socalfunplaces Page 186
Page 186
This unparalleled skill, created by the "Heavenly Demon" Cang Qu, is considered one of the Four Great Divine Skills, alongside the *War God's Record*, the *Longevity Manual*, and the *Compassionate Sword Canon*. In fact, the *Heavenly Demon Strategy* is profound and extensive, and the *Compassionate Sword Canon* originates from it. Even the Evil Emperor Xie Tiao merely inherited Cang Qu's incomplete *Records of Demonic Thoughts* to establish the Demonic Sect, a far cry from this skill. And now, Cang Qu is willing to impart this divine skill to him!
"wishful thinking!"
"The Azure Dragon Society is like my home, and the Great Dragon Leader has been a benefactor to me, as if he were my second birth."
"How could we betray them for your 'Heavenly Demon Strategy'!"
Enraged, Li Xunhuan unleashed the secret technique taught to him by Ximen Yu, channeling all his true essence, vital energy, and even the primordial energy of heaven and earth into the throwing knife. The three-inch throwing knife, which had been stuck in place, advanced another inch under his desperate push!
"What spirit!"
Chapter 136 Surrender
Cang Qu's pupils contracted slightly, finding it hard to believe that a mere Celestial Warrior could break through his suppression.
"Since you refuse to submit, then perish!"
How could the majesty of the Heavenly Demon be desecrated? As Cang Qu's thoughts raced, his gentle stance suddenly turned violent. Terrifying pressure assailed him from all directions, and even more bizarre thoughts surged from the depths of Li Xunhuan's heart, almost causing his body and spirit to collapse.
"As the leader of the Azure Dragon Society's first month hall, this ceremony of disintegrating the Heavenly Demon is quite fitting."
Cang Qu spoke indifferently and ruthlessly. Lin Shiyin, nestled in his arms, never once looked at Li Xunhuan.
Just as Li Xunhuan was about to vanish into nothingness, a Tai Chi Yin-Yang diagram suddenly appeared within the Heavenly Demon Realm. With the rotation of Yin and Yang, the deadly attack was redirected elsewhere.
A deafening roar...
Cang Qu's attack was incredibly powerful; the dissipated energy instantly destroyed most of the Deyue Tower!
Before the dust had settled, Cang Qu caught a glimpse of Li Xunhuan, weak and slumped among the rubble. Beside him stood two men: an old Taoist priest with white hair and a youthful face, and another with disheveled hair and bare feet, resembling a wild mountain man.
"The Seven Leaders of the Azure Dragon Society, Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang."
The visitors were none other than Zhang Sanfeng, the leader of the Seven Dragons, who arrived together with the Water God Ancestor.
"The Azure Dragon Society is indeed full of hidden talents."
A cold light flashed in Cang Qu's eyes.
"A mere early-stage Celestial Being could break my Heavenly Demon Field, and a late-stage Celestial Being could even neutralize my deadly attack."
"However—" he glanced at the Water God Ancestor, whose mouth was bleeding, "you three wounded and crippled soldiers think you can stop me?"
The Water God Ancestor's cultivation level at the mid-mythical stage was completely exposed in Cang Qu's eyes—this person's strength had clearly surpassed the Supreme Mythical Realm!
"Even with this old man, Fellow Daoist Water God, and Li Xunhuan in the first month, we are indeed no match for the Heavenly Demon."
Zhang Sanfeng gently swayed his whisk, his smile warm and gentle.
"However, the Azure Dragon Society is renowned throughout the world, and above this old Taoist priest, there are still six dragon leaders."
"Especially the jade pendant with Daoist charm bestowed by the Great Dragon Head—"
"It is said that Ying possesses this item. Since the Heavenly Demon has witnessed its power, how do you know that this old Daoist does not have it?"
Cang Qu's facial muscles suddenly twitched.
During that earth-shattering duel at the Daming Palace, Zi Chu activated the He Shi Bi jade, and the scene of Lu Xueqi's swordplay and the Daoist jade pendant was clearly witnessed by him from his hidden hiding place. The aftershocks of that Daoist impact still make him tremble to this day—it was that time that he fully realized the gap between himself and Ximen Yu, which is why he abandoned Xie Tiao and fled in panic.
Now this old Taoist priest is saying that everyone should have a copy of the Daoyun Jade Pendant?!
Cang Qu's inner roar almost escaped his lips.
Is there any justice in this world?! Is the Azure Dragon Society treating the Daoist Jade Pendant like a cabbage?
