After the Great Dao Died

The liquor fell into the cup with a faint, crisp splash, ringing out like a thunderclap in the deathly silent room.

Zhao Yong’s breath hitched, and he turned his head.

What did he see?

The medicine slave was sitting completely upright.

There was not a trace of fear on his face. It was as if Zhao Yong’s earlier threat—’I will refine you into a human elixir’—were nothing more than a story that had nothing to do with him.

He even took a sip of his drink while meeting Zhao Yong’s gaze, then poured himself a second cup.

Zhao Yong furrowed his brow, staring fixedly at Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi drank his second cup and set it on the edge of the table.

He looked up, his gaze cutting past the candlelight to land on Zhao Yong’s face.

Those eyes held no ripples, no trace of emotion.He shook his head. ”I really don’t want to listen to your cliché story.”

Zhao Yong’s pupils suddenly contracted.

”You might think that lying dormant for forty years, suffering endless hardships to become chief steward of the Baosu Marquis Residence, and climbing up to Human Immortal Wu Moci to finally secure this chance at revenge makes for some grand legend of an underdog’s retribution,” Chen Lingxi continued.

He paused, his dark, heavy eyes staring straight at Zhao Yong.

”But in my eyes, you are nothing more than a villain trying to put me to death.”

The night wind poured in through the cracks in the door, making the candlelight sway violently.

Chen Lingxi remained seated at the table.

The wind brushed against his robes, the hem fluttering slightly in the gloom.

Then he raised his hand. In the blink of an eye, a long saber materialized in his grasp.

Chen Lingxi drew the blade.

The moment the saber left its sheath, a biting chill flooded the room.

The faint golden patterns etched along the blade flowed sluggishly, as if alive.

With another flick of his wrist, as if performing a magic trick, Chen Lingxi produced a mask.

He slowly pressed the mask over his face.

It was a hideous ghost mask with a green face and prominent fangs.

Even though Zhao Yong had seen much of the world, this sudden turn of events left him stunned.

’What kind of trick is Chen Lingxi playing? His Qi and blood are merely at the Bronze-Red realm—’

Before Zhao Yong could even finish his thought...

In the very next instant—

”Die, old thief!”

Chen Lingxi spoke!

His voice was deep and resonant, like a dragon’s roar!

He channeled the Dragon Roar Technique, sounding like a slumbering giant dragon that had been abruptly awakened, letting out a bellow of displeasure!

Zhao Yong’s pupils shrank.

With no time to think, the golden Qi and blood within his body erupted with a resounding boom!

Golden light spewed from deep within his bones, illuminating his flesh until it was nearly transparent.

This golden light was not as dazzling as a blazing sun like that of an ordinary Golden Body martial artist. Instead, it was a heavy, dark gold—like a golden statue buried in an ancient tomb for countless years. Though covered in dust and grime, it still exuded an imposing might!

Golden Body Consummation!

An existence only a single step away from the Jade Qi Realm!

An immensely thick golden barrier surfaced over his skin, enveloping him from head to toe.

This barrier was no flimsy membrane of Qi. It was woven from countless layers of golden motes, so solid it looked like a genuine suit of golden armor!

Golden Body Astral Cover!

At the same time, a purple-tinged golden light rose behind him, forming a slowly spinning golden wheel.

The wheel was barely a foot across, yet it was so condensed it appeared completely physical.

It let out a humming buzz as it rotated, shattering the surrounding air with its vibrations. The candlelight flickered wildly in the wind, and flakes of plaster drifted down from the walls.

Purple-Gold Wheel!

The Golden Body Consummation expert instantly activated two profound Golden Body arts!

At that exact moment, Chen Lingxi moved.

He struck with everything he had right from the start!

The Gold-Slaughtering Precious Saber flipped in his grip, the blade’s gleam slashing downward!

Evil-Slaying Blade Technique, First Form—Slay the Chief Evil!

The faint golden patterns across the blade abruptly flared with brilliant light!

Hair-thin bolts of lightning burst from the etchings, crackling as they spiraled around the cutting edge!

The electric glow wrapped the entire saber in a dancing web of light!

A breath of purple true light spewed from his mouth simultaneously!

Meanwhile, the Qi Sea within his body surged!

