East of Jadebrook Mountain lies a vast swamp known by a name of profound paradox: the Bodhi Sea. A sea of suff…
East of Jadebrook Mountain lies a vast swamp known by a name of profound paradox: the Bodhi Sea. A sea of suffering, yet a place of enlightenment.
Legend claims its hopeful beginning traces back to the Tang Dynasty, when the great monk Xuanzang preached here. Inspired, a master named Yongfu attained enlightenment and planted a single Bodhi sapling by the water's edge. That tree now stands majestic, its canopy a vast, sheltering pavilion—a lone symbol of the grace that once was.
But this grace soured. During the Xiande era, the zealous monk Miaoshan led his followers into the swamp's heart. There, they built the Karma Pagoda and imprisoned a hundred sinners within. Guided by the tenet, "The sea of suffering is boundless, yet repentance is the shore," the monks outside began a ceaseless vigil. Morning bells and evening drums echoed across the waters, an unending ritual meant to cleanse the prisoners' souls.
Then, Master Miaoshan vanished. The prisoners, their penance unfinished, shattered the pagoda's walls. The Bodhi Sea, once a place of potential salvation, devolved into a hell on earth. Of the great pagoda, only shattered ruins remain.
To this day, locals whisper of faint, sorrowful wails drifting from the swamp's depths. They attribute the sounds to the vengeful spirits of those who perished in the tower, though such tales are likely just superstition.