After I Died My Dao Companion Drowns in Endless Regret Chapter 91

The conflict was already at the level of the Cavern Heaven realm. The disciples stationed at the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall couldn’t play a significant role. Their job was to intercept rogue cultivators attempting to sabotage the wall from within. But with Wu Shi Sect destroyed, such individuals were few and far between, unable to cause much trouble.
Outside the Great Wall.
Yong He, Ji Jun, and the other three didn’t cease their assault just because Wei Yunshu and Luo Lingfeng had paused. After a brief moment of recuperation, they gathered their spiritual energy and poured it onto the sword mark left by Yuan Fu. A surging tide of spiritual energy erupted, countless golden lights flashing. The flags on the wall flapped vigorously. The True Artifacts, already under strain, now endured even more. With a grating sound that made one’s teeth ache, they finally shattered.
“How can fellow daoist Yong He not even restrain one Cavern Heaven cultivator?” Ji Jun asked Yong He while channeling his spiritual energy.
Yong He’s expression was a little dazed. After a moment, she replied to Ji Jun, “I used the Tai Sui Bead to corrupt the Yuan Water of the Abyss, yet that cultivator could still freely wield it.” A hint of fiery indignation ignited within her. If Luo Lingfeng hadn’t been her opponent, she might have suspected they were allies.
Ji Jun frowned, finding such deep thought troublesome. “Perhaps they have some artifact to ward off impurities,” he mused. He paused, then added, “Chao Ling has already slain a Buzhou swordsman. Unless they send Ji Changkong with the True Nature Sword to intercept us, they won’t be able to stop us.”
Chao Ling stated calmly, “The grand tide is before us. Their struggles are insignificant.”
The five of them pushed their spiritual energy with all their might, applying wave after wave of pressure against the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall. The defensive power of such a Dao Artifact had its limits. An hour later, a phantom image of Jin Lingzi reappeared above the Great Wall. She bowed to Wei Yunshu, Luo Lingfeng, and the others, sighing, “We can’t hold on much longer. Everyone, prepare yourselves.” Once the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall crumbled, Cavern Heaven cultivators would have to become the “wall” themselves, holding back the demonic forces.
After taking elixirs and resting briefly, though not fully recovered, they were in a much better state than before. Their strength had been depleted, and so had that of the demons.
Wei Yunshu spoke up, “True Monarch Yuan Fu was defeated by that Chao Ling Venerable. I will face this demon.”
Yuan Ying nodded, then said, “He seems to possess a method that forced Junior Brother Yuan Fu’s attacks onto the Great Wall. True Monarch Bo, you must be careful.”
Wei Yunshu nodded at this.
Luo Lingfeng glanced at Yan Danwo and Shi Wufang, her expressionless face unchanged. “That old Dragon Cultivator specializes in water techniques. I will deal with him.” Previously, Yan Danwo and Shi Wufang combined were no match for Dragon Ancestor, and this time would be no different. Moreover, many of their Daoist techniques and divine abilities had been seen through, making their potential defeat even faster. Dragon Ancestor was a primordial anomaly with an indestructible physical body, so the only way to deal with him was through the soul.
After a brief discussion, streams of light shot out from the midpoint of the sky. Wei Yunshu moved first. With a raise of her hand, thunderous roars echoed. Countless bolts of lightning condensed in the clouds, forming a sea of thunder that surged towards Chao Ling. Chao Ling, who had recently battled Yuan Fu, had transformed a region into his own Dharma Transmission Ground. He now stood at its edge. Seeing Wei Yunshu emerge, he intended to draw her into the center of the Dharma Transmission Ground. A subtle glint flashed in his eyes as he formed a hand seal, activating the “Four Directions Illusionary Change” divine ability.
The instant Chao Ling’s divine ability activated, Wei Yunshu suddenly sensed an inexplicable pulling force. The scenery before her warped like an illusion, rushing past her. Naturally, she would not allow herself to be swayed. A cold light flickered in her eyes. With a raise of her hand, the Taiyi Sword Qi spread out, covering the sky and earth. Her Manifestation unfolded behind her, countless stars revolving.
