Becoming a Deity from Planting the Bodhi Tree

Ji Jingqiu had yet to act when he faintly sensed ripples of the gods' intentions emanating from the depths of the Inner World.

This was all within expectations.

The Divine Lords of the Four Directions, the temples of the eleven Divine Monarchs, were all built upon the Four Guardian Stars, not just for show!

Their existence was the final measure to ensure the stability of Hel.

Feeling the approaching presence of the Guardian God, Ji Jingqiu breathed a sigh of relief.

However, at that moment,

Sensing some danger, the lotus he had transplanted to the Pool of Bitter Sea suddenly bloomed a corner, connecting to an existence in the Void.

This was the Heart Lotus of the Buddha Heart Seal!

It connected to the Supreme True Buddha!

...

The Guardian God, who led the way, suddenly stopped, raised his head to look into the distance, feeling the familiar qi, with a change in his expression.

"Supreme True Buddha?"

"This can trigger [Constant Joy and Purity]?"

He seemed to recall something, and sighed softly:

"That's right, among the descendants of Marshal Mu, Mu Heshan was the one most like Marshal Mu; even facing death, he still fought against the Heavenly Demon..."

"The hero at dusk, such a pity, such a lament..."

...

In the darkness, Ji Jingqiu saw a pure white Buddha standing behind him, with a blurred face, as if countless faces were overlapping and interweaving.

He opened his eyes, which were filled with vicissitudes and pain, and at that moment extended his right hand, pressing down with a palm like the mythical Tathagata Divine Palm!

Upon that palm press, illusion and reality intertwined, leaving one uncertain of truth and falsehood, with endless rhythms and Dharma encapsulated within, overwhelming Ji Jingqiu's spirit.

By the time he reacted, the pure white Buddha had already struck three palms in succession, completely shattering Hel's schemes!

Ji Jingqiu was shocked.

Previously, the Bone Arhat had mentioned that planting a Heart Lotus in the Inner Realm world could grant the protection of the True Buddha's [Constant Joy and Purity] Great Divine Power, allowing free travel across the Spirit Ocean; he had doubted its usefulness.

But now, this was incredibly powerful!

When it mattered, the True Buddha truly delivered!

The deep red in the depths of the fog grew more intense, spreading a blood-like hue, flickering faintly.

According to the translations of the Bodhi Tree, this entity was extremely infuriated; if its behavior were to be compared to that of ordinary folk, it would be akin to a market scold, cursing without concern for image.

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but remember the first three days he arrived at the Four Guardian Stars.

Indeed, it was Hel who cursed that day; it must have been Marshal Mu she cursed then, and now it's Marshal Mu's younger son...

The next moment.

The pure white Buddha bowed his head, those eyes full of pain and struggle met Ji Jingqiu's.

In an instant, Ji Jingqiu seemed to understand something!

He slowly seated himself, behind him the Bodhi Tree shone brightly with Glazed Glass Light. Though the light could not envelop the Buddha from afar, it alleviated His momentary pain.

The Buddha's expression returned to one of solemn dignity; He opened His right hand, and within, golden lotuses bloomed, each petal embodying a world. With a single press of His palm, it was as if countless heavens and universes overturned together, inhabited by numerous Vajra Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protector Ming Kings...

[Bodhisattva World]!

With one press of the palm.

Hel did not resist!

Taking the strike as the price, He leveraged the power to escape the shackles of the Bitter Sea!

The pure white Buddha withdrew His hand, His figure dissolving, and before vanishing, a Buddhist chant fell upon Ji Jingqiu's ears.

[The Power of Bitter Sea, may be borrowed but not relied upon!]

[The descendants of Heavenly Person, may come to See Me!]

...

...

Within the Spirit Ocean, in the Extreme Abyss and within the Buddha Country.

The seated white Buddha opened His eyes, within His pupils, countless galaxies revolved, worlds rose and fell, seemingly containing the mystical vastness of the entire cosmos.

He followed countless white threads beside Him, witnessing scrolls of tragedies, saw the karma sown by the Supreme True Buddha Sect over thousands of years, saw how good intentions ultimately bore evil fruits, the unpredictable change of Impermanence...

Those clear, wise, peaceful, profound eyes that seemed to reflect every detail of the world, penetrating the true nature of all material things, revealed an indescribable sorrow!

The most sorrowful part was that He could not do anything at the moment.

His gaze followed one of the threads, falling upon a young figure in the distance, sensing an unusually familiar qi from him.

He looked expectant.

Countless jumbled thoughts surged together, like a school of sharks smelling blood. Enduring the agony of the core of intentions being devoured, He slowly extended two fingers, as if He wanted to sever that thread.

But He hesitated for a moment, remembering that the scene from before might occur again in the future, and in the end, He did not cut the thread that connected them but sent a gift along it.

Having done all this, the white Buddha's eyes showed deep fatigue, as if just the moment's effort had exhausted Him.

He closed His eyes again, swallowed by chaos.

Not long after.

A gaunt, aged figure with an extremely powerful presence barged in here, his gaze sharp as lightning, swiftly scanning across the Divine Country, but he found no suspicious figures.

Finally, his gaze rested on the white Buddha seated centrally, eyes sharp as an eagle and as profound as an ancient well, deep and inexpressible.

He carefully scrutinized the pure white Buddha, suspicion flickering in his eyes.

After pondering for a moment, he commanded the Buddha to open His eyes using his authority.

The white Buddha abruptly opened His eyes, no longer calm and harmonious, compassionate and wise, but filled with evil and chaos, as if embodying countless twisted desires, chilling to anyone witness.

Still, the old man did not perceive anything amiss, yet never gave up, confident in the accuracy of his previous sensing.

He began to probe into the earlier disturbances within the Divine Country, and eventually, following the trail, he found a trace.