Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 127: An Inadvertent Revelation; Refining Heaven and Earth to Birth a Demon Flame (Part 2)

The old man knew from years of experience that once a person started asking about heaven and earth, about the great principles of life, it was never a small matter. He mulled it over for a moment before speaking.

"I don’t know much about any grand principles of heaven, earth, or the mortal world. All I know is that there’s no hurdle in this world you can’t get over. In life, you’re bound to run into some trouble. Whether you call it luck or fate, none of it matters. In the long run, it’s all small stuff. We Donghua People... we fight against heaven and struggle against the earth."

"If Heaven doesn’t want you to do something, you just don’t do it? If Heaven doesn’t want you to live, you just lie down and die? It’s just a little setback. Look at me. Back in the day, when I went with the army to support Goryeo, it was freezing cold, nothing but ice and snow. But all we had were single-layered uniforms, and didn’t we still drive out the enemy and come back alive?"

"What was that saying from the Chairman? ’If the conditions aren’t there, create them.’ If Heaven wants us to fail, we’ll just have to succeed anyway. That’s what it means to have backbone."

"Back in my day..."

The old man was a talkative sort. He had originally intended to convince the young man that there was no difficulty that couldn’t be overcome, no hurdle that couldn’t be crossed, but he ended up getting carried away, reminiscing about his glory days, and couldn’t stop himself.

But Yi Beidou’s expression was frozen. He didn’t hear the rest of the old man’s stories.

Only those first few sentences reverberated in his mind.

Fight against heaven and struggle against the earth.

If the conditions aren’t there, create them.

A sudden realization dawned on him.

He had been obsessing over a minor point and had fallen into a Knowledge Barrier.

Everyone said one must harmonize their True Qi, to merge oneself with heaven and earth. Coupled with having witnessed the Elder Celestial Master’s Transformation Dao, his own perspective had naturally become skewed.

It was an opportunity, but also a demonic obstacle.

Everything in this world has always been a union of Yin and Yang, where fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Just as the old man had said.

’If heaven and earth forbid it, does that mean he shouldn’t act?’

’He was born a demon, and Heaven itself wanted him to fall into depravity. Yet now, he restrained himself, cultivated his own freedom, changed his fate, and achieved Ascension right where he stood.’

’He had never accepted the will of Heaven.’

’If he couldn’t merge with it, then he simply wouldn’t.’

’Those who came before had their own paths, and he had his.’

’From ancient times to the present, he was unique.’

’This world of heaven and earth was indeed fickle, and he truly seemed incompatible with it.’

’But what did that matter?’

’He would make the Heaven and Earth True Qi work for him, not the other way around.’

’What Heaven will not grant, I shall take for myself.’

’I will not be refined by heaven and earth; I will refine heaven and earth itself.’

’This was the true "Free Demon Nature."’

’Humanity’s development, society’s progress to this day—it was all the result of mankind transforming nature. The ancients lacked this Heart Intent and couldn’t even slightly contend with nature, so of course they spoke of merging with heaven and earth.’

’But times have changed. To be human is to fight against heaven and struggle against the earth, to forge a new path.’

Yi Beidou’s mind was suddenly clear. He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, then down at the city below the mountain. Everything was so clear.

BOOM!!

The Qi and blood in his body surged. His Life Magnetic Field suddenly expanded, churning and fluctuating like a calm lake brought to a boil, or like silent, dry wood set ablaze.

A hazy, blue-white light enveloped Yi Beidou, visible to the naked eye, solid and real.

The light trembled and flickered, cold and profound. It was like a will-o’-the-wisp, like a Demon Flame, shrouding his body and making his aura even more demonic.

The mind becomes clear, and the Demon Flame is born.

Furthermore, this Demon Flame was not merely for show; it possessed an extremely powerful Divine Power.

If the various magnetic fields—the "True Qi"—from the outside world were to affect Yi Beidou’s body, they would first have to pass through this layer of Demon Flame. There, they would be scorched by the Demon Flame, and their very nature would be altered.

