25: Chapter 25 The Figure in the Tree Canopy

Li Xiuyuan did not know how long he had been sleeping.

When his consciousness floated up from the boundless darkness, he felt as if this sleep had been as long as an epoch.

He summoned Gu Xiao, and upon inquiring, learned that he had actually slept for a full ten years.

Gu Xiao stood on the mountainside, looking up at the massive, indistinct silhouette looming in the mist, his expression complex.

He took the initiative to bring up the events of ten years ago, his words tinged with a hint of guilt.

Although that matter had no direct connection to him, he had been far away at Dongting Lake at the time and failed to return in time.

Li Xiuyuan did not blame him at all. He understood the principle that possessing a treasure can invite trouble; with the spiritual energy of Yunfeng Mountain being so abundant, it was only natural that others would covet it.

However, he did not place any more trust in Gu Xiao. He had originally thought that finding a backer would make things easier, but now it seemed that no matter how good a backer was, they could not appear the moment trouble struck.

To forge iron, one must be strong oneself; this principle remains unchanged throughout the ages.

Gu Xiao sensibly did not stay long; after briefly introducing the changes of the past ten years, he took his leave.

Ten years is not long, but it is definitely not short either. Especially in this rapidly changing era, ten years is enough to do many things.

In these ten years, more powerful Rising Beingss had appeared one after another in the Xia Kingdom, and detailed divisions for the realms of Rising Beingss had also been established.

The realms of Rising Beingss are ranked as Mortal, Beast, Demon, Spirit, Desolate, Calamity, Source, Ancient, and Deity.

To rank into the Spirit Rank, one not only needs to break through their own bloodline but also requires a connection to an ancient bloodline, while simultaneously nurturing the inner core of a Rising Beings.

Li Xiuyuan could indeed be ranked in the Spirit Rank, because not only had he completed his Flood Dragon Transformation, but in these ten years, he had also successfully nurtured an inner core.

After Gu Xiao left, Li Xiuyuan lowered his head to examine himself.

In the darkness, a message emerged:

[ Bloodline Level: 4 ]

[ Spiritual Energy Value: 1 / 10000 ]

[ You have now successfully completed your Flood Dragon Transformation. You need to become the Dragon Lord of a body of water and wait for the opportunity to evolve from a Jiao Dragon into a true dragon. ]

[ You already have the strength to become the master of a domain. You can absorb Spiritual Energy Value from the living beings within your domain daily; the stronger the being, the more Spiritual Energy Value they provide. ]

[ You have acquired a new Innate Supernatural Power: Mirage Qi. ]

Mirage Qi was something Li Xiuyuan comprehended after breaking through his bloodline and nurturing his inner core.

A Jiao Dragon can exhale breath to form pavilions and turn mist into city walls; this is Mirage Qi.

As for the inner core, it is something all Rising Beingss possess.

When they grow to a certain stage, Rising Beingss will condense an inner core. Its effect is not only to aid in cultivation but also to connect to their origin bloodline.

This strand of bloodline connects to the Innate Supernatural Power of their ancient ancestors. Li Xiuyuan's Mirage Qi is one such power, and the thick mist surrounding Yunfeng Mountain is actually Mirage Qi.

At this moment, heavy footsteps rang out. The footsteps were extremely fast; within just a few breaths, they had passed through the layers of thick mist and arrived at the mountaintop.

"Awoo!"

A gray shadow rushed out from the mist, excitedly howling at the sky.

Li Xiuyuan looked at it, thinking he had seen it wrong. After examining it carefully for a moment, he asked, "Why do you seem to have shrunk?"

In his memory, Ao Wu was the size of a small hill, majestic and awe-inspiring. But the Ao Wu before him was indeed shorter than before, and his build was more compact and robust.

"My bloodline has broken through," Ao Wu said.

Li Xiuyuan understood. So that was it. Ao Wu's bloodline level should be 3 now, and his strength was already considerable. As for his size shrinking, it was likely related to his bloodline breakthrough.

At that time, Ao Wu had suffered severe injuries and was almost on his last breath. After that battle, the sacred tree in Phoenix Mountain brought vitality, forcibly sustaining Ao Wu's life. Then, the little monk from Phoenix Temple came to Yunfeng Mountain and used supreme Buddhist techniques to heal Ao Wu.

