Chapter 1447

"If that's the case, then for those revived using the Supreme Body, will their realm follow their own changes?" the Sacred Emperor asked.

"Correct." Liang Qu listed them one by one: "Zi Yu and Meng Yao, my two disciples—before revival, their cultivations were at the Four Passes and Wolf Smoke Middle Realm. After using embryos of the same mass and quantity of Supreme Body, they advanced to Galloping Horse and Wolf Smoke Peak.

Due to the addition of extra precious medicines, the exact effect is hard to determine, but roughly similar to Su He Baru—individual strength influences and moderates the Supreme Body's effect: the weak are strengthened, the strong weakened, depending on the resources used and invested.

The only certain benefit is that even a small diluted fragment of the Supreme Body still enables them to reach the level of innate martial bones; talent aside, just in terms of foundation, it is exceptionally favorable."

"Wait, Zi Yu is only at the Four Passes?" Lan Jicái exclaimed, surprised. "Just taken in?"

Liang Qu fell silent for a moment: "I've had him for several years now—he's talent————not ideal, and besides, the netherworld seems to have a ceiling; eating many blood treasures did little good.

According to my recent observations, his qi and blood growth are normal and rapid; his bone age matches that of a twenty-year-old man, so he should be able to cultivate normally now—at least before tiger-hunting, there will be no bottlenecks or obstacles."

"If his talent is not ideal, why take him on?" Lan Jicái puzzled.

"Heh." Liang Qu grinned, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles. Back then, I was unfamiliar with the world, so clever as I am, I naturally sought an ordinary person to scout ahead for me, to learn the lay of the land.

After staying a while, through back-and-forth, we just happened to click—I take disciples without regard to talent, anyway, no matter how good one's talent, it's not as good as mine; no matter how high one's cultivation, it's not as high as mine; even a bit of dirt under my fingernails is enough for him."

The Sacred Emperor chuckled: "You, you."

"So then, this Supreme Body is truly a rare treasure?" Lan Jicái mused, "I've searched through the Lotus Sect's archives, found no specific records of its manufacture; interrogated those lamas, got no useful information—only through analysis, it seems largely a fusion of netherworld essence, Lotus Sect vow power, and various martial bones and flesh."

Liang Qu asked: "What about the authority of the Dragon-Elephant King? Can it be taken inexhaustibly, used without end?"

"No." Lan Jicái shook his head, "It involves the origin—cannot be traced back; extracting medicinal power in segments, allowing time to recover, is possible."

Recently, with the help of the Directorate of Astronomy, Zhang Longxiang's authority has been put to creative use.

Such as cutting off a piece of a living treasure medicine, then swallowing it to inflict damage, replanting it—even if the origin's medicinal power cannot be immediately restored, the fact that it remains intact greatly reduces the recovery time of the origin.

Combined with Liang Qu's sublimation, we are already producing the third edition of the Great Merit Exchange Ledger.

Furthermore, due to the abundance of treasure medicines, we can extract large quantities of slices without harming the medicines themselves, directly using physical specimens for various analyses and experiments; research materials in the pill workshop have surged, progress advancing by leaps and bounds.

Question: When will biotechnology easily achieve major breakthroughs?

Answer: During wartime.

The fiercer the war, the more dead and prisoners, the more likely medical technology is to undergo major breakthroughs.

The mid-to-high tier pill refinement in the pill workshop has encountered similar conditions of abundance.

Although the treasure medicines now receive support from both Liang Qu and Zhang Longxiang, leaving a surplus, due to the pill workshop's research needs, over half of the surplus has been taken for research, not benefiting ordinary martial artists.

But once the pill workshop steadily produces results, we can foresee improvements in efficiency and utilization, which will then feedback—by then, it will be triple support!

A treasure medicine that once had a certain value now doubles in worth out of thin air.

"Since it cannot be endlessly drawn upon—" Liang Qu pondered, "Your Majesty, I believe the Supreme Body has great use; it should not be confined to rituals—better to treat it directly as revival material!"

"Revival material?"

"Exactly—one Supreme Body can be disassembled to give those in the netherworld who wish to depart, mighty beings reborn for a second life—namely, the flesh provided by the Yao Dragon!" Liang Qu's eyes gleamed, "Perhaps because it is not a complete Supreme Body, revival may only reach Zhen Xiang or even Tiger-Hunting, but given their innate conditions, returning to Yao Dragon is no difficulty."

Lan Jicái's eyes lit up.

One Supreme Body, according to Zi Yu's physique, can at least be split into over a thousand portions.

Of these, only one-tenth re-cultivated into Yao Dragons—that's still a hundred Yao Dragons, far simpler than refining medicine with the Supreme Body.

