After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 30

Within the Hundred Slaughter Earth Abyss.
The evil cultivators who were successively searching for and pursuing the disruptive evil spirits from all directions gathered, seemingly abandoning their previous objective. This made Wei Yunshu and the others even more cautious in concealing their auras. Wei Yunshu was not worried about Xie Zhichao, but she feared that Luo Lingfeng might suddenly go mad. Therefore, while searching for an exit, she glanced at Luo Lingfeng several times.
Luo Lingfeng’s face was pale, and her eyes were tinged with an unusual blush. Her gaze was deep and profound, hiding a sinister coldness. A few strands of her white hair slipped from her shoulders, landing on her chest, making them even more striking.
Had she suffered? Had she regretted it? Wei Yunshu’s mind suddenly conjured such thoughts, but quickly, she realized her mind was not calm. As she withdrew her gaze, she smoothed away the ripples in her heart one by one.
“Fellow Daoist Bo keeps looking at me. Do you have something to say?” Luo Lingfeng asked with a faint smile, her eyes fixed on Wei Yunshu. Her hands hung down loosely, her wide sleeves almost dragging on the ground, fluttering gently in the wind.
Wei Yunshu couldn’t fathom Luo Lingfeng’s thoughts. She hadn’t intended to answer, but Luo Lingfeng quickened her pace, walking alongside her and displaying an insistent expression, as if demanding an answer. At the Cloud Sect outpost, Luo Lingfeng had shown an inexplicable interest in her, and if that interest had not only not disappeared but had grown even stronger. Her unrestrained gaze, falling upon her, felt palpable. Wei Yunshu lowered her eyebrows and said blandly, “True Monarch’s killing intent occasionally leaks out. I thought True Monarch would venture deep into the spiritual vein.”
“I really did think so,” Luo Lingfeng chuckled softly. “The closer we get to the spiritual vein, the richer the spiritual energy, comparable to a top-tier Cavern Heaven blessed land. However, the spiritual energy within is extremely chaotic. Without the refinement of the sect’s grand formation, it’s difficult to directly absorb it. Fellow Daoist Bo, if I were to venture deep into the spiritual vein and then unfold my Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation, expelling all the cultivation from this body, what do you think would happen?”
Luo Lingfeng’s expression remained unchanged, as if she were discussing a trivial matter.
Wei Yunshu frowned, and Xie Zhichao listened with a trembling heart. The spiritual energy within the spiritual vein surged and fluctuated. It was difficult for those with weak cultivation to reach the depths. If Luo Lingfeng were to destroy her Nascent Soul avatar, it would be equivalent to breaking the balance of the outer periphery, turning the entire spiritual vein into a giant vortex millstone, crushing everyone within the surge of spiritual power! “True Monarch doesn’t need to sacrifice yourself like this,” Xie Zhichao said with a blank face, her tone dry.
Luo Lingfeng did not respond. She gazed at Wei Yunshu with a smile, waiting for her answer. But after half a moment of not receiving the desired response, she deliberately sighed and said, “If the spiritual vein erupts, firstly, it can remind those three clans of the Luoshui Divine Palace, and secondly, it can eliminate the demons in the Earth Abyss. It’s killing two birds with one stone, why not?”
Wei Yunshu looked up and gazed at Luo Lingfeng for a long time before saying blandly, “You want to destroy the spiritual vein of the Southern Continent.”
Luo Lingfeng’s smile became more alluring. She raised her jade-like hand and gently tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear. She said airily, “It was Luo Hengjun who wanted to destroy the spiritual vein, how could it be me?” The light in the Earth Abyss was not bright, a patch of emerald green like ghost fire. Luo Lingfeng’s snow-white face was also covered with a hint of ethereal energy, and a strange, sinister aura emanated from her entire being. Wei Yunshu looked at her expression, and a gasp of cold air instantly shot upwards, reaching her chest. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back. At this point, how could she still make decisions for Luo Lingfeng?
We are no longer related.
Wei Yunshu silently admontered herself.
She turned to look at Xie Zhichao.
Coincidentally, Xie Zhichao had discovered something. She retracted her Spring and Autumn Saber, turned, and waved vigorously at her, saying, “Fellow Daoist Bo, you’re finally here.” Looking at the freedom and joy in Xie Zhichao’s eyes, Wei Yunshu’s emotions calmed down, and a smile gradually formed on her lips. She moved forward quickly, taking two steps at a time, and reached Xie Zhichao’s side, looking at the hundred-zhang-wide cave entrance together with her.
