One Pound Meat, One More Attribute Point

His gaze returned to the organ specimen before him.

The Dragon Guard project originally was merely meant to provide more security for his family and friends, and incidentally keep the petty and trivial at bay. To avoid having to personally deal with any unseemly opponents that came along, which was truly bothersome.

But as the implementation of the Dragon Guard project unfolded, with deepening understanding of human organ structure and accumulating experience,

Su Heng’s mind slowly began to conceive a vague cultivation method—organ transplantation.

If the capacity of a heart to pump blood is limited,

Then I simply add an extra blood circulation system on top of the existing one, effectively operating on dual standby, and double the efficiency of the blood pumping. The same principle applies to other organs like the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and so on. Each organ’s focus is different, and the direct enhancement of physical attributes is not as conspicuous as with the heart.

In the common knowledge of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the heart is the palace of the divine, where the central hub of human life activities resides.

Among all the organs in the body,

The heart holds a unique and extremely special position.

But since Su Heng had this idea, naturally, his mind had a vague direction he could attempt to explore to solve this issue.

If creating one won’t work,

Then why not forcibly take one from someone else and implant it in myself!

Yet this presented a new problem: where to find a being with a physique not too different from Su Heng’s...

His first thought was the Ruler of the Demon Country.

But to be honest, Su Heng didn’t think too highly of this person and only saw him as a backup option.

The next thought was the remains of the Tuo Long from Dragon Abyss, but the Tuo Long had fallen too long ago, and there were too many uncertainties associated with this matter, making its success unsure.

Gathering information proved a challenging problem, and Su Heng felt somewhat helpless.

He would need to devote more attention to this issue.

Thud, thud, thud!

As Su Heng pondered,

A rhythmic knocking sound came, interrupting his thoughts.

Turning around and following the sound, he saw a slender figure in red swaying amidst a shimmer of white light. The light spilled over her, stretching her shadow and making her figure appear somewhat blurred. Li Hongxiu’s face was calm, her cool gaze falling on Su Heng.

"Is something the matter?" Su Heng set down the materials he was holding and squatted down in front of Li Hongxiu. Stay updated via empire

"Two people claim they’re from Breath Swamp and wish to see you," said Li Hongxiu.

"Breath Swamp!?" A question mark popped up in Su Heng’s mind.

He quickly had an impression.

Back when he was pursuing the Tuo Long Lord, Su Heng had once made his way deep into Breath Swamp. The swamp was a dangerous and desiccated wasteland, filled with not only powerful strange beasts but also some human tribes living within it. By chance, Su Heng had encountered one of those tribes.

But...

They had no interaction with each other.

What would these tribal people want with him?

Su Heng was puzzled.

However, considering the recent information revealed by Wang Xindong, as well as the various unusual occurrences coming from the direction of the Demon Country, Su Heng gave it some thought and then nodded.

"Alright then," he said, stroking Li Hongxiu’s smooth hair, then slowly stood up.

"Since they’ve come all the way to see me, let’s meet them," Su Heng said calmly with a smile, "and see what kind of medicine they’re actually selling in their gourd."

...

...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

...

Zhao Yingning stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the scenery outside.

Neatly arrayed houses, the bustling market with its constant throng of people, and beyond that, the wharf and the expansive Guang River. It was nearing twilight, and the red light of the setting sun cast its glow over the glistening river, reminding Zhao Yingning of the quicksand rivers in Breath Swamp.

When the sunlight fell on them, the two were similar in hue, yet their implications were completely opposite: the Guang River nourished the land, signifying vibrant life, whereas the latter signified death, natural disasters, and the emergence of terrifying strange beasts.

For many in Baihua County,

This was just an everyday sight, but Zhao Yingning couldn’t take her eyes off it.

The girl’s tired and worried black eyes held a longing; she imagined her tribespeople living in such a city.

There would be no worries about the scarcity of water, no fears of all-consuming sandstorms, and no need to dread the great lords of the Demon Country that might appear to hunt at any time. It would be a sight most beautiful, teeming with life. A cool autumn breeze blew by, whipping up fallen leaves. Zhao Yingning’s mouth curved upwards slightly, but her eyes grew a bit misty.

She turned around, and before her was a spacious lounge.

The furniture inside was exquisitely carved with intricate patterns that Zhao Yingning couldn’t comprehend.

The chairs here were very comfortable, every curve designed to fit the human body. But Zhao Aman, her brother, seemed out of sorts sitting on one, restless and uneasy. At the moment he was studying the teacup in his hand, lifting it, then after a moment of hesitation, gently setting it down again.

"Sister," Zhao Aman said, "will that person meet with us?"

Zhao Yingning bit her lip lightly and shook her head.

Thud, thud, thud!

A knocking sound rose.

Before the two inside could reply, the wooden door of the tea room had already been pushed open.

A majestic figure with disheveled white hair walked in from the outside. He was over three meters tall, with a face so severe and solemn that one might wonder if he had ever smiled. A blood-colored vertical pupil was embedded in his forehead, and his exposed muscles were like stone, hard and sharply defined.

Zhao Zongwu’s gaze swept around the room, then settled on Zhao Yingning.

Her body gave a slight shiver.

Although there was no malice emanating from the elder before her.

