Druid Fairy

Chapter 113 The Third Level of Qi Refining
After thoroughly searching the Holy Sect inside and out, and then burning it to eliminate all traces, Li Pingcan immediately returned to Lingshan, unable to hide his excitement and joy.

"The Wusheng Sect? I think it should be renamed the 'Treasure-Giving Boy Sect'!"

The entire fortune of the leader of this sect now belongs to the Li family!
Both Star Iron and Earth Core Fire Jade are top-grade Tier 1 spiritual materials, the best materials for upgrading the [Seven Spirits Array] and Listening Wind Cliff Spirit Gathering Array at home!
In the past, when there was no rice to cook, they could only resort to "beggar's version" formations. Now, they have upgraded their equipment and directly achieved a well-off life.

Never before had Li Pingcan fought such a well-funded battle. He was on high alert, using the newly acquired high-grade spiritual materials to upgrade the formation, instantly giving his cave a huge sense of security!

He then took out a black pill that emitted a faint smell of blood, his brows furrowed.

"This is no elixir, it's clearly a cannonball coated in sugar! If you eat it, you'll probably die on the spot. Only cults like to do this kind of thing."

Fortunately, this was not a "human pill" refined by a martial artist; it was just full of demonic energy, otherwise he would never have eaten it.

Li Pingcan immediately activated [Natural Divine Grace].

A soft, emerald-green light enveloped the pill, and in a short while, the pill's fragrance became pure and clean, without a trace of evil.

Li Pingcan swallowed it in one gulp.

The powerful medicinal force instantly dissolved within his body, like warm streams washing over his meridians and flowing into his dantian.

For several days in a row, he cultivated by taking drugs. The resources that the Holy Lord had accumulated over a hundred years were frantically transformed into his magical power and cultivation.

The bottleneck that was at the peak of the second level of Qi Refining was on the verge of collapse. Under the constant impact of the pure medicinal power, it finally shattered one day as easily as if it were made of paper!

"boom!"

Li Pingcan felt a sudden clarity in his mind, and the vortex of magical power within his dantian more than doubled in size, becoming even more condensed and pure. The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn in, swirling into his body like a vortex.

Qi Refining Level 3, achieved!
The panel pops up, showing the three points of the ascending ring.

Without hesitation, Li Pingcan added it to [Beast Form], [Water Manipulation], and [Spore Sensing], turning it into a first-level spell.

There are reasons for choosing these three skills. Beast Form and Intent can improve the family's combat power, while Water Manipulation will greatly enhance his future exploration and treasure hunting in the Dayu River. As for Spore Sensing, in addition to the improvement of combat power, intelligence is also very important.

The panel then changed accordingly.

【Beast Form and Intent (One Ring)】

[Your understanding of the "Five Spirits Play" through the perception of birds and beasts is not limited to the realm of ordinary martial arts, but is a true integration with Druidic martial arts. When you cast this spell, you are no longer simply imitating the spirit of the spirit beasts, but can materialize the "form and intent" of the spirit beasts.]

"Can it also manifest a Martial Soul True Form?"

Li Pingcan's eyes twitched involuntarily. He had a lot of complaints he wanted to make, but he didn't know where to start. He felt that this was completely outrageous!

But if it can enhance my strength, then I'll just have the Martial Soul True Form!

He continued to read.

【Water Management (First Ring Road)】

Your control over water has undergone a qualitative leap. You can no longer only manipulate small amounts of water, but command a body of water, changing its shape and properties at will.

Water as Soldiers: You can create "Water Elementals" that automatically perform simple attacks. The number of Water Elementals increases as your Druid level increases (this ability lasts for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn).

Breathing underwater: You can breathe freely underwater, just like a fish in water, and the current will not obstruct your movement.

[Main Bacterial Domain (First Ring)]

The network of mushroom spores you planted has transformed from a simple "monitor" into a system integrating reconnaissance and communication.

Your consciousness can be completely integrated into the fungal carpet network, allowing you to be fully aware of every movement within the network's coverage area, gaining a near-omniscient God-like perspective.

You can use the vibrations of the creep network to communicate telepathically with any intelligent being that enters its range. You can also transmit complex tactical information to distant allies.

Needless to say, the addition of sailors and underwater breathing to the water manipulation system is a given. What truly delighted Li Pingcan was the upgraded Bacterial Domain, which features spore sensing!

The original spore sensor's largest "surveillance camera" only had ten points, which was limited in number. Now it has been upgraded to a large 4D panoramic map!

Moreover, holding the mushroom allows for direct telepathic communication, essentially functioning as a wireless communication device. This means that Li Pingcan no longer needs to use the golden eagle to travel back and forth to his home to learn about the situation there in a delayed manner!
"Give one mushroom to each of the eldest and second brothers!"

Wherever Mushroom is, everyone in the Li family is his eyes, ears, and mouthpiece!
…………

Meanwhile, at the Yunshui County government office.

