After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 73

Several days later, Luo Lingfeng’s Nascent Soul avatar returned to Cloud City with Wei Yunshu.
After informing the various clans that most disciples sent for the sword competition had perished in the Youluo Mountain turmoil, Luo Lingfeng sealed herself away, ignoring the ensuing outcry. The disciples dispatched for the sword competition were all talented, and those who had aimed to seize opportunities through it met a tragic end. Resentment festered within each family and clan. However, as the five major clans remained silent, they lacked the courage to confront Luo Lingfeng directly, forcing them to suppress their dissatisfaction.
The Fu Li Immortal Realm was far from peaceful.
Since the appearance of the Buzhou Secret Realm, the immortal realm had been plagued by constant disturbances. After the Youluo Mountain grand ceremony, this undercurrent finally broke through the ice, erupting throughout the immortal realm. First, Buzhou was accused of hoarding Daoist scriptures, obstructing others’ paths. Then, the Corridor of Sins proclaimed that its five revered demon lords were born Divine Venerables. Finally, Dustless Sea was attacked, losing more than half of its elite forces and two Cavern Heavens. One piece of news after another, like overwhelming tidal waves, left the cultivators of the Fu Li Immortal Realm dizzy and disoriented. However, all these messages pointed towards the “Shang Qing Divine Realm,” a name whose rumors were currently rampant. Regardless of who spread them, they acted like a sharp sword cleaving through the past chaos. With the world in turmoil, rogue cultivators each contemplated their next move.
Yet, such earth-shattering secrets did not cause much upheaval within Cloud City. Instead, the recent exodus of neglected descendants from various clans to travel the world caused quite a stir. Although these descendants were not the primary focus of cultivation, they were still members of noble families, and their elders were unwilling for them to leave during this volatile period. Initially, each family dispatched people to bring their descendants back. However, just as they made their move, the news of Yue Qingtan and Su Lancheng’s demise began to spread like wildfire through the alleys of the floating islands of Cloud City.
If this news were true, it would mean that only the Su and Yun families still possessed Cavern Heavens. Cavern Heaven cultivators represented the strength of a family; losing their Cavern Heaven oversight would inevitably lead to the rapid decline of a family. The Yue family, like the Wu and Chu families, would undoubtedly seek out someone in the Nascent Soul stage with the potential to achieve Cavern Heaven and desperately push them to reach that realm. Other large and small families harbored similar ambitions. Over thousands of years, Cloud City had seen countless families rise and fall, with only the five major clans remaining unchanged. But now, with the opportunity to replace them and become a prominent house, how could they possibly refuse? For a time, they forgot about finding their wayward descendants.
In the opulent palace on the Yun family’s floating island.
The shadowy projections of Yun Yong and Su Lanyin were hazy like clouds and mist, appearing close as if separated by a curtain, yet upon closer inspection, they seemed as distant as the horizon. Besides the two of them, Nascent Soul elders from the Yue, Wu, and Chu families sat behind the bronze table, their gazes cold and their expressions stern.
“Those people are truly restless, thinking of replacing us,” scoffed an elder from the Yue family.
The elders from the Wu and Chu families remained silent. Their Cavern Heaven cultivators had been killed by Luo Lingfeng during the previous catastrophe. Their families had immediately pushed their peak Nascent Soul elders forward, lavishing resources on them, intending to cultivate them into Cavern Heavens. But was achieving Cavern Heaven truly so easy? Some might remain stuck at this bottleneck for hundreds of years without any progress. The Yue elder’s current confidence would likely soon be shattered when he discovered they would fall into the same predicament as themselves.
A moment later, an elder from the Chu family cautiously spoke, “I heard that during the sword competition at Youluo Mountain, a technique called ‘Severing All Selves’ was revealed. If we had such a method, breaking through our cultivation might become much easier.”
The Wu family elder was intrigued. His eyes flickered, and he said softly, “But what is circulating now are only incomplete fragments. I heard that ancient cultivators who ascended in the past visited our immortal realm; I wonder if they possessed such a method?”
“The Buzhou disciples said that method cannot be cultivated. I believe that statement is true,” the Yue elder said hoarsely. Although he found the swordsmen from the Buzhou peak rather displeasing, in this regard, he was quite willing to believe the words of Buzhou rather than those of the Luoshui Divine Palace or the Dustless Sea lineage.
