After the Great Dao Died

Hearing this, Chen Lingxi realized something. ’The Credit Peddler’s method of calculation isn’t omniscient after all... That works fine.’

He considered this for a moment, unwilling to waste any more words.

With a raise of his hand, a streak of black precious qi materialized in his palm.

It was the Myriad Breeding Dao-Seeding Marvelous Lotus Qi.

This wisp of precious qi was extraordinarily valuable; nothing else in Chen Lingxi’s possession could compare.

Since he wanted a treasure from the Credit Peddler, he naturally brought out his most precious possession.

Seeing this wisp of black precious qi, the Credit Peddler’s expression instantly changed.

He flipped his palm, and both the Name-Chasing Furnace and the Heaven-Patrolling Eye vanished.

As if terrified that Chen Lingxi might change his mind, the Credit Peddler shoved the Three Profounds Mirror right into his arms.

”This is yours. That wisp of precious qi is quite valuable, so I won’t ask for the Taotie Urn or that future treasure anymore. This precious qi is enough.”

With a sweep of his sleeve, the Credit Peddler detached the wisp of black precious qi from Chen Lingxi’s spiritual qi, and it vanished.

The Credit Peddler vanished as well.

At the same time, Chen Lingxi was surprised to find that the faint connection linking the Myriad Breeding Dao-Seeding Marvelous Lotus Qi to his Sea of Consciousness and soul had been forcibly severed, dissipating entirely.

Chen Lingxi shook his head. Picking up the treasure mirror, he found it slightly heavy. Three specks of profound light flickered unsteadily across its surface.

With a shift of his thoughts, he poured a wisp of spiritual qi into the mirror.

The instant his spiritual qi entered it, the dark void on the mirror’s surface surged. The three specks of profound light flared brightly, shining from deep within the mirror like three ignited stars.

Simultaneously, a massive, complex flood of information surged from the mirror into his Sea of Consciousness, detailing the methods to refine and use the Three Profounds Mirror.

Chen Lingxi closed his eyes to concentrate, digesting the information piece by piece. When he opened them again, he looked down at the treasure mirror in his hand with a satisfied smile.

He glanced up at the two bright mirrors in the sky, then tucked the Three Profounds Mirror into his Vast Void Pouch.

Rising onto the clouds, Chen Lingxi departed from Ancestral Mountain, though his mind was still full of questions about the Credit Peddler.

’I don’t know where that Credit Peddler comes from, but his methods are so mystical they’re almost unimaginable. He seems to have an endless supply of treasures. Any cultivator who trades with him, as long as they can pay the price, can seemingly have their every demand met.’

Chen Lingxi narrowed his eyes, his suspicion deepening. ’Moreover, the way he operates is quite strange. A cultivator can only trade with him a single time.’

As his thoughts reached this point, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

’In this vast world, in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, across the numerous Grotto-Heavens and secret realms, whenever one encounters something bizarre or incomprehensible, there is one explanation that should always be considered first.’

’That is... a Cauldron Vessel!’

’Could it be that this Credit Peddler has a Cauldron Vessel that increases his cultivation whenever he makes a trade, but trading with the same person a second time yields no gifts from the Cauldron Vessel?’

Chen Lingxi pondered this, then looked up again at the Celestial Ranking in the void.

On the Celestial Ranking, first place was still held by Zhao Duanxuan, and second by Bai Lingze.

Occupying the top two spots on the Celestial Ranking, their combat power had to be incredibly formidable.

’Now that I have the Three Profounds Mirror, I only need to capture a wisp of their Qi signatures. Once they enter within ten thousand li of me, I will know their positions, allowing me to avoid a head-on clash.’

Sitting cross-legged on the cloud, Chen Lingxi closed his eyes in deep thought.

But capturing a wisp of a Dao Foundation expert’s Qi signature would not be easy.

After thinking for a moment, he took out Emperor Daye’s Finger Bone.

The finger bone brimmed with majestic power, feeling as though it could unleash force on the scale of a natural disaster the moment it was activated.

