After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 80

The long-unheard greeting swept through Wei Yunshu’s heart like a spring breeze, pulling her closer to Luo Lingfeng in her dazed state.
But Wei Yunshu quickly regained her senses, disbelieving Luo Lingfeng’s “help.”
“Did you think you could leave Cloud City so easily?” Luo Lingfeng raised her hand and tapped Wei Yunshu’s brow. A droplet, as if cut from gold leaf, flowed with a faint radiance, quietly dormant within Wei Yunshu. When Wei Yunshu didn’t reply, Luo Lingfeng added, “Shi Wufang said I regretted it. I thought about it later, and what she said made a lot of sense. The shortcut to eliminating obsessions is to destroy the root cause, but it’s strange. Ever since I met you, I haven’t thought about killing you again.”
Wei Yunshu: “…” Regret? The spilled moonlight illuminated Luo Lingfeng’s face, like water on a lake, rippling gently. Her features were soft, as if the sorrow and hardship of the past few years had vanished. They were still in Cloud City, presenting the image of a couple with “harmonious melodies” in the eyes of others. Who looks like this when they regret something? They must be trying to fool ghosts! But then again, Luo Lingfeng wasn’t a normal person, so anything she did seemed unsurprising. A moment later, Wei Yunshu shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind. She didn’t dwell on the word “regret,” but instead continued, “I have removed the evil mechanism from the Sacred Heart. Today, I will return it to you.”
Luo Lingfeng looked at Wei Yunshu deeply, a strange smile appearing on her face. She softly agreed, “Good.”
The words of persuasion that had lingered on her lips vanished completely. Wei Yunshu still remembered Luo Lingfeng’s dislike and resistance towards this object. This simple “good” came too easily, and Wei Yunshu dared not believe it. In her stunned silence, Luo Lingfeng let out a short laugh. The surroundings suddenly fell silent, leaving only the rumbling sound of waves crashing against the cliff. Wei Yunshu earnestly observed Luo Lingfeng’s expression, yet felt as if everything was blurred through a layer of water.
“It is indeed mine and should return to my hands, but Wei Yunshu—” Luo Lingfeng paused for a moment. She met Wei Yunshu’s eyes, smiled slightly, and slowly said, “How will you return it to me?”
Wei Yunshu replied without hesitation, “I will protect you while you meditate.” She didn’t know if Luo Lingfeng, after obtaining the Sacred Heart, would do as she wished. She wasn’t trying to relive old dreams, but rather to find a new path in the perilous Fu Li Immortal Realm.
“Alright,” Luo Lingfeng was still smiling.
Wei Yunshu felt a bit dazed. Her gaze fell upon Luo Lingfeng’s Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation. In the vast, immeasurable water curtain, countless heavy waters surged, emitting deafening roars. The manifestation was ever-changing. For a moment, she seemed to see a sea of corpses and blood, with thousands of vengeful spirits howling excitedly at the bottom of the abyss. Wei Yunshu’s expression drastically changed; “ugly” was no longer a sufficient description.
“What’s wrong?” Luo Lingfeng blinked. She raised her hand and grasped Wei Yunshu’s wrist, pulling her hand down from her shoulder. With a gentle touch of her fingertips, the invisible “Heavenly Imprisonment Lock” manifested, emitting dazzling golden rays. Before reshaping Wei Yunshu’s form and spirit, she had infused the artifact into Wei Yunshu’s dao body. As the medicinal power was refined, the Heavenly Imprisonment Lock had become tightly intertwined with Wei Yunshu’s spirit, making it impossible to easily detach.
Wei Yunshu pursed her lips. Countless golden threads intertwined to form a giant net that descended from above, covering the sky and firmly locking her within, unable to break free. “Release it.” After a long silence, Wei Yunshu finally spoke two words.
Luo Lingfeng gave a light snort and lowered her gaze to the Heavenly Imprisonment Lock. Her fingertips brushed against the cool golden chain. “Don’t make demands that make things difficult for me.” She looked directly at Wei Yunshu, contemplating what it would be like if she had imprisoned her in Cloud City until now. Her expression was calm, as if the perversity and cruelty that had shadowed her were completely washed away by a torrential rain.
Hearing this answer, Wei Yunshu wasn’t too disappointed. Having experienced so much, her vain hopes had long died. She had learned not to expect anything from Luo Lingfeng. Taking a step back, she increased the distance between them. “Tomorrow.” Wei Yunshu said concisely, her tone indifferent and detached.
