Chapter 1546

He awoke, white light illuminating the heavens, flowing through the eight extremes.

All who died in this service, regardless of rank or status, had their bodies reformed from clay, restored to their original forms, and scattered back to their hometowns.

Thus, couples reunited, fathers and sons met again, death records were erased, and wailing filled the roads. The number of those revived is unknown, but it numbers in the tens of millions.

At that time, the months were shattered by war, and tidal signals were completely lost. He raised his hand toward the void, and the moon reappeared, its light doubled compared to before. Then, using the remnants of the old moon as a foundation, he filled the nine heavens, traced rivers with his tail, reshaped mountains with his hands, unblocked waterways, and balanced yin and yang. The people of the four realms initially did not know what the king was doing, but upon seeing the transformation of heaven and earth, with territory doubled and all roads—near and far—shifted, they were all struck with astonishment and sweat.

————He had once concealed a murder charge. Now he suddenly confessed: Your servant, in his youth, was poor and destitute, deceived by the ruffian Zhang the Leper, and in anger killed him, sinking the corpse in the Huai River. Your servant deserves death. The Emperor laughed and said: The law clearly states: one who enters a room intending to break the law may be slain without guilt. But you fled at the time, and only later encountered killing, so you deserve a hundred strokes. However, your merit covers the universe, so I specially pardon you.

He bowed in gratitude, and the Emperor also rejoiced greatly. All officials celebrated, and this became a celebrated tale.

————Again, those who have great merit in the world, upon death, their souls ascend to divinity; the virtuous gain extended life in the underworld; the wicked are sent to prison to receive punishment. Furthermore, the punishment of exterminating nine clans is abolished, limited now to three generations.

The moonlight shone brightly, and the beast-fighting arena glowed with a lustrous sheen.

Bamboo threads followed the blade's tip, spiraling out and catching on the edge of the bamboo slab; they would not fall until the entire length was carved continuously, only then dropping onto the instep, and in the sea breeze, falling into the water.

Bamboo slab struck bamboo slab, jammed into the cart, already stacked high into a tall pile.

After recording a long slab, the clerk glanced up at the bright moon above, then touched the invitation in his bosom.

"Huu————"

The voices of the crowd rose in a tumult.

The vast, dark crowd was divided by region and entered the vortex waterway in order. Those who could not return that night were given baked buns by the clerks to temporarily stave off hunger.

In the long queue, occasionally someone would look up, gazing together with countless thousands upon that moon, brighter and more radiant than it had been in countless tens of millions of years.

Three months of trauma, upheaval, panic, and emotional exhaustion—filled and healed in an unexpected, most brutal, most direct, and most effective way.

The Holy Emperor withdrew his gaze, flipping through the invitation in his hand.

The gilded large characters flashed and sparkled.

Liang Qu came quickly, left quickly, died and was reborn, reshaping sun and moon—handled two earth-shattering, ghost-weeping great

matters, as casually as buying two baskets of eggs at the market.

Some things, even if utterly still, are impossible to ignore.

Some realms, their inhabitants unchanged in the slightest, are like the sun and moon turning in heaven, naturally drawing one past.

Not to mention the lack of anything unchanging.

To replace heaven and change the sun, rivers expanding—just hearing it suggests there will be many more Dragon Kings, and then the heavenly court and the underworld—

Fortunately, Liang Qu did not forcibly impose his personal will, but chose to guide by benefit, which is already the most stable and least disruptive approach.

Merit perfected, one can truly become a god—

Will those martial saints in those fiefdoms who do nothing now restrain themselves more, and will corrupt officials likewise become fewer?

After another hundred years, a thousand years, what will the world become?

Unimaginable.

Not even a trace imaginable.

Just as twenty years ago, I could not have imagined Liang Qu would grow to this extent today.

Drawing a deep breath, the Holy Emperor patted his forehead.

"Important matter forgotten to ask————"

How should Linchuan be dealt with?

Also, before falling asleep, that passage on the back of the slip—what exactly does it mean?

Before coming, I was full of questions, all stuck in my throat. But upon truly seeing him face to face, all my thoughts were squeezed into a corner by his astonishing power, wiped clean.

