Checking in for 100,000 Years Chapter 992: Origins

"Hehe, that fellow Dragon Tree has fled, and now his entire physical body is mine for the taking..."

The youth clad in simple attire couldn't help but chuckle, a gleam of triumph in his eyes.

"Indeed, it belongs to you now!"

Ye Yun's brow lifted into a smile.

Even though the severed soul of the Dragon Tree Buddha had escaped, the overall situation remained unchanged.

The root essence of the Buddha Flame was still present.

Or, to be precise, a complete Formless Tree was still here.

That was sufficient.

As for the Infinite Buddha Land, which the Dragon Tree Buddha represented, Ye Yun harbored no concerns.

The Infinite Light Buddha Lord's ambition to descend upon the Divine Land was exceedingly difficult, far from a mere wish.

Should this Buddha Lord dare to appear and show disrespect, Ye Yun would not hesitate to impart a lesson he would remember forever.

Despite the formidable title of Infinite Light Buddha Lord, in Ye Yun's estimation, it was merely a larger ant.

Very well.

While he held contempt for this Infinite Light Buddha Lord, Ye Yun had to concede that the Mahā Infinite Sutra was truly remarkable.

A flicker crossed Ye Yun's eyes.

He glanced at the youth in rough clothes, a smile playing on his lips, and inquired, "You still bear the likeness of Dragon Tree Buddha; will you not revert to your true form?"

The youth in rough clothes touched his face, a wry smile appearing, and replied, "His body has been steeped in Buddhist Law for eons; if I wish to alter it, I fear it will prove exceedingly challenging..."

"Hmm!"

Ye Yun nodded.

The Dragon Tree Buddha's physical form had already attained the Immortal Purple Gold Body status prior to his Nirvana.

Consequently, even after countless millennia, it had resisted decay.

For the youth in rough clothes to effect a change, unless he possessed an exceptionally high level of mastery in Buddhist Law, it would be impossible in the short term.

Ye Yun observed the youth, his heart stirring, his eyes narrowing slightly as he asked with a smile, "Would you consider cultivating Buddhism?"

"No."

The youth in rough clothes refused without a moment's hesitation.

Had he desired to practice Buddhism, he would have long ago accepted the Universal Dharma Power offered by the Jade Buddha Sect.

"You certainly possess fortitude..."

Ye Yun let out a soft chuckle.

The youth in rough clothes spread his hands, a troubled expression on his face, and asked, "I am no match for you. You promised to spare my life; does that pledge still hold true?"

"It does, but only on the condition that you submit to my will."

Ye Yun stated.

Across the vast expanse of the Divine Land, countless avatars of the Buddha Flame Root lay hidden. As long as he controlled the primary essence, those avatars could not evade his influence.

Should he eliminate the root essence, it would be counterproductive, leaving those avatars without a leader and plunging them into disarray.

"Submit to your commands?"

The youth in rough clothes faltered, then a realization dawned, and he exclaimed indignantly, "I am one of the four divine trees of the Ancient Realm! How can I possibly obey the directives of a mere Divine Soil Spirit like yourself?"

"Oh, one of the four divine trees of the Ancient Realm? You carry a significant lineage. How did you find your way to the Divine Land in the first place?"

Ye Yun inquired casually.

He was, quite naturally, deeply intrigued by the origins of the Formless Tree.

"How would I know? The moment I gained awareness, I had already taken root in the Divine Land. It was merely a deeply concealed location, inaccessible to ordinary cultivators..."

The youth in rough clothes spread his hands and continued.

"This suggests you might have been transported from the Ancient Realm as a seed, perhaps?"

Ye Yun ventured.

"Possibly, but the complete narrative eludes me. Only fragmented memories within my bloodline hint at my true origin from the Ancient Realm..."

The youth in rough clothes sighed.

Upon mentioning the Ancient Realm, his countenance darkened somewhat.

"Have you ever encountered the Goddess of Ancient?"

Ye Yun asked.

A vision of a beautiful figure once again surfaced in his mind.

"I saw her once in the Divine Land. She appeared quite occupied, as if in a rush..."

The youth in rough clothes replied.

"What else do you recall?"

Ye Yun furrowed his brow and pressed further.

"I know nothing more. My memories have clearly been tampered with, fractured, making them quite pitiful..."

The youth in rough clothes shook his head, his face devoid of color, and let out a sigh.

Ye Yun offered a smile.

Boom!

Abruptly, an overwhelming surge of purple Buddha light erupted from his form, coalescing into numerous Purple Divine Buddhas.

