Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 122: Obsessed with Victory, Treading on Baleful Light, a Heart Fallen to Demonhood (Part 1)

"I don’t think it looks like him, either. The man in the video was obviously much bigger and taller."

Shen Jiayue said dubiously, looking at the video.

In the video, Yi Beidou had already entered a combat-ready state the moment he landed. His blood was pumping and his muscles were bulging, making his physique look a full size larger.

"His aura! Do you get what I mean about his aura? Do you have any idea what I just saw? One second, the man was at the judges’ table, and the next, he was on the stage. It was practically teleportation!"

Jiang Yiyang said, absolutely certain.

"There’s no point in wild speculation. It’s not like you can find any proof. By the way, it’s a real shame you missed what happened just now. That Mr. Yi just laid a hand on the guy’s chest, and he just shot right up, you know? It was absolutely miraculous."

Shen Jiayue gestured excitedly as she spoke.

Each of them was excited about something different, and they talked past each other, completely on different wavelengths.

But there was one thing they both agreed on wholeheartedly: coming to the Martial Hero Conference preliminary auditions was absolutely the right decision. It was more than worth it. It was as if a completely new world had been revealed right before their eyes.

And it wasn’t just the members of the Dechang University Martial Arts Club who felt this way. Many enthusiasts within the community, as well as ordinary citizens, shared similar thoughts.

They had been shocked far too many times tonight. They truly felt the Hidden World, once concealed from society, slowly unfurling before them.

And this was only the first round of the Martial Hero Conference’s city-level preliminary auditions. According to the official schedule, what would the provincial tournament be like? Or even the national-level Hundred Heroes Martial Arts Discussion? What sort of incredible abilities would those people possess?

A sense of anticipation bloomed in everyone’s heart.

’I’m definitely coming back for the next one!’

After that little incident, the rest of the matches proceeded without any further surprises.

The full five-hour schedule was riveting from start to finish. Even after the last match of the first round ended, the crowd was still left wanting more. It wasn’t until the staff began ushering people out that many reluctantly got up to leave.

Once everyone returned home, this lingering excitement was unleashed upon the internet.

This wasn’t just happening in Wencheng. A similar scene was playing out in every city across the country that hosted the preliminary auditions.

Topics related to the Martial Hero Conference blew up online once again.

"HOLY SHIT, I’M BLOWN AWAY! The hype was real this time, no false advertising. The contestants are all experts of the Martial Arts Dao. Every hit was solid, and the variety of Techniques was dazzling. Some of the fights were downright brutal and bloody—real no-holds-barred combat, absolutely the real deal!"

"It’s like the door to a new world has been opened! Legendary martial arts masters actually exist; they’ve just been hidden from the world all this time. The human body is capable of such incredible feats and possesses such unbelievable power!"

"Would you believe that a slender woman could launch a 1.9-meter-tall man three meters into the air, and then blast him ten meters away with a single palm strike? Would you believe that when a contestant’s heart stopped and even the medical team was helpless, someone just laid a hand on his chest and instantly brought him back from the dead? How am I supposed to believe in science anymore? Hey, officials, you want to come out and explain this?"

"I’m telling you, the age of Cultivation is almost here! This Martial Hero Conference is just the prelude. If I can help it, I’m not missing a single one of the upcoming matches!"

"..."

The reviews from those who watched the competition were almost universally positive. Of course, there were some negative ones, and their content was nearly identical.

"It was a bit too bloody. The fighters were covered in blood, which was unsettling. I don’t think this kind of barbaric competition should be allowed in our country."

"I saw one contestant’s arm get bent back a full 180 degrees. I really don’t understand why they have to fight to that extent. Is it really okay to risk the contestants’ safety just to make the show go viral? It’s too dangerous, too violent, and it promotes the wrong values. I’ve already reported it, by the way."

"I agree. Even if minors are barred from buying tickets, the influence will still be bad once it gets this popular. It’ll be a bad influence on the next generation. What happens when society is full of people who just want to fight?"

"..."

The negative reviews were almost universally the same.

It couldn’t be helped. There would always be snowflakes who wanted to paint over everything in the world to make it seem completely harmless, as if doing so would erase all cruelty and suffering.

As if they were living in their own dream world.

Little did they know, however, that such negative reviews had no deterrent effect. On the contrary, they only piqued the interest of a large group of people who had previously been on the fence.

"Damn, now that you put it that way, I’ve got to buy a ticket just to support it. No other reason, I just can’t stand you bleeding-hearts!"

"Hey, person above me, don’t rub it in! I just checked, and the tickets for the remaining two preliminary rounds are basically sold out in every city. I can’t even buy one if I wanted to, okay?"

"It’s true. Lots of scalpers, and the ticket prices are skyrocketing! I should’ve bought a few extra when I had the chance!"

"We demand a live stream!"

"..."

The citizens who hadn’t attended the first round of preliminary auditions were now itching with curiosity, and a wave of lamentation swept across the forums.

As the Martial Hero Conference’s popularity exploded, tickets for the preliminary auditions in every city were quickly snatched up.

As the discussions grew even more heated, more information began spreading to short-form video platforms.

Although filming was prohibited at the venue, some audience members inevitably managed to sneak recordings of exciting moments when security wasn’t looking. These clips quickly went viral online, spreading faster than they could be taken down.

Eventually, the organizing committee itself stepped in. They had their staff pull video footage from every tournament venue and compiled it into a highlight reel of the Martial Hero Conference’s first preliminary round. This, in turn, caused the hype to explode all over again.

The official video was recorded with professional equipment and was far clearer and more stunning than the blurry, shaky footage shot from various audience angles.

The release of the highlight reel caused certain Martial Artists with astonishing performances to go viral online.

And Yang Mutong was undoubtedly one of them.

Female Martial Artists were already a rarity, and her exceptional beauty and charisma made her stand out even more. Combined with the flashy and stunning fighting style she used in her duel against Pan Hexuan, she instantly distinguished herself from the other Martial Artists in the highlights. Within a few short days, her clips were being shared frantically across the internet, earning her the title of "Peacock Heroine."

This also drew even more attention to the Wencheng preliminary auditions.

In addition, discussions about the Martial Arts Dao, Cultivation, and the human body gradually began to broaden under the guidance of the relevant authorities. Experts continually came forward to share their knowledge, progressively educating the public and allowing more people to learn about a world that was once hidden from secular society.

The first round of the preliminary auditions was only the beginning.

Driven by the tides of this new era, the world of Cultivation was gradually converging with the mundane world, re-emerging into the spotlight to capture the attention of the masses.