Chapter 1453: Blood Profit, Heaven and Earth Bonds (Combined Volume)

The sky cleared, scorching white light reflected from the ground, fire lines radiating outward, striking people and steaming sweat from their bodies.

The onlookers and travelers panted heavily, as if they had just wandered through the Jianghuai region, their bodies damp outside and hot within, moisture surging inward and seeping outward, overlapping and suffocating, making them feel miserable.

Fang Su opened her mouth, feeling nothing in her lungs, strained her chest, forced open her stiff, swollen throat, and inhaled a fresh breath laced with moisture.

Long silence, long stillness.

No one moved on the dock, immersed and unable to emerge.

Exhilarating!

Shocking!

Fierce!

The Holy Emperor leaned against the chair back, gazing at the distant sun; early summer sunlight bathed him, the air carried the fresh scent of water-grown reeds, bringing ease and exhilaration. He sipped tea and asked those beside him: "Sweat King, Tribal Chief, you two have just entered my Great Shun territory. Now observing the Jianghuai River God's sacrifice, what do you think? If you have suggestions, speak freely without reservation."

The drifting thoughts fell back.

The Sweat King surveyed the crowd, locked onto the little flood dragon and fat fish within it, paused, then praised: "Magnificent momentum, grand spectacle, unlike the ordinary."

The old Tribal Chief gazed at the vast marsh, seeing rippling light, and sighed long: "The wind's mournful, waves' mighty, like ten thousand horses galloping: bears roaring. Fenglong breaks the resonance, Lieque opens the clouds—gazing at the countless ripples on the river, like my thoughts, rising and falling, faint light flickering."

The Sweat King opened his mouth, glanced sideways at the Tribal Chief, and added without changing expression: "The warrior's anger stirs, heroic spirit arises, the atmosphere of Great Shun is extraordinary."

The old Tribal Chief's eyes drooped.

His gaze fell from the dock altar to the extended ceremonial beads of the emperor rock carving, as if he himself had become that sculpture, staring into the distance.

He was not stunned by the grand spectacle of the Wu Sheng's appearance, merely by an illusory divine power of a great demon; he had witnessed even more magnificent scenes.

He was infected by this prosperity, this festive atmosphere.

Wherever the Great Shun Emperor went, the people welcomed him sincerely, heaven and earth sacrificed, travelers devoutly paid homage—truly, he seized the advantage of heaven's timing. What he had countless times wished to achieve in the southern frontier—this vibrant surge of life, all things competing to flourish—was now before his eyes.

He did not understand.

Why not the southern frontier? Why not the Lu Cang River?

If he were the Great Shun Emperor, bringing the rulers of the southern frontier and northern court here to accompany him in watching, he would surely burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.

"Hahaha, hahaha."

The Holy Emperor laughed without cease, slapping the armrest: "Such a festival, and there are still twelve more to come! Yixing as the dragon's head, yet also dragon body and dragon tail! Each with its own color.

Tribal Chief, Sweat King, if you are inclined, why not join me in sailing upstream? Any delays during the journey, I shall charge them all to my Great Shun account!

The Xuanhuang qi gathered by my Great Shun shall be split fifty-fifty with the southern frontier and northern court! How about it? The great era approaches, Xuanhuang harmonious—how many more masters could arise?"

The Sweat King immediately moved.

The Tribal Chief pondered.

The Holy Emperor showed no urgency, actively steering the conversation: "You two need not rush to answer—Yixing's specialties are many. Inside Yingchun Lou, there are dream-inducing clams; on Pingyang Mountain, hot springs. Soon, there will be the annual cross-Jianghuai boat race, all extraordinary delights. Speaking of the race, I wonder if you two have interest in participating? Rarely does one come this far—if you do not experience it yourself, it would truly be a pity."

The Tribal Chief glanced at the Holy Emperor, who knew everything like the back of his hand, and his heart stirred: "The Holy Emperor understands so well—must he have already experienced this?"

