He knew that obtaining a Tier Three Treasure Medicine like this was nearly impossible. Even if he were to start all over, there was no guarantee he could acquire such a Treasure again.

If he handed it over now, he might never get his hands on such a Treasure again in his lifetime.

However, Qin Muxian wasn’t completely inflexible. After just a few minutes of hesitation, he deflated.

"So be it, so be it!"

Qin Muxian sighed heavily.

"Perhaps that child was fated to not escape this calamity. One cannot defy destiny... Heh, you truly cannot defy destiny!"

After speaking, he took a deep breath. His hand trembling slightly, he slowly retrieved the precious Tier Three Treasure Medicine from his Storage Bag.

The Nine-Turns Essence Firming Grass was currently placed inside a small box carved from Hundred-Year Profound Ice.

Jiang Xu took a look and saw that the Nine-Turns Essence Firming Grass had a very ordinary appearance, as unremarkable as a common weed one might find on the roadside.

’It was a wonder how Qin Muxian had found it.’

’Perhaps it was because while the Nine-Turns Essence Firming Grass looked plain and unremarkable, the immense medicinal power and Life Essence contained within it could not be concealed.’

Qin Muxian gave the Treasure Medicine in his hand a deep look, his eyes flashing with reluctance, helplessness, and resolve.

"I hope this Treasure Medicine can help the two Ancestors, and I hope it can stop Elder Demon Su’s scheme in time." Qin Muxian handed the Treasure Medicine to Jiang Xu, a bitter smile on his face.

Jiang Xu accepted the Treasure Medicine, his heart filled with gratitude and admiration. He understood how much of a mental struggle this decision must have been for Qin Muxian.

"Elder Qin, we will all remember your righteous act."

With that, Jiang Xu crushed the small white ball given to him by the two Ancestors.

Upon being crushed, a faint white smoke drifted out of the small ball.

The white smoke circled around the five people present before finally settling on Jiang Xu, coiling around the box made of Hundred-Year Profound Ice in his hand.

Then, the white smoke swept up the small box and vanished without a trace.

Even Jiang Xu, who had activated his Spiritual Eye Technique, could not discern where the white smoke had disappeared to.

...

For a Golden Core Cultivator, their entire Cultivation is centered on the Golden Core nurtured within their Dantian.

The "Golden" represents something firm, resilient, and indestructible; the "Core" represents something complete, pure, and without flaw.

Using the human body as a Furnace Cauldron and the body’s essence and qi as medicinal ingredients, one uses their spirit to refine them through countless trials and tribulations to finally form this one Core.

After attaining Golden Core Cultivation, one gains a five-hundred-year lifespan, can wield Magical Treasures, and command Divine Powers. In the Cultivation Realm, they are respectfully addressed as Perfected Masters!

But even powerful Golden Core Cultivators are not invincible.

Once their Golden Core is damaged, it is an injury to their very foundation of life.

In a mild case, their Cultivation will never advance again, and their path of cultivation will crumble.

In a severe case, their lifespan will be drastically reduced, and their life will come to an end.

Such was the case for Elder He of the Profound Origin Sect and Elder Gu of the Purple Flower Palace.

The situation at the time had been critical.

After Elder He refused to continue breaking the Array, Elder Demon Su didn’t say another word. He directly activated the long-prepared Array of the Annihilation of the Netherworld, drawing upon Nether Qi to empower it.

At that life-or-death moment, the two Golden Core Ancestors activated their Lifebound Golden Cores, forcefully boosting the power of their Divine Power and Techniques at the cost of damaging their Cores. Only then were they able to break through the Grand Array and escape.

But while damaging a Golden Core is easy, repairing one is exceedingly difficult.

This act of forcibly increasing the power of their Divine Power and Techniques at the cost of a damaged Golden Core was undoubtedly akin to drinking poison to quench thirst.

Although the two Ancestors had temporarily escaped disaster, the consequences of their damaged Golden Cores were extremely severe.

Not only was their Cultivation greatly reduced, but their Life Essence Qi had also been severely depleted. If they couldn’t recover in time, it would likely cause irreparable damage to their lives and their paths of cultivation.

Now, Elder He and Elder Gu had left the cave where Jiang Xu had met them and moved to another concealed location.

The two of them were pale, their auras weak.

They were each sitting cross-legged, a faint fluctuation of Magical Power surrounding them as they tried to use other Healing Elixirs they had to repair their Golden Cores.

However, it was clear this wasn’t having much effect; it could only ensure their conditions didn’t worsen.

Just then, the two Golden Core Ancestors opened their eyes simultaneously. Their gazes pierced the distance, as if they could see the Nine-Turns Essence Firming Grass in Jiang Xu’s hands.

"This thing really exists."

Elder He was a little excited.

"When I was researching the Ancient Yan Family, I once read in a clan chronicle about a kinsman whose Golden Core had been cracked by an enemy, yet he was healed."

"After being injured, that kinsman returned directly to the clan and recovered in an extremely short time. This suggests that the clan most likely possessed a Treasure Medicine capable of healing a damaged Golden Core!"

"And sure enough, I was only acting on a long shot, but now we’ve actually found it!"

"Heaven has not forsaken me!"

Elder Gu also nodded.

"And I didn’t expect the Treasure Medicine to be found so quickly. The efficiency is truly godlike."

"That disciple’s name is Jiang Xu, right? It seems he’s quite capable. It’s a waste for him to stay at your Profound Origin Sect. Some other day, I’ll send a few disciples from my Purple Flower Palace over to poach this Jiang Xu."

Elder He’s beard bristled as he glared.

"What do you mean it’s a waste for him to be at our Profound Origin Sect? It’s because our Profound Origin Sect nurtured him well!

You lot from the Purple Flower Palace only know how to seduce outstanding disciples from other Sects and lure them back to your own.

I could let it slide if it were just the male disciples, but you people don’t even spare the female ones!

Even the Sect Leader of the Celestial Blade Sect was nearly poached by you back in the day. It’s truly outrageous!

You should know that lust is a blade hanging over one’s head! On the path of Cultivation, the trial of love is the hardest one to pass!

How many chosen prodigies have you ruined!"

"Alright, alright. If anyone who didn’t know better heard you, they’d really think you were some kind of ascetic."

Elder Gu said disdainfully,

"I was the one who introduced you to your Dao Companion, you know. You were so ridiculously eager back then, you nearly scared my junior sister away!"

Elder He’s old face flushed red as he hurriedly changed the subject.

"What nonsense, stop spouting... Ah, the Treasure Medicine is here! Fellow Daoist, look quickly!"

A wisp of white smoke drifted before the two of them and landed in Elder He’s hand.

The white smoke dissipated, revealing a small box made of Hundred-Year Profound Ice in Elder He’s hand. And inside that small box was none other than the Nine-Turns Essence Firming Grass!

"Fellow Daoist He, this Profound Smoke Teleportation Divine Power of yours is quite marvelous," Elder Gu praised.

"Fellow Daoist Gu, you flatter me," Elder He said modestly. "It’s just a crude thing I cobbled together in my spare time, nothing presentable. It’s just an unorthodox Minor Divine Power, only convenient for fetching things. The most important thing right now is this Treasure Medicine!"

Elder Gu didn’t think the Profound Smoke Teleportation Divine Power was as useless as Elder He claimed.

The mere fact that Elder He could create a Divine Power on his own was already a testament to his exceptional talent and high comprehension.

But since he didn’t want to talk about it, Elder Gu didn’t press the matter.

After all, for a Golden Core Cultivator, a Divine Power is a trump card. Knowing two or three Divine Powers was already an incredible feat.