One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

In the burning gazes of the onlookers, Su Heng entered the Gion and vanished from sight.

"That’s too exaggerated. Da Xutuo is considered a top-ranked powerhouse in Skull Plain, but compared to him, it’s like a chasm of heaven and earth, not on the same level at all," someone swallowed hard, their face filled with awe, their mind wavering.

"Forcing a breakthrough, the black mist shrouding the outskirts of Gion has weakened." Another person’s eyes shone with a sharp light, eager to try, "A moment ago, attempting it was certain death, but now it might not be the case. I must consider this as the sole opportunity of my life, to reforge the glory of Skull Plain, it is a responsibility we cannot shirk!"

A little something from the Dharma King’s temple could bring benefits for a lifetime.

Even with great danger, it couldn’t make everyone shrink back.

"Let me try!" Finally, after a moment of silence, another person made a decision, taking a step forward.

This was a Secret Monk of Skull Plain, draped in a bright red monk’s robe, holding an iron staff in his hand. His eyes were pitch-black as if they had been gouged out by someone.

Within his hollow eye sockets, a mysterious and eerie fog wafted, clearly a cultivator who walked the path of "Imperial Control," suppressing a powerful demon within his body.

"Dragon Serpent Tuo from the Hundred Buddha Temple, a figure only second to the level of Esoteric King," recognized an elder from the immortal sect, his eyebrows slightly furrowing. His feelings were mixed; he was interested in the secrets within Gion but apprehensive about the inheritances falling into the hands of the three Esoteric Sects of Skull Plain, bringing trouble.

"Don’t worry, this is not so simple," He Xingyun shook his head slightly, with a calm expression, as if he had anticipated what would happen next.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Dragon Serpent Tuo was the third to step down the stairs into Gion.

One step, two steps... The first few steps went smoothly, Dragon Serpent Tuo’s ugly face revealing a smile, as if the treasures within Gion were within easy reach. But as he stepped onto the last stair, a sudden change occurred, the ground buzzing and vibrating, accompanied by spreading fissures.

Grey light, like fog, erupted from the cracks, accompanied by a tremendous suction force.

Dragon Serpent Tuo’s face turned pale.

His leg muscles, like springs, compressed and burst forth rapidly.

He tried to dash away from this strange stairway, but it was too slow.

Light enveloped his entire body, and the suction force emerging from the crack stretched Dragon Serpent Tuo’s figure elongated, followed by a scream.

Whoosh!

Under the attentive gaze of everyone, Dragon Serpent Tuo’s figure disappeared into thin air.

"Hiss..." The onlookers’ faces revealed shock, among them were seasoned and knowledgeable old powerhouses. Quickly, some realized what had just happened, "The Earth Vein Array Patterns went berserk, coupled with the residue of the secret realms within the Dharma King’s temple, and the dissipation of the black fog has made this place even more dangerous."

"Never mind, it seems we’re indeed fated not to have it," some Secret Monks from Skull Plain felt helpless and ultimately chose to sigh and accept their fate.

"Let’s leave as well," He Xingyun retracted his gaze, saying calmly, "Let’s go visit other places; maybe we can collect some precious medicines."

"Brother He." Ning Xiaoyu followed close to He Xingyun, tightening the clothes on her body, her brows knit, "I always feel that there’s something strange about this place, a cold chill on my body, like something dangerous is about to happen."

"Really?" He Xingyun stopped in his tracks.

Several junior brothers and sisters from the Wuji Sword Sect also quietly said, "I have a similar feeling."

"Looks like it’s not unfounded," He Xingyun rubbed his temples, "Just to be safe, you all should leave here quickly and stay with the elders outside; that’s more secure."

"We!?" Ning Xiaoyu was surprised, her eyes widening, "What about you, Brother He, aren’t you coming with us?"

"There are a few junior brothers scattered in the Dharma King’s temple, as the big brother of the Sword Sect, I can’t abandon them if there is indeed danger," He Xingyun patted Ning Xiaoyu’s head gently, for he was also quite fond of this lively and lovely junior sister.

"Don’t worry," He Xingyun waved his hand and turned to leave, leaving them with a dashing back, "I am strong, nothing will happen to me."

"I..." Ning Xiaoyu still felt uneasy.

A senior sister gently placed her hand on her shoulder, "Let’s leave quickly, we don’t want to become a burden to Brother He."

"Okay then." Ning Xiaoyu had no choice but to nod in agreement.

...

Within Gion.

The same premonition streaked across Su Heng’s mind, too.

"It seems I need to speed up," Su Heng touched his chin, muttering to himself, "The structure of this teaching ground seems to have grown somewhat unstable; if the demon god revives, this place will likely be completely destroyed, which would be a real pity."

He had an attribute panel that could swiftly advance a cultivation technique to a profound level.

But the attribute panel wasn’t omnipotent; inscribing a cultivation technique onto it still took a bit of time.

