Chapter 750: Leave the Pass!

Extravagant.

Buy a strand of Long Qi to use as a medium.

Xu Xu Yuelong's actual Long Qi must be extraordinary; after consuming it, who knows what great transformation he might undergo.

Liang Qu picked up a large bone and tossed it to the black dragon beneath the table.

"Is Xuan Ming related to Xuan Huang?"

The last one he knew that could be split and used as a medium was Xuan Huang Long Qi—the name even resembled it.

"They're distant relatives—one is the Qi of Heaven and Earth, the other the Zé Qi of Heaven and Earth. The names sound grand, but both are easiest to obtain, ordinary and unremarkable; the latter appears mostly in water, rarely elsewhere."

"The former is steadily produced by the imperial court each year. It's said the great cultivator who pioneered the Qi-eating method used the orthodox Xuan Huang."

Liang Qu was astonished: "Great cultivators used Xuan Huang?"

"What's so surprising?" Su Guishan tossed down a crab shell and sneered. "I mentioned it when debating Dao with the old monk. You inherited his legacy and robes—didn't he ever tell you his thoughts on the Five Difficulties of Qi-eating?"

"I remember, I remember: 'Difficult to Stabilize' changed to 'Difficult to Strive.'"

"Then that's settled."

Difficult to Stabilize changed to Difficult to Strive?

Long Long Yanrui, Long Long Binglin, and Guan Guan Congjian—who had come back to mooch another meal—all perked up their ears. The group included a Grand Master, a Great Martial Master, and a Wolf Smoke; they were all curious about this inner logic.

Long Yao and Long Li chewed on crab legs, listening for the entertainment.

Wu Long was devouring eagerly, but seeing everyone's seriousness, he spat out the marrow bone, licked his upper lip, stood up, and sat on the ground with ears raised.

Plop!

Su Guishan expertly dismantled the crab leg, tapped it with force, and eight full strands of meat squeezed out. He picked them up one by one with chopsticks, dipped them in vinegar, and ate while speaking.

"Ultimately, the classification of superior, medium, and inferior Long Qi is based solely on the enhancement it brings to the cultivator. If it makes you strong and formidable, it's superior; if it's average, mediocre, it's medium; if it clearly leaves you weaker than others, letting anyone step on you, it's inferior!"

Qi is just qi. The high and low, the good and bad, are human distinctions—because humans strive, fight others, kill, and steal meat. Heaven and Earth have none; all things are but grass and dogs. The Long Qi they produce has none either.

True great cultivators don't lament because they consumed inferior Qi, nor do they feel superior because they consumed superior Qi.

You, boy, sit on a treasure mountain and do nothing, spending all day doting on the dragon girl—either admiring lanterns, watching fireflies, or wading into fields to catch crayfish and Tian Ji. You've done every kind of elegant and vulgar thing, never show up for roll call, never go out on boats."

"If you're truly that idle, why not listen to the old monk's sutras? Many obsessions dissolve easily, reducing vexation and opening clearer paths."

Everyone fell into thought, automatically ignoring the latter part.

Liang Qu felt awkward.

Before he secured it, Su Guishan had encouraged him—why had his tone changed now that he had?

Su Guishan wiped his mouth.

"Though nine out of ten who embark on cultivation cling to the idea of clenching their fists and living better than others, those who truly reach the pinnacle rarely hold such obsessive mindsets, overly fixated on strength."

"In the past, the Dragon-Elephant Martial Saint was the most combative—he hunted tigers for three years, strained to reach the Elephant realm for ten, fought from within the borders to beyond, undefeated in his own realm, using combat as a whetstone. His final Saint-making battle was one against three, and he attained sudden enlightenment on the spot."

"Yet he killed two Heavenly Masters, severely wounded another, shocked the world—and what he ultimately realized was non-striving struggle. A fierce man, over the past decade, his expression gradually softened, becoming like a kindly uncle. Isn't that strange?"

Liang Qu's expression turned serious.

"Your humble nephew has learned."

"Learned what? You're just parroting. What the old monk said—you probably didn't understand it then. My realm isn't as high as his, but it's higher than yours. It's just an old man polishing and repackaging his words. If you truly had that realm, your side chamber would already be closed."

A joke broke the tension; the table's atmosphere warmed again.

Eat, drink, enjoy.

Wu Long lowered his ears and went back to gnawing.

"Why is it that as soon as the Sea Lord arrives, everyone becomes a Grand Master, sprouting like spring bamboo? In our prefecture, by year's end, won't we have seven or eight Grand Masters on record?" Liang Qu asked.

He even began to doubt whether ascending from Hunting Tiger to Achieving Elephant was as hard as people claimed—perhaps it was just rumor.

