After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 66

The mountain peak stood majestically, shrouded in vast, misty clouds, like a scene from a painting.
Besides Dragon Lord and Wen Xianren, two other Cavern Heaven True Monarchs had also sent their avatars: Jiang Huangyu from Yunmeng Marsh and Tang Wentian from Guangyuan Marsh.
When Yan Danwo arrived, the four were already seated around a stone table, casually discussing matters of life and death in the mortal world. Yan Danwo didn’t believe they were there merely to admire the scenery. Her gaze darkened, and she raised her sleeve to perform a salute. “I did not know the True Monarchs were coming. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner.” Her words clearly established her position as the host.
Dragon Lord, Wen Xianren, and the others returned the salute. After a moment of silence, Dragon Lord smiled and said, “True Monarch Yan, have you heard about Buzhou, Corridor of Sins, and Shang Qing Divine Realm?”
Yan Danwo’s expression remained calm. “I have heard some things,” she replied softly.
Dragon Lord’s eyes flickered. “Seeing as you can still remain so calm, perhaps you have not yet touched upon the deeper truths.” He sighed and continued, “Buzhou used a divine artifact to seize the Daoist scripture within the secret realm, erasing the memories of disciples who entered. Fortunately, heaven has eyes, and one disciple managed to escape, revealing the truth.”
Yan Danwo questioned, “Then why did I hear that the sword duel was about the ownership of the Daoist scripture? If Buzhou Peak deliberately concealed it, how would you all know about the Daoist scripture?”
Wen Xianren snorted. “No one who entered the secret realm received any inheritance, not even basic Daoist techniques. How is that possible? Buzhou informed us because they knew they couldn’t hide it.” He knew his words might not convince Yan Danwo, so he paused for a moment before continuing, “In any case, Buzhou erasing disciples’ memories and concealing the information about the Divine Lord of Shang Qing Divine Realm is an undeniable fact!”
Yan Danwo flicked her sleeve, her tone indifferent. “If that Divine Lord is one of the five primordial demons from Corridor of Sins, then Buzhou’s actions are understandable.”
“Perhaps over the past few thousand years, we have misunderstood those five Divine Lords?” Jiang Huangyu spoke. He looked at Yan Danwo’s suddenly cold expression and then smiled gently. “Speaking of which, the demons we dealt with in Northern Continent were initially humans or demons. Corridor of Sins is a force composed of them; it’s not necessarily related to those five primordial demons.”
Yan Danwo heard them defending the primordial demons and noted their clear inclination towards the “Divine Lords of Shang Qing Divine Realm.” She let out a cold laugh. “I, Yan, only believe what I see with my own eyes!” As long as they were demons, regardless of their origin, not one would be spared! She impatiently listened to Dragon Lord, Wen Xianren, and the others discuss Shang Qing Divine Realm. After a moment of thought, she stated directly, “What is your purpose for coming here?”
Dragon Lord laughed heartily. “Demons are the great enemies of our Immortal Realm. Our Dustless Sea intends to join the fight and resist the demons together!”
Yan Danwo seriously scrutinized Dragon Lord. If they merely wished to join the fight against demons, why would they come in person to Northern Continent? She suspected they aimed to seize control of the entire Northern Continent border. Pretending to be unaware of Dragon Lord’s deeper intentions, she replied calmly, “If the cultivators of Dustless Sea wish to fight demons, they can come directly. No one will stop them.”
Dragon Lord said, “I know of your righteous heart, but Buzhou’s stance may not be the same.”
“True Monarchs of Buzhou takes it as their duty to slay demons and eliminate evil; they will not make things difficult for fellow cultivators,” Yan Danwo replied. After glancing at Dragon Lord, she continued in a chilling tone, “Unless, of course, you intend to seize control of the primary jurisdiction of the territory bordering Western Continent and Northern Continent!”
“Is it not possible to do so?” Dragon Lord countered with a smile. He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and the flowing clouds behind him shifted in myriad ways. Looking towards the Great Wall, in a vast expanse of wilderness, the border cities lay like slumbering dragons. “Once it is spread that Buzhou intends to seize the Daoist scripture and sever the path of cultivation for all disciples, they will undoubtedly become public enemies of the immortal sects. I believe Buzhou no longer qualifies as one of the Four Great Sects. Their degeneracy might lead them to commit evil deeds such as colluding with demons.”
Yan Danwo inquired, “What do you mean by ‘demons,’ True Monarch? If you speak of the five primordial demons, weren’t you just defending them earlier?”
