Bi Lan? Could She Be the Old Hen Who Would One Day Dare to Defy Tathagata Buddha to His Face?

Time flowed like water.

Five hundred years passed in the blink of an eye.

Inside Bodhi Hall, Zhu Yin opened his eyes. Light flowed within them, as though karmic reincarnation rose and sank in their depths.

Yet in an instant, the aura was suppressed by the Great Freedom Seal within him. His Dao Heart returned to its former clarity, without the slightest ripple.

"Thank you, Master and Uncle-Master, for protecting me."

Zhu Yin rose and bowed, his expression calm and composed.

Zhunti nodded with a smile.

"You were able to begin with Mo Luo's karma and comprehend the true meaning within. That is rare insight indeed."

Zhu Yin humbly accepted the praise, then solemnly took out the Ninth-Grade Black Lotus and presented it.

"This black lotus is the offspring of the World-Destroying Black Lotus. It has already reached the innate upper grade."

"It shares the same origin as the Pure World White Lotus and the Merit Golden Lotus."

"If the Merit Golden Lotus devours it, it may be able to advance further."

He did not suggest that his Uncle-Master Jieyin devour it himself, but instead entrusted it to the Merit Golden Lotus.

That was because the Pure World White Lotus had already entered the Transformation Stage and become a living being, no longer a mere spiritual treasure.

Spiritual treasures could devour and merge with one another, but living beings could not. Forced devouring would surely invite Heavenly Punishment!

Jieyin was an innate sacred being. If he forcibly broke through, he might draw an uncontrollable tribulation from Heaven and Earth.

At that moment, Jieyin accepted the black lotus with a smile and did not refuse.

He had long since allowed the Merit Golden Lotus to devour another Ninth-Grade White Lotus. Now that he had obtained the black lotus as well, there was a great chance the Merit Golden Lotus could challenge the level of an Innate Supreme Treasure.

Even if it failed to reach that level, becoming a half-step supreme treasure was certain.

For the Western Lands, this was an unparalleled foundation!

When the time came, it would be of immense use whether for suppressing fortune or protecting the sect and mountain!

"Congratulations, Senior Brother!" Zhunti said joyfully.

"Congratulations to you as well, Junior Brother," Jieyin replied with a smile.

The two were beaming with delight.

Zhu Yin was happy as well.

This had been a decision he made after careful consideration.

He had been born in the Western Lands, raised in the Western Lands, and cultivated in the Western Lands.

If the Merit Golden Lotus successfully evolved, the fortune of the entire Western Lands would rise with it. As the chief disciple, he would naturally benefit as well.

Besides...

With the Merit Golden Lotus protecting them, the future Buddhist Sect would no longer suffer the regret of the Mosquito Daoist devouring the lotus!

Nor would the lotus be damaged, leading to the collapse of Buddhist fortune!

Furthermore, his Uncle-Master Jieyin was an honest and generous man. He would not treat Zhu Yin unfairly.

Sure enough...

Jieyin immediately said,

"I have drunk quite a bit of your Enlightenment Tea over the years, and now I have received this black lotus."

"I cannot keep taking advantage of you for nothing."

"Today, I will give you two golden lotus seeds for you to use as you wish."

"And I will add my insights into cultivating the Dao of Karma and Attaining the Dao in a Dream. Study them carefully."

With that, Jieyin handed over two golden lotus seeds, then pointed a finger and infused the intent of the Dao into Zhu Yin's glabella.

Zhu Yin was overjoyed and solemnly bowed in thanks.

After chatting with Zhunti for a few more moments, he finally took his leave.

Above the void, the azure-robed Daoist walked upon light, gradually moving away from Mount Sumeru.

Unlike his hurried arrival, Zhu Yin now carried a little more calmness.

The Demon Ancestor?

He no longer feared him.

That was the archenemy of two Saints. They could deal with him themselves.

As for Mo Luo?

He had already trampled him beneath his feet once. Why should he fear his return?

"One step ahead, every step ahead."

He was confident that he would always remain one step above Mo Luo!

Besides, the Buddhist Sect had not yet emerged into the world.

The so-called future "demonic calamity" was still at least several eras away!

Why let worries of the future disrupt his present state of mind?

There was no need!

It was not worth it!

On Spirit Platform Mountain, the bamboo forest rolled like waves, spiritual energy surged through the air, and the entire immortal mountain looked like a painting, beautiful to the point of seeming unreal.

Within the Quiet Room on the third floor of the Bamboo Building, a gentle-looking young man in azure robes stepped out. His features were handsome and his figure slender. He was none other than... Zhu Yin.

Ever since returning from Mount Sumeru, he had entered seclusion to cultivate. He mainly sought to comprehend the Dao of Karma and the Dream Illusion Divine Ability within his sea of consciousness, while also reviewing the experience he had gained during two thousand years of training in the Demon Realm.

That seclusion lasted a thousand years.

After eight hundred years of arduous cultivation, his understanding of the Dao of Karma had advanced by leaps and bounds. He was no longer far from the minor accomplishment realm. The Dream Illusion Divine Ability had improved even faster, integrating ever more smoothly. However, cultivation only became harder the further one progressed. For now, he had reached his limit and could only rely on time to refine it bit by bit.

During the remaining two hundred years, he primarily integrated everything he had learned and understood into his own natal Great Dao, stabilizing his Dao Fruit further and drawing one step closer to Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Perfection.

