After the Great Dao Died

A year slipped quietly by.

Chen Lingxi spent the time cultivating on the barren mountain. As he refined those twelve profound mechanisms to nurture the Myriad Breeding Dao-Seeding Marvelous Lotus Qi, he also used Vision Roaming on Lin Suri and Emperor Daye.

By now, Chen Lingxi had refined eleven of the twelve profound mechanisms.

The precious qi had grown to more than twice its former size.

It circulated slowly within his Qi Sea, forming a faint, ethereal connection with his Sea of Consciousness.

This connection seemed to tell him...

something was quietly gestating within the precious qi.

The gestating entity was intimately tied to his vitality, its aura connected to his very soul.

It was like an unformed fetus curled in the womb, greedily absorbing nutrients as it waited to ripen and fall from the vine.

”Three souls and seven physical spirits...” Chen Lingxi muttered, slowly opening his eyes.

A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth.

”If it matures... it will be a second life.”

”I just... have no idea how much more spiritual energy this precious qi needs to fully mature.”

Chen Lingqi shook his head and resumed his secluded cultivation.

Naturally, he never forgot his Vision Roaming during his breaks from cultivation.

A year was neither long nor short; Emperor Daye remained in secluded cultivation.

Lin Suri, however, was busy working with several figures from the Under-Dao Academy to construct the ferrying array.

A dozen days later, after finishing his cultivation session, Chen Lingxi used Vision Roaming on Lin Suri as usual.

He closed his eyes and circulated his Vision Roaming Divine Ability.

His perspective drifted down to that familiar snowy peak, where he saw Lin Suri sitting cross-legged at the summit, eyes closed as he focused on his breathing.

The aura surrounding Lin Suri was much deeper and thicker than a month ago. As he circulated the Six Qi True Method, dense spiritual qi surged within his body.

His cultivation was not far from Ninth Floor Consummation; he was only half a step away from touching the threshold of the Tenth Floor.

Seeing that Lin Suri was cultivating, Chen Lingxi was just about to end his Vision Roaming.

However, Lin Suri suddenly stood up, stepped onto a cloud, and ascended into the sea of clouds.

Amidst the churning mist of that cloud sea, a figure slowly revealed itself.

It was Daoist Shu Rong, Chi Jianshu.

Her avatar’s injuries had long since healed. Her crimson robes fluttered gently in the wind. Though the phantom of the Big Dipper had yet to manifest above her head, the abyssal Dao Origin pressure radiating from her was several degrees heavier than it had been months prior.

Sitting there, she resembled a towering mountain, radiating an immensely heavy might.

Deep in the mist behind her, two other figures could faintly be seen.

One had a tall, slender build and a handsome face—it was Jiang Xiu. The other possessed beautiful features and a gentle temperament—this was Wei Qingran.

The two sat cross-legged within the clouds with their eyes tightly shut. Spiritual qi surged around them as they channeled some highly profound joint-attack formation.

The formation had not yet fully taken shape, but profound light was already darting and flashing through the mist, emitting a terrifying pressure that made one’s heart palpitate.

Lin Suri walked up to Daoist Shu Rong and bowed respectfully.

”Martial Aunt.”

Daoist Shu Rong nodded slightly and opened her eyes.

Lin Suri straightened up and said in a low voice, ”Martial Aunt, this disciple came to ask... regarding the Great Divine Ability the Academy promised Daoist Brother Chen...”

Hearing this, Daoist Shu Rong felt a wave of helplessness.

In recent days, Lin Suri had come to ask about this matter almost every ten days.

However, she knew that Lin Suri valued loyalty. Chen Lingxi had truly done him a great favor, and the Dao Palace owed him a debt of gratitude as well.

She replied, ”Your Martial Uncle Mingzhu has already gone to seek out the Thunder Pool. There will be a result soon.”

Daoist Shu Rong paused slightly before adding, ”Set your mind at ease. The Thunder Pool owes our Pool Soul Courtyard a favor. This trip will definitely secure that Great Divine Ability.”

