Chapter 1235: Withered Bone and Withered Glory, Merit Unprecedented (Start of Month Asking for Monthly Tickets, Combined)

"Good, good!"

The yellow robe billowing, the Sage Emperor leapt down from the long couch, practically rushing to the Four Wildernesses Celestial Instrument and clamping his hand firmly onto the bronze ring.

The thirty-three concentric bronze rings ceased their rotation.

Within the hollowed dark-gold patterns, mercury flowed, like blood, winding and coursing.

Lan Jicai stared wide-eyed at the Four Wildernesses Celestial Instrument, at the light dots on the south bank of the Luchang River fading out; he sharply drew a breath, and only then did dizziness hit his brain, a muddled heaviness — he realized with a start that for the half-hour since he had entered Lingnan from Liang Qu, he had been holding his breath, all for this moment!

Withered Bone!

The Huai King.

Lan Jicai jumped up and roared, index finger trembling as he jabbed at several people: "Write it down, quick, has it been written down? Confirm which Grand Wu it is! History will record the name; there must be no mistake!"

"Confirmed, confirmed! Withered Bone! The Grand Wu Withered Bone of the Southern Frontier, a third-stage Yaolong, possessing the arts of creation: 【Bone and Blood Wither Together】, 【Withered Bone Returns to Spring】, 【Yellow Spring Guide】————

As early as the 2348th year of the Former Dynasty, he advanced to Yaolong, was enfeoffed as Grand Wu; to this day, he has cultivated for three hundred and eighty-four years, right at the peak of his prime, and is the supporter of this term's Southern Frontier Tusi!"

Book pages rustled as they flipped rapidly.

The entire Qintian Supervisory Bureau fell into panic.

A white-bearded old official flipped out the Former Dynasty's surviving Yaolong records and walked up to the front.

"The movement trajectory?!" Lan Jicai turned his head again.

"The trajectory is here, the trajectory is here!" Another young clerk flipped out the real-time record book, reading aloud in a loud voice and pasting out a diagram: "June 7th to August 26th, Grand Wu Withered Bone's 'River-Center Stone' was located in the Southern Frontier's Nine Villages, Changmu Dian, and did not overlap or intersect with the other 'River-Center Stones'; Clerk Meng Xiaochuan recorded, Registrar Ren Lezhen stamped confirmation.

August 27th, Grand Wu Withered Bone's 'River-Center Stone' moved to three thousand six hundred li south of the Luchang River, Changshan Gubei———— during the journey, it overlapped and intersected with the Concentric Lamp and Centipede 'River-Center Stones'; after calculation, separation was reconfirmed; Clerk Meng Xiaochuan recorded, Registrar Ren Lezhen stamped confirmation."

"August 27th, the Huai King's 'River-Center Stone' headed south; Hu Yanfeng recorded, Pu Weihua stamped confirmation."

At the same time, another young official held up a record book page and continued reciting Liang Qu's trajectory.

The two, one after the other, read aloud in sync.

Voices reverberated in the Qintian Supervisory Bureau, rising and falling, intertwining.

"August 30th, Grand Wu Withered Bone's 'River-Center Stone' negotiated with the Chong King, lingering on the Luchang River; Clerk Meng Yuhao recorded, Registrar Ren Lezhen stamped confirmation."

"Same day, the Huai King's 'River-Center Stone' moved to————"

"September 5th————"

"September 12th."

Dates jumped in succession, arriving at a certain node.

At this moment, the two voices overlapped and resonated.

"The Huai King's 'River-Center Stone' moved to the north bank of the Luchang River."

"Grand Wu Withered Bone's 'River-Center Stone' dimmed and extinguished on the south bank————"

The book page in hand was snatched away by someone.

The clerk was furious, glaring up at the book-snatcher, but his mind instantly cleared and he lowered his face.

"Bring a brush! Bring a brush!"

The Sage Emperor held the book page, spread his arms wide, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

A burst of noisy commotion, and immediately a eunuch hurried over, bowing and presenting a wolf-hair brush.

Pinching the writing brush, he stepped onto the paper, writing with dragon-flying phoenix-dancing strokes.

"September 12th.

Grand Wu Withered Bone's 'River-Center Stone' dimmed and extinguished on the south bank.

I record it!

I stamp this seal!"

"Hahaha!"

The writing brush was tossed down.

Laughter, hearty and unrestrained.

"Two years, two Grand Wus! Two years, two Grand Wus! Which of you can do it? Who can achieve this?"

The officials hurriedly said they could not; the Huai King truly is the pillar of Great Shun.

Lan Jicai's thoughts stirred; he bowed deeply: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty! Before, the Dragon-Elephant King slew Withered Glory; now, the Huai King slays Withered Bone — one severed the Former Dynasty's counterattack fortune, the other severs the Southern Frontier's future; before and after they correspond, rightly the fortune of the world returns to our Sage Dynasty, rightly our Sage Dynasty will flourish greatly!"

