Chapter 1493

"Crack crack crack!"

Bai Yu Plaza, ripples spread.

The dragon-species great demons were startled awake one after another, their bloodline instincts prompting devout worship; glancing around, ice-crystal aquatic plants shattered their icy shells and grew wildly upward, entwining—just like that, spring returned to the earth!

Before the great demons could be shocked by this flourishing vitality.

"Splash!"

Invisible spiritual energy gathered, the fish tail twitched to produce bubbles; in the originally empty waters, suddenly small fish underwent mutation, surging with spirituality.

Grasping a handful of golden-thread dragon-scaled fish, they were offered to the great demon leader.

Tianhe's white pupils dilated: "Treasure fish. It's treasure fish!"

Treasure fish!?

"It's the Dragon King's grace, the Dragon King's grace!"

Upon saying this, all beasts were startled awake.

It is the Dragon King's prosperity!

Only with the Dragon King's river can treasure fish flow endlessly!

Could it be that from now on, Ehe River will receive twofold blessings?

The plaza buzzed with noise.

The new Dragon King's aura continuously swept and rose; all beings on Ehe River, as if awakening from slumber, regained spirituality and grew vigorously!

The White Dragon King left the main hall and arrived outside the side hall.

The northern court master by the riverbank immediately recorded and transmitted, reporting to the Khan King.

In the side hall, a conspicuous crack split open on the giant ice egg, like a cat's vertical pupil; the domineering aura resembled cold wind blowing from a canyon, howling and surging.

At the moment the aura leaked, Liang Qu had already arrived in the room, he ignited his golden eyes, and stood by the window.

He could see in the river, five-colored spiritual energy flowing swiftly, merging and gathering into azure blue; the entire process was almost identical to the creation of the Dragon King in Huangsha River, yet again different.

Gazing toward the Dragon King Palace.

All spiritual energy was transformed within the Dragon King Palace under the White Dragon King's leadership; Liang Qu suddenly conceived a bold idea.

"If it were leaping the Dragon Gate at Luchang River, could Eying instantly become a true peak Dragon King?"

Having thought this, Liang Qu even felt a hint of regret, but upon reconsideration, compared to the purest Ehe River and the vast Huaijiang, Luchang River was somewhat inferior; nevertheless, this glimmer of inspiration opened his mind.

"The Dragon Gate is so mysterious, the opportunity fitting—I could indeed turn the false dragon of Luchang River into a true dragon? The most suitable for leaping the Dragon Gate under heaven, Eying is not first; it should be that false dragon, including————General Yuan? Old Yuan seems quite suitable too; the Grand Elder is not far off; Heaven-Reaching Earth-Shattering can be replicated; the Penglai Pilgrimage can be encountered but not sought."

In the cyclic system, Longevity Mountain is truly priceless.

pondering whether to gain something from the old turtle.

"I go, brother-in-law, is this really my sister? Is my sister about to wake up?"

"Wow————"

Long Yanrui opened both arms and pressed against the "ice egg" together with the Third Prince.

His palms let the severe cold freeze-injure the skin, but Long Yanrui couldn't bear to leave.

The White Dragon ice-sealed in ice crystals.

Beautiful.

Unprecedentedly beautiful.

Clearly similar to the fifth level of "Startling Dragon Transformation," yet one could instantly perceive the essential difference—like the grand gate in antiques; no matter how well the imitation is made, it can never achieve "grand gate," at most causing a little doubt.

Dragon King—how many dragon folk dream of this in a lifetime; in childhood, elders begged grandparents to tell grandparents, now not only have they obtained it, but it comes from their own dragon folk!

Vigor!

"Yes, she should wake up."

Liang Qu turned and stood shoulder to shoulder with Long Yanrui, witnessing the cracks on the ice egg multiply.

Ten days' time, insufficient for Long Eying to fully digest and become a true fetal dragon, but restoring basic movement poses little problem.

Never before has waiting been so agonizing; even he is immensely anticipating, his heart lightly jumping.

Long Yanrui secretly delighted for a moment, unaware what he thought of, then his face showed worry: "Brother-in-law, speaking of, my sister turned out like this—can she still change back?"

"Of course she can." Liang Qu assured.

The demon academy practices specific techniques, enabling the growth of human limbs; his only uncertainty is whether Eying has changed her "species," now whether she counts as human or dragon.

Humans becoming dragons, and dragons becoming humans, are entirely two concepts.

"Brother-in-law, rest assured." Seeing Liang Qu's worry, Long Yanrui patted his chest, declaring solemnly: "If she can't change back, we certainly won't let you guard a lonely widow while awake; moreover, two fetal dragons make having offspring too difficult; our dragon folk know gratitude and repay kindness, never repaying kindness with enmity—when it's time to rest, rest; when it's time to change, change.

