Chapter 829
Illusion
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Ling and Xun'er arrived within a hundred feet of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, a distance of only a thousand feet.
Upon closer inspection of this extraordinary tree, the awe is even more profound. Its massive trunk, thousands of feet thick, stands like a pillar supporting the sky, its trunk exuding an ancient and profound aura, heavy and solid.
The towering canopy of trees spread out, enveloping the entire plain in verdant shadows. Sunlight poured down from the sky, falling on the lush green trunks and leaves, refracting a warm and translucent radiance, its light flowing gracefully.
However, upon closer inspection, the two keenly sensed that beneath the vast expanse of life, there was a faint, unsettling eeriness, and an ominous aura quietly permeated the area around the ancient tree.
“Brother Xiao Ling, something’s not right with this Bodhi tree.”
Xun'er's face was solemn, her voice was soft and deep, and she slightly raised her fingertip to point at the ancient tree, "In that seemingly vibrant Bodhi aura, there are actually wisps of cold gray aura, and in that gray aura, there are also many negative emotions similar to those of humans."
Xiao Ling was not surprised by this. He knew better than anyone that the gray aura was actually the negative emotion of a Dou Di expert. However, he could not explain this to Xun'er in detail, so he simply nodded heavily.
"We'll investigate the specific reasons as we get closer. We should proceed with caution from now on, and hopefully there won't be any major changes."
As soon as the words were spoken, the overwhelming lush green shade of the trees completely enveloped the two of them. A faint, chilling coldness hung in the air, penetrating to the bone and carrying an inexplicable chill.
Xiao Ling raised his eyes and gazed at the towering ancient tree before him, his soul perception spreading out without reservation. After a moment, his gaze narrowed slightly, and he discovered a bright radiance hidden about a hundred feet from the trunk of the ancient tree.
The radiant energy heart, about ten feet in size, had extremely weak fluctuations, yet the faint pulsation it emitted was so powerful it was heart-pounding.
"This feeling must be the Bodhicitta!"
Xiao Ling's gaze was fixed on the radiance hidden within the giant tree, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards slightly.
Although this Bodhicitta is of little use to him now that he has reached a certain level of cultivation, it is a tremendous opportunity for others.
Let alone cultivators who already have a foundation, even an ordinary person with no cultivation, as long as they can obtain this Bodhi Heart, will definitely be able to make great strides and break through to the Dou Sheng realm in three to five years!
"Xiao Ling, something's wrong with that giant tree in front of you!"
Suddenly, the voice of the Ancestral Stone Spirit, devoid of any emotion, echoed in Xiao Ling's mind. The usual calmness had faded, replaced by a rare urgency.
"I can sense its strength; it's quite formidable. Its true combat power must have reached the level of a Dou Di in your world!"
"It itself isn't particularly aggressive, but I can sense that a different kind of savage consciousness seems to have been growing within this ancient tree."
The voice of the Ancestral Stone Spirit continued, each word clear: "Although that consciousness is still very weak, it has already had a significant impact on the tree's original consciousness. You must be extra careful in your actions from now on, otherwise you may encounter unnecessary danger."
Xiao Ling silently responded in his heart, clearly transmitting his thoughts to the spirit of the ancestral stone: "Yan, don't worry, I have already noticed the abnormality of this ancient tree and have a general understanding of the situation. I will be more careful in my actions and will not act rashly."
After a moment of silence in his mind, the calm voice of the Ancestral Stone Spirit rang out again, less hurried than before, and regaining its usual indifference: "Alright, then be careful in the future. If you encounter any situations that you can't handle, I will lend a hand."
Having said that, the consciousness vanished quietly like the tide, and the mind returned to calm, without a sound.
"Splash—"
Just as Xiao Ling and Xun'er's gazes were fixed on the radiant Bodhi heart within the tree trunk, a soft rustling sound suddenly emanated from the ancient Bodhi tree standing on the plain.
Immediately, the dense, thick branches intertwined and drooped slowly from the dense shade of the tree, as if they were alive. When these branches with their vigorous patterns touched the ground, they all cracked open.
Five expressionless, composed figures slowly stepped out through the crack and stood steadily beneath the ancient tree.
As these five figures appeared, the space of the entire world suddenly rippled violently. A powerful and terrifying pressure spread out in all directions without warning, even causing the surrounding energy of heaven and earth to become stagnant!
"Five demigods?"
Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone calm and unwavering. This oppressive aura descended upon him and Xun'er, yet it was like a gentle breeze, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.
