Chapter 100: The Bamboo Locusts

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Cai Yao discovered the bamboo nuts, which proved very useful to her, and Li Sibai was genuinely pleased for her. For a long time prior, Li Sibai had been troubled, unsure how to help Cai Yao level up. She needed celestial herbs, which he didn’t have; she needed spirit medicines, which he also lacked. All he had was some braised pork, insufficient in quantity. Yet, the bamboo nuts he found today could directly enable Cai Yao to consume them and advance in cultivation. Such a fortunate encounter made this trip to the bamboo forest truly worthwhile.

Cai Yao, unable to wait any longer, plucked a dozen of the larger-looking bamboo nuts from a nearby stalk and began devouring them one by one without even chewing.

Li Sibai watched anxiously from the side. “Cai Yao, your mouth is so small, eat more slowly—don’t choke. The smaller ones might suit you better.”

Cai Yao covered her mouth and smiled. “Brother, you don’t understand. It’s the big ones that are mature and effective. The smaller ones haven’t aged enough yet and need more time to grow. Eating them now would be pointless and a waste. Besides, these big bamboo nuts look substantial and contain pure, refreshing energy. They melt in your mouth and taste delicious.” She said this proudly, glancing at Li Sibai.

Only then did Li Sibai comprehend and realized she was right.

At that moment, Cai Yao’s body began to undergo changes. The true qi within her absorbed the essence of the bamboo nuts, accelerating its flow. Gradually, her body expanded, enveloped in a faint green mist.

This transformation was swift. Cai Yao’s height grew from half a foot to a full foot. Her feathers became more vivid and striking. The most remarkable change appeared at her rear—a long, red tail had sprouted.

Li Sibai stared in amazement, nodding repeatedly. “Truly a divine bird, growing more beautiful by the day.”

Cai Yao then turned and transformed into a young girl. Compared to her previous appearance as a six or seven-year-old child, she now looked clearly more mature, about eleven or twelve years old. She was still clad in a multicolored garment, with the red tail trailing behind her like the hem of a skirt.

“Brother…” Cai Yao called shyly, her face flushing deep red.

Li Sibai was dumbfounded, never expecting such a significant transformation in his sister. “You’ve broken through?” he asked.

Cai Yao nodded, grinning broadly. “I’ve reached the first tier of the Celestial Level.”

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“First tier of the Celestial Level? What does that mean?” Li Sibai looked puzzled. He only knew that beasts were categorized into the Earth, Mystic, Yellow, and Celestial levels, each subdivided into upper, middle, and lower ranks. He had never heard of the Celestial Level being divided into tiers.

Seeing his confusion, Cai Yao explained, “Beasts are indeed divided into Earth, Mystic, Yellow, and Celestial levels. People often think each has three ranks, but that’s only true for Earth, Mystic, and Yellow. The Celestial Level represents wisdom and is divided into nine tiers. Each tier you advance doubles your strength. I was previously stuck between the Earth and Celestial Levels, at a half-step Celestial. After eating these bamboo nuts, I officially entered the first tier of the Celestial Level and grew this red tail.” She smiled happily, nearly bursting with joy.

Li Sibai finally understood. Looking at her red tail and the young beauty before him, he felt genuinely happy for her.

“By the way, Cai Yao, what is that tail for?” Li Sibai asked, still curious.

“The tail? Of course it’s useful!” Cai Yao replied with a bright smile. Her mood was so uplifted that she seemed agreeable to anything.

“Does it have any special abilities?” Li Sibai pressed.

“Abilities? No!” Cai Yao continued smiling. “It’s just pretty!”

Li Sibai’s face darkened in disbelief. “Pretty?”

...

“Well, alright, it is pretty. Let’s just say I didn’t ask,” Li Sibai muttered to himself after some adjustment. “It really is quite beautiful…”

Cai Yao watched Li Sibai’s expression and wanted to laugh. “Brother, don’t be disappointed. I just don’t know its use yet. Maybe it hasn’t awakened. Perhaps I’ll understand it someday.”

Li Sibai nodded with a smile. “No disappointment here. You’re doing great. And there are plenty more bamboo nuts here for you to eat for a while.”

Hearing this, Cai Yao shook her head. “Brother, the ones I just ate are over sixty years old, and there aren’t many of those here. There are others that are fifty or forty years old, but they need a long time to mature.”

Li Sibai looked at the bamboo nuts nearby, confirming what Cai Yao said; many were too small. He activated his Purple Light Divine Eye to scan the bamboo further away and shook his head. It seemed as Cai Yao said—if only he could discover a way to speed their maturation.

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As he contemplated, Li Sibai suddenly said, “Hey, why are there some green little bugs on these bamboo stalks?” He admitted he hadn’t noticed them earlier without using the Purple Light Divine Eye. These tiny insects blended so well with the bamboo that they were hard to detect.

Cai Yao looked and spotted some as well. “Those are bamboo locusts!” she said. “No wonder the bamboo nuts vary in age. The younger ones have probably been damaged by them.”

“Ah, bamboo locusts,” Li Sibai recalled. He had read about them in the “Records of Oddities,” though he had never seen one in person.

“These bamboo locusts live on the slender bamboo. If this continues, the bamboo nuts won’t mature before they’re eaten,” Li Sibai said worriedly. It was a pity for such a rare and precious treasure to be destroyed.

“I have a friend who loves eating these insects. I wish he were here,” Cai Yao remarked.

Li Sibai chuckled; even Cai Yao, a foodie, wouldn’t touch these bugs, yet her friend would. Foodies often find friends just like themselves.

“Let me try,” Cai Yao said, seeming to have an idea. She turned back into her bird form and flew above the slender bamboo stalks.

She lightly shook her red tail, emitting strands of pure true qi. Although the bamboo cave was already filled with true qi, fighting qi, and refreshing energy, the slight emanation of true qi she produced did not disturb the balance; instead, it seemed isolated from the rest.

The true qi drifted slowly toward the slender bamboo. When the bamboo locusts encountered it, they reacted as if meeting poison and began dying one after another. Soon, within visible range, all the bamboo locusts had fallen to the ground, disappearing from the slender bamboo stalks.

Li Sibai was astonished, unable to close his mouth. “Cai Yao, you’re incredible.”