When the time comes, I'll have the Grand Elder pick another for you—no way could she be prettier than my Eying sister; Eying sister is the clan-recognized number one beauty, but at least she'll be the second or third dragon maiden; together they'd make a pair—speaking of, the second dragon maiden is two years younger than me; brother-in-law might have to become a brother-in-law to a younger sister."

"Bang!"

The cracks on the slowly growing ice egg suddenly burst into a ring, dense as a spiderweb, nearing the limit.

The Third Prince trembled with fear, flicked his tail, panicked and fled from Long Yanrui, clinging to Liang Qu's arm.

Liang Qu's mouth twitched: "Thanks, remember to activate Startling Dragon Transformation later."

"Hey, no problem! Brother-in-law you are both brother-in-law and Water Monarch; Eying sister, as consort, must likewise consider the greater good! But what's the point of activating Startling Dragon Transformation?"

"Yanrui————have you lately been constantly visiting the National Preceptor?"

"Huh, brother-in-law, how do you know? I'm now the National Preceptor's personal guard, constantly taught his golden jade good words; right, where is the National Preceptor?" Long Yanrui turned and looked around.

Liang Qu scanned, also not finding him.

"Hehehe, hehehe————I'm here! Where to flee! Quick, go east! No, west, full speed ahead!"

The old toad grabbed his long whiskers, riding the fat fish, wind-driven and lightning-fast.

A legless toad flicked its tail, making off with the treasure fish, leaving only a puff of silvery-white bubbles, swiftly rising.

"Charge charge charge! Mine, all mine! Speed!"

Crackle.

The ice shell shattered.

After a quarter of an hour of rising qi, the ice crystals floated, reflecting sunlight.

Outside the White Long Gong, vegetation was lush and abundant, treasure fish darting about.

The magnificent dragon might finally retracted, spanning the mid-heavens!

Bang!

The ice egg completely exploded, angular ice crystals shooting out.

Except for where Liang Qu was, the rest was fully unfurled, shooting in all directions!

"Ouch, ouch!"

Long Yanrui was caught off guard, bombarded by flying ice hail, nose bruised and face swollen, body covered in bloodstains, barely enduring this round, as the smoke and dust cleared, a dragon tail lashed out violently!

Pupils dilated.

"Brother-in-law, save me!"

Boom!

The airflow whistled past the ears.

A drop of fresh blood spurted out.

Liang Qu retreated half a step, dodging this drop of fresh blood, his gaze slightly shifting backward, behind him the wall protruded with a giant human figure.

Before his vision could right itself, he felt himself entwined, as if a white python coiled from below upward, from narrow to loose, tightening inch by inch, bringing a strong, tight wrapping sensation.

The dragon head lowered.

Liang Qu lifted his head.

"Wow!"

The Third Prince's eyes widened in astonishment, then his vision filled with the enlarging dragon claw, it was seized by the tail, the entire dragon spun on Liang Qu's forearm, then flung away.

"Wronged! Sister Eying! I am innocent————"

Beside the gap in the human figure, an additional dragon-shaped notch appeared.

Light and shadow flowed, utterly silent.

Blue eyes and gold eyes met, two dragon whiskers fluttering, lightly brushing the cheeks.

It tickled.

Liang Qu was quite interested in things with dragon elements, occasionally coming once to add interest, but he had never been fond of full dragon forms.

Yet now, he truly felt a strange, unique "opposite-sex charm," and unlike the White Dragon King needing to distinguish gender by voice, Eying's dragon king was instantly recognizable as a female dragon, a great mother dragon.

The dragon body rubbed against the body.

Perhaps due to being newly born, the scales were not hard, but rather very fine and delicate, texture leaning soft, tending toward a gelatinous quality, a fingernail press could leave a crescent mark.

Liang Qu's face warmed slightly, then the all-enveloping entwining suddenly vanished, a hazy ice mist flowed around, gathering into gauze, his waist was embraced.

A startlingly beautiful, dignified and gentle face emerged from the ice mist, hazy like jade, ice mist threads drifting, following the hair strands backward, slightly spreading out.

The jade person reached out, palm cradling Liang Qu's face, trembling pupils.

Lips slightly cool, the sensation as if frozen.

Lightly rubbing, testing, sucking, rich nerve endings touching each other, transmitting different tactile messages, like two furry little beasts, huddled in a cave in winter, drawing warmth from each other.

Still human, is a human turned dragon.

Just this one kiss, Liang Qu understood everything.

"Wait for me————"

Long Eying sucked in a mouthful, tasted lightly and stopped, softly said a sentence, released her hand and turned, transforming back into a white dragon from the mist, wandering outside the window.

Outside the side hall, the White Dragon King had long been here, and compared to the White Dragon King, the great mother dragon became a small mother dragon, merely nodding to each other, the small mother dragon vanished swiftly.

