Redemption of a Born Demon

The Lotus World.

Lotus sat upon a Golden Lotus Platform. Beside him, four other Lotus Platforms bloomed, each holding a figure.

One was immensely majestic, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. An intricate, wheel-like sigil was layered upon his brow, and his eyes held an air of utter disdain for the world.

Another figure, a woman, wore a simple white palace gown. Her skin was as pale as snow, her features bewitchingly beautiful, and her eyes were entirely black, like abysses that could swallow a soul.

A third wore simple cloth robes. He was as thin as a reed, with a full head of white hair and a matching beard, exuding the aura of a transcendent Immortal.

These three were none other than the King of the Wheel of Reincarnation, the Lady of the Three Yins, and the Huaqing Immortal—the very ones who had recently coordinated with Lotus to attack Yi Beidou.

And on the final Lotus Platform stood a familiar figure.

It was the East King, who had been defeated by Yi Beidou and had nearly perished, his Dao on the verge of dissipating.

Five experts of the Sleeper Level. Throughout all of human history, such a gathering would be an absolutely world-shaking force.

"Fellow Daoists, your true bodies should all be within the city by now, correct?"

Lotus asked the group.

They all nodded slightly.

In fact, it wasn’t just them. Many Sleepers had already secretly infiltrated the city. It seemed nearly every hidden faction had sent someone.

There was only one reason: the God-Sealing Alliance controlled too many Spiritual Talismans.

The God-Sealing Alliance originally held three Spiritual Talismans. Not long ago, Yi Beidou had reached an agreement with them, breaking through all obstacles and tearing through space to reach Gibraltar. This meant the number of Spiritual Talismans in this location had reached a total of five.

With only twelve Spiritual Talismans in total, gathering enough from the other factions to suppress the God-Sealing Alliance was a near-impossible task.

The best method was to snatch them directly from the God-Sealing Alliance.

By now, the number of Sleeper Level experts gathered in and around the Gibraltar urban area was likely in the double digits. However, the concealment arts these beings commanded were so powerful that unless they chose to reveal themselves, even experts of the same level would find it difficult to track them.

As for the local authorities, with their level of power, they couldn’t possibly detect the movements of these experts, no matter how well-prepared they were.

"I received news a short while ago. The Spiritual Talismans have grown restless again. The day they can no longer be suppressed and begin to converge on their own is likely just a few days away. We must act and complete our plan before then."

Lotus said to the others.

"I fear all the major factions have gathered here by now. Who knows how many of our peers are in this city. Even with the five of us working together, if we become the target of everyone else, I doubt things will end well for us."

Huaqing Immortal said, lightly stroking his beard.

With so many factions and experts gathered, no one wanted to be the first to make a move. Otherwise, all their efforts might just end up benefiting someone else.

"None of the factions are acting because they’re all waiting for someone to break the stalemate, or perhaps they’re still making preparations. I’ve already sensed some changes in the city. Certain individuals are influencing ordinary people and have run into some of my ’servants’."

"But since you’re the one raising this, you must already have a plan in mind. Why not share it?"

The Lady of the Three Yins said coolly.

"Heh, I’m aware of your methods, and I can guess what our other peers are likely planning. It’s nothing more than using mortals to create some chaos and completely destabilize the situation here. I’ve seen quite a few of your ’Yin Slaves,’ my Lady."

"The Saint King’s ’Tomb Guardians’ have probably also entered the city. And Fellow Daoist Dong Wang..."

Lotus said with a smile, seemingly already having grasped the city’s situation to a certain extent.

"Enough. Just tell us your plan. Stop wasting time."

The East King cut in flatly, interrupting Lotus.

He knew full well that Lotus was showing off his power to them.

Their five-way cooperation was born of mutual benefit; it wasn’t stable, nor was there much trust between them. Each had their own little tricks up their sleeve.

And although Lotus was the one who had initiated the collaboration, he was actually in a position of weakness within the group.

He hadn’t absorbed many Earth Immortal Cells; all his Divine Powers were derived from the path of a Spirit Cultivator. The others, in contrast, were all bona fide Sleepers. Should they capture their target later and use them as leverage to negotiate, it would create a great deal of unnecessary trouble for him.

This was Lotus’s moment to display his strength.

"Fellow Daoist Dong Wang, ever so impatient. My method is actually similar to all of yours—I also intend to stir things up here and create some chaos. However, I’m not talking about some minor disturbance."

As he spoke, a chilling indifference surfaced in Lotus’s smiling eyes. "I’ve already made the arrangements. At my command, within an hour, countless ’fireworks’—the culmination of mortal wisdom—will descend upon this place. It will become a mountain of corpses and a sea of flames."

"Under those circumstances," he continued, "who do you think could possibly remain hidden?"

Hearing Lotus’s words, even the Reincarnation Saint King and the others narrowed their eyes slightly.

"To act in such a manner... it harms the cosmic balance. It truly harms the cosmic balance."

Huaqing Immortal sighed softly, a look of pity on his face.

But it was only a sigh and a look of pity, like a statue of a Divine Buddha in a temple. It might gaze down with compassionate eyes, but even if a great disaster were to strike, the god would not take any real action.

"It seems you’ve developed a formidable power base in the mortal world."

The Lady of the Three Yins remarked.

Although she hadn’t been awake for long, with the terrifying photographic memory inherent to beings like them, she had already gained a deep understanding of the current era.

To be able to unleash such powerful weapons meant that Lotus had extended his tendrils into the highest echelons of the mortal world.

"This is the fruit of many years of careful management. Using it this one time will likely expose my entire clandestine network, leading to its complete annihilation. I trust you all understand the great price I am paying for this plan."