Chapter 1515: Solar Eclipse, Flowing (5k6)

"Instructor! Instructor! What's happening? The sky's gone dark."

"Is it a sandstorm? But it's December, how can there be a sandstorm?"

"Think we'll get the day off?"

Yellow sand flew everywhere, the sky-blotting dust haze turning the heavens dark in the blink of an eye, with no sun in sight. The Martial Hall disciples panicked, chattering in confusion. Xu Zishuai was likewise startled at first, puzzled where a sandstorm could come from in December, but then he made out, faintly within the blurring wind and dust, the vague silhouettes of Qi pillars standing to the east and west, and immediately understood.

He recognized at a glance that it was his little junior brother up to his tricks again!

"First Heavenly Dragon, my foot! Creating wonders and portents all day long, spreading panic — what if an old person walking on the road gets scared and falls? Where's your public spirit?"

"Day off, day off, all you think about is a day off. Three months ago you said you'd break through — have you broken through? You can fool the instructor, but can you fool yourself?"

A slap landed on the back of the head of the student who'd mentioned a day off. Xu Zishuai turned and roared, "Below the Three Passes, outdoor classes are suspended — go inside to study and recite cultivation manuals. Three Passes and above, meditate in the cultivation rooms. The year-end is almost here; are you ready for the year-end assessment? Anyone who hasn't progressed this year, the bottom hundred in grades — I'm calling your parents!"

Wails shook the heavens. The instructors herded the disciples back. The students wanted to keep stalling.

"What's all the noise! Wang Jie, broken through the Bone Pass? Shi Quan, reached the Galloping Horse stage?"

Qi Bo trembled; Qi Wuwen emerged with a cold face.

In an instant, total silence fell. Every student shuddered and scattered in a rush.

Xu Zishuai grinned, then shouted again, "Instructor Chen, Instructor Li, Instructor Lin."

"Section Chief!" Chen Jiechang, Li Libo, Lin Songbao stepped forward.

"You three are from Yixing. Immediately take a batch of high-realm students to Yixing to reinforce patrols — don't let any incidents arise. Then ride fast horses and tell the surrounding counties' people not to panic."

"Understood."

"Xiong Yiheng, Du Hanwen, Jin Xiaoyu! You lot take people too————"

With the students shut inside and a few brief orders given, Xu Zishuai looked toward Yixing again, clicking his tongue in wonder. He tilted his head around, and through the flying sand, vaguely made out a shape.

"Why does it look so much like wings?"

Silently staring at the pair of wings in the sky.

The more Xu Zishuai looked, the more he felt it resembled a pair of sky-blotting wings, the sky full of flying sand, tyrannical beyond————

"Instructor Hu!"

"Hm?" Hu Qi turned, saw it was Xiong Yiheng, "What is it, Yiheng? Something happen?"

"Nothing happened — the Section Chief looks like he's had an epiphany!"

Hu Qi froze, immediately went out to look, and soon discovered Xu Zishuai sitting cross-legged in the center of the sand field, True Gang manifesting, and behind the True Gang, a pair of gigantic wings faintly appearing.

He looked up at the sky, then at the True Gang.

Hu Qi exclaimed in shock, "The heaven-earth anomaly branded into the Phase?"

"Ruined, ruined!"

The hedgehog saw the flying sand and rolling stones outside, jumped off the desk, and scrambled out the door in a panic.

The bat detached from the roof beam, following behind and crying out.

"Ruined, ruined, this is good now."

"Th-this... what is this?"

Ge Zu stared wide-eyed, he had yet to experience his own swollen power, his "grand" Root Sea, when he saw Zhang Longxiang undergo such a shocking transformation.

The Kun Peng shifts seas, dragons and snakes rise on land.

The Peng's back, one knows not how many thousands of li; enraged it flies, its wings like clouds hanging from the sky.

The sky was covered by crimson wings, no sun in sight.

"We agreed on three people together, how come you're still getting special treatment right in front of us?"

"Mingge, it's Mingge."

"This is Mingge!?"

"Mm." Liang Qu observed quietly, "Longxiang King's Pianyin is the Owl God Snatching Food, same as my Long Jiao Walking the River — both are top-tier Pianyin.

