The Illusory Realm of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree was born from its power to let one experience a hundred lifetimes of reincarnation. Though its effect was less than one percent of the true power, it was more than enough to temper one's heart and soul.
Now that the grudge of the fallen Dou Di had been purified, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree no longer stripped souls to turn seekers into puppets. Instead, it merely tested them. Those who passed would receive Bodhisattva Seeds as a reward; those who failed would be expelled forever from the illusion.
At this moment, Liu Xi's hundred cycles of reincarnation had reached their end. More than a month had passed since he entered the illusion to undergo his trial.
Within the inner realm of the tree's spirit, Liu Xi slowly opened his eyes. In them was an ancient calmness — the wisdom of countless lives reflected in his deep gaze.
All aura upon him had vanished, his presence blending into the world. He looked no different from an ordinary man — only far too handsome for one.
Softly, he murmured, "3-Star Dou Saint."
Indeed, Liu Xi had broken through to the 3-Star Dou Saint realm. Before entering the cycles of reincarnation, he had only been an Initial Half Saint.
During the trial, he advanced step by step — breaking through to High Half Saint, refining the Bodhisattva Heart within him, and at last transcending the Half Saint boundary to enter the Dou Saint realm.
The Bodhisattva Heart carried an expanding force. While Liu Xi refined it, his body — the vessel that contained his Dou Qi — was continually enlarged, until the bottleneck toward Dou Saint shattered like fragile glass.
Thus, he crossed the threshold with ease, and because the Bodhisattva Heart had expanded his foundation, his cultivation was incomparably stable.
But even after reaching that stage, the cycles of reincarnation did not cease. The Bodhisattva Heart continued to absorb energy, along with the blood crystal of the Old Dragon Emperor that Liu Xi had integrated.
He could have used that chance to push even higher, but Liu Xi chose restraint. He did not recklessly raise his Dou Qi; instead, in every lifetime he compressed it, forging quality over quantity. Even so, through the accumulation of a hundred lives, his power still rose to the level of a 3-Star Dou Saint.
After awakening, Liu Xi realized there was a soft warmth in his arms. Lowering his gaze, he saw a flawless face framed by pale-blue hair — Qing Lin.
Her clear eyes fluttered open, and she smiled tenderly, her voice steady. "Qing Lin will always follow Young Master."
Liu Xi smiled, his heart filled with complex emotions. In every one of his hundred reincarnations, there had been a girl who followed him faithfully — though her form changed, the devotion remained the same.
The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree rippled, and in a flash, Liu Xi and Qing Lin were expelled from its inner world. The world spun, and before they knew it, they were standing beneath the tree's immense shade once more.
Liu Xi patted Qing Lin's hips lightly. Understanding his meaning, she blushed and slipped from his embrace.
Turning toward the ancient tree, Liu Xi cupped his fists respectfully. "Many thanks, Senior, for your benevolence!"
He truly meant it.
First, for helping him ascend to 3-Star Dou Saint — most of the energy he had absorbed came from the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree itself.
Second, for giving Qing Lin a chance as well. Though her advancement wasn't as great as his, the hundred cycles had still raised her cultivation to the peak of 9-Turn Dou Zun.
The lush tree swayed gently, its leaves brushing against each other with soft sha-sha sounds — like laughter in response to Liu Xi's gratitude.
Then, countless glowing spheres drifted from its trunk, illuminating the skies like a sea of stars.
"Hm?"
Liu Xi narrowed his eyes. Within each sphere, illusions unfolded — scenes of others undergoing their trials. Among them, he saw familiar figures: Xiao Yan, Xun'er… and many more.
He recognized the clans at a glance — the Gu Clan, the Hun Clan, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, the Profound Sky Sect… all those who had come seeking the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree.
A thought flickered through his mind. 'Should I take this chance to get rid of them? Especially Xiao Yan and Xun'er… they clearly had designs against me before.'
The notion vanished as quickly as it came. He shook his head. Doing so would only draw attention from Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi — trouble he didn't need.
'Better to let fate play out.'
A faint grin tugged at his lips. 'Xiao Yan, don't say I never gave you a chance. Let's see if you can seize it.'
He pointed toward the glowing spheres and said with a smirk, "Senior, please release them all."
Then, indicating the one that contained Xiao Yan, he added, "Especially that man. When he comes out, grant him a Bodhisattva Seed."
Inside that light sphere, Xiao Yan was entirely immersed in his illusion — his aura at the Dou Saint level as he slaughtered endlessly. From the Ancient Wasteland Region to the Central Plains, his rampage left no soul untouched.
His eyes burned crimson, his killing intent piercing the heavens. Whether friend or foe, anyone who stood before him met a single fate — death.
"Give him that one seed," Liu Xi said lightly. "And make sure the others see it too."
The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree — loyal, or perhaps just naïve — swayed happily and did as told. Over twenty glowing seeds flew forth: twenty-four toward Liu Xi, and one directly into Xiao Yan's sphere.
The moment the seed entered, a stream of pure energy flowed into Xiao Yan's body, clearing the madness from his crimson eyes.
Realizing what he had done — the endless slaughter, the mountains of corpses, the rivers of blood — cold sweat drenched his back.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
One after another, the light spheres shattered.
Outside the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree.
Beneath the colossal tree that could cover half a city, the figures swallowed by its golden light began to reappear, pale and trembling. Each of them was drenched in cold sweat, finally realizing that all they had endured was an illusion.
Just then, a soft current of clear energy spread outward. The moment they inhaled it, their Dou Qi surged with vitality, their bodies light as feathers.
Following the flow of energy, everyone turned to see Xiao Yan standing there — a thumb-sized bead in his hand, radiating a faint, pure glow.
Instantly, the atmosphere shifted. Everyone understood what that meant.
While they had been trapped in illusion, Xiao Yan had emerged with a reward.
The truth was clear as day.
Xiao Yan — the greatest beneficiary of the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree!
Jealousy and rage swept through the crowd. They had all risked their lives to get here, and yet, all the glory had fallen to him.
The air grew thick with killing intent.
Xiao Yan quickly stowed away the Bodhisattva Seed, but it was already too late. The surrounding experts had fixed their gazes on him — eyes burning with greed and resentment.
They just needed someone to make the first move.
(End of Chapter)
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