After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 60

In recent years, there have been few sword duels in the Fu Li Immortal Realm. Therefore, when this news spread, cultivators throughout the land called upon friends and companions, flocking to the location. Even those whose cultivation hadn’t reached the Golden Core stage implored their friends and elders to bring them along to witness the divine abilities and techniques of the Four Sects’ disciples.
Two months later.
A light boat drifted into a vast marsh. Here, clouds and mist swirled, the water flowed gently, and occasionally, a few birds flew across the sky, their cries echoing, making the place feel quite cold and serene. However, this emptiness vanished without a trace when the small boat turned with the current and entered a narrow passage between two peaks. A series of loud explosions, like thunder, filled the ears, and the drifting boat also spun in the suddenly turbulent water. The people on the boat did not steer; they simply allowed the boat to be tossed about. After a few breaths, with a loud bang, the flying boat collided with a giant wave of water, and the view before them instantly opened up.
Mountain ranges rose and fell on either side, and spiritual energy was abundant. Streaks of light and escaping figures could be seen frequently in mid-air, darting and flying. Clouds and mist in the sky shifted unpredictably, creating a myriad of majestic scenes, truly spectacular. Hidden palaces and pavilions were faintly visible within, suggesting that some cultivators had already arrived.
“Senior Sister Xie, let’s also go up and find a spot with a good view,” a cheerful voice came from the boat. The laughter was as pleasant as silver bells. It was the group from Buzhou Peak. There were only five people on the small boat, but only Xun Huan, Xie Zhichao, and Ying Yue were considered orthodox disciples of Buzhou. Wei Yunshu and Yu Changfeng were guest elders.
“Senior Sister Xun?” Xie Zhichao turned her head to look at Xun Huan, who stood at the bow of the boat with her hands behind her back. Her tone held a hint of inquiry. She had originally thought that Senior Sister Ran would lead the group this time, or perhaps Eldest Senior Sister would come personally, but neither of them had arrived.
Before Xun Huan could respond, an earth-shattering roar came from behind. A colossal wave, like a mountain collapsing and a sea overturning, surged forward. The river flowed, clouds billowed, slowly spreading outward. Within them were hidden countless monstrous illusory beasts, their roars shaking heaven and earth, their aura scorching and arrogant. Nearly a thousand immortal sect cultivators near Youluo Mountain were startled, and a sudden silence fell over them.
“Evil beasts stirring up water, truly a mess,” Xie Zhichao’s right hand rested on her saber. She let out a cold laugh, clearly impatient. Just from the wave and the clouds, she knew that the cultivators of Dustless Sea and Luoshui Divine Palace had arrived together. She wondered when these two families had reunited. However, just as the smoke and clouds were about to cover the sky and conceal the mountains, a clear zither melody sounded, carrying the force of collapsing cliffs and shattering rocks. It transformed into a beam of pure light and shot forward, instantly tearing through the smoke, clouds, and the illusory figures of the wild beasts. Where the pure light passed, it left a long trail of energy, as if the sky had been cut. After the dazzling light dissipated, a flying palace emerged from the smoke and clouds with lightning speed.
After a moment, the clouds and mist trembled and re-converged, as if they had not lost an ounce of their essence. The cultivators who had been hidden within, their whereabouts unseen, slowly reappeared. Standing at the forefront was a cultivator in magnificent water-blue robes, tightly clutching a folding fan. Behind him stood several demon cultivators with distinct features and high-bridged noses. Several feet away from him, the direct descendants of the three families of Luoshui Divine Palace led the way, followed by Nascent Soul elders providing support. They were all looking in the direction where the flying palace had vanished, remaining silent for a long time.
“Dustless Sea and Luoshui Divine Palace made such a spectacle, but their momentum was suppressed by Cloud City,” Xie Zhichao chuckled, clicking her tongue. A light flickered in her eyes, and she was eager to show off her skills, her face full of anticipation.
“Let’s go,” Xun Huan chuckled softly. She flicked her sleeve, and a sword cry suddenly arose. She enveloped Ying Yue, whose cultivation was slightly lower, in a beam of sword light and shot towards the clouds. A moment later, Xie Zhichao and the others followed suit. Xun Huan did not go to any mountain peak but found an area with a wide view in the clouds. She summoned an impressive and magnificent flying palace and pressed the name token in her hand forward. Before this, sects or individuals interested in participating in the sword duel had obtained a name token containing a formation rune, which could be used to claim a foothold. When contending for the sword talisman, if you could bring the sword talisman back to your foothold, others could no longer snatch it away.
