Chapter 1388

"How come it's thundering? It was clearly sunny just a moment ago."

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, ashore, ashore! Good thing I came early—today was all for nothing!"

"Thunder's here, rain's coming, hurry home to take in the laundry!"

The sky was high and the light dim, the river wind blowing from east to west growing stronger, fishermen paddling their black-canopied boats hurried to the docks, tied up their ropes, and dense crowds surged onto the wharf.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you can see this too—there's thunder out there, wind's blowing, and it's autumn, so a heavy rain is likely. Not to mention the danger, the waves are big, the boat rocks violently, easily spilling soup and dirtying your clothes.

This boat won't be making the trip—I'll refund your fare. If you like the sandpot fish, you can take the whole pot with you, or tell me an inn and I'll send it there."

Chen Qingjiang grabbed the rope, tied it to the bow, and explained to the other passengers in the cabin.

Since Yixing developed, over half the fishermen no longer fish full-time; if they have a black-canopied boat, great, if not, they swap a plank for one, stock the boat with liquor and side dishes, prepare two small sandpots and a stove, and specialize in serving fish to visitors coming to Yixing—quite profitable, and the fishermen still catch fish to cook, winning on freshness.

This has almost become a signature of Yixing: a few close friends meet at the Jianghuai, catch what they eat, or pick a fresh fish and go boating on the lake.

October still had some heat, the ground baked dry, raindrops striking the gray stone tiles turned dark, steaming up the scent of damp earth.

The sandpot fish head tofu soup wasn't wanted by the guests; after seeing them off, Chen Qingjiang put on his bamboo hat and rain cloak, carried the sandpot home, ran halfway, then saw Law Adi holding an umbrella searching for someone on the wharf. He called out twice, told Law Adi to take the sandpot, opened his rain cloak to wrap both of them together, and headed home.

Dark wind howled, windows slammed against their frames.

"Strange, strange—did you see that? This isn't ordinary rain, this is a heavenly tribulation. Where's the Su Prefecture Lord? Right—is Ashui in Pingyang? Is it him causing this?" Ko Wenbin leaned by the window, clicking his tongue. They had originally been helping with flood control on the Shahe River, but since midsummer often brings floods, they had to return at this time to keep watch.

"Don't worry, it won't reach us here." Ran Zhongshi took a sip of tea, "The Su Prefecture Lord already went ahead—apparently it's his black tortoise, which has been in seclusion for two years and is about to emerge; he mentioned it before."

"Hiss—isn't Elder Shou about to become a great demon? The governor issued the notice."

Ko Wenbin sucked in a breath of cold air, then looked again at the dark clouds.

Thick as city walls, white light flashed.

Pat.

Raindrops slanted down against the window.

Heavy rain poured down, waves rose and fell, the withered yellow lotus leaves and stems crossed and stabbed obliquely.

"Hahaha, hahaha, so that's it, so that's it————It's meant for my fortune and blessing, it's meant for my fortune and blessing!"

Liang Qu laughed to the heavens, having just swallowed a pill, his breath unstable, terrifying might swelling with his laughter, taking substance, vaporizing the rainwater within a hundred-zhang radius.

The old stubborn stone fell utterly silent, motionless, its surface shattering like stone fragments, falling into the pond, some dazzling blue light bursting from the cracks.

【Water Essence +3】

The pale green turtle blinked in surprise: "Why does the Huai King laugh, Your Majesty?"

Liang Qu raised his hand and pointed to the sky.

"I laugh at this heavenly tribulation—whether earlier or later, Your Majesty would dislike it, but only now, just now, is it perfect! It is for fortune and blessing, it should be for fortune and blessing, the name is not in vain!"

The little turtle scratched its head.

Seeing the little turtle didn't understand, Liang Qu didn't explain further: "No matter, just take me there."

"Yes!"

The little turtle didn't dare delay, braced its limbs, and leapt into the pond.

Liang Qu followed closely, grabbed with a big hand, the little turtle felt a surge of water behind it pushing upward, lifting it, along the underground river, racing like wind and lightning, eyes wide open.

"So fast! Huai King, Your Majesty, my king worries the heavenly tribulation will shatter the Green Wave, so the tribulation site isn't among the turtles—wherever the Turtle King goes, you go."

"Understood!"

Light and shadow blurred into a mass, lightning flashed continuously across his face, speed increased another notch, Liang Qu communicated via the mental link, urgently directing the fat fish to fetch the old toad, and the third prince to pull the demon mother's ritual apparatus.

Two years ago, the old toad broke through from demon to great demon, the heavenly tribulation fearsome—first endured within the Blood River Realm, then emerged successfully, a host of Martial Saints barely withstanding it; in the later stage, the old toad directly trapped the lightning, drawing it into the body to resolve it—at that time, golden patterns appeared on the peach tree, pure yang energy surged.

