Ye Ju changed out of her wet underwear and panties. Her clothes on the reef had dried, and she didn't care about being covered or not. No one was around anyway.
Yes, this time Ye Ju watched with her own eyes as dark, sticky stuff seeped out of her body. She might have been busy by the spiritual spring pool, essentially bathing in spiritual spring water, and then she drank water for breakfast. This time, she didn't boil it and drank it directly. Before long, dark, sticky stuff started to ooze from her body again. She quickly went to the sea to wash and changed into her clothes, ready to depart. Her skin was now fair and tender. It was estimated that even her stubborn acne, which had persisted for ten years without breaking, was cured.
Picking up a wooden stick and slinging a newly woven large basket on her back, she set off. She tapped and thumped her way along, passing the pool and various small depressions. Unfamiliar wild flowers bloomed by the roadside, but she didn't recognize them and dared not pick them. She collected the ones she did recognize. She gathered some wild fruits, only picking them after seeing signs of animals biting them. She also spotted jackfruit, but they were too large, like wicker baskets, and would have to wait until tomorrow to be picked and taken back. Finally, she passed through a tall cypress forest. Strangely, shouldn't islands have coconut trees? Why were there so many cypresses? And even three trees? She recalled the Ten Great Divine Trees from the Shan Hai Jing, which mentioned the "Three-Branch Tree": The Three-Branch Tree was north of Yan Huo, growing by the Red Water. Its trees were like cypresses, with leaves all made of pearls. Ye Ju shook her head, muttering "impossible," and put the thought aside.
Ye Ju wasn't worried about getting lost. The island wasn't large; she could cross to the other side of the sea and return to her starting point by following the coastline.
Emerging from the cypress forest, Ye Ju was stunned. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the patch of shrubs, no, it should be bamboo? But why was the bamboo purple? And why were these purple bamboos so short? She couldn't quite describe it, as if they were malnourished. The bamboo stalks were plump, and the leaves were sparse. Upon closer inspection, it seemed the plants in this area were generally malnourished, unlike the plants by the spiritual spring, which were lush and verdant with plump, large leaves.
Could it be that her guess was right, and the plants were indeed stunted due to insufficient spiritual energy in this area? If so, would watering these plants with spiritual spring water make a difference?
Ye Ju didn't consider how wasteful it would be to use spiritual spring water to water these plants. She simply felt that with the potent effects of the spiritual spring, nourishing these plants would surely bring about a change.
Ye Ju didn't ponder too much about it for the time being. However, she realized that bamboo was very useful. Seeing this large expanse, if she could chop it all down, she could make many implements. But how to chop down the bamboo? She tapped it with her wooden stick. The bamboo shivered. It was incredibly hard. Ye Ju found a jagged stone and went to the purple bamboo forest. Although short, it was about three to four meters tall. She remembered that the bamboo in her rural hometown could grow to over ten meters. She selected a purple bamboo stalk and began to grind it slowly. Even with her increased strength, she couldn't leave any trace on the purple bamboo.
Indeed, this purple bamboo was peculiar and extremely hard, much harder than ordinary bamboo. Ordinary bamboo would crack when struck with a wooden stick. Ye Ju picked up the wooden stick again, deciding to use it for striking. She found that this wooden stick was also very hard. She decided to dig at the base first, thinking the roots there would surely be the most vulnerable. Then, she used the wooden stick to pound the base bit by bit. After about two hours, she finally heard the crack and fall of the bamboo. She used the same method to knock down a few cypress trees. The cypress trees were easier to chop, falling after a few strikes with the wooden stick. Clearly, the purple bamboo was harder than the cypress. She bound them with wild vines and, carrying the basket filled with wild fruits, hurried back. Fortunately, she had gained strength; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to carry them all at once.
