Ah Yin Beneath the Bodhi Tree

At this moment, Lin Hai had already used his Evasion Technique to sneak into the back mountain of Sacred Soul Village, quietly merging into a boulder.

His gaze swept the village below like torches, especially the blacksmith shop.

After confirming that Tang Hao had left, he immediately began his grand "grass hunt."

The method was simple and crude—use Elemental Affinity to sense places rich in water elements, locate waterfalls, then investigate them one by one.

Having only just examined the second waterfall, he sensed his target. Lin Hai rubbed his chin, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Looks like my Fortune isn't bad. At least so far, everything has gone smoothly. I'm not one of those people possessed by a jinx!"

In his previous life, as an edgy teenager, he had utterly scorned talk of ghosts and gods. He believed that his fate was his own, not decided by Heaven.

Most young people were like that.

Only as one grew older did one understand that personality seemed like an inborn mark, often setting the course of an entire life.

That was why the older one became, the more one believed in Destiny...

In this life, however, Lin Hai had no choice but to believe.

To deny Destiny would be to deny everything he had personally experienced. Then what would the existence of this life even mean?

Thus, he remained cautious regarding matters connected to Tang San, though only to that extent.

No matter how great Tang San's Fortune was, the strongest force behind him was merely the Asura God.

And Lin Hai had backing too—though his "big boss" was still in self-Seal.

As his thoughts wandered, Lin Hai reined them in and focused on the present.

Unlike an ordinary tomb raider, he did not even need to trigger the waterfall mechanism. With a thought, the radiance of his Fourth Spirit Ring flowed, and his figure merged into the stone—

The Floating and Sinking Pearls truly had endless uses!

Entering the dark cave, he first located the Spirit Bone with precision and stored it in his Soul Tool.

Only after finishing that did he turn his attention to the Blue Silver Emperor that was renowned across the continent.

He had to admit that Ah Yin was the most peerlessly elegant—grass—he had ever seen!

If he had to describe her in two words, they would be: noble!

Her dark blue leaves unfurled like a deep, tranquil sea of stars.

Golden veins flowed across them, like endlessly winding golden rivers within that starry sea, branching into countless tributaries, inexhaustibly flourishing.

It was difficult to imagine what kind of peerless beauty such a blade of grass would possess after taking human form.

Lin Hai extended a finger and gently stroked one of her leaves. It felt moist and smooth, delicate as silk.

Perhaps it was the combined effect of Elemental Affinity and his own natural affinity.

At this moment, Ah Yin, whose consciousness was still muddled and whose intelligence had yet to fully form, unexpectedly developed a strange sense of closeness toward him.

Not only did she not resist his touch, she seemed rather to enjoy it. Her vines slowly stretched out, as if they wished to wind around him.

Lin Hai teased her for a moment before stopping—after all, she was still a plant and lacked a trace of warmth.

He grasped one vine Ah Yin had extended and used elemental power to clearly convey his intentions.

"If you are willing to leave with me, keep holding on. If you are unwilling, pull your vine from my hand."

The whole point was voluntary choice.

After speaking, Lin Hai guided the vine around his wrist twice, clenched it tightly, and signaled that she could break free at any time...

The innocent Ah Yin failed to notice Lin Hai's little "open scheme."

As their contact deepened, the comfort originating from her very essence became increasingly intense.

In the silent cave, the entire Blue Silver Emperor trembled faintly, its leaves shimmering as though silently responding—

"I'm willing."

Lin Hai understood Ah Yin's meaning. After all, she really was holding on tightly...

The corners of his mouth rose as he casually grabbed one of Ah Yin's vines and deftly tied a knot in it. "It's a deal!"

Ah Yin swayed her vine in displeasure, as if protesting this casual "contract."

Lin Hai's gaze fell upon Ah Yin's main body, which was... more than ten times larger than he had expected, and he could not help but feel troubled.

He had never imagined that Ah Yin's true body would be this enormous. How was this grass?

It really was true: even a dying camel was bigger than a horse!

Had he known earlier, why would he have brought a flowerpot? He should have brought a bathtub.

Worse still, his Soul Tool could not contain living creatures, and his Earth Evasion Technique could not carry something of this size for the time being.

He could not carry her away. Was he supposed to drag her away?

