After the Great Dao Died

The water curtain cascaded down the thousand-foot cliff face, thundering like a tempest as it veiled the cave dwelling behind a screen of pearls.

Chen Lingxi stepped through the water, walking straight to the prayer mat in the deepest reaches of the cave and sitting down cross-legged.

”Senior Brother, you’re back?” Yuan Lingyu poked her head in from the cave entrance, her eyes bright with anticipation. ”That Immortal Attendant opportunity...”

Nothing had been settled. After a moment of thought, Chen Lingxi offered no explanation and simply shook his head.

The joyful anticipation in Yuan Lingyu’s eyes instantly dimmed.

Likely afraid of saddening him, she thoughtfully suppressed her disappointment and forced a smile. ”It’s fine. With your extraordinary aptitude, Senior Brother, you’ll naturally encounter other chances even without that Immortal Attendant Opportunity. Besides, with Master protecting you, there’s much less to worry about.”

Knowing that his junior martial sister was worried about him, Chen Lingxi gave a slight nod, and the two chatted for a short while.

Yuan Lingyu was holding a porcelain bottle filled with morning dew; she had originally planned to pour him a cup once he obtained the Immortal Attendant Opportunity.

Even without good news to celebrate, she still poured Chen Lingxi a full cup before setting the bottle on the stone table near the cave entrance. ”Then rest well, Senior Brother,” she said sweetly. ”I’ll come visit you another day.”

Her footsteps faded away down the path, eventually swallowed entirely by the roar of the rushing water.

Chen Lingxi listened quietly until he could no longer hear her, then slowly raised his hand.

He opened his palm.

The Dragon Essence he had obtained from the immortal of the Entwining Dragon Palace lay quietly within.

In an instant, the ambient moisture in the cave seemed to stagnate.

The Dragon Essence was no larger than a pigeon’s egg and glowing azure-green, but it seemed to contain an entire bottomless ocean.

The surface of this inner ocean was calm and windless. Yet, beneath the water, countless minuscule specks of light drifted slowly, like ten thousand stars sunken into the abyss, flickering, gathering, and scattering.

As Chen Lingxi gazed at it using his Method of Qi Observation, his heart gave a slight jolt.

He had seen many treasures in his life, but the spiritual energy contained within this Dragon Essence was completely different from all the spiritual phenomena he had encountered on his journey.

It did not feel like spiritual energy naturally nurtured by heaven and earth. Instead, it seemed as if it had been forcibly extracted from the flesh and blood of a living creature, carrying an indescribable, warm vitality.

This vitality was far too dense—so rich that it practically threatened to overflow from the thin outer shell.

He focused his gaze for a closer look.

Deep within the Dragon Essence, wisps of aura flowed and intertwined, echoing each other like a living creature, pulsing with a rhythmic cadence akin to a heartbeat.

He tried channeling a strand of Dao Origin to touch the aura.

The moment the Dao Origin drew near, the Dragon Essence trembled.

It was as if something incredibly ancient within the cave had been awakened by the touch!

Chen Lingxi felt the Thunder Prison Profound Root inside his Qi Sea give an involuntary, gentle tremor, as if it were both responding and standing on guard.

The aura within the Dragon Essence was completely incompatible with his lightning arts, yet they were not exactly rejecting each other either. It was more like two fierce beasts, neither willing to bow its head first.

’This Dragon Essence... is extraordinary,’ he thought, slowly withdrawing his Dao Origin. ’It absolutely cannot be compared to ordinary Dao Origin.’

He lifted his head and glanced at the hazy sky reflected in the water beyond the curtain. His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that resplendent main hall, back to the figure seated upright upon the clouds.

The Entwining Dragon Crown Prince...

The immortal of the Great Encompassing Heaven...

Right at that moment, a sudden light bloomed outside the cave, enveloping the entire dwelling in a warm, gentle glow.

The radiance was pale gold and not blinding, yet it carried an indescribable air of solemnity, as if it were entirely beyond mortal power.

Chen Lingxi’s heart stirred, and he stood up to walk out of the cave.

High in the sky, the phantom of the divine deer that had hung there for who knew how many years was now slowly lowering its head.

Its antlers pierced the heavens, and the radiant light around its body flowed like the tide. Across ten thousand fathoms of empty space, its eyes rested quietly upon him.

