Redemption of a Born Demon

Meanwhile, across the ocean, somewhere in America.

Inside one of Beretta’s secret laboratories.

The facility was clearly much smaller than his previous laboratory, but there was nothing to be done about that.

He had removed the Lotus’s seal within the Human Dao River, obtaining his freedom. But in doing so, he had also completely broken ties with the Pioneer Group. Naturally, he could no longer remain in his old laboratory and had been forced to defect.

Fortunately, he had made preparations long ago, which was how he had secured his current base of operations.

Though the lab was smaller, it was fully equipped.

At that moment, Beretta stood in the cultivation room. In a pod at its center, the naked body of a man was submerged in a pale yellow nutrient fluid, his eyes shut tight.

The body was tall and powerfully built. Even from a distance, it exuded a predatory pressure, like a great tiger. Yet, it seemed to lack a certain spark of life, as if it were just an empty shell.

Various data cables were connected to the pod, but they didn’t lead to scientific instruments. Instead, they ran directly to the building on the surface.

There, atop a tall tower, the cables terminated at seven metal rods that resembled lightning rods. Unlike normal lightning rods, however, these were inlaid with intricate golden threads.

Back in the cultivation room, a rare, solemn expression settled on Beretta’s face.

Outside.

The weather had taken a sudden turn. Dark clouds converged in the sky, casting a heavy gloom, while fierce winds whipped the grass and trees into a frenzy.

BOOM!!

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning descended from the clouds and struck the seven metal rods. Arcs of electricity crackled around them, showering sparks in all directions.

Inside the cultivation room, the electrical charge from the lightning strike was instantly conducted down through the cables, pouring entirely into the body of the tall man.

In an instant, the entire pod was wreathed in crackling electricity—a truly wondrous sight.

Then, in the aftermath of the strike, something miraculous happened. The body, which had seemed so devoid of life, began to stir. A finger twitched, and then its eyes snapped open, a brilliant light flashing within them.

Halos of rainbow light then began to radiate from the surface of his skin. Were it not for the modern equipment all around, the scene could have been a painting of an ancient divine revelation.

Seeing this, Beretta’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Did it work?"

Beretta asked aloud.

The man in the pod opened his mouth as if to answer, but what emerged was not a voice, but a torrent of blood.

Soon, it wasn’t just his mouth. Blood began to pour from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, dyeing the fluid in the pod a deep crimson.

The rainbow halos dissipated. Beretta could clearly feel the man’s life force fading rapidly until it vanished into stillness.

’Another failure, it seems. This is the strongest cloned body I can produce—a vessel equivalent to the Saint Level. It’s a secret technique of mine, one that not even the Pioneer Group has fully mastered. If even this can’t bear your will, I can’t imagine what technology in the world possibly could.’

"If I could find a way to integrate Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood into a clone, using the Sleepers as a baseline, you should be able to return to the world. It’s a pity. I don’t have the technology for the Refinement of Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood into another body, nor do I have a sufficient supply of it."

"Perhaps that disciple of yours has a method? His Demon Flame can perform Refinement on all things. If he were strong enough, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to even erase the rejection phenomenon within the Earth Immortal Flesh and Blood," Beretta mused, rubbing his chin.

"Do not disturb him. He has his own path to walk. If this did not succeed, it simply means the time is not right."

A calm voice resounded in Beretta’s ears, seeming to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

"So, what state are you in right now, exactly?"

As he broached the subject, a flicker of excitement flashed in Beretta’s eyes.

But the voice seemed to have vanished, or perhaps it had already departed, for it said nothing more.

「One day later.」

Yi Beidou’s full itinerary was ready.

After all, the plan involved crossing the Mediterranean Sea by aircraft, a journey that implicated multiple countries and raised concerns about the aircraft’s safety. For Donghua to arrange everything and smooth over relations with all parties in a single day was the fastest they could possibly manage.

Of course, the deterrent presence of Yi Beidou and the other Donghua Martial Artists in the Mediterranean Region played a crucial role. Many countries were unwilling to provoke them and gave them the green light at every turn. Otherwise, coordinating the trip would never have been so simple.

Putting the diplomatic intricacies aside, a fighter jet and its escort squadron took off from a secret airfield somewhere in Saudi Arabia. These jets were all from Donghua, built with the most advanced anti-jamming materials. The pilots all possessed a degree of Cultivation and wore protective combat suits from the Purple Cloud Research Institute, which could effectively negate the magnetic-field interference of powerful Cultivators.

BOOM!!

The fighter jets tore through the air, accelerating until they vanished over the horizon.

Meanwhile, thanks to their incredible speed and the presence of the Spiritual Talismans, various hidden factions began to detect Yi Beidou’s movements.

"Two Spiritual Talismans are on the move? In the Eastern Mediterranean Region? It looks like they’re trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea?"

"That location... the one with two Spiritual Talismans... that has to be the Donghua Martial Artists, right? What are they up to?"

"Confirm their trajectory immediately! Find out what they’re planning!"