Lin Suri nodded, though a look of worry remained in his eyes.

Watching this, Chen Lingxi felt quite grateful to his ”Daoist Brother Lin.”

At this moment, Chi Jianshu changed the subject with a smile. ”There has been further progress with the ferrying array.”

Lin Suri looked up.

Daoist Shu Rong lightly turned her right hand in the air.

Brilliant starlight suddenly flared between her slender, pale fingers.

As the starlight flowed, an indescribably profound aura emanated from her fingers, as imposing as a mountain and as deep as the ocean.

The starlight gathered and condensed, growing thicker and more corporeal until it transformed into a Jade Ruyi in her palm.

The Jade Ruyi was about a foot long and as lustrously white as suet. Its handle was carved into the shape of the Big Dipper, its seven stars inlaid with silver wire that radiated a unique starlight.

The head of the scepter was shaped like a blooming flower, unfurling a profound aura of its own.

Chen Lingxi’s pupils suddenly shrank.

Even through the perspective of Vision Roaming, he could clearly sense the terrifying might contained within that Jade Ruyi.

’This must be a Spiritual Artifact,’ Chen Lingxi guessed.

”This is the Big Dipper Jade Ruyi,” Daoist Shu Rong said, resting the Jade Ruyi in her palm.

”This item was originally a relic of my senior martial brother. It accompanied his cultivation for hundreds of years. It has long shared a telepathic connection and linked qi vessels with him, making them inseparable.”

Daoist Shu Rong looked up, her gaze falling upon Lin Suri. ”This Big Dipper Jade Ruyi is a Second Grade Spiritual Artifact with extraordinary power. Projecting it here will be enough to help me defeat Emperor Daye.”

Hearing this, the worry on Lin Suri’s face eased slightly.

He was just about to speak when Daoist Shu Rong continued, ”However... Emperor Daye has exposed the location of the Immortal Slough. Now, in this Great Xuanzhuo Realm, Emperor Daye is not the only one contending against our Under-Dao Academy.”

”Who knows how many experts have quietly descended upon this Grotto-Heaven over the past year. We still need to be careful...”

Before Daoist Shu Rong could finish speaking!

At this exact moment—

Within the turbulent void currents outside the Grotto-Heaven, a beam of purple light suddenly shot into the sky!

This purple light was incredibly profound, seemingly containing unimaginable Dao wonders as it pierced straight into the void.

Simultaneously... in a dilapidated small city, an old beggar revealed a faint smile, two beams of purple radiance shining from his eyes.

The purple light was so intense, it looked as if two purple stars had been embedded in the old beggar’s eye sockets.

That purple light pierced through ten thousand zhang of the void, cutting through layers of clouds and every obstacle within this Grotto-Heaven, merging with the purple light in the turbulent void currents before shining directly upon the Grotto-Heaven’s sky!

Even through the perspective of Vision Roaming, Chen Lingxi could clearly sense the profundity of this purple radiance!

Ripples suddenly spread across the clear, washed-blue autumn sky.

Wherever the brilliant purple light passed, the white clouds were dyed purple and the blue sky was coated in a faint violet glow. It was as if someone had unrolled a boundless purple brocade across the heavens.

Immediately after, countless dense runes circulated within a golden light, eventually transforming into a massive stone stele... that stretched across the sky!

The stele was an unknown number of zhang tall. Suspended above the clouds, it resembled an inverted purple canopy, firmly drawing the gazes of all cultivators within the Grotto-Heaven.

On the stele, countless flashing purple tadpole-like characters slowly drifted!

Right at the top of the stele, four massive purple characters boldly revealed themselves, containing indescribable fundamental truths and Dao wonders.

[Weiji Grotto-Heaven]!

Daoist Shu Rong looked up, gazing at the colossal golden roll spanning heaven and earth, a gleam flashing through her eyes.

