Chapter 296: The Method of Mechanical Devouring! Seven-Color Bodhi Tree Xiaoqi! Qin

Chapter 296: The Art of Mechanical Devouring! Little Seven of the Seven-Colored Bodhi Tree! Qin Feng’s Bountiful Harvest!

Having suffered consecutive setbacks at the Puppet Alley, the Living Flesh, and the Great Sun Furnace, Qin Feng felt not a shred of discouragement.

On the contrary, this utter failure acted like a bucket of icy water, instantly sobering him from the slight complacency he had felt after mastering the three fundamental academic theories.

He realized profoundly that knowledge itself is not synonymous with power; only by using the bridge of "secret arts" to transform vast theories into tools that can be wielded at will could one truly be said to have embarked upon one’s own path.

The foundation of theory had been laid; now, he needed to find the most suitable bricks and mortar for this towering pagoda of the future.

With an incredibly clear objective, Qin Feng turned and walked toward one of the four core sacred sites of the Holy Academy headquarters: the Forest of Enlightenment Steles.

Unlike the conceptual space of the Sea of Learning and Mountains of Books, which was composed purely of the radiance of knowledge, the first impression the Forest of Enlightenment Steles gave was one of weight, antiquity, and a desolation and solemnity that spanned eons.

Before he had even truly stepped inside, a vast and boundless black plain came into view.

Across the plain, stone steles of varying materials, shapes, and sizes stood like a silent legion of giants, rooted in the space between heaven and earth.

Some towered into the clouds, while others were merely waist-high; some were smooth as mirrors, others riddled with ancient cracks; some were pitch black, exuding a deathly stillness that devoured all light, while others shimmered with brilliance, as if containing a galaxy within.

Each stele represented a secret art so powerful it would drive countless martial artists to madness.

And here, the number of such steles was endless; as far as the eye could see, there was only the forest of steles, stretching to the horizon until it merged with the sky.

The air was permeated with a peculiar Daoist charm—a unique spiritual energy field formed by the interweaving and sedimentation of countless distinct martial wills and laws over long ages.

Merely standing here, breathing this air, Qin Feng felt his mind become sharper and clearer.

Yet, what first caught Qin Feng’s gaze was not the vast forest itself, but a solitary, gargantuan stele standing outside the entrance, far more magnificent than any within the woods.

This stele seemed carved from a single, complete block of primordial chaos stone, its surface a deep, grayish-black, smooth as jade.

Its height was immeasurable; its upper half vanished into the clouds, as if it were propping up the very heavens.

The face of the stele was divided by an invisible force into four distinct yet seamless regions.

From top to bottom, four great characters were branded in ancient divine script: "King-Sealed," "Marquis-Sealed," "Domain Lord," and "Black Hole."

Within each region, countless names were densely inscribed.

These names shimmered with a faint golden radiance, each followed by a string of numbers also composed of golden light.

Qin Feng’s gaze swept across them.

The "Black Hole" region held the most names, occupying nearly half the stele, numbering in the hundreds of millions.

The numbers following these names ranged from "1" to tens of thousands.

The number of names in the "Domain Lord" region dropped sharply, yet remained spectacular.

By the "Marquis-Sealed" region, the names had become sparse, yet each seemed to carry a weight of ten thousand tons, inspiring awe.

The numbers following these names had generally reached staggering heights.

And at the very summit, the "King-Sealed" region contained the fewest names—to Qin Feng’s rough estimate, only a few tens of thousands.

Yet, each of these names was like a scorching sun hanging in the firmament, releasing a terrifying pressure that made the souls of Black Hole-level martial artists tremble.

Qin Feng even spotted a few familiar names—"Heaven-Swallowing," "Nine Spirits"...

Following the name of the Heaven-Swallowing King was the number "3177."

Following the name of the Nine Spirits King was "589."

What did these numbers represent?

Qin Feng’s heart was filled with confusion. This was clearly not a ranking of combat power; otherwise, given the strength of his master, the Heaven-Swallowing King, he could never be ranked behind so many unfamiliar King-Sealed powerhouses.

Just as he was deep in thought, a gentle voice came from beside him.

"Is this your first time visiting the Forest of Enlightenment Steles, fellow Daoist?"

Qin Feng turned to see a middle-aged martial artist dressed in simple gray robes. His aura was restrained, but his eyes held a steady, weather-beaten composure.

Seeing Qin Feng look over, he offered a kind smile.

