Chapter 1513

The clear waves were emerald green, the rolling waves splashing onto rocks, brown speckles dotting the yellow-white.

The granite boulder was a zhang tall and a zhang wide, relying on its own weight it pressed into the damp mud; in the shadow blocking the sunlight clung a layer of fuzzy green moss, tiny woodlice shuttled through the moss, long earthworms wriggled in the mud.

Liang Qu sat cross-legged on this piece of granite, quietly digesting, the dragon spirit gauze fluttering in the wind.

Exhale, inhale.

Ears filled with the sound of the tide.

The gorge has great winds, the wide river has long winds.

The two blend, all the more continuous, like a horizontal flute tube, someone blowing long from the source with full lungs. The Luchang River has many trees, so the blown breath became a woman, the breath carrying the freshness of grass and leaves.

Mist rolls on the river.

Every breath has sound.

Never before in ancient times, unseen in the world————

Walking Water, Whale Pearl, Awakened Realm, essence of heaven and earth, Luchang River's qi fortune.

A single Awakened Realm alone takes five hundred years. In a mere eight hundred years, could one possibly cultivate three Perished Dragons?

The southern frontier is hot and dry, yet the flood dragon feels a chill, wind entering everywhere, strands drilling into scales. Beside the flood dragon, the Scale Great Snake unconsciously curled up, as if to hibernate for winter; its thoughts flew away, flew to that afternoon years ago when it dispatched Red Scale to bribe Liang Qu.

What realm was Liang Qu at back then? Was Red Scale still pulling boats for the King of Yue?

Hair strands snake-dancing in the river wind, outlining a silhouette, Long Eying stands on the riverbank, quietly watching.

Zhang Longxiang, Shen Damian, Lion King, Hundred Feet, Wolf Lord————

All Perished Dragons, every one experiencing their root seas grown ten-odd times, even dozens of times.

This observation brought them enormous gains.

They pressed all their surging emotions behind cultivation, focused on self, like throwing a huge handful of salt into a stew — must first pour in a big bowl of clear water, cover the lid and simmer again, stir evenly, only then will the taste not be so tongue-curling.

"Huu————"

Gathering up his flying temples, the old Tusi straightened his robes, sat down again by the riverbank, quietly gazing at the sky.

Excitement? Worry? Fear? Thrill?

All those intricate, repeatedly leaping emotions from before the event were completely gone.

Dust settled, he felt a great burden lifted.

It ended.

Unprecedented in the past, fine; unmatched in the future, also fine.

Without creating what never existed before, how to transmit endless successors?

Of old heaven had no alarm, vast antiquity never heard of it.

Words to describe the present scene and shock are far too many, countless; one could write a whole scroll in a quarter-hour, fill a basket — so what?

Bashe, Myriad Phenomena.

Two middle-position fruits, following the elders' memories, thoroughly vanished, replaced by a new middle-position fruit. The third-position fruit, as predicted, self-cultivates; whether Liang Qu later achieves Huahong or becomes unprecedented throughout history, it's none of his business, none of the southern frontier's business.

The southern frontier shed its worries, and moreover, suffered no loss.

He did everything he could do, no shame to the southern frontier, no shame to anyone; ten thousand years later, history books shall record his name.

Only, the third self-cultivation — even immortals would marvel, no?

The old Tusi gazed at white clouds and thought.

"Grandpa?" Xie Hongyu wanted to speak but stopped.

"Mm." The old Tusi closed his eyes, confirming once more.

Xie Hongyu turned his head, staring fixedly at Liang Qu on the rock, thoughts blank for a long while.

Before cultivating, the youth would stay in the academy learning characters, zoning out in class; he would always fantasize what stunning talent he could display after cultivating.

One day he could be like the legendary Central Plains Overlord, Perished Dragon at thirty; not only that, he would not become Great Qian Taizu's defeated subordinate, but could self-cultivate a position fruit, directly enter the Crucible, ascend to immortality, sweep the world.

The girl next to him would admire, the boy behind would envy, feel inferior.

He wanted everyone to praise him, become the most dazzling "hero"; yet even then Xie Hongyu never thought of self-cultivating a second, a third. Because no one told him it was possible, so he couldn't even imagine it————

"Hahaha!" The old Tusi laughed loudly.

Xie Hongyu turned his head: "Grandpa?"

The old Tusi patted Xie Hongyu's shoulder: "Hongyu, do you know what kind of person can be called a genius?"

