One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

After sending Zhao Meiying away, Su Heng and Ai Qing, Chen Yang had a brief chat.

Both were orphans whom Zhao Meiying had rescued from demon's clutches, and they had been traveling the world with her for many years.

And now, they were entering a new stage in their lives.

After a brief conversation, the two took their leave.

Later, an elder from the Demon Suppression Bureau would take them under his wing to familiarize them with various affairs, tasks that Su Heng need not worry about.

"This is what you asked me to find," Li Hongxiu's calm and indifferent voice came from beside him.

Her hair, cascading down her shoulders, rose up as if a great black hand were lifting several secret manuals from the top shelf of the bookcase, before turning to place them on Su Heng's desk.

"Anything else?" Li Hongxiu asked, tilting her head.

"That's all." Su Heng said, "Thank you, I appreciate your hard work."

"You're welcome." Li Hongxiu bowed slightly towards him and gracefully left the study, gently closing the door behind her.

Bang!

The room was left with only Su Heng.

He sat on a specially crafted bronze bench, his legs crossed at the ankles.

He pinched the books that Li Hongxiu had handed him between two fingers and scrutinized the content with a furrowed brow.

These three books were specific Blood Refining Cultivation Techniques from the Demon Suppression Bureau. The muscular, bone, and flesh stages belonged to the "Demon Form", while the blood, viscera, and entrails were part of the "Demon Embryo" - the second grand realm of cultivation.

Low-level cultivation techniques were easy to acquire; the Pure Yang Skill that led Su Heng into entry-level cultivation was bought from an inconspicuous martial arts school on the roadside.

The further he went, the more precious and difficult it became to acquire worthy Cultivation Techniques.

The three techniques were named "Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound", "Blood Evil Blood Refining Method", and "Golden Jade Blood Refining Technique", which sounded ordinary, and their effects also seemed unremarkable in Su Heng's view.

Within the human body.

The effects of blood principally involved three aspects.

They were to transport nutrients and wastes to promote metabolism, regulate the internal environment for balance, and provide immune defense, etc.

These three techniques each had a different focus.

Among them, Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound was a traditional Buddhist Cultivation Technique; it worked by using vibrations to tap into the spinal cord's marrow. Ȑά

This Cultivation Technique depended entirely on the individual, mining the body's potential, thus it had the most reliable foundation but also progressed slowly.

As for the other two techniques.

The Golden Jade Blood Refining Technique focused on nurturing warmth, requiring a great deal of resources during the cultivation process.

Meanwhile, the Red Evil Blood Refining Technique was the most powerful among the three.

This technique required constant visualization of a bloody flood dragon during the cultivation process, and when cultivated to advanced realms, the blood would become viscous, carrying more platelets and enhancing healing abilities. Moreover, it could stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete large amounts of adrenal and corticosteroid stress hormones during battle.

When battling, one would appear fierce and fearless, feeling no pain at all, indistinguishable from a berserk fierce flood dragon.

Powerful, yet with heavy side effects, prone to sudden death. f

A standard demonic path cultivation technique.

After a brief consideration, Su Heng quickly made further plans.

He planned to use Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound as the foundation, and then supplement with the other two Blood Refining Techniques. He wanted to see if practicing these three techniques to completion could allow his blood's abnormal progression to exceed one hundred percent. In fact, even exceeding one hundred percent was just meeting Su Heng's minimum requirement.

To proceed further on this path, he would still need to spend effort finding higher-level secret techniques.

...

...

...

Jiangzhou, Taian Prefecture.

Inside a small vermillion building at the headquarters of the Demon Suppression Army, loud arguments could be heard.

"I've told you not to bother me again, why are you showing up in front of me again!?" A well-built, handsome young man with a streak of white in his hair spoke impatiently, waving his hand as if trying to shoo someone out of the room.

In a shadow beyond the reach of the bright sunlight, a figure in black was kneeling on the ground, speaking calmly, "Young master, the Family Head is eager to see you. The young miss also entrusted me with a message for you…"

"Is she in such a hurry to come and see my misfortune?" the young man spoke more impatiently, his voice tinged with anger.

"Um…" Seeing the situation.

The figure in black no longer spoke, bowed his head for a farewell, and gradually vanished into the darkness.

"Sigh!"

Only the young man remained in the room.

He looked up at the bright sky through the window and the sun hanging above.

The sunlight was warm, but his heart felt somewhat cold.

The young man's name was Li Lingxiu, the head of the Jiangzhou Demon Suppression Army.

Though the title of head of the Demon Suppression Army was quite prestigious, it paled slightly in comparison to his status as the heir of the Jiangzhou Li Family.

In the Dazhou Empire, there were many with the surname Li, but only the Jiangzhou Li Family could truly be called a clan.

Even a thousand years ago, before the Dazhou Empire had been established.

The Li Family was already a local powerhouse.

And the Li Family's ancestor was an extraordinary warrior who joined the Great Ancestor on his expedition to the Eternal Heaven.

