Top-Tier Water Scoop, Treating Guests to a Meal (5k)

A faint blue light rippled through the valley, as silent as ocean waves.

The two Big Frog, oblivious to their surroundings, croaked repeatedly.

The surrounding Dragonfolk were used to it. Occasionally, when reporting, they would step forward and make some exaggerated gestures to have a simple conversation, which would make the two frogs laugh. The Dragonfolk themselves also found it amusing.

"Three leaders, two men and one woman..."

Liang Qu's gaze shifted.

Using the Dragon Girl as a starting point, he spent half a day observing her and figured out about 70-80% of the hierarchy of the Dragonfolk's vanguard force.

There is a clear manifestation between superiors and subordinates: when there is communication between the two parties, the subordinate will inevitably take the initiative to approach the superior, while the superior will mostly remain still.

Conversely, those of equal rank move closer to each other; when one moves forward, the other will take two steps, walking towards each other, and the distance traveled will be about one-third of the total distance.

It's not difficult to figure out the intricate relationships among the dozen or so Dragonfolk by relying on the differences in communication and the clear thread that the Dragon Girl is exposed.

"The Dragon Girl is on equal footing with the other two Dragonfolk, showing no signs of being subservient. The other Dragonfolk all exhibit a subordinate attitude. There are three leaders..."

Lead the vanguard.

He looks young.

A superior level of Qi Concealment.

Add them all up.

"Does the Dragon Man Tribe have a chance to obtain Long Qi Hunting Tiger Great Martial Master can advance to the Grandmaster level?"

Liang Qu rubbed his chin.

According to Long Pingjiang and Long Pinghe, Dragonfolk cultivate martial arts from birth, just like humans, but their strength and realm mostly depend on the concentration of their bloodline.

The closer one is to the main branch of the Dragon Lord in the family tree, the faster their cultivation progresses.

The cost is an increase in the difficulty index of breakthroughs starting from the Wolf Smoke Realm, which is equivalent to adding an invisible threshold of Dragon Blood Concentration in addition to the normal breakthrough.

Therefore, it is completely understandable that Dragonfolk is young as Great Martial Master. The younger the Great Martial Master, the better his talent, the closer he is to the family tree, and the greater his chances of promotion.

The Dragonfolk race currently has the lowest margin for error in history. If they are given a Long Qi without achieving a breakthrough, then they are truly in a precarious situation.

The clan probably has its own opinions on how to choose among the three.

Guessing a shell? A baseless association.

"His figure and looks are excellent; his racial advantage is truly significant..."

Liang Qu glanced at the Dragon Girl twice, memorizing the three people's appearances, then turned and explored other parts of the valley to familiarize himself with the terrain and situation.

The water flow is disturbed.

The Dragon Girl raised her head.

Long Binglin noticed out of the corner of his eye. "What's wrong E Ying?"

Long E Ying stared at the Black Water: "It seemed like someone was watching me earlier."

"Look at you?"

Long Binglin and Long Yanrui felt a chill run down their spines and glanced to both sides.

The surrounding Dragonfolk understood and dispersed, forming an invisible net to explore into the darkness.

a long time.

Several Dragonfolk returned from swimming and reported that there was nothing unusual.

Long Binglin frowned. "Go even further, don't let your guard down."

Long Yanrui said, "Re-examine the surrounding waters, both above and below, front and back, no, patrol them alternately! No one should be overlooked, this is a military order!"

Reminded by Long E Ying, Long Binglin and Long Yanrui recalled with caution that they had previously experienced the same strange feeling of being stared at.

I initially thought it was just my own people exchanging glances and talking, but then it happened...

Long E Ying guessed, "With the Long Qi about to appear, who knows if other alien species might sense it?"

"Every situation must be taken seriously!"

"Good!"

Hearing the conclusion reached by the three leaders, even though they had already conducted several rounds of checks, the Dragonfolk dared not be careless in the slightest. They responded with a "yes" and set off again.