’I also need to be on guard against Emperor Daye’s Finger Bone. That being the case... I’ll capture those two auras within the Absolute Perception Divine Chamber, and then test this finger bone.’

At this thought, a sharp gleam passed through his eyes.

’If I can track their movements, I’ll be in an invincible position while traveling through this Grotto-Heaven,’ he muttered in his heart, storing Emperor Daye’s Finger Bone back into his Vast Void Pouch.

Chen Lingxi kept his eyes closed for a long time. Only after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea did he finally open them and look toward Yuanjiang Prefecture in the distance.

’The world is vast, and finding the Celestial Ranking figures of the Xi and Bai families will likely be difficult... However, I can reveal my own location. Xi Yu already wanted to kill me...’

Chen Lingxi immediately lowered his cloud and entered Yuanjiang Prefecture. He followed the long street south, passed through a few familiar alleys, and finally arrived at Willow Street Alley.

Willow Street Alley remained a desolate lane.

By the dilapidated courtyard at the end of the alley, the willow tree still stood.

Nine zhang tall and two chi thick, its branches and leaves were lush and vibrant, showing not the slightest hint of yellowing despite the late autumn season.

It was the Undying Willow.

Chen Lingxi walked up to the willow tree and stopped. He looked up at the massive tree he had planted with his own hands, unsure why it had become so extraordinary.

’Whether it’s the Willow Leaf on Xi Yu that transforms into a spirit boat, the ancient aura flowing within her spiritual qi, or the Undying Willow Puppet sent to kill me—all of it proves she has countless ties to this Undying Willow.’

’Since that’s the case... I’ll give this a try.’

With this thought in mind, Chen Lingxi slowly channeled a wisp of spiritual qi into the willow tree.

The instant the spiritual qi entered the tree, Chen Lingxi’s perception spread along with it.

He saw the Undying Willow’s massive root network and once again spotted the glowing white cocoon still suspended there.

The cocoon was translucent. Curled up inside was a tiny shadow, tucked tight in a fetal position.

’The first time I touched the Undying Willow, I saw the thing inside this transparent cocoon, but I still have no idea... what it actually is.’

Chen Lingxi tried to direct his spiritual qi and divine sense to penetrate the cocoon, but once they reached three cun away, they could advance no further.

’The power of a Cauldron Vessel—even if it’s just a fragment, it isn’t something I can casually probe.’

Feeling a bit of regret, Chen Lingxi withdrew his spiritual qi and removed his hand from the trunk.

He then settled in to wait peacefully.

At the exact moment the spiritual qi was injected into the Undying Willow...

On a mountain peak thousands of li away sat a young woman with her legs crossed.

She was exceptionally beautiful; it was none other than Xi Yu.

Right now, she was cultivating with her eyes closed, spiritual qi churning around her. The sheer density of her aura was already far beyond what it had been during the Battle of Cauldron Seizing.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.

”Chen Lingxi?” she murmured to herself, her voice incredibly soft.

She looked up, her gaze piercing through layers of clouds to land on the Celestial Ranking—specifically, on the name in the forty-ninth position.

[Weiji Grotto-Heaven, Chen Lingxi]

Those few short words left her in silence for a long time.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, and memories involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

Growing up together, playing in Willow Street Alley; then Chen Lingxi moved to the Capital, and they lost touch for several years. Later, they reconnected through letters, corresponding for a long while.

After that, she had awakened her memories and become the Xi Yu she was now, while Chen Lingxi was nothing more than a mortal. They had been destined to have no further contact.

But then, Chen Lingxi killed Xi Mu, and he killed Xi Yuan.

Thinking he was also a Seeker of Truth, she had sent two Undying Willow Puppets to the Nanju Twelve Mountains to take his life, only for them to fail.

Then came the Battle of Cauldron Seizing on the Zhuzhao Riverbank. She had seen with her own eyes the terrifying aura that suddenly erupted from Chen Lingxi. She watched him kill Shi Hong, behead Wu Mohe, and relentlessly pursue Imperial Consort Chun. She watched him step onto the Longevity Bridge stretching across the sky, hunting her down!