"Indeed, it is my first time. I am quite curious about this stele."

Qin Feng admitted frankly, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

"Haha, no matter. Every martial artist who comes here for the first time is struck with awe and curiosity by this 'Stele of Myriad Merit'."

The middle-aged man explained with a laugh, his tone tinged with pride and reverence.

"The Stele of Myriad Merit?" Qin Feng repeated.

"Exactly."

The middle-aged man pointed to the towering monument, his eyes filled with profound respect. "Fellow Daoist, look. Every name inscribed on this stele belongs to a predecessor or powerhouse in our human history who has made outstanding contributions to this Forest of Enlightenment Steles."

He paused, then continued: "And the number following the name is the quantity of secret arts they have contributed to our race.

This stele is the highest honor and eternal remembrance our people bestow upon these meritorious warriors."

Though the middle-aged man’s voice was not loud, it rang like a great bell in Qin Feng’s heart.

The number of secret arts contributed?

Qin Feng looked at the stele again, his gaze instantly transformed.

"These contributions are of two kinds."

The middle-aged man seemed to perceive Qin Feng’s shock and continued to explain in detail. "First, self-created arts. Those brilliant predecessors exhausted their life’s work to carve out an unprecedented path of martial arts, forging a powerful secret art, and upon completion, selflessly left the original here for future generations to study and comprehend. This is a great virtue!"

"Second, is seizure!

In the endless wars against the myriad races, our human powerhouses have slain alien prodigies and elites, capturing, seizing, or even interrogating them for their alien secret arts.

They risked their lives to bring back these blades that were meant for our enemies, and after being analyzed and improved by the great masters of the Holy Academy to remove hidden dangers, they were stored here to become the nourishment for our race’s growth.

This, too, is a monumental merit!"

"So, do you understand now, fellow Daoist?"

The middle-aged man sighed with emotion. "The reason we can stand here today, freely selecting from these hundreds of millions of secret arts without worry, is because countless predecessors have either sat in silence like ascetics for eons, burning their lifeblood to create;

Or they have fought like fearless warriors on the cruelest battlefields, carving out our future with their lives and blood!"

"Every soul that comes here to learn a secret art, as long as they look up at this Stele of Myriad Merit, knows exactly who brought us the crystallization of wisdom they are about to study. This is a legacy, and it is a spur."

After hearing these words, Qin Feng remained silent for a long time, his heart churning like a stormy sea, unable to calm down.

He looked once more at the names on the stele—whether the familiar Heaven-Swallowing King, the unknown Kings, or the hundreds of millions of Black Hole and Domain Lord-level names he had never heard of—and now, they were all cloaked in a sacred and brilliant radiance.

He thought of his own journey, the arts he had learned: *Flowing Light, Shadow Chasing*, *Ten-Perfect Hand*, *Nine Spirits Origin Map*, *Heaven-Opening*... these powerful arts were all crystallizations of the wisdom of those who came before.

And behind them lay a heavy history of sacrifice.

It was precisely because of the selfless dedication and blood-soaked battles of generation after generation of human powerhouses that the human Forest of Enlightenment Steles could possess such terrifying depth, enough to make any alien race tremble.

"I have been taught well."

Qin Feng bowed solemnly to the middle-aged man, speaking from the bottom of his heart.

"You are too kind, fellow Daoist."

The middle-aged man waved his hand with a smile. "If you wish to learn a secret art, once you enter, you may filter them with a single thought.

After finding the stele of your choice, you may choose to make a copy of the secret art, then take it to the Seven-Colored Bodhi Forest to comprehend and master it."

Within the Holy Academy, this is the most efficient method.

He shifted his tone, offering a reminder: Remember, these secret technique copies are for internal circulation only.

Taking them outside the Academy is strictly forbidden, unless you possess the legendary SSS-level clearance.

However, such clearance is unattainable for the average person; it is usually granted only to those peerless kings who have rendered monumental service to the race.

The middle-aged warrior chuckled as he spoke, clearly regarding this as a mere theoretical possibility.

Qin Feng felt a stir in his heart, though he kept his expression neutral, offering only another word of thanks.

After bidding the man farewell, Qin Feng stepped into the boundless forest of Enlightenment Steles, filled with a reverence he had never known before.

Passing through an invisible barrier that rippled like water, the clamor of the outside world was instantly silenced.

