Chapter 488: Resonance Between Heaven And Man

Deep within the valley, multicolored rosy light shimmered and billowed upward, while rainbow-colored mist soared into the sky.

The entire secluded gorge was enveloped in a gentle radiance.

The once-barren rock walls at the entrance had somehow become covered with lush green vines.

Clusters of unknown wildflowers had sprung from the earth, and the air was filled with a crisp, refreshing fragrance. Even the mountain path beneath his feet seemed noticeably smoother than he remembered.

It was completely different from the desolate, rugged, and rarely visited valley in Chiriku's memory, as though it had become an entirely different place.

"Huh? Was this place always this beautiful?"

Chiriku stopped walking and gazed in confusion at the ever-changing glow and the vibrant vegetation before him.

"Forget it. Now isn't the time to think about that. Finding Monk Genjo is the priority."

Shaking his head, Chiriku temporarily cast those distracting thoughts aside and continued deeper into the valley along the mountain path.

As he ventured farther in, the scenery before him became increasingly unlike anything found in the mortal world.

The strangest thing of all was the surrounding air.

Chiriku vaguely sensed that something invisible and intangible was gathering from every direction, slowly flowing toward the depths of the valley like countless streams returning to the sea.

The farther he walked, the more astonished he became.

"... Could this all have been caused by Monk Genjo?"

With that thought in mind, Chiriku quickened his pace and hurried deeper into the valley.

At last, on a natural stone platform at the valley's end, Chiriku found Monk Genjo and witnessed with his own eyes the source of all these extraordinary changes.

In the center of the previously barren stone platform, a tree had appeared at some unknown time.

The tree stood a little over three meters tall; its trunk was not particularly thick, yet its entire surface glowed with a warm, jade-like pale golden luster.

Its branches spread gracefully, while its leaves resembled emerald jade, each one perfectly round and full, gently swaying despite the absence of any wind.

Rosy light streamed down through its branches and leaves, enveloping the entire tree in a thin halo of misty radiance. Seen from afar, it looked like a sacred treasure tree descended into the mortal world, untouched by worldly dust, possessing such solemn dignity that one could not help but want to press their palms together in reverence.

Beneath that divine tree sat a young monk in meditation with his legs crossed. His eyes were gently lowered, his breathing long and steady, and under the glow of the radiant light, his face appeared as though carved from flawless crystal. There was neither sorrow nor joy between his brows, yet they somehow carried an indescribable sense of compassion and enlightenment.

Simply sitting beneath the tree, he exuded a natural tranquility. His aura seemed to have merged completely with the tree behind him, the entire valley, and even this world itself, until there was no longer any distinction between them.

The instant Chiriku saw the young monk, an image from the temple murals involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

"The World-Honored One sat beneath the Bodhi Tree in full lotus, subduing Māra and attaining unsurpassed, complete enlightenment."

Only then did Chiriku finally realize what it was that he had vaguely sensed gathering toward the valley floor.

It was Nature Energy!

The Nature Energy that ordinary people could neither see nor touch had become clearly visible here, transforming into those multicolored rays of light and swirling currents of mist that drifted endlessly like clouds and fog.

At that moment, it seemed as though an invisible, formless vortex had opened within Monk Genjo's body. As the vortex slowly rotated, the Nature Energy from every direction was drawn toward it, spinning and roaring as it converged into streams of visible light that surged toward him like countless rivers flowing into the sea.

Chiriku stood there dumbfounded, but what happened next left him even more stunned.

Perhaps he had not noticed Chiriku's arrival, or perhaps he had noticed but simply did not care; the young monk suddenly formed a hand seal with his right hand.

In the next instant, his exceptionally handsome face suddenly turned deathly pale, as though his body had suffered an immense drain in a single moment.

At the same time, the surrounding Nature Energy, which had previously been relatively calm, suddenly became violent and turbulent.

If the Nature Energy before had resembled the gentle flow of tides beneath the moon, then now it was like a raging ocean, roaring and churning with an overwhelming force capable of destroying heaven and earth.

The young monk's complexion grew increasingly paler.

Seeing this, Chiriku's heart leaped into his throat. He unconsciously stepped forward, about to call out, when he saw Monk Genjo form another hand seal.

Monk Genjo's movements remained calm and unhurried, like a lone boat amidst a violent storm. No matter how fierce the wind and waves became, he remained completely unmoved.

The moment the hand seal was completed, the surrounding Nature Energy, which had been as violent as a tsunami, was instantly soothed by some gentle force and became calm once more.

The raging tidal wave transformed into gentle streams in the blink of an eye, flowing obediently and steadily into the young monk's body.

As those streams poured into him, Monk Genjo's complexion visibly regained its healthy color. Within only a few breaths, he had completely returned to normal.

Energy conversion?!

Seeing this, Chiriku's eyes widened abruptly, and the words Monk Genjo had spoken in the meditation room that day thundered through his mind.

"Allow the Nature Energy of heaven and earth to freely transform directly into your own Physical Energy or Spiritual Energy. As long as Nature Energy never runs dry, your own condition will endure forever."

Was it actually possible?

Monk Genjo had truly accomplished it?!

Chiriku was overwhelmed with shock.

Just then, the young monk formed yet another hand seal, and the Nature Energy, which had been clearly visible as streams of multicolored radiance, silently concealed itself once more, as though it had never existed.

The exotic flowers and grasses throughout the valley remained, but the misty glow that had blanketed everything completely dissipated, leaving behind nothing more than the ordinary evening scenery of a mountain valley.

After everything had returned to normal, Genjo opened his clear, gentle eyes and calmly looked toward Chiriku.

"Monk Genjo, was that energy conversion? Have you already reached the realm of the unity of heaven and man?"

The words escaped Chiriku's mouth immediately. His mind was still completely occupied by the astonishing scene he had just witnessed.

"It was indeed energy conversion. As for the unity of heaven and man..."

Genjo nodded slightly before gently shaking his head.

"This can only be considered resonance between heaven and man. It still falls short of true unity of heaven and man."

"Resonance between heaven and man?"

Chiriku blinked blankly and nodded with only half an understanding. Just as he was about to continue asking questions, Genjo gave him no opportunity to do so. Instead, he directly asked about the purpose of his visit.

Of course, the main reason Genjo did not let him continue asking questions was that he had not finished figuring it all out himself. After all, making up this kind of thing also required thought and time.