After the Great Dao Died

Chen Lingxi looked closely, seeing that the wisp of spiritual qi on Xiao Changlv’s fingertip was incredibly thin and feeble.

It was like a dying candle, the flame flickering precariously in the high-altitude wind, looking as though it could be extinguished at any second.

Chen Lingxi was initially struck with profound astonishment.

’Is Xiao Changlv also a transmigrator?’

Then realization dawned on him.

’This spiritual qi is so feeble it’s roughly at the level of the Qi Circulation 2nd Floor. If Xiao Changlv truly were a transmigrator who could cultivate his martial arts to the Entering Profound realm, how could his Qi Circulation cultivation stall at the 2nd Floor?’

Xiao Changlv sat properly upon the Longevity Bridge, the spiritual qi on his fingertip slowly fading away.

He looked down at his hand, a faint smile grazing his lips.

”I have captured a few outsiders in the past, and I even practiced their Qi Circulation methods.”

Xiao Changlv spoke, his deep, resonant voice echoing across the Longevity Bridge and overpowering the howling wind.”In fact, I wasn’t the only one to practice these Qi Circulation methods. It was not just two or three people.

”I have countless experts under my command. I selected twelve of them to cultivate this method alongside me.” His gaze flickered. His starlit eyes reflected the magnificent sunset at the horizon and the ceaselessly flowing spiritual light of the Longevity Bridge.

Yet, mixed within that gaze was a profound sense of helplessness!

”The world is vast, perhaps holding a billion people.

”And I, Xiao Changlv, consider myself among the absolute best of them. My path has been unfathomably smooth.

”When I wanted to take the imperial examination, I took first place!

”When I wanted to cultivate martial arts, I attained a Twelve Profound cultivation!”

”From the beginning of my cultivation to this very day, I have never encountered a barrier. I have never faced a bottleneck.

”To me, martial cultivation is nothing more than a mason building a tall wall. I simply lay bricks and mortar, and the wall grows taller.

”It doesn’t even require any profound skill.”

If anyone else had said this, it would undoubtedly sound like arrogant boasting.

But when Xiao Changlv spoke these words, his tone was completely flat, as if he were stating the most ordinary thing in the world.

It was because everything he said was the absolute truth. At this point, Xiao Changlv abruptly shifted the conversation, that same helplessness creeping back into his tone.

”But Qi Circulation is different.” His voice sank slightly. ”I cultivated spiritual qi bitterly for many years. I acquired numerous treasures rich in the world’s spiritual qi, and I even sought out Wu Mohe for copious amounts of pills.

”Yet, I could only nurture this single wisp of spiritual qi... Chen Lingxi, what do you think of my wisp of spiritual qi?”

Chen Lingxi answered, ”This wisp of spiritual qi is incredibly weak, like a candle flame in the wind.

”If we measure it by the floors, I’m afraid this wisp of spiritual qi is only at the Qi Circulation 2nd Floor.”

”The 2nd Floor...” Xiao Changlv let out a long sigh. ”The path of Qi Circulation reaches as high as the twelfth floor! I cultivated bitterly for years, yet I only achieved a second-floor cultivation. It is truly laughable!”

He turned his head, his gaze boring directly into Chen Lingxi.

”That was when I realized that these Qi Circulation methods seem to carry some kind of inherent restriction against the people of our world.

”We are destined to never attain the Dao on this path of Qi Circulation.”

Xiao Changlv’s eyes suddenly turned razor-sharp as he stared at Chen Lingxi. ”Chen Lingxi, let me ask you this. You claim you are not an outsider, so how could you possibly cultivate this Qi Circulation method to such an extent?”

As he spoke, he lowered his head to gaze at the Longevity Bridge beneath him.

At this moment, the Longevity Bridge gleamed with spiritual light, suspended high among the clouds. It shone brilliantly, brimming with mystical and extraordinary power. The complex, ancient runes across its surface reflected in his eyes, weaving through the spiritual light like tiny, swimming dragons.

Sitting on this Longevity Bridge forged of spiritual qi, he could vaguely sense the terrifyingly immense spiritual qi contained within it.

”The spiritual qi in this bridge alone surpasses mine by a hundred, a thousand times.”

Hearing Xiao Changlv’s words, Chen Lingxi couldn’t help but frown slightly.

He pondered inwardly.

’Thinking back, it has already been over two years since I stepped onto the path of cultivation. Soon, it will be three full years.’

’But over these past three years, I have met many powerful martial artists and many individuals holding high positions.’

’These people likely also know of the existence of outsiders. Among them, there should have been figures like Xiao Changlv who investigated the path of Qi Circulation...’

