After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 48

Ba Xu, smashed onto the ground, had a deathly pale face. Despite unleashing his full spiritual power under the sword light, he felt like a mayfly trying to shake a massive tree during the clash, truly powerless. If not for the protective token, he would have likely had his head sliced off by that sharp sword light. With alarm bells ringing in his heart, he stumbled to his feet. Looking up, he saw the enormous Dragon Carp in mid-air. Without carefully examining its condition, he shouted with delight, “True Monarch Dragon Carp, save me!”
The heart-wrenching cry shattered the silence of the surroundings. But the moment his voice fell, the Dragon Carp in mid-air suddenly stiffened. The ink-like abyssal heavy water pierced directly through its body, splashing blood and flesh. A primordial spirit flew out of the husk, and with a rumbling sound, the water light suddenly surged, immediately churning the escaping primordial spirit into pieces. In a daze, Ba Xu met Luo Lingfeng’s gaze in mid-air. A chill enveloped him, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
“I, I am the eighteenth son of the Dragon Lord. If you kill me, you will be opposing Dustless Sea!” Ba Xu’s vision was filled with blood. He spoke with difficulty, making his final struggle.
Wei Yunshu covered her mouth and coughed lightly, nonchalantly wiping the bloodstains from the corner of her lips. Regarding Dustless Sea, Wei Yunshu’s gaze turned towards Xie Zhichao and her group, who had survived the ordeal. Before Xie Zhichao could respond, the water light surged, transforming into a vast wave that smashed towards Ba Xu. Ba Xu’s expression changed drastically. He reached out and grasped the shattered bone knife, his eyes filled with despair. There was nowhere left to retreat. He roared in anger, just as he was thinking of charging out of the tide, a voice filled with mockery suddenly rang in his ears. A clear sword light, as bright as water, covered the sky, like a surging long river. The moment he saw it, it pierced through his body. His steel bones were severed by the true artifact, and his protective potent aura immediately dissipated.
The moonlight was clear and cool like water. The plants rustled in the wind. The sword energy and lightning that illuminated the sky suddenly vanished, and heaven and earth returned to their initial silence. A thick smell of blood spread around, mixed with a hint of fishiness. The remaining rogue cultivators guarding the Heavenly Star Tablet were all silent, their hearts covered in frost and snow. In a short period, three Nascent Soul Daoists had perished here. With their abilities, could they truly obtain the secret techniques from the Heavenly Star Tablet? The rogue cultivators thought this way, some already beginning to retreat, but a portion of them still placed their hope in Luo Lingfeng.
“True Monarch Luo, the disciples of Buzhou are forcefully guarding the Heavenly Star Tablet and acting tyrannically, not allowing us to comprehend the cultivation techniques in the secret realm. This is contrary to the principles of the Dao. I hope True Monarch will—” Before he could finish speaking, the cultivator’s eyes widened as if his throat were being choked, his face turning red.
“Noisy.” Luo Lingfeng sneered lightly and flicked her sleeve. She gazed intently at Wei Yunshu, a fiery heat burning in her heart. Her white hair fluttered, and the corner of her eyes tinged with red, appearing somewhat alluring and demonic in the moonlight. “Wei Yunshu? Or perhaps… Bo Fengliu?” Luo Lingfeng’s voice was very light and faint, without any emotional fluctuation. The abyssal heavy water retracted, swirling and leaping around her body, occasionally releasing arcs of electricity, appearing extremely dangerous.
Wei Yunshu met Luo Lingfeng’s gaze from a distance. Her face no longer held a smile. Compared to her past amiable and calm demeanor, there was now a hint of coldness, like an unmelting pile of snow, giving people a distant feeling. After emerging from the Abyssal Vortex, she had met Luo Lingfeng a few times, but previously, she had always hidden her identity as “Bo Fengliu.” However, now that they were meeting with their true faces, and she held the Taiyi Sword, while she could find various excuses, at this moment, she inexplicably sensed a feeling of fatigue.
