After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 52

Besides demons, the cultivators present were those who could more easily exchange Daoist texts with them. Transitioning from Qi cultivation to Strength cultivation meant abandoning all previous efforts, rendering many acquired techniques useless. Exchanging them for benefits with Strength cultivators was the best course of action. As Hou Huan finished speaking, another person stood up and said with a smile, “Although the Daoist texts may be given away, the ‘Severing All Selves’ appended within is a technique that anyone can learn, and it includes methods for overcoming obstacles. Our future cultivation paths will be considerably easier, so it’s not a complete loss.” He ended with a trace of regret on his face, “Many of the cultivation techniques here are related to the Dragon tribe. If we followed the guidance of the other statues, we might have obtained divine abilities and great Dao suitable for us. I wonder if the statues will still be there after we leave this place.”
Wei Yunshu stared ahead with a cold expression. The Daoist spoke of “leaving,” yet he remained seated without moving, showing no inclination to seek Qi cultivation inheritances. He was immersed in wine and decadent music, shaking his head rhythmically and tapping the table with his right hand to the beat, a smile lingering on his face. Wei Yunshu glanced at the demonic aura ahead, finding their demeanor quite distasteful. She swept her horsetail whisk, and a beam of light instantly erupted, scattering the demon children and maidens formed from essence.
Hou Huan, who had been coveting the Daoist text Wei Yunshu possessed, had suppressed his previous resentment and treated her kindly. Seeing her show no mercy now, anger surged within him, and his expression changed. His vital energy surged, and with a grab, he produced a golden staff, nine feet thick as a bowl, and struck down at Wei Yunshu. Seeing him make a move, the others had no intention of watching; they flipped their tables and also unleashed their magic artifacts. In an instant, lights danced wildly, colors dazzled, spiritual energy rolled like a tide, and sounds roared like thunderclaps.
Wei Yunshu chanted incantations with a blank expression. She met the golden staff with the Three Lights Dragon Capturing Seal, and a humming sound, like the clash of metal, immediately echoed. The hall was narrow, making it difficult to maneuver. She retreated while deflecting blows, moving to the central courtyard and standing amidst the colorful, chaotic flower shadows, coldly observing the demonic birds and savage beasts ahead. Wei Yunshu narrowed her eyes and urged her Dharma incantation. In an instant, thunderclouds filled the sky, covering the entire firmament. Countless bolts of lightning leaped, purple electrical light flowed, illuminating the sky with a purple hue, almost obscuring the myriad jade and pearl lights.
Hou Huan’s eyelids twitched at the sound of thunder, and a desire to retreat immediately arose in his heart. But thinking of the cultivation technique, his eyes were instantly filled with bloodshot lines. He could not suppress his greed and ferocity; his form suddenly expanded, transforming into a thirty-foot-tall giant ape with white fur, baring its teeth, looking ferocious! The dancing golden staff brought the sound of fierce winds, and crimson flames spontaneously appeared in mid-air. He let out a roar and, not intending to fight alone, reached out and tossed a token. Within it were sealed the primordial spirits of many birds, their wingbeats and mournful cries echoing incessantly.
Wei Yunshu glanced once and then withdrew her gaze. She pushed the One Qi Nine Dominance Heavenly Thunder to its extreme, forming a terrifying net of lightning. Countless thunderous energies rained down, smashing the primordial spirits of the birds into pieces, their energies becoming utterly chaotic. Waves of grand thunderous roars emanated, the thunderous energies striking down from the firmament becoming more intense with each blow.
Seeing the birds torn to shreds, Hou Huan remained unhurried. A mass of dark green mystic clouds rose above his head, vaguely resembling the shape of a tortoise shell. Immediately after, he released a pearly white flying disc to protect himself. With a loud roar, the golden staff struck down, carrying streaks of light, like crashing waves against a shore. As the air currents surged, the pavilions and houses instantly collapsed from the shock, leaving only a crystal palace on a mountaintop, still shimmering with crystalline light under the various colored lights.
