After marveling at the scenery, Wu Tong eagerly stepped forward to examine the surroundings. Using the Complete Compendium of Immortal Herbs that Qian Renxue had found for him, he began searching for the most precious treasures in this place—immortal herbs.
He hadn't walked far when his gaze was drawn to a flower.
It was a large, pale pink bloom with no leaves. Its stem stood three feet tall, and the blossom itself was nearly a foot in diameter. Each petal was as clear and luminous as crystal. The flower swayed gently with the mist, growing right at the intersection of the red and white springs. At its center were delicate lavender pistils, like tiny purple diamonds embedded within.
Though the fragrance spread far, it wasn't overwhelming. Wu Tong took a light sniff, and a faint fresh scent entered his nose. After inhaling it, he felt the oppressive force of the Icefire Yin-Yang Well ease noticeably.
The moment he saw the flower, Wu Tong recognized it at once.
"Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal," he muttered.
As expected, it was indeed the Fragrant Silk Beauty Immortal, a renowned immortal herb known as the bane of all poisons. Though it couldn't detoxify directly, it could neutralize and suppress any kind of poison.
Yet Wu Tong didn't pick it.
Instead, he quietly memorized its location before continuing his search for other herbs—including the one he had truly come for.
Before long, he found many of the immortal herbs mentioned in the original story: Heavenly Chrysanthemum of Divine Understanding, Fragrant Immortal Tulip, Autumn Dew of Clarity, Narcissus Jade Flesh Bone, Phoenix Sunflower Crest, Swan Kiss of Snow, Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid, Nine-Grade Purple Ganoderma, and near the center of the spring—the two opposing plants: Octagonal Black Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot.
Beyond those familiar names, Wu Tong also discovered several never mentioned in the original work:
Obsidian Divine Bamboo Shoot, Skywoven Starflower, Red Spider Lily, Cycle Fruit of Withering and Bloom, Ink Plum with Feathered Petals, Unmoving Golden Stone, Yellow Springs Trinal Elixir, and Eight Extremes Swordgrass…
He even uncovered deeply buried herbs such as Earth Dragon Gold Melon, Burrowing Earth Dragon Silkworm, and Earthheart Stone Milk, using his spiritual eye.
But what brought Wu Tong the most joy were the two immortal herb kings he found.
One was the famous Lovesick Heartbroken Scarlet, and the other was his true objective for coming to the Icefire Yin-Yang Well—the Enlightenment Bodhi Flower, a mystical herb never mentioned in the original Douluo story.
Whether the omission was due to Tang San's limited knowledge, or because Wu Tong's Complete Compendium of Immortal Herbs was simply too exhaustive, many herbs not even mentioned in the canon had now been identified by Wu Tong.
At first, Wu Tong had his doubts.
But after a bit of reflection, he came to terms with it.
This was, after all, a living world. And he himself was a tiny butterfly that had already flapped its wings. No matter what changed, there was nothing to be surprised about.
The Complete Compendium was extremely detailed in its entries. For every immortal herb, it recorded the environment it grew in, its physical characteristics, medicinal effects, and most importantly—how to harvest it.
If an herb was harvested incorrectly, its medicinal properties would vanish, and in some cases, it could even become poisonous.
The Enlightenment Bodhi Flower that Wu Tong sought had particularly harsh requirements.
It could only be seen by a fated person. It only bloomed during specific seasons—on the night of a full moon—and only in the place where a great wise person had passed away in meditation. And each time, only one flower would bloom. Unless picked, another Enlightenment Bodhi Flower would never appear.
To harvest it, one must be a wise person of kind heart—someone with profound insight into wisdom itself. Only by passing the flower's test could it be picked.
Otherwise, even if one found it, they would be unable to touch it.
Legend also told of a story tied to the flower.
[It was said that over ten thousand years ago, in a great and prosperous empire, the king had a son. Their family lived in peace and happiness. But one day, the prince saw the suffering of the world.
