One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

Although it was just an offhand remark, Li Hongxiu was stunned by the decisiveness and indifference revealed in Su Heng’s words. She stood frozen and unusually silent at that moment.

"Do you know what to do if a forest catches fire?"

Su Heng stood on the dilapidated, abandoned dock, looking downstream at Changbai River. The river water was turbulent and slightly murky, its misty vapor yet to disperse. The ancient city was shrouded in a light mist, surrounded by neatly tiered terraces of lush greenery, resembling a slowly unfolding landscape painting.

But at this moment.

Su Heng could clearly sense.

The Divine Plague had begun to break out in the city, spreading rapidly.

Screams of flesh being torn apart soon followed, and a strong smell of blood slowly permeated the air.

"Wind fuels the fire. If you want to prevent the entire forest from being burnt down, the best way is to burn a firebreak around the source. This necessary cruelty dictates that if these people do not die now, then hundreds, if not thousands more will perish in future disasters, so there’s no point in hesitation."

"I understand." Li Hongxiu looked at Su Heng’s robust, dark silhouette and nodded gravely.

Utilizing the power of Spirit Void Dao Wood and the connection to the Blood Realm.

During the capture of two Descenders, Su Heng had already been distracted with contingency plans.

Although the current situation was dire, Li Hongxiu was not panicked. Su Heng had prepared everything for this event, and all she needed to do was follow his plan.

Ban Poluo’s face appeared slightly pale.

He too seemed shocked by Su Heng’s decisiveness but was more afraid of being implicated himself.

Facing Su Heng, Ban Poluo was very respectful and now timidly said, "Those people completely underestimated your strength; their schemes will not succeed."

Su Heng would not waste his anger on a worthless person, but he couldn’t be bothered to deal with him either.

Frowning slightly, he continued to monitor Lishui Ancient City downstream with his spiritual power.

During the few sentences they exchanged.

The disaster had already begun to spread to every corner of Lishui Ancient City, and the first to encounter and be infected by the Divine Plague were women washing clothes by the river.

Lishui Ancient City was almost built on a calm pond, with artificial channels carved out of the city instead of streets.

In such an environment, every household needed a boat, and right outside their doors were docks. Early in the morning, as the sun rose, these women squatted on the small docks, washing vegetables while chatting with neighbors. Added to that, with Lijiang Ancient City being a commercial center known for its long history, life here was usually quite pleasant.

Crystal clear and slightly cool river water continued to flow through the channels, causing white foam to form on the wooden dock piles.

But today, this tranquility was shattered by piercing screams.

A middle-aged woman, slightly plump, dressed in a dark cyan horse skirt, and adorned with a silver headpiece, screamed in agony. Her hand, touching the water, began to emit black smoke as if soaked in concentrated sulfuric acid, making a frightening sizzling noise. The moisture quickly evaporated, leaving her hand grotesquely shriveled and claw-like, as if a demon had extended it from hell.

In desperation, the woman tried to tear off her mutating arm but was powerless as crimson bruises spread upwards, her facial expression growing more painful.

A neighbor, unaware of the situation, rushed over to help.

But the moment he touched the woman’s shoulder, he saw a gaping maw of blood and flesh lunging towards him.

Constrained, and burning her life away, the woman’s speed and strength surged, easily overpowering a full-grown man, brutally tearing at his flesh.

The old farmer screamed in terror as more and more of his flesh rotted and slid off his body, starting with the outer layer of skin, then the pale yellow fat and deep red muscles, followed by the still writhing intestines, until all that was left was a puddle of decayed flesh on the ground, attracting buzzing flies and circling black crows in the sky.

As a county, Lishui had a considerable number of martial artists.

Moreover, most of them were descendants of those chieftains from the past, and some of their cultivation techniques and inheritances were quite unique even in Su Heng’s eyes.

These martial artists discovered the strange creatures rampaging on the streets, and they first tried to subdue these disruptive beings.

But they were entirely unsuccessful, as the infected humans had no rationality left.

