After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 74

The Yun family, Ancestral Hall.
After the elders of each family departed, Yun Yong arrived at a certain location. At the very top was a portrait of the Ancestor, shrouded in mist, with eyes particularly indistinct. Below that were portraits of the Yun family’s past ascended cultivators. However, the most recent of them was from three thousand years ago. When would he be able to join their ranks? Yun Yong mused silently, his expression shifting unpredictably.
After a while, he pulled out a foot-long stick of incense from his sleeve and flicked his finger, causing fragrant smoke to rise. Yun Yong bowed towards the front and said respectfully, “Disciple Yun Yong pays respects to the Ancestor…” He spoke the usual pleasantries as before, and after a long time, he looked up and bowed again. The Ancestor’s portrait remained unresponsive, as Yun Yong had expected. The family records stated that the Ancestor would respond after thousands of years, but how much time had passed? If the Ancestor had opened a new spiritual path in the Shang Qing Divine Realm, they would no longer remember them.
The prestige of their ancestors remained, but to truly expand the family’s glory, it would depend on this group of people. His gaze lingered on the portrait in front of him for a moment. Yun Yong swept the stick of incense into the incense burner, silently recited a mantra, and strode forward. Though it seemed only a mere ten feet away, it was as if he traversed a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers. Yun Yong did not collide with the offering table but stepped into the misty, ethereal void. Having cultivated to the Cavern Heaven realm, one could create realms within realms. The Immortal Dwelling before him was the Sea of Clouds Cavern Heaven personally created by the Ancestor. It was vast and boundless, filled with abundant spiritual energy, no less than Yun Yong’s own dwelling. However, such a Immortal Dwelling was not for nurturing the talented disciples of the clan, but for housing the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beasts brought by the Ancestor.
The world ahead opened up, extending beyond sight. Misty clouds floated, ever-changing and formless. Yun Yong bowed towards the front, reached out, and took out a storage pouch, filled with the finest cloud sands, enough to sustain a Nascent Soul cultivator for several years. After preparing the cloud sands, Yun Yong began to recite the incantation. As his voice faded, the mist coalesced, slowly forming a majestic mountain, as if an insurmountable peak. Within the sea of clouds and mountains, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened, gazing at Yun Yong without wavering.
Yun Yong was suddenly filled with a chilling premonition, as if being targeted by a fierce, ferocious beast. He steadied his mind, finished reciting the incantation, and bowed again, saying, “The City Cloud Sovereign is in distress, our Cloud City is without a leader, and is being invaded by outsiders. I implore senior for assistance.”
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast blinked its eyes. It inhaled deeply, and the piled cloud sands suddenly floated up. Under its ravenous consumption, they were soon reduced to powder, which drifted down. After a long while, it let out a satisfied burp. The mountain of clouds trembled, and a one-horned beast, resembling a lamb, emerged from the mist. It looked at Yun Yong and said meekly, “Why are the descendants of the Cloud Sovereign so useless?”
Yun Yong: “…” The small beast before him was as white as clouds, just as its voice lacked any semblance of intimidation. Was this the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast subdued by his Ancestor? Yun Yong doubted it for a moment, but quickly came to his senses, gave a wry smile, and confessed, “That person wields ‘Heaven and Earth United in Chaos’.”
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast was surprised, “Heaven and Earth United in Chaos? Isn’t that the Dao artifact refined by the Cloud Sovereign? How could an outsider use it?”
Yun Yong replied, “Yes.” He found it difficult to explain how the major families had conspired to ambush and kill the City Cloud Sovereign. He vaguely mentioned Luo Lingfeng’s status as the City Cloud Sovereign’s wife. Fearing further questions from the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast, he then stated sternly, “Fortunately, the City Cloud Sovereign is protected by Heaven and Earth. But now that she is in that person’s hands, she might become a puppet. At that time, our Cloud City will be in danger.”
Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast: “Oh.” It lay down lazily on the ground, its gaze no longer fixed on Yun Yong.
Although it was a divine beast left by the Ancestor, the current disciples had never interacted with it and did not know how to treat it. Yun Yong initially thought it would be concerned about the safety of Cloud City, but now it seemed that was not the case. It appeared indifferent, as if the matter did not concern it. After a moment of hesitation, Yun Yong added, “Senior, that fierce person has already killed several Cavern Heaven cultivators in Cloud City. I—”
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast interrupted Yun Yong, “What can you give me?”
