Chapter 1127

One day sunny, one day overcast, one day rainy.

In the tenth month the lotus withered; twisted black-and-yellow stems protruded above the water. The old toad lay on the only round stone, belly bulging, inhaling white mist, blissfully drifting into a dream — a dream of his own pond, where Da He Li held up a plank to block the rain, rushing to finish the job.

"Bang!"

Water splashed inward.

Weapons tore through the rain curtain; transparent droplets exploded into white mist midair, scattering and falling back onto the pond — a second, smaller rain within the rain.

Short black shadows crossed, flickered, charged, and roared. Their muscles swelled; a great bone club and a nine-ringed staff, one horizontal, one vertical, clashed — metal on iron, violent collision.

Turn, gather force, swing club/staff!

Bang bang bang!

Clang clang clang!

Two river otters, sharp teeth bared, eyes keen, both wielded weapons a full head taller than themselves, unleashing every trick, clashing madly, flinging sweat.

A great battle sometimes erupts just this suddenly.

Scarface's cubs came looking for Otter Otter Kai to open a household; tired of the mountain's vegetarian meals, mouth bland as a bird's, they went down the mountain seeking wine-and-meat friends, didn't return for days, and when found again had exhausted all strength, mouth twisted and eyes slanted, foaming at the mouth, collapsed twitching by the pond.

The Buddha has fire!

Wrathful Vajra!

Peng!

A ring-shaped shockwave blasted outward.

Otter Otter Kai skidded backward, stumbling, about to fall, then abruptly braced the ground with his staff, steadied himself — and saw Scarface descending from the sky, inwardly crying "Misery!"

Just now he had followed the Heavenly God boxing by the pond for three days and three nights, trained to utter exhaustion, eight or nine parts of his strength gone, claws trembling as they gripped the spirit weapon — yet he ran into Scarface, this dog who knows no martial virtue, no right or wrong, a sneak-attacker; what strength remained to resist?

No thought for a master's bearing; club wind in his face, unwilling to have his brains split, Otter Otter Kai flung away the nine-ringed staff, dropped on all fours, scrambling and rolling away.

Boom!

The ground cratered; shattered stone flew; thin, fast streams of water rushed into the pit.

Scarface violently shook the Buddhist beads on his neck, flung them behind his back, hugged the bone club, and unleashed another "Sweep Away a Thousand Armies"!

Nowhere to dodge, nowhere to hide!

Otter Otter Kai's eyes nearly split; behind him the pond water collided, suddenly surging into a great wave that lunged ashore, engulfed both otters, instantly froze them stiff, and dragged them back into the pond.

Crack crack.

Cold air, grim and biting.

White mist rose in the rain.

Inside the clear transparent ice block, Otter Otter Kai crouched on all fours, claws shielding his head, pupils dilated, utterly terrified. Scarface hugged the bone club, "Sweep Away a Thousand Armies," yellow robe flaring, the 108 Buddhist beads on his neck dancing in midair with extreme tension.

The two beasts held their respective poses, half a head exposed, only their eyeballs able to move.

Eye

balls turned to one side.

Rustle.

Five fingers pinched; the brick and stone that had nearly sprayed onto Liang Qu's face were crushed to powder, mixed with rainwater into gray-white slurry, dripping from fingertips.

Long Eying stepped out of the pond across the frost, glanced at the ice block, expression calm as an ancient well.

Waved a hand.

Round Head and Fist Head rose floating from the water, one beast carrying one side, swiftly moved the entire ice block out of the pond and gently set it on the main street.

The fat catfish seal-like heaved itself up, slid ashore on its belly, sprayed black mist to blend with the surroundings, fins moving deftly like a mason, quickly patching the pits left by the battle; "Bu Neng Dong" sprayed green mist, guarding the flowers and plants in the garden.

The little mirage dragon pressed against the ice, stuck out its tongue *bleh*, result — tongue frozen to the ice block.

Awei hugged the little house dragon and yanked hard before tearing it loose.

Villagers of Yixing Town came and went, pointing and whispering at the two river otters inside the ice block.

Otter Otter Kai: "???"

Scarface: "!!!"

Ice block:

"..."

