After the Great Dao Died

Just as Imperial Consort Chun’s thoughts raced, she suddenly sensed a dense flow of blood-qi in the distance.

She was instantly overjoyed!

”Where is Zheng Wuzheng!” Imperial Consort Chun raised her voice. It pierced through the layers of clouds and mist, spreading toward the distant mountain forest.

Right at that moment, a deep, heavy fluctuation of blood-qi exploded from the distant mountain path!

Mountain rocks shattered, sending crushed stone flying like rain. A young general carrying a large banner on his back was striding forward.

His blood-qi churned and boiled around him. Every step he took shattered the rock beneath his feet, cracking the ground inch by inch.

The large banner fluttered fiercely behind him. Its intricate patterns shone blindingly, and a faint, extremely thin layer of blood-light circulated across its surface.

The blood-qi of three hundred Silver Bone cultivators had been devoured by the banner. It was incomparably dense!

And the heavy, slaughterous aura radiating from this young general was piercingly cold!

Sprinting through the mountains and rivers, he charged forward to intercept like an enraged primordial behemoth.He was on the ground, while Chen Lingxi was in the sky! As Zheng Wuzheng sprinted, he raised his eyes to look at the young man chasing down Imperial Consort Chun, a hint of surprise flashing in his gaze.

Among all these cultivators seeking truth, this was the first time he had seen someone so young.

Furthermore... this person was actually hunting down the incomparably tyrannical Imperial Consort Chun!

”General Zheng!” Imperial Consort Chun’s voice rang out from the flying boat, urgent and sharp. ”Stop him for me!”

As Zheng Wuzheng ran, the blood-qi around him explosively ignited. The large banner rose high behind him, its patterns shining blindingly.

After completely devouring the blood-qi of three hundred Silver Bone experts, his cultivation was even more terrifying than when he was on the battlefield. The churning blood-colored astral shield around him actually showed signs of materializing. A single punch from him would be like a tornado!

Zheng Wuzheng suddenly leaped up, cutting through the sky to block Chen Lingxi’s path.

And then...

He threw a punch!

His fist aura tore through the air, detonating a visible white ring in the atmosphere. Before the punch even arrived, its terrifying pressure swept over!

Chen Lingxi’s eyes shifted slightly.

’This person’s cultivation is rather strange. He cultivates spiritual qi, yet his primary method of attack is still his physical body!’ he thought. But Chen Lingxi was entirely unafraid.

The body reformed by the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi gave him absolute confidence.

He simply curled his fingers into a fist and threw a punch of his own!

Seven Forms of Halting Weapons!

War-Stopping Stance!

This was the stance of the Seven Forms of Halting Weapons at grand completion!

Chen Lingxi had never practiced it before, but his comprehension was such that the present was nothing like the past. When he threw his fist forward...

...his blood-qi frantically converged toward his right fist like all rivers run into the sea. The light on his knuckles condensed to the extreme, as if he held a miniature bright moon in his palm!

The terrifying blood-qi circulation method of the War-Stopping Stance smashed through his past bottlenecks almost instantly, allowing him to step from Jade Qi Peak Completion into the Nine Revolutions realm!

His blood-qi blazed like a vast river, surging and roaring with boundless terror!

And this was only the surface...

Inside that Nine Revolutions fist aura, the cyan sharpness of the Cyan Edge Method attached itself, while the silver-white brilliance of the Sword Edge Qi simultaneously flared. Meanwhile, the Purple True Precious Qi coiled around his knuckles like a swimming purple dragon, exhaling a dark, cold gleam. Four layers of power stacked together, further amplified by the Profound Qi enhancing the technique’s might!

His punch was truly far too terrifying!

Rumble!

The two fists clashed violently in the void.

A deafening boom erupted, as though heaven and earth were tearing apart.

From the point of impact, waves of air swept frantically in all directions like a raging gale!

Zheng Wuzheng’s eyes filled with terror. He let out a muffled groan, feeling an immense force he had never experienced before pouring backward from his knuckles!

That power was simply too terrifying.

Furthermore, his own fist aura was forcefully sliced apart by those bizarre cyan, purple, and silver lights, instantly disintegrating inch by inch!

Zheng Wuzheng was blasted backward by the punch and plummeted to the ground!

The large banner fluttered frantically behind him, attempting to stabilize his form, but the force was simply too overwhelming. It shattered the bloody malice circulating on the banner, scattering it in all directions.

He crashed into the earth, smashing a crater into the ground and sending rocks flying in an earth-shaking impact!

Chen Lingxi swooped down after him.

He planted one foot firmly on Zheng Wuzheng’s chest, pinning him securely to the ground.

Zheng Wuzheng still tried to resist.

