After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 68

Though the various sects’ blessed lands had discussed the matter of the Daoist scriptures, and the elders of the Four Sects were actively preparing for the sword contest at Youluo Mountain, even going so far as to refine True Artifacts, at the start of the contest, Senior Disciple Shi Wufang had declared that it was highly likely the contest would yield no results, or worse, become “the beginning of chaos.” Now, it seemed her prediction had come true. As for the incident at Dustless Sea, that was her own speculation; after all, Dustless Sea’s elites had all departed, leaving the entire sea region unusually empty. If someone with ill intentions stirred up trouble, they would surely seize this opportunity.
Xie Zhichao knitted her brows, “Even if we arrest all the remaining rogue cultivators, the Shang Qing Divine Realm and the matter of those five Primordial demons can’t be hidden anymore.”
Ran Xiuyun sighed lightly, “Such matters can’t be kept secret for long. We originally thought we could delay it day by day, but now—alas!”
Xie Zhichao was still not giving up, “Can Senior True Nature not give them another sword strike?”
“That is a Dao Artifact, how can it be used so easily?” Ran Xiuyun glanced at Xie Zhichao with a hint of amusement, “The previous actions were to gain the initiative. Now that nothing can be changed, they won’t waste any more spiritual energy. Moreover, our Sect Leader—she has successfully emerged from seclusion!”
Xie Zhichao’s eyes flickered. She said “Good,” then, carrying her Spring and Autumn Saber, she fixed her gaze on the group of demon cultivators who had not yet retreated. “Their formation is in disarray; this is the perfect time to attack.” Hearing Ran Xiuyun’s affirmative hum, Xie Zhichao’s spiritual energy surged, and she transformed into a beam of light, slicing into the demon formation!
On the mountain peak not far from the Great Wall.
Dragon Lord, Wen Xianren, Yan Danwo, and Yun Yong were discussing the “Shang Qing Divine Realm” and the “Visitors from the Upper Realm.” Regarding their own interests, none were willing to concede. Suddenly, a rumbling thunderclap echoed. High in the sky, two enormous spiritual energy vortexes appeared, erupting with immensely powerful forces that swept in all directions, like countless stars falling simultaneously, shining brilliantly like a flowing silver river. It was a sign of a Cavern Heaven collapsing! In an instant, everyone’s expressions changed drastically.
“Another peer has fallen. Could someone be forcibly breaking through to the Dao Fruit realm?” Wen Xianren asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.
“That wouldn’t cause two Cavern Heaven cultivators to perish simultaneously, and that direction—” Yun Yong’s voice trailed off. He glanced at the Dragon Lord, whose face was filled with horror, and slowly said, “It seems to be the direction of Dustless Sea!”
The Dragon Lord’s eyelids twitched violently. A sense of foreboding surged from the depths of his heart, and he could barely resist the urge to rush back to Dustless Sea. However, remembering his ultimate goal, he managed to calm himself. He forced a strained smile and said, “My three fellow Daoists from Dustless Sea are not yet at the stage of attempting to break through to the Dao Fruit realm; they wouldn’t be so reckless.” As soon as he finished speaking, a flying letter arrived from the clouds, written in Xiang Jun’s blood! The Dragon Lord pretended to remain calm as he read it. Upon seeing the words, he was immediately filled with shock and fury. His resentful gaze then stabbed towards Yun Yong like a sharp sword! How dare Cloud City do such a thing? And that slut Phoenix Lord, she actually betrayed the demon race!
Yun Yong asked feigning ignorance, “Fellow Daoist, did something happen?”
The Dragon Lord coldly snorted and said hatefully, “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Your Cloud City has such a good plan!”
Yun Yong revealed a look of surprise. He asked, “What do you mean, Fellow Daoist?”
The Dragon Lord raised the blood-written letter and tossed it into Yun Yong’s hand. A high-pitched dragon roar sounded. Behind him, his Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation appeared. With his right hand, he reached forward and grasped a chillingly cold long saber! This saber was no ordinary weapon; a phantom of a true dragon coiled around its blade, its eyes open, exuding a fierce, malevolent aura!