Long Binglin rose several feet above the ground and deliberately shouted.

"The Dragonfolk would not be so domineering as to drive away all visitors and incur the wrath of the masses. These heavenly materials and earthly treasures are originally unclaimed; each person should rely on their own means and virtue to possess them."

But at least we need to find out who the humans and demons are competing with! Getting to know them, even becoming rival friends, is good; bloodshed isn't always necessary!

A few bubbles floated faintly from the cracks in the rocks.

Silence and deserted.

Long E Ying looked up and said, "Perhaps I'm just being too sensitive."

Long Binglin lowered his head. "You can't go wrong if you're careful in everything you do."

The youngest, Long Yanrui, looked around, sighed, and sat down in the cave on the rock wall.

"I really hope that the Elder will gather Tianshui together and find that I am not compatible with that Qi. It would be easier if they sent Brother Binglin and Sister E Ying instead."

Long Binglin stepped forward, grabbed Yan Rui's shoulder, and rubbed it a couple of times without saying a word.

When the Dragon Lord was alive, having the opportunity to break through to the Grandmaster would be an incredible stroke of luck.

Long Qi brothers would fight tooth and nail to the death, turning their backs on each other without hesitation.

However, at this moment, none of the three wanted this opportunity.

It's not that I don't want to take responsibility.

Parents who gave me life, relatives and friends—I will fight to the death for the Dragonfolk, without hesitation.

However, this kind of hope brings immense pressure.

The tribe spent a great deal of money to "find" and "collect" the animals, but two major challenges remain: how to "eat" them and whether they can be "digested".

Even disregarding the future fifth difficulty, passing all four trials of Qi Consumption is not necessarily a breakthrough for Dragonfolk.

Success is still acceptable.

If he fails, he will find it difficult to face the disappointment of his people's high hopes if he commits suicide.

"What's there to be afraid of!"

The red frog crouching to the side suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing the red frog suddenly speak, several Dragonfolk who were digging caves nearby turned around in shock, and the pebbles in their hands fell to the bottom of the valley.

no.

You can talk? Then what about that scene where you were chattering away, making them gesture for ages, and having such a pleasant conversation...?

"That's right, that's right!" the yellow frog echoed, raising its webbed feet. "Our Great King is a genius, and with the capable minister Frog Duke assisting him, he's only temporarily unable to defeat the Long Insect and the stupid fish working together! The frog is hiding in the abyss!"

Red Frog added, "There's also a grand plan to surround the Great Marsh with its shoreline! There are frogs both underwater and on the surface!"

In ten years, the Great Marsh will belong to the Frog Clan, and the area outside will also belong to the Frog Clan. Surely, the Big Frog will devour the Long Insect! Afterwards, let the Great King appoint you Dragonfolk as the Imperial Guard! It'll be the same as before!

"Yes, the frog eats the snake! Seal off the Imperial Guard!"

"Thank you both for your kindness."

Long Binglin clasped his hands in a fist and smiled.

Although I didn't know what the plan to surround the Great Marsh from the shore was, and I thought the Old Toad was quite unreliable, the two Toad distracted me and made me feel much more relaxed.

Long Yanrui jumped off the platform. "Two old frogs, should I help you find a place to stay and dig out two platforms?"

The red frog wiggles its webbed feet.

"You guys do your thing, don't worry about us. The frogs will find a place on their own. Besides, strange phenomena are unlikely to appear in the valley. They'll probably be swimming. It's a waste of time to dig."

"The Great Martial Master's senses are truly sharp..."

Liang Qu, lurking in the darkness, saw the Dragonfolk swimming overhead, motionless and as still as a stubborn rock.

The Dragonfolk, having searched the area, swept overhead.

Liang Qu continued onward without much worry.

Aside from his two great skills of Water Control and perception, he has a significant advantage underwater.

Low profile.

With the ability to conceal one's Qi Concealment in the "Myriad Victory Embracing Oneness" technique, those of the same cultivation level are basically unable to detect it unless they are face-to-face with it.

