Chapter 1504

Shouts echoed back and forth among the mountains, layer upon layer; birds in the forest fluttered up into the sky in a clatter, covering heaven and earth.

Variegated spiritual mists of heaven and earth dissipated in all directions like clouds; gradually currents began to form, winds began to rise, the mist shifting from clumps to strands, from gathering to rolling. Beacon fires on the peaks relayed one after another, the grand array's nodes linking up one by one, like interlocking chains.

The current grew fiercer and fiercer, the wind stronger and stronger.

No one could see it, yet everyone could feel the difference!

The "False Dragon" raised its head, coiled around the great mountain, its twin eyes a murky yellow.

A wind blew over the Luan Cang River.

The old toad's heart stirred; it leapt down from the carriage and stood proudly on the mountain peak's cliff, webbed feet on its back, frog head tilted forty-five degrees toward the sky, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, the old toad twisted its head, frog eyes fixed dead on a spot, face revealing shock and wonder.

The Third Prince followed its gaze, yet saw only air, empty and void.

It couldn't make heads or tails of it, and admiration rose in its heart.

Suddenly.

The old toad turned its head again, once more fixing dead on a spot, full of shock, retreating half a step, chest heaving; then it advanced half a step, face showing strain, grinding its teeth, as if struggling against something.

Admiration vanished; the Third Prince felt fear, looking left and right, glancing all around, always sensing indescribable things encircling. In a fluster it hugged Long Eying, wound its arms around her, tucked its tail under its armpit and peered out, eyes full of vigilance.

The corners of the old toad's mouth curled upward.

It saw nothing at all, yet it had to pretend it penetrated everything, that it saw things ordinary people could not.

The National Preceptor's wisdom!

The Grandmaster hurried to and fro, banners snapping in the wind.

The vast Luan Cang River boiled with agitation!

The martial masters stationed on both banks were filled with excitement, all tilting their heads back, gazing with blazing eyes at the Tusi and the Great Xian on the mossy cliff.

"Wait. The Tusi and the Great Xian — why have they started the grand array now?"

Liang Qu grew wary inside, almost feeling as if he were roasted on a fire; he wondered whether the old Tusi was using the ally relationship to later morally coerce him with Southern Border losses. Golden Eyes undying, he watched the flow of heaven-and-earth qi: "Although time is precious, preparation and array-laying happen simultaneously, but we still haven't confirmed whether the Myriad Phenomena Position Fruit can actually work. If my intuition is wrong, everything collapses; the resources activated won't just be completely wasted — they'll suffer at least thirty percent loss."

The old Tusi laughed heartily: "King Huai, don't be angry. The Great Xian and I are fully prepared; the Spirit-Raising Grand Array has been laid down at the same time. If we go to such great trouble and find it isn't so, wouldn't that be too terrible?"

"I once heard an anecdote: in the past when King Huai rode his horse into the beacon smoke, his revered teacher, Mr. Zhaowu, asked: 'Dual True Gang — how many tenths of confidence?' King Huai replied: 'Ten tenths.' The method accounted for three, martial bones for two, technique for two."

"Mr. Zhaowu grew even more puzzled: 'That adds up to only seven tenths; how do you get ten?' King Huai said further: 'With those seven tenths, add one tenth of fate and fortune, that makes eight; as the saying goes, eight or nine doesn't leave ten — so it is ten tenths!'"

Liang Qu: "?"

Who leaked the story?

How did this even become an anecdote?

I'm still alive!

Liang Qu sank into memory.

He wondered: at that time only he and his master were present — was it the servants on the side?

The old Tusi said: "The anecdote goes like this; we in the Southern Border have a similar saying, roughly meaning: not afraid of having no opportunity, only afraid of having no ambition. If you can rouse your ambition, what cannot be done? If you think of failure right now, it truly becomes even more impossible.

Our Luan Cang River situation differs from the Yellow Sand River; it has congenital deficiencies and inherent shortcomings. Activating the Spirit-Raising Grand Array takes several days. I know King Huai has the River God Festival every sixth day of the sixth month, so I simply continued advancing in parallel — if it succeeds, first it adds ambition, second it saves more days, giving more leeway."

Liang Qu felt admiration rise.

He only felt the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment; therefore from start to finish he oscillated between anticipation and suppressing anticipation, to avoid disappointment. At the same time he grasped at shadows searching through various legends, adding "weights" to his anticipated mood, reducing the anxiety of possibly wasting time on failure — but he lost his carefree ease.