Yun Yong: “…” He looked at the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast with a numb expression, beginning to doubt if this was truly the divine beast his Ancestor had subdued. He had not anticipated this scenario. Seeing the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast get up and turn to disappear into the mountain of clouds, Yun Yong quickly regained his senses and said, “What do you want, Senior? Cloud sands?”
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast’s eyes rolled, and it said, “In the past, when the Cloud Sovereign was here, a ship of superior cloud sands was provided each month, along with Bright Qi Grass, Northern Sea Kun, Golden Scale King Fish, Pure Leaf Lotus…” The more Yun Yong heard, the tighter his brow furrowed. Some things were easy to obtain, while others were impossible to acquire even with immense wealth. For example, the Sea Kun, where could their traces be found in this world? At the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast’s remark, “You can’t possibly do that, can you?”, Yun Yong’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver. If he had known the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast behaved this way, he would have thought about it for a few more days. But now that he had awakened the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast, he could only try to negotiate. Finally, under the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast’s disdainful gaze, Yun Yong promised three ships of cloud sands every two months.
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast looked somewhat displeased, and Yun Yong’s heart ached as if it were bleeding. That massive amount of cloud sands was enough to support five Nascent Soul cultivators. However, he then remembered that the combat power of those five Nascent Soul cultivators could not compare to that of the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast, and Yun Yong finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly leaving the suffocating Sea of Clouds Cavern Heaven.
Cloud City’s Forbidden Area.
Wei Yunshu was forced back into her physical body. However, her soul and body had been separated for quite some time. After being forcibly stripped apart, both her body and soul were scarred. But her body gradually recovered to its peak state with the nourishment of spiritual energy. Her soul, on the other hand, had reshaped itself through cultivating the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars. However, this resulted in a decrease in the compatibility between her body and soul. To restore her past completeness was truly not easy.
The various medicinal herbs and precious materials were successively sent into the Yulan Hall, each one a rare treasure. Many of the pills listed on the order were actually auxiliary ingredients for the Qilin Life-Returning Fruit. Luo Lingfeng casually refined them while monitoring Wei Yunshu’s condition. The moment her soul re-entered her body, she had fallen asleep. But if her soul remained in a state of dormancy, she might never wake up again. Luo Lingfeng naturally did not wish to see such an outcome. She frowned and urged the Heavenly Imprisonment Lock. The golden chains that had already bound the physical body then pierced into Wei Yunshu’s soul. The golden pattern on her forehead became increasingly distinct.
“Still not waking up?” Luo Lingfeng said softly, her brows furrowed. Her sleeves fluttered in the wind, and a faint melancholy shrouded her eyes. The cauldron hummed, and several formed pills leaped out, landing in Luo Lingfeng’s palm like jade pearls. Luo Lingfeng walked towards Wei Yunshu, sat on her lap, and with one hand, pinched Wei Yunshu’s jaw, forcefully feeding her the pills. She placed her right palm against Wei Yunshu’s chest, using her own spiritual energy to activate and refine the medicinal effects. After a long while, upon hearing a “clink,” she released Wei Yunshu, and her sharp, murderous gaze drifted towards the source of the sound.
On the ground was a spirit beast bag, likely dropped from Wei Yunshu’s person not long ago. The opening of the bag was now untied, and a small, chubby bird, as black as ink, lay on the ground feigning death. The ice cave was filled with crystal-clear ice shards and fluttering frost flowers, making the black mass an eyesore. Luo Lingfeng’s lips curled into a cold smile. With a wave of her right hand, the Abyssal True Water leaped out. Just as it was about to smash onto the little black bird, Luo Lingfeng’s wrist was suddenly gripped by a cold hand. The next moment, the force loosened, and the hand fell powerlessly, leaving only the crisp sound of the golden chains striking the jade chair.
“Wei Yunshu…” These two words in Luo Lingfeng’s mouth were unusually lingering and evocative, as if mixed with a hint of sorrow and regret.
Wei Yunshu, however, did not even have the strength to lift her eyelids. Her face was as pale as snow. The spiritual energy and primordial qi within her clashed, and bright red blood soon overflowed from the corner of her lips, dripping onto her clothes, like scattered red plum blossoms, radiant and shocking. Luo Lingfeng lowered her gaze to the patch of blood, her eyes seemingly stained red.
Little Tai Sui secretly opened its eyes and peered at Wei Yunshu.
It had not yet found its way back and did not want Wei Yunshu to be harmed at all. It flapped its wings, shaking off some of the condensed frost flowers. The moment it moved, the suspended Abyssal True Water began to churn, emitting a buzzing sound. Even with an indestructible demonic body, Little Tai Sui did not want to endure a few blows. It harbored a primal fear of that ferocious woman.