There was a vast chasm between martial artists and ordinary people. Even at the most basic Demon Transformation Realm, they were superheroes who completely crushed ordinary soldiers.

Even though all aspects of these infected ordinary people’s qualities had increased, they were still no match for the martial artists. They weren’t frightened by the scene; instead, they were angrily trying to catch the manipulator behind all this, while others rushed home, wanting to evacuate their families first.

But as they ran... the same thing happened to these martial artists.

Bound to both body and spirit, Su Heng now didn’t know how it worked exactly, but clearly, the lower-level martial artists were not immune.

After being infected, their condition worsened; some even began showing signs of demonization.

The sun had just risen, but the light was dimming instead.

The fog in the city, instead of dispersing over time, grew thicker, displaying a rotting, despairing black color. Cinematic freeze-frame images appeared throughout the city, with blood-red profane runes like devilish footprints climbing up the walls. The whispering voices that made one’s scalp tingle also began, frost spread, and the Blood River flowed… As thousands died in despair, the power of Eternal Heaven descended!

"What a disaster," Li Hongxiu’s face was pale. She should have returned, but she stayed by Su Heng’s side with a spiritual afterimage. She wasn’t sure if she could help, but thought maybe her presence could share some of his stress. Although self-assuming, Li Hongxiu decided to do it anyway.

"Indeed, it is a disaster, and what’s more terrifying is that even if many people die and the disaster passes, it doesn’t mean everything is over and we can rest easy."

Su Heng squinted his eyes, his expression unusually calm, "Those Descenders can unleash the Divine Plague once, then they can do it a second, a third time. We were lucky this time..."

At this point, he glanced significantly at Ban Poluo, whose face immediately showed an awkward yet polite smile.

"It’s an honor to alleviate your troubles," said Ban Poluo shamelessly.

"Heh," Su Heng sneered, continuing, "If there’s a next time, unless omniscient and omnipotent, it’s impossible to be always on guard. Such methods are only a temporary solution, not a cure. We must complete the genetic modification of all humanity, and those aging Descenders, their era should also end."

"Yes, a blood debt must be paid with blood!" A gleam of killing intent flashed through Li Hongxiu’s clear pupils.

Ban Poluo spoke in a low voice, "Lord, some people are already thinking of fleeing."

"Although I’m sorry, they all must die here." Some powerful martial artists could resist the Divine Plague curse, but this situation was even more dangerous. They showed no symptoms, but in reality, they had become carriers. Wherever they went, the plague would spread further, potentially ruining the entire world.

Without these martial artists, the virulence of the Divine Plague would actually be less likely to cause mass casualties.

"Let me handle this matter," Su Heng took a deep breath, a strong wind blowing over from the Changbai River, causing his robe to flutter wildly.

Swoosh!

At this moment, Su Heng grabbed at his collar and flung it with a sweep of his hand.

Accompanied by a sharp cry like an eagle striking the sky, his black robe flew away like a soaring eagle.

Above the heavens, as the power of Eternal Heaven accumulated, the leaden clouds were torn open, and golden light poured down on Su Heng’s fierce, angular muscles, reflecting a dazzling metallic luster. Within his broad chest, three hearts roared like three starship engines, his muscles bulged, and thick veins pulsed like chains, flowing with magma-like fiery golden blood!

"Roaring Dragon Strength·Great Sun Soaring!"

Boom!

With a shock that shook the heavens, Su Heng clenched his fingers into a fist, squeezing out brilliant golden light between them.

His arm muscles rapidly expanded and then contracted, releasing a wildly exaggerated punch directly at the sky. A blinding beam of golden light surged upwards, instantly evaporating the accumulated clouds above, thunder rolling and fierce winds lashing. Beneath him, the Changbai River exploded with a giant water column, nearly splitting in half, and distant Snow Mountain also shaking, ringing with the sound of bells.

As the soul-stirring aftermath gradually settled, the sky revealed a round golden sun.

Beams of golden light, sharp as arrows, rained down toward the ancient city shrouded in demonic mist!