A hundred Yao Dragons dying peacefully, leaving behind legacies, would again yield a hundred rituals—you could still return to the netherworld yourself.

Wait.

Lan Jicái shivered, blurting out: "If we could reduce the cost of the Supreme Body—break it down—wouldn't that enable yin-yang circulation, a single step to ascend to heaven?"

"Huh?" The Sacred Emperor turned, "How exactly is yin-yang circulation, a single step to ascend to heaven?"

Lan Jicái organized his thoughts: "Your Majesty, as the Huai King said, netherworld Yao Dragons have infinite lifespans, slow cultivation, and even a ceiling—or perhaps a lifelong limit, or even a secondary one; whereas worldly lifespans are finite, cultivation rapid, and without ceiling.

If the Supreme Body could be infinitely multiplied, wouldn't it allow periodic rebirth and cultivation of Yao Dragons? Reborn, re-cultivated for a second round, third—absolutely faster.

Break through the Mystic Light Opening and Heaven-Man Unity—when reached, breakthrough occurs, no need for accumulation; when a higher ceiling is reached, return to the netherworld, leave behind a legacy, and so the cycle repeats.

All Yao Dragons could achieve immortality, all could continually break through ceilings, combined with the Louguan Terrace's Yin-Yang Creation Method—repeatedly burying oneself—buried twelve times, even everyone could attempt to become immortals—"

Lan Jicái's voice grew smaller and smaller, filled with boundless awe.

Looking at the Mirage Dragon, the world might self-grow.

If the self-born position fruit continually appears, then position fruits in the world will continually appear, authority continually manifests, and afterward—

Strangely, Lan Jicái felt as if he had grasped something—a cool, mint-like sensation rose from his spine to the base of his skull; the previously unyielding Mystic Light Opening inexplicably appeared— a hint of loosening?

Liang Qu's pupils slightly dilated.

Is this not like stepping with the left foot on the right, taking off in place?

It seems like yin-yang taiji—the Supreme Body is that point of soul where black and white merge.

Once successfully set in motion, yin and yang qi give birth to all things, the eight trigrams and four symbols—what will the world become?

"If the Great Li Taizu were to revive, attempting to rule the worldly realm, perhaps it's not merely due to temperament—" the Sacred Emperor reminded faintly.

Lan Jicái and Liang Qu snapped back to awareness.

"The Lotus Sect affair is over—for now, do not mention, discuss, or record this matter; I will inform the immortals; as for the Supreme Body, take some for research, and send the rest to Wangyue Lou for storage." The Sacred Emperor made arrangements.

"Understood!"

"The Lotus Sect has been eliminated, yet this is only the first phase of strategic offense; now, over a year remains until the Great Hunt—we cannot sit and wait for doom, must pursue victory, expand our gains.

Liang Qing, Zhang Qing—since the Fourth Immortal has not yet fully revived, the Fifth Immortal self-destructed to support the Fourth, we thus have an opportunity to let the Great Li Taizu fall into this vicious cycle! At the Sixth Month River God Festival, I grant you two months of leisure—adjust well, prepare thoroughly."

"Yes!"

Leaving the temporary palace, Liang Qu gazed at the sun.

May, early summer, the weather at the Great Snow Mountain is brilliantly clear—blue like a sea gem, temperature not high, sun fierce, scorching the skin until it burns.

The Lotus Sect has already become thoroughly a thing of the past, reduced to ruins, the gold on the Buddhist pried off, many lamas arrested.

As for the turbulent situation—

Now suppressed by the old monk and martial force, but truly resolving it may take years, decades, a generation, several generations of effort, even more—without changing the barrenness caused by the Great Snow Mountain's harsh environment, such primitive religion still has vast survival soil, in unseen corners, blood-vine-like clinging and twisting.

"Finally over—"

Liang Qu descended the steps, his figure collapsing inch by inch upon them.

The old monk spanned Da Shun's pursuit, Jian Zhongyi's schemes, Hantai Prefecture's wavering, Great Snow Mountain's assassinations————

Calamity Qi, withered wood meeting spring, flood control, hidden stakes————

He and Great Snow Mountain had never directly clashed, yet Great Snow Mountain had always indirectly influenced him, seeping into some corner of his life.

The once colossus, in just a single month, lay prostrate at his feet.

He unfurled the Ze Kingdom; inside, every single soul light sphere had fallen into a dormant state.

The true Suhebaru, Xi Ziyu's grandfather, River God Sect's Vice Sect Master Shen Zhongliang, the remaining elders, the remaining direct disciples, relatives————densely packed, quite a few people.

