Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi

"This might spell trouble..."

The short and stout Golden Core Cultivator felt a surge of worry.

In recent days, they had not just been waiting idly by Mo Yuan’s border, but had utilized various methods to gather intelligence, gaining a fairly comprehensive understanding of the major powers within the Da Mo Territory.

For one, the local factions held the advantage of being natives, and their coordinated actions placed them in a more favorable position than these outsiders, demanding serious consideration from everyone.

Furthermore, these powerful local factions in Da Mo were undoubtedly more familiar with the ancient Mo Yuan than they were, and are sure to be closely watching their actions.

And the high-profile return of the Nether Abyss Ancestor from the Li Yuan Sect to Da Mo was vital intelligence that they were certainly aware of.

"Dealing with a Nether Abyss Ancestor is already enough, and now another Elder Qingxu is coming!"

The short and stout cultivator furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth abruptly as if resolving something:

"No, we cannot just sit and wait for death."

"These powerful local factions in Da Mo are too strong. Once we delve into Mo Yuan, how can we possibly compete with them?"

The depths of Mo Yuan are vast and distorted, but ultimately, Heavenly and Earthly Treasures are limited.

Among dozens of Golden Core Cultivators, only a few can take advantage of the Black Tide’s eruption to reach depths of thirty thousand feet, with most gathering in the same depth range of ten thousand to twenty thousand feet.

By then, if conflicts break out, while they are a scattered group, the others are strong in numbers—how can they possibly handle that?

"This is indeed a problem..."

The Golden Core Cultivator opposite him tightened his grip on the folding fan, frowning:

"To face such a situation, the only path is to form alliances and collaborate."

The short and stout Golden Core Cultivator nodded slightly in agreement, then spoke:

"This matter must be handled quickly to avoid troubles over time."

...

Central Da Mo, Li Yuan Sect.

The mountain gate of the Li Yuan Sect is quite unusual, modeled after Mo Yuan, forming a vast thousand-foot deep pit that was artificially crafted.

At this moment: At the very bottom of the thousand-foot deep pit, within the area exclusive to the Sect Leader, lies an enclosed hall.

Inside the hall, the candlelight is dim and yellow.

"Zizizi..."

A continuous slight sound, like the buzzing wings of a multitude of mosquitoes and flies, was being sliced apart by some invisible force, becoming fragmented and sharp.

The Nether Abyss Ancestor, wrapped in a black robe with disheveled hair, sat cross-legged on the cloud bed in the center of the hall.

His appearance suggested an age of sixty to seventy years, with white hair and beard; his aged face exuded majesty as he immersed himself in cultivation with his eyes tightly shut.

Behind him:

A mass of shadow as black as ink stretched, twisted, and rotated endlessly, under the dim candlelight, like the dusk sky struggling to burst forth in twilight.

Yet eventually, this ’twilight’ failed to truly break free but was instead fully drawn back within the Nether Abyss Ancestor amid a heavy and forceful inhalation.

"Enough!"

The Nether Abyss Ancestor’s eyes snapped open, revealing a hint of icy light, chastising:

"Restrain your restlessness, do not ruin my grand plans!"

"I’m not ready to transition into a Demon Cultivator, and my lifespan is limited. If I miss this opportunity, all will be lost!"

The closed hall, though seemingly empty, felt as if some entity understood his words.

His aura swiftly soared from emptiness and desolation, turning brilliant like the blazing morning sun, before finally transforming into profound darkness like twilight.

"Very good."

With his expression much relaxed, the Nether Abyss Ancestor spoke to himself:

"Combining benefits us both, but separating leads to mutual destruction. I’ve reiterated this many times."

"After waiting for hundreds of years, I believe a little more time won’t make a difference for you..."

As he spoke, he stood up, swinging his sleeve wide as the hall doors thundered open.

"Let’s go, Elder Qingxu has arrived, and we’re just in time to meet him."

Head held high, the Nether Abyss Ancestor strode quickly out of the hall, leaping into the air as a black rainbow light, quickly vanishing into the sky.

Two hours later:

At the periphery of Mo Yuan, Zhang Yao, Jiuhua Ancestor, and Black Abyss Ascendant, along with other Golden Core Cultivators, were still waiting here.

However, they were not on the viewing platform but had returned to the lower Daoist Palace, meditating and cultivating Profound Skill, waiting for any turbulence in Mo Yuan or a greater omen to occur.

Within a quiet chamber of the Daoist Palace:

"Hoo, hoo..."

Zhang Yao’s deep breaths accompanied the rise of astonishing cold air, blocked entirely by the array he casually set up, with no sign of it seeping out.

The large-scale eruption of the Black Tide was imminent, and he naturally aimed to seize every moment, cultivating the Cold Cicada Divine Thought Method.

According to his plans:

Once the Endless Yin Earth was obtained and the Infinite Shadow Walking Technique was refined, he would begin consolidating the Five Elements Divine Wheel after perfecting all Five Elements Divine Techniques.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, sensing something, Zhang Yao quickly stopped his cultivation and withdrew the array.

Just a few breaths later:

"Fellow Daoist Qingxu."

The voice of the Black Abyss Ascendant came from outside the door:

"I apologize for the abrupt disturbance."

"However, my master has arrived and invites you over for a meeting."