The rain still fell; a layer of transparent water-gloss flowed over the roof,

Far out under the broad eaves, Liang Qu sat cross-legged in stillness, breath long and drifting, undisturbed by the myriad things, unmoved by the myriad things; thoughts in his heart turned to spiritual light, colliding without song.

"The Lady possesses three souls: one named Fetal Light, the qi of Great Clarity's yang harmony; one named Bright Spirit, the transformation of yin qi; one named Nether Essence, the mixture of yin qi."

The core of 'Connecting Heaven Severing Earth' lies in actively severing one's own 'Heaven Soul' and 'Earth Soul,' the karmic ties with heaven and earth, thoroughly fusing the two souls of heaven and earth into the 'Human Soul,' forming a self-contained whole, creating a unique 'internal circulation.'

Thereby evading the natural pull of heaven-and-earth rules on the soul, achieving the breaking of 'Heaven-Determined Lifespan.' It is the severance of 'Self-Root' and 'External-Root,' a further transcendence!

Four Passes, Seven Stages.

Skin, flesh, bone, blood lay the foundation.

Galloping Horse establishes nine stakes; Wolf Smoke builds thirty-six bridges; Hunting Tiger raises three-tiered towers; Entering Zhen Xiang constructs the Heavenly Palace.

All actions serve to strengthen the 'Self-Root,' indirectly weakening the 'External-Root.'

Without cultivation, a single sharp twig can easily slice through human skin.

When the 'Self-Root' strengthens, that same twig can only leave a white mark; then an iron sword, a hundred-refined weapon, a ninth-grade spirit weapon, a Wu Sheng's profound weapon — step by step upward.

Connecting Heaven Severing Earth is not simply strengthening the 'Self-Root'; it is the first transcendence!

Transcending the 'External-Root'!

Clearly delineating the boundary between 'I' and 'Other'!

Previously cultivation grew a harder thing within the same texture of heaven and earth, ever harder; now, a crack is cut around that hard thing,

separating it from heaven and earth, so environmental influence weakens further.

Jumping out of the Three Realms, not within the Five Elements.

Flowers, grasses, trees, iron swords, stones, water, fire, temperature are the "external basis".

Time, space, gravity, resistance are likewise the "external basis"!

Entering Zhen Xiang has reached this point; even if unable to take the final step—knocking open the heavenly gate, achieving the Heavenly Dragon, gaining eight hundred years of life—merely by nourishing the body well and reasonably using the turtle-breath method, one can still live to five hundred years!

Three hundred to five hundred, nearly doubled!

The prefect of Heyuan Prefecture, the Pacifying the West General He Ningyuan, is such a realm.

The Duke of Wei Xu Youguang, the Duke of Liang Wei Xiu, they too are of this realm.

Standing at the pinnacle of Entering Zhen Xiang.

Before the Martial Sage Gate!

One step across, king or not king!

"Heavenly soul, earthly soul, originally are false designations. Heavenly path, earthly prison, likewise are illusory things. Both belong to a kind of analogy; if one earnestly seeks them, one falls into the inferior vehicle, merely aiding understanding, and the peculiar feeling attained from seeking them—"

Liang Qu's chest rose and fell.

Myriad thoughts.

Soul, blood fiend, body, all breathe.

The three layer upon layer, advance and merge into one, increasingly forged into instinct; through this threefold mental focus, using the subconscious to control oneself, fully united, driving external objects in a clever way, he vaguely grasped this feeling of steadfastly holding fast, separating from the external world!

The higher the synchrony of soul, blood fiend, and body, the more Liang Qu feels he must sever the cā lock and jú, the causal link of heavenly and earthly souls, jumping out between heaven and earth.

"Exhale."

"Inhale."

The airflow sword exhaled, blowing ripples across the full pond.

Liang Qu, like a cicada shedding its shell, tore open a slit from behind, desperately squeezing out, reborn anew.

Heavenly light shifted.

In October, the weather is not hot; mornings and evenings have a touch of chill; ordinary people slightly inattentive suffer cold invading the body, while the ice itself is frozen extremely hard, yet even the Grand Master personally acting, melting it is exceedingly slow.

When Xu Zishuai arrived at the door.

Otter Kai shook left and right, trying to pull free from the ice, to escape the jú, Scar Face great fortune, hugging the bone staff, relentlessly striking Otter Kai's head.

