Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 378 - 269: God-Sealing Organization, The Hidden Emerge to Contend Anew (Part 1)

From Meng Qianyuan’s expression, Yi Beidou knew what he was thinking, but he didn’t say much.

The path of Cultivation is fraught with hardships, and the trial of one’s mental state is a barrier that can only be broken by oneself.

If he let this setback crush his spirit, it would mean his journey ended here.

The group returned to the room to hold a private discussion about the ruins.

"This world hides many secrets. Perhaps there truly was a hidden era unknown to us."

Huang Tianhu spoke up. He held nothing back, describing the miraculous qualities of the murals he used for his Cultivation. The scenery and Exotic Beasts they depicted were so realistic that he felt they couldn’t possibly be fabrications.

Mere human imagination could never produce something so realistic.

"Indeed. In Japan, I killed an Ancient One and discovered the legendary Penglai Immortal Mountain. There, I witnessed exotic life-forms similar to flood dragons. These creatures need a specific magnetic environment to survive."

"Moreover, I’ve obtained more intelligence from the Pioneer Group. I’ve learned that those Ancient Ones are pursuing a realm called ’Earth Immortal.’ In that realm, one achieves Longevity and immortality; their cells remain perpetually active. Their abilities far surpass human limits—you could even say they become a new species. Many of the most incredible ruins are related to these ’Earth Immortals.’"

Yi Beidou held nothing back, sharing the intelligence he possessed and even inviting everyone present to visit Penglai Immortal Mountain when they had the chance.

For an Ancient One, Earth Immortal Ruins like Penglai Immortal Mountain were an immense treasure. Whoever controlled its secrets would have the perfect sanctuary for their reincarnation, and they would never share its exact location with others.

But Yi Beidou was different. He only cultivated for his current life, seeking a complete existence in the here and now, with no thought for the next. Naturally, he didn’t care about these things.

The more people who knew of its existence and researched it, the sooner its mysteries could be truly unraveled.

Some say sacred knowledge shouldn’t be shared lightly, but that’s utter nonsense. It’s just the monopolistic thinking of the elite.

Ages ago, knowledge was the privilege of the scholarly elite, and educating the common folk was seen as an invitation to chaos. But look at things now.

As long as knowledge is spread widely enough, the people will make their own choices. The idea that sacred knowledge shouldn’t be shared lightly is just an excuse for certain people to hoard the power of choice, unwilling to entrust it to the world.

Yi Beidou wasn’t afraid of being surpassed.

"Earth Immortal..."

Hearing Yi Beidou’s description, everyone’s eyes filled with astonishment.

"I used to think that some legends were merely legends, but now it seems we simply knew too little. I just wonder... how does one break through to the Earth Immortal Realm?"

Zhou Qingchen remarked with a sigh.

"I don’t know either," Yi Beidou said calmly. "But perhaps the ancient methods weren’t the true path. Otherwise, the Earth Immortals wouldn’t have vanished, leaving only legends behind."

There were some things he didn’t mention. For instance, the Ancient Ones were all fighting over Earth Immortal Remains. It seemed that by devouring these remains and integrating them into their bodies, they could push past the limits of the human form, extend their lifespans, and draw closer to the Earth Immortal Realm.

This might be one path to becoming an Earth Immortal, but Yi Beidou was convinced it wasn’t the righteous one.

’It’s not a transformation from within. How is that any different from the artificially accelerated Super Warriors?’

Even if he had Earth Immortal Remains in his possession, he would never integrate them into his own body to enhance his strength.

He joined the contest for the Earth Immortal Ruins for two reasons. First, he wanted to test himself against those lurking in the shadows. Second, he wanted to uncover the secrets of the past and use the paths of his predecessors as a reference.

The stones of another mountain can be used to polish one’s own jade.

"That explains a lot. The conflicts in the Hidden World all revolve around that lost era and a higher state of existence."

"Whether the path of the Earth Immortal is righteous or not, we must understand it."

Ding Huiyuan nodded thoughtfully.

"What about you?" Zhou Qingchen’s gaze turned to Ding Huiyuan. "You said you recently obtained crucial intelligence for this operation?"

"I did. I discovered the whereabouts of two Ancient One avatars who were planning to attack me. I used the True Word Technique to control them and tried to extract intelligence. However, those hidden beings are far more vigilant than I anticipated. I only managed to get fragmented information, but combined with Yi Beidou’s intel, I can start to piece things together."

