Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 185 The Dharma Realm Grotto-Heaven Hides the Elixir Formula, Water Element Nourishes the Soul and Subdues the Dragon and Elephant

Although the physical body of the Weihe Evil Dragon had died, its soul remained. This soul was a fully formed Yang God, and although it was not as powerful as the original body, it still possessed about 50% of the original body's strength.
This is another powerful aspect of the God of Authority: after the death of the physical body, the divine soul remains and can survive for a long time—long enough for it to transition to the path of incense offerings.

It can be said that the God of Authority, after shedding his physical body, is essentially a god of incense offerings, only with a decline in strength.

For example, the Weihe Evil Dragon, when its physical body is still alive, has the cultivation level of the late stage of the Dharma Realm. After its physical body dies, only its divine soul remains, which is at most the late stage of the Divine Power Realm.

Liu Qing was very experienced in dealing with incense gods, demons, ghost soldiers, and spirits.

As soon as the main weapon was switched to the Yin Jade Spirit Banner, the Wei River Evil Dragon's divine soul emerged and was about to escape, but it was blocked by the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.
The Yin Jade Spirit Banner rapidly extended its Yin Sha blood threads, instantly binding the soul of the Wei River Evil Dragon and restricting its movement.

Next, the Jing River Old Dragon and the Dragon Granny, along with several dragon sons and daughters, appeared, biting the Wei River Evil Dragon and dragging it into the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.
The Weihe Evil Dragon's divine soul, equivalent to the late stage of the Divine Power Realm, roared and begged for mercy, but Liu Qing remained unmoved and still put it into the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.

What awaits it is the erasure of its intelligence, turning it into a puppet of the Yin Jade Spirit Banner.

When Yin Yu Ling Fan obtained the Weihe Evil Dragon, a puppet at the late stage of the Divine Power Realm, its power instantly surged, surpassing that of the Thousand Rivers and Ten Thousand Waters Banner and the Yin Yang Harmony Drum.

When the evil dragon of the Wei River reached this point, its body and soul were annihilated.

From the beginning, this evil dragon of the Wei River clamored to skin Liu Qing alive, but now the tables have turned, and it has finally fallen into Liu Qing's hands.
The outcome will be the same.

Liu Qing conjured water into a knife, sliced ​​along the spine of the Wei River's monstrous dragon, found its sinews, and then pulled them out.
This sinew, over twenty feet long and as thick as a thumb, shimmered with a gleaming blood-red light. It had long been refined by the evil dragon to be no less powerful than an ordinary magical artifact.

If it were used to refine a treasure, it would undoubtedly be of the highest quality. Unfortunately, Liu Qing only wanted to devour it to complete the final step in the evolution of his horned serpent form.
The red dragon fungus had already finished digesting, and the dragon bones and dragon blood inside the body had all transformed; only the dragon tendons were missing.

With excitement in his eyes, Liu Qing swallowed the sinews of the Wei River Demon in one gulp, handing them over to the Elephant-Swallowing Talent to remove impurities, extract the essence, and transform his own snake sinews into dragon sinews.

The rest is up to time; we await the day when the original body undergoes its transformation.

As a seventh-rank deity with authority during its lifetime, and a deity at the late stage of the Dharma Realm, the Dharma Realm it could summon still exists after its death.

Like Wei Xiaokuan, the river god of the Jing River, whether a god of authority or a god of incense offerings, when your cultivation is strong enough...

Even after death, one's incense offerings or authority will exist for a period of time. The higher one's cultivation level, the longer the realm of their cultivation will exist. When one's cultivation level is high enough to allow the realm of their cultivation to completely evolve into a true grotto-heaven, it will exist permanently.

Wei Xiaokuan's cultivation was profound, far surpassing the Dharma Realm. The Dharma Realm had evolved into a true grotto-heaven, so the incense Dharma Realm he left behind after his death could exist forever, and be used by other incense gods for purification, as a place for their descendants to dwell.