Yun Yong had not yet recovered from the shock of Luo Lingfeng going alone to Dustless Sea to kill Cavern Heaven cultivators, and he was further stunned by the saber in the Dragon Lord’s hand. His face drastically changed, “A Dao Artifact?!”
The Dragon Lord’s gaze locked onto Yun Yong and Yan Danwo. The jade-carved beauty of his face was now marred by ferocity, looking somewhat monstrous. Before his ascension, the Dustless Sea Ancestor had left his physical body in the Dragon Palace. Most of his remains were refined into the Dao Artifact, “Royal Bone,” and scattered True Artifacts, while the dragon blood was used by his descendants to nourish their bodies, in the hope of transforming into true dragons like their ancestor. Dao Artifacts from various sects were rarely used. However, now that the Dragon Lord had brought the Guardian Dao Artifact to the Great Wall, everyone had to ponder its implications.
“Fellow Daoist, why the need for weapons?” Wen Xianren’s expression was tense. He did not know the contents of the blood letter and was earnestly trying to persuade the Dragon Lord.
“The people of Cloud City killed our Dustless Sea cultivators; this debt must be repaid!” the Dragon Lord said resentfully. Besides this, the two from Cloud City were unwilling to yield control of the Great Wall, and he was already impatient. It was better to act now and kill these two as well, to avoid future trouble. Once he contacted ‘them’, he could borrow more than one Cavern Heaven’s power. Then, why worry about not reclaiming Dustless Sea? The Dragon Lord’s thoughts turned, and he made up his mind.
The vortex of spiritual tide formed by the collapsing Cavern Heavens in the sky was not only seen by those present.
At Buzhou, True Monarch Yuan Ying sat below the honored seat and bowed to the first seat, a hazy figure formed by the condensed brilliance of stars.
“Master, someone has killed two demon Cavern Heaven cultivators from Dustless Sea. The demon elites are mostly deployed outside Youluo Mountain. Upon receiving the news, they will return to Dustless Sea for reinforcement. Wufang has already led her disciples to prepare an ambush. The Dustless Sea demon cultivators have wicked intentions; today, we must intercept their elites here!” True Monarch Yuan Ying’s expression was solemn and serious. Since the decision was made for the sword contest at Youluo Mountain, Buzhou had been keeping an eye on the movements of the demon cultivators. After all, their actions within the secret realm were particularly suspicious. Afterward, Dustless Sea only asked one question and did not pursue the matter further, their attitude being very strange. After a pause, True Monarch Yuan Ying added, “Junior Disciple Yuan Fu has already gone to that place in the Northern Continent. I don’t know how he is; there has been no news from him.”
“There is no need to worry,” the projected image on the wall stated, its voice clear and cold like water from a frozen stream. “Once in this region, if one does not wish to be expelled by heaven and earth, they can only suppress their cultivation to the Cavern Heaven realm. Yuan Fu’s sword escape technique has reached perfection; even if he is not an opponent, he still has the means to escape.”
True Monarch Yuan Ying was startled. She repeatedly pondered her master’s words, and after a long while, she looked up at the hazy figure and murmured, “Master means that there are outsiders in our Fu Li Immortal Realm?”
The projected image slowly replied, “Precisely. This tribulation cannot be delayed or avoided. Let us disregard the Great Wall for now and recall all remaining disciples undergoing trials. People’s hearts cannot be trusted; even if they know those Daoist scriptures may have problems, many will still view Buzhou as a great enemy.”
True Monarch Yuan Ying responded with a serious “Yes.”
Cloud City.
The Cavern Heaven cultivators who were originally cultivating in their cave dwellings were alarmed by the vortex of spiritual tide. They hastily sent a projected image to the main hall for discussions. The first seat remained empty. As for the Yun family’s seating, since Yun Yong had departed for the Northern Continent, it was now also a vacant space. Only the three Cavern Heaven True Monarchs from the Su and Yue families were present.
