After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 70

“Roar!” Daoist Wan Ling let out a shout, his voice like thunder, shaking the heavens.
“The Fu Li Immortal Realm has not seen an ascendant in three thousand years, all because the heavens and earth are incomplete. The Northern Continent’s evil aura never ceases, also because the heavens and earth are incomplete… Why is the incomplete called ‘incomplete’? Is it not because Sang Buwei knows in her heart that this action is extremely ‘improper’! If they had the confidence, why would the Fu Li Immortal Realm have a history of only six thousand years?! It is the ancestors of the Four Sects who have severed the path of cultivation for the cultivators of the Immortal Realm!” The more he spoke, the more impassioned he became, pushing the current state of the Fu Li Immortal Realm onto the ancestors who opened the spiritual channels six thousand years ago.
True Monarch Yuan Fu remained unmoved, shaking his sword light, and said faintly, “Insulting my ancestors is unforgivable.” The “Severing All Selves” method was not a “Dao” he approved of, and the ancestors had their reasons for hiding the truth. The current situation made it clear. If everyone knew the past, many might yearn for the “Severing All Selves” method, thereby drawing the Fu Li Immortal Realm into the sight of the Divine Realm much earlier. If this process were to be accelerated, there would be no way to resist the invasion of the Divine Realm.
“The disciples of Buzhou are truly stubborn.” Seeing that True Monarch Yuan Fu was unyielding, Daoist Wan Ling’s gaze also turned cold. He, who originated from an unusual spirit creature, had emerged from the Dustless Sea thousands of years ago and had the most conflicts with the Buzhou disciples who went out to train. He had suppressed his hatred, holding the thought that “it’s better to have one less enemy than one more,” but since the Buzhou disciples were seeking their own demise, he could only fulfill their wish.
Undercurrents surfaced, and various forces clashed fiercely. The winds and clouds stirred above the extreme heavens. The dim sky, with its pale sun and moon turning, carried an unending sense of desolation and gloom.
By the time Wei Yunshu, Xie Zhichao, and their party arrived at the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles, the news concerning Mount Youluo, the Corridor of Sins, and the Shang Qing Divine Realm had already reached the ears of every cultivator. In fact, many rogue cultivators were indignant and dissatisfied with the actions of the Buzhou Peak, but things did not devolve into chaos. Firstly, the Buzhou cultivators were still killing demons in the area and had not retreated; secondly, with Yan Danwo, the Cavern Heaven True Monarch holding the fort for a long time, various forces had already been organized by her disciples and retainers, preventing a complete mess. Logically, Yan Danwo was a Cloud City’s Cavern Heaven True Monarch, and her disciples were also disciples of Cloud City. However, for some unknown reason, Yan Danwo had never officially registered them. Since they could not be called “Cloud,” everyone referred to this lineage as “Dan Yang’s Disciples.”
“Senior Sister.” A young and beautiful female cultivator, leading her disciples, came out to greet them at the pass. She first bowed to Chi Fengchao, then turned to Wei Yunshu and their party to pay her respects. After completing the formalities, she took out a jade slip from her sleeve and said solemnly, “This lists all the disciples who are curious about the original demons of the Northern Continent. Our Northern Continent’s borders are not like the Sunset Burial Mounds. Even if their purposes for coming here are different, their state of mind and Dao principles are exceptionally firm. So, in total, there are only one-twentieth of them. They have currently been withdrawn from important checkpoints.”
“That’s enough,” Chi Fengchao said calmly. She took the jade slip and glanced at it, raising an eyebrow. “Where are those people from the Luoshui Divine Palace? Can Jiang Jiuxiao suppress those elders?” She had long heard about the matters of the Luoshui Divine Palace and did not have high hopes when Jiang Jiuxiao led the Luo family elders here. After all, these pampered elders, with their privileged backgrounds, had probably never fought demons in their lives. Sending them to the battlefield was likely a death sentence. As expected, the disciples of the Luoshui Divine Palace were either killed by demons or died in internal strife, leaving very few. While those people might have endured for now, it did not mean they would endure forever.
