Chapter 1545: Changing Heaven and Earth (Seeking Monthly Votes, Double Chapter)

The sea breeze blew gently, the river glittered with scattered gold, and the sky was filled with burning clouds.

Their robes fluttered wildly.

Everyone unconsciously stepped back several paces, forming a circle around Liang Qu, heads tilted upward, eyes wide open, fixed on that raised hand.

Though nothing had begun, nothing had appeared, the arena beneath their feet seemed to have already started trembling, beginning to shake.

Everyone stood unsteadily, hands resting on their thighs, only then realizing it was their own bodies trembling.

Unprecedented and unmatched, no one had ever done this before, yet everyone subconsciously believed Liang Qu would surely use that hand to pull forth some astonishing, world-shaking thing!

The historian gripped his carving knife once more.

One hand thrust toward the heavens.

Ask: How many ways are there to let the moon reappear by means of opening heaven and earth, storing it, and ascending to transformation into a rainbow?

Answer: Nine!

Within three minutes, Liang Qu has at least nine ways to make the moon reappear in the human world!

Yinglong circulates and gathers all fallen fragments throughout the universe; Pangu reshapes the mountains, reopening heaven and earth; Fengyi plugs the leaks; Wuzhiqi lifts the mountains; the River Lord gathers; heaven and earth nurture————

The simplest and most brutal method among them————

Five fingers clenched, wrist pressed down, rippling transparent waves spread like water, continuously shaking, Liang Qu seemed to grasp something in the void, the muscle lines on his forearm gradually becoming prominent, revealing clear contours, finally, he pulled down with a thunderous force.

Like pulling a length of rope, dragging down a curtain.

No wind, no waves.

The night grew ever darker, the light of heaven and earth fading to near invisibility.

The sun sank completely below the horizon.

The tribal leader swallowed a mouthful of saliva, waited two breaths, nothing happened, he couldn't help but lower his head, glancing at Liang Qu out of the corner of his eye, nervously scanning his surroundings.

In that instant of lowering his head, a pale white light struck his cheek.

Sensing something, his cheek twitched involuntarily, as if splashed with hot oil or boiling water.

"That————what is that?"

A cry of alarm.

He looked up again.

In that instant, the tribal leader's pupils dilated to their limit.

The clouds thinned silently, a layer of snow-white frost spreading across, so sparse it was nearly dissipated.

In the azure silver galaxy, a colossal gray-white sphere slowly emerged, like a wooden ball kicked up from the water surface, like an island revealed after the tide recedes from having sunk beneath the waves.

From nothing to something, from emptiness to substance, from a corner to an arc.

Appearing slow, yet actually swift to the extreme, air clinging to the sphere's uneven mountain ranges was compressed into near-substantial air walls, shockwaves erupting in successive rings, expanding, sweeping across a hundred thousand li!

A booming explosion.

Thousands of arenas, all cried out in shock.

The moon! The moon was being pulled bit by bit from the void!

Liang Qu lowered his hand, silently gazing at the sky, at the moon continually materializing and being recreated.

Gather to seek, shape the mountain to pinch.

The simplest method, of course, is to make the illusory real.

One destroyed, dream another identical one in the dream, pull it out—there it is.

Shouts and cries continued, the crowd panicked, the Feathered Guards struggled to maintain order, though in truth their own legs were weak.

Turning his head to survey, glancing at the stunned, speechless faces filled with shock, frozen in thought, Liang Qu looked toward the equally stunned Long Eying and raised an eyebrow.

Long Eying caught his glance from the corner of her eye, their eyes met, crescent-moon eyes.

The Third Prince swam in the middle, breaststroke flicking his tail, two claws paddling, "Wuhu wuhu."

"Boom!"

Thunder burst from the mountains, heaven and earth suddenly roared.

Flocks of birds took flight in panic, all things surged violently.

Space twisted continuously, a colossal entity squeezed into the void, the calm sea tide violently surged, under the pull of gravity, seawater gathered and rose high beneath the moon, under moonlight, blue mountains, towering blue mountains of astonishing height, naturally formed seamounts.

The silk handkerchief spread open was pulled up again from the center, its four corners drawing inward.

The great tide of heaven and earth ebbed.

