The Cloud Sea Buddha statue let out a hearty laugh before its form immediately dissolved into countless wisps of cloud, scattering in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, this minor Buddhist world within the cloud sea began to thrum violently, as if on the verge of immediate collapse. Above this cloud sea realm, a rapidly spinning vortex appeared, drawing in the clouds and everything else within the world towards it.
Li Yundong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling at Ziyuan. “This minor world is about to shatter, Ziyuan. You should leave now.”
Ziyuan knew the small world was collapsing. If she didn't escape before its destruction, her Yang Spirit would be permanently trapped within the Burned Finger Bowl, making escape impossible forever after.
She glanced at Li Yundong and couldn't help but ask, “What about you? Aren't you leaving?”
Li Yundong swept a hand across his face, and in an instant, the image of an old man with hair and a beard reaching his feet vanished, replaced by the handsome and dashing young Li Yundong of before. He chuckled, “Don’t worry, I still have a promise to fulfill with Su Chan!”
Only then did Ziyuan relax. Her form swiftly flew toward the vortex swirling in the sky above. At the very moment she was about to enter the vortex, Ziyuan instinctively paused and glanced back at Li Yundong.
She saw the man standing calmly amidst the disintegrating world, his expression as if he saw through everything, held mastery over everything, controlled everything—as if even if the world were to be destroyed in the next second, he would possess the power to turn the tide!
In that instant, Ziyuan couldn't help but compare the image of Wang Yuanshan, buried deep in her memory, with the man before her—a man who had finally shed his greenness and immaturity, beginning to reveal the bearing of a true Great Cultivator. Before Ziyuan’s eyes, their figures gradually overlapped, becoming indistinguishable, with no difference left to find.
At this moment, Ziyuan’s heart fluttered wildly! She dared not look again, fearing that one more look would make her, like Li Yundong before her, unwilling to leave.
“Li Yundong, remember, Su Chan… is waiting for you!” Ziyuan called out one last time. She closed her eyes, turned her head, and flew into the vortex.
Li Yundong smiled as he watched Ziyuan depart. His gaze fell tenderly upon his image and Su Chan’s image within that minor world, clinging tightly, leaning on each other. Both figures, just like the countless clouds in the small world, flew into the vortex and vanished.
Li Yundong murmured softly, “It’s time to wake up. My Chan’er is waiting for me back there! These illusory selves will vanish, but she and I will never disappear. We will be together forever…”
And just as Ziyuan rushed back from the minor world inside the Burned Finger Bowl, her myriad Yang Spirit consciousnesses finally fled through the three opened spiritual apertures on Li Yundong—the Lingtai, Baihui, and Shenting points—her Yang Spirit instantly coalesced and flashed back into her own body.
The moment she opened her eyes, she heard the ecstatic cheers of Su Chan and the little foxes. One little fox shouted excitedly, “Fourteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds! That was too close, too close!”
Although Zhou Qin had experienced countless dangers during her Foundation Establishment process, even she couldn't help but press a hand to her chest, shaking her head and laughing, still pale with shock: “Ziyuan, you played a terrifying game! You scared us half to death! When I saw the time approach fourteen minutes and fifty seconds, I was in despair!”
Ruan Hongling also threw her arms tightly around Ziyuan, crying and laughing, “Senior Sister Ziyuan, you scared me senseless! I thought you weren't coming back! If you weren't here, what meaning would my life have?”
Ziyuan smiled softly, gently stroking Ruan Hongling’s back, and whispered, “Don’t be silly, I’m back now, aren’t I?”
Zhou Qin noticed that although Ziyuan had awakened, Li Yundong remained seated, motionless. She asked with concern, “Ziyuan, where is my Master? How is he?”
Ziyuan cast a complicated look at Li Yundong before saying, “He’ll wake up soon…”
Su Chan looked anxiously at Ziyuan: “Is Yundong alright?”
Ziyuan looked back at Su Chan, sighing inwardly: If only you knew how close Li Yundong came to not returning because of you!
But Ziyuan kept those words unsaid. She smiled faintly and reassured her, “He’s fine. Not only is he fine, but he has also gained profound insight into the Great Buddhist Dharma. He is now a master who cultivates both the Dao and Buddhism completely, possessing the bearing of a Great Cultivator, far beyond what he was before!”
