Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 172 - 167: Nowhere to Hide, Hunting Amidst the Roar (Part 1)

News of Devi’s defeat spread quickly. Donghua’s Martial Arts Cultivation Realm was jubilant, while nations across the world were shaken to the core.

The Starry Sky Country had dispatched its strongest new-generation fighters—the trio known as Sea, Land, and Air—who, along with numerous other new-generation Saints from around the world, had entered Donghua only to return in utter defeat!

And two members of the Sea, Land, and Air trio had been defeated by the very same person!

Yi Beidou.

Having achieved Ascension at twenty-seven, he was now the youngest Saint in the world. In the mere six months since his public debut, he had swept aside all opponents to stand at the very pinnacle of the world’s new generation.

Even Devi Punk—the Starry Sky Country’s most brilliant prodigy, a man as vast and inscrutable as the Sky itself—had fallen at his hands.

In an instant, the name Yi Beidou reverberated through the highest echelons of power worldwide. All available data on him was being meticulously analyzed by the relevant agencies of every nation.

「Starry Sky Country, Special Intelligence Agency.」

"That idiot Devi! He’s ruined everything!"

The moment Kasey received the news, he let out a low growl. He slammed his palm down on his desk, and a huge chunk of the solid wood table instantly blew apart.

"The Pioneer Group and several other Secret Organizations are demanding answers. They want us to explain what happened in Modu and why their plans were sabotaged by the appearance of one of our men."

"Congress has also launched an inquiry. They expect us to prepare a full account of the Donghua affair," his assistant said in a low voice.

"I know."

After his initial burst of anger, Kasey’s expression gradually calmed.

’Thinking about it, this might actually be a good thing.’

’Teaching that guy a lesson will make him easier to manage and control.’

"So, about the situation in Donghua..." the assistant inquired.

"Devi has been defeated. Unless we intend to declare all-out war on Donghua, we no longer have the means or justification to interfere."

"This matter ends here. Donghua is undergoing a great transformation, so how can we afford to fall behind? There’s an old Donghuan saying: ’a blessing in disguise.’ This incident might not be a bad thing for us."

"Our ’Comprehensive New Martial Arts Dao Plan’ was proposed long ago, but Congress has been unable to pass it due to various concerns. This time, however, the situation is different. Our rival in the Far East has already beaten us to the punch. I believe no one will oppose my plan any longer."

"This congressional inquiry will be the perfect opportunity to push the plan forward," Kasey said softly.

The Comprehensive New Martial Arts Dao Plan was an entire training system for New Martial Artists that he and the Special Intelligence Agency had developed; the Human Body School was actually just one part of this system.

It was designed to leverage the Starry Sky Country’s highly developed sports training infrastructure, establishing a series of programs from youth academies and university systems to professional club and Alliance competitions. In fact, it bore many similarities to Donghua’s Martial Hero Conference.

But this plan had been repeatedly opposed by Congress and postponed indefinitely, with the greatest resistance coming from the Starry Sky Country’s military.

The New Martial Artists would fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Intelligence Agency. Since these individuals were far too powerful, a large number of them would undoubtedly diminish the military’s voice in Congress.

The other bigwigs in Congress were also worried. If this system of schools and clubs was allowed to grow and various capital and influential forces intervened, they feared it would become a complex, entrenched web. Factions could raise their own private forces, and it might even cultivate a new social class that would threaten the status of the ruling elite.

In contrast, Donghua had no such reservations. Its system was based on established schools of martial arts, most with long histories. They had made immense contributions during the past war of resistance and were not considered a new social power.

This was why Donghua had managed to roll out its Martial Hero Conference ahead of the Starry Sky Country.

But now that Donghua had successfully taken the first step, those congressional old-timers would probably have to make concessions to keep their rival in check.

Competition is forever the ladder of progress.

It was just like the battle between Yi Beidou and Devi. Though one was victorious and the other defeated, both of them had obtained the insights they desired.

The Starry Sky Country had indeed lost this contest, but before long, this very defeat would also propel the entire nation toward massive change.

No one could stand in the way of such a surging tide.

And he, Kasey Rich, would seize even greater authority because of it.

In Modu, the battle between Yi Beidou and Devi left an indelible impression on the hearts of many Martial Artists. For many, it was the first time they had truly witnessed that the power of the human body could reach such a god-like, demon-like state.

Sporadic fights were still ongoing, but the attitude of the foreign Martial Artists had done a complete one-eighty.

When they had first arrived in Donghua, they had all worn provocative, arrogant expressions. They would randomly pick targets on the street, forcing their opponents to fight under the public gaze.

But after the series of battles involving the Saint Experts, they had finally learned the meaning of "politeness." They adopted the attitude of a proper martial exchange, sending formal written challenges to schedule a time and place before seeking an opponent.

Many citizens of Donghua who had followed the affair from start to finish felt a great sense of vindication.

It just went to show: the only way to earn true respect from these foreigners was to beat them into submission.

「Three days later.」

The sporadic fights in Modu had all but disappeared, because the final stage of the Martial Hero Conference, the "Hundred Heroes Martial Arts Discussion," was about to officially begin.

Thanks to the groundwork laid by the two preliminary rounds, plus the hype generated by the Modu Street Fights, the duels between Saints, and the influx of foreign Martial Artists, the buzz around the Martial Hero Conference had not died down. In fact, it was more explosive than ever.