A purer, more vast martial aura rushed toward him; Qin Feng felt like a single drop of water merging into the ocean, instantly enveloped by billions of different manifestations of the Dao.

The scene before him opened up, and he found himself truly immersed in this sea of stone monuments.

Each stele stood in silent vigil, no longer inscribed with cold characters, but with dynamic diagrams of martial arts, arcane runic structures, and even imprints of the soul containing the creator’s state of mind and will.

At that moment, a soft screen of light unfolded before Qin Feng, displaying clear categories and filtering options, its intelligence far surpassing the vast archives of the Academy.

[Secret Technique Categories: Slaughter, Defense, Augmentation, Evasion, Body Refining, Soul Refining, Support...]

[Disciplinary Associations: Arrays, Alchemy, Artifact Refinement, Puppetry, Poison Arts, Curses...]

[Elemental Attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Light, Dark, Space, Time, Soul...]

[Racial Origins: Human Original, Mechanical, Crystal, Holy Fire, Demon...]

The complex options constructed an incredibly precise and powerful retrieval system.

Qin Feng did not hesitate; his goal was crystal clear.

With a flicker of his intent, he quickly set the filtering conditions on the light screen.

Disciplinary Associations: "Arrays," "Alchemy," "Artifact Refinement."

Secret Technique Types: "Body Refining," "Soul Refining."

Core Concept Filters: "Body as Embryo," "Tempering the Flesh," "Tempering the Soul," "Cellular Modification"...

As the final condition was confirmed, the light screen before him flickered violently.

The next moment, a massive torrent of information surged forth like a broken dam.

On the screen, the list of matching secret techniques began to scroll at a speed invisible to the naked eye, its sheer volume causing even the well-prepared Qin Feng to gasp.

Finally, when the list stabilized, a staggering number appeared before him.

For "Tempering the Flesh" alone, integrating the three disciplines of arrays, alchemy, and artifact refinement, the number of techniques reached a terrifying magnitude: thirty-seven point two billion!

This number eloquently proved the sheer scale and depth of exploration conducted by the human sages on the path of "Proving the Dao through Strength."

Just as Qin Feng had surmised, any being who reaches the Black Hole level, provided they are not too dull, will naturally think to utilize the three fundamental and core disciplines—arrays, alchemy, and artifact refinement—to strengthen themselves.

This is an almost universally recognized, albeit arduous, golden path.

Some techniques aim to connect the three hundred and sixty major acupoints of the human body through micro-arrays to construct a "Human Furnace," using one's own spiritual energy as fuel and rare metals as material to forge the flesh into a living treasure.

Other techniques focus on the way of alchemy, injecting various concoctions filled with immense life energy and destructive toxins into the body, triggering cycles of destruction and rebirth at the cellular level to achieve a leap in life hierarchy.

Still others treat every one of the trillions of cells as an independent array unit, attempting to replicate a miniature version of the cosmic star-river array within the body...

The sheer variety of ingenious ideas and mind-boggling paths dazzled Qin Feng, filling him with unprecedented confidence in his own "Path of Extremes."

His predecessors had paved so many possibilities; all he had to do was distill the essence of these tens of billions of techniques to carve out a path of extremes that belonged solely to Qin Feng, one that surpassed all who came before.

However, when Qin Feng changed the filter to "Tempering the Soul," his surging excitement suddenly cooled.

The screen refreshed, but this time, the endless list vanished.

In its place were only three solitary secret techniques.

Compared to the tens of billions of choices for tempering the flesh, the techniques for tempering the soul were pitifully few.

Qin Feng examined them closely.

First: "The Holy Light Pilgrimage," Origin: Holy Light Race.

Second: "Crystal Soul Protection Method," Origin: Crystal Race.

Third: "Intelligent Devouring Technique (Fragment)," Origin: Mechanical Race.

Not a single one was of human origin!

Qin Feng’s heart sank; this was proof enough that in the ultimate realm of the "soul," the difficulty of exploration far exceeded that of the flesh, and even the deep-rooted human race had failed to create an effective, universal path.

Patiently, he opened the detailed introduction for the first technique, "The Holy Light Pilgrimage."

The core concept of this technique was a special method to temporarily strip one's soul origin from the body and cast it into the perilous sub-space for extreme-speed navigation.

During the journey, one would use the violent, chaotic spiritual energy storms of the sub-space to scour and polish the soul, supplemented by various top-tier natural treasures that nourish the soul and stabilize the origin, thereby tempering the soul and increasing its "density" and "resilience."

