After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 87

Daoist Wan Ling saw no fault in his actions. The “severing all selves” technique was favored throughout the world. He could not abandon his own life simply because he hailed from the Fu Li Immortal Realm, becoming a stepping stone for the Four Lords of The Lifeless Chasm to further attain the supreme Dao. Now, being cursed at by a junior, Daoist Wan Ling’s expression immediately turned grim. He let out a roar, and behind him, the phantom image of massive wings appeared, within which a golden roc could vaguely be seen circling.
This was the manifestation of Daoist Wan Ling’s true form.
As the roc flapped its wings, countless feathers began to emit strange glows. As they fell downwards, each one transformed into a sharp-clawed roc, lunging towards the boundless starlight. The roc was torn apart by sword energy, and the sword light was scattered by the roc. It seemed to have lasted a long time, or perhaps only an instant. The divine abilities of both sides collided, stirring up a fierce torrent. The sword shadows and starlight were gradually worn down. By the time they finally landed on Daoist Wan Ling himself, not much power remained.
Wei Yunshu saw through it. Daoist Wan Ling’s divine ability was called “All Gods Obey Me.” In theory, as long as his spiritual energy did not dissipate, he could continuously split off roc forms. The divine ability did not hold many complex variations; it was more of a confrontation of strength against strength. With each passing moment, its power grew stronger, yet Daoist Wan Ling’s consumption did not increase. As time wore on, Daoist Wan Ling’s advantage would become evident. However, Wei Yunshu had no intention of lingering here. She focused her gaze on the golden roc in Daoist Wan Ling’s Dharma Manifestation and cast the “Heavenly Cycle Restriction Technique” at him.
Daoist Wan Ling had seen this technique before and was naturally on guard. His figure flickered, and one of the separated roc forms was fixed in place, while he himself appeared in another direction. His expression was grim as he looked at Wei Yunshu, his heart filled with shock and anger. He also did not wish to delay here. Seeing his attack miss, Wei Yunshu did not get discouraged. She smiled at Daoist Wan Ling and, with a raise of her hand, unleashed a sword strike. Daoist Wan Ling’s eyelids twitched, and as before, he urged his shadow forms to collide with the sword light. However, this time, there was a change within the sword light. Upon breaking apart, it transformed into shimmering sword energy, filling more than half the domain within a few breaths.
Daoist Wan Ling’s breath hitched. He already knew the power of this sword energy and dared not directly clash with this sword light, which resembled myriad stars. He circulated his spiritual energy and fled in another direction. Wei Yunshu’s gaze suddenly deepened. The moment Daoist Wan Ling’s aura shifted, the true sword intent struck towards the roc within the Dharma Manifestation. Simultaneously, countless lightning bolts flashed above, emitting a world-shattering roar. The lightning energy surged, instantly tearing apart the scattered roc forms, and numerous flames descended like shooting stars. Daoist Wan Ling frowned. He had not discerned the true nature of the sword’s transformation, and in a flash, the sword light struck his Dharma Manifestation. The golden roc immediately shattered, but with a shift of his aura, it reformed again. Daoist Wan Ling retreated to a distance, his gaze towards Wei Yunshu growing increasingly wary.
Seeing his Dharma Manifestation shatter and then return, Daoist Wan Ling’s aura had only weakened slightly and had not completely dissipated. Wei Yunshu could not help but sigh inwardly, “This old demon is truly troublesome.” Although he no longer possessed much offensive capability, his defensive power was quite formidable. Her side’s Cavern Heavens had fewer people than the Wu Shi Sect, and she did not want to be held here by Daoist Wan Ling. The brilliant galaxy behind her moved with her breathing. Just as she was contemplating a countermeasure for Daoist Wan Ling, a black, furry head nuzzled out, flapped its wings in a circle, and landed on Wei Yunshu’s shoulder.
Daoist Wan Ling initially paid no mind to the weak, negligible presence of the little Tai Sui. However, when a phoenix phantom slowly materialized within Wei Yunshu’s brilliant galaxy Dharma Manifestation, his expression completely changed. He fixed his gaze on the small, weak mountain sparrow and murmured, “…Wu Xiang Imperial Envoy… Black Lord Black Tai Sui.” Both the Wu Shi Sect and other sects strictly forbade their disciples from clashing with the Wu Xiang Heaven domain. However, the Wu Xiang Heaven domain’s gate was sealed, and only the Black and White Tai Sui, representing the will of the Emperor Wu Xiang, could freely enter and exit. For thousands of years, no one had seen the Black Tai Sui, but the White Tai Sui—two hundred years ago, after The Lifeless Chasm was breached, he had the fortune to catch a fleeting glimpse.
