Chapter 1527

A winter morning with bare tree leaves and no birds.

No, it's nearly March, so it should be called spring; in just over ten days, it will be the Awakening of Insects.

The window was pushed open.

The jujube tree still had no leaves, but its bark had changed from grayish-white dryness to a deep brown hue; tiny green shoots sprouted at the wall's corner, a black dragon clawed at the corner, its thick paw pads rubbing the green shoots, squeezing out greenish grass juice, the air mixed with a faint grassy scent.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the last day.

Originally, for the Awakening of Insects day, I had only suggested February; who knew the plan would change so quickly?

Refinement and promotion were calculated in months, and ironically, what was most lacking was time.

On October 12, a ba snake swallowed an elephant; on November 10, the elephant split the ba snake; only in mid-December did we obtain the giant spirit; all told, promoting to giant spirit took fifty days, and even just the second half was a full month; moving from February 10 to now is only half a month — 【9】 Liang Qu likes to make thorough preparations, but he doesn't always get the chance to prepare fully.

Liang Qu liked to make thorough preparations, but he didn't always have the chance to prepare fully.

One flood dragon, one whale king.

Hai Ya Wang: "Ah!!!"

Xiao Ma Wang: "Ah.!!"

"What a wonderful day for making fruit cake!"

"Fruit? What fruit do you want to eat?"

"Nothing." Liang Qu turned around, "Just saying it casually, not saying it wouldn't be fitting."

"You're speaking more and more strangely; I can't understand much of what you say."

Long Eying half-wrapped in the blanket turned sideways, gazing at Liang Qu, half her chest exposed, half supported by the blanket, pressing out magnificent curves like spring lake water rippling.

"Don't try to understand; learn to feel."

Liang Qu lay back on the bed, embraced her waist, and pulled her tightly into his arms.

"What did you feel?" Long Eying poked his face with her index finger.

"Soft, fragrant, warm, with a hint of stuffiness — like a southern swallow finding its nest, a wild boar in the woods finding a mud wallow, spring's beauty is not outside, but at home; Lady, would you honor me by sharing bed and board tonight?"

Long Eying laughed uncontrollably, gently stroking Liang Qu's back: "Tomorrow is the Great Hunt; will you make it in time?"

"No way, your man is too fierce."

"Pah." Long Eying spat, "Who asked you that?"

"I don't know." Liang Qu mumbled, "Just see what heaven intends; if I had known earlier to suggest April, delaying by two months."

"Who can know future events? The foster mother said, before you set out, go visit once."

"Foster mother?"

"Yes."

""

"Alright."

Liang Qu lay still, feigning rest, after a moment got up, and entered the kitchen.

The stove fire blazed, hot steam rolled, Zhang Da Niang was making wontons on the cutting board, dropped in and cooked immediately.

The boiling water was milky white, the wonton skins gradually turning transparent.

"Uncle!"

"Yes! Up already?" Su Gu Shan responded, put down his bowl and chopsticks, hurriedly greeted, "Come quickly, try this, the freshest knife fish! Out of the water less than half an hour."

"Hey, there's knife fish this season?" Liang Qu exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, just this year's first batch; February 2, wild vegetables sprout, river fresh rises! Yue Long that brat brought it to me, saying he caught it in the lake; I guess he got it from fishermen, it's incomparably fresh, must not be missed, and it's spring, so eat quickly, eat quickly!"

"Mm, not bad, not bad!" Liang Qu scooped one out of the boiling water.

"How is it?" Su Gu Shan ate one bite at a time, two drops of soup on his beard, "Tomorrow's Great Hunt, you're sure to take first place, right?"

"I don't believe anyone could beat you."

"Hahaha, of course, who else but me?"

"Good luck, the whale king probably didn't even expect it himself; five years of effort, and you get a small position fruit for free, no suspense at all; if it weren't for coming just to deliver medicine, no one would know how many people are too lazy to go." Su Gu Shan gave a thumbs up.

"Hey, the whale king didn't expect many things, but the Great Hunt isn't all about fighting; it's also about luck; your face carries weight, uncle, why not go and say something, just give me the first-place position fruit directly, save the trouble."

"Alright, I'll go say it after breakfast."

"Hahaha!"

"Is the Great Hunt over?"

"Over what?"

"Playing dumb!" Su Gu Shan put down his bowl and chopsticks, "When exactly are you going to hold the wedding? You said back then that once Ying Long was done, you'd marry; after Ying Long came, a pile of things came up, kept postponing, postponed until this year, the fief has entered proper order, cultivation has basically reached its end, surely you're not waiting for the furnace? Eying has been with you over ten years, don't keep postponing and just brush people off."

