Chapter 27: Figures from the Past, A Startling Secret Begins to Emerge (Part I)

The Heavenly Demon is born of desire, the very root of chaos itself, yet now it dares to question the heavens, seeking the path of the Great Dao.

This is the impossible made possible.

With every ounce of his intent aimed directly at the firmament, he channeled his strength from the soles of his feet to the heavens. It was not merely his own power, but the strength of the earth itself, harnessed through the techniques of the Green Wood Heart to root his being firmly into the ground.

Not even the Five-Finger Mountain of the Buddha could suppress a Heavenly Demon who dares to demand answers from the sky.

Their palms met, top and bottom, producing a dull thud that echoed like thunder. A visible shockwave rippled outward, compressed by the sheer force of the impact. In the instant they collided, the onlookers even hallucinated a brilliant light blooming between their palms.

It was the convergence of power, wisdom, and intent.

Boom!

The ground beneath Yi Beidou’s feet collapsed instantly. Spiderweb-like cracks spread for over ten meters, yet his body remained as straight and unyielding as an ancient Jianmu tree.

Conversely, Wei Cheng, who had manifested his golden Dharmic form, found his grand, towering figure destabilized by the shock of that palm strike, forcing him to take half a step back.

What?!

Zhao Ping and Meng Qianyuan, observing from the sidelines, felt their eyes nearly pop out of their heads.

They knew better than anyone what kind of figure Wei Cheng was. He had broken through to the realm of "Fleshly Sanctification" at least fifty or sixty years ago. With his profound accumulation and the mastery of the Buddha’s Thirty-Two Marks, he stood as one of the highest individual combat powers within the Donghua official ranks. Twenty years ago, he was a legend at home and abroad, a pillar of the nation.

Yet Yi Beidou, despite his innate genius, was not even thirty years old and had only recently achieved Fleshly Sanctification. How could he possibly put Wei Cheng at a disadvantage in a clash?

With this single strike, he was no longer a novice in the realm of the sanctified; he was a top-tier powerhouse of Donghua, worthy of the title.

"A magnificent strike—'Heavenly Demon Questions the Firmament, Where Lies the Dao.' Integrating the divine and the demonic, turning the killing intent of a Heavenly Demon and a demonic body into a sword to seek the truth, finding possibility within the impossible... such a mastery of intent and force can truly be called Mahayana! And you still claim you don't know martial arts?"

Even Wei Cheng’s expression was one of surprise. His Dharmic manifestation slowly faded, and he returned to the appearance of an elderly farmer.

They were only exchanging pointers, not locked in a life-or-death struggle; one blow had been enough.

"I truly did not know martial arts before. But thanks to you, I integrated the 'True Intent of Sanctification' I obtained from Feng Huachuan of the Green Wood Heart, and attained this one technique," Yi Beidou replied truthfully.

"The True Intent of Empathy, reflecting on the ancient and the modern? You are truly extraordinary. Feng Huachuan was a hero; he broke through the barrier of sanctification at thirty-five. It is a pity that he fell to the blade of the Japanese Sword Saint, Funaki Hikoichiro, during the Battle of Mount Tianmu," Wei Cheng lamented.

"Are the twelve Martial Saints of Japan still alive?" Yi Beidou inquired.

"Half of them remain, and they are all pivotal figures in Japan. Funaki Hikoichiro is now the head of the Japanese sword-dao. After Japan’s defeat, their military power was restricted, so their martial arts experts became their primary reliance. Though it is a small land, their martial path is prosperous," Wei Cheng explained.

"That is good. I owe Feng Huachuan a debt of karma. One day, I will deliver the head of a Sword Saint to his sect to settle that debt."

Yi Beidou spoke calmly, sending a chill down Zhao Ping’s spine.

If it ever came to that, diplomatic relations between the two countries would likely collapse. With a man like this, Zhao Ping felt his future as the Director of the Special Security Bureau would be far from easy.

"Very well, the sparring is over. Let us discuss other matters. Since you are now a person of Fleshly Sanctification and intend to travel and visit the martial sects of the world, you cannot do so without an appropriate status. How about this: take a position as a Special Consultant for the Special Security Bureau. It will facilitate your future dealings. What do you think?" Wei Cheng asked.

