After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 67

The betrayal by the Phoenix Lord had little impact on the Qilin Lord and Canal Lord themselves. However, the cultivators from Phoenix Mountain had infiltrated the Dragon Palace’s battle formation, instantly shattering their momentum. The Canal Lord’s rage was uncontainable; more than anyone else, he detested the betrayal of the Phoenix Lord, a fellow demon. “Do you truly intend to betray the Dragon Palace? Why?” he questioned loudly.
The Phoenix Lord extended her hand, summoning a feather fan. She gave it a gentle wave, addressing the furious Canal Lord, “For six thousand years, my Phoenix Mountain lineage has never submitted to the Dragon Palace. How can you speak of betrayal?” Her ancestor had also been a Cavern Heaven cultivator, who practiced in seclusion on Phoenix Mountain. Before departing, he left behind a box and a dying phoenix flame, stating that when the phoenix flame reignited, the person her lineage was to serve would appear. Though she didn’t know why her ancestor spoke these words, each successive Phoenix Lord had obeyed this command. For millennia, there was no way to open the box, and the phoenix flame remained only as cold ash. She had once thought she would never wait for that person, but thirty years ago, the phoenix flame suddenly blazed to life. It took considerable effort for her to find the one from Cloud City.
“Is there not even a shred of fellowship between fellow cultivators?” the Qilin Lord gazed deeply at the Phoenix Lord, his eye sockets sunken, his aged face filled with unspeakable sorrow.
“No,” the Phoenix Lord shook her head, her words devoid of emotion. She disregarded the ongoing battle behind her, flipped her feather fan, and unleashed scorching winds and fire, pressing down upon the Qilin Lord.
“Despicable!” the Canal Lord’s hatred reached its peak. He channeled his spiritual energy, his halberd striking out like a roaring dragon.
Luo Lingfeng’s lips curved into a chilling smile. The Northern Continent was not at peace. In Youluo Mountain, the truth of the Shang Qing Divine Realm had surfaced, and various factions were locked in battle. Further afield, cultivators from various Cavern Heavens were all heading to the Northern Continent, leaving the rest with no interest in other affairs, their minds focused northward. There was no better opportunity to strike at the Dustless Sea. While the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit was one reason for her actions, her primary motivation was the spiritual vein within the sea that nurtured the demon race’s cultivators. She idly strummed her zither; the sudden surge of melody clashed with the halberd, the explosions like rolling thunder. As the precious light on the halberd shattered inch by inch, Luo Lingfeng flicked her sleeve, revealing the Universal True Form Map.
The Canal Lord’s assault was repelled once more. His expression grew solemn; he no longer dared to underestimate Luo Lingfeng, a junior. The vast ocean tide, previously supported by the Qilin Lord’s sorcery, had not yet fallen. But with the Phoenix Lord’s betrayal, the Qilin Lord was no longer able to sustain the deluge of water. The towering earthen pillars, as grand as majestic peaks, collapsed with a roar, kicking up clouds of dust. The vast and surging Abyssal True Water quickly overturned. For a time, mournful cries filled the air.
Seeing this, the Canal Lord unleashed all his magical artifacts in one breath, then channeled his spiritual energy to its fullest, unfolding his Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation to transform into a hundred-zhang-long black flood dragon, ferocious and menacing. The flood dragon roared and immediately charged towards Luo Lingfeng. Under the crushing pressure of the Abyssal True Water, cracks appeared on his scales, instantly tearing open bloody, mangled wounds. However, being of a strong physical build, with a surge of spiritual energy, the wounds healed. This Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation charged forward, but halfway there, a sword energy as piercing as frigid water appeared, blocking its path!
Seeing the Canal Lord manifest his Cavern Heaven form, Luo Lingfeng struck her zither. Clear light surged, and the zither sword suddenly appeared. With a sweep forward, it created an insurmountable river of stars! Following that, the sword light, like an inexhaustible water tide, grew with the impetus of the spiritual energy, almost filling the entire sea domain.