The submerged towns slowly emerged, crabs dwelling under tiles scuttled out, eight legs sideways, chasing the receding water, yet no matter how they tried, they could not catch up.

Countless small fish remained stranded on the land, the panicked flocks of birds dove downward, fishy stench shot into the sky.

The soil soaked in seawater for two months was once again exposed to the air. Bubbles puffed from the soil's pores, bark peeled and fell away, revealing smooth trunks, trees long killed by seawater could no longer endure the pull, snapped and fell, splashing mud and water.

Nanjiang, Beiting, Dashun, and the many overseas island nations, completely submerged in the autumn waters of Qiujin————reappeared!

The sea level outside the arena plummeted rapidly, dropping to even exaggerated levels. Not only were the submerged towns revealed, but the original shallows were also exposed, laying bare the coral to the air.

It came out.

It really came out!

The straw-hatted elder's scalp went numb.

He had never seen a mirage dragon, yet relying solely on the furnace's mirage dragon, he could never accomplish such a miracle.

If one can pinch the moon, can one not also pinch the nine heavens and ten earths?

Wave a hand to revive countless lives, raise a hand to grasp the ice jade wheel.

Death, space, existence and non-existence—all lost their meaning, a wave of the hand suffices.

Transform into a rainbow—is this power?

Liang Qu's return was silent and unnoticed, but once he awakens, the entire world will be shaken by him.

It felt like a half piece of Sichuan pepper husk stuck at the base of the tongue, a mosquito bite on the sole of the foot, a pebble between the toes, a fishbone in the throat — no, its presence was even higher, stronger, more striking than those things.

Everyone stepped out of their homes, bowing and prostrating in worship.

The Great Snow Mountain, tens of millions of people prostrating themselves fully, crawling across the snow.

The moonlight was bright and clear, pouring down upon the human world.

The night sky was completely occupied by the moon, above and below, everywhere was dazzling radiance.

The new moon was too huge, filling the entire field of vision; by rights it should have already crashed down, yet it defied logic and hung suspended overhead.

The moon had been pulled out, but it was not yet complete, needing further fine-tuning.

Spanning heaven and earth, as well.

First, shift left by five meters.

Once, the moon shattered, half turning into countless meteorites that fell within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; the other half still drifts through the void, occasionally falling, carving out great pits — everything must change.

Liang Qu swung his arms, raised them high, as if facing a pitch-black curtain, and began to wave his brush.

【Yinglong Slaying Scripture】Expansion, encompassing the universe; with a thought, all "void debris" was swept into the trash heap and slammed into the Eastern Sea.

He created an island — no, a continent!

Benefiting from often watching a certain wilderness expert, Liang Qu knew that being too far from the continental shelf, lacking material flow and exchange, the ocean center would instead become lethargic and lifeless — the Nemo Point, where within a radius of ten thousand li not a single living fish nor a strand of seaweed could be seen; the Boundless Sea was even more exaggerated.

From now on, this point must be changed.

Smash the continent into the center of the Boundless Sea?

Not so.

That would be a dazed, effort-saving decision.

Two complete, vast continents, fully stocked with resources, completely isolated; even if there were waterways, they would still be too far apart; over time, lack of communication would only lead to mutual division, leaving behind great conflicts and problems.

He was not trying to transform the Boundless Sea — there was no need.

He wanted to force the Boundless Sea, to encircle and shrink it!

Boom—

The great waves collided, striking the arena.

At the center of heaven and earth, the Huaijiang, like a belt, began to grow, began to extend; all waterways under heaven began to link!

Like dewdrops sliding down along leaf veins.

Blue Lake, Mirror Water, Cave Heaven, Peng Ze, Jianghe Great Marsh — all began to expand.

"Hiss! What happened? What happened?" General Yuan panicked.

The Lu Cangjiang, Ehe, and Huang Shahe followed suit, surging violently.

Between heaven and earth, new rivers began to gestate!

Drawing rivers with the tail.

Touring the Six Emptinesses.

Everything can flow, everything can move.

Not enough, far from enough; we must let water vapor circulate, turn seawater outside into freshwater flowing over land, let everything flourish, teem with life.

The world's upper limit is constantly being raised.

Liang Qu keenly sensed that, formerly, the Mirage Dragon had transformed from Long Wang to Dragon Lord; in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, a furnace had first appeared;

today, in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, a rainbow had first appeared.

