After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 49

Even the most ardent heart will eventually grow cold.
Wei Yunshu thought.
When she emerged from the Abyssal Vortex, she didn’t have deep hatred, only a lingering, subtle sadness. But now, even that emotion was gradually fading. There were too many mistakes between her and Luo Lingfeng. The biggest mistake was the intersection of their fates, the reunion under circumstances where neither knew the other’s true identity.
She hadn’t seen through Luo Lingfeng.
Luo Lingfeng disdained seeing through her.
They were just strangers.
More painful than having swords thrust at her were words that pierced the heart.
She slowly came to understand that Luo Lingfeng might not want to kill her again; her persistent search for “Cloud Sovereign” was perhaps only to convince the last shred of kindness in her heart, to prove that Cloud Sovereign was no different from others, and that all her choices were correct.
Luo Lingfeng stared intently at Wei Yunshu, her ears buzzing. After recovering from that sentence, she burst into laughter. Tilting her head to look at Wei Yunshu, her expression was inscrutable. She softly uttered a single word: “Love?” Her tone was questioning, filled with infinite doubt. Her difficult life was filled only with endless bitterness and hatred, so upon hearing the word “love,” she felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity, absurdity, and a subtle hint of loss. In such a world, there were still people who loved others.
She looked at Wei Yunshu with utter mockery and coldly laughed, “You’re merely clinging to the fond memories from childhood, calling it love?” Before this, their lives had intersected for only half a year, which, for cultivators with lifespans of thousands of years, was infinitesimally short.
Wei Yunshu looked at Luo Lingfeng as her past fervent emotions were denied, feeling even more exhausted. She lowered her eyelids, with no intention of speaking. But as she listened to Luo Lingfeng’s words becoming increasingly hysterical, her brows furrowed tighter, her melancholy evident. She watched helplessly as the beautiful dream she had built from her one-sided affection shattered with a crash, leaving her speechless.
“You are a disciple of Cloud City, and no one restricts your actions. If you have love, why didn’t you come to Luoshui Divine Palace to find me a hundred years ago?” Luo Lingfeng questioned with a smile, finding what she believed to be conclusive evidence, repeatedly denying that word. In this way, the inexplicable fear and displeasure in her heart were forced to retreat. Wei Yunshu sighed, her gaze sliding from Luo Lingfeng’s white hair, slowly sweeping over her flushed eye corners from laughing, and then to those deep, dark eyes. It was her mistake that led to this. If she had let Luo Lingfeng die in that ditch from the beginning, would there have been such a tangled past? If she didn’t give Luo Lingfeng an answer, perhaps neither of them would find peace.
“When I was young, my master brought me back to Cloud City. Faced with a heavy academic load, I couldn’t leave the floating islands at all. Later, when I cultivated to Foundation Establishment, my master allowed me to go out for training. I once thought of going to Luoshui Divine Palace…” Wei Yunshu spoke calmly, as if from an outsider’s perspective, recounting that period of touching past events. “I heard the disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace whispering about your disappearance, treating the half-year you spent in the mortal world as an unspeakable disgrace. I actually knew long ago that there was a chasm between us. That’s why I thought, no matter what you did, I would just quietly watch you grow. I knew what happened to you over the past century, but now I understand that was only what you were willing to show the world. I was too deeply deceived by my own wishful thinking.”
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
Luo Lingfeng’s face was cold, the gloom in her brows growing more pronounced. She had no words to say. She merely reached out to Wei Yunshu, following her heart’s desire. Wei Yunshu, however, had already been wary of Luo Lingfeng. When those plain white hands reached out, she slipped away, avoiding them like a gentle breeze. She looked up at the palace with its red door wide open, thinking, since everything had been said, it was time to move forward. She shook off the past, and also shook off endless sorrow and unwillingness.
Ignoring Luo Lingfeng behind her, Wei Yunshu moved her feet, transforming into a white shadow and darting towards the palace.
Luo Lingfeng’s hand grasped empty air. The gust of wind brushed past her fingertips. She had found Wei Yunshu as she wished, but why was the anger and sorrow in her heart not diminished at all? They held deep hatred for each other, so why mention the word “love”? Her heart grew incredibly cold, and countless emotions found no outlet. She only looked up, her gaze lost and wandering towards the deep, tranquil front. In the span of a breath, she grasped only one thought: to take Wei Yunshu back to Cloud City! Her body was in the forbidden area of Cloud City, and she should return. How could she remain at Buzhou Peak?
