The Dragon Tree Buddha reveals himself to be the root essence of the Buddha Flame, who explains that his avatars were created after he was damaged and sealed in a Ten Thousand Transformation Pond. Ye Yun uses a fragment of the Buddha Flame Root captured earlier to trigger the root essence's fragmented memories, leading to the revelation that the Xuantian Sect was involved in severing him and sending a mutated fragment to the Cangnan Continent.
"You talking to me?"
As the fragment of the Buddha Flame Root in his grasp spoke with such insolence, the plainly clad young man's brow twitched. His voice held an indifferent edge, a glint of madness surfacing in his eyes.
"You monk are truly an imbecile. What are you even holding in your hand? If I'm not talking to you, who else could it possibly be?"
The Buddha Flame Root segment flailed its tendrils, its anger erupting in repeated roars.
"Haha!"
Ye Yun couldn't suppress a laugh.
This minuscule avatar of the Buddha Flame Root, still in a dilapidated state, could barely be considered a descendant of the main body. Yet, the moment this little fellow stirred, it dared to address the ancestor of the Buddha Flame Root in such a manner.
It was truly unaware of the gravity of its actions.
*Slap!*
The plainly clad young man's expression darkened. He extended a hand and delivered a swift slap to the Buddha Flame Root.
"Say that again, and I swear I'll devour you on the spot!"
The young man's voice was chillingly cold.
That single strike instantly jolted the Buddha Flame Root segment out of its stupor.
It suddenly comprehended...
This purple-robed monk's cultivation realm was unfathomable, his power immeasurable. He was absolutely not someone that it, a mere cultivator at the True God Realm, could possibly afford to offend.
"I was mistaken, senior. I apologize..."
The Buddha Flame Root displayed remarkable adaptability, immediately resorting to desperate pleas for mercy.
"Too late..."
The plainly clad young man sneered. A streak of light flashed, and the Buddha Flame Root in his hand vanished without a trace.
He had consumed it.
"The Buddha Flame Root on Cangnan Continent is flawed and ultimately useless, so I simply absorbed it!"
The young man in plain clothes addressed Ye Yun, his face etched with a grim expression.
"It matters little. Since I have located your main body, all is well. It was merely a minor clone at the True God Stage; if you consumed it, then so be it. I am not that petty."
Ye Yun responded with a relaxed smile.
"Sir, are you truly willing to grant me the opportunity to complete the fusion of all my avatars?"
The plainly clad young man raised his head, his gaze fixed on Ye Yun with profound seriousness.
Their exchange had already stretched on for quite some time, yet this terrifying individual opposite him had not made any move to attack. This was truly perplexing.
No matter how cunning he considered himself, the young man in plain clothes began to feel a tremor of doubt.
Once his avatars were fully fused, his strength would at best ascend to the Half-step God Emperor Realm, equivalent to the pinnacle of the Tenth Layer of the God King Realm. Could such a cultivation base truly instill no fear in that man?
"Or perhaps... he is actually a Divine Emperor?"
This thought suddenly surfaced in the mind of the young man in plain clothes.
"Hey, hey, this fellow is suddenly offering me this chance to fuse my avatars—does he possibly have some hidden scheme up his sleeve?"
In his haste, a wisp of the young man's Divine Sense reached into his Sea of Consciousness, querying the Dragon Tree Buddha.
"How would I possess such knowledge?"
The Dragon Tree Buddha spread his hands, a bitter smile gracing his lips. "Not only is this person's swordsmanship profound, but his Buddhist Law is also terrifyingly potent. To be frank—and I do not fear you knowing this—his Buddhist Law originates from the very same lineage as mine!"
"What? The same lineage as yours?"
The young man in plain clothes exclaimed in disbelief.
He could scarcely fathom it: someone so exceptional in swordsmanship, wielding unparalleled destructive power, yet also mastering supreme Buddhist Law—how had he achieved such a feat?
The path of slaughtering swords and the path of the compassionate Buddha were diametrically opposed. Yet, they now manifested within a single individual.
"Sigh, in truth, the reason I descended from the Infinite Buddha Land to this world of the Divine Land this time was to seek him out, to uncover the origin of his Buddhist Law inheritance..."
The Dragon Tree Buddha sighed.
"Worry not. Since he exhibits such arrogance and conceit as to bestow this opportunity upon me, I shall not hesitate! I refuse to believe that with a Half-step God Emperor Realm cultivation, I still cannot overcome him!"
The young man in plain clothes declared with a sneer.
"A Half-step God Emperor Realm is already quite formidable. I suspect he may not be your match..."
The Dragon Tree Buddha mused thoughtfully.
"He certainly won't be!"
The young man in plain clothes asserted with a smug smile.
"Should an extreme situation arise and you find yourself unable to contend with him, you must permit me to take control of this body then!"