Succeed or fail, things have reached this step.

A thought reaching here, Liang Qu suddenly cast off his shackles and leisurely exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi: "What the Tusi says is absolutely right; then let's begin now."

"I'll go first." The old Tusi looked toward Ge Zu.

"Good!" Liang Qu nodded.

Shen Daming arrived fastest, got the Myriad Phenomena Position Fruit, stuffed it into the Ze Ding, and the truth was immediately revealed. But Liang Qu naturally couldn't expose the fact that the Position Fruit allows instant discernment; he had to drag it out at least a day or two, then claim it was a feeling?

"I have never experienced Position Fruit inheritance; I only have a small world that can assist in analysis — the rest I half-understand, and still need the Great Xian and the Tusi to help a lot." Liang Qu said.

"It is only proper."

The group entered the cave; the Hundred-Foot Daming personally guarded the entrance.

Xie Hongyu gazed at the old Tusi's figure, took a deep breath, nodded to the Hundred-Foot Daming, and closely followed, sitting down to one side.

The Luan Cang River rushed southeast.

Snakes walked trees, fish walked land, birds walked water.

"Wulala, mahamaha, guaguagua! All matters smooth, no taboos, many sons many blessings, everything as wished!"

The old toad held a water basin, dipped willow branches in water, sprinkled it on the Tusi; atop its head a yellow-orange Size Ruyi pearl, it sang and danced.

The old Tusi stared at the pearl, feeling it very strange, experiencing a refreshing clarity of body and mind, as if whatever he wished would come true, yet unable to utter the words "bright pearl covered in dust," he tightly closed his eyes.

"Body dies first!" Ge Zu flicked his whisk; the old Tusi's complexion instantly turned ashen.

Then Fubo lifted, and the old Tusi's head flew high into the air!

Fresh blood spurted out, smearing onto the walls, a sight that made one's heart tremble with fear.

At the same time, the Hundred-Foot Daming at the cave entrance felt his heart tighten.

"Stone in the River" — vanished!

"Third Prince!"

A white dragon suddenly appeared in the cave, its body stretching long, swallowing in one gulp!

Fat Fish took temporary leave; today only the Third Prince could come.

Then, the Yellow Springs Kingdom!

The old Tusi's consciousness rapidly collapsed into a point, chaos without trace, only vaguely sensing a violent dizziness and nausea.

Shen Daming raised his head, gazing at this blood-red small world, wondering why in just a few months it could decline to such a state; he sensed a breath of Position Fruit qi.

No time given to be surprised.

Inside the Yellow Springs Kingdom, body and soul separated; the Third Prince tumbled once more.

"Great Manifestation!"

"Good!"

Great Manifestation Xin began processing the old Tusi's corpse, taking out the specific ritual procedures and corresponding containers.

Whether Myriad Phenomena or Tusi, both are stable-position fruits of inheritance; the refining ritual is clear and not too difficult, so containers naturally exist, and the ritual implement is a large black-and-white drum with a frost-white drumhead bearing kui patterns and a pitch-black body.

Then he took out the remnants of Entering Zhen Xiang.

Clusters of gray-decayed qi masses twisted, surging into the massive kui-drum ritual implement!

Crackle.

Electric arcs jumped on the drumhead.

Great Manifestation Xin gripped the great mallet tightly and struck forcefully.

"Dong!"

The muffled drumbeat spread; Liang Qu's consciousness went blank, his soul seeming to leave his body in a trance.

The mane on the Third Prince's neck suddenly puffed up and flared, like a frilled lizard spreading its umbrella-like frill to threaten; seeing no one paying attention, he hurriedly spat some saliva and used his claws to smooth it back down.

"Dong dong dong————"

Rings of electric light exploded one after another; muffled thunder reverberated through the mountains and wilds!

Liang Qu's short hair was unaffected; everyone else had hair loose and flying wildly, black hair dancing madly.

"It's begun!"

Xie Hongyu heard the drumbeat, clenched his hand, and sweat unconsciously beaded on his forehead.

The Hundred-Foot Great Wu constantly observed the movements of the "Stones in the River" in all directions.

