The Long Family Patriarch had once told the Family Head that should calamity ever befall their clan, there was a secret place to go. There, an organization would make contact and offer aid; if one joined that organization, there would be a chance to revive the Long Family’s former glory.
The Family Head passed down this secret to his three sons. Almost there, nearly there! Just as Long Sanshui was about to relax a little, a voice suddenly rang in his ear.
“Third Young Master, you’ve been running for quite some time. Why not take a rest? Here, have a drink.”
Jiang Li’s kindly tone came beside him as he extended a gourd. Long Sanshui was so startled that he stumbled to the ground.
“Hey, hey! I don’t have any water for him!”
The Ruyi Gourd grumbled unhappily. Jiang Li quickly hushed it; usually, he didn’t let it speak casually. But there weren’t many people around—Qin Luan and the others were his own companions.
As for this man surnamed Long… his days were numbered anyway. Letting the gourd talk a bit wouldn’t harm anything. Ever since Spirit Treasures had begun developing intelligence, a talking treasure surprised no one.
Qin Luan and the others were long used to it. Of course, if they knew this particular gourd was actually the Immortal Artifact Ruyi Gourd, their expressions would be completely different.
“You… you again! Why won’t you devils leave me alone?!”
At the sight of Jiang Li, all of Long Sanshui’s former resentment vanished. If begging for mercy could save him, he’d kneel instantly to beg these people for his dog life.
“‘Devils’? That sounds unpleasant. Call us ‘Yang Spirits that never disperse’ instead,” Jiang Li corrected him seriously.
“Our Long Family is already ruined,” Long Sanshui pleaded, trembling.
“Please, I beg you all to spare my life! I swear to reform myself and spend the rest of my days doing good deeds!”
Jiang Li turned and said, “You all heard him. He said it himself—he’ll become a new man.”
“Huh?”
Song Ying was puzzled. Did that mean Jiang Li intended to let him go? Qin Luan nodded lightly.
“If one is to be reborn as a new man, that can only mean reincarnation. Seems Young Master Long truly wishes to die. We should help him fulfill that wish.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Long Sanshui protested in panic.
“Everyone, forgive and forget when possible,” came a faint and erratic voice, echoing from all directions.
It carried an eerie chill.
“I once had ties with the Long Ancestor. Though I cannot step forward to aid him publicly, at least allow the Long Family’s final descendant to live.”
Yuan Wuxing grew wary. He spun in a full circle, eyes sharp and senses alert, but saw no one. When he turned back again, an old man was already standing at Long Sanshui’s side.
A Spirit Transformation Stage cultivator!
“Are you the one Grand Ancestor mentioned—the man from that organization?”
Long Sanshui’s eyes lit up like a drowning man spotting rescue.
“The Old Dragon Head presented me with many human sacrifices. That helped the organization a great deal. You, as the Long Family’s last survivor, may not only join us but also make one request—anything within my power, I will grant you,” the old man spoke gently, his face kind and serene.
“Then please kill these people!”
Long Sanshui shouted, pointing at Jiang Li’s group. The old man shook his head.
“Anyone who has laid eyes upon me must die. You may make another request.”
Long Sanshui’s eyes turned bloodshot, his gaze filled with hatred.
“Then I ask that you beat them to within an inch of their lives, so I can kill them with my own hands!”
“That can be done.”
The old man replied casually. One early Nascent Soul, two early Golden Cores, and one Foundation Establishment junior—they weren’t enough to withstand even a flick of his finger. Yuan Wuxing immediately braced himself.
Facing a Spirit Transformation Expert meant certain death. Even if he fought with all his might, there was no way he could protect Qin Luan, Song Ying, or Huang Li…
Wait.
Something felt off—was there someone here who didn’t actually need protection? Qin Luan turned to Jiang Li out of curiosity. He wanted to see what “Huang Li,” supposedly a Golden Core cultivator, would do in such a desperate situation.
As for himself, he already felt utterly helpless. What happened next left them all dumbfounded. Jiang Li suddenly grew to towering size, manifesting the Hundred‑Zhang Dharma Body.
His majesty and power were awe‑inspiring. With but a single strike, he slew Long Sanshui outright and gravely injured the old man.
“T‑That move just now… it didn’t seem like something a Golden Core cultivator could perform,” Song Ying said timidly.
