"Of course I’m satisfied, this is even better than I expected!"
Zhang Yao revealed a slight smile and said:
"Fellow Daoist He Ze’s thods have truly broadened my horizons."
As he spoke, he took out a storage bracelet from his sleeve and pushed it over:
"This is the reward I promised, please accept it, fellow Daoist."
This incarnation puppet, although it doesn’t have combat abilities, is not cheap and is worth the price of two magical treasures.
However, Zhang Yao’s current wealth is considered quite substantial even among Golden Core Ancestors, so paying this amount of spirit stones doesn’t even make him blink.
"Alright, fellow Daoist truly is a straightforward person."
Ancestor Heze picked up the storage bracelet, scanned it with his divine thought, and a smile appeared on his face.
After the deal was done, Zhang Yao put away the puppet incarnation and engaged in so small talk with Ancestor Heze before asking:
"Earlier, fellow Daoist ntioned that besides delivering the goods, there was sothing else you wanted to discuss with . Might I inquire as to what it is?"
"It’s like this..."
Ancestor Heze’s expression turned serious, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity:
"The Golden Core Level Body Refining Cultivator Man Tian Sheng from Xu Kingdom, do you know him?"
"Man Tian Sheng?"
Zhang Yao squinted, secretly thinking to himself—it’s finally here!
He had known all along that the death of such a high-level Body Refining Cultivator wouldn’t pass without any repercussions.
For Man Tian Sheng to reach the Golden Core Realm, soone must be supporting him from behind, but it’s yet unclear which force Ancestor Heze represents.
"Yes, I know him."
Zhang Yao’s expression was calm as he spoke the truth:
"A hundred years ago, when he was still roaming around Da Li, I had dealings with him, but the circumstances were not pleasant."
"Later, during an exploration operation within Dayu’s territory, I t him again. At that ti, he had been brought in as external support by people like Dayu’s Three Evils Daoist and Elder Yuanxu."
"But unfortunately, he perished in that exploration operation."
"Is that so..."
Ancestor Heze pondered slightly before tentatively asking:
"You ntioned earlier that Man Tian Sheng died during an exploration operation within Dayu’s territory."
"Could you reveal a bit more about that exploration operation?"
"I’m sorry."
Zhang Yao shook his head, resolutely refusing:
"This matter involves my personal secrets, so I’m afraid I cannot disclose it."
"But I can tell you that Man Tian Sheng wasn’t killed by ; he died at the hands of several Demon Cultivators."
"Demon Cultivators..."
Hearing this, Ancestor Heze frowned and thought to himself:
"Demon Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage... could they be from the Illuminati?"
"What exactly happened within Dayu’s territory that led to a conflict between the Demon Cultivators and Man Tian Sheng? Elder Qingxu is very tight-lipped, unlikely to reveal anything easily..."
The matter of the Jade Divine Palace has beco top secret, and the only two survivors, Zhang Yao and the Three Evils Daoist, would not possibly disclose anything to outsiders.
As for taking aggressive asures for this matter, it’s not very realistic. After all, with so many fortuitous encounters in the world, it’s not worth going to such lengths for a dead person.
And as Zhang Yao watched the silent Ancestor Heze, he suddenly spoke:
"By the way, Fellow Daoist Heze."
"Since you’re here regarding Man Tian Sheng, allow to ask, what exactly is your relationship with him?"
"What relationship?"
Hearing this, Ancestor Heze pondered for a mont before slowly saying:
"We could be considered colleagues and partly superior."
"Actually, I wasn’t particularly close to him; we only t a few tis and barely had passing acquaintance. I mainly ca this ti because of orders."
"Oh?"
Zhang Yao raised an eyebrow and said:
"I’m curious to hear more."
Ancestor Heze smiled calmly and said:
"I hail from the Bingzang Kingdom, originally an ordinary small sect leader. By a stroke of fortune, I inherited the lineage of my predecessors and struggled through refining a Golden Core."
"As for Man Tian Sheng, he was from a poor Loose Cultivator background, like a rootless weed. If not for his decent talent in Body Refining and being valued by a highly skilled person, he probably wouldn’t have ever hoped to achieve a Golden Core in his lifeti."
"I didn’t have much interaction with him, but we’re both mbers of the Zhiyao Celestial Palace, and I was assigned a task related to him."
"Zhiyao Celestial Palace..."
Zhang Yao repeated these words, imdiately thinking of the two command tokens made of Zhiyao True Gold in his possession.
He didn’t expect that the great power suspected to be behind Man Tian Sheng and You Quan would reveal itself so quickly and even take the initiative to contact him.
"The Zhiyao Celestial Palace is extrely mysterious, and no one knows its origin, but it likely cos from the Celestial Continent."
"Their way of recruiting mbers is very casual, and their managent of external mbers is similarly lax, with almost no constraints."
Ancestor Heze introduced:
"The resources of the Celestial Palace are extrely vast, especially their various precious Spiritual Gold Treasure Materials. They are highly attractive to Body Cultivators, Artifact Cultivators, Sword Cultivators, or cultivators like who practice alternate divine techniques."
"Even without ntioning these conveniences, the Celestial Palace itself is a massive platform spanning the Central Plains Countries. Many powerful cultivators exchange information and cultivation insights, collaborate in various ways, and the forces they can leverage are vast."