A hundred years of time transformed into distorted images, intertwining before her eyes. The eight-year-old child from that year had unknowingly grown into her current appearance—contrary to the beautiful image she had imagined; fate played such tricks on people. Memories imprinted themselves on her mind, and those complex emotions constantly stirred her feelings, silently influencing her decisions, even attempting to overturn her resolve. But amidst that chaotic and colorful interplay of light and shadow, Wei Yunshu profoundly realized that having grown individually through time, neither of them could ever go back.
She did not answer Luo Lingfeng’s words, only let out a soft sigh, then withdrew her gaze from Luo Lingfeng’s, turned her body, and made a move as if to head towards Xie Zhichao and her group.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes suddenly darkened. She had recognized Wei Yunshu back at Sunset Burial Mounds, but at that time, she still had important matters to attend to and had no intention of revealing Wei Yunshu’s identity. By the time she found an opportunity and prepared to take Wei Yunshu back to Cloud City, Shi Wufang of Buzhou suddenly intervened. After weighing the options, she let Wei Yunshu leave, at least she now knew Wei Yunshu’s whereabouts. However, her inner demons remained unresolved, and her obsession was difficult to dispel. She could let Wei Yunshu go once, but she couldn’t let her go a second or third time. A fierce glint hidden in her eyes, the abyssal heavy water leaped, and an extremely jarring friction sound rang out in mid-air.
Wei Yunshu’s steps halted. She suddenly turned her head to gaze at Luo Lingfeng. Sword intent transformed into starlight, swirling around her body. Hearing that sound, her sword suddenly let out a clear cry, leaving several silver streaks of air.
Sensing the sudden burst of sword intent, Luo Lingfeng was first stunned, then burst into laughter. Three years ago, Wei Yunshu had drawn her sword against the ambush elders of Cloud City, her killing intent sharp, blood staining the plants. But that soaring killing intent vanished the moment she appeared. Astonishment, disbelief, helplessness, and sadness mingled together; she had actually abandoned the Taiyi Sword. She was devoted to the Dao, clearly not wanting to die, so why would she make such a choice? The vast Cloud City, like Luoshui Divine Palace, was a place that harbored filth. How could someone still possess a pure heart?
“Why?” Luo Lingfeng flicked her sleeve, and the abyssal heavy water transformed into a hazy mist, swirling around her body, ethereal and dreamlike. Her voice was neither light nor heavy, as if coming from a vast distance.
Why what? Wei Yunshu wondered in confusion. Seeing that Luo Lingfeng had no intention of making a move, she also retracted her sword intent.
Although Xie Zhichao had some suspicions, upon confirming her thoughts, she still couldn’t suppress her astonishment. After Cloud Sovereign perished, Luo Lingfeng went mad trying to find her. Everyone thought it was due to deep marital love. But now it seemed it was due to hidden vigilance and distance. Cloud Sovereign didn’t even want to say more to Luo Lingfeng. And Luo Lingfeng? Xie Zhichao quietly raised her gaze. Through the faint mist, she only caught a fleeting glimpse of crimson, like a wisp of red raised by the movement of a sleeve.
“Fellow Daoist Bo?” Xie Zhichao looked towards Wei Yunshu with concern, ultimately not uttering the words “Cloud Sovereign.”
“It’s nothing.” Wei Yunshu smiled at Xie Zhichao, her eyes warm and serene. She didn’t glance at Luo Lingfeng again, but stared fixedly at the Heavenly Star Tablet, which exuded a mysterious radiance. The rogue cultivators were already startled by her appearance and the Taiyi Sword in her hand. Seeing her accompanying the disciples of Buzhou, their hearts instantly turned icy. Although it was said that they would fight desperately for the Cultivation path, in such a dangerous situation, they still cherished their lives and made way without a word.
“Little Tai Sui.” Wei Yunshu called out to the small black lump curled up on Xie Zhichao’s shoulder.
