After the Great Dao Died

Stepping into this brand-new realm, the spiritual qi above Chen Lingxi’s Dao Platform had transformed into a long river of Dao Origin, flowing with slow, deliberate grace.

His aura grew increasingly profound, heavy, and mysterious.

As Chen Lingxi sensed the profound, mighty power of the Dao Origin resting upon his Plundering Dragon Dao Platform, his astonishment deepened.

The power contained within this Dao Origin seemed perfectly aligned with the profound mysteries of the Great Dao. Every single thread brimmed with might, vastly surpassing his previous spiritual qi.

’Great Divine Abilities, Dao Origin... no wonder I couldn’t contend with Dao Foundation cultivators even at Qi Circulation Peak Completion, despite holding the True Edict of Approaching the Dao, a profound spiritual qi foundation, and the Enemy-Slaughtering Spirit Wall.’

’With these two elements in play, the gap between a Qi Circulation cultivator and a Dao Foundation cultivator is simply too massive to bridge.’

Chen Lingxi’s eyes burned with intensity. As he sensed his own surging cultivation, a steady confidence took root within him.

Lightning flashed across his body. Atop his Thunder Prison Profound Root, a Weiji Thunder Flower had bloomed, radiating terrifying waves of lightning.

’When I first cultivated the Thunder Prison Heaven Great Divine Ability and refined the Thunder Prison Spirit Branch, I didn’t rely on the ordinary lightning within the branch. Instead, I absorbed the Weiji lightning from the Storm Immortal Pivot... Immortal pivot lightning has its own profound marvels. It will inevitably make me far stronger than other Thunder Prison Heaven cultivators.’

’Beyond that, now that I have formed my Dao Origin, my Palace Knocking Realm within the True Edict of Approaching the Dao can take another step forward.’

At this thought, Chen Lingxi raised his hand, and the Return to Void Sword Pagoda hovered above his palm once more.

He condensed streams of lightning sword qi out of thin air, letting them cascade into the Return to Void Sword Pagoda.

The three layers of the pagoda hummed with profound mystery as they refined the dense barrage of sword qi.

’With the Return to Void Sword Pagoda added to the mix, my combat strength will be unimaginable!’

’Furthermore...’

Chen Lingxi’s eyes flashed. He cast his divine sense into the Vast Void Pouch, settling it upon the Enemy-Slaughtering Spirit Wall.

The spirit wall already bore the engraved names of three individuals.

Zhao Duanxuan, Bai Lingze, and Liu Chengfeng.

’The Dao Foundation Realm, the Thunder Prison Great Divine Ability, and the compounded power of the Enemy-Slaughtering Spirit Wall!’

Murderous intent suddenly surged in Chen Lingxi’s eyes.

He pondered for a moment before closing his eyes. His consciousness sank deep into the Divine Chamber as he activated the Vision Roaming Divine Ability.

Within the Divine Chamber, a formless, intangible wisp of smoke drifted upward. It pierced through clouds and mist, crossing thousands of li of mountains and rivers to descend straight into the void above the Ancestral Mountain.

Then, Chen Lingxi laid eyes on a battlefield that had been reduced to an absolute purgatory.

A quarter of an hour later, Vision Roaming shattered. Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, rose to his feet, and rode a cloud into the distance!

—

The Mountains and Rivers Great Array!

Surrounding the three peaks of the Ancestral Mountain, stretching across a radius of hundreds of li, a towering, majestic grand array of spiritual light was in full operation.

The array used the entire Ancestral Mountain as its foundation, the surrounding twelve mountain ranges as its bones, and the winding, surging Yuanjiang River and its tributaries as its blood. Dense array patterns blanketed the heavens and the earth!

Spiritual light wove continuously across the grand array. Every time an array pattern flared to life, a profound and heavy Dao rhythm of the mountains and rivers rippled outward. It was as if the entire Ancestral Mountain, the twelve mountain ranges, and the countless rivers had all become an extension of this formation—their lifeblood perfectly linked to the person standing within it, sharing his fate.