Magnetic field factors that were detrimental to him would be reduced to ash, while beneficial magnetic fields, tempered by the Demon Flame, would then act upon Yi Beidou’s body.

In ancient Cultivation texts, heaven and earth were the crucible, and the human body was the Great Pill. If one wished for the body to advance further, they needed to harmonize their relationship with nature, allowing the crucible of heaven and earth to temper their physical form.

But now, Yi Beidou had reversed this. Heaven and earth were a treasure trove, and he himself was the Pill Furnace. His Demon Flame burned brightly, separating the wheat from the chaff, performing a Refinement on the world’s magnetic fields for his own use. Slowly, he strengthened and nourished his body, gradually pushing the strength of his Demon Body to the next level.

Not only that, but the Demon Flame also had a defensive capability. Covering his entire body, it meant that if an opponent wanted to influence his "True Qi" with their True Intent, they would first need to pass through the scorching Demon Flame, making the task significantly more difficult.

If he were to return to the time of the Dao discussion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, with his Demon Flame protecting him, Zhu Zi’Er would likely no longer be able to remotely infiltrate his body with her True Intent, and Ding Huiyuan would not be able to easily affect him with the True Word Technique.

This was the fifth form of Martial Arts that Yi Beidou had comprehended.

Heaven-Devouring Demon Flame.

「Meanwhile.」

The old man, getting on in years, was lost in his own world, rambling on about his past glories. Immersed in days gone by, it took him quite a while to notice the unusual phenomenon emanating from Yi Beidou.

’Why is this young man glowing? It looks like he’s on fire with some kind of ghost flame?!’

’Is he a man or a ghost?’

Although the old man had once been a staunch materialist, with age and experience, he had come to believe in some inexplicable things.

’Have I run into something evil?’

But the old man had been through thick and thin, and there wasn’t much he hadn’t seen. So although his heart was pounding, he remained calm and composed.

"Ahem, all this talking has made my throat dry. I’m going to head back for a drink of water."

The old man coughed and started to beat a hasty retreat, planning to call the police as soon as he got back to his little shop.

’Demons, monsters, whatever. A few rounds from a rifle would sort them all out.’

"Sir, please wait. Your words brought me enlightenment, so I shall give you a fortunate opportunity in return."

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

’Words brought him enlightenment...’

The old man froze. His mind instantly flashed to the folktales he’d often heard about spirits seeking validation from mortals.

He wasn’t afraid of human enemies, but he still held a certain reverence for these ghostly, supernatural things.

Just as he was about to speak, he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

WHOOSH!!

The blue-white "ghost flame" spread from the hand and onto his body, swiftly covering him completely.

A sharp, cold chill instantly flooded his senses, leaving him unable to speak.

Then, his consciousness seemed to freeze over, and he could no longer think.

An unknown amount of time later, the old man awoke. He found himself lying in the rocking chair in his little shop, covered with a warm overcoat. It was as if everything that had just happened was a dream.

He stood up and looked around, glancing toward the scenic lookout. It was completely empty.

"Was it really a dream?"

The old man was completely bewildered. Then he was shocked to realize how comfortable his whole body felt. He hadn’t felt this energetic in a long time; the chronic aches and pains in his back and waist were all gone.

’It felt like he could live for at least another ten years.’

Suspicious, he walked into the back room. He fumbled for a long time with the security camera his grandson had installed for the shop before finally pulling up the footage from earlier.

On the screen, a tall young man was carrying him into the shop, placing him in the rocking chair, and covering him with a warm coat.

So it hadn’t been a dream after all.

The old man stood frozen to the spot. It took him a long while to come to his senses. He took out his cell phone and dialed the police.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

A voice said from the other end of the line.

"Officer, just now... I think I saw..."

The old man trailed off, at a loss for words. He didn’t know whether to call that person a Demon or an Immortal.