The disciple cautiously glanced at Wei Yunshu, then quickly withdrew her gaze, and said softly, “That person has arrived and even went to ‘Lichen Prison’.”
Xie Zhichao, completely bewildered, quietly tugged at Wei Yunshu’s sleeve and whispered in her ear, “Who is it? Can you guess?”
Wei Yunshu lowered her eyelids and said indifferently, “Luo Lingfeng.” The only one who could subdue the many elders of the Luoshui Divine Palace was that one person.
“Lichen Prison? Did something happen?” Chi Fengchao’s attention fell on the last two words.
The disciple’s expression turned solemn. With a flick of her lips, she revealed everything about Wen Danhua colluding with demons to kill Luo Yuanshu. She didn’t really care about the grudges between those families; in any case, killing immortal sect cultivators alongside demons at the Northern Continent’s border was wrong.
Wei Yunshu’s breath hitched. Her jumbled thoughts were like a tangled ball of thread. She slowly pulled out a loose end and asked, “When did Luo Yuanshu arrive?”
“Not long ago,” the disciple mused for a moment, then added, “He was sent by the disciples of Cloud City’s lower sects, and the one accompanying him was named Su Yuntian.”
Wei Yunshu’s gaze deepened, and a certain guess in her heart became clearer.
Luo Yuanshu, Su Yuntian, and Jiang Jiuxiao were all sent to the Northern Continent’s border by Luo Lingfeng. Luo Yuanshu was a lure to draw Wen Danhua out of Xiaohan Mountain; Su Yuntian was the one who willingly became a pawn of the Dustless Sea and revealed the secrets of the Shang Qing Divine Realm; Jiang Jiuxiao had an inexplicable relationship with the Dustless Sea… The convergence of these three was enough to disrupt the Sword Fighting Convention!
If everything was Luo Lingfeng’s plan, what was her goal?! Was it simply revenge? A surge of impulse to find Luo Lingfeng and question her welled up in Wei Yunshu’s heart, but the next moment, she suppressed that thought. The fingertips hidden in her sleeve trembled slightly, her spiritual energy surging, almost breaking through this scarred puppet body.
“Daoist Bo?” Xie Zhichao immediately noticed Wei Yunshu’s abnormal state and asked with concern.
“It’s nothing.” Wei Yunshu steadied herself, calming her turbulent emotions.
“With all matters unclear and the Master not yet returned, we must guard the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles even more diligently,” Chi Fengchao said thoughtfully after a moment. She also knew that the path ahead ultimately depended on the maneuvering of the Cavern Heaven True Monarchs. They should do their part; some things were beyond their interference.
The stormy winds raged above the extreme heavens, but after a few days, the disturbance slowly subsided.
Upon learning that the Dustless Sea had been invaded by Luo Lingfeng, the Dragon Lord attacked the two individuals from Cloud City without hesitation. Relying on his divine artifact, he alone held his own against two peers. However, he still had various concerns, as Wen Xianren of the Luoshui Divine Palace was merely observing from the sidelines. He had not expressed a clear stance, and with his personality, even if he made a choice, he would likely go back on it. After all, seeking advantage was human nature. Moreover, the person named Yan possessed a peculiar protective power, seeming like a brand-new divine artifact, of which no prior information had been heard.
“True Monarch Yan has not been in the Cavern Heaven realm for long, yet her cultivation is truly remarkable.” The Dragon Lord let out a cold snort, his pair of ice-cold vertical pupils locking onto Yan Danwo. He had originally intended to use Yan Danwo as a breakthrough, but unexpectedly, she was experienced and flawless.
“Dragon Lord, perhaps you should calm down and think. What reason does our Cloud City have to attack your Dustless Sea? That person has been mad for more than a day or two, and her actions may not represent Cloud City.” Yun Yong gazed deeply at the Dragon Lord. The earlier fight with him was to test his depth. Putting aside the divine artifact, the Dragon Lord’s cultivation itself was not bad. Continuing to fight like this would likely be more loss than gain.
