Chapter 1319

Mouthparts opening and closing, curved hooks like a waning moon, deep blue carapace shimmering with rippling light, leg joints like spears.

Awei coiled around the desk, facing the silver moon, like a dancing long dragon.

The Heaven-Earth Bridge connected, vast and incomparable power surging back in reverse.

The surging of energy, like lightning fire snakes traveling through meridians, colliding, scorching heat and numbness, tearing apart and reassembling, brutally expanding their territory.

Since the Gu insect path flourished from the Southern Frontier, human and Gu supported each other in cultivation; regardless of which of the two had the higher realm, when water is full it overflows, overflow brings benefit — yet a Yao Dragon reverse-feeding a Hunt Tiger, such a massive span, was an unprecedented miraculous feat!

"Wu wu wu!"

The feeling is here! The feeling is here.

It is precisely this painful yet joyful feeling.

Even the Great Yao Awei falls far short of this kind of Great River feedback!

Galloping Horse opens apertures, Wolf Smoke connects meridians, Hunt Tiger establishes walls.

Point to line to plane.

Unable to attend to her physical pain, the soreness and distension in her lower abdomen's Lower Dantian, Li Xianghan hurriedly circulated her technique, refining and circulating, constructing the Hunt Tiger's "flesh-and-blood walls".

Every time there was progress, every time there were results, inexhaustible supply, she only felt her usual three months of diligent cultivation could not compare to the joy of this one night.

Whether it was the illusion from Liang Qu not descending for a long time, not feeding back for cultivation, Li Xianghan always felt this enhancement was more fierce than any previous time.

No, not right.

Not just this time.

Accurately speaking, every time Liang Qu did not descend for a long time, did not feed back, she would have this even stronger feeling, always feeling the feedback more surging, more numb than before. Clearly Li Xianghan herself had been constantly progressing, constantly improving; logically it should be waxing and waning, compared against each other, Liang Qu's cultivation feedback should gradually "weaken", it should not be like now.

"It must be an illusion — the Yao Dragon's feedback is too powerful, causing my own improvement, so the weakening feeling is also not obvious, and because the interval is too long, the old feels fresh again; it cannot be that a Yao Dragon cultivates faster than me, a Hunt Tiger, right? No logic."

Dismissing her absurd thoughts, seeing Liang Qu descend and remain silent, Li Xianghan also did not speak much, utilizing this hard-won feedback time as much as possible.

The Huai King did not receive the information she gave, so the current feedback naturally cannot count as the agreed reward; the current cultivation time must not be counted in the reward.

For a time, Liang Qu did not ask, Li Xianghan did not answer, just single-mindedly cultivated.

"Awei" straightened its body, guessed Li Xianghan's petty thoughts, did not pay heed, focused on two things at once, leaving only a sliver of spirit here to maintain the 【Descent】 state, its main force still managing water on the Yellow Shahe, scouring the riverbed.

Thick solid ice shattered, piling up layer upon layer.

The "wall" linking Qi-blood to Qi-meridians established.

"Could it be — sudden enlightenment."

The sudden surging aura in Li Xianghan's room filled Li Yilin with joy.

Since contracting her Life Gu, this child seemed to have opened her apertures; previously still unable to pull away from the other Holy Maidens, after Hunt Tiger, not only among Holy Maidens, but she faintly became the leader of the Southern Frontier's younger generation; last time seeing the Tusi, he even specially asked a few questions, such great honor, just waiting for her to establish a few great merits benefiting the stockade and the people, then she would have the qualifications, and in the future could naturally participate in Southern Frontier affairs.

"One Insect Valley Festival is not enough, they are all young people's things, cannot be put on the table; must find her some opportunities, start building momentum —"

The Gu insects in the Gu room were inspired and elated.

The mice, seeing their master cultivating hard, were eager to try.

The gray mouse picked up a piece of dry bark, held it high above its head, trembling with caution; the yellow mouse pressed diagonally against its thigh warming up, waiting for the white mouse to raise its hand and chop down; the yellow mouse started its run-up, the gray mouse closed its eyes; just as the yellow mouse bent its knees, it leapt into the air.

Crack!

The yellow mouse landed, single claw pressing its chest, bowing left and right; the white mouse ran forward, presenting a wreath; the gray mouse carefully opened its eyes, cheered once, and tossed two broken wood chips flying.

Correspondingly, the more Li Xianghan cultivated, the more alarmed she became.