Dragon Lord smiled faintly. “Naturally, I refer to the many demonically corrupted cultivators from Corridor of Sins. Once we eliminate unstable factors like Buzhou Peak, we can then contact those five Divine Lords and launch a pincer attack to eradicate Corridor of Sins, completing the great undertaking that our ancestors could not finish!”
Could merely saying they “misidentified the Divine Lords” absolve them of the past? If those individuals truly existed since the creation of heaven and earth, why had they remained silent for six thousand years? Dragon Lord’s explanation was full of flaws, and Yan Danwo refused to believe it. She no longer addressed Dragon Lord and turned to Wen Xianren. “True Monarch Wen, what brings you here as well?”
Wen Xianren smiled faintly. “I received news that my sister colluded with demons. I believe there must be some misunderstanding, so I came to investigate.”
“When my disciples arrived, they witnessed her and the demons killing our immortal sect cultivators together. They were caught red-handed. What misunderstanding could there be?” Yan Danwo’s expression suddenly turned cold. She detested human cultivators colluding with demons the most. She looked at Wen Xianren, her face expressionless. “Is Wen Danhua not Concubine Luo Hengjun?”
Wen Xianren was momentarily stunned by her cold words, his expression turning somewhat displeased. His eyes flickered before he said, “That disciple is named Luo Yuanshu. This is a private family matter.” Saying this, he glanced at Tang Wentian, who remained seated calmly.
“Yes, a private matter,” Tang Wentian drawled. “Although Wen Danhua is morally corrupt and lacks all sense of propriety and shame, she was imprisoned in Xiaohan Mountain for a long time. I doubt she had the opportunity to come into contact with or collude with demons.”
Yan Danwo feigned attentive listening. “Oh? So, what does True Monarch Wen intend to do?”
Wen Xianren replied, “I am willing to vouch for her. After bringing her back to Xiaohan Mountain, I will order her to remain confined for a hundred years, not allowed to leave.”
Yan Danwo did not believe that such matters would warrant their personal attention. She waited for a moment, but when Wen Xianren did not elaborate, she changed the topic again. “Is there anything else?”
Wen Xianren sighed. “My Luoshui Divine Palace also has disciples in Northern Continent, but for a long time, no one has gone to oversee them. They are without leadership, which is our dereliction of duty.”
Yan Danwo nodded and stated directly, “So, True Monarch Wen’s purpose is the same as Dragon Lord’s – you both wish to lead the cultivators of the Great Wall. However, you have come to the wrong place. If you wish to engage in internal strife, please return to the Three Continents. I am very sorry, but concerning the Northern Continent border, I cannot yield an inch.” Northern Continent border had only her Cavern Heaven True Monarch. She had long since joined forces with the Chongxu Sect, Beichen, and Taiqing Sect to operate in this area, gaining control of all major checkpoints. Such a situation could not be disrupted by Dragon Lord and Wen Xianren.
Wen Xianren said, “Our goals are the same as yours, True Monarch Yan. We all aim to resist demons.”
“If you aim to resist demons, why did we not see your actions sooner?” Yan Danwo’s words were quite blunt. She watched Dragon Lord and then let out a light scoff. “You place great trust and importance on the five primordial demons. Who knows if you might let them cross the border?”
“If that day ever comes, it will be for the good of Fu Li Immortal Realm,” Dragon Lord said, putting his hands behind his back, his demeanor radiating righteous indignation. “If you still have concerns, why not meet them?”
Yan Danwo’s expression sharpened, her gaze like an arrow.
Dragon Lord remained composed. “It’s not just the five Divine Lords in Northern Continent, but also guests from Shang Qing Divine Realm. Speaking of which, that person is considered our senior. The Great Wall was built to defend against the demons of Corridor of Sins. Once the demons disappear, the wall will have little reason to exist.”
One piece of news after another cascaded down like a surging tide. Yan Danwo’s eyes were cold as she watched Dragon Lord, who did not respond.
Suddenly, a clear, hearty laugh echoed through the clouds. A young scholar, adorned with a ceremonial cap and flowing robes, emerged from the mist. He spoke immediately, “Dustless Sea has neglected the lives of border cultivators for thousands of years, and now you arrive wanting to control the Great Wall. What do you make of my Cloud City?”
Dragon Lord looked at the scholar and smiled, cupping his hands in a greeting. “Ah, Daoist Yun. You misunderstand. I have no intention of seizing power. I merely wish to seize this opportunity to join all fellow cultivators in completing the great undertaking left unfinished by our ancestors, and do something beneficial for future generations.”
