After the Great Dao died

Chapter 89 Entering the Xuan Dong King's Realm, Unparalleled Under Heaven

The mist surged and, with lightning speed, condensed into ice. In just a few breaths, it had decimated the powerful figures in the courtyard, and then slowly disappeared into the clouds.

Lin Longyue and the two young masters were still in a daze, seemingly unable to believe what they were seeing.

The thunderous methods, the thick fog that appeared out of nowhere, and the menacing figure that stepped out of the fog—it was all like a nightmare, coming without warning and leaving without a trace, leaving only bloodstains and corpses all over the courtyard.

This proves that it is not a hoax.

"This man is under General Zhiling's command—even one of his men is so powerful?"

Lin Longyue composed herself and barely managed to suppress the turmoil in her heart.

She took a deep breath, walked past the musician lying on the ground, and hurried towards the backyard.

The scene in the backyard was even more horrifying than that in the front yard.

The corpses lying haphazardly by the pond were still there, and the emaciated young men were exposed to the cold wind.

When Lin Longyue's gaze shifted to the other side of the pool, her breath suddenly stopped.

Princess Yunhe collapsed there.

Both of her arms were severed, the cuts jagged, and her pale yellow jacket was soaked in blood.

What chilled Lin Longyue the most was Princess Yunhe's brow.

There was a hole about the thickness of a finger there.

Princess Yunhe's eyes were wide open, her eyeballs bulging out of their sockets. Her phoenix eyes, which usually held a lazy smile, were now frozen with the fear and disbelief of her last moments before death.

Don't rest your eyes!

Lin Longyue stood there, her whole body ice-cold.

Just then, sensing something, she suddenly looked up.

On the distant rooftop, the masked man had appeared and was now standing there.

The setting sun of winter hung behind him, outlining his figure as a dark silhouette.

He still wore a sword at his waist, its scabbard dark and undecorated, yet it exuded a chilling aura that captivated the soul.

Beneath that ghostly mask, a pair of eyes calmly gazed at her from dozens of feet away.

Lin Longyue felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

This man killed Chu Linzi, Jiang Runian, Liu Yuqing, the musician, and Princess Yunhe. All the powerful figures in the courtyard were like clay chickens and earthenware dogs in front of him, utterly vulnerable.

If he wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as snapping his fingers.

Just as she was filled with surprise and doubt, a voice suddenly came to her ear, as if someone was whispering close to her ear: "The yamen asked, and you should just tell the truth. Say that the murderer is my General Zhiling."

Lin Longyue shuddered and instinctively wanted to ask a question, but she saw that the figure on the roof had already turned around, his robes fluttering in the wind, and he was about to leave.

Lin Longyue took a deep breath and asked urgently, "Senior! Princess Yunhe—is she really absorbing my life essence?"

""

The figure paused slightly.

A few breaths later, the mysterious voice rang in her ears again: "You possess a precious body, and your spiritual energy is abundant."

Consort Chun wants to use you in her medicine, and Princess Yunhe is consuming your essence for cultivation. There will be many more who covet your precious body in the future.

Upon hearing this, Lin Longyue's face turned deathly pale.

She lowered her head, somewhat dazed. When she looked up again, the figure on the rooftop had vanished.

Chen Ling returned to the Qiaojishan cave; it was already dark.

The wind howled outside the cave, passing through the forest and over the rocks. Xi Mu stood motionless on a rock outside the cave, like a stone sculpture.

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged on the flat bluestone in the center of the cave and exhaled a long breath.

"A cultivator's practice follows the heart, and today my thoughts have become somewhat clearer."

He then looked at Xi Mu.

Xi Mu's immortal willow puppet's combat power far exceeded his initial expectations.

Even those with perfect golden bodies are like paper in front of him, unable to withstand even a single move before collapsing.

"At the sixth level of Qi cultivation, killing a Qi and Blood martial artist with perfect Golden Body cultivation would be as easy as crushing dry leaves." Chen Lingxi silently calculated in his heart: "I'm afraid even someone who has reached the Great Perfection of Jade Qi might not fare well against him. Perhaps—even someone at the Great Perfection of Jade Qi could put up a fight."

Reaching the pinnacle of jade energy signifies an extremely high level in the path of martial arts.

In the entire Baosu Marquis's mansion, the most powerful people on the surface are only a few Golden Body Guest Elders in the Silver Peace Courtyard.