Su Chan blinked, puzzled: “Can subduing the Burned Finger Bowl also grant insight into the Great Buddhist Dharma?”
As soon as her words fell, Ling Yue suddenly pointed at Li Yundong and exclaimed in shock, “Look! Look!”
Everyone turned their gaze toward Li Yundong, and they all froze in astonishment.
The three golden needles embedded in Li Yundong’s body were vibrating gently, being pushed outward by an unseen force, bit by bit. Finally, this force ejected the needles from Li Yundong’s body, and they fell to the floor with a soft ding.
Soon after, the Burned Finger Bowl that Li Yundong held cupped in his palms leaped into the air. His body radiated with streams of iridescent, multicolored light. The crystal-clear Glazed Burned Finger Bowl shone with every hue imaginable, as if countless ribbons of color were swirling around it. On every ribbon, countless Vajras performed rituals, and countless Arhats chanted sutras.
These ribbons quickly drilled into Li Yundong’s body. Immediately, the Baihui aperture on top of Li Yundong’s head violently opened, and white mist billowed upward, intertwining closely with the seven-colored light bands emitted by the Burned Finger Bowl.
Everyone else in the room was stunned speechless, holding their breath, not daring to utter a sound.
These lights intertwined, resembling countless vines, rapidly forming Vajra figures, each in a different posture. These Vajras then swiftly lunged into Li Yundong’s body. For every Vajra that entered, the external light quickly formed another.
Repeating this process, after silently counting for a while, Su Chan and the others discovered that a total of eighteen Vajras were formed. Soon after, the light formed one hundred and eight Arhat statues, which also dove into Li Yundong’s body.
Once all one hundred and eight Arhat figures had entered, the swirling lights finally converged into a single mass and swiftly drilled into the center of Li Yundong’s brow.
As it penetrated, a swirling ball of seven-colored light instantly gathered at Li Yundong’s glabella. This gathering light writhed and twisted, slowly morphing into the shape of a vertical pupil.
Li Yundong had not yet opened his eyes, but this vertical pupil slowly opened on its own, emitting a majestic and awe-inspiring white divine light. Wherever its gaze fell, the oppressive might was enough to make hearts pound and compel one to prostrate in worship!
Su Chan, Zhou Qin, and the little foxes watched, slack-jawed. Ruan Hongling was equally astounded. Only Ziyuan showed a slight shock, whispering, “It is indeed so!”
Su Chan, whose hearing was sharp, immediately whispered, “Sister Ziyuan, what did you say?”
Ziyuan looked at Li Yundong with profound reverence and said, “Earlier, in the minor world of the Burned Finger Bowl, the residual consciousnesses left by the past eminent monks stated that Li Yundong is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja (Immovable Wisdom King). Now it seems that is true!”
Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong in shock, thinking to herself: Master Erdeni said I am the reincarnation of Shri Devi (Goddess of Fortune), but Li Yundong is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja… If both of us are reincarnated deities, are there others? Why so many divine reincarnations? Is this to deal with that legendary great catastrophe?
Su Chan also gasped softly at this moment: “No wonder when he visualized in the past, the deity he visualized was the Buddhist Akṣobhya Vidyārāja! I always wondered how someone practicing Daoist arts could visualize a Buddhist deity! So he is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja!”
The little foxes also expressed their amazement, whispering amongst themselves: “So the Sect Master is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja? How amazing, we have such a strong Sect Master!”
“Haha, now let’s see who dares to bully us! Our Sect Master is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja!”
“Exactly, Akṣobhya Vidyārāja is the king of all Wisdom Kings, the foremost of the Five Great Wisdom Kings, the Great Vajra King who can subdue all demons! Besides the Buddha, he is the most formidable in the world!”
The little foxes chatted excitedly in low voices, but suddenly Ling Yue peeked out and remarked, “But… aren't we fox spirits? Will the Sect Master, this Akṣobhya Vidyārāja, end up subduing us?”
That comment made the little foxes all shrink their heads back, looking at Li Yundong with wide eyes filled with fear.
Su Chan’s heart also skipped a beat, thinking: Yes, if Li Yundong is truly the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja, but I am a fox demon, humans and demons are naturally incompatible, but Buddha and demon—that is an irreconcilable blood feud! What will happen in the future?
