After the Great Dao Died

Beneath the golden light, Chen Lingxi shattered the deluge of divine powers with a single sword strike and never looked back.

He sheathed his sword. Clouds formed beneath his feet, carrying him into the sky as he flew straight toward the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll.

Yuan Ji stood atop the golden light. Seeing that Chen Lingxi truly dared to charge the immortal roll, he let out a furious shout. The ten-zhang giant ape abruptly raised its arm and threw a punch!

”Get down!”

The fist astral qi, carrying Dao Origin as heavy as a mountain, smashed down toward Chen Lingxi’s head!

Chen Lingxi remained perfectly composed.

He shifted slightly, letting the fist astral qi and its crushing momentum brush past his robes. It slammed into a mountain peak below, blasting rock and sending a pillar of dust into the sky!

Borrowing the momentum of that dodge, Chen Lingxi flashed past Yuan Ji like a ghost, plunging straight into the golden light of the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll!

At the same time, a golden finger wrapped in dense, solid qi burst forth!

Rumble!

The golden finger pierced the golden light, dragging billowing air currents in its wake. Carrying an incredibly tyrannical force, it tore through the clouds and landed squarely between the eyebrows of the ten-zhang giant ape’s Golden Body!

Its speed had reached the absolute limit!

The eyes of Yuan Ji’s avatar narrowed. Circulating his Dao Origin, he tried to block the golden finger.

But it was simply too fast, bearing an astonishing aura and terrifying power.

It descended in a flash, striking the space between the avatar’s eyebrows in the blink of an eye.

Chi!

A sharp piercing sound rang out.

A hole instantly opened between the avatar’s eyebrows. It immediately dissipated, reverting into a strand of Dao Origin that fell back onto the golden roll.

The other avatars on the roll, along with the numerous spectating cultivators drawn by the commotion, were inexplicably astonished.

”He possesses such a divine power?”

”That sword light was already incomparably profound. Now, this divine power seems to purely utilize the qi throughout his body, yet it holds such terrifying might... Could he also be a body cultivator?”

Xu Sanchi and Zhu Mi likewise narrowed their eyes.

They exchanged a glance but did not make a move.

On the golden roll, the golden light suddenly flared, completely swallowing Chen Lingxi!

”Even joining hands, we failed to stop him...”

Yuan Ji’s Dao Origin reformed into a human shape. He furrowed his brows, looked at the other figures, and gave a slight shake of his head.

”A disciple of my Heaven Pacifying Peak, [Zhao Lieqing], happens to be ranked tenth. With this person entering, he will definitely squeeze my junior brother out of the top ten!”

”If that happens, the foundation of our Heaven Pacifying Peak’s disciples will weaken.”

Everything had a motive.

The reason Yuan Ji was the first to strike was simply to preserve his junior brother’s place on the ranking.

But at this moment...

The world had suddenly grown much quieter.

Standing beneath the golden light, Yuan Lingyu tilted her head back. Watching her senior brother plunge into the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll, she stared blankly for a moment before an unconcealable look of pleasant surprise surfaced on her face.

”Senior Brother... really got in?”

Atop the golden light, Liu Tongqing and several other figures from the First Profound Ranking stood rooted. Watching the silhouette vanish into the golden radiance, they all fell silent.

Lian Sheng stood midway up the golden light, gazing at the vanished figure. He remained speechless for a long time.

”If he had used this sword light from the beginning when we fought, I absolutely wouldn’t have been able to block it.”

”This Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light truly lives up to its reputation as Marquis Yuhu’s famous divine power.”

...

Everyone had their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Chen Lingxi had already plunged into the golden light.

As the golden light washed over his eyes, the world abruptly fell silent.

Chen Lingxi felt as if he had fallen into a boundless golden ocean.

The golden light was warm and heavy. It surged in from all around, enveloping him entirely.

All surrounding sounds vanished. Only an extremely faint hum remained as the golden light circulated around him, sounding like countless mosquitoes flapping their wings in the far distance.

He opened his eyes and found himself suspended within an empty space.

Beneath his feet lay the boundless sea of golden light. The spiritual energy above it was incredibly dense, forming wisps of golden mist that visibly curled upward.

The spiritual energy washed over his face, carrying an indescribable sense of profundity. Following his breaths and seeping through his pores, it poured endlessly into his body.

Chen Lingxi subconsciously circulated the Dragon-Stripping Dao-Transforming One Qi True Incantation. The Dao Platform slowly rotated, and the Thunder Prison Profound Root devoured the surging golden mist of spiritual energy. His Dao Origin filled up at a visible rate.

