Reappearance

With Lin Ming's departure, the area gradually calmed down.

Seeing that the baptisms were nearing their end, and finding them uninteresting, these people prepared to leave.

But just as some people turned to leave, a ray of light rose beneath the Heavenly River.

The light surged upwards from the depths of the riverbed. At first, it was only the size of a fist, like a luminous pearl submerged in the water. But in an instant, it shone brightly, illuminating the entire river surface as if it were the sun.

Everyone was shocked by what they saw.

They had just witnessed this scene before. Zi Yan's Perfect Baptism was a manifestation of this phenomenon. And now this scene had appeared again—had someone else fused ninety-nine Heavenly River Spirit to form the hundredth, achieving Perfect Baptism?

Those who had just taken a half-step withdrew their feet, and those who had already turned around turned their heads back. Countless gazes across the entire river were cast towards the magnificent light rising from the riverbed.

However, at this moment, some quick-witted people suddenly realized and said, "This is Qing Yanjing. She has also completed the fusion with the Heavenly River Spirit, forming the hundredth one that has achieved Perfect Baptism."

The voice carried a sense of sudden realization.

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized, "Oh yes, Qing Yanjing hasn't appeared yet!"

The goddess of the Buddha Ancient Clan, the woman who set up a fishing array deep in the Heavenly River —everyone's attention was just drawn to Zi Yan's Perfect Baptism, and they had completely forgotten about her.

Now she has finally appeared at the end of this period.

Beneath the Heavenly River, a ray of light surged upward from the depths of the riverbed, illuminating the entire river surface like the sun.

Immediately, a figure slowly rose from the light, her Elegant Long Skirt swaying gently in the river, and the silver Spiritual Runes on her forehead shining brightly at that moment, like a miniature starry sky spinning between her brows.

Qing Yanjing stood in mid-air, her body surrounded by a surging, emerald-green light.

Her cool, clear eyes calmly swept over the stunned onlookers on the river, her face expressionless, and she simply raised her hand in a gesture of greeting.

The movement was effortless, like a musician casually plucking a string.

As she made this move, the enormous halo deep within the Heavenly River began to rise upwards.

The halo was a cool, clear emerald green, like a giant piece of jade embedded in the riverbed.

The halo slowly detached from the river surface, rising and shrinking as it went, eventually transforming into a ball of light that hovered in front of her.

The sphere of light was entirely emerald green and crystal clear, with fine Spiritual Runes slowly flowing across its surface, like an emerald star compressed to its extreme.

Inside that sphere of light, ninety-nine emerald green dots of light danced and swam like a swarm of fireflies, slowly rotating around a larger core.

Ninety-nine small ones, plus one large one, making a total of one hundred Heavenly River Spirit.

"It truly was Perfect Baptism." Someone murmured on the river, their voice tinged with a mixture of emotion and numbness.

They were already shocked by Zi Yan's Perfect Baptism just now, and although they were still shocked by it again, at least they were mentally prepared and wouldn't lose their composure like before.

However, the holders of the Golden Dragon Token did not look too pleased.

A woman in a moon-white robe gazed at the sphere of light before Qing Yanjing, her lips slightly pursed. She whispered to the person beside her, "Ninety-nine spheres merging into the hundredth... She knows this method too. It seems the key to this Perfect Baptism lies in this fusion, but we don't have the guts to gamble."

The man next to him shook his head with a wry smile and said nothing.

Qing Yanjing ignored those gazes. She flicked her finger, and the emerald green orb shot into the sky, pausing for a moment high in the air.

Then, an endless expanse of emerald light swept across the sky, turning the entire heavens into a warm, emerald hue.

Amidst the Spirit Mist, the sound of rushing water echoed in the sky, like a spring rain falling upon a vast bamboo forest.

After the Spirit Mist dissipated, a turquoise Heavenly River of light appeared high in the sky.

Stretching across the sky from east to west, the river meanders like a dragon, its waters crystal clear, resembling a molten crystal vein flowing across the heavens.

The river water also contains crystals of Spiritual Energy, like diamonds, only in a different color.

"Great Buddha Dharma Body." Qing Yanjing uttered softly, forming a hand seal in front of him.

Behind her, a burst of emerald light surged, and a colossal Supreme Dharma Body slowly materialized from the light.

The entire body of that Dharma Body was a warm, jade-like color, like a meticulously carved jade statue.

His Dharma Body was ten thousand feet tall, clad in a jade-green armor covered with countless ancient runes. These runes resembled magnified bamboo leaves, each vein radiating a jade-green Spiritual Energy.

The face of the Dharma Body bears a seven-tenths resemblance to Qing Yanjing, but is more majestic and solemn, with eyes slightly closed and hands clasped together in front of the chest, like an ancient Buddha meditating in a bamboo forest.

Behind the Dharma Body is a huge emerald Light Wheel, Light Wheel rotates slowly, like a bamboo leaf-shaped halo magnified countless times.

As soon as the Great Buddha Dharma Body appeared, some of the onlookers on the river gasped in astonishment.

