After the Great Dao Died

Thousands of miles away, a single command echoed in Xi Yu’s thoughts.

It carried no earth-shattering power, nor did it stir a single speck of dust on the mountain peak.

Yet the instant her command fell, the two Entering Profound experts moved.

Chen Lingxi strode forward, the Longevity Bridge condensing beneath his feet.

He clearly sensed the two auras atop the distant mountain—deadly silent yet searingly hot—surge at the exact same moment!

Like a bursting dam, they exploded with a thunderous roar.

They leaped into the air one after the other, pushing their speeds to the absolute limit.

Chen Lingxi waited in full battle array upon the Longevity Bridge.

They were closing in!

For experts of this caliber, a distance of twenty or thirty li was nothing.The black-robed expert reached into his robes with his right hand, drawing out a long saber.

The weapon was a gloomy ink-black throughout. Its blade bore no engravings, but a faint, almost imperceptible glow shimmered along the edge, making it look like an ordinary saber.

But when the black-robed expert poured his own blood energy into it, the weapon suddenly transformed.

The faint glow ignited, spreading from the hilt across the entire blade.

The ink-black steel turned nearly transparent as specks of blood energy flowed through it like veins.

The blood energy roared and surged within, causing the blade’s edge to violently expand into a three-zhang dark gold saber aura!

The saber-wielding expert slashed out.

The saber qi moved like a dragon!

The three-zhang saber aura swept horizontally through the air, roaring like a dark gold dragon lunging forward to devour him!

The horizontal slash crossed a distance of over a hundred zhang, hurtling straight toward Chen Lingxi.

Wherever the saber aura passed, the air exploded, and rocks, trees, and grass were reduced to fine powder!

The other black-robed figure had also made his move, reaching out with large hands as rough and cracked as an old farmer’s.

But as his blood energy circulated, a formless, intangible fist intent flowed over those hands, brimming with terrifying power. Instead of closing the distance, he unslung a longbow from his back.

The pitch-black longbow was several times thicker than a military iron-core bow, but its silver string was as thin as a hair.

The bow-wielding Entering Profound expert drew the bow like a full moon. His movements were floating clouds and flowing water, inconceivably fast.

He pulled the string to its limit, releasing a sharp, piercing twang!

Amidst that sharp vibration, an arrow condensed out of thin air upon the bowstring!

The arrow was not a physical object. Formed from the compressed, terrifying blood energy of his Entering Profound Realm cultivation, it glowed a deep, dark red.

At the tip, a mass of blood light refined to the extreme pulsed unsteadily.

’Entering Profound martial artists really are extraordinary.’

’They are practically the same as the body cultivators recorded in the Six Qi True Method.’

The bow-wielding expert released the string, and the arrow tore through the air.

He fired a second, third, and fourth arrow in rapid succession. Every shot was like a bolt of lightning, containing a terrifying, all-piercing penetrative power.

The blood energy arrows traced arcs of light across the sky, dragging impossibly thick blood energy behind them. Like a torrential storm of blood rolling backward, they shot toward Chen Lingxi! The two Entering Profound figures came at him—one from the front, one from behind, a saber and a bow—their offensive crashing forward like a relentless tide.

’Cultivators can soar through the void, seemingly standing in an invincible position... but to injure these Entering Profound figures, one still needs to close within a hundred zhang of them.’

’Once within a hundred zhang, even in the sky, it is difficult to escape the onslaught of these blood energy martial artists.’

Standing upon the Longevity Bridge, Chen Lingxi faced the overwhelming attacks without a trace of fear on his face.

He had not yet drawn his sword. With a mere shift of his intent, the towering Longevity Bridge beneath his feet suddenly lit up with a brilliant glow.

Mystical runes sparkled on the bridge’s surface, and overlapping canopies of trees manifested, transforming into a thick barrier of spiritual light.

In an instant, the Longevity Bridge became a fortress forged of spiritual light, standing majestically in the void.

Immediately after, he drove the Longevity Bridge straight forward, crashing head-on toward the saber aura and the flurry of arrows.

Rumble!