The little black lump shook its feathers, pretending not to hear. Only when Wei Yunshu’s soft, gentle voice sounded again did it abruptly lift its head and let out a weak “chirp chirp,” as if fearing something. Wei Yunshu reached out and took Little Tai Sui, took out a spiritual pill and fed it. She then pointed at the Heavenly Star Tablet in front of her and chuckled, “Can you destroy it?” She didn’t know how many such Heavenly Star Tablets existed in the secret realm, only that she wanted to destroy every one she saw.
Little Tai Sui, tempted by the spiritual pill, couldn’t help but rub its beak against Wei Yunshu’s palm. A surge of spiritual energy enveloped its entire body. It responded lazily with a “chirp,” and then, like a black streak of lightning, violently crashed into the Heavenly Star Tablet. Its small body contained immense power. The Heavenly Star Tablet, which even the Mountain Moving Technique could not budge, let out a crackling sound upon being struck by Little Tai Sui. Cracks spread like a spiderweb on the tablet, and the floating golden Dao characters instantly shattered. The disciples of Buzhou, seeing the Heavenly Star Tablet begin to crack, also urged their sword light and slashed upwards. Amidst the resounding sword’s cry, the Heavenly Star Tablet, which contained the “Severing All Selves” cultivation technique, completely turned to dust.
However, amidst the continuous rumbling sounds, a sharp voice burst out, “Who dares disturb my slumber?!” As the voice fell, a massive explosion erupted, and terrifying power instantly swept through the entire secret realm, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to crack. A ten-zhang-wide fissure suddenly appeared under their feet, like a giant vortex, about to engulf everyone standing there.
“Putting on a show! Already stone cold!” Little Tai Sui flapped its wings, its beak pecking wildly at the air, its tone carrying a hint of anger.
Wei Yunshu’s eyelids twitched. The roaring sound was mixed with a dizzying force. She reached out and scooped up Little Tai Sui, stuffing it into the spiritual beast pouch. She herself followed the immense attraction downwards.
However, a ghostly figure approached, carrying a cold fragrance that seemed to invade her world. Wei Yunshu’s pupils contracted sharply. She urged her sword light, wanting to block Luo Lingfeng’s advance! Unexpectedly, Luo Lingfeng had no intention of retreating. The water currents around her stirred, swallowing most of the sword light. The remaining few strands, after shaving off streaks of snow-colored hair, even left a thin, bloody trace on her jade-like face.
Bloodlight reflected in her eyes. Wei Yunshu couldn’t help but recall that day in the dilapidated temple, the same scar, the same blood. The urgent sounds in her ears disappeared, and the long expanse of time seemed to be squeezed by an inexplicable force, condensing into a single point, fixed at that moment. When Wei Yunshu came to her senses, her wrist was already held by an icy hand. The splashing water landed on her face, bringing an even more bone-chilling cold. Luo Lingfeng had drawn near, half-embracing her, and asked with a gentle smile, “Wei Yunshu, where are you going?”
Wei Yunshu looked at the face close to her and shivered. Luo Lingfeng’s complexion was ashen white as frost, her eyes a deep crimson, staring directly at herself. It was not the usual deep gloom, but a strange look, mixed with an indescribable sense of emptiness. Wei Yunshu’s thoughts jolted back. She raised her left hand and struck at Luo Lingfeng. Luo Lingfeng raised her hand to block the attack, a strange smile appearing on her face.
“Wei Yunshu, don’t you fight back? You don’t want to die, right?” Her tone was laced with a chilling malice. Her white hair fluttered like snow, and her red clothes burned like fire, like a frenzied ghost.
Wei Yunshu frowned, looking at Luo Lingfeng inexplicably.
Who wouldn’t want to live?
“You’re just like them. You’re just using this opportunity to escape Cloud City, aren’t you? What are you planning to do afterward? Are you going to rely on Buzhou—” The murmuring in her ears was finally interrupted by a resounding crash. Amidst the coming and going of people, the unfathomable crack had reached the bottom. Before them appeared a magnificent and grand palace. Countless brilliant and bright pearls illuminated the four steep cliffs as if it were daytime. Only now did they see the majestic splendor of the immortal’s ancient residence from thousands of years ago.
