After the Great Dao Died

Chen Lingxi muttered to himself.

Wisps of sharp sword qi emanated from him, pulsing slowly.

His fighting intent surged, lightning flashing around his body.

”There should be many experts gathered in Yuanjiang Prefecture right now. With my current cultivation, clashing with them will be of great benefit to me.”

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Lingxi rose to his feet.

He silently channeled the Cloud-Soaring Technique. A mass of cloud qi gathered beneath his feet, carrying him swiftly into the sky.

It was nighttime. The evening breeze ruffled his Myriad Marvels Dharmic Robe, keeping it in constant motion.

Using the Hidden Edge Method to conceal his presence, he hid within the clouds and approached the Zhuzhao River.

The Yuanjiang River was a tributary of the Zhuzhao River, which was much wider.

Its waters were deeper and darker. Viewed at night, it looked like a ribbon of black silk winding across the earth.Mist rose from the river’s surface, pierced only by the flickering light of a few scattered fishing fires.

Hidden in the clouds above, Chen Lingxi activated the Method of Qi Observation and peered down at the Zhuzhao River. Beneath the water’s surface, a bizarre light pulsed relentlessly.

The light was crimson, like a sun buried at the bottom of the river for countless ages that had finally reignited, blazing with raging fire.

Deep within the flames, the outline of an object could be faintly seen.

It was about the size of a palm and irregularly shaped, resembling a fragment.

An ancient power surged from it in intermittent, rolling waves.

’That should be the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel Fragment,’ he thought. ’But the turbulent void energy clinging to it hasn’t completely dissipated yet.’

’It will take a few more days.’

As Chen Lingxi continued to observe the river, he suddenly raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to the opposite bank.

There, he saw a formidable expert striding forward.

The man possessed a towering, inhuman physique. From a distance, he looked like a small hill, standing at least half a body taller than Chen Lingxi.

He walked slowly, his surging aura causing the mist over the river to ripple. When he drew close enough for the faint light of the fishing fires to illuminate his features, his face was revealed.

Clad in fine clothes, the man had shoulders as broad as city walls and arms as thick as stone pillars. His sheer size made him look like a giant.

His facial features were sharp and chiseled, yet surprisingly young—he appeared to be no more than twenty or thirty years old.

However, the look in his eyes belonged to no ordinary young man.

It was an expression of absolute, almost fanatical confidence.

He seemed like a favored son of heaven who had never known defeat, standing high in the clouds and looking down upon the mortal masses.

Right now, through the Method of Qi Observation, Chen Lingxi could clearly sense that the man was compressing his aura to within three feet of his body.

The scorching pressure it emitted caused the air within that small space to burn intensely.

He was incredibly powerful.

The man walked up to the Zhuzhao Riverbank, sat cross-legged on a jutting edge, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, completely still.

The Killing Power Cauldron Vessel was about to emerge, yet this person dared to sit here so openly...

Chen Lingxi raised his eyebrows, silently speculating. ’Such a flashy display, and with such tyrannical physical strength... he looks like a body cultivator.’

’This man should be Shi Hong.’

As Chen Lingxi pondered, the burly man suddenly opened his eyes.

Golden light radiated from them.

He looked up, his gaze sweeping straight toward the clouds where Chen Lingxi was hiding.

Like twin swords, his gaze pierced through the mist and even bypassed the concealment of the Hidden Edge Method, landing squarely on Chen Lingxi.

’His senses are actually this sharp.’

Since the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel had yet to appear, Chen Lingxi had no desire for unnecessary complications. He immediately flew away on his clouds.

The muscular man likely shared the same thought. He withdrew his gaze, closed his eyes again, and continued to meditate.

Chen Lingxi soared away, extending his senses along both banks of the Zhuzhao River as he traveled.

He vaguely detected many obscure auras lurking in the shadows.

These auras varied in strength. The weaker ones were only at the Qi Circulation Fourth and Fifth Floors.

The stronger ones included figures at the Qi Circulation 7th Floor. There were even cultivators whose spiritual qi was concealed so perfectly that Chen Lingxi couldn’t see through their cultivation from afar. ’They must be at the Eighth Floor,’ he deduced.

’All these people are here for the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel,’ Chen Lingxi thought.

’But almost none of them pose a threat to me.’

He pushed the Method of Qi Observation to its limit, trying to find traces of Wu Mohe or Xi Yu, but found nothing.

Eventually, he landed on a mountain peak over ten miles away from the Zhuzhao River, hiding himself within a dense forest.

