Summoning the Peak of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 2979 Luo Hou's Demise, Hongjun's Transformation into the Dao

Chapter 2976: Luo Hou's Demise, Hongjun's Transformation into the Dao

Dijiang could clearly feel that the primordial power that sustained his life and connected him to the earth was rapidly drying up like the receding tide, leaving only a faint wisp of energy barely clinging to life.

In addition, apart from Dijiang and the other three, 95% of Chiyou's descendants died at the hands of Rahu.

Although the four of them survived, their bloodline power had been drained, making it difficult for them to pass on the Chi You bloodline.

As for those who didn't participate in the battle and were lucky enough to escape, their bloodline power was already thin. Even if they could inherit the bloodline, it was destined that their bloodline would not be pure.

The thought that Chi You's lineage had perished at his own hands filled Di Jiang with gloom.

This mutilated body, this defiled, plundered, and nearly empty bloodline, constantly reminded Dijiang of the heinous crime of inviting wolves into the house and the tragedy that led to the destruction of the entire tribe because of him, which made him have no courage to continue living.

A chilling, bone-deep sense of death instantly overwhelmed Dijiang's remaining rationality, like a icy spring. He no longer tried to summon his faint life force, but instead concentrated his last bit of strength to repel the warm, protective energy injected by Hongjun.

He wanted to extinguish this last ember of life, to let this shameful body and broken soul return to dust and eternal silence, as his humblest atonement for the departed souls.

Just as Dijiang's will completely collapsed, and the life-sustaining aura was about to be shattered by him, Hongjun made his move.

Long before arriving at Panwang Valley, Hongjun had already foreseen a corner of the future through the River of Time. The reason he took action to save Dijiang and the other descendants of Chiyou was because their survival would be helpful to the future.

Of the dozens of timelines that Hongjun saw, the vast majority ended with the death of Dijiang, which led to the extinction of Chiyou's bloodline, and only Zhurong survived among the twelve tribes.

However, amidst the vast sea of ​​fragments of the future, Hongjun caught a faint yet incredibly resilient glimmer of light, the key to which was to keep Dijiang alive.

Dijiang, having lost his bloodline power, may be insignificant, but his very existence is like a seed buried in scorched earth. Though small, it maintains the last causal connection between Chiyou's bloodline and this land.

Only if Dijiang survives can a faint branch of Chiyou's bloodline be passed down, and this power will help the future chosen one, ultimately becoming the key to influencing the entire world.

For Dijiang, living was worse than death, so he might as well seek liberation. But the essence of Hongjun's union with the Dao was to weigh the pros and cons and seek the most perfect future.

Dijiang's willingness to die at this moment may free him from suffering, but it will also extinguish the faint glimmer of light in the river of time that points to a better future.

So, Hongjun made his move.

That radiant light not only saved Dijiang's life, but also represented a crucial intervention in the future of China based on his observations of the river of time.

At this moment, facing Dijiang's resolute will to die, Hongjun's grand and indifferent voice seemed to come from the end of time and space, directly imprinting itself on the depths of Dijiang's shattered sea of ​​consciousness: "Dijiang, a descendant of Chiyou."

Hongjun's voice was calm, yet it carried a power that pierced the soul, instantly freezing Dijiang's will, which was rapidly sliding into the abyss of destruction.

"It is easy to seek death, but this act of escapism and cowardice is a desecration of the war god who dared to raise his spear against the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor, the source of your bloodline!"

Dijiang's shattered soul instinctively trembled, a faint trace of resentment, stung by the pain, flashing weakly in the deathly silence.

“Dijiang, as the last ancestral witch of Chiyou’s direct lineage, if you were to give up your life here and let this bloodline be cut off, and let the surviving clansmen sink and disappear in this despair, what you would be sacrificing would not only be your own liberation.”

What you've extinguished might be the only spark that this land, these bloodlines, could ignite again in some dark moment of the future!

Hongjun did not directly state the future he saw, which was beyond Dijiang's current comprehension. However, the weight of his words, the certainty that seemed to have seen through some grand destiny, was like an invisible shackle, tightly binding Dijiang's determination to die.

"Dijiang, death is easy, but to live on, to bear the pain of the extermination of his clan, the responsibility of taking the blame, and the humiliation of his broken body, to live on amidst this devastation, requires ten thousand times more courage than death!"

And this courage is the last glory in your blood that Rahu has not yet taken away!

Hongjun's voice suddenly became heavy, as if it carried the weight of the world's future.

boom--

Hongjun's words, especially the heavy hints about the future, were like a giant axe cleaving through the darkness in the chaos, striking Dijiang's lifeless soul.

His desire to escape and seek liberation seemed so narrow-minded and short-sighted in the face of Hongjun's certainty that he seemed to have foreseen some kind of destiny!

The future... the spark... the opportunity... the glory...

These words, carrying a weight far exceeding the purgatory before him, crashed into Dijiang's consciousness.

Dijiang didn't understand what kind of future Hongjun saw, but he could feel that expectation, which resonated strongly with the indomitable instinct deep in his blood that belonged to the war god Chiyou.