The power contained within the celestial stars was immense. Chao Ling’s divine ability could manipulate a few, but not all of them. Her Manifestation spanned both inside and out, allowing Wei Yunshu to escape at any time, even if she were in his Dharma Transmission Ground. Chao Ling realized this approach wouldn’t work and immediately abandoned the “Four Directions Illusionary Change” technique. As long as he could maintain his footing, his inherent trait was to distort perceptions. At worst, he could simply evolve a new Dharma Transmission Ground. Seeing the vast sword energy approaching, Chao Ling used “Azure Spirit Transformation.” Swirling azure clouds descended, but they only held for an instant before completely shattering! Yuan Fu’s sword intent lay in extreme speed, but Wei Yunshu was different. Her sword strikes brought forth myriad phenomena, surpassing Yuan Fu in both breadth and force. Though her speed was slightly less than Yuan Fu’s who specialized in extreme swordsmanship, she was still far more formidable than ordinary sword cultivators. Chao Ling quickly judged that he couldn’t fully contain the sword intent. His eyes flashed, and he once again used “Shadow of the Past.” As long as he possessed this divine ability, he stood invincible in the Fu Li Immortal Realm.
The surging sword energy flashed across the phantom image. After a few wobbles, Chao Ling, riding his elephant, reappeared, completely unharmed. Even if Wei Yunshu could strike him thousands upon thousands of times, what good would it do? His spiritual energy was consumed in casting spells, and his perception of his surroundings gradually shifted, as if he could control the very heavens. What could the other party do to him?!
Starlight flickered around Wei Yunshu, repelling the waves of alien energy. Her perception was keen, and she realized something was wrong with this land. As time passed, everything became more favorable to Chao Ling, and her own Daoist techniques were gradually being rejected. If this continued, she might suffer the same fate as Yuan Fu. After a moment of thought, a golden scale, dazzling with golden light, flew from her sleeve. This item, the “Dao Transmission Golden Scale,” was obtained from a secret realm and belonged to the Shang Qing Divine Realm. She had studied it carefully after returning, discovering that the golden scale could neither be refined nor destroyed; it was a pure vessel of Dao for transmitting teachings. Perhaps it could be used now.
Indeed, as soon as this “Dao Transmission Golden Scale” appeared, the ever-changing space suddenly trembled. That profound and mysterious change abruptly stopped. Chao Ling recognized the golden scale, and his pupils constricted sharply. He inwardly cursed, “Not good.” The elephant’s trunk behind him swung, emitting a long cry. The speed of the unfolding Daoist scriptures quickened, emitting countless rays of golden light mixed with murky darkness.
“Fellow daoist, you hold the Dao Transmission Golden Scale of the Shang Qing Divine Realm. Why then oppose us?” Chao Ling shouted sternly.
Wei Yunshu lowered her eyelids. Even if she had heard the Daoist sounds within the “Dao Transmission Golden Scale,” it didn’t mean she approved of the “Dao” within. “Our paths diverge. There’s no need for further words, fellow daoist,” Wei Yunshu stated coldly, pushing her spiritual energy to its limit. Amidst the roaring thunder, the Taiyi Sword was unleashed towards Chao Ling. The brilliant sword light was like a celestial river sash. Chao Ling’s offensive shattered upon meeting it. He was forced to use “Shadow of the Past” to escape disaster. Many of his divine abilities were based on the “My Dao Reigns Supreme” inherited from his true self. Only when his foothold completely transformed into a “Dharma Transmission Ground” could he truly become master, even reflecting his opponent’s divine abilities and seizing the opponent’s life. But the Dao Transmission Golden Scale appeared, and his “reasoning” could not possibly compare to the true self of the Shang Qing Divine Realm’s Divine Venerable. Therefore, the “Dharma Transmission Ground” was immediately suppressed, leaving him to passively endure Wei Yunshu’s attacks. He sighed inwardly, waiting for his allies to free themselves.
Wei Yunshu’s expression was as frigid as ice. Each of her sword strikes landed on the “Shadow of the Past.” While it seemed like a futile waste of spiritual energy, it was actually beneficial to her. Even if it were a phantom, it was still Chao Ling’s aura. Each sword strike allowed her to capture a wisp of it. As her understanding of this aura deepened, one day her sword strike would directly bypass Chao Ling’s “Shadow of the Past” and land on his true form! Reaching this point, Wei Yunshu no longer feared the depletion of her spiritual energy.
On the other side, after exiting the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall, Luo Lingfeng directly lunged towards Ji Jun, whose Manifestation was ferocious and terrifying.
The Abyssal True Water flowed around her skirt like a playful fish. Behind her, the Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation was vast and boundless, with only faint rumbling sounds of water heard.
