231: Fishing enforcement

The astonishing battle that took place over Kyoto, Japan, had repercussions that spread faster and wider than the explosion's shockwave.

When the first blurry video, filmed by a survivor on a mobile phone and showing little more than light and shadow, was uploaded to Twitter, the global internet was hit like a nuclear bomb.

It instantly detonated.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! What is this?! Godzilla vs. Ultraman live-action?!"

"The one upstairs is ignorant. Those are clearly demons! That giant demon! And... a person with a sword!"

"It's a god! It's Susanoo descending to slay the Eight-Headed Serpent!"

Japan's internet was the first to fall, with countless people bowing in reverence to the emotionally charged video. Various myths and legends were dug up, attempting to explain this scene beyond comprehension.

But soon, Dragon Country's netizens joined the fray.

"Laughing to death, still Susanoo? Are you guys not connected to the internet or did you not watch the Kunlun Academy finals live broadcast?"

"This movement technique! This Sword Qi! This arrogant demeanor! I'd recognize him even if he turned to ash. This is definitely the Sword Cultivation Department's chief, Lin Xiao!"

"It's him! The man who shouted 'Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate'! He went to your Japan to give your little corner a friendly 'physical salvation'!"

"God Lin! Always a god! Fast-forward to challenging Mount Fuji with a sword!"

As more and more people connected the figure in the video to Lin Xiao of Kunlun Academy, the direction of public opinion completely changed.

Twitter, YouTube, Facebook... social media platforms worldwide were flooded with the terms "Lin Xiao" and "Kunlun Sword Immortal."

#SwordImmortalDescendsOnKyoto#

#OneSwordSlashesGiantDemon#

#HowStrongIsKunlunAcademy#

One trending topic after another topped the global trending list, with the heat even surpassing any international summit from the previous period.

If the previous Academy Grand Competition only showed the world the "possibility" of cultivation,

then Lin Xiao's sword strike in Kyoto unceremoniously slapped "reality" onto everyone's faces.

That wasn't movie special effects.

That wasn't a national propaganda film.

That was a real, existing, extraordinary human being capable of slaying a giant demon that only appears in myths, with his own power.

For a time, global attention focused on the small Japan.

Everyone wanted to know what this Sword Immortal from Dragon Country would do next... In the Principals Office of Kunlun Academy.

Li Heng sat upright in his chair, and in the Void Realm before him, the entire process of Lin Xiao slaying the Great Tengu was clearly playing.

"This kid, he really made big news without a sound."

Li Heng's fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, creating a rhythmic sound.

Lin Xiao's growth rate exceeded his expectations.

Especially that pure Sword Intent, which already had the rudimentary form of severing Law.

He's a promising talent.

Just then, Li Heng's movements paused.

His spiritual sense penetrated space, sweeping across the map of Japan.

At the place where the Great Tengu died and its Dao dissipated, countless Demonic Qi, strong or weak, were probing, filled with doubt and alarm.

But deeper still, in a Domain unreachable by Mortals, an even larger, older, and more reclusive aura merely fluctuated once before sinking into silence again, like a giant beast in the deep sea, concealing all its traces.

"Nascent Soul Stage..."

Li Heng's eyes narrowed slightly.

This aura was a notch stronger than Amenominakanushi, whom he had suppressed outside the Kunlun Mountain gate earlier.

And it was hidden extremely deeply, almost integrated with the entire Japan's ley lines.

If he hadn't just achieved a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation, and his perception of the Law of Heaven and Earth wasn't what it used to be, he probably wouldn't have been able to capture this fleeting fluctuation.

Interesting.

It seems this small island nation hides many secrets.

Li Heng didn't immediately set off.

Since that Nascent Soul Stage Great Demon chose to cower, it meant he was extremely cautious. If he were to act rashly, the other party might use some method to drag the entire Japan down with him in a mutual destruction.

That was not what Li Heng wanted to see.

"Very well."

A playful curve appeared at the corner of Li Heng's mouth.

"Let Lin Xiao thoroughly stir up this murky water."

"I want to see when you, this true big fish, will be willing to roll out of the mud."

...Meanwhile, in the Magic City.

The dazzling neon lights dyed the night sky a hazy, colorful hue, cruise ships shuttled across the Huangpu River, and the Bund's international architectural complex shone with prosperity under the lights.

On the street, three young people with temperaments that seemed out of place with their surroundings walked slowly.

Liu Lian looked down at his phone, the screen's light illuminating his face, which was a mixture of envy and frustration.

"Damn it!"

He couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Did you guys check your phones? Lin Xiao, this guy, is on global trending topics again! 'Sword Immortal's Wrath, Demons Bow Down,' this title is so damn chuunibyou and exciting!"

"He's out there making a huge splash, slaying demons and appearing on TV, hogging all the limelight! Why him?"

Liu Lian grew angrier as he spoke, squeezing his phone until it creaked.

"And us? The three of us, like thieves, looking for clues about some damn 'company' in this remote corner! The difference is too great, isn't it?"

Fang Yuan, standing beside him, patted his shoulder, his expression calm.

"He has his battlefield, and we have ours."

"Lin Xiao is slaying demons outside to reclaim his Family's honor and to show the world the power of our Kunlun Academy."

Fang Yuan's gaze swept over the hurried passersby around them, their faces showing expressions of fatigue or joy, oblivious to the darkness lurking beneath the city.

"And we are here to dig out the cancer and protect them from those evil spirits. The nature of our work is the same; there is no superiority or inferiority."

"I understand the reasoning..." Liu Lian deflated, putting his phone back in his pocket, "But I'm just annoyed! I also want to fly on a sword and slice off the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower with one strike!"

Han Li, walking on the other side, pushed up his non-existent glasses on his nose and spoke slowly.

"Magic City... a place of dazzling lights and intoxicating pleasures."

"Demons hiding here is quite fitting."

His words had a refined, literary tone, but they made Liu Lian curl his lips.

"Alright, alright, stop with the fancy words. By the way, is the location Xie Wangsheng gave us accurate or not?"

Liu Lian looked up at the iconic building piercing the clouds not far away, a look of suspicion on his face.

"Would the lair of those evil cultivators really be in a place like this? Their guts must be too big, right?!"

Just then, Xie Wangsheng, who had been silently following at the back like an invisible man, finally spoke.

His speech was not fast, his pronunciation clear, every word seemingly precisely calculated.

"The most dangerous place is the safest place."

"This is a cognitive blind spot in psychology."

Xie Wangsheng looked up at the magnificent building, representing Dragon Country's financial center, and continued to explain.

"Based on the several strongholds we previously destroyed, we can analyze the 'Company's' modus operandi. All their branches are set up in the gray areas of cities where all sorts of people gather, such as urban villages and abandoned factories."

"This creates a mindset for the official cleanup forces, making them subconsciously believe that the organization's headquarters must also follow the same logic, hidden in some more secluded, more chaotic corner."

"Therefore, they mobilized a large amount of manpower and resources to investigate all the 'dens of iniquity' across the country."

Xie Wangsheng paused, then concluded.

"But they were wrong."

"A vast organization capable of spreading evil elixirs nationwide, its 'heart' inevitably requires the most convenient information channels, the fastest logistics network, and... the most abundant financial support."

"What other place could be more suitable than this?"

After listening to Xie Wangsheng's analysis, Liu Lian opened his mouth, speechless for a long time.

He had to admit, this guy's brain was indeed different from normal people's.

"Damn... If you hadn't reminded us, the officials would probably still be cracking down on crime and checking temporary residence permits right now."

Liu Lian sighed with emotion, finally understanding why they were here.