The Chu family elder stated, “Whether it is true or not can only be known after obtaining the Daoist scriptures.” He intended to acquire the “Severing All Selves” technique and had already inquired about related information. Seeing that Yun Yong and Su Lanyin remained silent, he endured for a moment before adding, “That Daoist Wan Ling went to Southern Continent and borrowed a blessed land from the Luoshui Divine Palace. With great divine ability, he opened his sect gate and built palaces and temples. He will likely spread his teachings in our Fu Li Immortal Realm.”
The Yue family elder frowned, puzzled, “Wasn’t he of demon origin? Why isn’t he retrieving Dustless Sea for the Dragon Lord first?”
The Wu family elder replied, “He left Dustless Sea thousands of years ago. How much affection could he have? It’s better for him to establish his own Dao lineage and be worshipped by disciples as an ancestor in the future.”
The several people discussed the “Shang Qing Divine Realm” and “Daoist Wan Ling” in a back-and-forth manner. On the other side, in the Yulan Hall of Cloud City, Wei Yunshu was also pondering this matter. Luo Lingfeng, in a rare display of “generosity,” allowed her to re-establish contact with Buzhou. From the disciples of Buzhou, she received a considerable amount of information, one piece of which was particularly important – the five primordial demons of Northern Continent had actually sent the heads of evil cultivators who had entered the Cavern Heaven realm in the Corridor of Sins!
This matter was currently being suppressed, but there was no airtight seal in the world; sooner or later, it would spread throughout the entire immortal realm. They had already donned the guise of “Divine Venerables,” and with a few more righteous deeds, their image in the hearts of cultivators would surely change! However, the evil cultivators were originally lured by them and absorbed their power. By slaying these evil cultivators, they were merely flicking off a few parasitic insects. And such “parasites” could be obtained in any number once they gained power! Yet, many people could not see through this, or rather, they were unwilling to see through it, fixated only on immediate gain.
Furthermore, there was the Daoist Wan Ling who brought the “truth” from the Shang Qing Divine Realm. His words were almost indistinguishable from the True Nature Sword, differing only in their stance and bias. Now, the Daoist Wan Ling had borrowed a piece of land from the Luoshui Divine Palace and intended to establish a lineage, opening his sect and accepting disciples. The three families of Luoshui Divine Palace must know about this. They did not obstruct him; instead, they generously ceded the land. Had they already made their choice?
“Those five primordial demons—” Wei Yunshu turned to mention the matter of Northern Continent to Luo Lingfeng, but Luo Lingfeng did not even glance at her. She simply smiled and gave a few instructions to a maid before waving her away. The maid dared not look at Luo Lingfeng, but as she left, she secretly glanced at Wei Yunshu. She had been in Cloud City for some years and had seen many people who bore a striking resemblance to the Cloud Sovereign, yet none had been brought back to the hall by the real person.
Had the Cloud Sovereign truly returned?
After the maid left the hall, Luo Lingfeng leisurely tidied her clothes. She turned to Wei Yunshu, her gaze fixed on her, with a hint of mockery and coldness. “You are quite concerned about the affairs of the Fu Li Immortal Realm.” She reached for a crimson crab apple from a vase, idly fiddled with it for a moment, then tossed it back into the vase. She added, “You’ve been so attentive in caring for this flower, yet why is it not as fresh and vibrant as I remember?”
In the past, when Wei Yunshu was still in Cloud City, she would bring a flower each day to place by the window—sometimes snow-white, sometimes deep red, sometimes pale green… adorning the intricately carved and painted palaces. Such a flower, even in the already magnificent treasure hall, was particularly inconspicuous, much like her own overlooked, misunderstood, and trampled heart. She did not answer Luo Lingfeng’s question, her face perpetually shrouded in a thin layer of frost.
“Come, let’s go see your physical body together.” Luo Lingfeng did not expect an answer from Wei Yunshu; she merely looked at Wei Yunshu with a cheerful smile, her tone exceptionally light. After bringing Wei Yunshu back to Cloud City, her mood had improved, so much so that she could overlook Wei Yunshu’s indifferent attitude. Her jade skirt swayed, jingling with melodious sounds. In just a few breaths, she reached Wei Yunshu and reached out to grasp her wrist.
Wei Yunshu brushed her hand away, her snow-white sleeve flaring as if to shake off dust.