"Collapse————"

"Cough cough cough."

Rubble fell, Long Yanrui moved his hands and feet, pulling himself out from the wall, body sore all over: "I go, killing me with pain, what's wrong with my sister?"

"Tell you to first activate the Dragon Startling Transformation." Liang Qu shrugged.

"Forward! Forward! Forward! Frog tribe attack!" The old toad held high a yellow skin bag, standing upright on a fish body, "Treasure fish are ours! Ahead lies fortuitous treasure fish!"

The fat fish's eyes gleamed, tail tensed, suddenly a whisker ached, the fat fish sharply discerned the direction of force, immediately stopped its tail, a ripple flew over the head.

The water flow shattered rocks.

"Hold! What petty villain dares to harm your frog grandfather! Do you not know this lord is the National Preceptor of Jianghuai? Anger me, and I will inform the Water Lord, the Water Lord will seize you in moments, heaven or earth no gate tooth!" The old toad planted his feet on hips.

There is an assassin!

The fat fish was vigilant of surroundings.

Peaceful and quiet.

Suddenly, its whisker ached again, understanding spiritually, it dodged downward again, avoiding the water flow.

"Hey ya, still dare to come! I see you have no reverence for high webs at all!"

The water flow flew across the sky, the old toad furious, pulling his whisker, driving the fat fish, left charge right thrust, easily dodging, a few dark sneak attacks, utterly ineffective.

Momentarily, no more crossflow.

"Hmph, how? Insect-carving trick."

The old toad proudly lifted his head, the fat fish followed with head raised.

Soon after.

The old toad's expression changed in alarm: "Not good, quick charge!"

One fish and one toad turned direction, hurriedly arriving at a certain water area.

Water plants swayed, empty as can be.

"My treasure fish! Melon! You've fallen for the trap—luring the frog off the mountain!" the old toad cried out in anguish, raised his hand and tied the long whiskers into a dead knot, pulled hard then let them snap back, stomping fiercely, "Blame you, blame you, all blame you! You swam too slowly! You compensate!"

The fat fish flipped belly-up.

In just two hours, the water moved again.

The true dragon soared through the sky, graceful and radiant, shining white under the sun, dazzling to behold, as the great dragon demons looked up in awe, bearing five treasure fish of extraordinary aura, returning to the palace.

The White Dragon King glanced: "Ice Marrow Jade Carp, Reverse Scale Chiwen, Scarlet Eye Cold Perch, Pure Flow Silver Blade, Chaste Frost."

"The Dragon King's keen eyes." Resuming human form, Long Eying bowed respectfully.

Liang Qu speculated: "Perhaps the Dragon King reappeared on the ancient Yellow Shahe, and a few special treasure fish emerged—could these also have been born together with the Lady?"

"Mm." Long Eying nodded, "At their birth, I could sense their location; I seized them all just now."

Indeed!

Liang Qu rejoiced.

As soon as Eying rushed out, he guessed her purpose—racing the old toad for the treasure fish!

Eying's dragon transformation closely resembled the old dragon lord becoming the Yellow Sand Dragon King; back then, the Yellow Shahe produced treasure fish, and now it does too—this appears to be a fixed blessing accompanying the new Dragon King's emergence!

The main difference likely is that he received no surge of heavenly and earthly vital energy, nor even the Xuanlong set.

Current speculation attributes this to their differing modes of appearance.

What is certain is that Eying must possess the Dragon King's innate 【Dragon King Prosperity】.

Perhaps not as formidable as a true Dragon King, yet as the founder who opened the Dragon Gate, Liang Qu faintly sensed this prosperity might not be bound by the river's location!

Liang Qu immediately clasped his hands: "These five treasure fish, the Dragon King surely knows their whereabouts yet lets my Lady fetch them—I propose a fifty-fifty split with the Dragon King, how about it?"

Long Yanrui's eyes showed reluctance, but he said nothing.

Binglin brother and Eying sister thought him foolish, yet he was actually clever as a match.

Now, you and I, if time passes and, due to bearing no children, the brother-in-law comes to despise Eying sister, she harbors resentment, and the dragonfolk do not side with the brother-in-law, causing a rift—would that not spell ruin?

Mother-in-law aids daughter-in-law; mother-in-law aids son-in-law.

"If I need it, I will not refuse." The White Dragon King said calmly, "These five treasure fish arose because of your Lady; your Lady became a dragon because of you—no merit, no reward."

"If the Dragon King's words hold no summoning of great demons, how can I make up for shortcomings and let my Lady ascend as a dragon? Without the Dragon King's approval, how could I help my Lady pass tribulation in the Dragon King's palace? I hope the Dragon King will not decline."

