The Buddha statue turned to stone, and everything around it seemed to freeze. The golden mist of dreams rapidly faded, and the faith of all living beings and the incense and fire prayer power suffusing those years began to disperse.
Everything seemed to be returning to its original state, gradually restoring the original space and time.
This was because Li Ling had voluntarily withdrawn his spell, concentrating his mind on his Wisdom Dharma Body to suppress Qi Xue.
His cultivation realm was still inferior to Qi Xue's. Breaking through Qi Xue's control over the Ten-Thousand Regions Ghost Kingdom in one stroke was no easy feat.
He had taken a clever shortcut, using the incense and fire prayer power of the kingdom's countless living beings to form a divine kingdom, contesting authority over the Great Dao of heaven and earth while strengthening himself.
This somewhat exceeded his ability to control it, so the moment he succeeded, he swiftly withdrew the power bestowed by the Stone of Time to avoid greater expenditure.
But some things were difficult to reverse. Once his Dharma Form became a stone Buddha, for instance, this avatar connected to the earth veins of this land and became the new master of the Pure Land.
Li Ling had accomplished this by usurping the origin power of this land. Until he fully assimilated it, he would probably have to maintain this form without being able to change it.
This was also an inherent limitation of the Earth Immortal realm itself.
With my avatar imbued with the earth vein origin, it is effectively taking on a new identity.
This does not mean it has been ruined, because I can already wield this power.
*Beyond that, I have verified a method of advancing to the deathless realm. When I next merge it