Looking at Zhang Sanfeng's kind and benevolent appearance, Cang Qu felt that the old Taoist's face was saying, "I have the jade pendant, come and fight if you disagree."
But he ultimately dared not gamble—what if the jade pendant was real? Wouldn't he have to flee in a sorry state again?
Within the Daming Palace, the Tang imperial family did their utmost to suppress the news, and very few people knew about Cang Qu.
However, they were currently within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, which was the domain of the Azure Dragon Society. Deyue Tower was a renowned brothel in the martial arts world. If Zhang Sanfeng were to defeat him today using methods such as the Daoist Jade Pendant, rumors would surely spread throughout the martial arts world tomorrow.
The formidable reputation of "Heavenly Demon" Cang Qu is likely to be ruined.
His expression shifted, and after much deliberation, he finally gritted his teeth and shouted, "Fine, for the sake of the Great Dragon Chief, I'll let this brat go for now. Farewell!"
Since they were no match for each other, why bother with a protracted struggle? Cang Qu withdrew his Heavenly Demon stance, grabbed Lin Shiyin, and prepared to leave.
Zhang Sanfeng smiled slightly and stepped forward: "'Heavenly Demon', this Lin Shiyin is the cousin of the First Month Hall Master, and also his childhood sweetheart. Would you do this old Taoist a favor and let her stay?"
His trip was on behalf of the Azure Dragon Society, and his purpose was to find Lin Shiyin and the Unwavering Devotion Pill.
"Don't push your luck!" Cang Qu glared angrily, his tone firm.
"This woman is ordered by Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty; I must bring her back to the capital."
Just then, Jiang Yuyan arrived gracefully and said coldly, "If you are willing to destroy the 'Unwavering Devotion Pill,' I will allow you to take Lin Shiyin away."
"No!" Li Xunhuan, who was adjusting his breathing, exclaimed anxiously upon hearing this.
Jiang Yuyan's gaze sharpened, and she said in a deep voice, "Master Zhengyue, the overall situation is paramount."
"This..." Cang Qu was about to refuse.
Jiang Yuyan spoke again: "Didn't you say that the Empress of Tang only wants Lin Shiyin? The Azure Dragon Society has already given Tang enough face, what more do you want? Do you really want to force the Azure Dragon Society to go to war with Tang?"
Her words were sharp, escalating the conflict directly to a confrontation between two major forces.
Cang Qu's expression shifted between light and shadow. Now, as the Chief Protector of the Tang Dynasty, he shared the fate of the royal family. If a full-scale war were to break out with the Azure Dragon Society at this moment, the Tang Dynasty would be no match.
However, if he agreed to Jiang Yuyan's request, his entire trip would be in vain—Lin Shiyin and the Unwavering Devotion Pill complemented each other and were indispensable.
"Since the Tang Dynasty wants people, how about 'Heavenly Demon' sir grants this old monk another favor and hands over the elixir to me?"
Suddenly, the void trembled slightly, and Padmasambhava appeared with the three monks, the dragon and the elephant, and spoke calmly.
Yelü Chucai originally planned to take Lin Shiyin to the Great Yuan Dynasty using a secret reincarnation method, but the Azure Dragon Society suddenly intervened, catching even Cang Qu off guard.
Unwilling to see his plan fall through, Padmasambhava, representing the Yuan Dynasty, forcibly seized the Pill of Unwavering Devotion.
If the Azure Dragon Society hadn't intervened, Cang Qu would never have agreed.
But at this moment, the Azure Dragon Society is causing trouble, and Lotus Blossom's actions are undoubtedly an alliance with the Tang Dynasty and Cangqu.
Cang Qu was incredibly astute, and naturally understood the advantages and disadvantages involved.
"Very well! Since you want this pill, Master, but it's useless to me, I'll give it to you."
If you can't have both, it's okay to settle for second best.
The key is that the real killer move is still there.
Before Lin Shiyin could respond, Cang Qu used his demonic power to snatch the pill from her arms and gently pushed it to Lianhua Sheng.
"Amitabha."
Padmasambhava, his face beaming with joy, accepted the gift with his palms together and tucked it into his robe.
"Thank you, benefactor. From now on, the Tang Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty will be allies."
A verbal agreement can be broken at any time, but right now, confronting the Azure Dragon Society is the top priority.
"So, does this mean the Yuan and Tang dynasties are going to fight the Azure Dragon Society?"
Although the apparent killing move has been neutralized, the hidden dangers still remain. How could Jiang Yuyan tolerate this?