But the appearance of these five semi-saints undoubtedly confirmed his previous judgment: this Bodhi tree was indeed far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
"Brother Xiao Ling, let me handle these five puppets."
Xun'er's clear eyes were fixed on the five figures of half-saints with their auras deep and imposing. Her voice, which had volunteered, was gentle yet carried an undeniable firmness.
Before she finished speaking, crimson-gold flames spread from her palms, and the scorching heat of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame swept out instantly, even the surrounding air seemed to be scorched and slightly distorted.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling nodded slowly, his eyes filled with trust and reassurance: "Alright, I'll leave it to you. I'll be watching from the sidelines, and if anything unexpected happens, I'll step in to help immediately. Don't worry."
Xun'er nodded slightly in response, and her figure shot towards the five half-saint puppets like an arrow released from a bow.
As her arms suddenly opened and closed, the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame in her palm suddenly swelled up, transforming into a giant golden flame palm that blotted out the sky and the sun, carrying a world-destroying power, and crashed down on the five puppet figures!
The giant fiery hand swept through the air, bringing with it a howling wind and scorching heat. The surrounding space was slightly compressed by the surging power of the flames, and the earth-shattering commotion made the entire void seem to tremble slightly.
Xun'er's strength was already at the peak of the Half-Saint realm, and she had long since touched the bottleneck of the Dou Sheng realm. Looking at the entire Dou Sheng realm, she was practically invincible.
These five semi-saint puppets were all top-tier semi-saints in life, including powerful members of ancient races, whose combat strength was renowned even back then.
But a puppet is still just a puppet; it has no independent soul and is merely an inanimate object controlled by the Bodhi Tree.
Not to mention, countless millennia have passed, and these puppets, eroded by time and depleted of energy, are no longer at their peak, their strength reduced by more than half compared to when they were alive.
The five puppets, though seemingly imposing, are not enough to pose a threat to Xun'er.
In just a quarter of an hour, accompanied by several muffled explosions, the energy cores of the five semi-saint puppets were destroyed by Xun'er one after another, and their bodies crashed to the ground, no longer able to move.
After the five puppets froze completely, strange fluctuations slowly emanated from their foreheads, then transformed into specks of light and dissipated into the world.
As the fluctuation completely dissipated, the puppet's body aged and withered rapidly at a visible speed. In just a few breaths, it turned into countless ashes, scattering across the ground and disappearing without a trace. "This should be the initial test. Next, I imagine it will be the Bodhi Tree's own trial," Xiao Ling said solemnly, looking at the scattered ashes on the ground and turning to Xun'er beside him.
"Xun'er, no matter what you encounter later, remember to stay true to yourself and don't be misled by any scene or thing in front of you. You must not let the Bodhi Tree take advantage of any loopholes, otherwise, you may end up like those half-saint puppets just now."
Xun'er nodded earnestly, her clear eyes filled with determination: "Brother Xiao Ling, don't worry, Xun'er will always be careful and will never lose her composure."
Seeing that she remembered it, Xiao Ling said no more. He put his arm around her waist, and the two of them got up again and slowly flew towards the Bodhi Tree.
As soon as they arrived at the base of the ancient tree, the tree trunk, hundreds of feet high, suddenly burst forth with dazzling brilliance, and a condensed pillar of light abruptly descended, enveloping the two of them without warning!
The sudden turn of events startled both of them. They instinctively tried to circulate their internal battle qi to protect themselves, but to their horror, they discovered that the battle qi in their dantian had vanished without a trace, and they couldn't even muster the slightest fluctuation.
"call out--"
Another sharp sound ripped through the air, and the pillar of light that had enveloped the two suddenly shrank rapidly, shrinking back into the tree like lightning.
As the pillar of light disappeared, Xiao Ling and Xun'er, who had been standing at the base of the tree, vanished without a trace.
……
In a daze, Xiao Ling slowly opened his eyes. His sleepy eyes were still covered with a thick layer of sleepiness, and he could not even see the scene in front of him clearly.
He subconsciously raised his hand to rub his eyes, not yet fully recovering from his drowsy state, when his forehead suddenly bumped into a hard object, and a dull pain instantly shot through him.
"hiss--"
A low hiss escaped between his teeth, and Xiao Ling's brows furrowed sharply. Just then, a furious rebuke rang out from the podium, making his eardrums vibrate slightly: "Xiao Ling! Are you sleeping soundly? Sleeping in class again!"
