The Stratagem of Self-Injury

Seeing clearly that the true culprit's face was actually Long Tian, the Demon Venerable suddenly widened his eyes.

The entire grand hall instantly exploded into an uproar!

"It really is Long Tian!?"

"Long Tian is an outstanding figure among the younger generation of our Demon Race. How could he possibly commit the act of slaughtering his own kin?"

"But the World-Obliterating Pearl can trace back time and space. Everything in the projection is the truth. There can be absolutely no mistake about this. Long Tian is the murderer who slaughtered Origin Star!"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Everyone saw it with their own eyes. He personally killed many of our kin. Unless the Long Tian in the projection was an imposter, he cannot escape the blame no matter what is said!"

"An imposter...?"

Amidst the arguments, the demons were filled with shock and fury.

A giant ox-headed demon could hardly quell his anger and looked very much like he wanted to make a move to capture him. It wasn't until someone raised a question that all the demons calmed down slightly, and all eyes in the hall gathered toward the throne.

The giant ox-headed demon was already extremely impatient. He cupped his hands in a salute and asked aloud.

"My Lord..."

"Is this person truly Long Tian or not?"

His voice was slightly restrained, yet the killing intent could still be heard. Hundreds of demon leaders waiting quietly on both sides also had very grave expressions.

Even so, the Demon Venerable never looked away.

He stared at the image projected by the World-Obliterating Pearl for a long time, the doubt in his blood-red eyes deepening. He slowly sat down, and his expression also became somewhat heavy.

He glanced at the ox demon in the hall before speaking in a deep voice.

"He is indeed Long Tian."

Uproar!

As soon as these words came out, the silent demons all widened their eyes.

In the front row, the giant ox-headed demon trembled with anger. His tightly clenched fists quivered slightly, and he couldn't help but step forward and speak out again!

"My Lord!"

"Why would this Long Tian slaughter my ox demon clan?"

"As a direct descendant of our race, he actually committed such an act of treason. If he is not imprisoned in the depths of the Divine Tower to suffer tens of thousands of years of torture, public anger will absolutely never be appeased!"

"This subordinate boldly requests to go into battle. I will definitely capture this thief and bring him back!"

As his angry shout rang out, many heavyweights also echoed him and saluted!

"Please give the order, My Lord, to capture this thief!"

In an instant, the killing intent in the grand hall began to boil. The inherently bloodthirsty and cruel demon race was completely enraged by what they saw today, erupting with unprecedented fury.

Long Tian had once enjoyed great fame and resources that many of his kin envied, but in the end, he turned out to be a backstabber. No one could tolerate such a traitor!

Seeing the monstrous killing intent, it was clear that Long Tian had provoked public outrage.

A rare trace of pressure appeared in the eyes of the demon leader on the throne.

He pondered for a few breaths.

He increasingly felt that this matter was bizarre. No matter how he thought about it, it simply didn't make sense. It wasn't until he saw a flash of jealousy in the eyes of many demon leaders that he suddenly woke up, as if realizing something.

Looking around the entire venue, he released his coercive pressure and spoke with an awe-inspiring voice!

"All of you, calm down and be patient."

"From my perspective, this matter is absolutely not as simple as it seems!"

His deep voice resounded, echoing within the hall like a great bell.

The terrifying pressure swept across the venue like a storm, completely suppressing the killing intent of the demons. Many demon leaders were so frightened that they lowered their heads and retreated, and the chaotic scene barely returned to tranquility.

Even so.

The giant ox-headed demon still had some unwillingness. Even though the vitality within his body was surging, he forcefully withstood the pressure and bowed.

"My Lord!"

"Forgive this subordinate for speaking boldly, but even if that Long Tian has an extraordinary background, his brutal killing of his kin is a fact. You shouldn't protect him like this..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Demon Venerable's blood-red eyes looked down at him.

Instantly!

A suffocating sense of oppression rushed towards him, and the giant ox-headed demon was forced to his knees, unable to even lift his head!

Just a single look was enough to suppress the leader of the ox demon clan.

This was the might of the Demon Venerable, truly terrifying to such an extent!

However.

Today's matter could not convince the masses simply by relying on the awe of terrifying cultivation pressure. Even if the demons dared to be angry but not speak out, they all had the impression in their hearts that the Demon Venerable favored Long Tian. The reverence in their eyes from before was noticeably somewhat dimmed.

How terrifying was the Demon Venerable? With a sweep of his peripheral vision, he saw everything clearly.

His eyes looked down at the ox demon in the hall, and his deep, emotionless voice slowly sounded.

"Niu Shadi, do you think I am protecting Long Tian?"

This question shocked the entire hall into lowering their heads again, and the giant ox-headed demon did not dare to answer.

The next instant.

A deeper voice sounded, shocking the entire audience into dead silence!

"Stupid!"

"Long Tian is a genius of our race, possessing the bloodline of the Black Flood Dragon. His ancestors made countless bloody contributions to our race. He was personally trained and taught by me since childhood, bearing the great responsibility of restoring our race. How could he become a traitor?"

"Are you questioning the loyalty of the Black Flood Dragon clan, or doubting my judgment?"

The scolding made the demons tremble, and they lowered their bodies a bit more.

The series of questions shocked many demon leaders into showing suspicion in their eyes. It was as if they had all been awakened by these words, realizing the strangeness of the matter.

Even the furious giant ox-headed demon, after kowtowing and begging for forgiveness, had a look of shock and doubt flash across his face.

"This subordinate would not dare..."