Xie Zhichao focused her attention on the location of the Dustless Sea demon cultivators, frowning as she said, “Quite a few people came from Dustless Sea. The one leading is Xiang Jun, and the remaining ones look unfamiliar; I haven’t seen them before.” At first glance, at least three Nascent Souls had arrived.
Yu Changfeng pondered for a moment and said, “That woman sitting on a blood-red jade ganoderma, with windswept hair and misty temples, is named Long Xueyun. She is a sea ganoderma that attained Dao. It is said that she was once watered by dragon blood and is most skilled in illusion techniques that manipulate human hearts. The disheveled cultivator standing beside her is named Chao Ya, a true disciple of Qilin Lord from Dustless Sea, who reached the Nascent Soul stage fifty years ago. That young man in black, with dragon eyebrows and phoenix eyes, is Qu Heng, a blood descendant of Canal Lord.” She was of Dustless Sea demon cultivator origin. After arriving at Buzhou with Shi Wufang and others, she had immersed herself in practicing sword Dao and sparring with others. After traversing that long sword path and witnessing the demeanor of the Buzhou disciples, she decided to join Buzhou as a guest elder.
“Wow!” Ying Yue clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling with a strange light. She said, “Finally, someone from Dustless Sea other than the Dragon Palace lineage has arrived.” There were four Cavern Heavens presiding over Dustless Sea, but in terms of activity, none could compare to the Dragon Palace lineage under the Dragon Lord. As for the other three, they appeared less frequently, and their descendants and disciples’ abilities were unknown.
Dragon Lord, Canal Lord, Qilin Lord… Wei Yunshu silently repeated these three names. She turned to Yu Changfeng and asked gently, “How much do you know about Phoenix Lord? Why is her lineage absent from this sword duel?” Since noticing the strangeness of the demon cultivators in the secret realm, Wei Yunshu had become somewhat wary of Dustless Sea. It was fine if all four Cavern Heavens’ lineages participated together, but with one missing… it felt wrong no matter how she thought about it.
Yu Changfeng thought for a while and replied, “That True Monarch confines her disciples to Phoenix Mountain and rarely interacts with other demon cultivators. They don’t show up at any grand gatherings in the Dragon Palace, focusing solely on their own secluded cultivation. It would be abnormal if someone from the Phoenix Mountain lineage came this time.”
Wei Yunshu frowned and said to herself, “Is that so?”
As they spoke, a rumbling sound came from below. An anomaly occurred in the great marsh surrounding the mountain. The entire river began to tremble slightly. A moment later, it roared like a thousand armies marching and ten thousand drums sounding, shaking heaven and earth. Layers of water waves surged upwards, surging and sweeping with immense power. At first, the people on Youluo Mountain were confused. After a moment, their hearts jolted, and they suddenly stood up, looking up at the sky. A golden light shot up from the surging water, displaying several brilliant characters in mid-air: “Immortal Realm Sword Duel!” This time, the sword duel was not presided over by any individual but by a true artifact jointly forged by the four families. After the sword duel began, besides issuing sword talismans, it would not interfere with anything else.
Xun Huan composed herself. Her gaze swept over the disciples of the other three sects. Buzhou had the fewest disciples present, but what did that matter? She smiled slightly and said indifferently, “Let’s rest for a while. The sword duel will begin at 11 PM.”
Cloud City Flying Palace.
Luo Lingfeng sat on the throne with her legs crossed, one hand supporting her chin, her expression nonchalant. Below her were the Nascent Soul cultivators from the five families: Yun, Su, Yue, Chu, and Wu. They had received news that the disciples from the Northern Continent would also participate in the battle, so they resolved that no matter what, they could not be overshadowed by those cultivators of mortal origin. Each family sent a skilled Nascent Soul cultivator. However, upon arriving at Youluo Mountain, they discovered that the people they were wary of had not appeared at all.
“Among the Four Sects, Buzhou has the fewest participants. Luoshui Divine Palace has many disciples, but after the previous calamity, their quality is uneven. We should pay attention to Dustless Sea, which we have overlooked,” Daoist Yun stroked his beard, his expression grave.
“In the past, only the Dragon Lord’s lineage was active outside, but this time, the descendants of the other two Cavern Heavens have also appeared. It seems they are determined to obtain those Daoist texts.”