“The direction suggests Dustless Sea. I wonder what has happened.” The two Cavern Heaven cultivators from the Su family were twin brothers, born of the same mother. One closed his eyes, appearing to be in meditation, while the other spoke with great interest, “It couldn’t be that those dragons died breaking through, could it?”
“Two more fellow Daoists have perished.” Yue Qingtan sighed lightly, a hint of melancholy appearing on his brows. Cavern Heaven cultivators were considered the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm. Yet, in the past two hundred years, starting from the previous Cloud Sovereign, several fellow Daoists had died. Not seeing the path forward, how could he not be filled with worry and sadness?
“That is simply because they lacked ability. Whether they died breaking through or were killed by someone, it was their own doing!” Su Lancheng said with a cold smile.
Yue Qingtan pondered for a moment and then said, “I believe that among the Daoists from Dustless Sea, apart from Dragon Lord who has hope of breaking through to the Dao Fruit realm, the other three have not cultivated to that level. With nothing happening recently, they wouldn’t break through without reason.”
Su Lanyin, who had been closing his eyes as if uninvolved, suddenly opened them. His gaze was intensely fixed on Yue Qingtan. He spoke in a hoarse voice, “If they were killed, then… who did it?” Wen Xianren of Luoshui Divine Palace was personally involved, and Tang Wentian and Jiang Huangyu also sent their projections to the Northern Continent. For a time, everyone’s attention was focused on the Northern Continent, and they did not notice the commotion at Dustless Sea. Among the Four Sects, Luoshui Divine Palace currently lacked the strength. If Buzhou acted, there would undoubtedly be an unshieldable brilliant sword light filling the heavens and earth. And all the Cavern Heaven True Monarchs of Cloud City were here. No! There was still one person! As they began to think, a name simultaneously leaped into the minds of the three—Luo Lingfeng!
In the past hundred years, she had slain the most Cavern Heaven cultivators!
A projection could not do anything to a Cavern Heaven cultivator. Could it be that her main body had acted? The Dao Artifact in Cloud City, had she taken them? The gazes of the three met, and each saw a trace of audacity and temptation in the other’s eyes. While they feared Luo Lingfeng’s cultivation, they also feared the Dao Artifact. Having been useless for three years against their will, now that an opportunity to break the stalemate appeared, how could they not seize it?
“I will go and see.” Yue Qingtan ultimately could not suppress his restless urge. Before Su Lanyin and Su Lancheng brothers could respond, the projected image in the hall dispersed on its own. In less than fifteen minutes, a wisp of smoke rose from the Yue family’s seating. The divided light and shadow reappeared. Yue Qingtan’s expression was excited, and the joy in his tone could not be hidden! “‘Heaven and Earth United in Chaos’ is still in Cloud City. She left alone!”
“This…” Su Lanyin hesitated for a moment, uncertain, “Could this be a trap?”
Yue Qingtan said with great enthusiasm, “She killed two Cavern Heaven cultivators by herself. Even if she isn’t heavily injured, her spiritual energy has likely been greatly depleted. She is at the end of her rope. At such a moment, what good is her supreme cultivation?”
Su Lanyin frowned, “But given her treacherous and ruthless nature, she would never leave a Dao Artifact in Cloud City.”
Su Lancheng guessed, “Perhaps she thought our attention was on the Northern Continent?”
Yue Qingtan also said, “Or perhaps she hasn’t fully refined ‘Heaven and Earth United in Chaos’ and cannot take it out. Although she has mastered the key principles, she is not a disciple of Cloud City, after all, and lacks the corresponding cultivation methods.” Seeing the Su brothers showing interest, he continued, “We only need two of us to go. If she is in good condition, we can consider escorting her. If not, then—” A fierce look appeared on Yue Qingtan’s face, his eyes venomous and cruel! He did not continue speaking.
