Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 475: Chapter 316: A God Walks the Earth, Unrestrained, Known to All (Part 2)

「Modu. Emergency Command Headquarters.」

The conference room was filled with Modu’s top officials, who had been called in from their rest. All eyes were fixed on the large screen before them, watching the situation unfold.

In fact, it wasn’t just Modu. Even the most powerful figures in Donghua were closely monitoring the changing situation.

On the pitch-black surface of the sea before dawn, a figure wreathed in brilliant light strode forward. He seemed to possess the Divine Power of Shrinking Inches, flickering with each step. His movements looked slow, but his speed was in fact unbelievably fast.

Before long, he would reach Modu’s coastline.

"Target is advancing at a speed exceeding one hundred fifty kilometers per hour. ETA to the Modu coastline is twenty minutes. Awaiting orders to engage. Please advise!"

A voice from the loudspeaker plunged the room into silence.

The speaker was the front-line commander. A significant number of military assets had already been urgently deployed along the coastline. Fighter jets were in the air, and several naval fleets were converging on Modu at top speed.

All of this was because of the East King’s approach.

No one dared to give the order to attack, because they had all received the intelligence file on him.

This was not a threat that could be dealt with by conventional forces. If they attacked and enraged him, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But if they let him enter Modu, there was no telling what he might do.

If a being of his power went on a killing spree, Donghua’s most prosperous city would become Purgatory on Earth.

In Kyoto, Donghua’s highest echelons were also locked in a fierce debate over how to handle the current situation.

But the situation was urgent, leaving no time for careful deliberation.

One wrong decision and they could be condemned by history.

And Zhao Ping’s recommendation carried immense weight in their decision-making process.

"Regarding this mysterious individual, we can now confirm that he is likely one of the Sleepers from the Secret Organization. According to our current intelligence, these individuals represent the most powerful personal force in the world. One of the identities of the target we’re facing is the legendary Alchemist, Xu Fu. A figure of legend. Not long ago, in a top-secret maritime region... Based on available intelligence, as well as his objectives and personality, I advise against having the coastal defense forces open fire..."

Based on Zhao Ping’s recommendation, a final plan was quickly formulated.

The high command decided not to open fire.

On one hand, conventional firepower posed no real threat to him. On the other, given his speed and proximity to Modu, deploying their most powerful strategic weapons would inevitably cause catastrophic damage to the city itself—an outcome no one was willing to accept.

Furthermore, their decision was based on an analysis of the East King’s motivations and the personality traits observed during their two previous encounters.

First, strategic weapons did have some deterrent effect on him, which was a point they could leverage. Second, previous encounters showed he wasn’t a completely irrational madman. He had a clear objective: the secrets of the Mediterranean Region. Until he resolved the conflict there, he had shown a tendency to preserve his own strength, even going so far as to suppress his anger on the Immortal Mountain.

Taking all this into account, it was unlikely that he would risk a full-blown conflict with Donghua—a nation possessing strategic deterrents—before the matter in the Mediterranean Region was concluded.

Conversely, if they fired first and showed hostility, he might be provoked into taking drastic action.

Of course, it was a bitter decision for everyone to accept.

If they had any other choice, why would they back down like this? For a great power like Donghua, such an action was nothing short of a humiliation and would inevitably cause an international uproar.

Soon, the Modu command headquarters received the decision from above. A brief silence fell over the room.

"We’re really not going to fire? We’re just going to let him enter Modu?"

"What if he really does have malicious intent? Think of the casualties among Modu’s millions of citizens."

"Are we really going to gamble on him not attacking?"

"..."

The room buzzed with discussion.

"Enough. We must carry out the order from high command immediately and make all necessary preparations. Gentlemen, this is an extremely dangerous situation, and our responsibility is immense. If we mishandle this, we won’t just become a global laughingstock—we will go down as traitors to our country and to history."

The middle-aged man at the head of the table spoke in a solemn voice, cutting off the discussion.

Modu’s entire official apparatus immediately kicked into high gear.

It was now dawn. The sun’s red glow was rising from beyond the horizon. Across Modu, office workers were being jolted awake by their alarms. Still dazed, they began to wash up, preparing to face another day of the daily grind as usual.

Pedestrians and cars were already starting to fill the streets.

Numerous cars were already parked around Modu Central Park. Men and women of all ages, carrying backpacks and dressed in loose sportswear, were converging on Central Park from all directions.

On the grand plaza, people were already gathering into large, square formations.

While people had always done their morning exercises in Central Park’s plaza, their numbers were never this great. But ever since Yi Beidou, Devi, and the others dueled here, combined with the recent boom in the cultivation of the Martial Arts Dao, Central Park had become a mecca for martial arts practice in Modu.

Many martial artists gathered here. On any given day, one might even see masters of Soul Capturing and Soul Stealing sparring with one another. The atmosphere of the Martial Arts Dao was incredibly strong.