Cultivation Technique Growth Plan Activated

Cultivation World, Heavenly Mystery Holy Land.

The sun was setting in the west.

Jiang Li finished a day of farm work and hurried back to his Cave Residence.

As an Outer Sect Disciple of the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land, cultivating spirit plants was his proper duty. His workday lasted from ten in the morning until six in the evening, and only the remaining time belonged to him.

Generally speaking.

After finishing work for the day, he would choose to visit public resting areas crowded with people, such as Phantom Sound Pavilion, the Tea Tasting Room, and the Dao Discussion Arena, gathering all manner of intelligence—including, but not limited to, information on Holy Land prodigies, core buildings, and the private affairs of the various elders.

By keeping a low profile and making himself into a transparent nobody, Jiang Li had trembled on thin ice and survived until now.

But today, things had changed.

Because his golden finger had arrived.

After activating the "Do Not Disturb" formation in his Cave Residence, Jiang Li willed it, and a line of clearly visible small text appeared before his eyes:

Name: Jiang Li.

Race: Human.

Gender: Male.

Age: 21.

Identity: Heavenly Mystery Holy Land Outer Sect Disciple (Myriad Desire Demon Lord's 666th Possession Body)

Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 2.

System Progress: 100% (Activatable).

Looking at the words Myriad Desire Demon Lord's Possession Body in his identity information, Jiang Li took a deep breath.

From the moment he had transmigrated into this Cultivation World, he had known his fate.

He was a backup body for a demonic fiend.

He was now undercover within a Righteous Sect, specifically tasked with gathering intelligence.

In the future, either the Myriad Desire Demon Lord would possess him, or after the possession succeeded, he would merge with the other backup bodies into the main body and become part of its foundation.

Fortunately.

Three years after transmigrating, the system could finally be activated.

"Activate."

A cold, mechanical electronic voice rang out in Jiang Li's mind.

Ding. Cultivation Technique Growth Plan activated.

Immediately after.

The System Progress at the bottom of the system panel quietly changed, replaced by a new page.

Main Cultivation Technique: Returning Heart Art.

Activate Growth Plan?

Jiang Li looked at it, secretly growing excited.

The Returning Heart Art was a special Qi Refining Method for Outer Sect Disciples of the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land. It nurtured one's temperament, enlightened one to one's true heart, connected one to righteous principles, and allowed one to reach the realm where knowledge and action became one.

Cultivators who practiced this method possessed exceptionally fine temperaments.

The firmer one's temperament, the faster one's Cultivation Speed.

If one possessed an Innocent Heart, this technique's Cultivation Speed would not lose out to top-tier cultivation techniques in the slightest.

Jiang Li had cultivated for three years and had barely reached the second layer of the Qi Refining stage.

His temperament was not bad, but only barely so.

It was at the level of the general masses.

Of course.

If one had the conditions to supplement cultivation with resources such as Qi Gathering Pills, then even with poor temperament, one's cultivation speed could still achieve twice the result with half the effort.

However...

He had no Undercover Deposit.

All his treatment was the same as that of an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple.

If he wanted cultivation resources, he had to earn them himself.

He was truly paying to go to work.

Jiang Li was indignant.

Then he began looking forward to it again.

"Recently, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect has started an undercover optimization program. They plan to eliminate undercover personnel below the mid Qi Refining stage, saying low-level operatives cannot access secrets. I'm among them."

Undercover optimization by the Demonic Cult did not sound like a good term at all.

Either he would be turned into refining material, or he would be sent to carry out a mission that meant certain death.

Once chosen, it was over.

Now that he had the system, Jiang Li finally had a sliver of hope.

If he could render great service and become one of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect's higher-ups, perhaps he could escape his doomed fate.

He might even have a chance to strike back and kill them.

After all.

The Myriad Desire Demon Lord possessed hundreds of Backup Possession Bodies, and not all of those backup bodies needed to be sacrificed.

And to accomplish all this, he needed to climb upward step by step.

Cultivation was the key.

He would first advance to the mid Qi Refining stage and avoid the fate of being optimized by the organization, then consider becoming the Ten Thousand Demons Sect's organizational liaison within the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land.

Jiang Li thought to himself.

Then, thinking of the current Undercover Contact Person, a trace of gloom appeared in his eyes.

There was no other reason.

His Undercover Deposit had been pocketed by that person.

Otherwise, how could he, someone chosen by the Myriad Desire Demon Lord to be a backup body, have only barely reached Qi Refining Layer 2 after three years?

Besides that.

This Undercover Contact Person was also the only witness in the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land who knew of his Undercover Identity.