But the Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace on Chen Lingxi’s left index finger lit up once more. The tiny black bead embedded in the ring hummed, and a strand of sword qi shot out from it. It hovered at his fingertip, flickering unsteadily with a sharp hiss.

At the same time, spiritual qi surged in his throat, and he ruthlessly unleashed the Dragon Roar Technique.

”Hah!”

That short shout echoed like the howl of a true dragon, condensing into an invisible pillar of sound that blasted precisely into Zheng Wuzheng’s ears.

Zheng Wuzheng’s entire body violently convulsed, and his eyes, which had just been brimming with murderous intent, instantly lost their focus.

Before he could even react, the sword aura in Chen Lingxi’s hand descended, cleaving straight into his chest!

Slash!

The sword aura pierced his protective bloody malice, pierced his blood-qi, and pierced straight through his heart! Then came a kick!

Chen Lingxi stomped down, snapping Zheng Wuzheng’s neck.

With a crisp crack of bone, the young general’s head slumped to the side at a grotesque angle. The lingering light in his eyes extinguished in an instant.

A young powerhouse...

...died just like that!

Chen Lingxi withdrew his right foot.

Having lost the support of its master’s blood-qi, the large banner behind him rapidly lost its bloody malice. It seeped out from the banner like a receding tide, vanishing into the night wind.

The banner drooped limply. Chen Lingxi grabbed it and stored it in his Vast Void Pouch.

Almost without hesitation, Chen Lingxi circulated another technique!

[Method of Life Devouring]!

Although this method was not the complete Taotie Urn divine ability, it was a simplified technique Chen Lingxi had deduced himself after stripping away the constraints of the Cauldron Vessel’s master.

The power of the simplified Life Devouring Divine Ability was vastly inferior to the original; it could not completely devour an opponent’s entire reserves of spiritual qi. But for Chen Lingxi, who had just expended a portion of his foundation, it was like offering charcoal in a snowy winter.

The residual blood-qi and spiritual qi within Zheng Wuzheng’s body were drawn in by the Life Devouring Divine Ability. They transformed into dense, fine crimson-gold threads that gushed from Zheng Wuzheng’s pores and sank into Chen Lingxi’s body.

The effect was even better than he had anticipated.

A clump of supremely pure spiritual qi flowed along his meridians and merged into his sea of qi. It was like swallowing a high-grade spiritual qi pill, provoking the pool of spiritual energy to churn slightly.

The spiritual qi he had just consumed was rapidly replenished. Meanwhile, the unrefined portion of that pure spiritual qi settled deep within his sea of qi, waiting for him to slowly refine it later!

’This Method of Life Devouring isn’t bad!’ he thought.

Chen Lingxi looked toward the sky. Up there, Imperial Consort Chun’s flying boat had already fled extremely far, turning into a blurry speck of luminescent white light at the edge of the horizon. However, her aura was becoming increasingly unstable.

”You can’t escape!”

Chen Lingxi leaped into the air. The vortex in his sea of qi spun once more, turning his entire body into a streak of profound black light as he resumed his pursuit of Imperial Consort Chun.

Meanwhile, above that suspended heavenly pool.

Spiritual light flickered. Where the starlight and mist blended, those lines of ancient text woven from starlight were slowly dissipating.

At this moment, a light suddenly flared upon the surface of the heavenly pool. From within the light, Lin Suri stepped out slowly, cradling a wisp of clear qi in his hands.

Without a doubt, Lin Suri had once again relied on the opportunity of the Golden Portal to obtain that strand of Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi!

Numerous powerhouses simultaneously revealed their traces above the heavenly pool.

Figures like Lu Baizhong and Xi Yuan attacked immediately, wanting to kill Lin Suri and seize the treasure!

But Lin Suri turned into that streak of golden brilliance once more and vanished.

By now, Imperial Consort Chun’s spiritual qi had been completely worn down by Chen Lingxi; her reserves were thoroughly depleted.

Heavily injured, the speed at which she recovered spiritual qi could not possibly keep up with her consumption.

Gritting her teeth, she forcefully drove the flying boat, boosting its speed by a fraction. But compared to when she first began her escape, she was now immeasurably slower.

Right at this moment, a voice echoed!

”Where exactly are you trying to escape to?”

Accompanying the voice, another fist seal crashed down from the clouds. Surging blood-qi and razor-sharp spiritual qi engulfed the small boat beneath it!

Chen Lingxi had already caught up! Imperial Consort Chun’s expression changed drastically. She forced herself to channel a technique, shooting a blazing white pillar of light from her palm that crashed into the descending strike.

But with her spiritual qi exhausted, the technique’s might was greatly diminished. The white light lasted for barely half a breath before being smashed to pieces by the fist seal.

The fist seal’s remaining momentum did not falter, slamming viciously into the flying boat!

A deafening boom rang out!

