided to preemptively accuse them. Looking at Xiao Qing and the Imperial Daughter with a face full of suspicion, he said, "Fellow Daoist Qing, are you treating me like a child? Such an incredible coincidence?"

"Tell me, what exactly is your purpose?" Xu Bai looked coldly at Xiao Qing.

Faced with Xu Bai's sudden change in attitude, Xiao Qing was momentarily stunned.

Then she gave a wry smile: "Truthfully, I find it hard to believe too. But everything is just this coincidental. It's as if it was fated, that I would meet you thousands of years later, when I had already given up hope."

"As for whether what I've said is true, there's a way to test it and find out."

After Xiao Qing finished speaking, she winked at the Imperial Daughter.

The Empress took out a scepter and lightly tapped the ground.

Suddenly, a hole appeared in the floor, and the three of them were instantly swallowed by it.

Xu Bai did not resist. Immediately after, he found himself in a vast, seemingly endless space.

Here, rows upon rows of different exotic beast corpses were laid out.

Further away, various mechanical devices also seemed to be arrayed.

Xu Bai tried to move forward but found an invisible barrier blocking his path.

"This is the Imperial Treasury, where the Empire's accumulated wealth of thousands of years is stored."