Wu Cangshou is the Fortune-Blessing Black Tortoise, inferior to the Duobao Toad by one rank, yet he could see the implication from the old toad's advancement path; afterward he grabbed a piece of toad skin, contemplated and cultivated.

Not long ago, the Turtle King reminded him once, telling him to come lend aid.

Now it has come to pass!

And with the unity of heaven and man, there is naturally a summons—a voice in the darkness tells Liang Qu—this heavenly tribulation, for him, is useful as a golden core entering the belly.

His qi and blood still boiled, scorching his mouth dry and tongue parched, Liang Qu did not suppress it, but let it boil like rolling water.

In the Jianghuai great marsh, the Turtle King, "Harbor Master," Frog King, and "Ape King" all ran about, heroes rising together!

The giant frog leapt sideways from the water, the large anchor followed, lunging straight for the western waters, the frog clan's territory—old toad seized the long whiskers, gave a hard tug, and the black great fish surged upward with force.

"Legless frogs, you lot, follow my lord in the charge! Charge!"

Boom!

Western waters, three hundred li beyond the Green Wave, desolate land.

Sword shrimp, fist crabs, and electric eels—the Turtle King's three major combat species under his command stood in strict formation, clearing the surrounding water creatures, leaving space.

Dragonfolk and dragon sturgeon also came to lend aid, and the Su Guishan from Pingyang Prefecture was mixed among them.

White meteors streaked horizontally from the horizon, their momentum astonishing.

"Ashui! The heavenly tribulation is dangerous—I can't get through, you must be careful!" Su Guishan shouted.

"Uncle, don't worry!" Liang Qu replied, then lunged forward another step, coming to an abrupt halt.

Bubbles bubbled up and dispersed.

The Turtle King looked Liang Qu up and down, unable to help clicking his tongue.

At this moment, Liang Qu's aura blazed fiercely, pressing on the Turtle King like a burning great furnace, inside boiling scalding water, like just stepping out of a bathhouse in winter—white mist drifting all over, altogether utterly unstable—this state is certainly not normal.

"Why is the Huai King's qi and blood so boiling, restless and unsettled? Perhaps in a short time one wouldn't feel anything amiss, but the qi naturally rises from within—without speaking of shortened lifespan or energy drain, first of all it's not good for cultivation."

"Thank you for the Turtle King's concern, but I am precisely at a critical juncture in my cultivation—I must be like this."

"If you're cultivating, then—"

"No matter, I won't hide it—I am precisely trying to receive this heavenly tribulation's baptism, perhaps it can just solve my problem." The pale green turtle spun dizzily, Liang Qu raised his hand and pushed, "Then I don't know, Turtle King, Elder Shou—how do you feel?"

Seeing this, the Turtle King said nothing more, looked toward Wu Cangshou.

Wu Cangshou was a little nervous, his two turtle claws alternating, unable to help turning left and right in circles: "Or should we just do as last time—go in first to break through, then talk?"

Physicians cannot heal themselves; the old toad was once panic-stricken and scattered his entire fortune, but fortune's wheel turns — now it is Wu Cangshou's turn to be restless.

The Turtle King soothed: "No need to rush, hold steady, wait for Elder Frog to arrive, then discuss; last time Elder Frog came through unscathed, this time the Ape King has even attained a fruit-position and his strength has surged, with Elder Frog's aid added it is even more without worry."

The turtle claw Wu Cangshou was treading on paused for the moment.

Liang Qu also nodded.

Both are demons become great demons; Wu Cangshou the Fortune-Prosperity Black Turtle's thunder tribulation is decidedly not as intense as the old toad's Many-Treasure Toad. Though it is also a heaven-defying act, perhaps it can reach the level the old toad had when he went from great monster to demon, but this time the response force is no smaller than last time!

Liang Qu arrived first, followed by the Frog King, "Hai Fangzhu", and "Bai Yuan".

The Frog King and "Bai Yuan" both noticed Liang Qu's condition and each asked a couple of questions; Liang Qu gave the same explanation to both, until the Third Prince dragged the Ghost Mother Ritual over.

"Hahaha, long wait, long wait, this State Preceptor has come!"

A great shout from the sky's edge, amid crisscrossing lightning, the fat fish burrowed out of the waterway and made a dazzling entrance.

"Elder Frog!" Liang Qu exclaimed in delight, "Against the might of heaven and earth we are helpless, just waiting for Elder Frog to step forth!"

"Elder Frog!" Wu Cangshou's turtle eyes brightened, "Quickly aid me!"

"Hahaha, a mere heavenly tribulation, why must you all panic, watch how this State Preceptor takes it in hand, kneads it flat and rolls it round, transforms it into cultivation resources! Footless Frog!"