Wei Yunshu moved her feet, dodging Hou Huan’s strike. At the same time, a giant palm materialized out of thin air behind her, clearly from a rogue cultivator of the immortal sects, who had also joined the fray. With a mocking laugh, Wei Yunshu’s eyes sharpened. She chanted an incantation, and the sun, moon, and stars appeared behind her, tearing the spiritual energy-formed palm to shreds! Seeing Hou Huan’s ferocity, she also harbored killing intent. The Taiyi Sword on her brow leaped, instantly transforming into a beam of light that shot out! With a flash, a thunderous crack sounded. The tortoise shell above Hou Huan’s head reflected a massive mystic turtle phantom. It let out a mournful cry, and its phantom dimmed. The protective magic artifact also cracked with a ka-cha sound.
Hou Huan had not expected Wei Yunshu to be skilled in swordsmanship. Seeing this sword light, he was greatly astonished. Fortunately, his reaction was quick. After the mystic turtle shell shattered, he moved his feet, twisted his body, and dodged it. However, he was still within the lightning, and hundreds of lightning energies fell. Even though a magic artifact offered some resistance, several still struck his body, and bursts of lightning fire scorched his fur, causing it to curl and blacken. He looked at Wei Yunshu with surprise and doubt. He urged his spiritual energy, and a series of pa-pa sounds were heard. The white ape revealed its six-armed form.
Wei Yunshu paid no mind to his appearance. She urged the Taiyi Sword forward, its intent shining brightly, leaving behind brilliant traces of energy, like the movement of stars and the descent of countless stars! Wei Yunshu cultivated the Three Lights of Sun, Moon, and Stars, using them as sword energy. When the sword was unleashed, the myriad phenomena of the stars appeared, its momentum fearsomely terrifying. Hou Huan and his companions’ vision was captured by the vast starlight. Those with weaker cultivation, unable to resist, were struck by the sword energy, leaving only a mournful cry. The sword light circled and surged like a flowing river of stars. After a few breaths, Hou Huan escaped from the endless sword energy, his flesh and blood mangled, with almost no intact flesh remaining. Although he cultivated strength techniques, he had not yet entered the Cavern Heaven realm and was utterly unable to withstand the sharpness of the true killing sword! Moreover, once his essence was severed, it returned to nothingness, with no trace of it returning to his body.
Standing on the cloud, Hou Huan stared at Wei Yunshu with a grim expression. His lips moved, and he painfully squeezed out three words: “Cloud Sovereign!” But wasn’t Cloud Sovereign dead? How could she appear here with the Taiyi Sword? Was it an illusion or a real person? What did Cloud City mean? Was it planning to collude with Buzhou to deceive the entire Fu Li Immortal Realm? The more Hou Huan thought about it, the more unwilling he felt. His muddled mind was finally awakened. Looking at his companions who had perished amidst the sword energy, he no longer cared about the various techniques but thought of leaving this place and returning the news of Cloud Sovereign’s survival to the Dragon Palace! He desperately urged his escape technique, attempting to flee from the lightning net. But suddenly, a soft sigh echoed in his ears, and both the lightning and sword light retracted. Hou Huan was confused, but a surge of ecstatic joy welled up in his heart. Just as he was about to seize this opportunity to leave, he felt a sudden pain in his shoulder. Looking down, he saw several drops of dark, Abyssal heavy water piercing his body. In front of him stood a white-haired, red-robed, black-cloaked female cultivator. Beneath her feet lay a long, ethereal trail, resembling a sea of clouds, or perhaps a long river.
Hou Huan let out a scream, and a mass of primordial spirit, along with his essence, flew away. But after only a few feet, it was swept away by the surging water and instantly vanished like smoke. However, a small trace of energy remained behind, silently escaping. With Hou Huan’s death, the illusory demonic figures also vanished. The rogue cultivators seemed to awaken from a deep dream, their faces all deathly pale. They looked at the two figures confronting each other in mid-air, unable to utter a single word. They retreated step by step, finally falling into the ruins in a most dishevelled and dejected manner, looking at Wei Yunshu and the others with unease.
