Chapter 504: Exploring the Xiandao Again

"Strange, to pull out a precious plant for no reason..."

Liang Qu couldn't figure it out.

He stroked the treasure box in his palm.

Forget it.

Since things have come to this, it would be foolish not to take it.

"The day after tomorrow, at the auction, in the evening, at my master's martial arts arena. The place is big enough."

"Done!" Guan Congjian didn't say another word, pushed the treasure box into Liang Qu's arms, and left dashingly. "Item delivered, I'll wait for you the day after tomorrow!"

Liang Qu stepped over the threshold and shouted.

"Hey, aren't you afraid I'll take it and go back on my word?"

"The monk can run, but the temple can't!" Guan Congjian waved his hand with his back to Liang Qu. "You're a Hengshui Envoy, what do I have to fear?"

"That's true." Liang Qu returned to the courtyard and had Long Yao put the treasure box into the quiet room. "Binglin, find two Dragon-men working at the River Patrol Office to help me inquire at the government office and see what's going on."

"Yes!"

Two quarters of an hour passed in a flash.

"The person who gave the precious plant to Guan Congjian is named Zhang Xu, the Prince of Yue's house steward. He is at the initial stage of the Hunting Tiger Realm and is responsible for this procurement and supply for Pingyang County, as well as organizing the civil and martial examinations. The gift of the precious plant was meant as a warning."

"A warning?" Liang Qu straightened his back. "A warning to whom?"

"To the young people who passed the martial examination on the Flowing Light Boat and are about to head to Ningjiang Prefecture, to let them know that there is a heaven beyond heaven and people beyond people."

The Dragon-man who had obtained the information cleared his throat, and then, in tandem with another, repeated what Zhang Xu had said.

Long Binglin was surprised: "Where did you find out such detailed information?"

In just two quarters of an hour, they had figured out exactly what was said.

Were his clansmen that capable?

The Dragon-man looked embarrassed.

"This was repeated by Registrar Li Shoufu himself. When Zhang Xu was talking, he happened to be recording procurement matters nearby and heard every word. When he saw the two of us go ashore, he guessed our intention and took the initiative to tell us the whole story."

Liang Qu understood everything.

A competition sponsor!

"No wonder Guan Congjian wanted to tell outsiders the time and place, and try to do it within three days..."

As a house steward and a minister of the Prince of Yue, Zhang Xu had an obligation to help with governance.

Hearing the challenge between him and Guan Congjian, he took the opportunity to let a group of arrogant young people see the vastness of the world and work in a down-to-earth manner.

If he could use this to stimulate their competitive spirit, even better.

They certainly thought highly of him.

A sharp eye!

They know their stuff!

Worthy of being a Wu Sheng's house steward!

"I asked for too little!"

Liang Qu gripped the armrest, feeling great regret.

Having received the Holy Emperor's oral decree, his status had risen.

Had he known there was a Wu Sheng sponsor, he should have exchanged the Two-Life Flower for something better, like a Withered-Prosperous Twin Lotus.

Guan Congjian couldn't handle it, but the Prince of Yue was wealthy and generous.

Grandmaster Su Guishan started with a Water-Fire Vine as a greeting gift; for the Prince of Yue, a Two-Life Flower was just a drop in the bucket.

A sponsorship three or four times larger would not have been a problem.

Regrettably, the words had already been spoken.

"You've worked hard."

Liang Qu gave the Dragon-men a few taels of reward silver and went to the garden alone.

The lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom, their green stalks swaying, and the gaps in the pond stones around the edge were crowded with dandelions, with white fluffy balls hanging from individual branches.

"Lord Liang!"

"Lord Frog!"

The old toad lay against a round stone, its four limbs hanging down, a large pottery jar embedded in its white belly. It held a reed tube in its mouth, sucking down freshly squeezed iced watermelon juice, and waved its webbed claws to greet him.

Beside the round stone, the fat catfish floated half out of the water, its ink-colored fins drifting.

It also had a jar.

Usually used to hold treasure fish, it was now filled with bright red watermelon juice, but unfortunately, the reed tube was bent, making it slightly difficult to suck from the extension.

Watermelon juice didn't grow naturally; it was all freshly squeezed by the Dragon Lady.

Since Long Yao and Long Li arrived at the house, the quality of life for the water beasts had improved significantly, and even Fist, who went to Xiangyi County to mine, seemed reluctant to leave.

He should find an opportunity to ask the old toad for a service fee.

Treasure fish only expand the pond; the service fee must be calculated separately.

As the thought arose.

