Chapter 816: Flesh-Body Bodhisattva Statue

Brahma Realm?

Zhang Fanyin's choice of name is decent; unlike Li Yi, who lacks culture and can only come up with names like Wild Frontier World or Post-Apocalyptic Bio World—but from certain clues, it's not hard to deduce this is also a great cultivation realm, likely no weaker than the Xuan Immortal Continent in strength.

After all, the cosmic energy here is abundant.

"So the White Bone Contemplation murals must have fallen from this Brahma Realm to Earth," Li Yi thought silently.

The Heaven-Tilting Events occurred in succession; no one knew how many great realms Earth had briefly contacted at the same time, or how many worlds had secretly linked to Earth.

Precisely because of this, anything could happen on Earth, and anything could exist here.

"Aren't you supposed to take me to meet your master? Let's go."

Li Yi urged again, wanting to resolve this matter quickly and cross realms to leave.

Zhang Fanyin said, "No rush—I still have one thing to attend to at Tianlong Temple."

"Then hurry up," Li Yi said. "I don't want to wait for you long."

"My master said that within the ruins of Tianlong Temple lies a flesh-body Bodhisattva statue. If we can find it, it will greatly aid our future cultivation path—but Tianlong Temple has been ruined for centuries, and during that time, many great monks and cultivated lay practitioners have come searching, yet none have ever found that flesh-body Bodhisattva statue," Zhang Fanyin said.

"Are you kidding me? Something others searched for centuries and couldn't find—you're going to find it now?" Li Yi said. "Or are you planning not to leave unless you find that flesh-body Bodhisattva statue?"

Zhang Fanyin said, "Li Yi, don't rush. Let me explain slowly. Before Tianlong Temple fell into ruin, it was said to be the dharma seat of the Heavenly Dragon Great Power Bodhisattva—a being possessing immense spiritual power and profound wisdom."

"Now that the dharma seat is destroyed, that flesh-body Bodhisattva statue must have been concealed by the Heavenly Dragon Great Power Bodhisattva through great spiritual power and wisdom. To find it requires not only strength, but also sufficient wisdom."

"I've practiced Bodhisattva Contemplation for many years and have opened my wisdom; what I still lack is great spiritual power. You, Li Yi, can perfectly compensate for that. Together, we will surely find this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue."

Li Yi stood still, staring at her intently: "After listening all this time, I finally get it—you mean your supreme wisdom tells you I must use my supreme strength, right?"

"Do you think you're funny?"

Zhang Fanyin's face radiated compassion as she lowered her gaze: "Li Yi, this is our karmic bond in this lifetime. Without either of us, enlightenment is impossible—just like this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue of Tianlong Temple: it's right before your eyes, yet impossibly far away, impossible to find."

"Enough, enough—no more nonsense. I understand your point: if we join forces, we can find that Bodhisattva statue, right? And if we can't find it, does that mean everything you said before was a lie?" Li Yi asked.

"If you don't believe me, test it," Zhang Fanyin said. "This flesh-body Bodhisattva statue will prove our karmic bond truly exists."

"Since you're so certain, let's try," Li Yi said. "Now use your supreme wisdom to tell me—how should I use my supreme strength to find that Bodhisattva statue?"

"It is said that Bodhisattvas possess the Dharma Eye, capable of perceiving all sentient beings. Only by manifesting as the White Bone Bodhisattva can I locate that flesh-body Bodhisattva statue." As she spoke, Zhang Fanyin once again radiated her primordial spirit light.

Then her primordial spirit detached from her body and slowly floated upward.

"Li Yi, let your primordial spirit exit your body and sit in White Bone Contemplation. When our primordial spirit forces unite, the White Bone Bodhisattva form will manifest. Once the Dharma Eye opens, nothing we seek can hide," Zhang Fanyin said. At this moment, her primordial spirit truly resembled a Bodhisattva descending from heaven.

Pure light radiated; her brows were gentle, her eyes kind.

But setting aside her primordial spirit's appearance, Zhang Fanyin's primordial spirit power was indeed formidable—comparable to a Mahayana cultivator from the Xuan Immortal Continent. Yet she seemed to specialize solely in primordial spirit cultivation; her physical strength was weak, appearing frail.

Li Yi hesitated for a moment, but still wanted to see whether this so-called White Bone Bodhisattva was real or not—so his own primordial spirit form immediately detached from his body and flew out.

Unlike Zhang Fanyin's primordial spirit, Li Yi's primordial spirit form was far larger—three zhang tall, draped in five-colored aurora robes, holding a sacred seal, seated upon a crimson lotus, with sun and moon flanking him, radiating boundless power.

"Is this your spirit form?" Zhang Fanyin glanced at it, her eyes filled with surprise.

She had cultivated for years, specializing in primordial spirit, yet only achieved a Bodhisattva form. Li Yi not only possessed divine might and strength, but his spirit form was extraordinary—three zhang tall, his primordial spirit power immense.

Moreover, that crimson lotus was an unimaginable treasure, protecting the primordial spirit, impervious to all arts; beneath its radiant glow, this spirit form grew stronger every moment.

Her primordial spirit was normal size—beside his, she looked like a mere devotee before a Buddha statue, utterly insignificant.