But at the moment their eyes met, Zhao Yingning still felt her muscles twitch and her teeth ache as if caught in the gaze of a dragon creature from the Breath Swamp, unable to muster any thought of struggle or resistance. Fortunately, the elder’s gaze was only fleeting, passing by quickly, allowing her to slowly relax.

"The Marshal has agreed to see you," Zhao Zongwu said calmly.

At this moment, Zhao Yingning’s heart swelled with immense joy, not unlike a student seeing their desired scores announced. She exchanged glances with her brother, both unable to suppress the smiles on their faces.

"Don’t take too long. Follow me," Zhao Zongwu said, turning and walking away without giving them time to respond.

The two behind him hurried to keep up.

The building was dim and grand, like a palace built for giants.

They passed through lengthy corridors, great halls, and immense indoor martial arts training grounds where people bustled about. What shocked Zhao Yingning was the realization that there wasn’t just one strong person like Zhao Zongwu here; there were groups of them, appearing like a well-prepared army.

Each one of them was exceptionally towering, with stern faces, and each muscle seemed to have been sculpted for violence and destruction.

Zhao Yingning didn’t dare to look more and withdrew her gaze.

Head low, she silently followed behind Zhao Zongwu.

They arrived at a meeting hall on the fifth floor where two Dragon Guards pushed open the large doors, wrapped with chains. Inside was a black stone floor so polished it could reflect one’s image, and flanking both sides was a neat array of Dragon Guards, forming a black ceremonial corridor with their protection.

At the end of the corridor was a broad platform that rose upward.

On the platform sat a heavy bronze throne.

A black-haired giant with a strong presence sat relaxedly on it. He had one leg crossed, one hand casually draped over the arm of the throne, and the other propping up his head. Beside the giant’s throne stood a girl in red with black hair, her skin so white it seemed to glow.

The giant’s gaze must have possessed the power to shake one’s soul.

Before Zhao Yingning could react, her body fell to her knees, her head pressed firmly against the smooth floor.

Feeling the coldness from the floor, Zhao Yingning’s slightly emaciated body trembled continuously, her mind went blank, and the words she had prepared for so long were forgotten completely.

"I remember you," Su Heng’s low and magnetic voice slowly drifted over, "We met during the pursuit of Lord Tuo Long, and you showed me the direction. For that, I should thank you."

"So I am willing to spend time to meet you."

"Thank you for your generosity," Zhao Yingning stopped the shivering of her body and said softly.

"Do not waste this opportunity," Su Heng said with a smile, "Meeting me is not easy, and I hope to get some useful information from you."

"Of course," Zhao Yingning lifted her head.

Responsibility emboldened her to look directly into Su Heng’s eyes.

"Please allow me to tell you a story," Zhao Yingning swallowed a gulp of saliva, and her somewhat stammering voice echoed in the dim and majestic hall.

"Thousands of years ago, there was an ancient kingdom called Yuanxi."

"Although the kingdom was small and not densely populated, the people lived relatively well and were happy and peaceful under the protection of the Golden Crow and the generations of diligent kings. But such happiness did not last long, as a calamity appeared in the sky: a blood-colored meteor fell from the heavens."

"The meteor brought pollution; wherever its aura passed, green hills became barren, rivers stopped flowing, and countless fertile fields turned into cracked deserts. When the meteor cracked open, a terrifying demon emerged. The Golden Crow fought against it for ten days and nights. Though it eventually succeeded in sealing the demon, the Golden Crow itself became contaminated and sealed itself within a tomb."

"Even though the demon was sealed, the pollution it brought did not dissipate. Instead, it spread like a plague throughout the kingdom, causing countless people to lose their minds and slaughter each other. Towns that were once peaceful and serene became places of bloodshed and corpses laid everywhere."

"While the king was anxious and desperate, three wandering Martial Artists came to Yuanxi."

"Each of the three was burly and accompanied by supernatural phenomena, possessing Divine Skills beyond this world. Each had the power to carry mountains and seas, cut rivers, and create passages. They produced talisman water to disperse the plague and even employed Secret Techniques to summon the wind and rain, revitalizing the land that had been polluted by the demon."

"The king was extremely grateful and pleaded with the three Martial Artists to dispel the evil spirits and heal the Golden Crow."

"The three Martial Artists agreed, gathered the people of the entire kingdom, set up a Formation, and chanted scriptures in unison. But just then, a foul wind and a blood rain arose, and all three Martial Artists laughed heartily, transforming out of their human forms."

"The leading Martial Artist turned into a Green-furred Lion with a square face, upturned nose, and flaming red eyebrows. Another Martial Artist transformed into an old elephant with fan-like ears and a dragon-like nose, with yellow tusks. The last Martial Artist flapped his wings and turned into a giant bird with golden wings, a fish head, and leopard eyes."

"The rivers returned to desolation, and the people lost their reason once again."

"The king finally realized everything was a deception, an illusion, but it was already too late."

"The leading Green-furred Lion opened its mouth wide and swallowed the millions of people in the city. The second-ranked old elephant with yellow tusks wrapped its long trunk around and killed the town’s great general and a member of the Unbeatable Sword Sect on the spot. As for the last, the giant bird with golden wings, it flapped its wings, calling forth a fierce wind and moved the entire Yuanxi royal city—

Turning it into the infamous Corpse Mountain Demon Country, notorious and feared far and wide."