Chapter 1366: Swallowing and Spitting (Combined Part Two)

【Vortex Cavity: Can open one vortex cavity to store water vapor, accommodate the self, equal to one-thousandth of water control ability】

【Can consume three spirit fish, causing the talent vortex cavity to evolve into a divine ability vortex palace, housing and commanding beasts, gaining aquatic beast support】

【Vortex Palace: Can house and command beasts, gaining partial enhancement】

【Can consume ten spirit fish and one point of dominion, causing the vortex palace to advance, prematurely grasping one marshland (false) (small) of the Huai Vortex Water Lord's supreme domain】

【Marshland (False) (Small): The domain state of the Huai Vortex Water Lord; within the marshland, none dare not submit】

From vortex cavity to vortex palace to marshland (false) (small), gathering vital energy bit by bit, accumulating essence bit by bit, earning dominion bit by bit—these are Liang Qu's efforts and sweat

Relying solely on the flesh of one person and one beast, with a fixed-size stomach, no matter how, it cannot achieve the refinement needs of swallowing and spitting the Changyou Fruit and the river; volume has always been limited, even if the Whale Emperor spans hundreds of miles, it remains difficult to achieve

However, gentlemen are not born different; they excel at utilizing external things. This vast marshland is likewise part of Liang Qu himself, likewise Liang Qu's domain!

How vast is the marshland?

Liang Qu does not know

He has not measured it for far too long, only knowing that myriad aquatic beasts can roam freely within the domain. The domain overlaps with reality, spanning a thousand li in every direction; as long as he wishes, he can flip his hand to suppress all traversing divine abilities

This world exceeds the previous one by more than a hundredfold

Upon entering the sect as a master, he already possessed hundreds of thousands of tons of vortex cavity; multiplying by a thousand equals the ability to control the Yangtze River's runoff for several hours; in other words, Liang Qu, as a sect master, if willing, could halt the Yangtze's flow for half a day

Thereafter, ascending to Martial Saint, ascending to marshland—each realm elevation, divine ability transformation, is an expansion of his own capability by a hundredfold calculation

Formerly, when fusion degree was perfected, confronting flood dragons, he further raised the Huaijiang waters, causing dozens of provinces to witness it, letting the entire Jianghuai Great Marsh water level drop!

Chest rising and falling, Changyou suspended

Domain opened, torrents pouring down

Endless river water spread over the stone monkey, then surged into Bai Yuan's wide mouth, entering the marshland

The Huang Sha River, a hundred li wide, had its water surface flow toward a faint rupture, no longer forward, instead downward and sunken, forming a surging whirlpool; a massive opening was opening below

The whirlpool grew increasingly clear, its radius increasingly exaggerated

Several li, dozens of li——

Ten thousand tons of river water rotated and crashed down, mutually squeezing and grinding, colliding with thunderous roars, exploding into scattered spray, refracting rainbows

Bai Yuan seemed to have returned above the Blood River, within the Long Wang's cave

Until the whirlpool expanded to a hundred li!

The whirlpool's diameter touched the riverbank sand and mud, like a bubble expanded to its own limit, suddenly bursting; the hundred-li super whirlpool vanished instantly

No, not just the whirlpool

It was the water surface—the entire Huang Sha River's water surface vanished without trace. The eastward-rushing river water crashed into the void, splashing not a single wave, disappearing silently

Fish and shrimp leapt in the muddy sludge

Huang Sha River water——

Cut off!

「This————this is————」

Hastily jumping into the waterway, then due to the Huang Sha River's sudden water cutoff and flow stoppage, forced to fall out midway, Long Zong Yin and Long Chen fell into the mud, their white hair turning to mud-hair. The two surveyed the cutoff Huang Sha River, hearts bewildered, exchanged a glance, several guesses colliding, the bewilderment in their eyes entirely transforming into shock, nearly speaking in unison

「Refining.! 」

Bing fire ended, August scorching heat

Rough large hands threaded fish gills with hemp rope, rinsed in water once, hung into the fish basket

Fisherman propped on a goatskin raft, dragging the fishing net, returning full load, heartily happy heading ashore, yet discovered the further he rowed forward, the farther the riverbank became, no matter how he could not reach it; merely half an hour later, distant earthen walls rose high, leaving a continuous several-li riverbank gentle slope