Throughout the thousand years since the founding of the nation. The Li Family had weathered countless storms, yet always remained standing. They owned vast lands and endless wealth, controlling a colossal business network in the Jianghuai region. Family members were brave and skilled in war, earning distinguished military achievements in every empire era.

Even the royal family had been allied through marriage several times.

Commonly praised as a once-in-ten-thousand genius, merely witnessing their threshold was an event.

The strength of a noble family might be manifested in commerce and politics, but there was still a chance to be replaced. However, the ancestors of the Li family had reached an incredible realm, joining the great ancestor in the eternal heavens. Thus, the bloodline of his descendants had transformed, able to awaken innate divine skills like demons.

This was equivalent to the offspring of the Li family merging with a demon corpse at birth without any side effects.

Moreover, this "demon corpse" had been developed to its limit over a thousand years.

By simply following the path of their forebears, they could easily reach a terrifying realm beyond the common man's imagination.

Changes brought by the bloodline were both good and bad.

The advantage was being naturally powerful, but this power also limited their potential.

Li Lingxiu was a pure martial fanatic, who enjoyed the process of growth and exploring the unknown rather than repeatedly walking the path trodden by his family elders. Such contradictions escalated to an irreconcilable extent.

"There's no need to repeat the path trodden by our ancestors. Give me time, and I will surpass them. The bloodline will take pride in me."

Li Lingxiu remembered how exhilarated and liberated he felt when he spoke these words at the ancestral shrine, as if he had cleared the clouds to see the blue sky. It was also like a bird that had been caged finally flapping its wings and soaring into its own sky.

Of course, he also remembered the astonished and surprised looks on the faces of many elders present.

He remembered the rage on his father's face and the slap he received.

He also remembered the offering his sister had stealthily brought from the shrine hall which accidentally fell to the ground and the contorted, red face of his cousin trying to hold back his laughter nearby.

Forget it, how can sparrows understand the aspirations of a swan!

Although there were some twists and turns in the process.

But we martial artists, forge ahead boldly.

Since a decision had been made, there was no reason to retreat.

He had left his family and joined the Demon Suppression Army alone, becoming its leader over more than a decade of struggle.

He thought that with his innate talent and insight, he could easily make his own way wherever he went.

Unfortunately, ideals were plentiful but reality was harsh.

All the way to today.

Li Lingxiu had realized how difficult it was to progress in the martial path without the resources of his family.

"Ah! Only in turbulent seas can heroes show their true colors; as the steadfast mountains stand tall, the will to soar above the clouds never falters!"

Li Lingxiu sighed.

He clenched his fists, encouraging himself.

He quickly rallied himself, focusing his attention on the hanging scroll in front of him.

This hanging scroll was the foundational chart of the Domineering Dragon Eight Phases Secret Technique.

More than ten years ago, when he first joined the Demon Suppression Army,

Upon seeing this secret technique for the first time, Li Lingxiu was amazed.

This set of secret techniques imitated the "form" of the Domineering Dragon in its first half, and emulated the "spirit" of the Domineering Dragon in the latter half. If cultivated to a profound level, it wouldn't be inferior to several of the top inheritances of his family. The only pity was that this technique was incomplete.

Not damaged by man.

But it was incomplete from the time it was created.

Dragons soared in the heavens, unseen from head to tail.

The few ancestors who created this technique hadn't been able to fully render the spirit and form of the Domineering Dragon.

While Li Lingxiu greatly lamented this, he had also spent a decade attempting to restore it.

However, up to now, the progress had been limited and not worth mentioning.

Bang bang bang!

Just when Li Lingxiu was deeply engrossed in his research,

The knocking sound came again.

"Didn't I tell you to get lost? Why have you come back!" Li Lingxiu's forehead tensed with veins, opening the door irritably.

"It's me!" A somewhat helpless female voice came from outside.

"So it's Deputy General Zhao." Li Lingxiu opened the door and offered a cup of tea, apologizing, "I thought it was those people from my family."

"Is the task in Baihua County completed?"

Although Li Lingxiu was a martial fanatic, he was quite concerned about the affairs of the Demon Suppression Army.

"It has been completed," Zhao Meiying nodded, telling Li Lingxiu about the series of events that occurred in Baihua County.

"This…," Li Lingxiu widened his eyes, "Isn't this a bit too exaggerated?"

"The army leader should have received the news," remarked Zhao Meiying curiously.

"Between the Skull Plain and the familial issues, it's annoying beyond measure," Li Lingxiu pulled over a chair, sitting down and scratching his head, "Sorry, I've been neglectful in this area. But, if this person is truly as you say, then they indeed are impressive."

"Once the Skull Plain matter is resolved, I need to personally visit," Li Lingxiu stated earnestly.

After leaving his family, he realized how extremely difficult it was for cultivators outside to make any progress. Su Heng, who could physically combat death-worthy demons, was an incredible existence. Curious and somewhat eager to make contact, Li Lingxiu pondered

But from what Zhao Meiying described, it seemed that the other party was not very easy to get along with.

He suddenly felt hesitant, unsure.

Just then, Zhao Meiying added, "He also completed the upper half of the Domineering Dragon Secret Technique; I've brought back the foundational chart."

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