Only one was absent.

He reached out and plucked it out; with a stroke of the Heavenly Pivot and Earthly Axis, he reawakened it.

The light sphere unfurled into a human figure; Jian Zhongyi, groggy and muddle-headed, his hazy consciousness gradually reviving.

He had slumbered for a long time; his memories were somewhat blurred, like a hangover, only feeling he had dreamed a dream, a nightmare.

Life replayed over and over in the dream.

The forbearance of seeing his mother shed tears in youth, the eight-sided awe when he passed the imperial exam in young adulthood, the exhilaration when his middle-aged schemes succeeded, women's soft bodies and tender lips during his licentiousness. The Old Ancestor finally died, dying at the hands of the clansman he took pride in; the superior Chang Qi was obtained, the White Clan Old Patriarch's remnants were obtained, hidden stakes were uprooted one after another.

With official status gone, yet merit and crime offsetting, he was once more a clean body; suddenly, at the most smooth-sailing moment, inexplicably, he began to panic and lose his way, driven into a corner, cleaved in two by a single blade, pressed into a scalding black oil pot, a horse bit wrapped in horse-stench shoved into his mouth————

Jian Zhongyi remembered, remembered everything.

The river, icy and bone-piercing.

He and Bai Yuan died together, and after that————years of unchanging torture, humiliation.

He opened his eyes; dazzling white light made him squint, that blood-red expanse vanished without trace, a long-lost clear sunny day.

Where?

Jian Zhongyi looked around; strange clothing, distant snowfields, ruined halls, intense red and blue pigments on the door frame, not like the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

Myself, escaped?

He turned his head, saw the youth beside him. The youth was very tall, five chi seven, clad in Dragon Spirit Gauze, bearing extraordinary presence; wherever he went people greeted him, yet everyone seemed unable to see him, treating him as invisible, until a child bumped straight through his body.

Memory rippled.

"Liang————Qu?"

Liang Qu turned his head, glanced sideways, golden eyes igniting, corners of his mouth curling up.

Boom!

Blazing, molten lava-gold eyes, piercing straight into the brain.

Bai Yuan? Liang Qu?

Bai Yuan! Liang Qu!

Jian Zhongyi's skull seemed to explode; he shrieked, instinctively retreating, fleeing in blind panic, ducking into an alley, passing through walls, yet no matter where he ran, he always ended up back on the main street, seeing Liang Qu strolling slowly over!

He ran for a very, very long time; his heart pounded as if about to burst, saliva sticky, fear multiplying his exhaustion; Jian Zhongyi could run no more, collapsed sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.

Boots stopped before him, halting motionless.

Liang Qu did not look at Jian Zhongyi; he gazed into the distance, temple hair and whiskers flying, squinting at the sun: "Do you know where this is?"

Jian Zhongyi raised his head; Liang Qu's back to the sun, features blurred into a mass by shadow and sunlight, only two golden pupils incomparably clear.

He looked around once more, finally understanding some things, Adam's apple bobbing.

"Lian————Lianhua Sect?"

"Destroyed by me."

"You?"

Liang Qu did not speak, merely lowered his head and stared straight at him.

Jian Zhongyi's pupils dilated; his gaze crossed past Liang Qu, seeing the collapsed grand hall, the fractured snow mountain, hearing patrol soldiers on the street wearing Da Shun standard armor respectfully greeting.

Huai————King?

Huai————King!

Jian Zhongyi clutched his chest, increasingly unable to catch his breath.

He thought of the academy, thought of that youth in the academy with a clear face, dark skin, who hadn't understood the question but had the courage to scribble nonsense, reeking of fish, and the Huai King before him with gold-red eyes and splendid robes fluttering merged into one.

Something pasted over his lungs, like mud scraping his throat, leaving bloody gashes.

Eighteen Levels of Hell, horse bit, Bai Yuan, Xingyi Marquis————

Scene after scene flashed wildly.

"Ah! Ah!"

Blood threads crawled across his eye whites; Jian Zhongyi hugged his head, knelt on the ground, screaming in agony.

Three years, three years!

Oil pot, horse bit, oil pot, horse bit!

Passersby acted as if unhearing, only seeing the Huai King stand still, head lowered, looking down at something.

Curious, they followed with a glance; apart from two ants, there was nothing.

Jian Zhongyi went mad, rose to push stalls, to smash pedestrians; his illusory hands passed through bodies, he fell to the ground, he shouted and howled to destroy, to vent, yet could not even knock over a single old man.

Liang Qu watched quietly, waited quietly.

A long while.

Jian Zhongyi, hair disheveled, slumped down sitting.

