Chapter 1551

Jin Wu

Authority: Ignite Sovereignty

Attribute: Sovereignty

East of Penglai, on Mount Daiyu, stands the Fusang tree, ten thousand zhang tall. At its crown perches the Heavenly Rooster, nesting there. Each night at zi hour, the Heavenly Rooster crows, and the solar yang bird responds; when the yang bird crows, all chickens under heaven crow.

Refinement Ritual: Bear the Sun, Patrol the Heavens, Crow at Dawn

"Bear the Sun, Patrol the Heavens, Crow at Dawn?"

Liang Qu's eyes flashed.

The first two are no trouble, simple and straightforward, but Crowing at Dawn is a bit unclear—I don't know where to begin.

The position fruit taken from the Ze Ding, feeling its scorching heat—anyone else touching it would burst into flames, only able to give him the warmth of a fire.

"This should be the fire-attributed Great Position Fruit the Old Dragon Lord picked up in the Wu Liang Sea, used by the Whale Emperor to fill the core of the Heavenly Realm. He originally planned to complete refinement by swallowing the heavens, but was disrupted by the Great Li Taizu's Zhu Lu strike—As for the source—"

He looked up at the blue sky.

In the void, during the battle between the Great Li Taizu and the Whale Emperor, he saw the corpse of the solar fire bird at the sun's center—Liang Qu's memory remains fresh.

This position fruit, eight or nine out of ten, is precisely what fell from that Jin Wu.

But there are two problems.

Why did it fall.

Was it the Whale Emperor's doing, fighting the Jin Wu? If so, why did the Old Dragon Lord find it?

Bing fire days occur yearly, two suns rise each year, every twenty-three years a special cycle brings three suns rising together—what connection does this have with the Jin Wu?

"Could it be like the Great Li Taizu? The Great Li Taizu fought the Mirage Dragon, both suffered mutual destruction; the Whale Emperor and Jin Wu fought, likewise mutual destruction; afterward, the Dragon Lord noticed, too late to retrieve, letting the curious Dragon Lord snatch it upon sensing the disturbance?"

A bold idea sprang from Liang Qu's mind.

"Actually, between heaven and earth, the innate furnace was never solely the Dragon Lord's! Rather, it is one in the rivers of mankind, one in the void's blazing sun—two furnaces born and nurtured by heaven!"

Under heaven, why are only the rivers graced with Dragon Kings and Dragon Lords?

Because water and land converge, spiritual energy trembles most violently! Among them, the Huaijiang is largest in scale, hence it is the Dragon Lord. The world develops, and thus the Mirage Dragon became such a furnace.

If this reasoning holds, it can also explain the deathly stillness of the Wu Liang Sea—just like the 'Ni Mo Dian,' too far from the continental framework, lacking 'spiritual energy,' causing plankton to fail to grow.

Such are the rivers of mankind.

The sun's reaction is equally intense.

Then why has no immortal ever noticed?

If the Whale Emperor and Jin Wu's great battle occurred before the Southern Immortals appeared, the Old Dragon Lord should have been able to sense the Jin Wu's existence—yet the Old Dragon Lord preceded the Whale Emperor.

Still in development?

Even so, why does the Jin Wu itself not emerge to act?

Surely it's not an idiot?

"Does the Jade Emperor's son not know numbers?"

Liang Qu's eye twitched—not entirely mocking, for he discovered this possibility might indeed be true.

Wisdom and cognition are not born from nothing; innate knowledge requires social training and contact. Herd animals are mostly easier to tame than solitary ones, more obedient.

Will a heaven-born, heaven-nurtured furnace, at its birth, truly be nothing but an 'idiot'?

In the void, ceasing to think?

Ehe, Huang Shahe, Huaijiang—precisely able to contact society, their strength supreme under heaven, they can safely engage. The sun in heaven—furnace lacks the hungry instinct of living beings, farther from all life, no condition exists for social contact—

"Hiss—"

Liang Qu sucked his teeth.

After the Whale Emperor transformed into a rainbow, the Ze Ding could no longer govern; he could only dominate with his own state, achieving indirect control—perhaps the answer must be sought from the Jin Wu itself.

Having a corpse, and being a furnace, Liang Qu can fully revive the Jin Wu to see what happens.

But there's no need to do so now.

He fears creating another time worm, giving him a bumpy ride.

Many dry tasks remain.

Regardless of the truth, the essence of the matter remains at the furnace level—knowing or not knowing makes no difference; more so, it's merely satisfying his own curiosity.

Tossing the apple twice like an apple, he caught the sole Jin Wu Great Fruit present.