A certain constraint had vanished.

It is growing!

The plateau.

The new plateau!

The Great Snow Mountain began to roll, began to change, forming a new pressure belt.

The new mountain rose, becoming a barrier; the original mountain was flattened, allowing water vapor to flow through; hills spread densely, letting storm layers weaken one after another —

Changing the climate, changing the water system, changing the terrain, changing the world.

The first moon had become utterly pliable clay, base material, avoiding houses, avoiding settlements; the land began to expand uniformly, water veins began to emerge evenly and spread, coastlines began to be forced outward, squeezed.

The Ten Thousand Li Jianghe Great Marsh, swelling rapidly to twenty thousand li, thirty thousand li —

One island after another, one land bridge after another, linked in between.

The old moon had completely merged into the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; if a crow drops a stone to drink water, the sea level rises again, surging and sweeping.

The great fish in the sea felt as if they had entered a mixer; one moment of inattention, and they would not know which sea region they had been flung into.

The people on both banks of the Jianghe saw the river expand; the herders of the Great Snow Mountain saw the mountain range rumble; everyone was like blind men touching an elephant, perceiving only a corner of the change, revering it as divine.

Inside the arena, the Holy Emperor, the Sweat King, and the Tribal Chief knew nothing of the outside changes; they only saw the turbulent, shifting sea level, constantly fluctuating, violently changing.

They did not know what had happened.

But they were crystal clear about one fact.

The world had grown larger!

Because the "river stones" originally stationed in place, at the same time, all moved outward! As if pulling a uniformly textured fish skin outward, the spots on the fish skin naturally drifted apart.

Astonishment — today, who knows how much astonishment.

All language fails to describe it; to speak is to lose color.

All emotions are saturated to the extreme; any more would cause them to burst.

Liang Qu raised his hand and flicked — the moon that occupied the entire sky rapidly shrank!

Far away.

Flying fast away.

A moon was smashed down, the weight of the nine heavens and ten earths increased, and the earth-moon distance likewise had to change.

Gravity diminished, the seawater that was high in the middle and flat around the edges rolled back again, Liang Qu continuously adjusted the height according to the waterline on the beast-fighting arena, finally, following the pull of heaven and earth, he gently placed it onto its proper orbit.

The stars of the firmament twinkled, interwoven and dimmed out.

The bright moon, missing for over two months, was newly hung in the azure sky.

Moonlight like water, frost-white on all sides.

Silent and soundless.

"Done."

Liang Qu clapped his hands, "Don't you feel it's much bigger than before, and better looking? This year's weather and calendar probably need an overhaul, we'll have to trouble the Imperial Astronomy Bureau."

Deathly silence.

"Why isn't anyone speaking?"

"Pa pa pa!" The Third Prince drummed his claws powerfully, let out a mighty howl, "Ooooh! Elder Brother, your words are so profound!"

Swish!

The long whiskers flicked out, coiled around the dragon's tail, and flung it away in one motion.

The fat fish surged forward, flapping its fins, the sound grew even louder.

"Gloop!"

Accompanying the first mouthful of saliva, more and more Adam's apples rolled, swallowing sounds arose.

The carving knife scraped and grated the bamboo board, vibrating and rubbing back and forth, what landed on the shoe upper wasn't bamboo threads, but powder, bamboo dust.

The Sweat King suppressed his shock: "Huai King, why — why have many of the 'Stones in the River' drifted far from us?"

"Oh, normal. When I made the moon, I pulled the old fragments back from beyond the heavens, used them as material, and incidentally reshaped heaven and earth, everyone's territory has grown. Rest assured, it's evenly divided, proportionally increased, normally you shouldn't feel much change, just what used to take ten steps to the next door now probably takes eleven steps? Daughters married far away are a bit unlucky."

"?"

"Ah, right, there are also many mountains and plateaus, I've altered them all. The Great Snow Mountain was originally egg-shaped, I pinched it, now it's half an arch bridge, used to create pressure belts, you know what pressure belts are, right?"

"Besides, I dug two corridors in the southeast and northwest, to guide water vapor."

"Not necessarily completely accurate, after all geography and climate, the whole is a highly complex system, approaching chaos, pull one hair and move the whole body, I made changes in accordance with heaven and earth, not on a whim, the general direction is sound, the specifics I don't know, if any problems arise later, just tell me, I'll reshape it."

