After the Great Dao Died

High in the sky, two bright mirrors hung suspended.

Chen Lingxi had killed a full three thousand people. Leaving the Black Banner to devour the dense blood energy over the battlefield, he mounted the clouds and mist and headed into the distance.

Far away to Qinghua Province!

He had chosen not to return to the Nanju Twelve Mountains because the Marquis of Purple Attire had somehow tracked his movements there earlier.

The lingering mysterious power surrounding him was growing weaker. Once his combat strength regressed back to the Qi Circulation 9th Floor, he feared he would be unable to resist if the Imperial Court launched a counterattack.

The King of the East was still stationed in Qinghua Province. If Chen Lingxi traveled stealthily using the Hidden Edge Method—rather than making a high-profile entrance by shattering the clouds with the Longevity Bridge, as he had during his last Absolute Perception Deduction—the King of the East would never detect his presence.

Furthermore, if the Imperial Court wanted to make a move in Qinghua Province, they would have to account for Xiao Changlv and the numerous experts under his command.

More importantly... Qinghua Province was much closer to his next destination.

With that decided, Chen Lingxi returned to Qinghua Province. He found a desolate mountain, carved out a cave dwelling, and sat cross-legged.

His divine sense slowly sank into the Black Banner, where profound, impenetrable currents of corrupted mysteries continued to ebb and flow.The mysterious man with a transcendent Daoist bearing sat cross-legged amidst those corrupted mysteries. The foul currents were now wrapped in a dense blood energy, harvested from the three thousand people Chen Lingxi had just slaughtered.

Sensing Chen Lingxi’s approaching divine sense, the mysterious man smiled. Without a word, he flicked his finger.

Immediately, a stream of profound, indescribable information slowly flowed into Chen Lingxi’s mind.

Chen Lingxi’s expression shifted.

Hidden within the information was a profound cultivation method.

Remaining seated cross-legged, Chen Lingxi carefully studied the profound method etched into his mind, his expression gradually turning solemn.

’[True Edict of Audencing the Dao]!’

’A method for reshaping the flesh.’

Chen Lingxi’s inherent aptitude from his spiritual aperture, coupled with the spiritual light the mysterious man had bestowed upon him, had yet to completely fade.

His talent at this moment was astronomically high, allowing him to digest the profound cultivation method at a terrifying speed.

More importantly, while this flesh-reshaping method was incredibly extraordinary, it also seemed deceptively simple to understand.

It perfectly embodied the concept of the Great Dao lying in simplicity. And so, Chen Lingxi remained seated cross-legged, comprehending the profound techniques hidden within the True Edict of Audencing the Dao.

Judging by its name alone, the True Edict of Audencing the Dao sounded obscure and difficult to grasp.

However, despite its extreme profundity, the method itself was not hard to decipher. ”Audencing the Dao” meant having an audience with the Dao’s truth to remodel oneself.

’According to the method’s records, one can construct their own skin, flesh, fascia, bones, and internal organs into inner divine palaces.’

’Then, within this cluster of palaces, you visualize and enshrine an expert, or perhaps a spirit beast.’

’Using the qi mechanism of that expert or spirit beast, you remodel your own physical body, thoroughly transforming it until it becomes just as formidable as the entity you visualized.’

’And the more detailed your understanding and visualization of that expert or spirit beast, the greater the benefit to yourself.’

Chen Lingxi’s eyes flickered.

’It would be like having a true dragon right in front of me—a dragon soaring through the nine heavens, roaring into the void, breathing dragon flames, and shooting divine light from its eyes.’

’If I were to visualize this true dragon, my skin, flesh, fascia, bones, and organs would undergo a qualitative change. I too could breathe dragon flames and shoot divine light from my eyes. I could control the clouds and soar through the nine heavens without needing to use any cloud-riding techniques.’

Thinking up to this point, Chen Lingxi felt that this cultivation method was simply too profound.

If he could practice this method and achieve some level of success, his physical strength would become unfathomably tyrannical. When that time came, fighting a Qi Circulation Eleventh Floor expert from the Qi Circulation 9th Floor would hardly be difficult. As Chen Lingxi pondered this...

He noticed that the mysterious Daoist with the transcendent bearing seemed to have absorbed enough blood energy.

The smile on the man’s face slowly faded as he gently flicked his sleeve.

In an instant, everything in his surroundings seemed to turn into an illusion, rippling and swirling like waves rising in water.

At that moment, Chen Lingxi’s wisp of divine sense dissipated from the Black Banner.