After all, the street fights between Martial Artists were random events, and not everyone was lucky enough to stumble upon one. The arena duels of the Martial Hero Conference, however, were broadcast live with perfect clarity for anyone who bought a ticket and entered the designated venue.

「Night fell. Modu Stadium.」

The stadium could hold a full seventy thousand spectators.

Long lines formed at the ticket gates. A massive logo hung over the entrance—the black and white silhouettes of two fists, intertwined like a taiji symbol. This was the emblem of the Martial Hero Conference.

By now, this symbol was plastered all over Modu and was familiar to everyone.

The venue was electric, a roiling sea of people. Several massive screens hung high around the stadium, broadcasting the action on the field in real time.

Soon, it was time for the show to begin. The judges and referees entered, and the host started the opening remarks and introductions, immediately whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

"That judge, isn’t that the Valkyrie from Mount Emei, Zhou Qingchen?! I saw her fight with that bald foreigner! Oh my god, she was fighting on the surface of the Shen Jiang, floating like an Immortal. I’ll never forget that scene!"

"Saint Experts! The judges and referees all seem to be masters who’ve achieved Body Ascension!"

"..."

Many enthusiasts and industry insiders cried out in astonishment.

For the Hundred Heroes Martial Arts Discussion, many contestants had already reached the Soul-Stealing Peak, and a good number were even Semi-Saints. At this level of competition, ordinary referees and judges simply couldn’t command the stage. Only true Saint Experts were qualified to serve as judges.

Zhou Qingchen, Huang Tianhu, Tao Zihong...

...as well as older-generation masters like Zhong Ang and the Withered Elder. A total of seven Saint Experts were presiding over the event.

"Is that Mr. Yi here? The one who defeated the strongest fighter from the Starry Sky Country and put an end to the foreign Martial Artists’ conspiracy?!"

"I came just for him! I don’t know if you were there, but that scene was way more shocking than any duel on the river. Have you ever seen two people fight and actually cause celestial phenomena—to Call the Wind and Summon the Rain?"

"I heard he’s the world’s youngest Saint—he broke the record! At such a young age, he can already dominate the world, undefeated against all the foreign Martial Artists! In the future, he might even become the world’s number one!"

"..."

After his battle with Devi, Yi Beidou needed no publicity. Within the relevant circles, his fame was already soaring like the midday sun.

Many people were hoping to catch a glimpse of such an extraordinary figure in person.

But unfortunately, they were disappointed. Yi Beidou was nowhere to be seen among the panel of judges.

For three full days after his battle with Devi, Yi Beidou had not left his room, remaining in a state of seclusion to consolidate his gains.

「Yi Beidou’s Room.」

From the outside, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But anyone who entered the room would have seen an unbelievable sight.

Yi Beidou sat cross-legged on the floor, blue and white Demon Flames spreading from his body to creep into every corner of the room.

The scene inside the room was chaotic.

A chair stood sideways against the wall, the bed was on the ceiling instead of the floor, and a cup was suspended upside down, its liquid not spilling out...

Furthermore, as Yi Beidou’s True Intent fluctuated, the objects within the room continuously jumped and rotated.

It was as if he were not in reality, but in a dream that could be turned upside down at will.

This was, in fact, not real. It was an illusion created by Yi Beidou’s True Intent warping the surrounding magnetic field.

Within the entire room, only the cross-legged Yi Beidou remained untouched by any change. He was real and substantial, sovereign and immutable, like a Demon Lord who could turn the world upside down and command the fate of all things.

Yi Beidou slowly opened his eyes.

The Demon Flame receded, and the chaotic scene around him returned to normal.

He stood up and clenched his fist, feeling the immense power surging within it.

After the battle with Devi, he had fully unlocked the abilities of his Demon Body: to bring chaos to the world, reverse the stars, and embody the Demon Lord.

His Demon Body had reached grand completion.

Advancing by leaps and bounds as he had before would no longer be so easy. He could only train himself by reversing the magnetic field day after day, slowly increasing his physical strength.

He could already feel the bottleneck.

This bottleneck would not be so easy to break through.

’My martial arts training has reached a milestone. If I want to comprehend my next Technique, I must break through my current limits,’ Yi Beidou muttered to himself.

He had suppressed his Demon Nature and burst onto the scene, learning martial arts everywhere like a blank slate. Now, he had finally achieved something.

’Certain plans can now be set in motion.’

’But before that, a few things need to be handled.’

A flash of Evil Qi glinted in Yi Beidou’s eyes.

He hadn’t forgotten how three incarnations of the Ancient Ones had joined forces to ambush him.

He hadn’t had time to pursue the matter—first because of the impending fight with Devi, and afterward because he needed to consolidate his cultivation.

Now, his hands were finally free.

’You’ve hidden yourselves well. It seems some entity has laid down special measures. But what a pity... this entire city is now within my grasp.’

Demon Flame seemed to flicker in Yi Beidou’s eyes, piercing through layers of mist. He felt a faint inkling in his heart.

With his Demon Body having reached grand completion, his Celestial Demon Sensing had naturally advanced as well.

’The threads of karma are entangled. Vermin like you have nowhere left to hide!’