"??"

"The Ehe, Lu Cangjiang, and Huangsha Rivers have also expanded; after developing for another few tens of thousands of years, they might not be unable to nurture a furnace-grade True Monarch, it depends on your own governance."

"???"

"Of course, I can't guarantee this, it's hard to say, depends not only on you but also on heaven and earth. However, aside from these few major rivers, everyone respectively also gained many more major rivers; after a couple of 60-year cycles, a few more Dragon Kings emerging is no problem."

"????"

Liang Qu spoke fluently, explaining in turn.

After each segment, everyone's liver and gall trembled slightly, their hearts shrank a bit, their minds went blank a little.

"Finally, I do have feelings for the Dragon Kings, the Old Dragon Lord and the Mirage Dragon helped me greatly, it's a steadfast revolutionary friendship, my wife is also a dragon maiden.

Although true dragons are entirely treasure, unless forced, I'd rather everyone cooperate and win-win, not kill the goose for the golden eggs."

"Certainly, certainly!"

The Sweat King and the Tribal Chief stood at attention upon hearing this.

The Holy Emperor's mood was indescribable, and he also followed in agreeing.

"Hai!" Liang Qu waved his hand, "I'm thirty-three this year, you all know, I'm what kind of person, Your Majesty, Tribal Chief, Sweat King, you also know, no need to be nervous.

I don't like coercing others, I prefer rewarding others, make money together, share wealth, for bad places, as long as it's not extraordinarily evil, I'll help you slowly change.

Actually, I've received a lot of help along the way, Uncle Chen, Master, Grand Master, King Yue, Your Majesty — also encountered not a few things, street ruffians and hooligans, Old Man Zhao — back then I hadn't set foot on the cultivation path, just missed paying the autumn tax by a bit, got arrested to Lan State to dig canals."

The historian's carving knife dropped.

Cold sweat burst forth.

"Hehe, excited, aren't you?" Liang Qu grinned, "I have no grudges, because this is a limitation, unavoidable.

I'm an orphan with mediocre skills, making a living was never easy, however prosperous the age, it's always like this, let alone it was the Zhang the Leper and Mr. Zhao who set me up, ultimately the problem lies with the Guimu Sect."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief again.

"Speaking of this — alas, there's a matter I truly don't want to continue concealing, Your Majesty, actually I am guilty." Liang Qu sighed, "Zhang the Leper was actually killed by me, I dragged him to the Huaijiang and smashed him to death, this matter has been buried in my heart for a long time.

I am a law-abiding citizen, every time I recall it I break out in a cold sweat, fearing someone will find evidence, I can't eat well or sleep well, today I turn myself in, I admit, hu — saying this out loud is really relieving, the great stone in my heart has finally landed."

Holy Emperor:

Sweat King:

Tribal Chief:

Straw Hat Old Man:

Zhang Longxiang:

Zhang the Leper?

Which remote corner did this expert come from?

Is this the title of some Wu Sheng?

Long Eying lamented: "I hope Your Majesty will show mercy, considering how hard it was for us husband and wife to reunite, grant clemency beyond the law, my husband was also compelled."

The Holy Emperor suddenly laughed.

He gradually understood everything.

The Holy Emperor solemnly: "Indeed such a thing? According to the Great Shun Law, unlawfully entering another's dwelling, boarding a person's vehicle or vessel, enticing others to commit illegal acts, at that time they shall be killed on the spot, blameless."

Long Eying "Delighted".

"However!" The Holy Emperor shifted his tone, "The culprit fled at the time, never reached the authorities, later encountered and killed by chance, according to the law for those who kill arbitrarily deserving death, punishment is one hundred blows of the staff!"

The Sweat King and Tribal Chief had their souls frightened out of them.

"However————considering that the King of Huai was young and in dire straits at the time, the Empress's merit covers the world; she slew the Great Li Taizu and the Whale Emperor, saving the world. To atone for this, a special pardon is granted!"

Liang Qu was overjoyed: "Many thanks, Your Majesty, Eying, this husband of yours is cleared!"

"Husband!"

"Eying!"

Sweat King:

Tusi stroked his chin.

No wonder I never heard of the King of Huai seeking anyone else, devoted to one person.

