After the Great Dao Died

The cave was dim, lit only by a patch of grayish daylight leaking through a crack in the roof.

Chen Lingxi stared at the Xi family disciple before him, missing an arm and a leg, his qi sea shattered. Chen Lingxi’s eyes were calm, holding neither satisfaction nor pity.

Xi Mu lay on the cold bluestone floor. Chen Lingxi had sealed the severed limbs with spiritual qi to stop the bleeding, but the piercing pain could not be suppressed.

His lips were cracked and pale, his eye sockets sunken. His once-handsome face had lost its shape, leaving him like an empty shell drained of life.

”How long until True Monarch Xi refines this grotto-heaven with the Realm-Refining Furnace?”

Chen Lingxi asked.

Xi Mu fell silent for a moment. ”Once the Cauldron Vessel hidden in this grotto-heaven is found... and finally claimed...”

He paused, his chest heaving violently before he continued. ”When the surviving disciples of the various sects return to the Greater World, the True Monarch will refine the grotto-heaven to forge a Great Golden Palace or Profound Golden Palace for clan uncle Hengsu.”

Chen Lingxi’s brow twitched slightly.

Great Golden Palace. Profound Golden Palace.He had heard this once from Lin Suri. During his Absolute Perception Deduction, when Lin Suri mentioned True Monarch Xi refining the grotto-heaven, he had also spoken of ”forging a Great Golden Palace or Profound Golden Palace for the clan’s most outstanding disciple, Xi Hengsu.”

At the time, he had only caught the words ”Golden Palace,” unaware of why ”Great” or ”Profound” preceded them.

He pondered for a moment before asking, ”What is a Great Golden Palace or a Profound Golden Palace?”

Xi Mu clearly hadn’t expected Chen Lingxi to ask such a question.

A trace of subtle confusion flashed through his ashen eyes.

But that confusion was instantly suppressed by his current predicament.

He did not dare refuse to answer.

”The Great Golden Palace and Profound Golden Palace are grades of a cultivator’s Golden Palace,” Xi Mu rasped. ”They are worlds apart from an ordinary Golden Palace.”

”Just as whether a cultivator possesses a spiritual aperture is crucial for their future,” he continued, ”obtaining a Great Golden Palace guarantees reaching the Golden Palace Middle Stage, provided one’s Dao heart remains unbroken and their foundation undamaged.”

His voice echoed in the dim cave. ”If one obtains a Profound Golden Palace, they will inevitably reach the Golden Palace Late Stage.”

As he spoke, a faint light brightened his ashen eyes.

”They only need to advance by following prescribed procedures methodically, and their cultivation will progress as when water flows, a channel forms naturally.”

His voice reverberated through the cave, lingering in the air. ”Ordinary cultivators exhaust untold hardships just to forge a Golden Palace, and every step thereafter requires their utmost effort. The slightest misstep can shatter their Dao heart, ruin their foundation, and waste all their prior efforts. But those figures who obtain a Great Golden Palace or Profound Golden Palace only need to advance by following prescribed procedures methodically, and they will step into the Golden Palace Middle Stage or Golden Palace Late Stage effortlessly, just as when water flows, a channel forms naturally.”

”Compared to an ordinary Golden Palace, this is an unimaginably extraordinary fortune.”

Chen Lingxi listened quietly, his expression impassive, before asking, ”In that case, has the Cauldron Vessel hidden within this grotto-heaven revealed any traces yet?”

Xi Mu only shook his head slightly and said, ”No one has yet found the spider silk and horse tracks of the Cauldron Vessel.”

He spoke with a calm tone.

Chen Lingxi said nothing, simply staring straight at Xi Mu.

The cave suddenly fell silent.

Xi Mu felt Chen Lingxi’s gaze fall upon him.

That gaze was neither sharp nor fierce; it just looked at him plainly, as if observing a lifeless ornament.

Yet it was exactly this plain gaze that made the chill in Xi Mu’s heart grow deeper and deeper.

Several breaths of time passed.

Chen Lingxi suddenly crouched down.

A hazy cyan edge seeped from his fingertip.

The Cyan Edge Method.

His finger slowly reached toward the other’s lower abdomen, the wisp of cyan light flickering unsteadily at his fingertip.

Xi Mu’s pupils contracted slightly.

That wisp of cyan edge was pointing straight toward his shattered qi sea.

The Cyan Edge Method entered Xi Mu’s body, traveling down his surviving meridians, stabbing straight into that dilapidated qi sea.

If it struck, the qi sea would obliterate entirely, no longer merely shattered.

Xi Mu’s body gave a violent shudder.