"Alright, I’ll head over right away."

Zhang Yao responded.

Soon:

Zhang Yao saw the master of Black Abyss Ascendant — Nether Abyss Ancestor in the main hall of the Daoist Palace.

Nether Abyss Ancestor unhesitatingly occupied a position of prominence, with two people in black standing on either side, exuding powerful auras but expressionless.

Judging by their auras, they were indeed equivalent to middle stage Golden Core Cultivators, likely the assistants Nether Abyss Ancestor had mentioned before, according to Jiuhua Ancestor and others.

"Hmm?"

Zhang Yao’s heart stirred with suspicion as he squinted his eyes, glancing at the two figures in black.

In his divine thought perception, the auras of these two were almost identical, even their figures were very similar, though they wore black iron masks, concealing their appearances.

This was quite peculiar; even for twin cultivators practicing the same cultivation technique, there are usually noticeable differences in magical power and spirit soul aura.

"There’s something wrong with these two’s identities..."

Without much thought, Zhang Yao made this judgment.

These formidable middle stage Golden Core figures seemed nothing short of astonishing, yet stood in the stance of guards or servants.

Nether Abyss Ancestor was also a cultivator from the Southwest, not some core second-generation of a superpower. His background was relatively ordinary; whence came such ability to have middle stage Golden Core cultivators follow him so loyally?

"These two in black probably aren’t normal cultivators."

"Puppets? Corpse refinement? Or something else?"

Thoughts flashed through Zhang Yao’s mind, yet outwardly, he acted nonchalant and courteously cupped his hands in greeting.

"Daoist Zhang pays his respects to Fellow Daoist Mingyuan."

Nether Abyss Ancestor stood as well, earnestly returning the gesture:

"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, your reputation precedes you."

After a few pleasantries, the two took their seats as host and guest.

At this point, Zhang Yao observed Jiuhua Ancestor and the others, noting their unbothered expressions, as if completely unaware of the peculiarity of those black-clad figures.

"Seems like everyone here is good at playing dumb..."

Zhang Yao immediately understood and withdrew his gaze, no longer focusing on it.

He didn’t want to ask too much about Nether Abyss Ancestor’s secret since they were still allies and would need to support each other after descending into the Mo Yuan.

Within the main hall:

Nether Abyss Ancestor, seeming straightforward, exchanged only a few formal words before addressing the most pressing concern directly:

"Previously, our numbers weren’t complete, so I haven’t mentioned this matter."

"Now that Fellow Daoist Qingxu is here, we are ten Golden Core cultivators strong, greatly enhancing our power for the Mo Yuan dispute, ensuring a significant advantage."

"However, to ensure sincere cooperation and unity, it’s better to agree in advance on the division of treasures upon entering Mo Yuan and sign a magic contract."

He paused, sweeping his gaze across everyone in the hall.

Black Abyss Ascendant sat upright and motionless, while Jiuhua Ancestor, Ying Mo Sect Leader, and the Three Ancestors of the Chen Clan whispered among themselves.

Nether Abyss Ancestor’s gaze finally rested on Zhang Yao, asking:

"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, what is your opinion? Do you have any suggestions?"

Zhang Yao chuckled, indicating:

"As the guest, I defer to my host."

"I have no significant opinions on the treasure distribution, as long as fairness is ensured."

"Alright."

Nether Abyss Ancestor nodded slightly and said:

"Let’s do it this way then. In the Cultivation Realm, strength reigns supreme, so treasure allocation should follow this principle, preventing unnecessary thoughts."

"Upon entering Mo Yuan, everyone must give their all, avoiding laziness, not contributing while not sabotaging team-mates."

"Together with these two fellow Daoists beside me, we shall occupy a forty-five percent share; Fellow Daoist Qingxu, twenty-five percent."

"The remaining participants will each have half a percent..."

He paused intentionally, looking around at the others in the hall:

"What do all of you think?"

Zhang Yao contemplated briefly, then spoke first:

"I agree with Fellow Daoist Mingyuan’s distribution method."

"However, I must say upfront, my intention is the Endless Yin Earth. Should I encounter it, I hope to have priority."

Going alone, managing to secure a quarter of the share among ten Golden Core cultivators was quite favorable.

Nether Abyss Ancestor had more than he, which made sense since he was the host with two middle stage Golden Core allies.

"No problem."

Faced with Zhang Yao’s condition, Nether Abyss Ancestor agreed without hesitation.

By his decisive demeanor, it was clear he had no intention of consulting the other Golden Core cultivators on this matter.

"I support my master’s decision."

"I also agree with Fellow Daoist Mingyuan’s decision."

"We also agree."

Soon, many Golden Core cultivators voiced their approval of Nether Abyss Ancestor’s decision.

Distribution by strength maintained at least an appearance of fairness, which was a favorable outcome for the relatively weaker Golden Core cultivators.

After all, with Nether Abyss Ancestor and Qingxu sharing the major rewards, they could still partake; united, they could seize far more benefits than they could by acting alone.

"Let’s go with this decision..."

Nether Abyss Ancestor smiled slightly, just as he was about to continue:

"Hmmph!"

He suddenly let out a muffled groan, his face turning ghostly pale, appearing to have been struck by an invisible force.

"What’s happening?!"