radicalducati 949. Ancient Tree Guidance
949. Ancient Tree Guidance
Looking at the ancient tree before him, Xiao Yan felt a surge of excitement. If he could seize this opportunity presented by the Bodhi Tree, he could further enhance his strength. Moreover, this opportunity wasn't limited to him alone; many in the alliance could use it to become even more powerful, and after that, he would no longer fear the Ancient Clan or the Soul Clan.
The blood feud of my second brother, the disgrace of the Xiao clan, and the old grudges of our ancestors will all be avenged. I will no longer have to live such a cautious and anxious life. I will be able to protect my family, my lover, and my clan.
Strength is the source of everything, and the opportunity to gain strength is right in front of you!
But the next moment, Xiao Yan suddenly sensed a familiar yet repulsive aura—the aura of the Soul Clan!
Xiao Yan was also surprised to find that he and Huo Zhi were suddenly too close to the Bodhi Tree. What seemed like a long distance before now appeared to be more than halfway there.
"No! Huo Zhi, stop!" Xiao Yan quickly shouted to Huo Zhi, who was heading towards the Bodhi Tree at an undiminished speed.
Huo Zhi heard this, but instead of stopping, she chuckled foolishly, "Xiao Yan, we need to hurry! That's the Bodhi Ancient Tree. I still need it to break through to Dou Sheng and avenge my clan!"
Seeing this, Xiao Yan knew that Huo Zhi was in the same boat as him, having lost her mind. Xiao Yan flashed to Huo Zhi's side, placed his hands on her shoulders, and transmitted his voice into her ear with his Dou Qi: "Huo Zhi, wake up! Something's wrong here!"
This telepathic transmission, imbued with fighting spirit, caused a constant buzzing in Huo Zhi's ears. Her previously slightly dazed eyes regained their clarity, and she finally noticed Xiao Yan staring intently at her right in front of her.
This close eye contact made Huo Zhi's heart race involuntarily. She turned her head and asked Xiao Yan, "Xiao Yan, what... what's wrong with you...?"
Seeing Huo Zhi's current behavior, Xiao Yan was certain that she was no longer in a hurry to continue towards the ancient tree, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Think carefully, what were we doing before?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Zhi gradually remembered that she and Xiao Yan had originally followed behind that group of people, letting them scout ahead. She had somehow forgotten all of that, only remembering that they needed to move forward and seize the opportunity presented by the Bodhi Ancient Tree.
"Something's strange!" Fire Child immediately realized after regaining consciousness.
"According to clan records, entering the Bodhi Tree does indeed present illusions that test one's will. We just didn't expect it to be this severe before we even got close!"
It should be noted that after Huo Zhi's trials in the Heavenly Tomb, he was already only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Dou Sheng, and his soul was considered powerful in the Spirit Realm. It is unexpected that he would still fall for it silently. The strength of this attraction is unimaginable.
"It is said that some people with strong obsessions will become deeply trapped in the illusion of the Bodhi Tree and unable to extricate themselves. When the Bodhi Tree disappears, they will directly become puppets who have lost all consciousness."
"Moreover, the Soul Clan has made their move here!"
Xiao Yan pointed to the ground and said, and Huo Zhi looked in the direction Xiao Yan described. Sure enough, there were traces of a battle. However, there were very few, and they might have been missed if one hadn't been paying close attention. These traces clearly occurred not long ago, indicating that the Soul Clan had fought here before.
After looking around for a while, Xiao Yan confirmed, "Apart from these few traces, there's nothing here. I feel that the Soul Clan must have cleaned it up beforehand."
"It seems this ancient Bodhi tree is truly extraordinary!"
Then Huo Zhi and Xiao Yan also noticed that everyone else was heading towards the Bodhi Tree without looking back. Clearly, they had encountered the same situation, and their greed for the Bodhi Tree had overwhelmed all other thoughts.
As the two observed closely, they discovered that as the hundreds of people approached the Bodhi Tree, a beam of light instantly appeared and absorbed them all.
Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi both saw the scene clearly, and then they looked at each other.
"That should be the first step in accepting the trial of the illusion, which is similar to the records within the clan."
Knowing that nothing unexpected had happened, Xiao Yan relaxed considerably and said to Huo Zhi, "Let's go now, but we must be careful to keep our minds clear. Losing the ability to think calmly in a place like this is definitely not a good thing."
Huo Zhi nodded in agreement. Having just experienced something, she naturally knew to be careful. At the same time, Huo Zhi glanced at Xiao Yan subtly. In truth, she always felt at ease whenever Xiao Yan was by her side.
Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi did not deliberately try to accelerate by taking to the air, but simply moved forward slowly. As they went deeper, apart from the powerful vitality emanating from the Bodhi Ancient Tree, Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi both felt a chilling aura.
The sudden appearance of this aura was extremely strange. Xiao Yan was certain it wasn't the work of the Soul Clan. If the Soul Clan's aura was chilling and nauseating, then this aura was one that made one feel uneasy all over, and a strange feeling arose in their hearts. This feeling wasn't strong, but it lingered in the hearts of experts like Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi, and they couldn't shake it off at all.
The two stopped and tried to drive it away once, but to no avail. In the end, Xiao Yan could only temporarily attribute this situation to the Bodhi Ancient Tree testing it from the outside. Since no other issues arose, the two continued forward.
As they continued forward, more details of the Bodhi Tree came into Xiao Yan's view. The withered bark and the rich life force always gave him a sense of incongruity. The lingering unease in his heart kept Xiao Yan on his toes.
Xiao Yan stared intently at the Bodhi Tree for a long time, trying to find the most important Bodhi Heart on the tree, but he had not yet made any discovery.
As Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi approached, a dazzling white light appeared instantly, so bright it was almost blinding, and instantly enveloped them.
Having already made their observations, the two were well-prepared and showed no signs of panic.
But the next moment, Xiao Yan discovered that all the fighting spirit in his body had completely disappeared.
Before Xiao Yan could react, the pillar of light rapidly shrank and then, with a "whoosh," returned to the tree like lightning.
With Xiao Yan and Huo Zhi gone, the space returned to its deathly silence, leaving only the ever-changing mist around the Bodhi Ancient Tree.