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

Chapter 296 The Secret of the Heavenly Demon Heart

however--

Jiang Churan was only stunned for a moment.

She nodded gently, her voice calm and undisturbed: "I believe you."

Li Wudao was stunned for a moment, "You...aren't you going to ask why?"

"intuition."

Jiang Churan spoke softly, paused, and then added, "Besides... I've had my suspicions for a while now."

The two looked at each other.

Only the rustling of leaves in the wind remained in the forest, and everyone's emotions were somewhat complicated.

.......

Main Peak Hall.

The high-ranking officials are discussing the specifics of the investiture ceremony, which is nearing its end.

"Sect Leader, the Holy Son and Junior Sister Jiang request an audience."

The disciple in charge entered the hall to announce the arrival of the servants.

A hint of surprise flashed in Murong Yan's eyes, but he immediately smiled and said, "Please invite them in."

Before long, two figures entered the hall side by side.

Li Wudao, dressed in a blue robe, moved with ease as if treading on clouds; Jiang Churan, in white, was as pure and aloof as a fairy from the moon palace.

The two stepped forward in unison, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Sect Master, and all the elders."

Li Wudao's gaze swept across the hall, and when he saw Xia Gucheng, he couldn't help but grin:

"The old man is here too? Don't you usually avoid these kinds of occasions where it's quiet?"

Xia Gucheng sternly snorted, "You have no manners. I'll deal with you when we get back."

Despite saying that, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes; he had really struck gold with this apprentice.

Li Wudao's face immediately fell, and he put on a wronged expression.

Upon seeing this, the elders in the hall couldn't help but smile, and the originally solemn atmosphere eased a bit.

Murong Yan smiled and waved his hand, gesturing for the two to sit down.

Once they were seated, he said gently, "Wu Dao, Chu Ran, you've come at the right time. The investiture ceremony is scheduled for five days from now. Do you have any thoughts on this?"

Li Wudao shook his head: "It is entirely up to the sect leader and the elders to decide."

Jiang Churan nodded slightly.

The group discussed some details, such as the ceremony, seating arrangements, and so on, taking great care in every aspect.

With everything finalized, Murong Yan looked at Li Wudao and said with a smile:

"Wu Dao, take good care of yourself these next few days and don't feel pressured. On the day of the ceremony, you can simply show up to receive your title."

Li Wudao nodded: "This disciple understands."

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Murong Yan, with his keen senses, immediately noticed: "Wu Dao, do you have something to say?"

Li Wudao remained silent for a moment, then instead of speaking directly, he transmitted his voice to Li Wudao's ear:

"Sect Master, I have something to report. There may still be demonic spies lurking within the sect. Moreover, this person has a special identity and a close relationship with you."

Murong Yan's expression changed drastically!

He had already mobilized the entire sect to investigate, searching from the lowest servants to the peak master, but so far he has not found anything unusual.

He thought the demon spies had been completely eliminated, but Li Wudao claimed that there were still spies around, and that they had a close relationship with him. How could he not be horrified?

Who is it?

After racking his brains to no avail, Murong Yan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

After a few moments of contemplation, the sect leader slowly spoke, his voice regaining its calmness:

"Gentlemen, let's conclude our meeting here for now. The Supreme Elders and the Seven Peak Masters, please stay behind. The rest of you, please go back and rest."

Everyone was taken aback. Although they didn't understand why, seeing the sect leader's solemn expression, they all got up to take their leave.

When only a dozen or so people remained in the hall, Murong Yan raised his hand and waved it.

"Om-"

An invisible barrier instantly enveloped the hall, isolating it from the outside world.

After doing all this, Murong Yan looked at Li Wudao, his voice low and deep:

"Wu Dao, now you can speak. Who exactly is that demon spy?"

The hall was deathly silent.

All eyes were focused on Li Wudao, their expressions varied—shock, doubt, contemplation… and so on.

Even after Cheng Yuanliang was executed, there was still an internal traitor?!

Thinking of this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Under the solemn gaze of everyone, Li Wudao spoke in a deep voice.

He recounted his speculations in detail, from the clues he found in the Cheng Yuanliang incident to the suspicious aspects of Wu Shaotian's behavior...

It is meticulously analyzed and logically rigorous.

"All indications suggest that Wu Shaotian... is very likely a spy planted by the Demon Clan in the sect."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

Murong Yan, the usually composed sect leader, was now as pale as a sheet.

He remained silent for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice: "Wu Dao... it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that what you're saying is... too unbelievable."

He raised his head, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions: "Shaotian, that child, was raised by my own hands."

Everyone in the hall held their breath.