"We'll do it this year, we'll do it this year!"

"Alright." Su Gu Shan sighed, "Back then I even prepared two new wedding gifts for you two, two similar yet different great medicines; in the blink of an eye, poof, you became Ying Long, the gifts instantly lost value, what a headache."

"Ah, sending goose feathers a thousand miles — the gift is light, but the sentiment is deep!" Liang Qu grinned cheekily.

Su Gu Shan snapped: "Who are you trying to annoy? Anyway, I'll say the ugly truth first — I can't produce a great medicine of creation for you."

"No problem." Liang Qu waved his hand, "Uncle, just bring your belly, eat freely at the feast, that's enough."

"I'm really listening."

"I said the fake thing wouldn't work?"

Hai Ya Wang: "Ah!!!"

After breakfast, Liang Qu ran to Peng Ze again.

"Oh!"

The mountain sprite cheered, the elemental general shivered, suddenly opened his eyes: "I go, you scared me, you didn't even say hello."

"You yourself don't care about the stones in the river," yo he, food qi was har, cultivation is fast enough, using the time sequence? If this doesn't work, the external circulation will collapse, won't you be done for?

General Yuan snorted coldly: "That's my business, what does it have to do with you?"

The mountain demon flew into a rage, hugging a rock and throwing it out of the cave to smash.

Liang Qu raised a big thumb: "Impressive backbone!"

"Something the matter?"

"Came to ask if you're participating in the Grand Hunt."

"Not going, not going."

"Bullfrog, the Whale Emperor personally invited you back then, and you still won't go?"

"So what?" General Yuan was very stubborn, "If the Whale Emperor wants to force it, send some Genghai Pills, grab people and bring them over, wouldn't that be done? One less me doesn't lack, one more me doesn't add."

Liang Qu stopped speaking, just continued raising his big thumb.

Watching Liang Qu leave, General Yuan couldn't make heads or tails of it, only feeling it was inexplicably strange.

"What's going on? All secretive, is there a trick?"

Haiya King: "Ah!!!"

Little Horse King: "Ah!!!"

"Third Prince, quickly use Mist Exhalation!"

"Coming, wuu wuu wuu————"

"Yo, Senior Mirage Dragon! Can this bug be fixed or not————"

Haiya King: "Ah!!!"

Little Horse King: "Ah!!!"

Noon.

Wine flags fluttered in the wind.

Liang Qu stood at the Shangrao Wharf, the water entrance packed with commoners going to Cloud Heaven Palace to observe the Grand Hunt, water spiders, wooden shuttles, crowded to the brim.

Once upon a time, only border region commoners could catch a fleeting glimpse of meteors streaking across the vault of heaven, when had they ever seen such a grand scene, each and every one stretching their necks wanting to squeeze in.

Under heaven "River-Mid Stones", there are humans, beasts, plants, today at noon, they successively began to set off, converging from all directions to the East Sea Cloud Heaven Palace, within the Jianghuai Great Marsh, the Turtle King, Frog King, Hai Fangzhu likewise departed.

Raised head.

On Yingchun Tower, none of the usual cloth-shadow previews, highlight reels, it was simply a Cloud Heaven Palace scene of people squeezing people.

Ten people surged to the East Sea, one "Beast Arena" after another like densely packed teeth, everyone squeezed into the middle wormhole.

The Grand Hunt lasts a long time, estimated one month, just the material mobilization, the eating, drinking, shitting, pissing of tens of thousands of people is a huge trouble.

"Huu————"

White mist scattered in the wind.

Didn't forget what Long Eying said before, before departure, meet the Xu clan once more.

Result: went to Yang Manor, Liang Qu surprisingly discovered, the Xu clan party was packing luggage.

He felt awkward, immediately walked before the Xu clan, led her aside to speak: "Mother, wasn't it agreed not to go? Watching from Yingchun Tower is the same, you can't see the Wu Sheng's moves clearly anyway, all relying on Dragon Dragon Lingxiao, going to the East Sea is just changing a place to watch Dragon Dragon Lingxiao, people squeezing people, how is it as comfortable as home, what is this all about?"

Clearly already reminded, why insist on going?

Liang Qu was almost a little angry.

Why won't you listen?

