After the Great Dao Died

Although Liu Chengfeng lacked the long years to nurture this sword strike, ever since his avatar descended here, he had sealed a lifebound sword radiance into his Dao Platform, tempering it day and night with the unique mental cultivation method of Sword Audience Peak.

Even though only a few months had passed, the killing power contained within that sword radiance was condensed enough to give him absolute confidence.

At this moment, facing Chen Lingxi’s heaven-blotting Thunder Prison Heaven lightning, the crashing Longevity Bridge, and the precious phase of Great Sage Liantian suspended high behind him, there was not a shred of fear in Liu Chengfeng’s eyes.

He took a deep breath. His Dao Platform spun wildly, and on that Profound Root, a dao fruit suddenly flared with blinding brilliance.

He opened his mouth and spat.

A streak of sword radiance flew from his lips.

In the next moment, a dazzling aquamarine light erupted from the sword radiance, like a dormant dragon that had slept for eons suddenly opening its eyes!

”Roar!”

A faint dragon’s roar echoed from the sword radiance.

The roar was deep—as though an azure dragon lying dormant at the bottom of an abyss had been jolted from its slumber, releasing a low growl of displeasure from its throat.

Yet wherever that roar passed, the clouds in the void were shattered into nothingness. Even the Weiji Thunder Radiance surging toward Liu Chengfeng faltered slightly before that deep sound.

The sword radiance swelled against the wind.

It transformed from the size of a silver needle into a three-foot green blade, and then from a three-foot blade into the phantom of a dormant dragon stretching across the sky.

The dormant dragon was formed entirely of the purest sword intent. Its scales and claws were vivid and lifelike; every scale was a highly condensed wisp of sword qi, and every whisker was a strand of matchlessly sharp killing intent.

A dormant dragon for three hundred years, breaking the sea of clouds with a single sword.

Although Liu Chengfeng’s sword strike had only been nurtured for a few months, the killing power within was enough to make Dao Foundation Realm cultivators of the same stage quail in terror.

As he slashed out, the azure dragon phantom roared and crashed toward Chen Lingxi. Wherever the dragon passed, visible rifts were torn in the void, the edges of the fissures gleaming with pale green sword light.

Chen Lingxi watched the roaring azure dragon phantom, the lightning in his eyes suddenly flaring to a blinding intensity.

”Good sword,” he praised genuinely, and took a step forward.

Behind him, Great Sage Liantian stepped forward as well. The Heaven-Inviting Momentum surged out overwhelmingly, clashing head-on with the sword intent radiating from the dormant dragon phantom and exploding into countless ripples in the void.

Coupled with the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool that had already surged forward!

Two terrifying forces collided in the void.

The Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool intertwined with the dormant dragon sword radiance. The Weiji lightning and the aquamarine sword qi eroded each other, detonating halo after halo of light that blotted out the sky.

Under the strangling lightning of the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool, the azure dragon phantom’s scales shattered inch by inch, its sword intent reduced to a sky full of glowing dust.

Yet the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool also trembled violently under the azure dragon phantom’s impacts, its lightning flickering as though on the verge of collapse.

After a stalemate of a few breaths, the azure dragon phantom finally let out an unwilling roar. Its massive body shattered beneath the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool’s final surge of lightning, turning into a sky full of azure light fragments that drifted down through the void.

Liu Chengfeng stood in the distance, watching the dark-robed figure step out from the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool. A trace of unconcealable astonishment flashed through his narrow eyes.

Although his Dormant Dragon’s Cry had only been nurtured for a few months, the killing power it contained was absolutely extraordinary.

He had assumed that even if this sword could not heavily injure Chen Lingxi, it would at least force him to scramble, buying a moment’s breathing room.

But not only did Chen Lingxi not retreat, he faced it head-on, forcefully grinding the dormant dragon sword radiance into oblivion with the Immortal Smiting Thunder Pool.

’This person has only just entered the Dao Foundation Realm, yet his Thunder Prison Heaven Great Divine Ability has already reached such a level. The sheer intensity of its killing power would be considered outstanding even among the many disciples of Thunder Pool,’ Liu Chengfeng thought, the look of realization in his eyes growing deeper.

Right at this moment, from within the sky-filling brilliance of the lightning, another strand of sword qi split off and slashed down.

Liu Chengfeng had already exhausted the Dao Origin in his Dao Platform to execute the Dormant Dragon’s Cry. Caught off guard, he used his last vestiges of Dao Origin to prop up a sword aura shield!

