Chapter 1466

Tree shade lay still and quiet, cloaking half the pond; the other half caught slivers of light, dazzling. The Third Prince coiled among the branches, eyes closed, dozing. Suddenly a wind rose between heaven and earth, and within the wind came a strange sound, overlapping and continuous.

Not leaves, not grass, not the fish leaping in the pond.

It was steps, footsteps.

The white dragon's eyelids twitched slightly, but he did not open them. He spoke: "You've come."

No one answered. A half-circle of shadow stepped on the light, silently drawing near, merging with the tree shade.

"One more step forward, and you die! Do not say you were not warned!"

The half-circle of shadow halted, swaying faintly. Then — the wind stopped, but the shadow did not. Resolutely, decisively, it stepped into the tree shade!

Shadows merged, the wind abruptly surged, blowing the bamboo hat away.

Scrape.

Dragon eyes snapped wide, blade-light flashed violently.

"Ah-da-da-da——" The Third Prince roared in fury, four claws raking in succession.

"Wood-big-wood-big-wood-big——" The fat fish bounced, swinging twin hammers.

Dragon claws and coral hammers intertwined, black and white twin fiends, dragon contending with tiger, taiji revolving. Black qi currents and white mist beasts exploded one after another; shockwaves blasted the two beasts apart, pressing the green grass low, and they rolled in dizzying spirals away from Long Eying's feet.

Both sides of the pond.

"Ah!" The Third Prince threw back his head and roared in rage, qi waves surging violently around his body.

"Ha!" The fat fish stopped rolling on the ground, spewing black mist wildly.

Black and white flames separated the pond, burning fiercely.

Long Yanrui stared wide-eyed. A-Fei has endured bitterly for years — has the fat fish finally turned the tables?

He was excited, he trembled, he called out.

"Brother-in-law, quick quick quick, make me one too! The same kind."

"Pa!"

A hand slapped his shoulder. Verdant hues rendered, seeping deep into his body. Long Yanrui only felt his divine ability turn heaven and earth upside down, changing without end. Boundless power welled up from the depths of his body.

"Ahaha, ahahahaha, I feel it, this great Water Lord power!" Long Yanrui braced his forehead, laughing wildly, then shouted low, "Startling Dragon, Fifth Transformation!"

Horns sprouting on the head — first transformation; tailbone growing a dragon tail — second transformation; both feet curving backward into dragon claws — third transformation.

Fourth transformation, the draconic phenomenon vanished. Long Yanrui stood one and a half zhang tall, lithe and powerful. At the fifth transformation, a cry of pain — dense, fine scales like white jade drilled out from within his body.

Long Yanrui's physique kept changing. On the ground, what had been a mantis-like lithe human form slowly elongated, and in the end it actually reversed twice over, turning into a three-zhang white dragon!

"Wow! Claws!" Long Yanrui lowered his head and cried out in surprise.

"Wow! Horns!" The Third Prince glanced over and cried out in surprise.

Boom!

The coral hammer smashed down. The fat fish seized the chance and sent the Third Prince flying with one hammer blow.

"You fat scoundrel, no martial virtue!" The Third Prince tumbled and soared into the sky, clutching the side of his face and pointing in fury.

"Brother-in-law, I turned into a dragon!" Long Yanrui made a huge fuss, soaring and winding through the air, then flew over to show off to Long Eying. "Sister, look! A dragon!"

Long Eying nodded, crescent-moon eyes: "Mm, I see it."

"A dragon, but — cough, this is the third-stage divine ability Startling Dragon Transformation. Impressive!"

Liang Qu cut off his words, stroking the jade-white scales. They were extremely fine; at a glance one wouldn't even notice they were scales. He was quite amazed.

The current Yanrui and the Third Prince were almost exactly alike — white dragons, and even a pair of dragon horns! Their auras were equally ferocious.

An Entering Zhen Xiang divine ability cannot advance in rank; it can only be refined through slow, painstaking work, gaining a slight increase in strength. One must reach the Calamity Dragon stage, metamorphose into a Creation Art, before one can continuously advance in rank and elevate quality.

Startling Dragon Transformation is a divine ability exclusive to the dragon-human race. Alas, the dragon-human race has never produced a Calamity Dragon; there have only ever been three transformations.

