Wait a minute, where is my master?

Having learned of this news,

Fatty Zhao felt an inexplicable turmoil inside.

He asked himself if he really had not committed any egregious sins before.

But why was the path of cultivation so fraught with hardship!

He had been born without a Spirit Root, but that was in the past.

Zhao Dabao, in his twenties, clung to the coattails of Jin Xu and, after taking an Enlightenment Pill, finally obtained the Ice and Fire Spirit Roots.

It was one thing that those with Ice and Fire Spirit Roots would explode if they didn't consume Taiyin Essence and Sun Essence before reaching Foundation Establishment,

Zhao Dabao in the Qingmu Secret Realm once again clung to the junior Taoist's coattails, trading a petal of the Eternal Lotus for the items he needed for cultivation and ultimately passed the Foundation Establishment stage.

But now the very source of the Taiyin Essence had vanished—what was going on?

Was he, as a cultivator of the Nine Provinces Realm, surplus to requirements?

Fatty Zhao roared inwardly for a while before choosing to face reality.

He looked calmly at the "larger version of himself" standing before him with a serious face,

"Grandfather, what exactly is happening?"

The red-haired junior master beside him also had a curious look on his face.

"A few days ago the seal of the Nine Provinces Sea Eye was damaged, causing foul substances to leak out and the Heavenly Dao to issue a warning to all living creatures. You're both aware of this, right?"

Elder Zhao said, striding towards the widest armchair, where he sat down with a thud.

"We are indeed aware of this.

"At that time, the Blazing Sun Sword of our ancestor went berserk, causing even the treasure swords being forged in the sect's sword furnace to be damaged, many beyond repair.

"The Seventh Elder's nearly completed legendary sword was also destroyed.

"These past few days, the disciples often saw the Seventh Elder wandering near the main peak. Rumor has it that he's hoping the Ancestor will compensate him for his lost legendary sword."

The red-haired junior master joined the conversation, and Zhao Dabao also nodded in agreement.

"Heh, the Sword Master is not even in the sect now; he's got himself a wait," Elder Zhao scoffed with a laugh, took a big sip of the cool tea beside him, and then earnestly admonished,

"This news has not yet spread widely. After you two have heard it, make sure it dies within you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dabao nodded. The red-haired junior master, hearing this, used the excuse of having matters to attend to and turned to leave,

But he was called back.

"The news was relayed by your master, so it wouldn't hurt you to hear it."

With that said, the junior master returned to his seat.

Fatty Zhao's grandfather then began to recount the tale.

"The seal of the Nine Provinces Sea Eye was broken, and foul substances began to leak. Based on reliable information, it was done by the Pavilion Master of the White Emperor Pavilion along with his disciples.

"Previously, the Ancestor of the Kunlun Immortal Palace had divined that the site of the impending disaster was near the Deep Sea Abyss, and he was the first to arrive and alert us of the Four Great Immortal Sects. According to him, there were chaotic fluctuations of Spiritual Power in that place, particularly strong in water, thunder, and fire elements.

"He waited there for a while, and one after another, the ancestors of the Blazing Sun Sword Sect, Qingmu Academy, and Pan Shi Valley arrived at the Deep Sea Abyss. But the Pavilion Master of the White Emperor Pavilion was nowhere to be seen.

"So the three of them commanded their disciples to check the situation at the White Emperor Pavilion through the Transmission Array, and they themselves soon set off by sea towards the White Emperor Pavilion.

"But what they saw when they got there was dire."

At this point, the larger version of Zhao Dabao paused and then continued,

"It was a Taoist from the Kunlun Immortal Palace who first reached the White Emperor Pavilion. Using the warning as a pretext for a visit, he was outright denied entry."

"Afterwards, this fellow Daoist used some techniques and secretly infiltrated the pavilion, only to discover that within the entire White Emperor Pavilion, there were only a small number of cultivators left to hold the fort, with the old ancestor of the pavilion and disciples above the Void Refinement Realm being completely untraceable."

"At the time, he was extremely puzzled in his heart and wanted to withdraw, but what he hadn't expected was that just as he was about to leave, a demon cultivator at the Tribulation Crossing Realm suddenly burst out from among the seemingly ordinary cultivators and captured him on the spot!"