Liang Xianguan sat upright in the grand chair, his face ashen.

Below the hall, the two Li brothers stood side by side, heads bowed, their posture respectful.

"Okay, very good!"

Liang Xianguan slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Li Pingfu.

"I really underestimated you. The security in Yunshui County is so 'good' that even heretics and cultists dare to storm the county government office!"

He said "okay" but his tone was laced with sarcasm.

Li Pingfu's heart was in turmoil, but he dared not show it on his face. He knew that this celestial official did not really care about public order at the moment, but needed a scapegoat.

And I am the most suitable candidate.

"Lord Immortal Official, please calm down."

Li Ping'an stepped forward, bowed deeply, and expressed just the right amount of fear and self-reproach.

"The evil man harbors wolfish ambitions, which has led to a great disaster and disturbed your peace. It is a crime deserving of death for us."

The anger in Liang Xianguan's eyes eased slightly, but his tone remained icy: "Deserving of death? Hmph, I have no interest in your lives. I only want to know why these fiends of the Wusheng Sect are so arrogant!"

"It's my incompetence!"

Li Ping'an bowed again, lowering his head even further. "We previously thought that the Wusheng Sect was just a bunch of insignificant rabble, but we never expected that they would dare to commit such a heinous act."

Fortunately, the celestial official was stationed in the county government office, possessing the imperial aura and majestic divine power, which suppressed the evil magic of the sorcerer and caused his attempt to fail.

Though my brother and I are not particularly talented, we fought with all our might and, as the Celestial Official had instructed, managed to kill the demons on the spot! Furthermore, we followed the trail and destroyed several of their strongholds, completely capturing this group of troublemaking demons. All of this is thanks to the Celestial Official's divine protection!

Liang Xianguan's expression softened slightly.

What he wants is an attitude.

The Li brothers' attitude undoubtedly greatly satisfied his sense of authority, giving him a feeling of "everything is under control".

Seeing this, Li Ping'an felt a little relieved, knowing that he had taken the right first step.

This not only attributed all the credit to Liang Xianguan, but also satisfied Liang Xianguan's vanity.

He continued, “Although the demon has been executed, the wealth he plundered from the people should be returned to them. My brother and I dare not act on our own, so we have come to ask the celestial official for instructions on how to deal with it.” As he spoke, he presented a wooden box containing “stolen goods” that he had prepared beforehand with both hands.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liang Xianguan's eyes. He swept his divine sense over the box and saw that it contained hundreds of low-grade spirit stones, some highly potent pills, and several rare refining materials.

Liang Xianguan's expression finally softened. The Wusheng Sect's actions, causing such a commotion, clearly indicated the presence of cultivators behind them; it was no surprise that their stronghold possessed elixirs and spirit stones.

As for why we are not worried about the other party hoarding them, it is said that a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. If a non-cultivation family were to secretly keep spirit stones and pills at home, it would only lead to their destruction once discovered by a rogue cultivator.

With Li Ping'an's intelligence, it's impossible that he didn't know this.

As for the rare materials that can be exchanged for martial elixirs... if the water is too clear, there will be no fish; we must leave some for those below us.

He picked up his teacup, slowly blew away the foam, and said calmly, "Alright, considering your merit in suppressing the bandits and your lack of experience since you are new to the post, I will not punish you severely this time."

He changed the subject, his gaze falling once more on Li Pingfu. “But while you may be spared the death penalty, you cannot escape punishment. Li Pingfu, as the county magistrate’s assistant, you are ultimately responsible for oversight. Effective immediately, you are suspended from your post for three months to reflect on your mistakes in seclusion, as a warning to others.”

"Thank you, Lord Immortal Official, for your kindness!"

The Li brothers bowed in unison.

A three-month suspension in exchange for valuable time for the family's development—it's a worthwhile trade.

Liang Xianguan nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, you may all leave. Remember, this is a one-time exception." The two brothers bowed and withdrew from the inner hall.

Watching their departing figures, a deep, cold light flashed in Liang Xianguan's eyes. He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and sneered inwardly.

'Two arrogant brats, do they really think they can escape my grasp?'

He played with a crystal-clear spirit stone, feeling somewhat pleased.

'However, they're not entirely ungrateful; they're two dogs that can bite people and make money for me. As long as I keep them on a tight leash, they're quite useful.'

…………

The night was as still as water, but the Li family's house was brightly lit with candles.

The father and his three sons sat around the table, but the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

"Brother, do you really believe that the sneak attack with the wind blade was Liang Xianguan's doing?" Li Ping'an broke the silence first.

Li Pingfu said coldly, "Who else could it be but him? The timing of that wind blade's appearance was too tricky, it happened just as I was about to capture the Black Lotus Saint Envoy. If I hadn't retreated quickly, I would probably be dead by now."

