After the Great Dao Died

As Chen Lingxi pondered, he drew that set of three souls and seven corporeal souls back into his body, resuming his cultivation with the Immortal Slough and circulating the Dragon-Stripping Dao-Transforming One Qi True Incantation to nourish his Profound Root.

Nourished by this majestic burst of spiritual essence, the Thunder Prison Profound Root trembled wildly, absorbing every strand of energy that surged into it.

The Weiji Thunder Radiance coursing through the Profound Root grew ever brighter, until it resembled an ignited tree of lightning growing fiercely atop his Dao Platform.

Additionally, Chen Lingxi drew upon the Immortal Slough’s essence to cultivate the True Edict of Approaching the Dao.

He had already mastered the first three profound mechanisms of the Palace Knocking Realm: Great Sage Breathing, Heaven-Inviting Momentum, and the Palace-Knocking Finger.

Now, under the majestic deluge of the Immortal Slough’s essence, he finally brushed the threshold of the Palace Knocking Realm’s final profound mechanism.

That mechanism was known as the [Great Sage Precious Phase].

Once mastered, he could use a Great Sage’s aura to condense a phantom image of the precious phase, layering it over his physical body.

It contained the terrifying, majestic power of a Great Sage—offensively capable of shattering mountains and uprooting peaks, and defensively rendering him immune to myriad spells.

More importantly, the Great Sage Precious Phase resonated with the Heaven-Inviting Momentum and the Palace-Knocking Finger, perfectly complementing them. Once unleashed together, the combined power of the three Great Sage mechanisms would surge to an absolutely terrifying degree.

Sitting cross-legged on the purple sandalwood throne, Chen Lingxi was wreathed in intertwining arcs of lightning and golden light, radiating a terrifying, heart-palpitating pressure.

Within the Inner Divine Palace inside his body, the phantom of Great Sage Yaotian slowly opened its eyes, faint starlight swirling within their abyssal depths.

Time slipped away in this silent, steadfast cultivation.

Half a year rushed by.

On this day, Chen Lingxi opened his eyes.

Upon his Plundering Dragon Dao Platform, that Profound Root had grown into a towering tree, surging with rolling streams of Dao Origin.

Meanwhile, within the crude Inner Divine Palace of the True Edict of Approaching the Dao, the phantom of Great Sage Yaotian radiated brilliant light.

”Profound Root Transforming into a Tree...”

”The fourth profound mechanism...”

A sharp light flashed in Chen Lingxi’s eyes. ”My cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds!”

Just then, the jade pendant Lin Suri had given him suddenly glowed, transmitting a message.

Chen Lingxi read the message. After a moment of silence, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

”It didn’t work after all,” he muttered.

He fell silent for a long while before shaking his head.

”Senior Shu Rong and Daoist Brother Lin did everything they could. Unfortunately, there must still be many hidden variables at play. I can’t blame them for failing.”

He lowered his head in thought. A long time later, he took a deep breath and looked toward the set of three souls and seven corporeal souls curled up beside him, his gaze turning decisive.

”Since I can’t count on the Dao Palace, I’ll have to rely on myself.”

”There’s still one slot left in the Spirit-Placing Treasure Mirror, and Emperor Daye, Ying Xian, is still waiting for me at the Volcano Immortal Pivot.”

”If I place this newly formed set of three souls and seven corporeal souls into the mirror and let it drift through the void turbulence, I’ll be leaving myself a way out.

”If I’m lucky, the mirror might drift into some grotto-heaven secret realm, or even the Great Xuanzhuo Realm. Then, this soul of mine could possess a body and be reborn.

”I’d lose my Plundering Dragon Dao Platform and Thunder Prison Profound Root, but at least I’d be alive.

”As long as I’m alive, anything is possible.”

”And as for what comes next...” A sharp light gleamed in Chen Lingxi’s eyes as he stood, preparing to seek out Emperor Daye, Ying Xian.

Beneath his feet, the Azure Cloud silently activated, its lightning sparking as it prepared to carry him into the sky.

But before leaving, another thought struck him.

’Earlier, the Return to Void Sword Pagodas from Absolute Perception and the real world merged into one... I need to be careful about this.’

He remembered how the Return to Void Sword Pagoda inside his Vast Void Pouch had flown out on its own to fuse with its real-world counterpart.

’If I go see Emperor Daye and the Immortal Slough flies out on its own to merge with his, that would be a disaster.’

His thoughts raced.

Emperor Daye possessed formidable cultivation. Wielding two Great Divine Abilities, he had already reached the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.

