Villainess Rampage: The Whole Sect Begs for Mercy

A sharp pain lanced through her, and Li Rao cried out. She collapsed to the floor, clutching her Dantian in agony.

Inside her Dantian, the swirling Spiritual Power was tearing her original Spirit Root out from its very core.

The sensation was like having an organ surgically removed, a pain that reached the absolute extreme.

Li Rao’s face was deathly pale as she bit down hard on her lower lip.

She kept telling herself that the Spirit Washing Grass was incredibly precious, yet her master had given it to her.

’This spirit-washing must succeed. I can’t afford to fail!’

Filled with the determination to win, Li Rao endured the excruciating pain and struggled to sit up cross-legged.

Even as her body trembled violently and veins bulged on her skin, her resolve remained unshaken.

Song Wanning sat beside her as her protector, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice to handle any unexpected developments.

Seeing Li Rao’s awareness and determination, she felt gratified and quietly hoped for a good outcome.

...

「Two days passed.」

Li Rao’s aura finally stabilized, and she let out a long, turbid breath.

By now, her clothes were completely soaked with sweat and blood. Her hair was matted to her face, and she looked utterly wretched.

But her eyes were astonishingly bright.

"Master, I succeeded!"

"I—I now have Fire and Wood Dual Spiritual Roots!!!"

Tears streamed down Li Rao’s face almost instantly.

Although she hadn’t become a single-Spirit-Root genius, having dual Spirit Roots was still outstanding!

Especially a Fire and Wood Spirit Root—she was a natural-born candidate for Alchemy.

She wept with joy, and Song Wanning was happy for her.

’It seems my Alchemy may have found a successor.’

...

In the main square of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, a large crowd of disciples had gathered.

"Who do you think the new Sect Master will be?"

"It’s hard to say. The elders have been competing behind the scenes lately. It seems they all have their eyes on the position."

"I saw that the Second Elder and Grandmaster Song seem to get along well. Do you think the Sect Master position will go to her?"

"That’s difficult to predict. We’ll have to wait for the Nascent Soul True Monarchs’ vote to know the result."

Traditionally, the position of Sect Master was filled by a successor personally chosen and groomed by the previous one. As long as no major mistakes were made, they would inherit the role.

But in a situation like He Xiao’s, the Sect had to select a new Sect Master.

Initially, the Divinity Transformation Ancestor was prepared to appoint the new Sect Master directly. But on second thought, he was the only Divinity Transformation Ancestor left in the Heavenly Inquiry Sect. If his chosen Sect Master caused another scandal, the blame would fall on him.

It was better to let them all compete and elect a Sect Master who could win public approval.

"Sigh, if only Grandmaster Song were willing. She’s so capable, and everyone respects her. She’d be the perfect person for the job."

"Isn’t that the truth? But Grandmaster Song is dedicated to the Dao. She might even ascend in the near future. Why would she be willing to waste her time in this position?"

Unwittingly, Song Wanning’s reputation within the Sect had completely turned around.

Whenever she was mentioned, the disciples were filled with nothing but admiration and reverence, a far cry from the old mockery and ridicule.

Song Wanning sat on the high platform, a brow arching slightly as she observed the elders, all dressed up for the occasion.

The Seventh Elder, in particular, who was usually thick as thieves with He Xiao, was beaming today, looking smug and triumphant.

In contrast, He Xiao was a storm cloud of resentment, sitting quietly in a corner with a dark expression.

A couple of days ago, the Seventh Elder had approached several Nascent Soul True Monarchs who weren’t running to lobby for their votes. It was said he had promised them many good things.

Song Wanning didn’t actually care who became Sect Master, but there were other disciples from the Song Family in the Heavenly Inquiry Sect. She needed to plan for their sake.

A dark glint flashed in her eyes. The corners of her mouth lifted into a slight, meaningful smile.

As the Deputy Sect Master, Song Wanning was in charge of the entire election process.

The election process was quite cliché. First, the competing elders gave speeches, outlining their visions for the future and making grand promises to the disciples and Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

Song Wanning grew drowsy listening to them. She propped her chin on her hand, bored by their long-winded nonsense.

Fortunately, He Xiao’s ever-changing expressions provided some amusement, making the affair slightly less tedious.

After the speeches, it was time for the most critical part: the vote.

The vote was anonymous. Each Nascent Soul True Monarch present cast their choice into the box.

Song Wanning appointed a Deacon Elder to lead the disciples in tallying the votes. Soon, the results were displayed on a water screen.

Seeing the Second Elder’s pathetic single vote, Song Wanning almost laughed out loud.

The Second Elder shot her a glare. "What are you laughing at? They’re blind for not choosing me!"

She pursed her lips in displeasure. Although she hadn’t truly wanted to be the Sect Master, the fact that no one had voted for her was still a blow to her pride.

"I’m laughing because you’re just as unpopular as I am."

Song Wanning’s laughter grew more unrestrained.

The Second Elder’s temperament was similar to her own—blunt and straightforward, with no time for roundabout talk. It was true she wasn’t very popular.

Losing the election was to be expected.

"Hmph! When it comes to being unpopular, no one can compare to you!"

The Second Elder huffed a few times, but the awkwardness she felt was dispelled by their lighthearted banter.

Looking back at the other elders on the platform, their expressions were not pleasant.

The Seventh Elder’s face, in particular, was pale with a dark, ashen undertone.

Those people had all clearly promised him their votes, yet when the results came out, the one with the most votes was, unexpectedly, the Fourth Elder.

The quiet, unassuming Fourth Elder.

The Fourth Elder was a female cultivator, already over two hundred years old. An injury in her early years had damaged her foundation, causing her Cultivation to advance extremely slowly. She had been stuck at the Early-stage Nascent Soul realm for years.

No one had expected such an "honest person" to successfully secure the position of Sect Master.

The Seventh Elder’s face turned black with anger, while He Xiao, who had already had a falling out with him, let out a cold laugh from the side.

’Serves him right for betraying me!’

"The results are in. From this day forward, Fourth Elder Wu Ying will serve as the Sect Master of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect. I will report the outcome to the Ancestor!"

Song Wanning stood up, announced the result, and vanished in a flash, not even bothering to offer a single word of official encouragement.

Wu Ying remained composed and showed no anger. She calmly delivered her inaugural speech and departed amidst the cheers and applause of the disciples.

The other elders, no matter how dissatisfied, could only swallow their frustration and disperse, their moods soured.

Only He Xiao remained, sitting in the corner with a gloomy expression, his eyes filled with venomous hatred.

...

Inside the Sect Master’s hall, Wu Ying held an Elixir Bottle, her heart pounding with excitement.

"Thank you, Junior Sister Song. Rest assured, I know what to do from now on!"

The Elixir Bottle contained her future. Song Wanning had told her that she would find a way to refine Elixir Pills to repair her injuries in the future. One day, her old wounds could be completely healed, and she would even have a chance at ascension.

In return for such a great favor, all she had to do was provide some conveniences for the Song Family disciples while managing the Sect. Of course, she wouldn’t refuse.

"Yes, I’m glad I could help, Senior Sister Wu."

Hearing this, Song Wanning smiled, her words carrying a deeper meaning.

"From now on, the Song Family will be your backing, Senior Sister Wu. If you need anything, you can contact my father directly."

She had deliberately chosen Wu Ying, who had no family background, to take the position of Sect Master, all for the sake of the Song Family’s advancement.