After the Great Dao Died

Deep within the old forest of the secret realm, daylight fell from high above, filtered and shattered by the overlapping branches before scattering across the clearing in a mottled patchwork of light.

Chen Lingxi sat right in the center of that light.

His eyes were half-closed, and deep within his Sea of Consciousness hung the array diagram he had obtained from the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror.

The array diagram appeared exceedingly simple, its essence boiling down to two words: ”gather” and ”bind.” Yet, as Chen Lingxi ran his consciousness over it inch by inch, he realized just how profoundly complex its inner workings truly were.

The array diagram was divided into seventy-two nodes, and each node needed to be filled with an independent strand of qi.

Those seventy-two strands of qi were not drawn from the heavens and the earth, nor from any magical treasure. They had to be cleaved directly from the cultivator’s own Dao Origin—one split into two, two into four, four into eight—forcibly divided until seventy-two strands were formed.

Chen Lingxi slowly opened his eyes.

His consciousness sank back into his body, landing upon the Plundering Dragon Dao Platform.

The Dao Platform was as deep and still as an abyss, and two Profound Roots stood together upon it.

One was the Thunder Prison, with Weiji Thunder Radiance flowing heavily along its leaf veins.

The other was the Heavenly Statute. It carried a warm, mellow hue, and the faint golden patterns upon it were now far clearer and brighter than before.

Right in the center of the Dao Platform, the pool of Dao Origin he had been slowly accumulating since stepping into the Dao Foundation realm resembled an unfathomable stretch of still water. The surface was perfectly placid, yet a cataclysmic force circulated silently in its depths.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

With a shift of his will, he slowly drew the Dao Origin from the depths of the Dao Platform. Like an azure dragon swimming out of a deep pool, it surged upward along his meridians to flow into his chest and abdomen.

Then, from that Dao Origin, he slowly cleaved away the first strand of qi.

Time slipped away in silence.

The sun’s shadows shifted slowly westward across the forest. Daylight faded to dark, and then from dark back to light.

As the first day drew to a close, over thirty strands of qi hovered around him. They drifted in a dense, sluggish orbit, like a swarm of fireflies unable to find their way home.

By noon of the second day, the number of those qi strands had reached sixty.

Chen Lingxi’s face was slightly pale by now, a thin sheen of sweat beading on his forehead.

Yet in his heart, he felt exceptionally surprised.

’Splitting the Dao Origin into sixty parts isn’t actually that difficult.’

His eyes flickered as he immediately recalled his extraordinary attainments in the Dao of the Sword.

Whether it was the Heavenly King Wielding Thunder Sword or the Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light, both placed immensely high demands on his control over his Dao Origin. Without realizing it, Chen Lingxi had cultivated formidable mastery over his Dao Origin through the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture, and to his surprise, it was lending him a hand now.

’Quite the unexpected blessing,’ he thought. ’From the looks of it, grasping the basics of this array will be easier than I imagined.

’But if I want to unleash the full might of this array, I’m afraid I’ll need to practice it for a long time yet.’

With these thoughts in mind, he continued to cleave his qi.

It wasn’t until the seventy-second strand of qi was peeled away from his Dao Origin that Chen Lingxi slowly opened his eyes.

He raised his hand and looked at the seventy-two strands of qi slowly revolving around him, his eyes perfectly clear.

Then, he moved.

He no longer used his Dao Origin as the guide. Instead, he used his divine consciousness as the brush, and his own body as the array board.

The radiance of the array diagram in his palm lit up inch by inch within the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.

The first array node corresponded to the first strand of qi, the second array node corresponded to the second...

They were not aligned in sequence, but rather interlinked to echo one another. The first strand connected with the seventy-second, the second connected with the seventy-first. The dozens of qi strands in between settled into place one by one, rising and falling exactly as the array diagram dictated.

Chen Lingxi’s divine consciousness was incredibly meticulous.

Ever since he had cultivated the [Refined Thought] mystic mechanism and acquired the wondrous tree mystic mechanism of the Thunder Prison Immortal Eye, his control over qi had reached a level where he could distinguish a single hair. Now, using his divine consciousness to guide the seventy-two strands of qi into place one by one was like holding seventy-two impossibly thin threads to weave an exceedingly complex net in the void.

The net was woven tighter and tighter.