The valley stretches on and on, sunlight scatters into beams that cannot penetrate, leaving behind a dense, needle-like darkness.

At first, the stones were smoothed by the water flow, making them difficult to step on.

Occasionally, one can see aquatic plants taking root in the cracked rocks, growing wildly as if they don't need sunlight at all, sheltering the small fish that swim around.

However, the further down you go, the slower the water flows, and the stones gradually become jagged and irregular.

Over a mile, the protrusions and depressions on both sides can almost completely mesh seamlessly.

It is becoming increasingly narrow.

The depth exceeds two miles, and no one can squeeze in anymore.

Liang Qu's Golden Eye lit up, and he raised his wrist.

Let Awei dive another hundred meters. At the bottom of the valley, there is a layer of fine sand. The left rear is less than half a foot wide, and the same is true for several miles in front and behind.

As a terrain about to give birth to the Heaven and Earth Long Qi, the valley is nothing special.

Perhaps it was the long-accumulated and bursting forth of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Opportunity, without any visible signs of change?

The wide valley terrain provided some conditions for its formation. "I wonder if we can gather a couple of wisps of energy?"

Liang Qu made a bold conjecture.

The combination of the Old Monk and the Old Turtle has given him a considerable understanding of qi.

The fact that a Long Qi of naturally generated energy from heaven and earth is not collected does not mean that it will completely dissipate and vanish between heaven and earth.

Conversely, if the Long Qi are not collected, they will dissipate on their own, and there is a 60% probability that they will reappear in the same location within the next few decades!

Does the probability of recurrence prove that the substance that generates or combines to produce Long Qi Long Qi remains in place? Only after it is removed, with the basic quantity drastically reduced, does its reappearance become a distant prospect? But can the basic substance really only generate a Long Qi? Can it be completely collected without any loss by using a container made of a certain material? Liang Qu clearly remembered that the Old Monk once said that all things in heaven and earth, mountains, rivers and lakes, all possess qi.

However, the area is filled with slag and mud, making it unsuitable for building houses. Only at special locations can one find Good Wood and Solid Stone!

In my experience, the entire world seemed like a large, uneven pool filled with a layer of poor-quality "water".

Some depressions have deep water, some convex areas have shallow water, and some places are simply too high to have any water, thus creating a barrier and preventing interference between them.

Suddenly, a strong wind of unknown cause blew up in the deep water, causing waves to rise suddenly. The white wave that collided and reacted was the high-quality Long Qi! Throughout the entire period of change, the amount of water in the depression was full of coincidences.

There may be rain, making it more frequent; or there may be consecutive sunny days, making it less frequent. It is in an unpredictable superposition state.

The formation of wind is relatively simple.

Therefore, even if the water level is low on a sunny day, it can often create waves again before the water level drops to a certain point.

People seize Long Qi and scoop out a wave, like holding a ladle of water.

After it was dug away, the amount of "water" in the depression decreased sharply, and even when the wind came, it could not turn into "big waves".

For the same depression to experience a recurrence of waves, the water volume and wind speed must be matched again.

However, the amount of water is unpredictable, so the timeframe is likely far off.

The entire process of "catching waves" requires people to complete it within a short time when the waves start to rise, which would theoretically result in a lot of waste. Some of the water would collide with the ladle and not be scooped out, or not scooped out at all. Others that were scooped out would drip down the ladle.

For others, taking out just one spoonful is already a struggle and extremely difficult, so they can only do this much.

But Liang Qu has Ze Cauldron!

Look at the shape of the Ze Cauldron – perfectly square and leak-proof, a top-quality water ladle!

Fully automated mechanical processing.

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

The Red Qi from last year remains unchanged this year.

"Let's take it one step at a time. The 'waves' we've created might not be enough for two scoops..."

Liang Qu pulled out the Azure Wolf and cut a flat slab of rock off the cliff like cutting tofu. He then took out a small, thin piece of talc from his pocket and drew a rough map of the valley's topography and direction on the flat slab.

