Chapter 484 - 483
Enduring patiently, Ye Tian continued to watch for a while but still couldn’t grasp the principle. He noticed that the Bodhi Tree outside had grown quite a bit taller, now resembling the size of a small sapling that reached his knees.
"Zen Master, what do you think of this tree?"
The Great Zen Master, who was reflecting against the wall in shame because of something Ye Tian said, turned around to look at the Bodhi Tree that had grown to knee height and sighed, "To penetrate the essence of Bodhi by oneself, you are indeed the first in the world. Boy, you need to be careful. If you die later, I won’t be able to find another heir to pass on my mantle."
Ye Tian gave him a look, "You’re not young anymore, why are you still not serious? I am a Huaxia man, and by the order of seniority, it will never be my turn to worship under you."
Both men fell silent. Ye Tian continued to struggle with those two fingers while the Great Zen Master focused his mind on his reflection against the wall.
One Finger Zen, Two-finger Zen.
These were the provisional names Ye Tian had decided on; the term Panchen Finger seemed too pretentious for his liking, so he preferred the simplicity of One and Two. But even these two fingers alone were difficult for Ye Tian to truly understand. Take the One Finger Zen, for example; though it couldn’t read or write, the artistic conception would occasionally flash through his mind, seemingly leaving something behind as it crossed his thoughts. However, when he tried to recall it, he could never fully grasp it, causing Ye Tian much frustration. Looking at the Bodhi Tree again, it had obviously grown a few more centimeters, and its leaves had turned from tender green to a deep green. Below Putian, the lines of the Evil Spirit Array stretched and intertwined, growing stronger with the gradual growth of the Bodhi Tree. The power of evil even reached the Scripture Pavilion, significantly expanding the area it affected.
This gave Ye Tian a sense of crisis, but the more he felt this way, the harder it was for him to catch that tiny spark in his mind or the benefits the finger brought him. Ye Tian was not an impatient person, but the tree outside gave him an unsettling feeling. He was someone who couldn’t stand threats; if a bomb were placed under his eyes, Ye Tian wouldn’t hesitate to dismantle it—as long as it was safe, and by safe, he meant ensuring it wouldn’t explode on him.
Gradually, Ye Tian’s mind quieted down, and he seemed to enter a state of meditation, his eyes intently fixed upon the finger on the paper without moving.
At that moment, as if sensing something, the Great Zen Master reflecting against the wall turned his head to glance at him, smiled, nodded his head, and then turned back to continue his reflection.
As if possessed, Ye Tian slowly raised his hand, extended his index finger, and placed it on the paper, aligning it with the finger drawn there. The smooth, creaseless surface of the paper gave Ye Tian a sudden jolt, for its texture was too similar to human skin. As their fingers touched, it was like a handshake, but before Ye Tian could fully experience the touch that seemed like skin, everything before him darkened, and he entered a world of even greater darkness. This space was void of anything, not even a ghostly shadow, yet it twinkled with scattered specks of light, approaching from afar, inching towards him. When these fragments of light drew near, Ye Tian could see that they were the movements of the One Finger Zen, intersecting shadows of fingers, blades, and sword lights.