The Canal Lord’s heart pounded an alarm. He hastily retracted his momentum, but the surging waves behind him, rolling and churning, crashed upon his body with even greater force, shattering his black scales into pieces. Though he was of the water tribe, on his own turf, he had completely lost his advantage. The entire sea domain was now at Luo Lingfeng’s command. To what extent had she cultivated? Had she already infinitely approached the Dao Fruit realm? The Canal Lord’s mind wavered. In his distraction, the relentless sword energy surged forward. The waves below churned and struck his body again. The Canal Lord felt his body becoming heavy. He roared and swept his long tail, carrying the force to shatter mountains and split rocks, smashing it against the sword light. But the result was a scream! A section of his tail was cleanly severed by Luo Lingfeng’s sword! Blood and flesh splattered, dyeing the sea domain a blood-red color. However, after a few large waves subsided, the seawater turned clear, leaving only a faint, rich scent of blood in the wind.
The flood dragon roared, blood tears streaming from its ferocious eyes. Unable to maintain its Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation, the Canal Lord reverted to his human form, stumbling and propping himself up with his halberd. His black robes were covered in bloodstains, and the scales attached to his body remained, half-raised and bleeding profusely, presenting a rather pathetic sight. He let out a great roar, swinging his halberd, carrying rolling dust with the might to shift mountains and divert seas, surging forward.
Though they shared the same Cavern Heaven cultivation, when it came to accomplishments, only that old dragon was truly troublesome. If he had guarded the Dragon Palace with a Dao artifact, Luo Lingfeng would not have thought of attacking the Dustless Sea. But now, with that old dragon absent, a mere flood dragon was naturally not worth worrying about. The battle at sea was grand, and even if the spiritual energy was shielded, it would eventually be discovered over time. Luo Lingfeng had no intention of continuing the duel with the Canal Lord. Her eyes darkened, and a brilliant sword light erupted from the void. The sword energy, coupled with the radiance, surged like a passing flood, and everything in front of it vanished like smoke and dust.
The Canal Lord was once again sent flying by a formidable power. He looked coldly at Luo Lingfeng, who strode across the water tide, and said sinisterly, “If you kill me today, you will have made an eternal enemy of the Dustless Sea. When chaos erupts in the Immortal Realm, the demons of the Northern Continent will also seize the opportunity to invade!”
Luo Lingfeng sighed, smiling playfully, “Chaos in the Immortal Realm… what does that have to do with me? Besides, haven’t your Dustless Sea and the demons of the Northern Continent already colluded? I am simply eliminating a great enemy for the Immortal Realm in advance. They will thank me!” As the last word fell, her killing intent surged even more intensely. The water tides in the heavens and earth churned. After a sword light struck, countless water tides attached themselves to the sword glow, suddenly transforming into new sword energies. The sword was like water, and the water was like a sword. Each strike was like the heavy water of the Deep Abyss crashing down. The protective light on the Canal Lord’s body was quickly eroded, and the scattered vital energy was swallowed by the waves, never to return. Cavern Heaven cultivators did not die easily, especially those of the demon race with their powerful physiques. But if he survived one sword, what about the second, the third? The inexhaustible sword energy surged with the water tide, passing through the Canal Lord. He still had the power to counter at first, but he couldn’t escape the sword light. He became increasingly strained, until he was left with no choice but to withstand the sword intent.
In Youluo Mountain.
Gales whipped up, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, forming a dense, impenetrable net. Lightning crashed down from time to time.
The five elders of Cloud City joined forces to deal with Wei Yunshu. They speculated that Wei Yunshu had suffered severe injuries and was in a weakened state, aiming to capture her in one fell swoop and seize the Taiyi Sword. But as soon as they made their move, Chi Fengchao voluntarily stood by Wei Yunshu’s side. Even if Chi Fengchao tied down Yue Chengyuan, they still had four people from Cloud City!
Yun Kuan smiled at Wei Yunshu, saying unhurriedly, “How long can you sustain such reckless use of spiritual energy?”
Su Jinling opened her mouth, her sharp words like thorns piercing Wei Yunshu’s heart. “Are you perhaps hoping that True Monarch Luo will take pity on your past relationship and offer assistance? But in the play three years ago, she was one of the culprits!”
Wei Yunshu seemed not to hear their mockery, frowning as she spoke, “Do you all believe the words of Xiang Jun and the others? Those Dao scriptures are flawed and cannot be cultivated. The five primordial demons in the Corridor of Sins do have a connection to the Shang Qing Divine Realm, but not in the way you imagine. The reputation of Cloud City for thousands of years should not be ruined by a momentary thought.”
Yun Kuan narrowed his eyes, “This matter is not for us to decide.” Whether Xiang Jun’s words were true or false, their primary purpose for coming was to eliminate this unstable factor. Having taken that step back then, they should have completed it cleanly, leaving no room for maneuver!
