Redemption of a Born Demon

After all, everyone had sensed the aura suspected to be from the Earth Immortal Realm.

Normally, with other ancient ruins, the goal was merely to keep them out of the hands of secret entities. This time, however, was different. This time, they absolutely could not let that happen, even if it cost them their lives.

"The next struggle will be the crucial one. Given the circumstances, we must all be prepared to sacrifice ourselves."

The gentlemanly elder said calmly.

"Three days. At most, a great battle will erupt in three days. We must make preparations in advance. The last struggle was focused on the Jun City region. This time, where do you all think the focus will be?"

The glamorous woman spoke up, and the gazes of all five people turned to a large screen.

It displayed a map of the Mediterranean Region, where several spots blinked with a varying number of light dots.

These points of light represented the current, detectable locations of the Spiritual Talismans.

The location with the most dots was Gibraltar, where they were currently located.

Three Spiritual Talismans. The number of talismans currently in the God-Sealing Alliance’s possession was still the highest of any faction.

"I’m afraid we’ll be everyone’s primary target in the next struggle."

The Asian youth said.

A brief silence fell over the room. They all knew it was the truth.

In past struggles, the other Secret Organizations would likely have fought amongst themselves first before a few of them teamed up to try and crack a tough nut like them.

But things were different now. The Spiritual Talismans had undergone a change. Their tendency to converge has grown stronger, and it’s likely that all of them will soon begin to naturally gather at the location with the most talismans.

In other words, they were the faction most likely to host this convergence and ultimately obtain the complete set of Spiritual Talismans. Naturally, that made them an enemy to all other factions.

To say nothing of the very nature of the God-Sealing Alliance, which put them in natural opposition to all Sleepers. The secret entities seek the secrets of the Earth Immortals, while the Alliance exists to stop them.

To put it another way, if the complete set of talismans fell into the hands of one of the secret factions, that faction could open the ruins at their leisure. Even if the other factions couldn’t get the lion’s share, they’d still have a good chance of getting a taste.

But if the complete set of talismans fell into the hands of the God-Sealing Alliance, then no one else would get anything at all.

Therefore, when the crucial battle begins, it’s highly likely the God-Sealing Alliance will become everyone’s target.

"It doesn’t matter. We just need to do what we have to do. There may be many Sleepers, but how many of them actually dare to risk their lives in a fight?"

"If their foundations are damaged, their cultivation realms fall, and they lose their ability to achieve longevity through slumber... that would be a fate worse than death for them."

The old man wrapped in gauze sneered, his face completely devoid of fear.

"Aside from us, there’s another party that will likely become a major target for attack."

Just then, the Asian youth spoke again. His gaze shifted, turning toward the eastern part of the map of the Mediterranean Region.

There, two points of light representing Spiritual Talismans were clustered together.

It was Jun City, where Yi Beidou and his people were located.

"That’s right. They’ll likely be attacked, perhaps even before we are."

The gentlemanly elder nodded, and the others concurred.

The reasoning was simple.

Yi Beidou’s group held two Spiritual Talismans, which was a significant number. If any faction managed to seize those two, they would instantly become one of the groups with the most talismans and would gain the upper hand.

During the last struggle, Yi Beidou had indeed demonstrated immense power, suppressing multiple factions. However, their weaknesses were also laid bare.

After all, they were a force from the Mortal World. Their foundations were too shallow and their numbers too few. Once the Sleepers arrived on the battlefield in the Mediterranean Region, Yi Beidou’s overwhelming power would no longer seem so impressive. Instead, the two Spiritual Talismans they held would become a coveted prize.

An innocent man becomes guilty by carrying a treasure.

The danger facing the group from Donghua was no less than what the God-Sealing Alliance faced. The same could be said for the forces from the Starry Sky Country.

However, since the Starry Sky Country only possessed a single Spiritual Talisman, they were in far less danger.

Before a full-scale assault was launched on the God-Sealing Alliance, the Donghua Group was certain to be targeted first.