’This golden spiritual energy seems to be testing my aptitude.’

A flash of insight crossed Chen Lingxi’s mind.

But the golden sea of light beneath his feet suddenly began to churn.

The sea of light, originally as calm as a mirror, now acted as if stirred by a tornado—madly spinning, condensing, and roiling.

Countless wisps of golden mist converged in the same direction, growing thicker and thicker, as if something was slowly rising from the depths of the sea of light.

Chen Lingxi’s expression turned serious. He stopped the circulation of his cultivation method and looked up.

In the center of the sea of light, the gathered golden mist finally condensed into a massive humanoid outline.

The humanoid figure was entirely golden yellow and fully three zhang tall, with distinct limbs and a head. Like a giant forged of pure gold, it stood silently upon the sea of light.

Its face had no features, leaving only a smooth expanse of gold.

However, an extremely faint slit lay across that smooth golden face. It looked like an eye sealed for eternity, quietly watching Chen Lingxi through the layer of golden light.

Standing there, it resembled an insurmountable mountain. It was as if the power of the entire Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll had gathered within this single Golden Body.

At the same time, streams of information descended into Chen Lingxi’s mind through the spiritual energy.

’So this is the immortal roll avatar that evaluates rankings on the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll!’

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, his Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword already unsheathed.

He held nothing back. With a flick of his wrist, the Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light explosively shot out, turning into a dazzling sword rainbow that swept across the sky and slashed straight toward the three-zhang Golden Body!

Wherever the sword light passed, the golden sea of light split down the middle, revealing a bottomless rift.

That level of sharpness, that level of ferocity—even a cultivator of the same realm standing here would be suppressed by the sword intent until they couldn’t lift their head.

Yet the three-zhang Golden Body only turned slightly. It raised its right hand and gave a gentle push toward the howling sword rainbow.

In an instant, the slit in the center of the Golden Body’s smooth golden face suddenly opened!

The incomparably heavy golden light surrounding the Golden Body simultaneously erupted. It transformed into a ten-thousand-zhang tide of light that blotted out the sky as it swept forward!

[Golden Light Universal Illumination].

The golden light was far too vast as it poured out.

Wherever the golden light passed, the Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea sword rainbow that originally spanned the sky halted, as if forcibly stopped by an invisible hand beneath the washing of the ten-thousand-zhang tide of light. Its sword momentum abruptly stagnated!

Chen Lingxi’s pupils shrank slightly.

He could clearly feel his sword light still madly charging forward, yet the sword intent, Dao Origin, and even the lightning upon it were being stripped away and obliterated at an extremely bizarre speed by the washing of the golden light.

What alarmed Chen Lingxi even more was that the might of the Golden Light Universal Illumination did not solely land on the sword.

The tide of light washed past his sword light like floodwaters breaching a bank, surging straight toward him.

As the golden light landed on him, he felt an invisible, heavy pressure abruptly fall upon his body. It was as if every inch of that golden light had turned into a mountain, stacking layer upon layer upon his shoulders, suppressing the circulation of Dao Origin throughout his body to a standstill!

’This golden light... can actually suppress Dao Origin!’

Chen Lingxi’s heart chilled. The Longevity Bridge abruptly manifested beneath his feet, carrying him as he tried to retreat.

But the Golden Light Universal Illumination seemed omnipresent; wherever he retreated, the tide of light surged.

Washed by the golden light, the Dao Origin within his body circulated slower and slower. It was like sinking into a sticky quagmire, making every movement several times more strenuous than usual.

Standing upon the sea of light, the three-zhang Golden Body saw Chen Lingxi forced into a steady retreat by the Golden Light Universal Illumination. The slit on its smooth golden face brightened slightly, as if silently watching him.

Next, the Golden Body abruptly raised its hands. With its ten fingers pointed to the sky, it mimed an embrace!

Buzz!

A trembling hum rang out from between the Golden Body’s fingers!

The heavy golden light around its body suddenly contracted, all converging between its palms!

The golden light madly compressed. In an instant, it formed a dazzling sphere of light fully a zhang wide between the palms.

On the surface of the sphere of light, countless dense runes circulated madly, exuding a terrifying might that caused one’s heart to palpitate.

[Suspended Great Sun]!

The three-zhang Golden Body abruptly raised its hand and gently pushed the sphere of light toward Chen Lingxi.

