Chapter 1389: Heaven's Mandate Is In Me (Asking for Monthly Tickets, Two-in-One)

Wind, rain, thunder, lightning; rivers, lakes, and seas.

Reeds on the shore lay low, reed leaves drifting like snakes.

Silent great waves crashed ashore, tens of thousands of fishing boats colliding and undulating with each other, like scales on a fish's body. Wine flags hanging on wall tops fluttered and rattled loudly; broken half-yellow reed leaves scraped across the ground as they swept past. Every household shut their doors and windows tight, propping carrying poles against the doors from inside; occasionally a window was blown open by the wind, revealing a deep blue light shining within the dark clouds.

Yixing, the Wang Fu.

A hundred-patch monk's robe fluttered and flew; the old Monk stood on the eaves, gazing into the distance.

Eighty-one water pillars plunged into the black clouds; lightning struck down from above, and the water pillars lit up in sequence, converging into the center.

In the past, when the old toad underwent its heavenly tribulation, several water pillars digested it together; the order differed, and there would occasionally be a flickering scene.

Today, for Wu Cangshou's tribulation, only one person was refining it; the central water pillar lit up from head to tail, and looking closely one could see a black dot inside the pillar of light, motionless, like an impurity. The entire process of lightning splitting and chiseling seemed as if heaven and earth were forcibly refining away this black dot, removing the dross and keeping the essence.

Big Fatty was worried, shifting his butt to inch closer to Second Fatty: "Is Boss A Fei still alive?"

Second Fatty glanced around and said in a low voice: "The Elder said he's still alive, so he should be alive."

"There's even slag now."

Big Fatty pointed at the black fragments floating on the river surface. He saw clearly; Boss A Fei had turned into a black lump, and scraps kept falling off him constantly — he had only seen this kind of black charcoal when he accidentally burnt barbecue.

Second Fatty's face wrinkled together; he thought for a moment:

"The fire outside is too fierce, so it looks charred; the inside should still be tender."

Exhale, inhale......

Exhale, inhale......

A broad chest rose and fell weakly; chunks of charred bark-like carbon cracked and fell off under this subtle movement, revealing blood-colored muscle with no skin covering. Stimulated by the electric current, the muscle oozing blood-colored liquid had completely lost control, strand by strand, thread by thread.

The muscles twitched and throbbed on their own, then turned into charcoal under the next round of lightning; afterward the surrounding charcoal began to fall off, cycling repeatedly. Heart fire burned fiercely, slowly wearing away and evaporating this incomparable pain, so as not to go mad.

Circulating the "Wang Fu Classic," that root sea which had been drained dry by the "Sun" was no different from the Gobi Desert — surface waxy yellow, interior fiery red; at this very moment, ten thousand roots continuously spread out, slithering underground like snakes, searching for moisture.

The ground bulged; hard, cracked epidermis split open one after another, vaguely like protruding veins on the body surface, dense and countless.

The entire root sea soil had been turned over a layer, plowed through once; unexpectedly, the entire root sea had been pierced through by the peach tree's root system, recombining into a single whole! These roots pulled with all their might, and the fallen peach tree slowly rose upward, like an eighty-year-old old man who had taken medicine, reviving his vigor. Unable to find water sources underground, they even turned to grow upward!

Roots raised their heads like snakes, intertwining with each other, climbing upward.

Finally, the fastest-growing root tendril touched a floating immortal island fragment, instantly turning into a spiderweb to climb, attach, and wrap around it; then borrowing this floating island fragment, it advanced toward other places.

Soon, the immortal island was also wrapped by the root system into a single whole.

The peach tree stood in the center.

Roots spread across heaven and earth, chaotically kneading soil into a ball, chaotically netting immortal islands together like piles of rubble; driven by the instinct of life, grotesque and yet twisted.

Inside the crooked palace, flowing light gathered, and the Chen Renxing phantom reappeared.

Golden Core, heavenly tribulation, thousand-fold root sea accumulation — under this massive accumulation, the fourth phantom self-condensed inside the crooked palace! Fourth Stage.