"War is uncertain, but if the Azure Dragon Society insists on acting recklessly, I am willing to uphold justice on behalf of Great Qin."
Prince Zhuangxiang, Prince Chu, led the Qin's top experts and appeared at the opportune moment.
The three great dynasties stood in a tripartite balance, effectively surrounding Jiang Yuyan and her entourage.
The atmosphere suddenly became stagnant.
Zichu, Lianhuasheng, and Cangqu are all unfathomably powerful.
Without Ximen Yu's backup plan, Jiang Yuyan and Zhang Sanfeng would have been unable to withstand either of them.
However, the Dao Yun Jade Pendant was no ordinary object, and Ximen Yu's trip to the Sword Realm was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so he had not left any countermeasures.
Jiang Yuyan's heart was churning with emotions, but she showed no sign of it on her face.
Zhang Sanfeng and the Water God Ancestor secretly lamented that taking a hard line was not a good strategy at this moment, but if they backed down, the reputation of the Azure Dragon Society would be damaged.
Just then, a calm voice echoed from the void—
"Ha, are the three great dynasties going to make enemies of my Azure Dragon Society?"
Everyone looked up and saw a young man of unparalleled elegance standing in mid-air, exuding an extraordinary aura.
He had a smile on his face and a gentle gaze.
But everyone present felt a chill, as if a slight frown from him would cause a river of blood to flow.
Why did the Great Dragon Head personally come?
Zhang Sanfeng and the Water God Ancestor looked surprised and bowed respectfully.
"Great Dragon Head, Ximen Yu..."
The expressions of the people from the three great dynasties changed drastically.
Although one could vaguely guess from his demeanor that this person was Ximen Yu.
However, Ximen Yu, who was known as the number one forbidden master in the Nine Provinces, did not have the fierce aura that was rumored to be.
At this moment, Zhang Sanfeng and the Water God Ancestor spoke at the same time, and together with Li Xunhuan, they solemnly bowed.
Could the seven leaders of the Azure Dragon Society mistake the eldest leader for the first?
Ximen Yu casually waved his hand, indicating that the three of them did not need to be so polite.
His gaze swept lightly over the people of the three great dynasties, first settling on Cang Qu:
"I've heard that your 'Heavenly Demon Strategy' is a peerless demonic art. Are you here today to challenge me?"
Are you kidding me?
Even the Daoist jade pendant that Ximen Yu casually crafted couldn't withstand it. Now that the true master has arrived in person, how could Cang Qu dare to act recklessly?
He quickly released his grip on Lin Shiyin's hand and gently pushed her into Li Xunhuan's arms.
"Great Dragon Head, please be wise! How dare I, with my meager cultivation, compare myself to you?"
"I have come here on the orders of the Empress of the Tang Dynasty."
"The Empress has heard that the Great Dragon King enjoys collecting beauties from all over the land. Lin Shiyin ranks thirty-eighth on the Nine Provinces Hundred Flowers List, so she must be able to catch the Great Dragon King's eye."
264 - Is Cang Qu so fickle?
The people of the other two great dynasties secretly despised it.
Is this "Heavenly Demon" Cang Qu perhaps a fence-sitter?
Just now, before Ximen Yu appeared, he was domineering and aggressive, and almost joined forces with the two dynasties to attack the Azure Dragon Society.
At this moment, Ximen Yu just appeared, and a single question made his expression change?
They even went so far as to claim that forcibly taking Lin Shiyin was a gift to Ximen Yu.
Such shameless behavior left even the notoriously brazen Padmasambhava and his three companions speechless.
"I see. The Empress of Tang has gone to great lengths."
Ximen Yu seemed to have truly believed Cang Qu's explanation.
"However, Lin Shiyin is the beloved of the first month of the lunar calendar, and I would never take what belongs to another."
Having said that, he ignored Cangqu and turned to look at Lianhuasheng:
"What brings you here, Master?"
Chapter 137 Disintegration
Even Cang Qu has retreated, and the alliance of the three great dynasties has collapsed.
At this point, only a fool would continue to stubbornly hold on.
Left with no other choice, Padmasambhava had to take out the Unwavering Devotion Pill.
“Great Dragon Head, I saw the Heavenly Dao Hundred Flowers Ranking before. This ‘Unwavering Devotion Pill’ is extremely evil and goes against the principles of Buddhism.”
"497 Moreover, the Great Yuan has heard that this pill was used to harm the Great Dragon Head."