One more catty, one more attribute point

"Indeed, we've encountered some rather unfavorable circumstances," Zhao Meiying said, her expression growing serious. She asked, "Have you heard of Skull Plain?"

"I have heard of it."

Su Heng nodded; after all, he had been living in this world for five or six years.

Moreover, standing from a high position, he was somewhat familiar with the geography.

Su Heng's brow furrowed slightly, "I've heard that Skull Plain is extremely harsh, inhabited by many man-eating barbarians, Esoteric Sect Buddhism that tortures its followers through pain to practice, and various fierce and bizarre demons and the like."

"Of course, these are all rumors. Whether they are true or not, I am not sure,"

"Even if they are rumors, they are based on some reality," Zhao Meiying seriously commented, "Generally, they aren't far off, but in reality, the environment in Skull Plain might be far more terrifying than those rumors describe."

"Oh?" Su Heng appeared interested.

Li Hongxiu also tilted her head, her clear eyes becoming more serious.

"Cough cough!" Zhao Meiying coughed twice, "Skull Plain is called that name because its wilderness environment is exceptionally harsh. During the day, humans live on the plains along with the pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses they herd. But at night, once the sun sets, it turns into the Charming Demon Domain."

"Is that really what happens?" Su Heng's eyes widened. Zhao Meiying's description made him think of Demon Country.

"Indeed, it is."

Zhao Meiying asserted, "A thousand years ago, when the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded, the founder had specifically drawn a large army to conquer Skull Plain. Initially, the campaign went smoothly. After all, although the barbarians on the plain were fierce, they lacked discipline.

They knew only to rush forward relentlessly, and with a little trickery, they could be completely encircled and annihilated without exception."

"But as the army pushed deeper into Skull Plain, they encountered all sorts of unimaginable, eerie events. Ghostly troops crossed through, underworld rivers changed their courses, and so on, and eventually, even the main general, Zhou Tong, went mad. This expedition ultimately ended in failure. A wall was built on the border of Northern Zhou to create a barrier,"

"If the founder failed in the past, why are the troops being assembled again now?" Su Heng asked in surprise, "Have those barbarians become restless and started initiating attacks?"

"Yes," Zhao Meiying explained, "Normally, the threat posed by those barbarians on Skull Plain to the dynasty is limited. They even survive chiefly because the environment in Skull Plain is special, preventing the troops from penetrating deeply."

"But this time, it's different."

"What has changed?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I've heard that a Barbarian King has emerged in Skull Plain," Zhao Meiying spoke earnestly, "Legend has it that this man was born with a double pupil anomaly, blessed by celestial women at birth, and protected by Vajra Buddha.

He took a high monk from Skull Plain as his master, practiced for over thirty years, and cultivated the Buddhist Secret Technique to an unprecedented level.

Then, with his grand spirit, he subdued demons to serve as his protector gods. Later, he even used thunderous measures to resolve enmities. The four strongest barbarian tribes within Skull Plain all came under his command, and smaller tribes likewise came to heed his call, strengthening his force day by day."

"Whether by coercion or other means, resolving enmity is the hardest part, which is indeed remarkable,"

Su Heng asked, "Hasn't the court reacted to this?"

"How could it not!" Zhao Meiying said, "In fact, as soon as the Barbarian King came out of seclusion, Northern Zhou had already dispatched the Demon Suppression Army to suppress him. The Demon Suppression Army stationed at the frontier of Northern Zhou is particularly strong."

"So what happened..."

"They were wiped out without a trace," Zhao Meiying said grimly, "From the lowest-ranked soldiers to the Deputy Generals, main generals, and even the Chief Commander, all were killed. Only their heads were sent back."

"What rank is a Chief Commander?" Su Heng asked.

"Heavenly Deceit Realm," Zhao Meiying said, "Actually, not just the Chief Commander, some of the main generals also reached this realm. Yet, even those who were at the Heavenly Deceit Realm couldn't escape alive from Skull Plain. It's unknown exactly what they encountered, but it was said that the expressions on those severed heads were extremely horrified."

"That is indeed terrifying," Su Heng thought.

Human Martial Artists at the Heavenly Deceit Realm were equivalent to supreme lords among demons and monsters.

Su Heng had fought them and understood how formidable such existences could be.

Even now,

he was confident in defeating some of the supreme-level demons and monsters,

but he was not certain that he could kill them.

The reason he could kill Tuo Long, the great lord, was because it followed the path of brute force training and was not adept at escaping.

Even so, it was hard for Su Heng to kill it, and there was nearly a mishap in the process. Let alone making a supreme-level demon feel fear—such an advantage could only be achieved with an overwhelming superiority.

Thinking this way, the strength of that Barbarian King was truly unimaginable.

It might also have been due to the special geographic conditions of Skull Plain, specifically ambushing them.

"Regardless, be careful," Su Heng cautioned.

"Thank you," Zhao Meiying's face showed a broad smile, "Don't worry, I've been with the Demon Suppression Army for over a hundred years. I'm an old hand now; nothing will happen to me."

