After the Great Dao Died

Inside a side hall of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, Emperor Daye sat cross-legged, circulating his breath. Suddenly, he lifted his head and gazed into the void.

Amid the sea of clouds above, a figure could faintly be seen approaching, treading upon the clouds.

Emperor Daye raised an eyebrow, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes. But soon, a faint smile graced his lips. With a sweep of his sleeve, a rainbow of light manifested in the sky, forming a bridge that plunged straight into the clouds and mist.

He stepped out of the palace hall himself and looked up at the sky.

”Daoist Friend, I welcome you with this rainbow light!” he called out.

The rainbow light shot into the sky from the doors of the side hall. Like a reversed seven-colored waterfall flowing upward, cascading layers of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple unfurled across the void!

Wherever the rainbow light passed, the clouds retreated on their own. It was as if an invisible blade had cleaved the sky in half, revealing a perfectly straight thoroughfare leading deep into the churning sea of clouds.

Emperor Daye stood before the hall doors with his hands clasped behind his back.

The Dark Dragon Robe on his body fluttered gently in the wind.

His face still appeared elderly, and his white hair was bound beneath his imperial crown by a Purple-Gold Hairpin. Yet the aura exuding from his body was like the midday sun, inspiring absolute awe.

Emperor Daye simply gazed up at the rainbow light, a trace of a smile on his lips.

At the same time, an aura pierced through the clouds.

The figure advanced as if strolling leisurely in a quiet courtyard, utterly composed and unhurried.

’He certainly has courage... In this Weiji Grotto-Heaven, it seems I am not truly alone,’ he thought.

He continued to gaze upward at the rainbow of light he had laid out with his own hands.

Above the clouds, Chen Lingxi looked down at the rainbow light bridging the vast sky, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

’To think Emperor Daye would welcome me with a rainbow light...’

Chen Lingxi raised his head to glance at the two bright mirrors in the void. His gaze grew even calmer. With steady, unhurried steps, he set foot upon the rainbow light!

Using the rainbow light as a bridge, he descended straight into the Great Capital Imperial Palace.

Emperor Daye stood before the hall doors, gazing from afar at the young man walking down the rainbow light.

He saw that this person was extremely young with a handsome face. His brow was filled with composure, as if he harbored no fear whatsoever.

The smile on Emperor Daye’s face deepened. Looking straight at Chen Lingxi, he asked, ”Do you know why I came to welcome you personally, and why I address you as Daoist Friend?”

Chen Lingxi landed before the hall, standing several zhang away from Emperor Daye.

Hearing Emperor Daye’s question, he did not immediately answer. Instead, he turned his head and looked toward the distant horizon.

At the end of that horizon, amid the churning sea of clouds, a purple screen of light spanning the sky stood majestically.

It was precisely the Celestial Ranking.

Chen Lingxi gazed at the Celestial Ranking, his eyes sweeping over the names listed upon it.

[Weiji Grotto-Heaven: Ying Xian].

[Weiji Grotto-Heaven: Chen Lingxi].

Chen Lingxi turned his head back. ”Perhaps it is because... both Emperor Daye and I are people of this Weiji Grotto-Heaven?”

At these words, the smile on Emperor Daye’s face grew even brighter, and a touch of deep emotion entered his eyes.

”Correct,” Emperor Daye said. ”I originally thought that the many living beings of this Weiji Grotto-Heaven were nothing but ants blinded by a single leaf. I was among them, like an ant that had chewed through that leaf. I looked far and wide, but saw no one who walked the same path as me—only a vast expanse of fog.

”But now, Chen Lingxi... you are not an ant blinded by a single leaf. You have stepped into the Qi Circulation Eleventh Floor Realm, and you are a person of my grotto-heaven!”

As he spoke, he stepped aside and gestured toward the interior of the side hall. ”Daoist Friend, please.”

His smile was sincere as he spoke, his eyes filled with profound emotion.

Chen Lingxi completely hadn’t expected Emperor Daye to react this way. Unafraid, he took a step forward and entered the side hall.

The side hall was not large. Compared to the main hall of Great Li’s Imperial Palace that Chen Lingxi had seen during his Vision Roaming, this place was like an ordinary quiet meditation room.

There were no chairs in the hall; only two futons were laid out in the center.

Emperor Daye walked over to one of the futons, swept up his robes, and sat down.

He raised his hand and gestured to the opposite futon. His demeanor was like that of a hospitable host entertaining an old friend who had traveled from afar.