Fisherman's eyes showed panic, again trying to row, the bamboo pole transmitted astonishing resistance, unable to insert, unable to pull out

Turn head to look

The fishing rod had long been inserted into the mud, the entire goatskin raft sank beneath the riverbed. Myriad fish and shrimp wrapped in mud leapt, bubbles gurgling up from the mud-water

The Huang Sha Riverbed lay exposed without obstruction under the scorching sun; along the bank, the gentle slope, due to inclination, first lost moisture, dried by the sun, slowly fading from water-glistening mud brown to parched earth yellow, like burned to ash in fire, edges curling and whitening into ash paper

Fisherman's soul fled in terror, dropped the bamboo pole, jumped into the mud, fled ashore

「River God angered, River God angered! Heaven's punishment! Heaven's punishment! 」

「This damned white-furred monkey, one leap and jump, ran onto the Huang Sha River to do what? 」

「What exactly is it doing? 」

「What situation? 」

Bei Ting and Nan Jiang repeatedly terrified, wishing to gouge out their own eyeballs, throw them into the Huang Sha River, to see clearly and understand

Monkey!

All because of this monkey! Always because of this monkey!! Not the monkey, then the brat together with the monkey

That kid! Both deserve death!

In recent over ten years, every tragedy, every sorrow, every loss, eighty percent inseparable from this most troublemaking monkey; this major mobilization, again wanting to do what?

Imperial Capital Astronomy Bureau, Lan Ji Cai urgently received news from the Zi Dian ship

「Huang Sha River cut off? 」

Lan Ji Cai suddenly lifted his head, he gazed at the light point on the Celestial Instrument, a thought surged in his heart—unbelievable, yet able to explain the current situation

Bai Yuan————Refining Fruit!?

「What's going on, not a naturally grown and nurtured position fruit? But how could this possibly be. 」Lan Ji Cai paced back and forth, turned in place, feeling everything now challenged ancient and modern, all people's observations and records regarding the Dragon Lord, Long Wang's existence, and the birth of position fruits

「If it were naturally grown and nurtured, then Bai Yuan would truly be the spirit of heaven and earth, the spirit of heaven and earth and position fruit are one entity, fundamentally needing no refining」

「If not naturally grown and nurtured, then it is not the spirit of heaven and earth, or the spirit of heaven and earth obtained another position fruit, actively absorbing————but the position fruit that just appeared on the front foot, Bai Yuan on the hind foot already knew the refining method and put it into practice? 」

「Could it be the familiar old position fruit? What old position fruits remain on the Huaijiang? Haven't heard of any, or perhaps when position fruits appear they come with a note? Who the hell would paste a note? 」

「That monkey, running everywhere, did someone poke its butt with a stick? 」

Excluding the Jianghuai Demon King's personal experience, several major powers possess heavenly and earthly weighty instruments, divination probing a corner, aside from that, the remaining overseas demon kings know nothing. The Iron-Head Fish King cannot comprehend, only instinctively feeling Bai Yuan certainly won't do good deeds

Ironhead Fish King clasped both fins together: "Hope the monkey fails, hope the monkey fails, hope the monkey loses body and Dao———"

"Big brother, what is that monkey doing?"

Little Horse King worried anxiously, having countless times made himself forget Bai Yuan, forget the fear Bai Yuan brought, but every time he was about to succeed, Bai Yuan would suddenly leap left and right like now, highlighting its own existence, tearing open the scar deep in his heart.

Big Horse King also couldn't understand, only able to guess: "Last time Bai Yuan said it was managing waters in the Yellow Sand River to comprehend the Dao—could it have achieved something?"

Little Horse King stared wide-eyed: "Bai Yuan is already the hegemon now—if it goes further, what then?"

"No way—is what that monkey said true? Is it really comprehending the Dao on the Yellow Sand River?"

Whale King put down the precious medicine, swam out of the cave dwelling, gazed westward, incredulous.

It was more perceptive than the Big and Little Horse Kings, keenly sensing a tremor in the Huaijiang—at this distance, could such a tremor still be transmitted———

Whale King had always thought that white-haired monkey was spouting nonsense with eyes open—just betraying the aquatic tribe, finding an excuse to serve the human race.

