Chapter 1014: The Conch King's Pearl

"It's too serious — if the hidden stake is discovered, it's already too late!"

"Hmph."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

"You have to say it for me to believe or not — what's going on? What is a hidden stake?"

The Conch King scoffed at the translated content, not believing a single word.

Aside from being recorded in the《Ten Thousand Dragon Sutra》and becoming a legend, it has had no connection whatsoever with the Lotus Sect, and this connection is entirely one-sided; having lived for thousands of years, I've only seen monks sailing across the water during warm weather, and then out of nowhere comes this talk of a hidden stake...

Deception, followed by more deception.

As everyone was preparing to search for evidence, Jian Zhongyi suddenly spoke: "Lu Wang, have you felt that in recent years, your sleep time has increased?"

Zhe Dan finished translating.

"Sleep time?"

Every autumn, winter, and spring, Lu Wang spends more than half his time in hibernation — sleeping nine out of ten days; in summer, when the water warms, it rises to half and half, which is normal.

This summer, however, he wakes for three days and sleeps seven; last year, he woke for three and a half days and slept six and a half — the ratio has slightly expanded, which is indeed different, but he still doesn't believe it.

"There really are some — could it be that you, brat, want to say I sleep too much and thus became a hidden stake? Nonsense!"

Liang Qu glanced sideways.

Sleep long, live long.

Even the Old Stone Gazer sleeps every day; this long-lived shellfish has an extremely slow metabolism, and usually doesn't initiate conversation — not a single word is spoken.

"Not only that." Jian Zhongyi continued, "Have you felt, over the past ten years, especially the last three, that upon waking, you often have inexplicable inner fire?"

Lu Wang froze, falling into deep thought.

The《Ear Recognition Method》roughly sensed that Jian Zhongyi was not lying; Liang Qu silently recorded the possible effects of a hidden stake.

Cultivation refines essence, energy, and spirit.

It's not said that it changes a person's character — an impatient person won't become steady because of it — but as one's realm rises, essence, energy, and spirit consolidate as one, making emotions unlikely to undergo sudden, unexplained fluctuations; generally, if there are unexplained fluctuations like palpitations, it's a sudden surge of blood and qi, and one must be careful of one's life.

Morning grumpiness doesn't exist.

Lu Wang no longer spoke.

Ling Xuan seized the moment to reveal the possible effects of the hidden stake.

At this very moment, Lu Wang was half-believing, half-doubting — had he truly been schemed against by the Lotus Sect?

"I've never had contact with Lotus Sect monks — how could I be so easily influenced?"

In just over a decade, the Great Snow Mountain could make a second-realm great demon deeply affected, altering its thought logic, making it irritable and easily angered — Lu Wang found this hard to accept.

With such ability, what couldn't one do?

"Therefore, it proves the triggering conditions are extremely strict. One question: Lu Wang, how long have you lived here?" Ling Xuan asked.

"Over one hundred and thirty years."

"Have you ever been moved during that time?"

"Once every thirty years."

"How far?"

Lu Wang pondered briefly: "Three zhang?"

"?"

Everyone was shocked.

Is three zhang considered movement?

Normally, it's truly motionless?

Compared to the Conch King, the Old Stone Gazer is already exercise-loving — in good weather, it often runs from the pond to the great marsh, occasionally threading through waterways, completing a journey impossible in a lifetime.

"What do you eat?" Liang Qu asked curiously.

"Floating algae and small fish are sufficient."

"A hidden stake is usually set for ten years — a piece of iron soaked in brine for ten years should also be well pickled."

Lu Wang fell silent.

Carefully recalling, he found more and more anomalies, and his thoughts gradually shifted.

A myriad of exchanges followed.

Everyone gathered together.

"Lord Ling, why must you insist on informing it of this arrangement?" Zhe Dan asked, puzzled, "Non-humans must have different hearts — it's just a demon beast, after all."

Ling Xuan shook his head: "First, killing versus not killing carries different meanings. Not killing — even if the Great Snow Mountain discovers this place has failed, it would suspect Lu Wang escaped on his own, not that we are eliminating them one by one.

Suddenly killing a great demon that has lived for thousands of years is too sensitive; if this mission remains undetected, we could do another one, and then we'd have a thirty percent chance, with forty percent imminent."

