After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 82

“I know.” Wei Yunshu responded quickly. Even if Shi Wufang hadn’t brought it up, she would have made the choice most beneficial to the larger picture when the time came.
“I’m sorry.” Shi Wufang turned her gaze away. In the past, she could act without regard for others but now—she had to step out and play the villain. She knew the questions she posed were somewhat coercive. She sighed silently. “The situation is dire, and there’s no clear path forward. Even if we erase all traces of the Wu Shi Sect, we still have to resist the Shang Qing Divine Realm. Like our ancestors, we must erase the existence of the Fu Li Immortal Realm. Sometimes I wonder if we should just let the Fu Li Immortal Realm return. But the thought of an uncertain future makes it difficult to make such a choice.”
Glancing at the silent Wei Yunshu, Shi Wufang continued, “Who could have imagined things would become so absurd? If the Corridor of Sins hadn’t existed, if those five venerables weren’t manifestations of ‘Severed-Self’ obsessions—”
Wei Yunshu pursed her lips. “The Fu Li Immortal Realm wouldn’t have split from the Divine Realm in the first place.” Thousands of years ago, the path taken by the four Ancestors and the ‘severing all selves’ must have been utterly incompatible. Now that the Fu Li Immortal Realm was exposed to the Shang Qing Divine Realm, it meant the Ancestors could no longer conceal it, and even more likely, that they no longer existed. If the Fu Li Immortal Realm returned to the Shang Qing Divine Realm, their Ancestors’ path could not be followed. The shift in their cultivation path back then was likely because they felt the ‘severing all selves’ path, which made one ‘self is not self,’ was not sustainable. On the other hand, it might have been because they had their eyes on the positions of those six Divine Sovereigns, intending to replace them, achieve heaven and earth acknowledgment, and reach the position of supreme divine ruler. Whether the splitting off of the ‘Realm of Ruin’ to create the Fu Li Immortal Realm was a benevolent or malevolent act was ultimately unimportant. This was a battle of paths; since they could not coexist, only death would decide the outcome.
“The ancestors of the Phoenix Mountain lineage also entered the Immortal Realm with the Ancestors. She left behind a silk manuscript detailing some of the past.” Wei Yunshu considered for a moment, then recounted the information she had gleaned from the manuscript to Shi Wufang. Finally, she added, “I wish to meet Senior True Nature.”
Shi Wufang’s brows furrowed tightly. After a long pause, she shook her head. “That might not be possible. Our Grand Ancestor has taken Old Ancestor True Nature to guard the Heavenly Ladder in the Extreme Heaven.” She paused, then added, “I will try to contact Grand Ancestor and ask.”
Wei Yunshu smiled. “Thank you for the trouble.” Much of the information from Buzhou came from the Sword of True Nature, but not all of it. Was the Sword of True Nature silent because it was unwilling to speak, or because it simply didn’t remember?
“Don’t mention it, fellow daoist.” Shi Wufang sighed. She continued, “Recently, many fellow cultivators have been busy across the continents, destroying altars and rituals to prevent the spiritual veins from being harmed. But this back-and-forth is not a long-term solution. In the end, we will still have to fight the Wu Shi Sect. Fellow daoist, be prepared.”
Wei Yunshu nodded. “I understand.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “If we manage to eliminate the Wu Shi Sect, how will we prevent the Shang Qing Divine Realm from coveting us?”
According to the records in the silk manuscript, the four Ancestors of that time possessed heaven-piercing cultivation, reaching the “Supreme Immortal Realm.” With great divine powers, they opened four great spiritual veins in the Fu Li Immortal Realm. Besides supporting cultivators, there was another purpose, hidden for thousands of years: using these four spiritual veins as a foundation, they unleashed a forbidden divine ability called “Heaven Beyond Heaven” in the Fu Li Immortal Realm, causing it to hide itself, leaving only the “Nine Heavens Gap,” giving cultivators a chance to pursue the Dao. This divine ability allowed the Fu Li Immortal Realm to pass thousands of years in peace.