The saber aura, having crossed over a hundred zhang, slammed into the spiritual light barrier with an earth-shattering boom.

The dark gold saber aura was like a true dragon, its saber qi tearing through the air like a dragon’s roar. Radiant and incomparably overbearing, the slash descended like divine retribution.

The runes on the spiritual light barrier were chopped by this terrifying slash until they dimmed inch by inch. At the same time, the sky full of blood energy arrows arrived.

The myriad blood-red arrows struck the barrier, exploding into a blinding cluster of bloody light!

And at this moment...

Chen Lingxi drew his sword.

The Thunder Radiance Longsword left its sheath. In an instant, countless fragments of lightning jumped from the blade, crackling sharply.

The air within a radius of several zhang was scorched by the lightning, sending curls of blue smoke rising.

It was also then that the three streams of precious qi in his sea of qi circulated simultaneously.

The golden-yellow Profound Qi, the silvery-white sword edge, and the azure-blue lightning qi!

Three entirely different brilliances flashed from his body.

In the next instant, Chen Lingxi stepped out. The Longevity Bridge crashed forward once again, directly shattering the duo’s saber aura and arrow light!

The fractured blood energy scattered into the surrounding void like a reverse meteor shower, making him look like a deity stepping out from the starlight.

The Longevity Bridge did not retreat, but pressed the advance, smashing straight toward the saber-wielding expert. Spiritual qi hovered around the bridge like swords, and spiritual light surged like a tide. It barreled toward the saber-wielder with a deafening roar, much like an enraged true dragon.

Upon collision, despite his unimaginably dense and terrifying blood energy, the saber-wielding expert was blasted back dozens of zhang!

Yet the saber wielder’s eyes remained vacant, utterly devoid of any emotion.

He held his long saber horizontally as the saber aura reformed, now even heavier and more domineering than before.

With a horizontal sweep, a streak of dark gold saber light chopped straight at the waist of the Longevity Bridge.

The sheer intensity of the saber qi looked ready to cleave both the spiritual bridge and Chen Lingxi atop it cleanly in two.

Chen Lingxi scoffed coldly.

He grabbed at the empty air with his left hand, fiercely unleashing the Heaven-Seizing Seal.

The worldly spiritual mechanisms within a hundred zhang were yanked inward by this grasp, coalescing into a massive hand seal made of spiritual qi.

The giant hand seal spanned a full ten zhang. Three-colored brilliance coiled between its five fingers, unimaginably profound.

Bolstered by the Profound Qi, this giant hand seal reached the Subtle stage, rendering it even more formidable than when Imperial Consort Chun cast it.

He slapped his palm downward, and the hand seal crashed onto the saber-wielding black-robed man like an inverted hill. The hand seal and the saber aura collided, detonating into a blinding explosion of light.

The saber-wielding expert’s saber aura instantly stalled.

Behind Chen Lingxi, another heaven-shaking arrow flew straight at him. Incredibly, the thick essence of martial fist intent coated the arrow, making it feel less like a projectile and more like the heavy punch of an expert!

But Chen Lingxi was entirely fearless.

He raised the Thunder Radiance Longsword high.

The lightning precious qi roared through his sea of qi, sending incredibly heavy spiritual qi surging out.

Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture!

He silently recited the name of this sword scripture, and the many True Intents of the sword path within his Sea of Consciousness rushed into rotation.

Backed by his Spiritual Aperture Aptitude, he had already cultivated this sword scripture—obtained from Lu Baizhong—to an astonishing level.

Thunder Garment Technique!

’Where my body resides, there is the Thunder Pool!’

His intent shifted, and the method within the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture sprang into operation. The faint golden lightning that had only been flickering around him suddenly erupted, bursting from his pores! It condensed over his skin into a robe woven entirely of lightning!

The moment the thunder garment formed, Chen Lingxi looked like a deity stepping out of the Thunder Pool. The lightning crackled fiercely across his body, his might unmatched!

The arrow fired from behind struck the thunder garment, instantly triggering a blast of lightning that burned the projectile to ash.

The next instant!

Chen Lingxi unleashed his sword!

