I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 650 Bodhi Tree

The ancient trees, with their scarlet luster, reach for the sky, forming a dense, boundless forest.

It's hard to imagine that not long ago this place was a vast, desolate wasteland.

The black waters form mighty rivers that meander among ancient trees. The waters surge and roar as they rush into the distance.

Jiang Wen landed among the ancient trees, reaching out to stroke a hundred-zhang-tall, radiant tree. Its crown was like the morning glow, yet crimson as blood. It scattered and shook off the clouds and mist, with countless ephemeral leaves lurking within.

Although the tree looked strange, he felt nothing unusual when he touched it. It was just like an ordinary tree, growing in the wilderness.

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Jiang Wen asked in his mind.

In some ways, he is inferior to Jiang Su, such as in matters related to deities, where the other person, born from incense and sacrifice, is more suitable.

As expected, Jiang Su did notice something amiss.

“Your Excellency, these trees are indeed somewhat unusual,” Jiang Su replied. “If my intuition is correct, these ancient trees are absorbing that black water.”

"These things can absorb black water?" Jiang Wen was quite surprised to hear this.

He already knew that the black water was the corrupted blood of the gods. Although he was not afraid of the black water, he was also powerless against it.

On the contrary, these trees of light can not only grow inside the bodies of fallen immortals, but also absorb black water. Such abilities are extraordinary and not possessed by ordinary spiritual objects.

"If it can feed on black water, then the Fallen Immortal Land should be full of these ancient trees. But I have never seen them in the Fallen Immortal Land, which is rather strange." Jiang Wen chuckled, amused by his own guess.

Just as he said, if the Light Tree naturally feeds on black water, then the Fallen Immortal Land must be full of this tree. However, this tree is rare; Jiang Wen has only seen it twice. Not to mention in the Fallen Immortal Land, even within this Fallen Immortal's body, it is already considered rare.

"Although I don't know what the Fallen Immortal Land is like, I feel that these ancient trees must have some kind of limitation; they certainly didn't grow meaninglessly. Their gathering here indicates that there's an anomaly in the five internal organs of the Heavenly King of Growth. Perhaps we can find the cause and effect within these organs." Jiang Su sighed softly; she didn't know much about these matters. Although she inherited some of Jiang Wen's memories and was essentially born from the same body as the Venerable One, she was still essentially an outsider.

There are some things that Jiang Wen doesn't want others to know, and no one can know those secrets. Just like how she could see what Jiang Wen saw before she was discovered, but after he found out, she was isolated from the world. If the Venerable One hadn't determined that she was harmless, it's unknown how long she would have been imprisoned.

Jiang Wen agreed with what Jiang Su said. He also felt that this Heavenly King must have undergone a strange change, which caused this wood to grow in his internal organs.

Strolling among the ancient trees, I casually chopped down one of them.

The ancient tree's radiant canopy vanished instantly, and the scarlet fluorescent leaves scattered on the ground like bubbles before disappearing completely.

"Like a dream, a bubble, a shadow." Jiang Wen looked at the dissipating leaves and inexplicably thought of this phrase.

These seemingly dazzling things vanish without a trace once they fall, leaving no mark on the world.

He reached out and grabbed the ancient wood, then slashed it with his sword.

The ancient tree's massive body rapidly dissipated, eventually transforming into a wooden stick the size of a wrist.

The wooden stick was crimson like blood, with drops of vibrant green blood dripping from it. Jiang Wen reached out and caught a drop, only to find it was just a drop of ordinary resin. It possessed no spiritual energy and served no other purpose.

However, it was this stick carved from an ancient tree that piqued his interest.

Don't underestimate this ordinary wooden stick; it possesses the power to ward off evil and vanquish demons. Holding it in your hand brings peace and tranquility. It's like a whisk sweeping across a quiet platform, bringing unparalleled serenity.

"The mind is like a clear mirror." Jiang Wen murmured to himself as he gazed at the ancient tree.