”Celestial Ranking!” Daoist Shu Rong spoke softly. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an irrepressible sense of astonishment.

Celestial Ranking?

Chen Lingxi was shocked. He immediately realized this might be the profound manifestation of a Cauldron Vessel.

Daoist Shu Rong continued to murmur to herself, ”A Celestial Ranking has descended upon this Grotto-Heaven... For the many figures competing for the Immortal Slough and Cauldron Vessels this time, an unpredictable spiritual opportunity has just been added.”

Before she even finished speaking, she raised her head again. Her gaze pierced through the layers of purple light, looking toward the Celestial Ranking.

By now, the clouds and mist in front of the Celestial Ranking had completely dissipated.

Chen Lingxi stared closely at the Celestial Ranking and took a deep breath.

He had been on the path of cultivation for several years and had seen much of the world. He had witnessed the earth-shattering battles of Dao Foundation cultivators, the imposing might of experts descending from the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, and the profound, mighty power of Cauldron Vessels.

Yet, the sight before him still shook his mind, leaving him unable to extricate himself.

’Weiji Grotto-Heaven?’

’I suppose [Weiji] is the name of this Grotto-Heaven,’ Chen Lingxi guessed.

At this moment...

On the Celestial Ranking, below the four massive characters, names were slowly emerging one by one.

These names were engraved in purple light with vigorous strokes, each character carrying the weight of ten thousand jun. It was as if someone had used the stars as ink and the void as paper, wielding a brush across the heavens.

Every time a name appeared, it was accompanied by an incredibly profound fluctuation of spiritual energy, as if the name itself resonated ineffably with this world.

Chen Lingxi’s gaze swept over the names, his shock growing with each one he read.

The first figure was impressively: [Que Star Xi Family’s Zhao Duanxuan]!

The name was carved at the very top of the golden roll in resplendent golden tadpole characters. Every stroke was sharply defined, as if chiseled by a knife or split by an axe. An imposing aura capable of suppressing all creation naturally exuded from between the lines, inspiring awe and dread.

The Que Star Xi Family was precisely the sovereign of this Grotto-Heaven.

’It seems the names on this Celestial Ranking belong to the many experts currently within the Grotto-Heaven.’

’The Que Star Xi Family appears to possess special power. The strongest person in the Grotto-Heaven right now is a figure from their clan.’

Chen Lingxi continued reading.

The second person was: [Yutai Bai Family’s Bai Lingze].

The third person: [Zhuran Star’s Yu Jiangwei].

The fourth person: [Zhuming Grotto-Heaven’s Daoist Zhuxu].

The fifth person: [Weiji Grotto-Heaven’s Ying Xian].

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow.

Emperor Daye only ranked fifth?

Puzzled, he continued to read on.

The sixth person was unexpectedly: [Under-Dao Academy’s Chi Jianshu].

Seeing this, Chen Lingxi felt greatly surprised.

Chi Jianshu possessed extraordinary combat prowess, and now she had the augmentation of the Big Dipper Jade Ruyi. Yet she only ranked sixth on this Celestial Ranking?

The seventh person: [Dragon-Revering Sect’s Liu Chengfeng].

...

Chen Lingxi’s gaze swept down line by line.

The text appeared row after row, until the names densely packed the Celestial Ranking.

Chen Lingxi’s eyes skimmed over many names until he spotted two familiar ones.

Jiang Xiu and Wei Qingran.

The names of these two Under-Dao Academy disciples hung in the middle section of the Celestial Ranking—one at thirty-first, the other at thirty-ninth. Both of their cultivations were at the Twelve Floors of Qi Circulation. Even among these forty-odd experts, they were not considered the absolute bottom tier.

Names continued to appear on the Celestial Ranking.

Chen Lingxi’s gaze traveled further down.

Then, his breath hitched abruptly...

He saw his own name!

There on the Celestial Ranking, the forty-ninth name was none other than—[Chen Lingxi].