Why was the Black Tai Sui in the Fu Li Immortal Realm? Why was it following Cloud Sovereign? Could it be that Cloud Sovereign came from the Wu Xiang Heaven domain? Was that why she possessed such profound cultivation and formidable divine abilities? Daoist Wan Ling’s mind raced with thoughts. He opened his mouth to call out “Fellow Daoist,” when a clear phoenix cry reached his ears. His golden roc Dharma Manifestation’s aura collided with the phoenix, and he was unavoidably suppressed.
Wei Yunshu paid no mind to what Daoist Wan Ling said. Seeing that the aura of Daoist Wan Ling’s Dharma Manifestation was hindered, she immediately seized the opportunity and unleashed the One Qi Nine Dominance Heavenly Thunder, striking Daoist Wan Ling like a sudden storm. As the Taiyi Sword in her hand flared with light, countless starlight behind her converged like a torrent, slashing towards the roc Dharma Manifestation that filled half the sky! The roc Dharma Manifestation was torn to shreds under the immense power, but in the next instant, it was about to reform under Daoist Wan Ling’s control. In a flash, the little Tai Sui directly opened its mouth and sucked, instantly swallowing the vast scattered essence into its belly.
The roc Dharma Manifestation’s light flowed, but it only recovered by half. Amidst the lightning and sword energy, it showed signs of dissipation. Seeing this, Wei Yunshu’s spiritual energy surged, and she increased her offensive, not giving Daoist Wan Ling any time to breathe. Although Daoist Wan Ling knew he could not kill Wei Yunshu, and might even lose to her, he hadn’t expected this moment to come so quickly. The sudden appearance of the Black Tai Sui had caught him off guard. With the offensive now controlled by the opponent, unless the opponent’s spiritual energy was exhausted, it would be difficult to find a chance to turn the tables. Although Daoist Wan Ling greatly desired to achieve accomplishments, compared to his own life, accomplishments were not worth mentioning. He frowned deeply, and after a moment, he made his choice. He released his spiritual energy forward, and a ascension talisman floated out from his sleeve. He activated the talisman, and a force instantly enveloped his body, escaping this void and flying towards the extreme heaven.
The lightning and sword energy that should have struck Daoist Wan Ling missed. Wei Yunshu frowned and did not pursue further.
Above the extreme heaven, a Kun Daoist, surrounded by sword energy, sat cross-legged, with a sword composed of countless bright lights resting on her lap. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, and two beams of divine light, like lightning, shot out. She reached out and grabbed the True Nature Sword, slashing down with a sword strike at Daoist Wan Ling, who was enveloped by the ascension talisman! It was only when the sword light struck him that Daoist Wan Ling suddenly remembered Ji Changkong, who was stationed in the extreme heaven. The talisman flickered with strange daoist characters, attempting to resist the sword intent. However, the True Nature Sword was also a creation of the Shang Qing Divine Realm, with even the Imperial Seal forged within it! After a few breaths, all the daoist characters on the ascension talisman shattered, and Daoist Wan Ling’s disheveled figure fell out from within. Daoist Wan Ling fled downwards without a second thought. How could Ji Changkong give Daoist Wan Ling a chance? She directly unleashed a sword strike. Daoist Wan Ling’s body stiffened, and the vast Cavern Heaven essence in mid-air dispersed, transforming into masses of eerie, dark energy that flowed towards Northern Continent.
“Something is not right,” a beam of light flew out from the True Nature Sword, transforming into a gloomy-faced young girl. Before Ji Changkong could reply, she rubbed her forehead and said, “It seems I’ve remembered something again.”
Below.
With Daoist Wan Ling dead, Wei Yunshu was free.
She first glanced in the direction of Luo Lingfeng’s location and saw that the Cavern Heavens of the Luoshui Divine Palace were no longer there. Currently, Luo Lingfeng, Shi Wufang, and Phoenix Lord were fighting against Dragon Lord. Given the swiftness of the attacks, it was unlikely Dragon Lord could hold on for much longer. In another location were Wen Baixian and True Monarch Yuan Fu. True Monarch Yuan Fu’s sword escape technique was unparalleled in the world. Although his cultivation was inferior to Wen Baixian’s, he could at least ensure his own safety. Wei Yunshu, having assessed the situation, held the Taiyi Sword and turned to attack Wen Baixian.
The moment Wei Yunshu revealed herself, Luo Lingfeng had already sensed her presence. Her gaze lingered on Wei Yunshu for a moment before finally falling on Dragon Lord, and she smiled, “Daoist Wan Ling is already dead. No one will come to save you.”
