Chapter 33: Requirements

Ye Lin let out a cold hum and said with a half‑smile, "Don't worry, Ye Lian has a Flash‑Escape Talisman on her, and also the Sword‑Qi Talisman for the Golden Core stage that Grandfather gave her."

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to stand watch from tomorrow onward; I can't afford to keep you."

The shopkeeper Zhang opened his mouth and finally answered; although his cultivation is only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, he is also the breadwinner for the Ye family, and Young Master Fifteen happens to oversee this shop, so he had to listen.

But after being out for less than half a watch, the shopkeeper hurried back, "Young Master, no one is receiving our messages."

"What's the situation?"

"It was the squads led by Qiu Laoyan, Huo Jiu, Che Xuan, etc.; they had already obtained the information and left before I found the secret market."

"Someone sold the information earlier than us?"

"Strange, I only learned of their mission right away because Ye Lian became a candidate; who was the other person?"

"Perhaps it's another candidate who also offended Jiang Yu?"

"No way, that Jiang Yu girl is always busy; apart from a minor clash with Ye Lian, she basically has no time to provoke anyone." Curious, Ye Lin decided to return to the sect to investigate.

Unfortunately, since the last mishap, the brothers discovered Jiang Yu's cultivation is already at the late Refining Qi stage, and she's already listed with the sect leader, so no one is willing to form a team to discipline her.

Otherwise, why would they bother inciting others to go?

Jiang Yu's party of seven or eight was led by a Foundation Master Uncle wielding a sword, heading toward Ma Teng Town.

That place is only a few thousand li from the sect, far from bustling areas, yet it has vast stretches of bamboo, known as the Thousand Bamboo Forest.

Bamboo is also a crucial material for making talismans and paper; the appropriately aged emerald‑heart bamboo can be used to craft mid‑ and low‑level talisman paper.

Nowadays, the bamboo forest is frequently damaged; many low‑level cultivators who earn a living by planting bamboo live there, and the sect disciples stationed there have been unable to find the cause, constantly seeking help from the sect.

"Jiang Yu, what are you thinking?" Little Turtle Jiang Tu transmitted his voice to her.

"I was thinking that the first test of the Library wasn't about probing spiritual awareness." The Thousand Bamboo Forest is huge, so they split into several squads, each taking a different route to investigate.

Jiang Yu's assignment to a particular squad had been predetermined; she now stood at the rear of the flying swords, not wanting to stand beside Senior Sister Ye Ye for fear Jiang Tu might become displeased and cause trouble.

"See, Jiang Tu also holds grudges: 'For such a simple task, you must beat Ye Lian.'"

She's also a candidate; the old Dao‑Void man must value something in her.

"Maybe the Ye family pulled some strings to get her in."

"She's quite diligent herself, having reached the eighth layer of Refining Qi, and often goes to the Library to read."

"And now I'm in the same squad as her, needing to win against the other sub‑teams together." Jiang Yu suspected the mission assigner deliberately grouped conflicting people.

Looking ahead at a few, Senior Sister Min and Senior Brother Zhao once fought over a plot of premium spirit rice in the spirit field, which she saw with her own eyes.

Senior Brother Ren and Senior Brother Fan gave her a subtle bad impression, as she observed.

The only one younger and lower in cultivation is Junior Sister Bai, whom she doesn't know well and has never seen in the Transmission Hall where both inner and outer disciples attend lessons.

Just as she was thinking of her, Junior Sister Bai turned and transmitted, "Senior Sister Jiang, have you ever been to the Thousand Bamboo Forest before?"

"No, I rarely go down the mountain."

"Then we can get there this afternoon, right?"

"Almost, Uncle Xia's flying swords are fast." Jiang Yu had long calculated the speed of flying swords from various books.

Although the books often describe how many zhang one can vanish in a single breath, likening it to the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, sellers also exaggerate the speed.

But the defined mileage is constant, about five hundred meters per li.

The counting system on the Tianyuan Continent resembles that of ancient times in my previous life: one "shi chen" equals two hours, a quarter‑hour is fifteen minutes, and a cup of tea lasts ten minutes.

And a single breath lasts roughly three to five seconds.

For example, the premium flying boat I use, due to its material and weak driving mana, covers three hundred li per hour, whereas Uncle Xia's premium flying sword reaches over seven hundred li per hour, comparable to a high‑speed train.

