Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Bamboo Cave

“Shall we try it?” Upon hearing this, Chief Zhang stepped forward first and began carefully examining the slender bamboo shoot. Li Sibai continued to observe it beside him with his Purple Light Divine Eye.

Chief Zhang fumbled for a long while but couldn’t figure out how it worked. “Is this some kind of mechanism? I just can’t understand how to use it,” he said, disappointment etched across his face as he looked at Li Sibai.

Li Sibai shook his head; he had no clue either. Since cultivating the Qi Guidance Technique, he had discovered through practice that channeling Dou Qi into his eyes altered the abilities of his Purple Light Divine Eye.

Previously, when he input Xuantian Gong’s true qi into his eyes, the Purple Light Divine Eye could extend his field of vision, allowing him to see even in complete darkness. But when he tried channeling Dou Qi into his eyes, although he couldn’t see farther, he could discern the true essence of things.

For instance, during his earlier battle against the Crimson Gold Bear, his true qi was completely depleted, so he channeled Dou Qi into his eyes. Remarkably, the Purple Light Divine Eye revealed several inherent weaknesses in the bear’s form.

However, by then, the bear had already transformed, and Li Sibai’s strength was vastly inferior. Despite spotting those flaws, he couldn’t exploit them.

Just now, Li Sibai directed Dou Qi into his eyes again. Although he didn’t get close to examine the bamboo, he assumed that under the Dou Qi state, the Purple Light Divine Eye should still be able to detect some issues. Yet, after a long time, he found no new insights. With a helpless shake of his head, he approached to take a closer look himself.

As he touched the slender bamboo, Li Sibai immediately sensed something unusual. Two faint energies slowly entered his body—one warm, the other chilling.

“What is this?…” Li Sibai’s mouth fell open in astonishment. There was both true qi and Dou Qi here!

Seeing his amazed expression, Chief Zhang hurriedly asked, “Young hero Li, have you discovered something new?” He was now completely convinced of Li Sibai’s abilities. Throughout this journey, countless challenges had been overcome thanks to him. Had he come alone, he might still be trapped in that initial illusionary formation.

Li Sibai smiled and said, “Come, try touching it and see if you feel anything.”

Chief Zhang glanced at him skeptically. “Again? Every time so far, I was the first to try, yet nothing ever came of it. Besides, I already touched it just now and felt nothing. Did you feel something different?”

His face flushed slightly, embarrassed by his own words.

Li Sibai paid no mind to the unintended implication and nodded. “Then let me try again.”

Placing his hand on the slender bamboo, he simultaneously circulated Xuantian Gong and the Qi Guidance Technique, slowly channeling his true qi and Dou Qi into it. Immediately, two energies—one red and one white—wrapped around the bamboo, intertwining and gradually enveloping it completely.

A series of clicking sounds rang out. Li Sibai turned to see a door opening on the mother bamboo.

He exchanged a glance with Chief Zhang, who looked impressed. “It’s truly the young hero Li’s skill—effortlessly unlocking another mechanism.”

Chief Zhang quickly relit his torch and shone it inside. The bamboo hollow was surprisingly spacious, and the torch’s flame remained steady, indicating ample air inside.

“Let’s go in and take a look,” Li Sibai declared, activating his Purple Light Divine Eye and leading the way.

Inside, they found a smaller bamboo forest. The dense stalks were as slender as the outer bamboo, but curiously, their colors weren’t a pure green; instead, tinges of red and white shimmered atop the green.

Li Sibai gazed in wonder at these thin bamboos, while his true qi and Dou Qi surged within him, seemingly guided by the external energies, swirling relentlessly.

Suddenly, behind him came a “thud.” Li Sibai startled, fearing a dragon-lock trap might have been triggered, which would be disastrous. Turning around, he saw Chief Zhang lying unconscious on the ground.

Grabbing his torch, Li Sibai frowned. “Why did you suddenly faint again?” He wondered if a bamboo pit viper was nearby, but his Purple Light Divine Eye revealed no trace of snakes.

Checking Chief Zhang’s condition with his true qi, he realized the chief had merely fainted normally, which eased his mind.

What was going on? Li Sibai was puzzled. When he infused Xuantian Gong’s true qi into Chief Zhang, it had no effect. But when he channeled some Dou Qi from the Qi Guidance Technique into him, Chief Zhang groaned as if waking, only to faint again moments later.

“This is strange,” Li Sibai muttered in disbelief. He tried once more and found the same result: the chief revived with Dou Qi input but lost consciousness without it.

Li Sibai’s head ached. He couldn’t keep supplying Dou Qi indefinitely.

Reflecting carefully on what had happened since entering, an idea dawned on him. “Perhaps, like the previous melody, this place requires a balance of true qi and Dou Qi to be navigated. Chief Zhang has no Dou Qi in his body. Outside, that’s fine, but inside, it causes him to faint.”

With this in mind, Li Sibai carried Chief Zhang to the bamboo hollow’s entrance, where the pressure was lighter, confident he’d awaken soon.

Since Chief Zhang was only unconscious and posed no immediate danger, Li Sibai returned inside alone to explore further.

Reentering, he swept his Purple Light Divine Eye swiftly across the area and soon spotted a tall stone staircase.

He attempted to walk briskly toward it but found each step arduous. Within this space, true qi and Dou Qi reached a broad equilibrium, yet in smaller areas, they clashed incessantly.

Li Sibai had to constantly adjust the ratio of true qi to Dou Qi within his body to adapt to the surroundings. A slight miscalculation would cause him to be knocked unconscious by the qi currents, just like Chief Zhang.

He grimaced inwardly—progressing forward would not be easy. This seemed to be a test.

Yet, on reflection, it was also an opportunity for cultivation. Previously unfamiliar with the Qi Guidance Technique, Li Sibai was now mastering it. His Dou Qi generation had greatly accelerated, flowing through different meridians to converge in his dantian.

With every step, his internal energies fluctuated continuously. Sweat beads formed on his face, and a thin mist enveloped his body and hands, resembling the slender bamboos around him. However, this mist was unique—red and white vapors intertwined.

Though the process seemed simple, each step involved countless refinements within his body.