Summoning the Peak of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2976 Taiqing VS Dijun, Rahu Transforms into Asura
Chapter 2973: Taiqing VS Dijun, Luo Hou Transforms into Asura
For the Yin-Yang and Zongheng schools, although Yin-Yang Daoist and Guiguzi had become useless, they were still giants of the late Warring States period, and their cultivation had reached the semi-mysterious realm. The lost secret techniques of the Warring States period that they possessed were priceless treasures to both schools.

As for the semi-mysterious level cultivation technique inheritance, it was something that both families were determined to obtain.

Therefore, welcoming back these two elders would be entirely beneficial to both the Yin-Yang and the School of Diplomacy, and should not be missed.

As for the Demonic Sect?

The relationship between the various schools of thought and the government was nothing more than a superficial and mutually exploitative one.

Back in the late Western Han Dynasty, Luo Hou had tricked over a hundred families, and now, due to his betrayal, the ancestors of two families have been rendered useless.

Such fickle people are naturally discarded by all schools of thought, and their betrayal carries no moral burden whatsoever.

Upon hearing Di Jun's words, Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing exchanged glances, finally understanding why their master hadn't killed the two traitors. It turned out that it was to make the Yin-Yang and Zongheng families hesitant to act against them.

What a brilliant strategy to strike at the heart of the matter.

It should be noted that the Demonic Sect, aided by masters from various schools of thought, is not much weaker than the Confucian and Taoist sects in terms of overall strength.

If they were to fight to the death, even if they were to win, both Confucianism and Taoism would be severely weakened and likely become exhausted, ultimately allowing the Han Dynasty to reap the benefits of their infighting.

Although Confucianism and Taoism were doing their best to protect the Han Dynasty, they were also aware of the Han Dynasty's fear of them. Therefore, while protecting the Han Dynasty, they would also guard against it to avoid becoming a complete vassal of the Han Dynasty.

However, if the Yin-Yang and Strategists are forced to withdraw first, the remaining schools of thought will surely scatter like birds and beasts. The Demonic Sect alone will be unable to support the situation, and there is no reason for it not to be defeated.
In this way, the losses of Confucianism and Taoism can be minimized, leaving them with enough strength to maintain control over the world.

Di Jun coveted the semi-mysterious inheritance, while Tai Qing sought to establish his rule with minimal cost. The two sides hit it off immediately and agreed to release Gui Guzi first, and as for the Yin Yang Daoist? They would settle the matter after the war.

The strategists readily agreed, while the Yin-Yang School, though unwilling, could only suppress their dissatisfaction and reluctantly compromise when they saw that the Taoist Taiqing was resolute and unyielding. They withdrew their troops first and would wait until after the battle to welcome back their patriarch.

As Taiqing had predicted, once the Yin-Yang and Zongheng schools withdrew, the remaining hundred schools immediately realized that the tide had turned against them. Who would be willing to be buried with the demonic sect, which was destined to perish?

In an instant, all the members of the various schools of thought tacitly withdrew and became spectators.

Without the support of many others, the Demonic Sect could not stand alone and collapsed in an instant.

Although the Confucian and Taoist schools won this battle, there were still many hidden dangers, the biggest of which was that all four of Rahu's disciples had fled.

In addition, the remnants and followers of the Demonic Sect in various parts of the Thirteen Provinces of the Great Han Dynasty have all gone into hiding. It is obviously not something that can be done overnight.

Just as Taiqing Daoist was waiting for his master's return and preparing for a swift and decisive crackdown on the remnants of the Demonic Sect, Dijun personally led the high-ranking members of the Hundred Families to visit him. His intention was obvious: to force the Daoist sect to fulfill its agreement and hand over the Yin-Yang Daoist, who had become a cripple.

“Fellow Daoist Taiqing, according to the agreement, it is your Daoist sect’s turn to release my ancestor.”

As soon as Di Jun finished speaking, the profound Yin-Yang diagram behind him began to subtly swirl, and the pressure of a Grandmaster surged out like an invisible tide, directly approaching Taiqing Daoist.

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, and the flickering candlelight in the hall seemed to be frozen as well.

Di Jun's threatening words naturally wouldn't frighten Tai Qing, but considering that behind Di Jun were not only Tai Yi, Kun Peng and other masters of the Yin Yang School, but also Hong Yun of the Strategists School, as well as a group of grandmasters from the Agricultural School, Legalist School and other schools of thought, Tai Qing was still intimidated.