But by using the Goumang Authority, Liang Qu let "Startling Dragon Transformation" directly reach the third stage. On top of the base three stages, he achieved an unprecedented five transformations! Judging by aura alone, Long Yanrui — a lower-realm Entering Zhen Xiang, an ordinary Grandmaster — his base aura actually rivals a Tianren Sect Grandmaster, even faintly surpassing them by a thread, slightly approaching the Heart-Fire Tianren level.

If this were let Eying, who is already a Heart-Fire Tianren, experience it — what would happen?

Little Liang Qu?

Not to mention Yanrui's transformation — even the fat fish, having gained the Two Consecutive Jumps, is still deadlocked with the Third Prince, unable to determine a victor.

The Third Prince is a clan power, after all!

Inside the pond, the fat fish fought to its heart's content, wielding brush and splashing ink, wanting nothing more than to shout "glorious battle, glorious battle."

Enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens for three hundred years, one morning a loyal heart is known by the gods. This move, red-hearted loyalty — how can traitors block it!? This move, unwavering devotion — how can rebels withstand it!?

The fat fish shuddered all over, bounced away the mirage beast, drew a deep breath, and lifted its fish head.

The Third Prince was horrified and changed color, retreating in panic, shielding the mirage tiger before him: "Bad, the fatty's started reciting poetry! Quick, cover its mouth!"

The mirage beast galloped, but ultimately lagged half a step behind.

The fat fish exhaled qi like a sword, blasting apart the lip-beast: "Heavenly gods bright and sage, loyal and treacherous distinguished. Elevate the worthy, sweep away demon drought-fiends.

The worthy advancing, like uprooting mugwort; the great treacherous departing, like a spur falling off."

"Ah!" The Third Prince staggered half a step.

The fat fish pressed the pursuit: "All hundred flowers past, green shade forms; faint furnace incense, sleeping in late clear weather.

Rising from illness after ten days, sparse wine cups; mountains deep, fourth month, first hearing the oriole.

Recently an edict passed opening the speech route; one can divine the ruler facing the court making great peace.

Heavenly gods do not forget the beauty of initial governance; the petty scholar only has tears streaming horizontally."

"Ah!!! The Third Prince clutched his head, "Stop reciting, stop reciting! Great treachery resembles loyalty, great treachery resembles loyalty!"

"Fierce!"

Liang Qu clenched his fist. After two brief rounds of experiment, the fact was indisputable.

The Goumang Position Fruit has made a great leap, ascending a new tier. Originally one object could only raise one stage; now it can raise one object by two stages. Correspondingly, does that not mean Ruchou can lower by two stages?

Especially since the current Goumang is not what it once was — its sublimation can be fixed in place!

The changes were earth-shattering.

"I thought Ju Mang had already reached its peak, never expected it could keep growing — completely beyond expectations——"

Liang Qu was very happy.

He had always thought his Position Fruit was stronger in logistics but weaker in combat; after all, a First Tier's enhancement, compared to the Position Fruits of the Dragon Elephant King and Ge Zu, was really a bit biased toward the weak side in combat use — never expected First Tier wasn't Ju Mang's limit, but his limit.

First Tier is already very fierce; Second Tier is a doubling.

"What exactly is Ju Mang's limit? Is Second Tier the end? Or Third Tier? Corresponding to the Three Talents?"

Liang Qu speculated excitedly.

If it truly turns out to be Third Tier in the end, then coincidentally, he is currently at Tenth Tier; with the Great Position Fruit successfully nurtured, he would directly enter Thirteenth Tier, initiate the Transformation of Creation, use the Position Fruit to unfold his True Self, transform from mortal to immortal, achieving it in a single step.

It's just that Liang Qu discovered his Position Fruit was exceptionally difficult to nurture, especially compared to Zhang Longxiang — what Root Sea does he have, what Root Sea do Zhang Longxiang and Ge Zu have? They've clearly been fed no small amount of various treasures.

He had thought Ju Mang could stabilize, could shine universally, its authority already complete, only a single step away from the Great Position Fruit——

However, the surprise wasn't that simple.

"Withered Wood Meets Spring — should be recovered by now, right?" Liang Qu took a deep breath.