The Xu clan wasn't angry, tugged his collar, calmly helped Liang Qu straighten his lapel: "His Majesty and them aren't also going? Your Uncle Chen not going is no big deal, he doesn't cultivate, not joining the bustle is normal, even me and your Master not going, wouldn't that leave a flaw for you? The dignified Huai King, can't even get a few tickets for Master and Master's Wife?"

Liang Qu's mind went blank.

The Xu clan smiled: "When do we leave?"

"

"

"Asking you!"

"Right away, Eying said before leaving to have me come find you————" Liang Qu took a deep breath.

"Good, go then!" Having straightened his lapel, the Xu clan smiled and patted Liang Qu's chest, "Not bad, very solid, a grown young man now, sturdier than when you first came!"

"You and Master———— will live forever! And Old Master Xu too."

"Tsk, one attains the Dao, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven? Still live forever?" The Xu clan laughed, "I don't want to live forever, you think me and your Master living together don't quarrel? The old man is annoying, but being able to live longer isn't bad, want to go out and see more, three hundred years, if it must be done, a person living to three hundred years would be great."

"Then three hundred years later, what if I miss you?" Liang Qu asked.

The Xu clan thought a bit: "Then like an immortal sleeping, three hundred years later, I'll just sleep a big sleep, if you have any worries, or quarreled with Eying, just wake me up, chat with me, then let me continue sleeping, but don't keep waking me up, you're an adult too."

Liang Qu fell silent for a good while.

"Good!"

"Go on." The Xu clan said with a smile, "Let everyone see, the Huai King's bearing!"

Liang Qu grinned: "I'm actually pretty good at catching fish."

"Are there many fish in the East Sea?"

"Don't know about many or not, but they're pretty big."

"If you catch them, bring them back for me to taste."

"Deal!"

"

"The Huai King and Huai King Consort moved!"

"Bai Yuan didn't move?"

"These two guys, wear the same pair of pants, whoever comes is the same? The current Huai King, probably stronger than even the Ape King, both are inevitably Furnace Realm, not caring about the gifted Genghai Pills, only a Position Fruit could arouse a bit of interest, too bad the Position Fruit can't fall into others' hands."

"This means, the first place is already decided?"

The Northern Court Martial Saints whispered among themselves, then fell silent.

The only one with any hope of contending against Liang Qu, Zhang Longxiang, had long since ascended, stepping outside the rules.

This contest seemed to have lost all controversy entirely, even giving rise to resentment.

Why didn't Liang Qu enter the furnace early, insisting on competing with them?

The Lion King opened his eyes: "If we can't get first place, second or third might not be beyond our Northern Court."

Everyone's spirits lifted.

To prevent the winner from taking all and dampening enthusiasm for participation, first place could only be exchanged for a Minor Position Fruit.

The Southern Border's Myriad Manifestations had been swapped out, their combat power dropping for the moment; our Northern Court has the greater advantage!

"So many people."

Li Xianghan squeezed in the crowd, dazzled.

Suddenly, an uproar rose in the crowd, hands raised pointing afar at the Dragon Dragon Lingxiao.

"Huai King!"

The beast arena erupted in clamor.

On the cloth projection, Liang Qu and Long Eying raced and swept across.

Looking up again, two meteors tore through the vault of heaven, parting the sea of clouds, tracing arcs, plummeting fiercely!

The cloth projection and reality intertwined; in a trance, the meteors seemed to rush out from the screen.

In thirty thousand beast arenas, throughout the Universal County city, the screens cut to Liang Qu in perfect unison; even Long Eying at his side was ignored, forgotten.

Among the hundreds of Martial Saints and hundreds of Demon Kings present, at this moment, there seemed to be only this one protagonist, Liang Qu.

Eighteen Hunt Tigers, twenty-two Entering Zhen Xiang, twenty-eight Young Dragons — the embodiment of legend!

"Huai King!"

"Huai King!"

"Huai King!"

A mountain-shaking, sea-roaring clamor; everyone chanted Huai King in unison.

"So this is what the Huai King and Huai King's Consort look like?"

All county cities under heaven knew in an instant.

The Whale King sighed: "Old Second's brother is no simple character!"

The Fish King laughed loudly: "Hahaha, Whale King should be happy; before long, Whale King might have two furnace friends."

"Hahaha, true, true!"

The Little Horse King's eyes were bloodshot, gnashing his teeth.

Every time he says it's the last time; even a mud horse has a temper!

Li Xianghan took a sip.

Human appearance, dog nature!

"Huai King's grand carriage graces us with its presence; apologies for failing to welcome you from afar!" Yun Bo greeted personally.

"Brother Yun Bo! Long time no see."