Dong dong dong!

Like a wooden fish, rhythmic.

Otter Kai gritted its teeth, whined pitifully, frozen by the ice unable to run, paws too short to reach Scar Face, its head covered in bumps, it could bear no more, seized the chance, hugged the bone staff, and two otters began a tug-of-war sawing battle.

Pa!

Scar Face let go.

Otter Kai hugged the bone staff, backhand striking Scar Face's head, the two otters reciprocating.

Dong! Pa! Dong! Pa!

Xu Zishuai saw

It was interesting, crouching at the doorway with relish, personally witnessing two Buddhas born, for a time forgetting why he came, until Fan Xinglai returned from school.

"Mr. Xu?" Fan Xinglai dismounted.

"Oh! Xinglai." Xu Zishuai patted his buttocks and rose, "How so, did martial hall dismiss?"

"Dismissed a while ago, Mr. Xu, why not go in?"

"Just watching the fun at the door." Xu Zishuai pursed his lips, "The boat boss and that yellow-robed one—"

"Scar Face?"

"Yes, Scar Face! How did they let it freeze here?"

"Ah, the master is having an epiphany in cultivation by the pond; the boat boss and Scar Face, regardless of place, are fighting noisily, the lady grew angry and froze them here as a light punishment, heavy warning—it's been two days? Today is the third day, just emerged."

Xu Zishuai had never seen his younger siblings angry; in his impression, Jiangnan women were as gentle as water; freezing the face-saving boat boss at the door shows he indeed was angry: "You say Ashui is having an epiphany?"

"Yes."

"Alright, just came to see Ashui; since he's having an epiphany, I have nothing to do." Xu Zishuai waved his hand, patted his buttocks and rose, he hadn't seen Liang Qu for two days, came to check Liang Qu's condition, whether he returned to the earthly prison, if not, then go out together for merriment, climb high,

take a pleasure boat, go to Jiangchuan County to watch a shadow play.

Result.

Hey·

Shouldn't it be Liang Qu bringing him to watch the shadow play?

"Mr. Xu, come in for tea." Fan Xinglai grabbed the tall horse, "You're already at the door, not entering, just chatting with me then leaving—say it out, the lady thinks I'm stirring trouble, sending guests away! Mr. Xu, have tea, make it clear?"

Xu Zishuai thought, that makes sense.

"Also right."

"Alright, I'll have Chen Xiu bring the master lake tea!" Fan Xinglai led the big horse around from the alley to the horse stable.

Two days later.

Yu Dun, Lu Gang, Hu Qi successively came, each carrying fruit.

Fan Xinglai, a monk of eight feet, could not make heads or tails.

What's the situation?

Fucheng is not far from Yixing Town, over ten li, usually often seen; besides inviting guests to eat, no reason, the master's sect rarely sends anyone to visit specially, making it seem as if Liang Qu had something happen, everyone went to the clinic to visit similarly.

"Perhaps Xinglai thinks the master went out too long this time?"

Fan Xinglai couldn't figure it out, finally explained it to himself.

Epiphany knows no spring or autumn.

One sitting is half a month.

During this period.

The Heposuo vessels began resupplying, a large-scale mobilization.

The Guimu Sect was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow, but after inquiring from all sides, they discovered it was not directed at them.

"Go to the Southern Frontier

??" Long Eying received the roster page, verified it repeatedly, and looked at Ko Wenbin.

"No, don't look at me, it wasn't me who pulled strings, Liang Ashui requested it himself." Ko Wenbin waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to take the fall, "The transfer order has come down now, I just delivered it."

"Many thanks."

"Hey, it's nothing."

Long Eying flipped through the roster page, and after a moment's thought understood why Liang Qu had to go.

The transformation of the Dry-Rank Fruit into a Green Maiden cannot be separated from the Southern Frontier.

The Southern Frontier is a mess right now, the root cause being the White Ape in the sixth month changing the situation under heaven.

Liang Qu always felt it was partly his fault; Long Eying knew she couldn't persuade him, so she stepped to the door, undid the freezing, and ordered Otter to go to the wharf to prepare a boat and load supplies.

The ice melted, seeping not into brick or stone.

