Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Heh, little Taoist, have you found your master yet?"

The Elder Pavilion Master's face carried a hint of arrogance as she peered through the golden spiritual power light screen, looking at the other end where Jin Xu was.

In her heart, she contemplated that if the other party was sensible, then she would, for Ah Pin's sake, let bygones be bygones regarding the matter of breaking the White Emperor Pearl.

If he was still as clueless as he had been months ago, then she would have to properly teach him a lesson on Ah Pin's behalf.

Of course, whether the other party was sensible or not depended entirely on her mood.

"My master is still missing."

The little Taoist looked complicatedly at the Elder of the White Emperor Pavilion, wrapped in a black "ink," and shook his head gently.

He truly didn't understand what his own master had done to her, to cause a perfectly fine Ancestor of the Immortal Sect to end up in such a state just to be with him.

"This can no longer be explained by love sickness; this must be a demonic obsession...

"Or is it that, beneath my master's appearance of an Immortal, he is actually a Sea King?

"But from what I know, that doesn't seem right either."

The little Taoist's mind was suddenly filled with many thoughts.

He even imagined a story of a Sea King-like Taoist in the Cultivation World, who broke countless young girls' hearts, ultimately leading to one of them becoming madly obsessed.

But then again, on second thought.

Considering the master he knew from Xia Yunzhao's mother, from the Old Dean of Qingmu Academy, and from Nalan Yuandao,

He vaguely felt that his master seemed to have nothing to do with the word "Sea King."

As Jin Xu was lost in his wild thoughts, the Ancestor of the White Emperor Pavilion on the other side of the golden light screen spoke up again.

"It's okay if you can't find him; I've obtained the treasure from within this Sea Eye, and as long as your master is in the Nine Provinces Realm, it won't be long before I can find his whereabouts.

Now, move away this golden light screen. If I have to act, I'm afraid I might hurt you."

The Elder Pavilion Master spoke with the attitude of an elder.

This involuntarily reminded the little Taoist of the time when he and Little Yu first arrived at the White Emperor Pavilion, and the benevolent expression on the other person's face.

"I can't do that."

Jin Xu shook his head again.

The polluted substances enveloping the other side, if let out of this Nine Provinces Sea Eye and into the outside world,

The living creatures in the Four Seas and even all the living beings in the Nine Provinces Realm would definitely suffer.

Thinking of the earlier Dragon Crab Taoist, then thinking of the merfolk with their upper and lower parts swapped,

And the inconceivably delicious seafood in the Four Seas!

Slurp~

The little Taoist's Adam's apple moved lightly at the thought.

On the other side of the golden light screen, the Elder Pavilion Master's face suddenly revealed a hint of madness upon hearing the word 'can't,' but she quickly suppressed it again.

She forcibly maintained her composure and spoke in a deep voice.

"Can't? Little Taoist, times have changed. Seeing as you are Ah Pin's first disciple, I'll give you another chance. Think carefully before you answer me!

"Otherwise, it wouldn't be impossible for me to find another disciple for Ah Pin."

Jin Xu continued to shake his head, while the glow from the Body Purification Skill in his left palm had already begun to bloom amidst the gloomy depths.

Seeing the other's stubborn shaking of her head, the Elder of White Emperor Pavilion could no longer contain her emotions, and a surge of rage welled up from within her.

The Polluted Crystals she had absorbed, perhaps previously struck by the little Taoist's thunder, were now using their faint spiritual intelligence, inciting their new host to seek revenge for them.

"So it seems, you've chosen to be unreasonable!"

A trace of cruelty flashed across the beautiful face of the Elder Pavilion Master as she retrieved a Phoenix Head Cane from her storage magic artifact and threw it towards the top of her head.

Seeing this, the little Taoist's expression hardened and he cautiously deployed the Hand Palm Thunder as well.

Regarding this cultivator who had once trapped him with a strange pearl, he always had a slight wariness in his heart.

Now, seeing the other side throw her ever-present cane, Jin Xu subconsciously thought it might be an even more powerful magical artifact than that pearl.

After unleashing the Golden Thunderbolt, he still felt somewhat uneasy, and secretly activated the Fire Condensing Skill, creating a Fire Wall within the sea.

However, on the other side of the barrier, as the Phoenix Head Cane ascended to midair, its light flashed briefly.

A Black Phoenix emerged within the thick, ink-like polluted substance.

A clear, resounding cry of the phoenix reverberated.

After soaring for three and a half circles in the sky, the Black Phoenix, with fierce and confident eyes, crashed head-on into the golden barrier with overwhelming momentum.

"Boom!"

The massive vibration caused the sands and rocks around the abyss to shake, and on this side of the barrier—Jin Xu's side—

the already murky sea water instantly became even more turbid.

And...

Along with the immense vibration, there was also the piercing cry of the phoenix and the sound of something shattering simultaneously.

On this side, Jin Xu, fully prepared for battle, blinked in bewilderment.

Through his Spiritual Sense, he saw...

That Black Phoenix, which looked incredibly cool and definitely seemed like the antagonist's big boss, had directly rammed itself to death.

"Has this person weakened?

"No, it's me who has gotten stronger."

The little Taoist quickly rationalized and explained this phenomenon in his mind.

In the past few months, he had broken through several levels, after all.

On the other side of the golden barrier,

the Elder Pavilion Master of White Emperor Pavilion, looking at her Phoenix Head Cane shattered into three pieces, felt a surge of astonishment in her heart.

She stared at the golden barrier, her face a mix of nine parts rage and one part disbelief.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, the Elder Pavilion Master spoke abruptly.

"Was it you who manipulated the ferocious golden light sphere? Were you also the one who rescued the two Fox Spirits!?"

Without waiting for the little Taoist's response, her figure instantly disappeared into the vast expanse of the polluted substance.

Subsequently, countless dark runes shot out, adhering to Jin Xu's golden barrier.

The next second, they connected into lines, seemingly about to coalesce into something even more formidable.

But Jin Xu was not like an antagonist from a TV show, who would obediently wait for his opponent to transform.

Upon realizing that the enemy's magical artifact might not be as powerful as he had thought,

he pushed the Fire Wall forward.

"Hiss-hiss~"

The numerous runes on the barrier instantly turned into wisps of white vapor under the scorching heat.

The powerful existence that sought to emerge was thus stillborn.

Seeing that her second round of attack had failed, the Ancestor of White Emperor Pavilion let out a agonizing howl from within the "ink."

Afterward, the polluted substance suddenly churned violently as if about to launch a third assault.

However, what met it was a dazzling white light.

"Mm~"

A moan resounded from within the polluted substance, then the "ink" on the opposite side of the barrier stopped surging and receded into the Nine Provinces Sea Eye like a tide.

At the abyss's bottom,

the little Taoist who had unleashed the Body Purification Skill did not pursue.

Instead, he stood in place with a puzzled expression, staring blankly at his left hand.

"I definitely hit the target, so why wasn't the adversary affected?"