If his qi sea was destroyed, his path of cultivation would be completely severed.

For a cultivator, the destruction of their qi sea was more terrifying than death.

Fear immediately showed in Xi Mu’s eyes.

”Rumor has it—” his lips turned pale, ”rumor has it that Emperor Daye dispatched two Entering Profound figures to the Heavenly Gate Sea, where they found a talisman.”

He spoke extremely fast, as if terrified that speaking too slowly would allow that wisp of cyan edge to pierce his qi sea.

”It is highly likely that this talisman records the location of the Cauldron Vessel.”

Emperor Daye?

Chen Lingxi gave a slight nod.

The Cyan Edge Method dissipated.

”Having fallen into my hands, you still have a chance to live,” he said softly. ”But if you speak half a word of a lie, I will kill you instantly.”

Xi Mu’s expression grew gloomy.

Lying on the bluestone floor, he looked at the jagged stalactites on the cave roof in silence.

He knew that when a cultivator fell into the hands of another, the chances of survival were extremely slim.

He had killed quite a few cultivators himself.

Before they died, those people had also begged for mercy, promised various benefits, and brought up the names of their sect elders to intimidate him.

But he had never shown mercy.

Because sparing a life was far less straightforward and clean than killing them and taking their treasures.

It eliminated future troubles and allowed one to seize all of the opponent’s treasures—why wouldn’t anyone do it?

Now it was his turn.

He had become the lamb waiting for slaughter; how could he possibly survive?

But even if the chances were slim... he still had to... try...

He didn’t want to die.

A look of resignation appeared in Xi Mu’s eyes.

”Since that is the case... what else does Your Excellency wish to know?”

Chen Lingxi pondered for a moment before asking, ”How did you all come to this grotto-heaven? And when the grotto-heaven shatters, how will you return?”

He had long since gleaned clues from the words and actions of people like Lin Suri, Wu Mohe, and Ying Chi.

They hadn’t come here in their true bodies, but had entered the grotto-heaven through some form of reincarnation, possession, or disguise.

But as he asked this, Xi Mu suddenly realized something.

He looked up at Chen Lingxi, his ashen eyes filled with disbelief.

His pitch spiked sharply. ”Could it be that you are not someone from the Greater World, but a native of this Qi-less Realm?”

Chen Lingxi didn’t answer, merely watching Xi Mu quietly.

A few breaths of time passed.

A flash of fear suddenly passed through Xi Mu’s eyes.

That fear wasn’t caused by Chen Lingxi’s gaze, but because he had suddenly realized a far more terrifying truth.

If this person truly was a native creature of this Qi-less Realm, yet had managed to cultivate to the Fourth Circulation Floor... then he definitely harbored an incredibly extraordinary fortune.

The power of this fortune even surpassed the inheritance held by him, a Xi family disciple, and surpassed those talismans and artifacts on his person that had already been stripped clean.

”We came via the upper heavens’ Pool of Reincarnation, reincarnating into the grotto-heaven,” he answered. ”When it is time to return, the Pool of Reincarnation will also receive us.”

”It’s just—”

”Making a trip through the Pool of Reincarnation damages both our life force and our foundation. If we fail to obtain a Cauldron Vessel, it will ultimately be difficult to achieve the Dao Foundation in the future, and we will never again attain freedom.”

Chen Lingxi’s heart stirred.

The Pool of Reincarnation.

He had never heard this name before, but Xi Mu’s tone didn’t sound like he was lying.

Life force and foundation both damaged.

Trapped in this grotto-heaven, forced to become youths and children, wasting their days away, enduring the long winters and summers, and suffering through over twenty years of the ravages of time... all of it was just so they could find a Cauldron Vessel, return to the Greater World, and regain their freedom.

Exactly because of this, Lin Suri hadn’t hesitated to trade twenty years of his lifespan to the Time Candle in exchange for a piece of Spirit Amber to break through to the Sixth Floor.

Exactly because of this, that cultivator surnamed Chao had used the Time Candle Fragment in his possession as bait, not hesitating to leak a sect secret art just to ally with Lin Suri and contest for the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi.

Exactly because of this, Lu Baizhong had been so domineering, treating human lives like ants. Because in the eyes of those cultivators from the Greater World, the native creatures of this Qi-less Realm were inherently nothing more than ants.

When the path of seeking the Dao was so oppressive, what did killing a few ants matter?

Chen Lingxi digested these words, then asked, ”If a native creature of the Qi-less Realm wishes to leave this grotto-heaven, what must they do?”

