After the Great Dao Died

Lin Suri stood on a jutting rock deep within Ancestral Mountain, gazing at the distant sky where starlight and mist churned into a hazy blur.

His face remained as calm and composed as ever, but a faint ripple of emotion—one an outsider could never detect—hid within his eyes.

As he watched Chen Lingxi standing upon the skyship, memories surged involuntarily through his mind.

Barely two years had passed since his possession and rebirth. As a truth-seeking cultivator, his memory was nothing short of extraordinary!

Shortly after taking over this body, Lin Suri had thrown a grand banquet under the guise of celebrating his new vessel’s birthday.

Ostensibly a celebration, the banquet was secretly a front for him to use incense burners as mediums, laying down an array to gather spiritual qi throughout the entire Baosu Marquis Residence.

And on that day, he had caught a glimpse of Chen Lingxi.

Back then, the boy had been nothing more than a sallow, emaciated official bondservant, entirely unremarkable.

Yet Lin Suri had never imagined that Chen Lingxi was also a seeker of truth.

And not just a seeker—his cultivation foundation had reached such a formidable level.With his cultivation at the Qi Circulation 7th Floor, the Six Qi True Method at his disposal, and two streams of precious qi flowing in his qi sea, Lin Suri was confident his eyesight rivaled any cultivator in the same realm.

Even so, he found himself unable to see through Chen Lingxi’s depths. Standing upon the skyship, the young man’s spiritual qi was as still and heavy as deep water. His aura was completely restrained, leaking nothing. He was like a legendary sword concealed in its sheath—its edge hidden, yet radiating a chilling sharpness that made the heart palpitate.

’If I exclude the magical artifacts in my possession and rely purely on my own cultivation, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be a match for this Chen Lingxi.’

’Furthermore, this person has his own hidden trump cards.’

Lin Suri thought.

Especially since Chen Lingxi possessed an incredibly extraordinary flying knife artifact of his own.

Xi Yuan, a formidable figure at the Qi Circulation 8th Floor, had suddenly grown as sluggish as if wading through a quagmire in front of Chen Lingxi. It was as though an invisible hand had dragged him into a crevice of time itself.

That method was far too bizarre; no ordinary artifact could unleash such an effect.

Although it lasted for only a brief instant, in a life-and-death struggle between cultivators, a single instant was enough to decide victory and defeat.

Compared to his own Tiger General Token and two-foot Jade Sword, that artifact was likely even stronger.

He watched Chen Lingxi, his mind racing.

Chen Lingxi was doing the same.

In Chen Lingxi’s eyes, Lin Suri’s spiritual qi was circulating in full force. The two streams of precious qi within his qi sea flared to life simultaneously, pushing his aura to its absolute peak. The Tiger General Token at his waist shimmered with a faint, subtle golden light, and the phantom of a divine general flickered into view behind him, exuding a towering, fierce momentum.

It was obvious.

Lin Suri was extremely wary of him.

This was only human nature.

Chen Lingxi took no offense. Standing at the bow of the skyship, he first glanced down at the deck.

A person lay there—Xi Yuan.

The Xi Family’s truth-seeking figure had his eyes tightly shut, his qi sea shattered.

Chen Lingxi casually pressed a hand against the back of his neck, sending in a slight pulse of spiritual qi.

Xi Yuan let out a soft groan and completely blacked out.

Only after doing this did Chen Lingxi look up, casting his gaze toward Lin Suri.

His face held not a shred of killing intent. Instead, he wore an easy, unhurried smile.

Chen Lingxi stepped calmly off the skyship, the pale azure cloud qi beneath his feet silently dispersing. ”Brother Daoist, there is no need to be on guard against me,” he said, his voice echoing through the silent valley. ”I am merely a minor cultivator from a small sect. Although I desire the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi, I have no wish to make enemies of you, Brother Lin, or the Under-Dao Academy.”

His gaze was open and clear, and his tone even carried a touch of genuine sincerity.

Lin Suri remained entirely unmoved. He didn’t lower his guard over a few pleasant words.

With two lifetimes of cultivation, he knew the sinister nature of this world all too well. How could he relax his vigilance over a few pretty words?

He remained silent. His gaze merely lingered on the Thunder Radiance Longsword at Chen Lingxi’s waist for a moment before slowly shifting to the skyship suspended in midair.

It was as if he were asking: Lu Baizhong and Rong Chun also came from extraordinary backgrounds, so why did you dare to kill them?

Chen Lingxi caught the meaning in his eyes but paid it no mind, simply shaking his head slightly.

”Rong Chun and Lu Baizhong had prior grievances with me.”

He spoke frankly, ”Long before we entered Ancestral Mountain, they tried to take my life. Here in Ancestral Mountain, I am merely repaying grudges with grudges.”

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Lin Suri. ”Whereas you and I, Brother Lin... we are complete strangers with no enmity between us. Naturally, I wouldn’t attack you for no reason.”

Lin Suri stayed silent for a few breaths.

