One more catty, one more attribute point

When Su Heng arrived in front of Taibola Volcano, Tong Shan Great Saint tossed the last remains of a Demon God into it.

He bowed toward Su Heng, his face wearing a respectful and weary expression, "As per your orders, everything is prepared."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Su Heng nodded, and then ascended the newly mined black stone steps.

Every five meters on both sides stood a Dragon Guard, their expressions stern and their Golden Armor gleaming, their imposing figures slightly blurred amidst the rising black smoke.

Previously, Taibola Volcano had suffered damage to its Origin due to an excessive eruption during the war.

However, in these past days, Su Heng had refined it, harnessed the Earth Veins, and with the continuous collection of resources by the likes of Tong Shan Great Saint, made restorations.

The volcano now displayed a might that surpassed any previous time, with overflowing energy gently stirring, and thunderous sounds echoed across the wilderness. The ground underfoot quaked violently as golden-red volcanic melt splashed from wide cracks.

The air was saturated with the scent of blood and sulfur, and the temperature was rising rapidly, so much so that even the faces of the nearby Dragon Guards showed unbearable pain.

But after undergoing transformation by Su Heng, their Spirits were remolded during the surgery. As resilient as steel, unquestionably loyal, even when tested at this moment, they stood ramrod straight.

At the end of this passageway was a balcony that extended outward.

Standing atop,

One could overlook the entire interior of Taibola Volcano.

After days of effort, Su Heng had created a true Purgatory within this volcano.

Coarse chains were embedded in the rock walls, swaying constantly with the surging hot gases, hanging from them some emaciated Demons.

They were once powerful Demons that repressed their territories, but now, their tortured bodies became sacrificial offerings. Blood fell from their ankles into the magma, and as the flames greedily scorched it, the last bit of Life Force was thoroughly extracted from their desiccated bodies.

Deeper down, troughs had been chiseled into the rock walls.

From these pitch-black openings flowed not water nor magma, but the crimson blood of the Demons.

This blood, mixed with the inner magma of Tambora, formed a scarlet, viscous, scalding liquid.

Like the Blood Pools depicted on temple murals, as the magma bubbled and boiled, numerous black limbs and faces with eyes still open in death emerged from within.

The temperature inside the volcano, while scorching hot, was still endurable by some Demon Gods' physiques.

Even in their downfall,

Parts of their bodies stubbornly preserved their original form.

Now these blackened heads lay back in the Blood Pool, gaping maws agape, one could still vaguely see the resentment and despair on their faces, as if inviting Su Heng, this ruthless Conqueror, to join them in their fall into Hell.

Seeing such a terrifying scene that could haunt the dreams of the ordinary man, the corners of Su Heng's mouth stretched into a genuine smile.

He greedily sniffed the air, a hint of enjoyment appearing on his face, "If we're not strong enough, our fate will be far more gruesome than what lies before us."

"You are right, my lord," Tong Shan Great Saint said this from the heart.

"The biggest, the only mistake in this world, is weakness." Su Heng took a deep breath, and a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.

From the moment he stepped on the path of cultivation, Su Heng has been unrestrained and unbridled, slaying countless humans and Demons alike.

Along the way, it seemed glorious.

But in reality, when Su Heng pushed his opponents to the brink, wasn't he also walking a tightrope above a deep chasm?

The slightest misstep meant plummeting into the Abyss, a fate from which there would be no return.

Even now,

Although Su Heng was effectively the master of the Northern Border, commanding elite soldiers and powerful generals,

With a single thought, he could raze cities and obliterate nations.

Yet even so, the peaceful life Su Heng longed for was still far away.

The loftily placed Emperor Wu Royal Family, the vanished Blood Realm Pillar God, the Destruction Power that watched eagerly for an opportunity, and the Demon Descendant Kings whose time of return was unknown.

These were all threats.

And Su Heng needed to ensure he possessed the strength to resolve these threats.

"Power is everything." Su Heng first sighed, and then he chuckled lightly, "Let them come then, in the upcoming tumultuous times, let us slaughter each other, to see who will last until the end."

"Ha ha ha!"

With a long howl, Su Heng's body suddenly swelled.

He then sprung forward, leaving an afterimage, and with extreme speed, plunged into the Magma Blood Lake before him.

Pu!

Su Heng's figure was burly.

In the midst of a magma lake spanning several kilometers in diameter, he was still just a speck.

Inside, the magma boiled, spewing out golden sparks. A loud rumble emanated from within, sounding like a doomsday beast being born in the abyss.