Dijiang's empty eyes trembled violently, and the flame of life that he was trying to extinguish flickered like a candle in the wind, but in the end... it did not go out.

Tears mingled with blood, sliding laboriously down Dijiang's withered cheeks, dripping onto the cold totem pole base beneath him with a faint yet clear "tap."

Dijiang did not speak, nor did he have the strength to speak. He simply used the last bit of strength in his remaining body to dig his still slightly movable hand deep, trembling fingers into the hard stone base beneath him.

Stone chips fell in a flurry, leaving five deep, dark red finger marks.

That was his answer.

I swear by my broken body, and bear witness to my bloodstains.

Even though the road ahead was a thorny, blood-soaked path of eternal night, and even though he carried unimaginable guilt and pain, Dijiang chose to follow this heavy guidance about the future, which originated from Hongjun's foresight, and to live on alone, bearing the humiliation and suffering.

Hongjun looked at the five bloody finger marks, and the Daoist aura flowing in his eyes rippled slightly for a moment before returning to a deeper indifference.

He completed his intervention based on observations over the course of time. The rest of the journey was left to Dijiang, who carried this heavy burden of "foresight" and responsibility, to undertake alone.

Supported by Zhurong, Gonggong, and Xuanming, Dijiang slowly descended from the altar. Before leaving, all four cast grateful glances at Hongjun.

Hongjun paid no attention to this, his eyes fixed on Rahu in the sky.

Luo Hou, on the contrary, revealed a playful expression. He had witnessed the entire process of Hongjun enlightening Dijiang. The reason why he did not intervene was simply because he was digesting the power. But why would Hongjun go to the trouble of saving Dijiang and his group of Chiyou's descendants?

At this time, with the blessing of Chi You's Dharma form, Luo Hou's strength was no weaker than Hong Jun's with the blessing of the power of the Heavenly Dao, but he did not have Hong Jun's ability to see through the river of time.

What emerged in the depths of Hongjun's eyes, which could see into the future, was not the composure of someone who had victory in their grasp, but a resolute determination that was almost compassionate, born from a thorough understanding of all cause and effect.

Since Hongjun could see Dijiang's future, he could naturally see his own and Luohou's future as well. He clearly saw multiple timelines, but none of them showed that he alone could completely end Luohou's life on his own.

Hope seems to have vanished.

However, in that hopeless future, Hongjun's gaze finally settled on a timeline with a faint light but a price so heavy that it made the stars pale in comparison: to completely merge with the Dao and become a part of the Heavenly Dao of this place.

In the future that Hongjun saw, only by burning his last consciousness completely and merging it entirely into the ruthless yet impartial "Heavenly Dao" rules could he unleash the ultimate power deep within the origin of time.

But at that moment, he will no longer be himself; he will become the ultimate judgment brought down by the "Tao" itself!

The power of this judgment is sufficient to disregard all the defenses and power that Rahu obtained through the great formation, and to completely eradicate its existence from its very source.

The price, however, is that Hongjun's will, emotions, memories... all traces of Hongjun's existence will be completely assimilated and dissolved by the vast and boundless "Heavenly Dao," returning to eternal silence and the coldness of rules. From then on, there will be no more Hongjun Daoist in the world, only the ceaselessly operating, indifferent will of the Heavenly Dao.

This was clearly not a victory, but rather mutual destruction.

As Hongjun's existence completely vanished, his consciousness lingered for what seemed like an entire era before the river of time. But it was eventually calmed by the last ripple of "humanity," leaving only a boundless love for all living beings beyond life and death, and the ultimate fulfillment of his duty to the "Dao."

So he came, knowing full well that his journey was destined to end in his demise, yet he still came.

It wasn't for a sliver of hope, but for the bright future he envisioned, and the only possibility that could completely end Rahu.

The arrival of Hongjun was itself a massive, deadly trap, a sacrifice made with himself as the victim.

When Rahu, amidst the overwhelming demonic power of the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation, laughed wildly, believing victory was assured and that Hongjun was merely there to die, he could never comprehend the source of the profound tranquility in Hongjun's eyes.

That wasn't a nonchalant attitude born of helplessness, but rather a resolute acceptance of one's fate as a "sacrifice" after already foreseeing the outcome!

“Hongjun, you can’t kill me, and nobody can kill me.”

Rahu's roar shook the heavens, and Chiyou's avatar wielded a great sword, tearing the sky apart.

Faced with this world-destroying power, Hongjun no longer resisted or tried to protect himself. Instead, he opened his arms as if to embrace his impending eternal destiny.

"Rahu, it's time to end this."

A soft sigh, seemingly from the very beginning of time, carrying with it endless vastness and ultimate enlightenment.

"When the evil rises and the Tao declines, it is all in vain. However, the continuation of the Tao requires sacrifice."

The blue lotus blossomed, with thirty-six petals, appearing from the void and surrounding Hongjun.

Each petal radiates an unprecedentedly brilliant and clear light, a light that is no longer gentle, but carries an ultimate pressure that purifies everything and reshapes the rules!

"My body is the Dao, my will is Heaven."

Hongjun's voice began to become inhuman, grand, cold, and devoid of any emotion, like billions of stars proclaiming in unison.