The cyan stream of spiritual liquid rushed through his meridians into his right arm, pouring into the blade to manifest the sharp aura of the Cyan Edge Method!

The cyan edge tangled with the Purple True Precious Qi and the crackling lightning. The three colors interwoven cast a magnificent yet terrifying glow across the saber!

He drove the force-channeling methods of the Mountain-Collapsing Force to their absolute limits, causing the golden Qi and blood throughout his body to boil!

He alternately triggered the Qi and blood circulation methods of the Sea-Stabilizing Stance and the Jade-Breaking Stance—stabilizing the sea to stand as firm as a reef, and breaking jade to strike like a hammer!

Zhao Yong also made his move in that split second.

Several martial arts flowed from his hands as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water!

He unleashed the Gold-Piercing Finger, condensing his Qi and blood into a single thread as sharp as a needle, aiming straight for the center of Chen Lingxi’s brow!

His Falling Goose Fist was heavy and imposing, its fist-wind blowing like a gale to seal off Chen Lingxi’s retreat!

His Cloud Qi Palm, meanwhile, was light and ethereal. The overlapping palm shadows were like a hidden dragon in the clouds, making it impossible to tell illusion from reality!

Beneath his cloak, he also wore a suit of precious armor!

Infused with his Qi and blood, the precious armor lit up at that very moment!

Clang!

A coppery light flowed over the armor’s surface, completely blocking the lightning and cyan light erupting from Chen Lingxi’s saber!

Zhao Yong’s body twisted in a bizarre manner as he flashed out of the room. The Purple True Precious Qi grazed his side, only shaving a piece of copper off the edge of his armor without damaging its foundation!

But Chen Lingxi did not pause for even a fraction of a second, chasing him out of the room!

Evil-Slaying Blade Technique, Second Form—Bone Scraping!

The blade swept horizontally!

The edge of the Gold-Slaughtering Precious Saber drew a razor-thin golden line through the air. It brushed past the astral force of Zhao Yong’s Falling Goose Fist and pierced straight into the fierce wind of the Gold-Piercing Finger!

The cyan edge of the Cyan Edge Method clung to the blade. The moment it collided with the Qi and blood of the Gold-Piercing Finger, it cut right through that energy and cleaved straight into Zhao Yong’s right index finger!

Snick!

Zhao Yong’s right index finger was severed at the base, lopped off by the passing cyan edge as easily as a withered twig.

”Ugh.” Zhao Yong let out a cold grunt of pain.

Yet Chen Lingxi’s strike did not stop after severing Zhao Yong’s finger!

Evil-Slaying Blade Technique, Third Form—Armor Breaking, unfolded continuously!

The pale gold patterns on the blade flared once more, fully drawing out the power of lightning bestowed upon it by the Venerable Cauldron!

Countless tiny arcs of electricity exploded across the blade, enveloping the entire saber in a blinding sphere of lightning!

Boom!

The long saber slammed into the Golden Body Astral Cover, producing an earth-shattering explosion!

All of this happened in the briefest flash of a spark.

Infuriated, Zhao Yong’s hair stood on end as the dark gold light surrounding him suddenly flared!

The thickness of his Golden Body Astral Cover increased exponentially!

The Purple-Gold Wheel’s rotation speed sharply accelerated, bursting with piercing purple light.

The two clashed in a chaotic melee!

Fist shadows and saber glints intertwined; Qi and blood collided with spiritual energy! Outside the house, stone bricks cracked and wood splinters filled the air. Only the dancing lightning on the blade and the dark gold light erupting from Zhao Yong illuminated the dilapidated alley!

Chen Lingxi alternately unleashed the six forms of the Evil-Slaying Blade Technique: Slay the Chief Evil, Bone Scraping, Armor Breaking, Judge Sin, Extinguish Evil, and Terminate Life!

This blade technique, obtained from Zhao Yong himself, flowed in Chen Lingxi’s hands like drifting clouds and rushing water, seamlessly executed in one continuous breath!

The six blade forms linked together without the slightest stagnation!

Bolstered by the channeling method of the Mountain-Collapsing Force, every slash carried the terrifying momentum to topple cities and uproot strongholds!

Zhao Yong was horrified.

