The Southern Yin Crown Prince

"The Crown Prince of Southern Yin?"

The golden figure Cai Shen materialized from Qi Yun's shoulder, his chubby face filled with astonishment, his little eyes wide open.

"You saw him? In Spirit Mountain?"

"Among that group of bald monks Arhat just now?"

The Clarity and Turbidity, undifferentiated air currents, like an ancient river, evolve the most primal cycle of generation and destruction between earth, fire, feng shui, and other elements.

An ordinary-looking blue stone suddenly floated in the center of the chaos, Qi Yun himself sat cross-legged on it, his deep blue Daoist robe almost blending into the surrounding chaos. "Hmm."

Qi Yun responded slowly, his voice sounding both spacious and clear amidst the boundless chaos.

"He concealed himself extremely well, and his aura almost perfectly blended with the Buddhist energy of the surrounding Arhats and Arhat."

Non-Self are both Supreme Dao Foundation, and there isn't some inexplicable, subtle attraction between us—I probably wouldn't have been able to recognize him instantly in a crowd.

He glanced at me from afar, his gaze meeting briefly before looking away.

But the implication is—he recognized me too.

Upon hearing this, Cai Kun's face fell. He crossed his arms and paced back and forth on Qi Yun's shoulder, his chubby little legs swinging. His tone was analytical. "The Supreme Dao Foundation is an anomaly of the Great Dao. It is reasonable that their energies are intertwined and that they have a mutual resonance in the the Unseen."

However, the Southern Yin Dynasty had long since transformed into a Buddhist kingdom on earth, and his father had even renounced the throne and entered a Buddhist monastery.

This former crown prince is now mingling among Buddhist monks Arhat.

Could it be that, like his father, he has completely switched allegiance to Buddhism, hoping to find a new future in this Buddhist kingdom?

Qi Yun lowered his eyelids slightly, his voice calm and even. "Unlikely, based on my brief encounter with him."

This person is shrewd and ambitious; he is by no means someone who would willingly submit to others or be a devout believer.

He bears the weight of the nation's fate, harbors ambitions to conquer the world and annex the four corners of the earth, and possesses a steadfast Daoist heart and lofty aspirations that make him virtually invincible.

Such a person, even if forced to temporarily submit due to circumstances, will find it extremely difficult to truly submit to the Buddha, recite scriptures and chant mantras to end their remaining life.

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly certain. "The only explanation for his hiding here is that, like me, he is also lying in wait."

However, their true intentions remain unknown at this time.

Cai Kun stopped pacing, turned his head, and stared at Qi Yun's calm profile with a cunning and knowing look in his small eyes. "Hehe, with your little devilish nature of taking advantage of every opportunity, you wouldn't be so concerned about this fallen prince for no reason, and you even analyzed it so logically."

What, you have an idea?

Upon hearing this, Qi Yun's lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards.

He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward.

With a slight thought, a pure white, flawless point of light, seemingly gathering the purest light in the world, emerged from the palm of my hand.

It then unfolded, transforming into a lifelike, slowly rotating pure white lotus flower.

The lotus petals are crystal clear, and inside there seem to be countless tiny, pale golden Sanskrit characters flowing, combining, and arising and ceasing like living things, radiating the pure and profound Buddhist Buddhist meaning.

This is precisely the outward manifestation of the refinement of Daoist essence and the advancement of Dharma intent after the [Great Radiance Mahasthamaprapta Dharma Body] continuously refines the relics of the Arhat Sarira.

"Those who truly understand me are my seniors."

Qi Yun's gaze fell on the radiant lotus in his palm, his voice still calm, but with a hint of profound meaning.

"These days, [the Great Radiance Mahasthamaprapta Dharma Body] is making steady progress by refining those relics of Shakyamuni Buddha. Although I am still far from seeking gold, it has given me some new insights."

Cai Shen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me about it."