The mat-staff happened to be snatched back by Scarface; Otter hopped a foot high, clutching his head and running toward the wharf, Scarface chasing behind carrying the mallet.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Blood River Realm.

Shen Hualiang handled sect affairs in an orderly manner, turning two pieces of premium blood treasure in his hands, blowing in the river wind, listening to disciples' reports, gazing at the blood-red scenery.

Enjoyment.

Pure enjoyment.

The Sect Master Big Fish doesn't care about anything, delegating authority to the extreme, concurrently serving as the Director of the Finance Bureau; he is the acting Sect Master of the River God Sect, all the elders and disciples of the entire River God Sect have to follow his lead, his word is law, second only to one, above ten thousand, directly subordinate to the Heavenly Fire Sect, he can even ignore the demands of a first-rank sect.

A few days ago, Sect Master Big Fish instructed that a female disciple of the Shuyu Pavilion had defected; the Shuyu Pavilion sent people to demand an explanation, and he directly sent them back.

From the tips of his toes, cool to the tailbone, great, again hooves not the crown of the head.

Ah!

Artifact-rank Sect Master?

Pfft!

Bullshit!

Not even fit to be given to a dog!

This is what living like a human looks like!

"Elder Shen, my nephew has come to the River God Sect, the matter of him becoming a formal disciple—"

Shen Hualiang opened a slit of an eye: "Look at you, rushing again, things are already being arranged, but the sect's internal assessment always requires queuing, don't be ungrateful—.. —"

"How long until the queue ends, before he can shine for the River God Sect, you decide, you decide."

"Hua hua."

Shen Zhongliang weighed the small yellow skin bag, thumb and forefinger pinching open a small corner.

Glanced at it.

Lustrous color.

Good artifact.

"After the Autumn Sacrifice, there will be an opportunity, depends on whether your nephew can strive for it."

"Yes, everything depends on striving oneself, definitely will strive, definitely will strive, lose my face, can't lose Elder Shen's face, rest assured!"

"Elder Shen, Elder Shen, there's still me."

"You are—."

"You don't

remember me, I was from an original fifth-rank sect, back then under your command——"

Shen Hualiang shouted heavily on the spot: "Still a fifth-rank sect? Where would a fifth-rank sect come from in the River God Sect? Are you nostalgic for the past? Running a petty mountain-head business? Are you not of the same sect as River God Big Fish? Still an assessment, assess your head, go claim a skiff, go fish for blood treasures on the vortex waters! If you don't dredge up ten portions of second-rank blood treasures, don't come back!"

"Ah? No, no, Shen Hualiang, you son of a bitch, I'll report you to the River God, report you to the River God!"

Disciple Liu someone was dragged away by the low-ranking elder, cursing all the while.

Shen Hualiang turned the blood treasure, tucking the small yellow skin bag under his buttocks.

"Next."

Late October.

Liang Qu's body was piled with fallen leaves, a thick layer.

Long Eying did not send anyone to sweep, fearing it would disturb the mysterious, profoundly mysterious epiphany state.

Epiphany values fitting; this kind of becoming one with nature, on the contrary, would not cause any influence.

Tear.

Fallen leaves scraped against the stone mouth, spinning in place.

Bang!

A small shockwave exploded.

Fallen leaves all over his body turned into human-shaped dust; what shed along with the fallen leaves was even that thick layer of invisible cicada slough!

Liang Qu stood up.

Dust followed the wind, sticking to clothing wrinkles, transforming into tangible silk satin.

Soul drives blood fiend, blood fiend drives flesh, every hair and strand stacked, not a single shred of deviation.

Opened his eyes,

The sharp light was inwardly gathered.

He clenched his five fingers, then assumed the stance of the ape fist again.

The little otter was startled, dropped the broom in his hand, didn't bother to tidy up, tripped over his own feet, and hurriedly ran to the front courtyard.

"The elder has gone blind."

On the roof, Long Yanrui felt his chin.

This is a strange kind of perception, as if looking at a piece of iron and a bundle of cotton, even though one knows the two have equal blindness in milligrams, visually one still involuntarily feels the iron is somewhat more blind, and now Liang Qu gives them such a perception, and it is growing heavier, as if something is being piled up without repetition, without increasing thickness of blindness!

"Penetrating Heaven, Severing Earth!" Long Binglin exclaimed.