Wei Yunshu sighed, “Are you not going to stop?”
Yun Kuan smiled, “If you were to willingly lay down your life, our Cloud City would withdraw from this chaotic battle and maintain neutrality at least until things are clarified.” He paused, then added, “You have a great sense of righteousness and were willing to face death back then. Why not do so again now?”
Wei Yunshu’s eyes turned cold. She replied, “Fine.” Before Yun Kuan’s startled expression could subside, she added, “Goodbye.” She recalled her promise to her master in the past to make Cloud City flourish and uphold the prestige of her ancestors. Yet, under her leadership, brothers turned on each other, and fellow disciples slaughtered one another. The heavens never favored her; everything she cherished left her, everything she hoped for shattered. In the end, she had gone against her wishes and promises. What was right? What was wrong? Was it destined that her life would only be filled with disappointment?
The Taiyi Sword vibrated with light, and sharp sword energy emerged like a rainbow. Behind Wei Yunshu, brilliant starlight flickered. Countless points of light converged into a mass, like billions of red suns fused together, emitting a heat that could incinerate the world! Under the illumination of that bright light, Wei Yunshu appeared insignificant, as if she could be swallowed by that mass of red light at any moment.
Yun Kuan and Su Jinling approached Wei Yunshu, holding their magical artifacts. But at that instant, a chill ran down their spines, and an unspeakable dread arose. They glanced fearfully at the vibrating spiritual energy, their escape light faltering, and fled in the opposite direction! “Fallen Three Lights” was a top-tier divine ability from the “Grand Supreme Three Lights Jade Scroll,” condensing the power of the sun, moon, and stars into a single point, then unleashing it with immense force! With their cultivation, they were utterly unable to resist! But since Wei Yunshu harbored killing intent, she would not let them escape. She completely ignored Yun Kuan’s final attacks. With a gesture of her left hand, she used another “Heavenly Cycle Restriction,” causing the three lights to stagnate, and time to cease its flow! This forbidden art involved the mysteries of time and could only be maintained for a single breath. Yet, that brief breath caused Yun Kuan and Su Jinling to lose their chance to escape.
Helpless, the two could only push their spiritual energy to the extreme, with a faint hope of blocking that blinding sword light. Yun Kuan used a “Cloud Heaven Enclosing Qi” divine ability, generating countless misty clouds around him, shrouding him within. This divine ability could absorb external forces, but it had its limits. Once that limit was exceeded, the “Cloud Heaven” would scatter, leading to the caster’s death. Su Jinling, on the other hand, struck her waist, releasing a golden bell artifact that chimed, attempting to disrupt Wei Yunshu’s divine consciousness.
However, Wei Yunshu’s cultivation was limited by this physical body, but her divine consciousness remained at the Cavern Heaven realm, completely unaffected by the illusory sounds. A hint of sadness and resolution flickered in her eyes, but her offensive posture did not waver in the slightest. The terrifying red light surged like waves, and with a tearing sound, it engulfed the opponents in front of her, drawing them into the void, leaving no trace.
Wei Yunshu slowly turned to face the remaining two. Because they valued their lives, Chu Bian and Wu Gou’s attacks were not full-hearted; their minds were focused on defense and escape. Witnessing the fate of Yun Kuan and Su Jinling, the two changed color dramatically, filled with fear.
“I believe I have done nothing to wrong any of you,” Wei Yunshu spoke slowly. “Of the vast Cloud City, I have only failed in my profound debt to my master.”
Chu Bian looked up, his face filled with panic as he stared at Wei Yunshu’s indifferent expression. The warmth and kindness had vanished, and for a moment, her figure seemed to merge with that of Luo Lingfeng, who had massacred the Cavern Heaven and Nascent Soul cultivators of Cloud City that day. Chu Bian, never a person of great courage, began to fear. He stammered, “That matter was initiated by the Yun family and the Su family. And, yes, Luo Lingfeng… all the noble families of Cloud City were involved. How could my Chu family refuse?” In Cloud City, the smaller families desperately tried to catch up to the larger ones, imitating their ways and attempting to blend in. As for the noble families? To maintain their lineage, they would not allow themselves to become outcasts.
Wei Yunshu nodded faintly, “I understand.”
