In the following moments, Gu Fei sat cross-legged on the Bodhi platform, focusing on his cultivation. The branches of the ancient Bodhi tree extended, tightly wrapping around his body.
As the Bodhi tree swayed its branches, a strange energy wave spread out. Suddenly, the space around them split open, revealing several spatial cracks, and from within, disheveled figures were expelled.
These figures were none other than Hun Yu and the others who had entered the ancient tree with Gu Fei. Because the negative emotions of the Dou God within the Bodhi tree had been cleared, the tree, kind by nature, no longer sought to harm anyone.
"What's going on?"
"Where is this?"
"I just became… how did I end up here?"
Everyone's expressions changed; many wore lingering fear on their faces, clearly realizing that what they had just experienced was nothing more than an illusion.
"What a terrifying Bodhi tree!"
The Dou Saint expert from the Hun Clan who had come with them could no longer maintain his composure. Without this unexpected change, he might have remained trapped in that illusion for a lifetime, eventually becoming a mindless puppet- like the five Half-Saint puppets under the Bodhi tree earlier.
Hun Yu's face also turned grim. In the illusion, he had already taken the position of clan leader of the Hun Clan. Now, knowing it was all a mere illusion, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
"Bodhi tree?"
"And Gu Fei?"
Once they regained their composure, Hun Yu began observing the space around them closely. Suddenly, he exclaimed in surprise, noticing a small, jade-like Bodhi tree standing in the middle of the space, with a figure sitting cross-legged within, seemingly isolated from everything.
Upon seeing this, the expressions of Hun Yu and the others changed. According to some ancient records, the Bodhi tree held three treasures: the Bodhi Heart, Bodhi Seeds, and enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
The first two were relatively easy to understand, as they were inherent parts of the Bodhi tree. However, the third was more elusive and abstract. The Bodhi tree, also known as the Tree of Wisdom and Reincarnation, was said to have the mystical ability to allow one to experience the reincarnation of a hundred lives for cultivation.
Those who underwent such reincarnation training were said to have the potential to reach the level of Dou God. Although this was merely a legend, countless experts had gone mad pursuing this elusive possibility.
"Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree… he actually received this legendary great opportunity!"
Exclamations of amazement echoed. Even the few individuals from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe recognized the legendary three treasures of the Bodhi tree.
"Damn it! How could this happen? How could he get ahead of us?"
Hun Yu's face darkened, and jealousy began to burn within him. Such a tremendous opportunity had been seized by the prodigy of the ancient Gu Clan, the Hun Clan's archenemy.
"Elder, what should we do?" Hun Yu asked the nearby elder, a Three-Star Dou Saint from the Hun Clan, with a sullen expression.
"If we can't have this opportunity, we can't let our greatest enemy have it either!" The elder's face was equally cold. If Gu Fei, a prodigy of the Gu Clan, grew even stronger after this, it would be a grave threat.
With a cold snort, the Hun Clan elder summoned a black mist into his palm, which quickly transformed into several black chains that he sent hurtling toward the meditating Gu Fei, aiming to forcibly wake him from his state.
"Bang!"
The ferocious attack from the Hun Clan's Dou Saint landed on the Bodhi tree, producing only a faint muffled sound. The elder's face barely had time to register a look of triumph before he felt a terrifying force surge back from the point of impact.
"Pfft!"
Under the force of this backlash, the elder's face was filled with shock. Before he could react, the black chains shattered, and the terrifying force flowed through them, crashing into his body, destroying all his Dou Qi defenses.
He was sent flying like a broken kite, blood spraying from his mouth, leaving a crimson arc in the air.
Witnessing the swift defeat of the Hun Clan's Dou Saint, everyone present was stunned. They hadn't anticipated that the Bodhi tree possessed such immense power, capable of completely negating the attack of a Dou Saint.
"Damn it!" The Dou Saint elder stood up in a disheveled state, his eyes filled with fear. Even as a Three-Star Dou Saint, he felt like a child in the presence of the Bodhi tree.
"It seems the Bodhi tree is protecting Gu Fei!"
"Why does Gu Fei have such a strong bond with the Bodhi tree?"
"What exactly happened earlier?"
Hun Yu realized that the retaliatory force must have come from the Bodhi tree. It was clear that even the combined strength of everyone present wouldn't be enough to move it, let alone harm it.
Seeing that they couldn't interfere with Gu Fei's cultivation, the group gradually quieted down. But as time passed, a sense of unease and frustration began to build. After all, none of them wanted to be trapped in this space forever, as that would be no different from being imprisoned.
...
Meanwhile, in the ancient wilderness, various forces and rogue cultivators continued to flock to the Bodhi tree with relentless fervor. On the Ancient Battlefield, an incalculable number of continental experts, nearly a thousand Dou Venerates, had gathered- an astonishing number.
"To break through the beast tide, we must combine everyone's strength…" A representative of a major force began to speak.
In the original story, this plan was organized by Hun Yu. However, since the Hun Clan had entered the Bodhi tree early, others had come up with the same idea- to use a large number of people as cannon fodder against the beast tide.
Amid the crowd was a slender figure wearing a black hat that obscured her face. This person was Xun'er, who had sneaked out on her own. With her speed, she couldn't keep up with Gu Fei, but after enduring many hardships, she had finally made it to the Ancient Battlefield.
Without the protection of a Dou Saint, even a large number of people couldn't match the densely packed ferocious beasts on the black plains. The battle quickly became intense, with countless human experts falling prey to the beasts.
"I will make it through…" Xun'er's cultivation was among the highest in the group, allowing her to avoid becoming cannon fodder and instead be among the last to benefit from the chaos.