The Holy Emperor laughed: "I do not conceal it—last edition, also the very first boat race champion, was me! If you two participate, let us set a wager: let my Great Shun be host, regardless of win or loss, you shall receive Xuanhuang qi!"

"Respected guests, travelers from afar, welcome to beautiful Yixing County! Let us again thank the Holy Emperor, whose exhaustive efforts—everything you experience today stems from the peaceful prosperous age he has created for us!"

The sound at the mountain's base gradually surged; Xu Zishuai of Yingchun Lou came back online.

Within the Jianghuai marsh, the Jianghu Merchant Guild officially opened; great demons and demon kings reversed course, purchasing wildly, upgrading their membership cards to seize enlightenment opportunities.

After a full half-cup of tea's time, the still dock finally rekindled its fervor; pent-up emotions and shared impulses burst forth and gushed out in a single rush.

The world-renowned Wu Sheng personally performed, various divine powers united in bombardment, heaven and earth changed color.

Under heaven, aside from Yixing, where could one witness such top-tier audiovisual enjoyment?

Even marquises and dukes have never had such a thing!

Chen Zhaoan nearly fainted from excitement; the sun baked him, he suffered heatstroke directly, had his grandson drag him to tree shade to press his philtrum, took half a day to wake, then clung to half a gourd of chilled mung bean soup to recover, his entire aged, wrinkled face showing an unusual flush.

Thanks to the Ice Jade Toad clan, ice in Yixing never runs short; a few toads stand by the roadside selling cheap ice, one wen per cup.

Otters ran past before him; in the merfolk water channels, snakes serpentined.

Xie Hongyu spat out a mouthful of turbid breath, concealing his shock deep in his eyes, watching humans and beasts in harmonious joy, as if lost in thought.

Southern frontier beasts are more abundant—yet aside from removing pest insects, why cannot they achieve the harmony of Yixing, each taking what they need, all kinds competing freely under the frosty sky?

Lacking a white ape? Or a dragon lord?

Liang Qu descended from the altar, heard the cheers, heard the clamor, the whole world whistling in his ears.

He did not join them, suppressed his surging thoughts and excited emotions, read message after message, spat out a mouthful of turbid breath, and gathered his composure.

"No wonder I failed to snare the flood dragon the first time—turns out I hadn't met the precondition."

【Breaking the Sacrifice, Subduing the Dragon triggered..

【Current progress: None】

【Achieve Breaking the Sacrifice, Subduing the Dragon, and receive the favor of the River Lord Emperor—each time you attain Martial Dao Penetrating the Divine, your Martial Dao talent doubles, and damage against water-attribute demon beasts increases by ten percent.】

Second River Lord favor mission!

Breaking the Sacrifice, Subduing the Dragon!

The last trigger was still 【Searching the Mountains, Subduing Demons】, also Liang Qu's first time drawing the River Lord's favor.

Martial Dao Penetrating the Divine seems unremarkable, but actually grants seventeen layers of talent bonus, constantly active—without it, Liang Qu's enlightenment count would be at least halved, perhaps even wiped out entirely.

The memory of having his senior brothers bring him to Mount Pingyang to exterminate mountain ghosts remains fresh.

Liang Qu has long awaited another chance, or to actively trigger it—no feat of the River Lord's affairs is worth emulating.

Shouldering mountains, racing the sun?

He can shoulder mountains, but the core of this feat is using the mountain to press down the sun.

Splitting the mountain to save his mother?

The central figures no longer exist—would he have to let the Xu clan guest-star?

After counting and recounting, only one remains: the River Lord slaying the flood dragon. But when he first fought the flood dragon from river head to tail, from Great Shun to the southern frontier, the great way he wore down was eroded, and it was never triggered.

It turns out it wasn't about subduing flood dragons and controlling water—it was about breaking the sacrifice and subduing the dragon!

