Chapter 1497: Position Fruit Transaction, Cangjiang Dragon King (Two-in-One)

"Tusi, Great Wu Xin! Long time no see! Many thanks also to Great Wu Baizu for guiding the way."

"Prince Huai, long time no see! Forgive me for not welcoming you from afar." Great Wu Xin clasped his fist in greeting, then his gaze fell to the side, "Also congratulations to Princess Huai, achieving a Young Dragon, making you and Prince Huai the first Young Dragon couple in all history. Given time, this will surely become a tale for the ages. Alas, Great Shun is far away; for such a joyous occasion I could not come to your door to offer congratulations, so I have only prepared a modest gift."

"Many thanks, Great Wu Xin, many thanks, Tusi. Fortunate to have gained something." Long Eying bowed, "Such a heavy gift from the Great Wu and the Tusi — how could I call it modest?"

Liang Qu smiled: "The gifts fill two large carts, the inventory list alone is an inch thick, too much to even look through — how can you call it modest? If this counts as modest, then by the rules of reciprocity, when the Southern Frontier has a happy occasion in the future, how am I supposed to give a gift?"

"Moreover, Great Wu Xin, these words of yours are somewhat distant. What 'welcome from afar' or not? The world is unified today, I happen to have leisure, so I'm just 'dropping by.' Great Wu Baizu personally arrayed a welcome, banners blotting out the sky — instead it makes me feel overwhelmed and ill at ease."

Baizu bowed and spoke: "Their interaction follows the Dao, their reception follows propriety. Now Prince Huai is renowned under heaven; how many people study the Dragon Court methods? How could my Southern Frontier not treat him with propriety?"

"Hahaha, good, good. Prince Huai is truly young, acting and handling affairs without fussing over trifles. Since that's the case, no need for more polite talk." The old Tusi forcibly restrained his gaze toward Eying and asked with a smile, "This is still Prince Huai's first time coming to Wanshiang Meng, isn't it?"

"It is the first time." Liang Qu looked around in all directions, watching dust rise, his eyes showing emotion, "All along the way, I only feel it is extraordinary. Everywhere I see, they are running elephants, not riding horses — a boundless vista, truly an eye-opener."

"Wuhu, so many elephants!"

The Third Prince burrowed out from under Long Eying's armpit, circled once, and flew down onto Liang Qu's shoulder, stepping on the tree trunk, hopping east and west, scrambling everywhere.

The Tusi stroked his beard and laughed heartily: "Yes, yes, so many elephants. This is the specialty of my Southern Frontier. The Nine Villages of the Southern Frontier, each village is different, each has its own scenery. Of course, regarding Wanshiang Meng matters, Great Wu Xin knows best."

"I listen with washed ears."

"Travel-worn as you are, it's not too late for us to sit and talk at length." Great Wu Xin pointed downward, "Descending from here and proceeding along the way, Prince Huai can also look down from on high and view the scenery of my Wanshiang."

"Good, please."

"Please."

Everyone descended one after another, walking on foot.

Liang Qu was in no rush either.

In the use of propriety, harmony is most precious.

Before getting down to business, one must always have a bit of foreplay; bluntly raising the matter would appear too pressing.

The sun bakes, the earth scorches the fields yellow, shadows flow, light in the cracks.

"My Wanshiang Meng was once the blessed land of the twelve Red-Tusk Elephant Gods of boundless strength, of Badanisa. The mountains are lush, ancient trees towering. There are three Demon King Ancient Elephants governing eight great elephant herds, tens of millions of giant elephants."

"It was our ancestors who signed a symbiosis contract with the Demon King Ancient Elephants, hacking through thorns, turning soil and leveling mountains, gradually developing a harmonious homeland where humans and elephants coexist, multiplying and growing strong. The original marshes and hills were therefore named —"

"Elephants are not horses. Horses are lean, so they can be ridden. Elephants are large; people cannot straddle them —"

"This I know. My Great Shun also has Qingzhou horses, mostly used to pull carts."

Liang Qu half-paused his steps.

Elephant herds curled their trunks in the dense forest, picking fruit, giving an illusion of watching brachiosaurs in the Jurassic.