This phantom is not just one!

Behind the phantom, a second outline overlapped with it, floating indistinctly.

Fifth Stage!

Two fragile phantoms resonated simultaneously with the previous three.

However,

In fertile soil, flowers and fruit must flourish; in barren saline land, roots and fragrance find no support.

No matter how hard the peach tree's root system tried, searching through heaven and earth, soil remained soil — not a trace of moisture could be found.

Dry, too dry, dry to the point that water here had resistance.

Like a drop of water falling on dead wood, the water droplet swelled full and round into a sphere, limited by its own surface tension, neither permeating into the dead wood nor spreading out in all directions.

Even though the root sea reached a thousand-fold number, even though it became a whole again, it still could not communicate with heaven and earth to draw in water sources.

Heaven and earth's vast grace stretched into a tensioned arc, gathering around the root sea, yet refusing to enter inside.

The peach tree teemed with vitality, yet lacked the single most critical link.

Clearly, just a little assistance to guide outside water flow into this parched desert would suffice; afterward it would burst forth continuously like a breached dam.

Alas, the medicinal efficacy of the Golden Core expanded over two hundred times was triggered again; Qi and blood surged restlessly, inside and out was the Xiong Xiongdahuo, and Liang Qu's entire being was pushed onto the furnace.

Cannot continue like this; must find a way to self-rescue, otherwise attacked from inside and out, he will inevitably turn into true charcoal!

A thought flashed and vanished.

Dark clouds heavy, golden dragons flickering.

Electric current shone through water droplets; "lamp tubes" flashed bright and full; pitch-black fragments fell off Liang Qu's body, decay expelled and anew.

Lightning coiled around bones; golden patterns coiled on bones, slowly growing patterns like those of the peach tree.

A Martial Saint's vitality is so immense — beheaded yet not dead, heart removed yet not dying; combined with the Huaijiang's favor, he became a spring bamboo shoot in the lightning — outer shoot sheath repeatedly split open by lightning, inner shoot flesh regrowing; each reshaping more resilient; after Jingzhe, shooting up joint by joint by joint! Inside the Lower Dantian a mess, yet the body underwent an astonishing metamorphosis.

Rivers encircled, tide sounds rising in waves.

Golden plasma flowed in blood vessels.

Liang Qu guided several times, all failed; he simply stopped minding it, circulated the "Wang Fu Classic," and a vigorous, completely different vitality burst forth from inside to outside.

The Frog King and Turtle King's expressions moved; the Hai Fangzhu was even more delighted.

There's a change!

Just afraid it would stay like this; even clear-sighted beasts could see he couldn't hold on.

Liang Qu circulated a Zhou Tian, guided the Qi mechanism, handling it with practiced ease.

"Gang Lian"!

The most astonishing realm of the "Wansheng Baoyuan".

Every time it triggers, one can return to the innate, metamorphose astonishingly — attainable by chance, not by seeking; but under Liang Qu's modification and blending, it became a cultivation method more suited to himself. The originally fortuitous "Gang Lian," within the "Wang Fu Classic," has already been divided into Innate Gang Lian and Acquired Gang Lian.

Others cultivating need only extreme stimulation, then the true form of rivers and seas tremble in harmony, automatically operating Acquired Gang Lian, producing a small metamorphosis; regardless of whether Innate Gang Lian appears, at least one Acquired advancement can be ensured.

And the cultivation method he himself researched is naturally more suited; relying on his own deep foundation, past experiences of the Heavenly Silkworm's long Qi metamorphosis and unique experience of rebounding from rock bottom, he can autonomously push Acquired into Innate, completing a great metamorphosis!

This metamorphic vitality rose from within outward, utterly unlike the fierce intensity of heavenly thunder — gentle and nourishing like water.

Almost the moment it appeared, it was about to be sucked dry by the peach tree.

Driven by instinctive struggle, the peach tree nearly broke free of Liang Qu's control; yet Liang Qu locked down that strand of innate Qi mechanism with a death grip, refusing to let it absorb. Liang Qu did not know whether this sliver of innate vitality could break the dryness and reconnect with heaven and earth — he could not gamble.