“If she doesn’t represent Cloud City, then who does?” The Dragon Lord curled his lips, his voice chillingly cold, the smile not reaching his eyes. “As for her actions, there is a reason, which is to obey the command of the Cloud Sovereign! After all, the Cloud Sovereign has already arrived at Buzhou! Does True Monarch Yan not know?”
Yun Yong smiled faintly, “There are so many people who resemble the Cloud Sovereign, how can you be sure that is her?”
Dragon Lord: “Is the Taiyi Sword and the divine cultivation techniques not enough to prove it?”
Yun Yong replied without hesitation, “Perhaps it was just a scoundrel who happened to find the Taiyi and used the Taiyi Sword Intent to impersonate the Cloud Sovereign.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “At the Sword Fighting Convention, that imposter will surely appear. I have already ordered my disciples to eradicate evil to the fullest.”
The Dragon Lord laughed at this, while Yan Danwo frowned and glanced at Yun Yong. For the noble families, whether the Cloud Sovereign was real or fake was not important; they no longer needed the Cloud Sovereign.
Wen Xianren slowly said, “Perhaps there is a misunderstanding? The urgent matters are those of the Northern Continent’s border and the Shang Qing Divine Realm. I wonder when the fellow daoist the Dragon Lord intends to introduce will appear?”
Upon hearing Wen Xianren’s question, the Dragon Lord calmly replied, “Soon.” The senior from the Dustless Sea had already gone to intercept the Cavern Heaven True Monarch of Buzhou, preventing him from assisting the Buzhou disciples. However, with the news from the Dustless Sea, Xiang Jun and others would definitely lead cultivators back. This way, their plan to seize the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles first would not be implemented. The final outcome depended entirely on him alone. Thinking of this, the Dragon Lord’s brow furrowed. Regardless of what others thought, a wisp of continuous red smoke flew out from his sleeve, faintly emitting a signal. “If you see this signal, that senior will naturally appear.”
Yun Yong and Wen Xianren became suspicious at the word “senior.” After all, in the Fu Li Immortal Realm, anyone the Dragon Lord called senior was either someone who had cultivated to the Dao Fruit realm and ascended, or they were dead. Could it be that he was truly from the Shang Qing Divine Realm? If that person firmly sided with the Dragon Lord, what would they do?
The red glow rolled, and soon fell into Daoist Wan Ling’s eyes, but not solely into his vision.
Northern Continent, on the stern and towering Royal Bones, dense evil aura lingered, and poisonous miasma was everywhere.
The five forms of ‘Hua Ying’ (Hua Ying – incarnation) once again appeared.
“Junior Sister Yonghe, your avatar didn’t accomplish much either.” Ji Jun looked at the glamorous female cultivator wearing a shoulder cloth and clicked his tongue, his tone full of provocation.
“My avatar only had the cultivation of Foundation Establishment. What could it accomplish? To have instantly advanced to Nascent Soul was already excessive. It merely served as a catalyst.” Yonghe couldn’t be bothered with Ji Jun’s provocative gaze. Her eyes shifted, and she covered her mouth, smiling charmingly, “That red smoke… is someone from over there urging you to do something. What, are you reluctant to part with your subordinates? Have you changed your mind?”
“They are mere ants, why bother caring about them.” The roaring black dragon behind Ji Jun let out a deafening roar. Its giant dragon claw reached down and snatched two emaciated Daoists with sunken eye sockets from the swirling miasma. Although these two Daoists were also at the Cavern Heaven cultivation level, they possessed no power to resist under the dragon claw. After all, everything they had came from the five original demons of the Corridor of Sins.