“I don’t know if this cave can lead to the exit,” Xie Zhichao scratched her head. She grabbed her wine gourd and took a sip, wiping her lips with her sleeve. Inside was water, gurgling upwards, but by the time it was about to overflow the cave entrance, there seemed to be an inexplicable suction from below, causing the surging water to fall back, as if being drawn out from the lower layers. “The Luoshui Divine Palace is entirely situated in the water. There are waves of water surging from this Earth Abyss. Does this mean it leads to— No!” Before finishing her guess, Xie Zhichao suddenly reacted. She pointed at the cave entrance and said, “We are already underground, and this cave clearly leads further down. Could it be leading to the depths of the spiritual vein?”
Wei Yunshu slowly nodded, “It’s possible.”
Xie Zhichao looked around. Her curiosity reignited. She lowered her voice and said, “We can’t find the exit for now, why don’t we explore the depths of the spiritual vein?” In the past, entering another person’s spiritual vein was considered a rude act that could ruin relationships, but now, with the circumstances, she couldn’t restrain her thoughts. Wei Yunshu frowned, her expression easing. She looked at Xie Zhichao and then said, “What about your junior sister? Don’t you care about her?”
Xie Zhichao sighed. “It’s not that I don’t care, but I can’t find the exit nearby. Since that’s the case, our strategy must change.” In fact, she felt that Luo Lingfeng might know the exit, as she originated from the Luoshui Divine Palace. But after they mentioned it, Luo Lingfeng did not speak, clearly unwilling to tell them. This True Monarch had unpredictable thoughts, was fickle, and ruthless. Whether it was the avatar’s “personality” or the main body, she was the same; she didn’t want to interact with her further.
“Then let’s go down and take a look.” Wei Yunshu pondered for a moment and replied.
The two of them chatted back and forth, without any intention of asking for Luo Lingfeng’s opinion.
Although they had both fallen into the Hundred Slaughter Earth Abyss, they were not going the same way.
Xie Zhichao saw Wei Yunshu agree. She immediately made a hand seal. When her entire body was enveloped by the sharp saber energy, she couldn’t wait to leap into the cave entrance, disappearing in an instant. Wei Yunshu watched the ripples in the cave entrance and smiled faintly. Her body was covered in treasure light, and she fearlessly entered the cave. Luo Lingfeng’s smile instantly vanished. She crossed her arms, her fingers tapping idly on the table, her gaze somewhat vacant and unfocused. Although evil cultivators had created the Hundred Slaughter Earth Abyss here, the caves of various sizes were naturally formed. Descending from the cave, after passing through the surging water current, they finally reached the depths of the spiritual vein. The dangers there were self-evident, but the benefits were also infinite. The richness of spiritual energy could not be compared to the outside world. However, in the Luoshui Divine Palace of the Southern Continent, demons had invaded, and the cultivators nurtured by it, were they righteous or evil?
Luo Lingfeng thought to herself, feeling inexplicably restless and annoyed. Her vacant gaze gradually focused, settling firmly on the cave entrance. A few breaths later, her face, which had been filled with sudden coldness, again showed a hint of dangerous laughter. “Where can you hide?” she said softly, her tone as gentle as the warm spring breeze. She raised her hand and gently tapped her empty chest, sensing the pain throbbing in her heart chamber. Her smile became even more alluring and eerie.
The sound of flowing water continued endlessly, flowing from high to low.
Sporadic lights dotted the vast territory, their glow becoming hazy and indistinct in the rain.
The underground world was shrouded in perpetual darkness, while the surface was covered by an endless night.
Luoshui Divine Palace Outpost.
It was the place with the most abundant lights. Disciples guarded every area, and patrolling figures occasionally appeared, maintaining a high state of alert, as if fearing someone would break in.
In the room, Jiang Jiuxiao sat cross-legged, her hands clasped on the table. Her gaze fell on the incense burner emitting wisps of white smoke. She felt a surge of panic. “I searched Ligu, but it was a mess, and I couldn’t find any trace of them.” After a pause, she added, “The Cloud Sect also has no news of that person.”
She looked at Xiang Jun, who sat opposite her with a composed expression, and then lowered her voice, “Do you think she recognized us?”
Xiang Jun unfurled his fan and smiled, “So what if she did? So what if she didn’t?” He said slowly, “Without evidence, what can she do? Does she dare to act directly against us? Cloud City has undergone internal strife, and it’s already difficult for them to maintain themselves. It’s even less likely they’ll have the energy to deal with us. Look at the Cloud City disciples, each and every one of them—” Saying this, Xiang Jun shook his head and didn’t continue. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, mixed with regret.
