Chapter 588 - 595: Cracked

Wu Qingfeng was also completely focused, carefully observing every movement at the bottom of the lake.

All surrounding sounds seemed to cease at this moment.

The Golden Small Sword and the other little ones remained on full alert, preventing anyone from appearing and disturbing the pair.

...

Beneath the lake, the fish and other aquatic life once again began to swim in their established patterns.

Song Wanning’s brow was tightly furrowed. She had already observed more than ten cycles; she remembered the identical, repetitive movements and routes with perfect clarity.

She instinctively felt a strange rhythm within it all, but no matter how she tried to comprehend it, she was left completely clueless.

Observing once more, she tried to simulate their movements in her Sea of Consciousness.

After several hours, she still had nothing to show for it.

’This shouldn’t be happening...’

Song Wanning’s expression soured, her face full of doubt and confusion.

The feeling of being on the verge of a breakthrough, yet unable to cross the final threshold, was incredibly frustrating.

She pondered for a moment. ’Since I can’t comprehend it, why not try participating instead?’

Having made her decision, she leaped directly into the lake.

The massive splash startled Wu Qingfeng.

He watched Song Wanning sink to the bottom of the lake and thought, ’Did she discover something?’

’Or has she simply run out of options?’

Wu Qingfeng was instantly conflicted. This was a perfect opportunity to escape.

’As long as I run fast enough, even if we don’t find the Bodhi Tree, Song Wanning won’t be able to kill me.’

But for some reason, the idea felt incredibly risky.

The feeling Song Wanning gave him was uncanny, completely different from that of an ordinary Cultivator.

In the end, he decided not to flee, and obediently resumed his research.

At the bottom of the lake, Song Wanning was already following a fish, slowly swimming along its path and mimicking its movements.

With the Water-Repelling Pearl in her mouth, she was completely unaffected by the water and could breathe freely.

Her entire body swayed with the current, like a mermaid in the refracting light, appearing dreamlike and ethereal.

The aquatic plants swayed along with her~

After completing one cycle, Song Wanning broke the surface, her eyes sparkling as if she had found her way.

Although she hadn’t grasped any real clues, for some reason, after swimming that one cycle, she felt completely refreshed and invigorated, her mind much clearer than before.

She let out a long breath, then dove headfirst back into the water.

This time, however, she chose a different fish and began to imitate it.

...

Time trickled by, and Wu Qingfeng’s expression showed he had completely given up.

He sat under a large nearby tree, watching Song Wanning swim at the bottom of the lake, a deep sense of admiration growing in his heart.

He now finally understood why Song Wanning could advance her cultivation so quickly.

She had been imitating the creatures at the bottom of the lake for months, yet she showed not the slightest sign of boredom or anxiety.

There was a multitude of aquatic life in the lake, and she would switch to a new creature each time, looking energetic and endlessly patient.

’And what about me?’

’I’d already given up last month. I only forced myself to keep at it for another month to keep up appearances.’

But the fact was, no matter how he studied it, he couldn’t find the slightest flaw.

The Bodhi Tree was nowhere to be found.

"Sigh!"

Wu Qingfeng sighed, the light in his eyes dimming.

’I thought I could start over somewhere new, but I ended up being done in by this Bodhi Tree.’

Now, his only hope was that Song Wanning would be merciful and spare his life.

However, just as he was sinking into despair, the lake before him suddenly began to tremble violently.

The surrounding ground began to shake intensely along with it.

Countless fish and other creatures were blasted out of the lake, flung into the air.

The trees behind him vanished right before his very eyes.

Wu Qingfeng stared, stunned, his eyes wide as he looked toward the bottom of the lake.

A vortex suddenly appeared at the lakebed, swirling upward.

Song Wanning shot out of the water, rising into the air.

Her expression was serene, and she exuded an aura that Wu Qingfeng could not comprehend.

For a moment, he had the illusion of a deity descending to the mortal realm.

Wu Qingfeng hurriedly shook his head. ’I must be losing my mind from desperation.’

When he looked again, the feeling was, sure enough, gone.

Looking back at the vortex, he saw it was now spreading outward, with surging waves crashing down and making it difficult for him to even keep his footing.

Wu Qingfeng flew into the air, but before he could say a word to Song Wanning, the scene before them changed abruptly.

The surrounding environment transformed in the span of a breath. The trees and plants all vanished, and even the turbulent, surging lake dissipated in an instant without a trace.

In its place was a boundless white fog, through which the faint silhouettes of various thickets could be seen.

"This—"

Wu Qingfeng’s expression froze, his heart filled with utter shock.

’It’s broken?’

He suddenly turned to look at Song Wanning, feeling even more shaken.

’She actually found the way to break the illusion!!’

At this moment, Song Wanning was gazing down at the fog with a solemn expression, also quite surprised herself.

There had been no shortcut to breaking the illusion; she could only try it creature by creature, following their movements.

She didn’t even know how much time had passed. All she knew was that at the bottom of the lake, she had felt as if she *was* one of those creatures—free and full of power.

By the time she disengaged from that state, the lakebed had already undergone a monumental change.

’Below should be the true hiding place of the Bodhi Tree.’

Song Wanning pressed her lips together. ’The Bodhi Tree has definitely gained sentience. It’s hard to say if we can even find it.’

’Even if we find it, whether we can take it away successfully is another question entirely.’

She took in the surrounding scene, then said to Wu Qingfeng beside her, "Let’s go. We’ll go down and take a look!"

The Golden Small Sword and the other little ones flew over as well, perching on Song Wanning’s shoulder and looking around curiously.

Upon hearing her words, Wu Qingfeng followed her down. Instantly, the damp chill of the white fog washed over them.

The two of them paused for a moment to acclimate before continuing forward.

Dense thickets were everywhere, their forms indistinct and hazy, hidden within the white fog.

’This must be one of the Bodhi Tree’s self-preservation techniques.’

"Let’s split up."

Song Wanning and Wu Qingfeng quickly parted ways, each choosing a completely opposite direction.

While she had been focused on her comprehension earlier, she had the Golden Small Sword and the others keep a close watch on Wu Qingfeng’s movements the entire time, even though she herself paid him no mind.

If he had shown any sign of trying to flee, they would have killed him instantly and without mercy.

Unexpectedly, Wu Qingfeng hadn’t tried to escape; he had been diligently searching the entire time.

It was this action that had saved his life.

A cold glint flashed in the depths of Song Wanning’s eyes before vanishing in an instant. She then resumed her search for any trace of the Bodhi Tree.

As she wove continuously through the thickets, scratches soon appeared on her clothes.

The fabric of her clothes was far from ordinary, yet these thickets could still tear it. This was proof enough that the thickets themselves were anything but ordinary!