One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

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Iron Demon General Pang Lian and Yan Qian entered the interior of the Demon Suppression Tower.

It was still dark outside.

There weren’t many people in the Demon Suppression Tower at this time, and the environment was complex, like a maze.

But for two cultivators of the Heavenly Deceit Realm, even the most complicated architecture was of no use against their sharp senses.

They encountered no obstacles on their way.

Even if they occasionally came across a pair of patrolling disciples or deacons,

They were always able to avoid them well in advance.

The two of them smoothly reached the fifth floor of the Demon Suppression Tower.

"A small place indeed is a small place, such lax defenses, it’s almost like coming home," Pang Lian said with a low voice amidst the flickering torchlight. Seeing Yan Qian’s serious expression and his implicit alertness, he couldn’t help but offer a word of comfort to ease his tension.

Yan Qian’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked up towards the corner not far away.

"Be careful," his lips moved slightly, using the Divine Skill of Sound Transmission into the Ear, "Someone is coming. Try not to draw attention."

Pang Lian’s smile tightened slightly.

The two didn’t stop, pretending as if nothing had happened, and continued forward.

As they turned the corner—

Snap!

At the platform where the staircase met, a girl dressed in red with snow-white skin stood by a window, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall, bathed in a layer of blood light. Her face was calm and indifferent, as she looked at the two men with no surplus expression, just a distant voice, "This is not a place for you two to be."

"Is that so?" Pang Lian’s brows furrowed slightly.

Thinking that their identities had been exposed and preparing to strike first,

But at that moment, Yan Qian suddenly grabbed his arm and smiled, "We have urgent matters to report to the Bureau Chief."

"Is that so?" The girl’s brows furrowed slightly, not seeming to doubt their story, "The Bureau Chief is on the ninth floor of the Demon Suppression Tower, you can go there to find him."

"I see," Yan Qian gestured with a bow, "Thank you, miss."

The two continued on, brushing past Li Hongxiu.

Li Hongxiu’s gaze lingered on the robust figures of the two men until they disappeared into the darkness of the upper staircase. Only then did she shake her head, withdrawing her gaze from them, "Another two who have come seeking their own deaths..."

Li Hongxiu’s brows furrowed slightly,

She took a document from the windowsill and held it in her arms, heading towards the study on the fifth floor.

"That woman gave me a strange feeling," Pang Lian muttered, furrowing his brow as he instinctively lowered his voice, "Did she really discover anything unusual about us just now, and why did you suddenly grab me?"

"Although that girl’s strength is not formidable, the aura on her is somewhat unusual." Yan Qian spoke seriously.

Pang Lian slapped his forehead with a "snap" and widened his eyes, "I remember now."

"The aura on her is somewhat similar to those monks in the temple who practice the path of Imperial Control," Pang Lian expressed surprise on his dark face, "But the path of Imperial Control, even within the Skull Plain, is only studied by a few top inheritances. How could it appear in such a small place?"

"The world is vast and strange things are not uncommon," said Yan Qian, shaking his head, "Maybe she just has an affinity with the physique of a fierce ghost. It’s hard to say."

"Once this mission is over, if we bring her to the Skull Plain, it might be another great accomplishment," Pang Lian couldn’t help but chuckle. He and Jialan Gunna were two extremes; the latter only knew pleasure, while Pang Lian was focused on cultivation.

But even so...

The gap in natural talent was unbridgeable.

Jialan Gunna was already a commander in the army with countless soldiers under him.

While Pang Lian also had Heavenly Deceit Cultivation, his status was nothing more than that of a slightly higher-ranking beast of burden. Risking life and death, spending a great deal of time, he could only exchange his merits for necessary cultivation resources within the Anlong Organization.

"That girl harbors a fierce ghost within her, I wonder if the Bureau Chief here has noticed at all."

The two continued up the stairs, Pang Lian’s voice emerging once more, "If he hasn’t noticed, doesn’t that mean his strength is far from the terrifying level recorded in the information."

"Maybe," a foreboding sense grew stronger in Yan Qian’s heart.

He wasn’t interested, just casually agreeing.

"The target is not formidable, but the reward is generous," Pang Lian laughed, "The Blood Demon General didn’t go for such a target. Well, he can’t blame us brothers for striking first... But speaking of which, it’s strange that there’s been no news of the Blood Demon General lately."

"That guy is not the type to stay quiet."

"Whenever he arrives somewhere, he must stir up a bloody storm," Pang Lian frowned slightly, sensing something amiss, "I heard that some experts within the organization have lost contact. Could it be that the noble families have learned of us and are taking action in secret?"

"It’s possible," nodded Yan Qian.

Pang Lian’s frown eased, seemingly recalling something, just as he was about to speak, Yan Qian suddenly stopped, his voice came through again—

"We’re here!"

Pang Lian halted, and, looking up,

Saw a sealed stone door in front of them, wrought from radiant stones with crimson light flickering at the seams.

A thick scent of blood emanated from it. Pang Lian and Yan Qian exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of surprise in each other’s eyes.

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"How did the mighty Demon Suppression Bureau turn into something like a Demon Cave?" Pang Lian took a step forward, passing Yan Qian.

"But now that we’re already here, even if there’s a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood ahead, we brothers must boldly make our way through it." Pang Lian spat onto his hand with a ’ptui’, his face brimming with bravado. He wiped his hand, his large palm gripping the crack of the door and he thrust it open with force—

Crack!

First, there was the crisp sound of a mechanism being torn apart.

Then a heavy scraping noise followed, as the two stone doors were forcibly pushed open to both sides by Pang Lian.