A look of reminiscence flashed in Murong Yan's eyes as he slowly said:

"Twenty-seven years ago, when I was traveling, I passed through an unnamed small mountain village. The village had about two hundred people, mostly surnamed Wu. They lived off the land and had a simple and honest folk culture."

"The villagers warmly welcomed me, and I stayed overnight before leaving. Six months later, I passed through there again, and I still remember it was a beautiful sunset, with a stretch of fiery clouds stretching across the sky..."

At this point, his voice lowered, "However, before I even entered the village, I smelled... a strong stench of blood."

I rushed into the village, and what I saw... was corpses everywhere. Men, women, and children—no one had survived. Blood soaked the yellow earth, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere; the scene was horrific.

“I searched the village and finally heard a crying sound... I found an infant still in swaddling clothes deep in a woodpile in the backyard of a farmhouse.”

Murong Yan closed his eyes: "The child was hidden under the woodpile, covered with straw. Perhaps his parents desperately protected him before they died."

When I found him, he had his big, dark eyes open, neither crying nor making a fuss, just quietly looking at me.

"I felt pity for him, so I brought him back to the sect. In order to commemorate that village, I used the surname Wu and named him 'Shaotian', hoping that he would be as bright as the sky in his youth and have a vast world to explore in the future."

"Over the years, I have taught him with utmost care, treating him as my own son. He is exceptionally intelligent, diligent in his practice, and kind to others..."

I simply cannot believe that he could be a demon spy.

Silence fell over the hall.

Everyone found it hard to believe.

How could someone who was raised by the sect leader from childhood and lived in the Xuantian Sect for nearly thirty years be a spy of the demon race?

“Junior Nephew Li, are you… being too suspicious? I’ve met Shaotian many times; he’s of good character and doesn’t seem like a wicked person.”

The other peak masters also nodded slightly.

Li Wudao's eyes flickered, and his expression became solemn.

He looked at Murong Yan and said, slowly and deliberately, "Sect Master, what if... all of this is a meticulously planned scheme?"

Everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Li Wudao continued, "May I ask, Sect Master, when that mountain village was massacred, were the murderers found? Were any valuables looted?"

Murong Yan shook his head: "I've investigated, but there are no clues. There were no traces of martial arts techniques left at the scene, and the valuables were not looted. It seems... it was just a case of killing for the sake of killing."

"The second question."

Li Wudao's gaze sharpened. "An infant less than a year old, faced with such a bloody scene, didn't cry or make a fuss, and wasn't discovered by the thieves. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"

Murong Yan was stunned.

Everyone in the hall was stunned.

"If it were a thief, he would be after money. But no valuables were stolen from the mountain village, so it was clearly not the work of a thief."

"If it was a revenge killing, why slaughter the entire village, not even sparing the infants?"

"And the timing is just too coincidental. It just so happens that the sect leader happened to be passing by and discovered it all. How should I put it..."

It was more like a... carefully planned encounter.

The hall was completely silent.

Everyone's expression changed.

These suspicious points may seem insignificant on their own, but when put together, they are indeed chilling to think about.

Master Gu Yue said in a deep voice, "Wu Dao, your speculations are reasonable, but ultimately... there is no conclusive evidence."

Li Wudao remained silent.

He simply couldn't produce any conclusive evidence.

Wu Shaotian's actions were meticulous, and on the surface, there was no indication that he had any connection with the Demon Clan. If it weren't for Haotian's Eye, he wouldn't have been able to see through this disguise in a short time.

Nangong Cheng tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, narrowing his eyes. "Young friend Wudao, if Wu Shaotian is truly a spy for the Demon Clan, what do you think his purpose is?"

"Wu Shaotian has remained hidden for so long without revealing any flaws; his ambitions must be enormous."

Li Wudao pondered for a moment, then voiced his speculation.

"Perhaps they are gradually encroaching on the sect, waiting for an opportunity to take its place; or perhaps they are after something within the sect..."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Cheng's old face suddenly changed!

For the first time, this ancestor, who had lived for countless years, showed a look of shock in his eyes.

He stood up abruptly, his voice trembling as he cried out, "Could it be... for the 'Heavenly Demon Heart'?!"

"Heavenly Demon Heart?"

Li Wudao and the other peak masters looked puzzled.

The senior elders, however, looked solemn, clearly knowing something.

Nangong Cheng took a deep breath and slowly said, "This matter... was originally one of the top secrets of my Xuantian Sect. But since we've come this far, I'll tell you."

His gaze was distant, as if piercing through ancient times:

"This matter dates back to seven thousand years ago..."

"At that time, there was no news of our sect's founding ancestor, Senior Chen Xuanfeng, and the sect was leaderless."

Taking advantage of the situation, the demons launched a massive invasion, led by... the most powerful figure among the demons at the time, the 'Heavenly Demon Lord'!