After the Great Dao Died

Chen Lingxi returned from the snowy peak to Cuojin Mountain.

His gaze was heavy and his aura deep, his thoughts still lingering on Lin Suri’s recent words.

’There is no need to overthink it. It must be Bai Lingze plotting against me.’

Chen Lingxi furrowed his brows. ’During the Battle of Cauldron Seizing, this person manifested from the jade pendant at Xi Yu’s waist. It must have been a treasure for projection or creating an avatar.’

’At that time, I was blessed by that spiritual light and possessed extraordinary killing power, yet I still failed to stop Bai Lingze from taking Xi Yu away... If a mere avatar is this tyrannical, his true body in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm must be even more powerful.’

’Furthermore... Bai Lingze used the Great Divine Ability of his clan elder, Golden Palace True Person Bai Qingjiao, to scheme against me. I don’t know what kind of method this is, but how could a figure like a Golden Palace True Person easily intervene for a junior?’

’It is probably another magical treasure that borrows a clan elder’s Great Divine Ability.’

Chen Lingxi pondered this, then shook his head slightly.

’Bai Lingze wants to kill me with a Great Divine Ability, yet I have no idea where his avatar is...’

’Since he failed to kill me this time, he will definitely strike again. The most pressing matter is still to raise my cultivation. Otherwise, if he uses any more treacherous methods, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist.’

Chen Lingxi turned his head and glanced at Chu Liaocang’s head in a nearby corner.

The demon’s head had been sealed by Chen Lingxi’s spiritual qi, its eyes tightly shut.

Chen Lingxi had not killed Chu Liaocang; he had his own plans and would find another use for him later.

He thus continued his cultivation.

They say there is no time in cultivation; half a year drifted quietly by.

Deep within the main hall of the King of the East’s Traveling Palace on Cuojin Mountain, Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on that red sandalwood throne. Spiritual qi flowed continuously around his body, becoming increasingly vigorous and dense.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Within his Qi Sea, the surging spiritual qi had more than doubled in size. It now looked like a small river rolling and flowing within.

Over this past half-year, he had remained inside the King of the East’s Traveling Palace. The cultivation speed of his Spiritual Aperture Aptitude was inherently extremely fast. Coupled with the Pure Wondrous Qi Pivot Array he had set up in the palace long ago, he seized the heavy spiritual qi within it and continuously refined it.

Of course, the most crucial reason was the precious pill produced after the Gold-Swallowing Toad devoured the Crown Prince’s Beast-Fighting Palace.

The vigorous medicinal power of this precious pill floated within his Qi Sea.

Through half a year of cultivation, he completely digested the pill’s medicinal power, pushing his cultivation base to Qi Circulation Tenth Floor Perfection. He was just the final kick away from the Eleventh Floor’s Realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown.

In addition, the Palace Knocking Realm of the True Edict of Approaching the Dao had been completely consolidated. Inside his Inner Divine Palace, the phantom of Great Sage Yaotian breathed in and out day and night, constantly tempering Chen Lingxi’s physical body.

Chen Lingxi’s physical body grew even more tyrannical.

It was now the height of summer.

Aside from his daily cultivation, Chen Lingxi naturally used Vision Roaming every day to observe Emperor Daye and Lin Suri.

Using Vision Roaming on Lin Suri was naturally to check the progress of the Heaven-Fishing Grand Array, and to see whether Lin Suri’s martial aunt, Daoist Shu Rong, had completely projected her descent.

In the Imperial Palace where Emperor Daye resided, there had been no anomalies for many days.

Emperor Daye kept his eyes closed to heal his injuries, as if he were also consolidating his cultivation.

Spiritual qi, dense to the extreme, fell continuously from that grand array into the palace where Emperor Daye was located, making Chen Lingxi quite envious.

The spiritual qi gathered by an array of this caliber was likely countless times stronger than the second layer of his Pure Wondrous Qi Pivot Array Formation.

They simply could not be compared on the same terms.

