Chapter 1511: Three Legs Standing Tripartite (5k6)

It hurts so much!

The Flood Dragon King's entire body exploded with scales, he extended his dragon claw to grab the scale-covered great snake to stabilize himself, but due to his staggering weakness, his claw slipped and he sank straight to the riverbed, writhing in pain. In a daze, he returned to the moment of his death and rebirth, when the position fruit was extracted—every inch of his tendons and bones snapped, every scale cracked and dissipated.

The Mountain Dragon King fared slightly better, though his face was deathly pale, he staggered backward, leaning against a small hill.

The scale, viper, python great snakes, and black great fish cried out in alarm, turned, and dove underwater to support the Flood Dragon.

"What's going on?"

The Tusi was astonished, unable to understand why the two dragons reacted this way. Aside from the Mountain Dragon King and Flood Dragon King, everyone else felt nothing similar; they could only sense the mysterious feeling of the position fruit merging and transforming.

No, not right.

The Tusi recalled someone, glanced to the side.

Huai Wangfei!

Unfortunately, Long Eying stood within the Dashun crowd, her view obstructed.

The maid supported the treasure canopy, the canopy shielded the fierce sun, casting shadows that blocked the view. Zhang Xianglong and Ge Zu slightly glanced sideways, they clearly saw Long Eying's face turn deathly pale for an instant.

"What kind of position fruit property is this?"

Ge Zu expressed astonishment.

The Flood Dragon King was originally of the Awakened Realm, a top-tier demon king of the world, merely rumored to have contracted some illness, causing him to go weak in the hands and feet upon encountering Bai Yuan, leading to his earlier defeat. After re-transforming into a dragon, his power should have been the pinnacle of flood dragons without position fruits in this era—just by his aura, he should not have been suppressed into such a state?

Ripples on the Deer Cang River gradually spread, from calm to turbulent.

The river's flow grew ever faster, swiftly whipping up a vast wind that surged through the canyon.

Liang Qu's aura rose, surged, and merged!

The Tusi and Xin Daju, having refined the Ba Snake and Wanxiang for hundreds of years, were intimately familiar with them. At this moment, they simultaneously manifested their presence and then faded, converging into a new, unique qi—both unfamiliar and familiar.

The two position fruits, held in the two strongholds for thousands of years without change, had instead, upon falling into outsiders' hands, transformed in less than a year——

Ba Snake swallows Elephant, Elephant splits Ba Snake.

Chuan Zhu favors.

Before stepping into everyone's sight, Liang Qu had already received the blessing of the Old Toad, his mind clear and his body at ease, capable of dual-line operation.

The twelve long teeth tore open the snake's belly, the Ba Snake twisted and constricted, its towering, mountain-like belly continually rupturing like a rolling bead curtain. Vast amounts of snake blood dispersed, seeping continuously into the elephant's hide, transforming both the elephant and the Ba Snake.

Flames followed his bloodstream throughout his body, intense rhythm tearing at his flesh, with scorching magma flowing in his bone marrow.

The "blood clot" sensation from refining Wanxiang, causing full-body "swelling," in this scorching heat, gradually dissolved and melted away.

When healthy, one never notices how comfortable one feels. But after severe abdominal pain, even a brief respite allows one to feel profound peace.

Liang Qu, amidst this transformation and agony, experienced a different kind of tranquility.

Enough.

The perspective shifted.

Snake and elephant vanished, the burning pain on his body swiftly receded, sealed off from the outside.

Heaven and earth dimmed into a leaden gray, the river surface undulated, giant waves like curtains—before one wave could crash down, the next struck it to pieces, shattering into white foam.

A terrifying black shadow, immense enough to inspire dread, moved beneath the water; the river surface suddenly bulged, and a horrifying creature with twin deer antlers on its head broke through, sending millions of tons of river water scattering.

The spear-wielding divine general stood atop its head, blocking the sunlight filtering through the dark clouds; the sun gilded that figure with a dazzling golden radiance, blazing and impossible to gaze upon directly.

Every scale on his body felt as if pierced by blades, immobilizing him entirely.