Yet at this very moment, the Mountains and Rivers Great Array trembled violently.

In the void beyond the array, several figures flickered in and out of sight. They each occupied a corner of the sky, their auras as deep as the abyss and as oppressive as a prison.

With a flick of a finger, one figure called down monstrous flames from the heavens, searing the spiritual light of the Mountains and Rivers Great Array until it flickered wildly.

With a sweep of a sleeve, another sent thousands of sword shadows raining down like a torrential downpour, slashing against the array patterns and leaving countless fine cracks in their wake.

Yet another opened his mouth to unleash a howl, sending invisible, formless sound waves crashing against the grand array like turbulent tidal waves. Each crushing impact forced the array’s operations to a brief, shuddering halt.

The attacks were endless, as dense as a torrential storm. They carried terrifying might, crashing down upon the Mountains and Rivers Great Array in an overwhelming deluge.

Even with the earth vein power drawn from the Ancestral Mountain and the surrounding terrain, the grand array was buckling under the reckless, unrelenting bombardment. Its spiritual light grew dim, its array patterns loosened, and it showed faint signs of imminent collapse.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

’Emperor Daye truly is extraordinary. He lured those Dao Foundation experts over, then used the Mountains and Rivers Great Array to protect Xiao Changlv’s avatar... Between killing Ou Ningzi and breaking through to the Dao Foundation Realm, I spent over sixty days.’

’Yet he still hasn’t fallen. He is still holding on.’

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, his gaze pierced through the layered array patterns, falling upon the very center of the grand array.

There, nestled within a deep valley embraced by three mountain peaks, Xiao Changlv sat cross-legged.

His black robe was tattered beyond repair, revealing the knotted, iron-cast muscles beneath.

Dozens of shocking wounds crisscrossed his bronze skin in every direction.

Several distinct traces of Dao Origin lingered within those wounds, their residual might clashing and intertwining to prevent his flesh from healing. With every breath he took, fresh blood oozed from his injuries.

His aura had withered to its absolute limit. Compared to when Chen Lingxi had first left the Ancestral Mountain, he looked as if he were a completely different person.

Yet he continued to sit cross-legged, his spine straight as a pine. His eyes remained tightly shut, and he didn’t move an inch.

The terrifying, ocean-like vitality that once surged within him was nowhere to be seen.

He was holding his breath, silently treating his wounds.

Through the perspective of Vision Roaming, Chen Lingxi took in the sights surrounding the grand array one by one.

Terrifying auras that made the heart palpitate lay dormant in the void.

Zhao Duanxuan, Bai Lingze, Yu Jiangwei, Liu Chengfeng, Daoist Shu Rong...

These renowned figures each occupied a cloud, half-hidden within the mist.

Though they had ceased their frantic attacks, not a single one of them had left.

Further in the distance, a deeply unfamiliar aura caused Chen Lingxi to furrow his brows.

That aura belonged to a rooster.

The rooster boasted brilliant golden feathers and a crest as bright as fire!

Its crimson eyes were half-closed, but every time its eyelids fluttered, two streaks of terrifying energy flashed through its gaze.

The intensity of its aura was completely on par with any Dao Foundation avatar present on the battlefield.

On a nearby hilltop, a few newcomers from the Que Star Xi Family waited in silence.

Xi Yu was among them.

Her aura was incomparably deeper and thicker than it had been during the Battle of Cauldron Seizing. Impressively, she had already stepped into the Qi Circulation Eleventh Floor!

Such a blistering pace of cultivation would be considered astonishingly talented even among the Noble Sect Immortal Gates of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm.

Right at that moment, Xi Yu slowly opened her eyes.

She lifted her head, her gaze piercing the churning sea of clouds to land upon the Purple Qi Celestial Ranking towering in the sky.

Purple light swirled across the celestial ranking, illuminating a dense cluster of names.