Longxiang King is even more a heaven-gifted prodigy; he grasped the illusory elusiveness of his own Mingge, condensed it into a third Divine Ability, and thereby self-cultivated a Fanxiao Position Fruit.

My Long Jiao Walking the River metamorphosed into Flying Dragon in the Sky, a higher grade; the convergence pulled up Longxiang King's Owl God Snatching Food as well — a chain reaction should have occurred."

"Mingge can even do this!?"

"Of course. Heaven and earth's authorities are all metaphysical — what can't they do?"

Ge Zu's mouth gaped, his scalp tingling numb.

Four thousand times the Root Sea, a seventh-rank Divine Ability, Mingge's metamorphosis————

"Huai Wang, just what Position Fruit is this? What's the principle?" Ge Zu couldn't hold back.

"Simply put, it can link up to three identical things. After linking, there are two effects. One: the three linked things will take the most superior among them as a template and replicate it onto the other two, raising their corresponding grade.

The second: if it's three people, they can mutually use the linked things, sharing with each other. Just self-cultivated it, I'm still exploring — my wife hasn't even tasted it yet; Ge Zu, you and Longxiang King are the first to experience it."

"How can there be such authority? Mutual sharing — then wouldn't everyone get four thousand Root Seas!?"

"Of course not."

Liang Qu withdrew Ge Zu's link.

In a flash.

Ge Zu felt his Root Sea rapidly "shrivel," like a pig bladder pierced by a knife, draining away irretrievably no matter what.

Four thousand, three thousand, two thousand, finally back to one thousand.

Intense emptiness assaulted him from deep within; Ge Zu's eyes went hollow.

This... this is his own Root Sea?

Feeble, tiny, pitif————

After accepting four thousand times the vastness and firmness, he simply couldn't adapt!

From frugality to extravagance is easy; from extravagance to frugality is hard.

Dao heart in chaos———

Before the Dao heart could even begin to stir, Liang Qu had already grasped Ge Zu's hand once more, the four-thousand-fold root sea reversed and returned again, Ge Zu once more entered the vast sea, breathing freely.

Back again, back once more.

This is the feeling, breathing in unison with heaven and earth!

Liang Qu said: "This authority, I name it Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit."

"Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit?"

"Exactly, three flowers gather, choose the highest one."

"Is this Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit?"

"Don't worry about the details, the key lies above the three flowers—same kind of thing, at most can link to three people. For example, divine abilities, only three divine abilities; if I want to switch to Long Eying's divine ability, I must kick you, Ge Zu, out.

Once kicked out, Ge Zu, you will reveal your true form," in other words, regarding this matter of the root sea, only three people in the world can possess the four-thousand-fold root sea, the Dragon Elephant King's fate is likewise the same; once I wish to change the binding target, it will revert to the Owl God Seizing Food.

True form revealed———

This phrase sounds a bit strange, like a monster in a storybook being beaten back to its original form. Ge Zu paid no mind, muttering: "Unbelievable! Wait, true form revealed———is that all?"

The earlier impact of four thousand one hundred was too great; now slightly calmer, knowing he would reveal his true form, Ge Zu suddenly felt this rank fruit seemed rather "ordinary."

If he were to reveal his true form, it would merely create two temporary beings, as strong as Liang Qu, the infant dragons. Yes, Liang Qu is formidable—one link, directly triple, able to press down and strike even equally supreme rank fruit infant dragons.

However, this temporary elevation is merely a "technique," fundamentally different from the "creation" of other middle-rank fruits; essentially, nothing is added at all.

Similar to the divine ability "One Qi Transforms into Three Purities," it hardly deserves to be called an "authority."

The true formidable power of the middle-rank fruit's authority lies in creation from nothing; if not for the limitation of the number "three," it might be passable, but precisely because of it———

Ge Zu had a flash of insight, seizing the key: "Physique! What if one cultivated using Huai Wang's physique?"

Liang Qu laughed: "This is exactly why I sought Ge Zu and the Dragon Elephant King; currently speculated, utilizing this vast root sea, indirectly nurtured rank fruit state should be retainable."

"That's it, this is authority! This truly deserves to be called the authority of creation from nothing." Ge Zu exclaimed in delight, then immediately realized a more terrifying use, "Thousand-fold Root Sea Method?"

"Exactly!" Liang Qu revealed his ultimate purpose.