The logic was bold, even reckless.

The introduction explicitly pointed out the immense risks: the sub-space is a hunting ground for evil gods and countless unknown horrors; a soul stripped of its physical shell is like a beacon in the night, easily targeted by those terrifying entities, and a moment of carelessness would result in the soul being scattered, never to be reborn.

But to Qin Feng, this was hardly a problem.

His Dao foundation, the [Primordial Singularity], resided within the "Sub-space Pure Land" opened by the supreme power of the Human Emperor, adjacent to the exalted Golden Throne.

As long as his soul navigated within the bounds of the Sub-space Pure Land, he was theoretically absolutely safe, beyond the reach of any evil god.

Yet, after carefully studying the cultivation details, Qin Feng slowly shook his head.

The efficiency of this method was too low.

According to the description, even a prodigy of the Holy Light race would need to spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of years in uninterrupted "pilgrimage" to achieve even a negligible improvement in soul quality.

Furthermore, the required treasures, such as the "Soul-Fixing Divine Jade" or the "Heart of the Void," were each rare, priceless, and nearly impossible to find.

For an ordinary powerhouse without connections or background, this technique was little more than waste paper.

For Qin Feng, while the risks were manageable, the cost in time and resources was simply too high.

He could draw inspiration from its concept of "using spiritual energy to scour the soul," but he could never copy it wholesale.

Next, Qin Feng opened the second technique, the "Crystal Soul Protection Method."

This technique disappointed him even more.

Its content was less about "tempering" the soul and more about "solidifying" it.

Its core was to mimic the unique crystalline structure of the Crystal race's body, arranging one's spiritual power into a special, high-density configuration to construct "soul lattices" at a microscopic level, thereby greatly enhancing the soul's defensive capabilities.

This was a purely defensive technique, offering almost no help in increasing the strength of the soul's origin.

It was like putting an iron shell on an egg; the egg itself remained just an egg.

However, just as Qin Feng was about to close it, a flash of inspiration struck his mind.

"Wait... mimicking the crystal structure of the Crystal race's body?"

Qin Feng’s thoughts instantly expanded.

The strength of the Crystal race lay in their innate crystalline bodies. Their bodies were, in themselves, collections of precise, perfect, and naturally formed arrays, which gave them unique advantages in spiritual energy conduction and physical defense.

This Crystal Soul Guardian Method is useless for tempering my soul, but the logic it provides can be applied perfectly to the refinement of my physical body!

Qin Feng’s eyes lit up.

The path of the extreme he intends to walk requires the fusion of arrays, artifact forging, and alchemy, all channeled into the flesh.

And are the Crystal race not the ready-made, perfect templates for a body of living arrays?

It seems that if I want to avoid detours on my path of physical tempering, I must find more Crystal elites to study.

A cold, sharp curve tugged at the corner of Qin Feng’s mouth.

This unexpected gain lifted his spirits; he etched the insight deep into his mind before turning his gaze to the final secret technique.

Intelligent Devouring Technique (Fragment).

The mere sight of the name made Qin Feng’s heart skip a beat.

Intelligent... devouring?

He took a deep breath and opened the incomplete technique inherited from the Machine race.

Text shimmered across the light screen, revealing a path that was as inconceivable as it was theoretically sound.

The logic of this technique was simple and brutal, yet imbued with the cold, efficient nature of the Machine race.

Its core consisted of two steps.

First: Cultivation!

Using a sliver of one’s own spiritual origin as a seed, and leveraging the Machine race’s unique ability to process information and convert psionic energy, one creates and nurtures an independent, brand-new mechanical intelligent life form—an AI.

Second: Devouring!

When this meticulously nurtured AI life form grows strong through the constant execution of complex programs, the parsing of endless data, the simulation of billions of thought models, and even the devouring of residual soul data from other beings, its soul becomes incredibly pure and powerful.

Only then can the practitioner, utilizing the innate racial talents of the Machine race, directly devour, absorb, and fuse with this AI life form they created, along with its formidable soul!

This serves to elevate the strength and quality of one’s own soul!

And because of the Machine race’s inherent traits, this method carries absolutely no side effects!

Reading this, Qin Feng’s breathing grew ragged, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter, like two stars burning fiercely in the dead of night.

Soul tempering... can it really be this simple?!

He couldn't help but gasp in a low voice.