Wei Yunshu lowered her eyelids, her killing intent retracting. She flicked her sleeve, and the sword energy around her dissipated, transforming her back into the serene Daoist maiden holding the horsetail whisk, her Dharma appearance solemn and beautiful. Just as Wei Yunshu was contemplating how to deal with Hou Huan, several streaks of swift light flashed across the sky. Focusing her gaze, she recognized the figures of Xie Zhichao and her group. They were covered in bloodstains, their faces showing fatigue, clearly having just experienced a battle.
“Fellow Daoist Bo.” Xie Zhichao greeted Wei Yunshu, then turned to look at the cold and profound Luo Lingfeng, offering a perfunctory smile and bowing out of politeness. She didn’t say anything to Luo Lingfeng, only speaking to Wei Yunshu, “We encountered rogue cultivators, disciples from Luoshui Divine Palace, and several disciples from Cloud City. We don’t know why they went mad and inexplicably started fighting. Since they are all fellow cultivators of the immortal sects, there was no need to kill them until it was absolutely necessary, so subduing them took quite some time. However, we did gain something.” As she spoke, Xie Zhichao took out the jade slips she had collected from those individuals.
Wei Yunshu said, “If they have seen these techniques, they might remember them.”
Xie Zhichao raised her eyebrows and smiled, saying without thinking, “It’s fine. A thought arises, a thought disappears. Eldest Senior Sister can handle things outside.” After a pause, she added, “We also found a monument commemorating the past achievements of God-King Ji Jun. He was the first true dragon between heaven and earth, formed from the essence of heaven and earth, thus known as the Dragon Ancestor. Logically, Dustless Sea should have some knowledge of this, but for the past several thousand years, Dustless Sea has never mentioned this place. Could it be that this Dragon Ancestor is related to the esteemed Ji Jun of the Corridor of Sins? I didn’t quite understand why the demon cultivators of Dustless Sea were so arrogant before, but now, if they are hidden pawns left by the Corridor of Sins, their behavior is perfectly understandable.”
Xie Zhichao did not believe the theory of the Corridor of Sins usurping divine names, firmly believing that this secret realm was related to the Corridor of Sins. The reckless technique of “Severing All Selves,” in her opinion, was an evil path. It was possible that the Corridor of Sins was formed in such a way. As for the connection between the Shang Qing Divine Realm and the Fu Li Immortal Realm, there was no answer, and it could only be explored later.
Wei Yunshu nodded, quite agreeing. From the offspring of the Dragon Lord down to ordinary Nascent Soul demon cultivators, each exuded a strange aura. After a moment of contemplation, her gaze fell upon the crystal palace that remained undisturbed by the spiritual energy fluctuations. She pointed towards it and asked, “Fellow Daoist Xie, did you go there?”
Xie Zhichao looked in the direction Wei Yunshu indicated and smiled, “We were planning to go earlier, but seeing the spiritual energy surging here, we guessed that someone was fighting and decided to check it out first.” She looked at Wei Yunshu, whose gaze was tightly locked by Luo Lingfeng’s, and her heart stirred. She said softly, “Fellow Daoist Bo, shall we go together?” When they passed the statue and entered this place, she saw Wei Yunshu lingering behind, assuming she had something to say to Luo Lingfeng. But now, it seemed there was a coldness and gloom surrounding the two, completely unlike the intimate affection others might imagine, but rather like a pair of resentful lovers. She suddenly recalled Wei Yunshu’s past remarks about “I have a friend,” and was startled by her own conjecture. She instinctively looked towards Luo Lingfeng.
Her cold gaze was like frost, with threads of killing intent and malevolence flowing, not hidden at all. Her internal alarm bells rang, and she quickly withdrew her gaze.
Wei Yunshu said, “Good,” without looking at Luo Lingfeng from beginning to end.
Beneath the floating palace and stones.
The disciples of Buzhou waited patiently. Upon seeing a trace of vital energy with a demonic aura descend, their eyes narrowed. Without needing further words, they unleashed their sword light together, tearing the vital energy into pieces. Not far away were the disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace. Seeing that Buzhou had left people here earlier, they assumed there was a deeper meaning. Coupled with other intentions, they left Luo Yuankun and his brother behind. Luo Yuanshu’s expression was calm, showing no unusual signs. Luo Yuankun, however, was inherently restless and soon grew impatient. He took out his magic treasure and intended to charge towards the celestial palace.