This was the last of his reserves; it had to be used where there was more certainty, at a more critical juncture.

A thought reached this point.

Chang You!

Hong Sha!

Liang Qu activated his Authority — but the target was not lightning; it was his own... Lower Dantian!

Abandoning resistance, abandoning obstruction, most of Liang Qu's flesh instantly rotted, his Lower Dantian rupturing!

Like a snow peak collapsing on a high mountain.

Self-destruction!

Hai Fangzhu's face, still delighted a moment ago, changed drastically; Long Eying's face turned deathly pale.

No matter what state the lightning hacked him into, Liang Qu still had a tenacious thread of vitality clinging on — only his appearance was a bit more wretched, unbearable to look at directly. But now, Liang Qu's Qi mechanism underwent a cliff-like collapse!

Wu Cangshou was startled.

If he gets hacked to death, the Great Shun imperial court won't pin it on me, will they?

It was Liang Qu who insisted on getting hacked himself.

The Turtle King and Frog King wanted to rush up and help share the tribulation lightning, but they didn't know which water column could be entered and which could not.

"Gua?" The old toad was also shocked, momentarily at a loss.

Only Liang Qu himself knew clearly what he was doing.

The sky-reaching, earth-standing peach tree — faced with true Authority — where could it resist? In an instant it collapsed into countless wood fragments.

The root network that had barely held the Root Sea and the immortal island together also snapped into countless scraps in a split second; even the small sun in the sky was affected, like a guttering candle in the wind.

Everything, everything was fading away irrevocably.

Just at the moment the immortal island and the Root Sea began collapsing anew, having lost the tree roots' tether, a tiny flame hidden between the peach tree, the Root Sea, and the immortal island suddenly boiled over.

A great fire surged forth, blotting out the sky and covering the sun.

Heart Fire!

Upon Entering Zhen Xiang, if one has Heart Fire, it is equivalent to gaining another immortal island, able to vastly expand the Qi Sea's capacity — this is the concretization of a cultivator's will. Fire is more restless than wood; fire is more dangerous than wood.

Yet only this fire is the sharp weapon Liang Qu truly controls, an extension of his own hands and feet.

The heart's eye ascends; up, down, inside, outside — nowhere unperceived. The Heart Fire marches forth vast and boundless, with incomparable precision winding around every severed root, every shattered wood fragment. "Rumble—"

Heavenly lightning dragons pierced through once more; crimson-gold heavenly thunder flowed into four limbs and hundred bones.

Countless tiny root knots sprouted vitality anew, only to be exterminated by the Heart Fire.

Heart Fire alone, burning directly, could not burn away this peach tree; but now that Hong Sha had churned it into chaos, the peach tree that had just flourished vigorously turned to ash in the blink of an eye, fusing into one with the Root Sea mud and immortal island rubble.

Right now!

The innate vitality that had been locked down tight was suddenly sprinkled out.

Liang Qu's nerves were stretched to the limit.

The current him was like sitting in an electric chair, facing a mirror, performing surgery on himself, using tweezers to pick out his own nerves, employing every means he could muster, advancing toward the direction he had deduced.

He did not know if he could succeed, but...

Wu Cangshou crossed his tribulation, Old Suizhe broke through the barrier, and coincidentally an old toad was at his side when he emerged — Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity all present. He believed the Mandate of Heaven lay with him; even if the Mandate of Heaven did not, he himself was the master of this square-inch heaven and earth — he would forge the Mandate of Heaven himself!

Size Ruyi's long Qi, refined inside his Lower Dantian, not in heaven and earth!

The vitality sprinkled out earlier, like a fine misty drizzle, was far from enough to moisten the vast Root Sea — it brought only a touch of dampness. Yet this touch of dampness seeped perfectly into the ashes the peach tree had turned into.

Soil without water is sand; with water, it naturally gains cohesion.

The Root Sea and immortal island that were about to rupture again unexpectedly, with the innate vitality's help, briefly adhered.