The evil dragon of the Wei River is not as powerful as Wei Xiaokuan, the river god of the Jing River. The Dharma Realm has not evolved into a true grotto-heaven; it can only exist for a limited time.
But who knows if this period of time will be days or months? Liu Qing was unwilling to wait in vain, so he immediately raised the Ruyi Double-Eared Incense Burner with all his might and smashed it against the barrier of the Dharma Realm.
With a loud boom, the barrier of the Dharma Realm trembled violently, but it remained unbroken. Liu Qing tried several more times, but still couldn't break through.

As expected of the Authority God's Authority Realm, its solidity far surpasses that of the Incense God Realm of the same level. Liu Qing stopped his futile efforts and pondered a way to break through the realm.

Suddenly, Liu Qing remembered that when he first saw the Wei River Evil Dragon, its divine power was shrouded in a dense, black, malevolent aura.
The realm of authority is constructed from divine power, but it is mixed with malevolent energy. Therefore, if there is any flaw in this realm, it must lie in the malevolent energy.

Liu Qing immediately activated his Yin-Yang Divine Power, his eyes blazing like torches, and carefully observed the Dharma Realm of Authority. Sure enough, he soon discovered numerous tiny black cracks on the barrier of the Dharma Realm.

It is that evil energy that is corrupting the barriers of authority and the law.

Liu Qing was overjoyed. He found the most severely corroded spot and smashed a Ruyi double-eared incense burner into it. Instantly, the barrier of the Dharma Realm shattered.

After a dizzying moment, Liu Qing regained her footing and saw a red figure suddenly rush into her arms.

"Xiaoqing, I thought I'd never see you again, boohoo—"

Hong Gu threw herself into his arms and wept bitterly. Just now, Liu Qing was trapped in the Dharma Realm, and she had tried her best but couldn't break through it. If it weren't for Liu Qing's clone still being there...
This proves that Liu Qing himself is not dead, and Hong Gu almost collapsed.

After comforting Hong Gu, Liu Qing went to collect the treasures that had fallen after the power and law of the Wei River Evil Dragon shattered.

As for the corpse of the Weihe Evil Dragon, it had already been stored in Liu Qing's mouth pouch space within the Dharma Realm.

The Three Talents Water Formation is an independent array space. After the Dharma Realm shattered, all the fallen treasures were contained within it, so there was no worry that the treasures would be scattered to other places.
Liu Qing manipulated the formation, and under the influence of the sun, moon, and stars, all the fallen treasures were found and gathered in front of him.

What came into view was a top-grade magic artifact, a water and fire yin-yang furnace, and a scroll containing many alchemical formulas, as well as the alchemical insights of the Weihe Evil Dragon.
There were about a dozen narrow-mouthed bottles made of jade, each containing pills, including those that the Weihe Evil Dragon had consumed during the battle.
Unfortunately, there were no labels or descriptions, so Liu Qing didn't know the names or effects of these pills. However, this didn't stump Liu Qing.

Liu Qing took out a pill in each hand, and the next moment, the cheat program provided an introduction.

[Note 1: Water Essence Pill: A second-grade pill that restores magical power, enhances vital energy, and has some therapeutic effects on physical injuries.]

[Note 2: Soul Nourishing Pill, a grade three elixir, functions to nourish the soul and protect the spirit, replenishing the soul's energy and healing soul damage.]

[Note 3: Dragon Elephant Pill, a fourth-grade elixir, strengthens muscles and bones, increases strength, and has no drug resistance, so it can be taken long-term.]

[Note 4: Bigu Pill, a first-grade elixir. Swallowing one pill allows one to abstain from food for several days.]

Among the dozen or so bottles of pills, the most numerous were the first-grade Bigu Pills, followed by the second-grade Water Essence Pills and the third-grade Soul Nourishing Pills, while the fewest were the fourth-grade Dragon Elephant Pills.

In the realm of elixirs, first grade is the lowest, and ninth grade is the highest. For someone like Liu Qing, who is new to alchemy, a little understanding is enough to allow him to attempt refining a first-grade elixir.

To refine a second-grade elixir, one must have a profound understanding of elixirs, be familiar with the properties of various spiritual herbs, and comprehend the principles of harmony between the principal and assistant herbs.
As for third-grade pills, only those who understand the properties of various spiritual herbs, comprehend the principles of monarchical and ministerial coordination, and have a thorough grasp of various pill formulas and alchemical knowledge can successfully refine them. Fourth-grade pills, however, are not something ordinary people can refine. Not only do they require a thorough grasp of various alchemical knowledge, but they also need a certain talent for alchemy.

