Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Senior Chi, what do you mean by that?"

Jin Xu's brows furrowed slightly while he communicated telepathically.

"This Ice and Fire Silver Mirror has the ability to examine a cultivator's physical condition and the purity and proportion of their Spirit Roots, among other things.

"It was created by an ancestor with Ice and Fire Spirit Roots, specifically tailored to the plight of cultivators with the same roots. When he was about to ascend and cross tribulation, he deliberately left this behind, fearing that this lineage might once again bear that unfortunate... that Ice and Fire Spirit Roots."

As Senior Chi spoke, he raised the silver mirror in his hand, then placed it back into the storage magical item.

A moment later, he took out two jade plaques, one red and one blue.

"In addition, that ancestor left behind two sets of the Soul Melting Skill. These two methods, used in conjunction with the Ice and Fire Silver Mirror, can prevent the imbalance of ice and fire within the body and allow for a planned suppression of one's own cultivation.

"This way, the likelihood of finding sufficient amounts of Taiyin and Sun Essence significantly increases.

"After all, as long as one lives long enough, who can say when fortune might strike?"

Senior Chi said this, then a puzzled look suddenly crossed his face, and he continued.

"But upon examination just now, I found that your friend's meridians, Dantian, muscles, and flesh are all in a better state than our ancestor's body, which had undergone top-level Wash Essence and Marrow procedures.

"Such a physique, combined with the top-level cultivation method he practices—the 'Ice and Fire Nine Heavens,' which operates automatically just like the ancestor's—

"I have roughly estimated that the speed at which the two sets of Soul Melting Skill wear down his cultivation absolutely cannot keep up with the rate of increase of his cultivation within his body. Even if he were to practice this method, I fear it would be like trying to extinguish a raging fire with a cup of water, hardly extending his life by a few days.

"Ah, what a pity. Such an opportunity, paired with a top-level cultivation method, would likely create a great master in a very short period of time, but due to these Ice and Fire Spirit Roots, it has instead become a death warrant. I wonder where this young friend got such a great fortune."

Having finished speaking, Senior Chi shook his head with a look of regret.

"Ahem, this opportunity... I'm afraid I'm responsible for giving it to him."

Jin Xu looked down at Zhao Dabao, who was still sitting cross-legged on the ground, and said telepathically with a strange expression.

"What!?"

The Ancestor of Kunlun Immortal Palace was startled upon hearing this, and after a moment of contemplation, it seemed as if he had suddenly realized something.

Ever since he exited his retreat, he had been searching for the Taoist, or on the journey to find him.

As such, although having heard of the Taoist using Demon Sect disciples' heads to exchange for the opportunity to Wash Essence and Marrow, he was not very familiar with the specifics.

Now after hearing Jin Xu say this, Senior Chi couldn't help but ask with some hesitation.

"In your campaign against the Demon Sect that you initiated, is the body that the Wash Essence and Marrow opportunity created always like this?"

"Mm, if there's no accident, it should be."

After Jin Xu finished speaking, he added in his mind.

"Mm, maybe the effect of Zhao's Body Purification Skill is even weaker. After all, that was a group of an entire city who underwent the 'Body Purification Skill.' And the reward for the Destroying Demon Sect campaign - the Wash Essence and Marrow could only be given to a few thousand people at most."

However, the Taoist did not pay attention to the specifics.

So he wasn't quite sure whether the effects were totally identical, or if there were minute differences.

"Cough cough, cough cough cough."

The Ancestor of Kunlun Immortal Palace suddenly started coughing violently in front of him.

"Senior Chi?"

The Taoist was puzzled.

Seeing the commotion, Zhao Dabao, who was sitting on the ground, also opened his eyes and looked back with some confusion.

Having sat doing nothing for seven or eight breaths, while the two standing people said nothing and did not call for him, Fatty Zhao couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

"Cough cough cough, nothing, I just choked on my saliva."