"Why not take the teleportation array at the market?"

"That would be faster," Junior Sister Bai asked, her tone very plain.

Jiang Yu pondered briefly, "Perhaps Ma Teng Town doesn't have one."

As soon as she finished speaking, several flying swords whizzed past them; Jiang Tu suddenly transmitted, "Four swords just passed; three of them kept their gaze fixed on our swords.

The one closest to us exuded a strong killing aura."

Jiang Yu felt a chill in her heart and hurriedly told Junior Sister Bai, "I have to see the master uncle; let's talk later."

"You're going to report?" Little Turtle Jiang Tu asked, slightly surprised.

"Hmm, can I do it in your name? Many people know you're at the fifth rank.

If our teammates are safe now, then we're safe." Jiang Yu still wanted to discuss it.

Jiang Tu hesitated for two breaths, then nodded, "Just say you kept watching me, that's how I noticed; don't mention the killing aura."

Jiang Yu understood; an ordinary turtle lacks such talent, so she urgently transmitted to the sword‑wielding master uncle ahead.

Xia Bing immediately warned the disciples behind him, "Stay alert; there are petty thieves even within the sect's jurisdiction.

Especially those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage; each is a ruthless character with plenty of combat experience."

"Understood." The team instantly grew tense; some even clutched talismans in their hands preemptively.

Yet the journey was uneventful, and upon entering Ma Teng Town, everyone quietly exhaled; when cultivators keep their spiritual awareness outward for too long, it becomes uncomfortable.

Later, Uncle Xia noticed their tension and ordered them to rotate positions.

But the tension didn't ease for long; after a brief tea break, they set off with the stationed Foundation Master Uncle toward the Thousand Bamboo Forest.

From afar they heard the rustling of bamboo leaves, and looking down from mid‑air, the layered green waves stretched endlessly.

While the stationed master uncle described that no unusual birds were seen in the sky and they found no clues underground, they ordered all the town's cultivators to guard continuously for three days and nights, yet discovered nothing.

But once they withdrew, large sections of bamboo went awry—some fell, some had broken roots, and some were even burned.

Jiang Yu's team inspected the damaged bamboo and confirmed it wasn't caused by humans.

They were then assigned a hundred‑mu sector; Xia Bing, Uncle Xia, had them walk side by side, delving deeper into the ground to investigate.

Requirement: "Pair up, stay within each other's spiritual‑sense range, and be ready to assist your nearby teammate at any moment."

Junior Sister Bai: "Uncle, there are seven of us."

Xia Bing asked, "Am I not human?"

The team members: …

A few people formed teams sensibly; Junior Sister Xiao Bai tried to pair with Jiang Yu, but Uncle Xia preemptively assigned her.

But after they slipped a hundred meters underground, Jiang Yu couldn't see Uncle Xia. "Where are you? You promised a side response."

"Going faster and deeper than you, you must think I'm present." Jiang Tu's divine sense could perceive it.

Jiang Yu hesitated, could only keep firing Earth‑Slipping Talismans downward; after slipping a few meters continuously, everyone finally got some fresh air outside.

Xia Bing, understanding their low cultivation, gave each of them a Third‑Tier Spirit Fruit to replenish their stamina.

But she immediately added, "Tonight, we lie in wait underground, beneath the freshest bamboo."

Everyone stared blankly at the spirit fruit, suddenly feeling that the Third‑Tier Sweet‑Heart Orange wasn't that sweet either.

Jiang Yu ate it in a couple of bites, "Since it's still daylight, I'll go scout another patch. Uncle, together?"

Junior Sister Bai, Senior Brother Zhao quietly gave her a like, and Uncle's charge at the front was beyond question.

"You go first; I'll mark a spot for Xiao Bai and the others." Uncle Xia didn't respond.

Jiang Yu didn't press the issue, slipped underground quickly again, but this time, while moving, a spear‑like knife suddenly thrust from the soil behind her toward her protective light shield.

Unexpectedly, the knife tip was deflected in an instant; its owner swiftly hurled another artifact, striking hard.

At that moment, Jiang Yu's entire body activated its defense, and without hesitation she cast a Rending‑Earth Talisman, both to strike the enemy and to alert her teammates of the anomaly.

Boom—

On the surface, Uncle Xia led his men to slip down quickly, yet they couldn't see where Jiang Yu was.