“Daoist Luo, do you wish to play with water before a True Dragon?” Ji Jun sneered playfully. His true form was a natural anomaly, establishing himself with the “Five Elements Water Cultivation,” thus inherently representing water. He didn’t believe the Abyssal True Water could do anything to him.
Luo Lingfeng let out a cold laugh. The Abyssal True Water was the root of cultivation, ever-changing and flowing with the Dao. However, she didn’t intend to use the Abyssal True Water as her primary offense. Too lazy for further pleasantries with Ji Jun, she raised her hand and conjured the Juexian Zither. The dragon’s roar filled the heavens and earth. As soon as a string was plucked, a clear zither sound rang out, instantly tearing through the black dragon’s roar. The zither melody rose and fell like crashing waves, spreading outwards with immense force, smashing down upon Ji Jun.
Mere sound blades could not destroy the hardened dragon scales. Ji Jun sneered coldly, unleashing his spiritual energy, which transformed into a vast, Dustless Sea. The dragon swam rapidly beneath the waves. Its sharp claws grasped from all sorts of strange angles, its force so fierce it seemed capable of tearing apart space. Luo Lingfeng, of course, did not fear the changes of water. She fell into the water, and the Abyssal True Water quickly pushed away foreign matter. Within a few breaths, the heavy water had clashed with the dragon claws and tail several times. The collision of powerful energies caused countless splashes of water to instantly transform into mist, which was then scattered in all directions by the gale.
Ji Jun launched several attacks, attempting to suppress Luo Lingfeng immediately. Unfortunately, her spiritual energy was far more vigorous than that of Shi Wufang and Yan Danwo. With a humph, Ji Jun looked at Luo Lingfeng with a stern expression, reaching for the Dragon Bone Saber. “Daoist Luo, at such a young age, to possess such cultivation. In the Shang Qing Divine Realm, you would surely be a talent everyone vies for,” Ji Jun said, a hint of regret in his eyes. He opened his mouth and spat out a beam of malevolent light, raising the Dragon Bone Saber in his hand and slashing forward with all his might. The saber light suddenly appeared, surging forward like a roaring dragon shadow.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly. With her left hand, she drew her sword and slashed forward, cleaving the world. With her right hand, she continued to play the zither, the sound domain spreading out once more, completely suppressing the dragon’s roar. At this moment, Luo Lingfeng’s face suddenly radiated brilliance. The wandering zither melodies, under her control, transformed into twenty-four needles that descended upon Ji Jun. Ordinary attacks that struck Ji Jun were erased by the potent aura surrounding his body before they could even touch his dragon scales. But these twenty-four needles were different; they were extremely soft and, through friction, merged with Ji Jun’s potent aura. Finally, they breached the seemingly indestructible barrier and descended towards his sea of consciousness.
When the zither melody reached his ears, Ji Jun didn’t pay much attention. His Manifestation, the dragon’s roar, suppressed the rising and falling tide of sound. However, he soon discovered that even though the sound domain had been completely breached, he could still hear the ubiquitous zither music. His eyes darkened. He stared at Luo Lingfeng, who was playing the zither before him, his golden eyes narrowed into vertical slits. He immediately understood Luo Lingfeng’s intention and mocked with a smile, “Daoist Luo, you also know you cannot break my hard dragon scales, so you wish to fight with our souls? Then come!” He threw his head back and roared with laughter, activating a divine ability. His true form took a step back, completely merging into the True Dragon Manifestation. The scales of the True Dragon Manifestation quivered, opening its gates and allowing the soul to appear outside.
How were the Primordial Demons formed? They were based on the “Severed-Self” cast down by the Five Divine Venerables. In the Realm of Ruin, they absorbed the “Severed-Self” of cultivators who had not yet been eroded by the Realm of Ruin day after day. They were the condensation of ten thousand years of “Severed-Self” thoughts, and nothing existed more chaotic than their souls. The discarded thoughts either merged or clashed, forming raging storms that would instantly shred any foreign object that entered, turning it into sustenance for growth.
Seeing Ji Jun willingly open the gate, a strange light flashed in Luo Lingfeng’s eyes. Without hesitation, she directly urged her Cavern Heaven Dharma Manifestation towards the True Dragon’s body. With a thunderous explosion that shook the heavens and earth, the two souls directly engaged in battle, having abandoned their physical forms. The scene before them vanished, and the ground they stood on was the near-primordial darkness. Before Luo Lingfeng lay a coiled dragon.