“Does the Venerable summon us here for any important matters?” The Daoist was thrown to the ground by the dragon claw. One of them immediately knelt down and said fearfully. The other Daoist’s eyes flickered with scarlet blood, revealing a sinister smile as he licked his lips. “Is the opportunity to attack the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles here?” When he heard that they were holding a Sword Fighting Convention, he knew it was a good opportunity. Unexpectedly, a talisman was issued from above, ordering them to restrain their disciples and not act rashly. Even when those sects had internal strife, they were not allowed to harass the border. The Daoist never understood, until now, when this thought emerged in his mind, and everything became clear.
“Have you heard about the Shang Qing Divine Realm?” Ji Jun asked indifferently.
The Daoist’s body stiffened. After a moment, he said with firm resolve, “We swear to defend the orthodox path!”
Ji Jun said, “You cultivated your divine abilities using the energy of us five. Now is the time to repay.”
The Daoist did not look up at Ji Jun’s expression, but loudly declared his loyalty, “We will surely march out of the Northern Continent and kill all those immortal sect cultivators.”
“You don’t need to do this.” Ji Jun, impatient with these words, saw a flicker of surprise on the faces of the two Daoists and said proudly, “Take off your heads.”
The Daoist trembled and asked cautiously, “Venerable… what does this mean?”
Ji Jun didn’t bother to explain. He circulated his power and struck at the two evil cultivators below. All of this was Daoist Wan Ling’s idea. The true body above intended for the Fu Li Immortal Realm to return and made a deal with them. The other party wanted the Shang Qing Divine Realm to be complete, and they wanted to march out of the Northern Continent and conquer the entire Fu Li Immortal Realm. The other party said they wanted the land, and the state of what was within was unimportant. But restoring this land was not easy, and relying on the power of the Northern Continent demons would not sound good if word got out. By pushing those who had fallen into the demonic path forward as scapegoats, they would be the blameless “Shang Qing Divine Venerables.”
A sharp killing intent swept towards them. The two Daoists were greatly alarmed, but it was impossible for them to surrender willingly. They immediately transformed into two streaks of escape smoke and fled downwards. Seeing this, Ji Jun let out a cold snort, and his tongue boomed like thunder. With a single dragon roar, he made the two evil cultivators dizzy. “Your Daoist methods come from us five, and your Daoist principles are also invaded by us five. Where can you escape?” Ji Jun said with a playful smile. Even though the Daoist methods of the two Daoists were not bad, in Ji Jun’s dragon claws, they were like ants. With a bang, their bodies were crushed, and countless vital energies surged outwards, while the center continuously collapsed inwards, like a vortex that sucked everything in. However, in a moment, it was absorbed by the peculiar Royal Bones. Ji Jun toyed with the two heads, their faces still holding expressions of terror and surprise, and grinned, “Using these two heads as an introduction, is that enough to show sincerity?”
“Another Cavern Heaven True Monarch has fallen? Evil energy is drifting. Huh, is it from the Northern Continent? What happened?” The moment the Daoists were killed by Ji Jun, Yun Yong, Wen Xianren, and the others shifted their gaze in that direction. The five original demons of the Northern Continent were immortal and indestructible. Those who could fall were only cultivators who had fallen into the demonic path. They usually regarded them as enemies for life, but they did not expect them to die so easily.
“It’s just a piece of evidence,” the Dragon Lord smiled faintly, his hands behind his back, gazing forward.
Just as Wen Xianren was about to ask further, another earth-shattering tremor sounded. The eastern sky was obscured by flowing clouds, and streaks of radiant light, like sunlight, poured down, releasing vast vital energy that permeated everywhere, instantly causing plants to grow, a scene of vitality. This phenomenon was clearly the dissipation of a Cavern Heaven’s cultivation, with vital energy returning to heaven and earth. Not to mention Wen Xianren and Yun Yong, even the Dragon Lord’s face showed a hint of surprise. In this short period, several Cavern Heaven cultivators had fallen!
