After the Great Dao Died

Chen Lingxi’s mind stirred at Xiao Zhushan’s words.

He had never offered his name to these two, yet the moment Xiao Zhushan pushed open the courtyard door and cupped his fists, he had called it out.

During his battle with the Crown Prince’s incarnation on Cuojin Mountain, Purple True Precious Qi had torn across the sky. The commotion had been massive. The Crown Prince had shouted his name, and the secret had likely spilled out right then.

Moreover, the man standing before him was the right-hand man of the Evil-Severing Heavenly King, holding immense military power—the illustrious Marquis Zhushan.

If a man like that wanted to investigate someone, starting with a name and following the trail of his appearance, he had probably already turned Chen Lingxi’s entire background and family history upside down.

”Mr. Xiao.” Chen Lingxi stepped half a pace to the side and raised a hand toward the courtyard. ”Please.”

The three of them entered the East Hall.

Xiao Taozhuo poured tea for the two men, appearing quite well-mannered this time.

Xiao Zhushan took a sip of tea and spoke, his tone carrying undisguised apology. ”My Evil-Suppressing Army was locked in a fierce stalemate with the Imperial Court in Qinghua Province. I couldn’t pull myself away, which is why I’ve made you wait for over a month, young brother.”

”Since parting on Cuojin Mountain that day, I waited a long time, yet no one ever came to purchase the great medicine of the common people. I thought you had no intention of killing the Crown Prince. I never expected that waiting quietly would bring such good news.”Chen Lingxi replied, ”You must have many experts under your command, Marquis Zhushan. Crown Prince Ying Chi is arrogant and frequently travels between various prefectures to host his beast-fighting banquets. Logically speaking, you shouldn’t need to join hands with me to kill him.”

Chen Lingxi was genuinely a little confused. When he fought the Crown Prince’s incarnation on Cuojin Mountain, his cultivation was only at the Qi Circulation 5th Floor.

Even with the Heavenly Light Treasure Form Talisman boosting his spiritual qi, the combat strength he displayed back then was only around the Jade Qi realm. It was strong, certainly, but nowhere near enough to make a powerful warlord stoop and wait so patiently for him.

Yet now, as Chen Lingxi looked at Xiao Zhushan again...

From every pore on the man’s body, extremely pure and scorching blood qi seeped out endlessly, twisting the surrounding air with its heat.

Sitting there, he was like a sun obscured by thin clouds; though the blinding light was concealed, it couldn’t hide the irresistible and overwhelming heat threatening to melt everything around him.

This man was absolutely an Entering Profound figure—and certainly not one who had just broken into the realm.

Even in Great Li’s Imperial Palace, where experts gathered like clouds, someone with this level of cultivation would stand firmly among the top tier.

Why would a figure like Xiao Zhushan lower himself to ally with him?

Xiao Zhushan seemed to see through his doubts, the smile on his face unbroken. ”Although the Crown Prince cultivates a demonic—”

He stopped halfway, swapping to a more tactful phrasing. ”Although the Crown Prince cultivates spell arts, his actual personal combat strength isn’t particularly high.”

”But unfortunately, there is someone in the imperial palace protecting him, and he seems to carry a divine immortal treasure.”

Xiao Zhushan took another sip of his tea. ”That treasure is a vase. When it is turned upside down, purple qi flows out to cover the earth and sky with unmatched sharpness. It’s extraordinary! I’ve tried to intercept and kill him several times, hoping to disrupt the imperial court’s stability.

”But none of those attempts went as planned.”

He frowned slightly. ”Among the blood qi experts under my command, there are one or two Nine Revolutions figures, and as many as seven or eight at the Jade Qi realm.

”However, the Jade Qi figures cannot defeat him.

”And when the Nine Revolutions figures struck, the Crown Prince’s methods proved so bizarre that he managed to escape twice.

”There was also the time on Cuojin Mountain, when he laid a trap and lured me right in...”

He paused briefly, his calm eyes suddenly flashing as his gaze fell back onto Chen Lingxi.

”But you, Brother Chen, are also an out-of-domain figure who cultivates spell arts with equally strange and unpredictable methods.

”That purple qi treasure he relies on might not gain him any advantage against you.

”Since you took the initiative to contact me, I assume you already have a surefire plan to kill him.”

While Xiao Zhushan spoke, Xiao Taozhuo had been sitting quietly to the side.