Dragon Lord also knew that without a Dao artifact in hand, he was doomed to die under the siege of three peers. Dark dragon scales appeared all over his body, and a cold light flashed in his vertical pupils, but he was not truly without options. He possessed an innate divine ability called “Return,” which activated after death. He could return with a wisp of vital blood, and his strength would not be weakened compared to his original form. “You think you’ve won?” Dragon Lord revealed a malicious and sinister smile, his long tail sweeping, scattering the overwhelming tide. His aura surged, instantly climbing to its peak, and the momentum did not wane.
“Not good, he’s going to self-destruct his Cavern Heaven!” Phoenix Lord’s expression changed. When a Cavern Heaven cultivator perished, their essence and vital blood would be dispersed, causing the air to collapse and creating vortex black holes. If they self-destructed intentionally, the power would be even more terrifying. Even other Cavern Heaven cultivators would find it difficult to resist. With a high cry, spiritual lights flickered all over Phoenix Lord’s body, forming a membrane of flames.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes flickered, and at the critical moment, she made her decision. She sacrificed the Universal True Form Map and cast it towards the poised Dragon Lord. However, she still had a special use for this diagram, and it could not be destroyed by Dragon Lord. Therefore, as the formation diagram fell, she also threw the Tide-Calming Bead into it!
Within the formation diagram.
Wen Xian Ren, Jiang Huangyu, and Tang Wentian had destroyed countless Dao flags and gates but could not find an exit, and their hearts began to feel anxious. If Luo Lingfeng were to break free, the battle situation could very well be reversed. If those few were to die, it would not fare well for them either. Suddenly, the three sensed the flow of energy within the formation diagram, and a vast, world-ending power emerged. They immediately thought it was Luo Lingfeng making a move! The three’s expressions changed drastically, and they unleashed their spiritual energy to its limit, striking out with their most exquisite divine abilities. A deafening explosion was heard, and light burst forth from above, instantly blinding their vision. Wen Xian Ren and the other two were then swept away by the immense tide, their Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestations shattering inch by inch. They looked up, only to see a dragon phantom scattering, with a rain of blood pouring down. Looking down at their own bodies, they found that the fierce heat was still spreading—their feet, legs, waist… everything they saw was being dissolved.
The rotating Tide-Calming Bead, like the midday sun, hovered above the Universal True Form Map. The vast, fierce heat that poured down, capable of destroying the formation diagram in an instant, was stabilized by this true artifact. After a few breaths, the Tide-Calming Bead rotated slower and slower, and a faint golden dragon phantom let out a mournful cry. The spiritual light on the treasure pearl shattered instantly as it clashed with the fierce heat. The Tide-Calming Bead plummeted downwards, creating an extremely deep cavern. The remaining fierce heat, not yet suppressed, swept through the mountains and seas within the diagram with destructive force. A huge rift spread for a thousand miles within the diagram before finally stopping. In the aftermath, a few drops of vital blood stuck to the soil emitted a radiant aura, as if undergoing some change. However, in an instant, this patch of soil, stained with vital blood, was repelled by the Universal True Form Map. As soon as it landed on the ground, the Blood Thorn, which had been eagerly waiting, fiercely pierced into it, absorbing the vast essence within.
After a few breaths, a dying black dragon manifested, its body pierced by the Blood Thorn. From a distance, it looked as if the Blood Thorn were growing on him.
Luo Lingfeng descended gracefully, flicked her sleeve, and smiled at the black dragon, “Dragon Lord’s cultivation is heaven-defying, I truly admire it. If not for Dragon Lord, I wouldn’t know how to deal with those three trapped within the Universal True Form Map.”
Dragon Lord was so enraged that he almost vomited blood! Luo Lingfeng no longer intended to waste words with Dragon Lord. Taking advantage of Dragon Lord being constrained by the Blood Thorn, she unleashed all three hundred and sixty drops of Abyssal True Water, instantly smashing its skull and leaving it bloody and battered. A curtain of water surged upwards and washed away, leaving the ground clean, not even a dragon scale remaining.
The situation reversed in an instant. The battlefield was cleared, and only Wen Baixian remained among the Cavern Heavens that had emerged from the Wu Shi Sect.
Wen Baixian stood with his hands behind his back on the water tide. When he had only True Monarch Yuan Fu as an opponent, he had been calm and proud. But once Wei Yunshu joined the battle, everything subtly changed. Looking around, there were no longer surging water waves, but brilliant and radiant starlight. Under the illumination of the endless galaxy, his great river seemed exceptionally small.