Odd-numbered strikes slash the flood dragon, even-numbered strikes are slashed——

Liang Qu had anticipated this.

He closed his eyes.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

The long spear swung down.

The river surface, several thousand meters deep, cracked and sank; along the subsiding surface, fresh blood scattered outward, as if flowing backward, contaminating the surroundings.

Dragon blood rained down, fish swarmed and fought, exploding one after another.

The remaining strongest nine-headed dragon beast leapt forth; Liang Qu gripped Fubo tightly and took a step forward.

【Chuan Zhu Emperor's Favor Ascension, attained the eighteenth level of Martial Dao Transcendence, Martial Dao talent increased eighteenfold, damage against water-attribute demon beasts increased by 180%.】

The view suddenly shifted again.

Snake and elephant reappeared.

The complex sensation of pain and comfort surged back in full, stronger and more overwhelming than before!

Just adjusted his state.

Bloodiness vanished, heaven and earth grew dark once more!

The terrifying creature stared down from above, its blazing golden eyes like two suns.

This time, Liang Qu gripped the spear.

【————Martial Dao talent increased nineteenfold, damage against water-attribute demon beasts increased by 190%————】

The image repeatedly jumped, the sky flickered between dark and bright.

Each time he adapted to one side, steadied his footing, in the blink of an eye everything inverted completely. Liang Qu became like dice in a gambling den, like a sailor swaying with the ship's cabin, overturning rivers and seas.

Mind-eye opened wide.

Realm rose higher, experience grew richer; even talent, under Chuan Zhu's Favor, kept being promoted—what he saw and heard had long since differed from that of the young fisherman who first entered the Four Passes.

He detached his thoughts, merging the two.

Flood Dragon, divine general, giant elephant, Ba Snake——intermingled, interacting.

Somehow, the Flood Dragon and Ba Snake merged into one, the divine general and giant elephant gradually overlapped.

During Wanxiang's ascension, a humanoid form gradually emerged, the Ba Snake draped over it, writhing into armor, Liang Qu's own qi rose steadily, transforming!

The sun shifted, day and night alternated.

His Adam's apple bobbed continuously.

Every young dragon in the arena was dumbstruck.

"Really, there really is hope!?"

The old Tusi did not know what his current feelings ought to be.

Excitement? Fear? Anticipation?

Perhaps all at once.

Since the April replacement of Myriad Phenomena, everything Liang Qu said has been fulfilled; the python swallowing the elephant can advance in rank, the rank advancement fruit can indeed drive his metamorphosis, everything said and thought has happened right before his eyes, solid and real; in this way, only the final step remains.

Third Self-Cultivation!

He was witnessing an extraordinary miracle, one that looking back hundreds of years later might be discovered to be the turning point when the Four Passes and Seven Roads reached the peak for the first time, and the Rainbow Transformation appeared!

The flood dragon let the python carry it to the surface, staring fixedly at Liang Qu.

The fat fish swayed its whiskers left and right, secretly cheering for the Heavenly God.

Above the nine heavens, the Straw-Hatted Old Man exclaimed in amazement, stroking his beard, observing the expressions of the others, his thoughts gradually drifting far away.

In his youth, he always thought becoming a Tiger Hunter was impressive enough; silver and money to spend freely, awe-inspiring prestige, gifts filling carts, local bigwigs had to treat him with utmost respect, elders in the family spoke of nothing but praise; once one became a Tiger Hunter, regardless of age, a child became an adult, able to stand on his own, to be a pillar in the torrent.

Later he discovered, Tiger Hunters also had to listen to those of Entering Zhen Xiang; upon reaching Entering Zhen Xiang, even upon seeing a Tusi they had to yield three parts of courtesy to the Grand Wu; thinking that becoming a Great Manifestation would surely mean no more worries, freedom to follow one's heart.

Slowly he came to understand, the Tusi of the Southern Frontier would yield, the "Tusi" of the Central Plains would not, the "Tusi" of the Northern Court would not either; since one cultivates, one must stand at the pinnacle of everything.