He reached in again.

So many middle and small position fruits, even a Great Position Fruit, all burst forth, becoming ownerless, yet neither the Straw Hat Old Man nor Zhang Longxiang nor anyone else came to collect—they just hung there, quietly placed above the East Sea for over two months.

Likewise, with so many position fruits, Liang Qu did not rush to extract them.

Instead, after the Jin Wu, he reached out and pinched a small position fruit.

Snail Fruit

Authority: Drown Kill

Attribute: Disaster

A jade-like small fish lay in his palm.

A strange sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart, yet somehow still fell short.

An unattainable object of youth.

Back then, the Disaster Realm lacked a single winning fruit, firmly gripped by the Old Yin Whale—eggs let him clutch alike, he spun in anxious circles, helpless, and in the end, it turned out unusable.

Take the winning fruit, and there are still dozens more behind!

Winner takes all.

Ten thousand years ago, the Great Li Taizu achieved the first furnace, thus leveling, all position fruits under heaven gathered into one, henceforth all position fruits merely those born in these ten thousand years.

Ying Zhao

【Zhu Yan】

【Er Shu】

【Lou Guo】

【Fei Yi · You She】

Inside the Ze Ding, more and more Wei Fruits gathered, suspended above the blue tide.

Liang Qu resembled a diligent fruit farmer, tirelessly picking Wei Fruits.

These Wei Fruits were all born within the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths; brought into one's own Heavenly Treasury, they could not continue growing as if self-cultivated, yet their inherent authorities were myriad and varied.

Most important among them was the gathering of all Wei Fruits from ancient times to present, to see if they could form a second, a third————

Radiance flashed in succession.

"There really are!?"

Liang Qu's spirit shook, and he swiftly arranged seven Wei Fruits.

【Jie Yi: Kui Guo, Ze Guo, Shan Hua, Yu Guo, the four calamities gathered, Water Lord as king, can引 Bright Wind Thunder Fear Realm.】

【Jie Yi: Qin Yuan, Fei Yi · Fei She, Li Li, Zheng, the four calamities gathered, Water Lord as king, can引 Bright Withered Realm.】

Two complete Jie Yi!

"Both require Water Lord as king; swapped for other Great Wei Fruits, who knows if they'd match————"

Liang Qu pondered.

The lineage doesn't just require Minor and Medium Wei Fruits to match, but also to harmonize with the Great Wei Fruit; because he himself lacks the Wu Zhiqi trait, any lineage works for him, but not necessarily for others — not everyone is like Great Li's Taizu, where matching the keynote means it's usable.

"Great Wei Fruits certainly aren't locked as rigidly as Minor and Medium ones; the orthodox River Realm should be Old Dragon Lord plus two Dragon Kings. Old Dragon Lord's Wei Fruit is on Great Li's Taizu, forming the Dream Dynasty; Whale Emperor likewise uses it, its original Wei Fruit should be water-attributed, roughly lineage-locked tight, Great Wei Fruit only needs attribute compatibility————"

Good stuff, good stuff.

Two complete lineages, delightful.

Only regret: the second set's Fei She Wei Fruit is with Blue Canopy King.

"No matter, so many Wei Fruits, just swap one."

Liang Qu rubbed his hands.

Before there were Ge Zu and Zhang Longxiang; now there are Dream Dynasty and Whale Emperor's body; swapping a refined Wei Fruit is more convenient than hot-swapping a Sharingan.

As for other Hong-hua appearing in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the future.

Completely don't care.

No matter who achieves Hong-hua or how strong, anyway none are stronger than him.

Ordinary Hong-hua: one Great and four Minor is the norm; one Great and three Medium is already rare.

A peerless genius like Great Li's Taizu, ideal state at most four Great; Liang Qu's five Great Heavenly Origin Realms already stand alone, fused with Di Qian's Heavenly Treasury, even exerting nine to ten Great effects.

One step fast, step by step fast.

On a macro scale, Hong-hua strength growth has no limit; the first mover is invincible, unless the latecomer's "acceleration" is unmatched.

As it happens, Liang Qu is both the first mover, and his "acceleration" is unmatched.

What determines Hong-hua strength, substantively Yao Long already decided; what determines Yao Long strength, substantively the seed was planted when Zhen Xiang ingested Qi.

When Time Insects helped with Nine Six Heyi, it destined Liang Qu to become that most awesome lad.

Given time, surpassing Great Yu is no dream!

"Hehehe————"

Laughing away, Liang Qu turned worried again, gazing at the round moon in the sky.

Hong-hua also has things it cannot do.