Inside the palace.
The moment she stepped inside, countless sharp winds attacked from the darkness. Wei Yunshu had long anticipated traps in the palace and immediately unleashed her sword energy. Brilliant sword light streaked like meteors, with scattered specks of light adorning her snow-white robe. A series of sharp sounds echoed in her ears, with a hidden, strange smile. A surge of restlessness and killing intent arose in her heart. Wei Yunshu flicked her sleeves, her eyes coldly scanning the passageway ahead.
The palace had grand gates at both the front and back. Besides the luminous pearls on the walls and the mechanism boxes, there were no other decorations. Wei Yunshu paid attention to the changes on all sides. Seeing no suspicious cultivation techniques, she decided to fly out. At this moment, accompanied by the sound of flowing water, Luo Lingfeng also darted over like lightning. Wei Yunshu wanted to ignore her presence, but that cold fragrance, like Luo Lingfeng herself, was extremely invasive. In a daze, she sensed a few drops of cold water splash onto her collar.
“Come back to Cloud City with me,” a very faint voice came from behind, carrying an undeniable firmness.
Wei Yunshu found it absurd and laughable. Why should she return? To become the Cloud Sovereign who narrowly escaped from the hands of evil cultivators? Or to become one of the countless people who resembled Cloud Sovereign? Did the people of the aristocratic families not know what happened in the Abyssal Vortex? Did they want her to return to Cloud City to die again? She no longer wanted to speak, only channeling her spiritual energy and dashing out like a rainbow, leaving only a faint stardust trail.
Luo Lingfeng’s face was filled with anger. To achieve her goals, she had always resorted to any means necessary. Could she hide anywhere in the secret realm? If she were to attack the disciples of Buzhou, would the benevolent Cloud Sovereign stand by idly? Looking at Wei Yunshu’s figure, she let out a strange low laugh. Her emotions, which had been boiling, instantly calmed down. However, her eyes became even more dangerous and suppressed.
The palaces scattered in the abyss contained no heavenly treasures or cultivation techniques, only hidden weapons and killing intents that tugged at the heart. Wei Yunshu’s steps did not stop. She broke through nine empty palaces in a row and suddenly arrived at an open area. It seemed to be the core of the entire palace complex. No matter which direction she looked, she saw towering palaces. As for the path… there was only one! Countless dark floating stones hung in mid-air, winding to form a staircase leading upwards. And at the end of the staircase was a magnificent and luxurious palace, with vermilion eaves and jade tiles, carved walls and towering structures, truly beautiful, as if all the good things in existence were gathered in that one place.
The cultivators struggling below, unable to find what they sought, who wouldn’t want to reach that beautiful palace?
A low cough was heard, and several streaks of light appeared in mid-air. It was the disciples of various families arriving at this place, including disciples from Luoshui Divine Palace and Cloud City, whom she hadn’t met before. It seemed the crack had traversed the secret realm, and the cultivators within had all fallen down. Wei Yunshu pondered silently. She stood with her hands behind her back, looking up at the palace.
Since the cultivators from other forces were here, the disciples of Buzhou should also appear soon.
Wei Yunshu’s guess was correct. Several sharp sword lights flashed across the sky, accompanied by continuous sword’s cry. Led by Xie Zhichao, the disciples of Buzhou also arrived in the open area. She glanced around, saw Wei Yunshu’s figure, and immediately hurried over. Her gaze lightly swept over Luo Lingfeng, who was not far away, and then settled on Wei Yunshu. Xie Zhichao said in a low voice, “Fellow Daoist Bo.” Her voice carried a hint of frustration.
Seeing the unusual expression on the disciples of Buzhou, Wei Yunshu shifted her gaze and noticed that several disciples following Xie Zhichao were missing. Her heart suddenly sank, and she asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
Xie Zhichao said concisely, “We encountered demon cultivators from Dustless Sea and started fighting.” Her expression was stern, her tone laced with chilling severity. Her eyes, like knives, seemed to cut through the gathered demons not far away, her eyes spewing killing intent! Ever since Ba Xu and that demon beast, Buzhou had incurred the wrath of Dustless Sea. The other party might have other plans and was not prepared to maintain the courtesy among the Four Sects, but she, Buzhou Peak, would not back down! “Those demon cultivators are very strange,” Xie Zhichao added.