For pills of grade four and above but below grade seven, the conditions for refining them are even more demanding. One must possess extraordinary comprehension and talent, be knowledgeable about the properties of various spiritual herbs, and have a comprehensive understanding of alchemy. In addition, one must have a superior alchemy furnace, the necessary alchemical fire, and powerful spiritual energy, among other things, in order to succeed.

The last eight and nine grades of pills can no longer be called pills, but are called immortal pills or divine pills. It is said that only Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao) can refine them in the Three Realms.

This Weihe Evil Dragon seems reckless, but unexpectedly it has such talent in alchemy. It can refine a fourth-grade Dragon Elephant Pill by itself while in the lower realm, which is simply unbelievable.

Unfortunately, there was only one of these fourth-grade Dragon Elephant Pills.

Although there were many fasting pills, they were of little use. The Water Essence Pill and Soul Nourishing Pill, however, were life-saving elixirs in battle. Liu Qing distributed some to Hong Gu, Shui'er, the four clones, and General Tuo, keeping the rest for himself.

The Dragon Elephant Pill can continuously increase strength and has no drug resistance, making it an extremely desirable item that Liu Qing would covet. The scroll contains the formula for the Dragon Elephant Pill, as well as the insights gained during its refining.

Liu Qing decided to become the disciple of the vengeful Weihe Evil Dragon, squeezing out time to study alchemy and determined to refine the Water Essence Pill, the Soul Nourishing Pill, and the Dragon Elephant Pill.
The Dragon Elephant Pill, in particular, with its ability to continuously increase strength, was what Liu Qing found most appealing.

No matter how many methods are employed, power remains the primary pursuit of all living beings. Throughout the three realms, those who have made a name for themselves are all individuals of astonishing divine power.
In Heaven there is the Giant Spirit God, in the West there is the Arhat Who Subdues Dragons, in the Demon Clan there are Sun Wukong and the Mighty Bull Demon King, and in the Underworld there is Yang Jian with the Nine Revolutions Profound Skill, a being whose divine power shakes the heavens.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to split the mountain to save his mother.

Aside from four kinds of elixirs, a scroll recording elixir formulas and insights into alchemy, and a water-fire yin-yang furnace, the rest are just some miscellaneous items.

The Wei River contains some low-grade and mid-grade river treasures, as well as spiritual materials such as water jade produced at the bottom of the river, and a small amount of power gold and incense silver.
In terms of value, it is far inferior to the above.

Liu Qing accepted the remaining pills, scrolls, river treasures, spiritual materials, and the golden incense and fire silver of the authority. Finally, he threw the water and fire yin-yang furnace into his body's divided spirit to refine it.

I was just about to start practicing alchemy, and this top-grade magic artifact, the Water and Fire Yin-Yang Furnace, was just the right size—perfect for practice.
As for the Lesser Grade Spirit Treasure Ruyi Double-Eared Furnace, it will only be used when refining high-grade pills; otherwise, it will still be used as a brick to smash people.

After the death of the Wei River Evil Dragon, its seventh-rank divine authority, represented by the jade tablet of the Water Gate General, disintegrated, and its divine authority ceased to exist.

The authority it possessed, located at the waterway sluice gate where the Jing and Wei rivers meet, suddenly vanished into nothingness, swallowing up the river demons guarding the area as well.

Without the restraint of natural sluice gates, the Wei River instantly overflowed into the Jing River, causing the Jing River's water level to rise rapidly.
Originally, the Wei River was exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Wei River Evil Dragon, its territory. Other river gods and sons of the Wei River Dragon King would not come, lest they provoke the Wei River Evil Dragon.
At this time, the evil dragon of the Wei River was beheaded, and the other river gods were unaware of this. Taking advantage of this opportunity, they stole water from the Wei River to use for rainfall.

In the following days, Liu Qing ordered the shrimp merchants to continue drawing water from the Jing River. With the Jing River water taken away, water from the Wei River was diverted in, essentially stealing water from the Wei River.
The water level of the Wei River dropped, but because the Wei River is so vast, the drop was only slight after the water was stolen, and it did not attract the attention of the river god.
Taking advantage of the nighttime rainfall, Liu Qing alleviated the drought, spread his faith, and reaped humanitarian merit.