Now that the Shang Qing Divine Realm had discovered the traces of the Fu Li Immortal Realm, they would surely seek to disrupt the Dao arts left by the four Ancestors from both within and without. The current “setting up rituals” was one of their measures. If they successfully repelled this wave of attacks from the Divine Realm, their next step would be to return the Fu Li Immortal Realm to its former state of “seclusion” and independence. However, their cultivation was at most at the Cavern Heaven stage, and no one could replicate the Ancestors’ actions. They would have to find compensation elsewhere.
Shi Wufang understood this well, and a look of worry appeared on her face. She said solemnly, “There is no other way at present. We can only focus on magic artifacts.”
Wei Yunshu asked again, “If we successfully overcome this hurdle, will we still have to live in hiding from now on?” She met Shi Wufang’s gaze, pointing out an unavoidable issue. “The Fu Li Immortal Realm is incomplete, and our cultivation can at most reach the Cavern Heaven stage. In the past, the Heavenly Ladder led directly to The Lifeless Chasm, and it didn’t seem like a problem. But now that something has happened in The Lifeless Chasm, our ‘Dao’ is actually blocked, with no hope of progress except to die of old age.”
Her words were realistic and cruel. After realizing their path of cultivation was severed, how could cultivators be willing to accept it? Some people, due to these considerations, defected to the Wu Shi Sect, while others firmly believed in Buzhou, waiting for Buzhou to provide a new answer. No one wanted to face a dead end. When they discovered that nothing could be resolved, new disturbances would inevitably arise.
“I have discussed this matter with my master,” Shi Wufang pursed her lips. “The immediate priority is to resolve internal concerns. Once everything calms down, our Buzhou will send disciples to the Shang Qing Divine Realm! Ancestors left behind a flying palace in the past, which can conceal their whereabouts and pass through the rift to reach Shang Qing. Our power is too disparate; all our actions are passive and hopeless. If we can gain assistance in the Shang Qing Divine Realm, our predicament can be resolved. This is not easy, but success depends on effort. If not in a hundred years, then a thousand; if not in a thousand, then ten thousand!” Her words were forceful and resolute.
Wei Yunshu showed a hint of admiration, but thinking of the obscured and chaotic future, she sighed silently in her heart. “What if we fail?” Wei Yunshu asked again. This possibility existed, and it was not small.
Shi Wufang said sternly, “We will still use that flying palace to cross to Shang Qing.”
“I have recently comprehended a divine ability called ‘Three Lights Eternal Illumination.’ If the situation turns unfavorable, I will use this sword. After that, all matters of the Immortal Realm will be entrusted to you, fellow daoist.” Wei Yunshu did not elaborate on the divine ability. However, Shi Wufang could see from her expression that this divine ability was likely to result in mutual destruction. She did not offer any words of encouragement. They both knew very well that everyone had the possibility of perishing.
“I wish to examine the Dao Law Golden Scrolls of the Shang Qing Divine Realm.” Finally, Wei Yunshu added.
Shi Wufang readily agreed.
Since the Wu Shi Sect was to transmit the Dao lineage of the Shang Qing Divine Realm, they naturally cultivated the ‘severing all selves’ Dao law of the Divine Realm. Those who joined the sect did not need to completely abandon their previous path, but rather cultivate a ‘severing all selves’ divine ability, and then study other divine abilities and profound methods. If they used their original Dao law, everyone would have a foundation. However, if they happened to encounter someone cultivating the Divine Realm’s Dao law, they would be at a disadvantage in their first encounter. For ordinary disciples, the differences in Dao law and divine abilities had little impact, but for those at the Nascent Soul stage or even the Cavern Heaven stage, it was absolutely a matter of life and death.
Wei Yunshu relied on her own divine abilities and was not afraid of unfamiliar Dao laws. However, they were on the weaker side and needed to be extremely cautious.
