After the Great Dao Died

Time flew by. Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

As November approached, night spilled like ink across Cuojin Mountain. Moonbeams painted the snow at the summit a faint, silvery white.

Wind howled down from the heights, carrying pine needles and ice shards. It whimpered through rocky crevices and dead wood, making the mountain’s heavy silence tremble.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on a jutting rock.

Suspended halfway up the mountain, the outcropping resembled an eagle’s beak. It extended over a zhang from the cliff face, hanging above a hundred-zhang abyss.

The wind had weathered the rock face as coarse as sand, and a thin layer of frost coated it. The chill seeped through his robes into his bones, yet he remained completely oblivious.

That was because he was looking down at the small wooden box before him.

A single pristine white pill rested inside.

Perfectly round like a pearl and glowing white, faint patterns swirled across the pill’s surface. It looked as though wisps of cloud had been trapped within that tiny space, exhaling an ethereal radiance.

Qi-Gathering Pill.Two months ago, he had brought three back from the East King Palace on Cuojin Mountain.

’In these two months, I’ve already consumed two Qi-Gathering Pills. Now, only this last one remains.’

The streak of azure qi in Chen Lingxi’s dantian had grown immensely.

Like a dormant azure python, it coiled in the very center of his dantian, its color as rich as jade marrow.

’The Qi Circulation 3rd Floor is already perfected, and my Silver Bone state has long since reached perfection as well. Whether I can ascend another floor today depends on this little pill.’

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

The mountain peak’s chill, mixed with the bitter scent of pine needles, flooded his lungs.

He hesitated no longer. Retrieving the wooden box from his robes, he pinched the final Qi-Gathering Pill between his fingertips and popped it into his mouth.

The pill entered his stomach, and his spiritual qi instantly ignited.

Like a drop of boiling oil landing in a raging fire, or a meteorite crashing into a furnace, the python-like azure qi in his dantian surged the moment the medicinal power flooded in, trembling madly.

Chen Lingxi’s body jolted. He immediately began guiding and refining the spiritual energy, circulating it through a minor heavenly cycle.

One breath in, three pauses. One breath out, five stops.

Through this bizarre breathing rhythm, Chen Lingxi seized control of his spiritual qi, wrapping it around the pill and guiding its power through the minor heavenly cycle.

He persisted until the torrent of spiritual energy was gathered thread by thread, refined, and absorbed into the azure qi.

The azure qi acted like a starving giant python, greedily devouring the spiritual energy pouring from the medicine. With every mouthful, it grew thicker, and with every bit of thickness, it condensed further.

’The gaseous azure qi is starting to liquefy.’

Joy swelled in Chen Lingxi’s chest.

The once diffuse and formless threads of spiritual qi mist converged in the dead center of his dantian. They gathered thicker and thicker, growing heavier, until they finally condensed into a single drop of water.

Then came a second drop, and a third. Countless fine beads of liquid spiritual qi materialized in his dantian. They collided and merged, turning from dew to mist, and then gathering from that mist into a pool of shimmering emerald liquid.

Soon after, a faint hum echoed from the depths of his dantian.

Driven by the expansion of this power, the originally narrow space of his dantian stretched out, before finally shattering.

It was like a silkworm cocoon bursting from the inside, or a river channel torn open by spring floods!

The once-gaseous spiritual qi had transformed into liquid.

His dantian had become a sea of qi.

’I broke through.’

’The Qi Circulation 4th Floor!’

Chen Lingxi opened his eyes.

He felt his aura settle and solidify. Though his spiritual qi seemed to consist of only a few drops, it was vastly denser than before.

’It’s almost a qualitative change. Such dense spiritual qi is enough to support my use of the Purple True Precious Qi and the Cyan Edge Method.’

Pleasant surprise washed over Chen Lingxi.

’Moreover, my Silver Bone state is perfected. I am just one step away from the Golden Body.’

The Qi Circulation 4th Floor hadn’t just turned his dantian into a qi sea; it had also widened his meridians further.

Spiritual qi rushed through his meridians like a stream, nourishing his body. The repeated scouring of spiritual qi continually compressed his bone density, making his silver marrow ever heavier. Bathed in this pure spiritual qi, his internal organs underwent subtle changes as well, becoming tougher and far more pristine.

’I should take this chance to break into the Golden Body.’

Without hesitation, right there on the mountain, Chen Lingxi began to practice the fifth stance of the Seven Forms of Halting War.

The Jade-Breaking Stance!

