Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 164 - 47: Shrouded in Heavy Mist (2)

Zhang Yao's expression eased slightly upon hearing this, then he began to seriously consider the matter.

If what Lord Haihe said is true, then the danger of this trip is reduced by about eighty to ninety percent. Although there are still certain risks, they are within a controllable range.

Most of the dozen or so Foundation Establishment members of the Du Bu Alliance are only at the early stage. If he joins forces with Lord Haihe, Peng Yue Xian, and Fairy Yuan Meng, escaping won't be a problem at least.

"Hmm..."

He pondered for a while, then cautiously asked:

"Leader, are you sure that spy you've planted can successfully steal the Azure Jade?"

"This is the core treasure of suppressing the grand array at the headquarters of the Du Bu Alliance. Once taken, it will probably be detected immediately..."

"Rest assured on this point."

Lord Haihe, anticipating this, said calmly:

"Perhaps you can guess, I've been secretly planning for this matter for quite some time now."

"That spy has all the related treasures I've prepared beforehand. At least for a while, there's absolutely no issue in keeping it under wraps."

"This blank period will be enough for you to leave Yuan Mountain City with the Azure Jade."

"...Alright."

Zhang Yao nodded, then pursued several questions on details one after another, to which Lord Haihe patiently provided answers.

Finally, under the expectant gaze of Lord Haihe, Zhang Yao slowly nodded and said:

"If I have the strong support of Lord Haihe, Fellow Daoist Peng, and Fairy Yuan Meng, then I can take on this matter."

"However, I would like to change the rewards proposed by the leader slightly..."

He paused for a moment before continuing:

"The thirty thousand contribution points won't be necessary."

"For my cultivation Daoist Technique, I need more than just one kind of water attribute Foundation Establishment demon beast essence blood. I wonder if the leader has any way to procure more essence blood?"

"You need more Foundation Establishment stage essence blood?"

Lord Haihe hesitated for a moment, then decisively gritted his teeth and said:

"Alright, I agree!"

"After the task is done, I will obtain a second type of water attribute Foundation Establishment demon beast essence blood for you, but no more than that, as it is very difficult to acquire."

"As for those thirty thousand contribution points, you will still receive them; I won't take back any conditions I've promised."

"Good!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yao smiled slightly and nodded:

"Then I will accept this task and follow the leader's instructions."

"Alright, we have a deal then!" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Lord Haihe was overjoyed, stood up, and repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

Zhang Yao engaged in some courteous remarks and calmed him down slightly.

"Leader."

Zhang Yao paused, then cautiously said:

"I still have a concern."

"Why is it that Du Bu Daoist did not act earlier or later, but instead chose this time to exhibit strange behavior, causing chaos at the headquarters of the Du Bu Alliance?"

"What if he has detected your spy and is deliberately using the Azure Jade as bait to set a trap..."

Having lived for nearly three hundred years, Zhang Yao trusts nothing in this world as mere coincidence.

His suspicion is not without reason. If this is truly a trap set by Du Bu Daoist, then Yuan Mountain City would be a deathtrap with no possible escape.

If such a situation arises, he would immediately abandon the task, as no reward is worth his life.

"This..."

Hearing his words, Lord Haihe also hesitated.

He had waited over a hundred years for this opportunity, and his emotions fluctuated greatly. Now, after calming down a bit, he too sensed something suspicious.

"You have a point."

Lord Haihe pondered:

"However, during this period, nothing particularly significant seems to have happened within the Du Bu Alliance or even the entire Da Li Cultivation Realm."

"The only incident was when Feng Dujuan was captured by you, but she is not an important figure enough to provoke Lord Du Bu..."

"Feng Dujuan..."

Zhang Yao paused, and then inspiration struck him as he blurted out:

"Soul Thought Bead!"

On the day Feng Dujuan was captured by him, it happened to be when he finished collecting the Soul Thought Aura, allowing him to pretend to leave and lure the snake out of its hole.

