After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 115

In the main hall.
With a thought, Yuan Chu stepped into a vast, empty Profound Void. There, a field of light like a brilliant galaxy was in a constant state of flux. With her hands behind her back, she walked forward step by step. As she walked, the surrounding light fell away behind her. A magnificent and ornate palace was revealed before her eyes. Yuan Chu entered the hall, ascended the steps, and sat down on the main throne. Layers of clear qi surged outward from her as the center, and a moment later, a ripple spread through the Profound Void.
Yuan Chu looked up to see a person standing there silently. The Dharma Manifestation behind him was ever-changing, sometimes appearing as a dragon, other times as a female cultivator in flowing robes.
“Senior Sister has returned,” the person said softly, giving a Daoist salute. Before Yuan Chu could reply, he asked again, “Has Senior Sister made her decision? Will you merge with the Dao alongside us? When that time comes, we will be able to mend the flaw in the heavens.”
Yuan Chu’s eyelids drooped. After her five former companions severed their selves, only a state of “oneness” remained. But their individual states of “oneness” were not enough. The five of them wanted to transform into the Dao together, until they had completely returned to the Dao. At that time, they would be the heavenly order, and the heavenly order would be them. Within that constancy, heaven and earth would no longer produce variables they could not control. Without waiting for Yuan Chu’s response, the person sighed softly and then quietly departed.
Yuan Chu stared into the Profound Void. As far as her eyes could see, there was a deep sword mark in the celestial palace, the “flaw” left behind by the True Nature Sword. Within that sword mark, change was happening at every moment, and the Great Dao was using it to ascend. But it was not so in the beginning. She was a congenital spirit, representing the complete state of the “Dao,” unable to truly manifest, nor able to generate any further change. And the Great Dao was clearly not satisfied with this step. It wanted “variables,” and these “variables” required breaking that completeness. Thus, the “flaw” appeared. This also meant that the heavenly secrets were in flux, and the old heavenly order was very likely to be replaced by a new one. The cultivators of the lower realms were trying every means to extinguish the external paths, while those of the upper realm wanted to fill that “heavenly flaw.”
But for her, the “flaw” was an opportunity to continue climbing upward. Because of her completeness, she was constant, making it almost impossible to ascend. The Great Dao was not satisfied, and she was not satisfied either.
She needed the “flaw.”
After a moment’s thought, she rose and walked toward the sword mark in the Profound Void. After she swept away the floating sword qi, what met her eyes was a great path paved by a stream of clear, limpid water. The water’s surface was calm, without a ripple. The water itself was pure and clear, and besides a single golden lotus bud about to bloom, there was nothing else to be seen. Yuan Chu gazed at this golden lotus, born from the flaw in the Great Dao, for a long time, and then let out a soft laugh. Beings like them were divine spirits born from the Profound Void. At the moment of their birth, they held the imperial seals born of heaven and earth and presided over the six great heavenly domains. The six great heavenly domains were connected to the Profound Void, yet were distinctly separate. Those who came later could not gain a foothold in the Profound Void and thus could never attain a Dao equal to theirs. But now, the flaw in the Great Dao had appeared. If this golden lotus bloomed successfully, it could also become a foundation for the Dao, allowing later climbers of the path to reflect their own qi and intent in the Profound Void.
Those five, rather than wanting to fill the heavenly flaw, were actually trying to destroy this Dao-carrying golden lotus. As her thoughts drifted, Yuan Chu tilted her head up slightly. Her eyes shimmered with a blooming golden light. In the Profound Void not far away, the reflection of another, enormous lotus appeared—a five-colored chaos lotus, formed from the qi and intent of those five. The Great Dao used the lotus as its reflective image, and they too used the lotus as their Dao. Unable to eliminate the golden lotus, they tried every means to overwhelm it, to mix their qi and intent so that the golden lotus would no longer be “unique.” In the future, even if a climber of the path wanted to attach their qi and intent to the “lotus,” a single wrong thought would make them a wisp of divine will for the five-colored chaos lotus, rather than an existence alongside them. This was, in fact, a choice of Daoist method. In the process of attainment, the choice of which path to take could only be made by the cultivator themself; no one could interfere.
Yuan Chu paid no more attention to these changes. She would not make any move until a true storm began to brew in the Profound Void. Turning, she returned to the Dao Palace, sat down cross-legged, and ignored the changes outside. Wisps of brilliant and profound light surged from her body.
In the Shang Qing Divine Realm.
