Chapter 1425

Squeak!!!

Water mist rose and clung to the wooden planks, condensing into droplets that trickled down. Black hair floated on the water's surface as Long Eying soaked in the hot water, leaning against the edge of the tub. Heartfire pushed open the door, only to see Liang Qu bare-chested, his body wrapped in a flowing strand of golden light, the golden light weaving back and forth at incredible speed, as if draping Liang Qu in a robe of golden threads.

Only the weaving process of this golden-thread robe was rather "noisy," like a sharp little whistle that swallowed air currents as it flew, constantly blowing.

Ding-ding-dang-dang.

Sparks flew everywhere.

Liang Qu yawned, swung his shoulders, stretched his limbs, admired the clear sky and white clouds outside the window, and brewed himself a pot of tea.

The time-bug clan is indeed perverse; in the past, they only wove time once, starting from something trivial that ordinary people could handle, growing to the point where even a great martial master cultivating the Dragon-Tiger Golden Body could easily fail. Now they also have to deal with Xuanlong Qi, making it even more extraordinary—just five or six years in total, but———

Compared to Liang Qu progressing from Tiger-Hunter to Abyss Dragon, he still falls slightly short!

The time-bug grew angrier with each strike, eyes turning blood-red, letting out a explosive cry, completely mad.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river————

"Husband, why do you keep fussing over some little thing?" Long Eying swept her hand through the water, splashing it out, then cupped her cheek as she called, "Hurry up."

"Coming, coming."

He turned his wrist, letting the tea cup dodge the golden threads, waiting for the golden line to pass before his body, then Liang Qu suddenly reached out and grabbed the time-bug in one grip, instantly clenching his fist.

Squeak!

The explosive cry was cut off.

The time-bug had its fate's throat choked, shaking its head and thrashing its tail.

"Quite the growth————" Liang Qu pinched the now-transformed time-bug, "It's reached demon level, truly extraordinary."

"A demon." Long Eying gasped.

"Mm, I feel its strength and hardness have increased, and its speed is also unusual—quite impressive. Even an ordinary sect master might find it hard to deal with."

"All kinds of rare species under heaven are blessed by nature." Long Eying sighed.

The Dragon King is born at the peak of Abyss Dragon, the Dragon Lord is born as a Furnace Demon Emperor—heaven and earth craft things that are always extraordinary, though diversity is lacking, making further progress difficult.

"Not that exaggerated, really. One time-thread, one Xuanlong—both are first-time weavings, and the greatest gain comes at the Four-in-One stage; later gains are much smaller, unless you find new ones, otherwise there's little way to reuse them.

Time-threads are only found in old turtles, which live for a thousand years, and they only have two claws total: Xuanlong is even harder, born alongside the Dragon King, a powerful thing—there are only so many in the world."

Liang Qu spoke while holding the time-bug, stretching it out to examine its body.

Its size increased by a circle, growing from one chi to nearly two chi—too big for the previous bamboo tube, and this isn't even the biggest change.

Previously, the time-bug resembled a shuttle, with pointed head and tail, its brain and horn like those of a locust, body slender, with jointed limbs, the joints short, similar to a shrimp's abdominal limbs.

Now the time-bug————

Liang Qu gripped the time-bug, came to the bathroom, and swayed it with a smiling face: "Wife, you've gained a relative."

He stared at the pair of small dragon horns sprouting from the time-bug's head.

Long Eying: "————"

"Come, meet your sister." Liang Qu twisted his hand and shook his wrist, swinging the time-bug, "I'm your brother-in-law, and outside there's still your old ancestor—someday I'll help you recognize your roots and return to your clan."

Sharp explosive sound.

Long Eying laughed in anger, scooped up bathwater and splashed it on Liang Qu's face, then, to block his view, grabbed him in one motion, seized his wrist, and pulled him into the tub—momentarily———half a day of refinement!

The sun sank westward.

Barely refined, Long Eying collapsed again, lying limp on Liang Qu's chest, panting, soft as mud, merging with the water.

