Chapter 1429: Plum Blossoms Bloom Twice, Invincible Foundation (Two-in-One)

In the Tianchen Grand Hall, the gates stood wide open, golden light slanting in, and a warm spring breeze flowed along the ground.

The golden bricks reflected human faces.

The towers soared high; the Sage Emperor sat in the center, with the Dragon-Elephant King and the Chong King on his left, the Huai King and the Su King on his right — the five kings seated together, arranged like the character "Mountain," each exuding a pressure as heavy as a mountain.

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial stood at the head, proclaiming the imperial edict of the metropolitan examination.

Several thousand people inside the hall were deathly still, so quiet it was almost "introverted" — not a whisper of conversation, not a single cough.

The supervising censors scanned the hall once, well satisfied.

Never mind that today the assembly was a mixed bag; even at ordinary grand audiences, old ministers often made little movements — coughing, speaking,

and worse, spitting on the plaza.

The Southern Frontier and the Northern Court — one is barbarians, the other also barbarians. All are vulgar people untouched by sage teachings. Today their numbers were even greater, yet following along to court, they made not a shred of noise.

The whip cracked for solemnity — they were solemn; the whip cracked to enter — they entered; the whip cracked to line up — they lined up.

Like docile cattle and sheep on the steppe.

A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall; originally the censors felt the Sage Emperor's arrangement was improper and earnestly admonished him, thinking eight sages facing five sages would risk danger, an unstable on-the-spot breakthrough, even mortal peril. Now it seems the effect is not bad.

Barbarians fear power, not virtue.

Hm?

The censor focused his gaze, directing his vision to the Southern Frontier ranks, skipping over the leading Great Wu, and landing on the rear. He snorted coldly, thinking: As expected, Southern Frontier barbarians — and a woman at that, playing with insects and poisons, ugly bearing, utterly vulgar.

Yo, this girl actually dares to glare at this old man!

Alas, the other party is not a Great Shun official; unless a major disturbance erupts, she cannot be punished. Otherwise he would certainly impeach her with a memorial. The censor secretly brandished his ink brush.

"Dead old man, so gross! What are you looking at, never seen a beauty? At your age, your granddaughters must be seventy or eighty. This old lady plops down and you'd die of excitement! Can't hit the Huai King, but can't I hit you? One punch to smash your doddering head."

Li Xianghan always felt the gaze of that little old man beside her, holding a long wooden board with a tuft of white whiskers, was offensive. She clenched her fists, widened her eyes, and cursed wildly in her heart, muttering whether he was a lecherous old man who had taken a fancy to her beauty as the Southern Frontier Holy Maiden, full of lust — truly foul and gross.

Soon, a sour astringency struck, and she had no time to think further. Wave after wave of tightening in her lower abdomen, legs pressed together, twisting left and right — she couldn't hear a word the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was saying, only wanting it to end quickly so she could find a place to relieve herself.

Dragging on for half a day, she hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, and right off the bat they gave her a show of force — the Great Shun Emperor, so lacking in propriety!

We're your own people, Your Majesty.

"Ah!!! Why is it this little slut again!!! Flirting and posturing!!"

The "souls" of Tan Qianlan and Yu Aoshan drifted out from their composed bodies, hugging their heads and raging at Li Xianghan ahead in the line.

Ever since Li Xianghan advanced to Entering Zhen Xiang, she alone dominated the Holy Maiden ranks, attracting all eyes. Arriving in Great Shun, reaching the Tianchen Hall, she was still flirting and posturing! Stealing the limelight! And now she even wants to seduce the Great Shun Emperor!

Why, why are all eyes drawn to this little slut?

"Strange girl."

The Wolf Lord led the Northern Court Martial Saints, their position very close to the Great Shun Four Kings, standing just below the imperial throne on the left, adjacent to the Southern Frontier Great Xian.

If they intended it, a sudden rise could let them ambush the Emperor — only no one dares to do so.