She kept her head slightly lowered, acting the part of a well-behaved junior listening to a lecture, but her blazing, bright eyes couldn’t hold back as she snuck glances at Chen Lingxi. She was simply too curious about this out-of-domain figure.

That day on Mount Qiaoji, a single light cough from him had caused the blood qi of her Golden Body Consummation to nearly stagnate. That kind of oppressive aura and those methods were absolutely not something a mundane martial artist could possess.

Later, after pestering her second uncle for a long time, he finally told her that aside from martial artists like themselves who tempered their bones and circulated their blood qi, there was another type of person in this world.

They didn’t cultivate the physical body; instead, they focused entirely on mysterious spell arts. They could call the wind, summon the rain, and command lightning. Their techniques were bizarre, unpredictable, and impossible to guard against.

These people were collectively known as out-of-domain figures.

Rumor had it that these out-of-domain figures all cultivated a youth preservation technique.

Some were clearly thirty, forty, or even fifty or sixty years old, yet they looked like youths around twenty, with smooth skin and not a single wrinkle around their eyes.

’The man right in front of me looks so young, yet his combat strength is so tyrannical. Could his true age be at least in his thirties, or even his early forties?’

’Maybe he’s an... older uncle who just looks young on the outside?’

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, her curiosity only grew harder to suppress.

She placed her teacup on the table and used the excuse of standing up to refill their tea to covertly study Chen Lingxi’s face from the corner of her eye...

She looked and looked but simply couldn’t find the slightest trace of age. Her heart burned with increasing fervor.

As a woman, her interest in that youth preservation technique was a hundred times greater than breaking into the Nine Revolutions or Entering Profound realms.

If her uncle weren’t sitting right there, with her jumpy personality, she would have probably already opened her mouth to ask him for guidance.

Chen Lingxi paid no attention to Xiao Taozhuo’s wandering gaze.

After listening to Xiao Zhushan’s words, he nodded slightly and asked, ”Have you discovered when Crown Prince Ying Chi will leave the Imperial Capital again to host his beast-fighting banquets?”

Xiao Zhushan replied, ”Eight months ago, he was punished by the Daye Emperor and ordered to reflect on his mistakes at Dragon Hall Mountain in Changhe Province.

”By my count, in two more months, the ten-month term will be complete.

”When he leaves Dragon Hall Mountain and returns to the capital, that will be our prime opportunity to ambush and kill him.”

Hearing this, Chen Lingxi did not immediately nod.

He thought it over, raised his head, and slowly shook his head. ”If you know the Crown Prince is reflecting on Dragon Hall Mountain, then all the heroes in the world must know it too.

”If the Imperial Court takes precautions, there will definitely be heavy ambushes set along his entire route back to the capital. Striking then will actually make it harder to succeed.

”It would be better...” Xiao Zhushan’s eyes flickered as he asked, ”Better to... go straight to Dragon Hall Mountain and kill him there?”

Meeting his gaze, Chen Lingxi nodded candidly.

Xiao Zhushan shook his head. ”I’ve never liked taking risks in my actions... That’s why I’ve invited an unparalleled hero to join us this time: the Heaven-Pacifying King, Zhang Mozhu!

”Zhang Mozhu will only be free in two months, which coincides perfectly with when Crown Prince Ying Chi’s carriage returns to the Eastern Palace.”

Zhang Mozhu...

Another rebel king.

Right now, under the Great Li heavens, the Nineteen Routes of Smoke and Dust were rising in unison. The Evil-Suppressing Army, the Mohe Army, the Heaven-Pacifying Army... These rebel kings were not a monolithic bloc. In normal times, they often clashed and scraped against each other over territory, rations, and troops.

But they shared one common goal: overthrowing the Great Li Imperial Court.

As for who would sit on that throne afterward, that was a problem to consider only after the Great Li Imperial Court collapsed.

Until then, joining forces was hardly surprising.

Xiao Zhushan continued, ”The Crown Prince’s Divine Immortal Treasure Bottle is incredibly powerful. The purple qi that flows from it is fierce and domineering. I’ve seen it with my own eyes; even an expert who has just reached the Entering Profound realm would have to retreat from its edge and avoid taking it head-on. However, the Heaven-Pacifying King, Zhang Mozhu, was born with divine strength. His external body-tempering blood qi has reached the pinnacle of perfection, specifically countering treasures like that which rely on sheer overwhelming force.