Dead commoners, Beiting Immortals, Dragon Lords, Dragon Kings————excluding the specially-stated Haiya King, all who should be resurrected have been resurrected.

Only one person.

"Second Senior Brother————" Liang Qu sighed.

Not Second Senior Brother Yu Dun, but that Yang Second Senior Brother who should have ranked second, causing everyone's order to shift back by one.

From Master's seclusion to Liang Qu's apprenticeship, already decades; then to Hong-hua————

Nearly a Jiazi, hunting tigers also won't do.

The sole flaw.

Knocking his skull, Liang Qu held his breath; next there's an even more headache-inducing matter.

Xū.

Vanished in a flash.

Under the natural diffusion of various Wei Fruit authorities, the East Sea, either evaporated dry or viscous, slowly calmed.

"Southern Frontier Immortal!" Liang Qu called.

"Huai————" Suo Li Weng reappeared, paused, momentarily unsure what suffix to attach.

"Hahaha, just keep calling me Huai King!" Liang Qu grinned.

"Huai King————" Suo Li Weng recited twice, as if overcoming a mental hurdle, laughed, "Good, Huai King!"

"Trouble Southern Frontier Immortal to busy yourself a while longer." Liang Qu cupped fists, "Previously busy with some private matters, delayed a bit."

"No matter, just one night."

One night.

Suo Li Weng spoke the words, tasted them twice, realized belatedly.

Myriad people resurrected, heaven and earth changed.

So it was all————in a single night.

Lived thousands of years, Suo Li Weng prided himself on having seen everything; never expected the biggest shock came last.

Fortunately, among the Whale Emperor, the Great Li Founding Ancestor, and Liang Qu, the answer given was the best one.

"Since the Prince of Huai has arrived, how exactly shall the Linchuan Immortal be dealt with?" the Straw-Hatted Elder inquired; having guarded them for over two months, he was truly anxious to return to the Southern Frontier to fish.

"I don't know either."

"Don't know?" The Straw-Hatted Elder was surprised, then smiled. "Haven't decided yet?"

"Right."

Liang Qu sighed; the reason he had left Linchuan for last was precisely because he could not decide.

The crux lay in the Sage Emperor — however you put it, he was the Great Shun Dynasty's Old Ancestor.

Liang Qu's growth and successful clearance of this "time-limited dungeon" were inseparable from the Sage Emperor's help; kill him?

And Linchuan had fucking pulled a backstab —

Linchuan had absolutely buried a landmine on him, to the extent that the Whale Emperor could directly attack his sea of consciousness; if not for the water-attribute special effectiveness, the outcome would truly be hard to say.

Even saying it was at the Whale Emperor's behest doesn't hold water; a pillar — that kind of thing — is profound upon profound, already no different from sovereign control.

It is not spiritual forced control, nor a life-and-death threat, but rather a convergence of objectives and an alignment of interests.

The Straw-Hatted Elder saw nothing amiss; the more conflicted Liang Qu was, the happier he became.

"In that case, the Prince of Huai might as well listen to a word from me?"

"Oh, please speak, Southern Frontier Immortal?"

"Why not sever Linchuan's connection to the Whale Emperor, then brand a mark upon him and banish him to the Void to seek out other realms?

Reckoning in ten-thousand-year spans, if his performance in ten thousand years is still acceptable, then let him simply dissipate like smoke and clouds."

"Banish to the Void?" Liang Qu froze, perceiving through his post-Transforming Rainbow directional sense; the Southern Frontier Immortal's meaning was clearly to use him as a minesweeper rat, and he thought of something: "Southern Frontier Immortal, what exactly is the matter with the Great He Founding Ancestor and the Wuhuang Celestial Immortal?"

"The Great He Founding Ancestor I do not know; this person's era is indeed ancient, and the time coincides with the Old Dragon Lord's birth and the Mirage Dragon's disappearance — there was not a single Furnace in the world, so I speculate he did not become a Furnace."

"Oh?"

The Straw-Hatted Elder deliberated: "Because if the Great He Founding Ancestor were a Furnace, then between the Great Li Founding Ancestor's fall and the Old Dragon Lord's emergence — at most a hundred-odd years — how could he possibly so quickly cease to be filled with lingering attachment to the mortal world and decisively depart for the Void?"

"Makes sense." Liang Qu stroked his chin.

"Of course, I'm just saying; the Great He Founding Ancestor was a man of temperament, utterly carefree — he defeated the Overlord who died young at thirty, and established the realm; he cannot be judged by common logic. As for the Wuhuang Celestial Immortal, he truly did shatter the Void and leave, unwilling to face the rotten accounts of the Great Huang and the Great Qian."