She finally discovered this feedback was unlike the past; not merely a realm improvement, she felt in her Qi-blood there actually sprouted a kind of earth-like "heaviness"; it should count as a good thing, her Qi-blood becoming more pure and thick, but the most inconceivable thing: this "heaviness" actually fed back onto her spirit body!

Generations of Southern Frontier Holy Maidens all possessed the special constitutions of Spirit Lotus Body or Spirit Tree Heart Source, beneficial for raising Gu insects, nurturing Gu into spirit, and greatly beneficial for dual cultivation, belonging to extremely rare cauldrons, extraordinary.

Therefore even someone like her grandmother, a ruined woman, as long as it was established on the surface that she schemed to poison Yuan Yuwen rather than privately pledging love, she could still find a good destination, becoming a real power holder in Qinggu Valley!

Now, from the feedback's "heaviness", Li Xianghan experienced a "nurturing" power completely different from spirit body nurturing.

Spirit body is nurturing, feedback is also nurturing.

Combined with each other, they actually caused her spirit body to slowly improve!

Ten thousand galloping horses raced in her heart.

Li Xianghan did not know why this feedback would be so exaggerated, what medicine the Huai King ate.

Spirit body is no different from innate martial bones; or rather, it is precisely a kind of martial bone; even most martial bones, upon reaching Entering Zhen Xiang, retain little of their own advantage; only a small portion can last long; but a spirit body that can nurture Gu insects always has an advantage; yet how difficult is martial bone improvement? A mortal's postnatal limit is half martial bone; to want to remodel martial bones —

Yun Qianlan, Yu Aoshan, I can trample you once, I can trample you for a lifetime; what do you have to fight me with!

Li Xianghan, cultivating with eyes closed, nearly went mad; subconsciously unable to control her facial expression, gradually becoming ferocious and frantic before "Awei".

On the desk, Liang Qu came back to his senses, glancing at the copper pot water-clock's graduations.

This 【Descent】 lasted roughly half a double-hour; the sweetness given to the Life Master was already enough.

Pa!

Suppressed the feedback.

"Ah!!! No, so uncomfortable, I'm so uncomfortable, give me a little more, give me a bit more, just let me cultivate a bit, I'll say anything, do anything! Great Huai King my lord!"

Li Xianghan's face was ferocious, rolling left and right.

Liang Qu embraced his articulated limbs.

A moment.

Li Xianghan hands on knees, respectfully, properly seated on the meditation cushion, very embarrassed by her performance just now; she also did not know what happened just now, Liang Qu withdrew the feedback and her whole body felt awful, as if thousands of ants were crawling and biting; thinking it through, it must be that the spirit body and cultivation improvement was too fascinating —

"The thing?"

"Coming, coming!" Li Xianghan grinned sheepishly, handing over paper and brush.

Liang Qu flipped it open, browsed briefly, slightly surprised; on it clearly recorded who was bribed, four key pieces of information: route, time, figures — in a table format. Two complete threads, three relatively incomplete ones, four fragmentary ones belonging to knowing only one of four conditions, uncertain ones marked with red circles.

The three Great Yao Kings of the Yellow Shahe were all on the bribe list; the fastest, preparing to act in January this year, as expected.

There were also Yao Kings in the East Sea, such as the Haiya King type, seen in the East Sea Cloud Heaven Palace.

The only problem is, there are a few too many red circles; it seems each piece of information is not very certain.

Liang Qu asked in surprise, "All of these were found by you?"

"Yeah." Li Xianghan looked pleased with herself.

"How did you get them?"

Originally thinking the Two-Faced Faction getting one or two was already pretty good, I didn't expect the Two-Faced Faction to be silent until they made a stunning debut.

"Some rely on observation. For instance, Heishui Du Renye has been lobbying the Nine Villages to pay up, until recently our Qinggu Valley paid. This is something you can ask my grandmother about — no hidden trouble, showing concern is perfectly normal. I figure the lobbying is about done, the other villages have all started paying. This kind of thing usually comes as a package deal."

Liang Qu nodded.

This thing is similar to demanding relocation compensation — usually one caves first, then the rest follow suit one after another. Once one pays up, the others are too embarrassed to keep refusing.

Li Xianghan spoke with growing enthusiasm: "After the Huai King warned me that time, I started holding occasional small gatherings, assembling Southern Border's young talents, floating wine cups along winding streams —"

"Young talents?"

"Yeah. For a big deal like this, forget me — even my grandmother might not know. Asking directly won't get answers, and if something happens later it's easy to be suspected. So I had to start from the younger generation.

