Though Hao Yue Hall had minimal security, no one dared enter Fan Yue’s private quarters. Bai Shuo slipped in like a fish, moving soundlessly and with practiced familiarity.
With the master absent, the hall was pitch black. Bai Shuo produced a glass lantern from somewhere and began rummaging through the chests and cabinets by its dim light.
“Huh? Where did it go? That’s impossible. Wood Pig said there’s a restriction here—it shouldn’t have left the hall…”
She searched every corner of the room but couldn’t find what she was looking for. Pouting, she suddenly slapped her forehead, closed her eyes, and sent a weak spiritual breath directly into her spiritual altar.
She and the Big Demon had a soul and blood contract, so given that there was a restriction placed by him here, maybe she could sense where he was hiding through the blood connection.
A glimmer of spiritual light emerged from the center of her forehead, slowly covering the entire inner hall, and sure enough, a rustling sound echoed from within.
Bai Shuo opened her eyes to see a foolish-looking wooden donkey crouched in the center of the hall, draped in a tiny green robe and sneaking around.
Found it!
Excited, Bai Shuo was about to shout, but quickly covered her mouth.
The silly wooden donkey stood atop a strange seven-pointed star formation, with two of the points glowing while the other five remained dim.
Weak spiritual energy seeped from the two lit points, slowly entering the donkey’s hooves. As more starlight flowed in, a glint of pride sparkled in Long Er Donkey's eyes.
“What are you up to?”
“Uh, absorbing spiritual energy…” Long Er Donkey blurted out, then, realizing, his donkey eyes widened as he turned to stare at Bai Shuo in surprise.
“What…what…what are you doing here?”
“What…what…what business is it of yours?” Bai Shuo squinted, her gaze fixed on the seven-pointed star formation. “Long Er, whose spiritual energy are you absorbing?”
The wooden donkey shifted its hooves, trying to cover the glowing stars. His eyes darted around nervously. “Absorbing spiritual energy? Nonsense! I’m just stretching my legs.”
“Yeah, right. Fine, if you won’t talk, I’ll go ask the blacksmith.”
Panicking, Long Er Donkey called out, “Wait!”
Seeing Bai Shuo pause, staring intently at him, Long Er Donkey sighed in resignation. “All right, little brat, if you keep quiet, I’ll take you away from this wretched place. How’s that sound?”
“Take me away?” Bai Shuo sneered. “Why would I want to leave when I’m well-fed and comfortable here?”
“Don’t you want to see your childhood friend? He’s become quite famous in the Demon Realm now.”
Bai Shuo rolled her eyes and scoffed, “Stupid donkey, you’re locked up in this hall all day, yet you know everything. What does his fame have to do with me?”
“Oh, come on, back in the human realm, I could see it. You two…you were inseparable, thick as thieves—clearly meant to be together! If you go to Cold Spring Palace, you’ll be the Third Palace Master’s lady, and in the Demon Realm, you could do as you please. Isn’t that better than being an alchemy apprentice here?”
Bai Shuo’s eyes lit up, showing a hint of interest. “You really think you can get me out of here?”
Suddenly, a chilling wind stirred within the hall, as if a searing gaze were fixed on her. Bai Shuo shivered, goosebumps rising as she looked around, only to find the hall empty.
“What are you looking at?” The wooden donkey, feeling guilty, glanced around nervously.
“Nothing. It’s just too cold in this creepy place.”
The donkey relaxed, stamping a hoof in assurance. “Don’t worry. Since I made a promise, I can definitely take you out.”
“I don’t believe it unless you tell me what this seven-pointed star formation actually is.”
“It’s none of your concern.”
“Of course it is. The blacksmith said the Big Demon placed a restriction in this hall that’s keeping you trapped. You can’t even escape this hall, so how could you take me away from Hao Yue Hall? A deal’s a deal—there has to be give and take, right?”
Long Er Donkey hesitated, his donkey eyes uncertain.
Bai Shuo stood up, dusted off her hands, and declared, “Fine, if you’re not going to tell me, I’ll just go shout it outside…”
Clearing her throat, she approached the hall doors, ready to push them open, when a desperate young voice called out from behind her.
“It’s Fan Yue’s natal formation!”
Bai Shuo stopped in her tracks and turned. “Natal formation? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Seeing that he’d already started talking, the wooden donkey decided to spill it all. “Aren’t you curious why Fan Yue, a mighty demigod and lord of Hao Yue Hall, is searching all over the three realms for the Bodhi Tree?”