Liang Qu leaned against the tub, re-extracting the time-bug from the bamboo tube glowing with Dragon-Tiger golden light.

The dragon horns weren't large, nor were they deer horns in the conventional sense, but a pair of rear-pointing sharp horns, more mature in a few ways; aside from the dragon horns, there were no other draconic features. On the contrary, the body—previously the time-bug was limited by its carapace, only able to bend inward like a millipede, but now it could bend outward, the carapace hard outside and soft inside, forming segmented sleeves.

What kind of time-bug is this? Clearly, it can be called a young dragon!

"So, does the full-set long qi allow time-bugs to be woven? Can woven time-bugs absorb part of the full-set long qi's properties without extra use? Too bad full-set long qi is too scarce to be fully verified."

Black long qi swirled and turned in the cauldron.

【Xuanlong Long Qi: I observe the dragon's transformations, thus knowing the utmost yang essence. Stone Forest, what Ming Ming? Secluded cave, no lingering traces. Ancients who obtained the Dao, truly believed in unity with primordial transformation.】

【42】【Xuan Use One: To drive and create transformation, naturally coupling tiger and dragon. Snake shedding becomes dragon, ordinary shedding becomes true.】

【43】【Xuan Use Two: Old dragon, by command, guards the spring in repose, winding and straight, fearing to fall from heaven; people say divine objects grow more spiritual with age, midnight sounds, wind and rain pass.】

【44】Calling wind and rain, obtaining the dragon's true spirit.】

【45】【Xuan Use Three: Coiling dragon, coiling dragon, hidden in the mirror. Phenomena have symbols, transformations are boundless. Choose a place to cultivate, transform into dragon, ascend nine heavens.】

【Xuan Use One: Driving creation, yin and yang naturally couple, tiger and dragon. The snake sheds its skin to become a dragon; the mortal sheds to become a true immortal.】

【Xuan Use Two: The old dragon receives the mandate to guard the spring and lies coiled, winding straight as if fallen from heaven; people say the divine creature grows more numinous with age, and at midnight its snoring brings wind and rain passing over.】

Summoning wind and calling rain, obtaining the dragon's true spirit.】

【Xuan Use Three: Coiled dragon, coiled dragon, hidden within the mirror. The division of the field has its image; transformations are boundless. Choose the ground to cultivate, transform into a dragon and ascend the nine heavens.】

Liang Qu's chest rose and fell, water mist reversed, the heart that beats once every seven days pounded thump-thump.

"What's wrong?" Eying mumbled drowsily.

"Nothing, just a little surprise."

Ignoring the explosive sound, Liang Qu shoved the time-bug back in.

A mere bamboo tube surely couldn't contain a great demon, but he still had【Point Ground to Become Steel】.

A moment.

Eying lay down on the bed.

Liang Qu draped himself in Dragon Spirit Gauze and sat before the desk, the bamboo tube striking the tabletop, thump-thump, nonstop.

Liang Qu pressed down with his large hand, listening to the dull explosive sounds, sinking into his sea of consciousness, his brow jumping thump-thump.

"Indeed, long qi that can serve as a set item is never ordinary."

Initially, time-threads only had two Xuan uses, while Xuanlong had one more than time-threads.

First marvelous use: after use, it can transform acquired true spirit into innate true spirit!

What are innate true spirits?

Dragon Lord, Dragon King, Duobao Toad, Fulu Xuan Turtle, Coral Crystal Worm, Precious Fish————

Immortal people, listed like hemp.

The defining trait is probably————no father, no mother?

No, that's wrong, show some respect, it should be called born of heaven and earth, unable to reproduce, unable to be born naturally.

"Time Worms also turned into Heaven-and-Earth True Spirits? Not quite right, maybe Time Worms themselves are innate True Spirits. That old man in Wangyue Tower said Time Worms' growth is inexplicable, they die if interfered with by humans, but grow if left alone————"

Liang Qu pondered.

First Xuan Use, simply put, an ordinary monkey uses it and directly becomes a Spirit-Bright Stone Monkey, leaping out from a stone, full of spirituality.