They said a brain was a useful thing. Sometimes, it really did come in handy...

At that moment, an idea flashed through his mind—there was still a Bodhi Ancient Tree living inside his dantian!

Could he take Ah Yin into it as well?

That territory might have been opened up by the ancient tree, but the final authority over it should still belong to him, the landlord... right?

As an intelligent spirit, the ancient tree probably would not be like his narrow-minded martial soul and grind Ah Yin to pieces, would it?

With that thought, Lin Hai decided to give it a try.

He concentrated and attempted to communicate with the Bodhi Ancient Tree within his dantian.

The ancient tree truly was extraordinarily intelligent. Communication went smoothly, and its temperament was quite gentle.

Sensing Lin Hai's intent, the ancient tree did not hesitate in the slightest.

A branch that seemed both real and illusory extended from Lin Hai's dantian as though splitting open space itself. It gently enveloped Ah Yin in her entirety and instantly swept her into his dantian.

Lin Hai subconsciously touched his lower abdomen—fortunately, it did not hurt.

What kind of method was that? Materializing and dematerializing all things? It seemed no less impressive than his Evasion Technique.

His Spiritual Power sank into his dantian, where he saw Ah Yin already firmly rooted beside the Bodhi Ancient Tree's thick trunk.

What surprised him even more was that the ancient tree extended a branch, rolled up a Bodhi Seed that had only recently matured and contained vast energy, then directly offered it before Ah Yin.

Was this... a simp feeding her?

"Old Bodhi Tree, I advise you not to steal my job!"

Lin Hai's consciousness watched the scene clearly from the side, feeling quite indignant.

Ah Yin did not care about any of that.

The lustrous Bodhi Seed glowed faintly, and its aura instinctively stirred her desire. Within it, she sensed a higher level of Life.

Moreover, the pure energy contained within would surely be of enormous help in her recovery.

She swiftly shot out a vine and snatched away the Bodhi Seed like lightning, as though the ancient tree might regret it if she were even half a beat slower.

Her current thought process was more like that of a child—everything else was false; only what entered her mouth was real.

Watching from the side, Lin Hai silently pondered.

Even if the ancient tree had not given it to her, he had originally intended to find a chance to feed her one.

Wait... Ah Yin would find it impossible to absorb all the energy in this Bodhi Seed at once. Wouldn't the portion that escaped remain inside his dantian?

That pure Soul Power could nourish Ah Yin and speed up her recovery, while later helping him refine Spirit Ring Pills!

Wonderful! Why had he not thought of that before?

But... the premise was that the Bodhi Ancient Tree must not absorb the scattered energy a second time.

Thinking of this, Lin Hai's consciousness stirred as he prepared to have another round of "friendly negotiations" with this tenant...

Just like before, communication went astonishingly smoothly. He even... vaguely sensed a hint of contempt from the ancient tree.

Though it did not speak, the intent it conveyed was crystal clear:

I laid the egg myself. Would I sit on it again? Have some ambition...

Though ashamed, Lin Hai immediately felt that his mindset was too petty, his perspective too narrow.

Next time, he should discuss opening a hole in its trunk.

He had never tried "meditating beneath a Bodhi tree." Then he could try "having a go inside a Bodhi tree."

The wood chips dug out could even be used to refine pills...

Anyway, this tree sounded like it belonged to the Buddhist Sect. Even the Buddha had cut flesh from his body to feed an eagle. Borrowing its trunk to refine some Elixir Pills to help others was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?

With Your Excellency's... ambition, you surely would not hold a grudge over such a "trifle," right?

When living under another's roof, he was meek and submissive.

As the landlord, he struck with a heavy fist.

What a fine poem...

What a wet poem...

Eh, why was Ah Yin... sweating?

Was this evolution really so unbearably hot?

Ah Yin's true body trembled violently, showing through her actions that it was not caused by heat, but by agonizing pain tearing through her very bones.

Lin Hai suddenly understood. It was not hard to comprehend—absorbing a Spirit Ring could sometimes make one burst a few blood vessels, let alone a species evolution that remade one from the inside out.

How could such a heaven-defying transformation be easy?

At this moment, Ah Yin could no longer hold on. Her entire body wilted, curling into a ball... Holy grass!