Chen Lingxi slowly opened his eyes and sensed the Black Banner inside his Vast Void Pouch.

Then, his expression abruptly shifted, revealing a look of startled disbelief.

He could clearly sense that the Black Banner inside his Vast Void Pouch was slowly disappearing, inch by inch.

It shifted from existence to nothingness. It did not even crumble into ash; it simply vanished from the Vast Void Pouch into thin air.

’He broke through the void and just left?’

Chen Lingxi was deeply astonished. The mysterious man was far too bizarre. He had quietly appeared from within the Black Banner, and after Chen Lingxi harvested the blood energy of those three thousand people, the man had simply left?

’In that case, didn’t I use my Absolute Perception Divine Ability for nothing?’ Chen Lingxi shook his head, sighing with emotion. ’This mysterious man has profound cultivation, yet he is someone who keeps his promises. Encountering a figure like him and obtaining the True Edict of Audencing the Dao to practice can be considered my good fortune.’

’Instead, it was me who judged the heart of a gentleman with the mind of a scoundrel.’

At this thought, Chen Lingxi suddenly frowned.

Everything was far too coincidental.

He had wanted to seize the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel, and right then, the mysterious man within the Black Banner had quietly awakened, assisting him with a beam of spiritual light to unleash a one-sided slaughter.

And now, he had easily obtained a profound physical divine ability like the True Edict of Audencing the Dao. It felt as though... all these fortuitous encounters had been waiting specifically for him.

’Am I truly someone with massive karmic luck, just like the protagonists in those theatrical novels?’

Chen Lingxi rubbed his chin, a smile breaking across his face.

’I shouldn’t overthink it. I am just a native of this Grotto-Heaven. My cultivation hasn’t even reached the Heaven-Facing Realm, and I still have to struggle bitterly just to survive.’

’How could a nobody like me be worth a mysterious expert plotting against?’

’Still, one can never be too cautious...’

Chen Lingxi looked up at the void. High above, the two bright mirrors still hung suspended. ’Inside the Absolute Perception Divine Chamber, I sacrificed three thousand lives to this mysterious man, obtaining the True Edict of Audencing the Dao in return.’

’Then what should I do in the real world?’

Chen Lingxi lowered his head to ponder, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

’Since this person is so enigmatic, if he wanted to act against me, I would have absolutely no power to stop him.’

’In that case, I might as well sacrifice three thousand lives to this mysterious man in the real world too. It’s just... there is no harm in haggling with him.’

’I could exchange them for other opportunities... such as a way to leave this Grotto-Heaven...’

Having made up his mind, Chen Lingxi closed his eyes to carefully study the True Edict of Audencing the Dao!

’There is also a dharma idol diagram within the True Edict of Audencing the Dao.’

Chen Lingxi analyzed it with his eyes closed. The dharma idol diagram was incredibly blurry, showing nothing more than a rough outline. The human figure etched onto it was merely a silhouette viewed from behind.

The silhouette radiated brilliance, seemingly brimming with Daoist wonders.

’Great Sage Yaotian’s Dao Audience Diagram...’

Sensing this highly obscured dharma idol diagram, Chen Lingxi slowly nodded. ’If I temporarily lack an expert or a natural spirit beast to visualize, I can just visualize this blurry Great Sage Yaotian’s Dao Audience Diagram.’

Although this Great Sage diagram was blurry, Chen Lingxi could still sense the layers of immense might hidden within it. It was absolutely extraordinary.

If he visualized this Great Sage diagram, he could remodel his physical body.

’But if even such a blurry image of someone’s back can be used for the True Edict of Audencing the Dao’s visualization, just who exactly is this Great Sage Yaotian?’

’If I could see such an expert with my own eyes, visualize him, and enshrine this Great Sage Yaotian into the inner divine palaces built by the True Edict of Audencing the Dao, my physical cultivation would undoubtedly advance by leaps and bounds.’

’Regardless, I have gained a great deal from this struggle to seize the cauldron.’

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged inside his cave dwelling.

His Absolute Perception lasted ten days, and at this point, not even a single day had passed.

Having activated the Absolute Perception Divine Ability this time, Chen Lingxi naturally had to make a trip to the Ancestral Mountain.

’Yuanjiang Prefecture is extremely close to the Capital. That is exactly why I fled all the way to Qinghua Province after killing those people.’

’But right now, I still do not know if the Great Li Imperial Court is aware of my location. If I rush in recklessly and end up ambushed by experts, I will likely waste this opportunity granted by my Absolute Perception.’