The old man guarding the banner in Xuan Tong Temple was very likely a figure of jade energy. Chen Lingxi still vividly remembered the power of his palm strike in the Chejue Divine Chamber.

"That old man is still inferior to Xi Mu."

Chen Lingxi gathered her thoughts and took out the spirit stone she had obtained from Xi Mu from her Hongdong bag.

He held the spirit stone in his palm and activated the Six True Techniques.

The true secret flowed slowly through the meridians, and the stream of spiritual liquid in the dantian surged accordingly.

The spiritual energy within the spirit stone surged forth like water bursting its banks, flowing through the meridians in his palms into his limbs and bones, eventually converging into his dantian.

That spiritual energy was extremely pure and gentle, almost of the same origin as the spiritual energy in his dantian, and it merged into him with almost no resistance.

After a night of cultivation, Chen Ling opened her eyes, her gaze filled with surprise.

"One night of cultivation is equivalent to a month of breathing exercises in the past."

"The Six Qi True Method and True Secret, combined with this spiritual stone, have such miraculous effects."

After his initial surprise, he stood up and looked around.

The Qiaojishan Cave is wider than the one at Cuojinshan, but although the entrance is large, its concealment is much worse.

He then took out the green bamboo slip from his bosom and slowly channeled his spiritual energy into it.

The array diagrams and hand seals were so complex that they were dazzling.

Chen Lingxi sat down cross-legged and concentrated on his meditation.

This Pure and Subtle Qi Array is far superior to the rudimentary spirit-gathering array he previously deduced from that jade pendant.

He had already gained some understanding of the formation when he was fully awakened, and now, after further study, Chen Lingxi slowly opened his eyes after only an hour.

"The Pure and Subtle Qi Array is extremely profound, with layers upon layers of array formations. If one's cultivation level or the materials required to set up the array are insufficient, one can only set up the first layer of the array."

"Very well, I still can't comprehend the second or even higher levels of formations."

As Chen Lingxi pondered, she stood up, took out the sixteen bronze lamps she had obtained from Qingjiang Villa and Chulinzi Villa respectively, and arranged the many jade pendants according to the positions of the array diagram.

Following the instructions on the bamboo slips, he used his spirit as a guide to cast a series of hand seals into the bronze lamp and jade pendant.

The spirit flows among those things like an invisible thread, connecting them together.

He worked extremely slowly, repeatedly checking each hand seal and ensuring the amount of spirit at each point was accurate to the millimeter.

Three more hours passed, and when the last seal was struck into the main array eye, the entire cave suddenly lit up!

Simultaneously, a bluish flame ignited in the lamps of the sixteen bronze lamps. The flames were not scorching hot, but rather exuded a cool sensation.

At the same time, all forty-six jade pendants emitted a soft glow.

A powerful suction force emanated from the array, like an invisible giant whale swallowing and spitting out seawater. The sparse spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of hundreds of feet was drawn by this force, gathering in strands and flowing into the array. It then circulated along the patterns of the array, finally condensing at the array eye and transforming into a pale blue vortex of spiritual energy.

"The records on this bamboo slip are so detailed and comprehensive that even someone like me who has never set up an array before managed to succeed on the first try."

Chen Lingxi sat cross-legged in the center of the formation, feeling the dense, almost tangible spiritual energy surging in from all directions, enveloping his entire body.

He took a deep breath and felt completely refreshed. The stream of spiritual liquid in his dantian began to flow joyfully under the influence of this spiritual energy.

"It's only the first layer of the formation. The arrangement is so simple, yet so ingenious."

He made a silent comparison in his mind.

Lin Su Ri set up a spirit array in the Marquis's mansion to gather spiritual energy.

However, the concentration of spiritual energy in that formation was not even in the same league as this Pure and Subtle Qi Formation.

"But how does it compare to Lin Su Ri Xin's spiritual energy array?" Chen Lingxi murmured to himself.

Chen Lingxi suppressed these thoughts and turned to think about something else.

"Consort Chun is about to arrive in Yuanjiang Prefecture." He secretly pondered in his heart: "Her cultivation is formidable, she is a figure of the upper three levels, and she is accompanied by martial arts masters of the Jade Qi Realm as guards."

With my current strength, even if the Xi Mu puppet and I joined forces, we would be no match for her if we were to confront her head-on. It's best not to let her discover me for now.