The White Dragon King studied Liang Qu a moment, then Eying, pointed to two: "Ice Marrow Jade Carp and Scarlet Eye Cold Perch are mine; the rest you may keep."

"Many thanks, Dragon King!"

Liang Qu was very pleased.

Left with three, guaranteeing three million essence!

Unlike the Whale King's gift, these are homemade—produced by my own wife.

Food safety outweighs heaven.

"Prince Huai need not rejoice yet—I have three questions."

"Please speak."

"How did Prince Huai achieve this?"

Liang Qu clasped his hands: "Not hiding it from the Dragon King, I devised a unique awakening method requiring favorable timing, geography, and harmony—hard to replicate; Eying's case is rare, yet other great dragon demons have indeed loosened some shackles, though not fully broken, at least they may now elevate their realm without relying on essence blood."

"Is the Dragon Lord dead or alive?"

Liang Qu sighed: "Perhaps there will be no more Jianghuai Dragon Lords henceforth."

The White Dragon King fell silent for a moment or two.

"Why did Bei Ting, Da Shun, and Nan Jiang form an alliance?"

"Because of the Great Li Taizu."

"Truly the Great Li Taizu!?"

Liang Qu summarized the relations concisely.

The White Dragon King remained silent a long while, turned, coiled away, and left a remark.

"I favor tranquility, so I will not see off Prince Huai; if he wishes, he may tour my Ehe River; if not, he may depart on his own."

"Many thanks, Dragon King—the Ape King will surely visit in person to express gratitude another day. Though I do not speak of universal peace, borders are boundless; should the Dragon King wish to visit the Jianghuai Long Gong, I and the Ape King shall sweep the mat to welcome!"

Soon after.

In the Long Gong plaza, great dragon demons lined both sides, heads bowed—were it not for the cold water, one might think they had arrived at the Jianghuai Long Gong.

Zheng Tianhe stepped forward respectfully: "Prince Huai, please take this path."

Liang Qu turned.

The Ehe River is ice-bound for over half the year, with massive floes drifting and colliding.

This journey proved somewhat unexpected—I originally thought a few days would suffice.

"First summon your uncle; perhaps those from Bei Ting will inquire—good timing to transform into the White Ape, go to the Eastern Sea to build waterways, and come together—"

March 15.

Huai Fu.

The task of refining the position fruit finally concluded, entering a new stage of self-refinement.

Chuan State's Gao Zu, who had labored diligently for over half a month assisting Tian Wu in refining the position fruit, caught his breath, summoned Jiang Tun, took a deep gulp, and brought himself out of the small world.

The bloody hue vanished without trace; verdant life spread, widening the view.

March, spring returned to the earth, grass pushed forth, a unique freshness in the air, letting every pore breathe freely—decay, rot, the plague swept clean.

Gao Zu closed his eyes, inhaled the grass's fragrance, and stirred his spirit.

Constantly resisting the erosion of the position fruit, truly draining spirit and energy—next, first tread the green, rest awhile, and incidentally visit the renowned Yi Xing—

"Happy news, happy news! The Huai King's consort has attained enlightenment and sainthood—our dynasty's first dragon-ascending couple, the first in ancient and modern times—universal celebration! By imperial decree, a five-day nationwide festivity! News takes effect the day it is heard!"

"Good news, good news! The Huai Wangfei has attained enlightenment and become a saint, the first auspicious dragon couple of our dynasty, the first auspicious dragon couple in ancient and modern times, universal celebration, obeying the imperial edict, a grand feast for the realm lasting five days! The news takes effect from today!"

The monkey raised its tail and walked along the eaves.

The mighty voice spread through the streets, accompanied by fierce horse hooves, suppressing all clamor.

"Huh?"

Ge Zu opened his eyes.

What did he miss again?

Southern Frontier, Qinggu Valley.

Li Xianghan was utterly bored, her eyes vacant.

Without the intimate support of her natal gu, no matter how she cultivated or how hard she tried in daily life, she felt nothing—empty and hollow, no matter how she struggled, she never had that feeling of being plump and fully filled, soaring to the heavens.

"Ah—when will you come back? I haven't used up my time yet—"

Li Xianghan sighed, wailed, rolled on the bed, and three mice followed, scuffling.

—

Suddenly.

Her Lower Dantian jumped, as if a thread of electric current, intensely stimulating; Li Xianghan thought it was an illusion at first, but then immediately.

Boom!

Inside the Lower Dantian, tingling electric currents danced wildly.

"I go I go I go!"

Li Xianghan nearly rolled her eyes white.

What is this feeling? A completely new experience never felt before!

So powerful!

Power, unmatched power!

Chuan State.

Bai Awei trembled with fear, mouthparts opening and closing, carefully refining the position fruit.

The most difficult beginning has already been passed; next comes the gradual integration—

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