Chapter 75: The Power of Divine Repository

The Long Clan’s ancestor had once told the clan leader that if the clan ever faced destruction, they must head to a certain location where an organization would provide aid. As long as they joined this organization, there would be hope of rebuilding the Long Clan.

The clan leader had passed this secret down to his three sons.

Almost there… just a little further!

Just as Long Sanshui was about to relax, a voice sounded right beside his ear.

“Third Young Master, you’ve been running for quite a while. Why not take a break? Here, have some water.”

Jiang Li’s voice was warm and friendly as he handed over a gourd.

Long Sanshui was so startled that he tripped and fell flat on the ground.

“Hey, hey, hey! Since when do I have water for him?” the Ruyi Gourd complained indignantly.

Jiang Li had warned it not to speak randomly, but since only their group was here—and since Long Sanshui wouldn’t live much longer—he figured it wouldn’t matter.

In the cultivation world, sentient spiritual treasures weren’t unusual. Qin Luan and the others were used to it.

Of course, if they knew this was an Immortal Artifact—the legendary Ruyi Gourd—they would have reacted very differently.

“You… you… You just won’t leave me alone!”

The moment Long Sanshui saw Jiang Li, his desire for revenge evaporated. If begging for mercy could save his life, he would immediately kneel and grovel.

“‘Won’t leave you alone’ sounds so unpleasant. You should say ‘the Yang Spirit never disperses,’” Jiang Li corrected seriously.

“Our clan is already ruined… Please, I beg you all, spare my life! I swear I’ll turn over a new leaf and dedicate the rest of my life to doing good!”

Jiang Li turned to the others. “You all heard him—he said he wants to start over.”

“So…?” Song Ying was confused. Was Jiang Li really going to let him go?

Qin Luan nodded in understanding. “Since he wants to start anew, that naturally means reincarnation. Looks like Third Young Master has a death wish—we should help him fulfill it.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Long Sanshui panicked.

“Friends, please show some mercy. I had some dealings with the Long Clan’s ancestor. While I cannot openly assist him, I can’t simply let his only descendant perish,” a ghostly voice drifted in from all directions, carrying an eerie chill.

Yuan Wuxing’s expression turned grave. He quickly scanned the surroundings but found no one.

When he turned back, an old man was already standing beside Long Sanshui.

A Soul Formation cultivator!

“Are you the one my ancestor mentioned?” Long Sanshui was overjoyed, as if he had just found his savior.

“The Old Dragon Head sent me quite a few human primers over the years, which helped the organization immensely,” the old man said kindly, his face full of benevolence.

“As the Long Clan’s sole survivor, not only may you join us, but you may also make a request—so long as I can grant it.”

“Then please kill them!” Long Sanshui pointed at Jiang Li and his group.

The old man shook his head. “Anyone who has seen me must die. Choose another request.”

Long Sanshui’s eyes were bloodshot with hatred. “I have no other requests—just that you beat them half to death! I want to kill them myself!”

“That can be arranged.” The old man spoke casually. A Nascent Soul early-stage, two Golden Core early-stage, and one Foundation Establishment cultivator—none of them were worth his attention.

Yuan Wuxing felt a sense of crisis. No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t possibly protect Qin Luan, Song Ying, and Huang Li against a Soul Formation cultivator…

Wait.

Something felt off.

Was there someone here who didn’t need his protection?

Qin Luan, on the other hand, was curious. He wanted to see how “Huang Li”—a mere Golden Core cultivator—would handle this situation. After all, he himself had no solutions.

Then, before anyone could react—

Jiang Li unleashed his Hundred-Zhang Dharma Body, radiating an awe-inspiring might.

With a single strike, he killed Long Sanshui and heavily injured the old man.

“Uh… That move didn’t seem like something a Golden Core cultivator could do,” Song Ying hesitantly pointed out.

“Oh, you guys don’t know yet,” Jiang Li said seriously. “I have the soul of a Mahayana-stage powerhouse sealed in my ring. In times of crisis, he can temporarily boost my strength.”

“I didn’t want to reveal this, since it’s my greatest trump card. But today was a special situation—if I hadn’t used it, we would’ve died.”

“You must keep this a secret!” Jiang Li emphasized.

For a moment, Song Ying almost nodded along instinctively.

“Who the hell are you?!” the old man was horrified.

A single move had nearly cost him his life. That wasn’t the strength of a Golden Core—it was at least a Body Fusion-stage strike!

“Golden Core cultivator, Huang Li,” Jiang Li introduced himself.

“You’re bullsh*tting!” The old man roared in fury. Suddenly, an unusual power surged from his body, instantly healing his wounds. Without hesitation, he turned to flee.

Jiang Li’s expression changed when he sensed that strange power.

He abandoned his pretense and used his Dharma Body to grab the old man.

“What is this power?! Where did you get it?! A ruthless killer like you shouldn’t possess such energy!” Jiang Li demanded.

“You… You’re a Dharma Body Sect elder!” The old man gasped, recognizing Jiang Li’s technique. It belonged to the Dharma Body Sect, one of the Six Great Sects.

“Where did you get this power?!”

“Heh… Do you think telling you will let me live?” The old man knew he was doomed and refused to speak.

“I hope you won’t beg me to kill you later.” Jiang Li smiled cruelly.

The sounds of torture and screams filled the air.

Song Ying shivered just from hearing it. She didn’t even want to imagine what kind of hellish torment the old man was experiencing.

“Please… Just kill me…” The old man sobbed. “I’ll tell you everything… Just end it quickly.”

He couldn’t believe such torture even existed.

“What is this power? How did you obtain it?”

“It’s called Divine Repository Power. Every follower who joins our faith, if they sincerely worship the Divine Repository Sovereign, can awaken the Divine Repository Power hidden within their bodies.”

“What is this faith?” Jiang Li had never heard of such a sect or any Divine Repository Sovereign.

The Nine Provinces had various faiths that worshipped Celestial Realm deities—like the True Martial Emperor of the North, the Moon and Sun Lords, and even Huangjiao Immortal. The Human Sovereign himself was also an object of faith, and the Power of Faith generated by his believers was a direct result of this worship.

Back when the Stairway to Immortality still existed, faith power could be transmitted to the Celestial Realm, and celestial beings would occasionally respond. However, after the Stairway to Immortality disappeared, faith power could no longer reach the Celestial Realm, and divine signs ceased—causing these faiths to fade away.

“I’m a disciple of the Divine Repository Sect. Our leader taught us that every person has limitless power hidden within, but they are unable to access it due to their own limited perception. By worshipping the Divine Repository Sovereign and using human primers, we can unlock our Divine Repository Power!”

“What do you mean by human primers?”

“People—whether good or evil. As long as we kill, we can unearth the Divine Repository Power.”

“Isn’t that just demonic cultivation?” Qin Luan blurted out. Yuan Wuxing nodded repeatedly—it sounded just like the forbidden techniques of demonic cultivators.

“Demonic cultivation? Hah! Demon power carries resentment, but Divine Repository Power does not.”

The old man’s body radiated golden light, warm and pure—completely different from the eerie coldness of demonic energy.

“You know what I call that power?” Jiang Li asked gravely.

“What?”

“Karmic Virtue Power.”

Qin Luan and Yuan Wuxing felt a chill rise from the base of their spines.