They say a physician cannot heal himself; the difficulty of tempering the soul lies in the fact that a practitioner cannot directly and violently interfere with their most core, fragile soul origin as they would a physical body.

But this Machine race technique bypassed the problem entirely!

It shifted the object of cultivation from the self to an external entity—the created AI.

In this way, any method of soul tempering, no matter how extreme or dangerous, could be applied to the AI without hesitation.

The practitioner need only act like a fruit farmer, watering and fertilizing regularly, waiting for the fruit to ripen, then picking it and consuming it in one bite!

Wait...

Qin Feng calmed down instantly, realizing the crux of the matter. This method seems simple, but the prerequisite is that the practitioner must be of the Machine race. Only they can convert spiritual power into data streams to create AI, and only they can fuse with a purely data-based life form without rejection.

At this thought, Qin Feng’s heart began to pound uncontrollably.

He remembered one of his greatest trump cards—the cosmic wonder, the Twin Mask!

With the blessing of the Twin Mask, the essence of his soul could be perfectly transformed into the life form of the Machine race!

For me... this sole limitation simply does not exist!

This technique is tailor-made for me!

An unprecedented radiance erupted in Qin Feng’s eyes.

Furthermore, the introduction mentioned that this Intelligent Devouring Technique was merely a widely circulated basic technique within the Machine God race, not some guarded secret.

The reason his copy was a fragment was simply because the human elite who seized it had failed to obtain the complete inheritance.

In other words, as long as I send my Machine race avatar to the territory of the Machine God race, there is a high probability of acquiring the complete version!

In that moment, all the fog before Qin Feng’s eyes dissipated.

A clear, definite, and grand road leading to the pinnacle of power lay spread out before him!

Extreme body! Extreme soul!

For the body, he would use the three disciplines of arrays, alchemy, and artifact forging as a foundation, draw inspiration from the Crystal race’s natural arrays, and distill the essence of billions of physical tempering techniques from this Forest of Enlightenment.

For the soul, he would use this Intelligent Devouring Technique as the core, dispatching his avatar to steal the full inheritance, achieving a violent surge in soul strength through the bug-like efficiency of cultivation and devouring!

When both body and soul reached an unprecedented extreme, the resulting speed, offense, and defense would be a terrifying sight to behold!

The path ahead was clear!

Suppressing the surging ambition in his heart, Qin Feng acted with decisive speed.

His first task was to take all the billions of physical tempering techniques that were of use to him.

Learning them one by one would take an eternity, but if he could imprint them all and carry them with him to study, compare, and fuse at any time, the efficiency would be incomparable.

Copy all filtered results.

Qin Feng issued the command to the light screen.

Hum—

With a soft chime, countless corresponding stone steles deep within the Forest of Enlightenment seemed to respond to a call, each blooming with a faint light.

Immediately after, miniature replicas of the original steles, the size of a palm and composed of pure psionic energy, condensed out of thin air. Like a swarm of summoned fireflies, they drifted in a vast, majestic tide toward Qin Feng.

These replicas offered no extra insight into the techniques themselves; they were merely carriers of knowledge, no different from rubbings taken from the originals.

But the quantity was staggering.

Arrays, alchemy, artifact forging—each field contained over ten billion related techniques.

Combined, over thirty billion replicas formed a dazzling torrent of light, a spectacle of extreme grandeur.

For an ordinary warrior, let alone taking them, the contribution points required to copy such a quantity would bankrupt even a Marquis-level powerhouse.

But Qin Feng possessed SSS-level clearance.

With a thought, he chose to pack and take them out of the Holy Academy.

This was an ultimate operation executable only with SSS-level clearance.

Under Qin Feng’s will, the torrent of thirty billion replicas began to compress and fold rapidly, eventually transforming into a data crystal the size of a pigeon’s egg, shimmering with seven-colored light as it drifted into his palm.

Feeling the total sum of knowledge contained within this crystal—enough to drive any civilization to madness—Qin Feng’s gaze was resolute.

Everything was ready.

Next, he prepared to head immediately to the Seven-Colored Bodhi Forest.

Firstly, he wanted to see if the environment there could benefit his Seven-Colored Bodhi tree seed, which he had left untouched due to its contamination by the Sea of Blood.

Secondly, and most importantly, he intended to utilize the enlightenment-friendly environment of the forest to begin the preliminary sorting and comprehension of these thirty billion techniques.

