After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 75

Thunderous roars echoed through the Dustless Sea of clouds, like immense thunderclaps exploding within the clouds before reaching the mortal realm. Vast tides of water hung suspended in the sky, resembling a galaxy turned upside down, poised to pour down at any moment.
Yun Yong’s expression was grim. Memories from years ago were deeply etched into his soul, and everything before him felt like a reenactment of a past scene. A tremor buried deep within his heart resurfaced. Sensing a trace of instinctual fear, Yun Yong’s face grew even more troubled.
It was also in Cloud City, amidst a sky filled with water tides, and a sinister, inauspicious red—the color of blood! When their group returned from the Abyssal Vortex, their thoughts weren’t on their injuries, but on the immense power within their grasp. They had never taken Luo Lingfeng seriously! In their complete lack of preparedness, Luo Lingfeng’s aura had suddenly surged to the Cavern Heaven realm. Her movements were lightning-fast. The four Nascent Soul True Monarchs accompanying them didn’t even have time to react before their bodies and spirits were utterly annihilated!
That day, Cloud City was drenched in blood. Afterward, the noble families chose to retreat.
This “retreat” became an indelible hatred and resentment in their hearts.
However, today, that hatred would be leveled. Yun Yong thought to himself, and a laugh escaped his lips. His expression was peculiar, a blend of panic and triumph, as if two faces were forcibly plastered together.
“True Monarch Luo, stop it,” Yun Yong sighed, his gaze falling on Luo Lingfeng, whose figure was gradually becoming clearer. “The Fu Li Immortal Realm is already facing catastrophe. Your actions now only make things difficult for everyone.” He pointed forward, and a beam of sword light leaped out, unleashing a powerful sword wind that swept away the sword energy on the cloud bridge. He noticed something amiss with Luo Lingfeng’s aura, like a fire half-consumed. Though still blazing fiercely, it had passed its peak and was slowly declining. A moment’s thought revealed the problem. When she manifested her avatar externally, her essence had been considerably depleted. This past year, she had used her own spiritual energy to activate medicinal properties, attempting to refine the Cloud Sovereign—a process that consumed a massive amount of spiritual energy! This was Luo Lingfeng’s most weakened moment; truly, heaven was aiding him. Yun Yong’s thoughts churned. He released his Dharma Manifestation, and the heavens reappeared, pressing down on the water tides in the air.
Su Lanyin also moved to meet them, releasing several streams of Taiyi Xuan Light, akin to raging flames, towards the vast water tides. As the Xuan Light erupted, it was like suns exploding, incredibly fierce and domineering. Together with the heavens, they pushed forward. Within a few breaths, they shattered the river of stars and pressed closer to Luo Lingfeng. These two were determined to kill Luo Lingfeng, unleashing several immensely powerful divine abilities with their first moves. Luo Lingfeng merely observed them with cold indifference as the water of the Heavenly River suddenly cascaded down. The Abyssal True Water transformed into a vast expanse, submerging the entire Cloud City. The water surged and flowed, its crackling sounds particularly jarring.
Neither Yun Yong nor Su Lanyin had cultivated water techniques, and their movements were somewhat restricted within this Abyssal True Water. However, Yun Yong had suffered losses during a past tribulation and had devised some countermeasures. His eyes sharpened, and a dark, glossy light shot from his sleeve, circling his body like a dragon’s shadow. This dark light was a magic artifact refined from the spirits of aquatic creatures, possessing the ability to control water. As the dark light appeared, it was as if an unseen force was crushing the water tides, pushing them away from Yun Yong’s sides. Su Lanyin, on the other hand, inhaled deeply and used his fiery Taiyi Xuan Light to resist. Although underwater, the suffocating sensation of being crushed by Mount Tai vanished. The two stared fixedly in Luo Lingfeng’s direction, releasing their respective magic artifacts and clashing fiercely with the wandering Abyssal True Water.
Luo Lingfeng gazed ahead, her movements unhurried. Hearing the high-pitched sounds of rocks splitting and the heavens being rent within the water, the smile on her lips deepened. She slowly activated the Abyssal True Water, and the previously repelled water tides instantly surged back towards Yun Yong and Su Lanyin. The wandering dark spirits emitted a shrill cry, and within moments, they were completely eroded, leaving only a wisp of residual aura, which was then scattered by the waves. Yun Yong was startled and quickly steadied himself, flicking his sleeve to send spiritual energy towards the colliding Abyssal True Water. He turned to look at Su Lanyin. Su Lanyin remained composed. His Taiyi Xuan Light burned the water tides, and as he channeled his spiritual energy, countless fiery arrows shot forth, converging into a golden-red radiance that directly pierced the vast water, its light illuminating the sky. The boundless water instantly transformed into a sea of fire.