However, the merits of humankind gradually decreased, until finally, they were gone. Fortunately, the depleted merits were barely replenished, and the merits returned.

Humanitarian Merit: 39

On July 20th, Liu Qing was busy bringing rain from the sky when suddenly, a faint rumble of thunder sounded in the night. Then, the muffled thunder grew louder, and soon, silver lightning ripped through the night.

After the thunder and lightning, a strong wind blew up, dark clouds rolled in, and soon large raindrops began to pour down from the sky.

Liu Qing withdrew the Cloud and Rain Technique, shook his Fire Wings, landed on the ground, wiped the raindrops from his face, and let out a long sigh of relief.

The continuous rain over the past two weeks has really worn him out, but now he can finally get some rest.

No wonder human virtues are no longer rewarded; it turns out that rain is coming, not just for Liu Qing, a mere transporter of water from the Jing and Wei Rivers, but for a great rain that can completely end the drought in Qin.

Heavy rains fell from the sky and continued for several days, completely ending the drought in the Qin region. Previously, all the lakes, deep pools, and ditches were now overflowing.
The Jing and Wei rivers, which traverse the Qin region, also reached their peak water levels.

Thanks to Liu Qing's artificial rainfall, the people of Qin were able to replant in time, and this crop was not too late for the planting season. Moreover, it grew vigorously in the subsequent heavy rains. It is expected that the harvest will not be too bad, and they were finally able to survive in the chaotic world.

But they knew in their hearts that without the help of the River God of Dawan Lake, who alleviated the drought in advance and gave them a chance to catch their breath, they would have long since died of thirst or starvation by the time this heavy rain came.
Therefore, they were sincerely grateful to the River God, and every day after the busy farming season, they would not forget to offer incense and sacrifices to him.

From then on, they all became Liu Qing's devout followers, continuously providing him with incense and silver offerings.

The fame of the river god of Dawan Lake resounded throughout the Qin region for a time.

The common people were saved, and countless aquatic creatures were also rescued. Though their minds were clouded and they showed no gratitude, they shouldered the heavy responsibility of reproduction.

Especially after Liu Qing rested for a short day, he beat the Yin-Yang Harmony Drum in the rain, stimulating their reproductive instincts and causing the fish and shrimp populations, which had sharply declined due to the drop in water levels, to once again return to their peak.
Fish and shrimp thrive and multiply, and with the inspiration of creation, they can transform into demons, ensuring that the pyramid of spirits, river demons, and great demons will not collapse. As the master of the pyramid, Liu Qing can also enjoy the benefits of the Great Bay Lake.

Shrimp Traveler, Little Alligator Dragon, Four Short Men, Eel Master, and General Qinghua, after being rewarded with incense money and river delicacies by the Lord of the Prefecture, happily returned to their respective waterways.
Having absorbed the rewards of this trip, He Zhen continued to study and cultivate the techniques taught by the Lord of the Manor, hoping for the day when his Yin Spirit would emerge, his Yang Spirit would be formed, and he would finally be deified.

The Lord of the Prefecture was blessed with rain this time, and it was as if the river gods manifested themselves on that very day. The Wuding River, the Siduan River, the Sanliu River, and the Luanshi Pool all received divine intervention from the river gods.

Especially the Chaotic Stone Pool, which was actually an old crocodile dragon that had long since died, made the shrimp travelers extremely envious. Even the old crocodile dragon that had died earlier had been deified, let alone them.

When our cultivation reaches the level of refining emptiness and merging with the Dao, we will offer sacrifices to Heaven and beg for titles, so that we may become river gods like the Old Crocodile Dragon, the Wuding River, the Four Short Rivers, and the Three Willow Rivers and have a good time. All the river demons of the Shrimp Traveler's Journey are driven by this desire to cultivate even more diligently.

When Liu Qing brought down the rain with his four clones, the clones were all concealed by divine power. The shrimp travelers and the others did not know that these were the clones of the Lord of the Manor; otherwise, they would have been utterly astonished.

(End of this chapter)