He still remembers that afternoon when Jian Zhongyi came to Pingyang — three Qingzhou horses clearing the way, the carriage like a house.

"Indeed, Qingzhou horses — I have heard of them. But elephants are even more different, larger than Qingzhou horses by far. Our ancestors would build small huts on elephant backs, both for living and for avoiding snakes and insects."

"So, rather than calling them mounts, elephants are more like members of our families. To this day, many people in Wanshiang Meng still live on elephant backs —"

The road was extremely broad, banana leaves growing intertwined, forming a towering green shade.

Giant elephants trod the earth, four hooves like beams and pillars; the ground trembled when they landed. Houses on their backs were extremely stable, bound together with vines.

The Third Prince burrowed into the tree crowns, searching for berries.

Sour and astringent ones, he passed to Ta Ta Kai and Fat Fish. Tasty ones, he offered to Liang Qu and Eying. Occasionally he caught a snake by the tail, whirled it into a giant pinwheel with a wuwuwu sound, and threw it into the Da He Li pile.

Watching the Da He Li scatter in flight, the Third Prince held his belly laughing, carrying two claws of dirt and wanting to land on Eying's shoulder — only for Eying to flick him away with a finger.

"He's gotten better too."

Su Guishan took the fruit, held it in his hand, his eyes wide, his heart full of emotion.

He liked wandering; his greatest dream before was nothing more than walking all of Great Shun.

First the Northern Court, then the Southern Frontier.

A Young Dragon welcoming, the Tusi accompanying.

Although he was only here as a Great Shun envoy, conventionally accompanying the Wu Sheng, not the protagonist at all — what glory!

The longer a person lives, the more they feel time flies.

At three, one understands things; at ten, a year occupies a full fifth of life, incomparably long, always asking why one can't grow up fast. At a hundred, a year is only one percent, and one feels time flows like falling flowers and flowing water.

Ten-odd years ago, seeking a chance at Heaven-Man, he moved into Liang Zhai, using the excuse of being the maternal granduncle of a galloping-horse brat to seek instruction from the Ming Wang — those nights are vivid in memory. At the time he thought reaching Heaven-Man was already a rare opportunity —

Who knew the "galloping-horse brat" would swell rapidly like a blown-up pig bladder.

No, even then he was extraordinary.

Born with martial bones, favored by the Ming Wang, a convergence of causes and conditions —

Step into the central courtyard.

Su Guishan's heart stirred; he suddenly looked into the distance.

Atop the hill, beneath the tree shade, a man with a luxuriant beard watched quietly. Meeting Su Guishan's gaze, that man nodded slightly, then turned and returned to his house.

Su Guishan fell into deep thought. He did not recognize the other party; he merely saw in the other's eyes the exact same sentiment of things remaining but people changed.

"Black Water Poison?"

Possessing the Eye Identification Method, and being a Wu Sheng, Liang Qu was even sharper than Su Guishan.

That bearded face had changed a lot, but on careful recollection, it still hooked into his very distant memories.

Ren Ye, Ren Ye's son Corpse Fiend Ren Ze died by his hand. Later he advised the new Tusi to bribe the East Sea Demon King to sabotage Great Shun's governance of the Yellow Shahe. Unexpectedly Li Xianghan informed on him, the matter came to nothing, the Southern Frontier suffered heavy losses, the new Tusi abdicated, the blame was pinned on Black Water Poison Ren Ye, and Ren Ye "fled in fear of punishment" —

Who knew, in just a few years, twists and turns, Southern Frontier and Great Shun allied, past events like smoke.

Liang Qu shook his head.

Times change, circumstances shift.

A Heaven-Man Entering Zhen Xiang, even if one step away, is merely an extra.

"Prince Huai's grand presence graces us. When the news came, the Old Ancestor ordered me to prepare — cannot be said to be not valued. This is our Wanshiang Meng specialty treasure fish, the Not-Falling Cold Pool Fish." Wanshiang Meng Clan Chief Xin Ming warmly greeted, "This fish grows in the cold pool waterfall, likes to swim upstream, borrowing the waterfall to go upward, hence called Not-Falling Cold Pool. After eating, one feels no heat for three days, incomparably fresh and delicious, a supreme summer delicacy, not to be missed."