“Most demon cultivators focus on strength and do not cultivate the heart. They only nourish their bodies with various precious medicines, or even use blood offerings. When we passed by the group of palaces, we always heard seductive voices. We cultivators can easily remove those demonic thoughts, but demon cultivators might not be able to suppress them. Once provoked by those thoughts, their murderous intent becomes difficult to suppress,” said a male cultivator with handsome sword-like eyebrows. His name was Ning Yan, a disciple under True Monarch Yuan Fu. She hadn’t seen him before, but now that they had gathered with Xie Zhichao, and the numbers had decreased rather than increased… the battle must have been fierce.
“This secret palace is very sinister. It’s likely not an orthodox inheritance!” Xie Zhichao asserted confidently. The more so, the more they needed to go to the palace suspended in mid-air. If there were any more disadvantageous methods like “Severing All Selves” for Fu Li Immortal Realm, they would definitely destroy them in advance, rather than letting them spread.
While they were talking, some impatient cultivators had already flown towards the floating stones. Several streams of escape light landed on the floating stones almost simultaneously, followed by a crackling sound. The cultivators who stabilized themselves on the stones originally intended to observe, but there was no extra time. They moved swiftly towards the second floating stone, while those who were slow fell downwards. They were only a few feet above the ground, and no one paid attention to the falling cultivators. Unexpectedly, with a dull thud, the falling cultivators’ brains splattered! It wasn’t someone at the Mortal Transformation or Foundation Establishment stage, but a true Golden Core cultivator! Upon realizing this, the remaining people were greatly alarmed. If the first person could be attributed to carelessness, then the continuous falling cultivators, with none surviving.
How could it be a few feet high? It was clearly a thousand-zhang abyss!
Everyone’s hearts trembled. They looked up at the floating stones that disappeared upon being stepped on, and a chill suddenly rose.
“It’s clearly a spatial anomaly. But now the floating stones have disappeared, how do we get up?” a cultivator shouted. As soon as his voice fell, spiritual energy fluctuated in mid-air. The shattered stone fragments gradually gathered, and within a few breaths, a new floating stone appeared. But no one dared to act rashly anymore. Everyone saw clearly that once they competed to ascend, only the first person to step on the floating stone could use its momentum. Everyone else had no chance of survival. In less than half an hour, the fastest cultivator also fell, their body crushed to powder, with no trace of life.
“Do we have to rely on the floating stones to get up?” a rogue cultivator said. He couldn’t distinguish whether he felt more pleased or fearful. No one had ascended first, meaning he still had a chance to gain benefits. But because of this, he feared suffering the same fate. He secretly glanced at Luo Lingfeng, who looked like a jade carving. Someone of her status traveling around in avatar form was unique in the entire Fu Li Immortal Realm. It seemed that this True Monarch must have many magic artifacts. He wondered if he could perhaps hitch a ride with Cloud City.
“True Monarch.” The disciples of Cloud City had already arrived before Luo Lingfeng. Leading them was a handsome cultivator wearing a jade crown and snow-colored Daoist robes embroidered with golden cloud patterns. He was at the peak of the Golden Core stage. He respectfully bowed to Luo Lingfeng and asked respectfully, “What should we do?”
His name was Su Yuntian. He was a disciple from a collateral branch of the Su family in Cloud City. His talent was mediocre; he had cultivated for over two hundred years to reach the peak of the Golden Core stage. He did not know about Luo Lingfeng’s affairs with the aristocratic families. He hadn’t expected much from the secret realm, but for some reason, none of the direct lineage disciples from the various aristocratic families had been dispatched. He vaguely felt something was strange, as in his understanding, aristocratic families were not so easily willing to give up benefits. However, he had no other choice. The resources allocated to him by his clan were insufficient for him to reach the Nascent Soul realm, so he had to find ways to seek them himself, hence he actively sought this opportunity.
Luo Lingfeng did not answer. Her gaze fell on Wei Yunshu, showing no sign of leaving.
Su Yuntian received no response for a long time, feeling a bit anxious. However, he suppressed his impatience. He secretly followed Luo Lingfeng’s gaze and suddenly caught sight of a face bearing a striking resemblance to Cloud Sovereign, surprising him greatly. He thought it was Cloud Sovereign who had returned. However, his thoughts quickly settled. In Cloud City, he had seen many such figures; they were merely decorations and were completely different from Cloud Sovereign. Just as he was thinking this, Su Yuntian suddenly sensed two sharp lights piercing towards his eyes. Alarm bells rang in his heart, and he quickly channeled his spiritual energy to block them. With a sound like shattered glass, he heard it echoing in his ears. If he hadn’t reacted quickly, those eyes would have been gone! Su Yuntian’s heart was filled with lingering fear. He frowned and looked for the assailant, but as soon as he looked up, he met Luo Lingfeng’s cold gaze.
