The improved female villains regained their memories.

"I just can't understand it." The Demon King sighed. "The old man was there on the day the Ling family twins were born. He made it very clear that the person we were looking for was the older sister, how could it have become..."

He paused here.

He still remembers the scene from that day. When he picked up his sister, he saw her fortune condensed into threads, and her pupils had a fiery red phoenix light symbolizing hope. Moreover, she was full of vitality and had the blessing of the sages. How could she not be the protagonist?

Not to mention, before leaving, Gu Lao made it very clear that the next protagonist of the main world would have the ability of "deduction". She would return to the realm of the ancient sages, deduce the Heavenly Dao, and study the I Ching. However, the path of deduction is the most exhausting in terms of mental and physical strength. Therefore, "Heavenly Dao" has poured a lot of vital energy into her, and with the part she plundered from her sister, it is enough for her to withstand the attack of the villains.

The Demon King dared not forget every word of the ancient admonition, but the current situation was quite different from what the ancient had said.

"Ancient people once said that the attack of Heaven's Will would be more swift than ever before. In order to increase her vitality, Heaven's Will weakened Ling Tiandu's luck. It's possible that Heaven's Will made its move here. Could it be that Ling Tiandu was ambushed by Heaven's Will in a place I wasn't paying attention to?"

The Demon King muttered to himself.

The inheritance of the main world is a momentous event, not to mention that this protagonist is involved in the final struggle between the [Heavenly Dao] and the [Human Dao]. Such a major event could not possibly be handled so carelessly by the ancients. Given Ling Tianju's personality and the things she has done, there is probably a conspiracy behind it.

However, the Demon King was no longer able to find the truth. When he captured Ling Tiandu, he originally wanted to investigate the hidden secrets behind it, but he never expected that Ling Tiandu would commit suicide.

The immortal guarding her said that no one had come looking for her that day, which meant that Ling Tiandu had committed suicide because she was feeling down.

The protagonist, with such a fragile mentality, was completely stunned by Ling Tiandu's death. However, before he could react, he was drawn to the tremors beneath the Heavenly Guardian Sect. It turned out that Ling Tianxin had taken the wrong path and unknowingly wandered to the protagonist's inheritance area, triggering the restrictions there.

The place of inheritance for the protagonist is reserved for the protagonist of the main world, also known as the chosen one. Ordinary people can't even find that place, let alone activate it. The Demon King asked Ling Tianxin how she got here, but she only gave a vague answer, saying that she was cultivating when she suddenly felt a palpitation and inexplicably ended up here.

The Demon King was shocked and quickly took Ling Tianxin to the system for testing. The test results made him gasp in astonishment. Ling Tianxin was the one with the destiny of a protagonist.

In this way, everything matches up.

According to divination, the I Ching, a humble and respectful personality, a gentle attitude, and a kind heart, Ling Tianxin meets all these conditions. The only thing she doesn't meet is her name and the ancient instructions.

The name is fine; Ling Tiandu is dead, so Ling Tianxin can inherit the name to fulfill the prophecy. But what about the rest? According to the ancients, the next protagonist must have sufficient energy. Only in this way can they use deduction to resist the villain's attack. After all, deduction is extremely exhausting. Given Ling Tianxin's congenitally weak energy, how many times can she perform deduction?

No, something still feels off.

The Demon King pondered quietly, with the system standing beside him without disturbing him. After a long while, he said, "System, I need to activate the highest level of privileges and use your power to reinvestigate the death of Ling Tiandu."

The system said with difficulty, "The highest level of authority is only granted to the chosen one of each generation. The protagonist's inheritance has ended, and your highest level of authority has been given to Ling Tianxin along with that key, so you..."

"Who said I gave her the highest authority?" The Demon King said something astonishing.

The system's eyes widened suddenly: "You..."

Yes, although the Demon King gave the protagonist the key to the inheritance, he did not grant the system the highest level of access.

The protagonist inheritance ceremony was something he put on for the people of the Guardian Heaven Sect to reassure them. But in reality, he still had doubts about the death of Ling Tiandu, especially about Ling Tianxin's protagonist destiny. On the day the two sisters were born, the protector and he were both present. So many true immortals couldn't possibly have made a mistake.

In fact, Gu Lao did not make the wrong choice. Just as he said, among the twelve guardians, the Demon King was the most prudent. As long as there was still a one percent doubt, this guy would not act rashly. He may not be the smartest one, but he is definitely the one most capable of being entrusted with important matters.

"If you still have the highest authority, then I will definitely do my best to help you," the system said. "But I don't understand, if you still have doubts, why did you give her the key to activate the protagonist's inheritance?"