Removing all hidden stakes under the Lotus Sect's watch is unrealistic.

The imperial court also has no hope placed in it.

The Holy Emperor's order is: exposing less than one-tenth during removal is a grave crime; exposing two-tenths earns merit; three-tenths, great merit; and for every additional one-tenth removed beyond three-tenths without exposure, merit doubles!

Jian Zhongyi's situation is special — compared to others, he is one rank lower; he incurs no guilt until two-tenths, and earns merit only at three-tenths.

Now, according to calculation, after three years of effort, they are exactly in the two-tenths to three-tenths range!

Although there was a prior plan, further elimination of hidden stakes could risk exposure, but even reducing it by a little is still good.

Once reaching three-tenths, the remaining hidden stakes can be handled by dispersing manpower, breaking several in one go — even if the Great Snow Mountain reacts, this prior effort can still count as merit!

At three-tenths, before reaching Wu Sheng, one need not worry about resources — one can directly "retire and enjoy old age."

At four-tenths, Ling Xuan and the others can return, and this alone is enough to found a minor aristocratic clan!

Zhe Dan clenched and unclenched his fist — he is not the team's leader, so he doesn't have such great merit, but reaching three-tenths also counts as a lifetime of wealth and honor.

"Second, related to the first: Lu Wang's power is extraordinary; his defense alone can roughly match that of a celestial being without falling behind, even remaining unharmed. If we could win him over, our journey to Blue Lake would be immensely facilitated. Moreover, by clarifying the pros and cons, this is not difficult. Later, when we aim for four-tenths, we will have greater confidence!"

The Great Snow Mountain polluted the blue lake, bringing in a second-realm water beast great demon, the benefits need not be spoken.

"My spiral pearl is gone?" Liang Qu interjected.

"The spiral shell definitely isn't there, that's the fate of the Lu King, the spiral pearl, Lord Liang can try, this matter is not up to it to decide."

"Then I'm still at a loss."

"Lord Liang, please calm down, there are benefits to be taken from hidden stakes, not just this one, there is also a hidden treasure cave."

Liang Qu's strength truly astonished people.

Before, the desiccated corpses of Bai Chenfeng and Bai Chen Honglang bore witness; after, a person underwater blasted apart the Snow Mountain Lu King.

The imperial court sending this one person here is worth ten thousand troops!

Previously, when defeating Bai Chenfeng, everyone didn't realize Liang Qu's abilities, after all, it had little to do with oneself, there was more awe than admiration; today, defeating the Lu King, that is truly tangible gain.

"Is the hidden treasure cave the hidden stone grotto you mentioned earlier?"

"Exactly, it is also one of the traps set by the Lotus Flower Sect, but the bait inside is real, there are Buddhist relics of a Wu Sheng, fragments of mystic weapons, and a treatise called 'Hidden Treasure Technique'.

It is said to lead directly to the furnace, whether this 'Hidden Treasure Technique' is true or false is unknown, the first two are genuine, we still have someone guarding there.

"Alright."

Returning again before the Lu King.

"Spiral pearl!" Liang Qu struck the shell with his spear, "Hand it over!"

"..."

The Lu King's tilted scale began to sway again.

Liang Qu struck again.

With his life in others' hands, the Lu King had no choice but to move his body, spitting out two spiral pearls surging with bubbling cold air.

Falling into the hand.

Frost froze.

Liang Qu exerted force to shatter.

【Water Marsh Essence+74】

【Water Marsh Essence+34】

【Water Marsh Essence+102】

【Water Marsh Essence+twenty-five thousand one hundred】

【Water Marsh Essence: seven hundred fifty thousand】

Hu!

Liang Qu exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, feeling the cold within, handing it to Long Eying.

Different pearls, the ability to absorb Water Marsh Essence also differs.

The pearl of the old hard clam is somewhat lacking, also a thousand years, though large in size, not even reaching ten thousand.

The content of the spiral pearl is moderate.

But this is not an ordinary spiral pearl, but an ice pearl specially nurtured by the Snow Mountain Lu King, the cold within is cultivated by the Lu King's divine powers, Long Eying refining it will surely bring great benefit!

"Leave the matter of defecting to you, I'll go up first, shout if anything happens."

"Lord Liang, rest assured!"