This was a divine ability cultivated by Su Lanyin, known as “Prairie Igniting Flames” As long as a single spark remained, the flames would surge again, unless the opponent could instantly extinguish all the fire seeds. However, how could these myriad fire seeds be easily extinguished? Seeing the water vapor rise, Su Lanyin snorted coldly and produced a magic artifact. As he activated it, threads of light overflowed from the artifact, drifting and scattering into the water like swimming fish.
Luo Lingfeng had resided in Cloud City for decades and was intimately familiar with the elder families and their various artifacts. The moment Su Lanyin produced his artifact, she recognized it as “Four Directions Obey.” It would subtly alter the surrounding space, and if allowed to continue, that body of water would become imbued with the artifact’s aura, eventually becoming an area controlled by Su Lanyin. Luo Lingfeng would not allow the threads of light to persist in the water. She sneered, and the three hundred and sixty drops of Abyssal True Water instantly changed direction, striking towards Su Lanyin. The immense momentum stirred up towering water tides, and amidst successive explosions, it was as if the heavens were collapsing.
Seeing Su Lanyin holding Luo Lingfeng at bay, Yun Yong’s heart suddenly relaxed. He flicked his sleeve and unleashed his lightning techniques. Lightning, fire, and surging tides erupted simultaneously, their brilliance flashing and extinguishing, creating an apocalyptic scene. In truth, there was another method to deal with the Abyssal True Water, but Yun Yong’s eyes flickered, and he ultimately decided not to deploy that method at this moment.
Luo Lingfeng saw the approaching lightning and firelight. She reached into the void and drew out a brightly shining sword. With a flick of her left hand, hundreds of thousands of lightning bolts shot forward. With her right hand, she raised her sword, and amidst the rumbling thunder, a resonant sword cry gradually drowned out all else.
As the traces of qi reflected into Yun Yong’s eyes, the lightning and fire had already vanished. Within the compressing true water, countless invisible sword energies flew, their rustling sounds incessant. Sword light swirled and vanished within the water. In a single breath, it sliced through the fire seeds settled on the water, sweeping away the blazing flames. The sword remained unchanged; regardless of what it faced, it struck with a single blow.
“Her swordsmanship complements her water techniques. As long as there is water, her sword energy can disappear and reappear anywhere, making it impossible to defend against,” Yun Yong transmitted to Su Lanyin. The disciples of Buzhou cultivated sword intent, and at its peak, sword intent was like a thought, roaming freely between heaven and earth. Luo Lingfeng did not solely focus on the way of the sword, but within this Abyssal True Water, she possessed some of Buzhou’s high-level swordsmanship. “I beseech you to intercept her for a moment,” Yun Yong added.
Su Lanyin nodded without hesitation.
Seeing Su Lanyin channeling his spiritual energy forward, Yun Yong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a long-necked treasure bottle from his sleeve. Upon removing the stopper, a brown radiance shot out, falling into the Abyssal True Water. Within a few breaths, it rapidly grew, transforming into an isolated island on the water. This item was named “Xirang”. Ancient texts recorded: “Xirang, meaning earth that grows endlessly, can thus dam floods.” Cloud City had always preserved Xirang in preparation for dealing with the Luoshui Divine Palace. Many disciples of the Luoshui Divine Palace cultivated water techniques, and upon the appearance of Xirang, it could transform the vast waters into land, making it difficult for their opponents to use water-based divine abilities.
However, Xirang itself, besides its infinite growth and ability to block water waves, possessed no defensive capabilities. Once Luo Lingfeng’s sword energy attacked, Xirang would likely not last even a single breath. Therefore, Yun Yong produced another seed. He dropped the seed into the Xirang and then used his own spiritual energy to activate the tree seed, causing it to grow rapidly. In less than an hour, the seed grew into a large tree, ten feet tall, its branches drooping with streams of green light.
This tree seed was named “Qingshen Wood”, which Yun Yong had obtained by chance. It could absorb surrounding spiritual energy and transform the nearby space into its own domain, its defensive capabilities not inferior to a true artifact. Seeing the divine wood grow, Yun Yong immediately leaped onto a branch and found a spot to sit. Su Lanyin, seeing that Yun Yong had activated Xirang and Qingshen Wood and had repelled the sword light with several fiery arrows, also turned into a stream of light and flew onto the tree. Their Daoist techniques and divine abilities had been suppressed in the water. Now, sitting on the tree, both exhaled a breath of relief, releasing the pent-up oppression in their hearts.