Chen Lingxi did not stand on ceremony and sat cross-legged on the futon.

The two sat facing each other. Emperor Daye slowly spoke, ”However, the fact that you dared to come see me is quite surprising.”

”Emperor Daye!” Chen Lingxi said. ”You and I both face the same great tribulation. We are about to be broken down into Realm Essence nourishment inside that Realm-Refining Furnace... If we do not eliminate this tribulation, we will certainly die. So what is there for me to fear?”

As Chen Lingxi’s words fell, a trace of gloom flashed through Emperor Daye’s eyes, though he quickly suppressed it.

Emperor Daye did not press the matter. Instead, he said, ”I am somewhat curious.”

He raised his head and looked around the side hall.

”I have hidden myself deep within this Great Zhou Imperial Palace, and I believe my whereabouts are well-concealed.

”Setting aside the restrictions covering the imperial city, I have laid down three layers of concealment formations just around this side hall. Using the essence qi of the Immortal Slough as a catalyst, I have completely locked down the aura of the entire building.

”Even if those various Dao Foundation figures on the Celestial Ranking swept this place with their divine sense, they would only perceive a chaotic void. It is absolutely impossible for them to detect my traces.”

Pausing here, he suddenly fixed his gaze on Chen Lingxi. ”So how... did you know I was here?”

Chen Lingxi met Emperor Daye’s gaze.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took a careful look at Emperor Daye.

Compared to before, Emperor Daye had grown much younger.

It seemed the essence qi of the Immortal Slough was indeed slowly healing the deep-seated hidden injuries left behind from forcefully cultivating Age-Dial Reversal.

Emperor Daye continued to stare intently at Chen Lingxi, two clusters of golden light flashing in his eyes.

Chen Lingxi withdrew his gaze and suddenly spoke. ”Emperor Daye, do you know that a Great Sage was once born in this grotto-heaven?”

Sitting cross-legged on the futon, Emperor Daye couldn’t help but frown slightly upon hearing this. A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.

’A Great Sage?’

He had lived in this grotto-heaven for many years, walking step by step from the body of a mere mortal to this day. He had collected countless secrets and memories of the deceased, and had even used the Mirror Listening Cauldron Vessel to divine the opportunities of the world.

His understanding of this grotto-heaven far surpassed that of anyone else.

Yet, he had never heard of any Great Sage.

Thus, he slowly shook his head. ”I do not know.”

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath.

He suddenly flicked his finger.

A wisp of spiritual qi swirled to life at his fingertip.

Chen Lingxi drew a line in the void, the spiritual qi drawing in numerous air currents.

The air currents flowed in, acting as though all rivers run into the sea. They violently surged, transforming in the blink of an eye into a long river of spiritual energy that surged and tumbled through the void.

Though the long river was only a chi in length as it hovered above the low table between the two, it naturally possessed a vast and majestic momentum.

As the river water churned, the faint sound of crashing waves echoed through the hall.

Emperor Daye’s gaze landed on the long river of spiritual energy.

Chen Lingxi also looked at the long river of spiritual energy, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes. ”The Great Xuanzhuo Realm once produced Great Sage Luoyuan, who later fell into a deep slumber during the great war of the Immortal Capital.

”Great Sage Luoyuan originally attained the Dao as a long river.”

He raised his hand and gently tapped his index finger in the void. The long river of spiritual energy suddenly churned wildly, its waves rising higher and higher, as if responding to the name he had spoken.

”After falling asleep, an incarnation of Great Sage Luoyuan returned to this Weiji Grotto-Heaven, falling into a deep slumber upon the Ancestral Mountain.”

The great hall abruptly fell silent.

Emperor Daye’s brow remained furrowed. He stared at Chen Lingxi, golden flames flickering in his eyes.

Great Sage Luoyuan.

The great war of the Immortal Capital.

Slumbering on the Ancestral Mountain.

He had known nothing of these secrets.

Emperor Daye fell into deep thought.

Chen Lingxi suddenly smiled. ”Could Emperor Daye be thinking of using that cauldron vessel to take a look at my memories?”

Emperor Daye jerked his head up. A terrifying surge of Dao Origin roiled out from his body. His intense aura instantly drained the air from the hall, pressing straight down upon Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi felt as if a massive mountain were weighing down on his shoulders, yet he held firm. His expression remained utterly composed. Staring right into Emperor Daye’s eyes, he asked softly, ”Emperor Daye... have you ever used the Mirror Listening Cauldron Vessel to divine my origins?”