The Golden King's Court, the Lotus Sect's new Venerable Bao, Liang Qu, Zhang Longxiang — the three advancing in succession. The Wolf Lord suspected that among the two who emerged, either would be very hard for them to handle.

Li Xianghan and the others were just behind the Martial Saints. The Wolf Lord also noticed the small movements by chance, always feeling those three Holy Maidens were engaged in some strange competition.

Dispersing the strange thoughts, his gaze returned upward. The Wolf Lord recalled the Qi mechanisms, pondered silently, and summarized the intelligence.

"The Great Shun Emperor is now a thirteenth-stage Awakening realm? Does he have a Self-Cultivated Position Fruit? Breaking twelve stages in one day — unheard of. Could it be some Position Fruit ritual? Or a refining method?

Heard Great Shun can manufacture Xuanhuang Long Qi; every year the heaven-and-earth sacrifice produces it, and output is gradually increasing. Effect is inferior to the Nine Tours White Banner Qi, but quantity far surpasses it. Is it the hearts of the people under heaven? Damn it, the show of force wasn't enough — they're using us as stepping stones again!

Zhang Longxiang — definitely Awakening realm now; one more breakthrough and it's Self-Cultivated Position Fruit. As for Liang Qu —"

The Wolf Lord raised his head and glanced sideways, suspicion rising in his heart.

What did Liang Qu break through? What method exactly? How does it feel like his stage count is nearly catching up to me? He's only been a Young Dragon for three years.

The Dragon-Elephant King and the Sage Emperor both have their Qi mechanisms internalized; after the breakthrough Qi pillars vanished, their exact states can't be seen — only Liang Qu.

Before, the Wolf Lord only thought he himself was too shocked, plus the other party stepped out of the side hall, light and shadow intersecting to create an illusion. Now observing, there really are "ripples"!

At the position to the Great Shun Emperor's right, a youth with thick brows and large eyes, extraordinarily heroic, sat upright. Not only did he have a youthful face, but he also exuded a unique vigor that made it clear this was not youthful looks preserved by high realm, but genuine youth.

Within three inches around the youth, the air rippled with a transparent ring layer, like heat waves distorting along the ground in scorching summer.

When Liang Qu sat still, it was still not obvious — the ring layer merged with the surroundings. Once he moved, it completely undulated like water ripples, layer upon layer, pressure coming wave after wave!

Simply not in the same scene as a normal person.

A threat!

The Wolf Lord felt an incomparably deadly threat!

Even more exaggerated: according to intelligence, the Huai King is already in the middle stage, with fifth-to-sixth-stage strength. Breaking two more stages makes him seventh-to-eighth stage, almost catching up to him.

How to fight this?

They were like that before breaking through; after breaking through, who knows.

The Honored King, fully controlling the Two Rivers, territory unprecedented in a thousand ages.

Now Great Shun's power is terrifyingly strong.

If we don't ally against Great Li, it's strike south and north first — no one left in the human world, mutual destruction. If we do ally against them, it's obey and follow, let them lead, and we become cannon fodder!

If we bow our heads now, at the Great Hunt two years later, must we hand over the Position Fruit?

Did Tian Shun deliberately stir things up before the Great Hunt?

"Thus it is decreed————"

The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial finished the proclamation.

Immersed in the three Qi pillars, unable to extricate themselves, the Martial Saints and Great Xian all came back to their senses.

"The martial examination, ah." The Sage Emperor looked down on the ministers and spoke with emotion. "Our Great Shun holds the martial examination every three years. Each session has indeed selected many talents for our Tian Shun, making them pillars of the state. Yet every time it is held, it makes Us feel time flows like water, years never return. Speaking of the martial examination, Liang Qing seems not to have participated, right?"

"Your Majesty, why should I participate?" Liang Qu tilted his head back. "Pardon my bluntness, but the martial examination selects — not the most outstanding talents of our Great Shun."

"Oh?" The Sage Emperor was surprised. "Why?"

The ministers stirred with a low murmur.

Not everyone says the Huai King is humble.