It was rumored that a malevolent dragon had emerged from the Min River, causing floods and harming people. The locals lived in fear, and every year on the sixth day of the sixth month, they offered boys and girls as sacrifices. Upon learning this, the River Lord captured the malevolent dragon, chained it to spit out water, irrigated the fertile fields, replaced the dragon, and received the sacrifices—this is what is known as breaking the sacrifice and subduing the dragon.

"The final progress of Subduing Mountains and Demons is only at thirty percent, yet I've already received a single Verdant Grace. Does this mean that completing one Verdant Grace task fully could actually elevate me three levels of Verdant Grace?"

Now, advancing one level in River Lord Verdant Grace already requires seventeen strands of Vital Energy. Three levels would be exactly twenty layers, possibly bringing a qualitative change—having an extra trump card aside, the key point is that the Vital Energy saved would amount to fifty-four strands!

The Liang Qu of today is no longer that petty martial artist who needed several senior brothers to help plug leaks when dealing with mountain spirits, deliberately training himself. Capturing a flood dragon is as easy as turning over his hand; he has full confidence in completing it perfectly, making the flood dragon violently spout water.

But it's fundamentally impossible to complete!

Last time, the flood dragon had the Whale King guard one of its fins—whether it was truly at peace or merely pretending, at least on the surface, there was no movement whatsoever.

Throughout, he adhered to a single word: endurance!

Though he hasn't become a Long Wang, he already possesses the qualifications of one.

If he goes out of his way to recklessly provoke the flood dragon, giving the Whale King no face whatsoever, it would undoubtedly provide more reasons for the Whale King to insert its fin, turning an already fragile balance into an even more complicated situation.

The only thing that brings Liang Qu comfort.

From the moment he stepped down from the altar until now, the Verdant Grace task has never disappeared. Combined with his previous experience,

"If the task doesn't officially begin, it will always remain? That's actually good news."

"All past events drift with the wind————"

Liang Qu set aside the Verdant Grace task, gazed upon the vast marsh, and recalled the first sacrifice, his first encounter with a mountain spirit, and his first journey to Mount Pingyang.

In the blink of an eye, that was already over ten years ago.

The reeds by the banks of the Jianghuai lakes are, as always, lush year after year, never changing.

"Huu————"

What is destined to come will come in time; worrying over gains and losses is useless. Better to rejoice and exult over what is certain.

Communicating with the Marsh Cauldron.

【Cauldron Lord: Liang Qu】

【Refusing Marsh Spirit: Great Sage Water Ape (Deep Orange)】

【Marsh Spirit Verdant Grace: Martial Dao Reaches Divinity, Seventeenth Level (River Lord Emperor); Yinglong Pattern: Ten Layers; Tian Wu Yu Pattern: Three Layers】

【Marsh Essence: Thirty-seven million seven hundred sixty-four thousand eight hundred】.

【Dew Seeds: Eight】

【River Dominion: 19.9 (River Favor: 1124.3958)】

His heart pounded violently.

His throat felt dry, his lips cracked.

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd seen it, he still found it hard to believe.

Liang Qu looked over it several times, confirmed he hadn't misread, and curled the corners of his mouth.

One thousand favor points!

Last time the Holy Emperor arrived, it was only over two hundred.

"Beijiang, Nanjiang, Dashun, and various small states—all terrestrial powers have gathered, and the aquatic demon kings of Tiannanhaibei————are likely already here at the peak."

"Offering sacrifices to the Huaijiang is utterly correct in principle and law—heaven and earth, land and water, none fail to revere it; heaven and earth in great harmony."

Last time it was merely "Offering sacrifices to the Huaijiang, utterly correct in principle and law—heaven and earth resonate."

Except for the immortals and demon sovereigns who didn't come, nearly everyone beneath the immortals has arrived to participate in the worship.

No.

The immortals might very well have come! Who knows where they're secretly peeking from.