"In the critical moment, thank goodness the ancestors from various great immortal sects arrived in time, and that's how this fellow Daoist was rescued. As for the demon cultivator, upon realizing he was outmatched, he resolutely chose to trade his life for a blow."

"Upon verification, the technique he used appears to be that of someone who had escaped during the millennium war between good and evil."

"After everything had been done, the old dean of Qingmu Academy employed the 'Truth-Telling Skill' on those remaining disciples in the White Emperor Pavilion to inquire about the specific situation."

"And it was confirmed that the damage to the Nine Provinces Sea Eye was indeed caused by the old ancestor of the White Emperor Pavilion and his disciples."

Elder Zhao finished relaying all the information he knew in one breath, then picked up a cup of cold tea next to him and drank it down in one gulp.

The red-haired junior master was inexplicably shocked upon hearing this news.

To think that the ancestor of the White Emperor Pavilion, one of the same Four Great Immortal Sects and among the very top figures in the Nine Provinces Cultivation World, would lead his disciples to break open the seal of the Sea Eye, this was... somewhat incomprehensible.

"Junior Master Zhao, what was the reason for the old ancestor of the White Emperor Pavilion to do this?"

"The specifics are not very clear, but according to the message sent back by your master, she seemed to be doing it for a man, and a Taoist at that."

The junior master fell into thought upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, Zhao Dabao was also shocked by the actions of the White Emperor Pavilion, but at this moment, he was clearly more concerned about something else.

So, after a brief shock, Fatty Zhao said to the "extra-large" version of himself in front of him, "Grandfather, the White Emperor Pavilion colluded with the Demon Sect to break the Sea Eye seal, wishing to destroy the Nine Provinces, they are more than deserving of death. But that Taiyin Essence..."

"As you know, Dabao, the Taiyin Essence comes from the deep cold river of the White Emperor. And this place is exactly where that demon cultivator, when surrounded and captured, chose to trade his life for a blow, so..."

Elder Zhao got up from his armchair, extended his fan-like, hefty palm, and firmly patted his grandson's shoulder several times, his face showing a pained expression.

He then walked out of the hall.

Fatty Zhao became somewhat silent after hearing this.

The red-haired junior master, who had been quietly thinking, now stopped and looked at his good-natured fat junior with some sympathy. He wanted to offer comfort but didn't know how to begin.

Just as Zhao Dabao was silently contemplating whether to contact Jin Xu, the Taoist, for help, and considering at his current rate of cultivation technique circulation, when he would reach Golden Core formation and how much time was left before self-detonation,

Elder Zhao suddenly reappeared with a serious look on his face, looking towards the expressionless Fatty Zhao.

"Grandfather?"

"I forgot to tell you, besides the bad news about the cold river of the White Emperor,

"There is also some good news."

"What good news!?"

"Your grandmaster has gathered quite a number of Taiyin Essences in the White Emperor Pavilion, which should be enough for you to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm. Nonetheless, the hurdle of the Void Refinement Realm still needs another solution."

Fatty Zhao, who suddenly learned he wouldn't need to explode so soon, was stunned. Before he could say anything, Elder Zhao continued with a mischievous smile on his face.

"How about it? Between great sorrow and great joy, have you had any revelation?"

After saying that, he did not wait for his grandson's response and disappeared with an Escape Technique.

Zhao Dabao was stunned for a moment, then his features wrinkled, and a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth,

"Any revelations? Of course, it's that one can't take the words of an old man who doesn't even tell his grandson about his fake death too seriously."

Having said that, he silently pondered,

If he could live until the Nascent Soul Realm, how much time would he have to find new Taiyin Essence to get through the life-and-death tribulation.

At this moment, the red-haired junior master, upon hearing the words "Nascent Soul Realm," suddenly had a bright idea on how to comfort his junior.

He imitated Elder Zhao's gesture and patted Zhao Dabao's shoulder, then said in a deep voice, "Dabao, one can live a very long time at the Nascent Soul Realm. Be content with that."