After emerging from seclusion, Zhu Yin went to the Spirit Medicine Garden in the mountain and personally tended the spiritual herbs and roots. As he worked, he relaxed his mind and immersed himself completely in the task. Only when he saw the vegetation brimming with life force did he stop in satisfaction.

Later, he brewed and tasted tea in the pavilion, staring blankly at the Lotus Pond before him. Nine hundred and ninety-nine white lotuses had already grown there, reaching Spirit Platform Mountain's current limit... Unless Spirit Platform Mountain advanced into an Upper-grade Grotto-heaven, their number would not increase further.

Thinking of this, he recalled the black lotus seed he had obtained from Que Mountain and planned to build a new Black Lotus Pool beside the pavilion. If he successfully cultivated a pool of black lotuses and balanced them with the white lotuses through yin and yang, the spiritual energy and earth veins of all Spirit Platform Mountain would improve tremendously. When Spirit Platform Mountain advanced in the future, it might even produce top-grade lotuses comparable to Innate Spiritual Treasures.

At this point, his subordinates arrived one after another. Besides the familiar Wuxin, Wuqing, and Hundred Herbs Fairy, there was now also a Merfolk Queen from Whitewater Lake.

Everyone bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master! Greetings, Patriarch!"

Zhu Yin looked at everyone with satisfaction. Other than Hundred Herbs Fairy, he had not seen the others for three thousand years. Though each had been busy with their own affairs, none had slackened in cultivation, and all had made progress.

Especially the two Boy Attendants, Wuxin and Wuqing. They had completely refined the innate mid-grade spiritual fruits they obtained last time. Their cultivation was steady, their mana profound, and in another ten thousand years, they would be able to break through to the Golden Immortal realm.

The Merfolk Queen had also changed considerably. While tending the Lotus Pond, she had encountered a fortunate opportunity. Her bloodline had evolved, and her strength was already no weaker than that of a pure-blooded Merfolk. Her cultivation had also reached the Mid-stage Mysterious Immortal realm.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhu Yin discovered that there were no major matters on the mountain. The Longbo Giants had already submitted as well, and everything was stable. He then ordered the immortals to sit and lectured on the Dao for three hundred years, followed by another three hundred years of answering their questions.

Once the lecture ended, Zhu Yin suddenly felt something and quietly departed.

Not long afterward, a clear, resounding crow echoed through Heaven and Earth!

Everyone immediately followed the sound and looked over, only to see...

At the peak of Spirit Platform Mountain, flames surged into the sky, turning even the sea of clouds above crimson. The entire sky seemed dyed by the morning glow. A gentle breeze swept across the mountains and earth, causing a hundred flowers to bloom and vegetation to sprout with abundant life force.

The Flame Mulberry Tree blazed with fire, its radiance dazzling.

Suddenly, a brilliant ball of light exploded, and a divine bird of modest size but extraordinarily gorgeous feathers shot into the sky. Her entire body was crimson, as though condensed from the morning glow. Her aura was imposing, and the instant she appeared, she possessed the realm of a Heavenly Immortal.

Not only was her bloodline pure, she was also born with the fortune of the Number-One Acquired Jade Chicken. Compared to Jin Tu in those days, she was even more extraordinary. In the future, she would certainly become a Golden Immortal-level existence, perhaps even stronger.

The immortals all sighed in amazement.

"This little one has finally been born. Spirit Platform Mountain is going to become lively."

"Flames fill the sky, morning glow blankets the earth, and Yang Wind sweeps mightily through the world. With such a spectacle, she will definitely be extraordinary in the future."

"Fortunately, she was born on Spirit Platform Mountain, under the protection of the Patriarch and the formation. Otherwise, with her bloodline, she might have caught the attention of that one in the Heavenly Court."

Everyone chatted at once, but as they watched the lively little Jade Chick, none could help smiling. They all knew there was a Jade Chicken egg on the mountaintop, and many had even come to feed it. Now that she had been born, it was naturally a joyous occasion.

At that moment, Zhu Yin also appeared beneath the Flame Mulberry Tree.

Watching the little one hopping and bouncing about in the sky, he could not help but smile.

Jin Tu had been just as rambunctious when he was young. He had only grown lazier as he matured; other than cultivating, all he knew was eating.

The Jade Chicken eventually grew tired of playing and plunged headfirst into Zhu Yin's arms. With a flick of his finger, Zhu Yin gave her a drop of Life Force Jade Liquid. The little one immediately gulped it down. Her rosy radiance grew even brighter, and her entire body resembled a sun, brimming with vitality.

"Let me give you a name, shall I?" Zhu Yin asked with a smile.

To his surprise, the Jade Chicken shook her head.

When Zhu Yin asked curiously, he learned that her mother—the innate Jade Chicken—had not only sealed all her inheritance within her bloodline when she gave birth to her, but had also chosen a name for her already... Bi Lan.

The name came from the attribute of "wind."

Besides possessing the power of fire, she also carried a wind-attribute origin within her body and was born with control over Yang Wind. The name could not have suited her better.

When Zhu Yin heard that name, his heart suddenly stirred...

Bi Lan? Could she be that old hen who would one day dare to defy Tathagata Buddha to his face? The war goddess who sent her son, Star Lord Mao Ri, to serve as an official in the Heavenly Court?

Thinking of this, his feelings became somewhat complicated.

But he quickly came to terms with it. Whether this little one was that "Bi Lanpo" or not, as long as she was raised by him, she would never turn out poorly!