He raised his head and looked out at the vast forest outside the cave.

Qiaoji Mountain is far from the official road and is secluded in the mountains. It is extremely difficult to be discovered unless one is deliberately searching for it.

Furthermore, the Pure and Subtle Qi Array gathers spiritual energy, making cultivation here far superior to secretly stealing spiritual energy in the Bao Su Marquis's mansion.

He made up his mind and waited there patiently for Consort Chun to leave.

Thinking of this, he took out the [Star Stone] from his Qiankun bag and pondered for a moment.

"But what is the real name of that Consort Chun?"

He never forgot why his parents died in this life.

After a moment's thought, Chen Lingxi put away the Star Stone, stood up, walked to the cave entrance, pushed aside the old vines, and looked into the distance.

Faint wisps of smoke rose from the direction of Yuanjiang Prefecture, swaying precariously in the cold winter morning wind.

The city must be in complete chaos by now.

Chen Lingxi guessed correctly.

More people have died in Yuanjiang Prefecture, and the corpses are all important figures.

Princess Yunhe, daughter of the Eastern King! Chu Linzi, daughter of the Princess of Yuanjiang! Liu Yuqing, daughter of the Junior Supervisor of the Palace! Jiang Runian, son of the Director of the Imperial Academy!

These people are so influential that not only Yuanjiang Prefecture, but the capital city is also shaken!

The interrogation hall of the Yuanjiang Prefecture government office.

Lin Longyue had been in the hall all night.

That night, she neither closed her eyes nor ate, but sat on that hard wooden chair, recounting the events that had occurred in the villa that day over and over again.

The interrogators came in waves: first, a group of yamen runners, then criminal clerks, and then censors from the Censorate who rushed from the capital overnight.

The problem has been changed countless times.

At first, the questioning was relatively calm, only asking her where she went that day, who she met, and when the body was discovered.

Later, the questions became sharper, and she was asked why Chu Linzi had set up this banquet.

Later, their tone turned cold.

Some asked her, "Why are you the only one who survived among all the corpses in the courtyard?" Some asked her, "Why didn't the masked man kill you?" Others asked her, "What is your relationship with the Spirit-Holding General?"

Lin Longyue answered each question in turn.

She told the truth, only saying that she did not know the real purpose of Princess Yunhe's banquet, did not know why Chu Linzi's cultivation had advanced so rapidly, and did not know the origin of General Zhiling.

These words sound like excuses, but every single one of them was the truth.

Chu Jizhe sat not far away and never left from beginning to end.

Today, the Lord of Yuanjiang Prefecture changed into a scarlet official robe, with a silver belt around his waist and a Liang crown on his head. He sat upright in a grand chair, his face ashen.

His face, which bore a resemblance to Chu Linzi's, was furrowed tightly, making his entire face resemble a rock covered in frost and snow, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

But Lin Longyue knew that his heart was not as calm as it appeared on the surface.

The one who died was none other than his own flesh and blood, the eldest daughter of the Yuanjiang Prefecture Lord.

Chu Jizhe lowered his head, his eyes cold, seemingly lost in thought.

Just then, the heavy vermilion doors of the interrogation hall slowly opened.

Two people walked slowly in from outside the door.

These two people, one male and one female, both looked quite young, but their vitality was unfathomable.

The man's chest rose and fell very little with each breath, yet his breath was surprisingly long, as if several vortexes of air were swirling and flowing around his mouth and nose with each inhale and exhale.

The woman was even more remarkable; as she stood there, a faint, jade-like luster flowed beneath her skin, almost imperceptible unless one looked closely.

It's the Jade Qi Realm, and definitely not even the entry level.

Chu Jizhe raised his head, his gaze falling on the man and woman. He then stood up, straightened his official robes, and bowed to the two of them, but said nothing.

The man nodded slightly in return.

He did not sit down, but stood in the hall. He glanced at Lin Longyue and asked, "Miss Lin, we have come on orders to ask you some questions." His voice carried an undeniable air of authority.

Lin Longyue took a deep breath and recounted everything she had seen at the villa that day.

The man remained expressionless after hearing this, as did the woman.

The man then asked, "Why did General Zhiling kill everyone but you?"

Lin Longyue's fingers clenched slightly as she shook her head and said, "I don't know."

