Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Ah."

The number one chef of the Nine Provinces let out a long sigh and didn't answer Jin Xu's question.

Seeing that he was reluctant to speak, the young Taoist didn't force him.

The backyard fell quiet for a moment.

Just as Jin Xu was pondering how to break the silence, Jiang Xiulian suddenly took out a jade plaque used for sending messages.

After reading the content of the jade, he suddenly grinned from ear to ear, then turned to Jin Xu and said, "Little Daoist, there's news about the Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart Fruit in Qingmu City, so I must head back in advance. About that matter with your master's old friend, whenever you have time, come to Qingmu City and look for me. I'll be there until the tenth day of the tenth month."

After speaking, he tossed a jade pendant to the young Taoist, indicating that he could be contacted with it.

Jin Xu accepted the jade pendant, looking it over from side to side, then walked toward the barrel from which Chef Jiang had just been lured, and said gently, "Brother Jiang, if it weren't for Little White baiting you here, you could have immediately received news about the Spirit Fruit to heal your daughter, instead of having to rush back. I don't have any valuable items on me, so please take this barrel of Spiritual Liquid."

Jin Xu picked up the "spring water" that Jiang Xiulian was born from, his expression sincere.

Chef Jiang scratched the meat on the back of his head with a weird expression, knowing that he was lured out from this very barrel, yet he recognized the Spiritual Liquid inside, having cooked with it before in this Taoist temple.

Therefore, he knew it was very precious, and hard to find elsewhere.

"It's not a problem, I've waited twenty years already, a few more days won't hurt. Besides, if Little White hadn't lured me here, I wouldn't have known that Tianxing Taoist was in trouble. As for the Spiritual Liquid... well then, I'll take it, after all, this stuff is really handy for making medicinal meals." Jiang Xiulian hesitated for a long time but finally decided to accept it.

"However, it's not courteous to receive without giving something in return. I also have something for you, young Daoist."

The number one chef of the Nine Provinces said this and pulled out four or five exquisitely made silver-colored sealed packages from his belt pouch.

"Although I'm called the number one chef of the Nine Provinces, sometimes even I get tired of cooking, so in recent years, whenever I feel like cooking, I make extra and preserve it for later consumption.

Let me introduce these to you, little Daoist. These two packages contain Eight-Treasure Chicken, this one has Dragon Whiskers and Phoenix Claws, and this one is Warm-Cold Flower Brewed Donkey Steam...

Look, the silver outer skin wrapping them is made from the skin of a whale demon beast from the depths of the sea.

After my special treatment, it can keep the food inside fresh for a hundred years without spoiling.

When you want to eat it, just put the package in boiling water for a quarter of an hour, then slit open these outer skins and plate it up, and it's ready to eat."

Jiang Xiulian, getting into his area of expertise, became quite talkative.

"Is this... pre-made meals?"

Jin Xu hesitated for two seconds before uttering the words.

"Pre-made meals? Meals made in advance? Hahaha, little Daoist, the name you came up with is good, simple and clear. Just as well, I haven't named this invention yet, so from now on, it will be called pre-made meals! How about that, Brother Jiang's path in the culinary arts isn't too shabby, right?" Chef Jiang, having received news of the Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart Fruit, was in an exceptionally good mood.

"You've gone down the evil path..."

The young Taoist mentally complained but looking at Jiang Xiulian's wide grin, he could only nod silently in agreement.

Let it be, you're the number one chef of the Nine Provinces, as long as you're happy.

After exchanging gifts, Jiang Xiulian took his leave.

And Jin Xu, not wanting to set out just after returning home, decided to delay his trip to Qingmu City by a few days.

...

In Qing State, Blazing Sun Sword Sect.

Zhao Dabao has now become a third-level Qi Cultivation cultivator.

And it had taken only three days.

Don't get it wrong, although Fatty Zhao has Ice and Fire Dual Spirit Roots, his talent isn't that terrifying.

This all began three days ago with the Wash Essence and Marrow.

Three days ago.

Zhao's father brought Zhao Dabao to the third peak of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect to see his own teacher, Zhu Yangzi.

The Blazing Sun Sword Sect has seven peaks in total, and the peak master of each peak is a Sword Cultivator, but their responsibilities vary—for example, the third peak is mainly responsible for forging within the sect.

After Zhao's father and son went up the mountain, Zhu Yangzi was guiding the disciples of the peak on how to forge swords that were bigger, harder, and longer.

When he received the message that the Zhao family had arrived, he didn't make them wait long.

After instructing his disciples to practice diligently and that he would check upon return, he went to the main hall to meet Zhao's father and son.

Zhu Yangzi arrived at the main hall and briefly spoke to Zhao's father.

The first phrase was, "You've arrived."

The second was, "This is the one, right?"

Then he turned his gaze to Fatty Zhao.

Zhao Dabao, seeing this previously unmet grandmaster looking at him, straightened his belly, about to utter some pleasantries when the man simply said "follow me" and walked out.

Fatty Zhao looked baffledly at his father.

His father had mentioned that the grandmaster had a resolute and efficient temperament, but this was unexpectedly abrupt.

"I told you, the teacher is like that, resolute and efficient. Hurry up and follow him, just listen to the teacher's arrangements," said Zhao's father.

Clearly, Zhao's father was very accustomed to, and deeply trusted, Zhu Yangzi's mannerisms.

