After the Great Dao Died

As Qi Chuan’s words fell!

Across Southern Brightness Peak, numerous divine senses swept in from every direction!

Zhu Mi stood amid the clouds. Remaining silent, he merely lowered his head to gaze at Chen Lingxi.

He had seen this ”Yuan Zhiling” once before, back when Chen Lingxi ascended the First Profound Celestial Ranking.

That time, upon the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll, Chen Lingxi had shattered the combined assault of Yuan Ji, Lian Sheng, and Liu Tongqing with a single sword strike!

Zhu Mi had stood within the Celestial Ranking back then, looking down from on high at this Little Martial Uncle.

Just as he had looked down upon countless cultivators who had charged at the rankings and failed.

Today, however, as Zhu Mi’s gaze fell upon Chen Lingxi once more, his thoughts were entirely different.

’This Little Martial Uncle of Slumbering Deer Peak was actually selected as a Chanlong Servant?’

Zhu Mi’s brows twitched slightly, his eyes holding both astonishment and a touch of contemplation.

It was not that he was ignorant of the Entwining Dragon Palace’s status.

The Dragon Palace beneath the Great Encompassing Heaven governed the ebb and flow of fortunes across the Nine Quarters. Among ordinary disciples, a Chanlong Servant was a respectable position, but for the disciple of a True Person...

It carried an entirely different implication.

Zhu Mi’s mind remained tranquil, his face betraying nothing.

Above Southern Brightness Peak, in that stretch of heaven and earth obscured by clouds, numerous divine senses flowed and collided, crisscrossing like meteors streaking through the same void.

These divine senses arrived from all directions, many of them falling squarely upon Chen Lingxi.

Among these cultivators, some had personally witnessed Chen Lingxi shatter the combined assault of several people with a single sword before the Dragon Transformation Immortal Roll.

Others had only vaguely heard—through the manifestations of the Celestial Ranking and word of mouth among fellow disciples—that Slumbering Deer Peak had produced a Little Martial Uncle with immense seniority but whose cultivation remained only at the Early Dao Foundation stage.

Some argued that his foundation was profound and he would achieve greatness in the future. Others shook their heads, asserting that while ranking third on the First Profound Celestial Ranking proved his genius, he still fell short of Xu Sanchi and Zhu Mi, surviving only through a True Person’s protection.

Such discussions had never ceased since the day he ascended the ranking.

Yet today, the myriad divine senses focused on Chen Lingxi abruptly sharpened following Qi Chuan’s words.

A Chanlong... Servant?

The immortals of the Great Encompassing Heaven selecting immortal attendants was a common occurrence within the Dragon-Revering Sect.

If a disciple caught the eye of an immortal from the Great Encompassing Heaven, even an inferior cultivator from a lower peak could directly enter the Dragon Palace. This was nothing rare.

But for a personal disciple of a Golden Palace True Person to be selected merely as a Chanlong Servant—rather than a Nine Palaces Commander, let alone an immortal attendant—carried an unspeakably delicate implication.

”For Qi Chuan to expose such a secret means he intends to humiliate Yuan Zhiling... There must be bad blood between them.”

Among the many divine senses, quite a few people saw through the crux of the issue.

At this moment.

Chen Lingxi raised his head, meeting Qi Chuan’s condescending gaze.

Skylight tore a rift through the depths of the clouds, leaking a slightly cold ray that fell upon his handsome face.

Unexpectedly, there was not the slightest trace of anger in Chen Lingxi’s eyes.

There was not even a ripple of emotion.

He merely furrowed his brows slightly, then lowered his eyelids.

’Qi Chuan and I have never had the slightest interaction from the very beginning,’ Chen Lingxi silently noted to himself.

Qi Chuan was the top ranker of the Second Profound Ranking at Zhaojian Xuan Peak, only a single step away from the Dao Foundation Late Stage.

Such a figure carried significant weight within the Dragon-Revering Sect. He was absolutely not some foolish oaf who would step forward to provoke someone without cause.

For him to publicly reveal the matter of the Chanlong Servant today, right in front of the many cultivators on Southern Brightness Peak, there had to be a reason.

’As for what exactly that reason is, I have no desire to dig into it,’ Chen Lingxi murmured to himself.

He had lain dormant and endured in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven for far too long.

From a dying medicine slave to the struggle over the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi, from the Battle of Cauldron Seizing to ascending the Celestial Ranking, every step had been like walking on thin ice.

Now that he had stepped into the Great Xuanzhuo Realm and become the personal disciple of a Golden Palace True Person, did he still have to yield at every turn and hide his edge like before?

At this thought, the corners of Chen Lingxi’s mouth curled up slightly. He slowly raised his head to look at the young figure standing amid the clouds.

”Martial Nephew Qi Chuan,” Chen Lingxi said slowly.