Wei Yunshu had returned to the Wu Xiang Academy. She saw at a glance that the situation was indeed very different from before she had left. Outside the Zhaowen Hall, dharma altars stood in great numbers. Lecturers spoke with flowery eloquence, painting the sky with their words. But before long, they would be refuted by other arguments until they were red in the face, and would leave the altars in disgrace. At first, it was only cultivators at the Cavern Heaven realm and below who were debating, but slowly, cultivators of higher realms appeared. Among them were lecturers from the Academy, as well as cultivators from other heavenly domains.
“If I subdue my own deluded thoughts, then there will be no ‘obsession’ to sever. In that case, wouldn’t the Created Being with Intelligence also be stabilized, and not suddenly undergo a change?” a clear voice rang out. After these words fell, no one dared to answer. Because the one who spoke was Xuan Immortal Zhaosu, who had stayed at the Academy as a lecturer in order to rescue her own creation. She was the disciple of the Xuan Qing Mountain Sect Master, and in the future, could possibly take charge of Xuan Qing Mountain. If her Daoist convictions were swayed by the “heart-cultivating Dao,” then… did that mean the situation from ten thousand years ago would repeat itself?
Zhaosu didn’t expect anyone to answer her. She gave the upright Dao-preaching stone a deep look, then turned and left. After a moment of silence, the area returned to its previous liveliness. However, a change was subtly taking place. A few days later, the major sects, as if by agreement, sent messages for their disciples studying at the Academy to return to their sects at once. They were terrified that the cultivators in their domains would be swayed by the delusional words of the demonic and heretical path.
“Senior Sister Bo, how was your trip?” Xie Zhichao asked with concern upon seeing Wei Yunshu.
Wei Yunshu thought for a moment, Yuan Chu’s face appearing in her mind. She smiled faintly. “It was very fulfilling.” Without mentioning the events of the past, she added, “I saw Daoist Friend Changfeng. She is in the Wu Shi Heaven Domain and is doing well.”
“Is that so?” A look of surprise appeared on Xie Zhichao’s face. “I wonder how Daoist Chi and Daoist Jiang are doing.”
“Not hearing any bad news is a kind of good news,” Ran Xiuyun interjected. She looked at Wei Yunshu and told her about the recent events at the Academy. At the end, she smiled and said, “I saw many cultivators who used to follow the ‘Severing All Selves’ path in the Demon-Hiding Cave. They are starting to try and subdue the demons.” No one would be foolish enough to shout in front of everyone, “I’m converting to the heart-cultivating Dao.” They would only do it quietly.
“We also came into contact with some Gan Yuan disciples. They are all of good character,” Xie Zhichao also said. “If the Wu Xiang Academy hadn’t given us a foundation to stand on, we wouldn’t have seen any results no matter how long we had.”
“Yes, but even with the support of the Wu Xiang Academy, you must be careful.” Wei Yunshu thought for a moment, then said seriously, “A flaw has appeared in the Great Dao, and where there is a flaw, variables arise. I need to leave for a period of time to continue climbing upward.”
“Hmm?” A look of surprise appeared in Ran Xiuyun’s eyes. “Senior Sister Bo, it hasn’t been long since you entered the Upper Immortal realm, has it?”
“That’s right. Isn’t this too rushed? You should consolidate your cultivation, so you don’t damage your foundation,” Xie Zhichao chimed in.
“I understand.” Wei Yunshu didn’t mention her past two lives to them, but said tactfully, “My constitution is special, different from ordinary people.”
Xie Zhichao was speechless. Back in the Fu Li Immortal Realm, the cultivation speed of Wei Yunshu and Luo Lingfeng was unmatched. If the upper limit of that world hadn’t been locked, they would have gone much further long ago. Thinking of this, Xie Zhichao didn’t try to persuade her anymore.
After a short chat with Xie Zhichao and Ran Xiuyun, Wei Yunshu did not return to the Tianque Blessed Land. Instead, she changed the direction of her teleportation light and flew towards Dan Mountain. Yuan Chu had left those words and disappeared. She vaguely understood the path she had to walk, but before that, she wanted to see Yuan Chu one more time.
On the Langgan trees that covered the mountains, the heavy fruits were gone. Birds of various colors flew between the branches, chirping in harmony. The last time she came here, her mind was full of thoughts of “advancement,” and she had not taken in the surrounding scenery. This time, she had more leisure to appreciate the view along the way. However, this carefree feeling did not last long. A black-haired, black-robed, golden-eyed girl appeared out of thin air, holding a heavy long saber. Without a word of greeting, she slashed down at her face!