’How could this official bondservant’s cultivation be so formidable? In such a short time, he’s actually trained the Evil-Slaying Blade Technique to such an extraordinary level!’

His face darkened. Although he had lost his right index finger, which vastly reduced the power of his Gold-Piercing Finger, his Falling Goose Fist and Cloud Qi Palm remained.

His profound Golden Body Consummation Qi and blood were enough to sustain a battle of three hundred rounds without changing his expression.

But right now, he was being thoroughly suppressed by this ghost-masked official bondservant!

Every strike from Chen Lingxi fell with what felt like thousands of pounds of force!

Although his Golden Body Astral Cover was incomparably thick, tiny cracks were already beginning to spiderweb across it under the dual erosion of the lightning and the cyan aura!

And though the Purple-Gold Wheel was indestructible, that official bondservant’s blade flashed with bizarre lightning and cyan light!

It made his saber strikes almost impossibly sharp, scraping off a small shaving of golden light every time it grazed the wheel’s surface!

Even more terrifying was the purple breath this person would occasionally spit out. It shot forth like a purple ray, as fast as lightning and impossible to dodge; Zhao Yong could only rely on his Golden Body Astral Cover and his own precious armor to endure it!

’Who exactly is this person?!’ Zhao Yong roared in his mind.

A ghost mask, a long saber!

He suddenly recalled a piece of news.

Yang Zhuri had been killed in Qingjiang Villa by a figure wearing a ghost mask and black clothes!

All the martial artists in that residence were slaughtered—not a single one of them had been able to block a single strike from him!

Zhao Yong’s mind reeled, and the momentum of his fists involuntarily slowed by a beat.

That was exactly what Chen Lingxi had been waiting for.

The Dragon Roar Technique erupted from his throat!

”Hah!”

The short shout resembled the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger!

It was not particularly loud, but rather deep and rich, carrying an indescribable penetrating power!

Like an invisible heavy hammer, it mercilessly smashed against Zhao Yong’s eardrums! It crashed into his brain! It slammed into the depths of his mind!

Zhao Yong’s entire body suddenly stiffened!

That shout was like someone striking a thousand-pound copper bell inside his skull. The buzzing reverberated from his eardrums through his four limbs and hundreds of bones, shocking his Qi and blood into stagnation!

Even the madly spinning Purple-Gold Wheel halted for a fraction of a second!

In a clash between experts, victory or defeat was decided in an instant.

On the Gold-Slaughtering Precious Saber, the three colors of the Purple True Precious Qi, the Cyan Edge Method, and the lightning flared simultaneously!

With the purple light contained within, the cyan aura projecting outward, and the lightning coiled around it, the three tangled and twisted, condensing into an almost tangible tricolored blade!

He brought the saber down!

Slash!

The strike carved straight into Zhao Yong’s chest!

Before this blade, the Golden Body Astral Cover tore open with a smooth, silent rift, like a piece of thin paper sliced by a sharp knife!

The Purple-Gold Wheel was cleaved right down the middle.

A fissure ripped through the precious armor on his body!

The blade pushed forward, tearing through his protective golden Qi and blood, cutting through his skin and muscle, and severing his ribs, hacking all the way from his right shoulder down to his left ribs!

Blood gushed out from the wound, turning into a crimson mist in the air!

As the blood mist hit the lightning on the blade, it was scorched into black ash. It dissipated into the air, mixing the pungent stench of burnt flesh with the metallic smell of blood.

Zhao Yong crashed to the ground. A pool of blood spread out from beneath him, staining the bluestone floor tiles dark red.

His body had nearly been bisected, held together only by a small strip of skin and flesh at his left ribs.

And yet, he was still not dead!

A Golden Body expert’s Qi and blood were simply too robust, affording them a lifespan and resilience far beyond that of ordinary martial artists.

Even chopped apart like this, he did not perish immediately.

His eyes remained open, his pupils slowly rolling in their sockets until they finally settled on the ghost-faced figure.

He watched as the ghost-faced figure sheathed his Gold-Slaughtering Precious Saber, walked over, and crouched down, looking at him from above.

Those eyes peered through the eyeholes of the ghost mask, calm and detached.

”Wh... why...”

Zhao Yong’s lips twitched as he forced out a few garbled words.