"Even many powerful cultivators who don’t need spiritual gold resources find ways to join, just to use the various channels of the Zhiyao Celestial Palace."
At this point, he paused, then sincerely said:
"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, I won’t hide it from you."
"The main reason for my visit today, aside from bringing you the Incarnation Puppet, is to fulfill an internal task from the Zhiyao Celestial Palace and to et you."
"As I just explained, I wonder if you’re interested in joining the Zhiyao Celestial Palace? It’s a rare opportunity!"
Zhang Yao frowned slightly after hearing this:
"Zhiyao Celestial Palace... this is a bit sudden, I’d like to ask you a few more questions, Fellow Daoist Heze, if I may?"
Honestly speaking, if Zhiyao Celestial Palace is truly a loosely managed organization with little restraint, he would be willing to join.
After all, relying solely on himself to gather a large number of Heaven and Earth Treasures is extrely difficult, and even obtaining information is hard. If he could leverage a major force’s channels, it would be much easier.
However, dealing with such a superpower spanning the Central Plains requires great caution and careful decision-making to avoid falling into a trap.
"No problem, do feel free to ask."
Elder Heze replied cheerfully:
"I promise, whatever I can say, I will tell you everything."
"Alright!"
Zhang Yao nodded slightly and asked:
"First question, how long has the Zhiyao Celestial Palace existed, and how many mbers does it have?"
"It has been around for thousands of years now, and almost all the major forces with a long-standing heritage among the Central Plains Countries are aware of its existence."
Elder Heze answered cautiously:
"As for the exact number of mbers, that I do not know."
"But the most basic requirent for joining the Zhiyao Celestial Palace is to be at the Golden Core Realm, so the number probably isn’t too large."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yao pondered for a mont before speaking again:
"You ntioned a mont ago that the Zhiyao Celestial Palace ’almost’ imposes no constraints on peripheral mbers, which ans in so areas, there are still so constraints, right?"
"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, you are quite perceptive."
Elder Heze laughed and said:
"Joining the Zhiyao Celestial Palace cos with the best benefit besides the various channels, which is the discounted prices on various Spiritual Gold Treasure Materials."
"These prices are much lower than the normal prices outside and can be considered a benefit from the palace leadership to peripheral mbers."
"Of course, such benefits co with conditions, naly, every hundred years, mbers must follow a mandate and perform a mandatory task for the palace leadership."
He paused for a mont, then added:
"Of course, this task is only nominally mandatory. If you don’t wish to perform it, you can opt to pay a substantial ’tax’ to be exempted from the task."
"Even if you are temporarily short on funds and can’t afford this tax, you can negotiate with the leadership to repay it by completing tasks or in installnts, which is permissible. Overall, the leadership’s attitude is quite lenient."
Zhang Yao listened, his gaze shifting slightly:
"Then if soone refuses to perform the task and also doesn’t intend to pay, surely the palace has disciplinary asures, right?"
Though he had never ford a major force himself, his own experiences made him well-versed in such matters.
The leadership of Zhiyao Celestial Palace isn’t there to do charity; they must have formidable asures to establish authority. But what intrigued him was—
Facing the Golden Core Cultivators scattered across the Central Plains, what thods did the palace leadership use to make these Ancestors abide by the rules?
"Of course."
Elder Heze shrugged and said matter-of-factly:
"The palace leadership commands a group of ’Zhiyao Envoys’ who are trendously powerful and exceptionally skilled at tracking—almost impossible to evade unless you abandon everything and flee the Central Plains."
"Generally speaking, no fool would choose to go to such an extent, especially when the conditions offered by the leadership are not harsh but rather generous."
"...I see."
Zhang Yao took a deep breath and slowly said:
"One last question."
"When you earlier asked about Man Tian Sheng, was it also for an internal palace task?"
"Exactly."
Upon this topic, Elder Heze’s expression beca significantly more serious:
"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, to be frank, Man Tian Sheng was not an ordinary peripheral mber of the palace; he was soone who had signed the ’Zhiyao Gold Contract’!"
"His life and death directly affect the leadership’s interests, and even his remains are to be retrieved!"
"And I am here precisely for this purpose."
Hearing this, Zhang Yao shook his head frankly:
"Man Tian Sheng’s remains are not in my possession."
"In fact, his body was already torn apart by those Demon Cultivators; even if used for Corpse Refinent, it’s probably greatly devalued."
He speculated that the Zhiyao Gold Contract was very likely a kind of coercive Magic Contract, with strong binding effects on the contract signers, leaving them restless even in death.
But this was Man Tian Sheng’s own choice, and Zhang Yao wasn’t concerned about what the palace leadership intended to do with his remains, although he wouldn’t bear the bla for it.
"Is that so..."
Upon hearing this, Elder Heze sighed:
"That is indeed troubleso."
"With his remains unrecoverable, it’s tantamount to the leadership incurring a loss, which is hard to account for."
Speaking this, he looked toward Zhang Yao and tentatively asked:
"Fellow Daoist Qingxu, can you disclose the specific location of Man Tian Sheng’s remains so that I can retrieve them and complete my task?"
"Even though his remains are fragnted and devalued, they are still the property of the palace leadership..."
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