Liang Qu: "————"

He was very puzzled; before Transforming Rainbow, there was fundamentally no perception.

The Wuhuang Celestial Immortal blindly crashed into the Void — purely a blind cat stumbling on a dead rat; if he went too far, he might not even be able to find his way home —

Deliberated for a long while.

Not bad.

"Good, let's do as the Straw-Hatted Elder says!"

Liang Qu couldn't bear the boredom; once construction was done in the future, his leisure time would certainly be spent going elsewhere to take a look — having a Furnace who steps on landmines is indeed not bad.

"Then I'll hand it over to the Prince of Huai." The Straw-Hatted Elder, unburdened, turned to leave at once.

"The enthronement ceremony on the twelfth of the sixth month — I'll be lecturing scriptures incidentally; Southern Frontier Immortal, don't forget!"

"Understood!"

Liang Qu watched the Southern Frontier Immortal depart, seized the unconscious Linchuan, and threw him into the Heaven-Earth Treasury.

"Done!"

With a direction, the rest is just work; this kind of thing isn't urgent anyway.

Don't know if it's swelling arrogance — infinite lifespan, no pressure — Liang Qu felt he had suddenly contracted procrastination.

Just woke up, established the Heavenly Court, established the Underworld, boasted to the Sage Emperor and them until the heavens shook, rested one night, and now didn't want to do anything at all — just wanted to lie down.

The Long Gong was even more out of the question; Eying would certainly be busy until her head spun; stealing leisure to find her for fun would be unpleasant, and going there himself would just get him dragged into work.

By the same token, the Sea Fangzhu, the Turtle King, the Frog King — none of those places could be gone to.

"，Got it!"

Liang Qu raised his hand and grabbed; between heaven and earth, all the merfolk tears flowed over.

Reached out and touched.

In the Ze Ding, the blue tide surged violently.

He had already thoroughly understood what the Water Marsh Essence was — it was the Water Spirit Essence.

"Little Ci, A Fei!"

A call, the sound flowing to the two beasts' ears as a reminder.

The next instant, the two beasts vanished from the Long Gong and appeared before him.

In a fluster, the fat fish just wanted to straighten his white hat, thought of something, immediately took it off, long whiskers folding ninety degrees.

Not rushing the fat fish, first look at the hedgehog.

"Hedgehog, do you want to become a Dragon Hedgehog?"

"Dragon———— Dragon Hedgehog!?" The hedgehog was bewildered; hearing this, his eyes immediately widened. "I, I can?"

"Of course, as long as you want to."

"I want it too much, dream about it, Great King!" The hedgehog knelt with a thud.

"Good!"

Pinching the shrunken flood dragon's neck, Liang Qu extracted a mass of essence blood.

The flood dragon's face turned pale, unable to speak, watching helplessly as the dragon blood fused with the hedgehog, turning into a golden cocoon; before he could see clearly, in a blink it was stuffed into the Heaven-Earth Treasury.

Leaving the hedgehog to metamorphose, Liang Qu looked at the fat fish again.

The fat fish stared wide-eyed, puffed out its chest and raised its head — it wanted to become a Dragon Frog?

Loyalty!

"A Fei, even if you become a dragon, you're still a dragon." Liang Qu corrected, "And I don't plan to give you Dragon King essence blood either."

The fat fish drooped its twin whiskers.

"Hahaha!"

Liang Qu laughed heartily, incidentally glancing at the evolution requirements.

【Can consume 10 points of River Dominance, 60 points of River Favor, to evolve the Ink Tiger Jiao into a Tiger Ink King.】

Liang Qu froze.

Wait, what about the Water Marsh Essence requirement? Where did that huge chunk of Water Marsh Essence requirement go?

Remember checking not long before the great war, it needed over two million.

"A Fei, what have you eaten recently?"

The fat fish fidgeted shyly.

Half a moment.

Twin whiskers dancing.

"You saved the Demon King, so they gave you their gratitude?" Liang Qu stared wide-eyed, "When did you save the Demon King? Forget it, perfect timing."

Without dwelling on it so much, A Fei was like this, self-reliant, making an honest living.

He currently had no Jianghuai Favor on hand, used it all up during the great war, couldn't hold the June 6th River God Festival, but no matter, his own Favor would work, right?

A thought moved.

In an instant.

The Marsh Cauldron's radiance changed again.

【Can consume 10 points of River Dominance, to evolve the Ink Tiger Jiao into a Tiger Ink King.】

Only 10 points of River Dominance short————

Liang Qu took out another one, both his main body and after advancement, neither matched any existing Position Fruit with a water-attribute Position Fruit.