Xi Mu’s eyes were calm, his expression and tone completely unchanged, as he replied, ”Ordinary figures who cultivate to the Heaven-Facing Three Floors can also communicate with the Pool of Reincarnation when it descends, entering directly into the Greater World.”

The Heaven-Facing Three Floors?

A hint of joy flashed in Chen Lingxi’s eyes, and he let out a long breath.

Of the twelve floors of Qi Circulation—the Lower Three Floors, the Middle Three Floors, and the Upper Three Floors—these Heaven-Facing Three Floors were the ultimate realm.

The Heaven-Facing Three Floors!

”Though it is distant and slim, it is not completely devoid of hope.”

The grotto-heaven was about to be refined.

He was but a minor figure. Even if he pitied the creatures of heaven and earth, he knew that a figure like a True Monarch was tantamount to a natural disaster. Refining a grotto-heaven with a Cauldron Vessel was no different from an apocalyptic calamity descending upon the world.

Let alone him being just a lowly Qi Circulation figure; even if he cultivated to the Dao Foundation or the Golden Palace, he would be completely incapable of contending against a legendary Golden Core True Monarch.

When strength falls short, one must be wise and protect oneself.

This was a principle he had awakened to after his muddled days in the reverse-facing room and the restoration of his memories from Earth.

He wasn’t some compassionate sage pitying the world, nor was he some chivalrous hero whose righteousness reached the clouds.

He was just someone who wanted to survive, someone trying to find a path to life for himself beneath this natural disaster and in the cracks between all these cultivators from the Greater World.

”In that case, I only need to cultivate to the Heaven-Facing Three Floors before the Cauldron Vessel belongs to another, and I will be able to leave this grotto-heaven.”

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, he cast a glance over and felt that the expression on Xi Mu’s face was far too calm, slightly different from the utterly terrified look he had worn just moments ago.

He couldn’t help but frown slightly and ask softly, ”Are you perhaps lying to me?”

Xi Mu stared blankly for a moment, then gave a bitter smile.

”I have fallen into your hands. My life and death hang upon your single thought; how could I deceive you about something like this?”

Chen Lingxi nodded slightly, his mind set at ease.

He sat cross-legged and immediately brought out the tiny pouch he had scavenged from Xi Mu’s body.

The pouch was about the size of a palm and dark gray all over. The material looked ordinary, yet it had a very strange texture to the touch.

When Chen Lingxi probed it with his spiritual qi, he realized it was extraordinary.

As soon as his spiritual qi touched the silver-thread knot at the mouth of the pouch, he felt an extremely faint resistance emanating from the knot. It was as if an invisible film blocked the opening, bouncing all his spiritual qi back out.

This was likely also a Vast Void Pouch, like the Credit Peddler had mentioned.

However, this Vast Void Pouch seemed to be engraved with a restriction.

That restriction was incredibly exquisite. When Chen Lingxi’s spiritual qi entered it, it was like falling into the deep sea. It was pitch black all around, and his perception was compressed to the absolute limit. He could only vaguely sense that there seemed to be items packed inside the pouch, but he absolutely couldn’t clearly see what those items actually were, let alone take them out.

”How wonderful.”

Chen Lingxi’s Cyan Edge Method activated once again, hovering above Xi Mu’s qi sea.

That wisp of cyan edge was as fine as a silkworm thread, emitting a microscopic sizzling sound.

”Open it.”

Chen Lingxi ordered indifferently.

Xi Mu gritted his teeth, a trace of profound humiliation flashing through his ashen eyes.

The accumulations of a Xi family disciple, the gains from many years of cultivation, and all the treasures he had painstakingly gathered within this Qi-less Realm... were now entirely going to this lowly entity from the Qi-less Realm before him.

How could he endure this?

But as his gaze fell upon Chen Lingxi’s indifferent, emotionless face, and then on the wisp of cyan edge hovering above his qi sea, he ultimately unclenched his jaw.

He knew that he had no choice but to open it.

Thus, struggling to endure the intense pain, he lifted a finger, a terribly weak remnant of spiritual qi lingering at the tip.

That spiritual qi was far too feeble, so weak it was like a candle stub in the wind that could be snuffed out at any moment.

Yet, when this single wisp of spiritual qi landed on the silver-thread knot at the mouth of the Vast Void Pouch, it was like a key sliding into a lock.

The silver-thread knot silently untied.

Chen Lingxi sent his spiritual qi into the pouch, and this time, it was completely unimpeded.

His spiritual qi swept across the space inside the pouch, acting like an invisible hand taking stock of the spoils of war. Not a single object escaped his perception.