"Long time no see; the rooms have already been prepared for the Huai King and Huai King's Consort, still the same old place————"

"That's wonderful."

The screen kept following Liang Qu and Long Eying as they entered the path, only then withdrawing; the masses wailed in sorrow. Even Northern Court and Southern Border people felt regret.

"Snap."

The room door shut, the noisy clamor isolated outside.

Liang Qu entered the quiet room, sat cross-legged.

He looked inward at his own body.

Six thousand two hundred thirty-four times the root sea undulated.

Twelfth Stage · Third Stage.

Divine Ability, Ninth Stage.

Self-cultivated Position Fruits: Tianyuan (Limit), Feilian (Limit), Yunhua.

Directly controlled Middle Position Fruits: Juling, Wuguo.

Indirectly controlled Minor Position Fruits: Meiguo, Feiguo, Yongguo.

Recorded in the Ze Cauldron: Xuanguo.

Feiguo and Yongguo were both completely stable; only Meiguo was elusive, ever-changing!

Everything done to the utmost; the only pity, Qi Luck was too ethereal and intangible, unable to hook onto it; otherwise Liang Qu would definitely have pulled it in.

"Huu————"

"Just the last step short.

Liang Qu opened his eyes.

"National Preceptor!"

Sunlight gradually slanted westward.

In the water clock, the arrow slowly rose.

The Blue-Covered King with the Pot King atop his head, gathered among the Demon King throng.

"Has the Haiya King not come?" The Pot King puzzled, "It's actually still in the East Sea?"

"A coward, that's all; must be afraid of being seen through by the Fish as a paper tiger!" The Blue-Covered King asserted with certainty.

The Pot King was slightly doubtful.

The Root Sea Pill — come and take it; perhaps the top-tier Yao Dragons aren't interested, but a mid-tier Demon King like the Sea Tooth King, could he actually hold back and not come?

"Stones in the River" gathered more and more.

People gather with people, beasts gather with beasts.

There was the Great Peng, there was the Tree King.

The Whale King looked around, feeling for the first time the correctness of the sworn brotherhood of old.

Demon King races all differ; they have always fought alone. Without alliances, would they not be easily eliminated by the human race?

"Hua la hua la, hua la hua la."

Inside the room, the sound of metal clashing was incessant.

Scarlet feathers flicked and trembled; the old toad stepped the Heavenly Gang pace, vigorously shaking the Mysterious Turtle shell.

Liang Qu, Long Eying, and Ta Ta Kai watched tensely.

"Hua la!"

Six copper coins flew out of the turtle shell's mouth, flashing golden light in midair, projecting onto the wall.

Speed slowed infinitely within vision; relying on his powerful eyesight, Liang Qu could clearly see the copper coins rolling and spinning on the ground, finally trembling once, then slowly falling over.

"Hua la la————"

Six yang, no yin!

Liang Qu's pupils dilated, greatly shaken.

The Grand Hunt, could it go this smoothly?

The old toad cupped its belly, about to gloat.

"Hua la."

The six copper coins jumped up in unison, flipping to the reverse side!

The old toad was like a fishbone stuck in the throat, immediately enraged; its webbed feet raised high, casting a shadow: "Wu li wu li, ma ha ma ha!"

As the words fell, the copper coins that had flipped to the reverse side actually jumped and turned back again!

Liang Qu, Long Eying, and Ta Ta Kai stared dumbfounded; the old toad gloated once more.

Unexpectedly, the next moment.

The copper coins jumped again, flipped again, jumped again!

Pi li pa la.

For a time, the six copper coins bounced nonstop on the ground, dancing a dance; golden light flashed incessantly in the room, without any reason, any force!

Ta Ta Kai scratched his butt.

Liang Qu looked at the blank-eyed old toad: "National Preceptor, this hexagram, can it win————"

The old toad was in a fog, but right now it absolutely could not pretend not to have seen, not to know; that would be a provocation to the National Preceptor's authority. It shook its belly, righteously: "Good hexagram, it will win!"

February 25th.

Li Libo, Chen Jiechang, Lin Songbao — the three rose early and came to the Huaiyin Martial Hall, found the Long Lingxiao, and set it up on the martial stage.

The indoor disciples no longer had any heart for learning; all stretched their necks, using peripheral vision to look, until Cao Rang shouted, all students cheered, carrying stools and rushing out in a clatter.

Chen Qingjiang brought his family, rushing to the Yinchun Tower, arriving at the front-row seats.

Chen hour.

Daylight fully bright.