Emperor Daye nodded slowly. ”You are a native of this Weiji Grotto-Heaven; the Celestial Ranking has already proven as much.”

Chen Lingxi nodded, the smile on his face growing even more pronounced. He spoke slowly, ”Though I am a native of this Weiji Grotto-Heaven, I once received the opportunity of a single drop of river water from Great Sage Luoyuan. It was through this that I stepped onto the path of cultivation.

”Since then, I have removed the leaf blinding my eyes and become a person of Qi Circulation!”

At these words, Emperor Daye’s pupils twitched, though his expression did not change.

Chen Lingxi continued, ”I already know where Great Sage Luoyuan’s incarnation is located.

”Emperor Daye, if the Great Sage’s incarnation awakens, the True Monarch of the Que Star Xi Family may not dare to refine this Great Sage’s Dao arena.”

Emperor Daye remained silent, but a hint of intrigue surfaced in his eyes.

Chen Lingxi took in his reaction completely.

He suddenly stood up.

In the instant he rose, within the crude Inner Divine Palace inside his body, the phantom of Great Sage Yaotian sitting cross-legged upon the high platform violently opened its eyes.

Those eyes were as profound as the abyss, with the faint rotation of stars visible within!

At that moment, an indescribably terrifying aura erupted explosively from Chen Lingxi’s body.

Behind him, the phantom of a Great Sage with an obscured face was projected.

The phantom stood tall between heaven and earth, stars revolving around its body. It was like an ancient deity walking out from the eons of time. Though it was only a blurry silhouette, it naturally possessed an awe-inspiring majesty capable of suppressing all things.

The terrifying aura of a Sage transformed into an oppressive might, pressing straight toward Emperor Daye like an invisible tidal wave.

It was precisely the [Heaven-Inviting Momentum]!

Emperor Daye sat upright on his futon, completely unmoving.

However, the two clusters of golden flames in his eyes suddenly flared brightly. Amid the dancing flames, countless dense runes seemed to circulate, exuding an indescribable ancient presence.

He could clearly sense it... This might was so surging, so exalted. For a moment, he actually believed that the person before him truly had obtained the so-called Great Sage’s opportunity.

At this time, the Great Sage phantom behind Chen Lingxi continued to stand tall, stars revolving around it as it exhaled a terrifying, heart-palpitating pressure.

Enveloped in the shadow of this phantom, he spoke slowly. ”This grotto-heaven is the Dao arena of the Great Sage’s true body. The Great Sage’s aura covers the void.

”Even though Luoyuan’s incarnation remains forever slumbering, through the Great Sage’s aura, I have still glimpsed some of the secrets within this grotto-heaven.”

He paused, his gaze burning bright as he looked straight into Emperor Daye’s eyes ablaze with golden flames. ”I saw that Emperor Daye obtained the complete cauldron vessel, the Delusion-Weaving Golden Eyes!”

At these words, Emperor Daye’s expression changed drastically. A terrifying divine ability bloomed, silently locking onto Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi acted as if he hadn’t noticed and continued speaking. ”I saw Emperor Daye forcefully cultivating the Profound Brightness Reverent Splendor Dao’s great divine ability, Age-Dial Reversal!”

Emperor Daye’s breathing suddenly grew a few degrees heavier.

Chen Lingxi’s voice remained calm. ”I saw you link the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas into a grand formation, using the Immortal Slough as a foundation to nurture a Space-Disrupting Flower!

”I saw you use that heaven-shaking grand formation spanning the entire Great Li to plunder the essence qi of millions of vengeful souls—all just to nourish that divine ability spiritual object capable of allowing you to master the Heavenly Decline Law!”

Having spoken this far, a faint smile returned to his lips. ”Even further... I saw that you obtained the Myriad Breeding Dao-Seeding Marvelous Lotus Qi, and that you nourished three souls and seven spirits from it to form an avatar!”

As Chen Lingxi spoke, his gaze landed on the distant Qinghua Province.

In an instant, the divine ability’s aura that had locked onto Chen Lingxi abruptly dissipated.

Emperor Daye took a deep breath, completely lacking his previous composure as he stared at Chen Lingxi.

The person before him had actually exposed his numerous secrets with a single sentence.

’Could that Great Sage’s opportunity be real?’ Emperor Daye couldn’t help but ask himself.

The hall fell into silence once more.