In the grand hall, Wei Yunshu sat alone at the table. The surroundings were unusually quiet. Occasionally, several incantations would appear on the closed window, emitting a faint golden light. Wei Yunshu patiently reviewed the Shang Qing Divine Realm’s Dao laws one by one, attempting to deduce methods to counter ‘severing all selves.’ As she was intently poring over the Daoist scriptures, she suddenly sensed something unusual. She placed the Daoist scriptures on the table, quickly stood up, and moved like the wind towards the bed.
The buzzing sound grew clearer and clearer. Within a three-zhang radius of the bed, dense clusters of ink-black water droplets floated, looking eerie and terrifying. As the water droplets merged and converged into a sheet, the ink-black color gradually receded, and ripples spread out, making the figure on the bed appear blurry. In an instant, the water waves expanded, as if falling into red sand, transforming into a blood-red color filled with malevolent energy! With a surge, spiritual energy erupted, instantly scattering the furnishings in the hall.
Wei Yunshu frowned, raising her hand to cast several hand seals to suppress the crimson tide. She knelt by the bedside, placing her fingers on Luo Lingfeng’s chest. The golden-red incantation hidden within her collar lit up, as if battling some power. Wei Yunshu sensed Luo Lingfeng’s heart beating faster and faster, louder and louder, as if it were about to leap out of her body in the next moment!
At this moment, Luo Lingfeng’s consciousness was immersed in an endless dreamscape. Her expression was pained, and her eyes were filled with despair. She sat on the edge of a high cliff in the Abyssal Vortex, with a strange blood moon hanging overhead. The plants rustled in the wind. The branches and leaves of the trees were blown upwards, and clusters of red petals drifted in the sky, finally turning into a downpour of blood.
Before her eyes appeared the figure of Wei Yunshu falling into the Abyssal Vortex, her serene face devoid of any hatred! Time cycled and intertwined in the dreamscape. One “Wei Yunshu” after another plunged off the cliff. By the end, the renowned Lord of the Clouds had become a down-and-out beggar, falling with the same expression.
Luo Lingfeng suddenly stood up and reached out to grab the falling beggar, but at that instant, all light and sound rapidly retreated, leaving only the suffocating silence and emptiness. Luo Lingfeng pinched her fingers, and blood seeped from her flesh. However, the pain did not break the illusion before her eyes. Her eyes turned blood-red. Luo Lingfeng raised her hand and mercilessly plunged it into her own chest. Blood splattered, painting a bloody scene before her eyes. And within the bloody scene, the illusion that had paused for a moment began to play out again.
“You regret it, don’t you?”
“Why don’t you dare admit your regret?”
Sharp voices entered her ears. Luo Lingfeng, drenched in blood, was utterly exhausted. She fell to the ground in disarray, looking up at her suddenly appearing “self,” even more tragic than her current state. A sword that inflicts wounds which could never heal, pierced through her heart. Her gaze was fixed, filled with endless hatred and despair. Luo Lingfeng’s ears roared. She covered her ears, but could not block out the scene before her. She gritted her teeth, brought her fingers together, her fingertips encased in a thin layer of blood-tinged light, and pointed directly at her own eyes!
However, a sudden white light flashed, and her consciousness twisted, plunging into darkness.
The layers of bed curtains fell. Wei Yunshu frowned, tightly grasping Luo Lingfeng’s right hand. What kind of dire predicament had she fallen into to resort to such cruel methods against herself? If not for the incantation, the Sacred Heart might have been gouged out of her unconsciously. She lowered her head, seeing an indescribable anxiety, panic, and despair in Luo Lingfeng’s eyes, and a vague sense of unease arose within her.
Luo Lingfeng refused to wake.
Did she have to be tied down, remaining in this hall to watch over Luo Lingfeng?