Ji Jun said menacingly, “Daoist Luo, you walk right into my trap. I can only accept.”
Luo Lingfeng replied neither lightly nor heavily, “Is that so?” She gazed at the dragon’s true form before her—it was shaped according to a Shang Qing Divine Venerable, but it had incorporated countless “Severed-Self thoughts” midway, leaving behind marks of various colors, like mottled sores, appearing extremely discordant. As Ji Jun moved, those myriad chaotic thoughts transformed into a terrifying storm that seemed capable of eroding everything, rolling towards Luo Lingfeng. Luo Lingfeng plucked a zither string, and the sound blade rippled forward, erupting with dazzling flames that illuminated this space. It was only then that the scene behind Luo Lingfeng gradually revealed itself.
The sound of water tides approached from afar, a vast river filling the surroundings, transforming into a bloody sea. Corpses floated within, filled with filth and malevolence. Seeing this scene, Ji Jun’s eyes narrowed. Even if the souls of Immortal Sect cultivators had minor blemishes, overall they were clean. But this person before him, the depths of her soul were filled with bloody filth, and negative emotions were particularly strong. She was clearly more like a demon than he was! How could such a dirty and corrupted soul walk among Immortal Sect cultivators? How could she avoid falling into depravity? “If the Immortal Sect cultivators saw Daoist Luo’s soul, would they still dare to believe you?” Ji Jun asked.
Luo Lingfeng lowered her eyes, and the suddenly raised sound blade sliced through the surging storm. Clutching her zither, she walked step by step towards Ji Jun. As she moved, the spiritual energies of both sides fiercely collided. There were no transformations of Daoist techniques involved; it was purely a test of whose soul power was stronger. Ji Jun, confident in his ten thousand years of corrupting marks and even possessing a small portion of the “Realm of Ruin’s” power, feared not Luo Lingfeng’s soul. Initially, Ji Jun did hold the upper hand, but he soon discovered something was amiss. After the soul powers clashed, the dispersed fragments did not return; instead, they were gradually being eroded. The bloody sea before him also showed signs of shrinking. Could it be that Luo Lingfeng intended to perish with him? The moment this thought arose, Ji Jun irritably flicked his tail and snorted coldly, thinking to himself, “Don’t even think about it!” His long accumulated power would not be so easily worn away.
However, as the bloody sea of filth was almost depleted, Luo Lingfeng’s soul did not completely collapse. She still stood there, clutching her zither, her aura undiminished. Suddenly, Ji Jun sensed an overwhelming danger, and his dragon scales bristled. Instinctively, he pushed all his soul power outwards! In this impact, light flashed and extinguished, and Ji Jun finally saw clearly what was within Luo Lingfeng’s soul! “Primordial Chaos—” he uttered in extreme panic, “No wonder her soul contained so much filth and yet did not completely fall. Her ‘soul’ was formed from chaos, and chaos is the primordial state that accepts all things, with Yin and Yang yet undifferentiated.”
The true self had not yet awakened, but no matter what, that chaos was not something he could shake. The moment this thought arose, Ji Jun intended to break free from the soul battle. However, Luo Lingfeng had prepared to attack Ji Jun’s soul from the start and would not easily let him go. “Regretting it now should be too late,” she said, moving her fingertips. The zither music surged like a tide, crashing down! Even knowing his true form would not perish and his essence would not be extinguished, Ji Jun was unwilling to be driven back like this. He roared, and countless black winds and dark smoke surged. However, he had misjudged the soul powers of both sides, rendering even his dragon body’s foundation unusable. One wrong step led to a cascade of errors. This offensive strike also fell short.
Luo Lingfeng nodded towards the Dragon Lord, saying gracefully, “We part ways here today. May you have a good journey.”
In the void not far away.
Chao Ling was struck by sword light again and again. Although he could recover, he vaguely sensed a change beyond his expectations was about to occur. He frowned, observing the conditions of his allies. The auras of Ji Jun and his opponent were completely gone, yet the heavens and earth showed no anomalous signs, clearly indicating they hadn’t perished but had instead escaped to different realms. Looking at Qiong Sang and Rahu, although they were not at a disadvantage, they could not kill their opponents in a short time and were unable to offer assistance. They were each entangled by their opponents, leaving no time to even focus on the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall. If this continued, the situation would likely worsen. Chao Ling was thinking this when a new sword light shot towards him. Just like countless times before, Chao Ling used “Shadow of the Past” to evade disaster. However, upon recovering, a warning signal arose in his heart. He looked ahead and saw Wei Yunshu holding the Taiyi Sword, motionless!
