After the Great Dao Died

Chen Lingxi had already fought countless battles back in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven.

At first, his opponents were nothing more than Qi Circulation cultivators. Later, they became experts of the Heaven-Facing Three Floors, and eventually, numerous Dao Foundation cultivators.

Yet among these figures, there was rarely a weakling.

Even those of the Heaven-Facing Three Floors possessed extraordinary foundations and tyrannical combat strength. Whether they were mere projections or reincarnations within the Weiji Grotto-Heaven, their killing power remained terrifying despite lacking Spiritual Artifacts to protect themselves.

The Dao Foundation cultivators were even more formidable.

Powerhouses like Bai Lingze and Yu Jiangwei, or even the Golden Crown Demon Lord and Liu Chengfeng, all possessed their own extraordinary qualities.

Chen Lingxi had battled such figures and risen above them, claiming third place on the Celestial Ranking in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven.

The only ones stronger than him were Zhao Duanxuan and Emperor Daye, Ying Xian—both at the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.

Now, having arrived in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, he had faced two Early Dao Foundation figures who cultivated an extraordinary Great Divine Ability and wielded a Spiritual Artifact.

Yet the pressure they exerted on Chen Lingxi was nowhere near that of the powerhouse avatars back in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven.

Furthermore, Chen Lingxi had been in seclusion for two years. Using the Immortal Slough as his foundation and the spiritual opportunity from ranking third on the Celestial Ranking, he had ascended to the Profound Root Wondrous Fruit Realm. His leap in combat strength could only be described as astronomical.

For all these reasons, these two Dao Foundation cultivators of Yellow Luminary Peak were nothing more than clay chickens and earthen dogs in Chen Lingxi’s hands.

He had killed the pair in an instant, without even tapping deeply into his foundation.

At this moment, his thoughts flickered. His divine sense swept across the void, and his Dao Origin surged out to snatch the elderly cultivator’s Vast Void Pouch from deep within the clouds, settling his mind further.

’I originally came to Yellow Luminary Peak just to probe the place and uncover Zhuo Jiaowu’s background.’

’But looking at it now... perhaps I can settle this once and for all.’

Chen Lingxi’s black clothes fluttered as clouds condensed beneath his feet.

He rode the clouds into the air, continuing his rapid flight deeper into Yellow Luminary Peak territory.

Meanwhile, on Yellow Luminary Main Peak.

Zhuo Jiaowu sat across from a female cultivator.

They were inside a towering hall with flowing light and jade-green tiles, surrounded by fluttering banners. The floor was paved entirely in white jade, lined with ornamental columns engraved with streaks of clouds and mist—mirroring the Great Divine Ability cultivated by the Peak Master of Yellow Luminary Peak.

At this moment, the female cultivator was sipping tea.

Dressed entirely in white, she possessed an ethereal disposition. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her features appeared calm, though a deep, icy chill lay beneath them.

”Since the High Envoy has come, I should have welcomed you alongside the two elders of my peak.

Unfortunately, an uninvited guest arrived at the peak today. Our two elders had to go greet this person, so please excuse the slight.”

The female cultivator shook her head slightly. ”I have never cared for empty formalities.”

She set her tea aside, her gaze roving around the hall.

”The last time I came to collect tribute, the main hall of Yellow Luminary Peak was nowhere near this luxurious. It seems Yellow Luminary Peak has grown increasingly prosperous under Peak Master Zhuo’s governance.”

A faint smile appeared on Zhuo Jiaowu’s lips as he slowly swept his sleeve.

Instantly, a refreshing breeze brushed past, and numerous treasures emerged before the female cultivator.

Among them were precious medicinal ingredients and a few bottles of pills that exuded a rich fragrance.

But the vast majority were spirit stones.

The fingernail-sized spirit stones emitted a dense aura, their pure spiritual energy manifesting as a continuously flickering, gleaming light.

The azure glow filled the entire hall.

”Eight thousand spirit stones, all of extremely high purity. I imagine this will be enough for the Exalted Cultivator to report back with a completed task.”

Zhuo Jiaowu’s smile deepened as he watched the female cultivator.

Seeing these valuable items, the female cultivator also nodded slowly.

”Yellow Luminary Peak is at the height of its power. Among the sixteen peaks governed by Yang Awakening Upper Peak, it can already rank in the top five.”

Her cold voice finally carried a hint of praise, and she gently waved her hand.