Could it be———the sworn brotherhood is also real?

No wonder Whale King judged thus—when they swore brotherhood, they said they'd share weal and woe, enjoy blessings together, and Bai Yuan could help refine elixirs, but in truth it was entrusted to him, then he shifted blame saying the imperial court had to refine it first for him, his matters were more urgent, asking when it would be his turn, saying short then two years, long then three years, damn two or three years—the Eastern Sea Great Hunt would already be over!

Was it deliberately stalling for time?

The Seven Hegemons of the Eastern Sea are not all peak demon kings—indeed peak demon kings are few; cultivation isn't that easy—most rely on inherited advantages and lucky position fruits. Whale King has always wanted a position fruit of his own, to leap to the peak among hegemons, the Number One King under the Emperor.

Precisely because the Eastern Sea Great Hunt hosted by the Whale Emperor gave him such an opportunity, combined with timing and their respective strength levels, Whale King had reason to suspect "Cheap Younger Brother" was deceiving him, and he also wanted a position fruit.

But if Younger Brother becomes a mountain———the talk comes back to that.

"Come, fish!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Go to the Huaijiang————wait, isn't there a rule in Dashun that great demons cannot dock? Send a demon via waterway to inquire about my virtuous younger brother's situation. Remember not to go empty-finned—carry two precious fish, treat it as an errand."

"As you command."

Black King, Shark King, Sword King————former sworn demon kings, all had stirring thoughts.

Less than half a year after the Southern Frontier affairs ended, the world's flood dragons gathered again, once more focusing their gaze.

Plop-plop.

Bubbles gurgled up from the mire, air pressing against the silt, emitting a sound like flatulence.

The fisherman panted heavily, sweat drenched his back, straining to pull his mud-soaked pant legs from the riverbed, struggling toward the bank, the mud on his knees already dried into earthy flakes.

Suddenly.

The distant tide's slow rumble rose—yet the fisherman, nerves taut, mind solely on escape, felt nothing, until a chill struck his calf.

The fisherman lowered his head, gazing at the rising floodwater, the drifting goatskin raft, and gasped in horror.

He tried to turn back onto the goatskin raft, but stuck midway, unable to move forward or backward.

Boom!

The tide surged violently to his waist, sweeping away the fisherman, dragging the raft—just as he thought he would die today in the Yellow Sand River, suddenly a buoyant force rose from beneath him.

The fisherman instinctively grabbed for a lifeline—actually seizing a rope, he summoned his last strength, flipped over.

Goatskin raft!

It was actually his goatskin raft!

The goatskin raft was light and swift, the man heavy and sinking—on the same horizontal line, what should have been an impossible coincidence collided together.

"Thank the River God! Thank the River God!"

"Has the water level returned?"

On the water-measuring stele, the river official in charge of measuring water levels was shocked.

First came the unprecedented cutoff of the Yellow Sand River, now it inexplicably flows again.

"Wrong—it hasn't fully returned."

The river official lowered his gaze, compared today's water level with the usual—still lacking several chi!

Where did this dropped water go?

"Boom—rumble—rumble."

The Yellow Dragon charged and collided, galloping and roaring, kicking up mud, digging open the riverbed.

On both riverbanks, tents stood in rows, dragon folk came and go, bustling immensely—aware of what Liang Qu was doing, what it would become, the dragon folk elders were already stirred beyond words, wishing to move the entire dragon folk tribe onto the Yellow Sand River as precaution.

Bai Yuan lay hidden in the Yellow Sand River, like a river-swallowing beast—all eastward-flowing rivers were cut off by it, after circling once in the marshlands, it departed from behind.

Swallow the River!

Spit the River!

Liang Qu didn't know how vast the river needed to be to refine the Changyou Fruit—he could only exert his utmost, give his all.

Naturally impossible to swallow then spit out the entire Yellow Sand River.

The Yellow Sand River is far less vast than the Huaijiang—its inflow/outflow volume is less than one-tenth of the Huaijiang's, let alone the Huaijiang has five great lakes—if it could truly contain the Yellow Sand River, then inversely, Liang Qu could command a hundred Huaijiangs—utterly unrealistic.