Then, a streak of golden haze descended from its antlers, transforming into a beam of flowing light that flew straight toward him. It hovered before him, serving as both a bridge and a guide.

’True Person Xiangshu is summoning me,’ Chen Lingxi understood.

He stepped onto the golden haze.

The rosy light paused briefly before carrying him straight into the sky. He soared over the towering cliffs and past layers of clouds, heading directly toward the main peak of Slumbering Deer Peak.

Atop the main peak, a sea of clouds churned beneath his feet.

The Golden Palace Dao Field stood quietly in the depths of the clouds, its vermilion walls and emerald tiles shrouded in dense spiritual energy.

Chen Lingxi landed and smoothed his robes. Just as he was about to step forward and announce his presence, the gates to the dao field opened silently.

A single lamp burned brightly inside the gate.

True Person Xiangshu sat beneath that lamp, his back facing the entrance.

”Come in,” the True Person’s divine sense transmitted.

Chen Lingxi crossed the threshold, stopped three paces inside the gate, and bowed in greeting. ”This disciple pays his respects to Master.”

True Person Xiangshu gave a slight nod and spoke slowly.

”That Dragon Essence... have you refined it?”

”Not yet,” Chen Lingxi replied.

He paused briefly before continuing. ”Master, I am unsure what it means to be a Chanlong Servant.”

”Servant,” True Person Xiangshu repeated, turning around slowly.

The lamp’s flame illuminated his thin, ascetic face. There was little warmth or kindness to be found in his features right now; instead, they were profoundly grave.

”Chen Lingxi,” he said, ”do you know what kind of colossal entity the Great Constellation Dragon Palace is?”

Chen Lingxi lowered his eyes. ”This disciple does not. I ask Master to enlighten me.”

”The Great Constellation Dragon Palace is the palace of the true dragons of the Great Encompassing Heaven,” True Person Xiangshu’s voice echoed through the spacious dao field. ”It commands four subordinate Dragon Palaces, each of them extraordinary.

”And above the Dragon Palaces, they are backed by the Great Encompassing Heaven.

”Let alone here in the Land of Nine Palaces, even if you cast your gaze further, the factions capable of rivaling the Great Constellation Dragon Palace can be counted on one hand.

”In all the Nine Quarters... no one can stand against the Great Constellation Dragon Palace.”

He paused.

”But even so,” his voice suddenly sank, ”you absolutely must not become a Chanlong Servant.”

Chen Lingxi’s heart trembled slightly.

He looked up at his Master.

True Person Xiangshu stood beneath the lamp, his face revealing an extremely rare and solemn expression.

That expression did not seem faked. There was genuine, almost searing concern hidden in his eyes.

Chen Lingxi stayed silent for a few breaths before speaking softly. ”Please, Master, clear my doubts.”

The Great Encompassing Heaven immortal and the Dragon Palace Crown Prince had promised a Cauldron Vessel opportunity, a Profound Void Dao Fruit, and a Fledgling Dragon Bloodline. All of these were supreme fortunes that countless Dao Foundation cultivators would flock to.

So why, when it came to him, was his Master telling him to reject them outright?

True Person Xiangshu slowly shook his head.

”It cannot be spoken aloud.”

His tone carried a hint of something that was hard to identify as either helplessness or dread. ”But... I will definitely protect you.”

He paused, then as if feeling those words weren’t enough, added, ”Just reject him. But there is no need to be too terrified of that Dragon Palace Crown Prince.”

Chen Lingxi gave a slight nod and asked nothing more.

He appeared compliant on the surface, but inwardly, he remained perplexed.

’This True Person Xiangshu... the concern in his eyes doesn’t seem fake,’ Chen Lingxi pondered silently, growing even more confused.

’Yet my many memories of Slumbering Deer Peak, my past of joining this sect, and even the camaraderie I share with the many disciples on this peak—all of it was single-handedly woven by him using the Fate-Deducing Purple Haze.’

’He altered my memories, altered the memories of the other disciples on Slumbering Deer Peak, brought me into the sect, and treats me with such gravity... He must have some ulterior motive.’

As he thought about this, his brow furrowed unconsciously.

And precisely because of this, he couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Since this True Person was scheming for something, he must be viewing Chen Lingxi as a mere object, a pawn on a chessboard.

