Atop it sat a Buddha form with plump body and an epiphany bowl in its hand, emitting golden light.
Within the light was a roasted bear.
Under the treatment of the Medicine Buddha Form, the roasted bear gradually shed its dead skin to grow new pink flesh, transforming into a bald iron beast.
Next, Doudou eyes opened, awakening.
The Bear King looked around and tore off a slightly charred piece of meat.
He brought it close to his nose and muttered: "So fragrant...
can't help but want to eat..." This was Xu Qian'an's voice.
Inside the Floating Pagoda Tower cast out by Li Miaozen, resided one of Xu Qian'an's spirit threads.
Her goal in casting out the Floating Pagoda Tower was both to save the Bear King and to transmit Xu Qian'an's spirit thread.
With this, she could control the Bear King using her heart worm technique to investigate the Chan Forest.
This was Xu Qian'an's second plan.
Nine-tailed Heavenly Fox discarded the bear king with the second-lowest combat power toward Aranto to lay the groundwork for his second plan.
The body of Xu Qian'an stayed behind to restrain a first-stage bodhisattva while secretly manipulating the Bear King through a heart worm technique to investigate the sealing place.
"Fortunately, I have the Floating Pagoda Tower.
Otherwise, the Bear King would be trapped in Aranto forever, along with the Dharma Ji Bodhisattva," Xu Qian'an whispered: "Senior Tower Spirit, if there's a Dharma Ji Buddha in the Chan Forest, we'll know soon." The Floating Pagoda Tower hummed excitedly.
The old abbot’s voice trembled as it reached Xu Qian'an's ears: "The monk has been waiting for this moment for over three hundred years.
Thank you for fulfilling my wish." This was what Xu Qian'an had promised.
To persuade the Floating Pagoda Tower to break its rules and deal with Buddhism, he promised to find Dharma Ji Bodhisattva for it.
A promise is a heavy burden.
"I'm also curious!" Xu Qian'an waved his hand, propped himself up, and began climbing up the heavy bear body quickly toward the western Chan Forest peak.
The Chan Forest was not on Aranto's main peak but on a high peak to the south.
Few people ventured there;even birds avoided it.
Snow blanketed the peak top, with cold air.
Xu Qian'an reached the summit and saw an ancient temple.
The ancient temple’s walls were continuous, with faded red paint.
The gate had rotted away long ago, unvisited for countless years.
According to Asura, the Chan Forest was where high monks would rest in peace after their nirvana, also serving as Buddha's meditation place.
Since five hundred years ago when Buddha announced his retreat, the Chan Forest became off-limits on Aranto, accessible only by a few bodhisattvas.
If not for Duroro Hanmon's secret visit to uncover the secret of Buddha’s liberation, it would have taken much longer to discover.
Likewise, the cries of distress from one who might be Dharma Ji Bodhisattva.
Walking through the courtyard gate and stepping on the snow, Xu Qian'an moved deeper into the Chan Forest.
Along the way, he passed by several tomb towers a man could easily fit in, their surfaces worn with age.
Next to these tomb towers were bodhi trees.
According to Asura, all the bodhi trees in the Chan Forest were descendants of that original tree.
Following the mud-covered stone path, Xu Qian'an continued deeper.
Soon, he saw an ancient tree not tall but sprawling out for dozens of feet with a gnarled trunk and hanging vines.
Fallen yellow leaves covered its base, emitting a faint odor of decay.
Mother Bodhi Tree!Xu Qian'an’s eyes flashed as they fell on the pile of broken stones beside it.
The Seal on Confucius had indeed been broken...
Xu Qian'an's heart tightened.
Aranto had already said this, but seeing it firsthand was another matter.
He approached under the umbrella-like branches of the bodhi tree.
The thick leaves blocked out light, giving a eerie feeling to his heart.
At that moment, an ethereal cry for help reached his ears: "Save me...
save me..."