Yue Hua, the young lady, remained puzzled by Han Li's words, her heart filled with growing apprehension as to who this "Senior Han" might be. Yet, recalling that Bai Guo'er was currently suffering from a lingering cold toxin—something that, even if severe, could not be much worse—and seeing the old woman beside her constantly signaling her approval, she finally nodded firmly and said, "Since the Senior so highly values Guo'er, then I shall lead the way ahead." With that, she took Han Li and the others and hurried toward the inner hall of the pavilion. Passing through a side gate and through a simple corridor, they entered a bedroom. On a light red wooden bed in the room, the young girl named Bai Guo'er lay unconscious. Her small face was slightly furrowed with discomfort, and a faint bluish hue seemed to envelope her, while her lips also appeared slightly purple. As Han Li approached the bed, a wave of warmth rushed toward him, causing him to pause momentarily. But after glancing at the girl on the bed, he soon understood and shook his head, saying, "While using yang-wood as a warming object can help suppress some of the cold, the young girl's cold toxin has already settled deep within her meridians. Thus, this modest amount of yang energy proves entirely ineffective." "I fully understand that," the young lady replied, gazing tenderly at the child on the bed. "Yet I still harbor some hope—perhaps, just perhaps, this yang-wood bed will somewhat alleviate the pain when the cold toxin manifests." Upon hearing this, Han Li nodded first, then shook his head again, and took several steps forward to the red wooden bed. He grasped the girl's arm firmly, his blue-lit pupils flashing continuously. The elderly woman and others present held their breath, silent and attentive. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man and the young wife looked on with hopeful expressions. After a cup of tea's worth of time, Han Li's eyes flashed, and suddenly grasped the girl's forearm with his palm, instantly causing a layer of five-colored cold light to ripple across it. As the light danced, a green mist flowed over the girl's face and gradually gathered downward, converging toward the spot where Han Li held her wrist. In a short while, it coalesced into a greenish orb the size of an egg, subtly visible at the girl's wrist. Han Li's eyes sparkled with intensity, then he rotated his other palm, and suddenly a slender, silvery needle appeared between his fingers. With a swift motion, it pierced the girl's wrist. Han Li placed the jade plate beneath the girl's wrist, and instantly, drops of vital essence fell onto it. At the very moment they landed, a crisp, clear sound echoed as the essence solidified into ice. Witnessing this, the old woman and the others all gasped in astonishment. Han Li, however, merely smiled, satisfied—when the drop of essence and the plate were drawn back, the palm holding the girl's arm immediately radiated a vibrant, five-colored cold light. Within moments, the shade of green qi shimmering in the light gradually faded and vanished entirely. At that instant, the girl emitted a soft sigh and slowly opened her eyes, dazed. The young wife and the middle-aged man were overjoyed, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to Han Li. Yet Han Li only smiled again. As the five-colored light faded from his hand, he released her arm, then extended a single finger to gently touch the girl's forehead. A white spell flashed briefly and then disappeared. To everyone's surprise, the girl, just awakened, trembled slightly and promptly fell back into unconsciousness. This surprised everyone! "Don't worry," said Han Li, "her cold toxin has just been expelled, and she's a bit weak. She should rest more. I've reviewed the situation now—I'll speak with you further in the front hall." With that, he made a brief explanation and then walked away without paying attention to the others rising to follow. Though the old woman and the others were deeply puzzled, they naturally followed without question. A short while later, Han Li resumed his seat in the original position in the hall, sipping his cup of spiritual tea, his eyes slightly flickering as if he were struggling to make a decision. Seeing his careful demeanor, everyone else remained silent and respectful, from the old woman to Hai the young lord, waiting patiently for Han Li to speak first. After an indeterminate length of time, Han Li raised an eyebrow, set down his tea cup beside the table, and seemed finally resolved. "White friend, how well do you understand the cold toxin affecting your daughter?" "Han Li turned to the middle-aged man and asked one question. "I've also consulted several senior masters for a thorough diagnosis, and they've mentioned that the cold toxin within Guo's body is caused by a rare type of earth-lung coldness—quite distinct from the common icy cold toxins found in the world. Aside from the powerful force of a Consolidated Body cultivator forcibly expelling it, only a few legendary yang-natured medicinal herbs are known to neutralize this specific cold toxin." Bai Hua, startled, quickly relayed all she knew. "Heh, that explains why they've said so." Han Li listened quietly and merely offered a calm, uncommitted smile. "Senior, is there anything else amiss with Guo's cold toxin?" The young woman, startled by Han Li's words, expressed deep concern. "When did the two of you first learn that Guo has this cold toxin?" Han Li didn't answer the young woman's question directly, but asked instead. "It was when she was nine years old! Guo suddenly collapsed during her cultivation practice inside the inner chamber, and it was then we first noticed the presence of this cold toxin." It had originally been just a