The Crucible, only by becoming the Crucible can one roam freely through heaven and earth!

Then————

The Dragon Lord disappeared.

Three Self-Cultivations————

The Straw-Hatted Old Man's gaze moved downward.

Unheard of, unseen before.

Can he achieve Rainbow Transformation?

The Straw-Hatted Old Man did not know. The only thing he could be certain of was that a Self-Cultivation rank fruit is only called Self-Cultivation when in the cultivator's own hands; once dug out, it is merely another "ordinary" rank fruit that needs advancement and requires worrying about whether they match each other.

Even if one forms three great rank fruits and then takes them, the Self-Cultivator can achieve Rainbow Transformation, but can the taker?

Not necessarily.

From beginning to end, there were only two options: to stop it or not to stop it.

Should he stop it?

Who would stop it?

And if he doesn't stop it, then what?

"Twenty layers, is that the pinnacle?"

Liang Qu saw clearly as if observing fire.

Looking at the flood dragon, looking at the python.

Before the early Tiger Hunter stage, physical pain could make him bare his teeth and scream at the thieving heavens. But at some unknown point afterward, he would still bare his teeth, yet no longer shout and scream; instead, he adapted to the violent changes of his flesh, often observing calmly from a nearly third-party perspective, as if it were not happening to himself.

Looking at mountains as mountains, looking at water as water.

One matter, different stages, different views.

In the past, Liang Qu had never been certain about walking the Thousandfold Root Sea path; he had fantasized about the River Lord's favor, perhaps using a thousand strands of different types of Long Qi to self-derive an exclusive rank fruit.

That would require reaching forty-five layers.

However, with the success of the Self-Cultivation rank fruit and the perfection of the Yinglong's Favor, this concept and idea had long been thrown to the back of his mind.

The River Lord's perfection would absolutely not be as exaggerated as forty-five layers; most likely within the range of twenty or so, one could reach the same ultimate point as the Yinglong's Favor!

Boom—!

The weather over the Lcang River was clear and sunny, but the dark river surface Liang Qu saw was filled with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.

He once again saw the spear-wielding Divine General.

Will there be————change?

The divine spear cleaved down.

The blade light crossed.

The big fish devoured, contending and devouring each other.

He no longer remembered from which layer it started; after slaying the flood dragon or being slain, they would fall to the big fish seizing all the blood-food, transforming into nine-headed dragon species, then personally slain by Liang Qu. At first it was one head, later three heads, then just now nine heads complete.

This time was different.

It was no longer the nine-headed big fish emerging victorious; after the nine-headed big fish remained, the killing did not stop; they became the five poisons in this great sea, became Gu insects, contending with each other, until only one final head remained, one head————a new flood dragon.

Liang Qu stepped out half a pace; he could move freely once more, facing the complete flood dragon, the one striking was no longer the Divine General, or rather, the Divine General was him, he was the Divine General!

A hiss-roar shook heaven and earth, golden eyes like torches.

At this very moment, only the weapon in hand could be relied upon.

Heaven and earth were pitch black, lightning cracking.

In the brief white light of heaven and earth, the flood dragon roared upward, the spear-wielding figure leaped downward!

【River Lord Emperor's Favor Sublimation, obtained Martial Dao Divine Connection Twentieth Layer, Martial Dao Talent increased twentyfold, damage to water-attribute demonic beasts increased by twenty percent.】

"Missed by a little————"

The three elevations brought by the Po Festival Subduing Dragon were fully realized, with no follow-up.

Liang Qu was neither hurried nor flustered; he had long been prepared.

【Can consume twenty Spirit Fish, Sublimate Favor: Martial Dao Divine Connection Twentieth Layer.】

【Water Marsh Essence: 54,580,000】

【Heaven and Earth Vitality: One Hundred and Seven】

Having reached this point, it is already a bold attempt, a bold pioneering.

The Yinglong's favor succeeding is not merely due to having a complete Yinglong's favor; it also involves the catalysis of the Long Jiao Crossing the River fate and the Dragon Gate. Conversely, the River Lord has nothing.