Only, does using it amount to sterilizing oneself?

Treasure Fish being unable to reproduce is a certainty.

The old toad has colorful flags fluttering outside, now a mountain-sized Ice Jade Chanchu, now a dainty Holy Mother Chanchu, taking turns big and small, yet never heard of any illegitimate tadpoles.

Including the Dragon King, Dragon Lords, Wu Cangshou————none have ever been heard to have offspring.

Second Xuan Use is gaining corresponding abilities, calling wind and summoning rain, cultivation in water accelerates, strength increases, etc., like Yuanliu Changqi can control water, but Xuanlong Qi is more comprehensive.

It's just that this Xuan Use requires consuming Qi to obtain, not simple use, Liang Qu can't use it, if he could consume it, perhaps he could greatly increase the natural acquisition of Water Marsh Essence!

The Old Dragon Lord's single gift of essence blood could yield tens of millions of essence, far higher than ordinary Demon Kings, absolutely different.

The past speculation that the Dragon Lord was a Treasure Fish wasn't groundless.

Third Xuan Use is even more exaggerated.

Choose a suitable place to dwell and cultivate, transform into a Hidden Dragon, accumulate day by day, month by month, and one can become a Flying Dragon in the sky, directly becoming a Dragon King!

This is the Xuan Use that shocked Liang Qu the most.

What is a Dragon King?

Peak of the Infant Dragon, wielding a guaranteed Middle-Grade Position Fruit, an existence invincible in single combat below the Furnace! Most critically, their lifespan differs from ordinary Infant Dragons, True Dragons by nature seem to have no lifespan limit.

Don't look at how Dragon Lords and Dragon Kings were all refined into materials one by one, seeming worthless, but put these things out there, they'd absolutely be fought over to the death, especially by the Southern Frontier Old Tusi. How many people hunt tigers risking half their lives, being able to Enter Zhen Xiang is enough to bring glory to their ancestors.

"The set of Changqi is extraordinary, true, but it absolutely cannot possibly let an ordinary person shed their mortal body and transform into a current-era pinnacle expert out of thin air————"

Liang Qu had a guess about the usage of Third Xuan Use.

This thing, accurately speaking, should count as a Position Fruit seed that can sprout on its own when conditions are sufficient!

Most people are "sterile" regarding Position Fruits, he and Zhang Longxiang exhausted all efforts, used heavy medicine to barely cure it, obtaining a half-finished product.

"First transform the user into an Innate True Spirit, able to cultivate and grow without bottlenecks. Once reaching Infant Dragon, it will automatically conceive and select the corresponding Heaven-and-Earth Position Fruit! One hundred percent chance to self-produce a corresponding Middle-Grade Position Fruit! It's a seed buried from the very beginning!

Artificial insemination! Specialized treatment for sterility!"

Liang Qu thought of Lu Cangjiang, thought of the Southern Frontier Old Tusi's painstaking schemes.

Selling this thing to the Southern Frontier, who knows, maybe even a hundred portions of Creation Great Medicine could be negotiated, only, Great Shun might not be willing, and the Southern Frontier might not be able to produce it right now either.

"Badass."

Liang Qu was speechless at Xuanlong Qi's effects, yet incomparably conflicted.

Instant and sustained, basically the difference between using Qi for effect and consuming Qi for effect.

Second and Third Xuan Use, can't be used without consuming Qi, but First Xuan Use, mostly doesn't need consuming Qi, using it directly takes effect, trouble is the problem of True Spirits possibly being sterile plagues him.

Please no sterility.

Right now he's young, with a powerful enemy before him, plus Infant Dragon and Entering Zhen Xiang having offspring is difficult, he can fear trouble and not want children, but not wanting and being unable to are two different things.

"Forget it, an Innate True Spirit's upgrade has no guarantee, getting stuck means death."

Liang Qu took a deep breath, laid out the four dragon scales from before, communicated with the Ze Ding.

He wanted to try another usage.

Whoosh!

Black Changqi appeared above the dragon scales, naturally swaying.

In that instant.

