Chapter 574: Heavenly Demon… Lame.

Mei Wenhua, a member of the Outer Heavenly Demon Clan who had ventured deep into the Great Desolation, was captured.

As the most beloved child of her mother, understood from the perspective of the Great Desolation, she was akin to a princess among the Heavenly Demon race, the most favored attendant of the Venerable Sage! Yet, while preparing to infiltrate the Dao hearts of the Great Desolation's Qi Refiners, she was seized bare-handed!

Mei Wenhua admitted that she had indeed acted impulsively then. Upon discovering an exquisite host body, she felt victory was assured and, without careful perception, rushed forward while the target's Dao heart was fluctuating.

However, Mei Wenhua truly hadn't expected that any being could casually seize her true form and pull her out from the shadow of nothingness! This defied Mei Wenhua's understanding of herself and of the beings in the Great Desolation.

Suddenly...

“Thank you for your help this time.”

Who was conversing beside her, and how had she overheard such a dialogue?

A female Qi Refiner's voice said, “So this is an Outer Heavenly Demon? She's quite pretty after taking human form.”

Then a male voice responded, “From what I know of Heavenly Demons, this should be a variant, and her inherent rank is not low. This outward appearance was merely sculpted by someone... Could I ask you to try and see if you can stir her sealed seven emotions? I wish to conduct some in-depth research.”

“Oh, no need to be so polite with us, Lord Star Monarch! Although you left us here and didn't bother with us, we can't blame you for anything. After all, thanks to you, we can wander around freely outside.”

“Heavenly Court affairs are busy, Heavenly Court affairs are busy, don't blame me, don't blame me...”

'Is this the Great Desolation being who captured me?' Mei Wenhua had this thought. Her perception had recovered slightly, and she began to fully sense her surroundings.

The power of the Heavenly Dao, which she found repulsive, flowed around her. She seemed to be sealed. According to the restriction set by her mother, her body would automatically transform into the Innate Dao Body form pursued by beings of the Great Desolation.

Of course, Mei Wenhua's true form wasn't like this. Her most comfortable state was that of a hazy gray mist, able to stretch her body freely within the Chaos Sea, like spreading a net, allowing fragments of the Dao to brush against every wisp of her mist, thereby generating an unimaginable pleasure.

This won't do. Such vulgar pursuits, akin to self-degradation, should not manifest in her. She was a servant chosen by the Sage, originally without superfluous things like names, devoid of any seven emotions or six desires of Great Desolation beings. She would only obey orders, only follow her mother's will, accompanying the Sage after being sealed by her mother.

But to facilitate entry into the Great Desolation, the Sage bestowed a name upon her. Mei Wenhua, a very beautiful name.

After countless moments of distraction, Mei Wenhua and her three companions were summoned by their Sage and received their mission. As expected, it concerned beings of the Great Desolation. This time, the Sage instructed them to infiltrate the Great Desolation, possess some exceptionally beautiful female Qi Refiners, attempt to approach the Heavenly Court's Grand White Star Monarch, become close associates of the Grand White Star Monarch, and then await further orders.

Mei Wenhua's progress was much smoother than her companions'. After possessing the Dao heart of a female Qi Refiner, she directly reached the Five Continents of the Great Desolation.

To evade Heavenly Dao's scrutiny, Mei Wenhua constantly changed her host. Most Heavenly Demons prided themselves on infiltrating the Dao hearts of powerful Qi Refiners, but Mei Wenhua wasn't particular about such things. She could choose to possess any spiritual being. There were also informants of their Heavenly Demon clan within the Great Desolation. Although some had been destroyed by that cursed divine beast Di Ting previously, remnants still operated.

Mei Wenhua received news that today, in this gathering place of mortals, Heavenly Court Immortals and Gods were likely to appear. Indeed, having arrived and hidden here a few days earlier, she sensed the aura of a group of Heavenly Court Immortals.