A thick scent mixed with the faint stench of decayed corpses and the rich smell of blood rushed out, and a blast of hot air billowed, lifting the corners of Pang Lian’s clothes and hair.

"Playing at gods and ghosts," Pang Lian murmured in his heart.

Without any hesitation, he stepped forward and entered into the secret chamber at the highest level.

The floor underfoot, the walls to both sides, and even the ceiling were all covered with a thick layer of fungal mat. On the fungal mat grew white, candlewick-like spines. These spines swayed gently like breathing, emitting a pale light that dispelled the darkness.

Pang Lian’s footstep creaked on the floor, giving him a sour sensation in his teeth.

Yan Qian followed behind Pang Lian, expressionless. But the sense of alarm within had materialized, like an invisible, icy hand was firmly clutching his heart.

It made it hard for him to breath, every muscle in his body aching. Even his naturally hanging fingers were spasming, unconsciously tapping against the side of his leg.

In front was a stone table.

Next to it, some organs that had been removed were soaking in a dark green solution.

Pang Lian went over and bent down for a closer look, only to recoil in shock. These organs were still alive, pulsating, connected to the outside world through blood vessels as fine as hair. They absorbed nutrients and expelled waste. It was as though they were still inside a body.

Looking at the organs pulsating in the solution—

A strange sensation emerged at the bottom of Pang Lian’s heart, as if they had been swallowed into the belly of a massive beast.

An inexplicable panic rose from the depths of his heart, and he even held his breath subconsciously.

Pang Lian turned around to look back.

Seeing the door they came through was still wide open, with a whoosh of cold air blowing in from outside, gave him the sensation that he was still alive.

"Come over here!" Yan Qian’s voice came from the darkness.

This time he didn’t use Sound Transmission into the Ear. Although he deliberately lowered his voice, the sharp tone still betrayed his shock and panic. Pang Lian’s heart suddenly tensed; he had known Yan Qian for a hundred years. This friend was always stable and meticulous, rarely losing his composure.

An outburst like this meant that something dreadful had happened—

And indeed, that was the case.

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Pang Lian looked down and moved forward, passing through a curtain made from a layer of blood-web, and entered the deep chamber of the room. What caught his eyes were three human pigs embedded in the left wall. The ones on both sides had been digested and eroded, beyond recognition as human.

Only a skeleton remained, along with a few scraps of human skin, testifying that this had once been a member of the human race.

A large amount of still wriggling internal organs were embedded in the wall, pulsing hearts, expanding and contracting lungs, and so on.

The normal internal organ tissues of a human, once fully spread out, were sparsely scattered across a wall area of seven or eight square meters. They were like gruesome specimens, delivering a strong impact to the onlooker.

The one in the middle was preserved somewhat better, at least one could still make out a trace of human likeness.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

But the skin on the face had also been heavily corroded, the flesh on the lips and cheeks had liquefied and disappeared, leaving the ghastly white teeth bare and exposed. The eyelids were removed, leaving no chance for a moment of peace. Those familiar pupils were filled with bloodshot veins, full of horrifying pain and despair—

What made Pang Lian’s scalp tingle even more was.

This face, despite being riddled with holes, was one Pang Lian recognized, the very Blood Demon General he had long wished to catch up to and surpass.

It was as if there had been a "boom" of a loud explosion inside his mind, and all the doubts Pang Lian had harbored for so long were instantly cleared.

The Blood Demon General had not been neglecting his duties but had been captured in the midst of carrying out a mission.

And those Anlong Organization members who had mysteriously lost contact were not due to the actions of noble families but had ended up in the same dire straits as the Blood Demon General. The mysterious mastermind behind all this, their mission target, this unremarkable "Du Si"—what terrifying monster was it!!?

"Hiss—"

Even with Pang Lian’s fearless nature, at this moment, he could not help but take in a cold breath, his entire body going numb with shock.

The Demon Suppression Tower, which he had not put much thought into just moments ago, instantly became a dragon’s den and a hellish abyss. What was even more terrifying was that they had ventured deep into this dangerous place without realizing it.

"Damn it!" Yan Qian immediately reacted, "We need to get out of here fast!"

At the same time, the Blood Demon General, who had been in a coma, finally regained a bit of clarity. Seeing a familiar face, his pupils shrank violently, and he struggled fiercely a couple of times. A monstrous and despairing hoarse voice came from his torn throat, "Kill me, quickly kill me!"

Seeing the once arrogant and crazed Blood Demon General tormented into this inhuman, ghostly state.

Pang Lian felt a chill shoot up to his crown, and his long hair almost stood on end.

How could he dare to stay any longer, cursing himself for not having grown an extra pair of legs, he grabbed Yan Qian’s arm beside him and turned to sprint back towards the corridor. Sadly, they were a step too late. That one step difference was the difference between heaven and hell.

Outside the ninth floor chamber of the Demon Suppression Tower—

"This is it." Li Hongxiu stopped in her tracks, turned her body expressionlessly, and shielded Su Heng’s burly figure in front of her own.

Su Heng took a step forward, his broad shoulders effectively sealing the wide-open door, as streaks of blood-red light spread out from either side of him. The heavy shadows, alive like writhing fungal mats, spread over Pang Lian and Yan Qian who were rushing towards them, enveloping both men.

The moment they saw Su Heng, a look of utter despair and panic filled their faces, gradually coming to a stop where they stood, not daring to move.

Within the shadows, Su Heng’s blood-colored eyes first showed surprise, then gradually twisted into ferocity, morphing into a wild joy, "Damn, never thought we’d have some test subjects delivered right to our door!"