Her brow furrowed slightly, her mind no longer occupied with the sentiment of returning to her old haunt. She thought that Luo Lingfeng was right; if she could not recover her past cultivation, she wouldn’t even have the qualification to be a pawn, let alone the one holding the pieces. Even though her relationship with the Buzhou disciples was now excellent, without reaching that realm, Buzhou would not share certain matters with her. But once her soul merged with her body, could she truly leave Cloud City? In the past, she could trust Luo Lingfeng wholeheartedly, but at this moment, she had to doubt Luo Lingfeng’s intentions. Would she tamper with the process?
“You doubt me?” Luo Lingfeng blinked and asked. She saw through Wei Yunshu’s thoughts and was instead quite pleased. The past coldness and detachment melted away like ice, revealing the radiant spring sunshine. There was no icy distance pushing people away, no wild laughter, only the joy Wei Yunshu had once sincerely hoped for—but no matter what, Wei Yunshu was too weary to approach.
Moving her gaze away from Luo Lingfeng’s face, Wei Yunshu asked indifferently, “Shouldn’t I?”
Luo Lingfeng nodded seriously, “You should, you absolutely should.” She reached out to grasp Wei Yunshu’s wrist, and as Wei Yunshu evaded again, the ink-black adornments on her clothing suddenly dispersed, transforming into dense layers of Abyssal True Water arranged all around. Damp mist surged towards them, carrying a bone-chilling cold. As the Abyssal True Water flowed, faint sounds like thunder boomed. Wei Yunshu suddenly looked up at Luo Lingfeng; a gentle smile as warm as spring still graced her face.
Wei Yunshu’s heart ached, and she immediately lowered her eyelids.
Luo Lingfeng, satisfied, clasped Wei Yunshu’s wrist.
She flicked her sleeve, activating the restriction, and pulled Wei Yunshu towards a frost-covered snow cave. Numerous pools of various sizes were scattered about, with golden scales occasionally leaping out, reflecting the pearly light on the walls. Coral trees, precious gems, and rare herbs adorned the opulent surroundings. Wei Yunshu knew that Cloud City possessed such a forbidden area, used for imprisoning those who had committed grave offenses. However, since Cloud City’s founding, only Su Tianheng had been thrown into the forbidden area, and she had managed to escape soon after. Ordinary villains were merely detained in the Senluo Hall. When she was young, she had visited this place with her master; all she saw was desolation and bleakness, never expecting it to have completely transformed.
Suddenly, Wei Yunshu sensed something unusual. The forbidden area prison, even without fierce winds or poisonous flames, should be a place where spiritual energy was suppressed, a place of absolute desolation. Yet, here, spiritual energy was abundant and thriving, no less than a blessed land. She abruptly turned to look at Luo Lingfeng.
Luo Lingfeng easily read Wei Yunshu’s thoughts from her eyes. With a light chuckle, she casually said, “I’ve connected this forbidden area with the Eastern Continent’s spiritual veins. After all, this is a ‘mausoleum’ prepared for the Cloud Sovereign, how could it be a place of absolute demise?”
Wei Yunshu asked coldly, “When did this happen?” Luo Lingfeng’s actions in the Southern Continent’s spiritual vein were still vivid in her memory. Now, knowing that she had already made preparations in the Eastern Continent, a chill surged up her spine. How had she managed it? And how had her cultivation progressed so quickly after losing her Sacred Heart?
Luo Lingfeng smiled, “Hmm, many years ago? I don’t quite remember.”
Her schemes were not hatched overnight.
The two walked along a secluded path until they reached a snow cave filled with frost.
The exquisite ice coffin was gone, replaced by a large jade chair. Wei Yunshu’s physical body, clad in white burial clothes, sat on the chair with its head bowed. Her body’s spiritual energy flowed freely, even stronger than it had been in her past life. At first glance, it appeared as if a “living person” had fallen into a deep slumber. Wei Yunshu’s gaze slowly moved, finally settling on a thin, finger-thick golden chain. The chain shackled her limbs, firmly binding her physical body to the jade chair.
Wei Yunshu had seen golden chains in the treasure vaults of Cloud City and knew they were true artifacts used for confinement, known as “Heavenly Imprisonment Lock.”
“Don’t you like it?” Luo Lingfeng tilted her head, gazing at Wei Yunshu’s face, which was colder than frost, and clapped her hands. The golden chains instantly disappeared, but a faint golden light swirled around Wei Yunshu’s physical body, finally entering her brow and transforming into a very faint, water-drop-shaped golden pattern, like a floral ornament adorning her brow.