Xie Hongyu answered without thinking: "Genius bursts forth, transcendent spirit soaring. Dragon soaring, roc bird soaring, uncontrollable. Friends view ten-thousand-chariot rulers, enslave noble eunuchs."

The old Tusi shook his head.

Xie Hongyu spoke again: "Those who can Perished Dragon, who can Crucible — Hundred Feet Ye, Shen Ye — are all unparalleled geniuses, figures standing at the pinnacle."

The old Tusi shook his head again, looked at Liang Qu: "Some people never understand what genius means. Hongyu, genius has never been measured by how many achievements one gains, but by whether they can bring us, us ordinary people, a different kind of beauty, make one sigh: ah, so this is also possible."

"This kind of———— also possible?"

"Yes. The first person to attempt cultivation is a genius. The first to create the Four Passes Seven Paths is a genius. The first to use Xuanhuang Qi to Enter Zhen Xiang, the first Perished Dragon, the first post-natal Crucible — these people are geniuses.

Because they let people discover: ah, so this is also possible, so this can also be done, truly———— beautiful, isn't it? Look at that dragon, look at Luchang River, look at Huai King, heaven and earth's creation."

Xie Hongyu froze.

A long moment.

"Indeed———— beautiful."

A perfect "dream" that even zoning out in class one couldn't conjure.

"Congratulations, Holy Emperor."

Sweat King bowed with clasped hands, wanted to say something, but felt it would be dry and flat.

The Holy Emperor returned the salute, equally strange.

This is the bizarre absurdity: clearly just a Perished Dragon, yet everyone is convinced he will eventually reach Crucible — should they treat him with Crucible rites right now?

The Sacred Emperor smiled, reaching out his hand for no reason and gesturing.

Back when he was first enfeoffed, he was probably just a — this tall, greenhorn brat?

Heaven and earth fell silent.

Half a day's effort.

Zhang Longxiang, Lion King, and Shen Da absorbed the surging Root Sea. A single observation was comparable to consuming several portions of top-grade fortune-treasures; Liang Qu, at the center, was absolutely only higher, never lower.

What kind of position-fruit did the Myriad Phenomena and the Ba Snake ultimately combine to produce?

Everyone silently gazed at Liang Qu, silently waiting, silently anticipating; no one dared disturb this moment of heaven-opening and earth-parting.

Only Ge Zu kept looking up, Zhang Longxiang following his gaze to the sky; aside from the white clouds gathered from the Whale Emperor's massive form, he saw nothing.

Suddenly.

A figure flickered.

Everyone turned their eyes in unison.

He opened his eyes again.

With his hair cut short, no sideburns smeared on his face, his gaze first met the emerald waters, vibrant with life; his tense, weary emotions eased at once, and he looked further up.

The three immortals of Dashun, Beiting, and Nanjian were all present, as was the Whale Emperor of the Eastern Sea.

Looking left, one saw the rulers of Dashun, Beiting, and Nanjian; beyond the rulers, the strongest warriors of the three powers.

Aside from the Dali Taizu faction, the demon beast races stood on one side; all the most powerful and influential people in the world were here, standing and waiting for him.

The current protagonist — nothing more than that.

Spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn into winter.

The flood dragon exchanged water for the elephant-snake form, the elephant-snake exchanged for the divine general.

The Mountain Long Wang appeared in the world, the Flood Long Wang also appeared in the world.

The Giant Spirit was obtained, Yunhua was also obtained.

It was completed.

Liang Qu grinned, revealing a mouthful of neat, white teeth, and laughed at Lu Cangjiang.

"I'm truly awesome."

This —

Still.

Quiet.

Astonishment, surprise, absurdity —

The brewing, prepared emotions exploded like a pig's urine bubble, rushing forth in a torrent.

Everyone froze for a moment, staring at each other.

After waiting a month, having witnessed each other's miracles and history, what comes next shouldn't be saying a few fine words, acting as lubricant, then everyone lavishing praise, providing emotional value, and then each going home to savor today, right?

Everyone couldn't find words to refute, but —

You've said your piece; what are we supposed to say?

"Pfft — "

Long Eying covered her mouth and laughed.

"Oh oh oh oh! Boss is awesome! Wuhu."

The Third Prince waved his claws in the void, shouting and cheering enthusiastically.

Immediately after, "Hahaha, hahaha!"

The Whale Emperor laughed, Linchuan Immortal laughed, the Straw Raincoat Old Man and the Beiting Immortal laughed.

The Sacred Emperor, the Tusi, and the Khan King couldn't help but laugh.

