Yin Shiren had already been aware of the arrival of the Nine Realms' Buddha Emperor. At the same time, he had heard the Buddha Emperor's words—particularly the two syllables: Foyuan.
At first, Yin Shiren had assumed the Buddha Emperor meant Buddha's Affinity.
But after a moment of careful consideration, he had dismissed that thought.
The Nine Realms' Buddha Emperor was one of the three great origins of the Four Realms' Buddhist Sect. He had surely encountered countless individuals blessed with Buddha's Affinity.
If it were merely that, it would not have been enough to make the Buddha Emperor's voice tremble with such fervor.
Thus, Yin Shiren had begun to suspect that what the Buddha Emperor truly meant was Buddha's Origin.
And then it had struck him—the Buddha Emperor had been referring to him.
As the author of Thunderbolt Parallel, he had known exactly what Buddha's Origin signified.
He had also known that those who possessed an Ultimate Origin were exceedingly rare.
Every single one of them stood among the world's most formidable powerhouses.
Precisely because of this understanding, the realization that he carried the Buddha's Origin had sent a shockwave through his very being.
Could it be… that upon arriving in this world, I've already become one of its supreme experts? Yin Shiren wondered.
Yet, as the initial astonishment faded, a sweet fantasy had begun to bloom in his heart.
With an Ultimate Origin at my disposal, all I need is to master a few martial techniques—even the forbidden arts of the Thousand Evils Cave, combined with the life-preserving abilities of the Corpse Puppetry Method—and as long as I don't act recklessly, I can live a life of luxury and pleasure, Yin Shiren mused.
Wealth, treasures, beautiful women… all will be mine, Yin Shiren thought.
Unbeknownst to him, a thin trail of glistening drool had escaped the corner of his lips as his imagination ran wild.
Lost in his reverie, the flow of internal energy he had been channeling into Liu Zhu Yi's body had faltered.
Just as he was about to sink deeper into his daydream, a mechanical voice had shattered his illusions.
Congratulations, Host. Mission Complete: Medicine Tathāgata's Request.
Reward: Medicine Tathāgata's Medical Knowledge. The system announced.
Medicine Tathāgata had finished treating Po Xia Qiu Chan and Jiuzhou Yijian Zhi.
Thus, Yin Shiren's system mission had been fulfilled.
As the mechanical voice faded, an overwhelming flood of medical knowledge had poured into his mind.
Yet, despite the sheer volume of information, Yin Shiren had merely furrowed his brow slightly, showing no signs of distress.
To the observing Nine Realms' Buddha Emperor and Medicine Tathāgata, his expression had only hinted at mild concentration.
They had no way of knowing that Yin Shiren—previously ignorant of medicine—now possessed skills rivaling Medicine Tathāgata's own.
The reason they had turned their attention to him, however, was because they had sensed the cessation of energy flowing into Liu Zhu Yi.
After a few breaths, Yin Shiren's brow had smoothed. The system's reward had been fully absorbed—Medicine Tathāgata's entire medical expertise, along with two martial techniques: Tathāgata's Hand and Thousand-Hand Tathāgata Finger.
Others trained in martial arts for combat.
But Medicine Tathāgata had cultivated these skills for healing—for acupuncture and treatment.
Once the knowledge had settled, Yin Shiren opened his eyes, gazing first at the floating Buddha's silhouette, then at Medicine Tathāgata before him.
It was then that he noticed something damp at the corner of his mouth.
His fingers brushed against it—saliva.
What's going on? Why am I drooling out of nowhere? Yin Shiren thought.
Confusion swirled in his mind.
The dignified image of a sage bearing Buddha's Origin that the Nine Realms' Buddha Emperor and Medicine Tathāgata had held promptly shattered.
The Buddha Emperor even felt a flicker of shame at sharing the same Origin with such a man.
Could it be the bad habits of Corpse Puppeteer and Di Peng influencing me? Yin Shiren wondered.
"Yes, that must be it," Yin Shiren said.
"Benefactor, what did you say?" Medicine Tathāgata asked.
"Ahem… nothing!" Yin Shiren replied.
"And you are?" Yin Shiren asked.
"This is the leader of Deer Abbey—the Nine Realms' Buddha Emperor," Medicine Tathāgata introduced.
"Greetings, Buddha Emperor," Yin Shiren said.
"Might this benefactor share his name? And what has transpired with Liu Zhu Yi and Ye Xiao Chai?" the Buddha Emperor asked.
"My name is Yin Shiren," Yin Shiren answered.
"Corpse Puppeteer?!" the Buddha Emperor exclaimed.
"Corpse Puppeteer?!" Medicine Tathāgata repeated.
Though the Buddha Emperor had long been in seclusion, he was still familiar with the prominent figures of the martial world.
And while Corpse Puppeteer was little more than a comedic fool, his name had still reached the Buddha Emperor's ears.
"No—Yin as in the Shang Dynasty's Yin, Shi as in 'bestowing kindness without expectation,' Ren as in 'peerless benevolence,'" Yin Shiren clarified.
"Ah, I see," the Buddha Emperor said.
"As for Liu Zhu Yi and Ye Xiao Chai…" Yin Shiren began.
"They failed to slay the God of Death," Yin Shiren stated.
Yet neither of his listeners reacted with shock—they waited for him to continue.
"Tai Xue Zhu altered the roster of the Heavenly Sword Competition, disrupting its destined timing," Yin Shiren explained.
"With the celestial alignment thrown into disarray, the Heavenly Sword was flawed from the outset. In the end, their efforts were in vain," Yin Shiren concluded.
Given the wisdom of the Buddha Emperor and Medicine Tathāgata, even these brief words were enough for them to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"This benefactor has our gratitude—both for the information and for saving Liu Zhu Yi and Ye Xiao Chai," the Buddha Emperor said.
"No need for thanks. Tai Xue Zhu and I have our own grudges. Thwarting his schemes brings me genuine satisfaction," Yin Shiren replied.
A true, unfeigned smile spread across Yin Shiren's face—as if the mere act of opposing Tai Xue Zhu filled him with joy.
"I have one final question," the Buddha Emperor said.
"Speak freely, Buddha Emperor," Yin Shiren responded.
"Are you aware that you possess an Ultimate Origin?" the Buddha Emperor asked.
"Ultimate Origin?!" Yin Shiren exclaimed.
The Buddha Emperor's words froze Yin Shiren's expression.
Though he had suspected it earlier, hearing it confirmed outright made him feel as though he were trapped in a dream.
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