Meanwhile, it was time for his dormant Machine race avatar to set off.

...

With his resolve hardened, Qin Feng lingered no longer.

He turned away from the forest of enlightenment steles that bore the weight of human martial heritage, his form dissolving into a streak of light as he streaked toward another core pillar of the Academy headquarters: the Seven-Colored Bodhi Grove.

As he traversed the distance, the grandeur and vastness of the Academy revealed itself to him from an entirely new perspective.

This place was not anchored to any physical planet, but was instead built upon the foundation of the boundless cosmic void.

Floating islands of varying sizes and styles were scattered like pieces on a chessboard, suspended amidst the deep, star-studded curtain of space.

Some islands were crowned with sprawling, golden palaces, serving as the residences and council chambers for the Academy’s elite;

Others were lush with verdant flora and cascading waterfalls, ethereal paradises designed for the meditative seclusion of martial artists;

Still others had been transformed into colossal training arenas, trial towers, and bustling commercial districts, where countless human warriors wove through the air, vibrant with life and energy.

Brilliant rivers of gathered starlight wound between these floating isles, forming a complex and far-reaching network of transit.

As Qin Feng moved through them, he could clearly sense the air saturated with spiritual energy of the utmost purity, accompanied by a subtle, pervasive resonance—a peculiar Daoist aura capable of calming the mind and illuminating the intellect.

He knew that this aura, permeating the entirety of the Academy, originated from his destination: the Seven-Colored Bodhi Grove.

As he delved deeper into the heart of the Academy, this unique resonance grew increasingly profound.

Finally, a spectacle of such magnificence and sanctity that words failed to capture it crashed into his field of vision without warning.

It was a "forest."

A forest growing within the vacuum of the cosmos.

Qin Feng’s pupils contracted sharply; even with his tempered state of mind, he was left reeling, speechless for a long moment by the sight before him.

What met his eyes were countless towering giants.

These were no ordinary trees, but the legendary cosmic treasures that aided in the attainment of enlightenment: the Seven-Colored Bodhi Trees.

They numbered in the thousands, perhaps even more.

Each was unimaginably massive; the smallest stood tens of thousands of meters tall, while the most ancient among them possessed canopies so vast they could shroud an entire star system.

They were not rooted in soil, but extended their roots directly into the void of spatial dimensions, drawing spiritual energy from the very source of the universe.

Their trunks were a primitive white-gold, as if forged from the purest laws of existence, radiating the essence of the natural Dao.

Their leaves shimmered with seven distinct hues: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet.

These seven-colored radiances were not static; they flowed and merged, each shift seemingly articulating the fundamental truths of heaven and earth, evolving the supreme mysteries of cosmic creation and destruction.

The entire forest was like a living, magnificent work of art composed of countless treasures, suspended silently at the center of the universe.

More spectacular still, above the Bodhi Grove lay not empty void, but layers of brilliant, colorful nebulae.

These nebulae drifted slowly like fertile soil, providing nourishment to the Bodhi trees.

And nestled between the endless branches were not fruits, but actual stars—some burning bright, others already extinguished.

Countless stars drifted slowly above the canopies like fireflies.

Their light danced in harmony with the seven-colored divine glow emitted by the leaves, forming a cosmic painting of ultimate splendor.

Qin Feng keenly perceived that this was no mere decoration.

The entire Seven-Colored Bodhi Grove, along with the nebulae and stars above, formed a supreme grand formation whose complexity he could not even begin to fathom, one that enveloped the entire Academy headquarters.

The stars seemed to function as "lenses" and "amplifiers."

They collected, filtered, and transformed the enlightenment light radiated by the Bodhi trees, then projected it with precision into every corner of the Academy via profound formation trajectories.

In a sense, every martial artist within the Academy was constantly bathed in the enlightenment-granting grace of the Seven-Colored Bodhi trees.

Yet, here in the core of the grove, the effect was undoubtedly billions of times more concentrated and pure.

"What a magnificent display of power..."

Qin Feng sighed in genuine admiration. Only a human race with such unfathomable heritage could establish a training sanctuary of such extreme extravagance.

On the periphery of the grove stood a primitive gateway carved from a single block of seven-colored divine jade.

Before the gate, an elder dressed in the robes of an Academy deacon sat in silent meditation, his aura unfathomable.

Qin Feng composed himself, descended slowly, and bowed respectfully to the elder.

