Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 297 Obtaining the Supreme Holy Body Again!

Everyone in the hall held their breath.

Nangong Cheng's voice was as desolate as an ancient bell:

"That battle... was extremely brutal. Our sect lost four Grand Elders and five Peak Masters, and countless disciples were killed or wounded. Two of the sect's inherited sacred artifacts were shattered, and the sect's protective formation almost collapsed."

"Finally, it was the acting sect leader at the time who, at the cost of his own life, used a forbidden technique to kill him."

He paused, his tone heavy: "However, this fiend is a descendant of the Demon Emperor, with a special bloodline. Even after death, its heart continues to beat, brimming with demonic energy..."

Fearing that this creature would bring chaos to the world, the several elders joined forces to suppress it, sealing it within an underground spiritual spring.

"This letter... has lasted for seven thousand years."

The hall was deathly silent.

Everyone was shocked by this secret.

Li Wudao pondered, "So, the Demon Clan went to great lengths, most likely to obtain this Demon Heart?"

"good."

Nangong Cheng nodded slowly, his withered finger pointing in the air.

A screen of light appeared, reflecting the phantom of a dark red heart.

Although the heart was bound by heavy chains of runes, it was still beating slightly, and each contraction and expansion caused the light screen to tremble.

"After seven thousand years of purification of the spiritual veins, the demonic nature has almost completely dissipated."

Nangong Cheng said solemnly, "But the power contained within it is becoming increasingly pure and terrifying."

If the demons were to obtain it, they could use secret methods to reignite its demonic nature, enough to create a new 'Heavenly Demon Lord' within ten years... At that time, it would be a catastrophe for the Eastern Wilderness!

Murong Yan sat in the main seat, his face as pale as paper.

The veins on his fingers bulged as he gripped the armrest, and his knuckles made a soft "crackling" sound as he exerted force.

For the first time, a crack of doubt appeared in the eyes of the sect leader who had been in charge of the Xuantian Sect for decades.

He recalled the timid look on Wu Shaotian's face when he first called him "godfather" as a child;

He recalled the tears he held back when he applied medicine to the wound he sustained while practicing swordsmanship as a child.

I remember how, every time I celebrated my birthday as an adult, that child would always cook me a bowl of longevity noodles...

Twenty-seven years of "father-son" relationship... was it all a lie?

"Sect Master," Gu Yue Zhenren's voice was as deep as iron, "this matter is of utmost importance. I suggest that Wu Shaotian be apprehended immediately and subjected to severe torture!"

"No."

Master Qingsong shook his head, his whisk moving on its own without wind. "Without irrefutable evidence, this action will chill the hearts of your disciples."

Besides... if he really is a spy, he must have a backup plan, and pushing him too far could lead to unforeseen circumstances.

The group argued incessantly.

Nangong Cheng looked at Li Wudao, a deep meaning flashing in his aged eyes: "Wudao, do you... have a good plan?"

In an instant, all eyes were focused on the young man in the blue robe.

Li Wudao remained silent for three breaths.

He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a sword. "I believe that rather than alerting the enemy, we should... lure them into a trap."

"Oh? Tell me your thoughts in detail." A glint flashed in Nangong Cheng's eyes.

"Wu Shaotian has been lying low for 27 years without leaving a trace, which shows his deep scheming and must have a well-thought-out plan."

Li Wudao said slowly, "If we take forceful action, even if we can capture and kill this person, it is hard to guarantee that it will not cause even greater trouble."

Instead, we should set a trap, giving him an irresistible 'opportunity' to force him to reveal himself and draw out the real mastermind.

"Opportunity?" Murong Yan asked hoarsely.

"The investiture ceremony will be held in five days."

Li Wudao said slowly and deliberately, "At that time, the entire sect will be fully prepared, which will be the busiest time."

He walked to the center of the hall and used his spiritual power to draw a simple diagram in the air:

"We can claim to the outside world that the Illusionary Demon Tower has become unstable due to years of disrepair and the array at the bottom of the tower has become unstable, requiring urgent reinforcement. The sect leader is also busy presiding over the grand ceremony and is unable to attend to other matters."

"At this point... it would be perfectly logical to hand over this 'important task' to Wu Shaotian."

He paused, his voice turning cold: "If he truly is a spy, upon learning of the opportunity to access the underground seal, he will be like a hungry wolf eyeing blood. Even knowing it might be a trap, he will find it extremely difficult to resist..."

"Because this is the closest we've come to the Heavenly Demon's heart in twenty-seven years!"

The expressions of the people in the hall changed.

Master Guyue stroked his beard and pondered, "This plan... is feasible. But the risks are also great."

"The risks are manageable."

Li Wudao stated confidently, "Seven thousand years have passed, and the Demon Clan has yet to make a move. There's only one reason—they're not confident in launching a full-scale attack."

"This shows that within the Eastern Wilderness, the Demon Clan's power is insufficient to overwhelm the Xuan Tian Sect. Otherwise, given the Demon Clan's modus operandi, they would never have been so tolerant."

He looked at Nangong Cheng: "What does the Ancestor think?"

Nangong Cheng remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding: "We can try."

Murong Yan closed his eyes, his voice weary: "What if he... is truly innocent?"

"That bento box was just a routine reinforcement of the formation."

