Chapter 161: Learn by Example

"A senior once passed down some experience: somewhere in the forest behind us, a Sky‑piercing Bamboo grows up to ten zhang tall."

"We should transplant it here, and at the same time look along the river for its narrowest point, using it to catapult us to the opposite bank." Qi Haohao estimated the river to be about thirty‑plus zhang wide, and finally understood why their own ancestor insisted on remembering the Sky‑piercing Bamboo.

Jiang Yu hesitated slightly: "Return to the forest to fight the hordes of demonic beasts again? She could more quickly capture a silver‑winged Great Roc alive."

Guo Jue slapped his forehead and praised, "Good idea—using the spring of the Sky‑piercing Bamboo, we can employ lightness skill to leap, tossing some bamboo shoots to step on and fly across."

"We've all learned ordinary martial arts, right? Upon reaching the Pre‑Heaven realm one can soar ten zhang in the air."

"Just now we only thought about charging straight across the river, without considering transplanting the bamboo; Brother Qi's method is truly good."

"Where? I just happen to know there is Sky‑piercing Bamboo nearby," Qi Haohao thought, knowing ordinary bamboo isn't that long, so it wouldn't help here.

Xia Bing immediately said, "Then later, Brother Qi will kindly take us to harvest the bamboo."

"I'm fairly badly wounded; let me draw you a map," she said. Having barely fought her way out of the beast horde, at this moment Qi Haohao didn't want to go back for a second round.

So she, sword in hand, sketched on the ground where the Sky‑piercing Bamboo was, "Of course, this is our family's method."

"You can ask others for more crossing techniques."

Jiang Yu looked around at a group of injured Dongzhou cultivators, "Sister Xia, crossing the river isn't a family matter; perhaps we should let these companions rest a bit, then form a team to harvest bamboo or capture a few flying birds."

"Brother Qi, you all must know this river is the necessary passage to the second layer of the Cave Heaven."

"In any case, both crossing methods require us to return and spar with the flying birds; we can't risk our lives gathering bamboo while you sit back and reap the benefits."

Qi Haohao merely gave a slight nod, said no more; after all, she now needed to conserve her spirit in case Senior Brother Xing appeared suddenly.

Xia Bing didn't press the issue; before the ground sketch mysteriously vanished, she memorized the route.

She gave Deng Yuanwu a signal, telling him to find another Dongzhou cultivator for more inquiries.

Then she pulled Jiang Yu aside and said, "We only know that the Great Luo Celestial Realm opens once every three hundred years, and many scenes differ from before."

"Have you asked Senior Xuantang Xingjun whether there's another path?" From Master Fu Ju Zhenjun she learned that Jiang Yu carries a Hua‑Shen spirit soul.

Jiang Yu heard from Xuantang Xingjun's words that when he first entered, the river posed little threat to him.

"After all, he was at the Hua‑Shen stage then, while we are only at Foundation Establishment; there should be only this one route—Sister, do you intend to walk the whole river?"

Xia Bing naturally wanted to see for herself and also scout where the river was narrowest.

Thus she briefed Guo Jue and his sect, then rode a sword to fly Jiang Yu along the riverbank.

"Jiang Yu, take this flying sword," she said. Mid‑journey, Xia Bing retrieved from her storage ring a mid‑grade treasure—a particularly fine flying sword.

Jiang Yu waved her hand to refuse; she then produced her own purchased supreme flying sword, saying she feared flaunting wealth would invite robbery, so she hadn't used it.

Xia Bing carefully chose her words, "Within a secret realm, you needn't worry that every treasure is the best; good items are meant for moments like this."

"If you encounter a person with ill intent, even if your gear is inferior, they'll still kill and loot."

"But with a fine weapon in hand, whether against foes or demonic beasts, striking first with thunderous force always adds a margin of victory."

"Junior sister, I've taken your lesson," Jiang Yu said. She had previously been accustomed to reserving good items for the end; it seems she must change that now.

She couldn't help but take out a newly acquired bamboo fan to twirl; it seemed to work quite well, at least complementing her practiced Thunder‑Fire Form.

"Look, I told you early on that once you reach Foundation Establishment you should stop using implements and switch entirely to treasures; that halves the effort and doubles the result."

"But you, you always brush me off," Jiang Tu, who had lived among humans for years, replied with idioms, his words as easy as catching a fish.

"From now on I'll listen to you more," Jiang Yu said. Jiang Tu fell silent; he was about to leave through the Great Luo Celestial Realm, leaving them no time for future interactions.

He asked cautiously, "Jiang Yu, why not come with me to the Spirit Realm? A Dragon Pearl will protect you."

"My cultivation is too low, and I have lingering doubts," Jiang Yu replied. Even though she is now at the Core‑Forming stage, she still dared to venture with him.

Jiang Tu sighed, about to speak, when Jiang Yu suddenly unfurled a bamboo fan with one hand, while the other hand already clutched a handful of talismans.

"Sister, there's a formation ahead," Jiang Yu's spiritual sense first detected the array's ripple five li away.

Xia Bing's flying sword was swift; almost as soon as Jiang Yu finished speaking, it had already flown one to two li, and she kept her river‑channel spirit sense widened, noticing differences along the opposite bank.

When still over ten zhang from the array's ripple, she decisively halted the flight, intending to detour around that spot.

Unexpectedly, the two flew laterally for dozens of li; to the naked eye, countless flying birds circled two to three li away, while the formation seemed endless, stretching all the way to the forest's edge.

Such a long formation could not have been set by Foundation Establishment cultivators; it appears the Cave Heaven itself actively blocked the path, allowing passage only across the river surface.

"Sigh, after running all this way we still haven't seen any narrowing of the river," Xia Bing lamented helplessly.

"It's a shame this river possesses a supreme spirit ability; otherwise the thousands of birds on the forest edge would have spotted the two cultivators and rushed to attack."

"They don't covet the cultivators' flesh; rather, any life that trespasses their territory is unforgivable."

On this side, Xia Bing, still a mile from the birds, again commanded her Ice Serpent Sword to halt.

"Sister, move a bit closer to that flock; I'll see if I can capture a few alive," Jiang Yu said, borrowing a Spirit Beast Pill from Jiang Tu.

"Let me have your fastest flying sword," Xia Bing replied after a moment. Once the flock surrounds them, her Ice Serpent will serve as the main attack.

Jiang Yu swiftly swapped swords, thus she rode the sword to fly while Xia Bing stood at the blade's tip to defend.

Before the two even reached the flock, Great Roc, Iron Wing Eagle, Flame Bird, and Swift Wind Sparrow were already stirring.

When several lead birds simultaneously screeched, multiple tribes of flying birds surged together, launching wind blades and flames at Jiang Yu and her companion.

Jiang Yu retreated extremely quickly; before Xia Bing's sword light could slash, she had already moved three li away.

The flock pursued no more than two li, then each halted mid‑air, the age‑old crisis causing them to freeze their wings.

"Give me the Spirit Beast Pill; you just focus on sword defense," Xia Bing took her pill bottle, poured out several azure pills, and whizzed them toward the birds.

The birds thought it was an attack from the other side, and several front‑line birds instinctively flapped away.

But that flap instead released the scent of the Spirit Beast Pill.

The quick‑reacting Swift Wind Sparrow seized a pill in a flash and sniffed it vigorously.

Jiang Yu, being a trickster, when the sword approached again, slowly poured out several Nourishing Spirit Pills, letting the birds see her eating.

The few foolish birds that grabbed the Spirit Beast Pill saw this and began to imitate.