Redemption of a Born Demon

He was a key combatant for the God-Sealing Alliance. If he roamed carelessly and his whereabouts were exposed, it could lead to unpredictable consequences.

So this time, when he went to contact Yi Beidou and the others, he informed no one and brought no subordinates. He even left a lifelike illusory figure in his seat in the Gibraltar Kunca Mansion conference room, its eyes closed as if in meditation.

In reality, he had already been traveling for nearly half a day. But Gibraltar was in the western Mediterranean and Jun City was in the east; the distance between them was immense. Thus, after half a day of travel, he had only just arrived at a location one or two hundred kilometers from Jun City.

He was just about to finally meet Yi Beidou and the others, but then he perceived that the two Spiritual Talismans had unexpectedly begun to move.

’Changing locations to prepare for the upcoming fight? Or do they have another objective?’

Long Yichen frowned, speculating on the group’s objective.

However, his assessment was similar to that of the other Secret Organizations; he too believed Yi Beidou’s group was trying to switch locations.

But their chosen direction seemed unwise.

Some Sleepers were likely to congregate in that direction soon, which would inevitably lead to danger.

’Looks like I need to catch up to them as soon as possible and talk things over.’

Long Yichen muttered to himself.

His goal this time was to form an alliance with Yi Beidou’s group, find a way to bring them to Gibraltar, and have them join the God-Sealing Alliance in defending against the coming conflict.

「Meanwhile.」

Yi Beidou’s group moved swiftly. As they drew nearer to the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Yi Beidou began to faintly sense another aura approaching from the east.

Within this aura was a familiar quality—the quality of Penglai Power.

The aura wasn’t particularly overt, but it was incomparably powerful and vast.

’Well then, I might as well say hello.’

A faint smile played on Yi Beidou’s lips.

BOOM!

Demon Flame erupted, burning fiercely across the surface of his body. Within him, he simultaneously activated his Penglai Power, and it felt as though Golden Fire ignited in every one of his cells.

「To the east.」

The East King was also moving at high speed, as if using the Shrinking Inches technique. Gasps of alarm followed in his wake.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He sensed a unique presence approaching him, one similar to a Spirit Treasure. Mixed with that energy was another, even more powerful aura.

Within that aura, he felt a familiar, kindred essence.

’Penglai Power... Is it coming for me?’

In a flash, the East King understood a great deal.

The approaching aura most likely belonged to the culprit who had killed his descendant and heir, the one who had seized Penglai Immortal Mountain.

That modern-day prodigy, considered the strongest in the Mortal World, who was not yet even thirty years old.

"The nerve! Truly, the absolute nerve! I haven’t even gone to settle the score with him, and he dares to come looking for me."

A smile touched the corners of the East King’s lips, but every hair on his body stood on end as rage and killing intent brewed within him.

He had only just suppressed his fury back in Donghua, but now, this person had ignited it all over again.

SKREEE!!

For miles around him, birds shrieked in terror and took flight. The more perceptive beasts on the ground also seemed to sense the threat, either scrambling for their burrows or fleeing in a mad panic.

’Since you dare to appear before me, and you’re carrying an item related to the current ruins, you’ve just saved me some trouble. I’ll settle all our scores, new and old, at once!’

The East King muttered to himself.

SKRAWWW!!

A piercing cry, like that of a great bird, erupted from within him. Light as brilliant as the midday sun shot toward the heavens, vaguely forming the image of a giant Golden Crow with its wings outstretched.

His aura and Yi Beidou’s faced off from a distance. Though they were still separated by over a hundred kilometers, their energies had already locked onto one another.

The East King took a sudden step forward.

BOOM!

A shockwave of air erupted around him as his speed instantly broke the sound barrier, and he shot toward Yi Beidou’s position.

"Everyone, get ready," Yi Beidou said with a smile.

Even without his warning, Zhou Qingchen could already feel the terrifying aura, like that of some colossal beast.

Fearless as they were, their bodies now betrayed them with an instinctive tremor.

"What?! What is this?!"

About a hundred kilometers behind Yi Beidou’s group, Long Yichen realized something was wrong.

He sensed the aura Yi Beidou was actively emitting had become entangled with a responding presence, and the distance between the two was closing rapidly.

The essence and power of that second aura reminded him of *them*.

A Sleeper! It had to be the aura of a Sleeper!

’And, judging by the timing and trajectory...’

’Could it be the one from Donghua... the being codenamed "East King"?!’

He was wrong! His entire assessment was wrong!

Yi Beidou’s group wasn’t trying to change battlefields at all—they were actively trying to intercept the Sleeper, the East King, who was coming from Donghua!

’What on earth are those guys thinking? Going on the offensive in a situation like this?! They don’t even have any specific intelligence on their opponent!’

Long Yichen gritted his teeth.

He knew the East King was an immensely powerful and terrifying being. Even if he were to use his ultimate techniques, he wasn’t confident he could suppress him.

It was one thing for a newborn calf not to fear a tiger, but Yi Beidou’s audacity was on another level entirely.

If he’d known they were going to intercept a Sleeper, he would have hurried, or found some way to cause a disturbance to get their attention and stop them.

But it was too late for that now.

BOOM!

He no longer bothered to conceal his aura or his presence. He pushed his speed to the limit, hoping to catch up in time to prevent a disaster.

"Yi Beidou’s group isn’t changing locations! They’re going to intercept some powerful being!"

"Quick, relay the intel!"

"..."

The spies from various factions trailing Yi Beidou’s group also sensed the anomaly and immediately reported back.

"Intercepting a powerful entity?! That aura... it feels like a Sleeper’s. Those people from Donghua are actually making a move on a Sleeper?"

When the leaders of the God-Sealing Alliance received the news, their faces were etched with astonishment.

"I wonder how far Yichen has gotten. I hope he doesn’t act rashly. The East King... is no easy foe."

The gentlemanly old man said with a sigh.

The other hidden powers were equally stunned upon receiving the news; events had once again veered outside their predictions.

’The Sleepers from all sides haven’t even arrived, and the Donghua Martial Artists are already starting the first battle?’

"Does he really think he’s invincible after that one battle in Jun City?"

"He’s from the Mortal World, after all. His perspective is limited. He probably doesn’t even understand what a Sleeper truly represents. You can’t blame the ignorant."

"This is not good. The man from Donghua holds two Spiritual Talismans. If they fall into the East King’s hands, the Pioneer Group will possess more talismans than any other faction."

"Sigh, who could have predicted this? They’re asking for trouble, and there’s nothing anyone can do."

"..."

The hidden powers buzzed with discussion over this new development.

’So he really is going after the East King?’

Lotus was also somewhat surprised, but he quickly composed himself.

"Have everyone in the Group move toward the east."

’Since he’s delivering himself to my doorstep, I must ensure nothing goes wrong.’

In that instant, the eyes of the entire world—and the entire Hidden Realm—all focused on the Eastern Mediterranean, on Yi Beidou.

This was the first public showdown between a modern Martial Artist and a Sleeper.

The two auras closed in on each other rapidly. For beings of their caliber, a distance of a hundred-plus kilometers, with both parties converging, was nothing.

About twenty minutes later, on the outskirts of a city, a phenomenal spectacle was already visible from a distance.

On one side, the sky was stained by the Blood Fire Demon Flame. On the other, a Three-legged Golden Crow soared, scattering crimson-gold light across the land.

The two world-shaking phenomena finally collided, churning and tangling together.