Flourishing vitality, combined with the half-brand-new version of Innate Gang Refining, terrifying vitality surged within the physical shell, making one suspect whether a severed limb could regenerate directly at this moment.

When he first obtained Flourishing Vitality, Liang Qu had an idea — let the compatible Long Qi refresh the cooldown of Withered Wood Meets Spring.

Staring at the constantly surging blue light, the immense vitality and the leaping morning dew light made it difficult for Liang Qu to judge accurately.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel his heart twitch — the resurrection of Withered Wood Meets Spring——

"Wait, I have the Big and Little Horse Kings now." Liang Qu's brows and eyes lit up with joy, "Pot King's several divine abilities can also serve the purpose, no need to suffer so much haha."

"Proprietor!"

A call came from outside the courtyard; it was Fan Xinglai's voice.

Ta Ta Kai pricked up his ears.

Fan Xinglai ran to the Crescent Moon Cave entrance, panting: "Proprietor, the Angel has arrived!"

Liang Qu steadied his mind: "It's time, A Fei, stop fighting, you do this and that first, so and so—— Ta Ta Kai, let's go! Set sail!"

The Imperial Capital, lotuses blooming in Jishuitan, the giant elephant drawing water.

"Sharpening scissors——, sharpening scissors——"

The firewood seller carried his pole out the back door, the water seller pushed his cart to a stop by the wall; the common folk only thought it ordinary.

Liang Qu spat out a fish bone, looking slightly wistful; in the past when war broke out, ordinary people would all be affected, but now it's not the same as usual at all — only if they lose the war will there be nothing left.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

The ice platform whirred and hummed, hot tea mist curling, tables and chairs scattered in twos and threes; this place was already seated with quite a few Yao Long, the "Stones in the River" gathered together, only no one was speaking much, everyone meditating with eyes closed.

Yao Long, too, would feel nervous.

Huai Wang, Su Wang, Wolf Lord, Li Da Xian, Ge Zu — merely a day's difference, each of them carried an indescribable sharpness, killing intent, like swords wiped with oil, unsheathed.

Smelting a hundred classics, advancing without retreat, and even above non-retreat still able to polish two or three more.

Lifting his hem, he stepped over the threshold.

Ge Zu, Zhang Longxiang, Wolf Lord turned their heads, originally wanting to greet him.

Immediately, Ge Zu's pupils dilated: "Huai Wang, you, you——"

The other Yao Long also noticed the difference in Liang Qu's aura.

Polishing for several days, converging here, everyone was waiting for the unsheathed sharp sword. But Liang Qu was different, completely different; where was there any sharp blade, it was simply as if he had been thrown back into the furnace and reforged once through — not polishing the sword to a shine, but reshaping the sword's bone and edge, still carrying the residual heat not yet fully cooled after leaving the furnace!

Breakthrough, and another breakthrough!

Outsiders didn't quite understand Ge Zu's reaction.

Happening to catch a breakthrough — isn't that very normal? A coincidence, why be surprised to this extent.

Liang Qu laughed it off with a haha, smiling bashfully: "Good luck, a bit of gain."

"..

"

Ge Zu's lips moved soundlessly, unable to speak.

Depart on the 7th of the 8th month, rendezvous on the 9th.

Separated by one day!

Only the Wolf Lord and Li Da Xi, who had witnessed Liang Qu break through three times in three days in the past, empathized with Ge Zu.

Go home and break through, finish breaking through and come fight a war.

Everyone often handles affairs and occasionally has gains, water dripping through stone, small breakthroughs; are you someone who breaks through constantly and occasionally spares time to come handle affairs?

"Ge Zu, Dragon Elephant King! And this——" Liang Qu interrupted in time, looking toward the other two.

The other two people present, he surprisingly discovered he didn't recognize; the Wolf Lord and Li Da Xian, both lagged behind them by half a step.

On the left, beard and hair all white, looking extremely old, a skinny old man nodded: "Huai Wang truly a man of talent, old man Shen Pei."

"Diviner Shen! Myriad Manifestations Heavenly King!" Liang Qu exclaimed.

Shen Pei smiled: "Just a false reputation.

Liang Qu's mind shook violently.

