Chapter 27. Innate Spirit, Blessing of a Billionfold Talent!

Lu Yuan sat at the center of a ring of divine artifacts. Each one suspended midair and glowed with ethereal brilliance. None of them was ordinary. When used correctly, their benefits were beyond imagination.

For those who had learned the truth behind the global awakening ahead of time, these treasures were priceless. They would stop at nothing to claim them all, hoping to carve out a path to greatness in the new era.

But Lu Yuan was different. He didn't just want to hoard them. He knew exactly how to use each one to unlock its full potential. Without proper understanding, even the most sacred treasures would go to waste.

But Lu Yuan had mastered every item in his possession. He knew them inside and out.

Now that the global awakening had begun, all living beings faced the same choice. Evolve or fall behind. To do so, one either needed an extraordinary bloodline or had to fuse with a divine artifact, using it as a medium to awaken their power.

Unfortunately, most people were born with unremarkable bloodlines, incapable of becoming Awakened on their own. Lu Yuan was no exception. That was why he needed a medium. And the stronger the medium, the greater the gains. More power, more potential, higher Talent.

In the grand scheme of things, bloodline and treasure both defined one's Talent.

So Lu Yuan's first step was clear: fuse with the ancient Bodhi Tree.

The Bodhi Tree, known as the Tree of Wisdom, was said to grant a billionfold increase in Talent upon fusion.

And what did that mean?

It meant limitless enlightenment!

It meant he could comprehend any technique or cultivation method at a single glance.

It meant he was a child of the heavens, favored by the very laws of the universe.

At the same time, the mortal shackles of his body would be shattered. Every trace of hidden potential would be unlocked, awaiting only discovery and development.

According to Lu Yuan's memories, there existed many mediums that could help one become an Awakened. But if one had to name the most powerful among them, the one that stood above all others, it could only be the ancient Bodhi Tree. That was why he had poured so much time and effort into acquiring it.

Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened as he looked at the tree.

A fierce determination gleamed in his eyes. Without hesitation, he drew a dagger and plunged it into his own chest.

In the next moment, crimson blood gushed forth.

Yes, fusing with the ancient Bodhi Tree required heartblood.

Only with it could one resonate with the will of the Bodhi Tree and become one with it.

If this had been any other ordinary person, they would never dare attempt something so reckless. The risk was far too high and it could cost them their life.

But Lu Yuan was no ordinary man.

His body had been tempered by pill essence, and strengthened far beyond that of a regular human.

To him, such a chest wound wasn't even worth mentioning—let alone life-threatening.

A single drop of his heartblood fell onto the trunk of the Bodhi Tree.

Buzz!

In an instant, a brilliant radiance erupted from the tree, as if it had been waiting for this call. The heartblood was absorbed without resistance.

The tree trembled, its jade-green leaves shaking with a resonant hum, like performing a divine melody.

Above its crown, rings of white light rippled outward, and one by one, the shimmering silhouettes of Buddhas began to appear—some meditating, some reclining, some resting, others subduing dragons and taming tigers.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

Echoes of gongs resounded within Lu Yuan's mind.

He shut his eyes, and behind him, a luminous halo of wisdom took shape.

The phantom Buddhas slowly began to revolve around him, chanting sacred sutras in unison, as if guiding his ascension.

To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, and to find the Buddha within a tree...

The profound chanting echoed endlessly in his mind.

Seated in a meditation pose, Lu Yuan began to float. He was unaware of the moment when his body rose into the air, and was now hovering at the same height as the Bodhi Tree.

Meanwhile, the rays of light from the tree gradually poured into him. Bit by bit, they fused into his flesh, his blood, his very being.

Lu Yuan could feel it clearly. He could feel his body growing stronger by the second.

Every fiber of muscle was transforming.

Every cell was cycling through death and rebirth.

And with each wave of light, his strength surged dramatically.

It was the human body breaking free from its shackles, awakening the vast reserves of hidden potential within.

Ordinary people lacked a proper medium. No matter how hard they tried, they could never awaken or evolve to gain extraordinary abilities.