"The Antarctic Ruins are, in fact, an Earth Immortal Ruin. A Secret Organization stumbled upon its location, but for some unknown reason, the news leaked. This triggered a war between multiple Secret Organizations. The core secret of the ruins is the incomplete Array Map that appeared in the sky over Antarctica."

"The intelligence I gathered indicates that the Array Map might not be incomplete after all. It simply needs other components to be whole. This component is likely a treasure from within the ruins called a ’Spiritual Talisman’."

"There are likely quite a few of these ’Spiritual Talismans,’ and they are currently held by several different Secret Organizations. These organizations have gathered in the Mediterranean Region specifically to fight for them. Once a single group collects all the Spiritual Talismans, they can use the incomplete Array Map to deduce the ruins’ exact location and how to open them."

"That’s all the intelligence I have. As for what the Spiritual Talismans look like or how many of them exist, I couldn’t find out."

Ding Huiyuan slowly relayed the intelligence he had uncovered, finishing with a sigh. "Those hidden beings are exceedingly cautious. I wanted to probe deeper, but someone nearly managed to trace my location, so I had to stop. The individual’s mark was ’Lotus.’ I suspect he’s a practitioner of Ancient Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhist Methods. His Divine Power is simply inscrutable. I don’t even know when he locked onto me. I had no choice but to kill the two Ancient One avatars and retreat."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingchen and the others sucked in a sharp breath.

They themselves had killed two Ancient One avatars, but Ding Huiyuan had wrapped two avatars around his little finger, extracting a wealth of crucial intelligence from them. A Divine Power like that was terrifying.

’And an Ancient One who could almost get the better of even Ding Huiyuan, one whose abilities were a complete mystery... just how powerful was he?’

The group, who had started to think the Ancient Ones weren’t so formidable after successfully repelling the Secret Organization’s avatar attack, now cast aside any trace of condescension.

"That must be the Ancient One behind the Pioneer Group, codenamed Lotus," Yi Beidou said. "He’s a master of Mind Divine Power. I’ve encountered him twice. The first time, he invaded my mind with a Dream Manifestation. The second was during the recent siege by Ancient One avatars. The man is extremely dangerous and must hold a very high rank among the Secret Organizations."

Everyone was slightly taken aback. They hadn’t expected Yi Beidou to have had so many run-ins with such a figure and still be unharmed.

"Also, everyone be on your guard. There are vast differences in power between Ancient Ones. The top-tier ones have mastered Immortal Forbidden Techniques and possess terrifying abilities that transcend the Saint Realm. Moreover, there is a huge gap between the power of an Ancient One’s avatar and their true body. While the base strength might not be worlds apart, the arsenal of techniques they’ve accumulated over many years can multiply their combat strength exponentially."

Yi Beidou continued, his tone a warning.

His words carried great weight. After all, he had encountered more Ancient Ones than anyone else present, and he had even once killed the true body of an Ancient One.

Everyone nodded, their vigilance renewed.

Next, the group began to exchange intelligence on the Ancient Ones they had fought.

Even though they were only avatars, their true bodies would operate within the same system of Divine Powers, so this information offered a glimpse of the bigger picture.

Yi Beidou, for his part, listed the abilities of seven or eight Ancient One-level entities, even including the outrageous feat of Dr. Beretta Borrowing a Body to Manifest Divinity from across an ocean.

Off to the side, Captain Li diligently recorded everything they said, his expression shifting continuously.

Even as a high-ranking officer of the Special Security Bureau, this intelligence was simply too fantastic for him to process.

’Are these people even human anymore?! Am I still on Earth?!’

He couldn’t help but start questioning his own reality.

"Knowing about the existence of the Spiritual Talismans is a critical piece of intelligence," Zhou Qingchen said with a frown. "But how to join the struggle for them and formulate our next plan is still an issue. We just don’t have enough information on the Secret Organizations."

"Information, you say?" Yi Beidou said, thinking of Cheng Zhihong and Yuna. "Perhaps there are some groups that can provide us with assistance."

「Meanwhile.」

Elsewhere, dozens of kilometers from downtown Antu City.

Yuna and Cheng Zhihong stood behind a group of people, gazing toward Antu City.

Besides the two of them, there were five others present. Three of these individuals possessed the most extraordinary bearing and stood at the head of the group.

"Sirs," Yuna said respectfully to the three men at the front, having sensed with her Power of Nature, "I can feel an aura coming from the outskirts of Antu City. It is without a doubt Yi Beidou’s. The Donghua Martial Artists must have all gathered together."