After a brief shock, Zhang Fanyin quickly recovered and her primordial spirit flew toward Li Yi's spirit form.

Their primordial spirit seals differed, yet when they drew near, their primordial spirit lights merged seamlessly, showing no resistance whatsoever—even the sacred crimson lotus did not activate its protective aura to block Zhang Fanyin's approach.

"Truly bizarre."

Li Yi's primordial spirit form gazed down at Zhang Fanyin's, though their sizes were wildly mismatched, their primordial spirit forces felt strangely of the same root and origin.

This was impossible in the cultivation world.

Zhang Fanyin's primordial spirit halted beside the crimson lotus. Her spirit was enveloped by Li Yi's power—not harmed, but undergoing a mystical transformation: her spirit was now surrounded by five-colored qi, and beneath her feet, a lotus platform had formed from the crimson lotus's radiance.

At this moment, her primordial spirit seemed to have gained what was missing—like a true Bodhisattva. Yet this Bodhisattva was peculiar: if your heart was calm, desireless, this Bodhisattva appeared before you in the most beautiful form.

If your mind harbored evil thoughts, this Bodhisattva transformed into a skeleton, stirring your deepest fears. "Is this the White Bone Bodhisattva's attainment?"

Zhang Fanyin herself felt this wondrous change—she felt joy, a desire to remain here forever.

But she knew it was temporary.

And this was not the true White Bone Bodhisattva attainment—only a faint resemblance.

But it was enough.

When Zhang Fanyin's primordial spirit opened her eyes again, viewing all heaven and earth through the White Bone Bodhisattva form, everything changed: the mountains, ground, and sky before her vanished like illusions—ethereal, illusory, unreal.

"All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows; like dew, like lightning—thus should they be viewed," she whispered softly. Her wisdom deepened further; she grasped certain ultimate truths.

And atop the ruins of Tianlong Temple, right in the center of the former hall that once enshrined the Heavenly Dragon Great Power Bodhisattva, stood a flesh-body Bodhisattva statue.

Unchanged for centuries.

Even though the sacred hall had become rubble and the Buddha statue had turned to dust, this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue remained eternally present—yet ordinary eyes and insufficient wisdom could not perceive it.

"Li Yi, please retrieve that flesh-body Bodhisattva statue," Zhang Fanyin said immediately.

She could see it—Li Yi must be able to see it too.

Their primordial spirit forces intertwined; their Dharma Eyes connected.

But she lacked divine might and strength—unable to physically move the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue into reality.

Li Yi didn't understand all that—he simply saw the Buddha statue hidden in another dimension; to retrieve it, he had to shatter the space. No wonder Zhang Fanyin said supreme strength was needed to take the Bodhisattva statue.

Immediately, his primordial spirit form returned to his body.

Then he surged forward, silver lightning crackling around him; a divine silhouette appeared behind him, radiating ancient, overwhelming energy. All silver light converged into a single arm.

The power of the Divine Blood lineage erupted.

"Heaven and Earth Sever," Li Yi punched forward, like a god swinging his fist.

The entire realm instantly dimmed; a brilliant silver light, as if cleaving creation itself, slashed through this world.

The divine technique's strike pushed Li Yi's power to its peak—this blow tore open space.

As space trembled,

a hidden flesh-body Bodhisattva statue emerged before them.

And to Li Yi's disbelief, his attack—so devastating—could not budge the statue an inch. Faintly, he heard the sound of heavenly dragons echoing within the statue, unleashing boundless divine power.

"This flesh-body Bodhisattva statue is equally bizarre," Li Yi's expression changed; he swiftly retreated.

As space collapsed and the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue manifested, the dragon sounds echoed, and beams of Buddhist light gathered from all directions, illuminating ten thousand li of sky, an awe-inspiring spectacle. The air instantly filled with the fragrance of lotus blossoms and sandalwood.

At this moment,

Zhang Fanyin's primordial spirit immediately returned to her body. Seeing such grandeur, she sighed: "No wonder countless seekers have come over centuries to find this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue—such a supreme treasure is truly unmatched in the world."

"A flesh body—how many centuries dead—and still possessing such power? Truly inconceivable," Li Yi observed intently.

"That is the Heavenly Dragon Great Power Bodhisattva's earthly vessel, imbued with Heavenly Dragon power. If you bring this statue back and contemplate it, you too can comprehend Heavenly Dragon power," Zhang Fanyin said.

Heavenly Dragon power?

Li Yi's gaze flickered. He had cultivated the Technique of Subduing Dragons and Taming Tigers, possessing twelve dragon-tiger powers—but combined, they still fell short of the residual Heavenly Dragon power within this flesh-body Bodhisattva statue.

If he could master this art, his strength would reach an unimaginable level.

Yet just as he thought this,

suddenly,

Li Yi sensed many powerful auras surging toward him from all directions. Before they arrived, he heard waves of sacred chants.

"These are cultivators from this world—they've come for the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue. Of course: no matter which world, human nature is the same—none escape the lure of profit." He immediately understood.

Tianlong Temple held a treasure; even Zhang Fanyin knew it. The powerful ones in this world couldn't possibly be unaware—they simply couldn't find it. Now that the flesh-body Bodhisattva statue has appeared, some naturally can't sit still anymore.

(End of Chapter)