“Oh, that.”
Jiang Li explained calmly, “You see, within my ring resides the soul of a Mahayana‑Stage powerhouse. At a critical moment, he can temporarily raise my strength. I hadn’t wanted to reveal this last trump card, but today’s situation left me no choice.”
He repeated sternly, “You all must keep this secret!” Song Ying nearly nodded without thinking.
“Who are you really?!” gasped the old man, terror‑stricken.
One strike—just one strike—and half his life was gone. This opponent was surely a Union Stage cultivator!
“Golden Core cultivator, Huang Li,” Jiang Li said in deadpan introduction.
“You think you can fool me?!” roared the old man, surging with a strange force that instantly healed his wounds.
He turned and fled without hesitation. Sensing that same strange energy, Jiang Li’s expression darkened. Dropping his disguise, he activated his Dharma Body again and clutched the old man in his massive hand.
“What is this power in you? Where did it come from? A man who kills this easily shouldn’t possess such strength!”
“You… you’re an Elder of the Dharma Body Sect!” the old man realized in shock, recognizing the immense might of Jiang Li’s manifestation.
Only one among the Six Great Sects—the Dharma Body Sect—could display such Heavenly might.
“Tell me—where does your power come from?!”
Jiang Li demanded.
“Heh,” the old man sneered, though blood spilled from his lips.
“Do you think telling you would let me live?”
He knew death was certain and refused to reveal anything.
“I only hope, before this is over, you won’t beg me to kill you,” Jiang Li smiled coldly.
The sounds that followed chilled the blood—pleas for mercy mingling with screams of agony. Song Ying turned pale just listening, unable even to imagine the torment that poor wretch endured.
“Please… kill me,” the old man finally begged, his body broken beyond recognition.
“Ask… whatever you wish… I’ll tell you… just end it swiftly…”
He could scarcely believe such cruelty existed in this world.
“What is this power?”
Jiang Li asked.
“How did you gain it?”
“It’s… the Power of the Divine Repository. Every follower, upon joining our Cult, through sincere faith in the Divine Repository Venerable, can awaken the hidden power buried within their own bodies.”
“What Cult is this?”
Jiang Li pressed further. He had never heard of any such organization, much less of any Divine Repository Venerable. Across the Nine Provinces, there were many sects devoted to faith in Immortals of the Immortal Realm—some worshiped the Arctic True Martial Great Emperor, others revered the Lunar and Sun Star Lords, or even the Yellow‑Horned Great Immortal.
In truth, even the Human Emperor Cult was a kind of belief; the Power of Faith that gathered in the Human Emperor Palace came precisely from such devotion.
In the distant ages when the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Ladder still connected the mortal world to the Immortal Realm, this Power of Faith could pass through the Ladder, and Immortal Deities would answer, descending traces of miracles to this world. But since the ladder’s severance, contact with the Immortal Realm was cut off.
The Power of Faith could no longer ascend, and the Immortals no longer descended. Faith‑based sects all but vanished thereafter.
“I am a disciple of the Divine Repository Cult,” the old man continued weakly.
“Our Cult Master taught us that every person carries limitless strength within, but self‑ignorance keeps it sealed. Only through faith in the Divine Repository Venerable, and by using a Human Catalyst, can we unearth the Power of the Divine Repository.”
“What is a Human Catalyst?”
“It means people. Whether good or evil, as long as we take lives, we can draw forth the Power of the Divine Repository.”
“Isn’t that the same as demonic cultivation?”
Qin Luan could not help but interrupt. Yuan Wuxing nodded repeatedly, recalling something similar to what Jiang Yixing once practiced.
“What demonic nonsense? The demonic path’s power is tainted with resentment, but the Power of the Divine Repository bears none,” the old man snapped irritably, displaying a flicker of energy before them.
Golden light radiated from his body—warm and gentle, utterly unlike the cold, sinister aura of the demonic path.
“Do you know what I call this power?”
Jiang Li asked solemnly.
“What?”
“The Power of Virtue.”
Qin Luan and Yuan Wuxing both shuddered, a chill racing from the soles of their feet up through their spines.
(End of Chapter) —— Grateful thanks to Bookfriend Wu Xianjing for the monthly vote support.