The grand hall became increasingly strangely quiet. The demon leaders standing silently on both sides with bowed heads no longer dared to make a sound, and the ox demon kowtowing in the middle dared not even lift his head.

Amidst the silence, a great doubt troubled the minds of the demons.

Just why would Long Tian do such a thing?

In this subtle atmosphere, others no longer dared to act rashly. Only the High Priest, leaning on an ebony walking stick and possessing a noble status, dared to carefully bow and speak.

"My Lord."

"This old man also believes that Long Tian would absolutely not commit an act of treason. Unfortunately, this old man's wisdom is limited, and I truly cannot think of the reason behind this..."

The High Priest was indeed a mainstay of the demon race. His emotional intelligence and experience were truly impressive. Not only did his words follow the Demon Venerable's intentions, but his phrasing was also very particular. He gave the demon race enough face, and at the same time, appropriately humbled himself to give the Demon Venerable a way out.

As soon as he opened his mouth, the demeanor of an antique-level smooth operator was fully displayed. Anyone who heard these words would feel much more comfortable.

Sure enough.

The Demon Venerable slowly nodded, and his tone of voice became much more peaceful.

"The High Priest is too modest."

"Presumably you are also clear that if it were not a last resort, Long Tian would absolutely not go this far. Near the tiny Origin Star, what could possibly force him to commit the act of brutally killing his kin?"

"This is absolutely impossible!"

"From my perspective, there is only one possibility in this matter. This is Long Tian's own choice! He wants to use this opportunity to gain the complete trust of humans."

"This is a ruse of self-injury."

Hearing this, the High Priest was shaken, and the demons also suddenly woke up and raised their eyes!

So this was actually the truth?

The giant ox-headed demon's robust body also trembled as he looked up in surprise!

"A ruse of self-injury?!"

"My Lord, are you saying that Long Tian wants to use the sacrifice of his kin to gain the complete trust of the human cultivators, so that he can obtain more intelligence on the human race in the future and pave the way for conquering the entire galaxy?"

The demon leader lowered his eyes and nodded, a deep light revealing in his eyes.

"Exactly so."

"The sacrifice of our race is indeed not small, but if we can use this opportunity to infiltrate the upper echelons of humanity and obtain the entire galaxy in the future, perhaps there will be no need for more casualties. Which is more important, I presume you should know in your heart."

"In order to complete the great cause of our demon race, sometimes small sacrifices are indispensable!"

The deep voice echoed, and the entire venue was shocked!

Using an entire galaxy as a chessboard to gain the trust of humanity, bearing the pressure of slaughtering one's own kind, and withstanding various trials—this required exceptionally brilliant strategy and acting skills, as well as a truly ruthless determination.

The demands on both intellect and state of mind were extremely harsh!

Such a difficult and heavy responsibility was definitely not something just anyone could take on.

Long Tian, who had orchestrated all of this, was truly terrifying, worthy of being the Demon Race's greatest prodigy in tens of thousands of years. And Lord Demon Venerable, who could easily see through this scheme, was even more unfathomable.

Finally realizing the truth, all the Demon Race giants present had faces full of shock.

The High Priest showed excitement in his eyes and hurriedly bowed in submission!

"Your Lordship is wise!"

"With Your Lordship leading our race, it is truly the mandate of heaven. And with a talented junior like Long Tian, the day of our restoration is just around the corner!"

The rest of the demons also woke up from their stupor, joining in agreement and bowing one after another.

A thunderous cheer erupted, their reverence far surpassing what it had been before.

At this very moment.

Surrounded by the earth-shattering sounds of paying respects, the bull-headed giant also woke up as if from a dream, feeling waves of shame for his earlier impulsiveness and shallowness.

"Forgive me, Your Lordship!"

"This subordinate is dull-witted! Only now do I realize that Young Master Long Tian is playing a grand game of chess!"

"Young Master Long Tian must be in a difficult situation right now, facing danger at any moment. This subordinate almost ruined the great plan out of a moment of impulsiveness, nearly becoming the eternal sinner of the Demon Race. I am truly ashamed!"

Several roaring shouts echoed as the bull demon kowtowed in the hall, shaking the ground so much that many demons felt their feet tremble. His sincere repentance made many demons sigh with emotion.

After just a few words, the Demon Venerable's prestige was even greater than before.

In this moment of universal admiration, he still did not slack off in the slightest. He nodded peacefully, showing a magnanimous demeanor, and once again won over a wave of demonic hearts.

"There is no need to mind."

"You were also thinking for the sake of our race. Your loyalty is clear to heaven and earth. It is no wonder you did not see through this ruse of self-injury. This scheme is indeed quite brilliant. Long Tian has truly grown a lot, making this seat very pleased."

"While Long Tian's ability to implement this scheme shows some cleverness, it could not have been done without the sacrifice and facilitation of your Bull Demon clan. Our entire race will definitely remember all of this."

"From this day forward, the Bull Demon clan may enjoy one extra opportunity for the Black Spring baptism!"

"I hope all of you will take the Bull Demon clan as a model, fulfill your respective duties, and keep the mandate of heaven in mind. In the future, we must spread the prestige of our race throughout the universe, ruling all realms for eternity!"

After this heavy dose of motivational speech from the old demon.

The demons were all pumped up, their eyes exploding with endless anticipation. The bull-headed giant demon was even more overwhelmed with gratitude and trepidation, proudly leading the way in bowing!

"We strictly obey Your Lordship's commands! Our race shall rule all realms for eternity!"

The resounding cheers spread to the ends of the darkness, and the blood of the entire Demon Race was boiling with passion!