The improved female villains regained their memories.

After a long silence, Shi Guijia spoke under Liu Shaoheng's probing gaze: "Don't ask anymore. In short, it's very painful. Let me tell you this: the previous villain couldn't stand this living hell, so he committed suicide."

Liu Shaoheng gasped.

"I don't want to die, I want to live!"

"...Who said you'd die? But you're a villain after all, you'll probably run into someone sooner or later."

"Absolutely not! You're also investigating the apocalypse, right? Let me come with you, I'll help!"

"..."

I feel like I've become a stay-at-home mom with a child.

From daughter to orphan, and now to the little villain in front of her, Shi Guijia irritably pulled at her hair, finally sighed helplessly, and asked, "Are you sure you're okay not going home?"

"It's okay! They're all used to me disappearing and fooling around outside anyway. I just need to tell my mother."

"I see..."

Maybe this will work?

Originally, Shi Guijia didn't want to involve this child, but now that she knows he's the villain, and considering he's indeed a prodigy in weapon crafting and has a mature mind, she might actually need his help.

While she was still pondering, Liu Shaoheng spoke up: "Um, although it may be a bit offensive, I still want to ask, how good are your weapon-refining skills?"

Shi Guijia was too lazy to explain, and simply pointed to the corner of her room.

Liu Shaoheng looked over, and the next second his eyes widened. There was a plaque there, not the kind of homemade plaques that Shi Guiyan had at the entrance, but a genuine imperial bestowal.

It clearly read: [The World's Number One Weapon Refiner]

"Master, please accept my bow!"

Regardless of what Shi Guijia thought, Liu Shaoheng immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

"?"

Shi Guijia frowned slightly: "When did I say I wanted to..."

"A teacher for a day is a father for life. From today onwards, you are my second father... oops, mother!"

"Godmother!" he cried out.

The moment Shi Guijia heard him call her godmother, her lips twitched. She hadn't expected that this little guy would have such a shameless side.

After thinking about his definition, Shi Guijia felt relieved.

"...Stop shouting. Get up. You have half an hour to go home, pack your things, and then come find me."

"My godmother has accepted me as her godmother!?"

"...If you shout again, I'll hit you."

"Spare the rod and spoil the child, go ahead and hit him."

"Go pack your things."

"okay!"

He answered and ran off in a hurry.

Watching his retreating figure, Shi Guijia sighed helplessly.

She looked at the dagger on the table, and the originally relaxed atmosphere gradually became heavy.

She looked out onto the balcony, where the gardenias were blooming joyfully in the sunlight.

-----

The fog thickened even more.

The old Taoist priest suddenly appeared in the alley.

This time was different, though; there was a girl in a hooded jacket beside him.

The young girl followed closely behind the old Taoist priest, then suddenly asked, "Aren't we leaving?"

Her voice was gentle and soothing, enough to make your bones tingle.

"We were originally going to leave, but then that sir said it would be safer to have an extra layer of protection." The old Taoist priest smiled.

The girl pursed her lips and asked, "Does it have to be this way?"

"Hehe, child, nothing in this world has to be this way. But if you don't do it, others will. The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. What we are doing is simply going with the flow. You know that sir's methods; he never does anything unnecessary."

The old Taoist priest chuckled and said, "We didn't interfere too much with things like Li Tianfei's magic weapon, Zhi Zixun's forbearance, Shi Guijia's enlightenment, and so on. To be honest, that's all we did."

The girl asked in confusion, "But, just because of us, therefore..."

At this point, she noticed a glint in the old Taoist's eyes, which frightened her so much that she dared not say another word.

The old Taoist priest walked forward, and seeing the girl lower her head, he spoke after a long while: "The higher one stands, the more one cares about the truth of this world. Now, that person is such a person. She stands too high; time, space, destiny, the Heavenly Dao, the essence of all things have been seen through by her. As for me, I am but an ant stirring these threads. To put it bluntly, compared to that person, I have seen far too little. The main world, the Heavenly Guardian Sect, the human chess piece, the villains, the system, the protagonist... these things are just [elements]. For that person, as long as she grasps their essence, everything can lead to the most favorable outcome."

The girl didn't quite understand what she was saying, and just nodded blankly.

The old Taoist priest laughed, thinking to himself, "Why bother talking so much to this person? The master chose her not because of her wisdom."

The old Taoist priest looked up, took out his whisk and waved it, making the fog in the town even thicker. He calculated the time in his mind.

I wonder if Ling Tianxin has completed the ritual in the main world yet.

Chapter 336 The Death of Ling Tiandu

The main world, the Qian Kingdom, the Heavenly Protector Sect.

Grand halls floated in the sky, filled with spiritual energy, which materialized into auspicious clouds.

One of them, imbued with various immortal killing moves, is magnificent and imposing, with the faint sounds of demonic beasts mixed in. Its main hall and side halls are almost connected, and it is one of the few movable halls in the Guardian Heaven Sect. Its name is the [Hall of Righteous Path].

Normally, the Zhengdao Hall serves no purpose and is moved to a corner when not in use. But at this moment, the Zhengdao Hall is brought out and blessed with various dazzling colored lights. Auspicious red clouds spread around it, bringing a strong sense of joy.

A mystical aura swirled around the hall, and a magnificent radiance emanated from within and without. The pillars of the hall were carved with totems of mythical beasts and human ancestors, and splendid decorations were scattered throughout, showcasing the grandeur of the immortals.