Yun Yong let out a cold snort. His gaze swept over Wen Xianren and the others. “It seems Dustless Sea and Luoshui Divine Palace are ready. If my Cloud City doesn’t keep pace, will that be a great sin? You can meet the Divine Lords, and you can meet the so-called guests from Shang Qing Divine Realm. But as for the Great Wall—” Yun Yong paused, then stated bluntly and arrogantly, “You gentlemen need not think about it. My Cloud City has managed this place very well, so your interference is unnecessary. As for the disciples of Buzhou, they have achieved many victories on the border. We cannot simply expel all those capable of fighting demons based on some possible future event, can we?”
Although he found Yan Danwo displeasing to the eye, she was at least a Cavern Heaven True Monarch of Cloud City, and her subordinates were affiliated forces of Cloud City. It was better to have her in charge than for everything to fall into the hands of outsiders. Yun Yong’s arrival immediately clarified his stance.
Dragon Lord gazed at Yun Yong, his vertical pupils flashing with a cold, dangerous light. After a long moment, he exhaled slowly and smiled. “Then let us first discuss the matter of those five Divine Lords.” At Youluo Mountain, Dustless Sea’s elites had already made their move. It was good for them, the Cavern Heaven True Monarchs, to restrain each other. Once Dustless Sea’s soldiers dealt with the cultivators of Youluo Mountain, and then leveraged them to contact old friends, the defenses of the Great Wall would largely collapse from within. With military pressure, everything would go as planned. At that point, their disagreement would be meaningless. As for the Cavern Heaven True Monarchs of Buzhou, they would have to rely on someone else to resolve them. Although confined by this world and unable to unleash the power of the Dao Fruit realm, there were still differences between Cavern Heaven True Monarchs. At worst, he still had a divine artifact in hand; brute force would suffice!
For a moment, the mountain peak fell silent, only the whistling mountain wind, like the roar of wild beasts, could be heard.
Everyone stood in silence, each with their own thoughts.
Thousands of miles away, the Dustless Sea surged with waves.
Dustless Sea was eerily silent. Not only were there no boats on the water, but not even a single bird flew in the air.
The sea breeze blew, and the waves crashed against the reefs, then retreated silently. Suddenly, the reefs in the sea shattered, and with a fluctuation of spiritual energy, a figure with white hair and red robes appeared on the sea. She walked on the waves as if on flat ground, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, like an immortal dancing on waves.
Two hundred miles from the coast, a semi-transparent barrier slowly materialized upon contact with the spiritual energy fluctuation. The white-haired female cultivator let out a soft “heh,” raised her hand, and pointed at the barrier. A beam of light, like a star, struck the barrier. After a moment of silence, with the star point as the center, cracks spread in all directions, like a spiderweb. As one beam of light vanished, a second one quickly followed. The barrier shattered with a “keng” sound, scattering into the sea like broken ice. The sea tide surged, and the powerful, surging spiritual energy rose wave after wave, shaking the Dragon Palace beneath the water in an instant.
In the Dustless Sea Dragon Palace, the guarding demon soldiers were stunned and dizzy. They immediately emerged from the water with their weapons, but before they could even glimpse the approaching figure, they were met with a barrage of zither blades. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and these soldiers immediately turned into piles of white bones, falling into the sea with a “dong.”
The zither music erupted, sweeping across Dustless Sea.
A few Nascent Soul demon cultivators were also alarmed. They managed to get a clear look at the approaching figure. But with a scream of agony, they were torn to shreds and their souls returned to the heavens before they could transmit any message.
In the calm Dustless Sea, stormy waves began to rise. The seawater seemed to be manipulated by some great power, surging towards the sky wave after wave, until all the water and tides floated in mid-air, like an inverted sea. Below, it was as if a clear path had been cleaved by swords, gradually revealing the radiant, crystal palace beneath the seabed.
Dragon Lord was not in Dustless Sea; the Dragon Palace lineage was presided over by Canal Lord. He had been in secluded cultivation in his own Cavern Heaven when he was suddenly disturbed by the fierce spiritual tide. He was forced to interrupt his practice and rushed outwards furiously. “Who dares to trespass into my Dustless Sea?!” he roared, his voice shaking the heavens.
A black flood dragon, a hundred feet long, rushed out of the sea and transformed into a towering cultivator in black robes, holding a shimmering halberd. His eyes were wide with fury, his gaze like lightning. But upon clearly seeing the white-haired female cultivator who was casually manipulating the seawater, he couldn’t help but be stunned. He said in a deep voice, “Is that you? Luo Lingfeng?” Why wasn’t this woman looking for Cloud Sovereign and instead came to Dustless Sea? Could she possibly be rekindling her old flame with Xiang Jun?