Hearing this, Chu Bian’s face lit up with joy, thinking Wei Yunshu was willing to spare them. After all, in his memory, Cloud Sovereign was a benevolent, gentle, and compassionate person. But as a smile began to form on his lips, a scream echoed in his ears.
“Be careful!”
Chu Bian looked up, and in his final moments, he saw that blinding, eye-searing sword light.
Wei Yunshu showed no mercy with her sword. After successively killing three people from Cloud City, she turned her attention to Wu Gou. Those who came to Youluo Mountain were disciples from noble families. Apart from these elders, there were also Golden Core stage stewards and young prodigies, but their stances inevitably led to their deaths.
The killing tribulation had begun; there was no turning back.
On the other side, Chi Fengchao had also slain Yue Chengyuan. It was as if she had resolved a matter from her heart, and a hint of a smile appeared on her expressionless face. Looking at Wei Yunshu, whose collar was stained with blood, she said softly, “Are you alright, fellow Daoist?”
“I’m fine,” Wei Yunshu replied gently, putting away her sorrow. She urged her sword light forward to assist Xie Zhichao. After continuous battles day and night, bodies lay in heaps, and blood flowed like a river. Everyone was exhausted. If they couldn’t break out of the mountain, they would have to bury their lives here.
“This small Youluo Mountain reflects the state of all living beings. News cannot be hidden. In time, Buzhou Peak will have to walk a solitary path,” Xie Zhichao sighed profoundly. She reached for the wine gourd at her waist and found it empty. Shaking it a few times and wiping the blood from her face, she laughed heartily, “I still have to live to buy more wine!”
Wei Yunshu said, “With the Dustless Sea making such a display, it’s likely all their elites have been deployed. If so, Buzhou has three options: first, the cultivators stationed at Buzhou Peak come to their aid; second, Cavern Heaven True Monarchs arrive here; or third, cultivators from the Corridor of Sins in the Northern Continent come to assist. Among these choices, the first is the slowest. Even with extremely fast sword evasion, traveling tens of thousands of miles to reach this place would consume considerable spiritual energy, like tired soldiers. The third would disrupt border defenses, making it unlikely Buzhou would make such a choice. As for the second – are there no Cavern Heavens from other sects to intercept them?” Calming herself, she added, “Do you know what your senior sister’s plan is?”
Xie Zhichao shook her head. “I don’t know.” She patted Wei Yunshu’s shoulder and said optimistically, “When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way. Don’t worry so much, just fight and kill!” With that, she let out a long cry, raising her saber to face the demon cultivators blocking their path. The rustling saber light left chilling traces of qi in the air. Coupled with the corrosive gale that eroded flesh and blood, it instantly destroyed several lives.
Wei Yunshu formed a hand seal, and infinite lightning rained down. Blood oozed from the corners of her lips, and her snow-white magical robe was instantly stained red with the seepage. During the previous battles, this puppet body had shown signs of cracking. Now, enduring even more powerful spiritual energy, it could no longer be sustained. It seemed that after this ordeal, the puppet body would have to be abandoned. Wei Yunshu sighed in exasperation and no longer paid attention to the abnormalities of her body. Before it collapsed, she still had to continue fighting!
On a nearby peak, Xiang Jun had withdrawn from the fray. Originally, he had accompanied Long Xueyun, Chao Ya, and Qu Heng, but now only the disheveled Chao Ya remained.
“General Yu sent word that apart from a few Buzhou disciples, no one else has approached the outer perimeter,” Chao Ya said grimly.
“Doesn’t Buzhou Peak have many disciples guarding the Northern Continent? Haven’t they already released the news? Will they just stand by and watch their fellow disciples being surrounded and killed?” Xiang Jun raised his eyebrows in surprise. Buzhou disciples were known for their deep loyalty and righteousness among the Four Sects. To avenge their fellow disciples, they would chase enemies to the ends of the earth, showing extreme protectiveness. The people in Youluo Mountain were merely bait at best, and they had only caught small fish. Xiang Jun was immediately displeased.
Chao Ya said slowly, “It’s likely they received orders from Buzhou.” Currently, in Youluo Mountain, besides the demon army surrounding the exit, there were hundreds of rogue cultivators who leaned towards their side. It was only a matter of time before the “rebels” inside were all killed. However, Chao Ya was also dissatisfied with such results. He frowned in thought, and suddenly his mind trembled, and a fragmented scene flashed before his eyes. His body suddenly stiffened, and immense fear engulfed him. The color drained from his face instantly.