The boat lost its balance. Imperial Consort Chun tumbled from the skiff, plummeting from the sky like a kite with a snapped string, and smashed into the riverbank!

She sprawled in the crater, gasping for air. Blood gushed steadily from the sword wound on her glabella, tracing down her cheeks and dripping onto the crushed stones beneath her.

Forcing her head up, she saw that man slowly walking down from the clouds.

The golden light of his Profound Qi and the silver-white glow of his Sword Edge Qi intertwined around him. A vortex of his sea of qi spun slowly beneath his feet, making him look like a divine general descending to the mortal realm from the highest heavens.

There were no ripples of emotion in his eyes, only a bottomless abyss of murderous intent.

At this moment, Rong Chun was far removed from her previous lofty, elegant, and luxurious self. Instead, she resembled a bird that had plummeted into the dust, covered in filth, with terror gleaming in her eyes.

’This person’s eyes hold such sheer murderous intent... Having fallen into his hands, I fear my death is certain!’ she thought.

Rong Chun’s thoughts raced. By now, Chen Lingxi had landed on the ground and was looking down at Imperial Consort Chun.

This Imperial Consort of Great Li was prostrated on the dirt. Her moon-white aristocratic robes were thoroughly soaked in blood, and the sword wound between her brows was still seeping, staining her girlish face in a tragic mess.

She was not dead yet; her chest was still rising and falling faintly. But her phoenix eyes no longer held a shred of elegance—only an ashen, deathly stillness remained.

Chen Lingxi crouched down, meeting her at eye level.

Rong Chun’s lips twitched. ”Who... exactly are you...”

Chen Lingxi did not answer. He merely watched her in silence.

Looking into his eyes, which were as calm as still water, Rong Chun suddenly found them familiar.

She had seen those eyes in a dream.

In that dreamscape, stars hung high in the sky. Sitting cross-legged on a star opposite her was a blurry shadow radiating fierce murderous intent, gazing down at her coldly.

When she woke up back then, she used her precious mirror to divine the source of the killing intent, but she only divined the four words ”disaster of an ant.” She had laughed disdainfully, completely unconcerned.

”You’re that shadow?”

She forced the corners of her mouth up, actually squeezing out a pitiful expression on her blood-stained face. Her voice suddenly softened. ”High Cultivator, I am a cultivator of the Ehai Lotus. I am extremely skilled in dual cultivation arts and am willing to be your cauldron vessel!” At this moment, Imperial Consort Chun was lying among the crushed stones of the riverbank. Her moon-white robes, drenched in blood, clung wetly to her skin, perfectly outlining her graceful curves.

She forced herself to prop up her upper body. This movement caused her lapels to part slightly, revealing a small patch of startlingly white skin.

The moonlight fell on that small patch of skin, lending it a lustrous, pearly glow.

A faint layer of mist welled up in her phoenix eyes. ”If the High Cultivator can spare my life, Rong Chun is willing to sign a Jade Precept Book. I will absolutely never plot against you.”

In this moment, Rong Chun was full of captivating charm, looking incredibly pitiful.

Chen Lingxi looked at her face, looked at the mist in those phoenix eyes, and looked at that bloodstained hand trembling slightly in the air.

Then, he shook his head.

The seductive charm on Rong Chun’s face stiffened.

What kind of figure was she? From that single shake of his head, she knew the murderous intent in this man’s eyes had never wavered in the slightest from beginning to end.

Her expression abruptly changed. The softness she had deliberately faked vanished without a trace in an instant.

She suddenly sneered, her voice completely devoid of its previous tenderness. ”I am nothing more than a clone. Even if you kill me, what can you do?”

She raised her chin slightly. Though the movement was exceedingly strained due to her heavy injuries, it still carried an innate arrogance. ”Besides, if you kill me, my true body will sense it! In the imperial palace, there are secrets you cannot fathom, forces you can absolutely never stop.” As she spoke, she suddenly switched faces again.

Her dark, cold smile slowly faded, shifting back to her previous captivating demeanor.

She turned her head slightly, angling her profile—which, despite the blood, still displayed peerless beauty—toward Chen Lingxi. Her voice carried a deliberate, seductive plea. ”If the High Cultivator takes me as a cauldron vessel... you can harvest me for your cultivation... It would be like gaining another cultivation treasure.”

Her abrupt shifts between icy hostility and seductive charm made her look like a snake driven into a corner, flicking its tongue in one final test.

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow. ”A clone?”

Yet at this moment, Rong Chun suddenly showed a look of confusion. ”What is the High Cultivator talking about?”

It was as if she had instantly forgotten she ever mentioned the word ”clone.”

Watching her change, Chen Lingxi’s frown deepened.

He stayed silent for a moment before asking, ”If you are a clone, does that mean there is another Rong Chun in the palace?”