I fear we must wait until June twelfth, the coronation ceremony, to find out.

Today is for settling the dead, gathering from all directions, many in haste. Liang Qu's master and mistress did not come—regardless of timing, occasion, or personnel, none is suitable. The coronation ceremony a few days later is clearly the true occasion for proclamation.

"Come here!"

"Your servant is here!" The Tianwei Guard knelt on the ground.

The Holy Emperor closed his eyes, slightly composing his thoughts and wording.

"Convey my decree: all officials of the Ministry of Rites, upper and lower, shall be informed:

All current Langzhong, Yuanwailang, Zhushi, and retired officials living in the countryside, regardless of rank, must report to the capital within three days for audience, without delay or excuse.

I command you to gather the Taichang, Honglu, and Guanglu bureaus to jointly discuss the grand rites, preparing the coronation for the Huai Wangfei.

Now I specially proclaim:

The standard of this ceremony must surpass that of all past emperors. Reaching back to the ancient true immortals, exceeding the radiant brilliance of the glorious Qian and Shun dynasties, all ceremonial guards, crowns, palaces, music and dance, heaven-sacrificing, decree-issuing, and court-audience systems shall be as never before since the creation of heaven and earth, and shall not be added to for ten thousand generations.

You must exhaust your wisdom and effort, investigate ancient and modern, create new chapters, not follow old examples, not stop at established norms.

The majesty of the palaces, the solemnity of the rites and music, the splendor of the attire—must make every beholder's heart and spirit tremble.

This is a ceremony unprecedented in ancient times, and also one to be jointly gazed upon by all nations of the four directions. The officials of the Ministry of Rites shall each fulfill their duties, day and night without rest. Whatever is needed, report directly to me before me, and I shall personally decide. If the full merit is achieved, I will not stint on reward; if the state rites are delayed, you shall be punished for dereliction of duty!"

A very long passage.

The Tianwei Guard's heart startled, the eunuchs all gone to summon the officials, the Tianwei Guard not being a dedicated post, after chewing on it for a moment, nearly failed to bear this edict.

"Did you remember it?"

"Reply to Your Majesty, we have remembered!"

"Good! You two go first via the waterway, hurry there."

"As commanded!"

The Holy Emperor raised his head again to look at the moon.

Eighteen tiger hunts, twenty-two Entering Zhen Xiang, twenty-seven with a half-doomed dragon, at thirty-three, the doomed dragon perfected, crossing the smelting furnace, entering the transformation rainbow. Truly, his spirit swallows ten thousand miles like a tiger.

Grass leaves swayed.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

Aside from raising the dead and transforming heaven and earth, Liang Qu also did a third great matter affecting the world, only not as extraordinary as the first two.

The vortex waterways operated ceaselessly.

Household after household came to the riverbank; the sixth month was parched, and one after another they could not wait to plunge into the water, embracing relatives dead for two months and wailing bitterly.

"My child! Mother's eyes have gone blind from weeping!"

"They've returned, they've all returned!"

Wailing cries covered the ground.

Several middle-aged men arrived at the riverbank panting heavily, and casually fished people out of the water.

"Strange. Normally crossing a town takes half a quarter-hour; why does it feel like I've walked several extra steps today? Panting so hard?"

"Haha, could it be because you've aged another year? One must still submit to old age."

"Doesn't feel like it. I also feel the distance has grown longer. Today the alley to my neighbor's is half a chi wider, exposing mud — it's absolutely never like this normally — wait, what is this thing?"

The speaker paused, a hint of horror in his voice; he reached into his bosom and actually pulled out a hard-shell document. The moment he touched it, spiritual light crashed into his mind, frightening him into flinging it away. "A ghost! What thing is this!"

"I have one too!" the person beside him shouted. "Where did this filthy thing come from!"

"An invitation?"

"Wait, is it the Huai King's invitation?"

"Th-this-this, you know characters?"

"No. You just reach out and touch it and you'll know. Strange, strange — immortal methods."

