Chapter 77: A Dead Man
The Divine Repository Sect first emerged forty to fifty years ago, with its only known presence being within the Tianyuan Dynasty.
According to rumors, a cultivator once dreamed of the Divine Repository Sovereign and, in that dream, learned the secret of the Divine Repository Power. Upon waking, he founded the Divine Repository Sect, became its Sect Leader, and began recruiting followers while spreading the method of obtaining this power.
The sect believed that the human body harbored a hidden treasure—one that, if unearthed, would make Ascension to the Celestial Realm effortless. However, ordinary cultivators lacked the knowledge and experience to discover this power on their own. Fortunately, the Divine Repository Sovereign had passed down a method, revealing that the Heavenly Dao left behind a hidden opportunity—by sacrificing another person’s life, one could unlock their own Divine Repository Power.
However, this knowledge was considered a Heavenly Secret and could not be shared freely. Only true believers could obtain it. Furthermore, since killing others harmed the natural order, each person was limited to a maximum of one thousand kills.
This was all the information Tianji Tower had on the Divine Repository Sect.
It described the Divine Repository Power in detail—yet not a single word mentioned Karmic Virtue.
Of course, that made sense.
If Tianji Tower knew that the Divine Repository Power was actually Karmic Virtue, they wouldn’t need Jiang Li to ask—they would have already reported it to him.
Karmic Virtue was the Heavenly Dao’s recognition of a cultivator’s actions.
If killing people could generate Karmic Virtue, then that meant…
The Heavenly Dao was actively encouraging murder.
The implications were terrifying.
Both the Dao Sect and Tianji Tower pointed their investigations toward the Tianyuan Dynasty. Jiang Li had no reason not to go—especially since he suspected that the secret Long Clan’s ancestor had mentioned about “Great General” was actually related to the Divine Repository Sect.
Jiang Li also wanted to visit Yu Yin to see if she had any insight. However, considering that she was currently preparing for her Tribulation Stage breakthrough, it was not the right time to disturb her, so he set the thought aside.
At this moment, Tianyuan Imperial City was in a state of turmoil.
Even cultivators who usually ignored political affairs had heard the news—Empress Tianyuan had failed her breakthrough to the Tribulation Stage, suffering internal injuries that even the imperial physicians couldn’t heal.
Even the Dao Sect’s Pill Refining Peak Elder had shaken his head, saying that such wounds required time to heal—she must not allow herself to become angry or agitated.
Following the doctors’ advice, Empress Tianyuan secluded herself in the Hall of Nurturing Heart, entrusting government affairs to her ministers.
Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the former royal family of Tianyuan—those whom the Empress had spared out of arrogance—were now preparing to make her regret her mercy.
They wanted to drag her off the throne, trample her into the dirt, and destroy her reign once and for all!
They reached out to various factions and ministers, rallying forces to overthrow Yu Yin’s rule in one decisive strike.
Even Great General Che Wu, who had been stationed at the borders for years, had suddenly returned to the capital, claiming that the ongoing skirmishes with the Great Zhou Dynasty were insignificant and not worth worrying about.
However, everyone knew that Empress Tianyuan had not given the order for Che Wu to return.
This was a decision made by the ministers themselves.
Whether it was approved by the Empress or done behind her back, no one could say for sure.
But what was certain was that a Body Integration Stage cultivator—a man who had killed countless people—had now returned to the capital.
His presence alone could turn the tide of an impending rebellion.
The Imperial City, once the most orderly place in the Tianyuan Dynasty, had now fallen into chaos.
Before, the high-ranking officials had all been polite and reserved, never openly showing hostility.
But now, the streets were in disarray—
One moment, the Ministry of Justice was investigating a murder case.
The next, the Court of Judicial Review was apprehending suspects.
Sometimes, they even switched roles!
Their jurisdictions had begun to blur, descending into utter confusion.
Jiang Li stood outside the gates of General Che Wu’s residence, watching as officials from both factions—loyalists to the Empress and supporters of the former royal family—rushed in and out, all investigating the same murder case.
The victim’s name was Che Wu.
His position was Great General.
Preliminary investigations concluded that he had been killed an hour ago, with his soul completely destroyed in a single strike.
The identity of the killer was unknown, but it was highly likely that they were someone Che Wu trusted.
One hour ago…
That was exactly when Jiang Li had encountered the Divine Repository Sect’s elder.
Both the Ministry of Justice, which supported the former royal family, and the Court of Judicial Review, which was loyal to the Empress, suspected each other of ordering the assassination.
Their questions were filled with probing words, yet neither side could confirm anything.
Jiang Li entered Che Wu’s mansion and silently observed the general’s corpse.
His face bore an expression of terror, confusion, and disbelief.
Just like so many other dead men Jiang Li had seen.
Even so, Jiang Li couldn’t determine anything from it.
But that was fine.
Because he knew exactly who to ask for help.
“Are you free right now?”
Jiang Li arrived at the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, where he found Ji Zhi busy reviewing documents while swallowing an Enlightenment Pill from the Dao Sect.
Ji Zhi glanced up at Jiang Li and immediately sighed.
“Never mind. Forget I asked.”
Jiang Li took one look at Ji Zhi’s tired eyes and understood why he had been stuck in the Soul Formation Stage for so long.
He was simply too busy to cultivate.
“Do you have any idea how many problems arise from issuing a temporary decree on spirit treasures?” Ji Zhi grumbled.
The stack of documents before him was not just any paperwork—it was a report on all the unexpected consequences that had occurred in several test cities after the new spirit treasure decree had been implemented.
The ministers had compiled countermeasures, only for Ji Zhi to reject them one by one and rewrite new modifications to the decree.
“So? Why are you here?”
“Good news—Che Wu, the general who’s been harassing your borders, is dead.”
Ji Zhi blinked. “When did this happen?”
“An hour ago.”
“And you came all the way here just to tell me this?”
“Yes. And also to ask you to help me find out who killed him.”
Ji Zhi rubbed his temples.
“I’ve been overusing my Double Pupils lately—if I keep going, I might go blind. Plus, I’m drowning in problems. If you’re not in a rush, give me ten days to recover my eyesight, and I’ll help you.”
“If you’re in a hurry, you could always ask Ji Kongkong.”
Jiang Li remembered Ji Kongkong—Ji Zhi’s youngest daughter, the Nineteenth Princess of Great Zhou.
“She’s only seven or eight, right? Isn’t she still in the early Qi Refining Stages? How could she possibly use Time Reversal?”
Ji Zhi smirked proudly.
“You don’t know, do you? Kongkong wasn’t born human—she was a little white fish at birth, just like our ancestor! Her talent for the Dao of Time surpasses mine—she’s destined for greatness!”