Chapter 1187

Moonlight, bright and clear, shone upon the earth.

Everyone stared unblinkingly, rapt with attention.

The thirteen-story Tongtian Water Tower resembled a giant dynamic screen, glowing brilliantly, scrolling back and forth; each curved little screen clearly projected the contestants' movements — even in Liang Qu's previous life, there had never been such a magnificent way to watch!

The 【Vortex God Armor】 can distort light and shadow, concealing oneself, including one's Qi mechanism and even favor; its only flaw is that its coverage range is too small, merely a square circle around oneself.

However, upon advancing to a Yao Dragon, communicating with heaven and earth, many of Liang Qu's methods underwent an inconceivable metamorphosis.

The 【Vortex God Armor】's method of distorting light and shadow, Liang Qu can now independently separate out: first using underwater perception to lock onto everyone's positions, then magnifying the image through the principle of a columnar lens, and finally rendering the picture clear through the outer shell's vortex water.

The higher the water pressure, the fewer the people active.

The share of the picture each person gets naturally becomes larger, large enough that even people on the ground can roughly see clearly.

Common folk who usually listen to storytelling or watch operas directly skipped the television stage and arrived at the "live broadcast," constituting a bustling scene rarely seen under heaven!

Mountain-shaking, sea-roaring shouts resounded through the mountain ridges, startling the walking beasts in the woods; flying birds fluttered their wings in dark masses, blocking out the moonlight.

Above three thousand zhang, all accumulated clouds were wiped away; from top to bottom, everything was visible at a glance.

The position where Liang Qu and the others sat faced the center of the water tower, possessing the broadest and most comprehensive view.

Everyone leaned forward.

Xu Zishuai really wanted to ask how Liang Qu's brain was structured; he was playing Yao Dragon methods in novel ways. Perhaps other Yao Dragons also possess the mighty power of heaven and earth, but constrained by age, experience, and status, they would absolutely never think to use it to "play," and "play" with such novelty.

Imagine a Yao Dragon Martial Saint of several hundred years, with descendants in droves, venerable and respected, devoting himself to researching various methods just to arrange an unprecedented grand gathering?

Liang Qu leaned against the railing: "Department Magistrate Xu, were all the clerks you mentioned yesterday arranged properly? I see it's too lively down there; don't let anything happen — lost children, stampedes, robberies, and the like. I wouldn't mind, but if trouble breaks out, Department Magistrate Xu's good deed would turn into a bad one."

"Right, right, right." Xu Wanxing, staring unblinkingly, suddenly snapped awake, patted his forehead, "The Prince of Huai's reminder is spot on; I'll go arrange it all over again right now."

"I'll go!" Zhou Tongchouyue personally went down the mountain.

Yesterday the water pillars were erected; Xu Wanxing knew the scene would be big, but never expected it to be this big. The clerks arranged to maintain order were probably far from enough; some even forgot their duties and hid in corners to watch.

People from the three great clans of Huangzhou and Yunzhou sent people down one after another to maintain order.

This year's gambling houses will probably make a killing; if trouble breaks out and the Censors blame them, it's bad for everyone.

"Roar, a fight's broken out, someone's fighting over there!" Ko Wenbin pointed.

On the third floor of the Tongtian Water Tower, two Benma Martial Masters fought fiercely over a Red Blood Perch, circling a bubble; every move they made tore out dense little bubbles.

"Are they disciples of the Huo and Chi clans?" Patriarch Xu recognized them at a glance.

A thought moved in Liang Qu's mind.

The Tongtian Water Tower's light and shadow shifted; the two combatants' images merged, enlarged to the dead center, making the fluorescent jellyfish gather, causing another uproar.

Benma Martial Masters have very limited breath-holding time; boiling blood Qi, using martial arts consumes energy even faster; before long both could barely hold on, faces flushed red, staring tiger-like at each other; in the end, the Martial Master holding the Red Blood Perch, due to the prior exertion of catching the fish, gave out first, wanting to find a bubble to breathe; the other immediately obstructed him, not letting him.

As the two struggled, Liang Qu released his perception, found another "highlight," and enlarged it side by side.

"Hey, it's that guy who drilled straight to the top floor at the start!"