Luo Lingfeng sighed softly. “Why wait?” She raised a finger, and a sliver of light appeared on her fingertip. She pressed it forcefully against her chest.
Warm blood splattered onto her, and Wei Yunshu felt a wave of dizziness. Her heart pounded with terrifying intensity, as if it would leap out of her chest. A hard stone seemed to lodge in her throat. Her pupils reflected a expanse of blood. She couldn’t utter a single word. Under the moonlight, the waves were calm. Amidst the encompassing silence from all sides, Wei Yunshu struggled to squeeze out two words: “Luo Lingfeng…”
Blood dripped from her fingertips onto the ground. Luo Lingfeng seemed unfazed by the pain. She moved closer to Wei Yunshu and smiled, “This time is perfect.”
Wei Yunshu: “…” In her stunned shock, her hanging hand was suddenly grasped by Luo Lingfeng. Before she could react, Luo Lingfeng pulled her hand directly into her chest cavity! A dull thunderclap exploded, and her vision was filled with a bloody light. Wei Yunshu’s face stiffened, and in utter panic, she pulled her right hand away. She looked down at her blood-stained hand—besides red, there were also golden-red specks like gravel. Wei Yunshu belatedly realized that in Luo Lingfeng’s chest, at that spot, was not the heart Wu Huan had implanted. If it wasn’t a “heart,” then what was it? Her ears roared. She stared blankly at Luo Lingfeng, her thoughts as if falling into a fire, burning away bit by bit.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes held a hint of wickedness. She was still smiling, with a breathtaking, strange beauty. “The heart that Wu Huan refined was mixed with all sorts of miscellaneous things. How could I let it remain within me? But what is missing must be filled, isn’t it? My avatar, which sprouted blood thorns from the Chaos Tree, has not disappeared. Something else is feeding the blood thorns. As for my avatar, she remains in that chaotic space leading to the Corridor of Sins, gathering Tai Sui golden sand to completely forge a heart with the golden sand.”
“Tai Sui golden sand.” Wei Yunshu felt an even deeper chill upon hearing Luo Lingfeng’s nonchalant words. Tai Sui golden sand was an evil creature that grew in the Corridor of Sins. Back then, it was out of necessity; how could she actively seek it out?! “You, you—”
“Hush.” Luo Lingfeng raised a hand to her lips and smiled. “Do you want to say that Tai Sui golden sand is an evil object for demonic cultivation? But for me, it’s like the cloud sand that immortal sect cultivators can use, providing a continuous source of power. Isn’t that interesting? My body can actually contain all the evils of the world. Now, do you have confidence in returning the Sacred Heart to my body?” A stream of blood spurted out, splashing onto Wei Yunshu’s snow-white clothes. Trembling, she met Luo Lingfeng’s eyes. In the blood-red light, the suppressed madness from before was fully revealed. Wei Yunshu felt a strong sense of unease. Every word Luo Lingfeng spoke put immense pressure on her.
Luo Lingfeng stared intently at Wei Yunshu, observing her changing expression. Finally, she let out a light chuckle. “You want to kill me, now is the time.”
One thing after another surged like a tide, spreading into a sea of even deeper despair. Each word was as cruel as a sharp blade, slicing open the sliver of hope she still held. Wei Yunshu’s face was pale, and she felt extremely dizzy. She looked at Luo Lingfeng and slowly raised her hand. Although they were within reach, she felt as if they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, forever unattainable. Kill Luo Lingfeng? Her ears buzzed. A sharp voice in her heart shouted “No!” She cast several incantations, stopping Luo Lingfeng’s bleeding, pulled her hand, and hastily fled towards Phoenix Mountain.
The island was brightly lit.
Phoenix Lord, wanting to obtain more information from the little Tai Sui, spared no expense in feeding it rare heavenly treasures.
The little Tai Sui was joyful and carefree. After tirelessly consuming a massive amount of spiritual fruits, it lay on the couch, its belly round and its consciousness hazy.
With a bang.
The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows. Before Phoenix Lord could even make out their expressions, they saw the other party sweep in like the wind, startling her greatly. Seeing the viscous bloodstains on Wei Yunshu’s palms and cheeks, she stammered out “you two” in shock, and was then rendered speechless by the wound on Luo Lingfeng’s chest. Wei Yunshu coldly placed Luo Lingfeng on the couch. The little Tai Sui instantly woke from its slumber, bounced up, and landed on the other corner of the bed. Seeing Wei Yunshu’s stern face, it let out a small “chirp,” not daring to make trouble.