"Last time you said that, we blundered into the dojo of a supreme lord," Ai Qing mentioned, deflating the mood.

"And the last time you said something similar, you ended up in a duel with this guy right here," Chen Yang chipped in sarcastically, "You'll win, for sure!"

"Are you two trying to kill me?" Zhao Meiying was furious as she rolled up her sleeves.

Her fair wrists were exposed under the sunlight.

Ai Qing and Chen Yang hurriedly crept back with fearful expressions on their faces.

"You all seem to get along quite well," Su Heng said with a smile.

He was indeed quite gentle with friends.

"I am going to Skull Plain. While I am confident I can survive, these two little ones are in a tough situation," Zhao Meiying touched her nose and pleaded, "I would like to leave them here to serve you. I wonder if Commander Su could possibly do me this favor?"

"Of course," Su Heng nodded and said to the two, "You are most welcome here."

These two appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with their power peaking in the Demon Form. It was conservatively estimated that they could break through to the Demon Embryo Realm by the age of thirty. No matter when they had started their cultivation, this level of talent was already quite impressive.

Moreover, Zhao Meiying's character was something Su Heng had observed, and these two were also worth trusting.

Su Heng was naturally not one to refuse such a vibrant injection of fresh blood.

"There's another matter..." Zhao Meiying showed a bit of hesitation this time, "It's about the Domineering Dragon Eight Phases Secret Technique. I am unsure whether it should be discussed."

"There's no harm," Su Heng guessed in his heart.

"I want to make two copies of the foundational diagram and cultivation method of the Domineering Dragon Secret Technique here to take to the Demon Suppression Army," Zhao Meiying said, "In the Demon Suppression Army, there are quite a few who cultivate this technique. Many have been stuck for years or even decades; if they had the completed material, they could definitely make breakthroughs."

"The leader of Jiangzhou's Demon Suppression Army has also been studying this technique, but unfortunately, progress has been minimal."

"He is a pure Martial Lunatic. If he could see the content you've completed, he would be very surprised. Of course, I understand the rules. I won't take this without offering something in return. I will do my best to secure a generous reward from the Demon Suppression Army, even from the personal resources of the army leader,"

Zhao Meiying stated earnestly.

But deep inside, she still felt uneasy, even afraid that Su Heng might turn against her.

Because "techniques are not passed on lightly," divulging one's hard-earned cultivation techniques can lead to psychological imbalance and easily expose weaknesses to rivals. Even fathers to sons, often some parts are deliberately withheld, let alone to outsiders.

Zhao Meiying lowered her head deeply, unsure of what might happen next.

Even she felt that her request might have been too much.

But unexpectedly...

"Alright!" Su Heng agreed succinctly.

"You agreed just like that?" Now it was Zhao Meiying who was surprised, "We haven't even settled on the reward yet."

"It doesn't matter," Su Heng said calmly, "My martial arts are here for anyone who wants to learn."

"You..."

His readily agreeable attitude left Zhao Meiying somewhat unable to understand.

She was even shocked.

"These techniques must have taken you considerable effort to complete," Zhao Meiying pondered, "To just pass them out like this, what if they fall into your rivals' hands and are used specifically against you? And aren't you worried that someone could surpass you by practicing the same techniques?"

"Ha ha ha!" Hearing her words, Su Heng burst out laughing.

"What I want is absolute strength, not relative strength. If someone can identify problems in my techniques, even if it's my opponent who does it, it just means I haven't reached the ultimate state of perfection, which is a good thing."

"As for the possibility of surpassing me with the same techniques..."

Su Heng shook his head, speaking calmly yet confidently, "I am strong because of myself, not because of external things like techniques. Even if I practiced a lesser technique, I could attain the same realm. At most, it would just take a bit more time."

Zhao Meiying was influenced by his confidence and demeanor, and she bowed deeply to Su Heng, "I was too narrow-minded."

"Regardless, I will still try to obtain the reward for you," Zhao Meiying said earnestly.

"That would be good," Su Heng nodded.

He wasn't a fool—why refuse resources that were being handed to him?

"Here are the fundamental diagrams I made in my spare time; you don't need to make a special trip to copy them."

Su Heng rolled up the newly drawn diagrams on the desk and handed them to Li Hongxiu beside him. Li Hongxiu tied a butterfly knot on the scroll with her hair, then pulled out another scroll from a nearby cabinet. Holding them together, she handed them to Zhao Meiying.

Zhao Meiying took them, a look of surprise on her face.

"So, this is goodbye..." she waved her hand, "Who knows when we will meet again."

Zhao Meiying left gracefully.

Chen Yang and Ai Qing reluctantly followed her for a few steps before stopping.

A girl's soft sobs echoed through the hallway.

Chen Yang patted his junior sister's shoulder and looked up at the sun outside the window. He rubbed his eyes and lazily remarked, "The sunlight is really dazzling today."

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