Her gaze swept down the list, finally coming to a halt on the name ranked eleventh.

[Weiji Grotto-Heaven, Chen Lingxi].

The name hung on the celestial ranking like a rising star, demanding attention. It stood right alongside the names of the noble cultivators from the major powers of the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, refusing to be eclipsed by their prestige.

Xi Yu’s gaze lingered on the words ”Weiji Grotto-Heaven” for a long time.

No emotion betrayed her frost-like face; only the faintest ripple of light swirled deep within her profound eyes.

To think that Chen Lingxi had actually ascended to eleventh place on the celestial ranking.

Just a few years ago, he had been nothing more than a mortal youth she sensed in Willow Street Alley, someone who had long since faded into the ordinary crowd.

At the time, she had felt that their paths in life were already completely divergent.

Yet over the next few years, the man had shot upward like a meteor defying the heavens. First, he made his mark during the struggle for the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi, and then he shined brightly in the Battle of Cauldron Seizing. Now, he had claimed the eleventh rank on the celestial ranking, his lethality rivaling that of a Dao Foundation cultivator!

Closing her eyes, a flood of unbidden memories began to surface in her mind.

The fragmented memories of their childhood companionship had long been buried in the deepest depths of her Sea of Consciousness, rarely ever brought to light.

But now, those very scenes flashed through her mind like a spinning lantern.

The small courtyard in Willow Street Alley, the water well, the fleeting moments when she would chase after him, calling out, ”Brother Lingxi!”

Then her memories awakened, and she became the Xi Yu of today.

Chen Lingxi was supposed to be a trivial passerby on her long path of cultivation—destined to become mere kindling to forge Realm Essence within the Realm-Refining Furnace.

Yet as she saw his name hanging high on the celestial ranking with her own eyes, a surge of complex emotion quietly swelled within her.

”It is a pity... but he will die in the end.”

She shook her head slightly.

”Xi Yuan and Xi Mu both died by your hands. For you to die in the furnace is simply the turning of karma.”

She slowly withdrew her gaze, tearing her eyes away from the name on the celestial ranking.

And yet, deep within her cold eyes, that faint ripple of light refused to completely fade.

Just then, two figures appeared in the nearby void, standing shoulder to shoulder upon a thick bank of clouds.

The man on the left stood with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing a red-gold robe embroidered with intricate sun patterns in dark gold thread. A black jade belt wrapped around his waist. He possessed a towering, stalwart figure, standing easily more than two heads taller than an ordinary man.

Simply by standing there, he exuded a profound, mountainous presence that blanketed the area. It was an oppressive majesty that struck fear into anyone who looked upon him.

This man was none other than Zhao Duanxuan.

The external elder of the Que Star Xi Family, the first-ranked figure on the Celestial Ranking, and an avatar at the Dao Foundation Middle Stage!

The man on the right wore spotless white robes. His handsome face was almost demonic in its perfection, with eyebrows as light as faint smoke and eyes completely unmarred by the mortal world.

With one hand behind his back and the other resting casually at his side, the invisible tones of the Hymn of the Divine Being slowly circulated around him. The sonic waves manifested as profound truths, layering themselves over his body and making him look like a true immortal descending upon the mortal realm.

This man was none other than Bai Lingze.

The Dao Foundation genius of the Yutai Bai Family!

With the two of them standing side by side, the sheer presence they exuded was utterly terrifying.

Xiao Changlv, currently treating his wounds inside the Mountains and Rivers Great Array, might have once been just as imposing.

But right now, standing in comparison to them was like comparing a flickering candle in the wind to the blazing noon sun.

”This Xiao Changlv,” Zhao Duanxuan said. ”I originally thought he was just a local mortal of this Weiji Grotto-Heaven who lucked into some fortuitous encounters. Yet, much like Emperor Daye, he is actually able to wield the Mountains and Rivers Great Array of this realm... He must be connected to Emperor Daye.

