Demon Sword Sect’s Undercover
Chapter 386 - 386 385 The Transformation of Bamboo

386: Chapter 385: The Transformation of Bamboo 386: Chapter 385: The Transformation of Bamboo Hou Niao looked at Lady Bamboo and asked, “Is it true that you are Yu Daoguang, and the Sea God is the Lord of Bamboo Island?”

Lady Bamboo remained silent, but Hou Niao was not willing to tolerate her silence.

“You are here attempting Core Formation, aren’t you?

Do you think you have a chance to succeed with me here?”

Lady Bamboo’s expression changed, and finally, she sighed deeply,

“You are so curious; I wonder what you hope to gain from knowing.

Nevertheless, since you wish to know so much and considering how devoted you have been to my disciples, I will satisfy your curiosity.”

Lady Bamboo’s gaze became distant, “One hundred and fifty years ago, I came to this desolate island.

Admiring the environment here, I decided to alter the island’s nature.

I chose Rouge Bamboo.

To be honest, I opted for Rouge Bamboo because it’s a rare cultivation resource, allowing me to be self-sufficient and not be left wanting due to a lack of resources.”

Lady Bamboo fell into her memories, “At first, planting was not going well.

Although the environment here could support bamboo growth, the yield of quality Rouge Bamboo was so low that it couldn’t sustain the expenses of an entire island.

I invested everything I had, and still, the situation remained dire.

In the first twenty years, I struggled terribly.

Just when I was about to give up, I met a Golden Core Master who happened to pass by and noticed my plight.”

She shook her head with a bitter smile, “Even now, I don’t know whether meeting him was fortune or misfortune.

He disagreed with my attempt to change this barren island, stating directly that a volcanic island should retain the characteristics of a volcanic island and that changes forced by external forces would not last.

But by that time, I was already somewhat obsessed.

Having invested twenty years here, even if not successful, I refused to allow others to say that my original intention was wrong.

If he hadn’t appeared, I might have given up on my own, but his appearance instead provoked my rebellious spirit.

Humans are like that, beyond all reason.

If I’d heeded the Master’s advice and left this place, perhaps I would have had a different life?

Whether I could have reached my current level of cultivation or not, no one knows.”

“The Master was virtuous.

He didn’t force me away, nor did he leave on his own accord.

Instead, he pointed out that the root of the island’s unsuitability for cultivation lay in the unpredictable volcanic eruptions.

Because of this, he laid down an Array right here, transforming the intermittent volcanic eruptions into a continuous release of energy, as if inserting a mechanism…

He told me that the Array would gradually lose its suppressive effect after more than a hundred years, so I only had that much time to prove my method of cultivating Rouge Bamboo.”

Lady Bamboo’s eyes became sharp, “I knew the Master meant for me to recognize the difficulty and retreat, to learn to respect and comply with nature.

But I disagree!

My philosophy is to transcend nature, to triumph over the heavens!

That’s why I developed a nurturing method for Rouge Bamboo, a product of decades of exploration, which significantly increased the chances of Rouge Bamboo maturing, ensuring that neither I nor my disciples would worry about cultivation resources.

I admit, this might go against natural laws, but if Rouge Bamboo thrives better, why not do it?

I also continue to reinforce the thickness of the Array beneath the volcano, hoping to suppress the volcanic eruptions for longer.

After my death, it’s beyond my control, but as long as I live, it shall not rekindle!”

Hou Niao quietly listened to her story, and now he couldn’t help but remind her, “What about Yu Daoguang?”

Lady Bamboo sneered, “An accident!

A mutated Rouge Bamboo, it can devour a human’s spirit…

I subdued it, and thus achieved a spiritual sharing with it.

Whenever I need to, I can rely on its perfect Heavenly Bamboo Body to be invincible among human cultivators.”

Hou Niao sighed, “Because Bamboo Island isn’t peaceful?”

Lady Bamboo clenched her teeth, “Of course it isn’t peaceful.

Ever since Bamboo Island began producing Rouge Bamboo about a hundred years ago, it all started—pirates, sects, Jiedu Mansion…

Only then did I realize that searching the entire Lizhi Sea, I couldn’t find a single true friend who could help me.

Everyone was only interested in the profits of Bamboo Island.

If I couldn’t learn to protect myself, Bamboo Island would have been gone a hundred years ago.”

Hou Niao had nothing to say in response; reality was this cruel, forcing a person onto a different path.

Lady Bamboo’s voice turned cold and merciless, “I, myself, couldn’t show up or that would bring even more cruel retribution, so I used the Heavenly Bamboo Body and gradually made a name for myself in the surrounding seas.

A person’s protection is ultimately limited, so slowly the Cang Pirates came into being.

Since then, Bamboo Island was preserved, and all those who coveted Bamboo Island suffered retribution, including that so-called Golden Core Great Cultivator, who became a lost soul under Yu Daoguang’s command.

That must be what you find strange—the seemingly weak and powerless Bamboo Island, how it has managed to survive a hundred years in the Outer Sea.

That was not luck, but came at the cost of countless blood and injuries.”

Hou Niao shook his head, the strange turn of events completely deviated from his original intention, leaving him unsure whether what he had done was right or wrong.

If he had to make a judgment, it could only be seen as the play of fate, a result of mishaps.

Lady Bamboo’s mood turned low, “Originally, everything was planned.

I would maintain the Lady Bamboo’s aloof and self-righteous style on Bamboo Island, teaching the disciples of Bamboo Island with the strictest rules to follow the right path, unlike me.

This path, it’s good enough that one person endures it.

The sins committed by those pirates, let them end with me.

Once I achieve the Golden Core, all of this will become the past, and I will have a new cultivator’s life.

As the century-old deadline approached, I sensed instability in the array beneath the volcano, so I needed to find an appropriate way to settle it, not just for Bamboo Island, but also including the Cang Pirates.”

Her eyes, full of unwillingness, turned towards Hou Niao, “I had accounted for everything, just not fate.

I thought I could successfully avoid the prophecy that the Golden Core Master made about me, but as a result…

I had timed it well, arranging for the Cang Pirates to attack when there were no visitors on Bamboo Island so that I could calmly arrange for the evacuation of the island’s inhabitants.

This would also give a reasonable explanation to the disciples and Jiedu Mansion,

but unexpectedly, two tour groups suddenly changed their travel plans, and from there, events spiraled out of control.”

Hou Niao felt somewhat awkward, “Sorry for killing your avatar.”

Lady Bamboo wasn’t too angry, “Killing it is just as well.

The reason I used the Cang Pirates to end the affair of Bamboo Island was, in fact, to get rid of this shadow.

If one day I were to start a new life, how could I possibly keep it forever as my own mental burden?

My intention was that, after settling the affairs of Bamboo Island, I would find an opportunity to reveal my whereabouts and provoke an encirclement by Jiedu Mansion, but your appearance has actually simplified this process.

You, Hou, are very meticulous.

Until the end, I hadn’t guessed that you would call for sword cultivators from the Shan Sect to come to the rescue.”

She shook her head with a wry smile, “What’s more surprising is that you also saw through my disguise.

So, Hou, now that you have come here, do you wish to seek justice for those innocents harmed by the Cang Pirates?”