Had Bai Lingze not intervened with his Bright Jade Avatar, she would likely have died under Chen Lingxi’s sword.

And now, Chen Lingxi’s name was prominently displayed on the Celestial Ranking, his origin clearly listed as ”Weiji Grotto-Heaven.”

’He’s actually a person of this Grotto-Heaven... That means... he is still the original Chen Lingxi.’

Xi Yu was still amazed by it all.

Frowning, she finally took a deep breath, slowly lifting her head to gaze once more at the Celestial Ranking in the sky.

She stared at the countless names, staying silent for a long time before she finally shook her head.

”Chen Lingxi will eventually be refined by the Realm-Refining Furnace, right along with this Grotto-Heaven,” she muttered to herself in a low voice, resuming her meditation.

In the end, she chose not to inform the other members of the Xi family of Chen Lingxi’s whereabouts.

Silence returned to the mountaintop as Xi Yu closed her eyes and continued her cultivation.

The mountain breeze drifted through the pines, blowing a strand of dark hair past her temple.

Yuanjiang Prefecture, Willow Street Alley.

Chen Lingxi was still waiting—waiting for the experts of the Xi family to come looking for him.

This Undying Willow was deeply connected to Xi Yu. The moment he injected his spiritual qi into the tree, she would have undoubtedly sensed it.

While waiting, Chen Lingxi did not stay idle.

Every day he sat cross-legged by the window, circulating the Six Qi True Method to refine the spiritual energy bestowed by the Celestial Ranking into his Qi Sea bit by bit.

Outside the window, the sun rose and the moon set, and pedestrians came and went in the streets.

A day passed quickly.

Chen Lingxi slowly opened his eyes and looked out at the overcast sky.

There were no Dao Foundation avatars from the Xi family in the sky, nor had any powerful experts from the Bai family descended.

He had waited a full day, yet no one from the Xi or Bai families had shown up.

Chen Lingxi frowned.

’Maybe I was wrong, and Xi Yu’s connection to the Undying Willow isn’t that deep after all. I injected my spiritual qi into the Undying Willow, but Xi Yu has no idea.’

He stayed silent for a moment before pushing those thoughts aside.

’If they won’t come to the Undying Willow, then... I’ll cause a huge commotion and make them come looking for me.’ Chen Lingxi stood up, left the city, and rose onto a cloud.

He furiously circulated the spiritual qi around him without the slightest concealment. Like a walking furnace, he projected the heavy, oppressive might of the Qi Circulation Eleventh Floor in all directions.

He even deliberately activated his Heaven-Inviting Momentum!

The phantom of the Great Sage in his Inner Divine Palace opened its eyes, and an indescribably terrifying aura erupted from him. It made him look like a deity descended to the mortal realm, radiating a brilliance so imposing none could look at him directly.

He flew with such ostentation for three days.

For three days, he flew brazenly over the sea of clouds, his robes snapping in the wind. A three-colored light constantly flowed around his body like a lone star burning in the night sky.

Throughout those three days of flight, Chen Lingxi constantly channeled the Method of Qi Observation, scanning every area he passed in search of a Celestial Ranking figure to create a massive stir.

It wasn’t until the night of the third day, as Chen Lingxi flew over a deep valley, that he finally found someone!

The person was a middle-aged man with exceptionally heavy spiritual qi cultivation—undeniably a cultivator of the Twelfth Floor of Qi Circulation.

The middle-aged man was in the midst of setting up a grand receiving formation in the deep valley. Pulses of spiritual light shone from it, and profound runes could faintly be seen circulating within the array.

Looking down, Chen Lingxi saw that the spiritual qi undulating around the man was both complex and dense, carrying a profound mystique.

When the man noticed his presence, he actually looked up, flashing a grin with completely calm eyes.

The man stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his robe, and gazed at the cloud trail drawing closer across the sky.

’Qi Circulation Eleventh Floor? Makes for a good hunt,’ the middle-aged man calculated in his heart, silently rallying the spiritual qi around him.