On this day, Chen Lingxi used Vision Roaming on Emperor Daye as usual. Suddenly, his mind stirred.

’Today... is somewhat different.’

In the past, because the emperor was likely in secluded cultivation, Chen Lingxi could often see nothing but pitch blackness.

But today, Emperor Daye’s gaze fell outside the palace, settling on that profound grand array.

Chen Lingxi followed Emperor Daye’s gaze.

Within that grand array, he saw densely packed, intertwined threads of spiritual qi madly gathering toward a single point, converging as all rivers run into the sea.

At that convergence point, the faint outline of a flower could be seen.

The flower had exactly nine leaves. Their veins resembled natural runes, flashing with a cyan radiance. It did not look like a mortal object at all.

Most importantly, at the pistil of this flower, a cluster of spiritual light flashed continuously, undergoing some kind of cycle.

The spiritual light would start off quite faint, then grow blazing, and finally wither away.

This cycle repeated endlessly.

It seemed to embody the principles of development and growth for the myriad things between heaven and earth.

Right at this moment, Emperor Daye reached out a hand, stretching toward this flower in the void’s array!

Chen Lingxi’s pupils shrank slightly.

’Is Emperor Daye... going to take that divine ability spiritual object?’

He had previously heard the conversation between the female cultivator of Lotus Pool Manor and Emperor Daye during Vision Roaming. He knew that Emperor Daye was using the Immortal Slough as a foundation to construct a grand array, nurturing a flower in the sky above the Imperial Palace.

That flower was precisely the divine ability spiritual object needed to cultivate the [Heavenly Decline Law], a Dao Foundation Great Divine Ability.

Once that flower matured, Emperor Daye could harvest it, master a second Dao Foundation Great Divine Ability, transform the Heavenly Decline Law into a second Profound Root, plant it into his Dao Platform, and step into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage in one fell swoop!

’Emperor Daye at the Early Dao Foundation was already that tyrannical, suppressing three Under-Dao Academy projection avatars with Twelfth Floor Qi Circulation combat power with a single palm, and even killing one of them on the spot.’

’If he steps into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage, just how formidable will he be?’

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, suppressing the churning thoughts in his mind.

His perspective shifted, and he saw Emperor Daye, Ying Xian, sitting upright on the dragon throne upon the high platform.

He still maintained that aged appearance, looking no different from the decrepit mortals of the secular world.

Only the two clusters of golden flames in his eyes were leaping vigorously.

Within the hall, Emperor Daye had already reached out, stretching his hand distantly toward the flower.

In an instant, those numerous threads of spiritual qi trembled incessantly before scattering away, as if unbinding themselves.

That flower suspended in the exact center of the grand array slowly drifted over, falling into the palace and floating right in the middle of the hall.

Emperor Daye stood up.

He walked shakily down the high platform, reaching the center of the hall, and raised his head.

The flower stopped, hovering three chi above his head.

The canopies on the nine leaves lit up simultaneously. Cyan radiance shuttled and flowed continuously across the runic leaves.

The cluster of spiritual light in the exact center of the pistil grew increasingly brilliant, emitting an indescribable, profound aura.

”The Heavenly Decline Law...”

”Shangshe Ruanle Dao, the Dao of Order and Chaos.”

Emperor Daye muttered to himself, slowly raising his hand to grasp this flower in his palm!

The moment the flower entered his hand, a sudden change occurred in the hall.

An indescribable sense of decay began to permeate from Emperor Daye’s body.

That intent of decay was extremely profound; even as Chen Lingxi witnessed this scene, he couldn’t comprehend it at all.

Right at this moment, an astonishing scene appeared in Chen Lingxi’s Vision Roaming.

Under the erosion of this decaying intent, the exquisite red sandalwood pillars in the hall began to develop cracks, with wood shavings falling continuously.

The suet white jade bricks on the ground also lost their lustrous sheen, becoming a dusty gray, just like ordinary rocks.

Even the dragon robe on Emperor Daye’s body took on a mottled, dark yellow hue at this moment, as if it had been eroded by hundreds of years of time.