His windpipe had likely been injured by the saber’s energy, rendering his voice hoarse.

What he wanted to ask was—

Why did an official bondservant like you suddenly become so formidable? Why would someone he had raised as a medicine primer for months hide such terrifying strength?

Why hadn’t the poison of the Mohe Flower cultivated him into a proper primer?

Why do you have such miraculous abilities?

Why... I meticulously schemed for forty years and was on the cusp of my revenge, only to die at the hands of a variable, a slave like you!

Why would the heavens treat me this way?

But Chen Lingxi did not give him the chance to finish asking.

He raised his right hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together like a sword.

A cyan gleam flickered erratically at his fingertips. It was incredibly thin and faint, yet dazzlingly bright in the gloomy night.

A streak of the Cyan Edge Method pierced into Zhao Yong’s forehead.

Snikt.

After that incredibly soft, slight sound, Zhao Yong’s eyes lost all of their light.

Chen Lingxi straightened up.

He looked down at Zhao Yong’s corpse. There was no gratification on his face, no pity, and not even the relief of a lifted burden.

’So this is a martial artist. Even at Golden Body Consummation, he isn’t a match for my Qi Circulation 4th Floor, and... I haven’t even used my full strength.’

He shook his head slightly, finally understanding why people like Lin Suri seemed so uninterested in everything in this mortal world.

Wielding such immense power, how could they be easily tainted by the mundane realm?

The commotion of experts battling was too great.

Although the residence Zhao Yong had chosen was remote, the resounding crashes of saber and fist colliding, the booms of exploding lightning, and the blinding flash of the golden wheel shattering could not be hidden.

In this silent winter night, the noise had likely traveled far and wide.

He did not delay any longer.

He swept all the bottles and jars in the secret room—whatever medicinal powders or primers they contained, as well as the Mohe Flower—into his Cosmos Bag in one go.

He even collected Zhao Yong’s corpse, the portrait in the corner, and the bronze censer on the altar table, just to prevent any investigations from leading back to the Baosu Marquis Residence.

Finally, he walked over to the altar and fixed his gaze on that black stone.

The stone still rested quietly on the table, its golden name faintly discernible in the dim light.

He reached out and grabbed it.

The moment his fingertips touched the stone’s surface, his pupils contracted.

Within his Divine Chamber space, the line of tadpole-like text that hadn’t advanced significantly in a long time was suddenly jumping wildly.

He released his grip, took a deep breath, and stored the stone inside his Cosmos Bag.

He briskly walked out of the secret room, exited the courtyard, and stepped onto the long, late-night street.

Fine snow was still drifting down from the sky.

The street was deserted. The shutter boards of the shops on both sides were tightly closed. The few storm lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed, their dim yellow halos appearing exceedingly feeble in the snowy night.

The continuous sound of footsteps and clashing armor drifted over from a distance—likely the night patrol guards.

He took off the ghost mask and put the Gold-Slaughtering Precious Saber back into his Cosmos Bag.

He pushed the Concealed Edge Method to its limits within his body. The spiritual liquid in his dantian Qi Sea was tightly wrapped by that invisible barrier, and his overall Qi and blood were restrained until they were virtually nonexistent.

From the outside, he just looked like an ordinary young man with a frail build and an obscure presence.

He lowered his head and followed the shadows along the street toward the city gates, quietly leaving the city. Once outside, Chen Lingxi took the official road leading to Cuojin Mountain, ascended the mountain, and entered that cave.

The cave was as dry as ever, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Chen Lingxi lit a lamp and sat down cross-legged.

He took the black stone out of his Cosmos Bag.

It was freezing to the touch, like holding a block of ice.

He slowly poured spiritual energy into the stone. The very moment the energy entered it, the Divine Chamber deep in his mind violently shuddered!

That line of golden, tadpole-like text began jumping wildly once again!

The Essence-Replenishing progress, which had remained dormant since his last Thorough Awakening, was now skyrocketing like water bursting from a broken dam. Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, an incredibly bright light shining in his eyes.

”A Cauldron artifact fragment! There’s an extremely high chance this is a Cauldron artifact fragment!” He looked down at the pitch-black, lightless stone in his palm, examining it over and over.

The three characters originally on the stone—Lin Zhongming—had actually disappeared.