"Because we didn't know Prince Huai's preferences, we only heard that Prince Huai once invented a thing in Pingyang called hot pot, similar to shabu-shabu. So besides our Southern Frontier specialty dishes, we also specially prepared a portion, hoping Prince Huai won't suffer from unaccustomed water and soil."

"Thank you, Chief of the Xin clan, for your trouble. I have long looked forward to the delicacies of the southern lands."

Liang Qu ate without restraint, enjoying a hearty meal, feeling refreshed and invigorated, his essence growing vigorously, replenishing the Yuan General, dropping to fifty million or below, which made him obsessive-compulsive, unable to move when he saw essence.

The tea fragrance lingered.

After prolonged pleasantries, the time had come.

The Tusi spoke: "I do not know why the Huai King has come to my Wanxiang Meng, but what is his purpose? Naturally, if he is merely a guest, our southern lands welcome him without compare; if he has business, we also hope the Huai King will speak plainly, so that we may make arrangements. What does the Huai King think?"

"The Tusi speaks truly." Liang Qu set down his chopsticks, "Eying."

Long Eying opened her cosmic pouch, took out a jade treasure box, and pushed it before Xin Da.

"This is————" Xin Da raised his head.

Liang Qu extended his hand: "Xin Da, you might as well open it and take a look."

Xin Da and the Tusi exchanged a glance, then finally took the treasure box and pushed it open halfway.

In an instant, green light burst forth!

Jade light shimmered and surged, illuminating the hall, rich vitality flowing out, inhaling it into the lungs felt like gulping iced sour plum soup on a summer day, sweat pouring down as one leapt into the river, a stream of cool air rushing straight to the back of the head.

Moss in the corner climbed rapidly, the grass in the flowerbed grew thick and long into vines.

The centipede Xin was first shocked, then inevitably his eyes showed longing.

"This is————" Xin Da's pupils slightly widened, "Longevity Treasure of Creation!?"

"Xin Da has keen eyes." Liang Qu praised, "Top-tier Longevity Treasure of Creation, Qinglong Holy Longevity, even if a thirteenth-stage Awakened Flood Dragon consumes it, it can extend life by half a cycle!"

Gulp!

The centipede swallowed saliva.

Half a cycle! Thirty years!

What an extravagant longevity treasure—this is clearly a priceless rare gem, marketless but invaluable; in terms of value, it absolutely surpasses ordinary superior creation treasures!

Xin Da was also startled; without heavenly and earthly essence to extend life by two hundred years, seeing this Qinglong Holy Longevity at his age of over eight hundred, he would likely be unable to move.

"What does the Huai King mean by this?" the old Tusi immediately asked.

"Because I have an improper request; to show sincerity, please rest assured, whether successful or not, this item will be a gift, bestowed upon the southern lands. Also, I hope that after hearing my request, even if you disagree, you will not grow angry."

The centipede frowned slightly, the Tusi's expression unchanged.

Indeed!

Xin Da sighed inwardly.

Having spoken to this extent, he could no longer fail to understand; he gently closed the treasure box and placed it on the table.

"I ask myself, my Wanxiang indeed has countless treasures, abundant products, possibly prompting the Huai King to mobilize troops so greatly—could it be that he wants my Wanxiang position fruit?"

Want the position fruit!?

Xin Meng's heart gave a sudden jolt; without thinking, he grew angry, nearly jumping up.

Here, he has the lowest cultivation, oh, no, there is also a Great Order Envoy, called Su Guishan, but he is not unaware of Liang Qu's strength.

One Dragon!

A man's name, a tree's shadow.

In just four or five years, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Longxiang to slay the Fifth Immortal, and with Xin Da to slay the Fourth Immortal—how could he set his sights on our family's position fruit inheritance?

The position fruit inheritance requires substitution with death!

"Yes and no." Liang Qu answered.

"What does 'yes and no' mean?" Xin Da remained very calm.

The Great Order Envoy is here, proving Liang Qu's actions this time are known to the Great Order Emperor, so it cannot be forcible seizure, disrupting the situation, no need to panic.