The Heavenly Imprisonment Lock were still there, just invisible!
Who would like such a thing?
Anger flickered across her face. She remained silent, and Luo Lingfeng did not speak, merely watching her with keen interest.
After a long while, Luo Lingfeng broke the stagnant atmosphere first, smiling broadly, “Do you hate me?” Her gaze was intense, as if harboring some hidden expectation. Seeing Wei Yunshu did not reply, she dropped the smile from her face, shed all pretense, and softly repeated, “Do you hate me?”
Wei Yunshu’s heart suddenly clenched.
She didn’t know how to answer the question.
The seven emotions and six desires that once churned like boiling water had subsided, now merely causing ripples when the wind blew.
She looked again at the physical body imprisoned on the jade chair, and after a long pause, she said indifferently, “What kind of answer do you want?”
She felt neither hatred, resentment, nor anger, but Luo Lingfeng did not believe her.
But if she said she hated her, would Luo Lingfeng be freed?
Luo Lingfeng smiled and placed a hand on Wei Yunshu’s chest, “What answer can you give me?”
Wei Yunshu brushed aside Luo Lingfeng’s hand, her heart turning cold, “The past is like smoke, I do not question what came before.”
“Is that so?” Luo Lingfeng said lightly. The stern-faced Cloud Sovereign appeared as pure as snow and frost, maintaining an ethereal, otherworldly demeanor. But in this world, many things could not go as one wished; no one could truly have their way. She raised her hand and struck Wei Yunshu, pushing her towards the physical body on the jade chair. Wei Yunshu had not expected Luo Lingfeng to make a move without any warning. A hint of astonishment flashed in her eyes, and before she lost consciousness, she heard a cheerful voice.
“That’s fine. If you want to escape me, kill me.”
In Cloud City.
The maid who left Yulan Hall hurried to retrieve the medicine according to Luo Lingfeng’s instructions. The supervisor in the pavilion greeted her with a smiling face. After the maid left, he immediately changed his expression, fetched paper and brush, and hurriedly wrote a series of words. He then summoned his confidant and ordered him to quickly deliver the message.
Less than half an hour later, a Yun family elder steward was repeatedly glancing at the list. He stomped his foot suddenly. Not daring to delay, he busied himself with sending the list to Yun Yong. At this moment, cultivators from the other four clans had not yet left. They had been enthusiastically discussing the “Shang Qing Divine Realm” and “Ascension Matters,” but after seeing the list, their minds suddenly shifted from the “distant” to the “near.”
The Yue family elder’s expression was grave, “Why does she need so much medicine? Could she be injured?” This speculation sparked a surge of warmth in his heart, but then he thought again that she usually obtained things from her private treasury and never from the treasure pavilion overseen by the Cloud City supervisors. Having fallen for bait once, they had to be cautious this time.
The Chu family elder, who understood some alchemy, took a look and his brow furrowed immediately. “Flower medicine, leaf medicine, blood medicine, stone medicine, wood medicine… a total of one hundred and eight types, along with three hundred and sixty auxiliary ingredients. This is clearly an attempt to refine the Profound Heart Seven Orifice Pill!” He picked up the list and looked again. After a long while, he said, “Besides the Profound Heart Seven Orifice Pill, there are also Life-Restoring Pills, Recovery Pills…” Elder Chu continuously listed pill names, dozens of them. His face turned red, and he finally managed to squeeze out, “These are all precious medicines that can bring back wandering souls from the brink of death!”
“What is this for?” the Yue family elder murmured. Before he could figure it out, another list was brought into the hall; this time, it was for refining materials. Most of those present had cultivated to such a level that they could begin refining their own life-bound artifacts, so even without someone specializing in this path to examine them, they could identify the artifacts to be refined. “Shaping and Soul-Solidifying Needles, Three-Light Mirror… there are very few people close to her in our Cloud City, and no disciple has been reported to be severely injured,” the Yue elder muttered. Suddenly, a thought struck him like lightning, illuminating his muddled mind. He trembled with excitement and cried out.
Before he could utter the name, someone else spoke, cutting off the words on his lips.
“Cloud Sovereign!”
When Luo Lingfeng found Wei Yunshu’s corpse from the Abyssal Vortex, she had sealed her in the forbidden realm.
If the Cloud Sovereign were to return, vast amounts of elixirs and magical artifacts would indeed be needed!