The elder opened his eyes—a gaze that seemed to have seen through the vicissitudes of time. He looked at Qin Feng calmly and spoke: "Entry into the Seven-Colored Bodhi Grove requires a daily fee of one hundred thousand Imperial Contribution Points. With your SSS-level clearance, you need only pay ten."

His voice was flat and rippleless, as if stating the most mundane of facts.

Yet, the contrast in numbers sent a ripple through Qin Feng’s heart.

One hundred thousand versus ten.

A difference of ten thousand times!

This was the favor the human race bestowed upon its top-tier prodigies; this was the heavy weight carried by "highest-level clearance."

Qin Feng said nothing more. He accessed his subspace terminal and transferred enough contribution points to cover two thousand years of access.

A soft light swept over the gateway, confirming his clearance and payment.

"Enter."

The elder spoke with brevity, then closed his eyes once more.

Qin Feng bowed again and stepped through the seven-colored portal.

The moment he crossed the threshold, it was as if he had stepped from one world into another.

The enlightenment aura, already potent outside, surged billions of times over in an instant!

Endless seven-colored divine light fell from all directions like the gentlest spring rain, soaking into every inch of his flesh, every cell, and even the source of his soul.

Qin Feng felt his mind become clearer and more active than ever before; countless complex formation puzzles that had once seemed obscure now showed signs of sudden, brilliant clarity.

The [Primordial Singularity] within him hummed with delight, like a starving beast greedily devouring the spiritual energy that was so immensely beneficial to it.

The space here was vast, with each Bodhi tree separated by distances as immense as a sea of stars.

Countless human warriors sat cross-legged beneath the trees or suspended in the void, shrouded in seven-colored mist, lost in deep states of enlightenment.

"Oh?"

A soft exclamation, not from Qin Feng’s lips, but echoing directly within the depths of his soul.

Immediately following, Qin Feng felt a series of grand, ancient gazes—filled with infinite wisdom and compassion—projected upon him from all directions, from those seemingly silent Seven-Colored Bodhi trees!

These were not physical gazes, but a condensation of will, the attention of existences from a higher dimension.

Under their scrutiny, Qin Feng felt as if he had become entirely transparent; from body to soul, from past to future, it seemed no secret could be hidden.

Yet he felt no fear or hostility. Though these wills were so powerful he could not fathom even a fraction of them, they were filled with peace and benevolence, like kind elders curiously observing a junior who had wandered into their private garden.

Before Qin Feng could react, a grand and gentle voice of will bypassed the obstacles of space and echoed clearly in his mind.

"Junior, you carry the aura of our kin. Tell me... have you ever obtained a seed of the Seven-Colored Bodhi tree?"

The voice was ancient and distant, as if it had traveled from the very source of time.

The power contained within it allowed Qin Feng to instantly judge that the one speaking to him was a Bodhi tree that had survived for infinite ages, an ancient entity whose strength had reached at least the Sovereign level, perhaps even the Saint-Sealing level!

Faced with an inquiry from such an existence, any lie would appear pale and ridiculous.

Qin Feng immediately collected his thoughts, bowed respectfully toward the void, and replied with composure: "Reporting to the senior, this junior does indeed possess such an opportunity. That seed was obtained by me within the 'Sea of Blood Origins,' deep inside the 'Scarlet Forbidden Zone' of the Myriad Races Battlefield."

As he spoke, his mind stirred, and he drew the seven-colored Bodhi seed—long held in his possession yet never dared to be used—directly from his subspace storage unit.

The moment the seed appeared, it erupted in a dazzling, brilliant seven-colored divine light.

The radiance was pure and sacred, brimming with the essence of life and the charm of enlightenment, blending perfectly with the surrounding environment.

Yet, within this resplendent divine light, there remained a streak of indelible, bone-deep scarlet blood.

This blood-red hue was saturated with an aura of ominous corruption and madness, coiling like tiny venomous snakes around the seed’s core, ceaselessly attempting to erode and defile the pure, seven-colored light.

As the brilliance spilled forth, the blood-red stain seemed to possess a life of its own, exuding a chilling, malevolent will.

This was the very reason Qin Feng had never dared to recklessly utilize the seed.

It had been deeply tainted by the bizarre power of the Scarlet Forbidden Zone; once forced to germinate, no one could predict whether it would grow into a divine tree of enlightenment or a terrifying monster that devoured all living things.