Like the old Tusi's grandson — he's often kept by the old Tusi's side and taught. If the old Tusi goes on a long trip and isn't home, his grandson definitely knows!

The Nine Villages' top circle is only so big, there are only so many formidable elders. If several disappear at once, doesn't that mean a major move is afoot —"

"You casting such a wide net — isn't that more likely to arouse suspicion? When they cross-check accounts later —"

"Oh, no need. I don't ask directly, otherwise wouldn't I be done for? No matter how gifted, they'll be pressured by elders. Over time, complaints are almost inevitable.

I just take the lead complaining a bit about my grandmother's strictness, and they spill it themselves — saying how so-and-so hasn't been home these past few days, finally they can breathe, that's why they came to the gathering. They might not even remember what they said. I don't even have to take the lead — put them with peers, nine times out of ten someone else complains first.

One or two can't confirm it, but three or four, layered together in sequence, and you can deduce it. The bribe targets are trickier — I judged based on elders leaving at the same time, plus the corresponding villages' output. Check if the output matches a specific Demon King's needs. The routes have to be combined — first see if the departed elders have relevant travel history —"

Li Xianghan enthusiastically expounded her meticulous analytical approach.

Listening to the end, Liang Qu genuinely found no major flaw in this line of thinking.

As the Holy Maiden, Li Xianghan was already a standout of the younger generation; becoming a Life-Bound Master, she soared.

Amid Southern Border's overall declining trend, she rose against the current, utterly unique, a benchmark figure.

Truly: Southern Li Xianghan, Northern Liang Qu.

A hero like this, one call to gather, and all who come are talents of the same caliber — and these talents' elders are no pushovers either.

"Formidable elders guarantee formidable juniors" has no logic, but "formidable juniors can always find formidable elders"!

Just like Liang Qu himself — before entering the Four Gates, he latched onto Yang Dongxiong; after entering the Four Gates, he latched onto the Old Monk; later it was the Yue King. The more he showed, the bigger the backer.

As long as there's no major flaw in oneself, there's no reason to make an enemy of a genius on the way up. Bringing them into one's fold, expanding one's sphere of influence — that's the right way. Direct descendants always have some duds, but expand the range across the world, and there will always be some who amount to something.

No wonder so many red circles — turns out they were all analyzed out, so they're uncertain.

But analysis has great use too.

Liang Qu's joints clicked, he closed the booklet: "Good! You've rendered great merit."

Li Xianghan rubbed her hands, face full of anticipation.

"No rush."

Li Xianghan instantly got anxious, before she could speak.

"Awei has already reached its advancement time, and I happen to take this booklet. Wait for it to break through to the Middle Realm, then return to feed back — double the effect, isn't that wonderful?"

Awei is going to break through?

Li Xianghan stared blankly. Awei was her Life-Bound Gu — no, she was Awei's Life-Bound Person. Though the primary/secondary order was reversed, there was still some resonance. How did she not sense Awei was about to break through?

Also, how long has it been since it became a Greater Demon?

Li Xianghan's feet tangled: "How long will it take?"

"A few hours."

Li Xianghan breathed a huge sigh of relief. She could wait!

Jin Guang leapt up, flew out the window, traversed mountains and waters, burrowed into the waterway.

Half an hour later, with a *pa*, the booklet page landed squarely in Liang Qu's true body's hand.

Awei spun in circles, joints folded at ninety degrees.

Words were unnecessary.

【Can consume 710,000 Waters Marsh Essence to grow the Golden-Winged Heavenly Centipede】

【Golden-Winged Heavenly Centipede: Born of metal and stone poisonous fiend, refines a hundred poisons yet tempers the purest essence, kills to save the world.】

【Waters Marsh Essence: 33,712,000】

Last time I wanted to evolve Awei, but worried the interval was too short. Now it's late January, two years have passed — that's plausible.

*Hua! *

Blue tide surged.

700,000-plus essence vanished, liquid level didn't change at all — exactly deducted the fractional remainder.

【Waters Marsh Essence: 33,000,000】

A golden cocoon emerged.

"Ha hu, ha hu."

In the corner of the roof beam, a small nest — Xiao Chunlong lay sleeping with belly exposed.

At Qinggong Bay, the fat fish's snot bubble suddenly burst. It lifted its head, looked around, scratched its butt.

Strange.

Always an ominous premonition.

Taking advantage of Awei's brief evolution time, Liang Qu lined up a row of small bottles, each with a label.

"Dripping Dew", "Obedience Water", "Corrosion", "Corpse Control", "Trigeminal Neuralgia", "Sciatica" —

Golden-Winged Heavenly Centipede, refines a hundred poisons yet tempers the purest essence.