’Yet, to this day, I have never met a single native of this world who practices breathing methods and has stepped onto the path of Qi Circulation!’

’There is only Lin Longyue, who has a very high chance of embarking on the path of cultivation.’

’And that is entirely due to that profoundly mysterious strand of Profound Qi within her body.’

Reaching this point in his thoughts, Chen Lingxi drew a deep breath. He muttered inwardly, ’Could it be that I’m a one-in-a-million genius?’

His ability to reach this point relied entirely on the Divine Chamber of mysterious origins within his mind, and on Vision Roaming and Absolute Perception—those two heaven-defying divine abilities.

But if he had been unable to cultivate or sense spiritual qi from the very beginning, even with Vision Roaming and Absolute Perception, it likely would have been useless.

’Furthermore... there are countless geniuses in the world. Why did this Divine Chamber end up in my mind of all places?’

Chen Lingxi turned the thoughts over in his mind, unable to find an answer.

Xiao Changlv just quietly watched Chen Lingxi, not uttering a word.

He sat like a silent mountain peak.

Chen Lingxi was still thinking. ’The Six Qi True Method states that only those with a spiritual nature can absorb spiritual qi. Undoubtedly, I am someone with a spiritual nature.’

’But the number of people with a spiritual nature is far too small.’

’Could it be that neither Xiao Changlv nor the twelve men under his command possess a spiritual nature?’

Or was it as Xiao Changlv said, that there was a bizarre force within this Grotto-Heaven restricting its inhabitants from cultivating spiritual qi?

If that were the case, why could he cultivate spiritual qi? Chen Lingxi was thoroughly baffled.

Right at that moment, Chen Lingxi’s divine sense flickered. He suddenly turned his head to look at a distant mountain!

That mountain was incredibly towering. It was the highest peak in Qinghua Province, known as Flowing Cloud Mountain.

Flowing Cloud Mountain was approximately one hundred and fifty li away from where they were.

From such a vast distance, no matter how good an ordinary person’s eyesight was, they could only see a blurry patch of snow at the peak, entirely unable to distinguish the contours of the mountainside.

But how astonishing was Chen Lingxi’s vision?

Even separated by one hundred and fifty li, the plants, trees, and rocks on that mountain fell clearly into his eyes.

Now, he could clearly see a figure standing on Flowing Cloud Mountain with his hands clasped behind his back. Surging, mystical blood qi flickered in the person’s eyes, shining across the vast distance to look right at this spot.

That blood qi was incredibly pure and refined to the absolute limit. It looked like two blood-colored stars, compressed to the extreme, had been embedded in the person’s eye sockets.

Because of that intense blood qi, that gaze pierced through one hundred and fifty li of the void, pierced through the clouds and mist in the sky, and pierced through the flowing spiritual light of the Longevity Bridge.

It landed straight on his body.

The eyes were brimming with killing intent, their might shaking the heavens! Chen Lingxi naturally knew who this person was!

The man wore a python robe and possessed an unimaginably majestic aura.

That python robe fluttered fiercely in the gale winds atop Flowing Cloud Mountain. The five-clawed python pattern embroidered upon it shimmered with a deep, dark golden luster in the afterglow of the setting sun.

It looked like a genuine, giant python coiled around him, constantly flicking out a chilling light that seemed eager to devour people.

Standing there, the blood qi surrounding his body was like a volcano on the verge of erupting.

Though it had not yet erupted, that unimaginable pressure had already forced all the clouds and mist within dozens of zhang to stagnate, preventing them from moving even a fraction!

His aura was even more ferocious and formidable than that of Xiao Zhushan, who had single-handedly fought Zhang Mozhu and six experts operating a blood qi battle formation.

At this moment, the man stared in this direction, his eyes burning with intense murderous intent.

That killing intent was so thick it was almost tangible. It was like two invisible, sharp swords shooting out from his pupils, piercing through the sky full of rosy clouds, and piercing through the dazzling spiritual light of the Longevity Bridge!

It stabbed straight toward this spot!

The man wasn’t looking at Xiao Changlv. He was looking at Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi’s eyebrows twitched, immediately guessing the man’s identity! It was none other than the Entering Profound King of the East!

Chen Lingxi similarly stared back at the distant figure.

Although they had never met, they had already forged a deep, bitter enmity. He had to treat this man with more caution than anyone else.

For the simple reason that the King of the East’s daughter, Commandery Princess Yunhe, and his heir, Ying Ju, had both died by his hands.

And the King of the East had only these two bloodlines—one son and one daughter.

Both bloodlines had been extinguished by a single person.

This truly constituted a blood feud of the highest order, an enmity where they could not share the same sky!