Upon returning to the beach, she took a moment to check the sundial. The shadow had shifted eastward. Judging by its length, it was around three o'clock. Without a second thought, she washed the wild fruits by the spiritual spring, fetched some water, and, starving, ate a fruit without worrying if it was poisonous or not. She picked up a fruit that looked like a mango and began to eat it. Its taste was similar to a mango. She guessed it had mutated due to the influence of the island. It was as large as a beauty watermelon. Who would have thought it was a mango? It was speechless!
After eating one, her stomach was full, and she began to think about what to do next. First, she needed to find materials to build a shelter. She gathered more large tree leaves from before. Ye Ju took her wooden stick and found more fan-shaped leaves in the forest, similar to the ones used to make palm-leaf fans in the countryside. These leaves were very pliable and could be used to weave mats, baskets, and other useful items. They were also waterproof and could serve as roofing. She knocked down many, moving them in several trips. She also found plenty of wild vines.
By the time everything was moved, the sun had begun to set. She hurried to the beach to find food, to satisfy her hunger. The tide was receding, and there should be many good finds. She found another large crab in the usual spot. It was as large as a washbasin, the same species as the one she found on the first night. Its shell was a purplish-green, and its claws were large and long. When she grabbed it, it snapped her wooden chopsticks in two. Ye Ju was startled. If that were her finger, what would happen? The large, serrated pincers were estimated to be 30 centimeters long. A mutated crab? Even its color was wrong; she had never heard of purplish-green crabs. Speaking of which, how could she have been so careless the first night and dared to grill and eat it directly on a stone slab? She quickly knocked it unconscious with a stick and bound it with vines. She also picked up a few shellfish; that was enough for a meal, so she headed back.
Ye Ju had previously found that burning semi-dry wood produced a lot of smoke. She covered the burning wood with charcoal embers and half-covered it with sand. This way, it could preserve the embers and, by emitting smoke, serve as a signal for help. She hoped a passing ship would see it and know that someone was on the island. Although she knew the chances were slim since learning about the spiritual spring, she estimated she was no longer on Earth and couldn't go home. It was just a pity that the property her parents left her would go to that scumbag.
Shaking her head, she pushed thoughts of that man aside. Filling her stomach was more important now. She skillfully started a fire and grilled the crab and a few shells on the stone slab. She added some fruit juice. Needless to say, it was another feast, and it was free. However, eating the crab was a chore. Even with her increased strength, she couldn't bite through the large, serrated pincers. She decided to keep them as tools to try. She probably had eaten the crab's ancestors. It had to be said, Ye Ju was not wrong. After drinking the spiritual spring water, she waited quietly for a while. As expected, her body became covered in dark, sticky stuff again. She skillfully jumped into the sea to wash herself. She also took care of her personal hygiene. She felt refreshed from the inside out. Don't ask where she took care of herself; Buddha said it cannot be told! She was back in her three-piece swimsuit. She quickly placed her clothes near the fire to dry. The sea breeze picked up at night, and the temperature would drop. The sun had set, but it wasn't completely dark yet. It was estimated to be around six o'clock. It was currently summer, and it was still bright.
She went to collect more firewood, knocking down dry branches from the trees. Even if they weren't completely dry, she gathered them. They could be dried in the sun during the day for burning. The reef area was elevated, so Ye Ju decided to build her shelter right there. Therefore, all the materials she found were piled on the side away from the reef, leaving gaps. She then moved the campfire over. This way, it would be safer when she slept at night. Ye Ju was still concerned about the footprints she found in the morning.
When it was completely dark, Ye Ju didn't go out. She focused on drying her clothes by the fire. After putting on her dry clothes, Ye Ju wondered if she should meditate. Didn't novels and TV shows always show people cultivating like this? She had practiced yoga before, which also involved meditation. She decided to treat it as yoga. She added a few thick logs to make the fire burn longer. She sat cross-legged, with her thumb and index finger touching, fingertips pointing upwards. Closing her eyes, she regulated her breathing using abdominal breathing. Soon, she entered a state of concentration.