In the "picture," a Benma Martial Master drilled into a vortex and out again; relying on a water channel, he rapidly shuttled between the seventh and second floors; at his waist hung a live Tigerhead Grouper and a live Red Blood Perch; on the fins of the two treasure fish each had a blurred water-pattern "seven" — both were seventh-floor treasure fish; one seventh-floor fish for seven points, his score leaped to fourteen points, becoming the highest among everyone!

"This kid has dog luck; he found a water-channel shortcut right at the start." Ko Wenbin exclaimed in amazement.

"How many water channels are there in total in the water tower?" Ran Zhongzhi asked curiously.

"I laid out a hundred vertical water channels in total, running through floors one to thirteen; each floor has entrances and exits, so progress can be estimated and one can choose which floor to exit on. There are also thirteen hundred horizontal water channels that can traverse an entire floor, a hundred per floor, for quickly shaking off pursuers."

"Then it looks like this Benma Martial Master couldn't withstand the top floor's water pressure; I see he went straight to the top floor at the start, and came back down before long." Ran Zhongzhi pondered.

Liang Qu nodded: "Right. Roughly above the eighth floor, one needs True Gang to protect the body to move freely; Benma can enter but it's very uncomfortable; above the tenth floor, if one doesn't retreat in time, there's mortal danger. Wait, this kid really does have good luck."

Everyone fixed their gaze and instantly understood why Liang Qu said that; the "lucky kid" who kept the two treasure fish in the bubble and returned to the seventh floor actually ran into a Horned Pomfret!

At this moment he already had a Red Blood Perch and a Tigerhead Grouper in hand...

Everyone held their breath, watching the "lucky kid" grip his long spear tight and hurl it with force; the spear dragged the fishing net, flying out diagonally.

The Horned Pomfret was startled, sprinted with all its might, and crashed headfirst into the fishing net, tangling tighter the more it struggled.

The "lucky kid" was emotionally agitated, nearly choked on water, shut his mouth, frantically hugged the struggling treasure fish in the net, disregarding the red dots where the Horned Pomfret had pierced his chest, and drilled into a water channel.

Crash.

The Horned Pomfret was stuffed into the bubble.

Everyone hurriedly looked toward the large black scoreboard.

Three categories collected, double; all alive, double again.

By Liang Qu's ear, it seemed he heard the congratulatory chime of a slot machine lining up matching rewards.

Seventh-floor treasure fish, seven points; the lucky kid's score suddenly skyrocketed to eighty-four, leaving everyone in the dust!

Cheers and loud shouts.

In past Jungle Grand Hunts, one could never see the harvest this clearly, let alone see a contestant complete a set, giving rise to such a strong thrill.

And at this very moment, the vast majority of people had only swum to the sixth or seventh floors, still adapting to and probing the ever-increasing water pressure, searching for the most suitable active "floor."

The gap!

"The winner's decided over there too!"

The two Benma Martial Masters fighting on the third floor — one fled and lost the fish, the other seized the fish successfully; their harvests were swapped.

On the scoring blackboard, ranking changes appeared one after another, constantly tugging at the gamblers' hearts.

"Someone reached the summit!" a kid nearby shouted.

Liang Qu looked; a familiar figure, clad in a layer of True Gang, moved freely on the thirteenth floor, grabbing treasure fish; he was startled: "Huh? Huo Zhao Hongyuan? Can he still compete this year?"

Patriarch Huo's heart skipped a beat; he hurriedly stepped forward to explain: "Replying to the Prince of Huai, Zhao Hongyuan was twenty-six when he competed the same year as you; this year he just turned thirty-five, and in another month he'll be thirty-six. This year is his last eligibility, and he's a top favorite for the championship. It's all thanks to the Prince of Huai's blessing that such a grand meeting was held this year and water channels were laid out; otherwise Zhao Hongyuan wouldn't have made it back in time."

"Oh, that's a coincidence. Back then Zhao Hongyuan was indeed high-spirited, just these past few years he's declined a bit, only mid-stage Tiger Hunt?"

Only?

Mid-stage Tiger Hunt at thirty-five, one of the Wolf Smoke Twenty-Eight Mansions, two Divine Ability seeds buried, about to bury a third — how did that become "only"?

Same age, different fate.

If everyone were like you, the world wouldn't have only one Huai King.

The Huo clan elder broke into a sweat, yet dared not retort: "What the Huai King says is correct; upon returning, I will certainly urge him to strive diligently and cultivate without cease."