"The Huai King's character is truly unique; no wonder he rides the wind and wanders the void — if talented people can't do it, then the competitions he creates and the fiefdoms he builds must be more interesting than others'; what he has done today indeed carries on the past and opens the future." The Straw Raincoat Old Man stroked his beard and laughed, "Not bad at all."

Liang Qu withdrew his gaze, bowed slightly, and said with a playful smile: "Not at all — merely standing on the shoulders of giants. This matter also requires endless thanks to the Whale Emperor for his past gift of the whale pearl; without the whale pearl, there would be no me today. On this journey, I have never lacked noble helpers or noble fish."

The Whale Emperor shook his head: "A single whale pearl was originally meant for Bai Yuan, to eliminate mutual grudges. Even I never imagined it could truly nurture a position-fruit in one go, leading to today's results — all of this is your and the Flood Dragon's fortune.

Especially you — don't say three self-nurtured fruits; even two would already be heaven-opening and earth-parting. Rumor has it the Great Huang Martial Immortal and the Great He Taizu wandered the cosmos, untraceable. I think, if that's truly the case, knowing your affairs would probably make them want to return to their hometowns for a look."

"Whale Emperor, rest assured! All this back-and-forth is meaningless." Liang Qu patted his chest: "From now on, the Flood Dragon is my half-brother; his affairs are mine. One day I'll bring him to Jianghuai to become sworn brothers with Bai Yuan!"

Flood Dragon: " — "

"Hahahaha! Linchuan Immortal, is this your Dashun's second immortal? More interesting than us old fogeys, far more interesting." The Beiting Old Immortal teased.

Linchuan Immortal's mouth corner twitched.

The Straw Raincoat Old Man laughed again: "Truly looking forward to the Huai King becoming an immortal soon; those days will surely be more interesting than now."

Liang Qu chimed in: "That's guaranteed to be powerful; when the time comes, I'll be in Jianghuai, opening a fishing stall just for immortals!"

Perhaps the three immortals had just been considering whether to stop him.

Perhaps the Whale Emperor had just been considering whether to make a move.

But Liang Qu wasn't the slightest bit flustered.

As long as he hasn't fully grown into a great position-fruit, he is safe; indeed, because he constantly self-nurtures, constantly needing time to grow, this indirectly raises his safety threshold!

Why can self-nurtured position-fruits follow self-growth without needing a promotion ceremony?

Because the nurturer is the father of the self-nurtured position-fruit! His old man!

Liang Qu is the father of Tian Yuan, Fei Lian, and Yunhua! Grandfather! So he has privileges.

Others want to take — is it your biological child or adopted? Want a bigger one? Go figure out the refinement and promotion rituals; even the nurturer himself doesn't know.

If the three immortals want to stop him, the Old Farmer Whale Emperor will extend his fins.

If the Old Farmer Whale Emperor extends his fins, the three immortals will act.

There is always one side that suits oneself.

Liang Qu bowed respectfully: "Today, Qu thanks all the immortals and the Whale Emperor for their protection."

The Linchuan Immortal nodded: "King of Huai, more words are of no use; we wait and see regarding you — whether the Four Passes and Seven Roads can truly achieve Rainbow Transformation, perhaps depends on today."

The dragons under heaven were all shaken.

The immortal spoke.

Rainbow Transformation! Rainbow Transformation!

Three self-cultivated fruits — can they really achieve Rainbow Transformation?

The first Postnatal Furnace was the Great Li Taizu; will the first Postnatal Rainbow Transformation be the King of Huai?

"The road ahead is uncertain; I dare not make a definite claim — I will exert my utmost!"

"We — wait and see."

White clouds dispersed.

The shadows on the ground vanished; the sky turned from dark to bright.

Liang Qu turned and immediately leapt down from the rock to perform a rite, grinning: "Your Majesty! It's done! Tusi, Khan King, it's done!"

The Sage Emperor smiled and nodded.

"Congratulations, King of Huai." The Khan King sneered inwardly.

This day, heaven and earth — congratulate this one, congratulate that one; when will someone congratulate me? A whole year has passed, and only his Northern Court has nothing; a Long Wang emerged on the Ehe River, yet it's still Liang Qu's wife, unable to be kept.

That a Long Wang's birth would be accompanied by a treasure fish of creation — only he, the Lord of Luchang River, knew; the King of Huai's consort transformed into a Long Wang on the Ehe River — where is his treasure fish?

"King of Huai." The Tusi couldn't help but interject, "The Bashe and the Myriad Manifestations —"

"The Bashe and the Myriad Manifestations naturally vanished, but Tusi rest assured; since I chose to cultivate on the Luchang River, it is to give the Southern Frontier an accounting."

