Chapter 79: The Method to Obtain Karmic Virtue Power
“All of you here come from different parts of the Nine Provinces. Some of you are only eight years old. Whether by chance or by design, it doesn’t matter. Since you have arrived at the Divine Repository Sect, there is only one path—to join us.”
Real Person Feng left out the second half of that sentence—those who do not join will die.
Inside a room within the mystic realm, ten people sat listening to Real Person Feng explain the origins of the Divine Repository Sect and the story of the Divine Repository Sovereign.
It was largely similar to the information provided by Tianji Tower, except Real Person Feng omitted the part about killing people.
“Perhaps some of you still doubt the existence of the Divine Repository, thinking it is nothing but a fantasy. Allow me to demonstrate.”
Real Person Feng slapped his own chest, shattering his Nascent Soul. The eight people present were visibly startled—after all, a Nascent Soul was the evolved form of a Golden Core. Once shattered, one wouldn’t merely regress to the Golden Core Stage but would instead drop straight down to the Foundation Establishment Stage!
Was preaching really worth such self-destruction?
These people didn’t know much about the Divine Repository Sect. They had been repeatedly evaluated and subtly influenced before being brought here. All they had heard was that joining the Divine Repository Sect would grant them a mysterious power called the Power of the Divine Repository, which could raise cultivation levels, ward off inner demons, heal injuries, and provide endless other benefits.
But whether it was real or not, they had never seen it with their own eyes.
Jiang Li and Ji Kongkong remained expressionless.
Shattering a Nascent Soul? Small matter.
A golden light—what Real Person Feng called the Power of the Divine Repository—surged from his body, repairing his shattered Nascent Soul. Within just a few breaths, it was fully restored.
The eight onlookers had never seen such a phenomenon before. Everyone knew that once a Nascent Soul shattered, the only way to heal it was to spend a fortune at the Dao Sect to buy a Returning Wind and Fire Pill. But they had never seen anyone use some kind of mystical power to recover it!
The Power of the Divine Repository really existed!
Most of them were convinced, though a few still harbored doubts.
Real Person Feng didn’t mind. He began chanting the Mahākāśyapa’s Suffering Sutra, a scripture the sect leader had received in a dream. The scripture was long, convoluted, and difficult to understand, telling the life story of the Divine Repository Sovereign.
Jiang Li suddenly thought of Zhang Konghu. If that rough brute were here listening to this, he’d probably say, “What the hell is this nonsense?”
Jiang Li, far more learned than Zhang Konghu, could summarize the scripture as follows:
The Divine Repository Sovereign was born in the Celestial Realm, inherently divine, omniscient, and omnipotent, the one true existence in the world. From birth, He understood that the human body held limitless potential, hiding a Divine Repository. If one could unlock it, anyone could become divine.
In His eyes, both immortals and mortals were ignorant, though mortals were even more so. He selected a representative from the countless beings in the world, instructing them to reveal the secret of the Divine Repository to the ignorant masses, hoping that one day, another divine being would emerge to converse with Him and relieve His boredom.
Jiang Li’s assessment: “The boast is still too modest.”
For a religion to be truly convincing, it should claim its god was born before the Heavenly Dao, witnessed the creation of the world, took on countless forms, spread across existence, and with a single thought, could reverse the cosmos and transcend time itself. Only then would it be worthy of worship.
The Mahākāśyapa’s Suffering Sutra resembled Buddhist and Confucian scriptures. Repeated recitation could strengthen a believer’s faith. Of course, if misused, it could also serve as brainwashing.
Real Person Feng did not use the scripture for brainwashing but rather to enhance faith. Those who already believed in the Divine Repository Sovereign became even more devout, while the skeptical remained skeptical.
As for Jiang Li? He didn’t believe a single word before, and he didn’t believe a single word now.
Jiang Li used his divine sense to check on Ji Kongkong and discovered that the Ruyi Gourd had cast a Silent Tribulation around her. Within its range, no sound could be heard, meaning Ji Kongkong was completely unaffected by the Mahākāśyapa’s Suffering Sutra.
The Silent Tribulation was originally a Heavenly Tribulation designed to counter cultivators with abilities like Word Becomes Law or Manifestation by Thought. Within its influence, neither spoken words nor mental voice transmissions worked, forcing these cultivators to endure Heavenly Lightning in silence.
Jiang Li had never thought of using Silent Tribulation in this way. Truly eye-opening.
After the chanting concluded, Real Person Feng led the group to a grand hall. The entire structure was cast from bronze, with a dark and somber tone. Even though rows of red candles were lit, the hall remained dim. The massive bronze pillars were engraved with bizarre creatures, none of which Jiang Li had ever seen before.
Everything in the hall was unnaturally large—including the doors—clearly not designed for human use.
At the far end of the bronze hall stood a towering statue of an immortal, pieced together from human bones. It loomed over them, as though the entire hall was made for its use.
The bone-immortal statue had an androgynous face, with closed eyes and a serene, compassionate expression. Yet, combined with its skeletal form, it gave off an eerie sense of discord.
The Divine Repository Sovereign’s statue.
Aside from Real Person Feng and the ten initiates, several senior sect members were present—judging by their Soul Formation Stage cultivation, they likely held significant status and were here to oversee the initiation.
Additionally, ten people lay bound on the floor, struggling futilely.
“This was the first step of the ceremony—listening to the teachings. Now, we move on to the second step—proving your sincerity.”
Real Person Feng didn’t introduce the supervising sect members. Instead, he pointed at the captives.
“Each of you must kill one person. Your success in this test will determine whether you pass.”
Cheng Ziqi, who had entered with Jiang Li, hesitated and asked, “Do we have to kill these innocent people? Isn’t this a bit too…”
Too much like demonic cultivation?
The others nodded in agreement. They had never heard of killing people as part of the initiation. They had been told that the Divine Repository Sovereign guided believers to unlock their hidden divine power.
Real Person Feng had anticipated this question and explained, “These are all death row prisoners taken from the Tianyuan Dynasty’s imperial prison. They were sentenced to die regardless. Now, we are simply giving their deaths greater meaning.”
Hearing this, one of the recruits picked up a blade and decisively stabbed a captive to death.
Yet, nothing happened.
“That’s it? Did I pass?” The man was clearly experienced in killing and only cared about the result.
Real Person Feng asked, “Do you doubt the Divine Repository Sovereign’s power?”
The man quickly put on a false look of sincerity. “Of course not. I believe.”
Real Person Feng sighed, shook his head, and without warning, killed the man with a swift strike. “One who does not truly believe in the Divine Repository Sovereign, who does not have faith in Him, will not receive the Power of the Divine Repository.”
After joining the sect, followers would learn an incantation that allowed them to conceal their Power of the Divine Repository. But now, Real Person Feng no longer hid it—he demonstrated the process of obtaining it before everyone’s eyes.
After killing someone, a formless golden power suddenly materialized, enveloping Real Person Feng. For a moment, he appeared to be a virtuous saint, making onlookers instinctively feel the urge to kneel in reverence.
“This is the Power of the Divine Repository.”
The golden power came quickly and faded just as fast, soon merging into Real Person Feng’s body and vanishing from sight.
Jiang Li’s expression sharpened.
This was the first time he had witnessed the process of acquiring Karmic Virtue Power.