One by one, pitch-black sharp bone spurs emerged, followed by a massive and weighty form, and armor stacked as dense as steel. The magma flowed wildly along the curves of his muscles, sending up plumes of thick smoke.

Su Heng had reverted to his true form.

Moreover, to accelerate the efficiency of energy absorption from the outside world, he also activated the amplification of Overpowering and Eight-Nine Mystical Skill, maximizing his size.

For he had already refined a considerable amount of Demon Blood and Flesh.

Su Heng now looked a whole circle bigger than at any previous time.

He submerged his huge black chin into the magma, opened his blood basin-sized mouth wide, and with a vigorous inhale, he swallowed the magma mixed with large chunks of flesh. As Su Heng raised his head, amidst the billowing smoke, the blood-red magma flowed over the black armor, falling and intertwining like chaotic streams of flame.

The magma was incredibly dense.

Su Heng turned over and flicked his tail.

The huge body then slowly descended towards the depths of the volcano, stirring the entire lake with a massive force. The magma churned, the ground trembled with a buzzing sound, and the noises from within grew louder and louder.

The ancient myth circulating within the Blood Realm may hold some truth.

The deeper it goes.

The more Su Heng could feel the power inside becoming more ferocious and scorching.

It wasn't until Su Heng plummeted to the true bottom of Taibola Volcano that he started to feel a nearly unbearable sensation caused by the swirling power all around.

The attribute panel provided Su Heng with almost limitless potential.

In such an energy-rich environment, Su Heng's body grew at a rate visible to the naked eye.

His physique was also reshaped in this process, evolving to a higher level under the effect of Eight-Nine Mystical Skill. More barbaric, more vigorous, and even faster. Thus, Su Heng quickly adapted to the extremely harsh surroundings and then actively spread the scales on his body to absorb the abundant nutrients from the external environment through his flesh at a faster rate.

While dumping all the accumulated Attribute Points into Eight-Nine Mystical Skill.

Su Heng sank his Spirit.

He was meticulously observing the changes occurring in his body through an intrinsic method.

Aside from the all-round enhancement of his physique, the focus of this retreat was on the Golden Crow Heart.

The enhancement process previously interrupted due to the lack of Sun Iron Essence was resumed, more intense than at any time before.

Previously, Su Heng's Second Heart still maintained a flesh-like texture. Now, as a massive amount of energy from the outside world continuously fed into his body, the Golden Crow Heart also underwent a transformation in the relentless high-energy reaction, becoming a more efficient energy state. This process was incredibly fierce and domineering, and even with Su Heng fully prepared, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide, letting out a pained roar.

He felt as if a blazing, dazzling sun had been forcibly stuffed into his chest.

The scorching plasma rampaged through his blood vessels, first burning the passing organs and flesh to char, only to be quickly regenerated by the vigorous Life Force of the Dragon Blood. Then it would burn again, heal, and continue the cycle. Until the newly grown flesh was covered with a faint golden glow, incredibly tough, capable of stably enduring even the high temperatures and radiation released by the plasma, without sustaining any damage.

With such a foundation in place.

The mutation within his body gradually smoothed out, starting to accumulate power for a deep evolution.

...

Outside Mount Tambora.

Tong Shan Great Saint watched as the volcanic melt gradually calmed down, wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, and then heaved a deep sigh of relief. The entire volcano was shrouded in Su Heng's ferocious Life Energy Field, cutting off perception, leaving him clueless about what just happened to Su Heng.

But the massive energy reaction coming from the depths of the volcano was enough to petrify Tong Shan Great Saint.

Remembering when he had first gained Spiritual Wisdom.

Hiding in the dark, watching Cultivators pass by his side.

At the climax of such an energy reaction, Tong Shan Great Saint even doubted whether the whole volcano would explode like a bomb with a loud bang.

He even gave the order to the surrounding troops to retreat. Thankfully, such an event didn't occur, and overall, it seemed the situation was stabilizing. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire

Tong Shan Great Saint, emboldened, stood at the mouth of the volcano, looking down high above.

What he saw without intending to was indeed startling.

The magma inside the volcano burbled with bubbles, and it was receding at a rate visible to the naked eye.

This signified that the nutrients prepared inside were not sufficient to support Su Heng's current retreat.

Tong Shan Great Saint looked troubled, his coppery brows knitting deeply.

Despite having prepared strictly as instructed by Su Heng, he could not and did not dare to shift the blame onto his master.

The only option was to collect resources at all costs.

Hoping the upcoming preparations would meet Su Heng's needs for this retreat.

Tong Shan Great Saint, with his wealth of experience, barely pondered before quickly coming up with a set of practical ideas in his mind.