Not enough, still not enough.

Liang Qu's thoughts stirred again.

Inside the Ze Ding, the four stored Dew Seeds — all refined!

Dew Seeds, the condensation of heavenly dew's long Qi, same root, same source!

As if a great hand reached into the Lower Dantian, forefinger poking into the heavenly river, guiding out a stream that flowed toward the soil pit beside it, water washing over dead wood, over leaves, over rubble...

Above the Wang Fu eaves.

The old Monk smiled broadly.

"Break and then establish — this old monk never taught you to use it like this."

Boom!

Crimson-gold electric light traversed heaven and earth, illuminating the water columns, illuminating every flustered face. Blurred figures slowly dissolved; charcoal-like ash kept melting away. Wu Cangshou was already turtle-numb, his mind a total blank.

Right in that blankness, a vivid color suddenly erupted — the same crimson-gold as heavenly thunder, yet a crimson-gold utterly different. Wu Cangshou widened his turtle eyes.

Within the penetrating pillar of light, the human figure was pitch-black, yet two points of crimson-gold shone through.

The aura that had plummeted to the valley bottom began to rebound, soaring at an inconceivable speed.

A vortex — a gigantic vortex appeared in the sky!

Heavy dark clouds gradually revealed clear lines, hollow at the center, winding with wind and thunder, as if something had leaked — a void appeared, attracting, pulling.

Heaven and earth's spiritual Qi poured in reverse; the collapsing Root Sea began to knit together. Crimson, pale yellow vanished without trace; fresh brown surged up.

The embryonic sun, originally like a guttering candle in the wind, suddenly stabilized, radiating new brilliance.

Within the immortal island ruins, the fourth and fifth human figures rapidly stabilized.

Precisely at this critical moment.

Hum—

The azure light surged from the Root Sea, causing the soil that had gradually darkened to suddenly turn black.

This...

Liang Qu's pupils widened in shock; for a moment he doubted whether he was hallucinating, until several breaths later, the blue light reappeared, and all his fatigue and vexation seemed to be washed away by this wave of light, leaving a refreshing surge.

Heavenly Water Morning Dew!

But Heavenly Water Morning Dew isn't supposed to revive the dead, and together with Withered Wood Meets Spring, it has lain dormant for a full cycle, has it not?

A sharp tingling numbness interrupted Liang Qu's astonishment.

Within the radiant pillar of light.

Everyone and every beast saw it clearly.

Liang Qu's body, worn down to nothing but a skeletal frame and torso, seemed to reverse time, continuously refilling and growing.

When the Root Sea withered, the vitality of the heavenly thunder was like a raging fire; but now, all vitality—whether scorching heat or warm moisture—has become the finest nourishment.

The残缺 half of the bodily shell reformed into a complete human形.

The withered Root Sea reconnected with heaven and earth, expanding once more.

In the perception of the Turtle King, Frog King, and Hai Fangzhu, Liang Qu's aura surged upward, leaping like climbing steps.

Not merely a rebound.

He is breaking through! He is advancing!

"Fourth rank!"

"Fifth rank?"

"Breaking two ranks?"

Su Gu Shan stared, mouth agape.

He is merely an Upper Boundary Entering Zhen Xiang, a master of the Tianren Sect, unaware of how strong the aura of the Yaolong stage should be, but he knows Liang Qu was previously third rank, and now he has surged upward by two leaps, and continues to rise!

Bones blazing with golden light, new blood vessels intertwining, plasma flowing within.

Within the Root Sea, three dim Dharma relics turned to soil, fully merged.

Within the first shattered immortal island, golden light blazed.

Countless pavilions newly built, the Dragon Court expanded again.

The third-rank Tiger-Dragon Golden Body surged another notch, reaching fourth rank, drawing a line to form a prison!

Yet before the new pavilions could stabilize, the fury of the flood struck, and the pavilions collapsed again into fragments.

Heaven and earth recoiled and scattered.

In a daze, everyone seemed to see Liang Qu's "River Stone" swell slightly, then return to its original form, like an illusion.