Jiang Jiuxiao was not as optimistic as Xiang Jun. She knew that Cloud City’s forces were deeply entrenched. Everyone wanted to seize the position of Palace Lord. However, after Wei Yunshu’s death, the position of “Cloud Sovereign” remained vacant for three years, and Luo Lingfeng managed all the affairs of Cloud City. Was it possible that the major noble families deliberately let her be the scapegoat? But what was the point of that? She was more inclined to believe that Luo Lingfeng had forced the Cloud City noble families to submit. Look at how she had gone mad searching for the Cloud Sovereign for the past three years. Yet, no one had stepped forward to restrain her! She glanced at Xiang Jun, saw the arrogance flashing in his eyes, and swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue.
Xiang Jun knew he hadn’t convinced Jiang Jiuxiao. He stood up, smiled, and said, “What if that avatar is already gone?” Seeing Jiang Jiuxiao’s stunned expression, he continued, “When we left, we heard that earth-shattering roar. Perhaps it was Zhou Yuxiao’s doing.” It was only three years ago that news spread that Luo Lingfeng had already entered the Cavern Heaven realm, but he was unwilling to believe it at first. Because when she boarded the Cloud City carriage back then, she was only at the Golden Core cultivation level. Her talent was ordinary, and she didn’t cultivate the water techniques that Luoshui Divine Palace valued most. How could she possibly have reached the Cavern Heaven realm? Even if she had reached that realm, it was unlikely she achieved it step by step. Given the Cloud Sovereign’s attention and favoritism towards her, she might have even supplied her with heavenly treasures.
“By the way, why did she cultivate the water techniques?” Xiang Jun suddenly remembered something. He gazed intently at Jiang Jiuxiao, trying to discern something from her face. He was the young master of the Dustless Sea and naturally couldn’t stay at the Luoshui Divine Palace all the time. His information came from Jiang Jiuxiao.
How could Jiang Jiuxiao not see the suspicion on Xiang Jun’s face? Her expression darkened, and her tone became sharp, “How would I know?” She also couldn’t understand how Luo Lingfeng, given her situation, could possibly reach the Cavern Heaven realm.
The continuous rain tapped on the roof tiles, its sound particularly clear in the silence of the hall.
It felt like wisps of cold rain were falling on her heart, chilling her to the bone. Jiang Jiuxiao shivered, as if remembering something, her scalp suddenly tingling. After a moment, she said, “The Corridor of Sins lost several Nascent Soul cultivators, but they still have no intention of stopping. They probably really intend to make a comeback like three thousand years ago. But even if the evil cultivators want to break through the defense line of the Sunset Burial Mounds, they shouldn’t come from the Luoshui Divine Palace’s territory.”
“Who knows,” Xiang Jun responded casually. The Dustless Sea was not adjacent to the Corridor of Sins, so he didn’t care much about the “defense line.” Glancing at Jiang Jiuxiao, who looked worried, he asked again, “What about those three clans?”
“They heard about the problems with the Yin-Yang Pillars and the Heavenly Carriage Disk and asked if our Luoshui Divine Palace wanted to borrow the True Artifacts,” Jiang Jiuxiao replied, her expression growing cold. Who knew if the borrowed magic artifacts would be tampered with by them? Steadying herself, she added, “Their side is also in a tight spot, so they’ve also issued True Invitations to rogue cultivators. Even cultivators below the Cavern Heaven stage are participating. It looks like the situation is not much different from the previous great battle.”
“Fight if you must, are we cultivators afraid of demons?” Xiang Jun replied.
Jiang Jiuxiao said nothing. She stood up, walked around the table and screen, and slowly went to the doorway. The heavy rain pattered on the tiles, like jade beads falling on a plate. She reached out and caught the cool raindrops, slowly closing her palm. Footsteps approached, and that warm breath instantly drew near. Jiang Jiuxiao instinctively moved aside, looking at the vast rainstorm, and said, “After the battle three thousand years ago, my Immortal Sect’s vitality was greatly damaged. No cultivators have achieved Dao Fruit since then. Is this related to the Corridor of Sins?”
“The spiritual energy of the Immortal Realm can still support cultivators, and it has not been completely corrupted by evil energy. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence,” Xiang Jun replied without thinking. After a pause, he smiled and said, “However, I heard some interesting rumors from my clan.”
Jiang Jiuxiao asked, “What rumors?”
Xiang Jun: “The Fu Li Immortal Realm is incomplete. But if the realm is incomplete, how can it support cultivators? There are also sayings that the first sect ancestors were all visitors from beyond the heavens. The ancestral hall even enshrines spirit tablets. If that’s the case, why aren’t there any records?” After hearing so many things, Xiang Jun only treated them as jokes.