If he remembered correctly, the holder of the Myriad Manifestations Position Fruit, even the refiner!

This carries weight; this white-bearded old man is over eight hundred, right? Extremely close to, no, already broken through the Yao Long's lifespan limit!

Those coming from the Southern Frontier are few — Liang Qu's gaze turned to the left side.

That was a middle-aged man, figure considerably tall, face square and upright, looking magnanimous and bold: "Wu Lihan."

"So it's the Lion King!" Liang Qu turned serious.

A man's name, a tree's shadow; some people are not in the jianghu, yet the jianghu still has their legends.

The Lion King, the man who took the title of one of the Eight Beasts of yesteryear with him forever, no one else could inherit it.

His name resounded like thunder in the ears.

Also a Position Fruit wielder! Only the Position Fruit ability wasn't all that detailed; the only thing known was that, same as the Myriad Phenomena Position Fruit, it emphasized killing and slaughter, clearly a Minor Position Fruit, not a Middle Position Fruit.

Wu Lihan laughed heartily: "Long have I heard of King Huai's name; today I finally get to meet him.

"I dare not compare myself to you, Senior." Liang Qu bowed.

Xin Damian, Lion King, gathered together.

Showing that both the Southern Frontier and the Northern Court had brought out their full household assets.

Top-tier Martial Saints with Position Fruits, especially those who can obey a king's orders, or rather cooperate with deployment — there are very few such experts in the world. Experts like these often won't appear on the frontline battlefield anymore; ordinary losses of cities and territory aren't enough — only a war of national extinction would mobilize them!

The two were acquainted.

"King Huai, begin." Lan Jicai said.

"Good!" Liang Qu rolled up his sleeves, full of smiles, "Who's first?"

"Me!" Li Damian was the first to step forward, "Back at the imperial capital observation, I've long wanted to experience it. King Huai, trouble you."

"Hah, you and I are already comrades-in-arms, a trifle!"

Everyone sat up straight, eyes bright and focused.

Liang Qu's Position Fruit ability had too strong an effect, able to give friendly forces an enormous boost in strength; naturally it couldn't be hidden. Today quite a few Yao Dragons had come specifically for this Ascension, treating this Ascension as an opportunity and a reward!

Pa!

Li Damian held his breath and focused, experiencing the change, only feeling a vast and vigorous life force surge forth from the deepest place, winding into his Heavenly Palace.

In an instant, emerald green replaced flowing light; on the tenth layer's phantom, an eleventh layer was fitted — and a twelfth layer!

Li Damian's pupils dilated sharply.

Not over.

The emerald green continued to spread, from inside the Heavenly Palace extending to the buildings outside the Heavenly Palace; the originally towering Heavenly Palace suddenly manifested two more layers, all three seats were like this!

His head buzzed once; Li Damian opened his mouth wide, his throat as if blocked, squeezed into a ball.

Sunlight slanted in, shadows in the room swayed slightly.

"Li Damian, Li Damian?" The Wolf Lord called twice; seeing Li Damian didn't react, he felt puzzled — it's just advancing one stage, why like this?

Everyone had the news beforehand, had prepared mentally beforehand; how could it be like this? The Southern Frontier Insect King, rarely seen and easily surprised, walked up to Liang Qu, "My turn too."

Liang Qu nodded, reached out and patted once.

"Pa!"

Zhang Longxiang, Ge Zu, Su King, Chong King and the other Yao Dragons realized something was wrong; they eerily saw the Wolf Lord also frozen in place, also without any reaction.

"Fake, it's all fake; what King Huai nurtured isn't some Ascension Position Fruit, it's a Petrification Position Fruit, everything was fabricated, just for now, to wipe them all out in one net!" A ridiculous thought suddenly popped into Yingmu Chuanza's mind; he immediately slapped it away — he understood what was happening.

Because Liang Qu's hand had also patted him.

One after another.

The floor was deathly quiet; no one spoke, everyone held their breath and focused, suppressing their emotions.

Lan Jicai was perplexed; he rubbed his temple with the pen barrel.

This not moving, frozen together — what are they doing? Wasn't the Position Fruit effect explained beforehand? Didn't they have mental preparation long ago?

