Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 97: Before Everyone’s Eyes, a Red Dust Immortal Descends from the Heavens (Part 1)

On Dragon Tiger Mountain, everyone stared in a daze at the Elder Celestial Master’s figure of light floating in the sky.

Riding the clouds and mist, ascending to the heavens in broad daylight—this was, after all, the dream of every cultivator.

However, the Elder Celestial Master suddenly let out a great shout. The Saints present immediately sensed something and looked toward a certain direction on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

There, they could clearly sense three auras erupting, as conspicuous as beacons.

These auras...

Everyone’s expression changed in an instant. Hearing the Elder Celestial Master’s words, they already had their suspicions.

’So someone really was secretly coveting the legacy of Dragon Tiger Mountain? And they’ve already reached the foot of the mountain before the Elder Celestial Master has even completed his Transformation Dao?!’

Outside the Ten Thousand Laws Sect Altar, a sharp glint flashed in Wei Cheng’s eyes.

"Yue Ming!"

He shouted, and a figure immediately leaped high from within the Ten Thousand Laws Sect Altar, vaulted over the courtyard wall, and landed with a resounding thud outside the compound.

"Send an urgent dispatch to the Southern District! Activate the military contingency plan for dealing with Saints. By any means necessary, dispatch the appropriate forces to Dragon Tiger Mountain immediately!"

"Everyone here, regardless of status, will cooperate with the investigation until this matter is resolved. No one is to leave before then."

Yue Ming said in a grave voice to the men accompanying him.

"Yes, sir!"

They were not Saints and lacked such powerful Mind Sensing, but upon hearing Yue Ming’s words, they immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

In the current era, the number of Saints was increasing. Such beings possessed immense power, and if one of them was bent on causing chaos, the threat would be far too great. The nation had no choice but to be prepared.

Therefore, the Donghua Military Department and the Special Security Bureau had a complete set of contingency plans for dealing with Saints. In an emergency, they could mount a response to any Saint-related incident within the country’s borders in under half an hour.

When the incident in Spring City, Yunhai Province, occurred, a fully-armed special operations team had arrived on the scene in just over ten minutes—a testament to these contingency plans.

"After my Transformation Dao, Evil Demons and Heretics Dao will certainly scheme for the legacy of Dragon Tiger Mountain. There may even be a traitor within the sect. You must all support the sixty-fifth generation Celestial Master. Anyone who harbors dissent will be punished according to sect law!"

In the sky, the eyes of the Elder Celestial Master’s luminous figure blazed, his killing intent palpable. He looked down upon the ground, his voice reverberating in the minds of the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples. The faces of all who heard it changed drastically.

Subsequently, the Elder Celestial Master’s gaze fell upon Yi Beidou and the other young Saint Experts.

"Everyone, I used the Dragon Tiger True Intent to expose the location of those three and stun their minds. This has created a karmic entanglement that not even a Saint can easily escape. For the next several hours, they will be unable to restore their auras to a state of perfection. Those of you with unique mental abilities will be able to lock onto their trail."

"I ask that you all lend Dragon Tiger Mountain your aid."

The Elder Celestial Master said in a grave voice.

"We will certainly do our utmost."

Yi Beidou and the others solemnly cupped their fists and nodded. They were indebted to the Elder Celestial Master for his teachings, so how could they possibly stand aside now?

Besides, they were quite interested in these skulking individuals.

"And with that, my affairs in this life are concluded. The matters of the future I leave to you."

The Elder Celestial Master’s gaze swept over the crowd, finally resting on Zhang Taifeng. A gratified smile touched the corners of his lips.

At this moment, Zhang Taifeng was still sitting cross-legged on the ground. He had not risen, and his aura was faint, as if he had passed into oblivion.

But the Elder Celestial Master could sense that heaven-and-earth-rending changes were taking place within his body at every moment.

When Yi Beidou underwent his Ascension, he had sat in meditation for seven days and seven nights. Zhang Taifeng had only just become a Saint, so his body still needed a long time to transform. He could not afford to be distracted.

"One hundred and twenty years cultivating the Dao, and today I mount the Ascension Platform!"

The Elder Celestial Master let out a great laugh. With no lingering attachments, his form suddenly shot up toward the dome of the sky.