A pawn should be kept hidden beneath the board, quietly waiting to be played.

Yet in their interactions, the True Person’s words, actions, care, benevolence, and seemingly genuine worry were completely devoid of any flaws...

It was as if this True Person truly was just a master worrying over his disciple.

’If a Golden Palace figure like him really wants to plot something, a single thought could lay out countless snares.’

’Why go through the trouble of putting on such an act day after day in front of a lowly Dao Foundation disciple?’

The more he thought about it, the more eccentric he found his Master to be.

Chen Lingxi reeled in his thoughts, suddenly raising his head to ask, ”May I ask what the name of that Dragon Palace Crown Prince is?”

True Person Xiangshu didn’t seem to expect this question. He blanked for a moment before speaking.

”He is the Sixth Crown Prince of Entwining Dragon. His name is [Chan Zhaofu].”

After saying this, Dao Origin flowed from him, illuminating three large characters.

”Chan Zhaofu...” Chen Lingxi gazed at the three Dao Origin characters and silently repeated the name in his mind before nodding slowly. ”This disciple will remember it.”

Having said that, he bowed to True Person Xiangshu. ”This disciple takes his leave.”

”Go,” True Person Xiangshu said.

Chen Lingxi turned and walked out the door.

Just as he reached the threshold, True Person Xiangshu’s voice rang out from behind him again.

It was even graver than before, carrying an unquestionable solemnity.

”Do not become a Chanlong Servant.”

”Your Master... will not harm you.”

Chen Lingxi felt somewhat helpless.

’What a riddler of a Master.’

As he silently complained, the gates of the dao field closed soundlessly behind him.

Chen Lingxi stepped onto the clouds and flew back toward the Water Curtain Cave.

By the time he returned to the Water Curtain Cave, it was already midnight.

Moonlight spilled through the cracks in the clouds, landing on the cascading curtain of water like millions of pieces of shattered silver rustling down.

Chen Lingxi passed through the water curtain and sat cross-legged on the prayer mat.

He flipped his palm and brought out the Dragon Essence.

The Dragon Essence rested quietly in his hand, azure-green as water and warm as jade.

His divine sense circulated and delved into it.

The flow of those wisps of aura inside became even clearer. This rhythmic aura was different from ordinary spiritual energy—it was as if it were echoing off some immensely distant existence!

’This Dragon Essence...’ Chen Lingxi whispered in his heart. ’It isn’t ordinary Dao Origin. It’s more like an object peeled directly off the Crown Prince himself, carrying the aura of his very source.’

He took a deep breath, the light in his eyes flickering unsteadily.

’The Great Xuanzhuo Realm... holds too many secrets,’ he thought silently. ’I originally believed that after escaping from the Weiji Grotto-Heaven and arriving in this spiritually abundant Great Xuanzhuo Realm, the sky would be high and the ocean wide, letting me roam freely.’

’But only upon arriving did I realize that the vastness and profundity of this heaven and earth is far beyond what I could have previously imagined.’

He raised his eyes and looked out at the wilderness shrouded in darkness outside the cave. His gaze seemed intent on piercing through the layers of clouds and fog to look into the extreme distance.

’In the Land of Nine Palaces, the many sects are already overwhelmingly powerful.’

’Don’t those great sects and major clans possess profound foundations, with experts as numerous as the clouds?’

’Right now, I have merely climbed onto this single branch called Slumbering Deer Peak, but within the Nine Quarters, what does Slumbering Deer Peak even amount to?’

’And now, a Great Encompassing Heaven has appeared above it all.’

’That Great Encompassing Heaven hangs high overhead, seemingly ruling over the Nine Quarters. Even Golden Palace True Persons must stand in silence and salute its envoys.’

’Just how many secrets that I know nothing about are hidden by such an existence?’

He lowered his head and looked at the Dragon Essence in his palm, his gaze gradually growing intense.

’My strength is minuscule.’

’If I want to learn more secrets, relying solely on myself to grope forward step by step will ultimately be too slow.’

As he thought about this, he suddenly closed his eyes and sank a wisp of consciousness into the Divine Chamber.

That void wreathed in misty clouds unfurled before his eyes once more.

The clouds surged like crashing waves, with countless tiny specks of golden light floating, sinking, and flickering within.