Halfway through the drawing.

Several White Sturgeon overhead flicked their long tails, pulling a large number of flying shuttles across the valley, leaving behind rapidly dissipating white vapor.

The Liang Qu floated upstream to the mouth of the valley and saw young Dragonfolk jumping off the flying shuttles and falling into the deep valley like dumplings, joining the vanguard.

"White Sturgeon? A horse in the water?"

Both the White Sturgeon and the Sturgeon Fish Demon with Dragon Tendon have the character "sturgeon" in their names, but they look completely different.

The White Sturgeon resembles both swordfish and marlin, with a long, narrow spine on its head, clearly indicating its speed.

As a fellow Great Monster Spirit, its previous move was much faster than that of the Fat Catfish and the others, even slightly slower than that of the Round Head.

The young Dragonfolk has landed.

Three people, two men and one woman, emerged from the crevice and approached an elderly man with silver hair, their lips moving in a humming motion.

Liang Qu could not hear very clearly.

With graying hair and unknown strength, he was the superior of three Great Martial Master. Getting too close risked being discovered.

After a brief exchange, the silver-haired elder returned to the flying shuttle, while Liang Qu quickly descended, attaching himself to the rock wall and Qi Concealment.

As the White Sturgeon leaped across the valley, Liang Qu resurfaced, gazing thoughtfully at the departing White Sturgeon.

"Long Pingjiang, the Elder at the Long Pinghe? I wonder if he has the strength of Grandmaster..."

There are roughly four ways for a group to choose a leader: "Violent", "experience-based", "charismatic", and "reproductive".

Liang Qu had heard Long Pingjiang and Liang Qu talk about the political model of the Dragonfolk People, which was headed by three Elder who coordinated and arranged everything.

Quite primitive, it belongs to the "experience-based" election of leaders by elephant herds.

It may not be the strongest, but it is the most experienced. Just like the most powerful young elephant, it must follow the old elephant, obey the old elephant, and find water and food.

That makes sense. The Dragonfolk are indeed confused right now and need experienced leaders to guide the entire race through this difficult time.

However, in martial arts training, old age doesn't necessarily mean weakness; in fact, it can mean strength.

After recording the valley's topography and terrain.

Avoiding the third Dragonfolk who was patrolling nearby, Liang Qu put away the stone slab and dug a small hole in the rock wall.

"Awei, I'm sorry to trouble you. Stay here for the time being. Report any situation immediately. If you encounter danger, prioritize your own safety! If you can't escape, reveal your identity and say that you are Xu Yuelong, the River Conservancy Office, the Water Beast raised by the Duke's grandson! I will come to redeem you."

Awei detached himself from the wrist, crawled into the small hole, and shook his head to indicate that he remembered.

Finding a place in the Great Marsh is not easy; we need to set up a location as an anchor point and monitor the situation for the next ten days.

Fat Catfish are too big to Cannot Move, while Awei is small and has an unparalleled advantage.

Having completed the initial exploration, Liang Qu carried the stone slab, found the Fat Catfish lurking outside and the Cannot Move, and used his Water Movement ability to speed back.

Fragrant Township County.

Their Fist fought relentlessly, yielding large quantities of red ore.

It originally wanted to go back, but upon hearing that it was not safe underwater, it had no choice but to stay on the shore to wait for news and continue working.

Not far away in the Great Marsh, Round Head led more than a dozen underlings to conduct a thorough investigation, confirming the situation repeatedly, and then approached the entrance of the Vortex Waterway, preparing to return to Pingyang Prefecture.

For seven or eight days, fishermen and merchant ships in Fragrant Township County did not detect any signs of the arrival of the Snake Demon, which is enough to prove that the Snake Demon that came this time were different from the last time.

Even the reduced fish catch caused by the Snake Demon's disturbance did not worsen further and gradually recovered.

Clearly, the Snake Demon had concealed its aura to avoid disturbing the fish and causing any disturbance.