Li Wudao said calmly, "If he behaves himself and does nothing out of the ordinary, the inescapable trap we've laid won't harm him in the slightest."

He paused, looked at the sect leader, and said with a deep gaze, "But... sect leader needs to be prepared. The truth is often more cruel than imagined."

Murong Yan remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he slowly opened his eyes, the last trace of hesitation in them turning into resolute determination:

"Then... we shall proceed according to this plan."

.........

When Li Wudao and Jiang Churan left the main hall of the peak, it was already dark.

Both of them seemed preoccupied and remained silent the whole way.

Li Wudao was contemplating how to defend against the demons. He had a premonition that the next time they met, it would likely be a powerful expert at the Martial Venerable level or above.

Jiang Churan, meanwhile, was thinking about her memories from her previous life.

She finally understood why the Xuantian Sect had been attacked by the demons in her previous life—it was all because of the Heavenly Demon Heart.

In this life, she must not let the tragedy repeat itself.

Unbeknownst to them, the two had arrived at a viewing platform.

In the distance, the peaks are dotted with lights, like a galaxy fallen to earth; nearby, clouds and mist swirl, creating a dreamlike scene.

Jiang Churan suddenly stopped, glanced at Li Wudao, and spoke softly:

"You...did you receive the ancestral master's inheritance in the Illusionary Demon Tower?"

The moonlight shone on her beautiful face, and her eyes, like the moon reflected in a cold pool, were clear and filled with a hint of curiosity.

Li Wudao was taken aback, then nodded: "Yes."

He did not hide anything and told everyone about the inheritance he had received, except for that mysterious dark gray fragment.

Jiang Churan listened quietly.

A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes when he heard the name "Nine-Leaf Lingzhi".

"You..." she hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.

"Hmm?" Li Wudao looked at her.

Jiang Churan lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

When this gesture came from her cool and aloof demeanor, it actually looked rather... cute.

After a long pause, she said softly, "That nine-leaf Ganoderma... is of great use to my current cultivation."

She raised her head, a flicker of struggle in her eyes, but she still mustered her courage:

"Could you give it to me? I know this is an unreasonable request, but I'll try my best to make it up to you with other resources..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Wudao had already laughed.

He smiled gently, without a trace of displeasure in his eyes: "Okay."

Jiang Churan was taken aback.

She had thought that Li Wudao would hesitate, bargain, or even... refuse.

After all, the Nine-Leaf Lingzhi is a medicinal king that is over a thousand years old. It has miraculous effects on tempering the cultivation realm below the Martial Saint level and is priceless.

Unexpectedly, he agreed so readily.

"Do you need anything else? I don't need it for the time being, so just take what you need and don't be shy."

Li Wudao grinned, waved his hand, and took out all the treasures in his inventory at once.

He was worried about how to "invest" these idle treasures in order to get system rebates.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Churan spoke up herself, which saved him the trouble.

Suddenly, a dazzling array of colors appeared before their eyes, with hundreds of radiant treasures suspended in mid-air.

"No...no need, that nine-leaf Ganoderma lucidum is enough."

Jiang Churan narrowed her beautiful eyes, staring blankly at him, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.

Since her rebirth, she has become accustomed to being alone, to scheming and being wary, and to distrusting everyone.

But this boy in front of her was so kind to her without any suspicion...

"Thanks."

She spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly.

At the same time, I couldn't help but let my mind wander.

Why is he so nice to me? Could it be... that he likes me?

The moment the thought crossed her mind, the girl's delicate body swayed involuntarily, a blush rose to her pretty face, and her eyes darted around in a panic.

Under the moonlight, the girl's cold face softened a bit, and the icy coldness in her eyes that had never melted seemed to... crack open.

Li Wudao, however, was immersed in the generous system rewards and smugly pleased with himself, completely unaware of the girl's strange behavior.

[Ding! Jiang Churan's favorability +20, current favorability value 80]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, your investment has been successful. Investment project: Nine-Leaf Lingzhi]

[Investment target detected as the Chosen One, triggering a critical reward]

[Random rewards are being drawn]

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Thunderstrike Holy Body]

[Thunderstrike Holy Body: Ranked eighth on the Human Race's Holy Body Ranking, possessing unparalleled thunderous might, and mastering destruction, judgment, and extreme speed. Acting on behalf of Heaven to punish evil and ward off chaos.]

"This...another high-level holy body?!"

Li Wudao stared in disbelief, unable to help but gasp.

Historical records have never heard of anyone being able to awaken two sacred bodies, both of which are high-level sacred bodies. This is truly defying the heavens!

......

at the same time.

In a secret underground room in the back mountain.

The secret room was dark, with only a blood-red lamp flickering.

The crimson light reflected on the wall, elongating a figure in black robes, making him appear distorted like a demon.

Wu Shaotian stood in the center of the secret room, his hair disheveled, panting heavily, his face contorted in a ferocious expression, completely unlike his usual humble and gentle demeanor.

Around him, the ground was a mess, with piles of dry bones scattered around, all of them children, numbering over a hundred, which had not yet been dealt with.

"Little Lord."

An aged figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

That was Elder Jin, the protector sent by the demon race to assist him.

Looking at the mess in the room, Old Master Jin frowned slightly: "Young Master, you've lost your composure... It's precisely at times like these that you need to stay calm."

After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "A message has come from over there..."