Chapter 1516: One More Job, Borrowing the False to Cultivate the True (5k8)

"Plop!"

Limbs treading water, flat tail stirring left and right, propelling forward, the big river beaver pretended to be a crocodile exposing just its ridged back, baring big yellow buck teeth as it swam about, unintentionally reaching the pond edge before suddenly erupting into action, seizing the little river beaver and dragging it underwater, water splashing everywhere.

"Are you crazy?" Zhang Longxiang asked.

"I'm not crazy!"

Liang Qu stood up, his eyes flashing, almost with fire, ambition soaring, "Fifth Immortal, Fourth Immortal, even a Half-Immortal works, a powerless Void Immortal too — none are true Furnaces! Not true Immortals.

The gains from Fifth and Fourth are already this enormous, so what about the Third! There's the Heavenly Dog eclipsing the sun; the Third Immortal is our express lane to the Furnace! Kill the Furnace, become the Furnace!

I've calculated it; we have a chance to win. With Ge Zu's and the Dragon Elephant King's Position Fruits present, we'd find it hard to die even if we wanted to. The biggest problem in our previous struggles was that during combat, once we couldn't watch all sides, we couldn't provide timely support, causing the Dragon Elephant King to spend all his time putting out fires with no room to perform.

Now it's different. Now we have Three Flowers Gathering Atop; our authorities are interconnected! No more need to watch each other's ranges, each other's conditions; we can go all out! Everyone at four thousand times Root Sea, all high-level divine abilities, all Awakened Realm, the most outstanding of the outstanding dragons, the Wu Sheng among Martial Saints, strength even greater!

Yes, we indeed aren't Furnaces, but is the Third Immortal that securely powerful? He even finds it difficult to fully awaken! As one wanes, the other waxes; if we win this clash, all initiative rests in our hands! Same era, three Immortals emerging together! Let's hit him one last time! Make it big, make it strong!"

Righteous and impassioned.

Ge Zu and Zhang Longxiang weren't moved in the slightest, merely leaning back further.

The garden fell quiet for a moment.

Ripples collided, overlapped, intersected, giving the big river beaver — who had been scratching the little river beaver's itch — a start when the movement stopped; it flipped over and also paused its claws, craning its neck.

"Why aren't you two talking?" Liang Qu lowered his head.

Ge Zu and Zhang Longxiang exchanged a glance, faces showing concern, hesitating a moment: "You really think this way?"

"No, just kidding. You didn't actually believe it, did you?"

Liang Qu shrugged, found a rock, and sat down.

Ge Zu: "————"

Zhang Longxiang: "Heh." Liang Qu was surprised, "You really thought the Third Immortal is 'Three Fresh Delicacies'? Just us three small fry, trying to scam a True Immortal.

"What what?" Ge Zu didn't understand, "Huai Wang's meaning: the Third Immortal is someone else?"

"Three Fresh Delicacies." Liang Qu used one hand as a cutting board, the other as a cleaver, chopping back and forth, "Potato, eggplant, green pepper, rolling knife cuts. The feature of this dish is it must pass through oil; without oil it doesn't taste good. Oh right, Ge Zu, you're always sleeping, might not have eaten potatoes; a vegetable from the last ten-odd years, that thing smells amazing when deep-fried————"

"

"

Ge Zu stroked his beard, realization dawning.

Cultivating three Position Fruits oneself — truly intolerable to Heaven's Law. Huai Wang has most likely indeed gone mad.

"Wait!" Zhang Longxiang reacted first, "You mean, the other outstanding dragons in the Netherworld?"

"Eh!" Liang Qu clapped, "Dragon Elephant King gets me."

"What what?" Ge Zu was lost again.

He always felt it was his age being too great, unable to keep up with young people's thinking.

Compared to Liang Qu in his early thirties, Zhang Longxiang just over a hundred, himself a Daoist Priest of seven hundred-plus years — he indeed qualified as an old man————

Zhang Longxiang explained: "Huai Wang's target isn't the Third Immortal, but rather replicating the same way as with the Fifth Immortal — the other outstanding dragons in the Netherworld, still under the vague, muddled guardianship of the Third Immortal."

"Exactly!" Liang Qu nodded, "The Netherworld has hundreds of outstanding dragons; that is the most precious wealth!"

All slaughter, all wars, aren't two evenly matched sides having a head-on collision to see who wins, who has the better fate. Rather, the stronger side, after calculation, discovers it can swallow the other at a certain cost, and become stronger after digesting — only then does it happen.

Directly clashing with the Third Immortal — no matter how you calculate — there are no qualified combat conditions, because it's impossible to calculate a "guaranteed win" scenario of three outstanding dragons fighting a Furnace.