Xiang Jun sensed Chao Ya’s abnormality and moved, instantly creating a distance of severalzhang between them. He looked at Chao Ya suspiciously, knit his brows, and asked, “What is it?”
Chao Ya clenched his fists, his eyes instantly turning crimson. He drooped his head and trembled, saying, “Canal Lord and my master, they… they’re dead!”
“What?” Xiang Jun’s face turned ashen, and he shouted, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Chao Ya trembled violently, tears welling in his eyes as he said in pain, “It’s not nonsense; it’s what I just saw.” Seeing Xiang Jun still disbelieving, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “My clan has a divine ability called ‘One Heart Resonance,’ a secret art for communication between bloodlines. What I just saw was something my master reflected back to me. The Phoenix Lord betrayed our Dustless Sea! Along with Luo Lingfeng, she killed our demon cultivators! She severed our Dustless Sea Cavern Heavens!”
This news struck like thunder. Xiang Jun’s face lost all color, and he looked incredulous, murmuring, “This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could they possibly break through our Dustless Sea?”
“How is it impossible?” Chao Ya’s face was filled with hatred. “Our Dustless Sea elites were all deployed. The one on Phoenix Mountain was perfectly aware of this. Taking advantage of our Dustless Sea’s emptiness, they launched a sneak attack and succeeded! No, we must return to the Dustless Sea!” Most of his wealth, and disciples were in the sea domain! Losing the Dustless Sea would be equivalent to losing an arm.
“But if we abandon Youluo Mountain here, won’t the Buzhou disciples escape? And the matter of taking over the thousand-mile Great Wall of the Northern Continent hasn’t been accomplished yet,” Xiang Jun’s expression was hesitant. He had previously done something wrong and lost face with his father. If he couldn’t handle this task well now, the position of young master of the Dragon Palace would likely be irrelevant to him.
“Didn’t the Dragon Lord also come in person? And he brought a Dao artifact. We are actually in no danger of a great crisis!” Chao Ya gritted his teeth and glared at Xiang Jun. “We captured the thousand-mile Great Wall, but we can’t return to the sea. Losing the Cavern Heaven blessed lands irrigated by the spiritual vein – can the benefits we gain from the Great Wall compensate for this? Do you think the Dragon Lord will abandon the Dustless Sea he has managed for thousands of years?” His blood-red eyes swept downwards, and he added, “Currently, there are still rogue cultivators supporting us. There’s no need to worry.”
Xiang Jun calmly said, “If those two True Monarchs are both dead, and we rush back with the army, won’t that be sending ourselves to our deaths?”
Chao Ya said coldly, “It’s not about winning with numbers, they are probably all heavily injured. The Dustless Sea is vast. Even if we only reclaim a part of the sea domain, when the Dragon Lord returns, he can naturally reclaim them. But if the entire Dustless Sea falls into the opponent’s hands, and they establish a complete and flawless grand formation, it will be difficult to retrieve. I don’t believe they want to kill all the Dustless Sea demon cultivators. At worst, we can have the cultivators feign surrender.” Having said this, Chao Ya had no more time to argue with Xiang Jun. He said indifferently, “If you are unwilling, so be it. I am going to lead my own elites back for reinforcement!”
“Those Cloud City people are truly despicable!” Chao Ya spat viciously, transforming into a dark streak of light and shooting out. As he passed by the Cloud City disciples, his momentum did not decrease. He even increased his spiritual energy, like a mountain crashing down, instantly smashing the disciple’s skull and causing him to die on the spot! Chao Ya blew his horn, and the disciples belonging to the Qilin lineage instantly separated from the formation.
Chao Ya acted thus, and Xiang Jun hesitated for a while before he could no longer restrain himself.
If the Dustless Sea were to fall… he dared not even think about it!
“Why did the demon cultivators of the Dustless Sea retreat?” Xie Zhichao noticed the pressure had suddenly eased, she sheathed her saber and stood in the sky, panting heavily. “Could it be just a formation change? A trap?”
Wei Yunshu shook her head. “I don’t know.”
On the other side, Ran Xiuyun, Ning Yan, and others had also broken through the demon cultivators’ army and entered Youluo Mountain. With a sweep of their dazzling sword light, they moved towards Wei Yunshu and the others. Sighing with relief, she adjusted her earrings and whispered, “If nothing unexpected happens, something has indeed happened to the Dustless Sea.”