“We possess ascension talismans that can send all of you to the Shang Qing Divine Realm. Do any of you object?” Wen Baixian had not given up on persuading them. Fighting in the Fu Li Immortal Realm depleted spiritual energy that could not be replenished. If possible, he wanted to win without fighting, rather than be drawn into endless combat.
“The Fu Li Immortal Realm is a part of the Shang Qing Divine Realm. The four Patriarchs before made mistakes, but you cannot repeat them. If you remain obstinate, when the Fu Li Immortal Realm returns to Shang Qing, it will burden the beings of this region, causing them to be cast out by the divine realm and become servants.” Wen Baixian believed he was speaking with earnest advice.
Wei Yunshu looked at him and suddenly said, “After the Fu Li Immortal Realm was severed from Shang Qing, Shang Qing still practiced the ‘severing all selves’ technique. But if the ‘Realm of Ruin’ no longer exists, where do the severed ‘Severed-Self’ flow? Could they have already transformed into demons and are running rampant in Shang Qing?”
Wen Baixian coldly chuckled and said, “If not for those four meddling unnecessarily, how could we have fallen into this state? However, Shang Qing has a Divine Venerable presiding over it. It is not like the Fu Li Immortal Realm, which would give a continent to demons. We have our own methods of subduing demonic creatures. Furthermore, there are profound Dao principles within the Heavenly Mystery Institute, which are beyond your comprehension. When the Fu Li Immortal Realm returns to Shang Qing, all ‘Severed-Self’ will flow to the Realm of Ruin, and then the world will become clear again. What we are doing is correcting chaos!”
Wei Yunshu asked again, “I still have one matter I don’t understand. You originated from the Fu Li Immortal Realm, so why have you abandoned the method of cultivating the heart and instead turned to the ‘severing all selves’ Dao?”
Before Wen Baixian could respond, True Monarch Yuan Fu scoffed, “It’s not like cultivating the heart is easy to overcome.”
The method of “cultivating the heart” was actually to “prove one’s true heart” and “firm one’s will.” If you were purely good or purely evil, your Dao path would be smooth. However, the world had few saints and truly wicked individuals. Most people were ordinary, not completely wicked. In this way, one’s state of mind would be trapped by the actions performed in life, giving rise to obsessions and inner demons. Moreover, as one’s realm increased, these “attachments” and “demonic thoughts” would only become heavier and more difficult to suppress. If one could not see through them, they could not break through the realm barrier, ultimately becoming a form of burden.
But “severing all selves” was different. If you were trapped by “compassion,” you would sever “compassion.” If you were trapped by “guilt,” you would sever “guilt.” One by one, “thoughts of Severed-Self” were cast out, gradually approaching the Dao of self. However, such a Dao was dead. After severing everything, perhaps only a heartless and emotionless shell would remain, ultimately becoming ‘Severed-Self.’
“Stop wasting words with him,” True Monarch Yuan Fu said, and then unleashed his sword light. Instantly, a continuous stream of sword intent filled the heavens and earth.
Wen Baixian, seeing that his persuasion had failed, was not annoyed. He circulated his spiritual energy and condensed a giant hand, slapping forward. This hand was formed from the water tide, its aura changing in myriad ways, slowly grinding away the sword intent. His divine ability was called “Supreme Goodness is Like Water,” embodying the transformation of water, being both the most rigid and the most soft.
Wei Yunshu’s eyes narrowed. The starlight behind her flowed with a crimson glow, like countless blazing suns. As the Taiyi Sword fell forward, the crimson glow within the galaxy was ignited, transforming into rounds of fiery suns that burned everything, instantly scorching that hand. With a movement of her mind, she guided the sword energy again. The sword strike was like the rotation of the galaxy, and brilliant light covered the heavens and earth. True Monarch Yuan Fu, seeing Wei Yunshu’s sword strike, also let out a laugh, pointed forward, and his sword energy transformed in myriad ways. With a few rotations, it shaved off some of Wen Baixian’s aura.
Wen Baixian felt very annoyed. A treasure-gleaming golden ring, about two feet in size, flew out from his sleeve. This was a magic artifact he had refined, named the “Spirit-Stabilizing Ring.” As the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring was thrown out, the spiritual energy in the world suddenly froze. Wherever the treasure light of the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring shone, be it sword energy or anything else, it froze and became immobile. Wen Baixian took this opportunity to strike with a palm. Wei Yunshu’s eyes flickered, and she stood in place without moving. When she was hit by that palm, she suddenly transformed into a ball of starlight. The next moment, she appeared to the side of the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring and extended a jade-like hand, gently touching the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring. Once her Dharma Manifestation spread out, it was the flow of the galaxy, with countless stars. How could a mere Spirit-Stabilizing Ring capture it? The moment she touched the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring, True Monarch Yuan Fu immediately broke through the layer of stagnation and slashed at Wen Baixian’s face with a sword. If it were just him, he would have already escaped with his sword technique, but now that he had a companion, he did not need to use such an energy-consuming method.
