Becoming a Deity from Planting the Bodhi Tree

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down from his forehead.

Zhang Chongba wiped the sweat from his head, feeling somewhat drenched in sweat all over his back.

To enter meditation through Pan Ding should not result in a situation where Pan Ding cannot hold up, even if it was weakened by guiding others into meditation.

Who would believe this if it got out?

Previously, the second uncle mentioned that Qiu had a great talent for spiritual cultivation, which he agreed with.

After all, those who could ignite their Heart Fire in the Body Refining Stage were either incredibly lucky or extremely talented in spiritual cultivation.

But damn it, no matter how talented you are, you shouldn't be "swimming" for four hours on your first venture into the sea!

Just as Zhang Chongba was about to reach his limit, his spirits suddenly lifted as he felt the swift return of his spirit god's fluctuations.

Hmm...

It wasn't drawn back by force after depleting his strength; it came back on its own, indicating that there was still energy left.

Realizing this, Zhang Chongba was relieved that he had not lost face, but also felt a hint of regret.

The depth first reached will become the initial anchor point for the martial artist in the Sea of Souls.

Entering the Spirit Ocean again, one can directly lock onto this coordinate, saving the time wasted on the outskirts.

Securing a new anchor point later on comes at no small cost.

Of course, even if Ji Jingqiu continued to persist, the difference wasn't significant.

After all, he himself couldn't last much longer...

It was merely a matter of a few seconds earlier or later.

If Ji Jingqiu had not returned by then, to be safe, he would have to forcefully pull him back.

Venturing deep for the first time without someone to guide you back poses too great a risk of getting lost.

Seeing Ji Jingqiu gaining consciousness, Master Yang asked impatiently:

"How was it? Did you enter the Shallow Layer?"

Zhang Chongba thought to himself that his second uncle's question was completely pointless.

Four hours!

Even if you take three steps forward and one step back, even if you wander off a bit, you should have reached the Shallow Layer!

If there were no setbacks on the way and the pace was faster, entering the Deep Layer was highly probable.

Heh, to enter the Deep Layer of the Spirit Ocean on the first dive...

That future Arrogant Sun who was praised to the skies by those old men at the dojo, after comprehending the essence of the Dragon Tiger Cloud Map, took just two hours on his first journey into the Spirit Ocean to reach the Shallow Layer with the protection of two Divine Monarchs.

With this in mind, Zhang Chongba suddenly became thoughtful.

He wondered how well his brother was gifted in the Martial Arts realm...

Ji Jingqiu gradually came to his senses.

According to what Master Yang had said—

The periphery is a bottomless, pitch-black abyss.

In the Shallow Layer, you can see faint luminescence in the distance.

Once you reach the Deep Layer, there will be lines at your feet, flowing with magma-like bright light, guiding martial artists toward the Extreme Abyss.

As for the current limit of human exploration—the Extreme Abyss, it is a territory established by the Federation's All Gods.

Ji Jingqiu didn't rush to speak.

Diving deep for four hours in one go had left him unable to recover for a while, as if there was a barrier between his body and spirit, similar to game character lag.

While he was adjusting, he was also organizing the last images he saw in his mind.

Seeing that he hadn't fully recovered, both Master Yang and Zhang Chongba tacitly did not disturb him further.

The first time you enter the Spirit Ocean, it is easy to see all sorts of bewildering things.

Over the years, there have been martial artists who, after seeing things too strange and beyond their understanding, fell into madness and lunacy.

Ji Jingqiu recalled the last image he saw, full of confusion in his heart.

Was that towering ancient tree real, or just an illusion of the mind?

If it was real, why would such a majestic, towering tree wither so suddenly, and even the Divine Country rooted upon it fade to death?

And if it was real, wouldn't he have stepped into the Abyss Zone?

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Soon, Ji Jingqiu pushed all these questions aside.

He thought of his own little Bodhi Tree.

His own little Bodhi Tree was a nascent form of Martial Arts Divine Power that came with the Fire House Buddha Hell Visualization Method.