"In my name, Heaven pronounces its judgment."

Upon witnessing this scene, Luo Hou's maniacal laughter instantly turned into a horrified roar: "No, this is impossible! You've completely transformed into a Dao cultivator? Are you going to perish together with me?"

Although Hongjun no longer held the Crimson Sky Sword, he raised his fingers as if they were swords, and a point of cyan-gold light appeared on his fingertip. At first, it was as small as a bean, but in an instant, it became dazzling and illuminated the entire dark valley shrouded in demonic energy.

At this moment, the general outline of the Azure Lotus Chapter of the Creation Azure Lotus Scripture was circulating wildly in Hongjun's mind, creating a profound resonance with his Dao heart, with this world tainted by demonic blood, and even with the burning destructive will of his desperate opponent.

Hongjun no longer suppressed the surging Dao blood in his chest. Instead, he guided it, mixing it with the remaining power of the Primal Green Lotus Creation, and... that trace of the true meaning of annihilation born from compassion for all living beings and the desire to end the calamity, all of which gathered at his fingertips!

At this moment, he was no longer Hongjun; he was the very Thirty-Six Petal Creation Lotus, rooted in the filth of heaven and earth, bearing the vicissitudes of eternity, and giving birth to new life in the midst of annihilation.

"The Dao... Ashes!"

Hongjun uttered two words that weighed more than ten thousand jun, and the point of cyan-gold light at his fingertips suddenly exploded.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no all-encompassing shockwave.

Only light.

The purest, most boundless, and most azure-gold light, containing the creation of "life" and the end of "death," bloomed from Hongjun's fingertips like the first ray of dawn at the beginning of creation, spreading and unfolding gently yet irresistibly.

Luo Hou sensed it; it was a annihilating power that truly belonged to the entire world, an ultimate judgment originating from the very source of the world, surpassing the limits of any individual's power.

Rahu frantically unleashed his demonic power, manipulating the avatar of Chi You, wielding a giant sword and desperately slashing, attempting to block the light, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Any words or schemes are powerless in the face of this absolute power and unwavering will to kill.

"Hongjun, you've gone too far! I'd rather die than let you have your way!"

Rahu knew he was doomed, but before he died, he wanted to use his last bit of strength to drag his nemesis, who had destroyed his lifelong ambition, down into eternal darkness together.

Luo Hou burned himself to unleash the ultimate forbidden demonic technique, whose power even surpassed the world-destroying power of the Four Swords of Zhuxian at its peak. With a venomous rage and madness that could destroy everything, it rushed straight towards Hongjun on the lotus platform.

But the next second, the light of annihilation silently pierced through everything.

The towering image of Chi You, reaching tens of feet in height, solidified, and then, like a weathered sand sculpture, crumbled and vanished inch by inch, starting from the blade.

At the core of the formation, Rahu's demonic body stiffened abruptly, his demonic eyes reflecting the irresistible light of annihilation, filled with an unprecedented fear originating from the very source of life!

"Hongjun."

This was Rahu's last shriek, filled with resentment and despair, left in the world.

Wherever the light reaches, destruction is soothed, filth is purified, and chaos is restored to order.

This is the great power of creation, and also the final chapter of annihilation.

The demonic body that Rahu had built from the blood essence of Chiyou that he had plundered was like a low-quality creation thrown into a furnace of nothingness. Starting from the part that came into contact with the light, it silently and completely turned into the most primitive particle stream, leaving not even a speck of dust behind.

The valley remains the same, but the demon altar, the demonic shadows, and the suffocating resentment and madness are gone. Only a faint blue-gold flame is burning quietly.

Within the flames, Rahu's soul could be faintly seen, being gently yet firmly burned by the pure flames imbued with the Daoist aura of annihilation.

"Blue, blue lotus, general principles, creation, annihilation, so that's how it is, cough cough..."

In his soul form, Rahu seemed to endure immense pain with every word he uttered, but he found peace before his death.

"Hongjun, in the end, you have won. But ascension is ultimately just a mirage, and this world is a cage..."

Rahu's words were fragmented, filled with endless regret and mockery. It was unclear whether he was mocking Hongjun, himself, or this world that had cut off its path forward.

Before he could finish speaking, Rahu could no longer maintain his soul and was completely reduced to nothingness by the scorching flames.

Under the ultimate judgment of Heaven, the Demon Ancestor Rahu was wiped out from the root, utterly destroyed in both form and spirit.

After the light faded, only the dimly lit Thirty-Six Petal Green Lotus and Hongjun, whose body was covered with cracks, remained in the sky above Panwang Valley, slowly drifting down like fallen stars.

When Hongjun landed atop the mountain, the illusory image of the Azure Lotus had already dissipated, but the vast aura that had broken through to the Great Perfection of the Half-Profound Realm and even faintly touched the limits of this world still enveloped the surrounding area like an invisible divine might.

The setting sun, like blood, cast a poignant glow upon his blood-stained Taoist robe.

The heavens and earth were silent, save for the mournful sound of the wind, as if mourning the fall of a demon ancestor, and as if witnessing the beginning of a new era, and the incredibly heavy path paved with blood and fire...