Golden Eyes wide open, Liang Qu could clearly see the continuously expanding spiritual mechanisms on the old Tusi's "corpse"; the dense spiritual mechanisms did not actively dissipate but instead trembled along with the drumbeats, then slowly surged into the corresponding square-mouthed containers.

There's hope!

The drumbeats were muffled, continuous; Great Wu Xin was drenched in sweat.

Inside the square-mouthed containers, colors invisible to ordinary people constantly gathered, flocculent substances constantly appeared, finally turning into a mass visible to ordinary people — a complex tangle of threads, as if countless thread-worms were interwoven, ultimately reaching a certain critical point————

A pitch-black, threaded black jade emerged in the container!

Heart pounding wildly, Liang Qu suppressed his excitement.

"Dragon Elephant King!"

Activating the Baoxiao, the Tusi's corpse seemed to reverse time, its skull reconnecting.

Traversing the Yellow Spring Kingdom.

"Return the soul again!" Ge Zu formed a hand seal.

The old Tusi opened his eyes, subconsciously touched his neck, broke into a cold sweat, then looked at the container before him, gazing blankly at Great Manifestation Xin.

"It's out?"

"It's out!" Great Manifestation Xin nodded, his suspended heart relaxing.

"Tusi, how are you?" Liang Qu asked, "Have you recovered your senses?"

After a long trance on the spot, the old Tusi took a deep breath, accepted the great mallet from Great Manifestation Xin: "Now I can.

"Good, State Preceptor!"

The old toad once more held a wooden basin, dipped willow branches in water, leaping left and right: "Maha maha, wulala, ma ya, ai yi ya ha————

"

"Dong dong dong————"

The drumbeat sounded a second time.

The fallen birds that had dropped earlier pounced out once more.

Xie Hongyu pinched his sleeve cuff, constantly wiping sweat, only feeling the weather was extraordinarily hot lately, his inner underwear all sticky

sticky, all wet together in a clump.

Great Manifestation Xin's headless body leaned against the stone wall, fresh blood dripping down, pooling into a puddle of blood.

The Third Prince placed the skull properly, neatly and correctly.

The drumbeat hammered; Liang Qu stared at the black jade artifact inside the container and suddenly asked: "What is the Tusi's position fruit named?"

"Ba She."

"Ba She?" Liang Qu felt curiosity arise; a living, breathing position fruit appeared before his eyes, and he also had the Ze Ding, "May I take a look?"

The old Tusi paused, somewhat hesitant and wary; could it be that not only did he have intuition toward Myriad Phenomena, but his Ba She did too? But in the end he still chose to let Liang Qu make contact.

"Prince Huai may do as he pleases."

"Many thanks."

Liang Qu took the container.

The jade artifact inside the container was square, but in form it greatly resembled a coiling long snake.

Everyone was fully focused on extracting the position fruit; only Long Eying cared about Liang Qu, moving two steps to stand before him, using her body to help block the line of sight.

Liang Qu's eyes turned, he reached his hand inside, taking advantage of the visual obstruction, to touch the position fruit.

A strong sense of stagnation struck his palm, but ripples spread from Liang Qu's palm center; the slight obstruction was easily overcome, and he grasped the "jade artifact."

Three breaths.

The Ba She position fruit vanished without a trace.

The old Tusi's heart jumped; he looked up, and saw Liang Qu place the container back, stride out, and set it on the ground.

The jade artifact remained in the container, and through the not-fully-sealed container it released the might of authority; everything seemed an illusory misperception.

In the container before Great Manifestation Xin, invisible spiritual mechanisms turned into vague flocculent matter; the position fruit extraction had reached a critical moment.

The old Tusi guessed Liang Qu might have done something, but was unclear what exactly; seeing the position fruit still there with no other changes, he had no time for further thought and immediately collected his mind.

Liang Qu communicated with the Ze Ding.

Although only for a moment, the radiant information of the Ba She position fruit flashed in the sea of consciousness!