Deeply moved by the pain of others, he renounced the luxury and power of the palace and set out on a journey to seek the true meaning of life.]
The prince spent six years visiting famous teachers and cultivating in the mountains, using his mortal body to resist the forces of nature.
Yet, even after enduring endless hardship, he still couldn't find liberation.
One day, the prince realized that true liberation didn't come from tormenting the body, but from awakening the mind.
So he gave everything up and sat beneath an ancient bodhi tree, reflecting quietly. The tree's lush branches seemed capable of sheltering all the sorrow in the world.
Time seemed to freeze. Stars shifted, the sun and moon traded places, yet the prince's figure under the tree remained motionless.
He endured fear, desire, and confusion—one storm of the soul after another. But these very struggles led him to delve deeper into his own heart, gradually peeling back the veil that concealed the truth of life.
Finally, as the first ray of dawn pierced the clouds and shone upon the bodhi tree, a wave of joy and peace welled up in the prince's heart.
He comprehended the truth of life—dependent origination, emptiness of self, karmic cycles, and nirvanic liberation.
In the end, through guiding others toward transcendence and freedom from suffering, the prince became a godlike immortal.
[Legend ends]
"This is just the damn story of Buddha reaching enlightenment under the bodhi tree!"
That was Wu Tong's immediate reaction when he first read the tale.
After venting his complaint, a wave of confusion followed.
Why would a story about Shakyamuni Buddha appear as legend in the world of Douluo Continent?
But as soon as that doubt arose, Wu Tong immediately smothered it.
He remembered the theories often discussed in the webnovel chat groups before he transmigrated—explanations about how information and myths spread across worlds.
Whether it was the "monkey typewriter theory" or the idea that higher-dimensional beings could influence lower dimensions, both could explain the presence of this story.
Still, compared to those theories, Wu Tong preferred another explanation: that powerful entities could reflect their legends across the multiverse.
Shakyamuni—the Buddha—the founder of Buddhism, a figure from mythology. After experiencing transmigration himself, Wu Tong was certain other fictional worlds must also exist.
In many of the stories he'd read, there were references to the Three Pure Ones, the Dao Ancestor, the Buddha, the Heavenly Emperor…
That was proof enough that legendary beings could imprint their myths across countless worlds.
The Complete Compendium of Immortal Herbs only included a single paragraph on the Enlightenment Bodhi Flower:
"Enlightenment Bodhi Flower: King of Immortal Herbs. Not only does it enhance soul power, but it also aids in enlightenment, awakens spiritual roots, and increases one's wisdom and comprehension."
By all rights, with its origin story, the Enlightenment Bodhi Flower should rank far beyond the level of an immortal herb king.
But due to the unique rule framework of the Douluo Continent, the highest grade of medicinal plant possible here was simply "King of Immortal Herbs."
It was a matter of worldly constraints shaping what was allowed to exist—what some might call the times making the hero.
The moment Wu Tong read about the flower's properties, he had only one thought: I must obtain it.
As someone with a brain-type martial spirit, Wu Tong's connection to the power of wisdom was deeper than anyone's.
This herb's effects were practically made for him. It could help him increase his intellect, awaken his spiritual root, and might even trigger a second awakening of his brain-type martial spirit—focused purely on wisdom.
The thought of it immediately brought the Icefire Yin-Yang Well to mind.
As a treasure trove of immortal herbs, it was the most likely place the Enlightenment Bodhi Flower would appear.
That was why Wu Tong had been so eager to help Dugu Bo detoxify—not only out of friendship, but also because of his hope to find this very herb.
Sure enough, just as he'd expected, upon arriving at the Icefire Yin-Yang Well, Wu Tong had rushed straight to the most likely spot for the flower to grow—and there it was.
Now, having confirmed that the flower did exist here, Wu Tong finally relaxed.
(End of Chapter)
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