Chen Lingxi’s expression did not waver.

With a subtle shift of his will, the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword rang sharply as it flew from its sheath.

The Jade Tiger Rebellious Sea Sword Light erupted from the edge of the Abyssal Heaven Spiritual Sword.

That rainbow of sword light did not sweep across the sky. Instead, it was forcefully bound by Chen Lingxi’s divine consciousness, shrinking into a blue-gold blade of light no more than three feet long that dropped straight into the center of the net formed by the seventy-two strands of qi.

The array node was born.

In that split second!

The net of seventy-two qi strands, which had been slowly drifting just moments before, abruptly snapped taut!

The seventy-two strands of qi trembled simultaneously, each birthing a sliver of sharp intent that flowed outward from the array node along the formation lines. Wherever this edge passed, the flowing momentum of the qi strands drastically changed, their form and presence entirely transforming into sword qi!

Chen Lingxi sat amidst that patch of light, the seventy-two strands of qi around his body now entirely converted into sword qi.

The seventy-two streams of sword qi revolved slowly around him. Each was only the length of a palm and colored blue-gold. Thunder patterns surged across them, their sword qi contained inward and their sharp edges completely hidden.

Chen Lingxi looked down at the ring of tracks and slowly exhaled.

This was the Seventy-Two Qi Origin-Holding Array.

’If I nurture it with sword qi, this array becomes a Dao of the Sword array,’ he thought.

’If I nurture it with thunder radiance, it becomes a Dao of Thunder array... Thinking about it this way, this array truly is extraordinary.’

Chen Lingxi slowly stood up.

He withdrew the array formation from his surroundings. The seventy-two streams of sword qi receded into his Dao Platform like a receding tide, turning back into seventy-two strands of qi that hung obediently above the platform.

He was quite satisfied and gave a slight nod.

To be able to learn this array to such an extent in just three days was entirely due to his attainments in the Dao of the Sword, the Suspended Qi Fruit Projection, his innate talent regarding his spiritual aperture, and a multitude of other reasons.

’Still, there’s a lot of room for improvement.’

Chen Lingxi murmured silently in his heart, feeling no impatience.

He then retrieved the Court Audience Heavenly Talisman bestowed by True Person Xiangshu from his Vast Void Pouch.

Two bright mirrors hung high in the sky above; this place was still within the divine consciousness of Absolute Perception.

In the real world, Chen Lingxi didn’t dare to lightly use this Court Audience Heavenly Talisman to enter the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror. But now, inside the Divine Chamber, he could finally give it a try.

Dao Origin seeped from Chen Lingxi’s fingertips, tracing every stroke and line of the runes until he had outlined the entire talisman.

A faint golden light flared upon the talisman.

Holding the talisman, he bowed his head and offered a salute toward the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror.

A few breaths of time passed.

Chen Lingxi’s brow twitched slightly.

The talisman hovered idly in his palm. No golden light arose, and no Dao resonance was emitted. The daylight fell around him just as before, remaining the same clear forest daylight without a single shred of change.

He bowed a second time.

The talisman still gave absolutely no reaction.

Chen Lingxi slowly straightened up. He flipped the Court Audience Heavenly Talisman over in his hands, examining it several times. He confirmed that the Sect Secret Register on the talisman did not lack a single stroke, and he verified that the method he used to channel his Dao Origin was identical to the one he had used day after day over the past two years.

’I really can’t get in.’

He tucked the talisman back into his sleeve and slowly sat back down on the ground.

He pondered slowly in his mind.

Using the Court Audience Heavenly Talisman he had secretly memorized during Vision Roaming, he had privately offered numerous sacrifices to exchange for Great Encompassing Profound Qi on several occasions when no one was watching.

The talisman he used back then was that of a Loose Cultivator.

And when the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror first manifested before him, a line of Dao text had been reflected deep within its surface—[Loose Cultivator Chen Lingxi].

This meant the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror had already perceived his identity, etching the persona of ”Loose Cultivator Chen Lingxi” into itself.

Now, the Dragon-Revering Sect’s Court Audience Heavenly Talisman in his hand carried the Sect Secret Register. If he used it to enter the mirror, the identity of ”Dragon-Revering Sect Disciple Yuan Zhiling” and the previous ”Loose Cultivator Chen Lingxi” would register as two entirely different people.