Conversely, whether we can bear the risk of timely retreat and timely flight, and have the Heavenly Dog eclipse the sun to snatch the other outstanding dragons — that is an action with discussion value!

Less than two and a half months left. Making another trip to the Netherworld is the only way Liang Qu can think of to rapidly increase his own strength, and also the reason for colluding with — bah — Three Flowers Gathering Atop Zhang Longxiang and Ge Zu.

Refining a Position Fruit takes two months; a fight takes only two or three days.

This Netherworld path — the risk is a bit high, but the returns are very high.

He's been coveting the Owl God seizing food for a long time!

Ge Zu fell into deep thought, not only gazing into the distance.

Immortal!

Omnipotent, eternal life. One day, he himself would actually————

"But no need to rush." Liang Qu said, "I only have this one idea; the concrete action plan isn't arranged yet. Asking Ge Zu and the Dragon Elephant King to come is also to pool wisdom; we'll enrich it later. Today's main task is still to first help me figure out the effective range of Three Flowers Gathering Atop."

Ge Zu let out a breath of relief.

Zhang Longxiang temporarily suppressed his thoughts.

He was likewise tempted. Under four thousand times Root Sea, Zhang Longxiang had never felt he was this close to a Furnace! In the dark, just one step away — that final kick upon agreeing.

And this is also one of Liang Qu's purposes.

A block of getting rich.

Ge Zu is unlikely in the short term, but the Dragon Elephant King — can he become the Fourth Immortal of the Yang World?

Currently three living Human Immortals exist in the world, showing that no matter how hard the Furnace is, there's still a limit.

In terms of Zhang Longxiang's experience, it absolutely cannot be easily replicated. Aside from his age still being young, in all other respects, saying he doesn't measure up to those three Immortals' foundations before they became Immortals — Liang Qu doesn't quite believe it.

"First help Huai Wang figure out Three Flowers Gathering Atop."

"Good. Dragon Elephant King, now I'll withdraw the Martial Bone link and see if the Root Sea will————"

"Meeting again————"

Southern Frontier, the Old Tusi gazed at the "Stones in the River" converging on Pingyang.

These three people gathering — always feels like they're up to something.

"Elders, Ge Zu, Dragon Elephant King, time to eat!" Long Yao waved and called out.

"Got it! Be there in a bit."

In the pond, an entire afternoon of attempts.

Liang Qu thoroughly figured out the logic of the Cloud Splendor authority.

"After the Martial Bone is revoked, the hundreds-of-times-expanded Root Sea will gradually recede, but the Root Sea cultivated at accelerated speed during this period will not, including the growth of the Position Fruit." Zhang Longxiang opened his eyes.

"The realm is the same." Ge Zu realized and said, "After the Three Flowers Gather Atop, fundamentally it is your realm, not mine, so it cannot produce a self-transformation."

"However, if one can maintain the connection continuously, and self-advance, the transformation growth obtained is all solid and real." Zhang Longxiang followed up to confirm.

"It turns out to be like this — 'speed' itself will retreat, only under 'acceleration' growth will the corresponding extra incremental 'speed' over time be retained." Liang Qu stroked his chin in thought.

In a word, borrowing the false to cultivate the true.

Retain the extra increment; during the acceleration period, all self-growth does not decay.

Put this way, of his 4,100-times Root Sea, three to four hundred times were condensed from Martial Bone essence, energy, and spirit; once revoked, they would likewise fall away, the true situation being only around 3,800.

However, the cultivation acceleration gained in the interim will not decrease.

Ordinary Fledgling Dragon Root Sea cultivation is extremely slow, especially requiring effort on realm and Creation Arts; without precious medicines, the vast majority cannot increase even one time in a year or two.

Only Martial Bones as powerful as Zhang Longxiang and Liang Qu can still accelerate cultivation at the Fledgling Dragon stage. Especially Liang Qu — although the Marsh Spirit's feedback has already balanced out and ceased, with the River Lord's favor perfected and the Martial Bone Sovereign Bone, not counting Rolling Stone Forms Pellet, they can all let him increase one time per month!

As long as the Three Flowers Gather Atop, the speed of increasing one time per month can be concretely implemented on the Linked One, and it is not a castle in the air; even if withdrawn, it remains!

"Could it be that the world's first pair of Crucible spouses is about to appear?" Zhang Longxiang had a flash of inspiration.

Ge Zu originally wanted to laugh, saying how could that be possible, but after carefully calculating, he restrained his smile.