"Banquet for all under heaven? Lovers under heaven may wed together on that day, the Huai King provides the feast? This, how can this banquet work? Will we have to go to Jianghuai then? Won't the waterways be blocked to death? Not going, not going, too far."

The villagers held the invitation cards, faces blank with bewilderment.

"This card is quite exquisite. Can it be sold for money?"

Southern Border, Northern Court, Great Shun, Great Snow Mountain, the myriad nations, Eastern, Southern, Northern Seas — nowhere failed to receive them.

Every being that could breathe, this very night, without exception received a scarlet invitation!

All under heaven celebrate together!

Southern Waters, frog clan territory.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The leather ball tumbled, the shiny one landed, cloak fluttering; the old toad waved a webbed claw: "Convey this National Preceptor's order: from today, the frog clan, high and low, shall not eat another meal — total fast! Starve until the ninth day of the ninth month, the grand wedding day!"

"Ninth day of the ninth month——" Second Fatty pried at a frog toe.

Big Fatty's head swam, vision blurred; he fell backward onto the ground: "I'm done for. Starve three months, the frog will die——"

Above the Nine Heavens.

Unhurried, the white dragon roamed; the Third Prince transformed into a thousand-zhang great dragon, advancing against the wind, piercing clouds and exhaling mist.

Turning void into substance, manufacturing countless invitations, then using Yinglong authority to deliver them into every person's hands.

Clear breeze blew gently, mane fluttering.

Liang Qu, having finished distributing the invitations, lay in her embrace, leaning against Eying's thighs, his head feeling the plump softness, index finger twining green tresses, his nose filled with fragrance, every bone and muscle in his body stretching out.

Truly comfortable——

Slept in the void for two months, half roasting half freezing; without this one lie-down, not a ten-thousandth of this bliss.

Long Eying stroked Liang Qu's head.

"Where are we going?"

"Yellow Sand River."

"Not going home?"

"Not for now. Many matters aren't finished; I'll handle them all in one breath, so I can set my mind at ease."

Liang Qu said casually, then burrowed in a bit more, cheek pressing against the lower abdomen, carefully savoring that fatty, slightly raised soft warmth.

"Why suddenly want me to ascend the throne?"

"I like it. From now on, Lady will be Empress of the dragon race — how domineering!"

"Then will Husband obey this Empress's commands?" Long Eying pinched Liang Qu's chin.

Liang Qu rolled his eyes: "Depends on what command. After all——a general in the field may disobey the sovereign's orders."

"Hmph, then this Emperor wants to see if the transformed-dragon's mouth is sweet, whether this order can be accepted. Mmph!"

A long while.

Long Eying's cheeks were flushed red; blank thoughts took a long time to regain color, her gaze bright and shining as she looked at Liang Qu.

Liang Qu's thumb lightly scraped and pressed the skin: "Wronged you. Agreed on the dragon wedding, but round and round it went, dragged out over five years, only now making it up."

"What wrong do I have? The wedding ceremony can matter or not — it's merely a proclamation. The hard work was all Husband's. Besides——although truly very moved, at a time like this, generally isn't it all caressing the cheek?" Long Eying pressed down on the large hand kneading her chest.

"Who says so?" Liang Qu challenged.

"The books."

"That's why they say: to truly know a thing you must practice it yourself. Books are all fake." Liang Qu turned serious. "Those are all storytellers' scripts, deceiving people. The real situation is all touching here."

Long Eying narrowed her eyes: "Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

The two gazed at each other.

Amid the fluffy dragon neck mane, laughter rang out, followed immediately by a second, a third——

"What are you laughing at?"

A slap of the palm, and the third cut off abruptly.

The Third Prince covered his mouth, scratched his head, eyes rolling: "Because I thought of a happy thing!"

"Not allowed to think!"

The Third Prince protested: "But what I thought of was Big Brother and Sister Eying getting married — that's why I laughed!"

Liang Qu stroked his chin: "Like that, then this divine permit is allowed."

"Wuhu Wuhu!"

"Hahaha!"

Above the nine heavens, the laughter grew louder.

It's been a long time.

Long Eying also leaned back and lay down.