"Will it involve mundane affairs?" Yi Beidou asked.

"It is merely a nominal title. You will receive the benefits without the burdens. I will not command you; if there is something that requires your strength, I will communicate with you personally. There is only one request: when you visit the various sects, could you submit a formal letter of intent first? If they refuse to receive you, then you may act at your own discretion."

"In that case, I have no objections." Yi Beidou pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. Wei Cheng had shown sufficient sincerity; this was a result that satisfied him.

"Good. Now that this is settled, there is one more thing..." Wei Cheng said, then glanced at Zhao Ping and the others. Zhao Ping immediately understood and led the group away from the cemetery, retreating two hundred meters.

"How much do you know about the Pioneer Group?" Wei Cheng asked in a low voice once they were alone.

Hearing the name "Pioneer Group," Yi Beidou’s eyes narrowed slightly. This was one of the primary reasons he had chosen to cooperate with the Special Security Bureau.

"In truth, my knowledge of the Pioneer Group is limited to their name," Yi Beidou admitted.

"Did your master, Youxian Hong Datong, not tell you the secrets related to them?" Wei Cheng asked, visibly surprised.

"No. In fact, I know very little about my master. It seems you are quite familiar with him? Could you enlighten me?"

"He didn't? I see... I understand now. It seems he wanted you to experience things for yourself and did not want to influence your path, so he told you nothing. I, therefore, cannot overstep and tell you everything. Regarding your master, I can only tell you this: he is not a man of the present age."

"Not a man of the present age? Does he come from another world?" Yi Beidou frowned.

"What is this talk of other worlds? He is a man of the past."

Wei Cheng shook his head and chuckled.

"A man of the past?" Yi Beidou felt a stir in his heart, suddenly recalling the last words Hong Datong had left him: *The grand dream of a thousand autumns is but an illusion; a life of complete duality is but a single existence.*

It seemed this world was far less simple than he had imagined.

"Back to the Pioneer Group. This organization is immensely powerful, rising only in the last fifty years. They have co-opted many financial tycoons and political figures, and have united many masters of Fleshly Sanctification from around the world. Their influence is terrifying."

"They possess the world’s most advanced life sciences and body modification technologies, and they hold vast amounts of data on Fleshly Sanctification. Years ago, they even hunted down masters of the path across the globe to collect their bodily data and genetic sequences. This sparked major unrest, and it was only under the threat of strategic weapons that they retreated and gradually moved into the shadows."

Wei Cheng whispered this shocking secret.

"Such a thing happened?" Yi Beidou frowned slightly.

In ancient times, those who achieved Fleshly Sanctification were considered Arhats or Immortals. Yet in this modern era, there was an organization daring enough to hunt immortals? Indeed, the current era was nothing like the past.

"This organization prides itself on being the pioneer of human evolution, yet they conduct all manner of taboo experiments that violate human ethics. Most missing persons cases worldwide, as well as human trafficking on the dark web, are linked to them. In recent years, their 'God-Making Project' has achieved certain results, using technology to cultivate 'super soldiers' of Fleshly Sanctification."

"What?" Even Yi Beidou could not help but feel shocked.

"It is merely using life sciences and bodily modification to trigger genetic mutations. They possess the shell of Fleshly Sanctification but lack the corresponding True Intent. Furthermore, the success rate is currently very low. But even so, if the technology matures and they can mass-produce them, the combined strength of multiple such super soldiers could potentially pose a threat to people like you or me." Wei Cheng’s tone grew heavy.

"This is an evil path. In Fleshly Sanctification, the key lies not in the body, but in the will and the True Intent. Without the corresponding realm, how can one control a sanctified shell? Such beings will inevitably become demonic obstacles, wreaking havoc upon the world." Yi Beidou’s eyes sharpened.

After Fleshly Sanctification, the body undergoes a qualitative change, and hormone levels far exceed those of an ordinary person. If a weak, fragile soul dwells within such a body, it would lead to the very situation he faced before achieving his own inner freedom.

The body would overwhelm the will, turning the person violent, cruel, paranoid, and terrifying.

Those were not saints; they were nothing but demons.