Wei Yunshu remained silent. A stack of talismans flew from her sleeve. These talismans landed on the bed, red pillars, walls, and even seeped into the bricks and stones. Dense, mysterious inscriptions flowed with golden light, then silently disappeared. These were all talismans for confinement and demon suppression; even immortals would find it difficult to break free.
Phoenix Lord clicked her tongue. “What are you—”
Wei Yunshu turned to look at Phoenix Lord. A hint of sorrow appeared in her clear black and white eyes. She softly said, “The Sacred Heart has returned to its body.”
Her dao body and spirit had been separated for only a few years, while Luo Lingfeng had lost the Sacred Heart for over a hundred years. Day after day, it was refined by Luo Hengjun, long having transformed from a part of “flesh and blood” into an “artifact.” Returning the “Sacred Heart” to Luo Lingfeng was akin to placing a “puppet heart” into a heartless shell. The only difference was that the heart was originally Luo Lingfeng’s own.
Wei Yunshu’s thoughts raced, but her hands moved swiftly. The transparent red crystalline Sacred Heart flew out and was driven into Luo Lingfeng’s body. If there had been a “fake heart” there, she would simply replace the “fake” one. But instead, there was “Tai Sui golden sand.” What would happen if the Sacred Heart became entangled with Tai Sui golden sand? Wei Yunshu dared not gamble. She couldn’t peel the Tai Sui golden sand from Luo Lingfeng’s body, only drive it away and set up layers of confinement to prevent it from polluting the Sacred Heart.
Luo Lingfeng watched Wei Yunshu with cold eyes, as if fulfilling her earlier agreement to “good.” She offered no resistance, even allowing the overwhelming drowsiness to engulf her consciousness, slowly sinking into a dark dream. Wei Yunshu pressed her fingers to Luo Lingfeng’s brow. A vast amount of spiritual energy poured in, and golden patterns flickered on her fingertips. But just as the golden patterns were about to manifest, Wei Yunshu abruptly withdrew her hand. As if remembering something, she glanced at Phoenix Lord, who was watching with amusement from the side.
Phoenix Lord shivered under that chilling gaze, got up, and walked a few steps. She picked up the little Tai Sui, which was huddled in a corner, and with light steps, walked out of the hall, leaving the space for Wei Yunshu and Luo Lingfeng.
Wei Yunshu exhaled a breath of turbid air.
She brushed aside Wei Yunshu’s white hair, her fingers sliding across Luo Lingfeng’s cheek, and finally along her neck, disappearing into her collar. With a gentle flick, her delicate collarbone was revealed. Her fingertips gathered spiritual energy, like a needle tracing across the snow-white, clear skin, leaving behind fleeting crimson runes. However, this was just the beginning. As her fingertips moved, the runes were drawn along, spreading from the collarbone all the way to beneath her ribs.
Luo Lingfeng’s brow furrowed slightly. The needle-like pain was somewhat unbearable. In her daze, she had many dreams: wandering in the mortal realm, being confined in the Luoshui Divine Palace without freedom. Sharp knives, blood, gouging hearts… these fragmented images reassembled and dispersed in her mind, over and over. The pain that arose from the depths of her soul was almost tangible. Luo Lingfeng’s brow furrowed tighter. In her sleep, her vast Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation also collapsed. Just as countless water tides surged forth, the confinement talismans re-ignited with brilliant light. Intersecting golden threads wove a vast net that fell upon Luo Lingfeng’s body, suppressing the outward-spreading spiritual energy bit by bit.
Wei Yunshu sat on the couch. Her posture was as upright as a pine tree, her face impassive, like a statue carved from beautiful jade. But her hands continued to move over Luo Lingfeng’s body.
The accumulated pain could not be alleviated. The sleeping person was filled with unease. Luo Lingfeng unconsciously propped herself up and snuggled into Wei Yunshu’s embrace. Her face was pale, and she bit her lower lip tightly, suppressing her pained cries as she always had. Wei Yunshu pushed the groggy Luo Lingfeng. Her clothes were already loose from engraving the runes. With Luo Lingfeng’s movements, the disarray revealed a hint of intimacy. Their postures changed again and again, Luo Lingfeng almost completely sinking into Wei Yunshu’s embrace. Blood and red robes overlapped, slowly staining Wei Yunshu’s white clothing.
