After the Dragon Tree Buddha fled the Jade Buddha Cave Sky, Ye Yun pursued. The Dragon Tree Buddha was revealed to be the Formless Tree and the only Purple Buddha in the Divine Land. The Dragon Elephant Prajna Sect, allied with the Dragon Tree Buddha, captured the Fallen Leaf Sacred Woman to use as leverage against Ye Yun. The Jade Buddha Sect acknowledged the situation was out of their control as the Grand Assembly of All Buddhas dispersed.
The Buddha Flame Root’s clones were scattered throughout the vast Divine Land, numbering in the countless beyond measure.
Even to the Dragon Tree Buddha, these myriad clones were relatively unfamiliar.
His true form, the Formless Tree, did not originally possess so many clones, nor were they this potent.
However, ever since those roots were taken by that enigmatic individual, and who knew what was done to them, his roots had begun to evolve at an astonishing rate.
Despite merging with the Buddha Flame Root’s essence, the Dragon Tree Buddha observed that the Buddha Flame Root was in a state of frenzy, its original memories fractured and fragmented. This made it exceedingly difficult to uncover any leads regarding the mastermind.
All he knew for certain was that the Buddha Flame Root’s clones were overwhelmingly numerous, lying dormant in every single corner of the Divine Land.
In his haste, the Dragon Tree Buddha glanced back and discovered that the sword-wielding God of Slaughter was not far behind him at all.
A twitch ran across his facial muscles.
That formidable entity had been pursuing him relentlessly, clearly intent on not ceasing until he was deceased.
"I absolutely cannot perish. The Infinite Light Buddha Lord dispatched me to the Divine Land precisely to locate this second Purple Buddha, and simultaneously to ascertain the reason this individual managed to cultivate into a Purple Buddha. If I meet my end like this, how will I face the Buddha Lord?"
A notion then surfaced within the Dragon Tree Buddha’s heart.
This Yinfuti harbored an astonishing secret.
The cultivation technique this person employed was, in reality, also the Mahamudra Sutra.
What was most alarming was that the boundless profundities of Buddhist Law he wielded, though slightly less potent than his own, were undeniably the authentic transmission at first glance.
This so-called "true transmission" was equivalent to receiving personal tutelage directly from the World Honored One.
This left the Dragon Tree Buddha utterly perplexed.
Without the World Honored One’s personal impartation, how had this individual, situated so far away in the Divine Land, successfully achieved this cultivation?
An earth-shattering secret must surely be concealed upon his person!
As a disciple of the Infinite Light Buddha Lord, the Dragon Tree Buddha was duty-bound to uncover the truth.
With this resolve, the Dragon Tree Buddha bolstered himself and accelerated his tear through the void.
Remarkably, the injuries adorning his body had already begun to scab over.
They were nearing complete restoration.
His true form, the Formless Tree, granted him a formidable regenerative capability.
After exiting the skies above the Land of Thousands of Buddhas –
Engaging his senses for a moment, the Dragon Tree Buddha abruptly plummeted from the sky, diving headfirst into the subterranean expanse.
"So, he has burrowed underground?"
Ye Yun descended from the heavens, a subtle smile gracing his features as he observed the scene below.
Upon entering the earth, the Dragon Tree Buddha's speed intensified; the dense soil offered virtually no impediment.
"Just as I surmised. He intends to reintegrate all his clones, but with so many scattered across the entire Divine Land, who knows how long the fusion process will take..."
Ye Yun mused softly, a hint of helplessness momentarily touching the corners of his mouth.
His form flickered, and he too descended from the sky, penetrating the soil.
The Buddha Flame Root’s fusion with the Dragon Tree Buddha, and its subsequent endeavor to recall all its dispersed clones, was a beneficial development for Ye Yun.
He absolutely would not let slip such a golden opportunity.
The Dragon Tree Buddha continued his descent, plunging thousands of miles deep before altering his course to travel horizontally in a particular direction.
Ye Yun maintained his pursuit.
While the earth deep underground did present some resistance, its impact on his velocity was negligible—hardly sufficient to impede him.
"There are actually two clones of the God Venerable Realm in proximity..."
The Dragon Tree Buddha rejoiced inwardly.
Under his potent summons, two lights tinged with earthen yellow surged towards him from separate directions.
In merely the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn –
These two luminous streams merged into his being sequentially, causing the Super Divine Dragon Breath of the Dragon Tree Buddha to surge with renewed vigor.