Jiang Jiuxiao uttered an “Mm,” and only two major matters weighed on her heart. First was Luo Lingfeng, and second was the evil cultivators in the Sunset Burial Mounds. Now that the former was no longer a concern, the remaining task was to eliminate the demons. She slowly turned around, about to walk back into the hall, when she faintly heard the sound of sword law from behind. Jiang Jiuxiao’s brows suddenly twitched. She abruptly looked at Xiang Jun and said urgently, “Do you not realize that True Monarch Luo has never inquired about the Taiyi Sword? Does she not care, or does she know this is false news?”
Xiang Jun did not reply.
In the dark and gloomy rainy night, the sound of sword law became even clearer. A stream of snow-white light pierced the night like a sharp sword, directly entering the eyes of the two people. Emerging from the snow-white sword light was a handsome Daoist with a face like jade and hair like ink. However, his face carried an indecent expression. Beside him were two boy attendants, aged eleven or twelve, who were using sword light as lamps to illuminate the path ahead, cutting off the falling raindrops.
Jiang Jiuxiao’s face gradually revealed a smile. She turned sideways and made way, asking, “Why is True Monarch Wu here at this time?” This Daoist was called Wu Huan, a renowned medical cultivator in the Immortal Realm. He acted quite arbitrarily, but he possessed an inexplicable passion for saving lives and healing the wounded, even refusing to accept consultation fees. Although his actions were somewhat strange, he had an excellent reputation in the Immortal Realm, earning him the nickname “Skillful Physician.” Wu Huan had some connection with the Luoshui Divine Palace, so when he sensed that the evil cultivators here were difficult to deal with, Jiang Jiuxiao sent him an invitation. She never expected him to visit on this rainy night.
Wu Huan raised his eyebrows and smiled at Jiang Jiuxiao, “I came on impulse.”
“Thank you, True Monarch, for your trouble with the journey—”
Jiang Jiuxiao interrupted Wu Huan halfway through her words. He said, “Where are the injured people? I want to go and see them first.”
Xiang Jun crossed his arms and coldly glanced at Wu Huan, “Wu True Monarch is truly compassionate. Why are you dawdling? Just kill them directly.”
Wu Huan smiled and said, “Practicing the Dao requires healing oneself.”
Xiang Jun did not believe him but sneered contemptuously.
Jiang Jiuxiao gave Xiang Jun a displeased glance, fearing that the two of them would start a dispute. She spoke to break the strange atmosphere and said, “True Monarch Wu, please follow me.” She strode forward, plunging into the rainy night. Wu Huan, followed by two boy attendants, kept pace with her without hurry.
“I heard that True Monarch Luo is also here?” Wu Huan asked.
Jiang Jiuxiao’s steps suddenly halted.
There were many people surnamed Luo in the Luoshui Divine Palace. It was possible that only Luo Lingfeng was the one Wu Huan was asking about.
Wu Huan seemed unaware of Jiang Jiuxiao’s abnormality. He continued to speak, “Although I have heard news about True Monarch from time to time, it has been over a hundred years since I last saw her. I wonder if her health has improved?” Without waiting for Jiang Jiuxiao to respond, he chuckled softly, “She has cultivated to the Cavern Heaven realm. It seems she has truly surpassed expectations.” In the cold rainy night, Wu Huan’s voice was chilling, subtly sending shivers down one’s spine.
This skillful physician had once been a guest of the Luo family.
Luo Hengjun had concealed the news, but Jiang Jiuxiao knew that Wu Huan had come to treat Luo Lingfeng’s illness.
Her brothers and sisters who grew up in the Luoshui Divine Palace, only Luo Lingfeng had the least freedom. Outsiders believed it was Luo Hengjun’s fondness and favor towards his legitimate daughter, but was that really the case? In a place devoid of affection, the truth was often bloody and cruel.
Drip, drip, drip, raindrops tapped on the roof tiles.
The surging water current and the crushing force suddenly ceased as Wei Yunshu broke through the barrier. Only a few water droplets condensed and flowed down slowly. She stood in the void, looking in all directions, and quickly found Xie Zhichao.
“The spiritual vein is different from what I imagined,” Xie Zhichao sighed wistfully. She had imagined it to be a deep, dark underground world, but in reality, it had light, wind, and mountains, vast and profound. The dense spiritual energy surged forward greedily, replenishing the spiritual energy consumed during the previous battle in the blink of an eye. Suppressing the desire to cultivate cross-legged in this place, she beckoned to Wei Yunshu, “The evil energy is not dense. It seems the evil cultivators haven’t reached this area yet.”
Wei Yunshu frowned and looked at the mountain closest to them, its peak completely obscured.
