The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

The jade tokens in Lin Qian's hand were unique, crystal clear, and intricately engraved with tiny grooves forming complex patterns that wrapped around the entire token. At the center of each token, words were embedded, indicating their purpose.

"Here you go, Senior Brother," Lin Qian said as he tossed three jade tokens towards Gao Benli after weighing them in his hand.

Catching the tokens with precision, Gao Benli examined them closely, his curiosity piqued. Each of the translucent tokens had a word inscribed in the center: "Detection," "Concealment," and "Transmission."

"The detection and concealment tokens each last for a full day, Senior Brother. You can use them right now if you wish," Lin Qian explained, pointing to the tokens in Gao Benli's hand.

"This is quite intriguing. I think I'll give it a try," Gao Benli remarked, eager to test them out. He stored the transmission token and then channeled his soul power into the other two.

However, to his surprise, there was no reaction. The tokens remained completely inert, showing no signs of activation.

"Hey, Junior Brother, are you sure these things aren't broken? Why aren't they working?" Gao Benli asked, holding up the unresponsive tokens.

Lin Qian chuckled and explained, "These skill tokens don't activate with soul power, so of course, nothing happened. They need to be eaten."

"Oh!" Gao Benli suddenly understood and moved to place the tokens in his mouth, only to stop abruptly and pull them back. "You little rascal, trying to trick me! How do you actually use these things?" He pointed at Lin Qian, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

Lin Qian raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I'm telling the truth, Senior Brother. You really do need to eat them."

"..." Gao Benli stared at Lin Qian in silence, his expression one of exasperation. After a long pause, he sighed. "You can't be serious. These are obviously jade tokens, made of translucent white jade. How could they possibly be edible?"

"Let me explain," Lin Qian replied patiently. "These are called skill tokens, made from a special edible jade that can store unique soul skills. For example, when you consume the detection token, it greatly enhances your sensory abilities. The concealment token, once ingested, hides your presence from others."

"The edible jade is crafted from a special fruit that naturally contains soul power. After a specific process, the soul skill is stored within the jade. To make them more palatable, fruit juice is added during the crafting process. This one, for example, tastes like lychee. If you're skeptical, try warming the token with your soul power."

...

Lin Qian's explanation left everyone, including Gao Benli, dumbfounded. But Gao Benli decided to give it a try. He used a mild form of soul power to generate heat, and to his amazement, the token began to soften and became slightly elastic.

"If you heat it up, it becomes more chewy and quite enjoyable," Lin Qian encouraged, his expression earnest.

Gao Benli took a deep breath and looked at Lin Qian. "Alright, I'll trust you this time. Here goes nothing!"

With that, Gao Benli closed his eyes tightly, steeled his resolve, and shoved both tokens into his mouth. He hesitated for a moment, then cautiously bit down.

The others watched anxiously, waiting for Gao Benli's reaction.

"Mmm!" Gao Benli's voice hummed from his nose as his eyes flew open. He began chewing more vigorously, clearly enjoying the experience. "Wow, Junior Brother, you're right! I don't know what lychee is, but this tastes amazing, and it's so fun to chew!"

"The token can really be eaten!" Ye Lin exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stared in disbelief at Gao Benli, who was happily munching away.

"Think of it like a talisman, but with many advantages," Lin Qian continued. "First, a talisman needs to be attached to your body to work, and if it's damaged or lost during battle, it's useless. But with a skill token, once you eat it, it's safely inside your body."

"Second, talismans require continuous input of spiritual energy to remain active. The skill token, on the other hand, contains all the necessary soul power, so there's no additional energy drain."

"Third, skill tokens taste great!"

Everyone was left speechless by Lin Qian's explanation, their attention once again turning to Gao Benli, who was still happily chewing.

When he noticed everyone staring at him, Gao Benli swallowed the softened token and grinned. "What are you all looking at? It really is delicious!"

No sooner had he said this than the others noticed a significant change in Gao Benli's aura. Although he was still physically present, his presence seemed to fade. It became impossible to sense his breathing or feel any of his usual energy.

At the same time, Gao Benli's expression changed as he turned his head towards Lin Qian. "Junior Brother, this skill token is incredible!"

In his mind, Gao Benli could now perceive everything happening on Maoqing Mountain, as well as the surrounding peaks. Even the formations meant to conceal activity on those peaks were no longer a barrier to his perception.

The others marveled at the changes in Gao Benli, thoroughly impressed by the skill token's effects.

"Now that you're all set, I'll leave it to you, Senior Brother," Lin Qian said.

"No problem. Consider it done," Gao Benli replied seriously, turning to leave.

But after taking only a few steps, he turned back. "Junior Brother, do you have more of these skill tokens? Or maybe just the edible jade without any soul skills stored in it?"

"What do you need edible jade for?" Lin Qian asked, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing much. Just to have something to chew on when I'm bored," Gao Benli replied, extending his hand expectantly.

"..."