“If Lancheng and the others had brought Xirang back then, they wouldn’t have been defeated,” Su Lanyin said with a gloomy face, feeling somewhat dejected.
Yun Yong did not respond. Whether Xirang or Qingshen Wood, both were obtained by the Yun family, and they would not have lent them to Su Lancheng or Yue Qing Tan. They themselves possessed many magic artifacts, but perhaps in their haste to kill Luo Lingfeng, they hadn’t paid enough attention and had ultimately underestimated her, leading to their demise.
“What about the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast?” Su Lanyin asked again.
Yun Yong watched Luo Lingfeng approaching the divine wood step by step and smiled faintly. “No rush.” The clouds obscuring his eyes dispersed, and he saw the bronze cauldron, its aura condensed. The being within the cauldron was guarding its essence, and it seemed it would emerge soon.
Yun Yong sighed with a hint of regret, “True Monarch Luo, why must you go this far?”
Luo Lingfeng ignored Yun Yong and released the Abyssal True Water. The dark, heavy water surged, outlining a black, dark light, like an evil dragon emerging from its lair. As the Abyssal True Water struck, the light of the divine wood only trembled slightly, while Xirang and the divine wood itself continued to grow rapidly. This divine wood could absorb spiritual energy, and Yun Yong was eager for Luo Lingfeng to attack head-on. However, when Luo Lingfeng actually did so, he became suspicious. Even he could see that the divine wood would absorb spiritual energy; how could Luo Lingfeng not? Why was she making a futile effort? Could she truly have a way to break through the divine wood?
The more Yun Yong thought about it, the more something felt amiss. He had originally intended to use this opportunity to nourish his own origin essence, but now he couldn’t sit still. He stood up and attacked Luo Lingfeng. Seeing Yun Yong act like this, Su Lanyin’s heart suddenly faltered. Fearing that something had gone wrong with the divine wood, he also began to act. As their light crossed, booming sounds echoed incessantly. Yet, amidst the explosions, Yun Yong sensed a subtle abnormality. He heard a faint, muffled groan, and his eyebrows shot up. He saw bloodstains escaping from the corner of Luo Lingfeng’s lips and exclaimed inwardly, “Good!”
“Her aura is in disarray!” Yun Yong transmitted to Su Lanyin. He was about to leap down from the divine wood but then recalled something and retreated, only releasing sword light from afar to slash at Luo Lingfeng. Su Lanyin, alerted by Yun Yong, also noticed Luo Lingfeng’s abnormality. He let out a cold snort and released the prairie igniting flames again. The moment the flames appeared, a torrent of sword energy erupted, soaring and flowing endlessly. However, after the sword light fell, several sparks still remained, even landing on Luo Lingfeng’s robes. With a boom, the flames surged again, engulfing Luo Lingfeng entirely.
Su Lanyin didn’t believe Luo Lingfeng would be burned to death, but since he had seized this opportunity, he naturally poured all his spiritual energy into it. The soaring flames illuminated the sky, turning it red, even transforming the sea of clouds into a crimson hue. A moment later, the spreading flames were indeed pushed away, and the water tides swished. Luo Lingfeng stood with her hands behind her back on the water, her eyes sharp and fierce.
Yun Yong shook his head, but seeing Luo Lingfeng’s unstable aura and her pale face, he felt re-energized. In the past, they had been injured by the Cloud Sovereign and suppressed by Luo Lingfeng while in their wounded state. Now, the situation was reversed: Luo Lingfeng was the one who was injured and depleted. Although she was capable, the spiritual energy consumed from fighting several Cavern Heaven cultivators consecutively was immense. Instead of cultivating and nourishing her origin essence, she had used her spiritual energy to refine medicinal ingredients. Everyone else was advancing; if she didn’t keep up, she was “retreating”! Seeing Luo Lingfeng recklessly bombarding the divine wood with Abyssal True Water, Yun Yong’s lips curved into a cold smile. With a thought, he released several magic artifacts, intending to obstruct her for a moment. At this point, he was no longer in a hurry.