The two lay crisscrossed in the soft white mane, quietly gazing at the sky, as if sinking into a waist-high field of tall grass.

The night wind stirred, the grass swayed, the moonlight hazy.

"Is it all over?"

"Yes, it's all over."

"Nothing left?"

"Yes, from now on, nothing remains." Liang Qu sighed, "Your husband is the current era's first Rainbow Ascendant, you are the second, we are the first Rainbow Ascendant couple—you weave cloth, I till the fields, living peacefully."

Long Eying turned her head strangely: "Me?"

"You don't like weaving cloth?"

Long Eying: "Hehe, my lady, don't you feel it? Your position has changed?"

"I felt it, I suppose it's your husband using the Three Flowers Gathering the Summit? If withdrawn, one would fall back, and if I cultivate to the Awakened Realm, would I be a furnace?"

"Yes, and not only that." Liang Qu briefly explained the embedded relationship of the Heaven and Earth's藏, "It's rather hard to explain, let me tell you a story?"

"Hmm?"

"In legend, three deities appeared in the world: the Sea God, the Asura God, and the Angel God, each leaving their own inheritance; the Sea God's is called the Sea God's Nine Trials, and there was a youth———"

Long Eying felt strange, yet couldn't pinpoint where.

It's just that Liang Qu is always whimsical, always creating odd and beautiful stories. The shadow-play ideas of the Jianghuai Grand Theatre, ninety percent come from him, he's a master storyteller, so it's no surprise.

"If we say, one big four small is third-level deity, one big three middle is second-level, two big two middle, three big one middle is first-level, four big is the supreme god.

Now I, possessing the supreme Five Governors Great World within myself, am equivalent to the strongest supreme god, stronger than any

individual, and with the Three Flowers linked, I possess dual divine positions—not just stronger, but capable of overwhelming!

My lady is equivalent to the scabbard of my other divine position; as long as I do not draw from the scabbard, she too is a Rainbow Ascendant."

Long Eying's face was strange.

Dual divine positions, Asura's scabbard———

But after turning it over, she could still understand.

She stared for a long while, rose, bowed her head: "Thank you."

"What's the use of thanks? Does Her Majesty the Empress have any rewards?"

Long Eying gently stroked Liang Qu's chest, her fingertip rubbing: "I allow all, you say, I give."

"You give everything?"

"That depends on what the husband wants." Long Eying imitated him.

"Hey, when you ascend the throne that day, I'll give you a surprise, then you can ask me for it."

"What surprise?" Long Eying blinked.

"Wuhu Wuhu, we've arrived, we've arrived! Big Brother, Eying Sister, get off the train!"

The Third Prince roared, diving downward.

"Speaking the surprise ruins it; in short, I am determined to become a top expert who achieves a perfect ending!" Liang Qu made his point, then stood up.

The long wind fluttered.

A thousand-zhang white dragon coiled and soared in the moon, diving down, nearing the river surface, the Third Prince exploded into white mist, shrank to three chi, and coiled around Long Eying's forearm.

Liang Qu and Long Eying stood in the void.

Ripples shimmered.

The Yellow Shahe flowed silently.

Compared to before the heaven-and-earth transformation, the river surface had expanded who knows how much, and the river wind had grown much stronger.

Liang Qu calmly said: "Come out, do I still have to actively invite you?"

A moment of dead silence.

"Boom—"

Water bulged upward, rose to a height, the top split open, like a blooming white flower, from unfolding to withering, flowing out along the gaps of the azure scales.

The Flood Dragon King's scales were half-exposed, resembling a fried fish.

Silence lingered.

"Huai King———"

Liang Qu crouched, grinning, arms spread: "Hey, surprising or not, unexpected or not? This king has survived! The Whale Emperor is gone!"

The Flood Dragon King broke out in cold sweat, unable to answer.

It knew whatever it said was wrong, whatever it said was incorrect.

Eighteen Hunting Tigers, thirty-three Rainbow Ascendants, overwhelming the Whale Emperor and the Great Founder of Great Li.

It couldn't even think.

All it could do was remain silent.

"Why aren't you speaking? Are you mourning the Whale Emperor in silence!"