【Can consume one Compatible Position Fruit, 10 million Water Marsh Essence, convert Authority into River Dominance】

Bang!

Crushed the Position Fruit.

"A Fei, you've rendered meritorious service, accompanied me left and right, most honest and simple————"

The fat fish's heart thumped wildly, it had a premonition, something big was coming, something big was coming!

Hum!

The Marsh Cauldron burst with radiance, essence light rising slowly————

"Heave-ho heave-ho, Old Grandpa, how's this, how's this?"

"Fine." Xu Rongguang nodded, "Just follow these steps."

"Wuhu wuhu!"

The Third Prince sprayed white mist, simulating the coronation ceremony for Xu Rongguang, inexplicably, his heart stirred, vigilance surged, he immediately planted his claws on his hips and shouted loudly: "Who! Who's spying in secret! Cowardly rats! Let me tell you, my big bro is the Huai King!"

Xu Rongguang was surprised, looked left and right, saw no one.

Only all the Martial Saints and Demon Kings under heaven, at this moment, all had a feeling.

A brand new "Stone in the River", atop the vast East Sea, rose towering!

"Haha, it's decided, you're the one."

Intense, soaring momentum brewed and emanated within the golden cocoon, like scorching solar flames, sweeping away layers of water waves, evaporating large patches of white mist! Liang Qu spread five fingers, backhand grabbed the fist-sized, transforming fat fish, and hurled it hard into the Jianghuai Great Marsh.

Intense, soaring energy nurtured and erupted within the golden cocoon, like scorching sunfire, stirring layers of ripples and evaporating vast white mist. Liang Qu opened his five fingers, grabbed the fist-sized, transforming fat fish with a backhand, and hurled it forcefully into the Jianghuai Great Marsh.

"Go, Ah Fat, unleash your talents and ambitions to the fullest!"

Thrown shooting out.

The newly established "Stone in the River", at an inconceivable speed, rapidly sped forth, approaching Jianghuai.

Within the golden cocoon, light and shadow flowed, long whiskers folded at ninety degrees!

"Who is that? East Sea Demon King!!!"

Countless people gasped in shock, gazing toward Jianghuai, Liang Qu had become the first to transform into a rainbow, but that didn't mean a new Demon King appeared, not shocking. Or rather, precisely because Liang Qu transformed into a rainbow, the novelty and shock hadn't faded in this period, someone breaking through drew even more attention.

And just advanced, how did they reach the Jianghuai Long Gong so fast?

The Frog King, Whale King, Wang Wu — all had a sense in their hearts.

In the Long Gong, the Third Prince grew more and more panicked, circling nonstop on the desk, stepping out claw prints, at a certain moment, his heart spasmed, he clutched it in discomfort, tilted his head to stare at the sky.

The Frog King, the Whale King, and the King—all felt something stir within them.

The firmament split open, flowing clouds unfurled.

Long wind whistled, air burst out thirty-three layers of conical shockwaves, the oval water-drop body lowered wind resistance, two long whiskers pressed tight against its cheeks.

Eyes tightly shut, solemn and majestic.

It was a tiger-headed, tiger-brained big black fish, although its appearance had greatly changed, from that unique physique one could still accurately identify its identity.

"Can't move", A Wei, Round Head, Fist, Pai Xiao Xing, Chishan — none failed to look up, staring dumbstruck.

The Third Prince's pupils gradually dilated, until the distance closed to visible to the naked eye, its figure filling the entire pupil.

"Wah!!! Big bro, Eying Jie, Laozu Sect, save! Me! Ah!"

The miserable scream transmitted through.

The big black fish snapped its eyes open, long whiskers raised high spreading wings, sharp light in its eyes, piercing straight through the firmament.

They roared, they slaughtered, this was a war between kings, only by fighting until kneeling and begging for mercy could it end!

The giant black fish opened its eyes wide, its long whiskers raised high as it spread its wings, sharp light in its gaze piercing the heavens.

They roared, they fought—this was a war between kings, and only by beating them to their knees, begging for mercy, could it end!

The double fins unfurled!

The double whiskers unfurled!

The domain unfurled!

Black ink spread out, twisting left and right, shifting the center of gravity.

The fat fish began to spin, began to coil, began to whirl like a top, dragging up a waterspout.

Black whirlwind form.

The raging wind struck, the great marsh split open, white vapor surged horizontally, piercing heaven and earth, crashing down upon the Dragon Court.

The king descended from the heavens, furious and ferocious!