But the Great Encompassing Heaven-Observing Mirror only recognized one person.

Reaching this conclusion, Chen Lingxi slowly shook his head.

’This is quite a problem...’

’If I arouse True Person Xiangshu’s suspicion and let him know I wasn’t affected by the Fate-Concealing Purple Glow, things will turn disastrous.’

’Forget it, I won’t think about this for now.’

Chen Lingxi shook his head and stood up, looking toward a certain location deep within the secret realm.

’It’s about time I go see Daoist Brother Lin.’

Cloud vapor naturally generated beneath his feet as he rose, skimming the treetops.

He did not unleash his full strength. The Hidden Edge Method circulated silently within his body, completely concealing all of his qi. Moving through this secret realm, he was like a solitary cloud drifting slowly from on high.

—

The secret realm was not large.

From where he took off in the old forest, Chen Lingxi crossed two mountain ridges, bypassed a col where the spiritual energy was relatively dense, and then flew dozens of miles alongside a cliff face. The bluestone boulder in front of him soon drew near.

There was a person on the stone.

Lin Suri sat cross-legged. He wore black Dao robes embroidered with the cloud patterns of the Under-Dao Academy’s Pool Soul Courtyard lineage.

He was not cultivating at the moment. He simply sat there quietly, gazing at the western zenith. The layer of profound spiritual light around his body circulated slowly, locking all of his Dao Origin, qi, and vitality deep inside.

Chen Lingxi landed several zhang below the bluestone boulder.

He dispelled the Hidden Edge Method and slowly released a sliver of his tightly concealed qi.

On top of the bluestone, Lin Suri seemed to sense something and suddenly opened his eyes.

In an instant!

Lin Suri’s eyes first narrowed, his brows abruptly furrowing. The profound spiritual light around his body instantly tensed, making him look like a fierce beast startled awake from its slumber!

Having spent the last few years trapped in this secret realm with over twenty Dao Foundation cultivators surrounding him outside the mist, it was only natural for him to be highly vigilant.

But in the very next moment, that vigilance completely dissipated. His gaze suddenly turned blank, and then Lin Suri slowly stood up.

”Chen... Chen Lingxi?”

A faint smile appeared on Chen Lingxi’s face as he replied, ”Daoist Brother Lin.”

...

The two men sat cross-legged on the bluestone and exchanged many words.

”I thought you died in the Weiji Grotto-Heaven,” he said slowly, his tone utterly sincere and devoid of any pretense. ”That year, when the grotto-heaven was on the verge of shattering, the reincarnators of all the different families fled in every direction. I woke up in the Pool of Reincarnation and thought that when Great Sage Luoyuan descended, he had crushed you along with the grotto-heaven.”

Chen Lingxi remained where he was, listening quietly, and then offered Lin Suri a bow.

”Thank you for your concern, Daoist Brother,” he said simply, before adding, ”My departure from the grotto-heaven was a rather complicated affair that cannot be fully explained in a short time. Let us sit, and I will tell you the whole story slowly.”

Lin Suri took a jade pot from his sleeve and poured out two cups.

The pot did not contain spiritual tea, but rather a type of clear dew secretly brewed by the Under-Dao Academy. It was slightly cool on the palate, but as it flowed through the meridians, it melted into a warm, mellow stream of spiritual energy.

The two men conversed like this for a while. When Lin Suri asked where Chen Lingxi was currently staying, Chen Lingxi was remarkably frank, stating directly that he had joined the Dragon-Revering Sect. Lin Suri immediately frowned.

”The Dragon-Revering Sect is plagued by constant infighting among its hundred peaks. Everyone harbors their own ulterior motives; it’s hardly a place for quiet cultivation. Daoist Brother, since you have come to the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, why didn’t you join my Under-Dao Academy?”

Chen Lingxi simply shook his head, but in his heart, he thought...

’If I were to leave the Dragon-Revering Sect just like that, I wonder if True Person Xiangshu would notice?’

Keeping these thoughts to himself, he continued chatting with Lin Suri, who brought up many events from the past, as well as what had happened after he returned to the Great Xuanzhuo Realm.

They talked until the sun’s shadows slanted westward.

Lin Suri suddenly stopped speaking.