Above the clouds, lines of golden tadpole-like text were quietly suspended, emitting a warm, ancient radiance.

Chen Lingxi’s consciousness fell among the text, following that column for [Vision Roaming] downward.

The first line: Lin Suri.

The second line: Emperor Daye, Ying Xian.

Both of these lines glowed with a warm brilliance, representing the two individuals he had already bound to spy on their whereabouts.

He had walked his path up to this day by relying on this Vision Roaming Divine Ability, rising step by step from a dying medicine slave to who he was now.

And at this moment, his gaze landed on the third line.

It was completely empty.

There was only a dim, nearly indistinguishable phantom outline quietly hanging in the clouds, as if waiting for something.

’As my cultivation has grown day by day, the slot for a third person in Vision Roaming has already opened.’ A gleam of light flared in Chen Lingxi’s eyes.

With a slight shift of his intent, the Dragon Essence manifested once more, hovering in the void of the Divine Chamber and emitting a faint azure-green radiance.

’Now that I have the Dragon Essence in hand, I might as well give it a try.’

He stared at the Dragon Essence, thoughts surging in his mind like the tide.

’Having practiced the Vision Roaming Divine Ability to this point, I have long since understood its intricacies.’

’To Vision Roam ordinary figures, I need their names, their birth characters, and an object they have handled.’

’But if I want to Vision Roam true experts, I cannot rely solely on their birth characters.’

’The karma of experts is profound and their fate is heavy. Ordinary birth characters and handled items are completely incapable of revealing their whereabouts.’

’I need their name, but more importantly, I need an object of karma.’

He thought silently, his gaze landing on the Dragon Essence and growing increasingly bright.

’How hard is it to find an expert’s object of karma?’

’Figures like them sit high above, flawless, ensuring not a single drop of water leaks through. Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t even have the fortune to catch a distant glimpse of them, let alone obtain their objects of karma.’

’But now... this Dragon Essence has fallen into my hands. It has a deep connection with the Crown Prince. I do not know if it counts as an object of karma, but I might as well try!’

Reaching this conclusion, a sliver of his consciousness quietly probed into the Dragon Essence.

’If this Dragon Essence truly is his object of karma... perhaps I can use it as a medium to Vision Roam this Dragon Palace Crown Prince.’

The more he thought about it, the more burning this idea became in his heart.

’Here in the Land of Nine Palaces, atop Slumbering Deer Peak, I seem safe, but in reality, I am surrounded by fog at every turn.’

’If I can Vision Roam the Sixth Crown Prince of Entwining Dragon and borrow his sights and travels to look at the Great Constellation Dragon Palace, to look at the Great Encompassing Heaven, and see exactly what these colossal entities looming over me look like... then my horizons will undoubtedly be broadened to the extreme.’

’Even if I only catch a fleeting glimpse, it will still be a heaven-defying fortune for me.’

Having made his decision, that sliver of consciousness hesitated no longer. It slowly began to circulate, following the profound trajectory of the Vision Roaming Divine Ability within the Divine Chamber.

Within the Divine Chamber, the clouds surged!

Taking a deep breath, he began to draw in, interweave, and melt the wisp of the Dragon Essence’s aura together with the profound mechanics of his Vision Roaming Divine Ability, inch by inch.

’Chan Zhaofu.’

He silently chanted that name in his heart, pausing on every single syllable.

In a flash, the void of the Divine Chamber shuddered slightly.

That originally dim and blank third line of tadpole-like text quietly lit up at this moment.

The light spread outward from the center, dyeing that entire blank line in a brilliant gold in the blink of an eye.

Within that gold, countless intricate veins circulated, as if something was slowly awakening deep within the text.

Chen Lingxi only felt his wisp of consciousness being gently drawn by an irresistible force, drifting along the golden light toward a place unimaginably deep and distant.

Auras gathered densely.

Dao wonders spontaneously manifested.

This feeling was far too familiar to him.

Just like the very first time he used the incense burner to Vision Roam Lin Suri, heaven and earth suddenly became weightless, as if a door that had been shut tight for a long time was suddenly thrown wide open right in front of him.

’It’s done,’ he muttered softly in his heart, before drawing in a long, deep breath.

In the next instant, his entire consciousness submerged into the surging expanse of golden light.

’Vision Roam [Chan Zhaofu]!’