"Because I am not certain whether the Wanxiang position fruit is truly the one I want."

"Does the Huai King lack position fruits?" the old Tusi interjected, "He has self-cultivated ones, the road ahead is broad, why then insist on Wanxiang? Already refined position fruits, unless the refiner dies, cannot be taken out—does the Huai King know this?"

"I know, this is my intuition."

"Intuition?"

"I have a premonition that my martial bones need a position fruit that excels through strength; if I could refine this position fruit, it might merge with my own martial bones, completing an extremely thorough transformation, perhaps even with the chance of a furnace!" Liang Qu said solemnly.

The Tusi and Xin Da were stunned.

Liang Qu added: "I also know that refining position fruits makes extraction extremely difficult a second time, but it is not entirely without exception, is it? Ge Zu's position fruit is extraordinary; we still have the netherworld to try.

Failing that, even using the Supreme Embryo, death and rebirth! I can guarantee here that I will absolutely not take the position fruit on the condition of endangering Xin Da's life!"

Gulp!

Death and rebirth? So simple?

Xin Meng's pupils trembled.

Has the martial way already developed to this extent?

Even the centipede was shocked.

Only the Tusi and Xin Da clearly know Liang Qu's words are not false; Su Guishan is even calmer, according to him, Liang Qu's two later disciples, the new high monk on Mount Pingyang, and the busty sister in the martial hall all have something unusual.

Tea steam rose slowly.

Xin Da remained silent.

The old Tusi inadvertently glanced at Long Eying: "The Huai King treats us with courtesy, so we will not be startled or alarmed, rushing out the door in haste; surely the Huai King came prepared, but I do not know what the price is?"

Price?

Xin Meng wanted to speak to stop it, but dared not interject at all.

Liang Qu sat upright: "This should be discussed in two cases: first, after taking it out, if the Wanxiang position fruit is useless to me, I will return it in full, additionally gift two top-tier longevity treasures to compensate for Xin Da's loss, and help Xin Da re-refine it, and additionally promise Xin Da one request."

"Reasonable." The old Tusi nodded, then shifted his tone, "But if it is useful?"

"Also two plans."

"I would hear the details."

"First, one fruit for one fruit; the return in a useless situation remains unchanged, still counts. At the same time, I will find a way to select a Position Fruit with greater power and heritability, and exchange it with Master Xin."

The old Tusi pondered: "Does the Prince of Huai currently have one on hand?"

"Currently, no."

"Does the Prince of Huai know what a Position Fruit capable of stable inheritance signifies?"

"I know, but I swear on my life that I will search, I will find it. If I cannot find it, then after my death, the Sublimation Position Fruit I cultivated myself shall belong to the Myriad Manifestations Meng!"

Not all Position Fruits can be stably inherited. Refining Instruments does not target anyone; for a Position Fruit like the Charm Fruit that revives from death, barring a stroke of luck, how could it be "stably" inherited? Including Chang You — there are only so many great rivers and great streams in the world. After governing the Yellow Shahe, how many more can provide Refining Instruments?

Xin Ming was fiercely excited, actually feeling that this deal might be doable.

A Sublimation Position Fruit!

This thing is quite the temptation.

The treasury's treasure plants spontaneously gaining twenty percent more effect — who wouldn't be dizzy with greed?

Master Xin asked: "And the second?"

"Create a Dragon King for the Luchang River!"

Xin Ming, Hundred Feet, and Master Xin's hearts all skipped a beat in unison.

The old Tusi even had to hold his breath, his mouth dry and tongue parched.

The several men turned their heads in unison, looking toward Long Eying.

The old Tusi stared dead at Long Eying: "So———— the Princess of Huai, is truly a Dragon King?"

Long Eying nodded lightly, rose from her stool. In the room, ethereal white mist suddenly coalesced, and in the old Tusi's dilated pupils, it transformed into a sinuous white dragon!

Sunlight streamed through the window, shining on the dragon scales, blindingly white!

The several old men all stared wide-eyed, the dragon's form clearly reflected in their pupils.

Beautiful!