When the tainted seed appeared, the entire seven-colored Bodhi forest fell into a momentary silence.

The grand wills cast upon Qin Feng fluctuated in unison, revealing a trace of pity and a sigh.

"So, it is that child who sank into the Sea of Blood..."

The grand voice from before resonated once more, its tone carrying a complex emotion. "Years ago, a descendant of our kin fell unfortunately into that forbidden land while traveling the cosmos. Its seed, as a result, plummeted into the Sea of Blood Origins and was tainted by the core evil will of that place..."

"This, too, is a matter of fate."

The ancient tree's voice grew much gentler. "Had you not brought it out from that foul place, in another few tens of thousands of years, its core would have been thoroughly eroded, eventually mutating into a demonic tree that knows only slaughter and destruction.

And its ignorant soul would have been endlessly tortured and tormented by that evil divine will, day and night, sinking forever into an abyss of eternal wailing..."

"In a sense, you have saved it. My thanks to you, young one."

This "thank you" came from the depths of its heart, filled with sincerity.

Qin Feng’s heart trembled; he had never imagined that an unintentional act of his own would carry such heavy karma.

Before he could respond, an indescribable, majestic power descended suddenly from the highest reaches of the Bodhi forest!

This power was not a violent torrent of spiritual energy, but a seven-colored pillar of light so pure it seemed condensed from the very first ray of light at the dawn of the universe.

It precisely enveloped the seed in Qin Feng’s palm, gentle yet carrying an unquestionable will of purification.

Hiss—hiss—

Under the illumination of the seven-colored pillar, the scarlet blood coiling around the seed shrieked in a silent, shrill agony, like snow meeting its nemesis.

Threads of black-red, ominous aura were forcibly stripped from the seed’s core, struggling violently within the light before being thoroughly dissolved and purified, leaving not a single trace behind.

Within a few short breaths, the contamination that had plagued Qin Feng for so long was completely eradicated.

Freed from its shackles, the seven-colored Bodhi seed emitted a joyful hum.

Its entire body bloomed with unprecedented, brilliant radiance, appearing like a miniature seven-colored sun.

Following this, in Qin Feng’s astonished gaze, the purified seed began to take root, sprout, and grow at a speed visible to the naked eye!

As the light flickered, it drifted from Qin Feng’s palm and hovered in mid-air.

Supple roots pierced the void, emerald-green shoots broke through the shell, the white-gold trunk climbed segment by segment, and the seven-colored branches and leaves unfurled...

In but a moment, it had grown from a seed into a graceful little tree, roughly a hundred meters tall.

Though it appeared "petite" compared to the ancient trees around it that could shade the stars, the pure, vibrant aura of life and the charm of enlightenment it radiated were profoundly real.

At the same time, an ignorant, tender consciousness, filled with endless closeness and reliance, awakened within the little tree and immediately established a clear link with Qin Feng’s soul.

Qin Feng understood in an instant.

Back in the Sea of Blood Origins, it was this sleeping consciousness, not yet fully corrupted, that had sensed the aura of his [Primordial Singularity] and instinctively sent out a plea for help, which was why he had so easily "fished" it out.

"Young one, this little tree is a bloodline of our kin lost to the outside world, and now it has been reborn. It shares a deep bond with you; from now on, let it follow you."

The grand voice of the Emperor-Sealing Ancient Tree resonated again, carrying a hint of gratification.

"Its intelligence has only just awakened, still ignorant and naive; you shall call it 'Xiao Qi'."

"My deepest thanks, Senior!"

Qin Feng bowed solemnly toward the void.

This was not merely thanks for the purification of the seed, but gratitude for the trust placed in him by entrusting such a seven-colored Bodhi tree of infinite potential to his care.

From this day forth, he possessed a partner in enlightenment, one that belonged solely to him and would grow alongside him.

The Bodhi tree named "Xiao Qi" seemed to understand the ancient tree’s words and felt Qin Feng’s goodwill.

Its hundred-meter-tall body swayed gently, and countless seven-colored leaves brushed against one another, emitting a crisp, melodious sound like wind chimes, as if expressing its joy.

At the same time, a sense of pure closeness flowed continuously to Qin Feng through their soul link.

Qin Feng smiled faintly, reached out, and gently touched Xiao Qi’s smooth, white-gold trunk.

Having done all this, he no longer delayed and sat cross-legged beneath this newborn Bodhi tree that was now his own.