The five Nascent Soul Daoists spoke one after another, not concealing their disdain for Luoshui Divine Palace. The focus of their discussion about the sword duel was on the demon cultivators of Dustless Sea. These demon cultivators, even if they cultivated Qi Dao, possessed tough bodies and bones. Their physical strength was much greater than that of humans. Their Cloud City had sent five Nascent Souls, the most among the Four Sects. If they still lost this time, they would be utterly humiliated.
Luo Lingfeng lowered her eyelids, tapping her fingers on the armrest of her chair intermittently. Listening to the five elders’ strategies, she said lazily, “Do you all think Dustless Sea is your greatest obstacle in contending for the sword talismans?”
Daoist Yue said proudly, “Originally, we regarded Buzhou as a formidable enemy, but this time, it’s fine that Shi Wufang didn’t come, but even Ran Xiuyun hasn’t shown up. There’s only a single Xun Huan, who is manageable.” This Daoist Yue was named Yue Chengyuan. He was not a direct descendant of the Yue family. His talent was good, and he was previously chosen to be Yan Danwo’s disciple. However, after Yan Danwo’s Dao companion saw him, she snatched Yue Chengyuan away, and he even changed his surname to Yue. He was indeed capable. He reached the Nascent Soul realm a year ago. This time, upon hearing about the sword duel between the various sects, he wanted to use this opportunity to make a name for himself in the immortal realm.
Luo Lingfeng’s peripheral vision did not linger on Yue Chengyuan for a moment. She asked indifferently, “Do you all feel the same way?”
The Su family’s Daoist pondered for a moment and said softly, “Those two guest elders are unpredictable and need to be taken seriously.”
Yue Chengyuan was quite dismissive, “One is a rogue cultivator from Dustless Sea, and the other is a country bumpkin Daoist from who knows where. What is there to be concerned about?” He had been in seclusion cultivating earlier, and after successfully reaching the Nascent Soul realm, he continued to consolidate his cultivation in his cave mansion, hence he hadn’t heard about the “Cloud Sovereign” matter. As soon as his words fell, several strange gazes were cast upon him.
The Yun family’s Nascent Soul Daoist was named Yun Kuan. In reality, he had come with another mission this time, but he couldn’t discuss it in front of Luo Lingfeng. Therefore, when discussing the sword duel, he deliberately avoided mentioning “Buzhou.” He had originally thought the others had the same idea as him, but now it seemed that at least Yue Chengyuan was truly arrogant.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes were profound, and she smiled slightly, “Then I wish you success.”
Yue Chengyuan felt something strange upon hearing this, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. He frowned, then spoke, his voice resonant like a bell, “In this sword duel, my Cloud City will surely claim the top prize!”
In Youluo Mountain, the four families each occupied a territory. Even outside the formations, there were few people. Some smaller sects or rogue cultivators were mostly gathered near a strange peak in the southeast corner. Compared to the quietness of the Four Sects, it was lively here. Cultivators came and went, calling out “Brother Daoist,” “Fellow Daoist,” and “True Monarch,” making it quite cheerful. They naturally had no intention of competing for the top prize, only wanting to gain some face at this time. As for their insufficient accumulation? It didn’t matter. Recruiting a few more rogue cultivators as companions could make it look quite impressive. Among this group, a beautiful female cultivator in a purple-black dress sat cross-legged, ignoring everyone.
“That True Monarch hasn’t accepted any invitations from those sects.”
“I haven’t seen this person before. Do you know her origin?”
“A fellow Daoist from the Northern Continent defense line mentioned her name, Chi Fengchao. She always acts alone, occasionally with the disciples of Chongxu Sect and Taiqing Sect, but it’s unclear which family’s disciple she is.”
“But aren’t Chongxu Sect and Taiqing Sect both subordinate sects of Cloud City? Why isn’t she over there?”
“Who knows?”
The cultivators discussed heatedly, while the female cultivator sitting on the stone seemed oblivious.
The sky gradually darkened. A lonely moon hung over the thousand mountains, appearing quite bleak and desolate. Although cultivators could see in the dark night, everything was dim, and their mood felt somewhat suppressed. Therefore, as soon as night fell, each family employed means to illuminate their territory as if it were daytime. Looking down from above, it resembled countless stars gathered together, reflecting the shimmering light on the water in the mountains, looking quite lovely. The sounds from all directions gradually subsided. As 11 PM approached, it became utterly silent, not a sound was heard. Everyone held their breath, waiting for that moment to arrive.