The thirty-thousand-seat beast arena was more than half full, noisy and clamorous.

Carriage frames appeared in the sky, banners stretching continuously; before long, the Sage Emperor, Tusi, and Khan Kings brought their people to take seats, jointly observing.

Xu Zishuai rode ahead clearing the way, followed by the Xu clan and Yang Dongxiong.

Liang Qu silently raised his head.

Within a radius of several hundred li, all was shrouded in white clouds; within the white clouds.

Martial Saints, Great Wu, and Demon Kings stood in the Ninth Heaven, eyes closed nurturing spirit; beneath their feet floating clouds flowed, like the legendary heavenly soldiers and generals riding clouds and driving mist; moreover, there was a whole group of Entering Zhen Xiang participating among them.

Even higher up.

Zhang Longxiang, Linchuan, Suo Li Weng, Ke Shui Weng————

Five years.

Yao Dragon beginning, Yao Dragon end.

"Truly wind follows tiger, clouds follow dragon; dragon and tiger heroes, proud against the vault of heaven!"

The sound spread throughout the beast arena, surging into heaven and earth.

Above the cloth shadow, white clouds emerged.

"They're here!"

Huaiwang Martial Hall, the disciples' spirits roused.

The noisy clamor quickly quieted; in the beast arena, countless county cities, everyone stopped conversing, concentrating fully.

Immortals — can we see real immortals?

Chen Renxing even pressed his palms together, speaking earnestly, chanting blessings.

Clouds cascaded down, manifesting a cloud giant, seizing the eye; under the gaze of ten thousand: "Universe bright and clear, wind and clouds meet; dragon soars, tiger leaps, all heroes gather. By the Whale Emperor's will, five years ago the Grand Hunt was established; five years later, gathering the world's heroes here, competing in skill and discussing the Dao — truly the time for heroes to contend for the deer!"

"Ten thousand thanks to the Whale Emperor!"

"Ten thousand thanks to the Whale Emperor!"

The beast arena's shouts shook the sky.

Martial Hall disciples, some followed in shouting, instantly provoking loud laughter, a scene of joy.

"Hahaha, the Grand Hunt unprecedented through the ages, gathering the world's heroes — who would not anticipate? All matters, you all already know; merely today, allow me to redundantly recount once more————"

Liang Qu listened seriously, making basically no particular changes, and continued with eyes closed.

"Many words are not as good as few; finally, let us invite the Great Poet Fish who has risen to fame in recent years to compose a poem for the assembled masters, to serve as the opening!"

"Great Poet Fish?"

Liang Qu's brow twitched, and he instantly felt a sense of foreboding.

Why does that title sound so familiar?

Immediately after.

A streak of black shadow emerged from within the clouds.

In a split second, the Whale King and Fish King were both surprised, and Long Eying even turned her head to look at Liang Qu.

Liang Qu maintained his silence.

"Black Big Fish!" In the seabed arena, the troublemaker recognized him at a glance and shouted, "It's Black Big Fish! Black Big Fish's poetic fame has actually reached the Whale Emperor's ears?"

Above the nine heavens, the Fat Fish stood amid white clouds, flicked his long whiskers: "Stirring times, thunder rumbles hidden; beast heads rise, snow faint and faint.

Surging waves burst forth, fish gaze down together; leaping billows vie for the lead, birds retreat in flight.

They say it's a dragon, I just don't believe it; sure enough, he seized the brocade standard and returned!"

Mountains shout, seas roar.

The porcupinefish, fish, and killer whales shouted excitedly; the giant snakes and scaled giant snakes even raised their heads, smug and self-satisfied.

Ge Zu, Wolf Lord, and Shen Daxi were all astonished.

"The demon race actually has a fish that can compose poetry?"

Liang Qu: "————"

The Fat Fish bowed deeply, made bows left and right, and withdrew leisurely; the cheers grew even louder.

"Good, good — 'They say it's a dragon, I just don't believe it; sure enough, he seized the brocade standard and returned,' grand and magnificent, talent outstanding.

Thanks to Black Big Fish for presenting his poem; next, no time to delay, everyone's positions will be thoroughly scrambled, randomly distributed throughout the Three Realms!"

As his words ended.

Ears filled with nothing but cheers, surging forth like a tide.

White clouds completely enveloped everyone, amid countless upturned heads waiting in anticipation.

Light and shadow flashed before Liang Qu.

The world suddenly fell silent; everyone around vanished without a trace.

Silver bubbles floated up one after another; seawater surged in reverse!