The war had, however, to be continued and, in the absence of a fleet, a bridge was needed at all cost to enable the troops to make the landing.  Orders were given to Houlaman, Thao Khouan Thao Fa, Thao Sataphagna, and Thao Phanh Lahaphagna to install piles following instructions in the sacred book, at locations where the sea was not too deep, and to brace them with stone blocks to make them pillars of a bridge linking the continent with the island of Lanka.

When hardly completed, the bridge was partially damaged by the four daughters of Phagna Padthaloum, king of the Naga, who lived at the bottom of the ocean.  It was a stratagem by these four amorous water sprites to lure the four young princes towards Phagna padthaloum's palace in order to marry them.

The water-sprites were not disappointed: the young princes accepted their amours with grace, and soon after their departure, each of Phagna Padthaloum's daughters gave birth to a good-looking boy.

When the bridge was finally completed, Phra Lam's troops charged towards Lanka.  But approaching the city, they found, floating in the water, a corpse which perfectly resembled Nang Sida.  They took her to be Nang Sida, because the inhabitants of the region spread a rumor that Nang Sida had been killed the day before by Hapkhanasouane for having attempted to leave the palace to join Phra Lam.   In reality, it was a banana trunk that Phagna Chanh, one of Hapkhanasouane's generals, had transformed into human form to deceive Phra Lam, by giving it the richness of form of Nang Sida.

Seeing the assailants advance, Phagna Muong Say, commander of the army of Lanka, an army of yak (demons), rushed to meet them and engaged them in battle.