Redemption of a Born Demon

Chapter 373 - 267: Old Friends Reunite, Discussing the Dao Again in a Foreign Land (Middle)

"You really caused quite a stir in Japan, one man against a whole country. I’m very curious about just how strong you’ve become. Care to have a go?"

Light flared in Zhou Qingchen’s eyes. She dispensed with all pleasantries and got straight to the point.

Under normal circumstances, when old acquaintances met, someone as travel-worn as Yi Beidou would be treated to a banquet before discussing serious matters.

But Martial Artists weren’t like that. There was no need for such pretenses. If they could spar, they sparred. If not, she wouldn’t insist.

"Let’s do it. I’m also curious to see how much you’ve all progressed."

Yi Beidou said with a smile.

He could sense that the auras of the people before him had changed dramatically since they last met.

Everyone has their own path of Cultivation. Even though he had fought a nation single-handedly, he didn’t underestimate the world’s heroes.

"Good!"

Hearing Yi Beidou’s words, Zhou Qingchen nodded. The next moment, her body visibly began to take on a jade-like quality, radiating a piercing Qing Guang.

The onlookers retreated slightly, goosebumps rising on their skin—a natural reaction to the turbulence of her piercing aura.

The mere release of her aura made their skin feel as if it were being sliced by knives.

Zhou Qingchen’s jet-black hair billowed upward as she lightly touched the ground with the tip of one foot. She seemed to float just above the surface, in complete defiance of the laws of physics.

Yang Mutong stumbled backward under the terrifying pressure emanating from Zhou Qingchen. The delight in her eyes from Yi Beidou’s earlier praise vanished completely.

The aura alone made her whole body sting with pain. Under this pressure, she had to fight her body’s instincts, and she doubted she could even muster half her strength.

And that was without Zhou Qingchen even targeting her.

’This Ms. Zhou... she’s gotten even stronger. I’m still so far behind.’

"Celestial Vault Gang Wind? I’ve heard legends that the Daoist Sect has a tribulation of the Thirty-Three Layers of Gang Wind. If you can pass through it with your Dharma Body, you can enter the Primordial Land, pay homage to the Great Dao, and attain an Indestructible state. Did you succeed in Crossing the Tribulation?"

Ding Huiyuan’s astonished voice came from the side.

"My abilities are still lacking. I’ve only passed through twenty-one layers so far. I have yet to even glimpse the remaining twelve."

Zhou Qingchen said, shaking her head.

"Just surviving the Gang Wind is a feat rarely seen in a thousand years. Twelve is a celestial number; each of those final steps is like ascending to a new heaven."

Huang Tianhu remarked.

Twelve is a celestial number: there are twelve months in a year, twelve two-hour periods in a day, the twelve Earthly Branches, the twelve zodiac animals...

That’s why the final twelve of the Thirty-Three Layers are the most difficult to overcome.

"Not bad. Your magnetic field is stable, as immovable as a mountain. You’ve mastered this state in just a few short months."

Yi Beidou nodded slightly.

FWOOSH!!

The next moment, Demon Flame erupted across his body. Behind him, crimson stars ignited one by one. Wisps of Tribulation Qi seeped from the stars and mingled with the Demon Flame, causing it to flare violently, surging toward the sky.

Even the faces of the Saint Realm masters present paled at the terrifying, ominous, and tyrannical aura.

As for the staff from the Special Security Bureau, they were trembling in terror, backing away from the scene.

’Is this the same Demon Flame he injected into Hoffman?’

Meng Qianyuan clenched his fists, recalling the moment not long ago when he had pulled out the Silver Needle.

"We may have a dangerous battle ahead of us soon, so it wouldn’t be wise to get injured now. How about we just test the waters?"

Seeing the roiling Demon Flame, Zhou Qingchen’s eyes surged with fighting spirit.

But she remained rational.

Her every move was now far too destructive; it would be easy to cause an accidental injury during a spar. With the volatile situation in the Mediterranean Sea, getting hurt now would be foolish.

"Don’t trouble yourself. You don’t have to worry about me. Just worry about whether you’ll get hurt."

Yi Beidou said with a smile.

At his words, Zhou Qingchen raised an eyebrow.

’Is he underestimating me?’

"Don’t misunderstand. It’s just that an injury is no big deal for me."

Sensing Zhou Qingchen’s hostile gaze, Yi Beidou offered a brief explanation.

Then, as everyone watched, he raised one arm and swiped the edge of his other hand across it like a blade.

SLICE!!

Instantly, a hideous gash appeared on his arm as if from a sharp blade, skin splitting and flesh parting as blood spurted out.

It was not a shallow wound. An ordinary person would have needed several stitches at the hospital.

The onlookers were stunned, but in the next moment, their gazes all sharpened.

A flicker of light, like fire, appeared within the gaping wound on Yi Beidou’s arm. The bleeding stopped, and the gash closed rapidly. Within a few breaths, the mark on his skin vanished completely, leaving it as smooth and unblemished as before.

’He... he healed completely in just a few breaths?! It’s not just suppressed with body control?!’

’What terrifying regenerative power!’

No wonder. Yi Beidou had just finished a life-or-death battle against the avatars of six Ancient Ones, yet he was able to rush here to meet them without a moment’s rest, looking completely unscathed.

At the same time, a chill ran down the spines of the onlookers.

They had all witnessed the strength of Yi Beidou’s Demon Body before. But now, that formidable physique combined with such terrifying regenerative power...

’Unless you could hit a vital point and kill him instantly, he could just keep recovering mid-fight. In a battle to the death, how could you possibly defeat a monster like that?’

"Very well, then. Receive my sword-strike."

Zhou Qingchen no longer hesitated. With that kind of regenerative power, even if she accidentally wounded Yi Beidou, he would recover quickly. There was no need to worry about it interfering with important matters.

VMMMM!!

She formed a sword-finger. The Qing Guang at her fingertips condensed until it seemed solid, shimmering like amber and glazed glass, ethereal and dreamlike.