The fat fish sank forcefully, smashing onto the ground.

The old toad leapt off the fish head, landed on the ground, and paced a few circles around Wu Cangshou.

Wu Cangshou was just about to speak.

Liang Qu asked first: "Elder Frog, how is it? What procedure? Do we need to enter the Blood River Realm?"

Wu Cangshou glanced sideways; though it was also anxious, why did Liang Qu look even more anxious than it?

"No need." The old toad waved a webbed foot, "Just use last time's water pillars, set up a grand array, transform tribulation into treasure, begin directly!"

All the kings were delighted; Liang Qu waved a hand, the Third Prince immediately dragged the Ghost Mother Ritual away, and the two waited outside together.

Wu Cangshou fretted: "Elder Frog, why not still go in once?"

The old toad instantly showed displeasure: "You old turtle? How dare you doubt me! If you don't believe, I'll just leave, why come begging?"

Wu Cangshou instantly begged incessantly.

The old toad gloated: "Are you greater or is this State Preceptor greater?"

"State Preceptor is greater, State Preceptor is greater!" Wu Cangshou swallowed his conscience.

"Guahaha! Then what should you call me?"

"Elder Frog!"

"Call me what?"

Elder Frog!

"Guahahaha!"

Liang Qu dared not wait further: "Elder Frog, if we don't go to the other realm, is there a way to channel the body-forging effect entirely onto me alone?"

"Ah?"

"Turtle King, Frog King, Fangzhu my lord, to hide nothing, this thunder tribulation is of great use to me." Liang Qu bowed and cupped fists, "I am willing to pay double the equivalent treasure medicines to trade this opportunity with you all! Will certainly settle within three years!"

Hai Fangzhu naturally had no objection.

"This————"

The Turtle King and Frog King exchanged glances; last time during the old toad's tribulation they both tasted sweet rewards. Transforming tribulation into resources indeed had extraordinary effects, the key being that unique stimulation which, while enhancing qi and blood, let a King directly touch the knack of breaking through, comprehend the intent of destruction, and divine abilities became far stronger, far beyond what ordinary treasure medicines could compare — but————

Liang Qu is also an old cooperation partner.

Ever since Bai Yuan came, they've all eaten quite well, much better than when the Flood Dragon was here.

"Done." The Turtle King nodded, "This body-forging succeeds relying on the Ape King's divine ability, no need for double, normal exchange is fine."

"Good, then let it go to you." The Frog King also agreed.

"Don't split it further don't split it further, agreed then hurry up and act, I can't hold it down anymore!" Overhead the thunderclouds were thick as city walls, clearly broad daylight yet pitch black without seeing five fingers, Wu Cangshou grew more and more frantic, urging repeatedly.

"Elder Frog!"

"Got it!"

The Turtle King, Frog King, and "Hai Fangzhu" dispersed.

The old toad patted his belly, pointed afar to the east: "Good, fifty zhang forward, erect the first water pillar."

Just as the Turtle King was about to observe the array's pattern, suddenly, a great fog rose.

Fog?

The Turtle King was astonished; down here in the water, where would fog come from?

Along with the fog's emergence, the qi mechanisms of all beasts in the fog instantly turned blurry and indistinct, nothing could be seen clearly.

Aided by the great fog's concealment, Liang Qu directly erected the 【Erqing Pillars】, dense water pillars in a strange manner containing heaven-and-earth laws stood heaven-upright earth-firm, reaching up into the clouds and down into the mud.

"Enter!"

The last water pillar driven down, "Bai Yuan" left the great fog.

Liang Qu leapt forcefully, burrowed inside, his blazing aura could no longer be concealed and burst forth.

Within the black clouds, lightning accumulated, Wu Cangshou waited a while more.

"Good!"

With a great cry, a black ball shot out of the great fog.

Wu Cangshou immediately closed its eyes, following instinct————

Qi mechanism surged!

At the same moment, between heaven and earth, white light suddenly blazed!

Seemingly a probe, a small white dragon plunged straight down.

Reaching midair, the small white dragon suddenly split into dozens of white snakes, directed toward the forest of standing water pillars, burrowed in, and flowed downward.

Dozens of white snakes moved at different speeds, thus creating an order, and finally they all landed on the center, on Liang Qu.

Like ten thousand hummingbirds crying in unison, searing agony spread through his whole body; a faint scorched smell rose up. Just one lightning dragon turned Liang Qu's entire body crimson, like a cooked giant shrimp.

But!

He looked inward at his own body.

Atop the toppled peach tree trunk, golden patterns suddenly flashed past, then dimmed again!

Liang Qu's eyes blazed with sharp light.

