Chapter 763: True and False Xunkelu

“Previously, you mentioned that the Saint Emperor of the Empire might be our common ancestor. I was very interested in him, so I put in some effort and had someone investigate,” Xu Bai said calmly, looking at the Empress.

Before the Empress could react, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong became excited. “What did you find?”

“You want to know too?” Xu Bai smiled. “Then exchange it for the Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Technique.”

Xiao Hong was about to answer but was stopped by Xiao Qing’s outstretched hand.

Xiao Qing calmly herself slightly, taking a deep breath, and said to Xu Bai, “Do you really expect to get something for nothing with just this sentence, fellow Daoist? At the very least, you need to let us know that the information you gathered is actually worth exchanging.”

“Good point,” Xu Bai nodded in approval, then extended his right hand.

A moment later, a pitch-black feather appeared in Xu Bai’s palm.

From that feather, both Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong sensed a familiar aura.

“Xiao Hei?” Their bodies trembled violently, and they exclaimed in unison.

They were about to take the Xuanbird Feather to examine it closely but found that Xu Bai had already retrieved it.

“It seems you are not unfamiliar with this Fated Xuanbird. This makes things easier; it saves me the trouble of further explanation.

“Thanks to the Myriad Realms Alliance’s convenience in connecting all realms, I was fortunate enough to find Xiao Hei’s remains in a minor realm.

“This Xuanbird Feather is the only thing that remained from its corpse. Along with it, there’s a segment of Xiao Hei’s memory from before its death.”

At this point, Xu Bai suddenly paused.

“Xiao Hei died?” Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong were first shocked, then they stared intently at Xu Bai.

After building their anticipation, Xu Bai glanced at them and said with a chuckle, “Xiao Hei was far more loyal than you two. To find traces of my ancestor, it spared no expense, even at the cost of its own lifespan, to traverse every minor realm in the Xuanhuang Realm.

“Although it ultimately failed to find Xu Ke before its death, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.

“Xu Ke, he very likely is still alive,” Xu Bai said slowly.

His soft words, however, struck Xiao Hong and Xiao Qing like thunder.

“Impossible!” they denied in unison.

“If Master were truly alive, we would certainly be able to sense him. But we lost our connection to him a long time ago.”

Xiao Qing frowned, and a flash of killing intent glinted in her phoenix eyes. “To obtain the Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Technique, you would fabricate lies about Master’s life and death…”

Facing Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, who seemed on the verge of exploding, Xu Bai remained unfazed, shaking his head with a sigh. “That’s why Xu Ke favored and trusted Xiao Hei the most back then—there truly was a reason.

“You two can sense Xu Ke’s life and death, but could it be that Xiao Hei, conversely, couldn’t do the same? Yet, why did it firmly believe Xu Ke was not dead and insisted on searching for him across thousands of minor realms?”

As he spoke, Xu Bai pointed a finger in the air.

An image appeared before them.

It was from Xiao Hei’s remains—its memory of traveling through numerous minor realms, constantly searching for Xu Ke.

Watching the various minor realms that flashed by in succession, and Xiao Hei’s increasingly slow movements due to old age, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong’s bodies trembled slightly, and extremely complex expressions appeared on their faces.

The image abruptly stopped. Xu Bai remained silent, simply watching them.

After a long silence, he spoke again. “Although the minor realms of Xuanhuang are innumerable, we all know there’s an upper limit.

“Xiao Hei personally visited some of them back then, ruling out those minor realms.

“And what’s certain, first and foremost, is that my ancestor did not leave the Xuanhuang Realm back then.

“So…”

Finally understanding, a glimmer of hope flashed in Xiao Qing’s eyes as she gazed at Xu Bai. “Master is in the remaining minor realms?”

Xu Bai neither confirmed nor denied it.

Instead, he casually changed the subject. “Even if we knew this before, facing the vast number of remaining minor realms, we would mostly be powerless despite our intentions. But now, it’s different.

“The Myriad Immortals Alliance is now unifying Xuanhuang; all minor realms are to be thoroughly swept and conquered.

“Under the life-and-death campaigns of numerous cultivators, they have uncovered the details of many minor realms. Thus, the remaining possible area for Xu Ke has narrowed.”

Xiao Hong couldn’t help but interject at this point. “Doesn’t that mean Master is very likely to be in danger?”

Xu Bai nodded. “If the Myriad Immortals Alliance finds Xu Ke before us, given their current modus operandi, the prospects are grim.”

Xiao Hong’s face instantly turned grim. “No, I must…”

“Calm down, Hong,” Xiao Qing said, maintaining her composure.

She first stopped Xiao Hong with a look, then said to Xu Bai, “Your argument simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

“Not to mention there’s no evidence whatsoever that Master is still alive. Even if he currently exists, how can you guarantee that within the minor realms already explored by the Myriad Immortals Alliance…”

Before she could finish, Xu Bai interrupted her with a burst of laughter.

“Fellow Daoist Qing, you are truly exceptionally rational. Indeed, I admit that everything I just said is conjecture based on Xiao Hei’s memories. But dare you deny the possibility that Xu Ke still exists in the remaining minor realms?

“Back then, facing countless unknown minor realms, Xiao Hei showed no fear. Now that the scope has been greatly narrowed, you still dare not face reality.

“What exactly are you afraid of, Fellow Daoist Qing?” Xu Bai demanded, his piercing gaze fixed directly on Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing’s body seemed to have been struck by a heavy hammer, trembling incessantly.

Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged.

“Furthermore, all I’m asking for is a technique that Xu Ke casually passed down back then. I never expected that with the passage of time, those close to him would disregard his life and death for the sake of this mere Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Technique,” Xu Bai said with a hint of mockery.

Xiao Qing was about to speak when the Empress, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.

“I agree to your request. Whether the Saint Emperor is dead or alive, I will never let him wander to distant lands again,” the Empress said firmly.

Facing the Empress’s decision, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong remained silent.

Xu Bai nodded approvingly. “A wise decision.”

Then, with a gentle wave, a map of the Xuanhuang Realm appeared before everyone.

“Over the past few millennia, the Xuanhuang Realm has undergone earth-shattering changes.

“However, our Myriad Realms Alliance has been secretly monitoring and recording everything, so the minor realms that Xiao Hei visited in its memories still correspond to the current ones.”