Chapter 1439: Bodhi Congeals the Soul

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen was startled once more and quickly averted his gaze from that direction. He began to wonder in his heart: Did she already know that Bei Sheng is a woman? Can she recognize me? Does she know that I was the one who robbed Bei Sheng?

This was quite unexpected for him. No one here knew that Bei Sheng is a woman, nor that he was the one who robbed Bei Sheng, and certainly no one could identify him. Yet, she seemed to know everything.

After a couple of seconds, he turned his head again to look at Ji Ning Shuang. She had already sat down, spreading the Wuzi Tianshu flat on her knees, and was diligently buried in her reading, like a complete bookworm.

He was certain that, even after three years, she still hadn't unlocked the seal on her memories. Because the real Ji Ning Shuang would never wink at him or smile at him like that.

"The past is too bitter; being your Yao Chi is quite good."

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze again, slowly turned around, and vanished in a single step from the mountaintop, paying no mind to the battle between Nan Di and Bei Sheng.

Xiao Jiuxian was getting excited watching the fight, but when she glanced back, Ye Chen was gone: Where is he?

Ye Chen headed deeper into the ruins, where there were still quite a few people around. Not everyone was watching the battle between Nan Di and Bei Sheng; for instance, some old veterans had gone even further into the ruins in search of opportunities.

It wasn't until late at night that the battle between Nan Di and Bei Sheng finally ended, with their strengths evenly matched and no clear winner.

The ruins grew quieter. After witnessing the great battle, the cultivators dispersed with lingering excitement, continuing to wander through the ruins. Some found opportunities, while others met their demise.

Under the full moon, Ye Chen crossed a vast sea and discovered an ancient temple deep within it.

The temple was in ruins, covered in layers of dust from the ages, with weeds growing everywhere. The Buddha statue standing within was draped in spiderwebs, yet it still bore an expression of compassionate mercy.

Ye Chen made his way through and arrived at the temple's rear courtyard, where he spotted a person sitting cross-legged under an ancient tree, chanting scriptures in meditation. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Xi Zun of Xuan Huang.

Xi Zun was a Buddha, sitting like an old monk, radiating Buddha light all around him, with a halo of light behind his head. Even the prayer beads in his hand gleamed, each one infused with Zen intent.

He was the revered figure from the western desert of Xuan Huang, on par with Nan Di, Bei Sheng, and the others. He carried the inheritance of Buddhism, making him inscrutable. All that could be known was that the Buddhist scriptures he recited were infused with profound Buddhist laws.

Suddenly, Ye Chen shifted his gaze from Xi Zun to the ancient tree behind him.

That tree was extraordinary, ancient and natural, lush and verdant, its leaves untouched by dust. As the wind blew, one or two leaves would occasionally fall, transforming into strands of Buddha light mid-descent until they vanished.

"Puti tree," Ye Chen murmured lightly, as if recognizing it. Legend had it that the Zen ancestor attained enlightenment and became an emperor under the Puti tree, leaving behind the immortal inheritance of Great Sun Tathagata.

"Shizhu, you also recognize this tree."

Xi Zun opened his eyes, his gaze like a clear mirror reflecting all impurities.

"I've heard of it," Ye Chen replied with a slight smile, glancing at his side before sitting down on the edge of a dry well. He then pulled out his wine flask.

"Xi Zun is indeed as the rumors say—quite extraordinary."

"The Huang Gu Sheng Ti is the same," Xi Zun said with a light laugh, plucking a fallen leaf and flicking it into Buddha light, which merged into the Puti tree. The entire tree was then imbued with the essence of the Buddhist path.

Ye Chen said nothing, but his eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly. He was surprised that Xi Zun could see through his identity, and from Xi Zun's calm demeanor, it seemed he had known all along that he was the Huang Gu Sheng Ti.

Xi Zun continued to smile faintly, his mirror-like eyes quietly regarding Ye Chen. Their gazes met.

The ruined temple fell into silence, with a gentle breeze stirring, and Puti leaves patting against Ye Chen and Xi Zun's shoulders. Neither moved, simply staring at each other.

It was unclear how much time passed before both their bodies trembled lightly at once. A trickle of fresh blood overflowed from Ye Chen's mouth, and Xi Zun's did the same, though his blood quickly turned into Buddha light.

Indeed, they had just engaged in a mental duel, and the result was a draw. Xi Zun could not overcome Ye Chen, and Ye Chen could not defeat Xi Zun—Dao principles and Buddhist laws were evenly matched.