Wei Yunshu’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. At this moment, the spiritual energy on Luo Lingfeng’s body suddenly surged, as if it had reached its peak and was about to erupt. The dangerous and strange aura caused the densely packed prohibition spells covering the hall to appear, golden light flashing, reflecting Wei Yunshu’s suddenly constricted pupils. Her expression turned cold and severe. Without time to think, a wisp of her divine sense entered Luo Lingfeng’s sea of consciousness. She had expected to be repelled by Luo Lingfeng’s will the moment her consciousness entered, but everything was not as Wei Yunshu had imagined. It was as if Luo Lingfeng’s sea of consciousness had never set any limits for her. She easily reached the deepest part, and upon looking up, she saw a terrifying mountain of corpses and sea of blood.
Sitting high up, covered in blood, her chest had a large hole, as if pierced by something. Wei Yunshu initially thought Luo Lingfeng had broken it herself, but upon closer inspection, many fine sword energies were swirling at the wound, preventing it from healing. She found the sword energy somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Wei Yunshu slowly walked forward. The silently seated Luo Lingfeng turned to look at her, her eyes somewhat unfocused, blood trickling from her lips.
“Realm of Ruin… I… Wei… Wei…” Luo Lingfeng managed to utter a few scattered words.
Wei Yunshu spoke softly, “En?” She looked at Luo Lingfeng’s figure, her eyes gradually filling with sorrow. She slowly stepped over the filth, took her cold hand, and tried to pull her out of this tragic predicament. Upon touching Wei Yunshu, Luo Lingfeng stopped speaking. She lowered her head, obediently following Wei Yunshu, leaving bloody footprints. Wei Yunshu was somewhat puzzled. This was her first time entering someone else’s sea of consciousness to find their lost sanity, and she didn’t know how to proceed. Everything seemed too smooth, yet she was powerless to break through this situation.
In just a moment, Wei Yunshu successfully brought Luo Lingfeng out of the sea of blood. She turned to say something, but was suddenly met by a pair of sinister and fierce eyes. A sharp pain suddenly shot through her body. This consciousness that had entered Luo Lingfeng’s sea of consciousness instantly dissipated. Wei Yunshu’s thoughts snapped back. Her left hand darted out like lightning, tightly gripping a sword that had pierced her left chest by an inch.
Luo Lingfeng propped up her upper body, her eyes open, but within them was a savage bloodiness, as if she were immersed in a very distant dream. Her hoarse voice rang out, “Wei… Wei… Sang Buwei…” Wei Yunshu finally heard the clear two words from her slurred speech! She was calling for Sang Buwei! Wei Yunshu’s eyes were filled with shock and indignation. Blood dripped from the sword tip, staining Wei Yunshu’s white robe. Luo Lingfeng’s consciousness was unclear, and she let out a low whimper, pushing the sword forward with all her might.
Wei Yunshu took a step back.
The incantation on Luo Lingfeng’s chest glowed brighter and brighter, while the rest of her body was enveloped by a strange aura. It was as if thunder roared in her ears. Wei Yunshu gritted her teeth and squeezed out the words “Tai Sui Golden Sand!”
Tai Sui—Sang Buwei—
Was this the resentment of the Emperor Wu Xiang towards Sang Buwei?
But why did the Emperor Wu Xiang’s “emotions” manifest only in her? Many cultivators from the Corridor of Sins had used Tai Sui Golden Sand for cultivation in the past. Why had none of them revealed any news about it? Wei Yunshu’s thoughts drifted, and she couldn’t help but recall Phoenix Lord’s wild speculation, which was absurd but not entirely impossible.
If she had come seeking revenge for the Emperor Wu Xiang, how should she respond? Where in the world could she find Sang Buwei? Or perhaps—
Wei Yunshu stood up straight, her mouth tasting bitter. She bit her tongue, pulling herself back to her senses with that slight pain. Without time to tend to her wounds, she gathered her spiritual energy and roared, “Luo Lingfeng!”