Chen Lingxi’s sword radiance and lightning descended simultaneously. The sword aura shield collided with the lightning and sword radiance, engulfing Liu Chengfeng entirely within the terrifying electricity.

The outline of Liu Chengfeng’s avatar grew increasingly blurry and transparent.

The razor-sharp lightning and sword qi pierced straight into his body—straight into his Dao Platform!

Carrying unimaginable destructive force, it shattered his Dao Platform, his Profound Root, and this avatar of his with the momentum of breaking dead branches and rotten wood.

Was he defeated just like this?

’Chen Lingxi’s cultivation has advanced significantly again, and his killing power is formidable... I’m afraid without that Killing Power Cauldron Vessel, I would absolutely be no match for him!’

Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath.

By the time the lightning dissipated, the avatar was nothing more than a phantom of light and shadow.

He stood in the void, suddenly shook his head, and realized in a flash, ”Chen Lingxi concealed his cultivation! He reached the Profound Root Transforming into a Tree stage long ago! He just kept it hidden!”

Liu Chengfeng suddenly grinned and said, ”Daoist Friend Chen, I will remember today’s defeat. In the future, if we meet in the Great Xuanzhuo Realm, I will definitely repay it!”

Chen Lingxi shook his head slightly. With a flick of his finger, a streak of sword qi soared out and pierced right between Liu Chengfeng’s eyebrows. Beneath this sword qi, Liu Chengfeng’s avatar phantom shattered with a bang, turning into a sky full of aquamarine light fragments that drifted down through the void.

Chen Lingxi sheathed his sword, the lightning around him slowly withdrawing.

He stood amid the light fragments that had yet to completely disperse, raising his head to look toward the Heavenly Gate Sea.

Liu Chengfeng was dead.

His fall meant there was one less extremely troublesome variable before the fight for the Cauldron Vessel.

On the Enemy-Slaughtering Spirit Wall, Liu Chengfeng’s name had completely dissipated, leaving only a wisp of faint, ancient aura slowly circulating.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath. Beneath his feet, the Azure Cloud, flashing with lightning, silently activated, lifting his figure into the sky as he sped toward the Heavenly Gate Sea.

But right at this moment, a terrifying ripple suddenly spread from the direction of the Heavenly Gate Sea!

At first, the ripple was extremely distant and faint, like a muffled clap of thunder rolling across the horizon.

In the blink of an eye, it surged, turning into an earth-shattering boom!

A long rainbow unrolled from the edge of the sky.

Emperor Daye drove a war chariot, arriving upon that rainbow light.

He stood on the chariot with his hands behind his back, wearing an imperial crown and a Dark Dragon Robe.

The Dao Origin fluctuations of the Heavenly Decline Law and the Age-Dial Reversal around him surged like a vast abyss, pressing out in all directions to blot out the sky.

The pressure was far too heavy and domineering, forcing even the surging waves of the Heavenly Gate Sea into a standstill!

Chen Lingxi stood on the cloud, watching the rainbow and the figure in the Dark Dragon Robe on the chariot.

Emperor Daye wore a calm expression, looking down at the Heavenly Gate Sea from above.

Meanwhile, from elsewhere in the void around the Heavenly Gate Sea, another imposing aura arrived.

Chen Lingxi traced the aura to its origin, soon catching sight of a towering figure walking over with his hands behind his back in the distant sky.

Zhao Duanxuan possessed no rainbow light, nor did he ride any clouds. He simply stepped through the void.

With every step, the void beneath his feet exploded with a boom, spawning rippling waves.

The heavy and boundless Dao Origin fluctuations surrounding him were much thicker than during the battle at Ancestral Mountain. Behind him, the phantoms of two Profound Roots faintly flickered, radiating a terrifying, suffocating pressure.

Expressionless, he walked toward the Heavenly Gate Sea, his imposing aura blazing to its absolute peak.

Besides Zhao Duanxuan, several other experts also revealed themselves.

Yu Jiangwei stood on an azure cloud. The profound mist formed by the Dao Substitution Body Great Divine Ability swirled slowly around her, obscuring her face and leaving only a pair of abyssal eyes faintly visible.

Her aura was as calm as water. Just standing there, she resembled an unsheathed sword.

Bai Lingze, clad in spotless white robes, stood on a Jade Platform suspended in the void.

The lingering sound of the Hymn of the Divine Being curled around him endlessly. The two clusters of jade-colored brilliance in his eyes slowly rotated, and a leisurely, unhurried smile hung on his lips.