Xi Zun rose to his feet, grasping his prayer beads, and slowly departed. As he left, the Puti tree dissipated with him.

"Puti Ben Wu Shu, Ming Jing Yi Fei Tai, Ben Lai Wu Yi Wu, He Chu Re Chen Ai."

"How poetic," Ye Chen remarked, wiping the fresh blood from his mouth. He now had a new understanding of Xi Zun's power—it was on par with Nan Di, Bei Sheng, and Zhong Huang, and could stand shoulder to shoulder with Dong Shen.

With that, he took a final swig from his wine flask, flipped over, and jumped into the dry well. This ruined temple held not only the Buddhist treasure of the Puti tree but also other secret treasures within the well.

In their earlier mental confrontation, both understood the situation implicitly. Ye Chen did not try to seize the Puti tree behind Xi Zun, and Xi Zun did the same for him. Xi Zun had long known there were treasures in the well, but he was focused on meditating under the Puti tree and had no time for it. Since their duel ended in a tie, each would claim their own prize.

Ye Chen had already landed in the well, which contained no water and was actually a cave dwelling, about thirty zhang in circumference. It held only a stone table, a stone chair, and an ancient stone lamp on the table.

The cave was from some ancient era, weathered and old, its original appearance obscured by layers of dust. Only the stone lamp still burned with a faint flame.

Ye Chen approached and sat on the stone chair, quietly observing the stone lamp—or more precisely, its wick, which was a wisp of a remnant soul that had long lost its consciousness, leaving only soul force.

Perhaps due to the immense passage of time, that last bit of soul force burned out in that instant, and the flickering flame extinguished, leaving only the plain, ancient stone lamp.

Yet, in the moment the flame vanished, Ye Chen distinctly heard a sorrowful sigh and saw an ancient scene: A young man had fused a wisp of his soul into the stone lamp, igniting an eternal flame, and sat there guarding it until age turned his hair white.

Ye Chen felt a momentary daze in his spirit, subconsciously picking up the stone lamp and examining it closely.

From the outside, the stone lamp appeared unremarkable, but when he activated his Xian Yan, he saw its profound and mysterious vital energy. The stone used to craft the lamp inherently contained a hidden power, one he had never encountered before.

"Is this the legendary Jie Po lamp?" Ye Chen seemed to recognize what it was.

He had heard about the Jie Po lamp from his Jian Shen Dao Shen. It was an ancient divine object that aided in resurrection; by infusing it with a wisp of soul, it could sustain a soul flame and nurture a new spirit.

"It's indeed a treasure," Ye Chen chuckled, sealing the Jie Po lamp within his body. Compared to the Puti tree, this lamp was even more valuable, a legendary item capable of defying heaven and creating life.

With the treasure secured, he turned and left the cave, not forgetting to seal it with a secret technique.

He knew that in this cave, there must be a tragic story—someone had wanted to use the Jie Po lamp to resurrect another, but time waited for no one, and they never saw that person's return before passing away.

After one last glance at the cave, he flashed out of the dry well and stepped out of the ruined temple.

This temple was truly a place of fortune, housing both a Puti tree and a Jie Po lamp. Fortunately, he had found it, and Xi Zun was equally fortunate.

The ancient temple was peaceful, but outside it was lively, with a fierce battle raging over a exquisite small tower. The shockwaves were tremendous, causing the sky to collapse and turning that stretch of land into chaos.

Moreover, the combatants were no ordinary foes; their strengths were evenly matched, and their bloodlines powerful. Most importantly, Ye Chen recognized them—they were the Wu Zu Shen Zi and the Yao Zu Shen Zi.

"You little brat, I've been looking for you for ages," Ye Chen muttered to himself, grabbing his Lang Ya Bang and charging in.

The Wu Zu Shen Zi and Yao Zu Shen Zi were locked in an intense battle, evenly matched, when Ye Chen suddenly joined in. The Yao Zu Shen Zi was caught off guard and sent flying by a single strike from the club.

The Yao Zu Shen Zi looked miserable as he flew backward, his divine body cracking open and spraying demon blood, each drop strikingly vivid. Once he steadied himself, he spat out another mouthful of fresh blood.

"Damn," the Wu Zu Shen Zi exclaimed in surprise, immediately stopping and staring at Ye Chen like he was a monster. To shatter the Yao Zu Shen Zi's divine body with one strike—this guy must be incredibly strong!