The moment that name surfaced, Chen Lingxi felt a strange spiritual energy suddenly beam down from the Celestial Ranking in the sky above. It transformed into an invisible golden pillar of light that pierced straight into his body.

The pillar of light descended into his body, dropping into his Qi Sea and transforming into a dense spiritual energy that entrenched itself there!

’This Celestial Ranking... actually possesses such power.’

Even while using Vision Roaming, Chen Lingxi could clearly sense the changes in his own body.

’This spiritual energy is no less than a miraculous elixir. I’m afraid the pills spat out by the Gold-Swallowing Toad after devouring the Crown Prince’s Beast-Fighting Palace were only on this level! Is this the Celestial Ranking spiritual opportunity Daoist Shu Rong spoke of?’

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

’Just what kind of treasure is this Celestial Ranking... to be able to drop spiritual energy out of thin air and bestow it upon those on the roll?’

As he was marveling, he suddenly heard the voice of Daoist Shu Rong, Chi Jianshu, slowly drifting over from the distant snowy peak.

”The Celestial Ranking has descended. Right now, its rankings are merely determined by realm, and by the strength and density of one’s Dao Origin and spiritual qi.”

As she spoke, she surprisingly stood up. Her crimson robes fluttered in the wind as she looked up at the golden roll in the sky, her gaze landing on the fourth name: [Zhuming Grotto-Heaven’s Daoist Zhuxu].

”Take that Loose Cultivator from Zhuming Grotto-Heaven, for example. He usurps the fourth rank! Regardless of the origins of his true body, his avatar in this world is merely on par with my own. If I defeat him, take his place, and ascend to the fourth rank on the golden roll, I can receive another profound mechanism bestowed by the golden roll.”

Saying this, a sharp light flashed through her eyes. The starlight around her abruptly flared, and the phantom of the Big Dipper flickered into view above her head, pulsing with a piercingly cold gleam.

”The profound mechanisms of the Celestial Ranking—every bestowment contains extraordinarily profound spiritual energy and Dao wonders. Even in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, it would be considered a significant spiritual opportunity. Here in this Grotto-Heaven, I can use these profound mechanisms to elevate my avatar’s combat prowess, all the better to seize the Immortal Slough! And the Cauldron Vessels!”

Turning her head, she said to the other three, ”Wait here quietly. I will return shortly.”

Before her voice faded, a streak of starlight beneath her feet transformed into a long rainbow. It carried her figure skyward, piercing through the sea of clouds and speeding off into the extreme distance.

The Vision Roaming shattered.

Back in the King of the East’s Traveling Palace on Cuojin Mountain, Chen Lingxi slowly awakened from his Vision Roaming state.

He opened his eyes, a hint of excitement actually lingering in his gaze.

”Celestial Ranking... Weiji Grotto-Heaven...” he muttered to himself. He slowly stood up, walked out of the King of the East’s Traveling Palace, and stood at the summit, raising his head to gaze at the distant sky.

High above, that colossal Celestial Ranking spanning heaven and earth still stood tall and majestic. The densely packed names on the golden roll continued to drift slowly, pulsing with a heart-palpitating ancient Dao rhythm.

Chen Lingxi suddenly recalled that this was not the first time he had heard of this Celestial Ranking.

’When I used Vision Roaming on Liu Changle before, I heard a disciple from Sun Observation Peak mention the [Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll]! This Celestial Ranking must definitely share the same origin as that Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll.’

Chen Lingxi stood in silence for a long time before a smile suddenly touched the corners of his mouth.

”To think there is such a profound treasure,” he murmured to himself. ”Able to bestow profound mechanisms out of thin air, rank people by name, and grant spiritual energy and Dao wonders. Such methods are beyond the reckoning of ordinary cultivators. It must be an extraordinary Cauldron Vessel.”

”I just don’t know whether this Celestial Ranking manifested on its own because the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth sensed this realm’s providence, or if it is being secretly controlled by some unknowable mighty figure?”