Keeping the Three Flowers Gather Atop continuously open, at Liang Qu's speed, Long Eying without eating any precious medicines would still only need eighty years for a thousand-times Root Sea!

Not to mention third-stage thousand-times, even first-stage thousand-times can be completed.

How old is Long Eying? She is a Dragon species herself, a Dragon King, with an even longer lifespan; unknown if she has used Heaven and Earth Essence, but at minimum she can have two thousand years of life —

Even this still has surplus operations.

After linking, it becomes a 4,000-times Root Sea; the transformation growth is solid and real, a proper advancement; perhaps by the time she transforms to the sixth or seventh stage, the Position Fruit will have been nurtured out —

Fledgling Dragons have no untalented ones.

Sixth or seventh stage belongs to the realm that ordinary Fledgling Dragons will inevitably reach when their lifespan ends.

A thought reached here.

Both Zhang Longxiang and Ge Zu fell somewhat silent.

"Hahaha, eat, eat!" Liang Qu laughed loudly and stood up.

Night fell.

Liang Qu stepped into the quiet room and took out a Creation Treasure Fish.

This was obtained by Fatty Fish from the Flood Dragon, then presented to him by Wanxiang Mengjin; it is said to enhance cultivation, and he had never eaten it.

Thinking about it, he really felt a bit sorry to A-Fei.

Fatty Fish helped refine the Ba Snake, and not long after the Ba Snake was passed on to Wanxiang as a pad. At least he should have let it out in between for a trip, to fight three hundred rounds with the Third Prince.

Having stalled at the tenth stage for a long time, he had long accumulated deep foundations — it is said this Treasure Fish is the cultivation-enhancing type, not Root Sea or Divine Ability.

Above the Lower Dantian, 【Rolling Stone Forms Pellet】 exploded with a bang.

【Water Marsh Essence +1108412】

【Water Marsh Essence: 55,050,000】

Dawn broke.

Crackle-pop, bones exploded with sound, the dry heat in tendons and bones slowly receded.

Liang Qu restrained his imposing aura and opened his eyes.

"Eleventh Stage!"

Probably the most "low-key" advancement after the Fledgling Dragon stage, no audience, no onlookers. Combined with Ju Mang's sublimation experience, plus martial Dao talent and Sovereign Bone support, the Giant Spirit's unobstructed flow, like a bowel movement that needs no wiping, came naturally.

Using Ju Mang to sublimate another two stages would be the Thirteenth Stage, the Awakening Realm! The final breakthrough the last emotion never reached.

Can the Heavenly Origin fully mature?

Liang Qu was eager to try, wanting to taste but not daring.

The sublimation transformation growth follows the highest record; it cannot be repeatedly farmed. Now at the Eleventh Stage, he can already refresh the record at will.

Growing by means of Ju Mang's continuously evolving authority, the distance to a true Great Position Fruit, world-governing dharma body, is probably just a step away.

But —

Liang Qu suppressed the impulse.

If the Myriad truly became a Great Position Fruit, combined with the Thirteenth Stage realm, the two would directly react, undergo a chemical reaction, sending him into the Crucible, and then the Whale Emperor would arrive with a face full of surprise, coming to behead him with a blade —

"If only I could also borrow the false to cultivate the true, all the benefits taken by others —" Liang Qu pondered.

In the current world, hoping for a Fledgling Dragon to give him benefits is unrealistic; he can only search from within the Crucible.

Lin Gong, Straw Raincoat Old Man, Beiting Immortal, Whale Emperor — not a single one is easy to hook onto; only Lin Gong has a bit of hope, but unfortunately the Crucibles all have resistance —

Wait.

"What exactly is the Old Dragon Lord?"

A retired Dragon Lord is still a Dragon Lord, right?

Liang Qu's heart stirred.

"Hualala, wa haha —"

The Old Toad carried a mat on his back with webbed feet, patrolling inside the Dragon Palace, casting spells on each one.

"Third Elder, how is the situation?"

Dragon Sect Yin cupped his hands: "All are already in seclusion; not counting settling, estimated in a few days they can all emerge."

"Good." Liang Qu was very satisfied.

All emerging in early first month, then the three trips to the Netherworld, just right to complete within the month from early first month to early second month.

Surveying the circle.

Those breaking through include demon beasts and Dragon People, from Yellow Shahe and E River; thanks to the Jianghuai Water Lord's "selfless dedication," all Dragon species under heaven are one family, both gaining benefits and gaining reputation.

Liang Qu's gaze was suddenly fixed.

A fluffy golden tiger lay alone in the bubbles, out of place among the other creatures that breathed directly in the water.

"Golden tiger?"