’With such a Killing Power Cauldron Vessel emerging and so many experts here to fight for it, there’s no need for me to stick my neck out first.’

’I might as well play the oriole this time. I’ll wait until the mantis and the cicada have fought to the bitter end before I make my move.’

He already had experience fishing in troubled waters back at the Ancestral Mountain. He knew perfectly well that in situations like this, the faster and more ostentatious one was to stand out, the quicker they would die.

It was much better to hide in the shadows and wait for the right opportunity.

Several days passed.

The atmosphere along both sides of the Zhuzhao River grew increasingly heavy.

The auras lurking in the dark grew in number and became less concealed. Some people couldn’t hold back anymore and revealed themselves on the riverbank.

Two of them had even been caught by that tyrannical giant of a man and hammered to death on the spot.

More people remained in hiding, occasionally sweeping the river with their divine sense to monitor any activity.

During this time, a small-scale conflict broke out.

A few impatient vessel-snatchers tried to dive to the bottom of the river and seize the Cauldron Vessel Fragment ahead of everyone else.

However...

The turbulent void energy on the fragment had not yet dissipated. The moment they touched the vessel, a mysterious power swept past.

Within a hundred zhang of the riverbed, all living flesh was instantly reduced to fine dust!

’No wonder everyone is waiting for the vessel to emerge fully. This void turbulence is incredibly strong. Forget Qi Circulation cultivators—even a Dao Foundation cultivator would likely be easily slain by it.’

Chen Lingxi took all of this in, his figure and aura completely blending into the forest.

He waited in silence.

Three days later! In the dead of night!

The moon was hidden behind the clouds tonight, rendering the sky as pitch-black as ink. Without a trace of moonlight, a thick layer of clouds formed a boundless canopy, shrouding the entirety of Yuanjiang Prefecture.

The ancient aura erupting from the bottom of the Zhuzhao River grew exceptionally dense.

Chen Lingxi’s breathing was steady. With the Method of Qi Observation swirling in his eyes, he gazed into the distance.

The next moment, he witnessed an astonishing scene!

A spiritual light soared out from the waters of the Zhuzhao River.

Like a pearl buried deep within the silt of the riverbed, it had been dull and lusterless, but the moment it breached the surface and saw the light of day once more, it burst into crystalline brilliance.

The crowd stared intently.

Within the radiant light was a Spirit Stele!

The stele was about three chi tall and dark gold in color, its surface as smooth as a mirror.

Mysterious patterns covered its body, brimming with spiritual qi. An unimaginable ancient aura gushed forth, weaving together to form a profoundly mystical array formation.

The array flickered with light, completely unlike ordinary formations and utterly incomprehensible.

’This Killing Power Cauldron Vessel is actually a Spirit Stele?’

Chen Lingxi’s pupils shrank slightly.

Suddenly, numerous streams of spiritual qi transformed into divine abilities and spells, all snatching at the Spirit Stele over the Zhuzhao River!

In that instant.

Divine abilities and spells flew across the sky above the Zhuzhao River, unleashing wildly tyrannical auras.

The many Truth-Seekers who had originally been scattered across the vast world, but were now gathered here for the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel, struck almost simultaneously.

Even the muscular man with a physique like a mountain rose to his feet.

Rumble!

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes, fixated on the distance.

Right at this moment...

Another sudden change occurred!

Sensing the terrifying spiritual qi and divine spells, the light on the Spirit Stele instantly erupted with even more ferocious power. It gathered all the spiritual qi within a hundred miles at extreme speed, instantly forming a veil of light.

The glowing veil blocked all the incoming divine abilities, spells, and surging spiritual qi, keeping everything at bay.

At the same time, names began to surface upon the veil of light.

Chen Lingxi raised an eyebrow.

’What’s going on?’

He looked closely and saw the names flashing with brilliance, radiating the same ancient aura.

Focusing his gaze, he realized that many of the names densely packed on the veil were intimately familiar to him.

’Shi Hong, Xi Yu, Wu Mohe, Lin Suri...’

’Chen Lingxi...’

Chen Lingxi grew even more puzzled. Sweeping his gaze over the list, he also spotted Zhao Dong, Qian Ji, Yun Huozhi, Zhou Ying, and more.

There were forty-two names in total!

Just as he was trying to make sense of it, the spiritual light from the stele suddenly shot out, splitting into forty-two streaks that flew in all directions. Their speed was staggering, tearing through the night sky like forty-two falling stars.

One of the streaks of light flew straight toward Chen Lingxi, crashing down on his head like a meteorite!