The name ”Jade-Breaking” derived from the concept that ”even jade, despite its hardness, can be shattered.”

The method for circulating blood and qi in this stance was incredibly unique. It demanded condensing all the body’s blood and qi into a single point, like striking jade with a hammer. The force had to be precise to a hairsbreadth—a fraction too much and the target would shatter into powder, a fraction too little and the strike would do nothing at all.

He had obtained the complete methods for the final three stances of the Seven Forms of Halting War through Thorough Awakening. Having studied them day and night over the past two months, the blood and qi circulation routes for the Jade-Breaking Stance were already etched into his mind. Using it now felt as natural as water flowing into a channel.

Opening stance. He sank his waist into a horse stance. Gripping his right fist tightly, knuckles facing up, he mobilized every ounce of blood and qi in his back, chest, and abdomen.

Silver marrow surged like the tide within his bones, emitting a low hum like a muffled urn.

After reaching Silver Bone Consummation, the silver marrow deep within his bones had become as heavy as mercury. To advance further, he needed to press that silver marrow layer by layer into the deepest parts of his bones, continually refining and compressing the blood and qi essence contained within. It was like repeatedly forging a pot of molten iron, burning away the impurities to leave only the purest gold essence.

Once that iron essence fused into the marrow, his bones would gradually shift from silvery-white to pale gold. That was the threshold of the Golden Body.

Chen Lingxi executed the nine variations of the Jade-Breaking Stance, one move after another.

With every strike, the silver marrow deep in his bones compressed a fraction more, and its silver light withdrew a layer deeper. From the very core of his marrow, a layer of extremely faint gold quietly blossomed.

An unknown amount of time passed. When he threw the final punch of the ninth variation, the bones throughout his body abruptly let out a unified chime.

The toll sounded as if a thousand-jin bronze bell were buried inside him and someone had just struck it with a massive log. The sonic wave resonated from deep within his bones, passing through his flesh and echoing far into the night sky, shaking loose debris from the cliff face that pattered down.

Golden Body!

And by breaking into the Golden Body, he immediately reached minor completion!

Relying on the mighty physique of the Qi Circulation 4th Floor, Chen Lingxi had shattered the barrier of Silver Bone Consummation, entered the Golden Body, and stepped right into minor completion!

At the minor completion of the Golden Body, the light seeping from his bones when he circulated his energy shifted from silvery-white to a very pale gold, like the first rays of morning light.

His silver marrow began converting into Golden Broth.

’This is the minor completion of the Golden Body.’

Standing among the mountains, Chen Lingxi tried pushing his blood and qi. The Golden Broth surged through his bones, and a thick, golden barrier of light materialized around his entire body.

”Golden Body Astral Barrier.”

”The hallmark of Golden Body minor completion.”

Chen Lingxi whispered the words, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

The reason Golden Body martial artists could face hundreds of armored soldiers alone relied entirely on this layer of Golden Body Astral Barrier.

Ordinary blades hacking against the barrier would be like striking a bronze bell; the rebounding force would injure the attackers instead.

Even the Bone-Piercing Force of the Silver Bone Realm striking the barrier would be like a clay ox plunging into the sea, failing to stir up much of a ripple.

’And my Golden Body Astral Barrier is so thick... Even an ordinary Golden Body at major completion might not possess a physique like mine.’

Chen Lingxi’s gaze slowly grew calm. He glanced up at the sky. The night was nearly over, and a faint smear of sunlight was beginning to show over the eastern ridge.

Dawn was breaking.

He was no longer a medicine-testing servant at the mercy of others.

Chen Lingxi turned and strode down the mountain, his footsteps as steady as ever.

—

December sixth.

Inside the Baosu Marquis Residence, bustling activity had begun before the sun was even up.

Only seven days remained before Imperial Consort Chun’s arrival.

Servants from the West Courtyard scurried about. Some lugged red-lacquered food boxes toward the East Courtyard, some trotted along carrying newly tailored curtains, and others sweated profusely while carrying gold-painted folding screens.

Several people who looked like overseers stood beneath the verandas, clutching ledgers. They tallied items and barked orders, each shouting louder than the last.

”These kumquats are crooked! Move them half a chi to the left. Further left... no, that’s too much!”

”That set of red sandalwood tables and chairs in the storehouse—pad them with soft felt before you move them! If you chip them, I’ll flay you alive!”

”The curtains in the East Courtyard’s main hall need to be rehung! The fabric from yesterday had the wrong pattern. If Her Ladyship the Imperial Consort arrives and sees that, what sort of impression will it make?”