faint trace, and we didn't take much notice at first, employing ordinary methods to expel this cold toxin. Instead, things worsened rapidly—like pouring oil on fire—within just a few years, until they've reached their current state. Yet when our daughter was born, both I and my mother-in-law conducted thorough examinations of her entire body and found no abnormalities. I suspect it must have been some long-standing enemy who, while we were unawares, secretly poisoned our child. Unfortunately, we've been unable to identify the exact person responsible. Otherwise, I'd have given my life to find out... The middle-aged man first expressed deep sorrow, then grew increasingly frustrated and resolute. The young wife beside him also grew visibly gloomy, clearly deeply resentful of that "enemy." "Enemy! No, this cold toxin has been present since birth—it's not merely the cold qi from the earth's lungs, but something of considerable origin," said Han Li, glancing calmly at the two of them. "If the elder says so, then it must be true." But could the senior master kindly elaborate a bit for the young disciple, to clarify their doubts? The elderly woman, who had been listening attentively all along, respectfully spoke up. "Nothing at all, my friend is not particularly refined, and I will make it clear. This girl actually possesses a legendary spiritual constitution known as 'Ice-Marrow Body.' This condition is not noticeable at birth, but only manifests itself during the ninth year of life, specifically at the time of the lunar hour. However, when the cold toxin first strikes, it does so with exceptional intensity. It's said that those who possess this rare constitution often perish during their very first episode. Hence, despite its existence, this type of body is rarely mentioned in ancient texts. Had it not been for my fortunate discovery of this matter, I would have simply treated the cold toxin within this girl as a common earth-lung cold." Han Li finally began to explain slowly. "Ice-Marrow Body!" The young wife and the middle-aged man exchanged glances, their faces filled with astonishment. Indeed, they had never heard of such a spiritual essence before, and naturally found themselves somewhat doubtful, quietly questioning its authenticity. Yet the elderly woman, upon hearing the name "ice marrow body," her wrinkled face stirred with a sudden expression of astonishment. As for the two young men from the sea clan, they had never even heard of the "ice marrow body," merely staring blankly at the others. As for Han Li, after finishing his explanation, he simply lifted his teacup and took a light sip, appearing as if he were entirely indifferent to whether the younger woman and others believed it or not. "Indeed, the fruit possesses such a body—this is truly a matter of fortune or misfortune, hard to predict," murmured the elderly woman at that moment. "Master, you too are aware of this unusual spiritual essence?" the young woman asked, somewhat surprised. "I myself have never encountered it personally, but in my youth, I once heard a close friend occasionally mention this type of spiritual essence. The details he described were exactly the same as those given by Master Han. I never imagined that the fruit would actually possess such a rare essence within her." "But whether this is a blessing or a curse remains quite uncertain," the old woman said, glancing at Han Li. "What does Master mean?" the young wife asked, her expression changing instantly. "I heard from my friend that this ice-marrow constitution begins manifesting symptoms from the age of nine, and the internal coldness grows stronger each year. Typically, by the age of fifteen or sixteen, the spiritual body owner will inevitably perish. To survive, only two methods exist," the old woman sighed. "Master, what are these two methods?" the young wife exclaimed with great excitement, quickly pressing on. "The first is to invite a being at the Consolidated Stage to annually use strong force to expel the cold toxins, and then, at great expense of their own vital energy, to cleanse and revitalize the marrow and meridians. After enduring a century, the spiritual body owner will adapt to this cold and suffer no further harm. With a little further cultivation, this unusual cold power can even evolve into a grand technique known as the Ice-Marrow Cold Spirit, whose power is beyond imagination." The old woman replied, hesitating. "Is that truly possible?" That would surely be an exceptional innate talent, so why does the elder say its fortunes are so hard to predict?" The middle-aged man was startled, and asked with genuine excitement. "Because the extreme cold carried by the ice-marrow spirit body is far from easy to control. For the first several decades, it was manageable—merely requiring some time and effort, and even a cultivator at the Consolidated Stage could easily manage it. But after a few decades, the situation worsened. Now, not only must the cultivator at the Consolidated Stage ensure that the spirit body's core is not damaged, but also actively drive away the cold toxins. Each time such suppression is attempted, the Consolidated cultivator inevitably incurs a significant loss of true energy. Especially in the final十余 years, this loss cannot be recovered even through meditation. Moreover, during this entire period, the Consolidated cultivator must also expend additional energy to perform regular transmutation and marrow renewal rituals for the spirit body's host. As a result, the Consolidated cultivator is effectively delayed in their cultivation journey by several hundred years. How many elders would willingly undertake such a self-sacrificing, beneficial-to-others endeavor?" The elder smiled sadly, recounting each point in turn