There's no need to keep it any longer.

Sensing the new leader's intention to leave, the former leader of the River Dolphin had been tense for a long time, finally felt relieved and gave up the idea of escaping.

We arrived at the mouth of the vortex.

The Round Head connects to the gods, the closed passage opens, and mud and sand are stirred up.

The wild finless River Dolphin had never seen anything like this before, but urged on by their new leader, they still carefully made their way through the passageway one after another, traversing north and south amidst the Overturning Rivers and Seas.

Round Head worked diligently and tirelessly, seeking verification from multiple sources.

The Snake Demon were also busy.

By eavesdropping on the fishermen's conversation and piecing things together, they finally managed to piece together a fairly complete picture of the events.

Last year, Green Viper sent his offspring to the South Bank to search for the thief, following the orders of the Flood Dragon.

The Zhang Clan and Li Family injured Green Viper's second son. The second son was unwilling to accept this and went home to ask his eldest son for help, but both of them died.

Enraged, the Green Viper lingered in the shallow waters for months in retaliation.

The White Ape then killed the Green Viper!

The White Ape and Liang Qu Dushui Official of the River Conservancy Office and lake, were good friends! It was Liang Dushui Official who was ordered to send the White Ape to kill the Green Viper!

Clear and concise.

"Didn't Green Viper have three sons? Only two died, so he's not extinct. Why did such a big fire break out?"

"Who knew, it wasn't quite right in the head to begin with."

"The thief that Lord Jiao is looking for, could it be that White Ape?"

"No matter what, we must go back and tell Lord Jiao first."

"I'll go."

A large Yellow Scale Great Snake murmured.

After some discussion, the snakes agreed that there were no problems.

The other large snakes continued, "What do we do now?"

The hidden Red Scale Great Snake spoke up, "Why don't we go to Pingyang Prefecture first?"

Pingyang Prefecture?

"Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"

Why go to Pingyang Prefecture?

The Red Scale Great Snake explained, "The White Ape is most likely the thief that Lord Jiao mentioned. Since we can't find it, we might as well go and find the official of the River Conservancy Office who is on good terms with the White Ape. He must know him!"

A large, dark blue serpent rolled its body incessantly, as if it couldn't wait any longer. It flicked its long tongue, its vertical pupils menacing. "Good, let's kidnap him! Inject him with venom! Force him to reveal the whereabouts of the White Ape!"

The other large snakes remained silent.

The Red Scale Great Snake lashed out with its tail.

"Fool! That official has met the emperor and received an imperial edict; he's no ordinary person! He killed Green Viper in the line of duty, and you've kidnapped him. How could the Da Shun let this go so easily!"

The Yellow Scale Great Snake responded, "Have you forgotten how the Green Viper died? It went mad because all its sons died, but your sons aren't all dead!"

"Didn't you say you were going to find him? If you're going to find him, are you going to kidnap him or invite him to dinner?"

The Azure Viper suppressed its anger, growing increasingly impatient, and rolled wildly, its scales opening and closing layer by layer, as if something was burrowing inside its body.

Upon colliding with a rock, several scales shed off, and fine, spiderweb-like white tentacles rapidly contracted and disappeared beneath the skin.

"If you can't withstand the training of the Lord Net, you should go back as soon as possible!"

"Did some Lord Net crawl into your brain?"

Azure Viper roared, "I can endure it! I will become stronger!"

The snakes were thrown into chaos.

The lone Red Scale Great Snake flicked its tongue, remaining silent until the other serpents regained their composure, at which point it spoke.

"Azure Viper's words make sense. When you need to ask a court official for a favor, you don't necessarily have to threaten him. Inviting him to dinner is a viable option!"

The snakes were stunned.

Explain yourself!

"Humans are greedy, especially officials... We can't touch these officials, but what is the value of their friendship with the White Ape?"

The snakes whispered amongst themselves, their faces showing sudden realization.

Azure Viper looked left and right, its anger surging forth.

"What exactly does that mean?"