The entire Baosu Marquis Residence was like a pot of water on the verge of boiling, filled with chaotic noise everywhere. Only the main courtyard of the West Courtyard, where Lin Longyue resided, remained relatively quiet.

Chen Lingxi stepped out of the courtyard just as Liu Zhu approached from the other end of the veranda, cradling a stack of freshly cut plain silk.

She was wearing a goose-yellow cotton jacket today, its cuffs trimmed with white fox fur, which made her face look even more fair and clear.

Seeing Chen Lingxi emerge from the corner gate, she stopped and gave him a slight nod in greeting.

”Are you heading to the government office to report in today?” she asked.

Chen Lingxi gave a hum of acknowledgment.

Liu Zhu hesitated for a moment before suddenly asking, ”I need to go buy some things shortly. Why don’t we go together?”

Chen Lingxi paused in surprise. ”I’m afraid I can’t. It’s almost time. If I’m late, I’ll be eating the paddle.”

Liu Zhu didn’t press the issue. She simply told him to ”go and return quickly” before carrying her silk toward the East Courtyard.

Chen Lingxi watched her walk away, then strode toward the corner gate.

In December, the northern winds of Yuanjiang Prefecture cut like knives.

Chen Lingxi walked through the market streets at a measured pace.

After walking for a long time, crossing several streets, and turning the corner at Liujie Alley, he was not far from the prefecture office.

But right at that moment—

A sharp whistling tore through the air from behind him!

The sound approached incredibly fast. Iron horseshoes struck the bluestone paving slabs with the dense, rapid clatter of drumbeats.

’Hm?’

Chen Lingxi frowned.

Amid the hoofbeats, he picked out the clanking of metal armor plates, as well as a very light, very deep breath.

That breath was as drawn-out as a sprinting beast’s. It seemed steady, but hidden within it was an immensely powerful fluctuation of blood and qi.

Without drawing attention, he yielded a step toward the edge of the street. Tilting his head slightly, he caught sight of the person out of the corner of his eye.

A chestnut stallion was galloping wildly down the long street.

The steed was massive, standing more than a head taller than an ordinary warhorse. Its four hooves were snow-white, and its mane whipped in the northern wind like a flag.

A person sat astride its back, a saber at his waist and armor hugging his body. He wore a silver helm and silver armor, the plates clattering in the wind. A faceplate obscured his features, leaving only a pair of eyes visible.

Those eyes were razor-sharp, glinting with a cold, eerie light in the shadows.

Chen Lingxi suddenly realized something.

’He’s coming for me!’

The newcomer’s gaze had unerringly bypassed the sparse pedestrians on the street and locked directly onto him. Immediately after, a surge of blood and qi boiled up from beneath that armor!

A faint silver glow shone from beneath the man’s arm guards!

Bone-Piercing Force!

’A Silver Bone expert.’ Chen Lingxi’s expression remained unchanged.

The man’s approach was lightning-fast. When the horse reached within a few paces of Chen Lingxi, it abruptly reared up with a whinny. Its front hooves kicked empty air twice before crashing heavily onto the bluestone, sending shattered ice flying.

At the same time, the silver-armored rider used the momentum to lunge down. Arching his back like a bow, he shot out his right arm, curling his five fingers into a claw. The Bone-Piercing Force spiraling at his fingertips erupted, transforming into a gleaming silver claw shadow that snatched toward Chen Lingxi’s neck and shoulder.

The claw seemed casual, but in reality, it was incredibly fast.

The surrounding pedestrians hadn’t even reacted yet. They only felt a gust of powerful wind blast past them, stinging their cheeks.

Chen Lingxi feigned panic, twisting his body to dodge as if acting purely on instinct.

His body seemed half a beat slower than his mind. The wind from the claw grazed his right shoulder. With a tearing sound, a rip appeared in the shoulder of his indigo robe, sending cotton wadding flying into the air.

Taking advantage of the momentum, he staggered back several steps until his spine slammed against the stone wall on the edge of the street. He let out a muffled groan and his head lolled to the side. As if knocked unconscious by the Bone-Piercing Force, his body slumped limply to the ground, utterly motionless.

He appeared to have passed out.

The silver-armored man actually seemed somewhat surprised that his claw had landed.

But he didn’t dwell on it. Giving a cold harrumph, he arched his back again and swooped down from the horse like a diving falcon. He scooped Chen Lingxi up by the waist and laid him horizontally across the saddle.