“Who told you to keep staring at her?” Luo Lingfeng asked unhurriedly.
Su Yuntian suddenly came to his senses, his face turning pale. If this True Monarch were to do anything to him, the disciples of Cloud City would not save him, and his clan would most likely not speak up for him. She was not Cloud Sovereign, just a fake, Su Yuntian thought with dissatisfaction, and resentment suddenly grew. Under Luo Lingfeng’s gaze, he dared not reveal such negative emotions. He cupped his hands, pursed his lips, and said, “This disciple knows he is wrong.”
Luo Lingfeng glanced at Su Yuntian and sneered, “Aren’t you looking for an opportunity to break through? That floating stone is right before you, why aren’t you going?”
Su Yuntian’s heart grew cold. He knew Luo Lingfeng’s intentions. It was difficult to deal with this unpredictable True Monarch. No wonder none of the direct lineage disciples were willing to come. But Luo Lingfeng was not the only Cavern Heaven expert; if the five great families and the various aristocratic families joined forces, couldn’t they deal with her? Why should someone like her hold the position of Cloud Sovereign? Simply the status of “widow” couldn’t convince the families. Su Yuntian thought resentfully, suddenly turned his head, and strode towards the floating stone.
“Senior Brother—” a disciple from the Su family also felt a pang of reluctance. That floating stone had many strange aspects. Who knew what mutations would occur? He reached out to grab Su Yuntian’s sleeve, but only the smooth silk and cloud gauze slipped through his fingers. He couldn’t help but become anxious. Daringly, he looked at Luo Lingfeng, then hastily said, “True Monarch, that floating stone is strange, and Senior Brother Su…”
“If you want to gain something, don’t you have to pay a price? If he doesn’t seek to break through to the Nascent Soul realm, why would he come here? He should have returned to Cloud City to enjoy his later years,” Luo Lingfeng’s words were harsh. Her gaze swept over the aristocratic disciples of Cloud City—the direct lineage disciples had extremely poor character, and these overlooked collateral branches with mediocre talent were even more cowardly and fearful. Luo Lingfeng let out a sarcastic laugh and said, “You don’t dare to go to The Northern Continent, fearing death by evil cultivators. Now that you’ve entered the secret realm, with opportunities before you, you’re still unwilling to venture forth. What else do you want? What? Are you waiting for me, this Seat, to obtain all the benefits and distribute them to you one by one?”
The disciples of Cloud City lowered their heads in shame upon hearing Luo Lingfeng’s words. Having the True Monarch accompany them to the secret realm made it easy for them to harbor hidden desires. But if the disciples of Cloud City were strong, didn’t that also mean the True Monarch herself was strengthening her own forces?
Luo Lingfeng taunted mercilessly, “What a bunch of trash.”
The disciples of Cloud City dared not speak, but they also dared not refute.
Su Yuntian was getting closer to the floating stone, but he remained motionless, cautious, as if observing something. After a long while, he took out a palm-sized treasure ship from his sleeve. After injecting spiritual power into it, the treasure ship instantly grew to ten zhang in size and hovered in mid-air. It was golden and jade-colored, with several flags embroidered with cloud patterns fluttering in the wind. He leaped onto the treasure ship, urged his spiritual power, and ascended upwards.
Xie Zhichao said, “That ship is quite good.” But she wondered if it could reach the flying palace.
Wei Yunshu said, “It’s a true artifact refined in the Earth Fire Heavenly Furnace, called ‘A Reed Can Cross the Sea.’ Excellent direct lineage disciples among the major aristocratic families would possess one.”
Xie Zhichao raised her eyebrows, “Is this person a direct lineage disciple of the Su family in Cloud City? Why haven’t I heard of his reputation before?”
Wei Yunshu shook her head and said, “He is not.” As for this type of true artifact, it could be borrowed, as direct lineage disciples settled in Cavern Heaven Blessed Lands and didn’t need it if they weren’t venturing out.
