“…”
Listening to Xu Ming’s explanation, Shi Xin tilted her head slightly, looking as if she didn’t quite understand.
“What kind of look is that?” Xu Ming looked at Shi Xin speechlessly. He had the distinct feeling that Shi Xin was looking at him as if he were some kind of strange animal.
“Nothing.” Shi Xin shook her head. “I just didn’t expect it.”
Visit freёwebnovel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.
Xu Ming: “Didn’t expect what?”
“I didn’t expect that someone like you would actually have someone you care about so much.” Shi Xin stated bluntly, without the slightest attempt to soften her words.
Xu Ming’s brow twitched. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘someone like me’? Why do I feel like you have a deep prejudice against me?”
Shi Xin tilted her head again, her face full of innocence. “Do I?”
“…” Xu Ming fell silent.
Shi Xin wasn’t the kind of person who lied, nor did she ever speak sarcastically.
Which meant that, in Shi Xin’s mind, she genuinely thought this way.
Shi Xin continued looking at Xu Ming. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Xu Ming: “I have nothing to say.”
Shi Xin: “…”
Half an incense stick’s time later, Shi Xin suddenly spoke. “Is that person someone you like?”
Xu Ming was momentarily stunned. “I didn’t expect Master Shi Xin to be so nosy.”
Shi Xin shook her head. “I am a disciple of Buddhism; I do not understand the art of gossip.”
“…” Xu Ming’s brow twitched a few times. He waved his hand dismissively. “Forget it. You really are a boring person. To answer your question, yes, that person is someone I like. But why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing.”
A trace of confusion flashed through Shi Xin’s eyes.
“Buddhism speaks of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. My master told me that among the Seven Emotions, ‘love’ refers to feelings of admiration and affection. But I don’t understand. What is the difference between the love between a man and a woman, the love for family, and the love between friends?
Why is it that the ‘love’ in the Seven Emotions and Six Desires specifically refers to romantic love between men and women?”
As she spoke, Shi Xin looked at Xu Ming. “I wonder if you, dear benefactor, can enlighten me?”
“Not at all.” Xu Ming shook his head.
Shi Xin tilted her head again, puzzled. “You don’t understand either?”
Xu Ming: “It’s not that I don’t understand, but love is something you must comprehend on your own. If you’ve never truly loved someone, then you will never understand it. But in my opinion, Master Shi Xin probably won’t fall for anyone anyway.”
“…” Shi Xin lowered her head, deep in thought.
Xu Ming didn’t say any more. He simply sat atop the mountain, gazing at the dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of blood bodhi trees covering the peak.
Some people, believing there was something wrong with Blood Bodhi Mountain, simply left to search for other opportunities elsewhere.
Others, unwilling to leave empty-handed, attempted to uproot a few blood bodhi trees—only to be struck by heavenly lightning, quickly putting them in their place.
Clearly, these blood bodhi trees were protected by the heavenly laws of the Rootless Secret Realm.
Still, there were those like Xu Ming, who chose to wait for a couple of days to observe the situation. At the very least, they hoped to estimate the approximate time the blood bodhi trees would bloom. That way, they could return at the right moment.
People came and went, some ascending the mountain, others descending, creating a scene reminiscent of a bustling marketplace.
Watching Xu Ming, Zeng Rong and the others were exasperated.
Honestly, they had no idea why Xu Ming was so fixated on the blood bodhi fruit.
The trees hadn’t even bloomed yet.
Wouldn’t it be better to use this time to search for other fortunes elsewhere?
Instead, here they were, waiting around. Who knew how long it would take before Xu Ming would finally get into a life-or-death battle with someone?
But naturally, they didn’t dare voice a single complaint.
All they could do was wait silently on the side.
And so, a full day and night passed.
Then, on the second night—
Suddenly, someone shouted: “The flowers are blooming! The flowers are blooming!”
The shout immediately put everyone on high alert.
Xu Ming, who had been meditating, slowly opened his eyes.
Sure enough, the hundreds of blood bodhi trees, whose flower buds had been tightly closed, were now beginning to bloom, petal by petal. Under the soft glow of the moonlight, they appeared even more delicate and enchanting, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Even Shi Xin, a cultivator dedicated to inner discipline, couldn’t help but blink her golden eyes in amazement as she took in the sea of crimson blossoms.
In less than the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn, every blood bodhi tree had fully bloomed. A night breeze swept through, sending thousands of flowers swaying gently in the air, while a faint floral fragrance drifted across the mountaintop.
Most people assumed they would have to wait a while longer for the trees to bear fruit.
But reality proved otherwise.
The moment the flowers bloomed, the fruit began to form immediately.
At first, the fruits were small, but they rapidly grew larger at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Within just half an hour, thousands upon thousands of blood bodhi fruits had sprouted from the trees, swelling to their full size.
Their color shifted continuously from green to red, deepening with every passing moment.
It was clear—the blood bodhi fruits were ripening at an astonishing rate.
Finally, when the fruits turned a translucent, jewel-like crimson, glistening as if dripping with nectar, the last of the petals fell. In their place, red leaves unfurled, cradling the fruits delicately. Only then were the blood bodhi fruits fully matured.
The cultivators who had been holding back all this time finally sprang into action.
They rushed forward, scrambling to seize as many blood bodhi fruits as possible.
In the past, there had only been a handful of these fruits—ten, maybe twenty at most—and those who tried to grab them often ended up fighting for their lives.
But now, there were so many that, at first, everyone was too busy collecting their own share to bother attacking others.
However, this peace did not last.
Each tree bore no more than a dozen blood bodhi fruits—some had twelve or thirteen, while others had only seven or eight.
Altogether, the mountaintop held just over a thousand fruits.
Yet, there were already two or three hundred cultivators present—and more were still arriving, drawn by the sight of what seemed like “gold” spread across the peak.
Greed took over.
Those who arrived late, finding nothing left, turned to snatch the fruits from others.
Some cultivators, despite having already obtained a blood bodhi fruit, found theirs too small, too few, or not good enough—so they started stealing from their fellow cultivators.
Desire has no limits.
Chaos erupted across the mountaintop.
Blood and blood bodhi fruits intertwined, fallen corpses staining the ground red. It was impossible to tell whether the red flowers underfoot were their original color or had been dyed by the blood spilled upon them.
But Xu Ming did not join the fray.
Instead, he moved swiftly through the chaos, weaving between battles.
He was searching for the blood bodhi main fruit.
Yet, no matter how hard he searched—
It remained nowhere to be found.