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Liang Qu continued: "I name this Middle-Rank Fruit 'Kui' — the 'Kui' of robust; Kui Fruit! Its effect is diametrically opposite to Bashe and Myriad Manifestations; Bashe is stagnation, Myriad Manifestations is obstruction; Kui Fruit's effect is diametrically opposite — it is for unobstructed flow!"

"Unobstructed flow?"

"Correct — Qi and blood unobstructed, thoughts unobstructed, spirit unobstructed; all tangible and intangible things can be unobstructed!

Therefore, when the Fruit authority radiates, everyone's whole body should be harmonious and thoughts penetrating, almost akin to sudden enlightenment.

All the precious medicines eaten over years inside the body, digested in a single instant — should cause the Root Sea to expand, no?"

Everyone understood.

Zhang Longxiang looked inward, experiencing the Root Sea expanded fifty-odd times, yet still had doubts. He distinctly felt Liang Qu's Root Sea had surged madly; mere accumulation of medicinal potency digestion plus half a month of sudden enlightenment seemed insufficient to explain it — however —

"Perhaps there is also the participation of a third Fruit."

Zhang Longxiang thought.

The old Tusi breathed a sigh of relief.

So that's the effect — not directly growing the Root Sea; transforming the Fruit makes it fragrant again.

If it truly can grow the Root Sea, then the Thousandfold Root Sea Method might leap to become the simplest self-cultivation method, lowering the difficulty of self-cultivated Fruits below even piglets.

"Put that way, this authority for alchemy — wouldn't it completely lack the obstacle of medicinal property conflicts?" the Khan King asked.

"Yes, I haven't tried it; I speculate it should be so, or perhaps there could be the wondrous alchemy of immortals; in fact, the Kui Fruit authority — I've only just touched it for the first time; what level it can ultimately reach still needs more experiments —"

Everyone asked in a babble, and even more curiosities popped up; they wanted to know what Liang Qu's second and third Fruit authorities were.

Liang Qu's first Fruit was Sublimation — letting a person ascend two realms out of thin air! Such a terrifying Fruit could be nurtured; how do the second and third compare?

Alas, Bashe and Myriad Manifestations can be asked about; the second and third would be offensive.

After encouraging them once more and agreeing to exchange gifts, most of the crowd dispersed; the remaining three princes somehow plucked a handful of wild flowers and scattered them across the sky.

Petals landed on the stone and spun.

"Jiaolong King!" Liang Qu turned his head, calling out to the departing Jiaolong King, patting the Jiaolong King's body: "Under heaven there is no feast that doesn't end, no enmity that doesn't dissolve; your bribing me back then — I won't hold it against you; from now on we are brothers of different fathers and different mothers."

Jiaolong: "————"

The scaled snake shrank its head back.

"From now on you call me Big Brother, I'll call you Little Brother.

Jiaolong: "————"

"I also have a Big Brother, called Whale King."

"Whale Emperor?" Jiaolong's pupils dilated.

"Whale King! Not Whale Emperor — how did you hear it? My accent isn't that bad; that's our East Sea Brothers' Association — Bai Yuan is in it too, Second Big Brother; Whale King is Big Brother; everyone's buddies! When free, I'll send you a Jiangshang Red Card."

"Not necessary at all."

"Hey, the Whale Emperor himself said to let us get along well; not giving me face is still not giving the Whale Emperor face? Come home for tea another day, let your sister-in-law teach you how to be a proper Long Wang."

Perhaps knowing Liang Qu's style, unable to tell if he was mocking or serious.

The Jiaolong King's veins bulged; in the end he said nothing, leaving in silence.

"Remember to come home for tea!"

Liang Qu waved from the shore, shouting at the top of his voice.

The fat fish turned and waved its whiskers along, only for the scaled snake to grab it and drag it away.

"Spouting nonsense all day, all talk." Long Eying walked up beside him and spat, "How can one speak to an immortal like that? Saying what —"

"Eh, what did I say? Be bold, say it out."

"Pah, what did you say? I'm too embarrassed to say it."

"Heh, how can it not work? Chasing a good girl, make her rebel; chasing a married woman, make her seek pleasure; chasing one with good conditions, let her suffer a bit with you. Of course, I've never chased anyone — it's all hearsay."

"I know, no need to explain; before you couldn't even look at me openly, couldn't say such words."