Root sea is quantitative change; realm elevation is qualitative change.

The Thousand-fold Root Sea Method is not difficult because of the thousandfold, but difficult because it requires a thousandfold before the third stage. Why before the third stage? To leave sufficient room for transformation!

When one's innate traits reach their extreme, simultaneously possessing sufficient root sea to link with heaven and earth for nurturing, is the key to self-nurturing rank fruit.

It is not that reaching the thousandfold third stage grants rank fruit; Liang Qu himself is primordial yang, heavenly tribulation, nine long qi root sea, yellow clay mother, death and rebirth—various aspects stacked together into a peculiarity, equivalent to having transformed by other means.

Assuming rank fruit can be fully nurtured, the maturity for using authority is set at one hundred; the condition for self-nurturing rank fruit to appear requires maturity to reach fifty.

Each realm elevation is a transformation of oneself, increasing "maturity"; three-hundredfold root sea, elevation once, maturity increases by one; even reaching the Awakened Realm cannot attain the fifty maturity needed for rank fruit appearance.

However, if one possesses a thousandfold root sea, more in tune with heaven and earth, ample nourishment, elevation once increases maturity by four, then five! Thus, from the third to the thirteenth Awakened Realm, there is hope to nurture rank fruit!

Not everyone can be like Zhang Dragon Elephant, possessing Owl God Seizing Food, using human heads for qualitative transformation, just as Liang Qu uses primordial yang and heavenly tribulation for qualitative transformation.

Realm elevation is almost the sole means of transformation for cultivators.

Root sea is "acceleration," realm elevation is "time," rank fruit is "final speed."

Unfortunately, it came too late.

If only a year earlier, before the Holy Emperor's thirteen stages in one day, there would have been Yun Hua, one-stage infant dragon, supported by four thousand root sea, thirteen transformations—perhaps the Holy Emperor could not have directly ascended to immortality.

Ge Zu followed along, excited.

Divine skill!

He has already reached the twelfth stage; after elevation, even thirteenth; despite Huai Wang's regression, only two transformations remain; if he could have four-thousandfold support, he would only need————wait for him to calm down and feel the root sea.

"Wait———"

"What's wrong?"

Ge Zu frowned tightly: "Huai Wang, did you transfer your stages?"

"No."

Liang Qu is now pressed for time, not even trying Long Eying, directly summoning Ge Zu and Zhang Dragon Elephant; the two are the first to undergo external "Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit."

"Can we use the opposite of elevation—a lowering method—to regress me to eleven, then apply Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit, pulling up to thirteen?"

"Yes."

Liang Qu used Xiushou to regress, lowering Ge Zu's realm to eleven, then used Yun Hua, linking Zhang Dragon Elephant's thirteen stages over0

Ge Zu frowned tightly.

Liang Qu asked: "How?"

"I have become thirteenth stage, yet feel no transformation at all, as if I were born thirteenth—does the uplift of Three Flowers Gathered at the Summit bring no transformation like elevation? Rather, it is some kind of resonance after linkage, completely different from your elevation, Huai Wang."

Liang Qu frowned.

"Acceleration" can increase, but "time" cannot leap? "Speed" being the same is not due to experiencing a "time" span, but rather extracting the same "speed segment.""

Before he could ponder further, a piercing wail echoed in his ears.

The wind suddenly rose violently.

During their exchange, Zhang Dragon Elephant's transformation did not cease, continuing without pause.

Fate, divine abilities, rank fruit, or their relationship too close, Zhang Dragon Elephant's fate transformation movement was actually far greater than Liang Qu's.

Long Yao, Long Li came and went, everywhere doors and windows shut tight; He Li family burrowed into the pond; Jin Mao Monkey King took advantage to throw stones, sneak attack the otter otter; the Third Prince faced the wind, slapping his mouth with "Ala ala," feathers on his head just like an Indian dragon.

"Ge Zu, you are an expert, what will Owl God Seizing Food turn into?" Liang Qu casually set Zhang Dragon Elephant's realm, using Xiushou to regress back to eleven.

When first meeting Zhang Dragon Elephant, it was tenth stage; later, using temporary elevation experience, helped promote to eleven, eleven, namely the original realm without elevation.

