One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

Every Martial Artist who has reached the pinnacle has their own unique pride, and diligent cultivators like Shi Teng are no exception.

At this moment, having learned the true circumstances of the matter, he was furious, a bloodthirsty red glow flashing in his eyes like those of a wild beast.

"The remaining two Descenders have already been taken care of." Li Hongxiu threw a damper, "Moreover, you can’t go there. The Divine Plague might not affect you much, but it will turn you into a source of infection, and that will complicate things."

Shi Teng’s face showed a look of frustration.

"Then I should be fine." Lilith suddenly raised her hand and said from the side.

During the conversation between Shi Teng and Li Hongxiu, Lilith’s expression did not seem very positive. Now, as if seizing the mainstay, her eyes sparkled bright and determined.

"You..."

Li Hongxiu couldn’t help but rub her temples.

Lilith bore half of a Descender’s bloodline, indeed fearing no Divine Plague.

Nevertheless, seeing the determined expression on Lilith’s face, Li Hongxiu also understood what she was thinking and couldn’t bring herself to say anything to refuse.

"Alright, but you must be careful." Li Hongxiu instructed, and after a thought, she added, "Remember to take this with you, it might work wonders in case of an emergency."

She looked up into the distant sky, extended her sleeved arm gracefully and motioned lightly.

The massive Spirit Void Dao Wood swayed gently, emitting a waterfall-like rumble.

A branch glowing with a verdant light drooped down, snapped off it, and gently fell into Li Hongxiu’s hand like a glowing streamer. She handed the section of the branch to Lilith, advising, "If you encounter a situation you can’t handle by yourself, break this branch immediately. The master will definitely get the message."

Li Hongxiu reached out to straighten Lilith’s collar, looking at that cool yet gentle face, warmth flickered across the latter’s heart.

Ever since her revival, although she nominally called Su Heng her father, in practice, Su Heng hardly paid her any attention. As for Shi Teng, he indeed was a good mentor, but to ask such an old-school single Martial Artist to fathom a girl’s heart was a bit too much for him. However, Li Hongxiu was different. Though their ages and wisdom were not too different, Lilith could feel an embracing warmth from her.

The rumbling of the volcano gradually subsided, and the rain poured down, extinguishing the flames on the ground.

Lilith made a hugging gesture towards Li Hongxiu’s shoulders and then took the willow stick with her hand, "I will, thank you!"

She then said to Shi Teng, "Master, I’m going ahead."

"Be careful on the way!"

Lilith waved at them, turned, and quickly left, disappearing into the black curtain of rain.

...

...

...

Elsewhere, outside the burning Lishui Ancient City.

Su Heng watched the figure running out from the ruined city. To have survived Su Heng’s widespread assault, this person must be strong. Even if not one of the famed Heavenly Kings of the Imperial, he was definitely a standout among the Earth Immortals. He was tall with long arms and legs, his body was bronze-toned, and his features bore a hint of exoticism.

He wore a navy blue jacket on his upper body, and shockingly, a black armored skirt on his lower half.

A cloth belt was tied around his waist, and silver ornaments adorned his wrists and ankles.

Most of Li Hongxiu’s focus was on the Blood Realm, but she still had a spiritual afterimage that remained with Su Heng through the authority of the Spirit Void Dao Wood. As the incarnation of the Blood Realm Will, Li Hongxiu’s strength and capabilities were growing rapidly. While Su Heng was in seclusion, Li Hongxiu managed the Earth Veins of the Blood Realm and, with the prestige of Su Heng, extended the influence of the Northern Border forces to various parts of the Imperial.

The amount of intelligence she collected and processed was countless. Leveraging the powerful analytic capabilities of the World Will, Li Hongxiu was virtually indistinguishable from a humanoid supercomputer.

With just a glance, Li Hongxiu recognized the man’s origins.

"His name is Yang Ye, a descendant of the former chieftains of the Southern Border. He is an expert in Puppetry Technique and also possesses high Cultivation," Li Hongxiu said, "More than ten years ago, he fought with one of the Imperial’s Heavenly Kings. Both were injured, but who won and who lost was not clear."

"I see, no wonder," Su Heng nodded.

The thunder rolled across the sky, and out of the void came streaks of blue-purple lightning.

Seeing his kinsfolk slaughtered and his once familiar city turned to ruins ignited Yang Ye’s unbearable rage. His shining black eyes blazed like torches, his skin bathed in a blood-red light.

"Northern Border Demon Dragon! I have no grudge against you, why do you strike with such lethal force, this is outrageous!!!" Yang Ye roared skyward, his voice ripping through the thunder. The ground was covered with rocks, large and small, trembling and buzzing as if drawn by some force, defying gravity to float in midair before flying towards Yang Ye’s location.