This————never mind appearance, truly not easy to find.

Is this not another kind of qin and se in harmony?

"Truly wonderful, Your Majesty is indeed a sagely wise ruler, an emperor for the ages!" Liang Qu raised a thumbs-up.

Suoli Weng and Zhang Longxiang laughed heartily.

Sweat King and Tusi instantly clenched their fists.

The Sacred Emperor's heart skipped a beat, followed immediately by a surge of excitement.

Because these words were truly extraordinary.

Times change; formerly speaking as a subordinate to a superior, Liang Qu's current utterance can be considered————

On the pages of history, the final verdict is settled.

The historian's eyes reddened.

Finally found something easy to record!

Bamboo slips curled wildly, hanging without breaking, suspended without falling, rising and falling.

"Cough cough, digressed. The words from just now weren't finished; where did we get to?"

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay.

Long Eying reminded: "Making money together?"

"Oh right! That's it." Liang Qu patted his forehead, continuing, "I don't like coercing people, prefer rewarding them. Make money together, get rich together.

So, in the future there will be a special incentive mechanism. Everyone should have seen: the Great Li Taizu and the Whale Emperor aren't completely dead. I don't plan to utterly exterminate them, but intend to guide their Realms out, return them to heaven and earth, transforming them into small worlds encircling the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

One as the Heavenly Court, one as the Underworld. Everyone should know, resurrection is not difficult for me now. Could it be————

The Martial Saints present, already advanced in age like Shen Daxi and the Wolf Lord, grew dry of mouth and tongue.

"No reincarnation!" Liang Qu said sternly, raising an index finger. "In this world, unless 'needed', I will not let anyone reincarnate and live again. All things should naturally cycle; the Great Li Taizu was already destroying the balance.

However, henceforth, anyone who makes enormous outstanding contributions to the world's development will have hope—their soul can ascend to the Heavenly Court, gain long life, and hold divine office.

Likewise, those without enormous contributions but who do good can enter the Underworld, live an extra life. Oppressors of the common people will likewise enter hell. Future laws: abolish extermination of nine clans; at most execute direct lineage of three generations. Those further up have their sentence added to the Underworld!"

Similarly, those without great contributions but who do good can enter the underworld and live an extra life, while those who oppress the people will likewise enter hell. From now on, the law will abolish the punishment of exterminating nine clans; at most, punishment will extend to three generations of direct lineal relatives. For those beyond that, the sentence will be increased to time in the underworld!

"Wait, not necessarily." Liang Qu stroked his chin. "Just woke up, I haven't fully thought it through. Just a concept, construction hasn't started. There may be many omissions. I have no experience governing localities; many views lean toward simple sentiments. Spoken offhand, bound to have loopholes. Whatever opinions on whether it's ultimately good for heaven and earth, everyone can raise them together. Final interpretive authority rests with me.

"Wait, not necessarily." Liang Qu stroked his chin. "I just woke up, haven't fully thought it through—just a rough idea, not even started building it. There might be many oversights. I have little experience in governing localities; my understanding leans toward simple feelings. Speaking offhand, there may be loopholes. As for whether it's truly good for heaven and earth, everyone can point out flaws. Final interpretation rights belong to me."

Finally, finally, let me tell everyone a happy event————"

Liang Qu reached out and grabbed.

A thick stack of large red invitation cards appeared from nowhere, grasped in his hand, distributed one by one.

"June 12th this year, Eying ascends the throne, becomes Queen of the Dragon Race. Everyone with time come show support. Your Majesty, remember to lend me the Ministry of Rites people, make a spectacle, and by the way I'll lecture a sutra. Then September 9th, Eying and I, a once-in-a-century grand wedding. Everyone remember to come to the Jianghuai Dragon Palace for wedding wine. I'm treating, treating the whole world! Grand flowing-water banquet!"

"On June twelfth this year, Long Eying ascended the throne and became Empress of the Dragonfolk. Your Majesty, if you have time, come show your support. Remember to borrow the Ministry of Rites staff for me to put on a display, and I'll give a lecture along the way. Then, on September ninth, I and Long Eying will have our grand wedding. Everyone, remember to come to the Jianghuai Dragon Palace for the wedding feast—I'll host guests, invite all under heaven! A grand flowing banquet!"

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