Long ago, Awei had the talent to eat poison sacs, probability to enhance its own toxins. Upon advancing to Greater Demon, it directly became eating poison sacs, probability to produce the toxin of the eaten poison sac. Assuming the eaten poison sac's grade is low, it can even self-upgrade a wave.

In the southern borderlands, setting aside other matters, Liang Qu devoured all kinds of bizarre poisonous creatures and their venom sacs with relish, eating whatever he wanted, greatly increasing the variety and potency of toxins in his system.

Every time he returned, he had to find an opportunity to replenish his reserves.

Bang!

The golden cocoon exploded.

The aura of a mid-realm great demon rapidly expanded.

The little clam dragon was startled, flung off the blanket, tumbled and crawled, looking left and right: "Who? Who is it? Which sycophant broke through?"

Bai Awei crossed his arthropod limbs.

"Ah!" the little clam dragon rolled back and forth, "Boss, I've been running around for you, how come you've broken through to one realm already? No!"

"

Liang Qu ignored him: "Bai Awei, quickly use poison spray!"

The hooked mouthparts bit the bottle's rim, and a drop of milky-white liquid, carrying a vigorous life force, fell.

Late at night.

Jin Guang leapt again.

Li Xianghan, who had been waiting and was slightly dozing off, suddenly bowed his head, and a surging rush of qi and blood flooded into his meridians.

Boom!

Li Xianghan jolted awake, first feeling intense pain as his meridians tore and then filled, followed by an indescribable excitement—this sensation was stronger than any before. Gazing at Bai Awei, now even more imposing, he widened his eyes.

Has he truly reached mid-realm?

Liang Qu is the Yinglong, Bai Awei is the Zhen Xiang; during spirit descent, the descended spirit's strength is even more crucial, and their combination expands the vessel, greatly increasing the power it can contain.

This feeling, this feeling——

"Ah!!! Help me cultivate, grant me breakthrough!!!"

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Liang Qu withdrew, the numb sensation receding like a tide.

Li Xianghan was drenched in sweat, gasping heavily, his whole body like someone pulled from water. Looking at the newly buried third divine ability seed, he felt no fatigue, only growing excitement.

What a splendid and thorough cultivation session!

It's not over yet.

Wealth and honor not returned to one's homeland is like walking at night in fine clothes.

Light seeped through the window, the entire stockade gradually came alive. Li Xianghan took two sharp breaths, suppressed his excitement, sent someone to summon his grandmother, and went to wash and change clothes.

"You child, why are you bathing so early in the morning?" Li Yilin asked curiously, "What did you call me for? Is there a problem with your cultivation?"

"Hehe, of course it's because something good happened! Grandmother, look!"

Li Xianghan walked out with his head held high like a victorious rooster, and the Bai Awei he held in his hands also raised its head proudly.

At first, Li Yilin didn't notice anything wrong, only offering habitual praise, but before she could finish speaking, her gaze froze, she stared straight at Bai Awei, and exclaimed: "Has your natal gu broken through??"

Li Xianghan, who had hunted tigers for two years in the upper realm, now possesses a mid-realm Zhen Xiang natal gu!

The cool morning breeze spread the news throughout Qing Gu Valley.

For a time, the saying spread widely: "In Dashun there is Liang Qu, in Nanjiang there is Xianghan," causing an uproar across the land!

"Li Xianghan, upper realm? Natal gu, mid-realm?"

Several days later, at Tian Dong Zhai, Yu Ao Shan heard the news, felt dazed, recalled the humiliation suffered at the Insect Valley Festival, thought of the bright red handprint on his buttocks, supported his forehead with the back of his hand, and collapsed backward, head tilted up.

"Ah, Holy Maiden, Holy Maiden, what's wrong with you? Come quickly, someone!"

End of the month.

Heavy snow fell across the sky, covering the yellowed ice river.

"Round Head, you dispatch the tribe's porpoises, deploy full surveillance, do not let go of any suspicious person within a hundred li radius."

Round Head flicked his fish fin, and thousands of Jiang Tun dispersed while swimming.

At the same time, Liang Qu ignited his golden eyes; wherever he passed, the fish shoals gleamed with light in their eyes, turned direction, and scattered.

Thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million——

The longer the time, the more numerous the fish shoals became.

—

Individual small links spread rapidly, quickly encircling the entire Qing Gong Bay!

For the first five days, there was no news.

On the sixth day, a small boat entered the field of vision.

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