”In fact, there is far more to this man’s oddities than I first imagined.”

He narrowed his eyes, locking his gaze onto Xiao Changlv. Faint light swirled deep within his pupils as he clearly activated some sort of investigative technique.

”The aura around him is remarkably ethereal, difficult to pin down.

”The sheer strength of his flesh and the density of his vitality are far closer to the physical cultivators native to this grotto-heaven...

”But can a physical cultivator truly reach such a level?”

He paused, his furrowed brows deepening. ”This Weiji Grotto-Heaven is nothing more than an abandoned realm drained of its spiritual essence. Yet it managed to produce two natives like Ying Xian and Chen Lingxi, and now we have this man as well!”

Zhao Duanxuan looked up at the purple-qi-wreathed celestial ranking in the sky before softly asking, ”Daoist Friend Bai, you clashed with Chen Lingxi back in the Nanche Prefecture City.

”From what you saw, is there anything peculiar about him?”

”His natural talent is absolutely extraordinary, and he is blessed with numerous fortuitous encounters,” Bai Lingze said. ”If he had been born in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, I’m afraid he would have the aptitude to reach the Golden Portal.”

”Because of that, I set traps to kill him several times, but he escaped with his life every single time.”

Zhao Duanxuan nodded slightly.

At that moment, Bai Lingze dropped the subject of Chen Lingxi and suddenly flicked his sleeve.

His wide white sleeve swept gently through the void. On the distant horizon, the churning sea of clouds abruptly parted.

Beyond the parted clouds, an incredibly intricate Great Ferrying Array could be seen slowly turning.

In the center of the array, a slender phantom slowly materialized from the turbulent currents of the void. With each passing second, it grew more solid and defined.

The phantom took the shape of a spindle—tapered at both ends and slightly wider in the middle, resembling a flying shuttle magnified countless times over.

Innumerable, intricate runes were carved across its surface, faintly combining to form a profoundly mystical restriction-breaking array.

This was a treasure.

Even as a projection that had yet to fully descend, the aura it emitted was enough to warp the surrounding void.

Bai Lingze gazed at the descending shuttle, a supremely confident smile spreading across his face.

”This is the Second-Grade Spiritual Artifact, the [Wall-Breaking Shuttle],” he said leisurely, making no attempt to disguise the arrogance in his voice.

”Even among the vast treasury of my Yutai Bai Family, this item is anything but ordinary. It specializes in shattering all manner of array formations and restrictions.

”Never mind this grand array founded on the mountains and rivers—even the protective arrays that the aristocratic immortal clans spent a thousand years constructing wouldn’t last more than a few hours against this shuttle, provided a powerful expert was driving it.”

He withdrew his gaze and looked toward Xiao Changlv, who was still quietly treating his wounds within the grand array. Bai Lingze’s smile grew even more assured.

”The only reason he and Emperor Daye can act so brazenly in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven is because they rely on the grand array to draw upon the power of the heavenly and earthly veins. That is the only reason they have survived the combined siege of our avatars until now.

”But since his survival hinges on this Mountains and Rivers Great Array, the solution is simple.

”Once we shatter this grand array, he will lose his greatest crutch. By then, he will be completely at our mercy, like fish meat on the cutting board.”

Zhao Duanxuan nodded slowly at these words.

While he somewhat disliked the bone-deep arrogance Bai Lingze radiated, he had to admit that the man possessed the qualifications to back it up.

The Yutai Bai Family had stood unshakeable in the Nine Quarters Great Domain for eight thousand years. Even the Que Star Xi Family had to show a healthy amount of fear toward the sheer depth of their foundations.

Since the Wall-Breaking Shuttle was a Second-Grade Spiritual Artifact, and the Bai Family had deliberately projected it through the Great Ferrying Array, its power would certainly be staggering.

Seeing him agree, Bai Lingze’s smile widened.

He turned his head, his gaze piercing the churning mist to settle on another cloud.

There, Xi Yu sat cross-legged.