“What’s it to me? He must just be bored,” Bai Shuo replied with feigned disinterest, though her ears perked up.
“Bored? Hardly! And…it’s such a big secret. Not even the high celestials of the Ninth Heaven or Zhen Yu know about it,” the wooden donkey scoffed, proudly stomping a hoof.
“Oh, stop bragging. You’re just a little donkey spirit. If they don’t know, how could you possibly know?” Bai Shuo sneered dismissively.
“Who says I’m a donkey spirit! You’re the donkey!” If wood could blush, the donkey’s face would be steaming with anger. “I am a Bodhi wood too! If I could absorb Fan Yue, this seven-star formation would be my own natal formation!”
The hall fell silent as the wooden donkey slapped a hoof over his mouth. Bai Shuo leaned down, staring at him. “What did you just say…?”
The donkey shook his head furiously. “No, no, no, I didn’t say anything…”
“You said…if you could absorb him, this would be your natal star formation too…” Bai Shuo’s eyes narrowed, and she blurted out, “The Big Demon’s true form is the Bodhi Tree?!”
The donkey’s head drooped. He’d planned to trick Bai Shuo into keeping his secret, but now he’d ended up spilling his own secrets.
Seeing the foolish look on his face, Bai Shuo realized her guess was correct, though this revelation only raised more questions.
The Bodhi Tree was a divine tree. If Fan Yue’s true form was indeed a divine tree, why did he cultivate demonic power and join the Demon Clan? And if the Bodhi Tree developed sentience, Fan Yue should have long since become a god. So why was he only at the peak of the demon lord rank when they first met? And…how many pieces of the Bodhi Tree exist, and why did the divine tree split and scatter across the three realms?
The silly donkey probably knew the answers, so Bai Shuo didn’t dwell on it and asked him directly.
“Eight pieces,” he said honestly, seeing that there was no point in hiding it. “When I awoke, I was in the human realm on Mount Mu Xiao. Although the Bodhi Tree is divine, without sentience, it cannot transform into a god. Failing the divine tribulation must have caused the divine body to split, scattering into eight parts across the three realms. Since awakening, I’ve been able to sense Fan Yue’s presence, but I can’t feel the other six Bodhi fragments.”
The wooden donkey rubbed his chin with a hoof, pondering. “I think only fragments with sentience can sense each other. The piece on Fire Ice Island didn’t have any, so that old Daoist from your ethereal sect managed to refine it. As for why Fan Yue cultivated demon power, I have no idea.”
So that’s it. The divine tree split, and each piece was merely a part of the original body. But for some reason, Fan Yue became the most powerful fragment. Bai Shuo glanced down at the two glowing stars within the formation, deep in thought.
This star formation was set up by Fan Yue, and the seven stars surely correspond to the seven fragments of the Bodhi Tree. He retrieved one from Fire Ice Island, and since this foolish donkey hadn’t been refined by him, then when did he obtain the other glowing Bodhi fragment?
As she puzzled over this, Bai Shuo looked toward the wooden donkey, squinting. “So you were hiding here, absorbing the spiritual energy from these two Bodhi stars? You’re planning to…”
“Exactly.” The donkey looked smug. “The Lord of Hao Yue Hall is quite powerful. The Bodhi fragments scattered across the three realms are bound to end up in his hands. Each fragment he reclaims will only strengthen this formation. But he doesn’t know that I secretly made a soul and blood contract with the formation. I’ve absorbed most of the spiritual energy from within! Once all seven stars are lit and the divine tree is whole, I will—”
He raised a front hoof triumphantly, brimming with confidence, as if the three realms were already within his grasp, then froze, his donkey eyes bulging in horror.
Chilled, Bai Shuo followed his gaze. Moonlight filtered through the sparse shadows, casting its glow within the hall. Seated on a distant throne, someone sat watching them, though she hadn’t noticed when he’d arrived.
Draped in dark robes that nearly blended into the dim hall, he raised a hand, snapping his fingers with a lazy flick.
Instantly, the hall’s crystal lamps ignited, and a third star lit up on the seven-point formation.
“Y-y-y-you…” the donkey stammered, trembling so hard he couldn’t say another word.
The figure looked at Long Er Donkey, a smirk curling at his lips.
“Go on. Why stop? Such grand ambitions—I’m quite enjoying the story.”
“Ahhh! Ghost! I’m dead!”
With a wail, the foolish donkey collapsed, eyes wide in an exaggerated display of death.
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