“Second Brother, they ordered you and me to stay here.” Luo Yuanshu reached out to stop him, speaking gently.
“Are you a dog raised by Guangyuan Marsh? Those people are gone, what are you afraid of!” Luo Yuankun was furious and spoke without thinking. Besides the two of them, there were other cultivators from Luoshui Divine Palace. Those under Guangyuan Marsh, upon hearing his words, cast their gazes his way.
Luo Yuankun dared to speak like this because he harbored killing intent. He intended to ascend to the flying palace, and someone would surely try to stop him. Only by killing them could he truly settle matters. His killing intent grew stronger. He appeared to be arguing with Luo Yuanshu, but in reality, he unleashed his own sword. With a fierce turn, his sharp sword intent surged towards the remaining disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace! Fearing that this matter might not succeed, he even unleashed a true artifact he had hidden. A strong wind stirred, and Etherwood Green Lightning was released on a large scale. This was refined by his mother, Wen Danhua, using Taiyi Heavenly Wood, Heavenly Water Thunder Essence, and other materials. Once activated, its power was immense.
The disciples of Buzhou nearby watched this scene, their eyes filled with surprise.
Luo Yuankun did not wish for the disciples of Buzhou to interfere. His eyes darkened, and he raised his voice, “The three families of Xiaohan Mountain, Guangyuan Marsh, and Yunmeng Marsh harmed my clan members. The hatred for my father’s murder is irreconcilable. As a son, how can I not avenge my father? Even if my father committed a thousand wrongdoings, he is still my father. Although my father did evil, I cannot fail to be a filial son. This is an internal matter of our Luoshui Divine Palace. I hope the Daoists of Buzhou will not interfere.” His words were not polite, and his tone was harsh. Some of the disciples of Buzhou, having short tempers, immediately retorted, “Do you really think we Buzhou disciples have nothing better to do? Who would want to interfere in your family’s mess? We are ashamed to be listed alongside the disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace!”
Luo Yuankun had a bad temper and was greatly angered by the disciples of Buzhou’s words. Fortunately, he knew who his enemies were at the moment and snorted, ignoring them. Instead, he focused on urging the true artifact, attacking the remaining cultivators of the three families. Among the three families, the highest cultivation was Golden Core, and their innate talent was ordinary. They did not receive favor from their clans. Where could they get good items? In a short time, they were routed by Luo Yuankun, forced to retreat repeatedly. But how could they willingly surrender? First, they shouted, “Luo Yuanshu!” Seeing that he remained motionless, they cast pleading glances towards the disciples of Buzhou.
“Lord Luo Heng colluded with evil cultivators of the Corridor of Sins to damage the spiritual vein of Southern Continent, which is punishable by death! Following his example, how can the disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace claim to have no dealings with demons? We are eliminating demons and safeguarding the Dao, and even True Monarch Luo did not say anything! Fellow Daoists, please lend us your strength to kill this villain!”
Another person cursed at Luo Yuankun angrily, “Our True Monarch brought you back to Xiaohan Mountain out of pity, and this is how you repay kindness with enmity! You are just like your shameless, lowly mother!”
Luo Yuankun’s background had always been a sore spot in his heart. Whenever people mentioned that past event, he would inevitably become enraged. When his mother was in Luoshui Divine Palace, she was treated like a lady, but ultimately she was not. He also hated his father, but what could be done about it? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his face turning completely red. He roared and unleashed his spiritual energy, pushing the true artifact to its extreme. Although the remaining disciples were fleeing in all directions, they were still stripped of most of their flesh and blood by the lightning. Screams of agony were continuous. In less than fifteen minutes, several disciples from Luoshui Divine Palace were killed.
“They are truly interesting,” the disciples of Buzhou said, looking at Luo Yuankun and his group with a cold smile. Perhaps compared to the demons far away in The Northern Continent, the Daoists nearby who affected their own interests were their true enemies.
