Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Inconvenient."

Senior Chi really wanted to reply like this to the young Taoist, as a payback for the earlier questioning about the pill's effects.

However, he merely thought about it.

"Well, it's not that big of a deal, after all."

The Ancestor of the Immortal Palace wore a spring-like smile on his face as he walked over to the nanmu bookshelf.

He casually pulled out a book, realized it was just a decoration, then paused slightly.

Then, with his expression back to normal, he returned it and continued speaking to the young Taoist.

"Around two hundred years ago, Yu Taoist suddenly sought me out, offering dozens of precious pills in exchange for my help in divining the whereabouts of a friend's daughter.

"Back then, aside from divining the person's whereabouts, since the lady's life chart was rather unique, I was momentarily inspired to also make some other divinations for her.

"Among them was that this lady was affected by the 'Five Hindrances and Three Deficiencies,' and would be unable to make any progress in culinary skills for the rest of her life.

"Normally, such trivial matters are long forgotten by me over the years, but today..."

At this point, the Ancestor of the Immortal Palace suddenly took a deep breath and said.

"Today, after tasting that 'Earth Dragon Mosquito Soup,' I realized that the person I divined back then is actually your companion here, Jin Taoist.

"Two hundred years have passed, and I had not expected that she had already shape-shifted."

Upon hearing this, Jin Xu thought to himself how Little Yu's indescribable culinary skills were actually backed by such a hidden reason.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. Yet in his mind unexpectedly surfaced Yaoer's desire to become the top chef in the Nine Provinces, prompting him to ask the Ancestor standing before him.

"May I ask, Senior Chi, is there any way to break this curse?"

As he spoke, Jin Xu too walked to the nanmu bookshelf and casually picked a book from it.

Then... he silently placed it back.

"A way to break the curse?"

Senior Chi watched his actions and suppressed a smile, then shook his head with a troubled expression.

"We cultivators inherently walk a path that struggles against the Heavenly Dao. Normally, reaching the Golden Core Realm should naturally resolve such anomalies of the Five Hindrances and Three Deficiencies.

"However, your companion is different. When I divined for her, the hexagrams showed that she was meant to face a life and death calamity. It seems, however, that someone paid a considerable price to shift her life chart, allowing her to survive.

"And it is also for this reason that her Five Hindrances and Three Deficiencies have continued to persist.

"I could possibly try shifting her life chart back if I spent two hundred years of cultivation, but..."

"Of course, there might be cultivators specializing in the path of destiny who could neutralize her Five Hindrances and Three Deficiencies without triggering a major life and death calamity, but my cultivation in the path of destiny is too shallow to achieve this."

"Alas, the path of destiny is profoundly mysterious."

The Ancestor of the Immortal Palace spoke, then suddenly sighed deeply.

Although the other party did not explicitly say it, the young Taoist had already understood his meaning.

Faced with a choice between a life and death calamity and inability to cook, ninety-nine percent of people would likely choose the latter.

And although the person before him modestly claimed his cultivation in the path of destiny was shallow, it was merely modesty.

"In that case, Little Yu's wish..."

Jin Xu pondered for a moment, then took out the Golden Paper granted by the Heavenly Dao rules from his storage treasure and said.

"Senior Chi, could you perhaps lend me your sect's books on the path of destiny? I am willing to exchange them for this Golden Paper Divine Skill bestowed by the Heavenly Dao rules."

Since the former top cultivator of the Nine Provinces in the path of destiny professed shallow cultivation.

So it was he himself, the current number one person in the Nine Provinces Realm.

"Jin Taoist, what is this..."

The ancestor of the Immortal Palace saw the other party take out the Golden Paper, was stunned for a moment, then his well-read and perceptive mind instantly realized something, and he immediately took two steps forward.

"This, this, this... truly a Divine Skills Golden Paper bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, I have only seen it in ancient scrolls."

Senior Chi's expression was slightly excited as he stood by the Golden Paper, his hands unsure where to rest.

However, he quickly realized he had lost his composure and hurriedly managed his emotions, stroked his beard, and said seriously.

"Jin Taoist, just an ancient text of the path of destiny exchanged for the Divine Skills on this Golden Paper, the values do not match."

The young Taoist was startled by these words, then somewhat bewilderedly responded.

"Uh, is it too cheap? Then I still have a Spiritual Spring in my temple."

Hearing this, the face of the Immortal Palace's ancestor immediately showed an expression of crying and laughing, quickly waving his hand and saying,

"You misunderstand, my friend; I meant that this golden Divine Skill is too precious. With you setting off next month to save the Nine Provinces Realm and bustling around, how could I offer you such a trivial ancient text, cherishing it as if it is invaluable."

Senior Chi said, taking a booklet made neither of golden nor ordinary paper out from his storage magical treasure, handing it over to Jin Xu, and said,

"I was in a hurry when I came out, and I only brought this one that I frequently read."

"In a few days, I'll send my disciple to Shangjing City with the cosmic box and bring along all the ancient texts about the path of destiny from our sect."

"By the way, if you are in a hurry, you could also ask Emperor Zhao of Great Xia. Although his dynasty hasn't been established for long, there should still be some related texts in the national treasury."

Jin Xu stared at the booklet handed to him, first reflecting inwardly if he had spent too much time with the two ladies recently, making his thinking somewhat assimilated.

He then opened his mouth to speak earnestly,

"Senior Chi, aside from the matter of the texts, last time you helped Brother Zhao design and construct that..."

"Oh, young Taoist, why be so polite over such a small matter,"

Jin Xu hadn't finished speaking when he was interrupted by the Immortal Palace's ancestor.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a few rounds and pushed back and forth.

In the end, Senior Chi truly couldn't stand Jin Xu's insistence, plus he was also very curious to observe the legendary Divine Skills written on the Golden Paper.

So, the two reached a consensus.

Kunlun Immortal Palace would cover all materials and formations needed for constructing the Bai Emperor Cold River, and any ancient texts about the path of destiny that Kunlun Immortal Palace had would be shown to Jin Xu for copying.

As for the Divine Skills on the Golden Paper, a copy was to be made for Kunlun Immortal Palace. The original, however, could be borrowed by Senior Chi for observation for a month.

"Jin Taoist, then I'll go back to my room first to observe this Golden Paper; if you need me, just use a spiritual message," the Immortal Palace ancestor said, eager to return to his room to study the treasure. At that moment, even arranging a task for the young plump one was temporarily pushed to the back of his mind.

"Senior Chi, please make yourself comfortable."

Jin Xu politely uttered, watching as Senior Chi hurriedly pushed open the door of the study and left. He raised his hand and randomly pulled a few books from the nanmu shelf in the study.

The result,

"Doesn't this shelf have a single real book!?"

Faced with an entire wall of decorative items, the young Taoist uttered this criticism in silence and turned to leave the study too.

But he had just taken a step out,

when suddenly he heard a thunderous noise outside!

Along with it was a cry of agony from Senior Chi of the Kunlun Immortal Palace!