Could it be that he's become addicted to practicing Buddhism, and thinks this path is faster than finding a [Fruition Status]?

Qi Yun gently shook his head, the lotus flower in his palm dimmed its light, and transformed into a Flowing Light that entered his body.

"I've been searching for a spiritual object that aligns with the [Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation], hoping to refine it and enhance the power of the Dao Foundation, but I haven't found one yet."

His tone grew deeper, carrying a calmness as if he were peeling back layers. "Looking back now, perhaps I was wrong from the start."

The reason why the Supreme Dao Foundation is called "Supreme" is because its meaning is supreme and vast, unique, and different from all other things.

"No matter how wondrous the creatures of heaven and earth may be, how can they possibly give birth to creatures that are worthy of their own?"

Cai Kun's small face showed a thoughtful expression. "That makes sense."

The Supreme Dao Foundation an extraordinary path that defies the heavens, and thus cannot be confined by ordinary routes.

So you mean----"

Qi Yun's gaze suddenly turned deep. "Besides that unique and unreplicable inner meaning."

The Supreme Dao Foundation also has a most prominent characteristic, which has been openly acknowledged from the beginning—"

He paused slightly, then uttered each word clearly: "That is—"

The words "[Supreme]" themselves...

"Your Majesty—" Cai Shen repeated subconsciously, his chubby little hands rubbing his non-existent chin, his eyes flashing rapidly as if he had caught something.

Suddenly, he raised his head, his small eyes flashing with disbelief and astonishment as he stared intently at Qi Yun: "Could it be that you—you want to—"

Qi Yun met his shocked gaze, slowly nodded, his tone as calm as if stating a trivial matter, yet containing a thunderous determination. "Since external things are difficult to match, and the universe is devoid of counterparts—then I, Qi, will use what is available to me and forge my own path!"

The moment the words fell, the entire [Great Luo Heaven] seemed to tremble slightly.

Countless chaotic currents surged and accelerated, and the illusions manifesting from the four fundamental elements of earth, fire, wind, and water flickered uncertainly, as if even this newly opened Domain Heaven felt an instinctive tremor from Qi Yun's crazy and terrifying thought.

Cai Kun remained silent for a long time, and even the golden phantom seemed to freeze for a moment.

After a long silence, he swallowed a non-existent saliva with difficulty, his voice filled with unprecedented solemnity and an undisguised horror. "You want to—refine other supreme beings?"

Qi Yun slowly stood up, standing on the chaotic blue stone. His deep blue Daoist robe fluttered without wind, and his whole body naturally exuded an indifference and ambition that commanded all laws and looked down on all living beings.

The chaotic currents surged silently, seemingly reflecting the thoughts of this supreme being.

On the other side, in a Zen temple area somewhere in the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.

A monk dressed in simple white robes, with a peaceful expression, walked calmly across the courtyard and arrived at the door of a seemingly ordinary hermitage.

His expression was serene, no different from the other meek monks he encountered along the way.

But deep within those eyes, which he occasionally raised, lay a composure far beyond that of ordinary people and a subtle, almost imperceptible depth.

He pushed open the slightly ajar door, stepped inside, and then gently closed the heavy wooden door behind him.

Click.

The soft sound of the door closing seemed to have triggered some invisible switch.

Just as the door closed completely -

Inside the meditation room, the hazy sunlight that had seeped through the window paper, carrying the unique sandalwood scent and Buddhist atmosphere of Spirit Mountain, suddenly vanished!

Wooden walls, simple furnishings, and bluestone floors----

Everything inside the room was like a piece of Xuan paper thrown into a raging fire; its edges quickly curled, charred, and vanished into nothingness!

Instead, an endless, magnificent, and awe-inspiring golden radiance surged forth from nothingness, instantly filling every inch of space!

This golden light was not the gentle and compassionate light of Buddhism, but rather carried a supreme imperial majesty.

A profound and domineering force that rules over mountains and rivers and Creation all people!