Chao Ling realized he had to do something and could no longer passively react. He took a deep breath, and several strands of azure light fell from his head. He pointed forward, transforming into an inexhaustible stream of wood energy that tore forward. This wood energy moved quickly, reaching Wei Yunshu’s front in the blink of an eye. However, at this moment, a divine light erupted from Wei Yunshu’s eyes, and the Taiyi Sword vanished into thin air. Immediately afterwards, countless extremely bright, star-like lights flashed from her body. Amidst the thunderous tremors, the light flickered and blazed, its radiance shining in all directions. The surrounding wood energy was swept away. Yet, after this starlight burst forth, it didn’t end. A sword cry that reached the heavens echoed, and a sky-piercing sword energy rose from the stars, seemingly piercing everything. In an instant, it landed on Chao Ling!
Chao Ling activated his divine abilities immediately. “Four Directions Illusionary Change” pulled at Wei Yunshu’s true form. “Azure Spirit Transformation” formed the first barrier with swirling azure clouds, followed by “Shadow of the Past” to meet the calamity with a false self. However, as this sword strike fell, the auras dispersed, and all techniques shattered! The sword energy cut through the false self. Chao Ling perceived that the swordsman’s cultivation was not higher than his, yet there was an indescribable wrongness. He couldn’t explain it. When his true form returned, a crisp cracking sound reached his ears. Only then did he feel a pain. Looking down, he saw a sword mark on his body. With just one glance, that half of his body turned to dust and scattered. A look of shock crossed Chao Ling’s eyes; he didn’t even know how everything had happened.
Wei Yunshu, her expressionless face unchanged, flicked her sleeve, and a talisman flew out, suppressing Chao Ling! It was hateful that these five demon lords were immortal and indestructible; only suppression was an option!
“Chao Ling has been suppressed.” Almost the instant the elephant rider was destroyed, Qiong Sang, Rahu, Yong He, and the others sensed it. With their cultivation, they were already beyond the Cavern Heaven realm; how could they be suppressed by others? The situation had changed so drastically; they had to regain some ground! As this thought arose, the offensive of the Primordial Demons became even more ferocious.
Wei Yunshu swept away the surrounding filth with a flick of her sleeve. She focused, her gaze falling on three directions. No matter which direction she looked, her fellow Daoists were at a disadvantage, with the battle involving True Monarch Yuan Ying being the most brutal! Just as Wei Yunshu was about to go to their aid, she heard True Monarch Yuan Ying’s calm voice, “Please help Wufang, fellow Daoist.”
Above the Heavenly Firmament.
Ji Changkong, the sect leader of Buzhou, sat with her sword. She was aware of the situation at the Ten Thousand Mile Great Wall, but her duty bound her and the True Nature Sword to stay put. The alien energy swirling above had not made a move, but it also showed no signs of retreating. Suddenly, a minute crack appeared in the sky, and countless brilliant lights poured down, vaguely revealing the phantom image of a Daoist! Ji Changkong uttered, “They’ve come,” and suddenly stood up, raising the True Nature Sword and slashing upwards! The sword intent roared and surged forth, the spiritual energy instantly stirred and became extremely violent. The light that had been descending was disrupted by the sword energy, scattering in all directions. The Daoist’s phantom image swayed precariously, as if it might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
A moment later, a soft sigh descended from above.
The Daoist attempting to break open the gates of the Fu Li Immortal Realm withdrew his hand, but the lingering alien energy remained.
Ji Changkong, as if facing a great enemy, did not dare to relax for a moment.
Outside the gate, it was originally a vast expanse of void, with chaotic spatial currents swirling, forming countless virtual worlds. Without guidance, one could easily get lost within them. At this moment, a brilliant band of light, as if built from countless stars, emerged, extending to the end of the visible horizon. A Daoist sat within this river of light, with a young Daoist boy standing beside him.
“Master, with the combined power of all the True Monarchs in our Divine realm, can we still not break through that portal?” the young Daoist boy asked softly.
The Daoist looked downwards and sighed, “Those four were top figures in our Divine realm, second only to the Divine Venerables in their time. The restrictions they jointly laid are not so easily broken. It’s a pity the Divine Venerable does not concern himself with worldly affairs. We can only place our hopes on those few.”