The treasure boxes immediately flew in front of her.

A ring on her finger emitted a faint spiritual glow, and the numerous treasure boxes vanished.

”Since the tribute is complete, I won’t disturb the Peak Master any longer.” The female cultivator stood up. ”Right... Elder Liu Zhi asked me to pass a message to you. Cyan Pool Peak is now under his protection.

Your Yellow Luminary Peak is not far from Cyan Pool Peak, so the Elder requests that you look after it on his behalf.”

Zhuo Jiaowu’s expression changed slightly.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his eyes, before finally standing up.

”Since the Elder commands it, Yellow Luminary Peak naturally wouldn’t dare disobey.

Exalted Cultivator, let me see you out.”

Zhuo Jiaowu had barely finished speaking and taken two steps forward when his figure suddenly froze, his expression changing drastically!

He lightly flicked his fingers.

A jade slip flew out of thin air and unfurled before his eyes.

On that jade slip, two wisps of Dao Origin were slowly dissipating.

”The two elders...”

Zhuo Jiaowu’s pupils shrank, and murderous intent instantly shot from his eyes.

Seeing Zhuo Jiaowu lose his composure so severely, the female cultivator knew something had happened. Noting the dissipating Dao Origin on the jade slip, she pondered for a moment before saying, ”It seems this uninvited guest who came to Yellow Luminary Peak is no easy target...”

She frowned slightly, looking toward the sea of clouds beyond Yellow Luminary Main Peak. ”To be this brazen, it shouldn’t be an outsider to the Dragon-Revering Sect... Is it someone from Flame Bell Upper Peak?”

Although the Dragon-Revering Sect did not forbid the nearly two hundred peaks under its command from attacking and fighting one another, that did not mean outsiders could run wild within the Dragon-Revering Sect’s territory.

And the Dragon-Revering Sect was considered a behemoth even across the entire Land of Nine Palaces.

Even ignoring these lower peaks of ordinary strength, Among the twenty-four Upper Peaks alone, there were over twenty figures at Dao Foundation Perfection.

Within the seven inner peaks, there were Golden Portal experts holding the fort, not to mention the True Lord figures suppressing the destiny of the Dragon-Revering Main Sect.

Across the entire Dragon-Revering Sect, there were even numerous intact Cauldron Vessels; it was nothing short of mighty and prosperous.

In the Land of Nine Palaces, sects capable of overpowering the Dragon-Revering Sect were exceedingly rare.

How could ordinary cultivators dare come to provoke the Dragon-Revering Sect?

Because of this, this female cultivator from Yang Awakening Upper Peak guessed that the person visiting Yellow Luminary Peak was from Flame Bell Upper Peak.

Yang Awakening Upper Peak and Flame Bell Upper Peak had always shared a grudge, and warring against each other was commonplace.

”Peak Master Zhuo, let me help you investigate,” the female cultivator offered after a moment of thought.

Murderous intent radiated from Zhuo Jiaowu’s eyes, yet he wasn’t blinded by his anger.

Since the intruder could kill two of his Yellow Luminary Peak elders—who had even brought along eighteen Qi Circulation cultivators trained in a combined attack formation—their cultivation was definitely not weak.

Although Zhuo Jiaowu was confident, he knew better than to strike out rashly.

”In that case, my thanks to Exalted Cultivator Liu Mian.” Zhuo Jiaowu bowed to Liu Mian.

Liu Mian gave a slight nod. Forming her right hand into a sword gesture, she swiped it across her brow.

Instantly, streaks of rich Dao Origin flashed from her forehead. The ring on her right hand similarly glimmered with light, causing a ripple in the void before a wooden, brown eye appeared.

It was actually a Cauldron Vessel Fragment.

The brown eye floated away, landing above Yellow Luminary Main Peak and blooming with an eerie radiance.

Then, amidst the waves of light, this brown eye suddenly opened.

Instantly, divine light flew out from the brown eye, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

A few breaths later, the divine light returned, hovering before the Cauldron Vessel Fragment to form a screen of light.

The screen of light unfurled.

Zhuo Jiaowu and Liu Mian looked up, only to see a patch of clouds reflected on the screen. Amidst the clouds was a person dressed in black, treading on lightning and mist, heading straight toward them!

This person looked extremely young, with handsome features, calm eyes, and a steady aura.

His dark robes fluttered in the wind, but the Dao Origin on his body was deeply restrained within. At a glance, Zhuo Jiaowu couldn’t see the depths of his strength at all.