Dark light and green waves collided, creating ripples, and amidst the agitation, countless flashes of lightning and thunder passed. A moment later, Luo Lingfeng retracted the Abyssal True Water. She took a few steps back, a look of fatigue appearing on her face, as if she had given up on targeting the divine wood. Yun Yong looked at her expression, pondering how they should act if she decided to leave. But the next moment, a chilling aura emanated from her. He fixed his gaze and saw a magic artifact appear in Luo Lingfeng’s palm, causing him to gasp in shock.
Su Lanyin on the side cried out, “Heaven and Earth United in Chaos!” This was Cloud City’s Dao Artifact. Once its restrictions were removed, it would reduce all things to chaos!
Luo Lingfeng smiled playfully, “This Qingshen Wood is indeed indestructible. I wonder how it compares to a Dao Artifact?”
Yun Yong feared she might do something reckless, but his expression remained devoid of fear, and he said coldly, “Once the restrictions are removed, heaven and earth will fall together. You won’t be able to escape either.”
“Why would I need to escape?” Luo Lingfeng smiled at Yun Yong. “The road to the Yellow Springs, with so many accompanying me, would not be a wasted life.”
If anyone else had produced a Dao Artifact, Yun Yong would not have believed they intended to destroy everything. But Luo Lingfeng was different. Malice and wickedness coexisted within her. That sense of disdain and indifference was not only directed towards outsiders but also towards herself. She did not value her own life at all! The words of dissuasion leaped to his lips but were swallowed back down. He had sharp eyes and saw the aura within the bronze cauldron intensifying. He guessed that the person inside was likely about to emerge! His thoughts raced like lightning. He formed a hand seal and immediately summoned the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast! Floating clouds drifted back and forth, and the soft cloud beast stepped out from mid-air with graceful strides, floating down to Yun Yong’s side. However, upon seeing Luo Lingfeng’s figure, its pupils suddenly contracted, and it instinctively retreated behind Yun Yong.
Yun Yong didn’t notice the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast’s abnormality and said softly, “Consume the puppet silk.”
The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast snorted from its nostrils, unhappy. “There are no traces of puppet silk.”
Yun Yong was stunned. A roaring sound suddenly erupted. The figure that had always been an eyesore and a thorn in his side unexpectedly became his lifeline at this moment. Pretending not to have seen the white figure, Yun Yong suddenly raised his voice, “You intend to destroy the millennia-old foundation of Cloud City!”
Luo Lingfeng smiled and asked, “And if I do?”
Yun Yong hadn’t expected Luo Lingfeng to answer so readily. He was momentarily speechless, and after a long silence, he shouted loudly, “Cloud Sovereign, are you going to stand by and watch her destroy Cloud City?” The moment Wei Yunshu emerged from the cauldron, a massive surge of spiritual energy spread throughout the heavens and earth. The radiance of the three lights swept through, and the accumulated filth vanished.
Within the bronze cauldron, Wei Yunshu had been conscious. She had witnessed everything Luo Lingfeng had done but was unable to respond in any way. This past year, the medicinal properties had circulated throughout her body, and her fragmented soul had returned to her body. During the integration process, it felt like being subjected to a thousand cuts, each pain piercing to the bone. Only when the process was completely successful and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured in did the pain disappear. The feeling of incompatibility between her divine abilities and her body was gone; she had returned to her former self. However, the confrontation before her dragged her from her dreams back to reality.
The chasm that lay before them grew deeper and wider.
Love and hate had been worn away. In the vast rivers and lakes, they could only walk their separate paths.
“Welcome, Cloud Sovereign.” Yun Yong cupped his hands in a bow towards Wei Yunshu, but he did not descend from the divine wood.
Wei Yunshu glanced at Yun Yong indifferently, as if they shared a tacit understanding; neither brought up past grievances. Her gaze shifted to Luo Lingfeng. A faint scent of blood wafted in the wind. The words “You are injured” got stuck in her throat, and she didn’t know how to express them, so she abandoned all speech.
“An unrelated individual is in possession of Cloud City’s Dao Artifact. Cloud Sovereign, you should provide an explanation, shouldn’t you?” Su Lanyin snorted coldly.
Wei Yunshu finally noticed the “Heaven and Earth United in Chaos” in Luo Lingfeng’s hand. Such a dangerous Dao Artifact was more of a deterrent, kept locked away and unused for thousands of years. Although she knew the incantations for controlling the Dao Artifact, she had never mentioned them to anyone. She gazed at Luo Lingfeng, her eyes finally showing a hint of inquiry.
Luo Lingfeng flicked her sleeve, nonchalantly saying, “A mere Dao Artifact. Does one need to be taught how to wield it?”