The old toad hugged the pottery jar and stood up, looking around suspiciously.

"Chief Engineer Li, work-life balance is important."

Liang Qu suppressed his thoughts and greeted the beaver family working under the scorching sun, signaling them to come over and drink a few sips to cool off.

Hearing this, the little beaver raised its head and put down the wooden block in its hand.

The big beaver hesitated for a moment, did not refuse, found a few fresh reed stalks from home, and distributed them to the beasts.

The little beaver cheered and ran to the side of the jar to insert the tube and suck the juice.

At this moment, the otter family rushed in from outside, bringing a small whirlwind. Several of the little ones carried small cloth bags filled with oil-paper packages. Opening them, they found fresh sweet sticky rice cakes!

Sitting in a row, sharing in a row.

A mouthful of sweet watermelon juice, a mouthful of chewy sweet rice cake.

The fat catfish bit into two pieces, its sticky whiskers tying into a knot.

The Mirage Insect sensed the movement, floated up from the bottom of the pond, and swam to the edge. Just as it was about to join the eating and drinking army, Liang Qu scooped it up.

Today is the sixteenth of the sixth month; the River God Festival is on the sixth of the sixth month, and the Mirage Insect evolved again before the River God Festival.

This meant that more than ten days had passed since the last time it sprayed white mist, and the special substance for connecting to the Xiandao should have long since recovered.

Liang Qu was worried that exploring the Xiandao would lead to some accident, which would be unfavorable for dealing with the serpent demons, so he had temporarily shelved it.

Just right.

Guan Congjian's challenge—it would be wonderful to be washed by the spiritual energy again before then and improve the strength of his True Steel.

The Mirage Insect looked at the rapidly decreasing watermelon juice in the jar with great regret.

Quiet room.

The Mirage Insect, with its white jade shell, agitated its abdomen, and a white whirlwind drifted. In the center of the vortex, white mist was catalyzed, pavilions and terraces appeared, the vortex moved downward, clouds floated, and a corner of the Immortal Mountain was revealed.

Liang Qu sat upright, wrapped in the white whirlwind, breathing in and out slowly.

A surging drowsiness hit his heart.

The world spun.

Light and shadow flowed.

Suddenly, a breeze blew across his body, the scorching heat of summer disappeared, bringing a trace of coolness.

Misty spiritual energy surrounded him, flowing silently into his True Steel.

Liang Qu felt the change, his heart shocked.

There is!

There really is spiritual energy!

But...

Whether in quality or quantity, it was not as high as when he observed the Xiandao above the clouds. A rough comparison showed it was only one-fifteenth.

What's going on?

Is it because there is no "wind," or rather, the "wind" is too small?

Where there is "wind," there are "waves," and where the "waves" are big, visions appear.

So it's not that the vision has spiritual energy, but that places with large spiritual energy have visions?

Liang Qu's thoughts flashed, and he opened his eyes.

Soft white light entered his eyes, and the ground was covered with white jade square bricks, like copper mirrors polished with clear water, reflecting people.

The surrounding world was misty, shrouded in white fog, only a white jade staircase in the center of the square was clear and certain, leading to the pavilion at the top of the clouds.

This was far more magnificent than what the Mirage Insect had described!

Is the Xiandao above the clouds that big?

Liang Qu felt some doubt. He walked to the edge of the cliff, shrouded in misty gray fog, unable to see clearly.

He turned his head and looked back at the white jade staircase.

Xiao Xiao Shenlong.

Could it be at the top of the mountain?

Liang Qu looked at the long white jade staircase, not daring to walk up for a while.

According to Su Guishan, the Xiao Xiao Shenlong fought with the Great Li Founding Emperor.

Dying.

Is it dead or not?

Dying.

Serious injury can be rescued. Pulling the entire Xiandao above the clouds into a dream was not the power of the Xiao Xiao Shenlong alone, but a joint effort with other Mirage clan Great Demons.

Since the Great Demons had taken action to help, they certainly wouldn't watch the Xiao Xiao Shenlong die.

What determines the future of a clan is the countless individual Mirage clan members.

What determines the status of a clan is always the one who stands the tallest.

Great Demons wouldn't watch the tallest one die.

If there really is a Xiao Xiao Shenlong living at the top of the mountain, it could blow him to death with a single breath from its nostrils.

The Mirage Insect swayed its body at the foot of the stairs.

"You left last time, right here."

The Mirage Insect nodded.

Could it be that every time one enters or exits, it is always the point where one stayed before the dream ended?

Thinking to this point.

The entire immortal island suddenly became hazy and shattered.