The vigorous qi was like a knife, carrying a cold killing intent. The floating spiritual energies on all sides were restless. To cultivate here, one would need to refine it carefully to absorb it into the body. It was not much different from the current Immortal Realm. Wei Yunshu thought absently. Seeing Luo Lingfeng also surveying the palace, she seized the opportunity, shook off the hand that was like an iron clamp, moved her feet, and instantly retreated several feet.
The secret realm was full of spatial anomalies. Although they had descended together, besides Luo Lingfeng, there was no one else here.
Looking at the Immortal’s ancient residence with its tightly shut palace gates, Wei Yunshu’s expression became more solemn. The Heavenly Star Tablet recorded Daoist techniques like “Severing All Selves.” Would this palace contain similar or even more bizarre Daoist techniques? Her thoughts churned, wanting to call out Little Tai Sui to inquire about information. Unexpectedly, the little sparrow, which moments ago didn’t want to stay in the spiritual beast pouch, was now fast asleep and couldn’t be woken no matter how she called, appearing quite peaceful.
Wei Yunshu was helpless and had to give up. Thousands of years had passed, and Little Tai Sui’s cultivation had regressed to Foundation Establishment. It was normal for it to have forgotten most things.
Luo Lingfeng glanced at the palace for a while before withdrawing her gaze. She looked coldly at Wei Yunshu, a strange smile at the corner of her lips. Wei Yunshu ignored her. Luo Lingfeng walked past Wei Yunshu, not bothering to see what secret methods were needed to open the palace. With a wave of her hand, dozens of drops of abyssal heavy water were unleashed! Each drop of abyssal heavy water was as heavy as a thousand jun, moving like rolling dragons and roaring tigers. In an instant, the tooth-like nails on the red palace gate were smashed to pieces by the abyssal heavy water, and the entire palace gate shook precariously, as if it would collapse at any moment.
Wei Yunshu looked at Luo Lingfeng several times. Her divine sense probed outwards, but she saw no other exits on all sides. In this abyss, the path leading to the palace was the only one. This meant she had to travel with Luo Lingfeng. Observing Luo Lingfeng’s calm expression, Wei Yunshu couldn’t help but furrow her brows. After witnessing the other’s unpredictable moods, she didn’t believe Luo Lingfeng was as calm as she appeared on the surface. Her body tensed, and she secretly heightened her vigilance.
They met in childhood, entrusting their lives to each other; a hundred years later, repaying with their lives… how did they end up like this? Wei Yunshu lowered her eyelashes, a hint of sadness and mockery appearing in her heart. The moment the red wooden palace gate was broken, something flew out of Wei Yunshu’s sleeve and swiftly flew towards Luo Lingfeng.
That object was the sacred heart. After Sunset Burial Mounds, Wei Yunshu didn’t know who it belonged to, so she kept it, gradually grinding away the evil intent upon it. But now, in the secret realm, perhaps borrowing a wisp of energy from the sacred heart, she saw past events she had never known, and naturally, it was time to return it to its owner.
Luo Lingfeng reached out and took it. Her fingertips suddenly tightened, and the solidified red crystal trembled in her palm, as if it would shatter the next moment. Luo Lingfeng gazed deeply at Wei Yunshu, raised her eyebrows, and laughed heartily, “The news hasn’t spread yet, but in reality, the few Cavern Heaven experts of Luoshui Divine Palace already know about the sacred heart and are secretly searching for it. Throwing this item to me is to retaliate against Cloud City, wanting to draw disaster upon them?”