“The clouds are scattering, whose Cavern Heaven cultivation is that?” Wen Xianren’s eyelids twitched violently. The two fellow daoists from Guangyuan Marsh and Yunmeng Marsh also cultivated water techniques. Even if their Cavern Heaven cultivation exploded, it would still be thunder and rain, turning into a vast ocean. Such clouds and sky—Wen Xianren instinctively turned to Yun Yong, only to see his expression had become much uglier.
Yun Yong said coldly, “I need to go back.” One Cavern Heaven cultivator had fallen, and it was unknown who had acted. How preposterous.
The Dragon Lord wished for Yun Yong to leave quickly. Once Yun Yong left, the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles would only have one Cavern Heaven cultivator from Cloud City guarding it. He didn’t know who had done this good deed, but it had indirectly helped him.
Yan Danwo watched as Yun Yong spoke, wanting to detain him, “True Monarch Yun, the matters in the Northern Continent—” Before the words “have not been resolved” were even spoken, Yun Yong interrupted her with a very impatient tone.
“True Monarch Yan, you have been stationed here for quite some time. This matter should be handled by you.”
Yan Danwo was speechless. She was not too surprised by Yun Yong’s statement. After all, in the eyes of those people, the interests of the noble families were paramount. Even knowing the Dragon Lord’s ambition, they still chose to return to Cloud City. Their vision was truly shortsighted. No wonder the former Cloud Sovereign refused to let the Yun family’s descendants inherit the position.
With Yun Yong’s departure, only Yan Danwo, Wen Xianren, and the Dragon Lord, three Cavern Heaven True Monarchs, remained.
The Dragon Lord turned to Yan Danwo and said faintly, “What are your thoughts on the Dragon Palace’s suggestion to invite those five Divine Venerables for discussions?”
Yan Danwo glanced at the Dragon Lord expressionlessly and said indifferently, “Although I have been appointed as the leader due to my cultivation far surpassing others, today, all fellow daoists should know that the one who can truly make decisions for the Northern Continent’s defense is not me.”
“Oh?” The Dragon Lord’s pupils narrowed, and he asked coldly, “Then who is it?!”
…
The biting gale was like a knife, and a sharp, biting cold permeated the surroundings.
Yue Qingtan spat out a mouthful of blood and cursed angrily, “You—how could you attack? Now, outside the Northern Continent’s encampment, the evil cultivators of the Corridor of Sins are coveting it! You killed two Cavern Heaven True Monarchs of the Dustless Sea first, and now you are killing the cultivators of Cloud City. Have you colluded with demons and heretics? Otherwise, why are you facilitating them at every turn?” He kept shouting, forgetting that it was they themselves who had initially intended to kill.
Luo Lingfeng didn’t bother with Yue Qingtan’s curses. She stood above with her hands behind her back, surrounded by a vast sea of light, as clear as water. Countless Abyssal True Water drops leaped and danced, bringing with them the sound of thunder and lightning. As long as her spiritual energy was not depleted, this vast expanse of water could remain indefinitely.
“Su Lancheng is already dead. The one from Cloud City will surely receive the news. We don’t have much time left,” Phoenix Lord’s voice urged from mid-air. Her injuries had not fully healed, and even with the immense spiritual energy from the Universal True Form Map, she could not compare to her peak condition. If another Cavern Heaven cultivator arrived, her “Nine Heavens Burning Fire Array” would not hold.
Yue Qingtan clearly saw the intricacies of the grand formation. Previously, he and Su Lancheng had joined forces to break several flag gates. He knew that with Su Lancheng’s death, Su Lanyin would surely receive the news, and he had to hold on until Su Lanyin arrived! Taking a deep breath, he released a cloud of smoke, which instantly transformed into an umbrella canopy, firmly covering the upper section. Whether it was heavenly fire or Deep Abyss Water, it would disappear silently upon landing on the canopy. However, everything had a limit. After only a dozen breaths, Yue Qingtan could no longer hold on. As the canopy completely dispersed, he threw out a protective jade pendant, scattering a burst of radiant energy.
