Chu Bai cupped his fists in a salute, his expression as cool and detached as ever. Only a faint, dark-gold gleam deep within his pupils hinted at a greater storm brewing.
"This subordinate obeys."
Deep within the dungeons of the Evil Suppression Department, the air was cold and damp.
The walls were covered in runes that suppressed Spiritual Power, and the air was so heavy it felt solidified.
Zhang Cheng sat at the head of the room, the Official Seal representing his authority as a Regular Seventh-Grade County Captain hovering in mid-air. It radiated an Official Qi as scorching as the blazing sun, dispelling all the surrounding shadows.
Profound Iron Chains pierced through Black Sheep’s collarbones, forcing him to kneel in the center of the room.
Under the pressure of Zhang Cheng’s Foundation Establishment Stage Divine Thought, his prized Qi Cultivation Perfection was completely suppressed. He felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cavern, his Sea of Consciousness trembling violently under the terrifying Spiritual Pressure.
"No one can keep secrets under the Law Net." Zhang Cheng’s voice was low, each word landing like a heavy hammer on Black Sheep’s heart. "Speak. Who is behind your organization, pulling the strings?"
Chu Bai and Pang Song stood to one side, their expressions solemn.
Black Sheep spat out a mouthful of foul blood mixed with splinters. He knew that in front of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator, any lie was as fragile as paper.
He looked up with a wretched laugh, his voice hoarse. "Do you think... that by killing me and wiping out Chaotic Bone Ridge, Anping County will be at peace? My True Spirit Association has stood strong in Qingzhou for decades. If we didn’t have a Foundation Establishment cultivator backing us, how could we possibly have evaded the inspections of your Celestial Observatory?"
"Foundation Establishment?!" Pang Song’s heart jolted at the words.
As a Government official, he knew better than anyone what that implied.
The Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty’s control over cultivation resources was almost draconian. The Cyan Talisman, in particular, which was required after Foundation Establishment, was held in a death grip by the Celestial Decree Department of each province.
’It’s rare enough to find a Wild Cultivator at Late-stage Qi Cultivation, but one has actually reached the Foundation Establishment Stage?’
"How did he achieve Foundation Establishment? Don’t tell me he’s another defector who had already received a talisman?"
Pang Song blurted out instinctively.
"HAHAHA..."
Black Sheep let out a piercing laugh. His green-glowing eyes swept past Pang Song and settled on Chu Bai, filled with a nearly crazed defiance. "The Law has no boundaries; the Dao lies in nature."
"The Spiritual Mechanism of Heaven and Earth belongs to all, so why can’t those with No Talisman achieve Foundation Establishment? Why must we climb your hypocritical Celestial Ladder just to get a glimpse of immortality?"
"You two sirs are so young. Have you never considered that this Law Net... is also a shackle, one that locks away your true potential?"
His voice carried a strange, persuasive power as it echoed through the empty dungeon.
"Shut up!"
Zhang Cheng barked, and the hovering Official Seal flared with brilliant light. A crimson-purple wave of Spiritual Pressure instantly formed an invisible hand, violently forcing Black Sheep’s words back down his throat.
"Poisonous lies." Zhang Cheng’s eyes were ice-cold. "The Great Zhou Law Net is the foundation of order. The Celestial Examination selects the virtuous and talented for the Receiving Talisman ceremony. If there were no restraints, if all cultivators were like you—killing Divine Spirits and plundering their essence—wouldn’t the mortal realm become a Purgatory?"
Zhang Cheng glanced at Chu Bai and, seeing his expression was unchanged, nodded to himself in approval.
He thought to himself, ’A prodigy like Chu Bai, with his heart set on the Qingzhou Celestial Examination, would never be swayed by such talk from someone on a Self-Taught Path.’
"Keep talking. Why exactly did you assassinate the Water Uncle?"
Blood streamed from Black Sheep’s seven orifices under the pressure. He gasped with difficulty, "I reached the Perfection Realm years ago, but my path forward is blocked by your Law Net... The organization’s plan was to use this method to intercept a sliver of the Stream Water Spirit’s ’Divine Dao Origin.’"
"If I refine it and combine it with the Merit from that Seal and Ribbon, I can forcibly forge a path for myself at Chaotic Bone Ridge... and achieve Foundation Establishment..."
Chu Bai recalled the Divine Dao Merit he had absorbed at Chaotic Bone Ridge, and everything suddenly clicked into place.
Outside the Law Net, these Wild Cultivator organizations had discovered a bloody path to forcibly break through: hunting Divine Spirits and seizing the Origin of their Status.
And with that, the full truth was finally revealed.
The Sanmu River God-Stabbing Case was, in fact, the foul result of two different factions’ actions:
First was the True Spirit Association, entrenched in the wilderness. As Dharma Inheritor Disciples, they carried out the assassination, intending to use some clandestine method to obscure the Celestial Secret and seize the Water Uncle’s Spiritual Origin, all to create a new warrior with Foundation Establishment Combat Power for their organization.
Second were the corrupt officials within the Dayuan Prefecture Inspection Department. After learning of the Water Uncle’s death, they cared little for the actual culprit. Instead, they planned to abuse their authority, take control of the scene, and seize the shattered Seal and Ribbon. Their goal was to orchestrate a "changing of the divine guard," so to speak, and install one of their own cronies on the divine pedestal.
As for the divine battle back at Threadline Gorge, the reason the Water Uncle had fallen in an instant was now clear: the Foundation Establishment Stage Wild Cultivator behind the True Spirit Association had personally intervened.
Only power of that magnitude could instantly shatter the defenses of a Regular Eighth-Grade True God before the Law Net even had time to react.
’A Foundation Establishment Wild Cultivator...’ Chu Bai pressed the Token at his waist, his gaze growing ever deeper.
’What are they after?’
’If it were truly just for the sake of pursuing the Great Dao, our two sides wouldn’t need to be so hostile.’
As for the prisoner’s words, Chu Bai knew in his heart that they echoed the true feelings of many cultivators.
’Cultivating after Receiving a Talisman has become the accepted principle of Great Zhou. But just because it has always been so, does that make it right?’
Chu Bai felt he was in no position to judge.
His Celestial Examination was imminent, and with it, the chance to obtain a Cyan Talisman and advance his cultivation.
’But what if, one day, my cultivation becomes constrained by this very Talismanic Qi?’
’When that time comes, should I still acknowledge this "accepted truth"?’
’If that time truly comes...’
’My pursuit of the Dao comes first. If something limits me, I’ll remove that limitation.’
Of course, Chu Bai had no intention of making contact with these Dharma Inheritor Disciples.
The Great Zhou Celestial Court’s control was extremely strict; it was not something that could be changed overnight.
"Take Black Sheep to the Death Prison and place him under heavy guard. Seal the interrogation records. I’m going to the Prefecture City personally to shove this testimony right in the face of that Commander from the Inspection Department!"
Zhang Cheng stood up, his aura surging powerfully.
In this conflict, Chu Bai hadn’t just helped him suppress the chaos; he had also given him the sharpest possible weapon to use against his political enemies in the Prefecture City.
The Inspection Department had investigated this case but had produced no results, even causing more trouble in the process.
Now, this testimony was the perfect weapon for a counterattack.

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