"Giving it to her is also to keep her calm, because I'm not sure what role Ling Tianxin plays in this matter." The Demon King glanced at the system and said, "Besides, she can't use it even if I give it to her. Only I know the process of activating the protagonist's inheritance. Moreover, I've also put a celestial killing move on that key. If she dares to use it on her own, she'll know the consequences."

The Demon King paused for a moment, then continued, "The inheritance of the protagonist is of great importance. I bear the ancient trust and the heavy responsibility of the human race, so I dare not be careless."

"Back then, among the twelve guardians, the old man was the most farsighted. Many times, we thought he was wrong, but the facts proved that he was right. So since the old man said that in the end, I will definitely believe him one hundred percent. Now the situation does not match what the old man said, so I cannot easily believe that Ling Tianxin is the protagonist."

"In that case, I will do my best to help you," the system said.

Actually, it still wanted to ask: what if there really was another hidden story behind Ling Tiandu's death, or even if the worst outcome was related to Ling Tianxin? What should the Demon King do? Should he kill Ling Tianxin as well? But if he did that, wouldn't there be no one to inherit the main character of the main world?

However, seeing the Demon King's determination, the system said nothing more, but followed him into the underground, which was where the mother system's main body was located.

-------------------

The silver moon, like a giant silver bead, was hidden among the clouds, but even so, its faint light still tinged everything in the courtyard with a silvery white hue. In the quiet night, there wasn't a single sound.

Ling Tiandu... no, she is still Ling Tianxin now. After the inheritance ceremony of the Guardian Heaven Sect ended, she immediately used a teleportation-type magic artifact to return to her home.

Ling Wuhan had prepared a banquet early on, and Ling Tiandu's friends also gathered together to congratulate her and rejoice that she had turned over a new leaf.

Ling Tianxin knew her older sister all too well, but she couldn't be as domineering as before. Besides, her weak innate energy couldn't hide her delicate temperament. Fortunately, her master had already prepared a reason for her—that her energy was greatly damaged in order to cultivate and deduce.

Since she was severely weakened, it's reasonable for her to become more gentle and weak-willed, right?

This is an opportunity, and it's perfect timing; I also need to change my public image.

She walked down the corridor, lost in thought.

She was not satisfied with today's inheritance ceremony at all. She didn't get what she was supposed to get. According to her understanding of the past inheritance practices of the Guardian Heaven Sect, after the inheritance of the protagonist, the previous generation's chosen one should immediately take the new generation's chosen one to activate the inheritance. Even if he couldn't go in person, he should at least hand over the activation process to him. However, the Demon King did not do this at all. Apart from a key, he didn't give her anything else.

Moreover, he didn't even grant me the highest system privileges... no, he didn't even seem inclined to tell me. It seems he's determined to investigate this matter.

Dark clouds spread across the sky like thick ink, obscuring the countless stars and the flowing Milky Way. A cold wind blew, and Ling Tianxin, who was already in poor health, looked even paler now.

However, no one cared about her. After all, she was now the Ling Tian Du, whom even the heavens envied, not the frail Ling Tian Xin who needed help to get by.

"Woooo..."

In a corner of the courtyard, a faint firelight was illuminating the area, and the sound of crying could be heard. Ling Tianxin originally intended to go back to her room, but she was drawn by the crying and subconsciously walked over.

There, a maidservant, dressed in mourning clothes, was scattering paper money into the brazier.

Ling Tianxin was slightly taken aback. She recognized the person as a maid who had come to her when she was eight or nine years old and had never left her side. Later, when she was going on a trip, the maid was supposed to go as well, but for various reasons, she ended up staying at the mansion.

Since that parting, the two had not seen each other for a long time. They never expected that when they met again, everything had changed.

She watched as the other person burned paper money, and naturally knew who they were mourning. She simply sighed softly.

The maid shuddered, turned around, saw Ling Tianxin, and quickly stood up, wiping away her tears, saying, "I'm sorry, Miss, I know today is your wedding day, I shouldn't have done this..."

"It's alright." Ling Tianxin smiled slightly, her gaze shifting to the brazier. "Are you offering sacrifices to Tianxin?"

"Hmm... The Guardian Heaven Sect sent someone to say that the Second Miss has passed away. They originally planned to hold a memorial service, but then they said that since you, the Eldest Miss, have become the leader of the Guardian Heaven Sect and are returning today, Master said that we will hold a celebration for you today first, and the Second Miss's funeral will be postponed for a few days..."

"..."

Ling Tianxin didn't say anything, only instructing him not to let anyone see, and then quietly left.

Back in her own room, which was also her older sister's room, Ling Tianxin closed the doors and windows tightly, sat down at the table, and began her usual deductions.

