Chapter 15
What kind of treasure is this? It's incredible.
"All things in the world spring from the heart. This is the Plain-Question Spirit Realm. It can reveal what lies in your heart, and what you see inside it is your deepest desire. Now let your First Senior Brother look into it."
Don't rush me, old man. Let me enjoy this dream a little longer. Ye Zhenzhen was still absorbed in the mirror's illusory scene when she suddenly saw another familiar figure: herself, all grown up.
In the mirror, Ye Zhenzhen looked like an ethereal immortal, graceful and possessed of extraordinary cultivation. She had reached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage and was about to ascend. Before facing the lightning tribulation of Ascension, she took up a sword and fought her way to the Kongtong School. In minutes, she beat Immortal Venerable Shen and the others until they were scattered like fallen petals, sent Shen Xingyan sprawling in search of his teeth, and made Luo Bingyao kneel and beg for mercy.
Hahahaha! That feels amazing!
Just let me live in the mirror.
As the smile on her face grew broader, the Bodhi Tree sighed. "Money and power. Those are the two things you want most."
All right, First Senior Brother, take a look. Ye Zhenzhen suddenly dared not keep looking into the mirror. She handed it to Ye Qinghui, afraid that if she looked any longer, she might see fine wine and handsome men at her side. If they learned that a little baby like her harbored such desires, how could she ever show her face again?
Ye Qinghui accepted the mirror without hesitation.
"How strange." The Bodhi Tree sounded astonished. The mirror did not show Ye Qinghui obtaining the seed of the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree and cultivating his way to supremacy in the Cultivation World. Instead, it showed the Three Realms living in peace and harmony. The Human Realm, the Cultivation World, and even the Demon Realm coexisted without natural disasters, human calamities, or wars between immortals and demons.
"Young hero, your heart is devoted to the Three Realms, and your Dao Heart is steadfast. You have no selfish desires at all. In ten thousand years, apart from her, I have never met another person so pure and true."
By 'her,' does he mean that woman who looks just as I imagined?
"Indeed."
"What is the Dao?" the Bodhi Tree asked Ye Qinghui.
"The Dao is the justice in one's heart, the eternal Heaven and Earth Laws, and the order that keeps the Three Realms stable."
"And what is the Dao in your heart?"
"To uphold justice and protect all living beings."
"As expected of someone with a Supreme Heavenly Spiritual Root. Young man, you have the destiny of an immortal and are capable of bearing a great responsibility, but you still need to be tempered a thousand times over. I can lend you this Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi seed for now, but let us be clear: I am lending it, not giving it to you. When the time is right, you must pass it to the person who truly needs it." A Bodhi seed the size of a thumb danced through the air and landed in Ye Qinghui's palm.
The seed's surface was smooth, gleaming with a gentle green radiance like a piece of emerald jade. Holding it, Ye Qinghui felt an indescribable, peaceful power slowly seep into his dantian, and his eyes closed of their own accord. The clamor of the mortal world seemed to fall away, leaving only his heart in harmony with nature.
"Who is the person who truly needs it?" He slowly opened his eyes.
"You will know when the time comes."
Old man, there you go being mysterious again. Ye Zhenzhen gave a rueful sigh, snatched the mirror from her First Senior Brother, and clutched it tightly. "This mirror is a treasure. Can you give it to me?"
"Bodhi is no tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand. Since nothing exists to begin with, where could dust alight? Some things may be seen through but must not be spoken of. Some truths can only be understood through experience."
"All appearances are illusory. Old friend, I hope that when we meet again, you will understand that the most important things in this world are not money and power, but..."
Before the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree could finish, the world before them shuddered violently. Everything spun, and their surroundings dissolved into illusion.
When all was still and light returned, Ye Zhenzhen discovered that she and her senior brothers and sisters were back at the foot of Gathering Spirit Mountain.
First Senior Brother, where's the Bodhi Tree's seed?
"Here." Ye Qinghui opened his hand. The Bodhi seed in his palm gave off a faint green glow. At a glance, it was clearly a spiritual treasure of utmost purity and sanctity, containing the gentlest, clearest, most refreshing spiritual energy in the world.
It really is a peerless treasure.
Now that we've found the Ten-Thousand-Year Bodhi Tree's seed, there's no time to lose. Let's get out of the Illusory Forest and look for Weak Water.
"Bodhi is no tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand. Since nothing exists to begin with, where could dust alight?" — "Bodhi Verse," Huineng, Tang dynasty
"All appearances are illusory." — Diamond Sutra
Chapter 15
As for Weak Water's exact location, Ye Zhenzhen had read this passage in the original book:
"Within the seas, the Kunlun Void lies to the northwest, the Heavenly Emperor's capital in the lower world. The Kunlun Void spans eight hundred li and rises ten thousand ren. Weak Water and Azure Water flow from its southwestern corner, then east, then north, then southwest, passing east of the Bifang Bird."
Southwest or northeast? What kind of muddled nonsense is this? It doesn't even say exactly where Weak Water is.
The original book had nearly tied Ye Zhenzhen's mind in knots. Had the author deliberately used all this obscure, mystical language to pad the word count and sound profound?
"It should mean that Weak Water flows out from the southwestern corner of Kunlun Mountain, then runs east, north, and southwest," Ye Qinghui reasoned. "Weak Water is the river that guards Kunlun Mountain. It encircles the entire mountain, so as long as we find Kunlun Mountain, we'll find Weak Water."
Then let's hurry up and find Kunlun Mountain.
The mention of Kunlun Mountain made Ye Zhenzhen a little excited. It was the legendary ancestor of ten thousand mountains, the capital of the Heavenly Emperor and the other gods in the lower world. There had to be countless heavenly treasures there.
Yet the group rode Azure Luan through the skies over the eight hundred li surrounding the Kunlun Void for more than a month without finding Kunlun Mountain's main peak.
"Strange. I think we've circled back again."
"That makes seventeen times."
Help! I've slept 185 times and had milk 276 times, and we still haven't found Kunlun Mountain. What kind of lousy mountain is this? Ye Zhenzhen pouted and crossed one little leg over the other. She was tired. She might as well go back to sleep.
Azure Luan soared above the clouds, flying swiftly and steadily, its tail feathers streaming like drifting clouds. As Ye Zhenzhen gazed half-lidded at the splendid light reflecting off its jade-green feathers in the sun, an unknown creature darted toward them like a headless fly and slammed hard into one of Azure Luan's wings.
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