Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi

But the Storage Bag of Man Tian Sheng was pathetically impoverished; not only were Spirit Stones few and far between, but apart from a handy weapon, there was only one Auxiliary Magical Treasure, making him far poorer than his peers of the same level.

"What a poor dog..."

Zhang Yao shook his head, put down his Storage Bag, and checked the other Storage Bags.

Moments later:

"Hmm?"

Zhang Yao suddenly furrowed his brows, flipped his hand, and took out a Command Token from You Quan's Storage Bag.

This Command Token was entirely in shades of purple-blue, with complex, meaningless patterns on the back, and a Yin Erosion Text on the front.

A single Command Token was quite common and was most likely an Identity Token or Array Token, the kind of thing Zhang Yao had heaps of.

But the problem was:

Zhang Yao had just discovered such a Command Token with Yin Erosion Text in Man Tian Sheng's Storage Bag.

He hadn't thought much of it earlier, but finding an identical Command Token in You Quan's Storage Bag made him suspicious and take notice.

"This thing... seems to be made of Zhiyao True Gold?"

Zhang Yao took out two Command Tokens for comparison, and after a thorough investigation, finally noticed a clue.

Zhiyao True Gold is a Spiritually precious Gold, more valuable than Fengxi Mountain Copper, and is the main material for many powerful Magical Treasures.

It was unimaginable for someone to use such precious Spiritual Gold to make an Identity Token; it was akin to excess splurging, with 'showing off' and 'extravagance' etched on the forehead.

More importantly:

This small Command Token showed no traces of any Array but exhibited an exquisite level of skill in the handling and casting of Spiritual Gold material.

Even with his status as a Third-grade Artifact Refining Master, Zhang Yao couldn't immediately identify the material of the Command Token, indicating that the crafter's expertise vastly surpassed his own, potentially even being a level-four Artifact Refining Master.

"No wonder there's no need for any Spirit Pattern engraving; this precious material and exclusive refining technique are the best anti-counterfeiting methods."

Gazing at the two Command Tokens, Zhang Yao's imagination ran wild:

"These two Command Tokens likely represent a vast organization."

"Man Tian Sheng is a Body Cultivator, while You Quan is a rare Artifact Cultivator, yet they seemed not to know each other and weren't even part of the same Cultivation Realm."

From their states, Zhang Yao inferred quite a bit.

Firstly, the two did not know each other and couldn't have been disguising themselves, especially since in the Fifth Trial, Man Tian Sheng had incited others to attack Zhang Yao and You Quan.

If not for Three Evils Daoist stepping forward to expose the Tiger Demon Cultivator's conspiracies, the two would have become sworn enemies.

This clearly indicated that the organization behind these two Command Tokens was expansive, spanning multiple nations, with a relatively loose system that allowed for members not knowing each other to be commonplace.

"You Quan is an Artifact Cultivator; fortifying his Lifebound Magical Treasure is his cultivation, demanding far more precious Spiritual Gold Treasure Materials compared to Body Refining Cultivators."

"As for Man Tian Sheng's rise, if it resulted from this mysterious organization, it makes sense too..."

At this thought, Zhang Yao secretly noted the matter down.

At the very least, this organization could use Zhiyao True Gold to make Identity Tokens, evidently not lacking in precious Spiritual Gold.

And at the moment, he was extremely eager for various Spiritual Gold Treasure Materials, with needs surpassing those of same-stage Artifact Cultivators and Body Cultivators combined.

"If I encounter them in the future, there might be opportunities for interaction."

After storing away the two Command Tokens, Zhang Yao continued inspecting the remaining Storage Bags.

Common treasures, Spirit Pill Scriptures, etc., no longer caught his eye; only a Golden Core Treasure or a third-grade Spirit Pill or Treasure Materials could draw his attention.

However, when he examined Fairy Feiyin's Storage Bag, he discovered something unexpected.

"This Illuminati really is persistent..."

Zhang Yao furrowed his brows, playing with a light gold Little Bell in his hand.

