Middle Stage of Nascent Soul

"Huff..."

Looking at the dazed Hui Xing, Su Min descended from the now-dissolved barrier. Having reached the Nascent Soul stage and not consuming two pills at once this time, the backlash wasn't as agonizing as before—no rolling on the ground in pain like last time. Still, the toll was significant. She needed to fully dissolve the medicinal energy within her body.

"Amitabha. Hui Ming, escort Benefactor Su back to her room to rest. As for Hui Xing, come with me. May this failure serve as a lesson. Meditation under the Bodhi Tree will wait until your injuries have fully healed. This battle was a valuable experience for you—perhaps it may even help you advance further."

"Understood."

After hearing Kong Chen's words, Su Min turned and left. The monks here were restrained—after all, this was a Buddhist sect. Their cultivation emphasized discipline, so they remained composed in all matters.

If this had been an ordinary sect, there would have been either cheers or curses, and some might have even clamored to become her followers. But the Buddhist sect was different. And considering she had just shattered their senior brother's body, it was best to keep a low profile. Besides, after any major battle, reflection was the best opportunity for a cultivator to improve.

Thus, Su Min quickly entered a temporary state of seclusion to refine the lingering medicinal energy in her body. If left unchecked, it could affect her future progress. And if possible, she might even advance further.

Seven days later, Su Min opened her eyes again. She had completely purged the residual medicinal effects, and her cultivation had improved slightly.

"Progress in the Nascent Soul stage is truly difficult—it requires slow accumulation over time. Unfortunately, time isn't on my side. Well, no matter. I should go find them now."

Muttering to herself, she stepped out of the meditation chamber. She wasn't picky about living conditions—as long as they weren't outright disgusting, she could adapt.

Click.

As the door opened, she saw a young novice waiting outside.

"Benefactor, I will now escort you to the Great Thunder Temple's sacred ground. Please follow me and do not stray."

"Thank you."

Su Min was slightly surprised. She hadn't sensed this young monk at all. But given the Buddhist sect's ancient heritage and mastery of reincarnation techniques, this might be a powerful figure from a past era. Who could say?

She decided to remain cautious. After all, even the Fallen ones had never dared attack Buddhist territories, and the moment the Fallen Immortals descended, their first act was to eradicate the Buddhist sects. Clearly, there was something within the Buddhist teachings that even the Fallen Immortals feared—though she didn't know what. Her knowledge only extended to the game's 1.0 version.

As Su Min's thoughts wandered, the young novice raised his hand, and a lotus platform rose beneath her feet. Without waiting for her response, it carried her high into the sky, passing through layers of mystical barriers until they arrived in a mist-shrouded, otherworldly realm.

"Benefactor, this is the true core of the Great Thunder Temple—Mount Sumeru. Do you see that ancient tree? That is the Sacred Bodhi Tree."

Following the young monk's gaze, Su Min saw a towering tree. She compared it mentally to the Fusang Divine Tree she had encountered before—both were equally majestic. The Fusang Tree contained the bloodline of the Golden Crow, but what mysteries did this Bodhi Tree hold? She was curious.

"The Benefactor has seen such wonders before? Could it be due to the Eastern Azure Wood?"

The young monk smiled as he observed her interest.

"No, it was the Fusang Divine Tree."

"The Golden Crow..."

The monk wasn't surprised. During the great battle, the young Golden Crow's emergence had revealed Su Min's true trump card. It was common knowledge that the two divine artifacts of the Golden Crow lineage were now housed in her sect.

As they spoke, the distance between Su Min and the tree closed in an almost frame-skipping manner. In the blink of an eye, she stood beneath its canopy, making her eyebrows twitch slightly.

"The Spatial Shrinking Technique..."

"This is our Great Thunder Temple's most sacred inheritance—the Sacred Bodhi Tree. It is also the place where our monks pass into Nirvana. Every generation of high-ranking monks, upon nearing the end of their lifespan, comes here. After their physical bodies enter Nirvana, a trace of their essence remains within the tree before they reincarnate. As for how much you can comprehend here, Benefactor, that depends on your own fortune."

"That is…?"

However, Su Min wasn't looking at the tree—her attention was fixed on the crystal-clear spring beneath it. The water seemed ordinary, but the Eastern Azure Wood within her body pulsed in response, and her body began emitting a faint emerald glow.

"It seems the Benefactor has already sensed it. That water is one of the Heaven-Earth Divine Waters—the Nectar of Enlightenment. It is the water that nurtures all living things."

Su Min's eyebrows rose. If she remembered correctly, in Journey to the West, Guanyin Bodhisattva had used this very water to revive the Ginseng Fruit Tree after Sun Wukong uprooted it. Clearly, this was an extraordinary treasure.

