One more catty, one more attribute point

And in the latter half of the scroll, there was only one map, with all things hidden within it.

What one could comprehend from it, relied solely on their own perception and root bone.

It was difficult to this extent.

No wonder, in the past hundred years of the Demon Suppression Bureau

Only the Golden-Eyed Ape King, Li Daoxuan, had fully mastered the Eight Phases Secret Skill.

What Su Heng needed to do, was not only to fully cultivate the remaining five authentic techniques, but also to use these five as a basis to fully deduce and restore the entire Eight Phases Secret Skill.

The difficulty was no less than climbing the path to heaven.

Fortunately, the abundant resources pillaged from the demon beasts of great families gave Su Heng the courage to forge ahead.

He hung the foundational map from the Scripture Pavilion on the wall of the spacious and quiet room, lit the incense burner, the smoke wafting gently.

Su Heng's body relaxed, seated cross-legged on a soft cushion.

The sound of the tide seemed to reach his ears, faint and indistinct.

He first took a deep breath,

waiting until his mind was clear and his attention fully focused,

only then did he open his eyes, the pale light in his eyes falling on the foundational map before him.

The first half of the Eight Phases Secret Skill corresponded to the Five Elements, while the content of the latter half corresponded to the Eight Trigrams.

The foundational map before Su Heng's eyes was called "Red Earth Sun Seeking Phase," and it corresponded to the Li Fire Trigram in the Eight Trigrams. The content of the map depicted a vast, parched, and twisted red barren land.

The barren land emitted tufts of yellow smoke, rising like columns supporting the heavens and earth.

There was a blazing sun, suspended high above the sky.

And within the sun and smoke, one could vaguely make out a majestic dragon shadow.

Su Heng stared blankly, eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, as his thoughts gradually submerged into the image before him.

He had no idea how much time had passed; the sound of the tide had completely vanished. The light outside the window transitioned from bright to dark, with a clear, bright moon framed by the swaying treetops. Occasionally, two or three yellow-feathered little birds would settle on the branches, chirping away and warily surveying their surroundings.

These noises went completely unheard by Su Heng.

All his attention and energy were invested in the "Red Earth Sun Seeking Map."

In the end, his body shook slightly, as if he had transformed into that majestic and immense ancient and powerful Cang Heaven Overbearing Dragon. His towering and preeminent body traversed the vast desert, inhaling and exhaling to stir up a pitch-black sandstorm that spanned a thousand miles, chasing after the blazing sun across the boundless firmament...

"If the first half of the Eight Phases Secret Skill pertains to the imitation of the dragon's form, the contents of the latter half are about the portrayal of the spirit,"

Su Heng looked at the [Red Earth Sun Seeking Phase (Uninitiated)] on his attribute panel.

Many ideas surged in his heart, "Compared to the tangible form, the elusive and intangible spirit is truly more challenging. To cultivate this technique to its peak, one must immerse oneself in the mindset of the overbearing dragon and evolve toward a specific spiritual state."

"But what's the difference between a total spiritual imitation of another being and being possessed?

Moreover, everyone's experiences are different, so are their personalities and thoughts. Forcibly cultivating it without conviction can easily lead to some sort of dissociation."

"No wonder the latter half of the Eight Phases Secret Skill, despite being more powerful, has fewer cultivators. And even among those who achieve some success, they seem to be talking to themselves in a daze. I thought it was due to the integration of demon corpses, but it seems there's some issue with the technique itself as well."

"But, no matter...

Su Heng looked at the hundreds of remaining attribute points on his panel, along with the accumulated mass of demon flesh and blood.

A hint of a happy smile finally appeared on his face.

No matter the technique,

Once it's on his attribute panel, what happens next is out of its control.

...

...

...

Su Heng began his life of devoted cultivation, while the outside world continued to change.

Corpse Mountain, Demon Country.

In a dark palace built from skeletons and human skin,

The Tuo Long Lord looked up at the throne constructed from skulls, where a figure shrouded in dark mist was seated, indistinct in form, with only a pair of eyes emitting a terrifying and icy red glow.

"You've been injured,"

"A formidable person appeared in Baihua County, I was careless," the Tuo Long Lord bowed, responding respectfully.

"Don't make the same mistake again,"

"Understood," bowed the Tuo Long Lord, "This time, I will descend in my true form. Flood the Guang River with water, clearing all obstacles for you."