Wei Yunshu raised a hand and stopped the falling saber. She stared at the girl in surprise for a good while before saying, “Little Black?” The girl opposite her looked even colder. She released the saber and kicked at Wei Yunshu. A sharp sound of breaking wind was heard, and a wave of fierce qi swept out in all directions, causing the Langgan trees to sway and startling a flock of birds. Wei Yunshu retreated swiftly, raising her wrist to block the Black Tai Sui’s leg and pushing forward. The Black Tai Sui used the force to flip in mid-air and landed steadily a few dozen feet away. She reached out and dragged the saber on the ground, looking coldly at Wei Yunshu. “Idle people, trespassing on Dan Mountain!” She had already learned from the White Tai Sui that Wei Yunshu was the reincarnation of Sang Buwei. No wonder the dharma seal contract in the Fu Li Immortal Realm had reversed back then! New grudges and old hatreds—she wished she could cut Wei Yunshu in half with one strike!
Wei Yunshu looked at the Black Tai Sui’s face, which was full of anger, and knew for sure that she already knew about the past. After a soft sigh, she said, “I wish to see the Emperor.”
“I really don’t know how you have the face to come to Dan Mountain! What do you think this place is? A place you can come and go as you please? You heartless, ungrateful white-eyed wolf!” the Black Tai Sui scolded with a cold face.
“The Black Lord is right,” Wei Yunshu said, bowing earnestly.
The Black Tai Sui looked even angrier. She shouted furiously, “The master doesn’t want to see you! Leave Dan Mountain at once, or I won’t be polite.” The thought that after returning to the Shang Qing Divine Realm, she had let Wei Yunshu use her name to swagger around outside made her anger burn even hotter, more fiercely than the fires of rebirth!
“It is my fault,” Wei Yunshu said again.
Hearing this, the Black Tai Sui scowled and threw the saber in front of Wei Yunshu. “Then atone with your death.”
Wei Yunshu raised her eyebrows and smiled freely. She picked up the saber and slashed at herself. But just as the blade was about to land on her body, a black shadow rushed over like a hurricane and knocked the long saber away with a bang. The Black Tai Sui was furious. Taking advantage of the close proximity, she raised her fist and punched Wei Yunshu. Her spiritual power was not very strong, but her physical body was top-notch, comparable to a Supreme Immortal. That punch directly smashed through Wei Yunshu’s protective aura, sending her flying. The Black Tai Sui paced back and forth, finally resisting the urge to go and help her up. She said with a cold face, “You should go. The master is not in the Dao Palace. If you want to see her, go to the Profound Void of Origin.”
Wei Yunshu was speechless. The Profound Void was the place where divine spirits were first born, the foundation of all existence, also known as the “Divine Court.” If she wanted to further prove her Dao, she had to enter the Profound Void and leave her own name-seal and aura. If the Emperor had left such words, it meant that before she achieved her goal or died, she would not meet with her again. A trace of melancholy arose deep in her heart, but Wei Yunshu didn’t dwell on it for long. She bowed toward the Dao Palace hidden in the clouds and mist, then turned and left with great freedom.
The Black Tai Sui watched her resolute back and fumed. Again and again, it was always like this. And yet, she couldn’t do anything to Wei Yunshu! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She transformed directly into her original form, returned to the Dao Palace, and landed sulkily in a pile of Langgan fruits, like a jade statue, motionless.
When the White Tai Sui returned to the Dao Palace, what she saw was a withdrawn younger sister. The Langgan fruits were not fewer, but they were in a mess, rolling all over the floor. “What are you doing?” Before the Black Tai Sui could answer, she asked again, “Has that person been here?”
The Black Tai Sui said in a muffled voice, “She came.” The White Tai Sui couldn’t stand this gloomy voice at all. She frowned and said, “Didn’t get the upper hand?”
“I punched her once.” The Black Tai Sui stood up. The fluffy black ball shook its wings and, in a flash of light, grew into a girl as straight as a bamboo. She picked up a Langgan fruit, took a vicious bite, her cheeks puffing out. After a long while, she finally said, “But I’m still not happy.”
The White Tai Sui walked over, patted the Black Tai Sui on the head, and said with a beaming smile, “Then I’ll give you a mission. I guarantee you’ll be happy.”
