Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 159 The Secret Realm of Bamboo Sea
This is the third time I've heard the name "Anzhi Bamboo Forest Secret Realm" from an old bamboo weaving man.

An Zhi first put on the bamboo hat that the old bamboo weaver handed her. The hat was made of fine bamboo strips, in the shape of a cone, with a slightly drooping brim, and some mysterious patterns that others could not understand were painted on it.

Following the advice of the bamboo weaving elder, An Zhi concentrated intently and devoted himself to counting the bluestone slabs. According to the elder, there was only one chance a year to enter the Bamboo Sea Secret Realm.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine..."

Finally, Anzhi didn't know how long she had walked, nor what the surrounding environment was like. She just carefully counted the bluestone slabs until she reached the fourteen thousandth one before stopping.

She felt her neck stiffen, and when she looked up and around, she saw seven old green bamboos, as thick as a person's embrace and with unique spiral patterns on their joints, standing quietly around the stone slab like guardians.

Anzhi stood between the seven bamboo trees, closed his eyes, held his breath, and slowly recited the obscure and complex incantation taught to him by the bamboo weaving elder.

As the incantation was chanted, the surrounding air seemed to stir. The gentle breeze gradually became more rapid, and the bamboo leaves rustled. Anzhi kept his eyes closed and his hands methodically formed specific hand seals, slowly channeling his spiritual power into the ground beneath his feet.

In an instant, a soft green light quietly rose from the ground. As if it had a life of its own, the green light meandered and spiraled upwards along the trunks of the seven old green bamboos, rising higher and higher, its light becoming more and more dazzling. Finally, it converged and intertwined in the central area surrounded by bamboo, forming a portal that radiated a strange light. The portal exuded a deep and mysterious aura, as if it connected to another fantastic world.

Anzhi slowly opened his eyes, adjusted his straw hat, took a deep breath, and with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, stepped into the Bamboo Sea Secret Realm. As soon as he entered, the door behind him quietly closed.

Stepping into the Bamboo Forest Secret Realm, everything before my eyes feels like a dream. The surroundings are shrouded in mist, and the thin mist, like a light veil, drifts leisurely around me. Not far away, various rare flowers and plants grow in a well-organized manner.

Further on, you'll see several towering ancient trees with trunks so thick that it takes several people to encircle them. The bark is covered with the marks of time, crisscrossed with grooves. The branches and leaves of the ancient trees are extremely lush, like giant green umbrellas that block out the sun. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, forming golden rays.

Suddenly, Anzhi noticed that there were many bamboo-woven animals around the bamboo forest. Based on his past experience, these bamboo-woven animals might come back to life, just like when he fought the stone Buddha statue.

Suddenly, a subtle sound came from the depths of the bamboo forest. The sound was quite peculiar, like some kind of insect gently rubbing against the bamboo leaves, yet it also carried a strange sense of dullness.

Anzhi immediately became alert. She tiptoed and carefully walked towards the direction from which the sound came.

Parting a clump of green bamboo, the sight before him made his eyes widen in surprise. On a thick, old bamboo pole, marked by the passage of time, lay a huge bamboo worm. The worm was quite peculiar, its body as long as an adult's arm, its shell a deep bluish-brown with naturally formed patterns.

The bamboo worm's head is slightly wider than its body, and its two black gem-like eyes warily scan its surroundings. Its long, flexible antennae twitch from time to time, as if it is detecting any danger approaching.

Anzhi's heart pounded with excitement at the sight of the thousand-year-old bamboo worm. He was afraid that the slightest movement would frighten it away. He carefully parted the bamboo leaves and slowly approached the worm, marveling at the wondrous creature nature had created. Its six legs were firmly gripping the bamboo, covered with tiny, sharp thorns.

Anzhi stood before him, not daring to breathe...

"Ow..."

An Zhi didn't dare to breathe loudly, but unexpectedly, a deep and powerful roar came from ahead, breaking the silence. The thousand-year-old bamboo worm fluttered away instantly.

As Anzhi turned around, he saw a gigantic Qilin monster appear before him. The Qilin monster exuded a chilling aura, its body as large as a small hill, and its body was covered with extremely hard scales. The scales shimmered with a cold metallic luster in the dim light, as if they could withstand the attack of any sharp blade in the world.

“The Qilin monster, Anzhi saw this monster in the old man’s bamboo weaving bag.”

An Zhi knew that he could not back down in the face of such a powerful monster, so he immediately used the Spirit Wind Shadow Step Kill. In a flash, he transformed into a phantom, moving as fast as a breeze, darting freely through the bamboo forest, making it difficult for anyone to catch his trace.

Seeing this, the Qilin monster roared angrily and pounced towards the direction of An Zhi's afterimage, but it only missed. Its huge body crashed into the bamboo forest, breaking many bamboos and making a crackling sound.

Using the agility of the Spirit Wind Shadow Step, An Zhi constantly circled around to the back or side of the Qilin monster, searching for its weaknesses.

Finally, taking advantage of the moment when the Qilin monster missed its target again and its movements slowed down, Anzhi seized the opportunity and the Dividing Light Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light, as bright as the sun, illuminating the bamboo forest.

"The Demon-Slaying Sword of Splitting Light!"

An Zhi shouted, gathering all his spiritual power into the sword and slashing fiercely at the side of the Qilin monster. The Dividing Light Demon-Slaying Sword instantly pierced through the Qilin monster's hard scales and cut deeply into its body. The Qilin monster let out a painful roar, the sound echoing through the bamboo forest, and then disappeared with a beam of light.

The Qilin monster was killed by the Dividing Light Demon-Slaying Sword and the Spirit Wind Shadow Step. An Zhi dared not let his guard down. Since it was a secret realm, there must be more than just one dangerous existence. So he carefully searched for the Thousand-Year Bamboo Worm again.

Sure enough, after taking only a few steps, the bamboo animal figures began to shimmer with an eerie light, and then, as if they had been infused with life, they slowly came back to life.

The bamboo-woven deer, which had been static, suddenly became agile. Its four hooves pounded the ground, raising clouds of dust. Its colorful fur seemed to come alive, and its antlers gleamed with sharpness. It charged towards Anzhi at great speed, and the air currents it created caused the surrounding bamboo leaves to flutter in the air.

The bamboo-woven taotie beside it also opened its blood-red maw, with black mist swirling around it. Each step it took on the ground made a dull thud, as if it wouldn't be satisfied until it swallowed Anzhi whole.