And the Fire House Buddha Hell Visualization Method wasn't exclusive to him; it was passed down by Elder Mu.

That Bodhi Tree rooted in the Spirit Ocean, could it be cultivated by other martial artists who practice the Fire House Buddha Hell Visualization?

The thought of this possibility filled Ji Jingqiu with envy.

How much fertilizer must have been provided, for the Bodhi Tree to grow so vast that it stretched from the Pure Land into a Divine Country?

He truly wanted to know who that predecessor was, and what their realm was – Heart Image or Heavenly Master?

What concerned Ji Jingqiu the most was why the Bodhi Tree withered away in an instant.

This fleeting change gave him an illusion that withering was its true nature; the previously seen lush branches and the exalted Divine Country were just bygone glories of the past that no longer existed.

Though the brightness is extinguished, the lamp still remains.

That was probably the idea.

Ji Jingqiu slowly exhaled a breath.

Does this also mean that one day in the future, his own little Bodhi Tree could also support a Divine Country Pure Land?

After the gap between his spirit and body felt bridged, Ji Jingqiu did some light stretching.

"I must have entered the Deep Layer," Ji Jingqiu concluded.

Hearing Ji Jingqiu's words, Master Yang smiled and nodded, Zhang Chongba smiled with relief, moved that his efforts hadn't been drained in vain.

With his coordinates set in the Deep Layer, Ji Jingqiu was destined to progress much faster in spiritual cultivation than his peers.

This was winning at the starting line!

Ji Jingqiu wasn't sure if he had ventured into the Extreme Abyss; theoretically, no martial artist could step into the Extreme Abyss on their first visit to the Sea of Souls, unless they were a True God's Divine Chosen.

But he indeed saw the intense light of the Deep Layer.

Those lines, better described as traces or imprints than patterns.

"Water pressure, firewood? Did you read that on a forum?" Zhang Chongba chuckled,

"This thing's referred to in all sorts of ways, depending on the person. I've heard someone call it 'Void', believing that one perceives all things in serenity as the void, and perceives the void in movement as mundane dust.

Others say this is 'Loneliness', proposing that it's about eroding away solitary misery with the Heart Lamp, achieving detachment from the world and ascending, ultimately becoming either a wild beast or a deity."

"Whichever it is, it really just depends on the martial artist's own attitude, on how they perceive the Sea of Souls and their approach to spiritual cultivation."

"There isn't a fixed answer for this thing, but it all can be seen as honing one's own heart."

Ji Jingqiu fell into thought.

Master Yang said, "Let's go, first we'll eat. There are many things regarding do's and don'ts that I need to explain to you over the meal."

Only then did Ji Jingqiu realize that he was already starving.

The three of them headed to the dining hall. By this time, Luo Xi and Zhang Xingshan had finished their meal and were at the training grounds rehearsing the sensation from this morning's meditation.

At the dining table, the three ate with speed. Master Yang cautioned Ji Jingqiu not to try entering the Sea of Souls for the next few days and to quietly wait for the Heart Lamp to burn through the accumulated firewood.

In the afternoon, Zhang Chongba found an excuse and left to restore his Spirit God power.

Nobody in Taian City knew that Li Buyi would come knocking; he had to maintain his peak combat power at all times.

Taking his place was Leng Dao.

Carrying some gifts, Leng Dao paid a visit to Master Yang.

Faced with Ji Jingqiu's questions, Leng Dao thought for a while and said:

"I can't tell you what it is, because this question is meaningless to me, as long as you just keep cultivating.

But I can tell you what you can gain from it."

Leng Dao raised his blade and slowly uncovered an inch of the edge.

The moment the long sword was drawn from the sheath, Ji Jingqiu faintly heard a Dragon Roar and Tiger Roar, and a chill instantly filled the room, making the temperature plummet.

This sword didn't seem like a cold weapon but a living creature, with an indomitable spirit residing within, its slight tremor resonating with his heartbeat.

Leng Dao uttered each word distinctly:

"When the Heart Lamp is at its brightest, the god within one's heart can be seen."

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