"Go!" The figure on the throne spoke once more.

The voice was like thunder, causing the entire Corpse Mountain to tremble ominously.

Among the mountains of corpses, countless ordinary people cowered in fear, lifting their heads to gaze at the terrifying dark sky reflecting a huge blood moon.

...

Tai'an Prefecture, Jiang State.

Headquarters of the Demon Suppression Army.

The young commander in the bronze throne looked at the report presented by his attendant.

"Li Daoxuan is dead? The successor is actually a young man not even twenty years old, tsk tsk. But his battle accomplishments seem quite exaggerated. As for whether they are true or false..."

"Deputy General Zhao!"

"Present!" A beautiful figure with a svelte figure and an indifferent face stepped out of the darkness and knelt before the throne.

"Go to Baihua County and see if the candidate Li Daoxuan picked is qualified."

The young commander casually tossed down a token, "If he is qualified then so be it. If he's merely a pretender unworthy of his position, then have him kicked out early. The times of chaos are approaching, and what we need are decisive and authoritative strongmen, not some weaklings who freeze in front of demons."

"Understood!" The leather-armored woman reached out to catch the token and turned to leave.

The massive doors before her opened automatically, a beam of light streamed out, and her long-haired figure vanished into the light in a blink.

...

In an abandoned village at the foot of Canglong Mountain.

Bang!

A Taotie threw a dead wild boar on the ground, "Eat something."

Before it was Xu Hanlin, kneeling in front of a tombstone.

Xu Hanlin's head hung low, his eyes dull and cheeks sunken deeply inwards. His shoulders bore a layer of dust, as if he had knelt there for days without moving. There was an indescribable air of decay and despair about him.

Seeing him mute and unresponsive, the Taotie sighed and turned to leave.

But just then, a crisp cracking sound was heard.

Xu Hanlin lifted his head.

Human and demon locked eyes, and the Taotie, surprised and pleased, said, "You've finally decided to come out?"

"I've made up my mind." Xu Hanlin leaned on the tombstone, struggled to his feet, looked deeply at the tombstone for a moment, then hobbled down the thorn-lined path.

"Decided what?" The Taotie trotted to keep pace beside him.

"The mountain of corpses!" Xu Hanlin said, "I must return to the mountain of corpses, the great lords there must surely need me."

"Are you crazy?" the Taotie indignantly retorted, "That bunch only think about turning you into their flesh avatar, stripping you of your consciousness to become a puppet at others' command. You would still go, even knowing this?"

"Even so, I am willing." Xu Hanlin stopped, looking at the sunset slowly falling over the mountain.

"As long as I can have my revenge, I am willing to do anything," he said, articulating each word with grave seriousness.

...

The same sunset.

On the glittering, sparkling waters of the Guang River, a large boat gently docked.

"This is Baihua County, it's really beautiful." A handsome cross-dressed young girl, on her tiptoes, peered at the bustling city in the distance.

Bang!

Her companion stumbled and fell.

"An Ran!?" The cross-dressed young girl, her expression tense, hurried to kneel and help her companion.

"I..." The girl named An Ran closed her eyes tightly, then reopened them, with a fiery gold radiance filling her pupils, and two sharp fangs protruded from the corners of her mouth. She noticed the abnormality, quickly covered her mouth with her hand, reciting the mental method in her mind, which made her feel slightly better.

"Did you hear his voice again?" Luo Qi held An Ran's pale and delicate palm, feeling the moist sweat in her own palm.

"The Eight-Armed Dragon King An Shelie, he's not dead yet!" An Ran gasped in pain and despair, "When he returns to the world, he will bring forth a cataclysm of slaughter! We must stop him, we must!"

"Yes!" Luo Qi gripped her arm, nodding with a complex expression.

...

In the Demon Suppression Bureau, within a dark chamber.

The giant man seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion opened his eyes, lightning flickered in the void, and rays of light flashed like thunder.

An ancient dragon's roar, crossing the vast epochs, echoed over the entire city, startling countless birds into flight.

Su Heng was only in his twenties.

But within his gaze was a world-weariness.

As if he had witnessed the rise and fall of hundreds of dynasties and the reincarnation of billions of beings.

With over a month of strenuous training and the insignificant help of his attribute panel,

Su Heng was finally able to master the second half of the Eight Phases Secret Skill and the Five Phases Secret Method of Wind, Thunder, Fire, Mountain, and Water to completion.