"It was requested by the hedgehog, who said the golden tiger has deep reserves and wanted to use this opportunity for the scattered ones to participate in the collective breakthrough," Long Yanrui explained. "I should have reported to you first, but the hedgehog said to use its merit to offset the consumed resources; if you agree, it's best; if not, it's a normal exchange. I have no problem either way, so I let the golden tiger join the queue."

Liang Qu nodded and grinned widely.

In the dream, the path he had taken came vividly to mind.

"Fine, no problem, I agree—no need to offset with merit."

Confirming the dragon energy was in the "gestation" phase, Liang Qu didn't halt, rushing to the Yellow Shahe, accompanied by Long Eying as well.

Time is urgent, the task heavy—think of it, then do it.

Previously busy, Long Eying had followed him everywhere; calculating, this was still the year she became Dragon Queen, the first time she saw the old Dragon Lord.

"Greater strength is good."

"Why suddenly sentimental?" Long Eying asked.

Liang Qu pointed at the ground, at the Da He: "Before the martial hall moved, it was in the town center, not so far as now, but even from Pingyang, it was over ten li, a person walking would take about half an hour; back then, I'd just go back and forth, not wanting to run the extra distance, often sleeping right in the martial hall at night—not from tiredness, but from the sheer, pointless waste of time, draining one's will."

"After Chishan appeared, bright as lightning, I could make the round trip easily; now, with the young dragon, reaching the Yellow Shahe takes only a moment's effort—my only regret is that the 'river stones' remain conspicuous and cannot be moved at will."

"Though close, we cannot meet—same as being at the ends of the earth. Why bother with mountain passes? It's just words of sorrow at parting."

Liang Qu smiled, stopped abruptly: "We're here!"

Liang Qu and Long Eying both descended, only to find the old Dragon Lord already surfaced.

"Hey, Dragon Lord, you're the senior generation—why come out personally to meet us?"

The old Dragon Lord ignored him, circling Long Eying, eyes wide: "Dragon King? Really the Dragon King?"

"Huh? Still a fake Dragon King?" Liang Qu said, bewildered: "It's been half a year—hasn't Yanrui come to the Yellow Shahe to tell the Dragon Lord?"

"No, this, you, her, Dragon King—" the old Dragon Lord stammered, lost in thought, recalling his time observing in the netherworld.

Back then, he could observe without blind spots for twelve hours; now, revived, he instead has many more "blind spots."

It fell silent.

Forget it.

Accepted.

It chose to accept.

Having weathered great winds and waves, why should the dragon torment itself?

Liang Qu scratched his head, recalling: "Right, the flood dragon also became a Dragon King—you know, Dragon Lord? I had Yanrui come tell you."

"Known—its pros and cons, you handle it yourself."

The old Dragon Lord sighed, having thought he was merely becoming a demon king; back then, how could the flood dragon have agreed so readily to his request, when he was already at that stage? Only now does he understand: having come this long, clearly like Long Eying, he has become a true dragon.

The extended lifespan, supreme prosperity—including the transformed strength—compared to the impossible self-nurtured position of ordinary beings, is indeed worth the exchange.

"What are you doing here again?"

Liang Qu grinned: "Just came for the New Year, to pay you a visit."

"Blowing hot air, farting, belching—cut the nonsense, speak plainly."

"Well—"

"Borrowing false cultivation?" the old Dragon Lord mused after hearing, "I don't know about this—you can go ahead and try."

"Got it!"

Louguan Tower, Ge Zu was meditating, seizing the time, aided by Liang Qu's martial bones in cultivation—unexpectedly, the four-thousand-fold root sea suddenly shattered, cascading for a thousand li—

One breath, he returned to the pitiful thousand-fold.

Emptiness swept in.

The slow root sea cultivation was dull and tasteless.

Ge Zu: "——"

Why does he keep getting kicked every time?

Yellow Shahe, Liang Qu eagerly embraced the dragon's tail, linking with the Dragon Lord!

Retired crucible, scorpion rice cake alone.

Root sea, body, divine abilities, spirit—

The root sea gave no feedback, the body likewise none, until reaching divine abilities.

The original seven-fold divine ability circuit violently broke into a "great shark" condition.

Two consecutive sounds.

Nine-fold divine ability!

Liang Qu gasped coldly—he had never in his life cultivated such an exaggerated divine ability level.

Ordinary flood dragons achieving three or four levels is already remarkable; those easily cultivated to five levels are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Is this the accumulation of the old Dragon Lord over ten thousand years?

Not done.

After divine ability, linking to the most crucial spirit, the essence-energy-spirit, ugly god also.

Boom!

"Wo wo wo!" Liang Qu's pupils dilated.