Everything seemed incredibly smooth. The Heavenly Dao apparently hadn't detected her trace. Heh, the Heavenly Dao of the Great Desolation is nothing special.

Just as Mei Wenhua was trying to find a suitable Immortal's Dao heart to possess and hide within, she struggled because the Heavenly Dao power around those Immortals was too dense for her to act...

Suddenly, Mei Wenhua sensed a significant fluctuation in the Dao heart of a Heavenly Immortal realm Qi Refiner nearby. According to her clan's nature, such a situation naturally could not be missed.

Infiltrating the Dao hearts of Great Desolation Qi Refiners, little by little eroding their will, and finally consuming their primordial spirits as delicious food... Nothing was more beloved by Heavenly Demons than this. Oh, except for the demon-degrading act of spreading her true form in the Chaos Sea and accepting the scraping of Dao fragments.

Formations without the blessing of Heavenly Dao power posed no threat to Mei Wenhua. Soon, she found her target.

The moment she saw the one whose Dao heart was fluctuating, even a heartless Heavenly Demon like Mei Wenhua was profoundly shaken for an instant. Is this the creation of a Great Desolation being?!

Mei Wenhua was considered a 'Great Desolation expert,' having received countless pieces of information related to the Great Desolation shared by her mother, the Heavenly Demon Venerable. She understood the general principles of the Great Desolation, but why was it just so... Decided, it was her! The Dao body she would use for her final plan, to entice the Grand White Star Monarch, would be her! No one could refuse her advances!

At that moment, Mei Wenhua was incredibly excited. Mei Wenhua didn't know why, but she, who should have no mortal emotions, suddenly became inexplicably excited, to the point of throwing caution to the wind, eager to infiltrate this female Qi Refiner's Dao heart. —Shadow Ferrying Demon, this was a commonly used method for Heavenly Demon possession.

Soon... it would succeed, right? Mei Wenhua's joy was magnified infinitely, her optimism blinding her completely for an instant, when a small hand reached out from the side and grabbed her...

Why was she seized directly? And why, at that moment, were there emotional fluctuations that a Heavenly Demon shouldn't possess? Wh—

“Awake?”

A gentle voice came. Mei Wenhua felt the surrounding seal loosen slightly, allowing her to recover her sensory abilities.

Immediately after, Mei Wenhua made a judgment, mimicking the 'body' of a Great Desolation being, intentionally showing a hint of weakness, and slowly 'opening her eyes'. Heavenly Demons observed their surroundings purely through perception. But at this moment, to survive and continue executing the task given by the Sage, Mei Wenhua would spare no effort, using all her advantages!

'Before her' was an old man with white eyebrows and white hair. He wore a plain white Daoist robe, sat behind a low table, and held a brush as if writing something.

Wait... This aura! This Dao charm!? It was exactly identical to the aura and Dao charm branded upon her by the Sage! Was this the Grand White Star Monarch she was supposed to find?

Surrounded by a formation constructed from dense Heavenly Dao power, Mei Wenhua felt as though she had been imprisoned in a cage set by the Heavenly Dao. It was indeed the Grand White Star Monarch...

The old man slowly said without raising his head, “Kunpeng's subordinate?”

Mei Wenhua was somewhat bewildered at this moment and momentarily forgot to answer.

The old man, presumably her target, then murmured, “A Heavenly Demon so similar to a Great Desolation being is truly rare. This specimen has considerable collection value.”

“Are you... are you the Grand White Star Monarch?” Mei Wenhua asked in a whisper, her voice unexpectedly delicate. Coupled with her current appearance, it was enough to make most Qi Refiners' hearts flutter...

But Li Changshou frowned deeply, already pondering a profound question.