"Two possibilities: one, Owl God transformation, becoming a great Peng or other divine bird; two, the intention transformation of Owl God Seizing Food, judging by Dragon Elephant King's behavior, should be the latter, and whatever shares the same intention as Owl God Seizing Food, that is————"

"Ao!"

Wolf howl shook the heavens, audible for a thousand li, the entire Pingyang heard this wolf cry.

Immediately after, the sky darkened suddenly!

It is not the dimness of drooping wings blocking the sun, the flying sand and rolling stones; there is still a hazy mist, and looking out, it is yellow and hazy. Now, true darkness has fallen.

The crimson wings vanished, turning into scattered red feathers drifting across the sky, disappearing into midair.

A huge black sun, its edges flashing with golden light, hung high in the heavens!

Liang Qu looked up, and a phrase arose in his heart.

"Heavenly Dog Eclipsing the Sun!"

There are ten suns in heaven, and the heavenly dog bites one. When it bites, daylight darkens; when it spits out, light returns. But the dog is greedy, bites and does not spit, hence eclipses occur in the world.

The formless spiritual energy flowed between heaven and earth, truly becoming a genuine omen!

On Pingyang Temple, the old monk and Huizhen stepped out of the temple.

"An ill omen, an ill omen!" travelers cried in fear.

"Everyone, don't panic!"

A shout full of vital energy rang out; Lin Songbao rolled up paper into a horn.

"This is the Huai King's preparation for everyone, a special Pingyang program, Heavenly Dog Swallowing Heaven! Not an ill omen. If there are masters of wolf smoke and tiger hunting, they can release true gang, accept baptism—a rare opportunity. If missed now, it will be gone. Next, we will prepare Tiger Roaring Mountain Forest to drive away the Heavenly Dog."

An uproar arose.

"There's such a program?"

"How is it done?"

"Quick, quick, quick, Little King! Your chance to shine and burn has come!" The hedgehog grabbed the tiger's fur and pulled.

The golden-furred tiger raged: "The male among males, the beast king among beast kings—how can I entertain people with lust?"

All in monk's robes waved at the Pingyang Temple gate; the hedgehog warned: "The Huai King recently gathered a large batch of dragon seeds, having the National Preceptor adjust their state, plus various heavenly treasures and earthly riches, cultivation methods, even a fruit helper, preparing to break through Entering Zhen Xiang and become a great demon in one stroke!"

"What does that have to do with me?" The golden-furred tiger lay sideways on the stone chair, scratching a hairball: "I am not a dragon seed; I am the beast king."

"Treasure is the same." The hedgehog shoved his buttocks hard: "Little King, make an effort. I will recommend you for your merit, have you temporarily inserted—wouldn't that work?"

"Little King has deep foundation; with this aid, you will surely succeed in one stroke. Then you may take leave to return to the Hanging Void Temple, see the Great King, return home in glory, boundless splendor, inherit the old Great King's mantle, become the male among males, the beast king among beast kings!"

The hedgehog winked at the bat.

The bat cried out: "The male among males, the beast king among beast kings!"

"For the beast king, offer, the Mountain Dance!"

The wild boar rose, its two hooves exerting force together, spinning like a top.

The golden-furred tiger lifted its tail.

The great sun turned black, magnificent and splendid, surrounded by a dazzling, endless golden rim.

Zhang Longxiang's whole body resembled a boiled shrimp, undergoing astonishing transformation within.

Liang Qu, while feeling the owl god seize food within—no, should say, the Heavenly Dog Eclipse Sun divine ability—while organizing the vital energy between heaven and earth, only felt exquisite and boundless, even having an exaggerated sensation of swallowing heaven and devouring earth.

The heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, under the regulation of the heavenly pivot and earthly axis, faintly became a heavenly wolf, resonating distantly with the sun.

The Ze Ding trembled; the heavenly wolf formed by gathered spiritual energy vanished.

【Obtained a wisp of Heavenly Dog Eclipse Sun energy; if fused with ten thousand water-pool essences, it will produce a spirit fish, its use mysterious.】

【Heavenly Dog Eclipse Sun Energy: Heavenly Dog Eclipse Sun, swallows a hundred calamities, inhales yang and exhales yin, turns death into life.】

【Heavenly and Earthly Long Energy: Regulate Fifteen】

Radiance surged.