“Tell me,” the Black Tai Sui said listlessly. All her anger was directed at Wei Yunshu, so she didn’t want to argue with the White Tai Sui.
The White Tai Sui said calmly, “Go to the three immortal cities of Yuheng, Yuyu, and Yulou, and deal with all those who are dissatisfied and have objections to the Academy.”
The Black Tai Sui shook her head, moving away from the White Tai Sui’s hand. She stopped eating the Langgan fruit and stared at the White Tai Sui for a long time before saying, “Is this the Emperor’s will?” Although she didn’t manage the affairs of the heavenly domain much, she could recognize the general direction. In the past, there was no Academy, and the various immortal cities were allowed to develop on their own. The Emperor didn’t care what they said. Now, they were going to erase the dissenting voices. What other big moves would follow? The Wu Xiang Heaven Domain was about to change.
The White Tai Sui said solemnly, “Exactly.” Those five major heavenly domains were constantly thinking of dealing with the cultivators of the Gan Yuan lineage. In the Academy, they didn’t dare to violate the iron laws and wanted to recall all their disciples, but either the disciples wouldn’t listen, or they themselves were unwilling. After failing to find a breakthrough with her, those five heavenly domains had turned their attention to the various immortal cities of the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain, unscrupulously instigating them, wanting the cities to pressure the Wu Xiang Academy from the bottom up.
“After I leave, you won’t let her into the Dao Palace, will you?” the Black Tai Sui asked, looking at the White Tai Sui with suspicion.
The White Tai Sui smiled. “I won’t.” After a pause, she added, “Don’t you know her yet? After she leaves, how many times has she come back before achieving her goal?”
The Black Tai Sui patted her chest and promised, “I understand. Leave this matter to me. I will definitely get it done.”
In the past, the Wu Xiang Dao Palace had ignored the various immortal cities. There was no such thing as eradicating anyone. The few immortal cities that were the first to complain about the Academy “sheltering the Gan Yuan lineage” had dared to speak out precisely because they had thought of this point. For example, in places like the Wu Shi Heaven Domain and the Tian Nu Domain, where the hierarchy was extremely strict, such a situation would never have occurred.
The other immortal cities of the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain were watching, and the other five major heavenly domains were also watching. However, right under everyone’s noses, the Black Tai Sui appeared with the Immortals of Dan Mountain and mercilessly wiped out those sects, letting the Daoists who used to cultivate in seclusion on Dan Mountain take charge. One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and an uproar erupted in the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain. The Academy represented the will of the Emperor and could not be violated by any Daoist. And the Academy, which seemed impartial, was actually already leaning toward the Gan Yuan lineage. After realizing this, some abandoned everything in the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain and left, while others quietly came to the heavenly domain.
On the long river, shrouded in a luminous mist and teeming with spiritual energy, several figures gradually manifested. But the place usually occupied by a Soaring Serpent was now empty, with no spiritual energy surging.
“Why didn’t Fellow Daoist Teng Luo come?” a voice spread out.
Su Qing glanced indifferently at that spot and said coolly, “If she doesn’t come, she doesn’t come.” After a pause, she added, “Have you all heard about the matter of the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain? The Wu Xiang Academy has accepted cultivators of the Gan Yuan lineage. Isn’t that opposing us?”
“But we cannot interfere in the affairs of the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain.” The person who spoke paused for a moment. “Recently, many cultivators from the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain have come to join our sects.”
“How do we know it’s not bait? The Wu Xiang Heaven Domain has been reclusive for thousands of years. We still don’t understand the situation there.”
“Fellow Daoist Su Qing, I heard that the Tian Nu Pavilion still has disciples studying at the Academy. I wonder what the situation is like?”
Hearing this, Su Qing’s expression sharpened. A trace of derision flashed in her eyes. She looked toward the direction of the Xuan Qing Mountain Sect Master and said, “Sect Master Shen, I hear a disciple under you has converted to the ‘heart-cultivating Dao’?”
The Xuan Qing Mountain Sect Master was not angry. She said calmly, “We are not here to pursue anything, but to find a solution to a problem.”
“It cannot be solved,” Su Qing replied. “Recently, Xuan Tian Ji has been making frequent moves. It seems all the creations have gathered in my Tian Nu Domain. I wonder what insight Fellow Daoist Shen has.” Xuan Tian Ji had escaped from Xuan Qing Mountain. The top-level cultivators were all the “non-selves” severed by the top echelon of immortals in Xuan Qing Mountain. If one were to say who was most easily bewitched by the creations, it would have to be the cultivators of Xuan Qing Mountain. After so many years, they still couldn’t eliminate the poison of Xuan Tian Ji, which had something to do with the indulgence of certain people in Xuan Qing Mountain.