Demon Master Kunpeng... Is he an old lecher? Because of this hobby, he teamed up with Senior Lang? Otherwise, why would Kunpeng cultivate a Heavenly Demon and shape her appearance to be so... so captivating and soul-snatching? This Outer Heavenly Demon currently maintained a human form, without the slightest sense of danger. Her body seemed corporeal. Li Changshou had even poked her arm just now, and the sensation was distinct. Her tall nose bridge, slightly narrow phoenix eyes, sapphire-like pupils, and delicate features combined to create an innate charm, even with a hint of sanctity. Completely different from the pitch-black true forms of the Heavenly Demons seen before. The only drawback was that her skin was truly snow-white, to the point of being dazzling, lacking a bit of translucency.

A hybrid of 'Inner Demon' type Heavenly Demons and 'being-like' type Heavenly Demons? Especially, she was only wearing a thin dress at this moment... Kunpeng and Senior Lang wouldn't spare even Outer Heavenly Demons, would they? This is too...

Naturally, faced with such an Outer Demon, Li Changshou's Dao heart remained completely still; he even had a slight urge to dissect and study her. He had to extract the full story from this Heavenly Demon's mouth; the situation this time was extremely serious. An Outer Heavenly Demon actually targeted Martial Uncle Jiu. Had Kunpeng's intelligence network already penetrated the Lin Tian Hall, among the hidden cards he had always concealed? Outer Heavenly Demons could corrupt Qi Refiners' Dao hearts, and Kunpeng indeed had the ability to achieve this. Therefore, Li Changshou appeared calm on the surface, but his mind was frantically contemplating how to make this Heavenly Demon speak. This was rare; Li Changshou felt that he was being suppressed in 'intelligence work'. His chances against Kunpeng consequently dropped sharply.

“What is your name?” Li Changshou asked gently, adding, “Don't be afraid. I suspect you were originally a Great Desolation being, merely having your Dao heart corrupted by an Inner Demon and your memories altered by a great divine ability. I am the Heavenly Court's Grand White Star Monarch. I presume you already know this.”

Step two: Create a smokescreen, attack the heart and mind.

The beautiful Heavenly Demon was visibly stunned. A Great Desolation being, with a corrupted Dao heart, and altered memories by a great divine ability?

Mei Wenhua almost burst out laughing. She was constructed from her mother's primordial power, born specifically for this day—there was no doubt about that! But Mei Wenhua said tremblingly, “Really? But how could my mother lie to me? The Sage wouldn't lie to me like this either.”

Li Changshou: ...

Touching acting.

“Look,” Li Changshou's immortal power condensed into a dagger in his hand. He gently waved his finger, slicing across the Heavenly Demon's arm, and a streak of crimson quietly welled out. This time, the Heavenly Demon was truly stunned. Mei Wenhua looked at the wound on her arm, the drops of seeping blood, and the slight stinging sensation... How could she have these?

Li Changshou continued to write and draw on the scroll before him, sighing softly in his heart. Without waiting for the Heavenly Demon to examine closely, he raised his hand and waved again, restoring the wound on her arm. “You, should not be a Heavenly Demon.” Li Changshou's voice carried a hint of uncertainty. “I can tell you plainly, I am opposed to Kunpeng—the Sage you speak of. There is no possibility of you escaping once you are in my hands. However, I am very interested in your current state and wish to conduct some research into the essence of living beings. I won't ask you for any information about your plans or anything like that; it holds no meaning for me. I can probably deduce it: Kunpeng simply sent you into the Great Desolation to try and approach me, correct?”

The Heavenly Demon's eyes were unfocused, but Li Changshou could sense that she was gazing at him with a 'complex expression'. This second step was indeed taken steadily. The Heavenly Demon tacitly accepted the 'you all' phrasing, which meant there were other accomplices.

Step three: Make reasonable deductions, confuse perception.

“Tell me.” Li Changshou put down the brush in his hand. “Regarding matters related to yourself, let's see if I can help you find some clues. If you were originally a Great Desolation being who was harmed, I might not take your life; I would merely seal you.”

Heavenly Demon: ...