After the Cloud Sovereign died a hundred years ago, their authority was supposed to fall into the hands of the noble families. Who knew that Luo Lingfeng, whom they had always disregarded, would outmaneuver them? Everyone thought she was only at the Nascent Soul realm, but who knew she had already stepped into the Cavern Heaven realm? The Cavern Heaven and Nascent Soul cultivators of the various families fought against the Cloud Sovereign. Wounded by the Taiyi Sword, and caught off guard, they fell into Luo Lingfeng’s trap, creating a terrifying scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Although a peace was eventually reached, and a Dao oath was sworn, this grudge was deeply ingrained and had to be avenged.
Initially, they saw that Luo Lingfeng liked to move around using her projections, and they planned to make a move when her energy and spirit were reduced to a certain extent. But now, a perfect opportunity had arisen. Even if it might be a bait, they had to try. After all, both sides knew clearly that “harmony” was just for show; they had already fallen out.
Su Lancheng made up his mind, his eyes flickering, and he said loudly, “Brother, Qingtan and I will go together. You stay and guard Cloud City.”
Su Lanyin’s lips moved. After a long while, he finally uttered two words: “Be careful.”
Outside Dustless Sea.
Luo Lingfeng did not conceal her aura. She leisurely admired the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit in her hand, a strange smile gracing her lips. The Dragon Palace had accumulated treasures for thousands of years; there were no shortage of rare and precious items. Using them as medicinal ingredients would surely restore Wei Yunshu to her former state. Now, only two problems remained: first, to deal with those who obstructed Wei Yunshu, and second, how to bring Wei Yunshu back to Cloud City. The conflict at Youluo Mountain would surely be intense, and her puppet creation technique could not last much longer, could it?
“Dragon Lord has likely received the news. The elite forces of Dustless Sea are likely to return for reinforcement. If we withdraw from Dustless Sea now, aren’t we just handing it over?” Phoenix Lord’s face was somewhat pale. Her cultivation was on par with Qilin Lord’s. When Luo Lingfeng killed Canal Lord, she stepped in to help, but she was still injured in the previous battle.
Luo Lingfeng curved her lips, “They can’t get here.”
Phoenix Lord frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”
Luo Lingfeng explained in good spirits, “In the secret realm, Buzhou and Dustless Sea forged an irreconcilable enmity. Now, everything Dustless Sea is doing is aimed at Buzhou. Shi Wufang will not seek peace; she will only seize this opportunity to eliminate any future threats to Buzhou. Buzhou sword cultivators are not polite to their enemies.” She slowly put away the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit and smiled again, “Shi Wufang guessed what I intended to do, so she played along and had no intention of blocking me. If it were the compassionate Cloud Sovereign—” A figure suddenly appeared in her mind, and Luo Lingfeng’s smile instantly faded. She was no longer in the mood for joking.
Phoenix Lord was too lazy to concern herself with her emotional entanglements. She exhaled a breath of turbid air and said, “Let’s go. This should be the last battle for now.”
Two hundred miles away.
Su Lancheng and Yue Qingtan traced the fluctuating spiritual energy and entered the towering mountains. The aura was generally blended and harmonious, but there were still some disruptions in its flow. The wind blowing through the forest carried a damp scent, different from the dry heat outside the mountains. Su Lancheng and the others already knew that Luo Lingfeng cultivated the fundamental water law and guessed that she was hiding here. After exchanging glances, they flew towards the most obvious spiritual energy. Two quarters of an hour later, Su Lancheng saw spiritual light flashing ahead. Upon focusing, he saw a white-haired woman in red sitting on a rock, adjusting her breathing. Behind her, the profound waters of the abyss churned, emitting a chilling wave of light—it was Luo Lingfeng!