The Dragon Tree Buddha suddenly spoke, his expression grave.
"What do you intend to do?"
The young man in plain clothes inquired, a hint of nervousness in his tone.
"Rest assured. I possess a treasure capable of instantly teleporting him back to the Dragon Hidden Continent; thus, we shall escape the danger!"
The Dragon Tree Buddha replied with a smile.
The treasure he referred to was precisely the Eight Treasures Delicate Mirror.
This was a treasure of the Divine level, personally bestowed upon him in the past by the Dragon Ancestor, and it possessed supreme power.
Anywhere within the Divine Land, once illuminated by this mirror, an individual would be teleported to the Dragon Hidden Continent.
In the past, he had depended on this Eight Treasures Delicate Mirror to escape the pursuit of many enemies.
"Alright, I understand!"
The young man clad in simple clothes nodded, then swiftly withdrew from the Sea of Knowledge world.
Observing the young man in plain clothes standing there, motionless and lost in thought, Ye Yun offered a faint, inscrutable smile.
It would appear.
The two souls residing within the other's body had recommenced their communication.
"Buddha Flame Root, had I desired your demise, I would have extinguished you long ago. Do you suppose you would still be breathing now? I am affording you this opportunity solely to observe the zenith of your strength once you have coalesced all your avatars."
Ye Yun stated this with composure.
"Very well, on the sole condition of that statement—should I triumph in the end, your life shall also be spared!"
The young man in plain clothes narrowed his eyes, speaking with a deep tone.
"Haha, the notion that you could prevail over me is nought but a deluded fantasy. You would be wise to expedite your summoning process with all due haste, lest I grow weary of waiting!"
Ye Yun let out a couple of hearty laughs.
The young man in plain clothes: "..."
He gazed at Ye Yun with a visibly uncomfortable expression, a sense of unease stirring within his heart.
This individual exhibited an unsettling degree of composure.
His Dao Heart seemed virtually unassailable.
What precisely was the source of his strength that afforded him such an indomitable Dao Heart?
He was utterly incapable of grasping the reason.
One by one, avatars from the Divine King Realm emerged from the void, integrating themselves into the body of the young man in plain clothes.
This procedure was repeated endlessly.
The aura emanating from the young man in plain clothes experienced a continuous surge, and his cultivation realm steadily ascended.
Were any others to witness such a rapid progression, they would undoubtedly be paralyzed with fear.
Fourth Level of the Divine King Realm...
Fifth Level of the Divine King Realm...
Sixth Stage of the Divine King Realm...
...
Ye Yun paid no heed to these developments, his eyes half-lidded as he quietly cultivated on the sidelines.
In what felt like an instant, an additional seven days elapsed.
Throughout these seven days, upwards of a thousand Divine King Realm avatars had been summoned and merged with the primary body.
The cultivation realm of the young man in plain clothes had consequently catapulted all the way to the Pinnacle of the Tenth Layer of the Divine King Realm!
The spatial disturbances around the altar ceased at this particular juncture.
"Why have you ceased the summoning? How is it that not a single Divine Venerable Realm avatar has materialized?"
Ye Yun inquired with an indifferent tone, his eyes opening.
"Even if Divine Venerable Realm avatars are integrated, they still fall short of breaking through to the Divine Emperor Realm, rendering them utterly useless!"
The young man in plain clothes responded with a cold retort.
Upon hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Ye Yun’s face.
So, the Divine Land still harbored a considerable contingent of Buddha Flame Root avatars within the Divine Venerable Realm, concealed away...
This presented quite a vexing predicament.
Nevertheless, a surge of inspiration coursed through Ye Yun’s mind, and he swiftly conceived of a fresh strategy.
Once he gained dominion over the main body of the Buddha Flame Root, those avatars would be incapable of causing any significant disturbance.
"Hmph!"
The young man in plain clothes let out a cold snort, taking a deliberate step forward, his gaze alight with fervor, battle intent radiating from him.
"My cultivation has now reached the Half-step Divine Emperor Realm. I shall vanquish you forthwith and compel you to experience the might of my power!"
The instant these words were uttered.
He abruptly extended his hand, reaching out to grasp Ye Yun.
His hand morphed in mid-air, transforming into an innumerable host of colossal tendrils, descending like colossal dragons, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.
Buzz, buzz...
The awe-inspiring aura of the Half-step Divine Emperor Realm instantly permeated the entirety of the void, and at that very moment, it exerted such pressure that the void itself trembled.
Chi...
A dazzling streak of sword light flashed.
The colossal dragon-like tendrils suspended in mid-air were effortlessly severed by the sword light, all snapping apart and fluttering downwards.
"Ah!"
The young man in plain clothes cried out in agony as he hastily retracted his hand.