Emperor Daye closed his eyes and sat cross-legged. Cradling the flower in his hands, he began to refine this Dao Foundation divine ability spiritual object!

Chen Lingxi quietly watched this scene, his thoughts surging!

’It really is like this. Emperor Daye is indeed going to cultivate a second Dao Foundation Great Divine Ability.’

He couldn’t help but feel worried.

’Once Emperor Daye successfully refines this flower, plants the Profound Root, and steps into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage, who in this Qi-Depleted Grotto-Heaven could possibly be his match?’

’I’m afraid that even if the projection of Daoist Shu Rong completely descends, she might not necessarily be able to defeat Emperor Daye at the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.’

’More importantly... Emperor Daye is definitely still plotting against me. Once he steps into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage and emerges from seclusion, with my current cultivation base, I will be nothing more than a higher-jumping grasshopper to him. I absolutely won’t be able to escape his palm!’

Chen Lingxi immediately exited his Vision Roaming state. He opened his eyes, his brows knitted tightly.

He remained silent for a moment, then urged his divine sense, switching the target of his Vision Roaming to Lin Suri.

Atop the snowy peak, heavy snow was drifting through the air.

Lin Suri still maintained his calm and composed appearance. With a handsome face and dressed in a brocade robe, he sat cross-legged at the summit of the snowy mountain, meditating with his eyes closed.

The Six Qi True Method ran a grand circulation cycle within his body. Meanwhile, it seemed some extremely profound spirit-gathering grand array had been set up atop this snowy peak.

The dense spiritual qi within it had almost condensed into a mist.

The aura around his body was much deeper and thicker than it had been half a year ago. He had impressively already stepped into the realm of the Qi Circulation Ninth Floor.

Chen Lingxi secretly clicked his tongue in wonder.

’No wonder Daoist Shu Rong once said that Lin Suri possesses the aptitude for the Golden Portal. I have so many fortuitous encounters blessing me, as well as my Spiritual Aperture Aptitude, yet that’s the only reason I cultivate at this speed.’

’But although Lin Suri’s cultivation speed is inferior to mine, it is still astonishingly fast.’

He shook his head, then borrowed Lin Suri’s perspective to gaze out at the distant sea of clouds.

That Heaven-Fishing Grand Array suspended in the sea of clouds was even more massive than it had been half a year ago.

In the exact center of the grand array, that churning black hole vortex had already become much more solid.

Chen Lingxi then looked directly behind this black hole vortex.

There, he saw a crimson figure sitting cross-legged.

It was none other than Lin Suri’s martial aunt, Daoist Shu Rong.

As early as a month ago, this Daoist Shu Rong had already completely projected her descent, her avatar becoming just like an ordinary person.

At this time, she sat cross-legged in another patch of heavy clouds and mist, her eyes tightly shut.

The aura radiating from her body was intensely strong, and unexpectedly, there was Dao Origin flowing within it!

This avatar that Daoist Shu Rong had projected impressively also possessed the Dao Foundation Realm!

She simply sat there quietly, and it was as if this Heaven-Fishing Grand Array had gained a soul, its operation becoming increasingly smooth and exquisite.

This Daoist Shu Rong was currently completing the Heaven-Fishing Grand Array!

Through Lin Suri’s perspective, Chen Lingxi could see that Lin Suri was currently raising his head, gazing at that Heaven-Fishing Grand Array.

Right at this moment, that Martial Aunt in Red, Daoist Shu Rong, slowly opened her eyes.

Taking a step forward, she walked out from the mist, stopping beside Lin Suri and standing with her hands behind her back.

”Martial Aunt.” Lin Suri stood up and bowed to Daoist Shu Rong.

Daoist Shu Rong gave a slight nod, though her gaze pierced through the layers of clouds and mist to land in the distance.

”I have comprehended most of the grand array surrounding that Immortal Slough,” she said. ”Now that my projection avatar is complete, it will only take a bit more time to finish this Heaven-Fishing Grand Array, and then we can fish out that Immortal Slough.”