Amidst the golden light, the faint shadows of mountains and rivers could be seen rising and falling, the outlines of cities and towns flickering, and the light and shadow of people working and living in peace shifting. Moreover, a powerful and unyielding aura belonging to an ancient dynasty was silently roaring!

In the blink of an eye, this simple meditation room, barely the size of an abbot's quarters, was completely replaced and covered by a vast, majestic, and strictly rule-bound golden hall!

[Imperial Supreme Creation Heaven]

The moment he stepped into this golden hall, the simple white monk's robe worn by the Crown Prince of Southern Yin, like dewdrops in the sunlight, silently transformed into specks of pure light, dissipating into the majestic golden light.

Instead, a black robe with gold patterns suddenly appeared and was worn by the wearer!

In the blink of an eye, the unassuming, peaceful white-robed monk who had been mingling among the Arhat had vanished.

Standing at the center of this [Imperial Supreme Creation Heaven], clad in a black and gold dragon-patterned robe, was the one whose aura was as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, whose brows held the weight of mountains and rivers, and whose eyes were so profound they seemed to encompass the four corners of the earth and the eight directions.

The Crown Prince of the Southern Yin Dynasty!

He slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the golden palace that was entirely manifested by his own will and Dao Foundation.

The hall was magnificent and boundless, with golden pillars with coiled dragons supporting the void without a dome. The ground was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the illusory images of the surrounding mountains and rivers and the radiance of destiny.

A faint scent of sandalwood permeated the air, mingling with the omnipresent imperial aura to create a unique yet oppressive atmosphere of solemnity.

"Welcome, Your Highness!"

A unified, resentful, and absolutely respectful voice rang out from both sides of the hall.

Beneath the shadow of the golden dragon pillar, dozens of figures had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

They were all dressed in the formal official robes of the Southern Yin court, with different ranks; civil officials wore robes embroidered with birds, while military generals wore armor with a subtle sheen.

Although they were in a golden, shimmering palace, the details of their robes were clearly visible, indicating that they were not illusions.

Most of these people had resolute and composed faces, but their eyes could not hide the vicissitudes of life they had experienced and a deep-seated fervor. At this moment, they all bowed in unison, paying the most solemn homage to the black and gold dragon-patterned robe in the center of the hall.

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin remained unmoved, already accustomed to this sudden appearance of the court officials. He walked steadily and unhurriedly past the officials standing solemnly on both sides, heading towards the highest point of the hall.

There, not was a Buddha's lotus throne, but a dragon throne carved entirely from dark golden sacred wood, inlaid with numerous gemstones, and radiating an invisible imperial aura!

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin walked to the dragon throne, slowly turned around, flicked his sleeve, and sat down.

His movements were natural and fluid, carrying a royal majesty ingrained in his very being and the composure of someone long accustomed to a high position.

He calmly surveyed the bowing officials below, not immediately ordering them to rise, but simply said, "Gentlemen, you may rise."

The sound echoed in the vast and majestic golden hall, carrying a metallic quality and an unquestionable will.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

The ministers then straightened up, but still bowed their heads slightly as a sign of respect.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the flowing golden light and the ever-changing, illusory images of mountains and rivers appearing and disappearing.

A moment later, from the ranks of civil officials, an elderly man with a thin face and three long wisps of beard, wearing an official robe with a purple crane embroidered on it, stepped out of the ranks steadily, holding a jade tablet.

He descended to the foot of the imperial steps, bowed deeply once more, and broke the silence in the hall with a steady voice carrying a subtle hint of solemnity. "Your subject, Lin Wenyuan, Privy Council, reports to Your Highness."

The Crown Prince of Southern Yin's gaze fell upon the old minister, and he nodded slightly. "Minister Lin, please speak."

Lin Wenyuan took a deep breath, raised his eyelids, and slowly said, "Your Highness, His Majesty's whereabouts—"

"There's news."