Heart chilled, spirit soaring!

A burst of cold air rose from the spine, surged to the forehead, then fireworks shot into the night sky, exploding loudly, blooming into brilliant dahlias.

Tinnitus, daze.

Perception extended infinitely.

The entire Yellow Shahe was clearly visible; every grain of sand and gravel in the surrounding waters, the three divine chains linking externally, the internal circulation of essence, qi, and spirit — spirit suddenly soared, and likewise essence and qi rose with it.

Dual circulation, internal and external.

The 4,100-fold root sea continued to surge.

4,400, 4,500, 4,600, 4,800————

In the Imperial Capital, Zhang Longxiang was struck dumb with shock.

It can still rise?

Old Dragon Lord also sensed the feedback, smacking his lips twice.

A 4,000-fold root sea, hmm, the feedback is quite intense; Yaolong Village should have raised its banner uniquely by now. In my impression, quite a few Yaolong only reach a few hundred-fold at death? But Yaolong and Furnace are two different matters; the Furnace forms its own domain, a small world of its own, a completely different quality of deficiency.

"Divine ability is not bad, just how does it feel — not too friendly?"

Old Dragon Lord touched the Jiao-Slayer, instinctively uncomfortable.

What is this thing.

Chaotic cultivation!

Liang Qu panted violently; he understood.

Body reforged, living out a second life, everything is at the Dragon King level — only spirit, the mind, is not!

Furnace! Furnace-level spirit! Perhaps worn down by more than half in the Netherworld, but absolutely not the strength of a Yaolong's tier.

Root sea originates from qi sea; qi sea originates from the union of essence, qi, and spirit.

The body seemed to have lost perception; the power of the spirit fed back into the body, into the martial bones.

The Ze Ding trembled.

【Upholding the Ze Nation, the Lord's bones may shed the bow and become Huaiwo Lord's bones, martial power boundless, strength to capture Heavenly Men.】

【May consume Xuan Fruit, ten thousand million waters and marshes' essence, cause the Ze Nation to advance, perfect the Huaiwo Water Lord's supreme domain, grasp out the Ze Nation.】

Radiance began to blur.

【Yellow Sand General already activated; may swallow the Yellow Shahe, cause the Ze Nation to advance, perfect the Huaiwo Water Lord's supreme domain, grasp out — the Ze Nation.】

【Uphold the Ze Nation————】

Liang Qu was greatly alarmed, immediately pressing it down.

A long while.

He panted heavily, his mind muddled yet incomparably clear, contradictory sensations assaulting Liang Qu, making his skull feel exceptionally heavy.

"Ripples" around his body appeared, reverberated, and swept out uncontrollably.

Opened his eyes.

Everything seemed to have slowed down considerably, yet each brightness, driven by essence and qi, adapted to one another.

Imperial Capital's Zhang Longxiang exhibited the exact same condition.

Introspected his own body.

Both men were simultaneously stunned.

6,234-fold root sea, undulating continuously!

This, this————

There are still experts?

"You, this fruit, have some skill — you actually shared your spirit strength with me?" Old Dragon Lord exclaimed in admiration, then sighed with regret, "What a pity; the present is not like the past. If it were a few hundred years earlier, you could have shared your way into becoming a Furnace."

Long Eying supported Liang Qu, sitting by the riverbank.

Liang Qu clutched his head; a good long while passed before he fully adapted, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed saliva nonstop, a thought surfacing from the depths.

Is this what Ge Zu and the Dragon Elephant King feel like?

This pleasurable!?

He truly felt he could go fight that muddleheaded Third Immortal, with Old Dragon Lord's will!

"Indeed quite helpful, help far too immense — many thanks, Dragon Lord!" Liang Qu expressed gratitude.

"Trifling matter."

Liang Qu took a deep breath; every breath adapted to the soaring transformed power.

6,000 — nothing can describe it, only a single word.

Terrifying!

With this strike of the Jiao-Slayer sent down, how many Yaolong could be cleaved to death!?

"Heh heh."

Seeing this, Old Dragon Lord was quite self-satisfied; a dignified Furnace, degenerated into a Yaolong, now able to reminisce about past glorious years through a tube, letting juniors revere him — quite a beautiful thing.

This fruit, not bad!

Liang Qu pondered expelling Ge Zu's spirit seat later, keeping only one seat.

Residual warmth in tendons and bones faded, adaptation largely complete.

"Still one more matter."

"What matter?"

"The difference between Great Fruit and Middle/Small Fruit — where exactly does it lie? Thirteen Burdens and Great Fruit both exist simultaneously; where is the path to immortality?"

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