The sound was like a sudden awakening. With a clink, the magic sword stained with blood fell onto the bed. Luo Lingfeng closed her eyes, her body collapsing limply onto the bed.
Seeing the light of the talismans in the golden hall gradually fade, Wei Yunshu finally sighed with relief. She approached the bed again, looking down at the sleeping Luo Lingfeng, her expression changing repeatedly. If the Tai Sui Golden Sand’s influence on Luo Lingfeng was overwhelming, then she absolutely could not be allowed to live. And if she had to act, now was the best time. Wei Yunshu’s throat felt dry, and her vision seemed veiled by a layer of mist. She bent down, picked up the magic sword, and pointed its tip at Luo Lingfeng’s sleeping gown, like a blooming red plum blossom. Wei Yunshu’s lips were tightly pressed together, her mind in a daze. Her right hand, gripping the sword hilt, trembled as never before, as if she could not even hold a sword steady. After a long while, Wei Yunshu slumped, the magic sword clattering to the ground with a crisp sound.
Luo Lingfeng had been contaminated by Tai Sui Golden Sand for a considerable time. In the past, she had not allowed her will to be completely influenced by the Tai Sui Golden Sand. Therefore, now that the Sacred Heart had returned to her body, it should’nt be the will within the Tai Sui Golden Sand that dominates, causing her sanity to sink. As long as she awoke, she would surely find a way to control the Tai Sui Golden Sand, and until she woke up, Wei Yunshu only needed to suppress the Tai Sui Golden Sand. With this realization, Wei Yunshu’s tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
In the following days, Wei Yunshu remained in the golden hall. During this time, Luo Lingfeng “awoke” no less than five times. Those scarlet, sinister eyes clearly indicated that the “Tai Sui Golden Sand” was in control. The most frequent words Wei Yunshu heard from “her” were “Sang Buwei,” “Chaos,” and “Realm of Ruin.” By the end, she had become numb and too lazy to speculate about the past. She only knew that each time she emerged, the strange aura would weaken a little. That trace was not something long-lasting; it would disappear eventually.
After suppressing the surging “Luo Lingfeng” for the last time, Wei Yunshu sighed softly, “Golden Sand forged heart.”
She lowered her head and met a pair of eyes that seemed to have just woken from a dream.
Luo Lingfeng did not fall asleep as before. Her dull, blood-red eyes gradually returned to normal, showing a hint of clarity.
She leaned weakly on the bed, her gaze cast down at her disheveled clothes, and slowly but clearly spoke two words: “Wei Yunshu.”
Wei Yunshu followed Luo Lingfeng’s gaze and caught sight of skin as white as fresh snow, immediately withdrawing her gaze. Previously, to facilitate the carving of protective heart runes, she had undressed Luo Lingfeng down to her sleeping gown. After a few exchanges, the ties had already loosened. Her snow-like jade skin bore faint red marks, as if of a ravaged begonia.
Wei Yunshu’s lips moved, and finally, she faintly uttered a few words: “How are you?”
Luo Lingfeng did not respond. Her gaze was somewhat unfocused, and she stared blankly at the person before her with a calm and distant expression, repeating her name: “Wei Yunshu.”
But there was no longer the intimacy of shared hearts between them.
Even the gentlest words were like a knife, brushing against old wounds and leaving behind a dense pain.
Wei Yunshu could not bear to see Luo Lingfeng so dejected, disheveled, and sorrowful, but she was unwilling to go any further. Her gaze swept over Luo Lingfeng’s pale and haggard face like a light swirling wind. She took a step back, then another, and finally turned to leave.
Luo Lingfeng frowned slightly. She stood up and slid off the bed, but after a few steps, the dizziness washed over her, and she could only kneel on the ground, dejected and powerless. She raised her left hand to cover her left chest, and golden-red light overflowed from her fingertips, her pupils seeming to be veiled by a strange thin light. Her right hand dug fiercely into the jade floor tiles, and a trickle of blood seeped from between her fingers, mingling with the faint golden light. After a long while, Luo Lingfeng came to her senses. She narrowed her eyes and expressionlessly surveyed the golden hall, inscribed with a trapping formation.