Wei Yunshu’s eyelids twitched. This was the first time she had shared such an intimate entanglement with Luo Lingfeng in bed. At this moment, Luo Lingfeng was like a withered begonia battered by wind and rain, exuding a sense of fragility all over. She had so trustingly allowed Wei Yunshu to repair her Sacred Heart, without any worry. Wei Yunshu raised her left hand, her fingertips resting on the nearly transparent skin. With a slight push, she could break this thorny flower. Killing her would end everything. She wouldn’t have to worry about Luo Lingfeng’s schemes anymore, and her fellow disciple Shi wouldn’t have to worry about someone further muddling these already murky waters. But how could she bear to do it? She couldn’t achieve perfection, nor did she want to personally write down that eternal, unfillable regret. Love was forced, and fate was so cold.
“Wei Yunshu…” The intimate and indistinct tone reached her ears.
Wei Yunshu didn’t know what Luo Lingfeng was dreaming about. She recalled the fifty years in Cloud City. Was there any moment when they had been so entangled and intimate as they were today? She reached out and placed Luo Lingfeng on her lap, stopping her from turning her head wildly. Wei Yunshu gazed down at her, her voice very soft, yet incredibly clear: “Will you truly regret it? Do you regret the cold indifference of the fifty years? Or do you regret the ambush and assassination in the Abyssal Vortex? Or perhaps, do you regret meeting me back then?”
No one answered.
Wei Yunshu’s fingers touched Luo Lingfeng’s collarbone again, stroke after stroke. Just as the Heavenly Imprisonment Lock was within her body, the spiritual energy gushing from her fingertips left unshakeable chains.
Time flew by like a rabbit running and a crow flying; the sun and moon flowed like a stream.
In this exquisite and magnificent hall, time seemed to blur. Luo Lingfeng mumbled in a half-dream, half-awake state, while Wei Yunshu remained calm, her cool fingertips brushing across Luo Lingfeng’s body. For a moment, it felt as if all grievances and loves had dissolved silently, leaving only the two of them, able to embrace the future. Without her realizing it, Wei Yunshu’s movements became very gentle, as if holding a rare treasure she loved most dearly. However, when her mind cleared, that flicker of renewed delusion was once again drowned by the torrent, disappearing completely.
Phoenix Mountain had many treasure halls, and Phoenix Lord did not mind her sleeping quarters being occupied.
She no longer cared about matters outside of the Dustless Sea, focusing all her attention on the “little Tai Sui.” After swallowing a phoenix fire, the little Tai Sui transformed into a phoenix once. Afterward, no matter what it ate, it remained a black lump, lacking any “phoenix beauty.” Cultivators who practiced in the mountains also came to observe. Initially full of expectation, they eventually lost all hope. But Phoenix Lord was different. She had a vague premonition that what she hoped for might be answered soon.
Phoenix Lord did not wait long.
One day, after feeding it a Wutong fruit, a streak of crimson light suddenly emerged from the little Tai Sui’s brow, then spread outwards, as if an invisible paintbrush was outlining a phoenix pattern. Phoenix Lord raised her eyebrows in surprise upon hearing the phoenix cry. Without hesitation, she took out the box left by her ancestor. She saw that streak of crimson light, as fast as lightning, instantly disappear into the box. With a click, the box that had troubled the Phoenix Mountain lineage for thousands of years opened. Phoenix Lord’s face immediately broke into a smile, and she slyly looked at the bewildered little Tai Sui. A bag of spiritually rich fruits flew from her sleeve. Seeing this, the little Tai Sui rejoiced. Disregarding the box, it flapped its wings and dived into the spiritual fruit bag, happily eating.
Phoenix Lord’s gaze flickered. She carefully picked up the box and took out a scroll of silk. The handwriting was as red as spilled blood. With just one glance, the smile on her lips vanished completely.