"Nonsense! If they couldn't enter Achieving Elephant after getting Long Qi, why would the court send them? They look young, all around forty, but years ago when they arrived, every leader had already refined a hundred meridians—those who couldn't do it weren't even selected!"

"It's like throwing soybeans into a flood to plug leaks—they sink, absorb water, swell up, and block the gaps. The court picked these fine soybeans from the start; after two years of merit, even without Long Qi, they're given some."

Easy to understand.

During floods, the greatest fear is seepage; sometimes sand and stones aren't enough, so they use grain.

Soybeans are excellent flood-plugging material—if it weren't so wasteful, they'd be better than sand and stone. Once soaked, they swell instantly, sealing gaps tightly.

The Ghost Mother Cult is the "flood." Their blood can irrigate the court's "soybeans" sent to plug the flood. Liang Qu merely arranged the connection—he didn't wait for enough blood to accumulate, but had the Sea Lord pour the water on early.

But regardless, the court's goal was achieved: beside the Ghost Mother Cult, a dam rose from nothing, from scattered to solid, guarding the rear of Southern Zhili.

"Perhaps someday we'll see the odd spectacle of Pingyang's fourteen counties, each with one Grand Master…"

Liang Qu thought.

…

Late October.

Summer had slipped away in a blink.

Mosquitoes by the river had dwindled; pale reeds swayed in the wind; snakes curled up, slithered, dug into the soil, and burrowed to hibernate.

Huge quantities of crabs and fish flooded the markets, scales glinting dazzling white light.

Experienced fishermen rushed to gather enough winter provisions before the cold set in completely.

Fortunately, tax exemptions made this year easier.

The fat catfish routinely delivered Liang Qu to the Frog Clan's gate, then waved his fins in farewell. The man and the frog soldier split ways—one headed to the Dragon People's territory, the other to serve the Toad King, building a palace.

"Second Elder, why hasn't E Ying emerged yet?"

Wei Lin had already ascended to Grand Master; Xu Xu Yuelong was absent most days, likely busy with his own matters. Yet E Ying, who had closed her door a month earlier, remained silent—nearly two months now.

"Old woman doesn't know."

The same answer for over a dozen days.

Liang Qu sighed, collapsed onto the Luo Han bed.

The Second Elder smiled inwardly.

She hadn't noticed before, but now she saw Liang Qu had a touch of youthful clinginess—he came daily before October, and after October, he came daily and asked daily.

"Could something be wrong? Long Yanrui took only a month."

"Nothing is certain. Perhaps the Long Qi the Elder gave her is too potent, making consumption difficult?"

"Is that so?" Liang Qu scratched his temple. Taiyin required thirty thousand essence—indeed, it was different from others. Aside from Yin-Yang timing, all other Long Qi, regardless of superior, medium, or inferior, were one strand per ten thousand—equal in all.

He idly flipped through the Dragon People's illustrated album.

Bored.

The Second Elder's expression shifted; she looked up toward the door.

Suddenly, a Dragon Person ran in.

"Second Elder, quick! Sister E Ying has emerged from seclusion!"

Swish!

The Dragon Person blinked—when he focused again, Liang Qu on the Luo Han bed had vanished into thin air!

"Spiritual Power?"

The Second Elder was astonished.

Lotus groves stood tall; Dragon People and White Sturgeon swam in alternating circles, guarding the inner area. Dozens of paces inside, a small green wooden house stood quietly, surrounded by Dragon Maidens.

【Absorb one strand of Dragon Seed Qi.】

【Consume four strands of Dragon Seed Qi to generate one Yinglong Pattern.】

【Dragon Seed Qi: Two】

Before the wooden house.

Long Eying was speaking with the First Elder. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Liang Qu floating beside the green stalk. She turned her gaze to the First Elder, who was babbling, asking questions, showing overwhelming concern.

Her gaze was calm as water, deep as a pool, carrying an ever-so-subtle sense of dismissal.

Realizing something, the First Elder glanced at the shadow on the ground and sighed.

"The gate remains open, yet she stands waiting for her husband…"

"Grandfather."

"Fine. Old bones will make way for the young."

The First Elder knew further staying would be embarrassing; he waved his hand, and most of the Dragon Maidens withdrew, leaving space.

Two small fish darted after each other; bubbles clinging to the green stalk floated upward.

The lotus grove was silent.

Long Eying did not step forward to greet him. Instead, she stepped back two paces, sat on the stone steps before the green house, and patted her thighs.

"Hey~"

Liang Qu couldn't help but grin, accidentally laughing out loud—then immediately clamped his mouth shut, baring his white teeth, and scurried over.

(End of Chapter)