He even hopes the favor will not reach its peak, so that one day he can accumulate success.

He did not immediately condense the spirit fish.

After the threefold enhancement, the "blood clot" side effect brought by the myriad phenomena within his body was completely eliminated.

Endless.

This is merely the absence of side effects, not the positive gain represented by the median fruit. Gradually, compared to before refinement, a more wonderful sense of roundness and integration emerged. Combined with the River Lord's exaltation of favor and the enhancement of talent, these two gave birth to a wondrous synergistic reaction.

The Ba Snake stagnates, the myriad phenomena obstruct.

The two together invert.

Towering and magnificent Hua Yue, lofty and extreme Tai Qing. The Giant Spirit guides the flow, rivers and lakes are the meridians.

Nowhere is impassable, nowhere has obstruction, everywhere flows smoothly, everywhere has resolution!

The Giant Spirit roars, cleaving two mountains; the flood surges, shooting toward the Eastern Sea!

The root sea, expanded three thousand and twelve times outward, absorbs two strands of Long Qi, causing the Flying Lean to grow stronger by one unit.

Countless spiritual lights stir within the sea of consciousness; the Huaiwang Canon operates on its own. Warm Stone Rhythm often complains to him that this cultivation method is too difficult; sometimes Liang Qu has no choice but to let him skip parts, cultivating only parts.

Now, all difficulties are readily resolved, and there is another way!

"Sudden enlightenment!?"

Ge Zu exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Longxiang, Shen Daxian, Shi Wang, and Lang Zhu all simultaneously experienced it, utterly astonished.

Truly sudden enlightenment!

Can such a situation also bring sudden enlightenment?

Just now.

Blessing descends upon the heart and spirit; twenty thousand essences and twenty strands of vital qi manifest as spirit fish, crashing into the Inside Inside Ze Ding!

【Marsh Essence: Fifty-four million four hundred thirty-eight】

【Heaven and Earth Vitality: Eighty-seven】

【River Lord Emperor's Favor Exaltation and Ascension, attaining the Twenty-first Layer of Martial Dao Penetrating Divinity — 】

【Can consume twenty-one spirit fish, exalt favor: Martial Dao Penetrating Divinity Twenty-first Layer.】

【Marsh Essence: Fifty-four million one hundred seventeen】

【Heaven and Earth Vitality: Sixty-six】

The crow flies, the rabbit runs.

As November enters December, new green moss has grown on the stones.

Even in the southern borders, the sky grows slightly cool.

Gradually, Xie Hongyu could not help but ask.

"Grandfather, how has it been so long? The Huai King — "

"Refining the position fruit still requires two months; how could advancing the position fruit be achieved in a short time?" The answer came not from the tribal chief, but from Shen Daguan.

Beside, Ge Zu's expression stirred.

He recalled how everyone had been trapped together in the heavenly-earthly fragments torn apart by the Great Li Taizu, which was indeed not a matter of a day or two, and he discovered something even stranger.

Most sudden enlightenments last only a very short time; indeed, some last ten days or half a month, but those often occur during the digestion of aftermath, when the afterglow of enlightenment takes effect.

Yet Liang Qu seems to have remained continuously in the state of sudden enlightenment.

Ge Zu grasped the key point, and thereafter his scalp tingled.

Not just one sudden enlightenment!

Sudden enlightenment lasting a full half month!???

Liang Qu remained unmoved, sitting in stillness for the entire half month.

Within the sea of consciousness, the giant elephant and the Ba Snake faded until nearly invisible; the flood dragon and Ba Snake merged, the giant elephant merged with the divine general, giving rise to hands and feet, growing arms, fully manifesting a towering, majestic, heaven-standing, earth-occupying — 【165】 Giant Spirit God!

The Giant Spirit God!

The illusory elephant rushes across the two cliffs, the Giant Spirit directly cleaves the central current!

Throughout his body, above and below, there is nowhere not permeated; essence, qi, and spirit are everywhere empty and bright.

The root sea, expanded three thousand and thirty-six times, surges, expands, and explodes!

