Becoming a Deity from Planting the Bodhi Tree

Entering the Spirit Ocean formally?

Seeing Ji Jingqiu's hesitant expression, Master Yang spoke again, still transmitting his voice directly into the ears without anyone else hearing.

"There are two reasons for letting you enter the Sea of Souls now."

"First, your Life Body has developed a treasure body prototype, which is a qualitative Transformation. Logically, your current Life Body should be capable of supporting your current Spirit realm cultivation.

I suspect that the disorientation you experienced a few days ago occurred before the transformation of the Life Body."

"Second, since you have already been lost once and made contact with the Sea of Souls, we cannot delay further. Instead of continuing to be passively summoned, it's better to take the initiative."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly understood, greeted everyone, and sat down next to Zhang Xingshan.

Zhang Xingshan nodded at him and glanced meaningfully towards Luo Xi and the bald man with golden chains on stage.

Inadvertently, the senior Ji Jingqiu didn't understand his look and appeared lost.

Noticing Zhang Xingshan's gesture, Luo Xi glared at Zhang Xingshan fiercely, annoyed.

She had already contacted her family; the "Old Luo" referred by others was not her father but her grandfather!

According to her family's intentions, she was to address this person respectfully as Mr. Ba.

If taken literally, Ji, who was called "our brother," would become her elder too!

Naturally, that was not a sensible consideration!

"Now that our brother is here, everyone is present." sighed Zhang Chongba, who was brought by Yang Yan to perform labor, rubbing his bald head. "Let's start, no time to waste, light the incense!"

After waiting a long while, seeing no one moving, Zhang Chongba looked surprisingly towards his uncle.

At this time, Master Yang was still giving the last bits of information to Ji Jingqiu. Feeling Zhang Chongba's gaze, he frowned and glanced at him.

Zhang Chongba suddenly realized.

Was his uncle supposed to light his incense?

Wow, that's rather stimulating!

He hurriedly glared at Yang Yao, saying earnestly, "As the eldest senior brother, how can you show no responsibility and awareness?"

Yang Yao: "..."

The air gradually filled with a perfectly subtle fragrance, enveloping every corner, seeping into everyone's minds, igniting peace and stability within them.

Smelling the scent of three hundred thousand, Ji Jingqiu was not in a rush to enter meditation.

Master Yang was still briefing him on precautions.

Moreover, he didn't need anyone else to guide him into meditation.

"The Spirit Ocean is divided into five layers: the periphery, Shallow Layer, Deep Layer, Extreme Abyss, and the so far un-entered 'Wilderness'."

"The first time you enter the Spirit Ocean, if no one guides or directs you, you will generally lose direction not far in and wander in the peripheral area."

"But with Chongba here, he will point the way for you; you can just stride forward.

All you need to do is walk as far as you can, until you can't continue.

Because the depth of your initial formal exploration, the coordinates grasped, are extremely crucial for your subsequent Spiritual Cultivation."

Yang Yan felt regretful.

He didn't know what Visualization Method Ji had practiced before.

It's a pity it wasn't the "Starving Tiger Holding a Knife."

Although "Starving Tiger Holding a Knife" stops at Mid-grade Visualization Map, as a simplified version of the "Dragon Tiger Cloud Map," it still retains a hint of Divine Intent.

After achieving Great Success in the Visualization Map, this Divine Intent can invite a strand of Divine Thought from the "Guardian God," offering protection and warding off evil.

The Federation does not prohibit the development of religions of Gods because it needs these Gods to help mankind guard the Extreme Abyss of the Sea of Souls.

In the existing God system of the Federation, the status of "Guardian God" is only second to the four Divine Lords.

With Zhang Chongba's guidance, Ji Jingqiu's mind gradually sank.

A sensation of weightlessness gradually came.

Ji seemed to fall from the sky, surrounded by depths that could swallow everything.

Until a lamp of green flame, Heart Lamp, was lit, illuminating above, slicing a clear boundary in the dark, deep world.

He opened his eyes.

The Heart Lamp reflected in his eyes.

The light from his pupils merged with the flame, allows him to see clearly the ground and path ahead—outside the area illuminated by the Heart Lamp, darkness prevailed, blinding as pitch.

Accompanied by a rattling sound akin to fingertips rubbing on metal, a vague sensation came from the darkness, like thousands of overlapping shadows dancing wildly, looking eerie and ominous.

Is this what elevates the Federation Martial Arts again and again—

the Spirit Ocean?

Gradually, information about the Spirit Ocean surfaced in Ji Jingqiu's mind.

His citizen level was up to standard, and after updating his terminal, he had specifically searched for information related to the Spirit Ocean multiple times.

The Federation was founded ten thousand years ago and since then, its territorial expansion has been minimal.

But this does not mean the Federation is contented with the status quo; rather, the Federation never stopped exploring.