Rong Chun’s eyes gradually turned hollow, as if she truly had forgotten what she just said.

She stared at Chen Lingxi, her lips parting, but no sound came out.

She looked like a shell that had lost its soul—muddled and completely unaware of her surroundings. A cold light flashed in Chen Lingxi’s eyes.

”I don’t care if you’re a clone,” he said coldly. ”If you were truly just a clone, why would you be so terrified?”

As he spoke, spiritual qi surged around him, and the pool of spiritual qi in his sea of qi churned.

The golden light of his Profound Qi and the silver-white of his Sword Edge Qi seeped from his body thread by thread, framing his figure like a god of slaughter bathed in brilliant radiance.

That freezing murderous intent flooded toward Rong Chun like a tidal wave, crushing down on her and making her body violently shudder.

Under the impact of that killing intent, the hollow look in Rong Chun’s eyes instantly shattered!

She looked at the churning spiritual qi surrounding Chen Lingxi and saw the bottomless chill in his tranquil eyes.

She knew that feigning ignorance was useless now. She was guaranteed to die today.

And so, Imperial Consort Chun lifted her head, looked at Chen Lingxi, and asked her final question before death: ”Why do you insist on killing me?”

Her voice had little strength left; it was weak and intermittent.

Yet her tone carried genuine confusion.

She truly did not understand. She had never met this person before, so why would he go to such great lengths to intercept and kill her in this Ancestral Mountain?

Even with the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi right in front of him, he hadn’t hesitated in the slightest, choosing instead to pursue her. The murderous intent in his eyes had never wavered for a second.

Chen Lingxi’s eyes gleamed.

Standing amid the blood, he looked down at the woman groveling at his feet.

He watched her for a moment before suddenly speaking two words.

”An ant.”

Rong Chun froze slightly.

Chen Lingxi continued, ”The disaster of an ant can also kill.”

Rong Chun furrowed her brows. Straining to lift her gaze, she looked at Chen Lingxi and asked, ”What ant?”

Chen Lingxi lowered his head, his gaze landing on her face. ”I am a son of the Linchuan Chen Family. I kill you to avenge a blood feud.”

Rong Chun’s pupils abruptly shrank.

The Linchuan Chen Clan. Those words churned in her mind for a second, and then, she remembered.

Under the Mirror Listening Technique, she had once divined the fates of a hundred noble families, claiming that a traitor to the dynasty was hidden among them.

Among those hundred families was a Zhong family. The Zhong family was connected to the Chen family by marriage, and because of this, the Linchuan Chen Family was implicated.

Her memory was extraordinary; naturally, she remembered all of this.

It was just that... to her, they were nothing more than a colony of ants. If she crushed them, she crushed them. They weren’t even worth keeping in her memory.

Yet now, a person who had been deliberately spared by the imperial court was standing right in front of her.

Coming to kill her to avenge a blood feud.

She suddenly let out a miserable laugh.

”The Mirror Listening Cauldron Vessel Fragment... It was indeed I who awakened the Cauldron Venerable to target the reincarnators among the hundred families.”

Her voice grew even weaker. ”But since you are a reincarnator... why would you care about your blood relatives in this world?”

A reincarnator.

In her eyes, someone who could cultivate to the Qi Circulation 7th Floor and intercept her in this Ancestral Mountain had to be a reincarnator descending from the Greater World. Since he was a reincarnator, his parents in this realm were merely byproducts of the physical shell he borrowed to be reborn.

When reincarnators were seeking truth and inquiring about the cauldrons, they cared only for Cauldron Vessels and fortuitous encounters. Who would fight another cultivator to the death over their ”blood relatives” in this world?

Chen Lingxi did not answer.

He only thought of his father.

When his father finished his shift at the Judicial Office Yamen and came home, he would always buy two freshly baked flatbreads at the alley entrance.

His mother would sit by the window embroidering. Sunlight would leak through the window paper, falling upon her pitch-black hair and making her silver hairpin sparkle.

But they were both dead.

Chen Lingxi pulled back his thoughts and slammed his large hand down.

”Who said I was a reincarnator?”

Spiritual qi surged, engulfing and killing Imperial Consort Chun!

Imperial Consort Chun. Emperor Daye’s noble consort. The entity who used the Mirror Listening Technique to blackmail and control a hundred officials, second only to one man and above ten thousand.

At first, she thought she would die at the hands of a reincarnator seeking the cauldrons, die in a battle over the Great Dao, or die in a struggle for a fortuitous encounter. But never in her wildest dreams did she expect that she would die by the hands of a mortal—someone she had deemed an ant, completely unworthy of a second glance even after being crushed to death.

This was exactly... the disaster of an ant.

Rong Chun died today, because of an ant.