"Withered Glory Wu Sheng? Which Withered Glory?" The Sage Emperor paused, thought a moment, narrowed his eyes and asked, "The one Minister Zhang slew, wasn't it the Yuanyi Wu Sheng?"

Lan Jicai understood the implication at once; he turned to face the officials: "The Yuanyi Wu Sheng, life format Barren Mountain, entered the mountains alone for thirty-six years, proved the Dao at age two hundred and eighty, created the Barren Mountain Method, Withered Glory Flourishing Years, returning from old age to youth. Alas, this man was not a loose-cultivator Wu Sheng; he belonged to Great Qian, held official status; after emerging he did not think of surrendering but wanted to resist, and was slain by our Great Shun's Dragon-Elephant Wu Sheng; his Barren Mountain does not measure up to our Great Pillar Shenshan!"

The Qintian Supervisory Bureau monitors the world, establishes the calendar, knows history, geography, astronomy; the titles of the various Martial Saints and Grand Wus are familiar to them — it is basic skill.

The young clerks exchanged glances, feigning an uproar.

The white-bearded old man who had earlier reported the Grand Wu Withered Bone's identity, cultivation years, and flipped the Former Dynasty's surviving Yaolong records stepped forward, bowing to admonish: "'Yuanyi' was the Former Dynasty's enfeoffment title, its original meaning being the initial attainment of the beginning, like the origin yet penetrating." But this man rose because of Barren Mountain and died because of Barren Mountain; truly his name does not match the reality! Therefore, the world all knows he created the Withered Glory Barren Mountain Method, yet does not know his Yuanyi Penetrating name!"

"Correct." Lan Jicai continued, "The common people, storytellers, even operas have long called him the Withered Glory Wu Sheng, not the Yuanyi Wu Sheng! To avoid the people's tongue-twisting, for smoother circulation and easier memory, this minister respectfully requests Your Majesty, for the sake of the people, to change his enfeoffment title!"

The two spoke in unison: "We respectfully request Your Majesty, for the sake of the people, to change his enfeoffment title!"

The Four Wildernesses Celestial Instrument's thirty-three bronze rings slowly rotated.

Under the starlight on the roof, the bronze rings gave off a trace of dazzling cold light.

The Sage Emperor looked around; everyone bowed their heads, faces flushed, heroic spirit surging: "Ministers Lan and Zuo speak reasonably; good, today I shall change his enfeoffment! From now on, in creating classics and writing books, all shall record it as Withered Glory!"

The officials bowed and shouted in unison: "Before, the Dragon-Elephant slew Withered Glory; after, the Huai King slew Withered Bone; the world's fortune returns to our Sage Dynasty, the Sage Dynasty flourishes greatly!"

Zhen Xiang perished a hundred, every household hung white, Pan Dong fell.

Bone Fiend fled in rebellion, Chang Qi perished a hundred, Withered Bone collapsed.

Southern Frontier Nine Villages, a Jiazi is not worth worrying about!

Following procedure, recording the next Yaolong's fall, Lan Jicai returned once more before the Celestial Instrument.

The war is far from over; on the Luchang River, there are nearly ten light dots colliding, entangled, names floating on the light dots, automatically analyzed and matched by the Four Wildernesses Celestial Instrument, coordinated with manual calculation and calibration, accuracy as high as ninety-eight percent, not easily mistaken.

At the same time, every light point has a dedicated clerk responsible for tracking, recording, and summarizing the daily activity range of each Wu Sheng and Great Manifestation.

Heart Lamp Great Manifestation, Centipede Great Manifestation, Mysterious Female Great Manifestation, Ten Directions Great Manifestation, the Reverent King, the Rising Jin King, the Pond King, the Huai King —

All rushed together in a heap.

Stone Breaks Heaven, Shock!

From the perception of all Martial Saints under heaven, Liang Qu set out from Nanzhili, as if the Huai River were a bow and he an arrow, striking the instant on the Deer Cang River, the withered bone "Stone in the River" shattered and dissolved.

Crush the Withered and Rot!

One Strike, Certain Kill!

Small states fell silent, liver and gall torn apart.

How could this be possible?

How could it be so?

How could the withered bone ascend to Ying Long, be ennobled as Great Xiang, and even before the establishment of the Great Shun state, while Liang Qu, from last April to now, in just a year and a half, with what could he instantly slay the withered bone?

Having cultivated to Ying Long, even if there is a strength gap, relying on divine powers and marvelous methods, various life-preserving means emerge endlessly; to seize the opportunity to exterminate — how could it be easy!

The scene no one expected appeared just so openly and boldly, proclaiming to the world: the East Sea Flood Dragon, eyes tightly closed, repeatedly weighing.