Hearing this, a sense of desolation and bitterness arose in Wei Yunshu’s heart. If only Luo Lingfeng hadn’t returned to Luoshui Divine Palace back then, or if she hadn’t had this sacred heart that Luo Hengjun coveted, perhaps she would have grown into a naive and happy person, filled with compassion, instead of being so cold and aggressive now? But where were there so many “if onlys” in the world? The wound that Luoshui Divine Palace left her in the past had forged a sharp sword, stabbing at others. Could she hate? Could she not forgive her? They each walked towards their own destinies, with no other choice. After retrieving her heart, would she be happier and less tormented?
Three years before she knew the old events of Luoshui Divine Palace, Wei Yunshu wanted to let go of her accumulated hatred, but now that she knew the old events, she was no longer sure. Could she escape such a dark and painful past? The malice from her closest relatives was overwhelming. If she had experienced even a trace of kindness in the past hundred years, would she have completely fallen into infinite darkness? Before stepping into Cloud City, she no longer believed in people.
Wei Yunshu pursed her lips, trying to make her tone as calm as possible, “Returning it to its owner.”
Luo Lingfeng’s smile vanished. The most painful event of her life had been revealed by Wei Yunshu’s brief four words. Her fingertips tightened, and the sacred heart in her palm crackled. “You used the energy of the sacred heart to see the past when entering the inner demon realm?” Luo Lingfeng asked, her tone unusually certain. She lowered her eyelids, a thin layer of frost covering her face. Hearing Wei Yunshu answer “Yes,” she then coldly sneered, “How surprising, isn’t it? What is that expression? Are you pitying me?”
Before Wei Yunshu could respond, a mocking smile curved her lips. “My life is indeed worthy of pity. In my childhood, I was deceived by those close to me and wandered in the mortal world. Later, my birth father gouged out my heart and blood, erasing my memories. Then, my mother, who was already seriously injured, sacrificed her cultivation to pass all her Dao techniques to me. Later, like an exchange of goods, I married into Cloud City.” She casually tossed the sacred heart, which the world coveted, to Wei Yunshu, and then revealed a smile, half-true and half-false, saying, “I don’t know about the old events between us. If you had told me earlier, perhaps I wouldn’t have wanted to kill you, Yunshu—”
The trailing accent was lingering and tender, like the murmurings between young lovers. Wei Yunshu caught the sacred heart, her hands and feet flustered. Luo Lingfeng had already drawn near, a thin mist seeming to shroud her eyes. The suppressed emotions did not leak out too much. Wei Yunshu pursed her lips, avoiding the icy fingertips that landed on her cheek.
“People change, haven’t you changed? Cloud Sovereign? My Dao companion?” Luo Lingfeng laughed again. Her hatred was too deep; she no longer concealed her fangs. After entering the secret realm, she had indeed fallen into the illusion woven by the Illusionary God Incense, but what of it? Could it change anything? She no longer wanted to reminisce about that painful past, nor did she want to recall those people. A hundred years had turned everything to dust, but why did Wei Yunshu step into the immortal gate, gaining such a long lifespan? Fate had intertwined their destinies. Her past kindness had been erased by her own hands, how ironic!
“This puppet body is quite good, but how can it compare to your own flesh and blood?” Luo Lingfeng gazed at Wei Yunshu, a captivating light flowing in her eyes. She reached out towards Wei Yunshu, who was calmly retreating, and softened her tone, saying, “Come, let’s go back to Cloud City together. You are Cloud Sovereign, after all, aren’t you?”
Wei Yunshu concealed a hint of sadness in her eyes and shook her head, “I will not return to Cloud City anymore.”
“Oh? So you intend to stay at Buzhou Peak then?” Luo Lingfeng smiled, her lips curved like blooming spring flowers, graceful and beautiful. “With Buzhou Peak’s strength, it can contend with Cloud City. The disciples of Buzhou value relationships the most. Since you are familiar with the disciples of Buzhou, when you rally them, they will all draw their swords together and bring down all the Cloud City islands hanging in the sky. The Yun family, Su family, Chu family, Wu family, and Yue family, settle with them one by one.”
“By the way, there’s me too. May I ask, Cloud Sovereign, how will you settle with me in the future?”