Even with a suitable medium, the process was slow and arduous, and filled with countless trials, failures, and painful adaptation.

But now, Lu Yuan had accomplished what should've taken years in mere moments.

From an ordinary human to an Awakened, his transformation was almost instantaneous.

His fleshly body had already surpassed the limits of what a human should be, and his power was still climbing at an astonishing rate.

In my previous life, I spent years and countless experiments just to reach this stage...

Lu Yuan thought. He couldn't help but be deeply awed by the sheer power of the Bodhi Tree, the very same sacred tree beneath which the Buddha had attained enlightenment.

It was a supreme medium, beyond imagination.

And yet, this was far from the end. To truly unleash the full potential of a billionfold Talent, he needed to fuse completely with the ancient tree.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Now that the heartblood had been accepted, only two steps remained: to wait and endure.

As expected, divine waves of light continued to surge into his body. The Bodhi Tree trembled in response, its branches quaking.

Then, without warning, the tree slowly began to uproot itself. Right before his eyes, it began to shrink, its form condensing until it became no larger than a sapling that could fit in his palm. The entire tree had turned into translucent jade—crystalline, flawless, and breathtaking.

The many phantom Buddhas that had been circling Lu Yuan now flew toward the tiny tree and merged into it one by one.

Whoosh!

The Bodhi Tree shot forward, piercing into Lu Yuan's forehead and vanished without a trace.

At that moment, Lu Yuan could see his own consciousness.

He found himself staring at a vast expanse of white within a boundless, silent realm.

Right before him, the Bodhi Tree now stood over twenty meters tall, radiating with vibrant life. Its lush emerald glow lit up the endless sea of white with a soft, tranquil luminescence.

Beneath the ancient tree sat a small golden figure, cross-legged in meditation. Its eyes were shut, mirroring the posture of the Buddha in his moment of enlightenment ages ago.

That golden figure bore Lu Yuan's exact features, yet its presence was divine, and ethereal.

According to ancient legend, once someone fully fused with the Bodhi Tree, they would awaken the God of Wisdom and their Innate Spirit, unlocking the blessings of a billionfold Talent. They would be granted insight into the truths of all things under heaven.

The moment Lu Yuan saw the golden figure, recognition struck him like lightning. A surge of exhilaration exploded within his chest.

This was his God of Wisdom. His Innate Spirit.

One had to understand that even in his previous life, not a single Awakened across the world had reached this point.

As for fusing with the Bodhi Tree? Across the previous lifetime and the current, between the previous owner and Lu Yuan, Lu Yuan was the only individual who managed to succeed.

The tree was simply too important and was revered as a divine relic. In his past life, it had disappeared mysteriously and was never seen again. And now, it belonged to him.

Lu Yuan's eyes snapped open and within them shimmered a newfound brilliance and clarity.

In that instant, he suddenly realized that the chaotic world around him seemed to shift. What once appeared disorderly now moved with discernible rhythm and meaning. If he simply focused his mind, he could grasp the laws of nature. His thoughts started to sharpen and became clearer than ever before. It was as if divine wisdom now flowed through him.

So this is the terrifying power of a billionfold Talent?

At this realization, Lu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

Three months of planning, effort, and patience had all been worth it. What he gained in return was nothing short of monumental.

"Hmm?"

Lu Yuan suddenly sensed something more. Apart from the blessing of a billionfold Talent, his physique had also undergone a startling transformation.

His skin now gleamed with a crystal-smooth sheen, faintly aglow with a soft white light. His muscles were not bulky but he could feel the immense, terrifying strength rippling beneath the surface.

Without thinking, he lightly threw a punch.

Boom!

A deafening shockwave tore through the courtyard. The air ruptured with a sonic boom, and the stone tiles beneath his feet shattered like cracked glass.

This strength... that's more than ten times stronger than what I was before.

Lu Yuan was taken aback. That had been just a casual swing, and yet the force was

this

overwhelming. If he added even a little more power, he could probably demolish a two- or three-story building in a single blow.

He then took a moment to assess his current strength roughly.

By estimation, he had already stepped into Foundation Realm VIII as an Awakened!