”You have just ascended to the position of Nine Palaces Commander, yet before even gathering your walkers and servants, you have come to parade your might before my cave dwelling. And today, you seek to embarrass me.”

”I know there must be a reason for this.”

”But I have no interest in paying any mind to such reasons.”

He paused, the smile on his face growing broader, and extended a finger to point squarely at Qi Chuan up high.

”However, Martial Nephew Qi Chuan, you must firmly remember this. In the future, once I step into the Second Profound Realm, I will certainly come to pay you a visit.”

His voice faded.

Standing amid the clouds, Zhu Mi narrowed his eyes slightly, his knuckles twitching.

Within the Medicine Weaving Valley, the divine sense of a figure watching over a fire also paused slightly at this moment.

Meanwhile, the numerous divine senses hidden throughout Southern Brightness Peak, sweeping in from all directions, abruptly converged all their attention onto Chen Lingxi alone.

”This Little Martial Uncle is rather straightforward and direct; he doesn’t yield to pressure in the slightest,” a cultivator praised.

”However... on the path of cultivation, falling a step behind means falling behind at every step. For an Early Dao Foundation cultivator who hasn’t even planted his second Profound Root to say such things to the head of the Second Profound Ranking, the Second Profound chief of Zhaojian Xuan Peak who is merely a step away from the Third Profound... I don’t know if it’s amusing, or perhaps...” another person said, shaking their head.

Standing up high, Qi Chuan’s expression changed slightly the moment Chen Lingxi finished speaking.

He had not expected this Little Martial Uncle to be so straightforward. There were no pleasantries, no roundabout words, and certainly no trace of cowardice.

Soon after, a surge of delight welled up in his heart.

’It seems this Yuan Zhiling has finally grown angry.’

He lowered his eyes. A wisp of his divine soul quietly slipped into his Vast Void Pouch, landing upon that Bamboo Slip Cauldron Vessel.

Immediately after, his mind faltered.

There was absolutely nothing on the bamboo slip.

The Bamboo Slip Cauldron Vessel remained slumbering as before, without a single thread of angry qi lingering upon it.

Chen Lingxi wasn’t feigning composure.

He genuinely wasn’t angry in the slightest.

At this realization, a trace of irritation—one even he hadn’t noticed—rose in Qi Chuan’s heart.

He took a deep breath, suppressing that trace of irritation, and let out a faint sneer in his heart.

’Not angry?’

Qi Chuan finally raised his head, standing amid the clouds with his hands behind his back, his robes snapping in the wind.

The sword qi around him slowly dispersed, drawing in the clouds and slicing that patch of skylight into fragmented pieces.

Wearing a smile, he declared, ”Allow me to enlighten Martial Uncle. The various inner peaks of our Dragon-Revering Sect are independent, running parallel to the sect as a whole; each has its own affiliations and its own schemes. Even if you are the personal disciple of True Person Xiangshu, to my Zhaojian Xuan Peak, you amount to nothing.”

”You should know that my Zhaojian Xuan Peak is the number one inner peak beneath the main peak.”

He paused slightly, a touch of undisguised arrogance bleeding into his tone. ”As for esteemed True Persons, our peak possesses two! If you, Yuan Zhiling, wish to flaunt the prestige of a Golden Palace disciple before me... I’m afraid it won’t be enough.”

Of the seven inner peaks of the Dragon-Revering Sect, Zhaojian Xuan Peak possessed the deepest foundation. It was overseen by two Golden Palace True Persons and had numerous Dao Foundation cultivators under its banner.

Such a foundation allowed Zhaojian Xuan Peak’s prestige to far surpass that of Slumbering Deer Peak.

What Qi Chuan said was no exaggeration.

Chen Lingxi’s expression remained unchanged as he stood quietly in place.

Seeing that he still was not angered and merely looked back at him quietly, the irritation Qi Chuan had just pushed down flared up once more.

He simply clasped his hands behind his back. The sword qi around him suddenly retracted, and then three distinct auras shot into the sky like three wicked dragons that had long lain dormant!

The first aura was as black as ink. Its form resembled a mountain boulder sheared in half, surging upward from the severed face with biting sharpness.

The second aura was like a ceaselessly churning sword curtain, expanding from his body and flooding the void. It transformed into ten thousand fine sword threads that intertwined and linked together, enveloping that stretch of heaven and earth beneath a net of swords.

The third aura was even more intense. It slowly coalesced into a phantom behind Qi Chuan. Even before the phantom fully formed, it already emanated a ghastly, terrifying, and almost suffocating killing intent!

At the exact moment those three auras bloomed simultaneously, a precious sword slowly left its sheath at Qi Chuan’s waist.

The sword possessed no brilliant luster; its blade was a heavy black, condensed with a faint, grayish-white halo of light!