【Refining the Body, Swallowing Mountains, Spitting Bones at Three Years Old, Accumulated Years Without Clearing Blockages】

【Ba She】

【Authority: Stagnant Slaughter】

【Attribute: Disaster】

【Disaster is accumulation, stagnation, swallowing a hundred rivers yet closing its orifices. Spitting bones every three years, not turning for a hundred years, wherever it passes, vegetation withers, rivers cease to flow, and seasons do not proceed.】

【Refining Ritual: Feeding on Elephants as Sustenance, Accumulating Years to Become Slaughter】

【Advancement Ritual: Lying in Mire to Absorb All Stagnation in the World, Transforming Slaughter into the Body, Yu's Footprints Unfold, Enabling Promotion to the Position Fruit of the Female Will of Order】

【World Ritual: Ba She, Silkworm Fruit, Abyss Fruit, Du Fruit, Gathering the Four Disasters, the Water Sovereign as King, Enabling the Induction of the Bright Marsh Realm.】

All information was quickly browsed through once.

Especially the World Ritual.

A new position fruit appeared, among which only the Abyss Fruit was familiar to Liang Qu.

"Dong!"

The spirit went blank again, and within the container corresponding to the Myriad Phenomena Position Fruit, countless threads tangled and entwined.

Liang Qu focused his attention on the Ba She information in his memory, directing it entirely into the container.

Having reached this point, he instead felt somewhat composed.

The dense heavenly and earthly spiritual energy within the golden eyes spread across the sky and earth, making almost nothing visible, then suddenly condensed, gathering entirely within the container.

"Ivory?"

Liang Qu gazed at the curved white ivory object within the container and instantly recognized what it was.

Ivory, and not just a single ivory, but twelve in total, divided into left and right rows, six each, all growing together on the alveolar bone.

Yet at this moment, he had no time to examine the position fruit, as Zhang Longxiang suddenly struck out.

The skull was reconnected.

"Summon the Soul Again!"

The "Stone in the River" broke through the water surface once more, reappearing in the mortal realm!

Shen Daming opened his eyes, similarly stroking his neck, always feeling a strange numbness and itch, straining his neck awaiting slaughter, needing to overcome immense resistance instinct, as well as the sudden surge of "Heaven and Man United" passion, plus the strangeness of journeying to the Yellow Springs Kingdom, which would bring intense nausea and retching.

After swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva, dispelling the dizziness in his mind, Shen Daming looked toward the twelve ivories in the container, the former great elder who had died several hundred years ago suddenly appearing in his mind, a surge of strong regret rising at once.

But the deed was done; Shen Daming would not let himself become a sinner and a petty man, overcame his inner reluctance, turned his gaze away, picked up the container from the ground, and came before Liang Qu.

"Huai Wang————Position fruit has emerged, what is your intuition?"

"Intuition remains strong, but whether it can actually be effective still needs careful observation; I do not know if Shen Daming can leave some space with you?"

Shen Daming gazed at the ivories in the container, sighed, handed them to Liang Qu, and turned away.

Liang Qu expressed thanks, immediately ran to the depths of the cave, avoided sight, sat cross-legged, and reached out to grasp.

The heart should have been pounding violently.

But now it was unusually calm.

"National Preceptor, how do you feel?" Liang Qu suddenly spoke.

One hit?

Liang Qu thought.

The sound echoed in the cave, colliding and winding, reaching the middle section, with layered reverberations, thick and dense.

The old toad's face showed contemplation, not knowing what to say now to seem mysterious and unfathomable, it pondered deeply, a flash of lightning, suddenly recalling the words of the old tribal leader, carrying double paddles: "Eight or nine, not leaving ten."

"Hahaha."

Liang Qu laughed loudly, firmly grasping the twelve ivories.

Three breaths, a flicker.

Radiance flashed!

【Towering and Majestic, Giant Hooves Tread the Plains, a Thousand Mountains Yield, Hills Become Ruins】

【Kui Fruit (Myriad Phenomena)】

【Authority: Mountain-Shaking Slaughter】

【Attribute: Disaster】

【Hills leveled, marshes surging, earth veins severed, all subjected to trampling.】

【Refining Ritual: Leveling a Thousand Mountains, Erecting a Thousand Mountains, Inverting a Thousand Mountains.】

【Advancement Ritual: Ba She Swallows Elephant, Elephant Splits Ba She, Ba She, Silkworm Fruit, Abyss Fruit, Du Fruit, Choosing One to Devour, Enabling Promotion to the Position Fruit—Giant Spirit】

【World Ritual: Kui Fruit, Yi Fruit, Jingwei, Luo Fruit, the Four Disasters Gathered, the Water Sovereign as King, Enabling the Induction of the Bright Power Form Realm.】

Liang Qu closed his eyes.

One piece of good news.

One piece of bad news.