He simply turned his head slightly, his gaze falling back onto the unconscious Xi Yuan on the skyship. Did this Xi Yuan also have prior grievances with him?

Chen Lingxi acted as though he hadn’t noticed his look at all.

Instead, he suddenly flicked his sleeve.

At the exact moment he flicked his sleeve, the Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace on his left index finger lit up!

The tiny black bead on the ring trembled slightly, and a streak of sword light shot out from it.

The sword light soared into the air, transforming into a three-chi-long azure sword aura. Pulsing with unmatched sharpness, it shot straight toward a half-man-tall bluestone a short distance away.

Where the sword light passed, the massive bluestone was silently cleaved in two as easily as tofu.

The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror, a clear testament to the sword qi’s extreme sharpness.

Chen Lingxi lowered his hand. The radiance on the Profound-Pointing Sword Furnace slowly receded until it once again looked like an entirely unremarkable dark silver ring.

He gestured toward the bisected bluestone, offering an invitation.

”Brother Daoist, since we’re acquainted, why don’t we sit down and talk?”

After saying this, he stepped forward to the flat surface of the bluestone, swept back his robes, and sat down. His demeanor was completely relaxed, as though he were entertaining a friend from afar in his own home.

Lin Suri remained rooted to the spot, his gaze lingering on that mirror-smooth cut for several breaths.

The sword light just now had seemed casual, but it had deliberately showcased a fraction of Chen Lingxi’s cultivation.

Contained within that sword light were three entirely distinct streams of precious qi.

’His mastery of the Six Qi True Method is actually more profound than mine.’

Lin Suri felt somewhat resigned. ’I have only managed to collect two extraordinary streams of precious qi, yet he has collected three.’

Resigned, he weighed his options.

If he attacked, he couldn’t be certain of victory against this man’s unknown depths.

If he fled, he might escape for the moment, but he still needed to refine the Mother Qi here in Ancestral Mountain before he could leave. The chances of Chen Lingxi tracking him down were far too high.

After a moment of silence, he walked over to the bluestone and sat down across from Chen Lingxi.

Once they were seated, Chen Lingxi suddenly brushed a hand past his waist. The Thunder Radiance Treasure Sword hanging there vanished, stowed away in his Vast Void Pouch.

Lin Suri understood that Chen Lingxi was showing his sincerity. In response, he retracted the golden glow from his Tiger General Token, causing the phantom divine general behind him to dissipate.

He unclipped the token and unbuckled the two-foot Jade Sword from his waist, storing both in his own Vast Void Pouch.

The two of them sat facing one another, separated by only a few chi.

The wind blowing from the mouth of the valley swept between them, causing their robes to flutter.

Starlight cascaded from the night sky above, falling across the bluestone and upon their shoulders, transforming this barren mountain ridge into a setting that resembled an immortal’s grotto-heaven for discussing the Dao.

Chen Lingxi spoke first, breaking the silence.

”To minor cultivators like me, the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi is incredibly precious,” he said slowly, his tone tinged with genuine emotion. ”But to a noble cultivator like you, Brother Lin, it truly isn’t all that important.”

Lin Suri remained impassive, shaking his head. ”The Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi is an exceptionally rare opportunity.

Even out in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, it would draw the covetous eyes of countless cultivators—even great cultivators at the Dao Foundation realm. Not to mention here in this Qi-Depleted Grotto-Heaven.”

He paused before continuing, ”Furthermore, with the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi in hand, one will have that much more certainty when fighting for the chance to reach the pinnacle in the future.”

Hearing this, Chen Lingxi shifted his gaze slightly before nodding with a smile. ”That is true. The Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi is exceedingly precious; naturally, you wouldn’t just hand it over to me.”

After nodding, he suddenly turned his hand over. As his long, slender fingers shifted in the empty air, a talisman flew out from his Vast Void Pouch and hovered steadily above his palm.

The talisman was about three cun long and two fingers wide. The talisman paper was a pale gold, faintly shining with a jade-like luster.

The moment the talisman appeared, an incredibly profound aura began to radiate from it.

The aura was as dense and heavy as a volcano sealed within a few inches of space. It hadn’t erupted, yet anyone could faintly sense the terrifying power contained within.

Lin Suri’s expression finally shifted.

The spiritual qi around his body began to circulate on its own almost the exact instant the talisman appeared.

The two streams of precious qi in his qi sea flared brilliantly. A profound sense of power emanated from him, enveloping his entire body in a faint, almost imperceptible golden glow.

”Please don’t jump to conclusions, Brother!” Chen Lingxi quickly said.

He made no move to activate the talisman. He simply kept his palm open, letting the paper hover peacefully above it. His tone was almost soothing. ”The only reason I brought this talisman out was to show it to you.

Please, take a look.”

Lin Suri stared at the talisman for a few breaths, his brow furrowing slightly.

He probed it carefully using the Method of Qi Observation, immediately sensing the extraordinary power housed within. The spiritual qi sealed inside the paper pulsed with terrifying might.