He recognized these patterns; they were exactly what had grown on the peach tree after the old toad's lightning tribulation last time, only they had vanished along with the cracking of the Root Sea and the draining of everything, accompanying the emergence of the "Position Fruit Embryo."

It works!

Although they did not take effect on the Root Sea, Liang Qu vaguely sensed it was not wasted effort.

"Again!"

As if heaven and earth responded, the vault of heaven exploded with sound.

Another lightning dragon pierced through heaven and earth.

Atop the withered peach tree, the patterns lit up once more, as if breathing!

Vitality suddenly appeared inside the Lower Dantian; replacing it, above the Great Marsh, inside the central water pillar, Liang Qu's skin grew even more swollen and red, like rough tree bark, splitting open with fresh blood, yet rapidly healing under the care of Jiang Huai's affection.

Bai Yuan's hands unconsciously intertwined, halfway through he found they could not intertwine, and startled, realized he was now "Bai Yuan."

Hai Fangzhu was deeply worried; last time the tribulation transformed treasures, the essence was dispersing one tribulation bolt through the water pillar onto different people, with a sequence of before and after, akin to weakening a fist's force and turning one strike into many, from a hammer blow into a push, naturally turning unbearable pain into an extraordinary treasure.

Wu Cang Shou's heavenly tribulation was certainly not as great as the old toad's, but the one bearing it had become a single person, the danger even greater!

White light flashed continuously.

Long Eying's heart clenched tight.

The fat fish bit down hard on its long whiskers, its small dragon lips opening its mouth wide.

Wu Cang Shou always felt something was off; clearly it was his tribulation, so why did it seem like everyone's concern had gone to that kid Liang Qu?

"Huu!"

Heavenly light flashed once, and his eyes went blind.

Liang Qu could see nothing, hear nothing, until his eyeballs went numb and the charred corneas sloughed off, only then did he see the healed skin on his own hands.

Under the burning of his heart fire, he paid no heed to these pains whatsoever.

A great man cultivating — what is the suffering of skin and flesh? It is merely a matter of what can be endured and what cannot; he cared about only one thing.

Inside the Lower Dantian, the golden light on the peach tree shone brilliantly, undimmed.

Vitality!

Long-lost vitality!

As if sensing the vanguard had no effect, among the dark clouds, what flickered was no longer white light, but a leaping streak of gold.

The vault of heaven split open; a golden dragon roared, descending into the great formation. Dozens of golden snakes unfurled and danced wildly, surging into the central water pillar.

"It's over, it's over, Big Brother A Fei has been struck into charcoal!" Da Pang cried in terror.

In an instant, the water pillar blazed bright; Liang Qu saw his crimson skin turn black and hard, then his vision went black, and he lost sight and perception once more.

Precisely at the moment this golden dragon entered his body, his boiling qi and blood surged another notch, vaguely vaporizing directly, volume expanding; the Root Sea, at 1,050 times, continued expanding outward.

Since the Ren times, the Root Sea had still not recovered; Liang Qu's focus was no longer on the Root Sea's scale. He had no eyes, could not see his physical shell, yet could still look inward, staring dead at the peach tree's roots.

"Crackle."

An extremely faint sound.

Like yellow beans soaked in water having their skins pushed open by green sprouts.

Those originally withered tree roots suddenly twitched; like hatchlings breaking shells, tender rootlets burst through the rigid, brown bark, extending milky-white new root hairs!

Boom!

The water pillar blazed again.

Above the Great Marsh, lightning dragons roared; the great tribulation of heaven and earth repeatedly scoured this physical shell, desperate to break through the obstruction and descend upon Wu Cang Shou.

Wu Cang Shou stared dumbfounded, witnessing the Liang Qu above his head slowly hacked from a living person into a pitch-black piece of coke, dead or alive unknown.

The Frog King and Turtle King swallowed saliva, one after another looking at the old toad.

The old toad flew into a rage: "Audacious! This National Preceptor says there's no problem, so there's no problem! It's merely a bit of wind and frost!"

"

Liang Qu had already completely ignored the pain on his body and soul; he only cared about those wriggling roots.

The golden patterns on the peach tree grew ever more brilliant; new tender buds burst through the bark, growing in unison, faster and faster; after several tremors, they all turned downward, plunging into the already withered Root Sea.

But the current Root Sea was all yellow sand; where was any nutrition? No matter how the rootlets drilled, there was not a shred of nourishment; they went mad, spreading in all directions, searching in all directions.

Beneath the cracked yellow earth, the root system continuously extended, continuously connected and intertwined, like a gigantic spider web.

Liang Qu suddenly sensed something.

Vaguely returning to the time when Withered Wood Meets Spring had not yet fallen silent.

The massive root system began to gather and entwine, bringing along the scattered sandy soil to close up and level out together!

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