Chapter 1416: 丈六 Bodhi

The Spring of Life gurgled, its liquid clear and translucent. Mists steamed up, and immortal radiance permeated the air. This was a place inherently linked to the Dao, naturally allowing one to comprehend its principles and practice its methods.

The surface of the sea was calm and peaceful, but undercurrents surged beneath. Ye Fan was drawing forth wisps of killing intent from the Spring of Life, attempting to use them to refine the Bodhi seed.

The seed had already sprouted a tender shoot, over an inch tall. It was lush green, vibrant, and as fresh and delicate as rosy clouds, yet it gushed forth life essence like a vast ocean. Although barely an inch tall, its immense and unfathomable depth was astounding. Immortal medicine, truly, could not be judged by ordinary standards.

"No, I must hurry!" Ye Fan's expression changed. He discovered a terrifying fact: the extremely faint and vague will within the Bodhi seed had grown stronger as the seed took root and sprouted.

This was a dreadful omen. If the seed were to transform into a true ancient Bodhi tree, wouldn't the will within it truly grow vast and powerful?!

A will suspected to belong to Sakyamuni or Emperor Amitabha—if it truly nourished itself and grew immense, it could be a disaster for Ye Fan.

This was a will undergoing nirvana!

First, Ye Fan isolated the area, blocking off above, below, and the four directions, cutting off the supply of essence. This prevented the seed from absorbing the essence from the Spring of Life and growing rapidly.

Then he quickly refined the Spring of Life, not to draw out its energy, but to extract wisps of black mist from it — the auras of the four murderous swords.

The black mist contained peerless killing intent; even though it was merely the weakest threads, it was still terrifying.

Ye Fan activated the "Soldier" character secret art, treating the Bodhi seed as if it were divine iron to be forged and melted. He used the killing aura of the four swords as fire, tempering and refining it in countless ways.

This was very effective. The will within the seed seemed to sense the danger, instantly becoming somewhat clearer, and a profound Daoistic aura emanated from it, causing alarm.

"This... this is truly defying the heavens!" The Dragon Horse and the others were shocked.

This wisp of will was almost negligible in its weakness, yet it could spread such terrifying Dao marks. If its true owner were to descend, who in this world could stop them?

"Come and help me!" Ye Fan called out.

Without needing further words, Pang Bo and the Twelve Saints had already sat down, refining the Spring of Life, which was as crystal clear as immortal liquid, and extracting wisps of black mist with bone-chilling killing intent.

Ye Fan carefully guided it; even the weakest sword aura could not be underestimated, otherwise, it could cause great trouble, as it originated from an emperor-level artifact.

"The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords are too powerful," Pang Bo murmured, longing for them but not daring to take them. "The killing intent they emanate is perfect for grinding away this vague will of unknown origin."

He had come to terms with reality: no one in this world could truly move the four murderous swords; approaching them would surely lead to death. Only by obtaining the formation diagram could the four swords be made to recognize him.

The process lasted a full half-month. Although the vague will was somewhat worn away, it remained indestructible, even using the Bodhi to nourish itself and recover.

Everyone found it baffling. It was clearly very weak, not even as strong as the will of an ant, yet it could not be eradicated. This filled them with profound dread.

More than once, they wondered, if the true owner of this will were to appear, how immensely powerful would they be? Could it truly be an Emperor?!

"No, we must use those four murderous swords," Ye Fan stated.

Of course, he wasn't recklessly provoking the immortal swords. After all, they were terrifying killing weapons, capable of splitting the God Refining Pot and sending it flying into the depths of the universe. They could easily cut down suns, moons, and stars; it was far too dangerous.

Ye Fan, holding the ghost lamp, slowly approached the murderous swords. He clearly saw the scenes of immortal slaughter on their dark red bodies, and the image of ten thousand spirits lying dead etched on their backs sent chills to his very bones.

The further they went, the denser the killing intent became. The black mist they extracted grew stronger, which they used to grind away the vague will.

In the end, they were utterly horrified because a visible wisp of faint sword aura overflowing from the four murderous swords directly reached the Bodhi seed, bringing with it an aura of heaven and earth collapsing, of the universe being on the verge of destruction.