"The little monk is a good person," Li Xiuyuan said.

Ao Wu nodded; it was indeed so.

The White Flood Dragon and the Mountain Wolf traveled together through the mountain mist, arriving at Phoenix Mountain next door from Yunfeng Mountain.

The temple on the mountain still had thriving incense, and after people accepted the reality of the Spiritual Energy Recovery, even more people came to offer incense and worship Buddha.

Because the temple's power of vows was truly effective.

Jingxin stood in front of the main hall, his plump, fair face filled with smiles as he warmly greeted every pilgrim. He hadn't changed much compared to ten years ago; he was still round and cheerful, though there was a bit more tranquility between his brows.

After greeting the pilgrims who were lighting lamps to pray, Jingxin turned, walked through the main hall, and went alone to the temple's backyard.

The backyard was quiet, feeling like a different world from the hustle and bustle in front.

Mountain mist swirled around, like gauze and curtains.

That massive white figure appeared and disappeared in the mist, its scales shimmering with a faint glow, as if it were white jade condensed from the mist.

Jingxin pressed his palms together and bowed slightly. "Amitabha, Benefactor White, we meet again."

Seeing Jingxin, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but recall that night at Phoenix Mountain, the first time he saw this kid, who had been so scared he nearly wet himself.

"My surname is Li," Li Xiuyuan said.

A deep, resonant voice came from the mist.

Jingxin was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. "You can speak now?"

Li Xiuyuan said, "Yes. Where is your master?"

A trace of reminiscence flashed in Jingxin's eyes, yet he was neither sad nor happy. "Master passed away a few years ago, and I have now inherited his mantle."

Li Xiuyuan was silent for a moment.

He had a decent impression of that old monk. Even though he knew there was a treasure on Phoenix Mountain, he never harbored greed; in fact, to some extent, he had been helping him guard that sacred tree.

"You should have some connection with that sacred tree, right?" Li Xiuyuan asked.

Jingxin said, "Yes. The reason I met Benefactor Li that night was due to the guidance of that sacred tree. It should have a connection to the Buddha."

He looked up toward the depths of the mist, his gaze seeming to penetrate the rocks and trees, landing on that hidden cave. "That sacred tree conveyed great compassion to me. During the days when I was healing Ao Wu, I faintly glimpsed the outline of a Bodhisattva and heard the Bodhisattva preaching, from which I comprehended supreme Buddhist Dharma."

He paused and smiled slightly. "Thanks to that sacred tree, Phoenix Temple now has thriving incense, and my fellow brothers in the temple find it easier to comprehend the Buddhist Dharma."

His plump, fair face revealed a hint of indescribable clarity at this moment.

Li Xiuyuan listened quietly without interrupting.

After bidding farewell to Jingxin, he turned and swam toward that cave.

Ao Wu followed behind him, his pace light and swift.

The cave was deep; the further in they went, the dimmer the light became.

Passing the last bend, the view suddenly opened up, and the sacred tree stood in the center of the cave.

Ten years later, it had grown exceptionally lush.

Its canopy blocked out the sky, almost filling the entire top of the cave. The branches and leaves were layered, thick and dense, with every leaf shimmering with a faint golden halo. These halos intertwined like lanterns, illuminating the entire cave brightly.

But what truly made it impossible to look away was the aura contained within that light.

The aura was gentle, making all distracting thoughts in one's heart involuntarily subside upon seeing it.

Li Xiuyuan swam closer slowly.

The sacred tree seemed to sense his arrival and gently shook its branches and leaves.

In an instant, the leaves of the entire tree trembled simultaneously, and golden light spread out like ripples, covering the entire cave.

In the depths of that light, amidst the gentle trembling of the branches and leaves, Li Xiuyuan sensed a faint, ethereal Buddhist nature.

Most strangely, when the leaves trembled gently, faint Sanskrit chants could be heard.

Li Xiuyuan gazed at the sacred tree and for a moment actually had a hallucination: it seemed as if a Bodhisattva was sitting in the canopy, chanting compassionate scriptures day and night without stopping.

He blinked, and his pale golden vertical pupils suddenly constricted.

This was no hallucination; in the tree canopy, there was indeed a figure sitting.