Heaven and earth, water in and out—this river god sacrifice is the utmost of the utmost; to say it is truly a grand enthronement ceremony is not an exaggeration.

A thought stirred.

【River Dominion: 30.9 (River Favor: 24.3958)】!

A historical high!

Refreshing!

Drinking sour plum soup in the midsummer heat, one sip of coolness travels from the soles of the feet to the back of the head.

If one could come once a year, the tribal lords and khans would all attend, and in ten years they'd draw out the great position fruit, in twenty years every subordinate would be a demon king—punching the Whale King, elbowing the Great Li!

And so it goes, endlessly.

Liang Qu shifted his gaze again.

Inside the Marsh Cauldron.

Six brand-new strands of Vital Energy floated and swayed in midair.

Three were gray, and regardless of form or color, they looked exactly like the ash smoke that emerges after a burning bonfire has died out, faint and elusive.

Three were blood-red, like fresh blood dispersing in water, drifting out as faint red threads.

【Obtained a thread of Incense Sacrifice Debt Energy; if merged with thirty thousand Marsh Essence, it will give birth to a spirit fish, whose function is mysterious.】

【Incense Sacrifice Debt Energy: Incense Sacrifice Song Extreme, Smoke Belongs to Supreme Clarity, Invite Heaven Once, also usable for Verdant Grace Sublimation】

【————if merged with thirty thousand Marsh Essence————】

【Jade Land Contract Energy: Coin Deep River, Message Reaches the Obscure, Invite Earth One Promise, also usable for Verdant Grace Sublimation】

Liang Qu is no longer the ignorant fisherboy who knew nothing.

He has even personally experienced the literal meanings of these two types of Vital Energy—when he first achieved the Wu Sheng and was ennobled as king, he personally witnessed this grand sacrifice.

"The ritual of sacrificing to heaven: pile firewood to fill the sacrificial victim, use jade and silk to burn it, so that the smoky odor rises to heaven; thus, naming the sacrifice to heaven 'incense sacrifice' also."

"The ritual of burying jade: inlaid pen at the corner of Mount Tai."

One is a heaven-sacrificing incense sacrifice, burning cloth and silk; the other is a river-and-mountain sacrifice, burying jade—both are tangible objects of sacrifice.

It's just that I don't really understand how it works.

"Ask heaven once? Ask earth for a promise?"

A phrase suddenly floated through Liang Qu's mind.

"Heaven does not take promises lightly, yet upon receiving the offering, a contract is established: lend wind and cloud to the four seasons, repay with life and bone for a thousand autumns—"

"Loan type? Six unnamed bonds? Used up, what can heaven and earth give?"

"I wish to become an immortal on the spot!"

Liang Qu held his breath and made the wish, calmly, with gentle clouds and light wind.

He thought for a moment.

"Yin-yang beings crippled from a fall!"

"Old Yin Whale turned into a fool!"

"World peace!"

"Great harmony under heaven!"

The river wind blew past, with no response.

None were fulfilled.

Such a small redemption value.

Liang Qu felt a bit dazed. But he understood one thing: these six breaths were not ordinary; they were rare, requiring thirty thousand essences to transform into the breath of a spirit fish!

Sun and moon, time, heavenly dew, black dragon—

So far, over ten thousand breaths have had great use.

The most important thing is.

"Feeling is also a set of breath, isn't it—"

Burning firewood to offer to debts, burying jade land contracts—just looking at them, they seem like a pair, just like yin and yang.

Only this time, unlike the black dragon breath, there was no appearance of the marsh cauldron prompt.

"When free, go find the time insects to have a look—"

Liang Qu turned back, looked at his governed lands, lush and thriving, filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Super abundant harvest!

"Huai King! Huai King! Hey, finally found you, why are you alone here?"

"Manager Li?" Liang Qu jumped down from the treetop, "Did Your Majesty have an order?"

"Yes." Eunuch Li caught his breath, "His Majesty is searching for the Huai King, hurry over."