All patting done; the first one patted, Li Damian, finally came back to his senses, lowered his head and stared at his own palm, five fingers trembling.

"Perfection, I reached Perfection?"

The Wolf Lord also stretched out both hands.

One after another.

All looked at their own hands, their own bodies; in the order Liang Qu had patted just now, they played out in succession.

Especially eerie.

Lan Jicai figured out the flavor; the problem definitely lay with Liang Qu; he asked directly: "What situation?"

Liang Qu bared his teeth, held up index and middle fingers: "Ability strengthened; now can raise two stages at once."

Silence.

Pitch-black pupils dilated violently; the floor was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; Lan Jicai looked at Li Damian the first moment.

As a Southern Frontier envoy, Li Damian had once come to the imperial capital together with the Wolf Lord, inherently meaning the two's strength differed little; both were eleventh stage. Only after the Wolf Lord went to Great Snow Mountain, had an epiphany once, and reached twelfth stage directly — Li Damian fell short by a fraction. Now —

Inside the Heavenly Palace, twelve phantom layers stacked layer upon layer.

Thirteenth stage!

Awakening Realm Yao Dragon!

Li Damian's voice trembled: "Won't regress?"

"Won't." Liang Qu grinned, "Li Damian, congratulations; your Yao Dragon cultivation has reached Perfection."

Yao Dragon, a one-stage gap isn't considered large; often three stages are needed before an obvious break appears; therefore realms are divided this way. But the thirteenth stage being singled out as its own division is enough to prove the difference.

Not only that; it's realm, divine abilities, all Ascended two stages!

Perfection, Perfection, Perfection!

This word rampaged through Li Damian's mind, smashing everything to smithereens, smashing everything into dust all over the ground, a single breath blowing up to the ninth heaven beyond the clouds.

Peng peng, peng peng.

Heartbeat.

Clearly audible inside the Qintian Monitor; the Yao Dragons present were all shocked to the point of scalp-numbing.

What heaven-defying authority!?

Primordial Yang!

Zhang Longxiang clenched his fists.

Ge Zu's breathing was heavy.

The treasury's spirit medicines can continue to be sublimated! Lan Jicai felt a surge of joy in his heart.

"Phew, done. One realm, three Creation Arts, nothing missing, right? Everyone's improvements are significant this time. Adjust first, adapt to the increased strength." Liang Qu waved his hand, turned, and headed for the door.

"Where is the Huai King going?" Li Da Xi asked.

"Taking care of a small matter, won't delay!"

Everyone was stunned.

The Creation Treasure Ship was moored at the Accumulated Water Pool. Jiang Ta ran on the deck; Long Eying changed into waterproof bedsheets.

In the side hall's cultivation room, a thought moved in Liang Qu's mind, and an emerald light screen descended upon his Lower Dantian.

Within the Xiandao, the phantoms of the tenth and eleventh layers suddenly emerged, nesting together; realms broke through in succession.

Infant Dragon Twelfth Stage!

Three Xiandao Dragon Courts suddenly expanded, becoming even more towering and majestic.

The Dragon-Tiger Golden Body broke through Patriarch Damo's fifth stage, rising to the sixth stage!

The Slaying Flood Dragon technique, fourth stage!

The Third Xiandao had already shattered, yet under the green light's effect, the fragments grew, becoming more numerous.

The Yinglong Killing Scripture, fifth stage!

Power surged far ahead, skyrocketing rapidly; his chest heaved, and with every breath, with every inhalation and exhalation, power violently increased.

Ripples around his body surged anew uncontrollably; the meditation cushion beneath him endured the ripple fluctuations, slowly turning brittle, cracking, and sinking down.

The Heavenly Origin Position Fruit, one body, two sides.

As one wanes, the other waxes; rise and fall in succession.

In the past, Liang Qu attacked in the Goumang Form because adding one layer and subtracting one layer were equivalent in degree; strengthening oneself was easier and more convenient. Weakening the enemy required touching them first, which could bring accidents. Constrained by time, whether in effect or mathematical expectation, Goumang was more stable.

Now, the sublimation effect has already been fixed.

Then————

Bones trembled lightly, ripples quickly converged; Liang Qu propped his knees and stood up.

He would attack in the Ruchou Form!

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