Do they look down on martial examination masters like this?

Liang Qu looked around and continued: "In our dynasty today, the Son of Heaven has descended, cherishing the virtuous and employing the capable, politics are clear and the people harmonious. Wherever talent exists, it reaches the heavenly ear directly, the path is smooth and unobstructed. True genius—why would it need the martial examination to gain fame?"

I was merely a fisherman by the Huaihe River, fortunate enough to be valued by my master, who brought me forward with some merit, and then Your Majesty took notice at a glance and promoted me to office. Who could possess such resolve?

Later, I gained even more special favor from Your Majesty, who supported me all the way. By eighteen, I had already hunted tigers and lost my eligibility for the martial examination. Thus, in my view, Your Majesty's vision is extraordinary—true worthies are already promoted, with no need to take the examination.

The so-called martial examination is merely Your Majesty worrying that talent might be buried, hence a check for gaps and omissions. How could that be considered top-tier? True top-tier talent has long been taken into Your Majesty's grasp!

"Hahaha, good, good indeed—taken into Your Majesty's grasp!" The Sacred Emperor laughed heartily.

Li Xianghan widened her eyes.

This is the Huai King?

The Northern Court Wu Sheng and the Southern Border Great Cover were astonished.

Can one speak like this?

"How so?" The Sacred Emperor looked left and right: "Envoys from Southern Border and Northern Court have come from afar, and talents from both sides have gathered. Today is the opening of the martial examination—why not move with me to observe together, to see the talents of our Great Shun, their cultivation, and whether they are martial?"

"It is as desired."

The Wolf Lord and the Great Cover of Qinggu Valley stepped forward, bowed, and responded.

They came for the affairs of the Dream Dynasty, not to observe or participate in any martial examination, but this matter cannot be rushed.

After a brief chat, the Sacred Emperor simplified things, had the inner attendants arrange it, and directly led everyone to the drill field.

As Liang Qu rose, the "ripples" around his body became increasingly evident.

Su Wang, Longxiang Wang, and Chong Wang all glanced sideways.

Zhang Longxiang especially felt a great threat from within the "ripples," sensed the grasp of authority, and had a vague sense of being unable to secure it—

How could this be?

Zhang Longxiang only accepted the arrangement, knowing Liang Qu would break through with him, but unclear what Liang Qu had broken through. Clearly his position had already been nurtured, his realm and root sea would not normally cause today's situation—

Leaving the palace, the environment suddenly turned cold.

Li Xianghan mixed into the crowd, covering her abdomen as she hurried forward in small steps.

The official procession had just arrived at the Tianyu examination grounds when Southern Border and Northern Court realized something was wrong.

On the field, crowds had densely gathered early to participate in the martial examination, warming up and familiarizing themselves with the terrain—disciples sat cross-legged in meditation, their aura extraordinary.

The Wolf Lord and the Great Cover of Qinggu Valley, Li Yifeng, exchanged a glance, silently thinking: terrible, another trap.

Another trick!

On the Tianyu drill field, Meng Qiang saw the procession, strode forward, first glanced unexpectedly at Liang Qu, whose "painting style" differed, then dropped to one knee and greeted the Sacred Emperor: "Your Majesty! I have an important matter to report!"

"Oh, what matter?" the Sacred Emperor asked.

"This morning, disciples warming up on the drill field suddenly observed a heavenly-earthly anomaly in the imperial city, which inspired the refinement of true gang into the body, and furthermore, those with extraordinary talent inscribed it as an image!"

An uproar arose.

Inscribing an image into true gang?

Immediately, an old minister urged, bringing forward the disciple who had inscribed the image for inspection.

The Wolf Lord and Li Da finally realized what trap they had fallen into.

At the rear of the procession, Li Xianghan finally found a convenient place, took care of it, took a deep breath, regained her elegance, returned to the field, saw several young men step forward, paid no attention, having just found Tantian Lan, wanting to show off her breakthrough.