Senior Chi said this, then his Spiritual Sense dived into the storage magical item, quickly finding the corresponding Communication Jade Scroll for the current head of Kunlun Immortal Palace, and he hastily composed a message.

"Besides the Source Box refining task I instructed you about a few days ago, mobilize all the manpower of our sect, and go eliminate the remnants of the Demon Sect!

"Remember to keep all the heads, and if you can't, use the Recording Ball to record the process of their defeat for me.

"Be sure to bring the heads to Shangjing City in Great Xia afterward, to exchange for the Wash Essence and Marrow reward!"

"By the way, if you have time, I suggest you come and undergo the Wash Essence and Marrow as well."

...

...

In the distant Miao State, at the location of Kunlun Immortal Palace's mountain gate.

Within a secret chamber connected to the earth vein flame, several pitch-black chains were linked to a large cauldron.

Around the cauldron, on the nine cushioned mats, sat nine cultivators of various stature, waiting for the leader to give the order to start the fire forging.

However, just as the head of the Immortal Palace was about to start the incantation, he suddenly noticed that the Communication Jade Scroll in his waistband had lit up.

"Postpone the refining, the Ancestor has sent a message back."

As he spoke, he took out the jade scroll to check it.

"Big Brother, what instructions has Master given this time?" asked an old man with a bulbous nose on the left.

"Master has ordered us to mobilize the entire sect to clear the remnants of the Demon Sect and to exchange them for the Wash Essence and Marrow reward in Great Xia's Shangjing City," said the head of the Immortal Palace.

Upon hearing this, a man with an upright and unyielding face and a jade belt on his head, seated on the right, spoke up.

"What does the Ancestor mean by this? Our sect's Wash Essence and Marrow methods are top-notch in this realm. Why bother with that reward?"

The old man with the bulbous nose on the left retorted immediately.

"Eh, Great Elder, your words are not proper. The Ancestor's actions must have deep meaning, and besides, the matter of the reward for clearing the Demon Sect in exchange for Wash Essence and Marrow, I have heard about it as well. It seems to have caused quite a stir recently. It has something to do with that recently prominent royal uncle from Great Xia."

When the so-called Great Elder heard that it involved Jin Xu, he immediately shut his mouth.

The Kunlun Immortal Palace has long held the title of the number one Great Immortal Sect in the Nine Provinces Realm. Therefore, some in the sect inevitably possess a bit of arrogance, and this man with the jade belt was exactly within that group.

When the young Taoist first made a name for himself in Great Xia by striking down Ye Wuyang with lightning and rescuing the people without incurring any damages,

the Great Elder of Kunlun Immortal Palace had once spoken about Jin Xu with a slight disdain in his attitude.

However, after Jin Xu then raised Shen Zhi's prominence in Qing State with just two moves and single-handedly purified the Nine Provinces Sea Eye,

the jade-belted man never acknowledged that he had looked down upon the young Taoist Jin Xu.

Seeing that the Great Elder had fallen silent, and the head of the Immortal Palace's gaze still lingered on the jade scroll, the old man with the bulbous nose spoke again.

"Head, are there any more instructions from Master?"

"There are, but..."

"But what?"

"...Master has asked me to go to Shangjing City to undergo the Wash Essence and Marrow."

The head of Kunlun Immortal Palace revealed nine parts doubt and one part bewilderment in his voice.

In his eyes, when Senior Chi said if there was time, that meant he had to go.

"You, undergo the Wash Essence and Marrow? Big Brother, you are already at the seventh layer of the Mahayana Realm!"

The old man with the bulbous nose exclaimed in surprise.

...

...

Meanwhile, back to Jin Xu and the others.

After Senior Chi had finished sending his message, he looked at Zhao Dabao, who had already stood up.

He transmitted a message to Jin Xu.

"Taoist Jin, should you tell your young friend the truth? However, I must remind you, with his physique and the characteristics of the 'Ice and Fire Nine Heavens' Cultivation Technique,

"his cultivation speed might defy common sense and become faster and faster before he ascends to the Void Refinement Realm.

"Originally, I..."