Two Bodhi Seeds

Chapter 8: Two Bodhi Seeds

When they arrived in an unfamiliar place where darkness surrounded them and only one spot was illuminated, Fang Qing chose to head toward the light.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo went with Fang Qing.

Ye Fan now trusted Fang Qing's words completely. Besides, this seemed to be their only choice.

Zhou Yi and Wang Ziwen were still thinking. After some deliberation, they decided to follow.

As for the remaining classmates, some were still hesitating, while others also headed toward the white light ahead.

Fang Qing was the first to reach the source of light. Before him lay a collapsed complex of buildings, broken walls and shattered ruins everywhere, rubble carpeting the ground as though recounting a forgotten history.

One could imagine that, hundreds or even thousands of years ago, this place had once been a magnificent palace complex stretching as far as the eye could see. Now, it had become such a desolate sight.

The source of the light was an Ancient Temple, an Ancient Buddha beside a Green Lamp, its flame no larger than a bean.

Before the Ancient Temple stood an ancient Bodhi Tree, its trunk gnarled and powerful like a coiling dragon. Yet it was dry throughout, with only a few scattered green leaves. Every leaf was crystal-clear, like divine jade or emerald.

Ancient Temple, bright lamp, Buddha Statue, Bodhi Tree.

Together, they formed a hazy Dao Diagram, filling the place with the ancient vicissitudes and sacred aura of a bygone age. It seemed that holy beings of antiquity had once existed here.

"This place... looks far from ordinary."

"The Bodhi Tree is said to be a Buddhist tree, a tree of wisdom that can awaken one's intellect. Legend has it that Sakyamuni attained enlightenment beneath a Bodhi Tree."

Ye Fan spoke, feeling that this was anything but ordinary.

"So many palaces have collapsed, but only this place has endured. There must be something profound here."

Pang Bo also sensed its strangeness.

"If Deities truly exist between heaven and earth, then this is where they once stayed. Let's pick things up. There might be plenty of treasures here."

Fang Qing spoke.

At this moment, they were among the first to arrive. The first group consisted of only Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and Fang Qing.

People like Zhou Yi and Wang Ziwen were still behind them.

Hearing Fang Qing's words, Ye Fan and Pang Bo's eyes lit up. They seemed to be considering whether they should start picking things up immediately.

Just as Fang Qing was about to do so, he suddenly froze slightly.

In his mind, the cooldown of the Bronze Fishing Rod had ended.

With a thought from Fang Qing, the fishing rod cast itself into the endless void beyond.

No one knew where exactly the fishing rod had gone to fish, but in the next moment, it reeled in a small object.

It was a Bodhi Seed, covered in many natural patterns that looked incredibly intricate. Connected together, they formed the image of a compassionate Buddha.

The Buddha had been naturally formed entirely by intersecting patterns, yet it seemed to contain some other mystery. A faint Dao Charm emanated from it.

A Bodhi Seed.

Fang Qing's expression shifted slightly. Could the Bronze Fishing Rod have fished up a Bodhi Seed from beneath the Bodhi Tree here?

That seemed unnecessary.

If it was something so close at hand, there was no need to fish for it. They could simply pick it up without wasting an opportunity.

As Fang Qing pondered this, Ye Fan seemed to have been stirred by his words. He saw specks of radiance from the Bodhi Tree sink into its roots, so he began digging through the soil around them and found another Bodhi Seed.

This Bodhi Seed flickered with no light, gathered no brilliance, and had no rosy glow swirling around it. It looked utterly ordinary. If one did not pay attention, it could even be mistaken for a clump of dirt.

But it was indeed a Bodhi Seed.

Another Bodhi Seed.

"What a coincidence."

Fang Qing glanced at the Bodhi Seed, stepped forward, and took the Bronze Lamp before him.

Ye Fan picked up the Bodhi Seed. As Pang Bo headed toward the Ancient Temple, he spotted a rust-covered Bronze Plaque above it. Four ancient characters were engraved upon it. Though he could not make out what all four meant, one was the character for "great," while the last was the character for "temple."

"Let's hope this Bronze Plaque is a treasure!"

Pang Bo did not care what was written on it. He simply took the Bronze Plaque down.

The three of them had each gained something.

Fang Qing obtained the Bronze Lamp, Ye Fan obtained a Bodhi Seed, and Pang Bo obtained the Bronze Plaque.

The three entered the Ancient Temple and began searching again.

Soon, Fang Qing found a complete string of Prayer Beads. There were only six of them, but each was crystal-clear and pale gold, as transparent as crystal.

All six beads were pale golden crystals, gorgeous as gemstones. Each bore a blurry humanoid image in a different pose.

Fang Qing put them directly on his wrist. At once, he felt a faint aura flow from the six beads, leaving him refreshed and clear-headed.

"Old Fang is really bold. He puts on something he found in an Ancient Temple right away!"

Pang Bo stared wide-eyed. He had always considered himself quite brave, but even he was not that bold.

This was something found in an Ancient Temple. Who knew whether those beads had bacteria or something else on them?

Though Pang Bo muttered to himself, he did not stop searching. Soon, he found a treasure as well.

It was half of a Vajra Pestle, buried beneath dust for many years. Even after being unearthed, it still gleamed brilliantly, giving off a sense of weight and solidity. If one end had not been damaged, it could have been called a perfect, powerfully crafted masterpiece.

This half of a Vajra Pestle had an especially resounding name: the Vajra Pestle. With vajra might, it destroyed enemies. It was an invincible, indestructible symbol of wisdom and the true Buddha-nature, a ritual weapon wielded by many holy beings.

If Buddhas truly existed in this world, this Vajra Pestle would undoubtedly be a sacred artifact capable of unleashing tremendous power. Yet in Pang Bo's hands, its mysteries were impossible to discern.

Even so, Pang Bo looked imposing with the Bronze Plaque in one hand and half a Vajra Pestle in the other, like a Vajra Guardian of the Buddhist faith.

At the same time, Ye Fan stepped onto the thick dust. With a clang, he kicked out an Alms Bowl.

Ye Fan crouched and picked up the Alms Bowl.

The Alms Bowl looked relatively intact. Though the light within it had dimmed, it remained whole and undamaged. Holding it gave one a sense of security.

The three each obtained another treasure and were about to continue searching when Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, and the others arrived. Seeing the treasures in Fang Qing's group's hands, they all joined the hunt.

Wang Ziwen kicked a broken Bronze Bell the size of a palm. Though a piece was missing, its design was ancient, and he picked it up.

Zhou Yi dug out an old Meditation Cushion from a pile of ashes. The passage of time had failed to wear it away.

A female classmate also found a Red Sandalwood Prayer Bead beneath the Thick Earth. It had not suffered the slightest damage from the erosion of time and still glowed.

The foreigner Kaid found half a Wooden Fish, engraved with three vivid Bodhisattvas.

Many classmates arrived and found something, each obtaining a Buddhist artifact.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo did not make another move. They were all classmates, and the two had already gotten two items each. They had taken the larger share, so it seemed only right to leave the smaller share for the others.

They could take their share, but they could not be too ugly about it.

"We should leave."