Each Purple Buddha emanated an aura of nobility and sanctity, possessing a majestic presence.

"What is it that you intend to do?"

Witnessing the emergence of these Purple Divine Buddhas, the youth in rough clothes was seized by panic.

Ye Yun smiled with composure, stating, "I gave my word to spare your life, and I shall not deliver a fatal blow. However, seeing you in the guise of Dragon Tree Buddha compels me to intervene. I must lend you a hand... Should you be willing to accept my Universal Dharma Power, I shall bestow a great fortune upon you."

"You seek to grant me salvation? What a preposterous notion! Haha!"

The youth in rough clothes erupted into maniacal laughter.

He is Yan Fu, a figure the Jade Buddha Sect found itself unable to save for many years.

In their final act of desperation, they resorted to forcibly infusing boundless Buddha light into his being to suppress him.

"Silence! Do you dare test my patience? I could kill you with a single sword strike."

Ye Yun's gaze sharpened as he shouted coldly, his voice cutting through the air.

The sword he held was slowly raised, its tip aimed squarely at the young man clad in simple clothes.

The boy in rough clothes visibly flinched, immediately ceasing his prattling.

It wasn't Buddhist Law that he feared, but the formidable weapon held in Ye Yun's grasp filled him with dread.

Observing the boy's compliance, Ye Yun offered a slight smile and proceeded to initiate the Mahā Infinite Sutra, wielding its Universal Dharma Power.

His true intention was to employ this divine method to subdue the very essence of the Buddha Flame Root.

In Ye Yun's strategic mind, the boy's memories were incomplete, and his nature was fundamentally wicked; if this salvation ritual succeeded, the youth would thenceforth be bound to his will.

The avatars of the Buddha Flame Root scattered across the Divine Land would be rendered powerless, all falling under Ye Yun's absolute command.

Ye Yun possessed unshakeable faith in the power of the Mahā Infinite Sutra.

Resonant Buddhist incantations began to echo.

A dazzling, brilliant purple Buddha light, akin to a surging tidal wave, descended upon the boy.

Instantly, the young man in rough clothes was enveloped by the resplendent glow.

He squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears.

"Take your hands away!"

Ye Yun commanded with stern authority.

"These Buddhist chants are utterly irritating! Can't I choose to simply not hear them?"

The boy in rough clothes protested loudly.

"Absolutely not!"

Ye Yun's smile turned icy. Witnessing the boy's obstinacy, he swiftly swung his sword.

Swish!

A sharp flash of sword light sliced through the air.

The boy's hands were severed in an instant.

"You... you are far too cruel!"

The boy instinctively raised his non-existent hands, looking at Ye Yun with palpable terror.

A sliver of relief coursed through him; thankfully, the sword had only lopped off his hands, not his entire body.

"Accept the Universal Dharma Power with genuine sincerity, and I shall naturally spare your life!"

Ye Yun stated with detached indifference.

"Fine, fine!" The boy had no other recourse but to lower his arms, submitting to the pervasive Buddhist sounds surrounding him.

Though his hands were severed, it was a minor inconvenience for him, as he could reattach them in due course.

Ye Yun persevered with the Mahā Infinite Sutra, the intensity of the purple Buddha light escalating dramatically, and the spectral forms of Divine Buddhas materializing in the void with ever-increasing numbers.

One after another, these purple Divine Buddhas took their seats high in the void, an innumerable, densely packed multitude that nearly consumed the entire subterranean expanse.

Three time units elapsed.

To his surprise, Ye Yun discovered that the boy in rough clothes had still not been successfully subjected to salvation.

"This individual might indeed be the legendary Yan Fu..."

Ye Yun mused with a faint smile, unconcerned by the prolonged outcome.

He possessed an abundance of time, making this an opportune moment to both comprehend and cultivate the third profound meaning of the Mahā Infinite Sutra while simultaneously performing the salvation ritual on the boy.

...

A full month later.

Ye Yun's body gave a slight tremor; through his dedicated comprehension of the Mahā Infinite Sutra, he had unknowingly ascended to the fifth layer of the God Venerate Realm.

Within the confines of the underground chamber.

Encircling the grand altar, the purple Buddha light had thickened to a viscous consistency.

The boy in rough clothes, his hands now pressed together in a gesture of supplication, no longer wore his characteristic playful expression; instead, his face was etched with solemn reverence, and even his jet-black hair seemed to emanate a faint Buddha light.

Within the obscuring Buddha light, subtle hints of purple shimmered.