The woman suddenly spoke, her voice as cold and hard as a knife: "Did General Zhiling spare your life because you were in cahoots with him? You used the banquet as bait to lure Princess Yun and the others into your trap, and then let General Zhiling take action to wipe them all out."

Lin Longyue's expression changed slightly, but she still suppressed the turmoil in her heart and shook her head, saying, "I have known Princess Yunhe for more than a year and we have a deep friendship. How could I plot to harm her? I really don't know why General Zhiling didn't kill me."

He also did not kill the other two princes.

The woman stared at her for a few moments, then stopped asking questions.

Chu Jizhe stood up, seemingly about to speak.

But at that moment, the doors of the interrogation hall were pushed open again.

An elderly eunuch walked in from outside the door.

The eunuch had an old face, a clean-shaven face, and held a whisk in his hand.

He walked into the hall, his eyes fixed straight ahead, and bowed slightly to Chu Jizhe before taking out a token from his sleeve.

The token was about the size of a palm, bright yellow all over, with the character "监" (jian, meaning supervisor) engraved on it.

Upon seeing the token, Chu Jizhe frowned slightly but said nothing, only taking half a step back.

The eunuch put the token back into his sleeve, his gaze passing over Chu Jizhe and landing on Lin Longyue. He spoke, "I have come on the orders of the Crown Prince and have a few questions to ask Miss Lin."

"Our investigation revealed that there was a servant in the Baosu Marquis's residence named Chen Lingxi, but he mysteriously disappeared sometime ago. Does Miss Lin know where he is now?"

Lin Longyue remained expressionless: "Your Excellency is unaware of the fact that the official servant is skilled in flower arranging, and the vases he makes are quite popular with the Imperial Concubine."

Before the Imperial Concubine arrived, I ordered him to gather some wild herbs outside the city.

She would never say that Chen Lingxi was taken away by the Spirit-Holding General.

The eunuch squinted and stared at her for a few moments.

Then he nodded slightly, seemingly without suspicion or further questions. He simply flicked his whisk, bowed to Chu Jizhe, and turned to leave.

Chu Jizhe watched the eunuch leave, his brows furrowing even deeper.

The man and woman also stood up and bowed to Chu Jizhe.

"The Eastern King is currently fighting the rebel Xiao Changlu in Qinghua Prefecture," the man said. "Xiao Changlu is powerful, and a major battle will affect countless lives."

The prince ordered the two of us to come to Yuanjiang Prefecture to investigate. Now that things have come to this, we must bring back all the files, testimonies, and corpses.

"Once the fighting subsides, the prince will come in person."

A look of surprise suddenly flashed across Chu Jizhe's originally cold and indifferent face.

"The Eastern King—is he coming in person?"

Chu Jizhe had met the Eastern King once when he was young.

At that time, he had just been transferred from the capital to serve as the prefect of Yudu Prefecture. He was young and arrogant, boasted of his martial arts achievements, and looked down on all the heroes in the world.

Just then, the Eastern King was ordered to travel south and passed through Yudu, where he stayed overnight in the government office.

Chu Jizhe remembered it very clearly. That night, he stood in front of the government office to greet the King of the East. When the King of the East got off the carriage, he only glanced at him.

That glance wasn't particularly sharp, but it was that one glance that caused Chu Jizhe's blood and qi to suddenly freeze, his knees to go weak, and he almost knelt down on the spot.

It was a pure, unquestionable pressure, like a mortal suddenly being targeted by a real dragon, unable to even muster the thought of escaping.

A person who has entered the Xuan realm has reached the pinnacle of martial arts. Their qi and blood have returned to their original purity. They usually do not show off their abilities, but once they get angry, mountains and rivers will change color and blood will flow like rivers.

His Majesty once praised the Eastern King: "Among the Xuan Eastern Kings, there is no one like him in the world!"

Such a person personally came to Yuanjiang Prefecture —

However, it makes sense, since Princess Yunhe was the daughter of the Eastern King, and now that she has died in Yuanjiang Prefecture, the Eastern King will naturally come.

only----

Chu Jizhe was heartbroken: "I cannot escape my guilt."

The two men left.

The hall returned to silence.

Chu Jizhe stood there for a long time before saying, "The interrogations of the individuals were conducted separately, and their testimonies were consistent. With the Imperial Concubine's arrival approaching, Miss Lin will need to manage the Baosu Marquis's residence. Let her go back for now."

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