Magnificent!

A miracle of heaven and earth!

Liang Qu keenly noticed the old Tusi's index finger trembling.

He could guarantee that after the Southern Frontier and Great Shun allied, the old Tusi was absolutely frantically collecting Sweet Dew Long Qi, delusionally trying to forge a Position Fruit, hoping to take advantage of the "honeymoon period" between the two sides to create the Luchang River Dragon King. But this was too difficult.

Ever since suffering a loss once before, the Southern Frontier's reserves of Yuan Qi were severely damaged. By the time the alliance ended, it was hard to say if they could recover to pre-loss levels, let alone create a Dragon King!

Hundred Feet Daxian clenched his fists tight. With a Dragon King, the Southern Frontier would become their private preserve; why would he need to stay on the front lines?

The old Tusi's heart pounded wildly. A man of several hundred years, even he could barely withstand such stimulation. The thing he had dreamed of all his life was laid out on the table so bluntly as a condition, and the condition was "merely" one Position Fruit.

He knew he had an obsession, but because it concerned the Southern Frontier, the old Tusi forced himself to calm down.

"The second condition is generous, far surpassing the first. As expected, the Prince of Huai's method of creating a Dragon King has a flaw, does it not?"

Hundred Feet Daxian's feverish brain rapidly cooled, and he understood the flavor of it.

Indeed.

Dragon Kings all possess Middle Position Fruits, and are simultaneously Spirits of Heaven and Earth. Purely in terms of what is given, it is far more valuable than the first type. How could they be mentioned in the same breath?

"The Tusi has a discerning eye." Liang Qu did not beat around the bush. "My method is a special metamorphosis; strength will increase, but by how much is unknown. My Lady could become a dragon because she had accumulated enough, needing only the final crucial step.

Second, the Dragon King I assist in birthing, though a Spirit of Heaven and Earth, has no Position Fruit, let alone a Middle Position Fruit.

Third, the Dragon King's river prosperity exists, but its range is merely smaller than that of an ordinary Dragon King. However, whether this relates to strength remains unknown."

The Dragon Gate does not open just because one wishes it. However, the Luchang River is an exception. It is a river second only to the Yellow Sand and the E River. Moreover, with the old Tusi's Living Beings Grand Array, it can completely create a Feng Shui treasure land on this basis and complete a Spiritual Mechanism Guidance.

The hot pot bubbled and boiled.

Chili peppers clung to the pot's edge, rising and sinking.

The old Tusi cooled down: "This matter, we still need to consider a while. If the Prince of Huai is not in a hurry, could you rest a bit in the Myriad Manifestations Meng?"

"No matter. This is a major affair; one should be cautious." Liang Qu was not anxious. "The Tusi and Master Xin Daxian may discuss at leisure, so as to leave no regrets."

"Does His Majesty agree to creating a Dragon King for the Luchang River?" Su Guishan asked.

"Mm." Liang Qu nodded. "Now that we are allied, the old Tusi has been seizing the opportunity to try. Even if it fails now, who knows about the future? With the Essence of Heaven and Earth, extending life by two hundred years. This kind of thing, sooner or later there will be a day it cannot be stopped. Rather than that, better to manufacture a controllable, not-so-strong Dragon King first, and exchange it for benefits."

Su Guishan understood.

It was indeed a plausible explanation and reason.

But Su Guishan felt that this was most likely still out of regard for Liang Qu's face.

Liang Qu took his people and departed, temporarily residing in the Southern Frontier.

The old Tusi and Master Xin Daxian sat facing each other, for a moment looking at each other without a word.

The Luchang River having a Dragon King, exchanging a Position Fruit with the Myriad Manifestations Meng.

The two have a conflict of interest.

The Myriad Manifestations Meng has never been able to represent the Southern Frontier, and the Southern Frontier likewise cannot represent the Myriad Manifestations Meng.

The Myriad Manifestations Meng is certainly the old Tusi's staunch supporter————

"Master Xin————" The old Tusi rubbed his knee, thumb and forefinger rubbing together, rubbing until they grew hot, finally sighing, "My Position Fruit, what do you think of it?"

>

>