Thinking this way...

Su Heng took a step forward, entering deeper into Gion.

Passing the threshold, the light inside was dim.

Thousands of years had passed, and even the so-called eternal lamps were dimmed, their ancient bronze holders encrusted with dust and cobwebs.

The only source of light came from some cracks in the dome, beams of blood-red moonlight pouring through, barely dispersing the darkness.

A musty, moldy smell pervaded, enveloping Su Heng like a fog.

Continue your adventure at empire

In front of him, the hall was lined with rows of wooden bookshelves.

The shelves were filled with books.

Fawang Temple, too, was part of the Esoteric Sect lineage.

Though outwardly it wore the guise of Buddhism, inside it was fairly brutal.

As Su Heng approached for a closer look, he found the books on the shelves were all made from human skin, emitting a faint stench of decay. Time had made this skin fragile, and when Su Heng merely touched it lightly, it turned to ash and vanished.

"These contain some kind of scripture; they’re probably not specific cultivation techniques."

Looking at the ancient, winding script, Su Heng felt a headache coming on. He had made some preparations before his arrival, familiarizing himself with some of the Sanskrit found in Skull Plain.

But now, when it was time to use this knowledge, he encountered difficulties.

On one hand, the evolution of the script had produced variants, and on the other, these ancient texts were too faded to read clearly.

"This may hold records of some secret technique, but it’s not important. First, I must find the hidden scriptural treasury of the Tathāgata; that is the most critical part of my mission here," Su Heng murmured, having skimmed through a few relatively intact human leather scriptures with meager findings, and then decided to move on.

He passed through the rows of bookshelves, continuing towards the deeper parts of the room.

The expanse of Gion was vast, with towering shelves and volumes outside, while further in lay a spacious resting area.

Outside, the windows were open, allowing the blood-colored moonlight to enter, in which the dust in the air was visible. The wooden floor bore black marks, like dried blood.

The place was empty, with no particular decorations.

There was only a bronze incense burner at the end of the room, about half the height of a man, crammed full of white incense ashes.

Besides that, there were only a few black steles standing silently in the room, quietly bathing in the blood-red moonlight. Thousands of years had passed for Fawang Temple, and this region seemed to be frozen in amber, unchanged.

Su Heng’s gaze lingered on the black steles, a mantra resonating in his mind, echoing through the long and ancient years.

"It seems the dharma vein is right here," Su Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

He was lucky; in the vast Fawang Temple, he had quickly found what he needed.

Although there were some troubles, they weren’t difficult to deal with and were easily resolved. So far, nothing had gone awry.

"Hmm?" Just then, it seemed like Su Heng sensed something.

He raised an eyebrow, lifted his head, and a smile full of interest curved on his lips as his eyes shone brightly, peering into the distance.

His intense gaze, as palpable as the scorching sun, passed over the ancient steles in the moonlight, landing on a pitch-black shadow at the far end of Gion. There sat a figure, whose presence was indistinct, akin to a piece of deadwood, blending in with the surroundings.

Su Heng had just arrived and after a glance, had actually overlooked this person. It was only now that he quickly realized it.

Just this fact alone meant that the person’s strength was terrifying, almost ineffable.

Moreover, considering that the outside of Gion was shrouded in mist, the space was in disarray, tainted by demonic gods, and had become a land of certain death. When this person had arrived, or how he had come here, Su Heng naturally did not know.

But one thing was certain:

His strength was immense, and he could very well have already broken through the limits of Heavenly Deceit, entering a wholly different realm.

"Quite intriguing," Su Heng mused, unfazed by the unexpected encounter, his mind still serene.

The man was strong, but he was stronger. He had the confidence to resolve any trouble that came his way.

He cleared his throat and then spoke in a deep voice that rippled like water, distorting the moonlight as it resonated from afar, "Who are you, a cultivator of Fawang Temple?"

The mist dispersed, and the figure jolted ever so slightly.

Awakened by Su Heng’s voice and returning from a deep state of cultivation.

He opened his eyes, his dark golden pupils flashing with surprise. It seemed that he, like Su Heng, had not anticipated that someone could penetrate the blockade and reach the depths of Gion to inherit its legacy.

"You are…" he stood up, taking a step forward.

His imposing figure blocked the moonlight, casting a shadow that stretched all the way to Su Heng’s feet.

Copper-colored skin, robust muscles. His black hair, wild like a horse’s mane, was tied with a simple golden band. His facial features were handsome, surpassing any sculpture, imbued with divinity. However, there was no air of haughtiness or arrogance, instead, they were filled with compassion and gentleness.

Su Heng’s penetrating gaze paused momentarily on the man, and then he smiled, "I have seen this face in portraits; I know who you are now."

"Talihuitai Sorban," Su Heng’s smile widened, "Or perhaps, it is more appropriate to address you by another name, the barbarian king of Skull Plain. Indeed, your reputation is well-earned, formidable in strength."

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