The “A Reed Can Cross the Sea” in Su Yuntian’s hand was borrowed from a clansman. That person was much younger than him, a junior in the clan, yet he bossed him around, making him act as a slave for a month. Su Yuntian felt resentful but had to endure it for the sake of “A Reed Can Cross the Sea.” In aristocratic families, there were too many collateral branches like him. Only by cultivating to the Nascent Soul realm would he receive attention from the clan. He didn’t want to live the destitute life of the past anymore. He had heard that it was easy to advance in The Northern Continent, but less than one in ten cultivators there survived. He was unwilling to take the risk.
“A Reed Can Cross the Sea” could cross the weak waters. At this moment, it shot upwards like a swift electric current and reached the top in the blink of an eye. Others only saw the speed of “A Reed Can Cross the Sea,” but Su Yuntian, who was piloting it, sensed his spiritual power being stripped away layer by layer, feeling it was becoming difficult to support. Without thinking, he fully activated the forbidden restrictions on the ship. The fluttering flags emitted a brilliant white light, resisting the invisible fierce energy erosion.
“You can still reach there by relying on the true artifact. Will he turn back?” a disciple of Cloud City wondered aloud. That large ship could carry hundreds of people, so it wouldn’t be a problem to take them there. As his words fell, many cultivators couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of expectation, while Luo Lingfeng’s face was merely graced with a cold smile.
A moment later.
The treasure ship crashed into the radiant palace. Thunder-like cracking sounds came from top to bottom. The black floating stones that had been drifting instantly turned to dust and vanished without a trace. The treasure ship that rushed into the palace did not turn back! Everyone immediately thought of one possibility—Su Yuntian had destroyed the floating stone path upon arrival.
Su Yuntian had indeed done so. Greed flickered in his eyes, and he sneered repeatedly. After finding the mechanism of the floating stone path, he instantly broke the formation and then entered the vast palace without looking back.
“Disciples of Cloud City… are they all like this?” Xie Zhichao exclaimed, turning to look at Wei Yunshu and muttering involuntarily. If it were at Buzhou Peak, abandoning fellow disciples without regard was absolutely impossible.
Wei Yunshu lowered her eyelashes and sighed softly, “Not all of them.”
Xie Zhichao asked, “Then who are the people that aren’t like that?”
Wei Yunshu replied, “They are stationed at the The Northern Continent defense line.” She thought that although cultivators might engage in minor battles, no matter how intense those battles were, they would never surpass the conflict between good and evil. She had always considered the evil cultivators of the Corridor of Sins as great enemies and sent those whom she deemed promising and resilient in character to that region. Some of these people came from small clans, and some were collateral branches of aristocratic families. If they had stayed in Cloud City, under the oppression of the aristocratic families, it would have been difficult for them to grow. The Northern Continent was a good place, and coincidentally, the aristocratic families were unwilling to expend their resources there, thus reaching a tacit understanding. Now that the entire Immortal Realm was in turmoil, and internal conflicts within immortal sects had reached a severe point, could the The Northern Continent defense line still hold? Wei Yunshu finally understood that not everyone was willing to uphold righteousness.
“The Northern Continent…” Xie Zhichao drew out her tone. She scratched her head. Even though she didn’t handle these matters, she felt the same trouble as Wei Yunshu. “We cultivators often joke about saving the world and averting disaster. But in times of crisis, what we want to see is not just our own swords. Cloud City, Luoshui Divine Palace, and next, will the calamity fall upon our Buzhou Peak?”
A female cultivator with a high ponytail, dressed in dark robes, laughed and said, “Junior Sister Xie, it’s just a matter of drawing swords to slay great calamities.” Her eyes shone with a fierce sharpness. She declared loudly, “Although the floating stones have disappeared, the palace suspended in the sky cannot be ignored. We disciples of Buzhou do not rely on external artifacts; we treasure our swords. This path must be carved out by my sword!” As her voice fell, she transformed into a sword light that danced like a divine dragon, rushing forward! Amidst the sounds of swords singing, a leisurely and unrestrained singing voice was heard.
“When the wind blows from the west, the path to the heavens begins; the work of creation lies with man. The dragon leaps from the earth’s net, unaware of the white tiger emerging from the true form. Who holds the path for me, as I silently forget words and merge with the divine? Where does the sword strike at midnight, returning to the stars and moon, breaking the qilin!”
As the song reached its final line, the group of demon cultivators gathered nearby suddenly felt a chill run through their bodies.