With their conversation finished, Xu Bai cut off the transmission.
His expression instantly darkened.
"A single slip among a hundred precautions, and a flaw is exposed after all.
"That Liu San usually acts like an old degenerate, but to think he harbors such deep scheming."
Indeed, in that seemingly ordinary conversation with Liu San just now, Xu Bai had made a mistake.
When Liu San informed him that a disciple had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, Xu Bai had fallen silent for a moment.
That silence stemmed from his distrust of Liu San.
He knew how difficult it was to succeed in establishing the foundation with oneself. He knew it was blatantly impossible.
Thus, he had suspected it might be a trap, an excuse Liu San concocted to lure him back.
Under normal circumstances, upon hearing such news, he should have reacted with either surprise or doubt, immediately pressing Liu San to ask whether it was true or false.
Yet, against all reason, he had stayed silent.
Although he could fabricate myriad excuses to explain that hesitation away, Xu Bai knew in his heart that doing so was futile.
Liu San had not uttered the statement in one continuous breath. Instead, he had spoken the first half and deliberately paused, awaiting Xu Bai's reaction.
That in itself was a test.
Liu San had obtained what he wanted. From that brief silence, he had discerned Xu Bai's lack of trust in him.
When masters contest one another, a hair's breadth of difference means defeat is defeat.
"Still, matters haven't deteriorated beyond repair. The constraints of the Truth Enticement Fruit aren't broken so easily. Even if they have sensed something amiss and confirmed their inner suspicions, they still cannot openly oppose me.
"Beyond the fact that their thoughts were rewritten, more importantly, the True Xuanhuang Cauldron remains in my hands.
"With numerous Medicine King Sect cultivators slumbering within the cauldron as hostages, they wouldn't dare act rashly either.
"I can leave them be for now. When the end comes..." A murderous glint flashed through Xu Bai's eyes.
The relationship between Xu Bai and those from the Medicine King Sect thus hung in an uncanny equilibrium.
Xu Bai communicated with them only from afar using communication talismans.
Meanwhile, Liu San and the others carried on as they always had, seemingly oblivious to anything out of the ordinary.
During this time, Xu Bai found a moment to return to the Empire.
Flying over the imperial capital, Xu Bai faintly caught a lingering whiff of blood in the air.
Evidently, a massive purge had concluded not long ago.
Xu Bai revealed himself, and Xiao Qing soon arrived to receive him.
Inside the tower palace, Xu Bai met once more with the Imperial Daughter and Xiao Hong.
Xu Bai was somewhat astonished to discover that after only a short absence, the Imperial Daughter had transformed from her previous appearance of a maiden in her early teens into a voluptuous, alluring woman.
Moreover, the gaze she directed at Xu Bai held fewer traces of timidity and a touch more confidence.
"It seems your Empire still kept some bottom-of-the-chest techniques hidden from me," Xu Bai remarked indifferently.
The Imperial Daughter let out a soft chuckle, her voluptuous frame quivering slightly. "Having endured for thousands of years, the Empire would never stake its survival entirely on a single boat.
"Surely you can understand that?"
As she spoke, her deep, luminous eyes fixed steadily upon Xu Bai.
A hint of delicate vulnerability shimmered in her gaze, mingled with overt seduction.
Xu Bai's eyes, however, remained clear as a placid lake, without the slightest ripple. Instead, he flashed her a brilliant, innocent smile.
The Imperial Daughter's facade shattered in an instant, a flurry of panic and bashfulness surfacing across her face.
"Please forgive her, Fellow Daoist," Xiao Hong said, stepping forward with a slight bow to shield the Imperial Daughter.
The Imperial Daughter drew a deep breath and closed her eyes for a long moment before finally regaining her composure.
Rather than chiding or mocking her futile attempt at seduction, Xu Bai asked with intrigued amusement, "If my eyes don't deceive me, is the Imperial Daughter pregnant?"
All three present turned visibly embarrassed at the question.
Xiao Qing gave a light wave of her hand, erecting a barrier around the room before explaining in a hushed voice, "After you departed, Fellow Daoist, we followed your advice and purged the imperial nobility. Anyone whose will did not align with ours was rounded up.
"Of course, the Empire has stood for several millennia. The accumulated strength of those imperial nobles was not to be underestimated.
"Before initiating the purge, we had already considered the possibility of failure. To prevent the Empire's bloodline from being severed, the Imperial Daughter performed the Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Method ahead of time."
Xiao Qing glanced at the Imperial Daughter before continuing, "In truth, the Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Method passed down by our Master back then has seen considerable progress through continuous research by the imperial royal family over the years.
"By relying on external forces, an induced birth can be achieved even if one does not meet the necessary conditions oneself.
"The embryonic infant born under such circumstances is less of a next generation and more akin to a kind of avatar.
"However, there are drawbacks. The avatar cannot inherit any cultivation; it is merely a pure mortal vessel."
Xiao Qing stopped there, dodging any further elaboration.
Xu Bai narrowed his eyes, an inscrutable look on his face.
He did not press the matter for now. Instead, facing Xiao Qing and the others, he announced that the evaluation had passed.
After review by several elders, they had unanimously agreed that the various technologies demonstrated by the Empire were worthy of investment by the Myriad Realms Association.
The Empire would also become one of the few pocket worlds currently sheltered under the Association's aegis.
With that, Xu Bai retrieved three End Discs from his storage ring.
He then explained the formation that could amplify the End Discs' effect and conceal the entrance to the pocket world.
Among the three, the Imperial Daughter listened in utter bewilderment.
Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong, however, beamed with delight.
Solemnly putting away the End Discs, at their silent prompt, the Imperial Daughter handed over a storage ring.
Engraved upon the storage ring was the likeness of a Heavenly Destiny Profound Bird. It carried an ancient aura, clearly an item of considerable age.
It bore an uncanny resemblance to Xu Ke's spiritual pet, Xiao Hei.
"The items we showcased earlier are all inside," Xiao Qing said.
Looking at the storage ring, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong showed a flicker of nostalgia in their eyes.
"This was left behind by our Master and kept unused all this time. Using it today in trade to secure the Empire's future—surely he wouldn't blame us if he knew," Xiao Qing remarked with a wistful sigh.
Xu Bai merely swept his gaze across the contents. Seeing the materials, including 'fusing myriad beasts into one,' neatly arranged within, he made no immediate move to verify their authenticity.
After stowing the ring away, he looked back at Xiao Qing and the others.
Sensing that Xu Bai had more to say, Xiao Qing and the others turned inquiring glances toward him.
"The transaction between the Empire and the Myriad Realms Association is settled.
"Next, I personally have a deal to make with you all. I wonder if you are willing?"
Xiao Qing's expression grew solemn. "Please speak, Fellow Daoist."
"I am very interested in this modified Sacred Blood Embryo Transformation Method," Xu Bai said placidly.
Xiao Qing's expression shifted slightly, and she moved to refuse.
Yet what Xu Bai said next made it impossible for any of the three to keep their composure.
Chapter 768