Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 195 - 186: Appearing at the Venue, Materializing on Flames (Part 2)

Yi Beidou stood atop a tall building with his arms crossed, looking down at the ground below. He focused his spirit, and his Celestial Demon Sensing spread out, extending to every corner of the city.

’Two Saint-level auras?’

His Celestial Demon Sensing detected that the two Saint-level auras in the city were both heading toward the sports complex.

Two Saint Experts.

Yi Beidou’s expression was calm, even faintly disappointed.

"I hope they don’t disappoint me," he muttered.

Two Saints, unless they possessed some extraordinary power, were no longer worth his notice now.

Soon, the audience began to file in.

Not only were Donghua intelligence agents present, but the audience was also peppered with undercover agents from other countries stationed in Japan.

Of course, these people were only here to gather intelligence. They had no idea that Yi Beidou might appear in Japan, let alone at the All Martial Arts Conference itself.

Although many countries had received news from Donghua about Yi Beidou’s defection, almost no one suspected he had gone to Japan. Most national agencies analyzed that Yi Beidou had most likely joined some Secret Organization and were investigating in that direction.

After all, the idea of one man challenging the dignity of an entire nation seemed utterly unbelievable to anyone.

This was modern society, where the insignificance of individual strength had been proven time and again. Even Saint Experts had to play by the rules.

The competition had yet to begin, but the venue was already buzzing with excitement. Factions from various schools had raised banners and were waving flags to cheer on their side. Even ordinary people had their own favorite competitors to support, which was perfectly normal in Japan, the birthplace of fan-cheering culture.

Qian Haochuan and the others, however, were unimpressed. They had watched the finals of the Martial Hero Conference, where eighty thousand spectators had roared in unison and a million people across the city had followed the event continuously.

This was just a regional tournament in Japan, with less than twenty thousand people in attendance. It was a small-time event by comparison.

The two Donghua agents, a man and a woman, entered the venue and took their seats. A short while later, a commotion suddenly erupted as a group of people, led by staff, walked into the venue and sat down one by one at the judges’ panel.

In the head seat was a young man who looked to be around thirty, dressed in a white Kendo Uniform. Next to him was a middle-aged man with a grim, hawk-like face.

"It’s the Beichen Xin Yin Sword Saint Sanada Katsuhiko, and Sen Dizang, the ’Divine Ninja’ of the Godslaying Ninja Dao!"

The female Donghua agent, Du Yuzhu, whispered.

"I didn’t expect a mere second-round regional tournament to have two Saint Realm experts presiding over it."

The male agent, Qiao Fei, also nodded with a grave expression.

"I thought there would be one Saint Realm expert at most. I can’t believe two showed up at once."

Du Yuzhu was also quite surprised.

"Have you noticed? The security here has gotten much tighter. There are many hidden positions in the shadows around the venue that give me a sense of danger. It’s likely there are snipers lying in wait, and there seem to be a lot more plainclothes officers from Japan outside as well."

"These security measures are beyond what’s normal for a tournament. Japan must have received the news of ’that person’s’ defection and are worried he might come here, so they’ve made some preparations," Qiao Fei said.

"In that case, I hope he doesn’t show up. They’re clearly prepared. If he appears, I’m afraid it will be hard for him to retreat safely," Du Yuzhu said, letting out a breath.

"Let’s hope so," Qiao Fei said with a nod.

They had been undercover in Japan for a long time and had gathered a great deal of intelligence on these Saint Realm experts.

Sanada Katsuhiko and Sen Dizang could no longer be called new-generation Saint Martial Artists. Don’t be fooled by their youthful appearances; in reality, they both achieved Ascension over twenty years ago. The slightly younger Sanada Katsuhiko was already approaching sixty, while Sen Dizang was nearly seventy.

Both could be considered veteran Saint Experts of Japan. With years of accumulated power and the various Secret Techniques they commanded, their strength was not to be underestimated.

Sanada Katsuhiko, in particular, was once the youngest Saint of his generation in Asia. Neither his talent nor his strength could be taken lightly.