The wind carried a strong scent of blood. Her qi circulation was not smooth; it was clear she was heavily injured! Yue Qingtan was instantly overjoyed, but he feared this might just be Luo Lingfeng feigning injury. He stealthily cast several detection talismans, and when he received consistent results, he smiled broadly. However, he quickly suppressed his joy and cupped his hands towards Luo Lingfeng, “True Monarch Luo, so you are here.”
Luo Lingfeng lowered her eyelids and said indifferently, “So it is True Monarch Yue and True Monarch Su. I wonder why you two have come here?”
Yue Qingtan feigned a smile and said, “We saw that something happened in the direction of Dustless Sea, so we came to investigate.”
Luo Lingfeng asked coldly, “Is this Dustless Sea?”
Yue Qingtan’s face darkened. He most detested Luo Lingfeng’s arrogant tone. He smiled and said, “This is certainly not Dustless Sea. Since we have encountered True Monarch, please accompany us to investigate, how about it?”
Luo Lingfeng flatly refused, “This Seat is not interested in Dustless Sea and will not accompany you.”
“Why must True Monarch Luo refuse?” Yue Qingtan said as he approached Luo Lingfeng. Seeing the profound waters of the abyss surrounding Luo Lingfeng suddenly churn, his eyelids trembled, and he instinctively stopped. However, the churning waters of the abyss did not crash down. The rumbling thunder was merely a show of force, a deterrence, completely inconsistent with Luo Lingfeng’s arrogant and willful demeanor over the past three years. “True Monarch Luo, why aren’t you answering?” Yue Qingtan continued forward.
Luo Lingfeng suddenly stood up, surging her spiritual energy. The three hundred and sixty drops of Abyssal True Water leaped out simultaneously, crashing down like a torrential rain. Just as Yue Qingtan was forming seals to block, Luo Lingfeng’s face suddenly turned pale, her aura became chaotic, and she immediately spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Seeing her in this state, Yue Qingtan immediately laughed triumphantly. Su Lancheng also moved closer and said with a teasing smile, “True Monarch Luo, how did you get injured? Did the commotion at Dustless Sea happen because of True Monarch?”
Luo Lingfeng glanced at Yue Qingtan and Su Lancheng with disgust and said coldly, “Why hide your intentions? Do you two think you can succeed just because I am injured? You noble clan trash are nothing more than defeated opponents of this Seat!”
Yue Qingtan clicked his tongue and sighed, “At this point, True Monarch Luo is still putting up a brave front.” A hint of resentment flashed in his eyes; the emotions that had been accumulating over the past three years far surpassed his initial dissatisfaction with the Cloud Sovereign.
Su Lancheng frowned, “Stop wasting words with her. Let’s act directly!”
Seeing Yue Qingtan and Su Lancheng activate their Daoist spells, a hint of sarcasm flashed in Luo Lingfeng’s eyes. She unleashed all the Abyssal True Water, then reached out and grasped the Dream-Shattering Sword. With a sweep forward, a “Boundary of the Milky Way” was created. Seizing this opportunity, she turned her escaping light and fled rapidly in the opposite direction.
Su Lancheng’s spiritual energy vibrated, and he immediately repelled the falling Abyssal True Water. His gaze deepened, and he struck towards the sword boundary with a palm, raising his voice, “She’s running! Quickly pursue!” Luo Lingfeng was truly heavily injured; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! However, Su Lancheng felt that Luo Lingfeng retreated too easily, and a strange feeling lingered in his heart. But Yue Qingtan had already turned into a beam of light and flown away. Helpless, he could only follow.
Cavern Heaven cultivators moved at speeds that covered hundreds of miles in an instant.