A wisp of black-gold long energy swayed within the cauldron.

Heavenly Dog Eclipse Sun can swallow the bad, injuries, etc., then spit them out, reversing into good growth—it is a superior long energy, wonderfully similar to Silkworm Energy.

Small gain.

"Roar!"

Tiger Roaring Mountain Forest.

Liang Qu turned his head in surprise.

Only on Pingyang Mountain's peak stood a giant tiger, arrogantly atop the summit, roaring to heaven; accompanied by the howl, the black sun in the sky slowly shifted, and golden light once again covered the earth.

On Yixing Street, travelers clicked their tongues in mutual wonder.

Even though it is the Huai King's fief, there are actually heavenly omens to enjoy fourfold—first-class audiovisual experience.

The omen vanished; all returned to calm.

Zhang Longxiang closed his eyes for a long time; his aura suddenly shook.

Liang Qu and Ge Zu felt something.

No need for the twelve stages of Shengmang's ascension!

Will it not recede?

Liang Qu anticipated: if I truly orchid-pulled the wrong person, it would be a perfect experimental case.

"Dragon Elephant King, how?"

"Quite a gain."

Zhang Longxiang opened his eyes, no more nonsense; although Chou Cai was breaking through, he heard Liang Qu and Ge Zu's conversation, directly drew a dagger, and cut his own palm.

A bloodstain appeared, then disappeared.

This is one of the abilities of the Embracing Owl: swallowing harm.

However, a startling scene appeared: the next second, the bloodstain wound reappeared!

Liang Qu startled: "This is————"

"Swallow harm, then store, then release."

Ge Zu tugged his beard: "Who can it be released onto?"

Zhang Longxiang shook his head regretfully: "For now, I can only return the way I came, but there's a good thing—after my fate transformed, I can swallow the high gains from killing people just the same."

Liang Qu stared at the wound, lost in thought.

Ge Zu didn't understand: "What does that mean?"

"My owl god seizes food—after killing someone, I can greatly boost my own strength for a short time, then decline, leaving only a small part fully digested. Now, this great boost, I can store it up and... keep stacking it, waiting to release it when needed."

Ge Zu sucked in a breath of cold air.

At this moment, Liang Qu suddenly reached out, lightly brushed, and caused the scene Zhang Longxiang and Ge Zu Lan had imagined to appear.

The wound originally on Zhang Longxiang's hand actually jumped onto Liang Qu's hand!

"Ah, that's how it is!" Liang Qu grinned, then looked toward Ge Zu.

Ge Zu felt a sharp pain in his palm, then opened it—his wound had strangely appeared on his palm.

Ge Zu: "?"

Zhang Longxiang looked up at Liang Qu, waiting for an explanation.

"My second fruit, its authority is roughly related to flow—various concepts of flow. I originally thought it was just spatial changes—"

In the pond, the little otter suddenly ran into the sky, and a bubble rose from the water.

The golden-haired monkey cracking stones ran from the eaves to the ground, and the back of its head happened to catch the stone it had just thrown, then staggered and fell.

"Now I realize, this concept of flow is even more exaggerated than I imagined." Liang Qu waved his hand in a gesture.

Ge Zu's palm wound returned to Liang Qu's hand.

Ge Zu was dazed.

Well, well, well—you all have great abilities!

"Later, Longxiang Wang will store all his injuries, and Huai Wang can just pour them out." Ge Zu was speechless.

Zhang Longxiang's heart stirred, and he asked: "Can anyone transfer?"

"No." Liang Qu carefully sensed, "Only things related to me, because of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, can I freely switch between us three."

And there's sovereignty—

In the East Sea, following the iron-head fish, the Haiya Wang felt a pain in his buttocks, surprised to find a small wound had appeared there, bewildered and wary, scanning his surroundings.

Does eating dew seeds count as being related?

Liang Qu pondered again.

Zhang Longxiang felt a flicker of disappointment, then asked: "Since the bonded growth is temporary, and withdrawing causes it to fade, now that Huai Wang is bonding with us, what is he trying to do?"

"What bonded growth—those numbers sound harsh, it's the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown!" Liang Qu emphasized, "I'm wondering, can't I go down to the underworld again, just one wave of the third immortal?"