Within this cage-like formation, Li Changshou began a peculiar interrogation. As he had just said, he made no inquiries about Kunpeng, nor did he ask about their purpose or plans for this trip. All topics revolved around the Heavenly Demon herself. Whenever the Heavenly Demon began to assert that she was an Outer Heavenly Demon, Li Changshou would always offer new hints.

For instance, slicing her arm would cause bleeding and pain. She, who should have no emotions, now felt a sense of sorrow. Even more, she even felt a joy from being understood, and satisfaction from being paid attention to... These characteristics, which she should have been able to exploit in Great Desolation beings, were gradually manifesting in herself. Why was this happening?

It was actually very simple. If the perspective gradually pulled back, moving beyond the 'cage' where Li Changshou and the 'beautiful Heavenly Demon' were, it would enter a realm of darkness. Pulling the perspective further out, it would fly out from the chest of the 'Heavenly Demon's' current Innate Dao Body form.

On that mountaintop, within the grand formation previously set up by Kong Xuan, Li Changshou sat cross-legged, holding a precious pearl in his left palm, and forming a sword-finger with his right hand, pointed at the sealed Heavenly Demon 'girl' before him. Within the pearl, a wisp of 'primordial mirage mist' that Li Changshou had collected in the ancient city of Asura was sealed.

Beside Li Changshou and Mei Wenhua, Seven Emotions stood quietly, cooperating with Li Changshou's telepathic messages, occasionally changing an emotion. This was the first step in deceiving this Heavenly Demon: The Illusion of Seven Emotions, planting a demon within the demon's heart! Even the conversation intentionally allowed for the Heavenly Demon to overhear at the very beginning was skillfully designed, with extensive groundwork laid.

Outside the formation where Li Changshou, the Seven Emotions girl, and the Heavenly Demon 'Mei Wenhua' were located, dozens of Heavenly Soldiers used immortal power to create an isolation barrier, concealing the unusual phenomena on the mountaintop. The Jade Emperor's avatar currently hid in the air, not showing himself. Ao Yi, Bian Zhuang, and Princess Long Ji guarded the outer perimeter of the illusion formation.

At this moment, Jiu Jiu stood with her hands behind her back in a corner of the outer grand formation. She wasn't familiar with these Heavenly Court celebrities and had just received a telepathic message from Li Changshou: absolutely not to reveal her identity as the Saintess of Lin Tian Hall. For now, she stood there as a friend of the Seven Emotions girl and an Immortal from the Immortal Du Sect. Panicked, very panicked.

When she had just heard Xiao Shou Shou's telepathic message, Jiu Jiu felt her Dao heart buzz, like a pot boiling over, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Fortunately, after his avatar arrived, he was busy dealing with the Outer Heavenly Demon matter. Speaking of which... her Dao heart was so unstable that it actually attracted an Outer Heavenly Demon, which was truly somewhat, somewhat...

Jiu Jiu raised a hand to her forehead, gritting her teeth and stamping her foot! Hmph, at worst, she'd say she came back because she ran out of wine. She'd regroup and fight again next time!

Then, Jiu Jiu surveyed Long Ji, who was dressed up for the day. Knowing that Long Ji was Li Changshou's disciple, she wanted to befriend her, but was somewhat embarrassed. What should she say? She couldn't possibly say, 'I'm Changshou's martial aunt, quickly call me martial grandaunt and let me hear it?' Never mind, she'd come again next time, fully prepared. At least she'd put on her pretty clothes then, to have a bit of leverage to make her martial nephew comply.

Jiu Jiu was attracted by a commotion not far away and looked up. It was Ao Yi, whom she had met a few times, raising his hand to hook another Heavenly General's neck and slamming him violently onto the ground... What happened? Are Heavenly Generals fighting now?

At this moment, Ao Yi was cursing telepathically, “Who dares to look more?! This is Brother Cult Master's little martial aunt!” Bian Zhuang repeatedly slapped the ground, begging for mercy, “Understood, understood, I truly had no improper thoughts, purely surprise, surprise!”