She called out to Xie Zhichao and flew forward several li, stopping at a gully. The gully was thirty feet deep. Below, water rushed forward, flowing towards the front. At the end was a cliff, where the water current fell, forming a waterfall with impressive momentum, roaring loudly.
Xie Zhichao said, “There are mountains and water here, it’s truly marvelous.”
Wei Yunshu frowned, “It might not be a mountain.” She flew forward through the hazy mist and finally reached the front of the mountain. It was no longer rugged mountain rocks, but a smooth, translucent mountain wall like a mirror. She tilted her head slightly, faintly smelling a trace of blood. After observing silently for a while, she did not act but retreated and flew towards another mountain. However, after searching the vicinity, she found that they were all identical.
Xie Zhichao exclaimed in doubt, “There’s only one? Are the others illusions?”
Wei Yunshu nodded, then shook her head. After a moment, her expression became solemn, “There are seven.” She flicked her whisk, and immediately seven red star points appeared in the air, forming the shape of the Big Dipper. “With the Big Dipper as the formation, the mountain body seems to be pinned here, not naturally formed.” She pondered for a moment, pointed at Tianxuan star, and slashed forward, “Using Tianxuan as the fixed point, find the position of Ziwei, that’s the center of the formation.”
Xie Zhichao looked at Wei Yunshu with admiration and sighed heartily, “Fellow Daoist Bo also understands formation arrays?”
Wei Yunshu raised her eyebrows and smiled gently, “I know a little.”
Although there were seven “mountains,” the undulating mountains that entered Wei Yunshu’s field of vision were more than that. If Xie Zhichao were alone, she would only think of drawing her saber and hacking wildly. However, following behind Wei Yunshu, she easily found the center of the formation. It was an extremely spacious area, with only an eight trigrams-shaped altar, upon which sat a withered Daoist. The sky was blood-red, covered with pulsating blood vessels and meridians. It was trembling, like a living thing beating. Xie Zhichao’s eyelids twitched. She grabbed Wei Yunshu’s side and cried out in shock, “What is that?”
How could such a thing appear in a spiritual vein!
Wei Yunshu stared intently, and after a long while, she said softly, “It’s a beating heart.”
Xie Zhichao felt her scalp tingle. She whispered, “Did the spiritual vein come alive?”
“No,” Wei Yunshu shook her head. “This spiritual vein and the formation seem to be prepared for refining this heart.”
Xie Zhichao shook her head and lost herself in thought. She gazed at the withered Daoist sitting on the altar and exhaled a breath of turbid air. “He’s at the Nascent Soul stage. We can try, but I don’t know if he has any helpers.” Although it wasn’t their own spiritual vein, such evil things were happening underneath. If this continued, the entire Southern Continent would be defiled. If possible, they should try to stop it. “If only True Monarch Luo were here,” Xie Zhichao whispered again, then felt a little embarrassed. She had just thought about not getting close to Luo Lingfeng, and her fingers grasping the wine gourd suddenly tightened.
As soon as her words fell, a sharp sword light flew out. The sword energy soared into the sky, and a vast river suddenly descended from the heavens! The withered old man who was sitting on the altar suddenly opened his eyes. He urged his magic artifact, and twelve rays of silver light shot out, leaving an imprint wherever they passed. These twelve silver rays continuously differentiated, and in a few breaths, they formed millions of rays, finally converging into a brilliant galaxy, vaguely opposing the great river. The withered old man slowly stood up, paid his respects to the figure revealed in the river, and said with a smile, “I didn’t expect True Monarch Luo herself to come here.”
Luo Lingfeng glanced at the place where Wei Yunshu and Xie Zhichao were hiding without expression. Soon after, she looked at the withered Daoist again, casually threw a magic sword, and said with a smile, “Please, judge yourself.” Her tone was too indifferent and casual, a simple command as if the entire world should bow to her.
The withered old man was stunned. Then, a sense of humiliation from being slighted arose in his heart. He glared at Luo Lingfeng, his face, like tree bark, instantly turning red. “What arrogance!” he roared.
Luo Lingfeng’s smile became more alluring. She sighed and said, “You are truly ignorant.” She flicked her finger, and a treasure bead the size of a fist flew out, suspended in mid-air, radiating brilliance. It faintly carried the aura of sea tides.
“Tide-Calming Bead.” Wei Yunshu whispered.
This was a True Artifact. Besides suppressing sea tides, it could also suppress the surging spiritual tide within the spiritual vein. With this True Artifact released, no matter how the battle unfolded below, it would not cause the spiritual tide to erupt. However, wasn’t she trying to destroy the Southern Continent’s spiritual vein? Why did she bring out the Tide-Calming Bead now?