Seeing that the Spirit-Stabilizing Ring was ineffective, Wen Baixian shook his head, not greatly regretting it. When fighting with True Monarch Yuan Fu earlier, he had used several magic artifacts, but they were all eventually broken by the sharp sword light. Merely by relying on magic artifacts, it was considered good to consume the opponent’s spiritual energy. Wen Baixian steadied himself, raised his hand, and the water waves suddenly surged. However, they did not spread throughout the entire realm in an instant as he had expected, but were suppressed by some powerful force, and even the sound of the water tide became much smaller. A premonition suddenly surfaced deep within Wen Baixian’s heart, and an extremely sharp voice resounded in his mind. He subconsciously looked up.
He saw several powerful forces pressing down, and a surge of tidal waves emerged from nothingness. A female cultivator with white hair and red clothes walked out from it, surrounded by swirling mist. The Dharma Manifestation behind her was dim and boundless, with rumbling tidal sounds and sharp, eerie cries occasionally emanating from it. Following closely, a sword light tore through the sky, leaving deep sword marks in the firmament. The female cultivator who walked slowly was surrounded by sword energy, and she herself resembled a sharp sword. However, this power that made him panic had not yet exhausted itself. Finally, a phoenix cry sounded, and a phoenix Dharma Manifestation, covered in flames, with magnificent wings of all colors, spanned across the sky. Wen Baixian’s eyelids twitched, and he muttered, “This is bad.”
Dragon Lord, Daoist Wan Ling, and the three Cavern Heavens of the Luoshui Divine Palace—not a single one had managed to stop them!
Stars began to shine, and thousands upon thousands of lights descended from the firmament.
In front of Wen Baixian, only a dead end remained.
At the border of Northern Continent at this moment.
Royal Bones swam, and blood and mud were sprayed like a torrent. The dark sky pressed down from above, with filth and darkness everywhere.
Yan Danwo stood with her hands behind her back on the Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles. Her robes were already stained with blood. The Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast beside her was no longer a soft, smooth white mass, but resembled a cloud of blood. In the previous skirmishes outside the city, Yan Danwo had been forced to retreat. Fortunately, with the help of the Heavenly Sea Cloud Beast and Jin Lingzi, and also because True Monarch Yuan Ying from Buzhou had arrived at this place.
Yan Danwo pursed her lips and said, “Their power is more formidable than what is recorded in the ancient texts.”
True Monarch Yuan Ying sighed, “Previously, no one in the Fu Li Immortal Realm practiced ‘severing all selves,’ so the ‘Severed-Self’ that were not severed naturally became their best nourishment. But now, the Wu Shi Sect is spreading its teachings to all living beings. Unless all people under heaven are wiped out, it will be impossible to stop them.” After she finished speaking, an even darker aura surged from the extreme heaven towards Northern Continent.
True Monarch Yuan Ying and Yan Danwo both felt an ominous premonition, and their expressions suddenly changed.
A creaking sound came from the Royal Bones, and five phantoms moved in unison, each plundering a stream of dark energy and swallowing it.
“Daoist Wan Ling is dead,” Ji Jun licked his lips, his vertical pupils full of greed.
“There’s still one more, and we don’t know when he’ll die,” another person said.
“They only sent down these two bait. The higher-ups are truly stingy,” Yong He said with some dissatisfaction.
“If they were capable, it wouldn’t necessarily be our turn,” Ji Jun said again. Those guys from the Shang Qing Divine Realm were truly calculating. If the people sent down succeed, they wouldn’t need us Five Venerables to interfere in anything. But if they couldn’t succeed, the countless ‘Severed-Self’ that would result from the dissipation of those who cultivated the ‘severing all selves’ would become part of our power. Daoist cultivators’ realm is restricted by the “Heaven Beyond Heaven” of the Four Lords of The Lifeless Chasm, but they were different. They were not immortal sect cultivators, but “Severed-Self” severed by the Divine Venerables, the “reverse sides” of the Divine Venerables. The limit of the Divine Venerables’ cultivation was their limit. Nevertheless, by the time they grew to that point, it would be hard to say who was “righteous,” who was “opposite,” who was “divine,” and who was “demonic.”
“Come again!” Ji Jun laughed loudly, and the dragon phantom behind him swung its tail, ferociously striking the shining golden Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles.
With a cracking sound, the Great Wall, which was as solid as gold, showed a crack for the first time under the attack of the primordial demons!