There weren’t many items inside—about seven or eight in total—all meticulously sealed away within jade boxes, stone caskets, and wooden cases.

Chen Lingxi first brought out those large and small jade boxes, stone caskets, and wooden cases one by one, lining them up neatly in two rows in front of him.

There were three jade boxes, two stone caskets, and one wooden case in total.

He didn’t open them to examine them closely, but merely stored them all away into his Cosmos Bag. He raised his head, his gaze once again falling on Xi Mu.

Having lost his treasures, Xi Mu lay there looking somewhat lost and desolate. His ashen eyes stared motionlessly at the cave roof, as if the last shred of life had been sucked out of him.

Chen Lingxi looked at him, suddenly remembered something, and asked again.

”Among the Xi family disciples, has anyone else entered this grotto-heaven besides you?”

Xi Mu coughed a few times.

”My Xi family is the master of this grotto-heaven. Compared to other sects, we were able to dispatch two more people. There are two others who entered this grotto-heaven.”

”One originates from the Fengshan Xi Clan, named Xi Yuan.”

”The other comes from the Luyang Xi Family—”

”Her name is Xi Yu, and she is the strongest among the three of us—”

The Luyang Xi Family, Xi Yu.

This name falling into Chen Lingxi’s ears was like a pebble tossed into a still pool of water.

The Luyang Xi Family, Xi Yu... Back when the Chen family lived in Liujie Alley, she had been the youngest daughter of the neighboring Xi family, the little girl who had always trailed behind him calling out, ”Brother Lingxi!”

Liujie Alley, the bluestone steps... huddling together to watch the snow in winter, and splashing barefoot in the water in summer...

Later, the Xi family had a sudden rise to prominence. Because of their meritorious service in offering a treasure, Father Xi was sent down to Luyang to serve as Prefecture Master.

The two families had been on good terms for many years, constantly exchanging letters. There had even been rumors in the capital that the Chen and Xi families were going to arrange a marriage alliance.

Xi Yu?

Chen Lingxi’s expression underwent a slight shift.

He shifted his gaze away from Xi Mu, looking toward the churning sea of clouds outside the cave.

The sea of clouds roiled slowly in the cold winter wind, much like the myriad thoughts presently swarming his mind—overlapping in layers, impossible to untangle.

In her childhood, Xi Yu used to cling to him. In her youth, she remained incredibly affectionate toward him, writing letters frequently.

But then, out of nowhere one day, Xi Yu had simply vanished, and he never heard from her again.

The Chen family’s estate was confiscated and their clan wiped out, while the Xi family suddenly earned merit by offering a treasure and was transferred to Luyang, with Father Xi becoming a Prefecture Master.

Thinking back on all of this now, it must have been that Xi Yu’s memories hadn’t yet awakened at first; she had still been that ignorant, innocent little girl from Liujie Alley.

Later, her memories revived. She remembered that she was a disciple of the Queshi Star Xi Family, and she remembered the mission that had brought her to this grotto-heaven.

Seeking truth and inquiring about the cauldrons.

In that case, those childhood bonds, those youthful letters, and the marriage alliance jokingly spoken of by the elders of both families had all become utterly trivial matters in her eyes, not worth mentioning.

Chen Lingxi raised his head, looking back at Xi Mu, and asked, ”What is Xi Yu’s cultivation base?”

Xi Mu replied, ”She has already reached the Eighth Floor of Qi Circulation and recently went into secluded meditation again. On the day she exits, she will undoubtedly be able to reach the Ninth Circulation Floor! At that point, she will be only a single step away from the Heaven-Facing Three Floors.”

Chen Lingxi couldn’t help but draw in a deep breath.

She was possibly even stronger than Imperial Consort Chun.

The Ninth Circulation Floor.

The peak of the Upper Three Floors, just one step away from the Heaven-Facing Three Floors.

One more step forward, and it would be the Heaven-Facing Three Floors.

Figures like Lin Suri, Lu Baizhong, and Ying Chi had not even managed to ascend to the Upper Three Floors yet.

Perhaps within this grotto-heaven, among all the younger generation cultivators from the Greater World who had come here seeking truth and inquiring about the cauldrons, she already stood at the very highest tier.

Being so close to the Heaven-Facing Three Floors proved that her certainty in the struggle to seize the Cauldron Vessel far exceeded that of anyone else.

Chen Lingxi drew his gaze back from the sea of clouds outside the cave and let it rest on Xi Mu once more.

His expression had already returned to its usual tranquility.

’Xi Yu...’ he silently repeated the name in his heart, then pressed it into the depths of his memories, not thinking about it anymore.