The Flood Dragon's cold sweat poured forth, head striking the ground: "I dare not!"

"Hahaha!"

Liang Qu laughed loudly, sitting cross-legged in midair, stroking his chin as he pondered how to deal with the flood dragon.

Reviving the Old Dragon Lord is simple—easier than reviving an ordinary person, because the Old Dragon Lord and the White Dragon King were never truly dead to begin with.

Before the Cloud Whale Emperor acted, he had in fact been secretly connecting with the White Dragon King, the Old Dragon Lord, and Ge Zu.

This was when he went to Bei Ting to find the Wolf Lord.

Yun Hua can only link to three objects for the same thing; after simultaneously severing the links, contact is required to reestablish them—but there is a bug.

As long as different objects are linked to different targets, this number can be expanded, with links continuously maintained and targets constantly swapped, without needing contact.

The nature of the link—such as lifespan—has little bearing on combat power, so it does not affect battle.

But once the Old Dragon Lord is revived and the Feng and Yi position fruits are plucked, the Whale Emperor's Chuan Realm will very likely collapse—

Time flowed silently.

The scales shattered by the Flood Dragon King gradually settled; initially, it was undoubtedly panicked, but now, in calmness, it instead accepted the fact of the impending judgment.

"Got it!" Liang Qu raised a single index finger.

He seized the Flood Dragon King with a large hand, then lifted his hand again.

The Jade Qilin in Ehe River likewise stared blankly as it fell into the Yellow Sand River.

The Jade Qilin glanced at the Flood Dragon King, then at Liang Qu, and fell silent.

Unable to do anything, unable to act at all.

The Third Prince widened his eyes: "Wow, boss, can you just pull it out directly?"

"Exactly."

"Then why do I still have to fly?"

Long Eying scratched the Third Prince's mane: "Because your boss likes you."

"Ow-ow!" The Third Prince's eyes blazed bright, he puffed his chest and raised his head, folding his single paw at a ninety-degree angle: "Loyalty wow!"

"The dead are dead, the wounded are wounded—perfect timing to settle this all together, let's handle it at once, plus the Mirage Dragon, the Bei Ting immortals' are still simpler." Liang Qu reached out again.

The Bei Ting immortal's position fruit likewise fell into his palm.

The furnace's fury does not die, the body does not perish.

Because the Bei Ting immortal needed to enter slumber, he appeared listless, and had even been digested once by the Whale Emperor, yet the Bei Ting immortal was not completely dead—only his consciousness was gone under the pressure of the rainbow transformation.

He rubbed his hands together.

First, he shielded himself from the pressure of the Whale Emperor's rainbow transformation, sensing the Bei Ting immortal's vital energy—

"Lin Chuan!"

The Bei Ting immortal exploded in furious rage, shouting aloud, breaking into a cold sweat, instantly—

The Bei Ting immortal froze, halted his movements, dazedly gazing at heaven and earth, gazing at the Great River.

Yellow Sand River?

Am I not in the Eastern Sea, ambushed by Lin Chuan?

Such bright moonlight.

He lifted his head, once again stunned.

Why—is it a full circle larger than in my memory?

"Where is this?"

"Hey, old man! You awake?"

Liang Qu, while stripping away the "perverse" fusion of the flood dragon and the Old Dragon Lord, raised his hand to greet the Bei Ting immortal's soul form.

He is very experienced in dealing with such old men who wake from a nap, startled to find they've missed so much.

"Huai Wang? This—" the Bei Ting immortal stared at his own semi-transparent hand, lost in thought, "Just what is going on?"

"

"Bei Ting immortal, the war has already ended." Liang Qu explained, "I myself just woke up, and without stopping, came straight to revive you, Bei Ting immortal—first I'll wake you up, the rest can wait a moment, after I finish with the Old Dragon Lord, I'll attend to you."

Come revive you, North Garden Immortal — first I'll wake you up, the rest can wait a bit, once the Old Dragon Lord is done, I'll tend to you.

?

PS: Currently updating two days, resting one day, so no update tomorrow—continuing the day after, should be able to last until month's end.

The concluding event will roughly take place at month's end.