If he did not get rid of that person, his identity could be exposed at any moment.

As his thoughts turned.

Jiang Li silently recited:

"Yes."

The next second.

The cold mechanical electronic voice rang out again.

Activation successful.

Cultivation technique "Returning Heart Art" has begun managed service.

Friendly reminder: During managed service, the host will lose control of his body. Please do not panic.

Right after that.

Jiang Li discovered that his body had begun moving beyond his control.

He sat cross-legged.

Taking on a standard cultivation posture.

With every breath in and out, spiritual energy began gathering on its own, flowing through his meridians along his limbs and bones. It completed a great circulation before finally entering his Dantian.

The entire process flowed like drifting clouds and running water.

Like an old master who had practiced Qi Refining for twenty years.

Its Qi Refining efficiency was more than twice as fast as his own cultivation.

One-click managed service?

Was this what his golden finger did?

If his cultivation efficiency could double, then the time needed for him to advance to Qi Refining Layer 3 would likewise decrease, and his standing in the Myriad Desire Demon Lord's eyes would likewise rise.

At the very least, he would not be treated as a discarded pawn and sent to risk his life exploring the core grounds of the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land.

Just as he was thinking this.

Suddenly.

A ding sounded in his mind again.

Three options appeared before him.

Cultivation technique "Returning Heart Art" is dissatisfied with your current cultivation speed. You have triggered the following choices:

Option One: Help a fellow senior or junior disciple, nurture righteous qi. Completion reward: three High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills.

Option Two: Expose a Demonic Cult undercover agent, place righteousness above family. Completion reward: Cultivation Speed +30%.

Option Three: Enlightenment at Longchang. Completion reward: Cultivation Speed +100%.

Jiang Li was somewhat stunned.

He had not expected the cultivation technique to be looking down on him.

And it even wanted to help him improve his cultivation efficiency.

Wonderful.

Not only did it offer one-click management, it even included follow-up service.

Even a one-stop package was nothing more than this.

Jiang Li looked over them one by one.

Option One was not difficult, and its reward was quite generous.

With those three High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills, advancing to Qi Refining Layer 3 would basically be guaranteed.

But they were consumables.

Once used, they would be gone.

They did not hold their value.

He skipped Option Two outright.

Why should an undercover agent make things difficult for another undercover agent?

It also did not fit his usual low-key style.

"Let's choose Three directly. Enlightenment at Longchang sounds like it should be related to insight. I won't need to stand out, and Cultivation Speed +100% is simply too tempting."

Jiang Li selected Option Three.

Cultivation technique "Returning Heart Art" began taking action.

As the system sounded again, Jiang Li's body suddenly stood up, rushed out of the Cave Residence, and ran in a certain direction.

He was momentarily stunned.

What was this supposed to be?

Who attained enlightenment by running?

Before he could react, Jiang Li discovered that his body was running faster and faster. It charged out of the mountain peak where the Outer Sect Disciples lived and streaked like lightning into an uninhabited Bamboo Forest.

This Bamboo Forest was famous far and wide.

It was called the "Heart Questioning Forest."

Once cultivators entered it, they had to face all kinds of temptations, and it would also stir up the deepest hidden evils in their hearts.

It was a trial ground for cultivators at Qi Refining Peak and above to test their Dao Heart and temper their will before advancing to Foundation Establishment.

At the same time, it was also the place Demonic Cult undercover agents feared most.

Because this place would expose an undercover agent's identity.

At that moment.

Jiang Li finally understood.

His face changed drastically.

"Fuck, doggie, what the hell are you trying to do? I'm an undercover agent! Going to the Heart Questioning Forest—isn't that just confessing without being asked?"

Jiang Li shouted in his heart.

The Heart Questioning Forest was the nightmare of Demonic Cult undercover agents.

According to his investigation, more than thirty undercover agents had revealed flaws in the Heart Questioning Forest and been exposed by the Holy Land. That number even included a Golden Core stage elder.

If he went in, he would never come back out.

"System, did you hear me? I'm reselecting! I choose One!"

At this moment.

Jiang Li felt like dying.

He had never expected Option Three to be such a trap.

And he had chosen it himself.

How was this any different from walking into a net?

This Dog Cultivation Method must have realized he was a Demonic Cult undercover agent and did not want to acknowledge him as its host, so it was dragging him down to die together.

So it was slaying demons and defending the Dao by slaying its own host, was it?

Damn it!

No matter how Jiang Li shouted, his body remained unmoved.

It plunged headfirst into the lush green Bamboo Forest.

"It's over!"