“Hmph!” Ao Yi stood up with an unfriendly expression. Bian Zhuang sighed mournfully, scrambling up in despair, not daring to let even a wisp of immortal sense drift towards Jiu Jiu.

Long Ji frowned slightly and softly said, “Generals, although we are in the formation, please mind the Heavenly Court's dignity.”

“Yes!” Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang cupped their fists in acknowledgement, simultaneously falling silent.

Just then, the light wall of the formation before the three slowly dissolved, and Li Changshou stepped out with the Seven Emotions girl. Long Ji hastily addressed him as Master, while Ao Yi and Bian Zhuang quietly exclaimed 'Star Monarch'.

The Seven Emotions girl pouted and sighed mournfully, “I'm so tired.”

Li Changshou turned his head to look at the Heavenly Demon, who was still immersed in the illusion and maintaining her Innate Dao Body appearance, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Just now, it seemed he had pushed the deception too hard, and the power of the seven emotions was overly concentrated... There shouldn't be any problems, right? After all, this is an Outer Heavenly Demon, a life form closer to true spirits and Dao principles than beings of the Great Desolation. After observing for a while, there should be results soon.

Li Changshou smiled and nodded at the few people, then walked directly towards Jiu Jiu. Jiu Jiu was inexplicably nervous, subconsciously straightened up, and displayed a hint of a martial aunt's dignity towards Li Changshou. No matter what, she was still his martial aunt!

“How come you...”

“Star Monarch, how did it go?” A sudden call came from above. Li Changshou looked up to see the Jade Emperor's avatar, Quan Tong, arriving on a cloud.

Li Changshou chuckled, “I've found out. It's Demon Master Kunpeng's scheme, using such a Heavenly Demon to lure me into the Chaos Sea, thinking I'm some lecherous pervert. Truly, I feel a bit underestimated. This Heavenly Demon's name is also quite interesting; Kunpeng named her Mei Wenhua.”

“Mei Wenhua? What's wrong with that name?”

“Uh, nothing.”

Quan Tong frowned. After landing on the mountaintop, he leaned closer to Li Changshou and transmitted, “What's the situation with this Immortaless?” Li Changshou quickly replied telepathically, “Your Majesty, she is the Saintess of Lin Tian Hall, my junior martial aunt from Immortal Du Sect. Her contributions to Lin Tian Hall's rapid development have been immense.”

“Oh?” Quan Tong chuckled telepathically, “I thought Chang Geng, you had so many romantic entanglements... General Youqin is quite good, you know. Having too many Dao companions wouldn't look good, would it?”

Li Changshou: ... He always felt that His Majesty the Jade Emperor was implying something.

Just as he was about to introduce Jiu Jiu, unusual fluctuations suddenly appeared in the illusion formation behind him. Streaks of pure spiritual energy ripples spread out, like waves, and pure white light broke through the inner illusion formation, surging outward. Holy, pure, without any impurities, several Great Dao representing goodness and truth resonated with these lights!

Everyone looked inside the formation, only to see the Heavenly Demon girl, still bound by the restriction, now clasping her ten fingers together, her slender form floating upwards. A wisp of white light bloomed from her forehead. First, wisps of black energy surged around her, which were instantly purified by the white light. As her dark hair danced, white flames seemed to ignite on her body. The flames swept over in an instant, transforming her into a clean white gown. Her originally pale and bloodless skin now emitted a faint, soft glow...

A beam of light descended from high above, carrying dense Heavenly Dao power, shining upon her, seemingly stabilizing her form. From the corners of her narrow eyes, two tears traced paths. Behind her, a circle of soft white light appeared. Formed an Immortal Spirit Body?

She murmured, “I must go save them; I cannot let them be deceived any longer...”

Li Changshou was utterly bewildered. When a Heavenly Demon develops an inner demon, can there be such a pleasant surprise?

To the side, several gazes slowly shifted to his face. The entire mountaintop was silent enough to hear a pin drop. The Immortals stood like stone statues; for a moment, only the holy light shone...