Thunder-Wielding Heavenly King Sword!

As the sword slashed out, heaven and earth abruptly darkened.

All the lightning radiance on the Thunder Radiance Longsword retracted in this single moment.

Almost all its brilliance, sharpness, and pressure had been compressed to the absolute limit.

And then...

This strike fell like a Heavenly King hurling a spear of lightning.

Wherever the blade passed, it was like the wrath of a god of thunder, birthing a sudden bolt of lightning from the void. The black-robed man raised his saber to block, his blood energy burning violently like a roaring waterfall.

But the edge of the Thunder-Wielding Heavenly King Sword was far too sharp. The sword light bit into the blood energy and tore right through it, driving straight for the black-robed man’s neck!

At this exact moment.

The other bow-wielding expert nocked an arrow and fired nine consecutive shots.

These nine arrows contained the entirety of his Entering Profound Realm cultivation base. They pierced the air tail-to-tip, like a soul-reaping chain shooting straight for the back of Chen Lingxi’s heart!

Without even turning his head, Chen Lingxi shifted his intent.

The Longevity Bridge abruptly slid sideways, acting like a giant shield to cover his back.

The nine arrows slammed into the bridge, once again detonating into a blinding red light.

The Longevity Bridge shuddered violently, and its heavy runes faded into darkness.

But ultimately, it did not break. It forcefully absorbed the terrifying blow.

The Thunder Radiance Longsword in Chen Lingxi’s hand had already reached the saber-wielding man’s throat!

The saber wielder changed his stance again, his saber light blazing like a raging fire. Meanwhile, the expert who had just fired the nine arrows abandoned his bow and sprang fiercely into the air.

He formed his hands into fists, his blood energy piercingly cold. The blood energy around him spiraled like a tornado. The momentum of his fists was as heavy as two mountains, bearing down directly on Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi was forced to twist the blade of the Thunder Radiance Treasure Sword, redirecting it from the saber wielder’s neck to slash at the two mountains of fist intent!

Given a moment to breathe, the black-robed saber wielder fired off a blistering saber aura, blazing brightly.

’Two Entering Profound experts, and each one of them can match an ordinary Ninth Floor cultivator.’

Chen Lingxi’s gaze was calm. Facing the terrifying blood energy oppression of two such experts, he didn’t feel the slightest ounce of fear.

He was no ordinary Qi Circulation 9th Floor cultivator.

He hadn’t used Divine Sense Materialization or the Dragon Roar Technique because these two were Undying Willow Puppets. They had no souls to speak of. Neither the Dragon Roar Technique nor divine sense attacks targeting the mind and soul would do them any harm.

The only thing Chen Lingxi could rely on was the longsword in his hand.

Under the enhancement of his Spiritual Aperture Aptitude, the many incantations of the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture continuously surged through his mind alongside the flow of Profound Qi.

Bolstered by both his Spiritual Aperture Aptitude and Profound Qi, his mastery of the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture skyrocketed in the blink of an eye.

It stepped into the... Subtle stage! The Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture at the Subtle stage!

This allowed him to activate the second method of the Thunder-Concealing Sword Scripture: Twelve Chimes of the Heavenly Drum!

In an instant, Chen Lingxi unleashed twelve consecutive sword strikes!

Every single strike detonated with the boom of thunder. The rumbling thunder stacked onto the momentum of his sword, making every slash stronger than the last.

It was as if a celestial being were beating a heavenly drum!

The heavy thunderclaps violently ruptured, accompanied by unimaginable sword light that swept outward in all directions like golden ripples!

The twelve streaks of sword light struck so fiercely that the ink-black saber was knocked right out of its wielder’s grip. The dark gold saber aura shattered completely. The expert’s terrifying blood energy rapidly dissipated, leaving his body mangled, his skin torn away to reveal nothing but bloody red.

The black-robed martial artist with the fist intent suffered the exact same fate.

His fist intent and blood energy were crushed. As the sword light swept past, the black-robed man’s head suddenly flew into the air.

Even now, his headless corpse maintained its punching posture. No blood sprayed from his severed neck; the stump had already been cauterized by the lightning.

