Redemption of a Born Demon

I suspect Earth Immortal Cells aren’t naturally produced by the human body.

"Now, I believe you have the potential. You are one of the ’samples’ I currently value most. I can provide you with a great deal of intelligence—about Earth Immortal Cells, about the Secret Organizations and the Ancient Ones, about the Pioneer Group, and, what you want to know most, about your master, Wandering Immortal."

Beretta said with a smile.

He had been keeping an eye on Yi Beidou for a long time. Back then, however, even though Yi Beidou displayed immense talent, he was still too green and far too weak in Beretta’s eyes.

Only now, after Yi Beidou had crushed several secret factions and demonstrated his formidable power, had he truly become the "sample" Beretta valued most.

The very first thing he did after leaving Lotus was contact his sample, Yi Beidou, which was a testament to the importance he placed on him.

Yi Beidou’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had left his country for two reasons: to test himself against the world and pursue his own path, and to uncover the secrets of the Pioneer Group. The sudden crisis here in the Mediterranean had simply diverted his attention, forcing him to temporarily shelve matters concerning the Pioneer Group.

But now, if what this Beretta said was true, he could get his hands on a wealth of secret intelligence about the Pioneer Group, saving him a great deal of trouble.

"What do you want from me?"

Yi Beidou asked.

"I don’t need you to do anything. You know what a lab rat is?"

Beretta said.

Yi Beidou instantly understood what he meant.

Lab rats are used extensively in experiments. Researchers provide them with various environments and plenty of food. All they want are the results.

Beretta was no different.

What he wanted was to observe the process of humanity breaking through its limits and evolving, in order to deduce the exact path and method of human evolution.

This intelligence was his investment in the experiment.

Now free from the control of Lotus, Beretta was about to focus on his own "project."

"It seems you’re open to the idea. So I’ll reiterate what I said before: cooperation between us is possible."

"However, a deeper partnership will have to wait until after you get through this crisis. Just consider this intelligence my ’down payment.’"

Beretta flipped his palm, and a paper file appeared in his hand. With a light flick of his wrist, the file flew toward Yi Beidou.

Yi Beidou caught it and casually flipped it open. A quick glance revealed specific intelligence regarding Earth Immortal Cells, the major secret factions, and the recently emerged Sleepers.

It even included some recent intelligence on the Antarctic Ruins.

"I’ll be watching from afar. Well then, good luck. Don’t go and die on me so easily."

Beretta said with a smile, then turned and leaped over the windowsill, quickly vanishing into the distance.

The God-Sealing Alliance could see the situation clearly, and so could he.

He was well aware of just how dangerous the situation was for Yi Beidou and the others.

If Yi Beidou didn’t make it and died here, then any talk of future cooperation would be moot.

But if he did manage to pull through and survive, he probably wasn’t far from truly breaking past the limits of humanity.

Yi Beidou’s brow furrowed slightly as he watched Beretta’s retreating figure. Meanwhile, Zhou Qingchen and the others came over, took the file from Yi Beidou’s hand, and began to look it over.

They quickly realized the importance of the intelligence.

It not only detailed several important characteristics of Earth Immortal Cells—far more comprehensively and accurately than what they had pieced together themselves—but the information on the Secret Organizations, the Ancient Ones, and even the specific intelligence on the Sleepers was far more detailed than the cagey report provided by the God-Sealing Alliance.

This included specifics on how Earth Immortal Cells devour and evolve, the exact principles for condensing an Immortal Soul, and descriptions of the abilities an Immortal Soul could attain, some of which were even quantified with hard data.

The description of the Sleepers was similarly detailed.

The basic requirement for becoming a Sleeper was to have thirty percent of one’s flesh and blood replaced by Earth Immortal Cells, and to overcome the rejection response between the different types of consumed cells.

There were also vast differences in power between Sleepers. The upper limit stated in the file was the replacement of fifty percent of the body’s flesh and blood with Earth Immortal Cells.

In Beretta’s description, that fifty percent figure seemed to be a threshold that almost no Sleeper could surpass, which is why Sleepers were also known as "Demi-Immortals."

Beretta had even laid out the principles behind how Sleepers self-sealed to achieve Longevity.

By sealing their own flesh and blood, they minimize their body’s biological activity, then use Earth Immortal Cells to replace the body’s main life support systems. This allows them to use the properties of the Earth Immortal Cells to keep their bodies perpetually active and immune to aging.

This information vastly expanded their understanding of Earth Immortal Cells, the Ancient Ones, and the Sleepers—something the God-Sealing Alliance would have never provided.

And they could only imagine that Beretta possessed even more in-depth and detailed research.

"So the baseline for a Sleeper is thirty percent Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood? This information is critical."

Zhou Qingchen said, his expression grave.

"Can we be sure this intel is real? At a time like this, can we really trust that guy? Might he have some other agenda?"

Huang Tianhu asked doubtfully.

"We’ll have to verify it for ourselves. At the very least, some of the information in here doesn’t conflict with our own theories. As for that man... let’s not worry about him for now."

Yi Beidou finished the file in a flash, his eyes flying across the pages as he committed the contents to memory.

He was inclined to believe the man’s words were true—an intuition that felt almost preternatural.

"That’s right. The man was right about one thing: our top priority is to get through this crisis. The two Spiritual Talismans we hold are like a pair of ticking time bombs. I’m afraid that once the Sleepers from various factions reach the battlefield, they will all make us their target."

Meng Qianyuan said with a nod.

"What are your plans?"

Zhou Qingchen asked, looking at Yi Beidou.

Among their group, Yi Beidou was the main fighting force.

Yi Beidou closed his eyes, apparently in thought.

The next moment, his eyes shot open. A startlingly sharp light glinted within them, and his entire aura became vast and imposing.

"Why wait for them to come to me? Why defend passively? This time, I’ll be the one to strike first. I’m quite interested in the true power of these Sleepers myself."

Yi Beidou said with a smile. Before anyone else could speak, his gaze shifted to Meng Qianyuan. "That Sleeper suspected of being Xu Fu, the one codenamed East King—where is he now?"

"According to the latest intelligence, he has already crossed the Kunlun Mountain Range and left Donghua territory. At his speed, he’ll probably reach the eastern border of the Mediterranean in less than a day."

"Sir, are you thinking of..."

Meng Qianyuan said, his voice grave, apparently having guessed Yi Beidou’s intentions.

"I occupied his Penglai Immortal Mountain and killed his Mountain Guardian Disciple. He rampaged through the Immortal Mountain and tore across Donghua, stirring up a huge mess. There are grudges and karmic debts between us. It’s time for a reckoning."

"I’m planning to go on the offensive. I’ll go meet him, test his mettle. What do you all think?"

Yi Beidou said with a smile.

’Take the initiative and hunt down a Sleeper?’

It was a bold plan, indeed.

But being cowards and hiding was pointless. Unless they were willing to abandon the Spiritual Talismans and go into hiding again, it was only a matter of time before the Secret Organizations and the Sleepers came knocking on their door.

That being the case, seizing the initiative and keeping control in their own hands was a good choice.

"I’m in. A Demi-Immortal body, something that even the firepower of an entire fleet can’t suppress... I’d like to see for myself what kind of Divine Powers a figure like that possesses."

A light flashed in Zhou Qingchen’s eyes as a wave of excitement grew within him.

"A battle with a legendary being? That’s right up my alley."

Huang Tianhu added with a nod.

At a time like this, their fighting spirit surged. They would not back down.