"Venerable One, what's strange about this tree?" Jiang Su noticed that Jiang Wen's expression was as calm as still water, neither sad nor happy, and sensed something was amiss. So she spoke in her mind, interrupting his meditation.

“I think I roughly understand what this tree is.” Jiang Wen toyed with the wooden stick in his hand and suddenly smiled at Jiang Su. “Have you ever heard an ancient poem?” “What poem?”

"No Bodhi tree, nor stand mirror."

"Does Your Excellency mean that this tree is related to this poem?"

"Bodhi has no tree, it is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble. Look at these majestic ancient trees, if they fell into the mortal world, they would cease to exist," Jiang Wen said, pointing to the countless radiant ancient trees. "If I'm not mistaken, these ancient trees are the legendary Bodhi trees. It is said that Buddha meditated under the Bodhi tree for six years and finally attained enlightenment. I never thought that seeing these ancient trees again today would make me realize that they are Bodhi trees."

"If it were a Bodhi tree, how could it drink the blood of sentient beings?"

Thinking of the tragic state of the three northern prefectures of the Great Qian Dynasty, Jiang Wen couldn't help but feel puzzled. If these luminous trees were Bodhi trees, how could they be so karmic obstacles? Absorbing the lives of all living beings to create a forbidden zone stretching for thousands of miles. That scarlet earth was like hell; how could the word "tragic" be used to describe it?

"The Bodhi tree is a sacred tree in Buddhism, symbolizing life and wisdom. Venerable One, you might want to think more about why there has been such a great change?" Jiang Su replied after a moment of silence upon hearing Jiang Wen's question. "If even the Four Heavenly Kings in this world can be transformed into fallen immortals, what about the Bodhi tree? It was born within the body of this fallen immortal and feeds on black water. Transforming into an ordinary thing to nourish the world, isn't that in line with what Buddhism teaches?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang exclaimed in admiration, "Wonderful!"

Indeed, as Jiang Su said, everything in this world cannot be viewed through the lens of his own world. Although the fog is thick now, he can always see the end.

After putting away the wooden stick, Jiang Wen looked at the other ancient trees.

He felt this thing was so useful that it would be a waste not to get more. After thinking about it, he rolled up his sleeves. It swelled to a gigantic size of ten thousand feet in the wind, like a gluttonous feast.

With a flick of his sleeve, countless ancient trees were uprooted. Even within the body of the fallen immortal, his magic remained effective.

Once all the ancient trees within a hundred miles had been absorbed, Jiang Wen finally withdrew his Qiankun Divine Power from his sleeve with satisfaction.

It only costs 10,000 merit points, which is far too cheap compared to the Dharma form.

No ancient trees survived within a hundred miles, and the black water surged forth as if it were alive. Upon seeing this, Jiang Wen leaped up and flew away into the distance.

Jiang Wen couldn't see the end of the dirty world.

The Bodhi tree took root and sprouted within its body, eventually forming a vast forest, which brought life to this filthy world.

Jiang Wen even saw a strange creature—a red elk with antlers on its head.

It walked quietly under the ancient tree, nibbling on clumps of scarlet, weed-like down.

"The universe is formed from nothingness. I never imagined that the world within one's internal organs could evolve into such a form in such a short time." Upon seeing these sights, Jiang Wen felt a greater sense of awe towards these deities. It was hard to imagine that a world could evolve within a person's internal organs.

If he were still alive, what divine power he would possess. Further in, the time seemed endless.

Unable to fly, he could only move by leaping with his body.

Although it can leap hundreds of feet in a single bound, it is still not as fast as flying.

Time passed unnoticed as people wandered through this filth, yet the inscriptions on the stone tablet remained unchanged.

Fortunately, he could see the golden statue in the divine sea, and the remaining quarter of its golden light told Jiang Wen that his days were numbered.

He thought he was going to walk for a long time until he stopped.

(End of this chapter)