"Old Jian, you're very smart, very bold; I shouldn't need to explain, you've understood everything, right?"

Jian Zhongyi opened his mouth, a flash of insight, brain spinning wildly, then saw Liang Qu point with fingers together, pupils widening in shock, squeezing out his last strength, moving his lips————

"Pfft!"

Tiger roars, dragon chants—exorcising evil, subduing demons.

The soul fades like smoke and mist, turning into a gust of clear wind.

Liang Qu steps forward.

Dust rises lightly, uncontrolled, as countless creatures blow upon one another.

May third.

Each leaves behind one young dragon stationed, the Three Sides of the Great Snow Mountain—"Stone in the River"—explodes with a boom!

"Hold it, you lot!"

Frogs croak loudly, the frogs lift their heads—big fish, no, the legless frogs swim darting.

The ball leaps from the fish's head, spins into a vortex, and crashes down with a boom.

"Ribbit, it's the elder's fangs!"

The big frog leaps out splashing, overjoyed and delighted.

The old toad makes a great leap, auspicious clouds following its body, jumping onto the big fat head.

The frogs are astonished by the old toad's new appearance, even more eager for it to open the yellow sack.

Who would have thought the old toad would remain unmoved? It leans back, its webbed feet pushing hard, as if grabbing the water from behind, violently pulling it forward, slapping toward the leading big fat one—like a great sorcerer chanting spells: "Hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, transform quickly, hold it, become a demon king!"

Water weeds sway, the water remains still.

Demon king?

The big fat one looks left and right, points at himself: "Me?"

"This lord consumes the nation's fortune—useless trash! Cannot bear it at all, except you frogs!" The old toad rages, stomping hard on the big fat one's head, then looks at the second fat one, continuing the chant: "You come! Hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, you, second fat one, become a demon king!"

The second fat one shrinks its frog head.

The water weeds continue to sway.

"Ah, detestable, infuriating this lord—you, you come, hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, demon king! Ribbit ribbit, demon king! Demon king!" The old toad casts spell after spell, panting.

After a while.

Not a single demon king appears.

The old toad sits down dejectedly, gazes heavenward and sighs long, recalling the Great Snow Mountain when everyone had sudden enlightenment: "Why is it useless? My frog clan—could it be we are nothing but rotten fish and stinking shrimp, lacking heavenly pride?"

The big fat and second fat stare at each other, scratching their heads.

The elder went out on a trip, returned with unexplained clouds on him—how did he become even more mad?

The frogs look toward the legless frog.

The legless frog scratches its whiskers, runs to the old toad's ear, and mutters a few words.

The old toad's eyes light up, energy surges again, it leaps up and casts a second spell: "Hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, attain sudden enlightenment!"

The big fat one dazes for a moment, then suddenly, frog-mind sparks explode, a stream of ineffable thoughts surges into the heart, the state becomes wonderfully good.

Boom!

The vital energy explodes outward.

The frogs stare wide-eyed.

Frogs, begone!

Good heavens, the elder went out to learn magic!

"Ribbit hahaha." The old toad plants its webbed feet on hips, toes tapping repeatedly, "Sudden enlightenment! Sudden enlightenment! Sudden enlightenment!"

One after another, the big frogs sit cross-legged on the ground, entering a state of sudden enlightenment, their aura surging violently.

The frog clan is greatly shaken.

Vital energy piles layer upon layer, immense beyond compare.

Not far off, the frog king awakens in shock, sits up with a leap, lunges forward without waiting to ask, and sees the old toad at the center of the frog crowd, thinks "Oh no," about to turn back to tidy up, but the old toad has already seen the shadow spreading, frog eyes glowing.

"Hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, demon emperor!"

Demon emperor?

Where is there a demon emperor?

The frog king startles, warily scans the surroundings.

The old toad waits expectantly for a long time.

The frog king scratches its buttocks.

Such great hope turns into immense loss, the old toad stoops its waist, sighs deeply.

"Even the king cannot bear my immense, matchless vital energy?"

Oh no, the elder has actually learned to deceive the frogs!

The frog king realizes, again wants to slip away.

"Hullabaloo, ribbit ribbit, sudden enlightenment! Break through, great king!" The old toad straightens both arms, strains to cast the spell.

The frog king's mind goes blank, stiff in the water, the frog lanterns flash wildly, emotions heightened.

Boom!

Vital energy shoots straight up.

West Water, North Water.

The Turtle King and Hai Fangzhu look at each other with surprise and doubt.

"Hoo."

Huai Wang Fu, Liang Qu sits slumped on a rattan chair, gazing at the gradually repairing Second Immortal Isle, once again communicating with the Pot King.