Yundong must know he is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja now. Will he reject me, this demon creature?
As the little girl thought, a deep sadness welled up within her, her eyes reddened, and she felt an uncontrollable urge to rush into Li Yundong’s arms and demand an explanation.
Just as the little girl was lost in anxious thoughts, the vertical pupil on Li Yundong’s forehead finally closed slowly, and the dazzling light gradually stretched into a straight line before vanishing instantly.
When the vertical pupil disappeared, the Burned Finger Bowl in Li Yundong’s hands slowly descended. The moment it settled into his palm, Li Yundong’s body shuddered slightly. With a sharp hiss, he took a deep breath. The inhalation was so profound that everyone felt as if a divine dragon had sucked all the air from the room, making it seem as if everything around them would be pulled away by Li Yundong.
Then, after inhaling, Li Yundong exhaled a long breath. At that moment, everyone felt a gale surge through the room, as if they might be blown away in the next second.
Zhou Qin stared at Li Yundong with wide eyes. She had thought her speed in achieving Foundation Establishment was astonishing; Li Yundong had taken nearly twice as long as her initially, so she thought she should be able to catch up. But now, it seemed Li Yundong had reached a realm utterly beyond her comprehension; she didn't even know how high this realm truly was!
After that in-breath and out-breath, Li Yundong slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, everyone felt that Li Yundong’s eyes resembled the deep sea—vast and boundless, unfathomably deep—and gazing into them felt like being sucked in.
After opening his eyes, Li Yundong looked at everyone, smiled faintly, and asked, “How long was I in meditation?”
The women in the room dared not speak. Only Zhou Qin boldly replied, “Master, you have been in meditation for eighteen days.”
Li Yundong glanced at Zhou Qin, his eyes showing appreciation: “You succeeded in establishing your foundation, and you subdued your magical artifacts too! Congratulations, welcome to the world of cultivators.”
Seeing Zhou Qin covered in travel dust, clearly having been anxiously guarding him since her return without time to bathe or tidy up, Li Yundong smiled. “Go clean yourself up quickly. Don’t stay here guarding me; I am fine.”
Zhou Qin’s face flushed red. Feeling as if Li Yundong might despise her for being slovenly if she stayed another second, she quickly turned and fled the room.
Li Yundong’s gaze shifted to Ruan Hongling. He nodded and smiled faintly at her. “Hongling, thank you for escorting Zhou Qin all the way. I owe you one, and I will certainly repay it in the future!”
Ruan Hongling placed her hands on her hips and retorted stubbornly, “What repayment do I need! I was happy to help, do you have any say in that? If you really want to repay me, give me more compensation for my labor! This journey back and forth, changing several sets of clothes—they’re all dirty now!” She sniffed herself, frowned, and pouted, “I even smell a bit!”
Li Yundong chuckled, “That’s better than the smell of sweaty men.”
Ruan Hongling made a funny face at Li Yundong. “Fine, you know how to talk! I’m going to take a bath!”
Li Yundong watched Ruan Hongling leave with a faint smile, then his gaze settled on Ziyuan. He said with a smile, “Ziyuan, you are the one I should thank the most…”
Ziyuan was looking at the transformed young man with complex emotions. Although she felt Li Yundong’s appearance hadn't changed, something deep within his core had altered fundamentally; the emerging presence of a Grand Master was already perceptible.
When Ziyuan heard Li Yundong say those words to her, for some reason, her cheeks flushed, and she replied with a hint of panic, “You should thank Su Chan. For you, she recited Buddhist scriptures day and night, begging the Buddha to bless you with safety, without stopping for eighteen full days! You… you thank her!”
With that, Ziyuan turned and fled the room in some haste.
Li Yundong looked with slight confusion at Ziyuan’s retreating figure. He shook his head, then turned his gaze back to Su Chan. The moment he saw Su Chan looking at him with eager anticipation, his gaze instantly became infinitely gentle.
Su Chan, seeing Li Yundong look her way, felt her heart flutter with intense anxiety: Ah, Yundong is looking at me. He is the reincarnation of Akṣobhya Vidyārāja, and I am a fox demon. Buddha and demon cannot coexist. Will he reject me? Will he… subdue and exorcise me, this fox spirit?