But borrowing the mighty power of the Cauldron Vessel, Liu Mian saw right through the cultivation of the person on the screen.

”He’s a Dao Foundation figure who has attained a Wondrous Fruit.”

Liu Mian frowned. ”However... I wonder who this person is? As far as I know, there is no such figure on Flame Bell Peak.”

”Profound Root Wondrous Fruit!” Zhuo Jiaowu licked his lips, the killing intent in his eyes abruptly surging. ”Since it’s only the Profound Root Wondrous Fruit, there’s no need to care about his origins anymore!

To dare come to my Yellow Luminary Peak and kill my two Dao Foundation elders—I’ll make sure he never returns!”

How precious were Dao Foundation cultivators?

Even if Zhuo Jiaowu had formidable strength, he was ultimately just one person.

With two Dao Foundation cultivators of Yellow Luminary Peak dead, the past years of hard work and plotting were reduced to nothing in a single day.

He feared he wouldn’t even have the time to look after many of the peak’s spiritual fields and spirit veins in the future. How could this not enrage Zhuo Jiaowu?

Hearing Zhuo Jiaowu’s words, Liu Mian had a thought. The Cauldron Vessel Fragment instantly flew back rapidly, vanishing before her.

”I know Peak Master Zhuo has a tyrannical foundation and relies on a Spiritual Artifact, fearing no Early Dao Foundation figure.

It’s highly likely this person isn’t from our Dragon-Revering Sect. If he is an outside cultivator, I naturally must go take a look as well.”

Liu Mian’s divine sense flowed.

Zhuo Jiaowu’s heart grew even more settled. He bowed to Liu Mian, ”In that case, I will trouble the High Envoy!”

The two were about to ride the clouds into the air.

Zhuo Jiaowu suddenly looked toward the distant clouds, gritting his teeth. ”He truly isn’t afraid of death. After killing Dao Foundation cultivators of my Yellow Luminary Peak, he actually dares to come to my Yellow Luminary Main Peak!”

Liu Mian similarly looked up.

She saw the distant sea of clouds seemingly sliced open by a sharp sword. Deep within the rift, a young man stood with his hands behind his back atop the mist, riding the clouds toward them.

At the same time.

The surrounding void suddenly dimmed.

Streaks of lightning had appeared at some unknown point, lying dormant within the sea of clouds.

The lightning surged with momentum as killing intent soared.

Countless streams of murderous intent also rose recklessly in the young man’s eyes, falling straight upon this Yellow Luminary Peak and onto Zhuo Jiaowu’s body.

”Zhuo Jiaowu?”

The young man stood in the clouds and asked.

Zhuo Jiaowu completely ignored the question. He instantly radiated light, his imposing aura rising fiercely.

Countless streams of clouds and mist flowed in recklessly, transforming into towering cloud giants. Spiritual energy surged from these giants as they suddenly opened their eyes. Spiritual light erupted from all their eyes, scattering into the void to construct a massive formation!

Thirty-six cloud giants!

A vast grand formation enveloped a radius of a thousand miles, trapping the young man in the clouds.

A Dao Platform likewise materialized behind Liu Mian.

Her gaze was grave as a stream of divine sense flowed out, falling into the clouds.

”Why have you come? This is Dragon-Revering territory! An outside cultivator coming to Yellow Luminary Peak to kill will definitely be annihilated by our Dragon-Revering Sect.”

Standing in the clouds, Chen Lingxi’s expression remained unchanged, and a stream of divine sense similarly flowed out!

”I am Daoist Zhiling of Sun Observation Peak. After traveling abroad for sixty years, I return today—specifically to kill Zhuo Jiaowu!”

Liu Mian’s expression shifted slightly.

As an envoy of Yang Awakening Upper Peak who roamed the sixteen lower peaks under its jurisdiction, she naturally knew of the grudges between Sun Observation Peak and Yellow Luminary Peak.

It was just that...

’I don’t seem to recall ever hearing of a Daoist Zhiling at Sun Observation Peak.’

Liu Mian’s eyes flickered. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she should make a move. After pondering for a short while, she sent another stream of divine sense into a jade slip inside her Vast Void Pouch.

’This matter still needs to be reported to Master.’

As the jade slip transmitted the message, Liu Mian looked up.

She saw Zhuo Jiaowu’s murderous intent fully exposed. Surging with a heaven-shaking aura, he viciously attacked!