Dozens of youths gathered on the drill field, all displaying true gang!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, dragons, pengs, apes, tigers—

Streams of true gang burst forth on the field; beyond the true gang, heavenly images floated in the air, momentum surged violently, crimson pillars, vermilion-gold pillars, heavenly-purple pillars shot up from the ground—beneath the pillars lay the palace, above them layered clouds, countless pillars of energy intermingled and merged, forming a single picture.

A familiar scent blew toward the face.

Li Xianghan again cried out in alarm like a startled jerboa, fleeing in panic.

The Southern Border and Northern Court elites were even more in an uproar, their formations disordered.

Familiar scent, familiar pressure.

The Northern Court Wu Sheng and the Southern Border Great Cover felt their veins jump, unable to suppress the urge to retreat half a step.

Could this happen twice?

"Good, good, good!" the Sacred Emperor exclaimed, his heroic spirit soaring, looking left and right: "Wolf Lord, Li Da, are the talents of our Great Shun martial?"

The Wolf Lord gritted his teeth, squeezing out a "good" from between his teeth.

The Wolf Smoke True Gang—originally not meant to startle a Wu Sheng—but after half a day of exposure, it was truly profound.

A rare occurrence across ages, to inscribe an image—what glorious honor!

The Sacred Emperor laughed heartily, then immediately bestowed rewards.

Liang Qu looked around and, among the dozens, saw the ghost-faced Warm Stone Rhyme; master and disciple exchanged a smile.

Nothing else—just one step fast, step after step fast, already prepared.

Boom!

Shi Zhu rose.

All afternoon, the drill field held simple screenings; the martial examination would not officially begin until tomorrow, yet the capital's undercurrents grew ever fiercer.

Having just come to discuss, we were struck by a great horse's might from Great Shun—twice over—starting off most disadvantageously.

The Wolf Lord and Li Da immediately sent word back, directly launching grandmaster-level experts like projectiles.

The sun set westward.

Selection continued; Liang Qu accompanied the solitary cultivation in the midst, finally bringing his body's uncontrollable "ripples" fully under control, exhaling in relief.

Gazing for a while at the orange-yellow sunset, the shimmering lake surface.

He looked inward at his own body.

The root sea was vast and boundless.

He compared it against the Dragon Court Xiandao.

Even Liang Qu felt his mind and spirit tremble.

One thousand nine hundred twenty-four times!

A seven-hundred-fold surge in a single day, and it wasn't over — still rising!

The Monarch Bones were like a furnace, continuously steaming, and under the ultimate aptitude, they transformed into abundant fruit.

In one day he had walked the path an ordinary Yao Dragon would take a lifetime to traverse.

Within the Dragon Court Xiandao, illusory shadows layered upon each other, their number distinct.

Ninth Stage!

The River Lord Emperor's aptitude, the support of the Monarch Bones, the wonder of 【Rolling Stone Into Pill】 — there was absolutely no breakthrough bottleneck!

The only thing that hadn't changed was the divine ability's stage number.

Liang Qu raised his perspective.

Above the Dragon Court Xiandao, the orb of light that was the brilliant sun became incomparably condensed and solid.

The thousand-fold root sea method, now nearly two thousand folds, the realm stage even raised six layers; the massive root sea poured back in reverse, nourishing, driving the growth of the Position Fruit.

Liang Qu hadn't tried it, but he felt that using items elevated by Ju Mang again wouldn't cause a drop!

"What a pity the order is wrong — if the treasured medicines had been elevated and fixed before the borrowing, perhaps a profit could have been made."

Root sea, realm, Position Fruit — all surged violently.

However, these were still not Liang Qu's greatest combat power increase.

When it all boiled down to it, every increase was built upon the massive improvement of the Martial Bones; the Martial Bones were the most terrifying foundation of today's improvement.

Five fingers clenched, and the vanished "ripples" reappeared at the fingertips, their trajectories clear.

These previously uncontrollable invisible ripples were the greatest harvest.

Refreshing!