If they refused, it might trigger another great war. Before Master Hongjun returned, Taiqing obviously did not want to create any more complications or cause further casualties.

Faced with Taiqing's weakness and compromise, both Yuqing and Shangqing expressed strong opposition.

"Senior brother, you mustn't!"

Yuqing Daoist suddenly stood up, his broad sleeves fluttering without wind, and lightning flashing between his brows. He said excitedly, "Dijun's talent is no less than ours. He has the potential to break through to the Half Profound Realm. His wolfish ambition is also obvious."

If we release the tiger back into the mountains today, and also hand over that old monster, the Yin-Yang Daoist, it would be tantamount to forging a new weapon for all schools of thought, which would surely become a major threat to our Daoist sect.

"Second Senior Brother is absolutely right. Guiguzi has already returned. If we release Yin Yang Daoist now, it would be tantamount to handing over the Half-Mystery inheritance to our enemy!"

Although the Taoist Shangqing did not get up, his body was filled with a chilling sword aura. The jade cup on the table silently cracked with several fine lines. Then, he clearly explained: "The Yin-Yang School's 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen' has the power to seize the creation of heaven and earth, while the Strategist School's 'Zong Heng Bai He Shu' can confuse people's minds invisibly."

Even if these two are crippled, if their disciples receive their true teachings, and if the Hundred Schools rise again in the future, their power may not be inferior to the calamity caused by the Demonic Sect today.

Releasing the Yin-Yang Taoist is like drinking poison to quench thirst; Senior Brother, you absolutely mustn't!"

The two junior brothers' fierce opposition did not move Master Taiqing in the slightest. He said in a calm but unquestionable voice, "How could I not know the worries of my two junior brothers? But this is not the time to argue over momentary feelings and calculate the fortunes of a hundred years."

At this point, Taiqing paused slightly, his tone revealing deeper consideration, and continued, "Although the Demonic Sect has been defeated, its foundation has not been destroyed. Luo Hou and his four disciples have fled, and their remnants are scattered throughout the Nine Provinces, like a carbuncle clinging to the bone."

At this critical juncture of eradicating demonic scourges and restoring order to the world, if we were to wage war against the various schools of thought again, the Taoist sect would once again find itself in a precarious situation, giving the demonic sect a chance to regroup.

As for those threats you all mentioned? As long as Master can slay Rahu and return, none of them will be a threat.”

After speaking, Taiqing turned his head to look outside the hall. His gaze was so sharp that it seemed to penetrate the hall and see Dijun standing on the stone pillar.

"Master is the pillar of our Daoist sect. As long as Master can break through the tribulation and return, even if all the schools of thought join forces, even if there is a half-profound inheritance, it is nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and can be easily defeated with a flick of the wrist."

Today's compromise is to buy Master's return 'time' and 'space,' which is the fundamental plan for the survival of the Daoist sect. "At this point, Taiqing's voice suddenly became more forceful, and every word struck Yuqing and Shangqing's hearts, leaving them speechless.

Yuqing and Shangqing naturally understood such a simple truth. It wasn't that they lacked confidence in their master Hongjun or thought he wouldn't return, but rather that they had a premonition that things wouldn't be that simple. However, their elder brother Taiqing's words were all reasonable, leaving the two speechless even if they wanted to refute them.

The forbearance and compromise at this moment are not cowardice, but a strategic retreat to advance, waiting for the master's return. Compared with the foundation of the Taoist sect, a crippled Yin-Yang Taoist can indeed temporarily become a bargaining chip on the chessboard.

Thinking of this, Yuqing and Shangqing, though their faces remained gloomy and their eyes still burning with anger, finally fell silent and stopped opposing.

Seeing this, Taiqing said no more and immediately walked out of the Jade Void Palace and said to Dijun, who was standing on the stone pillar outside the hall: "Fellow Daoist Dijun, you can take Yin Yang Daoist with you. Since it was agreed in advance, our Daoist sect will naturally not break its promise."

Upon hearing this, a barely perceptible glint flashed in Di Jun's eyes. How could he not know Tai Qing's decisiveness and profound meaning? But his goal had already been achieved.

Therefore, Di Jun didn't waste any more words, but simply nodded slightly and said, "Fellow Daoist Taiqing is truly righteous and trustworthy, much better than your two despicable junior brothers who tried to break their promise."

"you……"

Yuqing and Shangqing were furious upon hearing this, but they managed to hold back and did not lash out on the spot.