A strong desire was born in Liang Qu's heart, more accurately, it was the Wo Jiang Zhuai He Shen that was yearning!

As expected!

Xuanlong Qi, like dragon blood, has miraculous effects.

Wonder if it can turn the guest into the host, let the Martial Bone actively devour the Xuanlong Qi, bypassing the "sterility"?

Liang Qu backhandedly took out the Dragon Lord's natal essence blood, an unexpected situation occurred.

The floating natal essence blood actually leaned toward the Xuanlong Qi, the moment they intertwined.

The Ze Ding trembled.

【Can consume 10 million Water Marsh Essence, Xuanlong Spirit Fish, Dragon Blood (containing 10 million essence), Dragon Spine Bone (containing 10 million essence), to point the eye of Wo Jiang Zhuai He Shen, promote to Lord Bone】

【Supporting the Marsh Nation, Lord Bone can transform into Huai Wo Lord Bone, strength inexhaustible, can seize Heavenly Man.】

【Can consume one Position Fruit, 10 million Water Marsh Essence, to advance the Marsh Nation, perfect the Huai Wo Water Lord Supreme Domain, grasp and extract the Marsh Nation.】

【Water Marsh Essence: 19.76 million】

Liang Qu stood frozen in place, pupils widening in shock.

Moon sets, sun rises.

Sunlight poured down warmth, Long Eying was dazed and lazy, straightened her long legs, spread her toes, rested a bit, wanted to find someone to hug, reached out, grasped emptiness, rubbed with her sole, also rubbed emptiness.

She opened her eyes, turned over and sat up, looked around, didn't find Liang Qu's trace.

"Husband? Husband————Little Brother? Strange————"

"Dragon Lord! Dragon Lord!"

The Long Dragon shuttled through, touring in the water, the Dragon Lord originally wanted to pretend not to hear, but the other party kept calling, couldn't catch up from behind, then flashed, directly jumping between the dragon's eyes.

"Hi there." Liang Qu greeted, "Old Dragon Lord, why run? Why didn't you hear me calling just now, haven't you recovered yet, adapted well? Actually no need to labor so hard, I can stand in for a while."

Dragon Lord helplessly: "Why have you come again?"

Liang Qu rubbed his hands: "Isn't this coming to check on the Dragon Lord! How is it? Yellow Shahe water is a bit muddy, used to it? Any difficulties or needs?"

"No visit without a reason — out with it, what do you want?" The Dragon Lord gritted its teeth and stomped its claw. Besides the four Creation Treasure Fish Liang Qu had given last time, there were also quite a few Creation Great Medicines obtained as compensation from the Northern Court — no small amount. It had actually made a tidy little profit, roughly half a share, and never expected this monkey to have spotted it all.

Truly plucking every feather from a passing goose, penny-pinching to the bone.

"The Dragon Lord is straightforward!" Liang Qu was delighted, rubbing his hands even faster. "This time I don't want blood."

"Don't want blood? Then what do you want?" The Dragon Lord glanced at the gap in the scales on its tail — new little scales had already grown back — and then in a flash—————

"Cough, cough, not dragon scales either." Liang Qu coughed twice, rubbing his hands until they nearly sparked. "This — a life-bound bone——"

"

The Dragon Lord turned and walked away, as if it had made some firm resolution.

"Where are you going, Dragon Lord!" Liang Qu chased after it.

"Back to the Underworld."

"Ah, why's that?" Liang Qu was struck dumb with shock.

"The Underworld at least won't carve flesh with a dull blade — one stroke and it's done!"

"Nonsense! I rescued the old Dragon Lord — would I take the old Dragon Lord's life? What do you take me, Liang Qu, for? In all of Yixing, who doesn't know my character?" Liang Qu rebuked sternly, then fished out a large clump of essence blood. "This goes back to the old Dragon Lord!"

The Dragon Lord stared wide-eyed. Life-bound essence blood?

Wait, didn't you just take it away? It couldn't make sense of it, thought a moment, then suddenly realized.