Luo Lingfeng reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of Wei Yunshu’s lips, her brows tightly furrowed. She tapped the jade chair with her left hand, and with a cracking sound, the jade chair turned into fragments. As Wei Yunshu was about to fall into the jade shards, Luo Lingfeng reached out and grabbed the golden chain, with a gentle tug, pulling Wei Yunshu into her embrace.
“Chirp—” Little Tai Sui called out weakly.
The coldness in Luo Lingfeng’s eyes was sharper than frost and snow. With a wave of her sleeve, a three-legged bronze cauldron landed on the ground. The cauldron was ancient, with sun, moon, and star patterns arranged in sequence. Luo Lingfeng threw the vomiting Wei Yunshu into the cauldron and then swept the remaining medicinal ingredients into it, preparing to refine them together. Spiritual energy surged, and upon contact with the bronze cauldron, it instantly transformed into all-consuming flames, almost engulfing the cauldron.
Little Tai Sui was dumbfounded and stammered, “Eats, eats, eats people—”
Luo Lingfeng gave Little Tai Sui a cold glance. “Be quiet.” Within the cauldron were nine strands of Three Light Essential Qi, which she had collected in the past. Originally, there was a full cauldron’s worth, but after refinement, only a little more than half remained. Finally, it was placed in the spiritual vein and washed by pure spiritual energy to remove impurities, leaving only the nine strands of essential qi. These nine strands of essential qi materialized as white light, their momentum fierce, as if wanting to burst out of the cauldron. However, the flames licked at them, and their escape route was blocked. After circling several times, they shot into Wei Yunshu’s physical body like lightning.
Wei Yunshu cultivated the three lights of the sun, moon, and stars, so these nine strands of essential qi naturally matched her perfectly. After the essential qi entered her body, the medicinal effects amplified by the cauldron transformed into wisps of light and mist, circling her a few times before slowly integrating into her body. These were excellent for nourishing the origin, and their collection was not a matter of a few days. Although Luo Lingfeng had made a list and retrieved many medicinal ingredients from the Cloud City treasure vault, those alone were not enough. More were brought from the Dustless Sea. The Dustless Sea was vast, with countless islands, boundless, and its rare treasures were held by only one family. If it came to wealth, the three sects were no match for the old dragon of the Dustless Sea.
For Wei Yunshu’s soul and body to be perfectly merged was not something that could be accomplished in a few days. Luo Lingfeng patiently used her own pure spiritual energy as the kindling, activating the medicinal effects within the cauldron and channeling them into the physical body. In the vast ice cave, the ice shards were like hanging pillars, emitting cold air in all directions. However, in less than half a day, all the ice melted, continuously filling the pool and transforming the place into an ocean of mist-laden water.
Little Tai Sui feared Luo Lingfeng, but finding that she was wholeheartedly focused on refining the medicinal effects in the cauldron, it quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Its black feathers were dampened by the humid mist. Little Tai Sui jumped onto a nearby stone platform and meticulously groomed itself, occasionally glancing into the cauldron. It had a contract with Wei Yunshu and could sense her somewhat. Once it confirmed that Wei Yunshu’s aura had not disappeared and was even increasing, it stopped paying attention and lay down to sleep on the stone.
Cloud City.
Yun Yong and Su Lanyin knew that Luo Lingfeng was in the forbidden area, but they did not rush in immediately. They needed the City Cloud Sovereign to restrain Cloud City’s Dao artifact, so they naturally had to wait for Luo Lingfeng’s success. However, this process would take at least half a year, and at most several years. No one knew when Luo Lingfeng and Wei Yunshu would emerge.
Su Lanyin frowned, feeling somewhat restless. “Are we just going to wait here?”
Yun Yong said calmly, “Let’s wait for half a year first.” He paused, then added, “Currently, those three families are desperately pushing their clan disciples to achieve the Cavern Heaven realm. The more people who succeed, the more assistance we will have.”
Su Lanyin: “How can the Cavern Heaven realm be achieved so easily?”
Yun Yong said sternly, “At least the heavens are aligned.” The more chaotic it became, the more people would respond to the will of the heavens, this was the ‘opportunity for survival’ given by this world amidst tribulation. The Fu Li Immortal Realm was already showing signs of disorder. The secrets of the ‘Shang Qing Divine Realm’ and ‘ascension’ had long since spread, causing unrest among cultivators and confusion in their Dao thoughts.
