Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi

"No wonder these Demon Cultivators use the array's backdoor, they're not afraid of being discovered by the high ranks of the Longevity Alliance."

A thought suddenly flashed in Zhang Yao's mind:

"There can only be one winner in the tenth stage, even if the remaining Demon Cultivators manage to survive, they must live in anonymity their entire lives."

"Thousands of golden-scaled fish strive to leap the dragon gate, yet only one can become a True Dragon..."

Their gazes met and quickly parted.

After a brief silence, Three Evils Daoist took the initiative to speak:

"Once might happen twice, words of such monsters are not to be believed."

Zhang Yao responded noncommittally, saying:

"Perhaps it's not believable, but the rules of the Divine Palace are certainly not false."

A very simple truth:

If the backdoor given to the Demon Cultivators was enough to manipulate the rules inside the Jade Divine Palace, then figures like Wanchuan Ancestor wouldn't need to go to such lengths.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he concisely stated:

"Between you and me, I'm afraid only one can live."

Three Evils Daoist was silent for a moment before sighing regretfully:

"I never thought that after five hundred years of cultivation, facing countless dangers, I would ultimately fall because of the word 'greed'."

He solemnly bowed, saying:

"I am willing to offer the Lamp of Truth and all my worldly possessions to Fellow Daoist, only asking for a chance."

"Oh?"

Zhang Yao raised an eyebrow and said:

"What opportunity? Fellow Daoist San Sha might as well speak bluntly."

"Very simple."

Three Evils Daoist said:

"I know I am not a match for Fellow Daoist, nor do I wish to throw stones at eggs."

"Within the sect's sacred grounds, I have hidden a 'Divine Split Puppet,' along with a matching secret technique that allows me to refine a 'Divine Soul Seed' before dying and be reborn by implanting it into the puppet."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yao immediately understood:

"You want me to take your Divine Soul Seed out, thereby circumventing the inspection array of the Divine Palace's tenth stage?"

"Circumvent? No."

Three Evils Daoist's expression was calm as he slowly spoke:

"When I die, I am truly dead, dying here because of greed is my own fault, and I accept it calmly."

"But I still have a sect to take care of, unfinished business, and many things that need completion."

"Therefore, I need a new 'me,' a new 'Three Evils Daoist,' to complete those tasks and leave no regrets."

Zhang Yao was silent upon hearing this.

In the Nascent Soul Realm, a person's essence, energy, and spirit converge in the Nascent Soul, allowing true possession, based on the Nascent Soul.

While below the Nascent Soul, all techniques of possession and rebirth are merely imitations, failing to achieve true rebirth.

Take Yu Wen Tai as an example:

He possesses all of Liu Cang's memories, yet he is not Liu Cang; later, reborn using the body of the Realm Breaker, can he still be considered 'Yu Wen Tai'?

At least from Zhang Yao's perspective, the Yu Wen Tai who escaped from the Five Elements Secret Realm was no longer the real Yu Wen Tai.

Three Evils Daoist's attitude was akin to his, considering rebirth through the Divine Split Puppet as merely a replica, but he accepted his own death with serenity and calm.

"...I understand."

Zhang Yao took a deep breath, feeling a touch of admiration.

He questioned himself, if facing death, he might not have such magnanimity as Three Evils Daoist.

In fact, he feared death immensely, pursuing the freedom and carefree nature of the Immortal Dao with the ultimate goal of eliminating all threats and achieving eternal peace of mind.

"Come forth."

Three Evils Daoist laughed freely, indicating:

"Before I die, I really wish to witness the Divine Power and Magical Ability of the renowned Elder Qingxu of the southwest!"

"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, please."

Zhang Yao solemnly returned the salute, saying:

"Fellow Daoist, please."

In the next instant:

"Boom!"

A piercing black light suddenly surged from Three Evils Daoist's body, his aura explosively growing, even surpassing the middle stage Golden Core!

Being the last battle before death, he naturally was no longer stingy with his lifespan or potential, instead he invoked forbidden techniques, choosing to burn everything and unleash his strongest peak strength!

"Swish!" "Swish!" "Swish!"

Three imperceptible streams of black, white, and gray rose from Three Evils Daoist's body.

This was his famed Three Evils Ultimate Skill, previously only capable of controlling one stream at most, now bursting regardless, enough to simultaneously control three streaks of Evil Qi Divine Techniques!

Celestial Fiend excels in unrivaled destruction, powerful and unstoppable, and overwhelms people with its might, like the mighty power of heaven!

Earth Fiend excels in binding and suppression, overturning the earth, mountains hanging upside down, like the Nine Mansions quaking!

Human Fiend excels in attacking the Divine Soul, seven emotions and six desires, defying the ordinary world, like the boundless red dust!

"Boom!"

The Three Evils Divine Techniques complemented and stacked with each other, their power soared dramatically, reaching a level where even late stage Golden Core Powerhouses had to take it seriously.

Faced with such a life-burning, determined strike, Zhang Yao responded with his true skills!

"Swish!"

Zhang Yao's body shattered, transforming into an invisible azure stream.