With one strike.

The spiritual qi in Chen Lingxi’s sea of qi was nearly hollowed out, but the sword light from the Twelve Chimes of the Heavenly Drum had been far too scorching, outright slaughtering the two Entering Profound cultivators. Chen Lingxi’s eyes flashed. He didn’t linger for long, simply steering a Heavenly Boat toward Yuanjiang Prefecture.

Just at this moment.

From an immense distance away on that mountaintop, Xi Yu’s eyes flickered.

She seemed to have witnessed Chen Lingxi’s strength through the vision of the two Entering Profound figures.

”Qi Circulation 9th Floor... A Subtle stage sword scripture...”

Xi Yu’s expression was cold and clear, yet the spiritual qi fluctuating around her abruptly sharpened, becoming so incredibly solid it was heart-palpitating.

Compared to Chen Lingxi, it was only stronger, not weaker.

In the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, and even within the Queshi Stars, Xi Yu was hailed as a genius. She truly was different from ordinary cultivators.

Geniuses in the same realm were heavens knew how much stronger than the ordinary rabble.

At this moment, the reflection of the dark-robed figure in her calm eyes completely faded away. A very faint trace of contemplation brushed past her gaze.

It was unknown what she was thinking.

While Xi Yu was pondering, a jade pendant at her waist suddenly flashed with light.

The pendant was snow-white without any extra engravings. It looked to be nothing more than a defensive item.

But now, as the spiritual light flickered, a rune surfaced on the jade pendant.

The rune sprayed forth a brilliant glow.

The light coalesced, forming a distinct human figure.

The figure was an elegant young noble, appearing to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old. His robes were immaculately clean, untainted by a single speck of dust.

His appearance was ethereal and otherworldly. His eyebrows were as light as thin smoke, and his pale eyes were unblemished by the mortal world.

His features were faint yet refined, utterly unlike someone from the mundane realm.

The aura around him was extraordinary. Although this was merely an avatar—a construct formed from spiritual qi and some profound mystic technique—the spiritual qi fluctuations it emitted were unspeakably powerful.

It was many, many times stronger than even Xi Yu’s.

Standing there, he was like an immortal descending upon the world. He was so resplendent that one could not look at him directly, and the crushing weight of his pressure was unimaginable.

Through some unknown method, this man had also seen the dark-robed figure standing on the Longevity Bridge. Manifesting his avatar, he suddenly gave a soft chuckle and said, ”This person practices the lightning sword divine power of the Jade Tiger Marquis. He must hail from the Thunder Pool.

”The Thunder Pool is a massive faction, but this place is the Qi-Depleted Grotto-Heaven. Since he has entered this realm, his life and death are up to fate.

”How about... I make a move on your behalf?” he offered softly.

The man was supremely confident. When he asked this question, his tone was casual and his gaze leisurely, as though killing Chen Lingxi would take him no more effort than a snap of his fingers.

Yet Xi Yu did not reply. She merely raised her hand and gave a slight wave.

It was like brushing away dust.

The smile on the young man’s white-jade face didn’t even have time to fade before the edges of his avatar began to scatter, turning blurry until it finally vanished completely.

But the jade pendant did not fall silent.

A helpless voice transmitted from within the jade pendant: ”The elders of our two families have arranged this. Since you and I are to become Dao companions, why must you push me thousands of miles away?”

The voice carried a coaxing tone, as if humoring a young girl throwing a temper tantrum—patient and gentle: ”Since I, Bai Lingze, have used the Bright Jade to protect you, the Cauldron Vessel within this grotto-heaven will ultimately belong to you.

”No one can take it away.”

The mountaintop returned to silence. The mountain wind cascaded from above, causing Xi Yu’s green robes to flutter slightly. Acting as though she hadn’t heard Bai Lingze’s words at all, Xi Yu simply tapped two fingers gently against her glabella.

A flash of spiritual light flickered.

Over in Liujie Alley of Yuanjiang Prefecture, that Undying Willow suddenly trembled.

In the blink of an eye, a willow leaf drifted down, cradling her body as it flew straight toward the distant horizon.