"Perhaps... we could reach out to them again. We could ask them to come to Gibraltar and form a temporary pact. I can personally make the trip."

It was the Asian youth who spoke up.

"Given his personality, do you really think you going in person will make a difference?"

The gentlemanly elder was skeptical of the idea.

"It’s worth a shot. According to our intelligence, Yi Beidou seized a large mass of Earth Immortal Cells from Destruction Heaven during the last struggle. I’ll go myself this time. If I can confirm that the Donghua People haven’t used the Earth Immortal Cells, then cooperation is possible. We might even be able to offer some concessions. I’m sure they’d be open to cooperating then. What do you all think?"

the Asian youth said.

The others exchanged a look.

Earth Immortal Cells held a powerful allure for any cultivator. But once consumed, it meant embarking on a path similar to that of the Ancient Ones—a path from which it was nearly impossible to turn back.

If the Donghua People had truly resisted the temptation of the Earth Immortal Cells and hadn’t consumed or used them after all this time, it would prove their willpower was firm. In that case, making a few concessions wouldn’t be out of the question.

As the hardliner of the group, the old man wrapped in gauze simply closed his eyes, looking as if he’d heard nothing, and abstained from the vote.

The remaining three exchanged a look and came to a decision.

"You must conceal your movements and make it a quick trip. You know the situation we’re in."

the gentlemanly elder said in a low voice.

"I understand."

The Asian youth slowly rose from his seat.

It was time for him to get moving.

「Meanwhile.」

「In Jun City.」

An exodus swept across the Mediterranean Region. This was especially true for Jun City, which had just endured a battle with an Ancient One and suffered catastrophic losses.

Now, the city streets were desolate, with few people to be seen.

Those who remained were mostly media operators, reckless daredevils, or people who simply couldn’t afford to leave.

When the East King appeared in Modu, Yi Beidou and his group had received a message from Donghua.

The Donghua Fleet had been shattered, Penglai Immortal Mountain invaded, and the nine Saint Realm guardians defeated with devastating ease. A mysterious entity had cut a path across Donghua, sending massive shockwaves through the nation.

Even though Zhou Qingchen and the others had already made their own estimates about the Sleepers’ power, they couldn’t help but gasp after reading the details in the report.

’Withstanding the firepower of an entire fleet... That’s not something a body of flesh and blood can do, is it?’

This inevitably reminded them of what they had discovered when testing that piece of Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood.

If a large part of the entity’s body had been replaced with Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood, then achieving such a feat didn’t seem entirely impossible.

An Immortal Soul Master was someone who had absorbed enough Earth Immortal Cells for them to coalesce into a new organ. The amount of Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood within a Sleeper could only be greater.

’Thirty percent of their body? Fifty? Or even seventy percent?’

It was hard to imagine just how powerful such a being would be.

’The true master of Penglai Immortal Mountain? The Alchemist Xu Fu?’

Yi Beidou’s eyes narrowed.

He had thought something was strange back on Penglai Immortal Mountain. The Immortal Mountain had been too empty. He’d assumed the Alchemists had moved everything out beforehand, but now it seemed the greatest beneficiary of the mountain’s discovery wasn’t the Alchemists, but this Xu Fu.

He was, to put it mildly, very interested in the secrets this man possessed.

"We’re holding two Spiritual Talismans, which makes us a prime target. The leadership back home is suggesting that we consider abandoning them if necessary."

"The situation isn’t looking good. There are signs of Sleepers awakening all over the world. This whole affair has gotten too big."

Meng Qianyuan said in a low voice.

It wasn’t that he distrusted Yi Beidou’s strength, but even the strongest person can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

In truth, the Spiritual Talismans weren’t even that useful to them.

"Who’s there?"

Suddenly, both Yi Beidou and Ding Huiyuan seemed to sense something. Their gazes sharpened instantly as they looked toward a window.

A figure flickered into view. He was a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed man. A faint smile played on his lips as his gaze fell upon Yi Beidou.

"I told you we’d meet again. I was able to break free of my shackles this time, and I suppose I have you to thank for that, Yi Beidou."