Su Lanyin nodded silently.
Time passed like a white steed flashing by, swift and fleeting.
Cloud City remained as usual. If there was anything unusual, it was that none of the clan disciples who had left had returned. The usually prosperous and lively entertainment districts appeared rather quiet. As for the elders of each clan, their only thought was to improve their cultivation. Where would they have the time to care about those unmotivated and untalented disciples?
The mountains and seas of clouds, ever-changing, with a majestic aura flowing like the wind, faintly revealing the Dharma Manifestation of a Cavern Heaven True Monarch. Yet, Yun Yong and Su Lanyin, who had been cultivating in seclusion in their cave dwellings, reappeared. Their eyes were fixed on the Yulan Hall, trying to discern the spiritual energy emanating from it.
In the past six months, many events had occurred in the Fu Li Immortal Realm.
First, Shi Wufang, the eldest disciple of Buzhou, had advanced into the Cavern Heaven realm; then, the five primordial demons from the Corridor of Sins had slaughtered evil cultivators, piling their corpses at the foot of the Great Wall for ten thousand miles… But among those events, the most significant was the ‘returnees’ to the Fu Li Immortal Realm. Besides the Daoist Wan Ling, another had arrived. This Daoist was of human origin, named Wen Baixian, an elder from Xiaohan Mountain three thousand five hundred years ago. His sect leader at the time had not ascended, but he became the first. Upon his arrival, he had, together with the Daoist Wan Ling, opened a spiritual path called the ‘Wu Shi Sect’ and was widely recruiting disciples for the Fu Li Immortal Realm. After news of the Shang Qing Divine Realm spread, many yearned for the Divine Realm. On the day the sect was founded, ten thousand people flocked to the mountain to seek the Dao, their arrogance clearly overshadowing the major sects!
With the establishment of the Wu Shi Sect, Wen Baixian sent them an invitation. They declined, citing the “troubled times of Cloud City.” However, the other party simply smiled and left behind a message: “It’s fine, the Shang Qing Supreme has prepared a ascension talisman for both True Monarchs.” The ‘ascension talisman’ was a treasure talisman refined by immortal beings from the Shang Qing Divine Realm with their own great power, allowing entry into the Divine Realm without needing the Dao Fruit realm to break through the barrier. Yun Yong and Su Lanyin, aiming for ascension, how could they not be swayed?
“Once we have the ascension talismans, we can leave behind this mess,” Su Lanyin sighed. “But if Luo Lingfeng is not eliminated, my heart will not be appeased.”
Yun Yong nodded and said slowly, “No need to rush. We can wait until all matters in Cloud City are resolved, and then we can inquire further.” Although news of the Shang Qing Divine Realm had spread, and many cultivators had gone to the Wu Shi Sect to join their ranks, Buzhou did not heed the Wu Shi Sect. They did not obey the Divine Lord and resolutely blocked the five primordial demons outside the Great Wall for ten thousand miles. Buzhou’s efforts over thousands of years had also garnered many followers. Even if past ascended cultivators returned, it would not be so easy to suppress Buzhou.
“The Fu Li Immortal Realm is a part of the Shang Qing Divine Realm, it was merely severed from it by the combined efforts of the sect ancestors. I heard that in the Southern Continent, they are actively constructing altars and establishing rituals, hoping to return the Immortal Realm to the Shang Qing.” After a pause, Su Lanyin added, “I can’t tell if this is a good thing or a bad thing.”
“If it were a good thing, Buzhou would not be obstructing it.” Although much slander had been directed at Buzhou, Yun Yong understood the nature of those sword cultivators. He thought for a moment and then said, “Buzhou firmly believes that the five from the Northern Continent are demons, and the reasons they provide are likely true.” Yun Yong leaned towards the theory that cultivators descending from the upper realm had reached some agreement with the Northern Continent. After thinking for a while, Yun Yong felt increasingly frustrated. Finally, he said, “If the sky falls, Buzhou Peak will bear the brunt. Let’s not worry about it for now.” Saying that, he focused his gaze on the direction of the Yulan Hall, afraid of missing even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.
Another half year passed.
Little Tai Sui lay on the stone platform, its eyes darting about. The cave was misty and ethereal, and Luo Lingfeng, seated within, exuded an aura even more like an immortal. Initially, she would use the Abyssal True Water to threaten Little Tai Sui. Later, she wholeheartedly focused on channeling the flames, not even bothering to spare the incessantly chirping black bird a glance.