"Before was my disguise — know that I pass through myriad flowers, yet not a single leaf clings to me!"

"Is that so? First time nervous and you can't even aim properly."

"Method actor!"

Long Eying crossed her arms and sneered coldly: "Method actor fussed for half a day, and still need me to help you light the lamp."

"How come you're such a hooligan now?"

"?"

Liang Qu ignored Long Eying's malicious slander and groundless libel: "What do you know? Immortals hear too much flattery and fawning, so they need a taste of my kind — fresh, stimulating! Fragrant, spicy, numbing, hot!"

"Don't look at Ge Zu and Xin Da Xian acting calm; tonight they're guaranteed to lose sleep, their heads echoing with that one line I said."

Long Eying looked skeptical.

Moonlight flowed like water.

Returning from the Southern Frontier to the Northern Court, the Wolf Lord bathed and lay in bed, gazing at the eaves.

Having faced off against Zhang Longxiang for many years, personally witnessing the other party rise from being beneath mention to being evenly matched, he originally thought there was no one more talented than Zhang Longxiang in the world; who knew Liang Qu would emerge out of nowhere, shattering everyone's understanding into pieces.

Eighteen at Hunt Tiger, twenty-two at Entering Zhen Xiang, twenty-eight at Yao Dragon, thirty-three, three self-cultivated Position Fruits —

How can a person be talented to this extent?

Gazing at the roof beams, watching the angle formed by the interweaving of moonlight and wood shadows continuously narrow, the arrows in the copper clepsydra slowly rose.

The Wolf Lord let out a long breath, blew out the oil lamp, and closed his eyes.

Yao Dragons originally don't need much sleep; however, with the East Sea Grand Hunt approaching, sleeping only three double-hours a day would better ensure his condition —

Before long.

"Hua————"

"Swoosh swoosh————"

The Wolf Lord's eyes snapped open, he looked around left and right.

The room was quiet and still.

No river wind, no tide sounds, no grass leaves rubbing.

The Wolf Lord was startled and uncertain, lay back down, and closed his eyes again.

"Hua————"

Eyes opened again.

The tabletop reflected silver light, still calm.

After another long while.

Drowsy and heavy, gradually falling into dreamland.

A faint scent of green grass drilled into his nostrils, tide sounds rose again, mixed with human voices.

"I'm so fucking awesome————"

Eyes suddenly stared wide open, fixed on the roof beams.

Suddenly, the Wolf Lord flipped over and sat up, cursing loudly: "Motherfucker, how can I be that fucking awesome?"

Ge Zu sat on the steps, tilted his head to gaze at the moon, spread his five fingers, a piece of melancholy.

East Sea.

Fat Fish watched the surrounding giant snakes celebrating, sucked down a big fish, the moment it dropped into its belly, it violently reacted — the ritual was over!

But where did its Position Fruit go?

Fat Fish scratched its belly, rummaged around twice.

Didn't find it.

Moonlight cast through the latticed windows, the ground all looked like mercury; everyone coincidentally suffered insomnia tonight.

Liang Qu tightly closed his eyes.

Introspected his own body.

Three self-cultivated Position Fruits floated and sank at the horizon within.

——

Four thousand one hundred roots rose and fell on the sea.

One thousand one hundred times increase, surpassing all gains so far, all treasures; even holding rivers and dragging rivers in one body, transforming into Monarch Bones, only grows eight hundred times.

Of which over one hundred times came from half a month's sudden enlightenment, over one hundred from talent promotion, over one hundred from Fei Lian's complete gestation, gained from Qi flow.

Another over three hundred, from Ju Ling Authority's perfect circulation, unobstructed, increasing strength gained.

And so another over five hundred, half the growth came from a source Liang Qu never even imagined. Were it not for this source, just Fei Lian absorbing two dragon Qis, let alone the third Position Fruit itself, would not have gestated completely so quickly, manifesting concrete Authority.

Self-cultivated many Middle Positions.

Fei Lian originated from Ying Long's favor, a Dragon Sparrow.

Lesson from the past, Liang Qu also had guesses about the third self-cultivated one, it must be related to the River Lord's line; the River Lord is too high, same as Tian Yuan, born with great Position Fruit nature, disaster and governance integrated impossible, mostly lowered one rank, never in a million years expected —

【Yun Hua】

【Authority: Gather Righteousness】

【Category: Governance】

【Essence becomes jade flower, Qi becomes gold flower, Spirit becomes nine flowers.】

Yun Hua woman, also the River Lord's mother.

In charge of the deity of Three Flowers Gathering Atop.