The assassination of the Cloud Sovereign back then was a conspiracy involving all five clans. If the Cloud Sovereign recovered, would she not seek revenge? Their noble families were already in a precarious situation; if the Cloud Sovereign returned, their predicament would become even more difficult and perilous. This news sent the Yue, Wu, and Chu families, who lacked Cavern Heaven oversight, into a state of utter panic.
“What in the world does that madwoman want to do?” The Yue family elder could not suppress his boiling rage. His lips trembled as he said urgently, “She knew about the plans each family had made back then, and she even actively led the Cloud Sovereign into the trap! She was also responsible for the death of the Cloud Sovereign. So why is she trying to resurrect the Cloud Sovereign now? Is she remembering now that she and the Cloud Sovereign were lovers?”
“How could someone as heartless and unfeeling as her save the Cloud Sovereign out of love? She must have some ulterior motive.” Yun Yong, who had been silent all along, suddenly sneered. While the elders were discussing, he had already read the list several times. He slowly said, “The list includes puppet threads, and besides that, a magical artifact—the Heavenly Imprisonment Lock—she also took.”
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Yun Yong chuckled, “The Cloud Sovereign who awakens might not necessarily be the Cloud Sovereign anymore.”
Su Lanyin suddenly looked up, “Your Eminence means—”
“She might be refining the Cloud Sovereign into a Dao soldier to deal with us,” Yun Yong said slowly, voicing his guess. The position of Cloud Sovereign had been vacant to this day. Luo Lingfeng had taken over Cloud City as the surviving spouse of the Cloud Sovereign, but her claim was not legitimate. She might have discovered long ago that Wei Yunshu was not dead, hence she was secretly gathering information. Although there were still many doubts in the process, Yun Yong could not make sense of it.
“What should we do then?” The Yue family elder, struck by the thunderous revelation, immediately jumped up. They hadn’t even chosen someone from the Yue family to enter the Cavern Heaven realm yet!
Yun Yong sneered, “She can use the Cloud Sovereign; can’t we?”
The Yue family elder did not respond. He touched his neck, and closed his eyes, picturing the scene of his head being severed by the Taiyi Sword. They also had a considerable grudge against the Cloud Sovereign; how could they utilize her? Before he could ask his question, Yun Yong continued, “Speaking of which, Luo Lingfeng had already killed most of those involved that day. We—were merely coerced by the situation. Even if the Cloud Sovereign wants to settle accounts with us, it would be after dealing with her, right? The taste of betrayal by one’s lover is not good, and the hatred it breeds is even deeper.”
“With her cultivation, she could have taken those precious materials without anyone knowing,” Su Lanyin thought of the brothers lost due to the previous trap, and his hatred could not be concealed. His handsome face contorted slightly. He gritted his teeth and uttered, “It’s probably another trap! Don’t forget, she still has the Dao artifact in her hands!”
Upon mentioning the Dao artifact, everyone’s hearts grew colder.
However, Yun Yong chuckled at this moment. “She is not the only one who can control the Dao artifact. The Cloud Sovereign made a vow before the Ancestral Master, and she would not destroy Cloud City. If she were to do so, that would be even better.” He understood Su Lanyin’s doubts and sighed, “We acted rashly before, but now the arrow is nocked and cannot be drawn back.” If he had been in Cloud City at the time, he would never have let Su Lancheng and Yue Qingtan leave, but it was useless to say anything now.
The Chu family elder pursed his lips, “The items have not yet been delivered to Yulan Hall.”
Yun Yong’s thoughts raced like lightning. He said gravely, “There is one item that can counter puppet threads.”
The Yue family elder’s eyelids twitched, and he whispered, “Your Eminence speaks of the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast?”
This Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast was a unique beast left behind by the first Ancestral Master, Yun Huai. It was formed from a patch of auspicious cloud. After the Ancestral Master ascended, this beast did not follow but fell into a long slumber. The Ancestral Master had left the beast behind, naturally leaving behind the method to awaken it. But using the beast to devour puppet threads seemed like a waste of talent. Why hadn’t the beast awakened during the previous calamity? Could it be that it feared being destroyed along with the Dao artifact? The Yue elder glanced at Yun Yong, whose appearance was like a swirling cloud, and his lips moved, but ultimately he did not voice his speculation.
Yun Yong paid no mind to the Yue elder’s thoughts. He clasped his hands behind his back and said indifferently, “This time, we cannot lose.”