Then he could only swallow and spit simultaneously!

Draw water into the vortex cavity, nurture for seven days, and ordinary river water can be refined into vortex water.

Water has no constant form—Liang Qu lifting a person is extremely simple; not a martial artist, an ordinary person's density differs little from water, naturally buoyant—let the water rise, the person lifts themselves out.

But if lifting an iron lump, mere rising water flow cannot grasp it—the iron lump will naturally sink; he controls water but not iron, unless he lets the water flow spin rapidly within, using the scouring resistance to pull it up—highly demanding of control, and 【vortex water】 is tangible water—its manifested strike can grab, hold, pull.

Reach the Vortex Palace—seven days of vortex water, then one month, and one can further refine one-thousandth of 【vortex water】 into 【essence water】!

【Essence water】 is even more marvelous—hard as diamond, shatters all resistance.

【Essence water】 made into 【Vortex God Armor】, 【Vortex God Blade】—none are not formidable!

Reach the Marshlands—no third stage yet, but one day nurtures 【vortex water】, seven days nurtures 【essence water】!

This is the Marshlands.

Although after leaving the Marshlands, 【essence water】 and 【vortex water】 will slowly degenerate back to ordinary water.

Only staying in the marshland for a moment, how much could be refined is unknown, but from now on, those who leave have a trace of Liang Qu's qi mechanism—one round is not enough, come again!

Ask.

Water advances ten thousand qing by day, retreats ten thousand qing by day, passing the Yellow Sand River—how much is there?

The stone monkey floats in midair, seemingly motionless as a thread, but only Liang Qu can see it clearly.

The blue-green hue on the stone monkey's body, initially indiscernible and requiring daylight below to distinguish, has become increasingly clear, now radiating a different luster!

The Yellow Sand River flows ceaselessly above, then ceaselessly continues.

The entire Heposuo is in a flurry of anxiety and busyness, intent on investigating the cause.

Fang Su and Ko Wenbin rush along both banks, seeking the source, but before they can clarify, a minor official hastily summons them back.

"What, no need? Have you found the cause?"

"It seems Bai Yuan is cultivating," Ran Zhongshi said, "normal dredging of the river channel will suffice; the waterway on Shahe is temporarily unusable, but passage can resume soon, as long as one avoids the problematic several hundred li."

Day after day, the heavens turn.

Bai Yuan hibernates like a toad on the Yellow Sand River, lying from August to September.

News spreads like the wind to the eight wildernesses, and more and more people and beasts learn of the changes in Huaijiang.

—

Rumors of the ape sovereign's manifestation stir up a great commotion.

If one asks who is most panicked, without doubt, it is the Eastern Sea Snake Clan.

"How could it be, the king obtained the true dragon's legacy, refined it for how many years, and what does that monkey rely on to be so swift?" The black viper great snake exclaimed in disbelief.

If Bai Yuan truly became the ape sovereign, became a demon emperor, that is not something they could press to death with a single finger?

That would not be as good as fighting to the death earlier!

"It is not the ape sovereign, but a minor position fruit; the ape sovereign certainly does not have it, at most having taken one minor position fruit."

Lin Jie steps forward, attempting to soothe the snake hearts.

However, this saying cannot in the slightest alleviate the panic.

"The white-haired monkey has no minor position fruit, having driven us out; now that it has the minor position fruit, where do we still have a chance? Are we waiting for it to settle accounts?"

"What exactly is the king waiting for? If he truly gives up, why not beg for mercy early? If he is unwilling, why then sit and wait for the white monkey to grow strong? Lin Great Snake, give us a definite message—this dragging left and right is worse than dispersing now! Do not let our snake clan be wiped out in one pot, with no inheritance left!"

"Yes! When a tree grows large, its roots divide!"

The snakes rise in unison; Lin Jie surveys the circle, sighs faintly, unsure how to respond, when suddenly it seems to receive a message, its spirit stirred.

After a while.

Lin Jie turns his head: "Black Viper, you go to Jianghuai, then contact the Black Great General, see what exactly is happening, and by this opportunity probe it once; once clear, the king will surely explain clearly!"

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