“…Our clan originated from the Wu Xiang Heaven domain… Later, due to differences in dao thoughts, we distanced ourselves from Wu Xiang Heaven domain… Betrayed the Emperor, it is too late to regret it…” Under the merciless erosion of time, much of the spiritual energy on the silk scroll had dissipated, and even the writing had become blurry. However, the general meaning of the ancestor’s words could still be understood. The Phoenix Mountain lineage came from the Shang Qing Divine Realm’s Wu Xiang Heaven domain. Following the Four Lords of The Lifeless Chasm, they left the divine realm and established the Fu Li Immortal Realm. The ancestor had never regretted this choice, but the betrayal of the Emperor Wu Xiang’s avatar weighed heavily on her heart like a mountain, not disappearing even at the moment of leaving the Fu Li Immortal Realm.
Differences in dao thoughts leading to divergent paths was normal. However, according to the silk scroll, the actions of the Four Lords of The Lifeless Chasm at that time were not entirely upright. Of the Six Venerables in the Shang Qing Divine Realm, only the innately pure Venerable, who was born without blemish and did not need to practice the “Severing All Selves” dao, was not a proponent of “Severing All Selves.” The others were proponents. Because Sang Buwei and many companions originated from Wu Xiang Heaven domain, they intended to persuade the Emperor Wu Xiang. With the Emperor’s help, their “dao” could be promoted more smoothly.
But the Emperor Wu Xiang said: “Heaven’s will is naturally constant. I will not obstruct you in propagating new dao thoughts, but I will not assist you either.” With the Emperor Wu Xiang standing by, the Four Lords of The Lifeless Chasm were completely defeated in the first round of attacks, and their disciples were all expelled to the Realm of Ruin as guardians. Later, they had a crazy idea: to completely sever the landmass of the Realm of Ruin, directly destroying the foundation of “Severing All Selves.” However, ordinary sword artifacts could not sever a continent. Thus, Sang Buwei re-entered Wu Xiang Heaven domain. Using her old acquaintance with the Emperor, she secretly stole the Imperial Seal of Wu Xiang Heaven domain and smelted it into the Sword of True Nature.
The silk scroll recorded a debate between the Four Lords before the severing of Floating Li.
Yun Huai: “The Emperor Wu Xiang remains neutral, but she is an Inborn Divine Lord. Her existence itself signifies the perfection of the Innate Six Venerables.”
Si Jun: “The disappearance of the Imperial Seal cannot have gone unnoticed by the Emperor Wu Xiang. After we sever Floating Li, she will surely appear. No one knows if she will intervene.”
Luo Wuqing: “What does Sword Lord think?”
And Sword Lord Sang Buwei uttered only two words: “I concur!”
In any case, they succeeded in severing the Fu Li Immortal Realm. The Sword Spirit of the Sword of True Nature was largely shattered, entering a dormant state. No one mentioned the past in the Shang Qing Divine Realm again. They focused solely on building this new continent. After expelling the demons to the northern continent, they successively passed down their dao techniques. If it had ended there, there would not have been too many regrets. Phoenix Lord thought to herself, scanning downwards. Upon seeing the words “little Tai Sui,” her eyes suddenly narrowed.
The little Tai Sui was a primordial phoenix personally nurtured by the Emperor Wu Xiang, possessing a single body with twin souls: Black Tai Sui and White Tai Sui, representing the will of the Emperor Wu Xiang. However, after the severance between the Realm of Ruin and the Shang Qing Divine Realm, they saw the black little Tai Sui fighting against a daoist under the Dragon Ancestor, and eventually disappeared. It was only then that they realized the black Tai Sui had been secretly following and protecting the Sword Lord. The Emperor Wu Xiang’s favoritism towards the Sword Lord caused her stance to shift—but they had betrayed the Emperor. This shame of betraying their lord was an unresolvable shackle in their hearts.
“…The black Tai Sui is in the Fu Li Immortal Realm, perhaps slumbering in some secret realm. Although we intended to block the news, the Fu Li Immortal Realm is, after all, a part of the Shang Qing Divine Realm. There will surely be ancient traces, and there is a risk of great heavenly changes. During the great changes, the black Tai Sui may appear, and the phoenix fire will reignite. At that time, all disciples of our Phoenix Mountain lineage will serve it as their master.”
This was the last passage on the silk scroll.
Phoenix Lord’s brow suddenly furrowed. According to Wei Yunshu’s explanation, the little Tai Sui appeared when the secret realm opened, and at that time, the phoenix fire had already been burning for decades. And she found Luo Lingfeng based on the guidance of the phoenix fire! What was going on?! Could it be the master of the black Tai Sui we ought to serve? In a flash, Phoenix Lord’s mind conjured such a thought, and she was immediately startled by herself.