The wind on Buzhou Mountain blew against her face, particularly cold.
Wei Yunshu walked quickly out of the golden hall, her sleeves fluttering in the wind. Along the way, she encountered many disciples who greeted her, but she acted as if she hadn’t seen them. Noticing her unusual demeanor, the Buzhou disciples worried and sent a magical talisman to Xie Zhichao. Before long, a sharp blade energy streaked across the clear sky and landed on a towering, peculiar peak.
A solitary pavilion on the cliff, the pine wind was biting cold.
Wei Yunshu sat on a stone stool, her mind elsewhere.
It wasn’t until a cup of wine was pushed before her that she looked up at Xie Zhichao, who sat opposite her boldly. She raised the wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
She didn’t speak, and Xie Zhichao didn’t ask. She simply refilled Wei Yunshu’s cup, until Wei Yunshu had drunk an entire pot of good wine by herself.
“Want more?” Xie Zhichao asked with a smile, stroking the wine gourd. “Uncle-Master isn’t here, I’ll steal some from his wine cellar?”
Wei Yunshu shook her head and said, “Enough.” Since bringing Luo Lingfeng to Buzhou, she had drunk enough wine.
Xie Zhichao asked, “Was it successful?” She had always known what Wei Yunshu intended to do and didn’t ask further. After all, her friend had her reasons for acting, and supporting her was enough.
“She woke up.” Wei Yunshu pressed her eyebrows down and said softly, “But we cannot release her from the golden hall for now. If the demon-suppressing talismans in the hall are not triggered in the next few days, we will then discuss with her how to deal with the Wu Shi Sect and those three families from the Luoshui Divine Palace, and establish a magical contract.”
Xie Zhichao said, “With her hatred for the Luoshui Divine Palace, she will surely help us, right?”
Wei Yunshu smiled weakly. “Who knows?”
The cultivators of the Wu Shi Sect were building altars and setting up rituals everywhere, attempting to tamper with the spiritual veins.
However, the person with the deepest control over the spiritual veins in the entire Fu Li Immortal Realm was perhaps not a Wu Shi Sect cultivator, but Luo Lingfeng. She had opened up the forbidden area of Cloud City and the East Continent’s spiritual vein, and then mobilized the South Continent’s spiritual vein to nourish the Blood Thorns. As for the Dustless Sea—although she didn’t know what she had done, she had certainly left the aura of the sea’s spiritual vein in the Universal True Form Map. If she were to cause all three spiritual veins to erupt simultaneously, the Wu Shi Sect would not succeed, but the Fu Li Immortal Realm would likely be reduced to less than one-tenth of its former self.
Wei Yunshu pondered for a while, her brows knitting. “Her methods have always been decisive and ruthless, leaving no room for maneuver.” Just like her previous handling of the “Daoist scripture” matter, she outwardly agreed with Buzhou’s actions, but secretly pushed things along, causing great chaos in Youluo Mountain, while she herself took advantage of the situation to seize the Dustless Sea. One incident after another was too rushed, like a storm that offered no respite.
“Between you and her—” Xie Zhichao hesitated for a moment, then stopped herself mid-sentence.
Wei Yunshu said, “My own life and death are uncertain. What can I give her?”
Was it only her own future that was unclear?
“The storm is coming, no, the storm has already arrived.” Xie Zhichao paused for a moment, sighed with emotion, and clinked her wine gourd against the empty cup on the table, raising her eyebrows. “Daoist Bo, regardless of the circumstances, let’s have a toast first!”
Wei Yunshu’s eyes flickered, and she suppressed her miscellaneous thoughts. She picked up the empty cup and clinked it against Xie Zhichao’s, saying softly, “Come!”
After this drink, she would walk down a path of no return.