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes were deep and profound. She bowed to Dragon Lord. “Luo Lingfeng has come to pay respects to the fellow cultivators of Dustless Sea.”
“You are here in person, causing disturbances in the waters. I fear you have ill intentions!” Canal Lord sneered.
“I only wish to borrow something from Dustless Sea.” Luo Lingfeng’s gaze passed over Canal Lord, and she then feigned surprise. “Why isn’t Qilin Lord here?”
As soon as she finished speaking, a yellow-robed cultivator with disheveled hair and a dejected expression appeared beside Canal Lord. Behind him were the demon cultivators who were still practicing in Dustless Sea, arrayed in formation, staring at Luo Lingfeng with hostility. “What important matter does True Monarch Luo seek me for?” Qilin Lord asked listlessly.
Luo Lingfeng smiled. “I’ve come to borrow the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit.” Upon hearing this, Canal Lord’s expression changed drastically. The Qilin Life-Returning Fruit was a wondrous item nourished by the blood and flesh of the Qilin ancestors. It allowed the deceased to return to life and solidify their souls, making it an extremely rare treasure. There was only one left in all of Dustless Sea!
“Wishful thinking!” Canal Lord roared, placing his halberd horizontally in front of him, his eyes filled with killing intent. Dragon Lord’s plan had already begun, and they would eventually confront humanity. Luo Lingfeng’s solitary intrusion into Dustless Sea at this moment was a golden opportunity! Killing her would mean one less Cavern Heaven True Monarch for humanity. Canal Lord’s thoughts churned, his eyes flickering, killing intent erupting.
“I’ll give it to you,” Qilin Lord said, his words differing from Canal Lord’s. He drooped his eyelids as if he might fall asleep at any moment.
“Qilin Lord!” Canal Lord snapped, turning his head sharply in anger.
“Since Qilin Lord is so generous, why not give the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit to me?” A sweet laugh rang out, and a scorching flame rushed forward, dyeing the heavens and earth a bloody red. It was Phoenix Lord, who had been in seclusion at Phoenix Mountain, who had arrived.
Seeing another Cavern Heaven True Monarch joining their side, Canal Lord felt even more confident. He stared directly at Luo Lingfeng, his tone sinister. “You entered Dustless Sea without reason, shattered our great formation, and killed our cultivators. You must provide an explanation!”
“An explanation? What explanation?” Luo Lingfeng raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Although Qilin Lord is generous, unfortunately, your two companions disagree. Since that is the case, I can only—forcefully seize it!” Her words were filled with killing intent. She plucked a string of her zither, and a resounding zither note echoed out. The spiritual energy, which had been slowly calming down, suddenly fluctuated, like crashing waves against a shore, like waterfalls cascading down a cliff, pressing forward with an unstoppable momentum.
Canal Lord’s expression turned cold. He was still looking for an excuse to pick a fight and establish a righteous cause. He was conversing with humans as a human would, but the other party had no intention of acting like a human and had directly resorted to grabbing! He was instantly enraged and shouted, “True Monarch Luo, you haven’t been in the Cavern Heaven realm for long, have you? How dare you be so arrogant? Dustless Sea will be your burial place!” He urged his spiritual power, unleashing a tide that was several times faster than Luo Lingfeng’s, his halberd sweeping out.
Luo Lingfeng smiled calmly, her ten fingers flying across the zither. The inverted seawater suddenly crashed down, vast and boundless, surging forward menacingly.
Canal Lord snorted coldly. “Do you think only you have the ability to control water? We have been rulers of water for generations!” He formed a hand seal with his left hand, and the water tide beneath his feet exploded upwards. One plunged downwards, the other surged upwards, and with a thunderous explosion, water droplets splashed out like speeding sharp weapons. The demon soldiers and generals behind them, unable to dodge, had their heads pierced by the scattered water droplets and died on the spot!
Rumbling vibrations echoed endlessly. Canal Lord, holding his halberd, retreated several steps. He turned to the two observing figures and said, “Aren’t you going to make a move yet?! Take her down and complete Dragon Lord’s plan as soon as possible!” He wanted to fight alone, but he didn’t know how Luo Lingfeng cultivated; her spiritual energy was extremely powerful, and it was impossible to defeat her in a short time. He had no “virtue” of “one-on-one.” His goal was victory, regardless of what others said. He steadied himself, took out a Kui Dragon horn from his sleeve, and began to blow it. Instantly, the sound of the horn spread outwards in rings, reaching all the sea areas of Dustless Sea in an instant.