Only, the direction of exploration is no longer confined to the starry skies, but something beyond—

the Spirit Ocean, also referred to by many as the "Dark Wilderness."

The mystery and magnificence of this world far exceed human expectations, and some even believe it holds the secrets to eternal life and becoming a God.

Last time he was lost and left too quickly, not giving Ji Jingqiu enough time to properly experience it.

He stood still, quietly feeling.

A barely perceptible sense of accumulation, with the passage of time, built up in his mind, suffocating, repressive, and lonely.

This must be the "water pressure" mentioned in the forums.

The longer you stay or the deeper you go, the more "water pressure" you accumulate, until you can no longer bear it and either leave voluntarily or are forced to "burst."

According to online forums, the latter feels exactly like death.

At the same time, there are many dangers lurking in the Spirit Ocean.

Such an involuntary exit usually results in severe damage to the spirit and even death.

Every year, many Martial Artists encounter this situation, not by accident but due to "greed."

Because the accumulated "water pressure" will be transformed into fuel for the Heart Lamp, it can make the Heart Lamp burn brighter and brighter.

When the Heart Lamp burns to its peak, it is the moment when the spirit is sublimated.

However, Martial Artists cannot enter and exit the Sea of Souls continuously.

This is related to the realm of the spirit and the Visualization Map used in cultivation.

Therefore, some Martial Artists try to accumulate as much fuel as possible in one go, but often this backfires.

The deeper you go into the Spirit Ocean, the higher the quality of the fuel you gain.

Moreover, the deeper you go, the greater the chances of encountering opportunities.

It is said that early in the Spirit Ocean's history, it was full of opportunities that allowed the first batch of explorers to climb one Martial Arts peak after another.

Feeling the oppression in his heart, Ji Jingqiu's thoughts stirred.

In an instant, from the Heart Lamp, a sprig sprouted, and the Bodhi tree took root on the Heart Lamp, casting Glazed Glass Light, once again sustaining a realm of Pure Land.

It's still four feet, but much larger than the area illuminated by the Heart Lamp.

The oppressive heaviness in his heart was greatly relieved.

This left Ji Jingqiu somewhat confused.

While relief is good, could it slow down his pace of accumulating fuel?

Soon, Ji Jingqiu got his answer—

The role of Glazed Glass Light was not to suppress, but to expand.

It expanded his capacity to hold fuel.

If others' capacity is a bowl, his is now a basin, and this capacity would continue to grow with the expansion of the Pure Land.

Given time, it could even be a vat.

This rendered Ji Jingqiu somewhat silent.

Just then, that familiar calling came again from a very distant place.

Much stronger than before!

As Ji Jingqiu hesitated, a rope-like spirit thread quietly circled around his waist.

It was a very familiar sensation; it was Zhang Chongba!

And coincidentally, the direction in which Bage was guiding him to go deeper overlapped with that strange call.

After pondering for a moment, Ji Jingqiu decided to explore what lay ahead.

He followed the call deeper into the Spirit Ocean.

There is no concept of time in the Spirit Ocean.

After walking for an indeterminate time, even the "appetite" expanded by the Glazed Glass Light couldn't bear the accumulating water pressure.

It felt like a long-accumulated exhaustion was gradually bursting from his heart.

It was a fatigue born from the heart, so tired it felt like his heart couldn't beat.

His steps became heavier, and thoughts flashed through his mind about stopping here forever...

In a trance.

He seemed to be back in last night's dream.

That towering Divine Tree, spanning infinite eons, with lush branches and leaves, supporting a realm of the Divine Country.

Branches served as paths, and leaves as laws.

It rooted in an unseen deep, piercing through thick fogs.

Such a spectacular scene truly shakes one's spirit!

Ji Jingqiu was dumbstruck on the spot, unsure whether the scene before him was illusion or reality.

Just then, that great Divine Tree, which seemed to sustain the entire Spirit Ocean, suddenly withered, and in an instant headed towards death, bringing dusk upon the Divine Country.

And above Ji Jingqiu's head, the Bodhi tree rooted in the Heart Lamp gently swayed, verdant and vibrant, though still not as large as a single leaf of the other, yet it was brimming with life.

The two, one decayed and one flourishing, coexisted in contrast.

…

…

As time passed by the minute and second.

Including Yang Yao, everyone had finished meditation and left the room.

Only Ji Jingqiu continued.

Sweat beads the size of soybeans began to appear on Zhang Chongba's round, full head.

Watching this scene, Yang Yan recalled the first time he guided Ji Jingqiu into meditation.

That time he waited four hours without seeing Ji Jingqiu's limit, and since it was getting late, he intervened to wake him.

All of a sudden, Yang Yan fell into silence.

He had earlier informed Ji Jingqiu to just keep going until he couldn't bear it.

But there is another possibility—

That is, the person responsible for guidance couldn't bear it first.