Wei Yunshu furrowed her brows, listening to Luo Lingfeng’s nonsense. After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but scold, “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I say I wanted to seek revenge on Cloud City?”
Luo Lingfeng’s smile receded. Her eyes fixed intently on Wei Yunshu, “Then why are you in Buzhou? Why don’t you come back to Cloud City? Your resolute move towards death was just the first step in escaping Cloud City’s plan, wasn’t it?” Luo Lingfeng’s face showed increasing mockery, her tone gradually becoming certain, as if speaking to Wei Yunshu, or perhaps to herself, “You don’t bear to die, do you? You grew up in Cloud City, what’s the difference between you and them?”
Wei Yunshu’s heart turned icy. She slowly shifted her gaze towards Luo Lingfeng.
Luo Lingfeng’s emotions flipped back and forth. Previously, it was like thunder and a gathering storm, but now, perhaps recalling something joyful, she was smiling like a blooming flower again. The mist surrounding her body swirled, exuding a flowing and colorful radiance under the countless pearls of light, appearing extremely hazy. Wei Yunshu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. The emotions brewing in her chest finally converged into a mixture of ridicule and absurdity. She said softly, “You’ve been in Cloud City for fifty years.”
Her question was strange.
Luo Lingfeng’s brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of foreboding suddenly appeared. She felt that Wei Yunshu at this moment was inexplicably strange. Her gaze fell on that face like exquisite jade, and she suddenly felt an impulse to tear apart all the peace. She met Wei Yunshu’s gaze. Those eyes, originally as bright as stars, always shimmering with radiant light, were now filled with infinite darkness, as if hiding endless sorrow. Luo Lingfeng felt a sense of bewildered emptiness. She opened her mouth and said, “Yes.”
For fifty years, she had been investigating the influence of the major aristocratic families of Cloud City. She had made moves in Xiaohan Mountain and Dustless Sea. She had even found opportunities to touch the Dao artifacts of Cloud City and secretly mastered the refining techniques. To quell her hatred, she had painstakingly schemed. But when her wish was finally fulfilled, she felt no relief at all.
In a killing game, one should fight to the death. Only in the collision of hatred could the most brilliant flowers bloom.
How could there be any other choice?
Wei Yunshu asked her to stop hating, but if she didn’t hate, what else would she have left?
Wei Yunshu’s eyes were veiled with tears. She pursed her lips and said, “I thought you knew at least a little about what kind of person I am.”
Luo Lingfeng sneered, “The world is best at disguise, otherwise, where would the term ‘hypocritical’ come from? Isn’t Cloud City always good at putting up a facade?”
Wei Yunshu raised her hand and wiped her eyes, suddenly laughing heartily, “So that’s how it is! So that’s how it is!” A light of unprecedented severity flashed in her eyes. “You actually see me this way?!”
Luo Lingfeng was stunned. She slowly uttered three words, “Otherwise, what?”
Wei Yunshu closed her eyes. When she opened them again, all the emotions contained within had vanished. Her eyes were still clear and bright, but Luo Lingfeng felt that something had become different.
Wei Yunshu’s heart turned completely cold. She said, “’Heaven’s Untouchable Spring’ has already withered. I’m sorry, I couldn’t fulfill your last wish.”
Luo Lingfeng had long forgotten the flower she had specifically asked for. She never imagined Wei Yunshu would say such a thing. Her thoughts drifted, and she inexplicably remembered a bouquet of fresh flowers, still adorned with dew drops, on the windowsill every day. “Why?” Luo Lingfeng asked persistently. She tried to find an answer for herself, trying to tell herself that Wei Yunshu was no different from others, but… she still couldn’t shed that obsession, couldn’t kill that inner demon.
Wei Yunshu turned to Luo Lingfeng and suddenly understood her question.
She smiled brightly, “Because I love you.”
Matters of life and death were not worth fearing.
Luo Lingfeng’s mind was in a trance.
Those formerly lingering words carried no tenderness or affection.
They were too calm.
She disliked such calmness.