Suddenly, a bright light burst forth from the sky. A clear and resonant sound, as if from beyond the heavens, came like waves, one after another, distant and clear. The brilliant cluster of light in the sky was stirred by a stream of pure energy, and a crack suddenly appeared. A palm-sized sword talisman, covered in golden light, drifted down slowly from the scattered light, like a feather.
As soon as the sword talisman appeared, several figures shot towards the sky and began fighting fiercely. The Four Sects did not move at this moment. Those who made a move were the rogue cultivators. It wasn’t that they were particularly capable, but rather that being the first to show up always gave them an advantage. This group fought in a chaotic battle for a moment. Several people fell into the marsh below like dumplings, leaving only a large man with a bruised face holding the sword talisman and laughing loudly. He didn’t think he could hold onto the sword talisman, so he didn’t go towards his own station but instead held the talisman and shouted, “The sword talisman is here! If you want it, come and get it!”
“This person has some nerve,” Xie Zhichao leaned back against a rock, holding a wine gourd in her hand, and glanced at the Daoist. They had no intention of making a move for now. As for Luoshui Divine Palace and Cloud City, they also remained completely still. However, on the peak occupied by Dustless Sea, numerous ferocious beast forms materialized, emitting earth-shattering roars. In less than a moment, a bare-chested Golden Core demon cultivator leaped out and lunged to seize the sword talisman. The demon cultivator’s attack was quite vicious and ruthless, each move aimed at the Daoist’s vital points. Both fought bare-handed. At first, they appeared evenly matched, but soon, the Daoist showed signs of fatigue. Seeing the Golden Core demon cultivator’s ferocious expression, and fearing for his life, he threw the sword talisman and chanted an incantation, retreating. The demon cultivator’s killing intent surged. He didn’t even look at the sword talisman but instead punched the Daoist.
The Daoist was greatly alarmed. He quickly activated his protective spiritual light, but under the fierce punch, the spiritual light shattered inch by inch. Just as he was about to be killed by the demon cultivator, a white light suddenly shot from the southeast corner, easily forcing the demon cultivator back. The Daoist seized this opportunity and quickly ran back. He bowed to Chi Fengchao, who had stood up, and said, “Thank you.” Chi Fengchao calmly nodded. She tapped her toes and leaped into mid-air, easily snatching the sword talisman from the Golden Core demon cultivator’s hand.
The Golden Core demon cultivator was quite fierce, his eyes blazing with malice. He seemed completely indifferent to the difference in cultivation, striking towards Chi Fengchao even though he knew he was no match. Fortunately, the Dustless Sea cultivator on the other side shouted in time, recalling the unwilling Golden Core demon cultivator. “That person is a Nascent Soul cultivator, not someone you can defeat,” Xiang Jun’s eyes flickered for a moment. He turned to Long Xueyun and bowed solemnly, “This time, I will trouble True Monarch Long.”
Long Xueyun smiled sweetly, urged the blood ganoderma beneath her feet, and floated forward.
“A Nascent Soul cultivator has appeared so quickly? I thought the Golden Core cultivators would cause a stir for a bit longer,” Xie Zhichao’s face was full of surprise. Her cultivation was only at the Golden Core stage, and now it was a Nascent Soul battlefield. She had no chance to act for the time being. She gazed intently at Chi Fengchao and then wondered, “Who is that female cultivator? I’ve never heard of her before.”
Xun Huan said softly, “Perhaps she’s a rogue cultivator stationed in the Northern Continent.” To win the top prize, the more sword talismans the better. Not a single one could be given up. This sword duel had no fixed rules. Participating at this point was also acceptable. However, since the other two families had not moved, Xun Huan also slowly suppressed the battle intent in her heart and simply watched from the side.
As soon as Long Xueyun from Dustless Sea entered the fray, she urged her spiritual energy. Instantly, a blood-red mist spread out. Strange laughter echoed repeatedly, seemingly far yet near, extremely tormenting to one’s mind. Chi Fengchao frowned, impatient with this atmosphere. There was no hint of tension on her face. She chanted an incantation, and a gale of wind appeared out of thin air, as if it could melt metal and erode iron. In the blink of an eye, it swept away the blood mist. Long Xueyun was not angered by the mist being dispersed. Instead, she tilted her head and looked at Chi Fengchao. A voluptuous hand gently tapped the blood ganoderma beneath her feet. Instantly, blood spurted, turning into mist again. Immediately after, Long Xueyun took out a jade flute and began to play music.
