Wu Qingfeng was just as focused, his eyes fixed on every ripple and stir at the bottom of the lake.
In that moment, all sounds around him seemed to vanish.
Xiao Jin and the other little ones stood guard the whole time, making sure no one disturbed the two of them.
…
Down below, the fish and shrimp began swimming again, following the exact same rhythm as before.
Song Wanníng's brows furrowed tightly. She'd watched over a dozen cycles already, every movement and route repeating in perfect order, and she remembered them all clearly.
Somewhere deep inside, she felt there was a strange rhythm hidden in all this, but no matter how hard she tried to comprehend it, she just couldn't find the key.
Once again, she observed, trying to simulate the rhythm inside her sea of consciousness.
Hours passed, yet she still found nothing.
"This can't be right…"
Her face darkened, filled with confusion and frustration. That feeling of standing right at the threshold but unable to take the final step was maddening. After a moment of thought, she decided, If I can't comprehend it, why not try becoming part of it?
With her mind made up, she leapt straight into the lake.
The sudden splash startled Wu Qingfeng. He watched her sink into the depths, his thoughts racing. Did Song Wanníng discover something? Or was she just desperate?
This was the perfect chance to escape.
If he ran fast enough, even if he never found the Bodhi Tree, she wouldn't be able to kill him. But… something about that idea felt way too risky. There was something uncanny about Song Wanníng, something that set her completely apart from ordinary cultivators. In the end, he didn't run. He stayed put, forcing himself to keep studying.
At the bottom of the lake, Song Wanníng picked a fish and followed its movements and route, slowly imitating its swim. With a Water-Avoiding Pearl in her mouth, she wasn't bothered by the lake at all and could breathe freely. Her whole body swayed gracefully, like a mermaid, her figure shimmering dreamlike under the refracted light.
Even the weeds swayed along with her.
When she finished one cycle, she broke the surface, her eyes shining as if she'd finally found a direction. She still hadn't grasped the mystery, but for some reason, after one round of swimming, her mind felt clear and refreshed, her whole body light.
Taking a deep breath, she dove down again.
This time she chose another fish to imitate.
…
Time slipped by, and Wu Qingfeng eventually gave up completely. He sat slouched under a big tree, staring at her figure swimming below, and a deep sense of admiration welled up inside.
Now he finally understood how Song Wanníng advanced so fast. She'd been imitating fish at the lake's bottom for months without a hint of boredom or impatience. With so many fish and shrimp to follow, she changed to a new one each time, her spirit bright, her patience unshaken.
And him? He'd already given up last month, only pretending to persevere for another month to save face. But no matter how hard he studied, he couldn't spot a single flaw.
The Bodhi Tree was nowhere to be found.
"Sigh…"
Wu Qingfeng let out a long breath, the light in his eyes fading. He thought he could just move on and start fresh somewhere else, but who knew the Bodhi Tree would trap him like this? Now, all he could do was pray that Song Wanníng would spare his life.
Just as despair was setting in, the lake suddenly began to shake violently. The ground around them trembled with it. Countless fish and shrimp were blasted out of the water, thrown high into the air. The trees behind him vanished right before his eyes.
Wu Qingfeng froze, his eyes going wide as he stared at the lake.
A whirlpool had appeared at the bottom, spiraling upward.
Song Wanníng shot out of the water, her figure soaring into the air. Her expression was calm, but there was an aura about her that Wu Qingfeng couldn't understand. For one brief moment, it felt like a god had descended before him. He quickly shook his head, certain it was just his mind playing tricks on him.
When he looked again, that feeling was gone.
The whirlpool spread outward, waves surging so violently he could barely keep his balance. Wu Qingfeng hurried into the air, but before he could speak, the scene around them shifted in an instant. The towering trees and surging lake all disappeared, gone without a trace. In their place was endless white mist, with vague shadows of dense thickets hidden within.
"This…"
Wu Qingfeng's face tightened in shock. Was the illusion broken?
He quickly turned to Song Wanníng, even more shaken. She'd actually cracked it!
Song Wanníng herself was just as surprised, staring down at the rolling fog. There was no shortcut to breaking the illusion. All she could do was follow fish and shrimp, one after another, imitating their every move. She didn't even know how much time had passed, only that while she was in the lake, she became those creatures, free and filled with power. By the time she pulled herself out, the lake had already transformed.
Now, the real hiding place of the Bodhi Tree lay beneath the mist. Her lips pressed together. The Bodhi Tree must've developed sentience by now. Whether she could find it was uncertain, and even if she did, taking it away might be even harder.
After taking in her surroundings, she said to Wu Qingfeng, "Come on, let's head down and take a look."
Xiao Jin and the other little ones fluttered over, perching on her shoulder as they curiously scanned the misty world.
Wu Qingfeng followed her down, and the damp touch of the mist wrapped around them.
They both paused for a moment to adjust, then continued forward.
Everywhere was dense undergrowth, faint and shadowy in the fog, impossible to see clearly.
It had to be one of the Bodhi Tree's defensive methods.
"We'll split up."
Song Wanníng quickly parted ways with Wu Qingfeng, heading in the opposite direction. Back when she was comprehending, she hadn't paid him much mind, but she'd told Xiao Jin and the others to keep an eye on him. If he made any move to run, they'd kill him instantly, no hesitation.
To her surprise, Wu Qingfeng hadn't fled. He'd kept searching diligently. That alone had saved his life.
A cold glint flashed in her eyes, but vanished just as quickly as she pressed forward to keep searching for the Bodhi Tree.
The shrubs scratched at her robes as she pushed through, leaving marks behind. Her clothes weren't ordinary fabric, yet even they were being torn. That alone proved these bushes weren't ordinary at all.