He looked up toward the extreme distance in the west of the secret realm, which was shrouded in spiritual mist. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

”Daoist Friend Chen,” he said.

”I have a matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

”Please speak, Daoist Brother,” Chen Lingxi replied.

Lin Suri raised a hand and pointed at the small sun directly above his head.

”The fortuitous opportunity above my head is called Slaughtering Sun,” he said.

”This opportunity is hidden within this secret realm. It is a heavenly mechanism that has been sealed by time for who knows how many years. By claiming it, one can completely alter a cultivator’s flesh and bones, allowing their meridians, skeleton, qi, blood, and internal organs to all undergo a metamorphosis toward a state more in harmony with the Great Dao. If this opportunity is completely refined, it might even allow one to metamorphose into a Precious Body!”

Chen Lingxi listened quietly.

”This opportunity is now on my person, but I have never fully refined it,” Lin Suri continued.

He paused.

”I’ve thought about this carefully over the past few days. I belong to the Under-Dao Academy. I still have my sect, the Pool Soul Courtyard, my Dao Teachers, and six True Persons to rely on. If I don’t fight for this opportunity, I will always have other chances to encounter one in the future. But you, Daoist Friend Chen... you walked out of the Weiji Grotto-Heaven all by yourself to reach this Great Xuanzhuo Realm, and now you are trapped in that snake pit of the Dragon-Revering Sect. You need this opportunity far more than I do.”

Chen Lingxi’s expression flickered, and he was just about to speak.

But Lin Suri raised a hand to stop him.

”I’m not saying this just to be polite,” he said, looking steadily at Chen Lingxi. ”I am giving this opportunity to you, in order to repay the times you saved my life in the past. When this secret realm finally opens, you can leave quietly. As for these cultivators trapped in the realm, I will hold them back for you myself.”

Chen Lingxi sat perfectly still, speechless for a moment. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ’I plotted against Daoist Brother Lin so heavily in the past, yet to think he actually values our old ties this much.’

The Slaughtering Sun opportunity could alter one’s bones and broaden one’s Dao path. It was far more precious than even the Suspended Qi Fruit Projection.

Yet now, Lin Suri was practically handing this opportunity to him on a silver platter. Here in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, where he had no family or close friends to rely on, Lin Suri’s actions couldn’t help but fill Chen Lingxi’s heart with a warm glow.

Afterwards, he slowly knitted his brows.

He looked up at Lin Suri.

”Daoist Brother Lin,” he said, ”there is one thing I don’t understand.”

”Ask,” Lin Suri replied.

”What is your current cultivation level?”

”When I returned from the Weiji Grotto-Heaven and my memories awakened, my Dao Foundation had already been forged, but I still hadn’t formed the tree of my Profound Root,” Lin Suri said frankly. ”It has taken me these fourteen or fifteen years to reforge my foundation, so I can only barely be considered at the Early Dao Foundation stage.”

”And your Profound Root still hasn’t formed a tree,” Chen Lingxi said, looking at him. ”Daoist Brother Lin, just within the span of a few days in this secret realm, I’ve already seen four or five auras at the Dao Foundation Middle Stage, and there are over twenty more auras that have been laying siege to this place for years. I truly do not understand. As someone only at the Early Dao Foundation stage, exactly what are you going to use... to hold these people back?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Suri did not panic.

He simply shook his head slowly, reached into his sleeve for the jade pot, poured himself another cup, and took a sip.

”Daoist Friend Chen, you don’t need to worry about me,” he said. ”I, Lin Suri, am not someone who would throw his life away for a fortuitous opportunity. If I truly didn’t have anything to fall back on, I would have willingly surrendered this opportunity long ago in exchange for my life, rather than being trapped in this siege for years. Since I dared to stay, I naturally have something to rely on.”

Chen Lingxi looked at him.

Lin Suri sat upon that bluestone boulder in his black Dao robes, the layer of profound spiritual light slowly circulating around his body, and his face still bearing that same calm, placid expression.

He seemed to have formulated a flawless plan.

Chen Lingxi stared at him for a few breaths.

Then, an intense, surging wave of heroism suddenly rose up in his heart from out of nowhere.

He stood up.

”Daoist Brother Lin,” he said, ”since you have a trump card to rely on, how about you and I join forces... and kill our way out together?”