Thus, the Taoist sect released Guiguzi and Yin-Yang Taoist in succession.

Upon their return, both men felt their days were numbered and they didn't have many years left to live. Therefore, they decided to select outstanding young talents from among the disciples of the Zongheng and Yin-Yang schools to inherit their mantle.

The Yin-Yang Daoist selected three people: the brothers Di Jun and Tai Yi, and the young Kunpeng Daoist. Guiguzi's chosen successors were the next generation Guiguzi and Hongyun.

Di Jun was also elected as the new leader of the Yin-Yang School for his merits in welcoming back the Yin-Yang Daoist and finding the Half-Mysterious Inheritance. However, he did not know that it was his unconventional behavior that made him a target of Taiqing.

The Daoist sect is currently focused on eliminating the demonic sect, and Taiqing doesn't have the energy to deal with Dijun for the time being. However, once he has the time, he obviously won't let Dijun grow up peacefully.

Di Jun also paid the price for his actions. Sixty years later, after breaking through to the early stage of the Half-Profound Realm, he tried to ambush Tai Qing. However, Tai Qing was prepared and turned the tables on him. Instead, he was ambushed by Tai Qing and his two brothers. In the end, he died at Tai Qing's hands while trying to save his younger brother Tai Yi.

Let's turn our attention back to Hongjun and Luohou.

Although the final battle between the demonic and righteous forces had ended, the following two weeks were like a nightmare from hell for some areas in the southern part of the Han Dynasty's territory.

Rahu's escape was not merely a matter of fleeing for his life; rather, it was a path of carnage paved for him with countless lives lost and despair.

Luo Hou was bound by Hongjun, and the Azure Lotus Fire on his chest was like a bone-deep affliction, constantly burning his demonic body, bringing excruciating pain, and frantically devouring his remaining life force.

Each time he forcibly activated his inner energy to suppress the flames, it was like pouring boiling oil onto a dying candle.

Therefore, Luo Hou needs life force; he needs abundant blood energy to replenish this bottomless pit of consumption and suppress that damned Azure Lotus Dao Fire.

When Rahu fled to the north bank of the Yangtze River, several large ships filled with devout Buddhist believers who wanted to cross the river to the south to avoid disaster became his first targets.

When that terrifying blood-red shadow, burning with bluish-black flames and exuding an aura that could freeze one's soul, descended upon the fleet like a demon, desperate cries echoed across the great river.

Rahu didn't even show himself; he simply reached out and grabbed, and an invisible, terrifying suction force enveloped the entire fleet.

On the deck and inside the cabin, regardless of age or gender, countless believers' bodies instantly shriveled up, and thick blood mist gushed from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, hundreds of vibrant lives were drained of their life essence, turning them into withered, dried corpses.

The immense blood energy, converging into a river and carrying despair and faith, was like a crimson dragon swallowed whole by Rahu. The blue flames on his chest were temporarily suppressed by this filthy and massive blood energy.

The wounds on Luo Hou's body were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, but the price was the corpses floating on the Yangtze River and the water staining red.

The Demon Ancestor's ferocity proclaimed his existence in the most cruel way.

"Not enough, far from enough. I need even more of my essence and blood."

Rahu fled along the Yangtze River, draining the lifeblood of everyone on the merchant ships along the way, turning them into mummies and dying.

The blood essence of hundreds or thousands of people could only heal his external injuries, but could not remove the lingering sword intent from his severed arm.

In order to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible, after escaping into Jiangxia County, Luo Hou went straight into a county town, intending to slaughter the entire city and use the life essence of tens of thousands of people to recover from his injuries.

But Luo Hou had only killed two thousand people when he sensed the ever-present, chilling, and ever-approaching aura of the Azure Lotus behind him, and he was immediately terrified.

Looking at the desolate scene in the city, even Hongjun, who was in the 'Dao Integration' state and had almost lost all emotion, couldn't help but feel a trace of anger.

"Luo Hou, you deserve to die."

Luo Hou, however, was like a ferocious beast driven to the brink of despair, and had gone completely mad. When he saw Hongjun catch up, he struck out with a palm strike towards the dense crowd, forcing Hongjun to come to the rescue. At the same time, he once again used his Blood Escape technique and disappeared into the city in the blink of an eye.

After Hongjun saved all the people in the city, he discovered that Luo Hou's aura had disappeared again. He muttered to himself, "Luo Hou, even if you escape to the ends of the earth, I will definitely catch up with you. Between us, it is either you who dies or I who perish."