However, such terrifying killing aura was actually absorbed by the Bodhi seed—more precisely, resisted by that faint will. This simply defied all logic.

"This seed definitely has problems, and massive ones at that!" Pang Bo felt a chill down his spine.

How immense was the killing intent of the Four Swords! Although only a faint wisp flowed over, the fact that it didn't immediately destroy that will already indicated a major issue.

Such a will constantly accompanying them was undoubtedly an enormous threat. It simply could not be removed by relying on Saint King-level power, a situation more severe than they had imagined.

"Again!"

Ye Fan moved forward, drawing the sword aura closer. The four dark red murderous swords seemed to be reawakening. The sounds of all beings weeping and gods and demons wailing echoed in their ears, and the bloody scenes of immortal slaughter seemed to reappear in reality!

"The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords are too terrifying," Pang Bo sighed deeply, wishing he could take them into his hands. "They haven't even fully revived, yet merely sitting there, they create such dreadful phenomena."

"Buzz!"

A vibrating hum emanated from within the Bodhi seed, and then Buddhist chants resounded mightily, as if a majestic ancient Buddha was chanting sutras. Vast waves of Dao energy spread out.

Clearly, this agitated a wisp of killing intent in the four murderous swords, and the black sword aura rushing over became thicker. This made the Dragon Horse and the others tremble with fear, knowing that if it accidentally struck them, they would likely be annihilated, body and soul.

Ye Fan summoned the damaged green cauldron, allowing everyone, including himself, to hide inside, as it was otherwise too dangerous.

A magnificent ancient building appeared. The Great Thunderclap Temple was incredibly real, and Mount Sumeru also emerged, suppressing the ancient heavens for eons. Buddhist chants shook the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

"This... this is clearly the weakest wisp of a vague will, how can it be so powerful?!" The Golden Lion, recalling its ancestor's past, felt uneasy.

"Clang!"

One of the murderous swords hummed softly, and a very faint wisp of iridescent light flew out. That was an unparalleled power of slaughter, capable of severing the lives of the most outstanding talents of that era.

This hum reverberated through the sky, making the entire universe seem to tremble. It plunged into the seed, colliding with the vague will.

With a soft sound, a wisp of misty light shattered, and the vague will vanished like smoke, obliterated by one of the dark red murderous swords, becoming a thing of the past.

Ye Fan let out a long breath and quickly retreated, still holding the ghost lamp. This killing intent was too terrifying; even while hidden within the green cauldron, he felt his bones might shatter and his body rip apart, and his primordial spirit felt on the verge of being severed.

One must understand that the four murderous swords were not targeting them, yet this aura was unbearable.

Pang Bo sighed in awe, saying, "The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords are likely the strongest killing artifacts of all time. Could those bloody 'Slaying Immortal' images on their bodies actually be real?!"

The moment the wisp of will in the Bodhi seed was obliterated, in a vast wasteland within the ancient Amitabha star domain, inside an ancient temple submerged in weeds, the forehead of a stone statue cracked with a crisp sound.

And on the shoulder of the stone statue sat a golden fierce bird. It abruptly opened its eyes; its golden gaze, more blazing than lightning, actually tore through tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers!

Upon closer inspection, it was an ancient Golden-Winged Roc, yet only a foot long. Standing on the statue's shoulder, it shone brilliantly, radiating a grand aura of swooping down on the sun and moon.

Time passed quickly; three years slipped away. During this period, the Sea of Suffering became increasingly terrifying, attracting countless experts.

Hundreds of races and tens of thousands of cultivators arrived; this, of course, only counted those qualified to enter the sea. There were even more on the shores of the black ocean.

Among them, there were more Great Saints and young Supremes than before, as people from wider star domains had arrived, seeking to seize the Ancient Tree of Life and take away Emperor-level artifacts. Experts entered the ancient mythical domain in droves.

Bloodshed was inevitable, much more brutal than before. Battles for ancient ships and the plundering of secret treasures from various races occurred daily, as dark and tragic events unfolded constantly.

During this period, Great Saint Grey Flood Dragon, Golden Toad, Heavenly Dog, and others, who had always preyed on others, finally got their eyes pecked out by the geese. While dealing with a junior, they encountered several Great Saints from that ancient domain. They were relentlessly pursued and attacked, constantly hunted for three years, leaving a trail of blood.