Canal Lord snorted coldly. “Since you’ve come, you’re not leaving.”
The smile on Luo Lingfeng’s lips remained unchanged. She held her zither, standing on the tidal waves, idly plucking the zither strings. Her Nascent Soul avatar had limitations, and her cultivation of the “Grand Pure Yuan Dao Abyssal True Water” could only reach the second realm of Abyssal Heavy Water. But her true body was different. The third level of this fundamental Dao technique was “Abyssal True Water,” where a single drop of water could transform into a vast sea. In this Dustless Sea, the billions of water droplets were all carriers of her fundamental Dao. While others were limited in the water, she was like a dragon or an abyss, freely and unrestrained! As she circulated her spiritual energy, the sound of rolling thunder came from all directions. The entire sea lost control, and the vast water tides surged up, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to shake. Those standing on the sea surface realized they were falling uncontrollably. But in reality, the water tides were continuously rising. In a few breaths, a more magnificent and spectacular scene of the inverted sea and sky appeared! Looking up at the boundless raging waves, even cultivators born as aquatic beings couldn’t help but feel their hearts pound and tremble!
In Dustless Sea, the sky was no longer visible, only a tide of water.
On the isolated islands in the sea, fierce waves crashed down, shattering the outer barrier in an instant. The demon cultivators who had been cultivating in the islands were startled by the Kui Dragon horn and were about to respond to the call from the Dragon Palace when they suddenly looked up and saw the inverted seawater, their faces filled with panic.
“What’s happening? The seawater is inverted?”
“Why is the Kui Dragon horn blowing?”
“The spiritual energy is like a tide. Even we Nascent Soul cultivators feel like lone boats in the water. What kind of power is this!”
The Kui Dragon horn was the signal of the Dragon Palace. Most of them, who were cultivating on the islands, had become retainers of Dustless Sea. Once Dustless Sea was in crisis, they were supposed to respond to the horn and go into battle. However, upon seeing the inverted seawater in the sky, many cultivating demon cultivators began to retreat. The inverted seawater filled them with dread. If it were to fall, how would they resist it?
“It must be Cavern Heaven True Monarchs fighting. If we go rashly, we will only be sending ourselves to our deaths.”
“How can we interfere in a battle between Cavern Heaven True Monarchs? But if we don’t go, it will be difficult to explain later when the Dragon Palace investigates.”
“Hmm? Why not go to Phoenix Mountain first?” a Daoist suggested. He was of the Feather tribe and had dealings with the cultivators of Phoenix Mountain.
“That’s right. Phoenix Lord of Phoenix Mountain is also a Cavern Heaven True Monarch. Perhaps her retainers know what’s going on.”
After hearing the suggestion, the Daoists nodded one after another and, avoiding the surging waves, turned into streaks of light, heading towards Phoenix Mountain.
At this moment, Canal Lord waited and waited, but only a few cultivators came to support him. “Useless things!” he cursed, but he couldn’t bother with them any longer. The vast ocean suspended above his head was beyond his ability to completely dispel. And even if he wanted to dispel it, the other party would not allow him to do so.
A sigh, filled with the weariness of old age, was heard. Qilin Lord shifted his steps, forming a hand seal. Amidst the fluctuations of spiritual energy, a patch of land silently emerged and began to grow upwards, like a mountain peak, pushing towards the sky to support the immense water tide.
Luo Lingfeng stopped playing her zither and sneered, “Are you trying to hold up the sky?”
Qilin Lord said slowly, “Take a step back, and the sea will be wide and the sky will be clear. Why must you be so persistent, True Monarch?”
Luo Lingfeng held up two fingers and gently shook them. “Two against two.” Before Canal Lord and Qilin Lord could respond, she smiled again. “Dragon Lord has taken the divine artifact and the elite demon forces to Northern Continent. If I don’t destroy your Dustless Sea now and seize the spiritual veins in the sea, when else will I wait?”
“What?” Canal Lord was stunned, then reacted. He swung his halberd towards the nearby Phoenix Lord, colliding with the erupting flames. Looking at Phoenix Lord, who was cloaked in flame-like wings, he roared in anger, his voice like thunder, “It’s you?!”
The cultivators of Phoenix Mountain had already merged into the formation of demon cultivators. At this moment, they were like flickering sparks, yet enough to ignite the entire army formation. Phoenix Lord brushed back her hair and smiled. “Yes.”