“What a pity,” another person sighed regretfully. Although they said that, they had no intention of intervening, allowing Luo Yuankun to slaughter the remaining disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace with his magic artifact.
The true artifact unleashed its final bolt of lightning. Luo Yuankun was utterly exhausted, a look of fatigue appearing on his face. He was panting, and even his spiritual energy was unstable. Just as he was about to sit down and recuperate, a hand was placed on his shoulder. Luo Yuankun’s eyelids twitched, and he glared at Luo Yuanshu.
“Second Brother, have you vented enough?” Luo Yuanshu smiled and asked gently.
Luo Yuankun violently slapped away Luo Yuanshu’s hand, looking at him with disgust, utterly despising his cowardice.
Luo Yuanshu shook his head, feigning helplessness, “Second Brother, you are really making things difficult for me. If those Daoists return and don’t find any disciples, how will I explain myself to them?”
“If you are willing to be ordered around by them, then go,” Luo Yuankun said impatiently. He wanted to ascend to the flying palace to seek inheritance and sever ties with Xiaohan Mountain.
“I see,” Luo Yuanshu nodded, then said earnestly, “I wish Second Brother a future of great Dao. However, before we part ways, I would like to borrow something from Second Brother.”
Luo Yuankun frowned. If he had the strength, he would have killed Luo Yuanshu long ago, so why would he listen to him babbling here? He looked at Luo Yuanshu expressionlessly and casually replied, “What is it?”
Luo Yuanshu smiled again, “Your head, Second Brother.” Saying that, the surrounding wind currents rose, and countless water lightning bolts struck Luo Yuankun’s body. He cultivated water techniques, and by urging the surging water, it instantly transformed into a long river of rolling lightning, engulfing Luo Yuankun entirely.
Luo Yuankun was caught off guard and struck. He had always disdained Luo Yuanshu’s weakness, thinking him timid and cowardly, never expecting him to be so decisive when it came to action. Luo Yuankun hurriedly tried to activate his Dharma incantations, but he had let the opponent gain the upper hand, and his spiritual energy had already been depleted. He was immediately pushed back repeatedly.
“We are brothers, we should unite against our enemies. Fighting amongst ourselves only entertains others!” Luo Yuankun shouted.
You didn’t think that when you harbored killing intent towards me, Luo Yuanshu thought silently. He looked at Luo Yuankun expressionlessly and flicked his hand, sending several golden pellets like swift light towards Luo Yuankun. With a series of pi-pi-pa-pa sounds, accompanied by crackling golden lightning and flowing water, they shattered Luo Yuankun’s protective treasures. Seeing Luo Yuankun’s defeat, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Luo Yuanshu’s lips. A streak of flying light shot out from his sleeve, spinning in mid-air and severing Luo Yuankun’s head. Seeing Luo Yuankun’s primordial spirit hastily flee, his gaze darkened, and he struck out a token, capturing it within. After all, they were brothers. There was no need to show no mercy and condemn him to eternal damnation. After leaving the secret realm, he would send his primordial spirit to be reborn.
Having accomplished all this, he retracted the wind currents and killing intent, then turned to the disciples of Buzhou and bowed with a righteous demeanor, “My second brother has always been close to our father. He is rebellious and deviates from the orthodox path, and has also had contact with demons. True Monarch Wen of Xiaohan Mountain took him under her wing, hoping to reform him. However, he still harbors malicious intentions and seeks to harm our immortal sect disciples. Luo has now carried out a righteous act of eliminating a relative, which serves as an explanation to all Daoist friends.”
His words were grand and righteous, but the disciples of Buzhou could only scoff repeatedly. Earlier, when Luo Yuankun was killing the disciples of Luoshui Divine Palace, he had not gone to dissuade him. Now, he was acting righteously. This person clearly intended to kill everyone present, but Luo Yuankun had taken the lead, giving him a justifiable reason. However, the disciples of Buzhou were too lazy to bother with their internal affairs and focused their divine sense on the flying palace, ready to offer assistance if anything seemed amiss.
