Qin Shu and Hexin exchanged glances—then burst into laughter.

Hexin, flustered and embarrassed, **stomped her foot** and glared at Qin Shu.

**"I was just hyping myself up! You have no idea how terrifying it was being chased by three rabbits all alone!"**

Chi Yu **raised an eyebrow**, a hint of amusement appearing on her face.

**"I suppose it's not a bad habit."**

Qin Shu pulled out her jade slip and checked the **secret realm map**. She spun in place, **determined her direction using the sun**, and said:

**"Let's head south. There's a river there, and Second Senior Brother mentioned a type of fish called Silverwhite. We can roast it with the rabbit."**

By the time the three of them reached the riverbank, **the sky had already darkened**.

The **moonlight shimmered** across the winding river, its surface reflecting a silvery glow.

The grass by the water was **lush and green**, with clusters of **fireflies flickering softly** in the night. Every now and then, **silver-glowing fish leapt out of the water**, tracing arcs of light before diving back in.

If not for their **aggressive nature**, this scene could have been pulled straight from a fairy tale.

But the peaceful illusion shattered in the very next moment—

**A powerful jet of water** shot out from the river, striking **Hexin square in the knee**.

**"Agh!"**

She gasped sharply, **clutching her knee in pain**.

**"Damn it! My knee feels like it took an arrow!"**

Qin Shu **rushed over** and placed her palm over the injured area, channeling **wood-element spiritual energy** to soothe the pain.

Gradually, the aching sensation **faded away**.

Hexin's tightly furrowed brows relaxed as she **lifted her head**, her eyes filled with **excitement**.

**"Sis! You can use wood energy like this?! I just learned something new!"**

Her **wood root value** was even higher than Qin Shu's, reaching **over sixty**.

She quickly **mimicked** Qin Shu's technique, gathering **wood spiritual energy** in her palm and applying it to a **bamboo-inflicted wound** on her arm.

The moment she saw the wound **healing before her eyes**, Hexin **beamed with excitement**.

**"It really works!"**

Qin Shu laughed and **reminded her**:

**"Sis... you could also just channel the energy directly into the wound instead of using your hands."**

Hexin froze for a second—then suddenly burst out laughing.

**"Damn, I really am dumb! I get it now!"**

Chi Yu watched the two of them **chatting and laughing**, and for the first time in her life, she felt... **envious**.

Suddenly, having a **Heavenly Spiritual Root** didn't seem so special anymore.

_"Wouldn't it be great if I had a wood attribute too?"_

---

### **Fishing... With a Sword?**

Qin Shu pulled **the rabbit meat and mushrooms** from her storage ring, preparing to **wash them in the river**—

But before she could move, **Hexin grabbed her wrist**.

**"Sis! Be careful of those fish!"**

Qin Shu gave her a **playful wink**.

**"Relax, I have a plan."**

Hexin **widened her eyes**, eager to see what Qin Shu would do.

The next moment—

A **translucent, earth-yellow barrier** appeared **around Qin Shu's entire body**.

Hexin: **"..."**

Qin Shu knelt by the river, **washing the rabbit meat and mushrooms** while **Hexin contributed** some bamboo stalks she had cut down earlier in **a fit of rage**.

But as the scent of **fresh blood** spread through the air, the river's **inhabitants** began to stir.

Qin Shu's hands suddenly **paused**.

Her eyes sharpened as she **lifted her palm**, conjuring **a reinforced earth shield** just as—

**A barrage of water jets** erupted from the river!

The shield **held firm for a moment**—but then **shattered** under the assault.

Qin Shu **retreated** swiftly, her **protective barrier** barely holding up.

When she finally reached **a safe distance**, she turned around—only to find **Hexin grinning smugly at her.**

**"Well? 'I have a plan,' huh?"** Hexin teased, mimicking Qin Shu's earlier wink.

**Now covered in mud**, Qin Shu **sighed**, cast a **cleaning spell**, and muttered:

**"At least I didn't get hurt. A little dirt is no big deal."**

Chi Yu glanced at her and asked, **"So... are we still eating these fish?"**

Qin Shu and Hexin **answered in perfect sync**:

**"Of course!"**

Chi Yu analyzed, **"These fish aren't that strong, but they have the advantage in water. Catching them won't be easy."**

Qin Shu picked up one of **Hexin's bamboo stalks**, then turned to Chi Yu with a **mischievous glint** in her eyes.

**"Or... we could just fish?"**

Before Hexin and Chi Yu could **recover from their shock**, Qin Shu **ripped some rabbit fur** into **long threads**, twisted them into a makeshift fishing line, and attached it to the **bamboo rod**.

At the end of the line? A **bamboo skewer with a piece of 'expired' mutant rat meat.**

Hexin and Chi Yu nearly **choked on their own disbelief**.

**This... is this really going to work?!**

Qin Shu casually **handed them the meat** to **prepare the skewers**, then **sat down at the riverbank**, her protective barrier **reinforced**.

Her mind was completely **calm**.

_"A true warrior not only dares to face fierce river beasts—"_

_"But also dares to **fish** them up for dinner."_

She focused all her **attention** on the bamboo rod, watching for the **slightest movement**.

And sure enough—

**The fish took the bait.**

Low-level Silverwhite Fish simply **couldn't resist** the allure of a **second-tier mutant rat snack**.

Qin Shu's eyes **lit up** as she **yanked the rod upward**.

**"Sisters! Quick! It's hooked! Time for revenge!"**

Hexin and Chi Yu **rushed over** in shock.

**"Wait... you actually caught one?!"**

Qin Shu unhooked the **flopping fish** and tossed it to Hexin.

**"Clean it up! I'll get two more!"**

---

### **Swordplay by the River**

After their **feast**, the night grew deeper.

Hexin sat **cross-legged**, diving into her cultivation.

Of the three, **her cultivation was the weakest**, so she was **determined not to slack off**.

Chi Yu turned to Qin Shu. **"You should restore your spiritual energy. I'll take the first watch."**

But Qin Shu **shook her head immediately**.

There was **no way** she'd cultivate in front of them—

Otherwise, they might **notice something strange** about her **spiritual energy absorption**.

**"No need. My recovery is slow anyway—I'd rather just take some spirit pills. You should cultivate instead, the spiritual energy here is pretty rich."**

Chi Yu hesitated but eventually nodded.

**"Alright. You take the first watch tonight, I'll do it tomorrow."**

Qin Shu **grinned**, **"No need to be polite. Actually, I made some progress in swordsmanship. Since you're both meditating, I'll go practice by the river."**

_"Might as well make use of the night, right?"_

---

By dawn, **Chi Yu opened her eyes**—only to see **Qin Shu practicing swordplay** by the river.

Silverwhite Fish **launched water jets** at her, but she **sidestepped effortlessly**, countering each blast with a swift **sword strike**.

Another fish attacked.

She smoothly **switched her sword to her left hand**, deflecting the incoming water jet **without breaking rhythm**.

Chi Yu's **eyes widened in admiration**.

**"She adapts so quickly... what an incredible combat sense."**

Feeling inspired, Chi Yu **drew her own sword** and stepped forward.

Her technique was **far flashier** than Qin Shu's.

Seeing this, Qin Shu **grinned**.

**"Not bad, right? If I had room to carry them, I'd take some fish back just for sword training!"**

Chi Yu paused, then **smirked mischievously**.

**"I do."**