The scattered pedestrians finally realized what had happened and broke into an uproar.

The horse charged out of the long street. Rather than heading toward the city gates, it turned into a secluded alleyway and traveled due west.

Chen Lingxi had originally intended to make his move right then and there, but he suddenly realized this route led toward the banks of Yuanjiang. He immediately formed a few guesses in his mind.

Sure enough, about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the horse skirted past a withered reed marsh. An estate appeared ahead.

A stone plaque hung above the estate’s lintel. Carved into it were the four characters: ”Qingjiang Villa.”

Chen Lingxi sneered inwardly.

’It really is Yang Zhuri.’

—

Meanwhile, inside Qingjiang Villa, before a bathing pool.

The pool water still rippled with an eerie emerald hue, and the layer of white mist floating on its surface was even thicker than it had been a few months ago.

The azure flames inside the eight bronze lamps beside the pool flickered silently.

Yang Zhuri stood by the edge of the pool.

He wasn’t wearing his brocade robes today. He was dressed only in a plain white inner robe, the collar left slightly open to reveal a small patch of jade-white skin at his collarbone.

His hands were beautiful—long fingers, well-proportioned knuckles, and fingertips as round as pearls. They looked exactly like the hands of a young nobleman who had never done a day of hard labor in his life.

Yet at this moment, those hands were gripping a dagger.

Before him lay two people: a teenage boy and a young girl.

The boy lay on the stone slabs by the pool. The back of his head rested against a groove carved into the stone platform specifically for channeling blood into the water. His neck was bent backward at a grotesquely unnatural angle, his Adam’s apple protruding sharply, as if an invisible hand were crushing his throat.

He was around fifteen or sixteen. His face was entirely covered in drawn talismans. His eyes were wide open, but all the light had faded from them, his pupils severely dilated.

The boy stared up at the cold moon in the night sky, his eyes completely still.

The girl was curled up beside him.

She was younger, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, and incredibly thin. Her wrists were as spindly as dry twigs; it looked as if a gentle snap would break them.

She huddled on the stone slab, her legs drawn tightly to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees, burying her entire face between them.

Her hair was supposed to have been tied into braids, but her red hair tie had slipped loose at some point. Half of it hung from the ends of her hair, and the other half trailed in the bloodstains on the stone slab.

Her face was similarly covered in cinnabar talismans. Suddenly, her fingers twitched. Her small, purple-frozen hand slid slowly off her knee, as if searching for something.

Until she felt the boy’s clothes. When her fingertips touched the coarse gray cloth, they trembled slightly, and then she clamped tightly onto it.

”Brother...”

The girl called out.

Yang Zhuri looked down at the girl, his peach-blossom eyes entirely devoid of emotion.

The girl’s eyes suddenly darted. She seemed to see Yang Zhuri, and the dagger as thin as a shard of ice in his hand. She saw the dark cloud patterns embroidered on his inner robe, and she saw his almost unrealistically handsome face.

She stared for a long time. Then, as if expending a massive amount of effort, she managed to part her lips into a tiny slit. It revealed two rows of small teeth, stained with threads of blood that dyed the gaps between them a pale red.

”My Lord...”

”Could you... not kill us?”

She asked.

Those hazy gray eyes looked up at Yang Zhuri, the tiny speck of light in their depths quivering.

Her hand still gripped the boy’s clothes tightly.

The boy was likely her brother.

”W-we have a younger sister,” her voice suddenly grew a bit louder, carrying an urgent, almost begging tremor. She sounded as though she was trying to prove she wasn’t something that could just be casually tossed away and killed.

”She’s only five. Our parents are dead. We’re the only ones left at home to take care of her... My Lord, please let us go home. Won’t you?”

As she spoke, a very faint choke caught in her throat. She desperately forced the sob down, refusing to let it slip out, likely terrified of annoying Yang Zhuri.

She merely tilted her face up, staring at Yang Zhuri with those hazy gray eyes. Her lips parted and closed, waiting for an answer.

Yang Zhuri was momentarily taken aback.

He lowered his head and scrutinized her face, looking again and again.

Then, he burst into sudden, roaring laughter.

The girl’s eyes flickered once more.

Yang Zhuri’s laughter gradually died down. Tilting his head, he said softly, ”You can’t go back.”

”You two are nothing more than seasoning. The great medicine is coming. If I let you go back, I won’t be able to savor it.”

”If you want to blame someone, blame him...”

”What was that servant’s name again...”

”Chen Lingxi.”