Seeing their demeanor, Luo Yuanshu did not care. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, then cupped his sleeves in a bow before taking to the air and floating away. He had always been good at observing people’s expressions. Although he didn’t know what had happened, he felt a sense of unease, as if everything was not quite right. He hadn’t seen any inheritance so far. He suspected it was all within that flying palace, but could he really obtain any benefits? Luo Yuanshu asked himself, and decisively chose to give up. It was better to collect some spiritual herbs and ores; these were tangible benefits. After the events in the secret realm concluded, he wanted to see his Eldest Sister again.
Outside the secret realm.
Countless sword lights moved like swimming fish, covering an area of five hundred li.
A flying carriage pulled by ten ink dragons stopped in mid-air. The carriage was enormous, resembling a pagoda. Its eaves were high and curved, and iron horses hung beneath it, swaying in the wind, occasionally emitting a crisp jingling sound. Curtains hung down, adorned with thirty-six golden bells that swayed gently as they moved, creating a pleasant sound. Following behind were two accompanying chariots, pulled by only four ink dragons, much smaller in scale. In addition, several Nascent Soul Daoists, either riding swords or cranes, escorted the flying carriage on both sides.
This was the carriage of Shi Wufang, the chief disciple of Buzhou Peak.
Previously, they had traveled by sword. But once such a grand display was made, it represented the entire Buzhou Peak.
Below, a group of rogue cultivators gathered, not daring to even breathe loudly. They had arrived late, and no one was allowed to enter the secret realm anymore. This was contrary to the usual rules. The crowd wanted to make a fuss and demand an explanation from Buzhou Peak. But as soon as Shi Wufang emerged from Buzhou, they dared not say anything. The more astute ones knew that the events in the secret realm were dire and not something they could interfere with, so they retreated. Those who were unwilling to accept it thought that since Buzhou Peak was one of the four great immortal sects, perhaps if they didn’t let them in, they would compensate them with some good cultivation items, so it wouldn’t be a wasted trip. They remained in place with brazen faces, waiting.
However, Shi Wufang currently had no time to concern herself with these people.
The carriage was spacious, with its own heavenly dwelling within, clearly a portable cave mansion. Shi Wufang sat on a meditation cushion, her face graceful and calm. Opposite her sat a beautiful woman with a somewhat anxious expression. She rested her hand on her sword, meeting Shi Wufang’s gaze, and said worriedly, “This ‘Severing All Selves’ technique should not be circulated in the Fu Li Immortal Realm.” After seeing the Heavenly Start Tablet, she realized that something was amiss. Even though she knew this might just be the beginning, to ensure the news could be relayed back to Buzhou and preparations could be made, she chose to bring the news back herself.
“It truly shouldn’t be,” Shi Wufang nodded. She looked at Ran Xiuyun and then said gently, “Junior Sister Ran, there’s no need to rush. I met with my Master before coming, and she instructed me to bring out the ‘True Nature Sword’.”
“True Nature Sword?” Ran Xiuyun suddenly stood up, her eyes wide, filled with astonishment. After all, the True Nature Sword was a Dao artifact of Buzhou Peak, enshrined in the Ancestral Hall for at least three thousand years without being moved! Although the Cavern Heaven True Monarch had not appeared, the Dao artifact of Buzhou… this was even more shocking than the mobilization of a Cavern Heaven.
Shi Wufang said, “Old Ancestor True Nature herself awakened.”
Ran Xiuyun asked, “Because of the secret realm? Or the so-called Shang Qing Divine Realm?” They enshrined their ancestors, but in reality, they didn’t know where the ancestor had come from or where she had gone. The True Nature Sword was a Dao artifact left by the ancestor, and it was very likely that she knew about the history that had been inexplicably erased six thousand years ago! Shi Wufang shook her head at her and sighed, “The Old Ancestor didn’t say.” Since the ancestor departed, the True Nature Sword had been the highest-ranking within the entire Buzhou Peak. Even the sect leader had to show filial respect when meeting her. If she didn’t speak, who could question her?
Ran Xiuyun said anxiously, “I wonder if Junior Sister Xie and the others can handle it.”
A face suddenly flashed before Shi Wufang’s eyes. She exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly said, “They will be fine.”