The seemingly seamless cooperation of the Three Evils Divine Techniques struck Zhang Yao in an instant, but the Celestial Fiend and Human Fiend Divine Techniques passed straight through, failing to inflict any damage.

The only one with the ability to imprison and suppress, to counter the 'Celestial Wind Formless Body,' the Earth Fiend Divine Technique, couldn't trap Zhang Yao for even a moment.

"Whirr!"

In a flash, Zhang Yao transformed into a rainbow, his tunneling speed even surpassing the speed of the divine techniques, rendering the Earth Fiend Divine Technique useless against him.

Finally, Zhang Yao's body suddenly restored, casually pushing forward with his palm.

"Boom!"

Eight Thunder Beads exploded with a deafening roar, summoning forth a terrifying Sea of Thunder Marsh.

The Three Evils Daoist, who burned his life and sublimated himself, was instantly heavily injured by the Annihilation Divine Thunder's heaven-shaking strike.

His skin and hair burned to ashes, his entire body scorched black with ghastly wounds, his five viscera and six bowels turned to charcoal, and his eyes reduced to powder, leaving only hollow black pits.

"What divine techniques... such skill, truly well-deserved!"

"You are indeed... the number one in the Southwest!"

The Three Evils Daoist knelt on the ground, his breath barely audible, yet a faint smile forced its way onto his mutilated face as he struggled to offer praise.

"Alas..."

Zhang Yao sighed, stepped forward, and bowed deeply:

"Fellow Daoist, may you travel well on your journey."

With those words, the body of the Three Evils Daoist disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind three items:

An Ancient Bronze Lamp, a Golden Storage Bag, and a crystal-clear, seven-colored Glazed Bead.

"Divine Soul Seed..."

Zhang Yao's expression altered slightly, extending his hand to conjure and collect the three items.

He stowed away the Lamp of Truth and Storage Bag, focusing his attention on the Divine Soul Seed, gaining sudden insight.

This Divine Soul Seed contained all the thoughts and memories of the Three Evils Daoist, as well as the ability to correct one's character and rectify thought.

In other words:

The reborn 'Three Evils Daoist' through the Divine Split Puppet would be almost identical to the true Three Evils Daoist.

But Zhang Yao knew that the real Three Evils Daoist was undeniably dead.

No matter how similar, a flower is ultimately not the same bloom.

"Boom!"

As soon as Zhang Yao stored away the Divine Soul Seed, vast golden light descended from the sky, dispelling all surrounding fog.

At this point, Zhang Yao raised his eyes, realizing the entire area of the tenth level was only a few hundred feet wide, surrounded by towering walls of light.

Amidst the golden light, an ancient, weathered scroll made from beast hide descended from the sky, gradually settling before Zhang Yao.

"Is this the ultimate reward of the Jade Divine Palace, the so-called 'Supreme Treasure'?"

Zhang Yao's expression flickered, reaching out to grasp the beast hide scroll.

He caressed the surface, finding it to be some unknown leather, shimmering with a faint silver luster.

On the surface of the beast hide scroll, several Yin Erosion Text symbols were etched, causing Zhang Yao's heart to skip a beat.

"...No way?"

He unfolded the beast hide scroll to discover only a dozen pages, astoundingly written in Yin Eroded Yang Carving.

"This is troubling..."

Zhang Yao's expression showed a hint of helplessness.

Being the ultimate reward of the Jade Divine Palace, the content on this scroll was undoubtedly earth-shattering, worthy of the 'Supreme Treasure' title given by the Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

Yet he did not understand Yin Eroded Yang Carving.

The high-level members of the Longevity Alliance likely never expected such an important reward would end up in the hands of a 'literary illiterate' of the Cultivation Realm.

"Never mind, having the item is enough."

"As for Yin Eroded Yang Carving, it can be learned gradually in the future."

Zhang Yao quickly composed himself, storing the beast hide scroll away.

Though Yin Eroded Yang Carving is nearly extinct, within the vast Cultivation Realm, surely there are people knowledgeable about it.

For instance, within the most powerful and ancient lineages of the Celestial Continent Nine Mansions in the Cultivation Realm, Zhang Yao could be certain there exist great cultivators skilled in Yin Eroded Yang Carving.

After all, the doctrines of many major sects in the Celestial Continent Nine Mansions have directly extended from Ancient Times to the present.

"Buzz!"

The golden light dispersed, revealing a green jade portal.

The Jade Order in Zhang Yao's possession suddenly flew up, hovering above the portal.

Only then did Zhang Yao notice around this green jade ancient gate, eight other Jade Orders were suspended.

"So, after leaving this time, the Jade Divine Palace will vanish again."

As Zhang Yao thought of this, he felt slightly regretful yet relieved.

He could confirm:

The previous guesses by everyone were wrong; this Jade Divine Palace was not a place for selecting and cultivating heroes or prodigies.

No super sect would use a method akin to feeding worms to screen prodigies; such an approach is too wasteful, fundamentally unprofitable.

"This Ancient 'Longevity Alliance' likely wasn't a benevolent group either..."

With these thoughts, Zhang Yao stepped forward, his form disappearing into the ancient green jade gate.