The idea of using this water to nurture her own divine wood was tempting. She glanced at the young monk beside her—this was their territory, after all, and using the sacred water without permission wouldn't be appropriate.

"There is no issue. The Eastern Azure Wood within you has been severed too many times, leaving only its origin without the accumulation of time. Its capacity is limited. If you wish, you may place the divine wood in the water while you meditate beneath the tree. Just remember to retrieve it once your enlightenment is complete."

"Then I thank you."

With a wave of her hand, a small green tree flew out and landed in the spring. Almost immediately, it began to grow at a visible pace, filling her with envy. To nurture the Eastern Azure Wood like this for an extended period, she'd likely need to obtain the Northern Water's Profound Origin first.

Once the Eastern Azure Wood was settled, Su Min wasted no time stepping beneath the Bodhi Tree. A faintly glowing blue lotus platform awaited her—this was the seat of enlightenment.

The moment she sat upon it, a flood of strange and profound knowledge surged into her mind. At the same time, the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra within her body began circulating on its own. Clearly, without this sutra, gaining enlightenment here would be impossible.

"Amitabha. It seems the Benefactor shares a deep karmic connection with the Buddha. She has an innate understanding of the scriptures. It is only a pity… her future is one even I cannot discern. Such individuals are destined for great missions—even I dare not interfere with their path."

The young monk sighed before his figure gradually faded from beneath the tree.

"Greetings, Elder."

When he reappeared, it was before Kong Chen and the others, who immediately bowed. This figure was no ordinary monk—he was the junior brother of the Great Thunder Temple's founder, the Awakened One. After the Awakened One, like the ancient emperors, crossed to the distant shore and never returned (nor reincarnated), this elder became the oldest existence in the Buddhist sect. He had reincarnated at least ninety times.

Legend stated that when he completed his hundredth reincarnation, he would become the next Awakened One.

"Kong Hui, your judgment was correct. This benefactor's future cannot be divined. Perhaps in this life, she will become a guardian of all living beings, like the ancient ones."

"Yes."

Kong Hui nodded. Among the three senior brothers, each had their own strengths—this was his area of expertise. Meanwhile, Su Min was unaware of their conversation. She had entered a golden, otherworldly space. It was said that beneath the Bodhi Tree, there was no reincarnation.

The Buddhist cycle of rebirth was deeply tied to this ancient tree. Now, Su Min felt as though she had returned to her past life—everything was exactly as it had been before her transmigration.

"My past life… but my body is still the present one."

Looking at the skyscrapers before her, Su Min sighed softly. But almost instantly, the illusion vanished. Had this happened right after her transmigration, she might have been lost in nostalgia. But now, she had lived in this world for over five hundred years—not in hibernation, but fully conscious. To her, that past life was nothing more than a fleeting dream.

If she could truly return, she might have been tempted. But a mere illusion couldn't shake her Dao Heart. Thus, she passed this trial of the mind almost instantly. At the same time, a peculiar energy began tempering her soul.

"No wonder they had such confidence in me. The Bodhi Tree's effects are this powerful? But… ugh, it hurts!"

The energy came in waves, forging her soul like steel under a hammer. Strengthening one's soul required enduring such torment—the extent of the improvement depended entirely on her willpower.

Even as her vision blurred from the pain, Su Min gritted her teeth and endured.

Outside, days passed.

One day, two days, three days…

In the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

This surprised even Kong Chen and the others. Normally, enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree lasted about half a year. Yet Su Min had persisted for an entire year.

The Bodhi Tree's primary function was to temper the spirit, increasing the chances of advancing from the Nascent Soul stage to the Divine Transformation stage. To reach Divine Transformation, a cultivator had to refine their Nascent Soul into a Divine Soul—a perilous process that required immense willpower.

"If she can endure a year, she has a ninety percent chance of reaching Divine Transformation. If she lasts a year and a half, she will undoubtedly succeed."

Another year passed…

"Master, should we wake her? She might be lost in the cycle of reincarnation."

Kong Hui hesitated. The Water-Land Dharma Assembly was only half a year away, and she still needed to prepare. Moreover, if she remained trapped in the illusion, forcibly waking her might nullify her gains—but it was better than losing her soul entirely. Just as he was about to act, however, Su Min's aura suddenly surged violently.

Kong Hui paused. He recognized this phenomenon all too well—it was the sign of a breakthrough. Since she could still control her spiritual energy, she was clearly fine. Sure enough, her aura soon stabilized—but it was noticeably stronger than before.

Mid-Stage Nascent Soul.

At the same time, Su Min slowly opened her eyes.

When her dark gaze met Kong Hui's, even his seasoned composure faltered for a brief moment.