Chapter 222: The Most Tragic Gold Powerhouse

The Giant Demon was an advanced state of the Follower of Strength, achieved by combining three Silver Laws: Follower of Strength, Bloodshed Berserk, and Demonic Heart Baleful Soul.

Because both Bloodshed Berserk and Demonic Heart Baleful Soul carried berserk-like effects, this was likely why the Rage Potion required Giant Demon blood.

However, the company certainly couldn't have bought this blood from a Gold-tier Giant Demon. A Gold powerhouse had far too many ways to make money; they would never stoop to something as degrading as selling their own blood.

Perhaps the Federal Pharmaceutical Company was keeping a Giant Demon imprisoned?

Furthermore, it was highly likely the company had cultivated this Giant Demon themselves rather than capturing an outside noble. Otherwise, the risk of exposure would be far too great. This wasn't the chaotic wartime of decades past; this was an era of peace.

The disappearance of a Gold Noble during peacetime would trigger a massive upheaval.

Su Mu voiced his deductions, which Duanmu Qing immediately affirmed.

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Su. The company is more than capable of doing such a thing, and they certainly have the power to pull it off.

"Cultivating a Gold powerhouse is incredibly difficult. It isn't something that can be achieved simply by pumping someone full of Transcendent Potions.

"Consuming a Transcendent Potion carries a risk of failure. This risk isn't particularly obvious at the Bronze tier—as long as a person's talent isn't completely abysmal, success is practically guaranteed. But upon reaching Silver, the failure rate spikes dramatically.

"Many Bronze Stage 3 transcendents bankrupt themselves to purchase a single Silver potion, only for it to end in failure when they drink it.

"And when it comes to Gold, the probability of failure is nothing short of terrifying. Those who manage to reach the Gold tier are one-in-ten-thousand geniuses. Only an entity with the company's sheer financial might could afford the massive scale of trial and error required to successfully cultivate a Gold powerhouse."

Following her reasoning, Su Mu continued his deduction. "This method of cultivating a Gold powerhouse is an extreme drain on resources, far exceeding the inherent value of the Gold powerhouse itself. If their goal was simply to bolster the company's military strength, they could easily just hire one instead. Thus, they must have done this for a single purpose: the Rage Potion."

"Exactly. A Gold powerhouse can live for centuries. As long as they are utilized properly, they become a literal cash cow. One person can guarantee centuries of massive profits for the company—a temptation they definitely couldn't resist."

At this, a flash of pity crossed Duanmu Qing's eyes. From these simple deductions alone, she could easily imagine the agonizing life this Gold powerhouse endured day after day.

It was essentially the same predicament as her own, yet vastly more miserable. She was forced to brew potions, whereas this person was the potion.

While Duanmu Qing lamented the tragedy, a quiet thought stirred in Su Mu's mind. A captive Gold powerhouse? Wouldn't that be the perfect tool for his own use?

He even began to look forward to the prospect. A dignified Gold powerhouse, caged like livestock and bled every single day—once released from that cage, what kind of utter madness would such a person unleash?

This person's existence was even worse than a pig in a sty. At least no one carved slices of flesh off a living pig every day to sell, waiting for the pig to heal only to repeat the endless cycle.

Where would this Gold powerhouse be locked up?

After a brief moment of thought, Su Mu had his answer.

First, the very fact that Chu Shang knew the formula for the Rage Potion was telling. The massive scandal of imprisoning a Gold powerhouse to harvest their blood was a secret best kept to as few people as possible. Anyone in the know had to be directly involved.

Since Chu Shang knew about it, and he was the head of the Federal Pharmaceuticals Chiyan Branch Company, there was a very high probability that this Gold powerhouse was being held right here in the Chiyan Empire.

Compared to other empires, the Chiyan Empire undoubtedly ranked first in terms of internal turmoil. The very existence of the Revolutionary Army was proof enough of the empire's waning control, making it the perfect soil for such operations.

Furthermore, Chu Shang had chosen to lock Duanmu Qing—an incredibly valuable tool—within this specific base, proving he had immense confidence in its security. That meant...

Reaching this point in his thoughts, Su Mu was all but certain.

To verify his theory, he dove back into Chu Shang's dream.

A moment later, Su Mu returned. As expected, the Gold powerhouse was locked away within this very base, their location heavily fortified under a security level even higher than Duanmu Qing's.

Held on the third underground floor, guarded by overlapping layers of security and walls cast from solid Mithril, the cell was so airtight that not even a fly could slip inside.

However, none of this posed a problem for Su Mu.

Cloaked within his dreamscape, he didn't even need to search for the entrance to the third underground floor. He simply allowed his body to sink, phasing smoothly through the earth.

After descending dozens of meters, he finally arrived at the third basement level. Phasing through layer upon layer of walls and vigilant guards, he reached the deepest depths of the facility, where he found a confinement cell forged entirely from Mithril.

Entering the cell, he saw a second Mithril cage set within it. Countless Mithril Chains extended from the walls, all converging to bind the skeletal creature huddled inside the cage.

Why a skeletal creature?

Because the person imprisoned within had long since lost all human semblance. He was completely emaciated, nothing more than a skeleton draped in human skin. His long hair hung down in a matted tangle that concealed most of his face, leaving only deeply sunken eye sockets and severely cracked lips visible.

There was not a single spark of life in those hollow eyes—only endless despair and utter numbness.

Over a dozen slender, transparent tubes were connected directly into his body. The five or six upper tubes pulsed with liquids of various colors, constantly pumping fluids into him. Meanwhile, the semi-transparent lower tubes were bright red, slowly but ceaselessly siphoning the blood from his body.

Su Mu stepped forward, phasing through the bars and directly into the cage. His eyes tracked the upper transparent tubes, realizing that they were actually pumping in various healing and nutritional potions.

In plain terms, they were force-feeding him just enough to keep this Gold powerhouse clinging to life.

Judging from the scattered, moldy, blackened food on the floor, it was obvious this Gold powerhouse had tried to starve himself to death long ago. But the company absolutely refused to give him that mercy. You refuse to eat? Fine, we'll pipe the nutrients straight into your veins!

Su Mu slowly circled the Gold powerhouse. He took in the Mithril Chains brutally piercing right through the man's flesh, the thick steel needles driven in rings through his wrists, ankles, and every major joint, and the heavy collar locked tight around his neck. Su Mu couldn't help but click his tongue in awe.

This was undeniably the most tragic Gold powerhouse he had ever laid eyes on, bar none.

"Lin Canyang." An indifferent voice suddenly echoed through the dark cell.

Lin Canyang remained completely motionless, like a corpse. Not even his eyes flickered; it was as if he hadn't heard a thing.

"Do you want revenge?" The indifferent voice reverberated through the cramped cell, like a demon whispering in the dark.

For the first time, a faint flicker of color sparked in Lin Canyang's dead, ashen eyes. He raised his head agonizingly slowly, like a rusted machine that hadn't moved in a long time. Just that simple motion made the stiff bones in his neck pop and grind.

A figure drifted into his line of sight.

A man standing in the pitch darkness, yet somehow radiating a boundless light.

A perfectly tailored tailcoat, a pitch-black walking stick, an elegant top hat, and... a Silver-White Mask bearing a faint, contemptuous smile!