Individually, they already had the power to contend with top-tier, new-generation Saint Experts. Now they were working together, not to mention the numerous armed security personnel hidden in the surroundings.

For any Saint Expert, this place was a veritable lion’s den.

"Why are they so excited? Who are those people?"

Qian Haochuan and the others couldn’t understand Japanese. All they heard was the gibberish of those "little devils," which made their heads buzz and their blood boil.

"They’re the judges for this competition, all Hall Master-level figures from the major Dao Fields and martial arts schools. Two of them seem to be ’Martial Saints’! The leaders of the Beichen Xin Yin School and the Godslaying Ninja Dao. They are titans of the Japan Martial Arts Realm, famous for a long time!" Meng Qihua said, his expression one of surprise.

’Martial Saints?’

’Long-famous titans?’

’And two of them? They don’t look easy to handle.’

Qian Haochuan and the others exchanged a worried glance.

’He’s not actually going to show up at this conference, is he?’

’After all, two fists are no match for four hands. He’s from the younger generation; it would be difficult for him to contend with veteran powerhouses.’

In fact, when Yi Beidou first defeated Devi, it had caused a huge stir online. Some netizens even called him "the world’s number one," but this was quickly refuted by others.

Only then did everyone learn that the Saint Experts who participated in the Modu Street Fight were mostly from the younger generation of various countries. Furthermore, in the Saint Realm, the saying "youth is might" didn’t necessarily apply. The more veteran an expert was, the more trump cards and methods they possessed, and they had many abilities that were hard for ordinary people to imagine.

At best, Yi Beidou could only be called "the number one Saint of the new generation."

"Lord Sanada, I think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill. To go to such lengths over a mere young Saint from Donghua who defected... it’s an insult to our Martial Arts Dao."

Sen Dizang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the hidden sniper positions around the venue, a sense of displeasure rising within him.

According to the original plan, only one Saint Realm expert was needed to preside over the second-round competition. But after the news of Yi Beidou’s defection arrived, the number was increased to two following that meeting.

And on top of that, they had positioned numerous snipers in the area.

For experts of their status and power, this was simply an insult.

However, this was the will of that old senior who had once dominated an era, so he couldn’t very well defy it.

"Lord Sen, as the saying goes, ’one can’t be too careful.’ This All Martial Arts Conference is very important, so taking every precaution is only natural."

Sanada Katsuhiko, however, remained calm.

"In his battle in Donghua, Lord Ooshima completely lost his Essence, Qi, and Spirit. He has shamed the legacy of the Shindo Tenren School and disgraced the entire Japan Martial Arts Realm. If that person from Donghua shows up, it’ll be perfect. Defeating him will restore the honor of the Japan Martial Arts Realm," Sen Dizang said with a laugh.

He didn’t think some junior could cause any real trouble.

His nearly thirty years of Cultivation were no joke, after all.

Sanada Katsuhiko said nothing, his expression noncommittal.

Soon, the time came, and the conference officially began.

The host took the stage and began to speak, his tone filled with the characteristic passion of the Japanese, completely igniting the atmosphere and drawing fervent cheers from the audience.

However, amidst the roaring cheers, just as everyone was anticipating the appearance of Japan’s masters to begin their bouts...

The pupils of both Sanada Katsuhiko and Sen Dizang suddenly contracted. They shot up from their seats and stared toward the entrance of the venue.

The Hall Masters around them were stunned, the host was stunned, and the audience was stunned. The roaring cheers suddenly died down as rows of eyes turned to look toward the entrance.

FWOOSH!!

Suddenly, a blazing mass of blue-white flame erupted in the middle of the space. Before everyone’s eyes, a tall figure strode out from the Demon Flame, appearing out of thin air as if stepping across dimensions.

"It’s so lively here. I thought I’d join the fun."

Yi Beidou’s gaze swept across the entire venue. He spoke calmly in the Donghua Language, his voice spreading like a Demon Sound, echoing and overlapping throughout the spacious stadium.