NOVEL NEXT Chapter 563: Chapter 564: Battle of the Dou Di
Chapter 564: Battle of the Dou Di
As the power of the Origin Tree flowed freely in Xiao Ze's body again, the influence imposed by the Bodhi Ancient Tree was expelled. The scenery before Xiao Ze shattered instantly, like a mirror breaking into countless pieces. Observing this, Xiao Ze mused thoughtfully. Indeed, even the most realistic illusion is still an illusion, no matter how convincingly it might simulate the destruction of nearly half the Savage Ancient Realm.
The energy from the Tidal Giant Hand, which tore tens of thousands of meters of spatial rifts, was ultimately a part of the illusion—it had no impact on the illusion itself! Only by finding the key to breaking the illusion could it truly be affected.
As the environment before him completely fragmented, Xiao Ze's mind momentarily fogged. When he opened his eyes again, the scene had dramatically transformed. Stretching out before him was a vista of verdant green, dominated by an ancient green tree about thirty meters tall, exuding an extremely ancient aura, seemingly unchanged by time.
The ancient tree, jade-green throughout, pulsated with vibrant vitality, pure and throbbing with life. In Xiao Ze's perception, this verdant tree seemed like a nexus of all vitality. For a moment, he envisioned the sprouting of all things—the grass pushing through hard rocks growing robustly, flowers enduring the cold of winter to bloom gloriously.
Blinking, Xiao Ze wondered if this was a display by the Bodhi Ancient Tree itself or if his own soul's complete state allowed him to see more. The marvels shown by the Bodhi Ancient Tree were even more exaggerated than described in the original texts.
This green tree, much smaller than the external Bodhi Ancient Tree, contained a vitality that was even more intense. A thought flickered through Xiao Ze's mind, and he spread his hand, the golden Origin Emperor Flame burning brightly.
"Where are the others? Were they in the illusion I just experienced?"
Hearing Xiao Ze's words, the all-green ancient tree trembled slightly. Then, orbs of light flew from the tree's branches, eventually stopping in front of Xiao Ze. A quick glance confirmed that everyone who had entered with him had been caught in the illusion.
Having experienced that extremely realistic illusion and knowing the influence of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, it was difficult to detect and escape from it. Even if one became aware, without the ability to break the illusion, one would remain trapped indefinitely—an almost insolvable capability.
Before Xiao Ze could speak again, the Bodhi Ancient Tree offered him an orb of light. Inside it was an event from the ancient past encountered by the Bodhi Ancient Tree. The current tree, merely a thousand meters tall, was dwarfed by the colossus in the orb, which spanned ten thousand meters.
But what truly captivated Xiao Ze was not the tree itself but the black-robed figure standing in midair in front of it. Compared to the immense Bodhi Ancient Tree, this figure seemed small but radiated a supreme aura of heaven and earth. Under this aura, even the mighty tree seemed trivial.
Even through the projection, Xiao Ze felt an immense pressure. This was a true supreme being of the continent, a Dou Di!
The image in the orb showed the black-robed Dou Di launching a cataclysmic attack on the Bodhi Ancient Tree, which did not remain passive. The tree unleashed terrible energies, clashing with the Dou Di in a fearsome battle that shattered the heavens and the earth!
Xiao Ze watched the spectacle within the orb with grave attention. This was the true destructive power of cataclysmic proportions—power that captivated him. Such strength was something he had not even imagined in the illusion, something he could not even dream of!
As Xiao Ze was immersed in these thoughts, the image abruptly accelerated, pausing on the final scene of the battle between the Bodhi Ancient Tree and the black-robed Dou Di, which ended with the intervention of a third party. A devastating gale from a distant land crossed immeasurable distances, ultimately striking the black-robed Dou Di and completely obliterating that area of space!
Watching this astonishing scene, Xiao Ze exhaled slowly, deeply moved by witnessing a true Dou Di battle. It was only under the combined forces of the Bodhi Ancient Tree and that unknown Dou Di that the black-robed Dou Di was annihilated completely.
Having witnessed the fall of a Dou Di, Xiao Ze steadied his emotions and continued to follow the development in the orb. After the demise of the black-robed Dou Di, the situation did not conclude. The void left by the fallen Dou Di emitted dark energies that coiled towards the Bodhi Ancient Tree. As these dark energies entered the tree, the pure air around the Bodhi Tree gradually tainted with a subtle chill.
The image ended with the figure of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, then the orb converged into a beam of light, entering Xiao Ze's forehead, bringing a flood of information into his mind.
Xiao Ze now understood the experiences of the Bodhi Ancient Tree. In the distant past, the wounded black-robed Dou Di sought to extract the tree spirit of the Bodhi Tree for healing. Unexpectedly, the tree's resilience was beyond the Dou Di's expectations, managing to contend with a Dou Di. The timely arrival of another unknown Dou Di turned the tide, and together, they obliterated the black-robed adversary.
However, the residual negative emotions of the black-robed Dou Di also affected the Bodhi Ancient Tree. Although the tree had not developed true sentience, only possessing some instinct, its simplicity was tainted by the Dou Di's malice, leading those who sought the tree for its powers to become trapped in illusions, manipulated by the Bodhi Ancient Tree.
Amid this deluge of information, Xiao Ze also learned why the Bodhi Ancient Tree took interest in him. In the original narrative, it was Xiao Yan's possession of a Bodhi Seed that briefly awakened the tree's sentience. Xiao Ze did not possess a Bodhi Seed, yet he drew the tree's attention because of the Origin Emperor Flame.
The Bodhi Ancient Tree, considered one of the top three treasures of the continent, recognized the power of the Origin Emperor Flame, which matched its own. From the tree's perspective, ordinary methods might not help, but the Origin Emperor Flame, being of equal caliber, certainly could.
Digesting this information, Xiao Ze nodded. "I can help you, but I can't accept you forcing my hand or using my companions as leverage. Release them, or stop influencing them with illusions."
Upon hearing this, the Bodhi Ancient Tree's branches trembled slightly, and the orbs of light around Xiao Ze shattered. The light flickered, and everyone except Xiao Ze was released by the Bodhi Ancient Tree, which urged Xiao Ze with a quiver in its branches.
(End of Chapter)
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