Wei Yunshu: “…”
She looked at Yun Yong and Su Lanyin on the divine wood, a hint of malice in her eyes. She activated her sword intent, and streams of sword light instantly shot towards the large tree. Yun Yong was startled by her action, but then he saw the green light descend, and the sword energy was still unable to penetrate the inner defenses, only then did he calm down. He glared at Luo Lingfeng angrily and shouted, “You have unprovokedly killed my Cloud City’s Cavern Heaven cultivators. This hatred must be avenged!” He didn’t know why there were no puppet silks on Wei Yunshu, but since she was conscious and not controlled by Luo Lingfeng, he declared righteously, “Cloud Sovereign, have you forgotten the oaths you swore before the Grand Ancestor? Do you not wish for revenge?”
Su Lanyin said hatefully, “This villain is already heavily injured. The blame for our actions can be discussed after we kill her!” He was certain that the Cloud Sovereign had a benevolent nature and knew that she truly prioritized Cloud City’s future. Among everyone in Cloud City, the one who cared most about the future of the Cloud Sect was the Cloud Sovereign. While the various families planned for the sect’s future, they still considered their own family’s situation. But the Cloud Sovereign was different; she only had Cloud City. Before Cloud City, even a revenge for murder could be postponed.
Seeing a look of stunned realization on Wei Yunshu’s face, Su Lanyin thought he had persuaded her and pressed on, “The culprits of the past have already been mostly eliminated. Our deaths are insignificant, but many disciples of our clan are innocent.”
Yun Yong also added, “News from the Shang Qing Divine Realm has spread everywhere. Past Ascended True Monarchs have returned to the Immortal Realm, establishing new sects and passing down their lineages. However, Buzhou Peak refuses to yield, and the entire Immortal Realm is in turmoil. If Cloud City were to descend into internal strife again, it would create opportunities for villains.” They disdained “righteousness” in their hearts, but they knew that the word “righteousness” could crush naive gentlemen like Wei Yunshu!
Wei Yunshu frowned.
Cloud City’s Dao Artifact possessed the characteristic of “mutual destruction.” It could not be used until the critical moment. “Heaven and Earth United in Chaos” had restrictions; once its power was unleashed, it was extremely potent. No one knew whether it would reduce Cloud City or the entire world to “nothingness.” A fierce wind howled, and spiritual tides surged like the sea, flowing wantonly.
Wei Yunshu turned her gaze to Luo Lingfeng. Her white hair fluttered in the wind, her expression cold and sharp, her lips curled into a sneer of mockery and irony. Her deep eyes were as crimson as a sea of blood, yet mixed with a hint of emptiness. A blush spread across the corner of her eyes like flying rosy clouds, and then the rosy clouds began to move, slowly flowing down her cheeks, leaving a dazzling, vibrant red mark. Wei Yunshu’s heart suddenly tightened, as if grasped by an invisible hand. The fleeting images flashed and vanished, catching nothing but emptiness.
At some unknown time, the surging waters had transformed into an inverted waterfall of blood.
The wind grew increasingly fierce, and within the sky-obscuring blood-red, a shocking aura permeated.
Wei Yunshu’s heart pounded like a drum, thump-thump-thump, dispelling the extraneous sounds in her ears.
It felt like a long time, or perhaps only an instant, before Wei Yunshu finally emerged from her daze. She heard Luo Lingfeng’s laughter.
“You think, how did I cultivate to the Cavern Heaven realm?”
Wei Yunshu abruptly raised her eyes, her gaze directly colliding with Luo Lingfeng’s, as if falling into an abyss filled with malice.
“Come on, like them, try to kill me.”
On her pale, almost sickly face, emotions like mockery, anticipation, excitement, and joy surfaced.
The extraordinary strangeness plunged Wei Yunshu into an icy abyss.
She lowered her eyelids, and a sharp, fierce sword cry resounded. In her right hand, she tightly gripped the Taiyi Sword.
The water droplet pattern on her forehead glowed with a faint golden light. The moment the bell-like chime sounded, the Prison Heaven Lock had yet to manifest before being suppressed by sword intent, until that golden light vanished.
The Universal True Form Map had drawn spiritual essence from at least the Southern Continent, Eastern Continent, and the Dustless Sea. With it present, Luo Lingfeng wouldn’t need to deplete her own spiritual energy to refine large amounts of medicinal properties! To say “I am willing” was clearly “I am doing it intentionally”! She was always like this, endlessly so, even at the cost of self-harm to test others. It was truly vexing!