Just like the Water Ghost Poison Sack.
The Tai Sui Fungus Strain didn't inherit the complete talents of the demons.
That kind of species, which could strengthen, modify, and repair organisms, wasn't reflected in Su Heng's attribute panel.
However, it didn't matter.
Among these species, Su Heng valued the Parasitic Species the most.
The Parasitic Species could root themselves in flesh to absorb nutrients and artificially create Tai Sui meat.
It would help Su Heng quickly accumulate attribute points.
Following Su Li out of the study, they wound around the corridor and through a courtyard, quickly arriving at the dimly-lit morgue.
In the morgue, there was a corpse shrouded with a white cloth.
Swish!
Su Heng lifted the white cloth.
A rich, bloody scent dispersed with it.
The upper half of the body on the table was bare, headless, with one arm twisted like a pretzel—it was the corpse of a Luo Family elder.
Having been placed here for over three days, it was emitting a rotten smell.
Su Li pinched her nose and took a step back, giving Su Heng space.
Su Heng extended his hand.
His palm lightly pressed against the center of the corpse's chest.
A large amount of grey-white fungi, imperceptible to the naked eye, merged into the body.
What was once a plump body, now slightly swollen due to decomposition, visibly and rapidly shriveled.
All the nutrients from the flesh and inner organs were extracted, the skin turned into a poor quality leather, loose and saggy, hanging over the bones. The marrow's nutrients were also absorbed; the once hard bones of the Martial Artist now riddled with holes like a sponge, and with a light pinch, they crumbled with a crack.
Plop!
The completely inert skin split open, and a white gel substance, tinged with crimson blood streaks, oozed out from the wound.
Su Heng weighed it in his hand for a moment, then tossed it towards a corner.
This piece of Tai Sui meat then merged with a gelatinous flesh-mountain in the dark, about the height of an adult.
This gelatinous flesh-mountain, exuding a strong, savory scent, was the Yin-body Tai Sui, refined from the nutrients of tens of thousands of Changqing County's citizens.
It had planned to save it for itself, to cultivate a new body after its breakthrough.
But it died too quickly.
Although Su Heng planned to join the Demon Suppression Bureau, he wasn't a member yet.
And how things would develop in the future was also uncertain.
He indeed needed a Cultivation Technique for the Bone Forging Realm, but he didn't want to make things difficult for Su Li or have her act inappropriately.
"Don't worry." Su Li smiled, "The core of the technique lies in the medicinal guide and the visualization chart. Without these two aspects, the rest is, at best, an Inner Strength method that can strengthen the body. Therefore, the Demon Suppression Bureau doesn't strictly control these techniques."
"Is that so?" Su Heng looked up at Xiaoqing.
Xiaoqing had just swallowed a piece of Tai Sui meat, with her face completely red and wisps of white steam rising from her forehead, clearly benefitting greatly.
"Um." Xiaoqing nodded at Su Heng, her voice somewhat unclear.
"That's good then," Su Heng accepted the Green Wood Longevity Technique.
"The Green Wood Longevity Technique is one of the Eight Phases Secret Skills of the Dominant Dragon, following a path of balance and gentleness. It's an Inner Strength that runs deep and regulates the five viscera, making the threshold for entry the hardest to cross. Even a genius like myself took a whole three months to begin feeling the aura..."
Stretching up on her toes, Su Li patted Su Heng on the shoulder, "Young man, work hard."
She wore a smile, clearly proud of her accomplishments.
Overhearing the sibling's conversation, Xiaoqing coyly rolled her eyes. What Su Li said was true, but it required a vast investment of resources, coupled with guidance from a skilled teacher to avoid many detours, to reach that level of mastery in three months.
Nevertheless, that was still extremely impressive.
In the records of the Demon Suppression Bureau, the last one to achieve this was the previous Bureau Chief, whose reputation resonated throughout the province.
This was also why Su Li received considerable attention within the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Unaware of these intricate details, Su Heng simply flipped through the booklet, noticing that it was indeed more sophisticated compared to the Cultivation Techniques he had practiced before.
He also felt that cultivating this technique to its limit would likely require more attribute points.
However, with so much Tai Sui meat as a source of attribute points, Su Heng was quite confident.
"At most, it will take a few extra days of effort," Su Heng estimated, aiming not just to reach entry-level, but to push the technique to its limits.
"How is Su Shang doing now?" Su Heng asked again.
"He's woken up, but because he was unconscious for so long, he appears a bit weak. He'll need some time to recuperate," said Su Li happily.
"That's good," Su Heng sighed with relief, "Once the matters here in Changqing County are resolved, we'll set off for Baihua County."
"Okay," Su Li nodded.
She too was looking forward to seeing her teacher's reaction upon meeting Su Heng.
As for Su Heng, looking at the corpse of the Luo Family elder, his thoughts were somewhat deeper. What did the dying man's mention of "gluttonous" and "seals" really mean?
He couldn't figure it out and decided not to ponder on it any further.
In a few days, upon reaching Baihua County and eradicating the Luo Family to the last, he would naturally be able to investigate this matter thoroughly.