Daoist Shen said, “My Xuan Qing Mountain is also constantly being harassed.” After thinking for a moment, she suggested with a calm face, “The goal of those creations is nothing more than to eliminate the ‘true self’ and rescue other creations. I hear that someone in the Tian Nu Domain has already obtained a method to slay demons. Why not pull all the creations into the Demon-Hiding Cave and slay them?”
Su Qing sneered coldly. “You make it sound so easy.” Even if all the accomplished cultivators of the Gan Yuan lineage were thrown into the Demon-Hiding Cave, they couldn’t swallow all the demons at once. They thought of themselves as a “small Realm of Ruin,” but they were not the real Realm of Ruin after all.
Daoist Shen asked patiently, “Then what do you propose?”
Su Qing: “I wish to borrow an artifact from you, Daoist friend.”
Daoist Shen: “Please say.”
Su Qing: “The Taiyi Primordial Wood.” This was a divine wood from which one could borrow qi. For as many years as a cultivator had nurtured it, they could borrow that much qi from it. However, what was borrowed was ultimately not one’s own. A single moment of stagnation in battle could lead to death, so this type of wood was mostly used to support a sect’s grand array at critical moments. Su Qing would not allow an external divine wood to merge with the qi of the Tian Nu Pavilion’s grand array. She wanted to use it on the cultivators of the Gan Yuan lineage. The cultivators of the Gan Yuan lineage used their hearts to subdue demons, which naturally consumed spiritual power. If they were given cultivation resources, their cultivation would increase, and the Demon-Hiding Cave would instead become a training ground for them. But using the Taiyi Primordial Wood was different. It could lend the Gan Yuan cultivators “qi,” and this thing could be used but not converted into their own power. By using it to replace cultivation resources, the demons in the Demon-Hiding Cave would disappear, and the cultivation of the Gan Yuan disciples would not advance.
Daoist Shen thought for a moment and then agreed.
Although there was no result in this meeting regarding how to deal with the Wu Xiang Heaven Domain, borrowing the “Taiyi Primordial Wood” had resolved a concern in Su Qing’s heart, and she was in a good mood. But she had not been sitting in the Dao Palace for long when a disciple brought news that the Created Beings with Intelligence of Xuan Tian Ji had begun to attack the great prison again, attempting to rescue other creations. Although their strength was superior to the Created Beings, because these beings could not be directly killed, the cultivators were constrained at every turn and could not drive them out for a while, which was extremely troublesome. Su Qing assigned the matter to the disciples under her, while she herself remained in the Dao Palace. However, a warning sign faintly stirred deep in her heart, making it impossible for her to calm down. The only recent “change” in the Tian Nu Pavilion was Xuan Tian Ji. Was her premonition related to Xuan Tian Ji? Could those creations bring a very bad influence to the Tian Nu Pavilion? Once this thought arose, it became unstoppable. Logically, these matters did not require her personal attention, but due to that little bit of unease, she prepared to go to the prison herself.
On a mountain several hundred miles from the Tian Nu Pavilion’s mountain gate, a cultivator wearing a lotus crown and a dark yellow robe raised his hand with an expressionless face. His Daoist name was “Gou Chen.” His true body was the former master of the Heavenly Mystery Institute of Xuan Qing Mountain, but the other party had already been replaced by him. If he hadn’t been discovered, he could have continued to live in Xuan Qing Mountain under the name of Daoist Gou Chen. What he saw in his eyes was the restrictive array that the Tian Nu Pavilion had built over ten thousand years. He laughed softly, a look of disdain on his face, and a dharma shuttle flew out from his sleeve.
The restrictive array of the Tian Nu Pavilion was in constant operation. Its qi flowed like water, breaking and mending. It was useless to strike a single point. To eliminate the restrictive array, one had to break through all the qi of the grand array at once, otherwise it would return to its original state in the next moment. His spiritual power was not enough to break the grand array, but for these thousands of years, he had been studying artifacts to break the restrictions of the major mountain gates. This flying shuttle was the result. The moment the flying shuttle shot out, it sensed the change in the qi and instantly differentiated into thousands of copies, densely covering the sky and crashing down on the Tian Nu Pavilion’s restrictive array.