Liang Qu's heart jolted.

Pingyang Mountain.

The Holy Emperor dismissed his attendants and spoke privately with Liang Qu.

"I have persuaded the Sweat King and the tribal leaders to jointly participate in the cross-Huaijiang boat race, Liang Qing, do you have any arrangements?"

"Ah, arrangements, what arrangements?" Liang Qu blinked, scratched his head, "I don't understand, Your Majesty might as well speak plainly? The cross-Huaijiang race, fair and just, like Jishuitan, clear to the bottom, never had any arrangements, no dark schemes."

"You brat!" The Holy Emperor chuckled, "Just answer me one thing: do you want to let the tribal leaders and the Great Khan continue participating in the sacrifices?"

Liang Qu was shocked, nodded vigorously: "Want! Your Majesty, I really want to! I really want the tribal leaders and the Sweat King to keep participating, even in my dreams!"

Every time it's like this.

Two races, three races not getting off the ground?

Based on last year's experience, from now on it will gradually decline per race, but it's still better than no decline at all.

"Then don't play dumb here! Just use last year's move, the Jiang Tun's breakthrough in battle, everything's arranged. I've already given you the chance—can you seize it, keep the people, that's up to you!"

"Cough." Liang Qu gave a dry cough, "Well—tied for first?"

"Tied? That would hardly damage my prestige." The Holy Emperor displeased.

Liang Qu followed the lead: "From beginning to end, the Holy Emperor led the charge, the Sweat King and tribal leaders' mounts also broke through in battle, one after another, you chase me, I chase you, fiercely intense, yet always just one move short, unable to reach, forever out of grasp.

Who would have thought heaven envies heroes, the Holy Emperor's mount's past unknown, carrying a wound of affection, finally suffering outside influence, speed greatly reduced, not a battle fault, allowing the tribal leaders and Sweat King to seize the chance, in the end all three crossed the line together.

Appearing tied for first, but after the three referees' slow-motion replay, the Holy Emperor led by half a body length from start to finish, the tribal leaders and Great Khan tied for second—how is this?"

The Holy Emperor's eyes brightened: "This is good."

"Understood, arranged!"

The two exchanged a smile.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we can see, compared to last year, there are more water beasts on the dock, correct, the second annual cross-

The Huaijiang boat race is about to begin; the on-site referees and the dragon people in charge of recording are all in position.

The competitors on the field are doing warm-up preparations in order, from left to right, we can see the Huai King's three top disciples, Wen Wen Shi Yun, Xi Ziyu, and Lu Mengyao!

Wen Wen Shi Yun is known to all, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions of the Wolf Smoke in this year's martial examination! As for the latter two, perhaps many don't know, they are indeed my new disciple-nephews.

I hate my junior brother, didn't even greet, took on two disciples at once, finished the拜师, now I haven't even decided what greeting gift to give.

The Yingchunlou shadow play scenes keep shifting.

Laughter inside and outside Yixing.

"Further left, is my Pingyang elder, Su Guishan, magistrate of Pingyang Prefecture, formerly the———

And also the three heroes of Xige Prefecture, when the Huai King was obscure, the Xige Prefecture three heroes once———

Oh ho, plus Guan Jian, the Guan brothers, he's come again this year, speaking of seniority, I still have to call him master uncle, what? You ask why so low———

Wait, what did we see! His Majesty is warming up! Plus the Southern Border Tribal Leader and Northern Court Sweat King, they've taken the field!

This is a once-in-a-thousand-years marvel, the Great Order, Northern Court, Southern Border, three monarchs, gathered together at the Jianghuai Great Marsh, not a meeting, not a confrontation, but a boat race!

My heavens, truly wind follows tiger, cloud follows dragon, dragon and tiger heroes soar above the heavens, what a magnificent dragon-tiger struggle! The race hasn't even started, yet I already feel the blood and wind!"

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