Luo Lingfeng saw Yue Qingtan’s desperate situation and let out a cold laugh. Her gaze became extremely deep and profound at that moment, like an unfathomable abyss. With a flick of her finger, a golden-red swift light fell into the surging water. Immediately, the river beneath her feet began to shake, slowly transforming into a vast ocean that submerged the surroundings. Countless Abyssal True Water drops leaped and spun in the great ocean, striking that light with crackling sounds. In the blink of an eye, Yue Qingtan’s legs were submerged by the water. But how could Yue Qingtan dare to linger in the water for long? He formed a hand seal and leaped upwards, his right hand slashing at the Deep Abyss Water churned up from below.
The Deep Abyss Water fell back into the water, leaping up like falling pearls.
The fallen heavenly fire’s momentum weakened, and Yue Qingtan easily brushed them aside. He guessed that Phoenix Lord, who was controlling the formation, was also at her last gasp. His previously dampened spirits surged, and he reignited his resolve, urging his spiritual energy. Suddenly, a warning flashed in his heart, like an arrow shot from a bow, hitting the sky with the flowing fire! With a thunderous roar, a wave surged out from the water, rushing towards the sky. In the glow of the fire, the surging current gradually turned the color of blood. In an instant, the sky was filled with red.
A thick, bloody smell spread through the wind.
The firelight disappeared, but the sky remained an eerie red.
Yue Qingtan sensed something was wrong. He focused his gaze. Blood flowed gurgling, and large patches of blood energy encroached outwards. Blood waves splashed, wispy and eerie. Although Yue Qingtan desperately urged his spiritual energy to sweep away the blood threads, he inadvertently got stained with a few drops. The fresh blood corroded his robes and flesh. If he hadn’t quickly cut off that piece of flesh, he might have been dissolved by the blood water! But even so, his spiritual energy was polluted, and his body gradually became sluggish, as if filled with lead.
“Luo Lingfeng! You—how could you cultivate evil techniques?!” Yue Qingtan was filled with panic and couldn’t help but curse, trying to suppress his fear.
“Evil techniques? I just sprinkled some Tai Sui Golden Sand in it.” Luo Lingfeng glanced at Yue Qingtan. She smiled faintly, her tone tinged with a hint of regret. “True Monarch Yue, rest in peace.”
Yue Qingtan was unwilling to accept death, but the scarlet tide struck, and his sluggish body could no longer move. As the scarlet tide rose and fell, a bare white skeleton fell from mid-air. Not a trace of vital energy leaked out; instead, it was completely swallowed by the water tide mixed with Tai Sui Golden Sand.
Phoenix Lord looked at the bare white skeleton and clicked her tongue. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked at Luo Lingfeng, saying, “Are we returning to Cloud City, or staying in the Dustless Sea?”
Luo Lingfeng said leisurely, “Cloud City.” She appeared calm and at ease, as if she hadn’t just killed two Cavern Heaven True Monarchs of Cloud City a moment ago.
Phoenix Lord then said, “Actually, Yue Qingtan spoke correctly. The strength of the Immortal Realm has greatly diminished, and those evil cultivators in the Northern Continent will take advantage of the situation to invade.”
“Not necessarily.” Luo Lingfeng sneered, then raised her eyebrows and smiled, “And by then, each family can take out resources from their treasury and promote talented disciples to achieve the Cavern Heaven realm! Some are limited by talent, but some are limited by cultivation resources, and dare not take that final step! Chaos, doesn’t that mean opportunity?”
Phoenix Lord did not comment, only saying, “It’s good that you have it all figured out. I cannot stay away from the Dustless Sea for too long; I need to return. From now on, you must be very careful.” In the current situation, Buzhou Peak would become the target of public criticism. But if one were to say who the Cavern Heaven cultivators hated the most, it could only be Luo Lingfeng. If this continued, the orthodox immortal path would not tolerate her, and the demons would want to eliminate her. Where was their way out?