The thick ink had dissipated, and the moonlight shone on her table. The faint spiritual energy dissipated, and she let out a long sigh, looking up at the sky.

She hasn't reached a dead end yet.

Indeed, if the Demon King is truly determined to investigate, there is nothing she can do to stop him. Moreover, her current role as the "protagonist" is merely nominal; the power of the Heavenly Guardian Sect still rests in the Demon King's hands.

Once her past is uncovered, Ling Tianxin has no idea what will happen to her.

"Change is a difficult thing."

"Because change means giving up and embracing the new. People seek peace of mind, and the most destructive thing to peace of mind in this world is the unknown. As long as the unknown exists, people become difficult to change."

"Therefore, if we want to make changes, we must first solve the unknown."

It's like two players are playing chess and one of them is about to be checkmated. Right now, Ling Tianxin has very few moves she can make.

But no matter how much she has to sacrifice, she will continue on this path with unwavering determination.

"Make use of fate and destiny."

Ling Tianxin looked at the night outside the window, her face expressionless.

"I am the one whom the heavens envy."

--------------------

Protector of Heaven Sect

Standing in front of the sphere of light, the Demon King began to operate.

The system asked: "Should we first list all the information about the Guardian Sect on the day Ling Tiandu died?"

The system's monitoring is omnipresent because, in essence, it is the same thing as the world's will. As long as the light shines, it can detect it. The Guardian Sect is bathed in its light all day long, and nothing can escape its watchful eye.

"No need yet. I need to confirm one thing: was Ling Tiandu alone on the day she died?"

The system was silent for a moment, then quickly replied: "Yes."

"Has no one come in or out?"

"No, even the guards have been on duty the whole time, and there's no sign of them leaving."

The Demon King nodded thoughtfully, and the system then asked, "Should we first list all the events concerning the Guardian Sect on the day Ling Tiandu died?"

The Demon King paused for a moment. Doing so would be invading someone's privacy, but remembering the ancient admonition, he still said, "List them out."

Soon, the whereabouts of everyone who was still in the Guardian Heaven Sect that day were all listed, from the Earth Immortals to the True Immortals and ancient monsters like the Nine Eight Desolations, not even the Demon King was spared.

Where is Ling Tianxin?

The system displayed Ling Tianxin's image. On the day of the incident, she stayed in the room prepared for her by the Guardian Sect, reading a book, and did not go anywhere.

"According to the analysis, the possibility of Ling Tianxin killing Ling Tiandu is less than five percent," the system said. "Ling Tianxin's vital energy is weak, and she does not know any offensive immortal killing moves. Moreover, there are guards at the place where Ling Tiandu is imprisoned. Even if Ling Tianxin manages to deceive everyone, she cannot kill Ling Tiandu without alerting the restrictions."

The system is right; Ling Tianxin is the least likely culprit.

Putting aside the fact that she is kind-hearted and would not harm her own sister, even if she really had the intention to kill, she did not have the strength. The Guardian Sect is full of hidden talents, and she could not silently murder an immortal without arousing any suspicion.

The Demon King thought for a moment, then suddenly frowned and asked, "Why was nothing recorded for fifteen minutes?"

"That day, someone developed a powerful immortal technique, and the resulting special fluctuations affected me," the system said. "But according to the system's monitoring, even during the fifteen-minute gap, it would be difficult for anyone to kill Ling Tiandu."

After all, the place where the bell rings and the guards are not to be trifled with.

Fifteen minutes is indeed enough time for an immortal to do a lot, but it depends on the location. Let alone fifteen minutes, even a month would be difficult for someone to sneak in, kill Ling Tiandu, and then escape unscathed.

"It's highly unlikely to be today," the Demon King pondered before speaking, "List out the information of all personnel involved from the time Ling Tiandu was imprisoned until her death."

The system followed the instructions exactly, and the Demon King checked them against the instructions and found no problems.

The Demon King had actually seen these things when Ling Tian died, but he still wanted to see them again, hoping to find details in them.

Regardless of whether Ling Tian is jealous or Ling Tianxin is the main character, if we want to make a move, the timing has to be sooner... sooner? Could it be...?

A thought flashed through his mind, and he said, "Show me all the surveillance footage of Ling Tiandu from childhood to adulthood."

The system was stunned and said, "In that case..."

"What, weren't you monitoring things?"

"Of course there is. After all, you instructed me to supervise you before you personally taught us. But even so, there is a lot of content. Are you sure you want to read it all?"

"Good, retrieve them all."

The Demon King sat down abruptly and unleashed a time-based immortal technique, slowing down the flow of time here. He said coldly:

"I want to watch it scene by scene."

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