How long has the union of Heaven and Man lasted?

In fact, within a year, he successively completed the second part of the Wu Sheng's Occupying Steps!

Liang Qu by the pond immersed his body and mind in the blade of the fist technique; the originally expansive ape fist suddenly became soundless and unremarkable.

Long Yanrui did not understand why returning to simplicity and truth had no such method of return, until Long Binglin pointed a finger at the sky.

Long Yanrui gazed into the distance, clearly the heaven and earth were still that summer's heaven and earth, yet in the blink of an eye, the ugliness of heaven and earth seemed to manifest a giant! Likewise practicing the ape fist, the momentum of mountains and rivers, without exception, followed the ape fist as it was taken in!

Bang!

The fist wind exploded.

Accompanying this

punch, the five thousand two hundred-fold unmoving air sea within his body seemed to have found an outlet for discharge, and violently tore open a slit, as a deluge poured down, mountains collapsing and seas flooding!

The air sea burst its dikes!

The five thousand two hundred-fold increase rapidly grew to five thousand five, five thousand eight, six thousand two—

Boom!

The majestic qi pillar was erected and raised in Ye Xing Town!

Within tens of miles, birds and beasts were startled into flight.

The old monk raised his head.

Jin Renhu fell from the L seat: "What happened? What happened!"

"The earth dragon turns over, the earth dragon turns over!" the bat shrieked.

The mountain pig was greatly startled, suddenly stamped the ground, and buried its head in the earth pit.

The hedgehog scratched its buttocks, recognized its mouth.

How could we possibly fight that group of water beasts while staying with this group of insects?

Heposuo government office dock cleverly, Ran Huashi boarded the ship, inspected the fleet's supplies, looked back toward Yixing Town, and silently stretched out his hand to count.

Tianren Sect master, once at the beginning of the year, should be for the union of Heaven and Man, now once, should be for penetrating Heaven and severing Earth.

Bad.

"Does the world truly have a Wu Sheng occupying ten?" Su Gushan stared, dazed.

"Truly about to become a Wu Sheng." Huaiyin Martial Hall, Xu Zishuai flicked his fingers, just like counting.

"Ribbit!" The old toad dove into the pond, "Great joy, great joy, let's release two treasure fish to celebrate ribbit!"

No one paid attention to the old toad.

The two treasure fish in the toad's mouth will certainly not be given to Liang Qu by the toad.

Black clouds press upon the city, the city seems about to collapse, the great trend of heaven and earth is confused like the sea.

Above the sky, birds wheel and do not fall; beyond the dock, schools of fish leap and jump!

Crossing the Long River, waves slap the shore, the entire river's painted boats, handsome youths and beauties panic into the cabins, and plunge into the Great River.

"Quick! Catch fish! Catch fish!"

Unmindful of the autumn chill, countless fishermen embraced the jumping fish that wouldn't board the deck, and forcefully pressed them into the compartments, quite lively.

On the Great River, whirlpools abound.

Among the mountains and forests, the long wind howls.

Yellow dust rises and surges, straight into the clouds, forming a yellow dragon, mayflies leap!

Heaven and earth lost their voice!

Wine flags flutter in the wind, reeds are pressed low.

Fishermen leisurely gaze up at the sky, holding fish tails that twitch, they slap their cheeks fiercely without feeling pain,

until their faces turn red, their cheeks swell.

"Hoo!"

A mouthful of turbid air was exhaled.

The heavenly giant slowly faded, with a gentle trend.

Hiss.

The yellow dragon raised its head to the sky and let out a long roar, inch by inch it shattered, drifted with the wind, and vanished into a blur of yellow sand.

The oppression before the rain vanished from people's hearts; aside from the big fish in the fish hold, the young masters who fell into the river, everything seemed like an illusion.

The helpers in the fish weir swayed back and forth, unable to stand steadily.

"Quick quick quick, keep catching fish

?? want to run!"

The shouting startled the crowd awake.

Villagers rolled up their trouser legs and jumped into the reed marshes, vying to lunge fiercely, stirring up the mud and sand into turbidity.

Collecting the fist,

Halting steps.

Shaking off the dust from his whole body.

Liang Qu inspected his Qi Sea internally.