Little Tai Sui flapped its wings and boldly hopped onto Luo Lingfeng’s shoulder. It tilted its head, looking at the treasure cauldron wrapped in flames, and curiously asked, “Doesn’t it tire you to constantly use spiritual energy to activate flames?” In its opinion, finding a fire-attribute Dharma artifact would suffice to activate the flames, eliminating the need to consume one’s own spiritual energy. After Little Tai Sui spoke, it did not expect a response from Luo Lingfeng, as Luo Lingfeng had never paid it any attention in the past year.
A light laugh sounded. Luo Lingfeng, whom Little Tai Sui had assumed would ignore it, slowly said, “I am willing.” She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the darkness in her eyes. She stood up and unleashed her spiritual energy. A low roar echoed, emanating from the bronze cauldron and spreading in all directions, growing louder and louder. Wind rose from the flat ground, and the flames that had been licking at the bronze cauldron were scattered like sparks, flickering dimly and brightly, suddenly adding a touch of eeriness. Little Tai Sui was almost blown off by the wind. It spread its wings, tightly gripping Luo Lingfeng’s shoulder, but the next moment, with a dizzying sensation, it was pulled into Luo Lingfeng’s embrace. Looking up, it saw Luo Lingfeng’s stern and icy expression. It blinked, and the coldness disappeared, replaced by a voluptuous smile, as if the previous chill was merely an illusion.
Little Tai Sui dared not linger in Luo Lingfeng’s embrace. It flapped its wings and struggled free, like a black lightning bolt, disappearing to another side in an instant. Luo Lingfeng paid it no mind. She merely smiled, waved her sleeve to disperse the swirling mist, and calmly looked towards the entrance.
The surging aura and muffled rumbling were not hidden from Yun Yong and Su Lanyin.
They had waited a year, precisely for this opportune moment. With the power of Cavern Heaven True Monarchs, the forbidden area’s formations could not stop them. They had simply not wanted to break ties with Luo Lingfeng and had refrained from forcefully entering the forbidden area. However, times had changed. With a great explosion, the towering pavilion shattered into pieces amidst the surging spiritual energy. Thunder rumbled in the high heavens, and the previously clear clouds turned dark, as if the sky were collapsing. The cultivators in Cloud City were all startled by the explosion and flocked to the highest floating island. However, when they looked up, they saw the dazzling Dharma Manifestation of the Cavern Heaven.
“What is going on?” the uninformed cultivators exclaimed, their hearts pounding.
“That person has brought back the City Cloud Sovereign. But as you all know, she has been mad for a long time, and now she is even more deranged, intending to refine the City Cloud Sovereign into her puppet.” The stewards of the noble families produced the explanations they had already prepared. The rumors spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of the cultivators in Cloud City in an instant. Whether they believed some of it was irrelevant. They only needed to know that after many years, Cloud City was about to experience another change in power.
The formation barriers were all broken. The forbidden area, once used to imprison criminals, appeared before them with a drastically different appearance from their memories. The abundant spiritual energy, initially blocked by the formation, now surged out like a torrent without restraint, rushing in all directions. Yun Yong was stunned at first, then his expression turned extremely unsightly. How could the forbidden area appear like a blessed land? Even if it were to be completely transformed, it would take hundreds of years for one person, unless, unless—Yun Yong and Su Lanyin exchanged glances, finding their answer in each other’s eyes filled with a hint of fear!
Unless the spiritual vein was tampered with! But why did no one notice the anomaly of the Eastern Continent’s spiritual vein?! No wonder Luo Lingfeng was able to cultivate to the Cavern Heaven realm in secret!
“She and Luo Hengjun are indeed father and daughter, of the same ilk!” Yun Yong gritted his teeth, his hatred deepening.
As he spoke, a pale blue light streaked out, instantly transforming into vast sword energy, smashing towards the front.
Yun Yong frowned and took a step back. The sword light suddenly shifted, drawing a magnificent long river in the air, lying horizontally before him. Sword light and water light shimmered, the Milky Way serving as a boundary, difficult for ordinary people to cross. Yun Yong snorted at the sight and said, “Do you think this minor setback can stop us?” He unleashed his spiritual energy, and clouds and mist formed a bridge over the long river. Countless sparks flickered and died along the bridge. Upon closer inspection, it was sword qi moving and slashing, the faint sounds of cutting constant.
Yun Yong looked up at the other side.
Clouds and mist floated, sword qi flowed like light, hazy and dreamlike.
As if by agreement, he glimpsed a trace of red, like an ominous red moon.