The instant the sword was drawn, twelve sword pills lined up in a row beside Qi Chuan.

Though the sword pills were only the size of finger joints, a ceaseless spiritual light lingered upon each one.

Like twelve frigid stars, they slowly rotated around Qi Chuan. With every inch they turned, their sword intent grew significantly denser.

The sight of this precious sword, the sword pills, the sword curtain, the sword stone, and the three divine abilities manifesting all at once caused the hearts of the many cultivators on Southern Brightness Peak to shudder.

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes slightly.

’He has already cultivated his third Great Divine Ability.’

’As the head of the Second Profound Ranking, two Profound Roots have already fallen into his Dao.’

’He truly is only one final step away from the Third Profound.’

Looking at Chen Lingxi’s expression and seeing that he remained unmoved, Qi Chuan simply stood upon his sword. His bright voice rang out in all directions: ”Yuan Zhiling, if you want to defeat me, you still need to cross two realms.”

With those words, he suddenly flicked his finger.

Among the twelve sword pills, one immediately shot out from his side, transforming into a fierce streak of sword light.

The instant the sword light left his body, the [Mangchuan Sword Curtain] divine ability hovering around Qi Chuan abruptly unfurled. Countless fine sword threads poured out from the void like a torrential tide, weaving together layer upon layer to form an earth-shattering sword curtain that suspended in the air.

The sword curtain appeared as thin as cicada wings, yet the flowing threads upon it each harbored killing intent. Every thread was a wisp of sharpness, a streak of sword qi. Ten thousand threads woven together was like ten thousand swords hanging in unison, ready to shred anyone who approached into fine powder.

Qi Chuan’s voice echoed from behind the sword curtain! ”My Mangchuan Sword Curtain divine ability is right here, supplemented by my Sword-Grinding Dao Stone Great Divine Ability! You, Yuan Zhiling, also cultivate the sword—so I ask you, do you dare to step into my sword curtain and take a stroll?”

Chen Lingxi stood beneath the sword curtain, his expression unchanged.

Right at this moment—

Deep within the Medicine Weaving Valley.

Inside the grade-three Spiritual Artifact, the [Great Chu Golden Cauldron], two streams of pill radiance were currently condensing in midair, endlessly entwining with one another.

The main body of the pill was entirely golden-purple. A faint halo lingered over its surface, within which runes faintly coalesced, each occupying a cardinal position.

The flames blazed fiercely.

Daoist Qiaohe, clad in a grayish-white Daoist robe, stood before the cauldron.

Holding a ruyi scepter in his hand, he slowly tapped it toward the Great Chu Golden Cauldron. The firelight within the furnace dimmed slightly with his tap, and the golden elixir gradually retracted its own halo, settling at the bottom of the cauldron.

A female cultivator sat on a futon beside the cauldron.

She wore a snow-white dress, her temperament cold and transcendent, and her eyes were as clear and pure as the freezing waters of the Heavenly Pool.

It was Shi Xi.

She had just been observing the pill’s synthesis, her gaze resting steadily inside the Great Chu Golden Cauldron as she watched quietly.

At this moment, those flames, the pill radiance, and the runes all flowed through her eyes one by one.

Suddenly, she shifted slightly.

In a flash!

Her divine sense unfurled from within the Medicine Weaving Valley. It bypassed the array screen at the valley’s entrance, pierced through the crimson medicinal maples on the western side of Southern Brightness Peak, and landed on the back of a young man standing before the formation outside the valley.

’Martial Uncle Zhiling?’

Shi Xi furrowed her brows slightly. A sudden prick of pain flashed through her mind. Purple qi gradually curled within her divine sense, revealing an ancient aura.

Yet Shi Xi remained completely oblivious to it.

She and this Martial Uncle had not seen each other for many years.

For a moment, Shi Xi halted the Dao Origin circulating within her hands.

Numerous memories flowed through her Sea of Consciousness.

Sun Observation Peak: the palace halls were old and worn, a bamboo fence leaned askew, and a cluster of wildflowers bloomed quietly at the end of the stone steps.

At that time, she was still young.

She remembered rain falling in the mountains, the drops pattering against the old bamboo.

She had once squatted on the bluestone steps of Sun Observation Peak, gazing at her reflection in the puddles on the ground and watching the newly birthed morning glow.

She also remembered a Martial Uncle standing not far away, lowering his head to shield her from the rain. He reached out to brush the water droplets from the tips of her hair and asked in a gentle voice, ”Are you lost? Why are you squatting here again?”

She would always raise her head and smile. ”Martial Uncle Zhiling!”

That was the purest period of her life—playing with Martial Uncle Zhiling and listening to the Dao at the knees of Martial Uncle Changle.

Later on, she left Sun Observation Peak.

She went to Azure Sky Inner Peak, cultivating all the way from an ordinary inner peak disciple to become the second-ranked figure on the Third Profound Ranking.