Without the anchor of a physical body and buffeted by the Gang Wind—formed from the countless chaotic magnetic fields in nature—his power rapidly depleted, and his figure of light began to fade.

In the end, the Elder Celestial Master’s Dharma Body transformed into a streak of rainbow light and vanished beyond the horizon.

Ascending to the heavens, vanishing in a Rainbow Transformation.

Thus, the curtain fell on a great and virtuous master of his generation, leaving behind only a blood-soaked, withered corpse still seated cross-legged upon the ground.

「Meanwhile.」

Below Dragon Tiger Mountain, in a desolate patch of forest, Dong Xuanzi and his two companions watched the figure on the peak vanish in a Rainbow Transformation, their expressions turning foul.

"Manifesting sainthood in the mortal realm, his Dharma Body taking flight, ascending as an immortal in broad daylight, and riding a rainbow to the heavens... I never thought he’d reached such a realm. We’ve been played. He probably sensed long ago that we were tampering with Dragon Tiger Mountain’s core disciples. I really underestimated this modern-day master."

Dong Xuanzi’s face was grim. The man hadn’t made a move in twenty years, yet who would have thought his cultivation had reached such a realm.

At that level of cultivation, if he had wanted to undergo Corpse Dissolution, there would have been virtually no obstacles. He wouldn’t even have needed to rely on any resources, arrays, or Treasure Artifacts.

By contrast, their own successful Corpse Dissolutions had been the result of meticulous planning. They had relied on favorable terrain, arrays, alchemical ingredients, and Secret Techniques, only succeeding by aligning the conditions of heaven, earth, and man.

This man’s realm was even higher than theirs had been at the time of their own Corpse Dissolutions.

"That man ascended in a rainbow of light, using the moment he shed his physical form—the moment he was closest to the Great Dao—to expose our location with a roar of Dragon Tiger True Intent. For a short while, our True Qi will be unstable and leak. I fear we won’t be able to fully conceal ourselves. We’ll be detected for sure!"

One of the men sensed the changes within himself, and his expression turned grim.

"The Saints on the mountain won’t let this rest. The Donghua Military Department is bound to respond urgently and dispatch troops to encircle and annihilate us. This is a major tribulation. If we mismanage this, we’ll face complete annihilation."

There was a chill in the last man’s voice.

"We came together to plot for the Great Dao," Dong Xuanzi said. "Now that our plan is exposed, we must each rely on our own abilities to face this tribulation and find a way to survive. However, I advise you against heading into the wilderness. Your best bet is to enter a city, find a way to harmonize your True Qi, and once again conceal your presence before deciding on your next move."

As he spoke, he turned and left without a shred of hesitation. He didn’t look back, quickly disappearing in the direction of Dragon Tiger Town.

The other two showed not a trace of surprise as they watched Dong Xuanzi leave.

There were no bonds of sentiment between men like them. They had come together for the sake of the Longevity Dao. Now that their plot was exposed, it was only natural to go their separate ways and see who could survive the coming tribulation by their own skill. Sticking together would not only make them a bigger target and easier to expose, but it would also deprive them of cover.

It was, as the saying goes, better you than me.

It was just as the Elder Celestial Master had said. Once one has undergone Corpse Dissolution, conquered by the great terror of life and death, it is like falling into an endless cycle, forever trapped by the pursuit of Longevity. For the sake of this so-called Great Dao, they would stop at nothing.

The remaining two, however, did not object to Dong Xuanzi’s suggestion.

Although there were now a fair number of Saints on Dragon Tiger Mountain, they were all of the younger generation and not a cause for great concern. The real threat to them was modern weaponry.

If they were caught in the wilderness and their position was pinpointed, what awaited them would surely be an artillery barrage that scoured the earth. Not even an Immortal could escape certain death.

The city, on the other hand, was their home turf. The Donghua Military Department’s hands would be tied, unable to mobilize on a large scale. They would only have to contend with the Saints.

Once they stalled for enough time and the influence of Zhang Daoming’s True Intent faded, they could conceal their auras once more, assume new identities, and find a way to disappear into the teeming crowds.

The two exchanged a look, and with a flash of movement, they sped off in different directions. Their destination was the same: the nearest town, Dragon Tiger Town.

Another storm was about to descend upon Dragon Tiger Town.