Chapter 032: The Meat Sheep (Please Support and Vote)

Feeling the subtle changes in his body, it was a long while before he finally let out a sigh of relief, sweat streaming down his forehead.

“This technique truly is unlike anything from the mortal world. No wonder only demons and monsters are able to cultivate it—it's just too domineering. For Chen Shanqu to have reached such a realm and survived, his talent, aptitude, dedication, and unwavering faith truly set him apart from ordinary men.”

Yao Qian wiped the sweat from his brow, murmuring to himself.

He had not expected that, even after being modified for Blue Star, the manual Demon Ox Force had changed so little—except that it no longer carried the side effect of transforming into a monster. This manual was simply too fierce, too tyrannical. The price for success in cultivating it was unimaginable, and death was a constant threat.

Of course, that was speaking for humans. For demons and monsters, with their thick hides and bodies like armor or stone, this kind of cultivation was still bearable.

But for humans, using the same method led to entirely different outcomes.

Truly, there is no gain without sacrifice; how could one reap a bountiful harvest without paying a tremendous price?

Having grasped this truth, his expression grew resolute.

With his mind adrift in a jumble of thoughts, he didn't know how much time had passed before he finally drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the mountains dozens of miles outside Pingyang City, within an underground palace—

Crackling bonfires illuminated the vast hall. In the center, several exquisitely beautiful young maidens in sheer veils danced, while on either side stood four tables, each laden with platters of bloody food.

None of it seemed cooked; the meat was bright red, fresh blood still clinging to it, exuding a primal, grisly aura.

Yet the four grotesque figures seated behind the tables paid no heed, grabbing hunks of raw flesh and devouring them, their mouths smeared with crimson, their appearance ghastly and terrifying.

Beside each of these figures stood a wine-serving maiden, each pale and trembling. Their ladles shook in their hands despite their desperate efforts to stifle their terror and feign composure, but their quivering bodies silently betrayed their fear to all nearby.

The four monsters seemed entirely oblivious, continuing to drink deep bowls of wine and gorge on meat.

At the head of the hall, on a raised dais, sat a massive shadowy figure.

This man stood seven feet tall, with the shoulders of a tiger and the waist of a bear. Merely sitting there, he exuded a crushing presence, as if he were a mountain looming over lesser beings, making others feel like mere ants to be crushed at his whim.

Looking closer, he appeared to be about thirty, his face as black as the bottom of a pot, his eyes like bronze bells, nostrils flaring with each breath. A mane of bristling, needle-like black hair hung behind his head, and his features together radiated a savage and domineering ferocity.

The four monsters seated below him were equally bizarre in appearance. One had a pointed mouth and sunken cheeks, a protruding brow, and short, stubby limbs, looking like a dwarf. Another had a donkey's face with beady eyes, lounging carelessly as he devoured bloody meat, occasionally leering at the wine-serving maidens, his gaze predatory.

The last two seemed to be brothers, bare-chested with thick patches of black hair on their chests, their bodies so massive that sitting there, they resembled mountains of flesh piled atop one another.

The black-faced man at the head finished off the bloody morsels in his bowl, then wiped his mouth with broad strokes, smearing blood across his cheeks and making his expression all the more fierce and brutal.

“Why hasn’t that old man Chen brought any sheep for slaughter these past few days? Does he really think that after cultivating my Demon Ox Force, he can break free from my grasp?”

At these words, the wine-serving and dancing maidens all shuddered, their faces turning even paler as if they had heard something unspeakably terrifying. The four strange figures below burst into loud, raucous laughter.

After the laughter subsided, the dwarf in yellow robes stood and spoke, “Boss, I did get word from the boys recently, though I’m not sure if it’s true.”

“Oh? What did you hear?” grunted the black-faced man.

The dwarf squinted and replied, “They say old man Chen was killed by the authorities—apparently for trafficking in people.”

“Trafficking in people? Ha! Meat sheep, nothing more, and he dares harbor his own ambitions?”

The black-faced man sneered with absolute contempt, his eyes full of disdain.

“Old Chen may have been useless, but he did cultivate my technique. How could he be killed so easily? Did the authorities deploy a large force this time?”

Though he looked down on Chen Shanqu’s meager abilities, he knew they were more than enough to handle ordinary fighters. Such a master could not be slain so simply—unless the authorities had truly acted in force.

The dwarf in yellow stroked his beard and shook his head. “According to what the boys said, it was just the county constable and a few men who took Chen down—not many casualties at all.”

“Hm? That’s not possible. If there were any real masters in Pingyang City, we’d know. With old Chen’s skill, no ordinary fighter could take him down—unless... those people.”

A shadow crossed the black-faced man’s features, his expression turning grim as he bit out each word, hatred seething in his tone.

But the dwarf shook his head.

“Boss, you’re overthinking. Those arrogant types would never set foot in a backwater like Pingyang. They’re busy enough protecting their own turf. I also heard that both Anrui and Ouyue cities have been plagued by ghostly calamities lately, and a domain of the undead has even appeared—enough to keep them scrambling. They don’t have time to bother with the affairs of mere mortals.”

The dwarf was clearly well-informed, and the black-faced giant nodded in agreement.

“If it’s not those troublesome types, then who dares kill my shepherd? Hmph! Clearly, some fool has no sense of self-preservation. Since that’s the case, it’s time to teach them a lesson: as sheep for slaughter, they must accept their fate and not dream of overturning the world.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he gave a sudden shudder, and from his body tumbled several fist-sized ox-lice.

These lice seemed almost sentient, scurrying together as soon as they hit the floor, as if awaiting the black-faced man’s command.

At this horrifying sight, the dancing and wine-serving maidens could no longer stifle their terror. Their faces drained of color as they let out piercing screams, scrambling desperately to escape.

At that moment, the monstrous figures who had been eating and drinking burst into wild laughter. Then, the two mountains of flesh reached out, each grabbing a wine-serving maiden. With a savage tug, they tore off a tender arm, blood spraying wildly.

Yet the two giants showed no discomfort, sinking their teeth into the severed arms and gnawing with relish.

Crunch. Snap.

The sound of bones shattering rang out again and again. In just the blink of an eye, an entire arm had been devoured.

The scene was bloodcurdling in the extreme.

These beings were actually eating people alive.