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw his math teacher standing in the center of the podium with his hands on his hips, his brows furrowed and his eyes glaring at him sharply.
The surrounding classmates couldn't hold back any longer, and bursts of laughter rose and fell. All eyes, filled with teasing and curiosity, were cast toward him sitting by the window, making his cheeks inexplicably flush.
In a daze, Xiao Ling slowly opened his eyes. His sleepy eyes were still covered with a thick layer of sleepiness, and he could not even see the scene in front of him clearly.
He subconsciously raised his hand to rub his eyes, not yet fully recovering from his drowsy state, when a small, hard object suddenly flew through the air and hit him on the forehead with a "thud," sending a dull pain through him instantly.
"hiss--"
A low hiss escaped from between his teeth, and Xiao Ling's brows furrowed sharply. Just then, a furious rebuke rang out from the podium, making his eardrums vibrate slightly: "Xiao Ling! Are you sleeping soundly? Sleeping in class again? Do you not want to pass next week's exam?"
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw his math teacher standing in the center of the podium with his hands on his hips, his brows furrowed, his eyes glaring at him sharply, and his other hand holding half a piece of white chalk between his fingers.
The students around him were amused by the sudden commotion and laughed. The laughter was lighthearted and they all turned their curious gazes toward him sitting by the window, making his cheeks feel inexplicably hot.
"Teacher, I went to bed a little late last night and I'm really tired today. I will definitely listen carefully in class from now on."
Xiao Ling rubbed his forehead, his voice hoarse from just waking up, but his tone was sincere and without a trace of perfunctoriness. He clasped his hands together slightly in a gesture of respect, his brows and eyes full of apology, looking honestly at the podium without the slightest hesitation.
The math teacher stared at him for a moment. Seeing his sincere attitude, the teacher slowly lowered the half-broken piece of chalk from his hand, his brows relaxed a little, and he didn't pursue the matter any further: "Pay attention next time, and concentrate in class."
After saying that, he turned around, picked up his lesson plan, and continued explaining the exercises on the blackboard.
Seeing that the teacher was no longer pursuing the matter, the students around him also withdrew their gazes and refocused their attention on the podium and textbooks. The laughter in the classroom gradually subsided, leaving only the teacher's voice and the occasional soft sound of turning pages.
Only one girl in the seat diagonally in front of him, taking advantage of the moment when the teacher turned around to write on the blackboard, slightly turned her head and secretly glanced in Xiao Ling's direction.
A faint blush graced her cheeks, and a hint of shyness lingered in her expression. Her gaze was fleeting, quickly withdrawn, unnoticed by anyone.
As I returned home from school, having just changed my shoes and taken off my coat, I heard my mother's familiar voice from the living room, tinged with a touch of melancholy.
“I saw on the news that a boy committed suicide by jumping into the river today. He seemed to be about the same age as our son.”
“I’ve noticed this too. I heard it’s about a relationship,” the father’s voice followed, full of sighs. “Kids these days are so naive. They get hung up on the smallest things.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, a strange feeling passing through his heart, but he didn't pay too much attention to it.
He put on his slippers, walked into the living room, and called out to his parents on the sofa, "Dad, Mom, I'm home."
"My good son is back." Mom looked up and smiled as she answered, "You heard what your dad and I talked about, right? Don't ever do anything foolish like that."
Xiao Ling shook his head helplessly, his tone relaxed: "Mom, don't worry, your son isn't the type to get hung up on such things. I'll still have to take care of you two in your old age."
Back in his room, Xiao Ling casually closed the door, collapsed onto the soft bed, his chest heaving slightly as he let out a long sigh.
When he opened his eyes again, the youthful spirit had faded, and all traces of clarity and gentleness were gone, leaving only a calm and undisturbed stillness.
"As expected of the ancient Bodhi tree, it can create such a realistic scene; it's truly amazing." Xiao Ling lay on the bed, his voice calm yet tinged with emotion.
"However, I must thank you for allowing me to return to my hometown and see my parents' faces again. It's just a pity that this is ultimately an illusion, and I have my own goals to achieve."
Goodbye, my last obsession.
The moment the words fell, the entire room, and even the streets and sky outside the window, suddenly began to distort violently.
Amidst the chaotic interplay of light and shadow, everything around was cracked like a shattered mirror. Then, with a deafening bang, the entire world exploded, transforming into countless specks of light before finally vanishing into nothingness. (End of Chapter)