After thinking it over, Chen Lingxi activated his Vision Roaming Divine Ability. His consciousness sank into his divine sense, turning into a wisp of smoke that traveled thousands of miles away, heading straight for the imperial palace.

Deep within the imperial palace, inside a resplendent hall.

Emperor Daye sat upon his throne. His aura was somewhat sluggish, and he appeared to have aged even further.

Within the hall, both the Marquis of Purple Attire and Yuan Yuan were sitting cross-legged, their eyes closed in meditation as they healed their injuries.

From Emperor Daye’s perspective, countless threads of spiritual qi swirled and wound around their surroundings, forming something akin to a grand formation.

The two physical qi and blood experts sat right in the formation’s core. Billowing spiritual qi poured into their bodies, using some unique power to repair their flesh and replenish their vitality.

Even though neither of these men cultivated Qi Circulation, Emperor Daye was using a profound technique to heal their wounds.

Chen Lingxi waited quietly until the Vision Roaming shattered.

Chen Lingxi rested for two hours. At this moment, the mighty spiritual light on his body still hadn’t fully dispersed. Afraid of missing something important, he forcefully circulated his Vision Roaming Divine Ability once more, enduring the needle-like pain piercing his brain to plunge back into the vision.

As Chen Lingxi’s consciousness entered the hall again, he heard Yuan Yuan speaking.

”That Chen Lingxi... he has been hiding his abilities all along. His divine abilities and techniques are incredibly mixed. It’s impossible to tell his origins.”

Yuan Yuan was not wearing his mask at the moment. Viewing him through Emperor Daye’s perspective, Chen Lingxi was immediately shocked upon seeing Yuan Yuan’s face.

’Crown Prince Ying Chi?’

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

Chen Lingxi vividly remembered that Crown Prince Ying Chi had died by his hands. He had perished right there in the Nanju Twelve Mountains.

At the time, Crown Prince Ying Chi believed himself to be a reincarnator from the Southern Heaven Region, arriving in this world seeking truth and inquiring about the cauldrons.

Chen Lingxi had assumed that Emperor Daye had implanted the memories of Zhuo Fengxiu—the cultivator from the Southern Heaven Region—into Crown Prince Ying Chi’s mind.

Now, however, it seemed there was more to this matter than met the eye.

’Memories are one thing. Emperor Daye wields a cauldron vessel, allowing him to observe and fabricate the memories of others, or even implant those fabricated memories into their minds.’

’But this body...’

Chen Lingxi frowned, gazing at Yuan Yuan’s incredibly youthful face as doubt surfaced in his heart.

’Could it be that Emperor Daye can actually recreate physical bodies?’

As he pondered this, Emperor Daye slowly opened his eyes and said, ”The spells this person executes all belong to those he has killed. He has yet to reveal any divine abilities inherited from his own sect or immortal clan.”

”...We must... raise our guard against this person.”

The white-haired Marquis of Purple Attire and Yuan Yuan—or perhaps Crown Prince Ying Chi—bowed respectfully in acknowledgment.

Emperor Daye then asked, ”And where is Chen Lingxi now?”

The Marquis of Purple Attire replied, ”The Crown Prince’s Beast-Fighting Palace is currently still in the Nanju Twelve Mountains. It hasn’t moved at all. It seems Chen Lingxi has abandoned the Beast-Fighting Palace there.”

Chen Lingxi’s expression flickered. It was exactly as he had expected.

The Imperial Court’s people had seemingly used some secret technique to place a tracking formation on the Beast-Fighting Palace.

That was how the Imperial Court had been able to pinpoint his location.

If not for his Vision Roaming Divine Ability, he would probably still be wandering around with the Beast-Fighting Palace in tow, allowing the Imperial Court to track his every move even now.

’Knowing that Emperor Daye is using the Beast-Fighting Palace to determine my location is the best possible news.’

Chen Lingxi let out a long sigh of relief.

Upon hearing the Marquis of Purple Attire’s report, the expression on Emperor Daye’s aged face remained unchanged. ”We need only wait another two years...” Emperor Daye said slowly, his voice laced with age.

Yuan Yuan and the Marquis of Purple Attire listened respectfully.

Half a quarter-hour later, the Marquis of Purple Attire and Yuan Yuan seemed to have fully healed their injuries. They stood up and respectfully took their leave.

Just then, the woman who had been imprisoned in the hall by Emperor Daye—the same woman whose memories had been used to create the three Heavenly Boat women and Imperial Consort Chun—suddenly opened her eyes.

She looked silently toward Emperor Daye.