He was too familiar with this item; the True Yang Ancestor had once offered him one, which he identified as an Illuminati's Magical Treasure, still kept in his possession.

Unexpectedly, before he could devour and refine the previous one, he obtained a new piece.

"Could these things be mass-produced, and like the Foundation Establishment Stage Taiyi Bright Light Shield, be used as Identity Tokens?"

Zhang Yao's suspicion wasn't unwarranted.

The Illuminati was indeed wealthy, with identical materials and techniques in refining Magical Treasures, clearly not a product of private Artifact Refiners but systemic production by a major force.

If personally commissioned, the Spirit Pattern Prohibition Techniques must complement the material's attributes and consider the commissioner's specific needs, making it nearly impossible for two identical Magical Treasures.

"Fairy Feiyin is a Demon Cultivator from Jing Kingdom, and the previous tiger Demon Cultivator from Tang Mountain Lineage she interacted with was also from Jing Kingdom..."

"It's rumored that Jing Kingdom has demons everywhere, could it be the base of this Illuminati?"

Zhang Yao furrowed his brows for a long time, then slowly relaxed.

At least within the next fifty years, he didn't plan to visit Jing Kingdom; the Illuminati didn't greatly concern him, as they had no enmity with him.

The minor frictions during the Foundation Establishment Stage didn't really count, especially since it had been many years.

"Never mind, whatever the Illuminati plans, it's unrelated to me."

After storing away the light gold Little Bell, Zhang Yao continued to check the last two Storage Bags.

"Found it!"

He retrieved a pale blue round bead from Three Evils Daoist's Storage Bag, showing a hint of happiness.

"This treasure is quite nice; it perfectly utilizes Fengxi Mountain Copper, seems Black Abyss Ascendant has some skills."

After some investigation, Zhang Yao nodded in satisfaction.

This was a Magical Treasure Three Evils Daoist had commissioned Black Abyss Ascendant from Li Yuan Sect to refine after traveling afar to Da Li.

From analyzing the internal Prohibition Techniques, he determined the item wasn't for combat but an auxiliary Magical Treasure similar to the 'Wind-Stabilizing Bead.'

He speculated that Three Evils Daoist might have been planning an adventure in a dangerous land, which is why he prepared this auxiliary Magical Treasure, but ultimately he failed in Jade Divine Palace, and the treasure fell into Zhang Yao's hands.

"Crunch!"

Zhang Yao swallowed the pale blue round bead whole, chewing and swallowing it, revealing a look of enjoyment.

"The taste of Magical Treasures is far superior, countless times better than Spiritual Artifacts..."

For him, the more Magical Treasures devoured and refined, the stronger his physique became, increasing the benefits of refining the 'Supreme Profound Golden Body' later.

The biggest harvest this time included numerous diverse Magical Treasures, enough to last him many years without worries.

Additionally, there was the Ancient Spiritual Treasure Lamp of Truth; though not as potent as the 'Sun and Moon True Pupil' he planned to refine, its efficacy in truth revelation, virtual examination, and clearing illusions was superior to Golden Core Magical Treasures.

Lastly, his most valued reward from Jade Divine Palace - an Ancient Beast Skin Manuscript of unknown material.

Unfortunately, he was completely ignorant of Yin-Eroded Yang Carving, making the manuscript a neglected treasure that held little immediate value compared to the countless Magical Treasures.

In the main hall:

After organizing his finds, Zhang Yao engaged in Qi Refining practice, preparing for the arrival of True Yang Ancestor and others.

It wasn't until several hours later:

"Ancestor!"

A hurried attendant arrived outside, reporting:

"Report, Ancestor, True Yang Ancestor, Three Mountains Ancestor, and Ancestor Gudu have arrived, requesting an audience."

"As per your instructions, we have welcomed the Ancestors to wait in the front hall."

"They arrived quickly!"

Zhang Yao smiled slightly and said:

"You may leave; I'll meet them shortly."

"Yes."

The attendant respectfully responded, bowed, and retreated.

Zhang Yao leisurely sipped Spirit Tea, taking small tastes, and not until the pot was empty did he rise slowly and head towards the front hall.