He clenched and unclenched repeatedly, hooking out the "ripples" again and again.

Liang Qu drew close to Zhang Longxiang.

"Has the method come out?"

"Mm, borrowed twenty strands, pieced together a hundred strands, the authority has emerged." Zhang Longxiang replied in a low voice, "No time right now; wait until I return and organize it for you."

"Many thanks!" Liang Qu felt a surge of joy; he still had a hundred strands of Xuanhuang unused on him, "What authority?"

Zhang Longxiang glanced sideways, his gaze meeting the Wolf Lord who had come to eavesdrop.

The Wolf Lord sat up straight in embarrassment, continuing to watch the Wolf Smoke disciples' selection in the arena.

Liang Qu understood: "We'll talk tonight. I want to spar with you a bit, see if the authority is of any use to me."

Authority — would it be useful or not?

How could authority not be useful?

Zhang Longxiang froze for a moment; seeing Liang Qu's empty grasp, the unique "ripples" spreading out in rings, his pupils gradually dilated.

A groundless, terrifying thought pierced through and sprouted, growing wildly.

The sky gradually darkened.

Night fell.

He had been hungry all morning, watched all afternoon, gone a whole day without a drop of water; experts could still endure, but quite a few Benma and Fourth Pass attendants couldn't take it, stomachs growling, and finally heard the dismissal.

The Holy Emperor set off to return to the palace; before leaving, he glanced at Liang Qu and Zhang Longxiang, his eyes signaling.

The two understood; Liang Qu pinched his thumb and forefinger, making an "OK" sign, which made the Holy Emperor lose composure and laugh.

The drill ground gradually emptied.

The Wolf Lord and Li Dawu exchanged a look, just about to return to the Honglu Temple where they were staying, when a large hand reached out from each side, silently clamping onto their shoulders.

The two peak Yao Dragons risked their souls, instinctively struggling.

Boom!

The earth trembled, and two small pits suddenly appeared beneath their boots.

The Wolf Lord and Li Dawu stomped on the ground and exerted force — they didn't move an inch!

"! Why are you two in such a rush?"

"Huai King!? What are you trying to do?"

"Haven't seen you in a long time, just coming to say hello! This must be Li Dawu, right? Southern Frontier team leader, first time meeting, pleasure pleasure."

"Long heard of Huai King's great name."

"Haha, hope it's not an infamous name."

Liang Qu draped his arms over the two's shoulders, extremely familiar, and incidentally withdrew 【Point Ground Into Steel】.

Li Dawu couldn't break free, giving an awkward smile: "Wonder what the Huai King wishes to ask?"

"What ask, don't be so serious; guest comes first, I won't do anything to you." Liang Qu exerted a little force, and the two peak Yao Dragons shook their upper bodies uncontrollably like ordinary people, colliding with each other, horrified in their hearts.

What kind of ox-horse strength is this?

"You're both pillars of the state, rarely leave the borders; this is your first time in the Great Shun Imperial Capital, right? The capital is great — unmatched prosperity. Since you've just arrived, how about me and King Longxiang treat you to a meal?"

Zhang Longxiang stepped across half a pace, nodding at the two.

The Wolf Lord and Li Dawu realized — a small pre-negotiation meeting.

"That works too, but Huai King needn't spend — simple home cooking —"

"No expense no expense, come on, let's go eat the capital's famous snack, brain meat!"

Brain—brain meat?

In the wolf lord's mind instantly appeared Mount Tianshan monkey brain, E River dragon brain, Kunshan west phoenix brain, various mountain delicacies and sea treasures, top-grade exotic beast skulls—heard that some exotic beasts' marrow tastes extraordinary, and even has extraordinary marvels in cultivation.

Here you go, customer, take your time.

Iron tongs clamped the pottery jar's neck, then placed it on the tabletop.

Below Dragon Ford Bridge, open-air stall, boiling and noisy.

The wolf lord lifted the lid, hot steam billowing, obscuring the view. He thought for a moment, then blew a breath.

Tendon head brain.

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