Song Wanníng tried snapping a branch from one of the shrubs and studied it carefully. She rifled through every classic in her sea of consciousness, but not a single one mentioned anything about this plant. Her brows lifted slightly. After thinking it over, she collected a few more shrubs and tossed them straight into her storage ring. Then, without wasting time, she pressed on with her search.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the thicket—
"Senior Sister, are you sure there's really a Bodhi Tree here?"
A boy's uncertain voice broke the silence. He was clearly still in the middle of his voice changing, sounding both young and awkward. Next to him walked a tall, voluptuous beauty with fiery red hair. Her presence alone was striking enough to stop someone in their tracks.
The beauty, Fang Wei, kept her eyes lowered, but the excitement on her face was impossible to hide. Ever since she'd picked up that Heavenly Book, her fortunes had turned around bit by bit. Now the Heavenly Book had pointed the way, and it claimed the Bodhi Tree was here.
The mist in front of her was exactly the same as the Heavenly Book's description. Just thinking about it filled her with even more confidence. But the plants here were viciously sharp. They hadn't been inside long before both she and the boy were scratched raw, leaving them bloodied and in a sorry state.
"Senior Sister, I don't know… this place feels weird."
The boy at her side muttered again. He didn't believe for a second that a legendary treasure like the Bodhi Tree could actually exist here. No one had ever even seen it before.
But Fang Wei's absolute certainty left him helpless.
"You don't understand. How could a place hiding treasure ever look like an ordinary spot?"
She shot him a cold glance. If she didn't need someone to help carry things, she wouldn't have brought anyone along. This Junior Brother of hers was insufferably chatty, always full of questions, buzzing in her ear until her head hurt. Just listening to him was annoying.
"Come on, let's speed up. We can't let someone else snatch it first!"
Her heart pounded wildly, as if the Bodhi Tree was already waving her over. But before long, the smile on her face froze. She'd spotted traces of someone else passing through. Broken branches scattered along the path. Could it be beasts roaming through here?
She'd rather it was that. Fang Wei raised a finger to her lips, signaling the boy to keep quiet. Her movements grew sharper and more cautious.
…
The mist thickened the deeper Song Wanníng went, and before long, even her divine sense stopped working. Her frown deepened, her expression turning grim.
Luckily, Long Ling was with her, able to vaguely sense the direction of spiritual objects. But the Bodhi Tree was anything but ordinary. Even Long Ling could only faintly detect it, unable to pin down the exact spot. Carefully avoiding the razor-sharp shrubs, she kept inching forward. Not long after, a faint rustling reached her ears.
Wu Qingfeng?
Her brows knitted tighter. She and Wu Qingfeng had agreed to split up, contacting each other only by message talisman if they found anything.
So it definitely wasn't him.
Someone else was here.
Her heart sank, and she instantly slipped into the shadows. Sure enough, after a while, a figure crept through the mist. It was a red-haired woman, her fiery hair impossible to miss. She moved carefully, scanning her surroundings like she expected someone to jump out at her any moment.
Song Wanníng's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She hadn't expected anyone else to show up. But she stayed hidden and watched quietly. Only when the woman passed by did she start tailing her from the shadows. It didn't take long before the red-haired woman pulled out a message talisman and whispered, "I haven't found the Bodhi Tree yet. I'll let you know once I do."
She tucked the talisman away immediately, then swept her gaze around the area with sharp vigilance before heading forward again.
Even in the thick fog, her route was steady and direct, without the slightest hesitation. Her only reaction was to keep scanning her surroundings like she feared someone might ambush her.
Song Wanníng's suspicion grew stronger.
This woman's appearance was far too coincidental. And the direction she was heading matched almost perfectly with Long Ling's vague sensing. Could it really be just luck?
Not a chance.
It seemed this woman already knew something. She might even know the Bodhi Tree's exact location. A faint glimmer lit Song Wanníng's eyes. She'd been worrying about finding the Bodhi Tree's exact position, and now someone had shown up to lead the way.
Perfect. She'd just follow and see where it went.
Her mind made up, she stayed carefully hidden, trailing after the red-haired woman.
Two full hours passed. The woman never once faltered, walking as if someone were guiding her step by step, winding through the fog with ease.
But eventually, perseverance paid off.
The moment she stepped through the last layer of mist, she froze.
Fang Wei stood stunned as well, staring blankly ahead, unable to move her eyes away.
A towering tree pierced the sky, its entire form steeped in endless Dao rhythm. A soft golden glow shimmered around it, scattering flowing light across the entire space. The whole world seemed to drown in Dao resonance. Its trunk was smooth and flawless, neither wood, stone, nor jade, something entirely unique. The natural Dao patterns flowing across its bark seemed alive, shifting endlessly.
Even the leaves shimmered with changing colors as the light touched them. When the breeze brushed past, the tree rustled with a sound like sacred chanting.
The wondrous melody of the Bodhi.
Song Wanníng stood at a distance, her heart overwhelmed with awe.
As expected of something tied to the Dao itself. No ordinary treasure could ever compare. Her eyes shone with sharp light, and she was just about to step forward when Fang Wei snapped out of her daze, jumping in place and spinning in excitement.
"It really is the Bodhi Tree! Hahaha, I'm so lucky!
The Heavenly Book of No Words was right! The Bodhi Tree's here. As long as I claim its heart, I'll comprehend the Dao and ascend in a single step! Hahaha!"
Fang Wei nearly burst into hysterical laughter, unable to contain her joy. But she forced herself to calm down and circled the Bodhi Tree at a distance. "So it's true. To find the tree's heart, I have to sacrifice my own heart."
A glint of cold light flashed in her eyes. She immediately took out her message talisman and sent word to her Junior Brother, ordering him to come at once. The boy had no idea what she was plotting. The instant he heard the tree was found, he was so excited he could barely contain himself.
"Wait for me, I'll be right there!"
As the talisman went quiet, Fang Wei's eyes locked on the Bodhi Tree with unshakable determination.
"My chance has finally arrived. I can't let anything go wrong now."
She hadn't forgotten the strange signs she noticed earlier. Her nerves stretched tight, and she once again scanned the misty surroundings.
But with Song Wanníng's divine sense already at the Mahayana stage, and her deliberately suppressing her presence, Fang Wei didn't sense a thing.