In the blink of an eye, suddenly a leap.

Three thousand one!

Three thousand two!

Three thousand three!

Layer upon layer of air waves explode upon the Jiang Cang River, successively piling up into ripples; the invisible wind sweeps across heaven and earth.

"What kind of mighty power is this?" Ge Zu stared, mouth agape.

The mighty pressure rages, pouring forth recklessly.

The root sea connects heaven and earth, constituting the "great trend"; the magnitude of this "trend" before one's eyes is simply as vast and boundless as the Eastern Sea, as magnificent as the sun rising in the east; each inhalation and exhalation, each pouring forth, resembles the Yangtze River entering the sea, rushing out a boundless expanse.

Hundredfold incremental increase!?

Not only Liang Qu himself, the wind-and-cloud center, but everyone feels the smoothness within their bodies, gradually beginning to nurture a root sea!

"Can the Ba Snake, after advancement, nurture a root sea?"

An inconceivable thought struck the tribal chief's heart; he recalled the thousandfold root sea method, and instantly felt that the transformation of the position fruit had become utterly bland.

Three thousand four, three thousand five!

The root sea grew wildly, as if gone mad!

Liang Qu's bones crackled and popped all over his body.

Borrowing the Myriad Manifestations' advancement to cover the River Lord's Favor Ascension — back then it was merely a thought of stealing heaven and changing the sun; I never imagined it could actually help.

The River Lord's Favor — just one step away from success.

【Can consume 22 Spirit Fish, Ascend Favor: Martial Dao Transcendent Spirit 22nd Layer.】

【Water Marsh Essence: 53,950,000】

【Heaven and Earth Constant Qi: 44】

"Hua!"

Muddy waves surged, shadows prowled.

Liang Qu originally intended to proceed step by step, learn once more, but suddenly discovered something was wrong.

His heart stirred, his foot muscles trembling faintly—

He lifted, landed, striding out a complete step.

Upon landing, everything became clear.

He was no longer a puppet in a predetermined drama; he could have his own play, his own tune!

Grasping the long spear in hand, three-pointed double-edged — unknown when it had turned into Dragon Fubo.

"Pa!"

The Second Xiandao rose toweringly.

【Slay Jiao】 metamorphosed to the 5th, 6th, 7th stage, surpassing 【Dragon Tiger Golden Body】, 【Yinglong Killing Scripture】; the entire Second Xiandao abruptly turned black and white, constantly fictitious, abstracted into leaping simple brushstrokes.

Liang Qu made his move.

Dragon Fubo swung down.

Heaven and earth lost their voice.

Tide sounds, wind sounds, roar sounds vanished.

Everything turned into two colors, black and white, twisting, pulsing. Not merely the Jiao dragon — black lines spread out, expanding from the Jiao dragon's body outward; the ocean, the north wind, heaven and earth — everything, tangible and intangible, all turned into lines.

The long spear swept across.

The lines on the Jiao dragon's body snapped.

The lines on the sea surface also snapped.

The lines constructing heaven and earth followed suit and snapped.

Liang Qu ran onto the stage, becoming a martial male lead wielding a flower spear; he swung the long spear backward, and the entire stage's curtain was lifted down from above, mottled red silk settling onto the floorboards.

Huala—

The curtain fluttered down, piling on the ground.

The illusion vanished.

Jiao dragon, giant spirit, Ba snake, Kui elephant — all dispersed like smoke and clouds.

The Lcang River surged southeast, both banks' scenery boundless, hundred grasses thriving.

Countless spectators in the stands.

"Huala."

A fish leaped out of the water.

Eyeballs turning, Liang Qu saw the Saint Emperor, saw the Tusi, saw the Khan King, saw Eying, saw the immortals and the Whale Emperor on the second floor.

He opened his mouth slightly, as if swallowing a mouthful of steaming chicken soup, exhaling gently.

"Hu———"

Above the nine heavens, the Straw Hat Weng and the Linchuan Immortal straightened their bodies, pupils widening slightly.

"Su——succeeded?"