And in the past few months, the biggest event in the Da Li Cultivation Realm was when the Celestial Treasure Tower, in conjunction with the Four Major Golden Core Powers, issued a task to collect Soul Thought Aura?

"Soul Thought Bead?"

"What does this have to do with the Soul Thought Bead?"

Lord Haihe furrowed his brows, still somewhat puzzled.

"Leader!"

Zhang Yao looked directly at Lord Haihe and said gravely:

"I want to know, are the collected Soul Thought Aura stored with one of the Four Major Golden Core Powers, or are they kept at the Celestial Treasure Tower Headquarters?"

"The Four Major Golden Core Powers don't trust each other, so the Soul Thought Beads are, of course, stored at the Celestial Treasure Tower Headquarters..."

As Lord Haihe spoke, he finally realized and his expression changed:

"Do you mean... the anomaly with Du Bu Daoist is related to Tower Master Yuwen?"

It took Zhang Yao two months to collect the Soul Thought Aura, which is quite slow.

Many of the already collected Soul Thought Beads have been sent to the Celestial Treasure Tower Headquarters for storage, to supply the "Realm Breaker".

In other words:

The "Tower Master Yuwen" who wields power at the Celestial Treasure Tower has the authority to deploy these Soul Thought Auras. Even if he secretly misuses them and deceives others, most likely no one would detect it.

And coincidentally, the secret supporter behind Du Bu Daoist is Tower Master Yuwen!

"It seems the leader has thought of this too."

Zhang Yao said solemnly:

"I suspect this might not be a coincidence, and the anomaly with Du Bu Daoist might even be related to the Soul Thought Aura."

"After all, this stuff is essentially material refined from Evil Secret Techniques, capable of corrupting the divine soul and affecting one's mind..."

Unlike ordinary people, Zhang Yao is particularly sensitive to everything related to the Celestial Treasure Tower and the Five Elements Secret Realm.

Especially the peculiarity of this particular timeline, making him instinctively associate the situation with suspicion and thus become vigilant.

"This!"

Lord Haihe couldn't help but stand up, pacing back and forth in the hall before suddenly stopping:

"This accusation is extremely significant!"

He looked at Zhang Yao with a grave expression:

"Qingxu, you must know that today's Celestial Treasure Tower is no longer the Celestial Treasure Tower of a hundred years ago; it has become more independent."

"Playing a leading role in this is the current seventh generation Tower Master 'Yuwen Tai', who has held great power for many years, wielding absolute authority in the Celestial Treasure Tower."

"If it is proven that he embezzled and misused the Soul Thought Aura, it may trigger a conflict between the Celestial Treasure Tower and the Four Major Golden Core Powers, leading to turmoil in the entire Da Li Cultivation Realm..."

Such consequences cause him to hesitate, filled with dread.

The key is that they have no concrete evidence, only some speculative guesses.

If they were to make an accusation, it would be a serious matter. If they uncover an issue, it would be good as the Fuhai Sect and others would jointly pressure him. But if they don't find an issue, the consequences could be too severe for them to handle.

Even if the Celestial Treasure Tower led by Tower Master Yuwen couldn't fend off a Golden Core Sect, could it not handle a small Haihe Association?

If this step goes wrong, it could lead to their total demise!

"Sigh!"

Zhang Yao took a deep breath, slowly speaking:

"I understand the leader's concerns."

"However, this matter is of great importance. If the true cause of Du Bu Daoist's anomaly cannot be ascertained, please forgive me, leader, for not being able to keep my promise to go to the Du Bu Alliance headquarters."

"After all, if this indeed involves Tower Master Yuwen, then Yuan Mountain City is no less dangerous than a den of tigers and dragons..."

Upon hearing this, Lord Haihe's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

However, given the situation, he could not force Zhang Yao to act, especially since even he was intimidated by Tower Master Yuwen Tai of the Celestial Treasure Tower.

"How about this!"

After contemplating for a while, Lord Haihe made up his mind:

"There is still a way to verify this!"

"The Soul Thought Bead you gave me just happens to still be with me, I haven't had a chance to send it to the Celestial Treasure Tower yet..."