Though Chen Lingxi’s cultivation had vastly improved—with his Thunder Prison Profound Root transforming into a tree and his Great Sage Precious Phase manifesting—he still couldn’t compare to the Emperor.

If the Immortal Slough in his possession actually fused with Emperor Daye’s, the Emperor would easily seize it, and all his efforts would only benefit another.

More importantly, the Immortal Slough was his greatest asset. He absolutely could not afford to lose it.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Lingxi decided to play it safe and moved the Immortal Slough into his Divine Chamber.

Treasures brought out from Absolute Perception could naturally be stored within the Divine Chamber.

The Divine Chamber was profoundly mysterious, capable of turning the illusory into reality. Even Great Sages and True Lords were within its capacity to simulate. Since the chamber was entirely under his control, keeping it there would be foolproof.

”Chen Lingxi carefully extracted the pale golden arm of the Immortal Slough from his Vast Void Pouch. With a thought, the slough turned into a streak of light, sinking into his forehead and disappearing from sight.”

Looking inward at the Divine Chamber, he saw the Immortal Slough hovering quietly within the thick fog of the void, emanating a warm, brilliant ancient glow as it faced the drop of Luoyuan River Water from afar.

With his preparations complete, Chen Lingxi rode the clouds toward the Volcano Immortal Pivot to seek out Ying Xian.

The Volcano Immortal Pivot looked exactly the same as before.

Chen Lingxi descended upon a rocky ledge at the edge of the crater. Below, he spotted Emperor Daye, Ying Xian, sitting cross-legged right in the center of the churning magma.

Hovering just above the magma a short distance from the Emperor was the dark-golden Spirit-Placing Treasure Mirror. The ancient runes on its back flowed slowly, radiating a primordial Dao resonance that struck fear into the heart.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on the rocky ledge, facing Emperor Daye across the expanse of boiling lava.

Ying Xian slowly opened his eyes, the twin orbs of golden flame dancing within them. He rested his gaze on Chen Lingxi for a moment.

”Daoist friend... are you ready?” he asked.

But Chen Lingxi slowly shook his head.

As he sat cross-legged, his aura burned fiercely, and lightning flickered in the depths of his eyes.

He looked up, meeting the Emperor’s flaming golden eyes.

”Daoist brother, I have also found a lifeline. How about we... make an exchange?” he suddenly proposed.

Emperor Daye looked at him calmly.

After a moment of silence, he slowly shook his head.

”You previously claimed you wanted to use the Immortal Slough to awaken the incarnation of Great Sage Luoyuan,” he said. ”I believed you, yet in the end, you stood in my way.

”So tell me, why should I believe you this time?”

His tone was perfectly level, but a dangerous undercurrent surged beneath it.

Chen Lingxi’s expression didn’t change.

He had anticipated the Emperor would ask this.

He paused in thought, then pointed down at the churning lava. With a flick of his finger, a stream of Dao Origin flew out, tracing three distinct illusions in the empty air.

The first scene depicted the Storm Immortal Pivot.

Lightning split its sky, hurricanes howled, and torrential rains churned the surrounding sea of clouds into absolute chaos.

The second scene showed the tranquil Lake Immortal Pivot.

Its surface was clear as a mirror, reflecting the dazzling starlight and churning clouds above. Deep in the center of the lake, a warm, brilliant jade-green light slowly pulsed, radiating an awe-inspiring resonance of raw life force.

The third scene displayed a mountain shrouded in thick fog. It wasn’t tall, but its terrain was incredibly unique. Everything above the mountainside was cloaked in dense spiritual mist, and as the mist rolled, a faint, rhythmic pulse flowed within it. It was the Ancestral Mountain.

The Ancestral Mountain, the Storm Immortal Pivot, and the Lake Immortal Pivot.

Adding the Volcano Immortal Pivot where Emperor Daye currently sat, there were four in total.

Emperor Daye’s pupils shrank slightly.

His flaming golden eyes locked onto the three illusions in the air. Countless intricate runes began to swirl deep within his pupils.

”What are... these?” he asked.

Chen Lingxi remained seated and asked, ”Does the Emperor know... that aside from this Volcano Immortal Pivot, there are three others within this grotto-heaven?”

Emperor Daye took a deep breath, his gaze turning deadly serious.

He remained silent for a moment before slowly raising his head, his flaming golden eyes boring straight into Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi’s divine sense surged as he began to explain everything.

Emperor Daye’s expression shifted once more.