Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 456: Chapter 306: Gathering of the 3 Flowers, Deities Eat Qi and Do Not Die (Part 2)

He gazed down at the ceaselessly rushing river in the darkness. In the centuries, even millennia, since he had mastered the ability to enter this place, the river had undergone immense changes.

And in this past century, the river’s changes had become even more pronounced.

Now...

RUSH! RUSH!

Lotus could clearly see the river rushing, churning, and surging, displaying an unprecedented vitality and fervor.

’The Human Dao River... it’s surging more fiercely than ever. Is it because the mortals have achieved yet another unprecedented breakthrough?’

Lotus muttered to himself.

The Human Dao River was formed throughout history from the converged wisdom and subconscious of innumerable souls. It was the most vast and profound Magnetic Field Power, surpassing the magnetic fields of all Deities.

Anyone who could leverage even a fraction of its power was a supreme existence capable of changing the course of human history, a being who could become a Buddha Ancestor.

Lotus believed that if the Wandering Immortal truly had a contingency plan, it had to be related to the Human Dao River.

’Back then, not even the Buddha Ancestor could use the power of the Human Dao River to break through the limits of the human body and achieve immortality. The most they could do was entrust a part of their consciousness and the Great Dao to the Void True Realm, for posterity to merely observe. What could you possibly accomplish?’

Lotus spoke softly.

"Just because our predecessors failed doesn’t mean we will. Of course, for old fossils like you, I doubt that’s a concept you can grasp."

Just then, a soft chuckle suddenly echoed from nearby, causing Lotus’s pupils to contract. A jolt went through him as he looked toward the source of the consciousness.

A dark vortex materialized in the empty darkness, and a figure stepped out.

He wore a white lab coat and was tall and broad-shouldered. Judging by his face alone, it was impossible to discern his ethnicity; in fact, his features seemed to be a composite of most of Earth’s major ethnic groups.

"Beretta. You dare to appear here, before me. I doubt you’ve come for a friendly chat."

Lotus’s expression grew placid as he spoke, his voice flat.

The man who appeared was not the Wandering Immortal. It was Dr. Beretta, a key figure in the Pioneer Group who had clashed with Yi Beidou from across the ocean on several occasions.

POP! POP! POP!

The moment Lotus finished speaking, ruptures suddenly burst open all over Dr. Beretta’s body. From within the gaps, lotuses bloomed, looking both uncanny and beautiful.

"This Thousand Lotus Heart Lock... it’s held me for thirty years now, hasn’t it?"

Dr. Beretta’s expression remained unchanged. Even as lotuses bloomed across his face, he still managed a faint smile.

"Some things are inescapable. Fate. Cause and effect. You are what you are today because I cultivated you. I was your mentor. Therefore, you must repay this karmic debt."

"The day I cast off this mortal form, escape the cycle of reincarnation, and achieve the rank of Earth Immortal—that will be the day you regain your freedom."

Lotus said coolly.

"There’s one thing you may have forgotten. I didn’t get to where I am today through your tutelage alone. There was also the research left behind by the Wandering Immortal."

"Strictly speaking, both you and the Wandering Immortal could be considered my masters. Did you really think I would just sit on my hands and leave my fate in the hands of another?"

"I was merely waiting for the right moment. Now, those two youngsters, Devi and Yi Beidou, have kicked up quite a storm in the Mediterranean Sea. As a contemporary, I can hardly remain in the shadows, can I?"

Beretta said, smiling.

The next moment, his form suddenly flickered, producing a series of afterimages.

One became two, two became three...

Innumerable afterimages appeared in the void, each one so real it was as if Beretta had split his own consciousness into countless fragments.

This went far beyond what could be described as mere schizophrenia.

And in the process, the Thousand Lotus Heart Lock that Lotus had placed within Beretta’s consciousness also split, its power weakening drastically.

’So you plan to fight my binding with this method? How pitiful. Have you forgotten one simple fact? I am standing right in front of you.’

Lotus’s expression remained unchanged, the picture of perfect composure.

VMMMMM!!

The Golden Lotus Platform beneath him vibrated, releasing a dazzling golden light. Across Beretta’s countless fragmented consciousnesses, the already weakened Lotus Seal seemed to be reinforced, and the lotuses began to spread and grow once more.

This was the true terror of the binding.

Through this binding, Lotus could use the Human Dao River to transfer his consciousness, projecting it onto his subject at any moment. This meant that the instant they tried to resist, he would know and could descend to reinforce the seal.

In a way, Dr. Beretta’s own methods of remote control and consciousness projection via his chips were borrowed directly from this technique.

Just as he had said, Lotus was his mentor. His Divine Powers were derived from the very same source as Lotus’s.

This was an unbreakable, immense karmic bond.

"I’m well aware of that. But have you ever wondered why I deliberately chose this specific location?"

The smile never left Beretta’s lips.

The next moment.

SPLASH!!

The ceaselessly flowing Human Dao River below them suddenly churned, kicking up a small wave. The resulting spray surged toward them both.

"You?!"

Lotus’s pupils contracted violently.

He couldn’t fathom how Beretta was able to wield the power of the Human Dao River.

Though it was only a small splash, to a single living being, it was tantamount to the converged will of millions upon millions of souls.

Lotus’s form instantly trembled, flickering in and out of existence before abruptly vanishing from the dark void.

Dr. Beretta was also affected; a great number of his fragmented consciousnesses shattered. His true self, however, was unharmed. He quickly recovered and began to split himself once more.

This time, with Lotus’s primary consciousness gone, there was no one left to stop him from shattering the Thousand Lotus Heart Lock. No one to prevent him from walking out of that steel prison.

However, in the final moment of shattering the lock on his heart, his gaze shifted toward the Human Dao River, which had once again grown calm.

He thought he saw a "fish" vanish with the receding wave, disappearing into the great river.

’He’s already reached this stage? How impressive...’

Beretta muttered to himself.

’Still, even so, it’s just a minor art.’

「Meanwhile.」

Yi Beidou and his group were resting in Jun City, which sent the local authorities into a state of high alert. An area several kilometers in radius was completely cordoned off and all civilians were evacuated. The local government issued a harsh denunciation against Donghua, a sentiment echoed by most Western nations, including the Starry Sky Country.

But despite the harsh condemnations, they dared not take any further action.

Once, they had wielded the absolute force necessary to destroy a nation. Now, the power of the Donghua Martial Artists was enough to make them hesitate.

This was especially true because Yi Beidou had long since demonstrated his character and methods to the entire world. Until the day he died, no nation or high-level official would dare step out of line.

Otherwise, it was doubtful that even God himself could save their lives.

The era had changed. The power of a single individual had reached a point where they could negotiate with entire nations as an equal.

Inside a certain building, Yi Beidou was covered in blood. His injuries were severe and his aura was highly unstable. The backlash from the Perfect State was immense; even for him, it had been a brush with death.

But even with his aura in such flux, no hidden powers dared to turn back and move against him. After all, the last time he had bluffed them, he had made everyone deeply wary.

Who was to say if his weakness was real this time, or if it was just another trap laid by Yi Beidou?

No one dared to take that risk.

Two days and two nights passed. Zhou Qingchen and the others had fully recuperated, but only then did Yi Beidou finally begin to recover.

As soon as he did, the group gathered in a circle, placing several items in the center.

There were two ancient Spiritual Talismans, solid yet floating in mid-air, and a lump of jade-like flesh that was still pulsing.

The Spiritual Talismans were incomplete, and their inherent Spirit Treasure properties couldn’t be activated. As such, they held little value for research.

What truly interested the group was the lump of jade-like flesh.