Chen Lingxi instinctively tried to dodge, but the light was simply too fast, leaving him no time to react.

His vision briefly darkened before the streak of light hovered right above his head, transforming into a dark gold pillar of light that enveloped him.

At the same time, a flood of information poured into his mind, flooding his Sea of Consciousness.

Only two or three breaths had passed.

The Zhuzhao Riverbank abruptly fell dead silent.

A vigilant, grave look flashed across Chen Lingxi’s eyes.

’This Killing Power Cauldron Vessel is truly extraordinary.’

’That flood of information detailed the rules for claiming the final ownership of the Cauldron Vessel Fragment!’

Chen Lingxi carefully digested the knowledge in his mind.

’For anyone within a hundred miles who covets this Killing Power Cauldron Vessel, the vessel extends an olive branch on its own, engraving their names upon itself.’

’These forty-two names belong to the people within a hundred miles who intend to seize the vessel.’

Having realized this, Chen Lingxi slowly channeled his spiritual qi into the wisp of light hovering above him.

Instantly, a new sensation bloomed in his mind...

He could sense the exact locations of the other forty-one people!

’What kind of battle royale is this?!’ Chen Lingxi cursed inwardly.

’Forty-two people slaughtering each other within a hundred miles, until only one vessel-snatcher remains...’

’Only then can that person obtain the Killing Power Cauldron Vessel...’

His thoughts had barely settled.

Another name suddenly appeared on the Spirit Stele, bringing the total to forty-three.

’More people are still rushing over...’

Just as Chen Lingxi’s mind raced, the number on the Spirit Stele dropped to forty-one in the blink of an eye. Two had vanished in that short span.

’Those two are either dead or have retreated beyond the hundred-mile radius.’ Chen Lingxi felt somewhat helpless.

He had originally planned to fish in troubled waters and play the oriole, never expecting this scramble for the vessel to be such a direct, brutal clash.

’I need to use my head... I might as well retreat outside the hundred-mile range for now. I’ll come back after they’ve killed each other off for a while.’

Having made up his mind, Chen Lingxi prepared to slip away quietly.

But suddenly, through the light, he sensed...

A figure was racing toward his location from the far distance at an extreme speed.

The aura hurtled closer like a streak of light from seven or eight miles away, its sheer velocity astonishing.

An ordinary cultivator could never possess such terrifying speed.

In the brief moment Chen Lingxi spent thinking, the figure had already crossed several miles.

That aura was incredibly dense and permeated with a biting chill, bringing with it a surging, undeniable killing intent.

Chen Lingxi’s expression shifted slightly.

Through the spiritual light, Chen Lingxi could clearly sense exactly who was at every location. And the person rapidly approaching him...

Was precisely...

Xi Yu!

Xi Yu had arrived long ago, hiding in some unknown location.

Now that the mystical vessel had marked everyone with spiritual light, there were no secrets left among them.

Thus, without the slightest hesitation, this member of the Que Star Xi Family erupted with spiritual qi and charged straight for Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes.

Xi Yu’s cloud-riding method was profoundly mystical, far faster than his own Cloud-Soaring Technique.

It was probably too late to run now.

’If that’s the case...’

The Myriad Marvels Dharmic Robe fluttered around Chen Lingxi.

Reaching out, he drew the Thunder Radiance Longsword from the void. Golden lightning patterns flowed continuously across its blade, slithering like lightning snakes.

At the same time, a Longevity Bridge instantly materialized beneath his feet!

The golden bridge shone brilliantly as it revealed itself in the void!

The many Truth-Seekers lurking around the Zhuzhao River raised their heads.

Even Shi Hong, the burly giant, looked up at Chen Lingxi.

At this moment, Chen Lingxi’s immensely heavy spiritual qi crashed against the void like a tidal wave.

The profound mysteries of the Longevity Bridge radiated a dense spiritual light.

Bolts of lightning leaped out, shining with mystical light from the Thunder Radiance Longsword in his grasp!

Sword in hand, Chen Lingxi stared into the distance.

From the churning heavy clouds far away, a willow leaf flew out first.

Immediately after, a figure emerged.

It was a woman with a face as pale as jade and flawlessly exquisite features. A green mark rested between her brows, seeming to contain incredibly tyrannical power. Her expression was completely blank, yet a crushing force of ten thousand jun silently circulated around her body.

Standing atop that mystical willow leaf, her gaze fell upon Chen Lingxi on the small hill below.

Her eyes were as calm as still water, reflecting Chen Lingxi’s increasingly handsome and extraordinary face.

Not a single ripple disturbed her gaze.