The Martial Saints of Nanzhili were highly vigilant.

The light points at the Northern Court position stirred restlessly, yet always hesitated.

Zhang Zhang Zhang Longxiang led five enfeoffed kings of the Great Shun, crossed the Flowing Gold Sea, confronted the Northern Court, blocked the southern gate; on the East Sea, several light points were marked red. Yet most unexpected of all, on the Great Snow Mountain, a gray light point trembled slightly, shifted a little.

The clerks hurriedly took notes and presented them forward.

Lan Ji Cai's gaze narrowed.

Last year and the year before, the Flood Dragon and the White Ape fought twice, throwing the world into chaos; even earlier, the drought魅 position was taken by the Huai King, and the several "Buddhas" of the Great Snow Mountain sat firmly on the peak, unmoving — how could this year suddenly bring "ideas"?

What do they want to do?

What did this flash do?

The Great Snow Mountain and the Northern Court's Wang Ting are growing ever closer; the upper echelons of Wang Ting have many northern nobles who believe in the Great Snow Mountain, and it is said the Great Khan's mother is also a believer.

When the Northern Court envoy came to visit, that was the barbarian Haru Khan, a genius who broke the tiger-hunting record, using only the Great Snow Mountain's Great Black Heaven Ritual.

"Boom—"

The Deer Cang River surged and roared, rocks fell from both banks.

The withered bone's holy blood merged into the Great River.

Only one person's blood stained the entire Deer Cang River red.

Fish stirred, fought and snatched, surging upstream from downstream, colliding; even if they could not digest, they would rather burst and die than stop eating, finally swelling and exploding, becoming a cycle of diluted holy blood.

Vast expanses of jujube-red duckweed surged and grew, instantly covering the Great River, then washed away by the current, flowing south; many small fish ate the duckweed and thus became spirits.

One whale falls, all things grow.

Immortals transcend the mundane; Ying Long are practitioners standing at the present peak, a magnificent end-times spectacle, giving rise to a deformed world prosperity.

The only regret: failing to seize the withered bone's corpse.

Heart Lamp Great Xiang and Liang Qu were originally approaching support in sync, separated only by the Deer Cang River; the withered bone sensed danger and retreated backward.

When Liang Qu charged to slay, Heart Lamp Great Xiang had already arrived.

Both rushed forward toward the corpse, yet Heart Lamp had the divine power of Shrinking Ground to an Inch, while the Reverent King lacked sealing divine power, causing Heart Lamp to outpace Liang Qu by a step, entangle with the Reverent King, and before Liang Qu could support the wounded Reverent King, seize the withered bone Great Xiang split in two.

Shrinking Ground to an Inch, dodging Fubo's slash, racing to the Deer Cang River, the Centipede Great Manifestation covered the rear; Heart Lamp Great Manifestation carried Ying Long's flesh and blood, fled outward, and in a few strides vanished without trace.

Centipede waved a hand in a strike, blocking the Reverent King, Liang Qu, and the Rising Jin King; four ten-zhang true gang stood upright between heaven and earth, like giants tearing open the heavens, feet on the earth, pouring forth in collision.

Centipede Ninth Stage, in terms of strength realm, stronger than Liang Qu, the stirred heavenly momentum superior by a margin.

Ying Long Boundless Sea, relying on the root sea to stir heaven and earth, the qi sea boundless and endless; if the strength gap is too great, it becomes a one-sided suppression, even what could originally be stirred cannot be stirred.

If not for the support of the Left and Right Kings, the heavenly momentum would almost completely reverse.

"Liang Qu!!"

Centipede's crimson red eyes.

He withstood the assaults of the Reverent King and the Rising Jin King, pouring out all his fury.

Unwilling!

Intense unwillingness!

How could it become like this?

Sweet Dew Long Breath lost a hundred, Entering Zhen Xiang lost over a hundred, Pan Dong, Withered Bone —

Clearly they all had opportunities, clearly they all had opportunities —

One spear slew the withered bone, essence, qi, and spirit all poured out; Liang Qu squeezed dry like a rag, spirit exhausted to the extreme, one misstep, struck by the Centipede Great Xiang's centipede true gang, mouthparts bit down, the White Ape waved the dragon staff, barely propping up the hook, the centipede seeing the situation, descended from heaven, bit the White Ape, and crashed straight into the earth.

The third divine power, Ying Dragon Killing Cannon, manifested a ten-zhang barrier, easing part of the force; the first divine power, Dragon Tiger Golden Body, cracked over half; with two layers of divine protection, Liang Qu still broke several ribs, collapsed into a huge pit.

The Deer Cang River water flowed backward.

Liang Qu lay in the pit, spat a mouthful of blood, and laughed loudly to heaven.