During these three years, the Eye of the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Spring of Life remained peaceful, with constant swirls of essence appearing as two divine medicines grew.

The Qilin divine medicine exuded purple qi. Its strong roots and stems were anchored in the void, drawing the essence of the Spring of Life. It grew nine leaves, each transparent and luminous, resembling a purple Qilin.

It grew to a foot tall in two years, and its height never changed thereafter; only its essence grew increasingly vigorous, like a surging purple divine ocean.

An immortal medicine typically requires at least several millennia to mature. After budding and leafing out, the Qilin medicine had taken its embryonic form and stopped growing wildly.

Even this place, the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Spring of Life, providing the most optimal growth conditions for divine medicine, could not make it mature in just a few years.

Even if it could shorten the maturation period, it couldn't be too exaggerated. According to their most conservative estimates, it would still take several centuries, provided these conditions remained constant.

Its green leaves swayed, rustling, as verdant light flickered and wisps of Dao energy descended. The Bodhi tree seemed carved from jade, its entire body glowing with a vibrant, glistening green.

It was a tree rumored to be able to reach into the clouds. Currently, it was only a sapling, precisely sixteen feet tall – a subtle and significant number.

Ye Fan had been sitting cross-legged beneath the tree for a full three years without moving. He was comprehending the Dao, creating his own methods, intending to forge a different path.

Beneath the Bodhi tree, a man sat with closed eyes, still as a boulder. He possessed a special aura, as wisps of Daoistic insights overflowed from his body, spreading into the distance.

The Twelve Saints and others were also cultivating beneath the Bodhi tree, though none remained motionless for three years like him. Everyone gained greatly, for this was a pure land for comprehending the Dao.

Finally, Ye Fan stirred. Great Dao rhythms emanated from within him, and scriptures resonated spontaneously beneath the Bodhi tree, presenting an auspicious sign of enlightenment, with various Dao lights dancing.

Ye Fan's Wheel of Sea radiated immortal brilliance, extending outwards and rumbling like a great bronze bell. This was him expanding his Dao, forging his own path.

Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, the Heavenly Scorpion, and others trembled, all showing astonished expressions. The immortal brilliance steamed and spread outwards, not activating the Dao Palace secret realm, but extending towards his four limbs.

The moment Ye Fan opened his eyes, two golden streaks of lightning tore through the void. His Wheel of Sea secret realm transformed into a shining Tai Chi immortal diagram, brilliant as the sun.

This was originally the primordial place of all things in the human body, and now, streaks of light spread towards his four limbs, for this place was the source of divine power.

On Ye Fan's four limbs, ancient characters appeared one after another. Each seemed to have crossed ancient time and space to arrive, imprinted upon the four extremes of the human body, and the sound of scriptures was ceaseless.

Initially, the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise appeared, corresponding to his body's four extremes. They fused with him, granting him the power to support the heavens and destroy the earth, boundlessly terrifying.

Various chaotic lightning bolts flew about, transforming into ancient symbols imprinted on his four limbs. His entire being resembled a god-demon, his flesh glowing luminously, and his thick black hair wildly swirling.

Then, everything became still. This wildness vanished, the sharp divine radiance in his eyes receded, and Great Dao scriptures emerged, densely etched onto the four extremes of his body. They then unified, and an aura of the Great Dao's ultimate simplicity permeated the air.

The next moment, a new change occurred. Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water corresponded to his body's four extremes. Thunder rumbled, shaking the world, and chaos was boundless. This place resembled a primordial ancient realm.

Ye Fan's four limbs vibrated, and strong winds and thunder arose. Scriptures resonated spontaneously, and the divine sounds of the Dao were ceaseless. With all four limbs moving in unison, he seemed to be creating heaven and earth, attempting to expand this ancient realm.

Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water rotated, overlapping with his body's four extremes, and chaotic mists blurred the view. He opened up this world, truly as if he had reopened a new realm.

"This is his scripture!" the Twelve Saints exclaimed in shock and admiration. "He's not entering the Dao Palace, but cultivating the Four Extremes first! He hasn't even reached perfection, yet he has already manifested such profound mysteries! Unbelievable!"