Six thousand eight hundred twenty-one times!

Drawing ever closer to ten thousand times.

Clenching his fists tight.

A thick, blind confidence welled up spontaneously; looking at heaven and earth, there was a completely different flavor and feeling.

"This is Penetrating Heaven Severing Earth, one step penetrates heaven!"

Liang Qu murmured to himself.

Same as Unity of Heaven and Man, apart from the Qi Sea growth, there was no powerful feeling brought by a realm increase, but he could experience a "sense of control" different from before.

Unity of Heaven and Man is control over the environment.

Penetrating Heaven Severing Earth is control over oneself.

Grasping both "internal" and "external" firmly in hand, unleashing even more formidable effects!

Wu Sheng occupies the step, only the Heaven Gate remains.

One step treads the origin, child, do not... L!

Raising the standard, able to stand alongside the Duke of Great Shun by virtue of the Martial Path Realm, heart surging like a tide.

In the past, hunting tigers to Entering Zhen Xiang, almost all "sought vehicles", opening mysterious light to sit on the heavenly altar, smelting a hundred classics relying on the "Body Knowledge Method", eating Qi with a marsh cauldron, encountering it meant collecting it, without any worry.

Even death is a good thing happening.

If not for such a unique life-and-death Buddhist state, one truly might not be able to comprehend so swiftly.

Encountering a happy event, the bleak autumn is also harvest, the desolate winter is also an omen of a bumper year.

Life, bright and sunny!

Accompanying the retreat from the sudden enlightenment state.

Liang Qu immediately felt an irresistible resistance appear, his soul immediately changed form, blindly new changed back to 【Fish Woman】.

If able to transform into human form, Liang Qu doesn't mind the time issue, turning back to ask Eying.

"When?"

"October twenty-eighth, Heposuo will dispatch a group of people to the Southern Frontier, I had Otter Otter prepare the boat."

"What about Elder Ao Qing?"

"Already took the Long Binglin clan to move to the Dragon People clan territory."

Everything was properly arranged.

Liang Qu thought slightly: "We'll go together with Heposuo!"

September arrived, calculating the time, should soon return to the Blood River Realm, act together with Heposuo, just right to handle matters on the way, explore the Dragon Child Cave's secrets!

On A Shi Street, bustling all summer, all rushing to the wharf to pick up big fish to go back and stew soup.

Spent half a day saying goodbye to relatives.

Laying things out clearly, the biggest benefit is no longer wasting energy and adding guilty feelings, speaking and acting openly and aboveboard.

Xu Shi complained a bit that Liang Qu going to the Southern Frontier was purely himself

Finding trouble for himself.

Liang Qu grinned: "Wasn't that trouble I provoked, have to go wipe the ass."

"You alone all day doing no proper business, running around relieving yourself everywhere?"

"Cough"

"You think without you, the Southern Frontier would be peaceful?"

"But at least it wouldn't be this time, the situation wouldn't be like this, I created the opportunity, must take this opportunity away."

Xu Shi sighed: "With your half-dead half-alive appearance, what can you do going there?"

Liang Qu's expression was serious: "Even if I'm half-dead half-alive, it's enough to clean them up!"

"Blow!" Xu Shi didn't believe, "You can beat ten I believe, still can beat a hundred?"

"A hundred swarming up is a bit difficult." Liang Qu seriously pondered, "My current state, Mobile Corps Commander a bit, should work."

The senior brothers thought of yesterday's terrifying spirit pillar, twenty-six Heaven-Man Entering Zhen Xiang, Wu Sheng step only lacking the Heaven Gate, for a moment unclear if this was confidence or arrogance.

"Just right, we'll go with you."

Xu Zishuai and Lu Gang stood out together.

"Senior Brother? What are you going to do?"

"Give you cover." Xu Zishuai as a matter of course, patted his chest, "You now this bird appearance, running between yin and yang worlds, don't tell me going to Southern Frontier, all matters let Binglin and sister-in-law cover for you? They Dragon People and normal people don't look the same, can't mix with everyone, real business, still need us!"

Lu Gang nodded: "I have a craft, do logistics, repair spirit weapons, Zishuai assists me, won't go on battlefield, front line no problem, so no need for you to worry."

Liang Qu quieted down.

"Good!"