Zhao Dabao, hearing his father say this, quickly followed. He consoled himself that perhaps all great people have their quirks; thinking about Jin Xu who loved selling incense, and now seeing his own grandmaster, he found it less strange.

Fatty Zhao walked out the door, looked up, and found that Zhu Yangzi was already far ahead, leaving only a silhouette.

Fortunately, although he couldn't cultivate, he knew quite a bit of mortal martial arts, and so he quickly applied his light body skill and hurried after him.

In the main hall.

No more than a moment after Zhao Dabao had left, a plump old man who shared a resemblance with Zhao's father emerged from behind the screen.

Seeing him, Zhao's father rose respectfully from his seat and greeted him with a "Father."

...

In a secret chamber on the third peak.

"Take off your clothes."

"Okay."

"It will hurt, so bear with it."

"Alright, Master."

Zhu Yangzi simply reminded the other party twice and then said no more.

And Fatty Zhao, knowing his master's temperament, responded very succinctly.

One fat and one thin, two figures sat cross-legged, the fat one with his back to the thin one.

"Pop~"

Zhu Yangzi pulled the stopper from a jade bottle beside him and poured the fiery red liquid onto Fatty Zhao's back.

"Hiss!"

The instantaneous scorching sensation made even the prepared Zhao Dabao involuntarily draw in a breath of cool air, as his body fat trembled slightly.

Seeing the unlucky child before him just inhale sharply when the Hundred-tempered Fire Sparrow Saliva dripped directly onto his back, Zhu Yangzi nodded slightly.

What sort of temperament the lad had, he didn't know, but it appeared that his endurance was quite commendable.

Hundred-tempered Fire Sparrow Saliva was generally used by cultivators in the Foundation Establishment Realm to purge impurities from the body,—a concoction made of the saliva from Blaze Sun Sword Sect's fire sparrows, mixed in various spiritual medicines and tempered a hundred times. The user had to endure intense heat, slowly integrating the medicinal power into their body, in order to refine their physique.

The Blazing Sun Sword Sect had even superior treasures, and Zhao Dabao's father could obtain them, but clearly, Fatty Zhao's body could only endure this level.

Fire-red spiritual power shot out from Zhu Yangzi's palm, landing on Zhao Dabao's back. The Hundred-tempered Fire Sparrow Saliva, which had been thick and unmelting, clinging to his skin, began to lessen slowly.

This was the medicinal power being integrated into his body bit by bit.

After a quarter of an hour.

All of the fiery red liquid on his back had been completely refined and absorbed.

Zhu Yangzi started to wonder.

"Where are the impurities in this unlucky child's body?"

Normally, Zhao Dabao's body should have started to expel impurities during the refinement process. Initially, Zhu Yangzi thought that Zhao Dabao's father had previously given the child similar spiritual medicine, which was why the impurities in Zhao Dabao's body were scarce.

But now, an entire bottle of Hundred-tempered Fire Sparrow Saliva had been refined and still not a trace of impurity was seen.

Zhu Yangzi released his spiritual sense to begin a thorough examination of Fatty Zhao's body condition.

He admitted, he had previously thought the boy was a mere mortal and had not examined him beforehand, simply starting the first step of Wash Essence and Marrow cleansing directly.

It was his oversight.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

Zhu Yangzi grew even more doubtful.

The flesh of this unlucky child before him was transparent, his meridians broad, and his dantian exceptionally spacious—obviously, it resembled someone who had undergone top-level Wash Essence and Marrow refinement.

At this moment, Fatty Zhao, sitting on the cushion, felt puzzled.

He knew that Wash Essence and Marrow cleansing consisted of three steps, with just the first step being the refinement of the flesh. Next, there were steps like broadening meridians and nurturing the dantian to be done.

But after completing the first step, his Master simply stopped and kept staring at him. What did that mean?

There was nothing interesting to see in his layers of fat.

Could it be!

While Zhao Dabao was lost in wild guesses, Zhu Yangzi began to speak.

"Boy, have you accidentally consumed some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures in the past, or has your father had someone perform Wash Essence and Marrow on you before?"

The Master was actually able to speak such a long sentence!

Startled, Fatty Zhao honestly replied, "No."

"Put on your clothes, and come with me."

After speaking, Zhu Yangzi stood up and left the secret chamber.

Zhao Dabao was confused, not understanding why his Master said that, but in such a situation, apart from being obedient, there was nothing else he could do.

So, he obediently dressed and followed out of the secret chamber.

...

The main hall.

Zhao Dabao's father was chatting with his own dad when he saw his Master Zhu Yangzi walk in from outside.

"Teacher, has Dabao's Wash Essence and Marrow been completed so soon?"

Zhao Dabao's father was puzzled; even in the fastest case, the Wash Essence and Marrow process would take at least an hour or two, especially since broadening the meridians was a meticulous task.

"No."

Zhu Yangzi conveyed his findings to Zhao Dabao's father.

At this moment, Zhao Dabao also rushed back to the main hall from the secret chamber.

Upon seeing his son enter, Zhao Dabao's father hurriedly went forward to verify the truth of his teacher's words.

But at this moment, Fatty Zhao had no time to care about what his father and Master were doing.

He looked straight at the old man who bore a striking resemblance to Zhao Dabao's father but was even larger and exclaimed,

"Grandfather, you're still alive!"