The long river of spiritual energy continued to flow slowly through the void, emitting the faintest sound of bubbling water.

The Great Sage’s majesty on Chen Lingxi’s body had already vanished. He sat casually on the futon, his expression tranquil.

”I only obtained the opportunity of a single stream of river water,” he continued after a long time. ”The one slumbering within the Ancestral Mountain is merely an incarnation of the Great Sage.

”However... Emperor Daye, do you know what a Great Sage is?”

He paused slightly. Two clusters of indescribable light suddenly flared within his deep eyes!

”A Great Sage... is one who can erect the Jade Capital in the void with a single thought, and hold three thousand worlds in the palm of their hand!

”Forget a True Monarch; even a Mystic Monarch is nothing before them!”

In this moment, even someone as strong as Emperor Daye couldn’t help but scrutinize Chen Lingxi closely.

Erect the Jade Capital in the void with a single thought. Hold three thousand worlds in the palm of the hand.

True Monarchs grasped the profound mysteries of the Great Dao and ruled over entire domains. They were already existences that were impossibly high to reach.

Mystic Monarchs only existed in legends. It was said that such figures could comprehend the creation of heaven and earth, and every gesture they made was accompanied by the Great Dao.

Yet the person before him was actually saying that beneath a Great Sage, even a Mystic Monarch was nothing at all?

Emperor Daye furrowed his brow tightly, lost in careful thought.

Chen Lingxi simply sat upright in the palace hall, waiting peacefully.

After a long while, Emperor Daye took a deep breath. ”Therefore... if that Great Sage’s incarnation awakens, the True Monarch of the Que Star Xi Family will no longer dare to refine this grotto-heaven.”

Chen Lingxi nodded slowly.

Emperor Daye met Chen Lingxi’s gaze and finally asked, ”But I don’t know... how exactly can the Great Sage’s incarnation be awakened?”

Chen Lingxi stared at Emperor Daye, keeping his mouth shut.

Emperor Daye instantly understood. ”Could it be the Immortal Slough?”

Chen Lingxi nodded. ”Exactly, the Immortal Slough!”

”That Immortal Slough was once the remains of a defeated opponent at the hands of Great Sage Luoyuan. Seizing the profound mystery of this Immortal Slough can awaken the Great Sage’s incarnation.”

Emperor Daye sat upright on the futon, remaining silent.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Chen Lingxi took note of his hesitation.

He suddenly smiled and said, ”If Emperor Daye possesses a Dao Foundation Jade Precept Book, I can sign a jade precept with you to prove my words are true. Emperor Daye only needs to promise to use the Immortal Slough to revive the Great Sage’s incarnation.”

Hearing this, Emperor Daye slowly shook his head. ”I have only heard of Dao Foundation jade precepts in rumors. To this day, I have never seen one.”

Chen Lingxi’s eyes darted as he chuckled. ”If Emperor Daye cannot trust me, you can also head to the Ancestral Mountain yourself. Upon entering the depths of the Ancestral Mountain, you will be able to see the river incarnation of Great Sage Luoyuan.

”At that time, you can toss the Immortal Slough into it yourself; there’s no need to give it to me.”

His tone was magnanimous, and there wasn’t the slightest bit of evasion in his eyes. Instead, he appeared extremely open.

Emperor Daye lowered his head in thought for a moment before looking back up to ask, ”Only the Immortal Slough is needed?”

Hearing this, Chen Lingxi rejoiced inwardly, though his face betrayed nothing. He said slowly, ”I also need to attain the Dao Foundation and lay down a grand sacrificial formation.

”This actually isn’t anything difficult, especially right now... With the Celestial Ranking shining high above, opportunities are everywhere.

”I can devour the opportunities from the Celestial Ranking and achieve the Dao Foundation!”

Hearing this, Emperor Daye raised his brow slightly.

”Although the opportunities of the Celestial Ranking are abundant, those who project their incarnations into this Weiji Grotto-Heaven now are all what they call noble cultivators and superior cultivators, disciples of great sects and factions.

”Among those who project themselves here, there is no lack of Dao Foundation figures!”

”Chen Lingxi... are you not afraid of those Dao Foundation figures attacking you?”

Chen Lingxi’s face was beaming with smiles. ”From within the Great Sage’s profound mystery, I saw Emperor Daye’s peak opportunity. Today, you and I are on the same chariot. If this grotto-heaven falls, both of us will die within it.

”I believe that Emperor Daye will be my Dao protector!”