Like a falling sun, the sphere of light carried an apocalyptic, terrifying might as it hurtled straight at Chen Lingxi’s head!

Wherever the sphere of light passed, the golden sea of light was scorched into nothingness. Even the spiritual energy circulating in the void was entirely evaporated by the terrifyingly high temperature, turning into a vacuum!

’The might of this divine power is actually this tyrannical.’

Chen Lingxi’s expression shifted slightly.

He didn’t dare to take it head-on. The Longevity Bridge beneath his feet suddenly shifted laterally, narrowly dodging the direct brunt of the great sun.

But the Suspended Great Sun was not a dead object that would dissipate after a single strike. It brushed past Chen Lingxi’s robes, leaving a scorched black mark in the void, and then, as if possessing eyes, abruptly turned and crashed toward him again!

Chen Lingxi was greatly shaken. He immediately activated the Cloud Soaring Technique, twisting and leaping through the air above the sea of light, but the great sun followed like a shadow. It relentlessly stuck to a spot three zhang behind him, pressing closer.

Wherever the great sun rolled past, the sea of light evaporated and the void distorted. It was like a fierce beast that would never know fatigue, determined to burn him into ashes.

’This Golden Body’s divine power is truly a hassle,’ Chen Lingxi cursed inwardly, though there was no panic in his eyes.

While dodging the great sun’s pursuit, he focused on observing the three-zhang Golden Body’s movements.

He had already noticed that every time the Golden Body activated a divine power, the golden light around its body would dim a fraction.

Whether it was the Golden Light Universal Illumination or the Suspended Great Sun, both were divine powers that consumed the Golden Body’s origin power to activate.

And right now, with the great sun already released, the golden light around the Golden Body was much dimmer than before. Chen Lingxi’s gaze flashed, and he abruptly stopped!

He no longer dodged.

He stood upon the sea of light, letting the great sun crash toward him as it dragged a long tail of light, silently calculating the distance in his mind.

A hundred zhang... fifty zhang... thirty zhang...

At the exact moment the great sun was about to crash into him, Chen Lingxi suddenly moved.

He took a step forward, charging straight ahead to meet the great sun head-on!

The Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light around his body burst forth once again, but this time, he didn’t slash at the Golden Body. Instead, the light transformed into a sword rainbow that swept across the sky, slashing straight at the great sun!

Boom!

The sword rainbow and the great sun explosively collided in midair!

The great sun was split in two by the sword rainbow, but it didn’t dissipate. Instead, it turned into a sky full of flowing fire, splattering in all directions!

Chen Lingxi stood amidst the flowing fire. Lightning circulated on the blade of the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword, completely isolating the splattering flames outside!

Seizing this opportunity, the Longevity Bridge abruptly swelled beneath Chen Lingxi’s feet, turning into a spiritual bridge that spanned the sea of light and crashed straight toward the three-zhang Golden Body!

Within the Inner Divine Palace forged by the True Edict of Approaching the Dao inside his body, the entrenched phantom of an azure-gold true dragon abruptly opened its dragon eyes.

An unprecedentedly majestic surge of power explosively poured out from the depths of the palace, washing over his limbs and bones!

An azure-gold luster circulated over his skin, and his bones crackled. The qi throughout his body surged like a rolling great river, roaring as it washed over every inch of his muscles and bones!

[Dragon Transformation] Mystic Mechanism!

An awe-inspiring dragon might permeated from deep within his body!

Chen Lingxi took a step out, his entire person like an azure dragon breaking free of its shackles. Carrying an apocalyptic power, he crashed straight toward the three-zhang Golden Body!

The three-zhang Golden Body was currently somewhat weak in aura due to having activated the Suspended Great Sun, yet it suddenly took a step forward!

The dim golden light around its body suddenly surged again, condensing a thick golden barrier out of thin air to block its front!

Boom!

Chen Lingxi’s punch, carrying the power of Dragon Transformation, smashed into the golden barrier, shaking it violently as cracks spread inch by inch!

The Golden Body suddenly spread its arms wide. The already dim figure actually ignited with blazing golden light once again. Like a dying flash of lucidity, its aura abruptly skyrocketed!

He saw the Golden Body bring its palms together, interlacing its ten fingers, as a profound hand seal formed between them.

As the hand seal took shape, all the golden light around its body completely retracted, condensing onto the hand seal. It was as if the power of the entire Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll had been pressed into that single seal!

The Golden Body raised its clasped hands and gave a gentle touch toward Chen Lingxi from afar.

[Cauldron Heaven Single Touch].