Xie Hongyu stammered, looking at the Tusi, at the Saint Emperor, at the Khan King.

"Hahaha, hahaha!"

Sudden loud laughter in the sky.

Everyone looked up.

"One Whale Pearl, two self-nurtured!" the Whale Emperor laughed continuously, truly delighted, "Precious sword gifted to a hero, given to its rightful owner, given to its rightful owner indeed!"

Given to its rightful owner——

Great Shun, Southern Frontier, Northern Court — pondering a bit, thoughts gradually turning blank.

April needs Myriad Manifestations, May swaps Ba Snake, twelve months — self-nurtured the third.

The old Tusi's gaze was deep and remote, hands behind back facing Wangjiang, melancholy and sighing.

River wind howled, temples flying.

Ge Zu raised his head to gaze at the sky.

Tile-blue, jade-green.

Why was there no thunder tribulation?

Twelfth month, tenth day.

【River Lord Emperor Jun Favor Ascension, obtained Martial Dao Transcendent Spirit 23rd Layer, Martial Dao talent increased 23 times, damage to water-attribute demon beasts increased 23%.】

【Marsh Spirit Favor: Martial Dao Transcendent Spirit 23rd Layer (Awakened); Yinglong Pattern: 13 Layers (Awakened); Tian Wu Yu Pattern: 3 Layers】

Communicating with the Marsh Cauldron.

As far as Liang Qu's eyes reached, all was radiant light.

【There is a giant spirit who has thoroughly obtained the Dao of Kunyuan, capable of shaping mountains and rivers, and bringing forth Jianghe.】

【Giant Spirit】

【Authority: Correct Governance】

【Affiliation: Governance】

【Clearing obstructions and dredging blockages, carving through perilous obstacles, making mountains and rivers flow freely, connecting land and water, turning heavenly chasms into passable routes.】

【Refinement Ritual: Unblock the Nine Orifices, Dredge the Hundred Rivers, Break Through Ten Thousand Obstacles】

【Advancement Ritual: Opening Heaven and Cleaving Earth, Holding Up Heaven and Establishing Earth, capable of advancing to the Fruit of the Governance Position, one Pangu】

【Realm Ritual: Wu Guo, Qing Nü, Giant Spirit, gathering together in the Three Governances, jointly paying homage to the Water Sovereign, capable of guiding the Bright Cangmeng Realm】

【Feilian】

【Authority: Flowing Correctness】

【Affiliation: Governance】

【The Wind Lord Feilian, a dragon sparrow; when he moves, rivers flow along their tracks, clouds and waters return to their channels; wherever Feilian passes, rivers know their course, clouds and rains know where to fall, all things know their flow.】

【Refinement Ritual: Command the Eight Winds, Correct the Hundred Rivers, Order Clouds and Rains】

【Advancement Ritual: Treading the Xun Palace to make winds sweep the Nine Domains, holding the nodal edict to enact Correct Flow across the Eight Wastelands; capable of advancing to the Fruit of the Governance Position, one Yinglong】

【Realm Ritual: Feilian, Yingzhao, Dunhu, gathering together in the Three Governances, jointly paying homage to the Water Sovereign, capable of guiding the Bright Flow Realm】

【Yunhua】

【Authority: Gathering Correctness】

【Affiliation: Governance】

【Essence becomes jade flowers, qi becomes golden flowers, spirit becomes nine flowers.】

【Refinement Ritual: Facing Clouds, Evening Rain, Transforming Grass】

【Advancement Ritual: Suspending Mountains, Shooting the Sun, Slaying the Golden Crow; capable of advancing to the Fruit of the Governance Position, one River Lord】

【Realm Ritual: Yunhua, Qing Nü, Guyao, gathering together in the Three Governances, jointly paying homage to the Water Sovereign, capable of guiding the Bright Jade Flower Realm】

Four thousand one hundred and twelve times the root sea surges with mighty undulations.

Upon the immortal isle.

The sun resides at the center, the airflow to the left, the golden flowers to the right.

Three-legged tripod standing in balance.

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