Chapter 101: The Bamboo Forest

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Cai Yao extinguished the bamboo locusts with her own true energy, which surprised Li Sibai. Smiling brightly, Cai Yao explained, “These bamboo locusts might just be afraid of me. My true energy is of the utmost yang, while these locusts are of the utmost yin, so they die as soon as they encounter it.” Li Sibai nodded, impressed that such a method could work.

At that moment, the entire bamboo cave began to glow with layers of green light. Li Sibai felt as if something was calling to them, and the closer they got to the cave’s entrance, the brighter the green light became. Thinking that some change was about to occur in the space, Li Sibai hastily pulled Cai Yao to leave, not bothering to gather the bamboo fruits.

Outside, they discovered that the slender bamboo shoot was the source of the glow. By then, Chief Zhang had already awakened. He stood in front of the shoot, staring at it blankly, completely captivated and oblivious to Li Sibai and the others’ emergence.

Li Sibai stepped forward and gently patted Chief Zhang. “Are you feeling better?”

Startled, Chief Zhang recognized Li Sibai and came back to his senses. “Young hero Li, what happened? When I woke up, it was still fine. I saw you all were inside, so I didn’t dare enter. Then suddenly it began to glow. I watched it and… I fell into meditation.”

Entering meditation is a special state achievable only by those who have cultivated to the point of selflessness. Chief Zhang’s experience suggested the bamboo shoot had mesmerized him.

Taking Chief Zhang’s words seriously, Li Sibai channeled his fighting energy into his eyes, activating his Purple Light Divine Sight, and observed carefully for a long time, but saw no signs of trouble.

Suddenly inspired, Li Sibai infused his primordial energy into the Purple Light Divine Sight, hoping to detect something different. Unexpectedly, this attracted him to the bamboo shoot. He began walking slowly toward it.

Chief Zhang and Cai Yao sensed something was wrong. Chief Zhang wanted to call Li Sibai back but knew he himself had been mesmerized moments before. He tried stepping forward and pulling Li Sibai by the arm but to no avail.

Cai Yao chirped anxiously and even flew over to peck Li Sibai sharply with her pointed beak, but he ignored her completely.

Li Sibai reached out his right hand and grasped the slender bamboo shoot. Instantly, the green light surged wildly into his eyes and rushed into his head.

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After a moment, all the green light vanished. Li Sibai’s eyes returned to calm, now tinged with green alongside the original purple, making them appear even more unfathomable.

His figure seemed more slender than before, radiating an elegant aura. His features also appeared more refined.

Li Sibai shook himself, puzzled. “What just happened?” He looked around, bewildered by the scene.

“Don’t you know? You went and held the shoot yourself. We tried to pull you back but couldn’t. Then all that green light entered your body, and the bamboo shoot disappeared,” Chief Zhang explained.

“I? Took it? It disappeared? I had no idea! I feel like I dreamed it, and when I woke up, I saw you all,” Li Sibai said, confused.

“Well, this place is truly strange. But now that you’re fine, that’s what matters,” Chief Zhang said helplessly. Many things today had surpassed his understanding.

Li Sibai smiled wryly. Suddenly, a thought struck him. It felt as though a slender bamboo was communicating some message to him. In an instant, he understood.

This bamboo shoot was the core controlling the entire illusionary array. Controlling it meant controlling the whole formation, which a certain expert had set up to trap the Crimson Golden Bear. The parent and child bamboos had taken root here long ago, merging with this place, drawing in spiritual energy to grow and even bear fruit.

Earlier, inside the bamboo cave, Cai Yao had helped the slender bamboos eliminate the bamboo locusts — their brothers and sisters. The parent bamboo was deeply grateful and wished to thank Cai Yao. Unfortunately, Cai Yao was only a supportive divine beast, so it summoned Li Sibai and bestowed its power upon him, directly transferring it into his brain.

Now, besides the Purple Light Divine Sight, Li Sibai’s eyes had gained an even stronger ability. The parent bamboo, as the brain of the entire formation, now lived within his mind, greatly transforming his neural network.

Countless fine plant-like neurons grew, linking together previously disconnected nerves. Li Sibai immediately sensed his consciousness entering a vast space, continuously expanding. His observational and cognitive abilities were developing at a rapid pace.

After about a short incense stick’s time, the expansion gradually ceased. Li Sibai’s brain capacity had increased tenfold, and his usable neural connections a hundredfold, resembling a vast bamboo forest.

Gathering his thoughts, Li Sibai smiled at Chief Zhang and Cai Yao. “Let’s go, we have some matters to attend to.” With that, he led the way alone.

Cai Yao seemed to understand something and nestled into Li Sibai’s embrace. Chief Zhang, still confused, asked, “Young hero Li, where are we heading?”

Li Sibai said nothing more, “You’ll see when we get there.”

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Before long, the massive Crimson Golden Bear appeared before them.

Chief Zhang was startled. “Didn’t we barely escape earlier? How has it come back?”

The bear noticed them, glanced behind but saw no Cai Yao. Disappointment flashed in its eyes but was quickly replaced by greed.

“Just you two, and you dare come back? Last time you were lucky. This time, you won’t escape,” it growled, twisting its massive haunches and charging at Li Sibai and Chief Zhang.

Li Sibai commanded, “Fall back!” Green light flickered in his eyes, and the once arrogant Crimson Golden Bear froze in place.

Without hesitation, Li Sibai’s Xuantian Sword flew from his hand, piercing the bear’s throat. The bear snapped out of its stupor, uttered a grunt, and with a heavy thud collapsed, lifeless.

Chief Zhang watched anxiously from behind, astonished. Just one trip to the parent and child bamboo cave had made Li Sibai so formidable. Though still only at the first level of the Zither Heart Realm, his power surpassed even that of a third level, and could contend with a fourth.

Li Sibai stepped forward, retrieved the bear’s inner core, along with its paws and gallbladder.

Turning to Chief Zhang, he said, “Chief Zhang, I’ll leave a passage here for you. Follow my mark, and you can lead your people out.”

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