"Heh, I truly owe thanks to that mysterious individual who severed me with a sword back then. Had it not been for him, how could my roots possibly possess such a multitude of clones?"
The Dragon Tree Buddha chuckled faintly, his heart brimming with burgeoning confidence.
Without question, that pursuer behind him would never manage to close the gap, especially once they entered the deep underground where the soil created a further obstruction; the opponent’s speed appeared to be affected in the slightest degree.
While the degree of this effect was minuscule, over the course of an extended pursuit, the distance between them would inevitably expand.
Consequently –
The Dragon Tree Buddha experienced a sense of relief.
By continuously finding and merging with clones, his strength would invariably ascend.
If more Divine King Realm clones could be acquired, upon reaching Layer Ten of the God King Realm, or even a single step into the God Emperor Realm, easily suppressing the pursuer behind him would be within reach.
The Dragon Tree Buddha traversed the subterranean world without a moment's rest, while Ye Yun maintained a relaxed pace behind him.
A pursuit ensued, the two figures vanishing through the expansive underground of the Divine Land.
Time passed in a flash.
Seven days had elapsed in the blink of an eye.
The Dragon Tree Buddha had managed to integrate seventy to eighty Buddha Flame Root clones, though all were merely of the God Venerable Realm.
His power had indeed grown, yet the augmentation fell significantly short of his original aspirations.
"This is insufficient..."
A sense of urgency began to grip the Dragon Tree Buddha.
At this rate, a decade or more would pass before he could possibly surpass the strength of the one trailing him.
"Buddha Flame Root!"
A fragment of the Dragon Tree Buddha's Divine Sense surged into the Sea of Knowledge belonging to the Buddha Flame Root.
Despite the fusion, their mental consciousness had never truly merged.
After all, over countless millennia, this Buddha Flame Root had transformed, evolving far beyond its initial form.
Moreover, the Buddha Flame Root had been in a state of furious upheaval, a condition the Dragon Tree Buddha relentlessly kept in check.
"You're no longer suppressing me?"
Within the Sea of Knowledge, a youth adorned in simple robes stood bathed in Buddha light. A wild glint in his eyes, he directed a mocking gaze at the purple-robed Monk confronting him.
"We were once a single entity. My suppression was a necessity due to your unstable state..."
A soft sigh escaped the Dragon Tree Buddha.
The constant subjugation had, in fact, somewhat tempered the frenzied condition of the Buddha Flame Root residing within his Sea of Knowledge.
"Millions of years ago, perhaps we were one. However, I have since found my own destiny and evolved into a distinct lifeform. Being ambushed and fused by you this time was my own oversight!"
The youth in plain clothes scoffed.
The Dragon Tree Buddha's expression brightened, a flicker of hope igniting as he inquired, "So you still recall the events from eons past!"
"Vaguely, but not with clarity."
The youth in plain clothes responded icily.
His recollection was indeed fragmented; current memories were shattered, leaving many details elusive.
He had no recollection of who or what methods facilitated his evolution.
The Dragon Tree Buddha’s countenance turned grim as he stated, "That Yinfuti relentlessly pursues us. His swordsmanship is known as Profound Swordsmanship, extraordinarily potent, capable of inflicting grievous harm upon our physical form..."
"And so? You're the one who will perish, old fool, not I!"
The plain-clothed youth jeered.
"I shall not perish. This sliver of my Divine Sense possesses the capability to depart the Divine Land realm at a critical juncture..."
The Dragon Tree Buddha’s voice was cold as he spoke with stark finality.
The youth in plain clothes fell silent, his brow furrowed as if attempting to grasp a forgotten memory.
After a brief pause, he lifted his head, the wildness in his eyes subsiding somewhat as he calmly remarked, "Depart the Divine Land? What a ludicrous notion. Do you believe you can return to the Ancient Realm?"
"You recall the Ancient Realm?"
The Dragon Tree Buddha displayed a hint of surprise, his gaze drifting into the distance, reminiscent of exceedingly ancient recollections.
"My memory is hazy, yet I distinctly recall the Formless Tree originating from the Ancient Realm. I am correct in this, am I not?"
The youth in plain clothes gestured expansively as he posed the question.
"Your recollection is accurate. The Formless Tree is not indigenous to the Divine Land; it hails from the distant Ancient Realm!"
Despite the Dragon Tree Buddha's outwardly impassive demeanor, a subtle, melancholic hue tinged his eyes as he reflected upon his ancestral home.