In the main hall, hundreds of celestial immortals and thousands of earth immortals had gathered together. The few at the front were ancient figures like Jiu Ba Huang, each of whom possessed the strength of a true immortal, and almost all of them were present.

This is the true strength of the Heavenly Guardian Sect. It has stood in the main world for thousands of years, controlling the Heavenly Dao with human will, and confronting the human way controlled by the Heavenly Dao for a long time. Its foundation is so profound that it is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

Earthly Immortals, Celestial Immortals, and then the True Immortals at the very front—if their terrifying auras were fully unleashed, they would be enough to overwhelmingly destroy any country. Yet, even so, the entire hall was silent, and these immortals submitted wholeheartedly to the one sitting at the highest position.

That was indeed the Demon King.

However, even though he is the Demon King, he is not the protagonist today, but Ling Tiandu, whose strength is far inferior to his.

She was dressed in a simple and elegant white dress, her delicate face solemn as she walked step by step on the red carpet.

He walked to the center of the main hall, stood still, and kowtowed to the high-ranking demon king.

This bow signifies the official start of the protagonist's succession ceremony.

A flock of spirit doves took flight, and resounding celestial music echoed throughout the hall. The immortals craned their necks, eagerly awaiting the outcome.

The leader, Jiu Ba Huang, raised his hand and clapped his hands. In an instant, spiritual energy rippled outwards, and the auspicious clouds waiting outside the hall surged in. He shouted loudly, "May Heaven protect you, may humanity prosper, and may the protagonist's inheritance begin!"

The most suitable arrangement is for Jiu Ba Huang to host the protagonist's succession ceremony.

Although it is not human, it is an ancient relic that has survived since ancient times. Moreover, its true form is a Qilin, an auspicious beast. Originally, it wanted to preside over the event in a retro manner, but the Demon King rejected it.

The Demon King stated that the ritual was merely a facade, and the key was the inheritance of traditions, so everything should be kept simple.

Since the guardians had spoken, it naturally wouldn't object. Therefore, the originally agreed-upon third grade was cancelled, and the final grade was directly implemented in one step.

"I, Ling Tiandu, the new Chosen One and the leader of the Twelve Guardians, swear before the Heavenly Dao and all the sages to protect the Heavenly Dao and ensure the eternal prosperity of our human race!"

After the oath-taking ceremony was completed, Ling Tiandu stepped forward, knelt down again, and extended his hands.

The celestial music stopped, and under the gaze of all the immortals, Ling Tiandu lowered his head and said, word by word, "The new Chosen One, Ling Tiandu, is ready. Please examine me, Demon King."

The Demon King looked at her and slowly raised his hand.

Generally speaking, the handover between the old and new protagonists is basically predetermined. The older generation of chosen ones will privately assess the new generation of chosen ones. The so-called ritual review is just a formality.

But the Demon King's palm emitted light, and he was actually inspecting it.

Ling Tiandu remained respectfully bowed, making no move, letting the light envelop him.

The Demon King closed his eyes and sighed softly.

The inner conflict and confusion seemed to be caught in a net. The Demon King opened his eyes and smiled: "Disciple, I am handing over the key to the protagonist's inheritance to you. From now on, all affairs of the Guardian Heaven Sect, big and small, will be managed by you."

This is also a rule of the Guardian Heaven Sect throughout the ages: after the succession of the main character is completed, the older generation of chosen ones must go into seclusion to cultivate and prepare to merge with the Dao.

Although the Demon King is not the protagonist of the main world, he has actually completed the task given to him by the ancients, and he can now prepare to merge with the Dao.

The key, symbolizing the protagonist's inheritance, was passed to Ling Tiandu amidst everyone's attention.

"I hope you will not forget your original aspiration and keep your mission firmly in mind, my disciple."

“Yes!” Ling Tiandu replied, bowing his head.

Upon hearing this, the solemn atmosphere in the hall vanished, replaced by a lively one.

"Play celestial music and savor celestial tea!" Jiu Bahuang shouted, and immediately, the music resumed, and countless celestial pills, teas, and fruits were presented. The crowd began to chat and enjoy themselves immensely.

The most crucial part is over; what remains is simply for fellow cultivators to discuss and exchange ideas, and occasionally engage in friendly sparring.

The previous solemnity was gone, and the old immortals, who were at the True Immortal level, became happy and unrestrained. Ling Tiandu was pulled aside by several female fairies to have a heart-to-heart talk.

The Demon King did not linger there, but excused himself by saying he was feeling unwell and left early.

He walked into his main hall, still feeling uneasy as he recalled the passing of the throne to the protagonist.

A figure appeared beside him and asked, "My lord, what's troubling you?"

The appearing light and shadow were the anthropomorphic figures sent by the mother system. The demon king glanced at them and said, "It's nothing, just a little uneasy."

"Is it still because of Ling Tian's jealousy?"

"Ah."

The system seemed puzzled and said, "I've already checked for you. Ling Tianxin is indeed destined to be the protagonist of the main world. Are you so worried because you've kept the fact that Ling Tianxin changed her name a secret from everyone?"

He wasn't just hiding the fact that he changed his name.

He publicly claimed that Ling Tianxin died of illness due to poor health, and that Ling Tiandu had realized his mistakes and corrected them, having spent most of his talent and energy to specialize in divination. However, in reality, the Ling Tiandu who was just inherited by the protagonist was actually Ling Tianxin.

The dead are truly the envy of Heaven.