"Why is Centipede Great Xiang so enraged? Could it not be venting anger on me, a junior? Withered Bone Great Xiang obeyed the tribal commander's order, not wanting to compare true and false qi, personally test-fired, unfortunately met disaster, his own strength inadequate — what does that have to do with me?"

"Seek death!"

Centipede charged again.

The Reverent King and the Rising Jin King joined hands to block, but were sent flying by one strike.

"Such are the facts!" Liang Qu showed no fear, stared straight at Centipede, neck raised, "If blame is due, blame your tribal commanders for recklessly dispatching men, not cherishing subordinates' lives; to rule thus, why follow?

Better to come to my Great Shun like Bone Sha — my Great Shun Holy Emperor venerates the worthy and cultivates talent, truly a worthy king. In the future, when we become colleagues, I will invite Centipede to Yixing to eat fried potatoes; Er Brother says fried potatoes are delicious indeed.

"Die!"

"Do you have this ability?"

The Pool King stepped on empty air, thrusting a hand sideways.

"Hahaha!"

Liang Qu laughed again until his head ached, coughed twice, spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, crawled out of the pit, brushed off the dust on his body, gestured with his hand, and the black-gold light flew over and landed in his palm, then Fubo rushed into the formation.

In the Imperial Capital's Directorate of Astronomy, a group of officials bent over their desks writing, recording seriously.

Individual strength varies, wins and losses can have margins, but when aggregated between forces, with numerical superiority, it has basically stabilized, making major upheavals difficult.

The border forces of both sides are listed with barely any difference in strength.

Perhaps because the Great Hunt's rewards are like a delicious meat patty dangling before everyone, everyone's willingness to erupt in conflict and injury has completely diminished, leading to the Northern Court not intervening this time.

Last year, Nanjiang lost the Pan Dong stronghold, the tribal leader's prestige plummeted, they feared the elusive Bai Yuan, rear support was inadequate, and today they lost another Gubone, their strength already unbalanced!

In the corridor, the young man patted the child's back: "Go, pour tea for your great-grandfather."

The child blinked, somewhat shrinking: "I'm afraid————"

"You brat!" the young man flared, grabbed the child, made a motion to strike, "How does your great-grandfather usually dote on you?"

—

"Wow!"

"Enough, Hongyu, why are you making things difficult for a child? Aren't there enough troubles already?" The tribal leader had deep black circles under his eyes, only three days had passed, his hair was flower-white, his face gaunt, placed on an ordinary person's appearance, this would be utterly impossible.

Xie Hongyu's eyes felt sore. He opened his mouth, but could say nothing, plopped down before the tribal leader's knees: "Grandfather! Drink some water, eat some rice, your mother made your favorite dish, fill your stomach, perhaps you'll feel better————"

Xie Hongyu knew how much his grandfather had done for Nanjiang, how much effort and heart he had poured in.

Nanjiang's poor mountains and wicked waters, great mountains and rivers lie across, the jungles also have snakes, insects, rats, and ants, demon kings lurk, transportation everywhere is extremely inconvenient, ordinary people simply cannot leave their strongholds, the Nine Strongholds have always operated independently, and there are even various inhumane policies.

It was the grandfather, accumulating prestige bit by bit, negotiating with the various demon kings of Nanjiang, yielding roads, cleaving mountain ranges, building bridges. Consulting with the Nine Strongholds, abolishing old policies, enacting new ones. In recent twenty years, moreover, by leveraging the Lu Cang Jianghe God Project, he had twisted the Nine Strongholds into an unprecedented unity, but merely in short two years, prestige seemed to collapse all at once.

Liang Qu!

Xie Hongyu hated.

Why would there be such a freak in the world.

Dreaming of killing him! Bite by bite devouring his flesh, slay this great Dashun hero! Throw his woman into the insect nest!

"Alright, real man, what's the use of blubbering?" The tribal leader pulled Xie Hongyu up from the ground, patted the dust off his knees, "Things have come to this, what can be done? Already which day?"

"The third day."

"The third day————"

The tribal leader fell silent.

This Yinglong struggle should not have lasted this long.

But the centipedes insisted so. ————

"Affection is exhausted."

Three days and three nights.

The earth trembles without cease, the sun does not set over the azure sky, the great river does not flow to the South Sea, the might of the Martial Sage, standing firm between heaven and earth!

Ku la la.

The mountain peak collapsed, fell into the Lu Cangjiang, huge waves surged skyward.

The terrain on both banks of the Lu Cangjiang where the Gubones fell was completely transformed, forcibly carving out a vast lake tens of li in diameter, the northward-bending convex current became a southward-bending concave current, tremors felt ten thousand li away.

The Chong King was full of vigor, found the passing soldiers.

"Where is the Huai King?"

"The Huai King is sleeping, saying before the world is destroyed, do not wake him."