When that touch fell, it felt as though heaven and earth had been inverted.

An indescribably terrifying power erupted from the Golden Body’s fingertips. Like a massive invisible cauldron overturned from the highest heavens, it threatened to suppress Chen Lingxi—person and sword alike—along with the sea of light beneath his feet entirely within the cauldron!

Chen Lingxi felt an unprecedented, terrifying pressure bearing down on him from above.

He took a deep breath, advancing instead of retreating.

Within his body, the Plundering Dragon Dao Platform spun madly, and the Wondrous Fruit atop the Thunder Prison Profound Root suddenly lit up. Endless Dao Origin poured into the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword in his hand like water bursting from a breached dam!

On the blade of the treasured sword, the Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light condensed once more, yet it was more dazzling and more ferocious than any previous strike!

Facing the terrifying, mighty power of the Cauldron Heaven Single Touch, he slashed out with his sword!

The sword light and the power of that touch explosively collided in midair.

Golden light and sword gleam intertwined and tangled, madly tearing at and grinding each other down. For a time, it was impossible to determine a victor!

Stalemate!

The suppressive power of the Cauldron Heaven Single Touch and the sword intent of Chen Lingxi’s strike remained stalemated in the void for several breaths.

A few breaths later, Chen Lingxi gave a low shout, and the sword intent of his strike actually skyrocketed again!

The Dragon Transformation qi within his body endlessly surged forth, and the Weiji lightning atop the Thunder Prison Profound Root madly crackled. The sword rainbow became like a true dragon that had broken free from an eternity of bindings, carrying a sharpness that could tear apart everything to forcefully cleave the suppressive power of that touch in half!

Crack.

An extremely crisp shattering sound rang out.

The hand seal formed at the fingertips of the three-zhang Golden Body explosively shattered!

Golden light splattered in all directions, falling down onto the sea of light like a sky full of fluttering fireflies.

The massive frame of the Golden Body trembled violently, and the golden light around its body rapidly dimmed.

Then, with a rumble, the three-zhang Golden Body collapsed, turning into golden motes of light that fluttered down onto the sea of light.

Chen Lingxi stood amidst the falling motes of light, panting slightly.

More than half of the Dao Origin within his body had been consumed. If it weren’t for that strike where the Dragon Transformation Mystic Mechanism and the Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light blended together, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to shatter the three-zhang Golden Body so decisively.

Right at this moment, the golden motes of light suddenly condensed, turning into wisps of golden mist that slowly circulated in front of him.

As the mist roiled, it actually coalesced into several lines of clearly visible text...

[Dao Origin: Twenty-Ninth]

’Is this a ranking?’

’My Dao Origin is actually only ranked twenty-ninth?’

Chen Lingxi smiled bitterly, feeling disappointed.

But immediately after, more messages unfolded.

[Physical Body Qi: First]

[Divine Power: First]

[Killing Power: First]

[Dao Origin Aptitude: Not in the Ranking]

Those few lines of text slowly circulated within the golden light, word by word, incomparably clear.

Looking at the latter few lines of text, Chen Lingxi stared blankly for a moment.

’In terms of the depth of my Dao Origin, I am merely twenty-ninth on this First Profound Ranking, perfectly ordinary.’

’Yet in terms of physical body, divine power, and killing power, I am first in all of them.’

’Only when it comes to aptitude, the immortal roll actually judged me as not in the ranking?’

Chen Lingxi frowned. He had once swallowed two streaks of Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi and possessed a Spiritual Aperture Aptitude, yet among the First Profound cultivators of the Dragon-Revering Sect, he couldn’t even match the top thirty?

He gave a light shake of his head.

Right at this moment, those few lines of text abruptly lit up, then turned into a wave of golden light that wrapped around him.

The golden light was warm and heavy. Falling on him, it acted like an invisible golden robe, enveloping him entirely.

Then, the golden light separated from around him, carrying a strand of his Dao Origin as it flew straight toward the depths of the sea of light.

Deep within the sea of light, a golden roll hung suspended in the void. It was precisely the First Profound Ranking of the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll!

Spiritual energy circulated on the golden roll, with strands of Dao Origin dotting it like stars!

The Dao Origin of Zhu Mi, Xu Sanchi, Liu Tongqing, Yuan Ji, Lian Sheng, and the others all shone brightly on the roll.

And the golden light, carrying Chen Lingxi’s Dao Origin, flew to the front of the golden roll and suddenly paused.

Then, it slowly fell onto the golden roll!