If activated, the resulting blast of power would undoubtedly be earth-shattering.

”Is this the trump-card talisman that Xi Yuan was trying to activate earlier?” Lin Suri asked.

Chen Lingxi only smiled, offering no answer.

Instead, he opened his right hand, revealing a second talisman resting in his palm.

It was completely identical to the first. It had the same pale gold paper, the same dark silver runic lines, and the same heavy, profound aura.

He actually had two identical trump-card talismans.

Hovering above his palms, the two talismans faintly resonated with one another in pulses of spiritual light, like twin stars shining in tandem across the night sky.

Lin Suri’s pupils contracted slightly.

Talismans of such terrifying power... and Chen Lingxi could casually pull out two of them?

He took a deep breath and composed his expression. ”What is the meaning of this, Daoist Friend?” he asked, puzzled. ”Don’t tell me you intend to trade these two talismans for the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi in my possession?”

Chen Lingxi shook his head. ”The Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi is far too precious. While these two talismans are exceptional, at the end of the day, their value is limited to cultivators at the Qi Circulation 8th Floor. To someone at the Qi Circulation 9th Floor, they are nothing special at all. How could they possibly be worth the Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi?” As he spoke, he stowed both talismans back into his Vast Void Pouch before looking up once more.

Meeting Lin Suri’s gaze, his smile slowly faded, replaced by an expression of utmost solemnity.

”The only reason I showed you these talismans was to make one thing clear... I have real trump cards of my own.”

He continued, ”Your fortune is extraordinary, Brother. To have found a treasure so rich in spiritual energy within this Qi-Depleted Grotto-Heaven, you must have plenty of hidden means yourself.”

He took a deep breath, the last trace of a smile vanishing from his face entirely.

Sitting tall upon the bluestone, he looked Lin Suri dead in the eye.

”There is no bad blood between us. We are both here for nothing more than an opportunity.

If the two of us were to fight, even if one of us barely managed to win, the victor would undoubtedly pay a terrible price.”

His voice echoed through the quiet valley. ”There are likely still cultivators at the Seventh Floor surviving out here in Ancestral Mountain. If we crippled each other, we would only be serving up our spoils to someone else on a silver platter.”

Here, Chen Lingxi’s tone grew even heavier.

”I have no desire to make an enemy out of you, Brother Lin.”

He wasn’t lying. From the bottom of his heart, Chen Lingxi truly had no desire to make an enemy of Lin Suri.

Aside from that one time during the Absolute Perception Deduction when Lin Suri had suppressed him with the Qi Sea Whirlpool, there was no bad blood between them whatsoever.

And even during that simulated foresight, Lin Suri had merely suppressed him with the whirlpool rather than moving in for the kill.

Furthermore, having observed Lin Suri for a long time through the Vision Roaming Divine Ability, he knew full well that the man wasn’t some petty, spiteful villain.

Why make an enemy out of him if he didn’t have to?

However, while he didn’t want to make an enemy of Lin Suri, he had absolutely no intention of handing the Mother Qi over on a silver platter, either.

The Ancestral Mountain Maternal Qi was an ownerless prize. It had simply fallen into Lin Suri’s hands temporarily.

Since Lin Suri hadn’t refined it yet, Chen Lingxi was naturally free to try and claim it for himself.

Lin Suri looked into Chen Lingxi’s earnest, open eyes. He thought it over for a long time before finally speaking, his voice as steady as ever. ”If that is the case, then what exactly do you want, Daoist Friend Chen...?”

Seeing him finally relent, a smile returned to Chen Lingxi’s face.

He straightened his robes and spoke solemnly. ”I will be frank with you, Brother. Back in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, I hail from a minor sect... Coming here through reincarnation was nothing more than an accident.”

”From beginning to end, I have had zero interest in fighting over Cauldron Vessels. I only want to seize this opportunity to gather some fortuitous encounters in this grotto-heaven so that, upon returning to the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, I can establish my Dao Foundation.” Hearing this, Lin Suri looked Chen Lingxi up and down, his expression shifting slightly.

He was likely muttering in his heart...

This Chen Lingxi’s foundation was terrifying, far surpassing that of an ordinary Seventh Floor cultivator. He had even captured an Eighth Floor expert like Xi Yuan alive. For him to act so self-effacing now felt highly hypocritical.

Chen Lingxi, however, seemed entirely oblivious to the mockery in his gaze. He simply continued.

”Therefore—” he said, his voice soft but every word perfectly clear. ”I want to make a trade with you, Brother Lin.”

This time, he didn’t spout any nonsense about some fallen Golden Portal crisis.

This was the real world, and one had to take responsibility for running their mouth.

If he spouted nonsense to fool Lin Suri today, and the cultivators of the Pool Soul Courtyard actually projected themselves down later to demand answers from him, what would he even say?

Lin Suri raised a brow, evidently intrigued by the word ”trade.”

He mused for a moment before asking...

”What kind of trade?”