Huo Zhao Hongyuan was born with martial bones; nine years ago he was already among the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Wolf Smoke, the Wolf Smoke Sky Bridge, and now he has also entered the Hunt Tiger realm, possessing true Gang protecting his body, regarding four-thousandfold water pressure as nothing.

However, the higher one goes, the stronger the competitors become, thus the treasure fish are fewer, the bubble count also diminishes, and the difficulty of surfacing for air increases sharply.

Upon reaching the eighth layer, gazing outward, sometimes the bubbles cannot be seen; one must swim out a short distance to seek them, and improper arrangement still poses danger.

If no bubble is found, as a precaution, Huo Zhao Hongyuan clings to the outer rim of the water tower, swimming around it, occasionally surfacing to breathe.

The lone competitor, Zhong Jian Dong, wandering east and west, with two treasure fish hanging from his waist, gradually arrived at the thirteenth layer.

Du Hanwen swam to the sixth layer, active for a moment, the frequency of shuttling between bubbles suddenly increased, he truly felt endangered; after much thought, he retreated to the fifth layer, dove into a bubble, and took a deep breath.

"One cannot linger long in the bubbles……if stayed too long before exiting, one cannot adapt, and instead feels worse; if only a waterway could be found."

The sixth layer is not unsuitable for activity, but the activity time is too short, the bubble intervals are too large, and if one carries treasure fish, encountering someone midway would be extremely dangerous; with a waterway, there would be no fear, offering a choice for swift retreat.

"I feel I could add something……" Liang Qu stroked his chin.

Long Yao and Long Li were eager and excited, having never seen such an entertaining scene, pointing here and there, gritting their teeth and stamping their feet, hating that iron is not steel; upon hearing this, they immediately embraced Liang Qu's arm and shook it.

"Elder Elder, what thing what thing? What do you want to add?"

"……Add some props and objects?" Liang Qu realized, the unique aquatic environment made everyone extremely cautious, with too few combat scenes.

"Oh?" The crowd glanced sideways.

"Magistrate Xu, are there pig urine bubbles, profound water spears, and fishing nets?"

Xu Wanxing startled: "We have them, but what does the Huai King want pig urine bubbles for?"

"To make air bladders and buoys, to be thrown into the water tower at fixed times! For example, at noon or morning, drop ten at the center of each layer; fishing nets and profound water spears likewise."

The Great Hunt inevitably brings weapons, but this is the first reform, time is short, and many have not specially prepared fishing means.

Xu Zishuai's eyes lit up: "Interesting, but will ordinary pig urine bubbles explode? How great is the water pressure inside?"

"Precisely to explode; otherwise others could also bring them? With me controlling it, there will be no problem."

"Good, I will immediately send people to prepare!"

Liang Qu pondered, then said: "'Bu Neng Dong', you also go, and Round Head."

"Elder, what are you letting them enter to do?"

"After disengaging from battle, consuming five treasure fish can refresh 'Bu Neng Dong's injured state once; one treasure fish, riding a Jiang Tun for a quarter hour!"

"Wow!" Long Yao and Long Li's eyes brightened.

"Ashui, it's still you who knows how to play!" Xu Zishuai excited.

"Elder Elder, can we go down to play?" Long Li shook Liang Qu's arm.

"What are you going down to do? Long people can breathe underwater and resist pressure; where is the reasoning? You going to compete is cheating; request denied."

"Ah……Elder……"

"Elder Sister Eying……"

"My husband disagrees, I also have no way."

The preparations were swift, and Round Head also led the Jiang Tun army, marching from Jianghuai, entering the water tower.

Faced with the sudden appearance of hundreds of Jiang Tun, locals and some competitors were bewildered.

But soon, the added rules echoed through the Heaven-Reaching Water Tower.

Although adding rules temporarily midway is inappropriate, who let the speaker be Liang Qu?

"Lucky Kid" eyed the Jiang Tun before him, hesitated a moment, decided to try, threw out a red-blood perch, and embraced the Jiang Tun.

The Jiang Tun swallowed the treasure fish in one gulp, flicked its tail.

Splash.

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

Long hair fluttering, "Lucky Kid" could not open his eyes, experienced the sensation of wind and lightning!

Refreshing!

Originally stable, the individual fishing competition, now added variables, more and more people rushed into the gambling houses, wanting to gamble; formerly, the Great Hunt's rankings and strength dynamics were balanced, but now completely different, with too many variables, anyone could strike it rich.