Even later, news of Sun Observation Peak grew increasingly sparse.

Those names, those faces, and those past events had long been suppressed into the very depths of her Sea of Consciousness.

As those memories grew denser, the imperceptible glint in Shi Xi’s eyes acted like a thin mist carried by the wind, scattering those memories away.

She slowly shook her head.

’Everything in the past is but a phantom bubble.’

’Only one’s own cultivation is the foundation of all things.’

She slowly closed her eyelids, thoroughly burying that final shred of stirred emotion back into the deepest recesses of her Sea of Consciousness.

In that instant, a divine ability flowed out from her body.

This Great Divine Ability seemed to take the severing of emotions and nature as its Dao mechanism, completely wiping away all tethers, all sentiments, and all past histories within the cultivator’s heart.

Shi Xi no longer thought of the matters concerning Sun Observation Peak.

Many past events had surged into her heart like a tide, like smoke and mist, only to dissolve into nothingness the moment this Great Divine Ability circulated.

She opened her eyes once more, her state of mind as clear as water.

Gazing at the pill gradually stabilizing in the cauldron, her mood was exceptionally peaceful.

’Martial Uncle has made no progress after cultivating for so many years; he is still in the Early Dao Foundation stage. Even if he enjoys the noble status of a Golden Palace disciple, he does not walk the same path as I,’ Shi Xi thought, just as she was about to sink her focus back into the grade-three Spiritual Artifact!

But right at this moment.

Outside the Medicine Weaving Valley, upon Southern Brightness Peak.

That stretch of sword curtain had completely arrived above Chen Lingxi’s head. Ten thousand sword threads hung down, their light casting a crisscross of light and shadow over his face.

It was at this precise moment that Chen Lingxi took a step forward.

Just one step!

The Thunder Prison Heaven Great Divine Ability.

Unfurled forth!

Endless pale-gold lightning erupted from his body, surging upward against the current beneath the sword curtain and swallowing all ten thousand sword threads.

The moment the Thunder Prison formed, the surrounding heaven and earth were abruptly dyed in a gilded hue by the lightning.

Chen Lingxi raised his hand and flipped his fingertips.

The Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword rang as it left its sheath.

The precious sword landed in his palm, and the residual patterns of the hundred restrictions upon its blade lit up simultaneously. Sword intent soared into the sky from the edge of the blade, cleaving a rift straight through the middle of the sword curtain.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

Upon the Dragon-Stripping Dao within his body, the Thunder Prison Profound Root trembled violently. The Weiji Thunder Radiance erupted from the Profound Root, pouring entirely into the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword.

At the same time, his right hand pressed down into the void.

The Great Prison Furnace!

The profound mechanism of this Wondrous Fruit Great Divine Ability revealed its fierce might for the very first time!

Deep within the Thunder Prison Heaven, the thunderfire inside a furnace birthed from the simultaneous refinement of ten thousand bolts of lightning suddenly flared.

In the next instant, the mouth of the furnace opened wide, and a ten-thousand-zhang burst of lightning surged out, converging upon the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword.

Chen Lingxi stood with sword in hand and swung his arm upward at a slant.

Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light!

The sword light erupted from the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword. Bolstered by the Great Prison Furnace, it unexpectedly skyrocketed out of thin air! From one streak, it transformed into ten; from ten, it became a hundred. In an instant, thousands upon thousands of streaks of sword light soared into the sky from within the Thunder Prison!

The thousands of sword lights slashed across the sky, sweeping along a mighty force of thunder and slaughtering qi. Like a maddened tiger that had broken free from eternal shackles, roaring to devour the four seas, it bore the might of the Great Prison Furnace from deep within the Thunder Prison Heaven. With a single strike, it cleaved straight through Qi Chuan’s sword curtain, tearing it down!

The Mangchuan Sword Curtain shattered like colored glaze and crumbled like ice shavings. The sky full of sword threads dissipated in an instant. All that remained were scattered wisps of sword breath struggling in the void for a moment before they were shredded by the lightning of the Thunder Prison Heaven, utterly eradicated!

Before the crowd could even recover their wits, those thousands of sword lights shot down like galloping thunder, landing right beside Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi retracted his sword.

In that moment, the hundreds of divine senses upon Southern Brightness Peak were collectively struck dumb.

Standing amid the clouds, Zhu Mi drew in a breath, his gaze fixed upon Chen Lingxi.

Qi Chuan froze in place.

Right at this moment, Chen Lingxi slowly returned his sword to its sheath, raised his head, and met Qi Chuan’s gaze.

”Martial Nephew, you hail from Zhaojian Xuan Peak. Your foundation in the Sword Dao is profound, and your cultivation is deep... You wanted to suppress me with a mere sword pill. But your Sword Dao... is simply inferior to mine.”