He practiced a Soul Control Art that allowed him to refine the souls of slain cultivators into puppets he could command.

The young man before him had dense spiritual qi and an extraordinary aura; if he could capture him and forge him into a puppet, it would be a massive boost to his strength.

With that thought, the middle-aged man’s eyes grew even calmer. He waited motionlessly in the distance for the cloud to approach.

Right then, the cloud in the sky abruptly accelerated.

The middle-aged man’s pupils shrank. Before he could react, the streak of light plunged from the sky like a falling meteor, smashing straight into the deep valley.

Its speed was incomprehensible. All he saw was a pale golden afterimage rapidly expanding before his eyes.

Rumble!

With an earth-shattering boom, smoke and dust shot into the sky, and shattered rocks rained down in all directions.

The entire valley trembled violently under the impact. Loose stones tumbled down the valley walls, and the still-incomplete grand receiving formation was blown apart by the terrifying shockwave, scattering sparks of spiritual light.

From the dust, a tall and slender figure slowly walked out.

The man wore dark black robes and had a handsome face, looking to be just in his early twenties.

Spiritual qi continuously surged around him like ocean waves. Floating above his head, the Flower of Golden Essence—one of the Three Flowers—bloomed as massively as a mountain, dyeing half the sky in a brilliant pale gold!

His back was straight as a pine, his robes flapping wildly. Behind him, the faint phantom of a towering, sky-supporting figure flickered in and out of view.

Stars orbited the phantom as it breathed out a suffocating, terrifying pressure.

It was the Great Sage phantom of the Heaven-Inviting Momentum!

”An Eleventh Floor of Qi Circulation... where did such might come from?”

Surprise flashed in the middle-aged man’s eyes before he gave a cold snort.

”Ruin my formation, will you? You’re courting death!”

In an instant, earth-shaking booms echoed above the valley as countless divine abilities and spells bloomed!

The clouds were swept up by the techniques, and dust plumed on the mountainsides flanking the valley like tornadoes.

Half a quarter-hour later, a figure suddenly plummeted from the dust cloud. His spiritual qi was completely shattered, and he spat blood as he crashed into the valley with a thunderous thud.

From within the dust, Chen Lingxi stepped forward, his eyes calm.

He hadn’t even bothered to ask the man’s name or background before throwing a punch!

The Great Sage’s imposing aura, wrapped in surging vital energy, flooded into this strike. The pale golden light on his fist erupted fiercely, exploding in the deep valley like a blazing sun.

Boom!

With a dull thud, the middle-aged man’s head was smashed into fine powder by the punch.

Amidst the flying flesh and blood, Chen Lingxi activated the Method of Life Devouring, swallowing every last scrap of residual spiritual energy from the Twelfth Floor cultivator and drawing it into his Qi Sea as a fresh stream of power.

He pulled back his fist and glanced down at the headless corpse, his face impassive and devoid of emotion.

At that very moment, the Celestial Ranking spanning the heavens suddenly lit up with a pale golden glow.

Chen Lingxi looked up and saw a name slowly fading from the Celestial Ranking.

[Fortieth: Dao Birth Gate, Wang Zhian]

The name blurred and dimmed at a visible rate, eventually turning into an extremely faint and thin wisp of golden smoke that drifted off the Celestial Ranking, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Taking its place was a brand-new name!

[Fortieth: Weiji Grotto-Heaven, Chen Lingxi]

Surging up from the forty-ninth spot, the name claimed the middle-aged man’s former position, hovering firmly at fortieth on the Celestial Ranking.

Fortieth on the Celestial Ranking!

Chen Lingxi looked up, gazing at the golden curtain of light standing majestically in the sky.

On the curtain of light, his name radiated a pale golden glow. The calligraphy was ancient and vigorous, containing a certain indescribable, profound Dao rhythm.

The instant his name ascended, another immensely dense wave of spiritual energy descended from the Celestial Ranking, forming an invisible pillar of light that pierced straight into his body and poured into his Qi Sea.