"Don't want essence blood, switching to bone? If we talk a discount————"

"That's not it." Liang Qu grew awkward. "If the bone can't be had, the essence blood gets discounted, so I'm returning it to the old Dragon Lord first to nurture. Right, not an ordinary bone — it has to be a vertebra————"

Treasure Fish can be kept in round pools to preserve their essence; essence blood can't — left too long the essence leaks away. Better to return it to the old Dragon Lord for nurturing, then take it back once materials are gathered.

Want bone, and a vertebra at that?

The Dragon Lord flew into a rage, its tail breaking the river.

"Transform, you monstrous monkey head! Today we settle who's superior, and we decide life and death!"

"No need, no need, we can talk it over." Liang Qu hurried to placate, sighing. "I'm not forcing the issue. I have no Creation Great Medicines left on hand, same as with the essence blood — once I gather enough Creation Great Medicines, I'll trade with the old Dragon Lord again. This matter truly has great use for me. Dragon Lord, believe me, this is the last time!"

Boundless physical strength, power to seize a Heavenly Man!

This description struck Liang Qu hard.

The Heavenly Man here is absolutely not the Heavenly Man of a Heavenly Man Grandmaster — merely Entering Zhen Xiang. Holding rivers and dragging streams is possible; a Heavenly Man is an Immortal!

Most crucial of all: Profound Long Qi, dragon blood, essence — including the supported Ze Kingdom — the conditions are almost all met!

Sovereign Bone!

Huaijiang Sovereign Bone!

"Last time?"

"Last time!" Liang Qu affirmed. "If I ask again after this, I'm a complete fool!"

The Dragon Lord fell silent for a long while, its dragon eyes shifting, then suddenly asked: "How are things between you and the Northern Court?"

Liang Qu thought a moment: "Before, we were mortal enemies. But now the Underworld has descended, we share a common hatred of the enemy. Further down the road we'll likely be able to join forces."

"Joined forces now?"

"Not yet."

The Dragon Lord narrowed its dragon eyes, glanced left and right, confirmed no fish were in the water between, and said softly: "Then how about I help you? The two of us go to the Ehe River together, capture the White Dragon King alive — it's a Dragon King too!"

Liang Qu stared, "Good one, Dragon Lord — you're bold and black-hearted too." He then grew more awkward: "Not very feasible."

"Why not? I'm evenly matched with the White Dragon King in strength, and with Dragon Lord experience I can suppress it. Add you, and we still can't take it down? Worried about the Northern Court? Call up that Dragon Elephant King too — the three of us, more than enough."

Liang Qu hemmed and hawed, stiffening his neck: "The White Dragon King once helped me bluff a flood dragon — has shown me kindness, counts as half a comrade————"

"Am I not a comrade?" The Dragon Lord grew angrier still. "I even helped you deal with the Fifth Immortal!"

"Not quite the same. The White Dragon King and I aren't that close — asking this would be too presumptuous————"

The Dragon Lord raged, fury uncontainable, waving its claw and shaking the air: "Asking me isn't presumptuous? Being close means you can ask? Isn't this bullying an honest dragon?"

"Absolutely not!" Liang Qu turned serious. "Only the Dragon Lord's vertebra is missing — with it my strength can rise another notch! Taking on the Fourth Immortal becomes possible!"

"Why?"

The Dragon Lord was baffled. It's just a Yao King now, isn't it?

It can't even beat the Fourth Immortal itself — Liang Qu gets its dragon blood and dragon bone and can?

Is it that effective?

Liang Qu explained: "Similar to how the Yellow Sand River has a Dragon King and the Huaijiang has a Dragon Lord — for me it would be a qualitative transformation!"

A long while.

"Truly able to deal with the Fourth Immortal?"

"Can't guarantee it, haven't fought it. But definitely quite a bit stronger than now. Dragon Lord invests, I do the work — let's hit him with everything we've got!"

The Dragon Lord gritted its teeth, recalling a hundred years of humiliation.

"Hurry up and gather the restorative Creation Great Medicines — damn it, pulling the vertebra out won't heal easy!"

Liang Qu's eyes lit up: "Understood!"