A talisman flashed from Yue Qingtan’s sleeve. He shouted, “Halt!” and a surge of profound energy condensed, freezing the spiritual energy between heaven and earth. Although it lasted only a moment, it was enough to intercept Luo Lingfeng. Luo Lingfeng turned her head and looked at Yue Qingtan, whose eyes were filled with fierce light, and smiled faintly. The sword light flashed suddenly, transforming into thousands of sword rays that poured down, like a rain of swords. Facing the continuous sword qi, Yue Qingtan did not dare to be careless. He formed a hand seal, and a lotus platform instantly rose beneath his feet. Wisps of pure qi rose from below, enveloping him. Su Lancheng arrived and formed a hand seal, and a patch of misty clouds appeared in the mountains. Su Lancheng flung a jade bottle from his sleeve, and a ball of blood-red light shot into the sky, dyeing the clouds a bloody red. Wherever the blood cloud passed, vegetation withered and died; it was exceptionally sinister.
Seeing this, Luo Lingfeng’s eyes slightly narrowed. She flicked her sleeve, and the brilliant sword light transformed into flowing water, converging into a vast river that stirred up overwhelming waves. With just a few large waves, the sinister cloud qi was completely eroded by the Abyssal True Water.
Yue Qingtan glanced at the troublesome water tide and couldn’t help but persuade, “True Monarch Luo, after killing two Cavern Heaven cultivators, you are at the end of your strength. If you surrender obediently, we will allow your primordial spirit to reincarnate.”
Luo Lingfeng smiled faintly, “These words should be said by me.” She looked at Yue Qingtan and Su Lancheng playfully, as if looking at two prey being toyed with in her hands. She withdrew the Abyssal True Water that spanned heaven and earth and stood on the water tide, casting out the “Universal True Form Map.” Vast amounts of spiritual light scattered, inverting heaven and earth. The solid ground where the three stood also became a corner of the painting. If there was any difference, it was that the mountains and plains were covered with banners, and hundreds or thousands of small demons holding banners were shouting and calling, occupying various flag gates, forming a grand formation.
This was also one of Dustless Sea’s “army formations,” named the “Nine Heavens Burning Fire Array.” This formation originally had only eight array gates, guarded by sixty-four cultivators who practiced fire arts, capable of igniting heavenly and earthly exotic flames to burn everything. However, a formation of this scale alone was insufficient. Only if all sixty-four people were at the Nascent Soul realm would it barely have the power to resist Cavern Heaven cultivators. As for killing them completely, it was almost impossible.
But this time, the formation contained not just sixty-four people, but nearly a thousand demon soldiers guarding it. Their cultivation levels varied, but they were all cultivators who practiced fire arts. Luo Lingfeng activated the terrestrial qi and fire veins contained within the Universal True Form Map as the pressuring object, with Phoenix Lord, who was at the Cavern Heaven realm, as the main array controller. Once the formation was activated, it brewed a magnificent divine power that could tear through wind and split the air!
“Demon cultivators? Why are there so many?” Yue Qingtan’s eyelids twitched. A sense of foreboding flashed in his heart. He looked up and saw a phoenix-like Dharma Manifestation with magnificent wings appearing in the sky, like a ball of crimson flame suspended in the air.
Su Lancheng’s heart sank to the bottom. A chill spread throughout his body. “It’s Phoenix Lord of Phoenix Mountain in Dustless Sea.”
He couldn’t understand how Luo Lingfeng had allied herself with demon cultivators from Dustless Sea! It wasn’t that Luo Lingfeng alone killed two Cavern Heaven cultivators; it was an internal conflict within Dustless Sea!
Yue Qingtan hurriedly said, “The situation has changed. Many of us are perishing. Once the Immortal Realm collapses internally, the evil cultivators from the Corridor of Sins will seize the opportunity!”
To utter such high-sounding words at this juncture was truly worthy of a cultivator from the noble families of Cloud City.
Luo Lingfeng smiled and said, “Because my fellow Daoists are present, my Dao companion is unwilling to return home. Since that is the case, we must ask you to take a long journey first and visit the netherworld.”
Yue Qingtan’s face turned ashen. He disregarded his composure and said angrily, “You’re spouting nonsense!” She was the one who wanted the Cloud Sovereign dead, and she was the one who wanted her back! How did Luo Hengjun raise his daughter? How did he raise such a hypocritical, capricious lunatic?!