Su Heng’s face revealed an expression of great interest.

The rocks gathered and collided with each other, creating a loud noise like rolling thunder.

Among the earthy yellow rocks, it seemed as if life had been birthed. A hundred-meter-tall stone giant appeared above Su Heng’s head, like a mountain suspended in the sky. Behind it was a vast sky and a curtain formed by billowing black smoke. If the scene before them could be imprinted, it would indeed carry some spectacular colors.

"Go to hell, monster!" Yang Ye’s ears, nose, and facial features were oozing blood, as he pushed his power to the limit.

The mountainous giant puppet ignited into flames, its meteor-like fist black and heavy, furiously smashing down on the dock where Su Heng stood. Dull, scorching winds rushed forth, causing the swiftly flowing waters of the Changbai River to sink and explode in circles. The punch seemed mighty at first glance, but the few people present didn’t take it seriously.

"The farce should end now." Su Heng finally spoke, his gaze slightly heavy as he raised his arm and flicked his finger.

Whoosh!

A blinding golden light shot straight up into the sky.

Upon collision, despite the disparity in size, they set off a violent explosion.

Yang Ye’s painstakingly summoned colossal puppet was like a shoddy toy in front of Su Heng. From the burning black fist to the thick layered arms, it exploded continuously like firecrackers. Dust filled the air, numerous giant rocks fell from the sky, and with a hissing sound, the river water boiled as the white smoke rose like a dragon into the sky.

Yang Ye looked up from his descent from the sky, his arm blown apart and showing no sign of Healing despite the Earth Immortal’s immortality, taking a long time to recover.

He used his other intact arm to prop himself up, kneeling with his chest heaving violently, hot blood spurting from his neck. He was barely a hair’s breadth from having his entire head blown off by the Particle Light Spear. The near-death experience chilled his spine, and he understood that his survival was not due to luck or strength, but solely the result of Su Heng showing mercy.

The world’s number one!

That title seemed to indicate he was only a bit stronger than oneself.

But only when truly facing that fierce, sun-like power, could one understand true despair.

Footsteps approached from the front, and with a large splash of water falling, the sound of bubbling river water came from the boiling river. The riverbank covered in grass was full of puddles, with a boot-clad foot stopping in front of Yang Ye. He lifted his head, looking directly into Su Heng’s indifferent, ruthless eyes, "You clearly could have killed me, why deliberately spare my life. Isn’t slaughtering all of my people enough? Do you want to continue humiliating me?"

"Humiliation? Would you go out of your way to humiliate an ant on the ground?"

"You!"

"Sometimes I might." A scornful smile flitted across Su Heng’s face, but soon vanished, "But only if I could see it."

Su Heng stepped past Yang Ye, whose intact palm left five deep grooves in the ground.

A gentle voice rang out, and in the misty water vapor, Li Hongxiu’s figure was almost transparent, "You should thank my lord. He is actually saving you."

"Saving? All I see is corpses strewn everywhere, cities burning."

"You have to understand, destroying a city is no more difficult for my lord than killing an ant. If it were just for pure destruction, he wouldn’t need to expend so much effort." Li Hongxiu shook her head, her voice clear and cold, "And there’s no need for me to deceive you."

Yang Ye felt a sudden shock in his heart.

The girl in front of him appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, so young and beautiful, resembling a delicate camellia, but the aura emanating from her sent a chill down his spine.

...Above the Earth Immortal, for a moment, Yang Ye was at a loss for words.

"Tell him the truth of the matter," said Li Hongxiu to Ban Poluo nearby.

"As you command," Ban Poluo smiled, "and it’s a pleasure to serve you."

He pressed his palms together, said Amitabha Buddha, and smiled even more enigmatically. A hint of golden light rippled from Ban Poluo’s fingers, touching Yang Ye’s forehead. The latter instinctively tried to dodge, but to his horror, found that in front of this strange monk, his body was completely beyond his brain’s control.

"This is the power of Authority, do you understand?" Ban Poluo explained.

Yang Ye digested the information transmitted by Ban Poluo, with his expression slowly turning from panic to despair.

He had just made an all-out strike burning his life, with the thought of perishing together with Su Heng, but naturally, he didn’t succeed and was severely wounded. Coupled with the twin ravages of the Divine Plague and radiation, his life was already slowly coming to its end. It was only his resentment that had sustained him till now, and without that, his life force began to decline rapidly.

His vision started to blur, sensing that his end was nigh.

With effort, Yang Ye turned around and knelt towards Su Heng’s back, "I am beyond rescue, but please, sir, help my clan to preserve a lineage."

"Hmm..."

After a moment of silence, Su Heng’s deep voice drifted over the water, "I’ll do my best."