Xiao Changlv naturally sensed the King of the East’s gaze as well. He said to Chen Lingxi, ”The King of the East hates you to the bone. Now that he knows your location, the moment you step out of my Evil-Suppressing Heavenly Army’s territory, he will definitely come to kill you.”

At this point, he reached out and rapped his finger against the Longevity Bridge.

”Although your spiritual qi is incredibly dense, if you wish to contend with the King of the East, it is still far from enough.”

Chen Lingxi, however, seemed entirely unafraid. He shook his head slightly and said, ”I killed his son and daughter. It is naturally nothing surprising that he has come to kill me today.

”Moreover... I dared to come to Qinghua Province to meet you, Heavenly King, naturally because I do not fear this King of the East.”

As he said this, his eyes showed complete indifference, without a single shred of fear.

Meanwhile, the King of the East’s killing intent blazed like a blade. Across a distance of one hundred and fifty li, it could still pierce his brow with a faint, bone-deep chill.

Yet his body remained ramrod straight, like an ancient pine rooted on a mountain peak. Let the fierce winds and torrential rain batter him; he would remain steadfast and unmoving!

Xiao Changlv was slightly surprised.

Looking at Chen Lingxi’s unhurried and composed demeanor, a flash of undisguised approval crossed his eyes.

He then added, ”You must not underestimate this Entering Profound King of the East. His combat prowess is extraordinary; he once killed a Heaven-Facing cultivator.

”The corpse was delivered straight to the Emperor’s Palace.

”Underestimate him, and you will die.”

Chen Lingxi asked curiously, ”Heavenly King, may I ask you for some guidance?”

Xiao Changlv gave a slight nod.

Chen Lingxi asked, ”Although I practice blood qi martial arts, I only obtained an ordinary blood qi technique that can only reach the Nine Revolutions realm. Therefore, I do not know how superiority is determined within the Entering Profound realm.”

Xiao Changlv looked Chen Lingxi up and down. He could see the blood qi surging within Chen Lingxi’s body, churning with incomparable momentum.

It didn’t look in the slightest like he cultivated an ordinary blood qi technique.

He answered, ”The so-called Entering Profound means that the blood qi enters the profound; every single strand of blood qi naturally carries a profound wonder.

”This profound wonder can even remodel the physical body and extend one’s lifespan.

”And the strength of an Entering Profound cultivator depends entirely on how many times they have entered the Profound!”

Xiao Changlv paused briefly, took a sip of tea, and continued, ”Take my younger brother, Xiao Zhushan, for example.

”He has already entered the Six Profound, becoming a Six Profound expert. His aura is incomparably tyrannical!

”He is far stronger than a Four Profound figure like Zhang Mozhu.”

Xiao Changlv then pointed to the King of the East on the distant Flowing Cloud Mountain.

”And that King of the East has already cultivated to the Nine Profound. You can imagine how tyrannical he is.”

’A Nine Profound martial artist...’ Chen Lingxi recalled Xiao Changlv’s earlier words. The King of the East had once killed a Heaven-Facing Tenth Floor cultivator.

From this, it was evident that in terms of pure combat prowess, this Nine Profound martial artist was likely even more powerful than the Heaven-Facing Tenth Floor!

’With my current cultivation, it seems I still cannot clash head-on with the King of the East.’

Chen Lingxi mused inwardly.

Xiao Changlv also withdrew his gaze from Flowing Cloud Mountain and turned his attention back to Chen Lingxi.

The inquiry in his eyes was self-evident.

Noticing Xiao Changlv’s gaze, a slight smile surfaced on Chen Lingxi’s lips.

He suddenly looked directly at Xiao Changlv and laughed, ”Heavenly King, is it simply because you yourself failed to master the Qi Circulation method that you refuse to believe I am not an outsider?”

Xiao Changlv slowly stood up, rising like a towering mountain!

He walked to the edge of the Longevity Bridge and clasped his hands behind his back.

At this moment, a heavenly gale blew from the high skies, whipping his moon-white long gown about and causing the white jade belt at his waist to sway gently.

The sea of clouds beyond the bridge churned beneath his feet, and the rosy glow of the sunset traced his figure into a gold-and-red silhouette. His tone was confident to the absolute extreme as he spoke, ”If I cannot cultivate it, then no one in this world can cultivate it!”

Xiao Changlv possessed supreme confidence. When he spoke those words, it was as if he were stating an irrefutable iron law.

But right at that moment, Chen Lingxi gave a light chuckle.

”There are countless heroes in the world. Heavenly King, do you know when I started practicing martial arts, or when I began cultivating this method?”