”With him stepping in to guard against the treasure bottle’s might, you won’t have to worry about a thing. Only then can we guarantee absolute success.”

The Purple True Treasure Vase...

Chen Lingxi pondered.

With his current cultivation at the Qi Circulation 9th Floor, the spiritual pool within his body was as deep and heavy as an abyss. He had also cultivated the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture and the Longevity Bridge divine ability. His combat strength was now unimaginably greater than when he killed Rong Chun and captured Xi Yuan in the Ancestral Mountain.

If he were to exert his full strength now and clash head-on against the overflowing Purple True Precious Qi, what would his odds of victory be?

As he pondered this, a gleam of eagerness inevitably flashed across his eyes.

The light vanished in a flash, but Xiao Zhushan caught it perfectly.

Assuming it was just youthful vigor and that the mention of a strong enemy had stoked his competitive spirit, Xiao Zhushan laughed heartily.

”Young brother, we also have... comrades within the imperial court. Therefore, making a move this time isn’t a reckless risk. You can set your mind at ease.

”Furthermore, this person holds a high position and real power, so there absolutely won’t be any complications.

”You only need to focus entirely on dealing with Crown Prince Ying Chi. However...” His tone suddenly shifted, and those initially smiling eyes turned instantly sharp.

”However, my informants in the court have sent word. Rumor has it that Crown Prince Ying Chi’s aura has grown increasingly domineering lately. His combat strength has seen significant gains, putting him far beyond what he used to be.”

He paused and asked bluntly, ”We are going to such great lengths, mobilizing troops, and using so many hidden cards—even inviting a figure like the Heaven-Pacifying King... If you fail to kill the Crown Prince, then all of this will have been for nothing.”

Chen Lingxi knew Xiao Zhushan was worried he wouldn’t be a match for Crown Prince Ying Chi.

He thought for a moment. Without saying a word or striking a stance, he casually raised his right hand, curled his middle finger slightly, turned his thumb outward, and gave a light flick.

In an instant!

A streak of blood qi, condensed to the absolute limit, shot out silently from Chen Lingxi’s fingertip.

That streak of blood qi pierced straight into the sky for hundreds of zhang before disappearing without a trace.

Having done this, he withdrew his hand, picked up his slightly cooled teacup again, and took a slow sip, as if nothing had happened.

Xiao Taozhuo’s eyes went wide. She craned her neck to stare at the ceiling, but couldn’t see a thing.

She was somewhat bewildered, wondering why he was flicking his fingers for no reason. Was he just putting on a show?

She instinctively turned her head, hoping to find an answer on her second uncle’s face, only to freeze slightly. Xiao Zhushan actually broke into a smile and nodded. ”Nine Revolutions Minor Completion, the realm of absolute blood qi purity? You cultivate the physical body, and you’ve already reached such a level!”

He still remembered that when he first met this man on Cuojin Mountain two years ago, although he also cultivated the body instead of exclusively practicing out-of-domain arts, his blood qi cultivation had only been at the Golden Body Realm!

Between the Golden Body and the Nine Revolutions stood two massive chasms: Jade Qi and the entry to the Nine Revolutions. Countless prodigies could train bitterly for a lifetime and still fail to cross them.

Yet this man, in just a short year or two, had not only avoided being dragged down by the much harder-to-cultivate out-of-domain arts, but had even brought his physical blood qi all the way up to Nine Revolutions Minor Completion.

”Ah! Nine Revolutions!” Finally understanding, Xiao Taozhuo couldn’t suppress her shock any longer and cried out.

She widened her already large almond eyes.

This young man in front of her, who looked barely a few years older than herself, was actually a Nine Revolutions expert?

But just as her gasp left her lips, she suddenly thought of something else...

Out-of-domain figures practiced youth preservation techniques. He looked young, but in reality, he was very likely already quite old.

Thinking of this, she finally felt much better.

Xiao Zhushan laughed heartily. ”In that case, I no longer have the slightest doubt!”

Chen Lingxi set down his teacup, saying no more. ’Something still feels a bit strange.’

’But it doesn’t matter. I’ll just test it.’

To him, this really was just... a test.

Because within his Divine Chamber, the two characters for Absolute Perception hung high, exuding an incredibly profound aura.

’Under Absolute Perception, everything that defies logic will be exposed... I just need to give it a try.’