Chen Lingxi’s heart suddenly stirred.

He exited Vision Roaming, opened his eyes, and sat upright on the red sandalwood throne in the King of the East’s Traveling Palace, silent for a moment.

Then, he stood up.

’No matter what, I cannot let Emperor Daye advance to the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.’

Making this calculation in his mind, he circulated his Cloud Soaring Technique. His figure rose from the ground, transforming into a streak of cloud qi mixed with pale gold lightning, and tore through the layers of clouds as he flew toward the snowy mountain where Lin Suri was located.

It wasn’t long before that towering snowy peak was in sight.

Chen Lingxi lowered his cloud from a distance to show his manners.

Daoist Shu Rong, Jiang Xiu, and Wei Qingran—these three Dao Palace cultivators were currently completing the Heaven-Fishing Grand Array. Each performed their duties as spiritual qi and Dao Origin continuously rose.

Right at this moment, the three of them sensed someone approaching almost simultaneously.

Daoist Shu Rong raised an eyebrow slightly. With a sweep of her sleeve, she summoned clouds and mist, completely concealing the traces of the three of them as well as the grand array.

Lin Suri, who was sitting cross-legged at the summit practicing his breathing, sensed that familiar aura, opened his eyes, and stood up.

A faint smile appeared on his face as he cupped his hands from afar toward the figure slowly walking over.

”Brother Chen.”

Chen Lingxi cupped his hands in return and smiled. ”We haven’t seen each other for half a year, but I never expected Daoist Brother Lin to have already stepped into the Ninth Floor!”

The two of them then sat facing each other on a prominent boulder at the peak of the snowy mountain.

Seeing Chen Lingxi’s solemn expression, Lin Suri asked, ”Daoist Brother, for what matter have you come here?”

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged, looking directly at Lin Suri. ”I wonder if I can trust you, Daoist Brother?”

Lin Suri was slightly taken aback, but soon a somewhat sincere smile appeared on his face.

He set down the teacup in his hand and bowed to Chen Lingxi. ”You have saved my life twice, Daoist Brother, and resolved my peril on Ancestral Mountain. How could I, Lin, not trust you?

”If Daoist Brother fears I am not trustworthy enough, I am willing to go out and procure a Jade Precept Book to sign with you, thereby proving my intentions.”

Normally, Lin Suri’s facial expressions were extremely plain, but whenever he saw Chen Lingxi, he offered plenty of smiles.

Chen Lingxi nodded gently and said, ”Daoist Brother, ever since I was reincarnated here and embarked on Truth-Seeking, I have frequently dreamed of many astonishing things.

”I dreamed of a great river flowing past above my head. Within that river, many secretive matters frequently drifted along, and I have benefited greatly from it!”

Lin Suri’s expression changed slightly.

In the sea of clouds in the void, the mist was slowly flowing.

Chen Lingxi’s eyes held a hazy look, and his tone carried a sigh as he slowly recounted.

”From that river of dreams, I saw that Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi was about to emerge.”

”From that river, I saw the location of the Immortal Slough.”

His voice grew even deeper.

”From that river, I saw Emperor Daye cultivate a Great Divine Ability and step into the Dao Foundation Realm. His Dao Origin was at its zenith, as blazing as the midday sun...”

At this point in his words, he paused slightly, his gaze intentionally or otherwise sweeping across that patch of heavy clouds and mist not far away on the snowy peak.

Lin Suri’s expression shifted slightly, and he likewise glanced at the heavy clouds and mist.

Waves immediately surged within the clouds and mist, rolling dynamically.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged, unmoving like a mountain.

”I saw Daoist Brother Lin form a grand array, and I saw many powerful cultivators walk out from it, their imposing aura blazing and their oppressive might like a prison...”

Lin Suri took a deep breath. ”Brother Chen... you...”

Right at this moment, that patch of heavy clouds and mist not far away suddenly churned violently.