Odds for those outside the top ten kept rising.

Liang Qu pondered whether there were other ways to add color.

"Magistrate, many youths from other prefectures have come below, also wishing to join the Great Hunt, all under thirty-five, but the Great Hunt has already begun, and my subordinates cannot decide."

The Xu, Huo, and Chi clans immediately grew tense; they very much wanted Magistrate Xu to veto, confining the ownership of the Xuanhuang牌 to a general range, but the one who truly decides is not the magistrate.

Liang Qu briefly considered: "They may participate, although late, they also lose the first-mover advantage; however, the Great Hunt lasts three days, after nightfall on the final day, no further entry."

The clerk looked toward Xu Wanxing, Xu Wanxing slapped his thigh: "You useless thing, what are you looking at me for? Listen to the Huai King! Hurry up, enter the information, hang the plaque."

"As commanded."

The Chi clan elder hesitated: "Huai King, mid-competition participation, the Great Hunt has no such precedent."

"I know what you clan elders worry about, but……just Huang Prefecture, Yunzhou, and the surrounding areas, young talents are still too few."

Liang Qu raised his fingers; at this moment, the first-place "Lucky Kid" had already fallen, Huo Zhao Hongyuan stood atop the list with one hundred ninety-five points.

The Hunt Tiger can move freely at the top layer, catching treasure fish is also simple, points accumulate too quickly; however, the Hunt Tigers under thirty-five from Huang Prefecture and Yunzhou are only a few in total, all still at the initial stage, Huo Zhao Hongyuan fundamentally has no opponent, such a competition lacks appeal, must expand the scope, introduce more outstanding talents from elsewhere, to form a balance.

The news of the waterway has not yet spread throughout the Great Shun and up and down the streams; many do not know, cannot rush in time, extending the joining period is advantageous.

"The variability of the Xuanhuang牌's归属 indeed increased, and the silver income in the gambling houses also increased; with the waterway, more commoners will participate, I have already organized manpower to spread the news."

"What the Huai King says is correct!" The Xu clan elder led the response, "I support the Huai King! The Great Hunt has always welcomed all comers, as long as silver can be earned, you two should not be insatiably greedy!"

The Chi and Huo clans secretly resented the Xu clan clinging to a powerful thigh, yet on the surface repeatedly agreed.

The bustle continued past midnight, locals unwilling to leave; at the end of the tenth month, fields had little farm work, precisely idle time, and seeing such a splendid celebration, no one wished to depart.

Liang Qu communicated with Ze Ding, gazing at the unmoving governance degree, pondering whether to first release a batch of supplies to test the effect; suddenly, his face darkened, not emotional feedback, but truly dark, the horizon's moonlight blocked by thick clouds.

"Huh? Why has the sky gone dark?"

"Right, where's the moon? Didn't the Prince of Huai already clear the clouds?"

Liang Qu was also puzzled.

He had long since cleared the clouds for over a dozen li around, just to make it easier for the common folk to watch; where did these clouds drift in from, so stubborn?

"Long have I missed a grand event; today I finally encounter this splendid gathering! What fortune!"

A long note fell from the horizon, reverberating through the mountains.

In an instant, Liang Qu's pupils dilated, goosebumps rose on his spine, he sprang to his feet, and bowed deeply: "Greetings, Whale Emperor!"

Whale Emperor?

The one who previously sent a visiting card, the East Sea Whale Emperor who roams the Great Shun — he came to Huangzhou?

The Huo, Chi, and Xu three great clans were struck dumb with shock; they had thought the Prince of Huai and the Prince of Ming, two young Flood Dragons, were already formidable enough, never expecting an even more formidable Furnace to arrive, and hurriedly followed suit in bowing.

"Before, I saw you as the Marquis of Xingyi; now I see you have advanced to Prince of Huai — truly a heroic talent of the youth!"

Liang Qu, respectfully: "Merely luck."

"Hahaha, the Prince of Huai is modest."

White clouds surged and churned.

A cloud giant of towering physique descended onto the mountain peak, ten great whale pearls held aloft in his palm, and saluted: "His Majesty the Emperor has decreed: on this grand occasion, overjoyed, he hereby bestows additional rewards to encourage; the gift for the champion is especially generous."

"His Majesty the Emperor has decreed: on this grand occasion, overjoyed, he hereby bestows additional rewards to encourage; the gift for the champion is especially generous."