An experienced elder stared at the Dharma Body for a long time, then whispered, "The Great Buddha Dharma Body, ranked seventeenth on the Supreme Dharma Body Rankings... the clan's treasured heritage of the Buddha Ancient Clan. I never expected she would actually master it."

Those around him were shocked upon hearing this. The top twenty Dharma Body were extremely rare on the entire Sky Luo Continent, and those who could cultivate them were all top-notch individuals with both exceptional talent and bloodline.

Once the great Great Buddha Dharma Body fully materialized, the emerald green Heavenly River high above swooped down like a Giant Dragon being pulled, enveloping Qing Yanjing and her Dharma Body within it.

The emerald green river water washed over the Dharma Body, like a spring rain pouring down on a long-parched bamboo forest.

The emerald green runes on the surface of the Dharma Body lit up one by one as they were soaked by the river water, like Ye Zhong that had been moistened by rain and regained their vitality.

As the runes lit up, the armor of the Dharma Body became more solid and tougher, with the edges of each armor plate gleaming with a warm, emerald light, like a jade sword that had been repeatedly tempered.

The Light Wheel behind the Dharma Body grew brighter and brighter as the river water washed over it, gradually becoming clear and sharp from its initial blurry outline, like a mirror that had been wiped clean of dust.

Qing Yanjing's true form also underwent a transformative metamorphosis in that emerald green rain.

A layer of emerald green fluorescence rose to the surface of her skin, and the impurities that had accumulated in her meridians over the years were washed out one by one, expelled from her pores, and formed a layer of grayish-black grime on her skin.

Her aura rose steadily, advancing from the Tier 9 Peak level, step by step approaching that invisible threshold.

Her bones made a series of fine, crisp sounds, like the sound of bamboo shoots sprouting, clear and continuous.

Her flesh and blood became denser and more resilient. The hidden wounds left from past battles were repaired one by one, her meridians were widened, and the speed of her Spiritual Energy circulation was nearly 20% faster than before.

Time flowed slowly, and the emerald green Heavenly River continued to pour down, gradually becoming calmer from its initial surging, then thinner and weaker, until finally turning into a last wisp of emerald green water that disappeared into Qing Yanjing's crown chakra.

Qing Yanjing slowly opened her eyes, and a flash of emerald green light passed through her clear, cold eyes, like a jade sword drawn from its sheath.

Her aura surged dramatically at that moment, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time finally erupting. Emerald green Spiritual Energy waves swept outwards from her body, making the surrounding air buzz.

That aura had far surpassed the level of Tier 9 Peak, as if one foot was already on the threshold of the Earth Sovereign, only half a step away from crossing it completely.

The Great Buddha Dharma Body behind her also changed at that moment. The emerald green light on the surface of the Dharma Body suddenly receded, and then burst outwards again, the light being several times brighter than before, like an ignited emerald sun.

At that moment, the Light Wheel behind the Dharma Body shone brightest, and the emerald green light radiated Light Wheel in all directions, turning the entire sky into a warm emerald hue.

The Dharma Body slightly loosened its clasped hands, and slowly opened its slightly closed eyes. Two beams of emerald green light shot out from the eyes, like two jade swords piercing the void, cutting two fine black cracks in the air in front of it.

"We are only one step away from the Supreme Being." Someone whispered on the river, with a bit of emotion and a bit of awe in the voice.

Qing Yanjing's aura had risen to an extremely delicate level, like a glass of water poured to the brim; one more drop and it would overflow, but it was just one drop short.

She can try to break through that threshold at any time, as long as she's willing.

Qing Yanjing withdrew her Dharma Body, and the giant emerald green statue behind her slowly dissipated, turning into countless points of light that entered her body.

She stood in mid-air, her Elegant Long Skirt fluttering gently in the breeze. The silver Spiritual Runes on her forehead slowly faded away, returning to its usual pale color.

She looked down at her palm, where a wisp of emerald green Spiritual Energy flowed between her fingertips. The purity of that Spiritual Energy was far superior to that before the baptism.

She nodded slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile that conveyed both satisfaction and composure.

She then raised her head and looked in the direction Lin Ming had left.

Those clear, cold eyes narrowed slightly, their pupils reflecting the distant gray-white horizon. Their gaze pierced through layers of Spirit Mist and clouds, as if trying to see through the void.

She gazed at it for a moment, then spoke slowly, her voice clear and calm, like a jade sword gently vibrating within its sheath. "Next, it's time to reclaim the array's inheritance."

Her words seemed cryptic and confusing to others, but she herself knew perfectly well what was going on.

The black-clad youth beat him to the punch in inheriting the Master of the Star Residence's array formation.

That should have been her opportunity. The Buddha Ancient Clan had a deep connection with the Ancient Heavenly Palace, and their clan's records contained detailed accounts of the Master of the Star Residence's array inheritance. Her biggest goal on this trip was that inheritance.

But Star Residence was completely emptied, leaving her with nothing.

This grudge wasn't particularly serious, but Qing Yanjing was never the type to suffer in silence.

She withdrew her gaze, and the small boat with the Golden Dragon Token beneath her feet trembled slightly before breaking through the waves in the direction where Lin Ming had disappeared.