Sitting upright in his war chariot, Emperor Daye swept his gaze over the experts, a trace of weariness suddenly appearing in his eyes.

He spoke softly, ”The Cauldron Vessel belongs to my grotto-heaven. You outsiders should not even think of laying a finger on it.”

Zhao Duanxuan stood proudly in the clouds, his eyes filled with surging radiance, his spirit overflowing.

With a flick of his finger, a grand sun slowly rose.

The sun was too blazing, too brilliant. It was as though a real sun had plummeted from the heavens and hung in the void behind him, radiating a terrifying heat that could incinerate all things.

His expression was calm, his aura matching his demeanor—just like the grand sun itself, so radiant that none could look directly at it.

Then, he raised his hand and pulled a mountain out of the void!

The mountain was no phantom, but a real, majestic, and boundless peak!

The entire mountain was a dark gold color, covered in countless intricate and ancient runes. Those layered runes wrapped around the mountain like a sky-blotting spiderweb, pulsing with a terrifying, suffocating pressure—this mountain was actually an extremely precious Spiritual Artifact!

Bolstered by this Spiritual Artifact, Zhao Duanxuan’s aura became even more glorious and terrifying, faintly suppressing Emperor Daye!

He took a step forward, but instead of vying for the complete Cauldron Vessel exuding an ancient aura beneath the Heavenly Gate Sea, he looked straight at Emperor Daye on the war chariot, his eyes burning with fighting intent.

”Qi-Depleted Grotto-Heaven, Dao Foundation Middle Stage, yet possessing such combat power... You truly have the bearing of a genius, making me... brimming with battle intent,” Zhao Duanxuan said slowly, his voice echoing between heaven and earth, resonant as a grand bell. ”Ying Xian, fight me.”

Emperor Daye frowned, the golden flames in his eyes leaping violently.

He likely had not expected this mountain Spiritual Artifact of Zhao Duanxuan’s to be so tyrannical.

Suspended behind Zhao Duanxuan, the mountain Spiritual Artifact resonated with the blazing sun, causing his imposing aura to skyrocket significantly.

Outside the void where he and Emperor Daye faced off, the other experts were glaring at the Cauldron Vessel like hungry tigers eyeing their prey.

Yu Jiangwei stood on the azure cloud, the mist churning around her as her gaze pierced the rolling seawater to land on the Dao-Capturing Ancient Tree.

Light faintly circulated in her eyes; she was clearly plotting something.

Bai Lingze stood on the Jade Platform, his smile undiminished, but his eyes were also locked onto the Dao-Capturing Ancient Tree.

He was extremely shrewd. Although he had been defeated by Chen Lingxi that day, he had still managed to escape using his trump cards.

At this moment, he was not in a hurry to act, merely waiting in silence.

There was also the fully healed Bai Lingze.

Compared to the battle at Ancestral Mountain, his aura was several fractions deeper and thicker. The Dao rhyme of the Immortal Elucidation Dao around him was increasingly flawless and unhindered.

Likely, he had gained some insight after that battle, advancing his cultivation once more.

Besides them, there was an expert from Ehai named Ling Shangyou.

Suspended in the void, this person was even stronger than Luan Shu, who sat cross-legged on the Black Lotus Platform. The Ehai Dao Origin around him surged silently like an undercurrent.

From the Under-Dao Academy, Daoist Shu Rong, Chi Jianshu, stood on the Big Dipper Jade Ruyi. Her face was cold, starlight circulating around her.

The experts here each occupied a domain, glaring at one another like hungry tigers eyeing their prey.

They were all waiting.

Waiting for Zhao Duanxuan and Emperor Daye to strike, waiting for the battle for the Cauldron Vessel to truly begin.

Just at this moment, lightning suddenly surged in the distant sky!

At first, it was just an extremely distant and faint arc of light, but in the blink of an eye, it blazed brightly, turning into an earth-shattering thunderclap. A dazzling long rainbow of lightning split the rolling sea of clouds, trailing a long, pale golden tail as it crashed toward the Heavenly Gate Sea!

Zhao Duanxuan and Emperor Daye raised their heads almost simultaneously, looking toward that streak of lightning.

Yu Jiangwei, Bai Lingze, Chi Jianshu, and Ling Shangyou also looked up in unison, their gazes landing where the lightning converged.

The lightning scattered, and a slender figure slowly walked out from within.