The blood mist surged like a tide. Countless sharp, strange cries emerged from within, and wisps of blood threads twisted like gossamer, surging towards Chi Fengchao. Once these blood threads touched a person, they would erode their mind. A mocking smile appeared on Chi Fengchao’s lips. Spiritual light burst from her robe, instantly shattering the blood threads. She waved her sleeve, and with a resounding boom, a large ball of green violent wind was sent out, growing larger as it spun. This hurricane was extremely fierce, its spiritual energy like a raging tide, instantly tearing apart the blood mist. This wind technique was immensely powerful and quickly swept away the blood mist. However, targeting Long Xueyun directly was not that easy. Spiritual energy fluctuations were easily detected when activating divine abilities and techniques. The opponent could simply use an escape technique to dodge.
Long Xueyun thought the same. She did not care about the blood escaping from the blood ganoderma. She gently patted it and transformed into light smoke, intending to escape. But suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a playful smile on Chi Fengchao’s lips. She felt a hint of surprise and uncertainty. Before she could figure it out, she heard a word like spring thunder erupt: “Restrict!” As this voice fell, it was as if an invisible restriction was placed upon her body, instantly freezing her in place. The green violent wind swept over, and a piercing, miserable wail was heard. A moment later, Long Xueyun stumbled out of the wind. Her hair was disheveled, her face haggard, and the blood ganoderma beneath her feet had shrunk considerably. She glanced at Chi Fengchao and then fled back to the peak of Dustless Sea in a panic.
Silence fell over heaven and earth for a moment.
“Youluo Gale? No, not quite like it,” Xie Zhichao’s face was full of surprise. She said, “I didn’t see clearly what kind of Dao technique it was.”
Wei Yunshu sighed softly, saying, “Cloud City’s Nine Nether Sorrowful Return Wind and Jade Resonance Heavenly Sound.” However, if she remembered correctly, these two divine abilities were mostly cultivated by disciples of the Yue family, right?
At the peak of Cloud City, the five elders were also in a commotion.
“Is that someone from your Yue family? Why haven’t I seen her before? And her appearance doesn’t resemble anyone from the Yue family either!”
“She’s in the ranks of the rogue cultivators. Why is that?”
“Does the Yue family have another plan? This method is somewhat unconventional.”
The two elders of the Chu and Wu families secretly mocked the Yue family. However, Yun Kuan harbored a guess in his heart. His eyelids twitched, but he didn’t say anything.
Luo Lingfeng said with an air of ease, “Are Yue family the only ones who can use these two divine abilities?” A smile played on her lips. Her gaze fell upon the direction where the disciples of Buzhou were located, a little distracted.
“It’s her!” Su Jinling of the Su family suddenly reacted. A solemn face unexpectedly appeared in her mind. Wasn’t it Yan Danwo who cultivated these two divine abilities and had a connection with the Northern Continent? After returning to Cloud City, she hadn’t taken any disciples, nor did she seem to have plans to establish another clan. But inside the Northern Continent, it was possible she had found a successor. “True Monarch Yan is…” Before she could finish, Su Jinling sighed with regret.
Yue Chengyuan, who had been keeping a stern face, finally reacted, his expression growing even more tense. He knew he was initially supposed to be taken under Yan Danwo’s wing, but he actually looked down on Yan Danwo, believing she had only reached that level through her marriage with his Master. Later, when Yan Danwo divorced his Master, he secretly rejoiced. If he had been under Yan Danwo’s tutelage back then, he wouldn’t have enjoyed the boundless benefits he had now, and perhaps even been expelled. However, this rejoicing disappeared after learning that Yan Danwo had achieved the Cavern Heaven realm. After all, his current Master, Yan Danwo’s former Dao companion, was still stuck at the Nascent Soul realm and could not find an opportunity to break through. His previous words secretly slandering Yan Danwo now felt like a resounding slap in his face. After taking a deep breath, Yue Chengyuan took a step forward, bowed to Luo Lingfeng, and said loudly, “True Monarch Luo, I am willing to go and seize that sword talisman!”
“Go ahead,” Luo Lingfeng replied lazily, “Your Master has lost enough face. It won’t hurt to lose this time as well.”
Yue Chengyuan: “…” He was even more angered!
Yun Kuan frowned and said, “Please, True Monarch, do not speak such disheartening words that boost the enemy’s morale.”
Luo Lingfeng was happy when others were unhappy.
She stood up, flicked her sleeve, and said unhurriedly, “It’s just the truth.” Saying this, she didn’t look at the expressions of the five Nascent Soul True Monarchs and transformed into a brilliant beam of light, darting into the night.