He paused, his voice growing even colder: "In the entire Yunshui County, besides him, Immortal Liang, who else possesses such cultivation and has such a motive?"

The life-or-death crisis he faced in that instant still haunts him. That attack was far beyond what an ordinary cultivator could unleash; it was incredibly sharp and clearly came from a master who had honed their skills in this field.

Li Rongzhou was furious. He said he was supposed to be protecting the country, but he never expected to almost lose his eldest son. This coveted "official" position was not easy to hold.

Or rather, it's difficult for even officials who genuinely want to do something for the people to be officials.

He pondered, "If it really was Liang Xianguan's doing, then his cunning is far too deep. On one hand, he wants to use us to deal with the Wusheng Sect, and on the other hand, he doesn't want us to grow too powerful, so he secretly attacked us at a crucial moment, trying to make us and the demons both suffer heavy losses..."

“This is very much in line with his style.” Li Ping’an sneered. “This celestial official is most skilled in the art of checks and balances. He needs obedient dogs, not wolves that can threaten him.”

Silence fell in the study once again.

After a long while, Li Pingcan, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke slowly, “Brother, although you are a master of innate cultivation, Liang Xianguan is, after all, an official position and can mobilize the dynasty’s fortune.”

Moreover, the county constable and the county magistrate are both his confidants, and Old Wu, the bodyguard of Liang Xianguan, is a master of innate martial arts, possessing unparalleled skill in swift swordsmanship. If we were to break ties with him, things would become very troublesome.”

Liang Xianguan is a master of formations, rarely leaving his formations, and is also protected by innate abilities and the dynasty's fortune, making him not easy to deal with.

The Emerald Dream is "recovering from a serious illness." Li Pingcan's Druidic Dojo is set up in the Emerald Dream. Although it will not be detected by the dynasty's fortune, it needs to recuperate and develop steadily.

Through his in-depth understanding of the Daoist temple, Li Pingcan learned that the deepening of the dynasty's fortune could even allow Liang Xianguan, who was in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, to be granted the "Foundation Establishment" position in a short period of time!
No wonder the Holy Lord was willing to expose himself in order to establish his Daoist temple and achieve Foundation Establishment. Even the Great Yu Dynasty would find it difficult to capture him. He has truly become a carp leaping over the dragon gate, and the sky is high enough for birds to fly freely.

Similarly, if the Li family really wants to take action against Liang Xianguan, they must do so quickly and decisively, leaving no trace behind.

Upon hearing this, Li Pingfu nodded. He was not a reckless person. His younger brother was right. The Li family was not yet at the point where it could compete with a county magistrate.

The Li family is moving too fast and too hastily. They need a stable environment and time to develop the next generation in order to plan for the future.

Li Pingcan smiled with relief. No matter how angry his elder brothers were, they would not lose their minds and would always make the right choice in the first instance.

He said, "There's no need to worry too much. Liang Xianguan is cautious by nature and doesn't want to break ties with the Mu family behind Second Brother. He's also wary of Eldest Brother's innate martial arts. Now that Eldest Brother has been suspended from his post, he can stay home and cultivate in peace to consolidate his realm."

Li Pingcan has a longer-term perspective.

The Druid's dojo has been established, and they are quietly accumulating strength. With the ebb and flow of power, they may well be able to fight against Liang Xianguan in the future.

…………

Spring goes and winter comes, cold comes and heat goes.

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the past two years, the Li family has become increasingly low-key.

After Li Pingfu's suspension period ended, although he was reinstated, he no longer acted as ruthlessly as before. He simply performed his duties diligently, training the patrol battalion daily to maintain the most basic security in the county, without ever doing anything out of line again.

Li Ping'an continued to work diligently in the county government office, handling numerous documents. He became increasingly respectful to Liang Xianguan, and his "tribute" during festivals never ceased. He had become a capable and law-abiding official.

The brothers' "sensible" behavior pleased Liang Xianguan. In his view, the brothers had finally been completely subdued by his "shock and awe" tactic.

Emerald Dream.

Using the array foundations left behind by the Holy Lord in various towns and the Heart of the Holy Lotus, Li Pingcan easily set up Druid dojos, which were distributed throughout Yunshui County in the Emerald Dreamland.

The Emerald Dream is a spiritual projection of the real world, and its true scope encompasses the entire universe. However, it seems that because the Taoist temple has not expanded, the Emerald Dream outside the Yunshui County area is nothingness.

Only by increasing one's mental strength can one slowly explore, but the Emerald Dream's void contains many "vortexes," and if one's mental strength is not strong enough, one will be swept up, which is quite dangerous.

Out of caution, Li Pingcan did not venture into this area lightly, but instead quietly strengthened his spiritual awareness.

The white jade lotus flower, transformed from the "Heart of the Sacred Lotus," bloomed quietly, each petal radiating a gentle holy light.

He sat on the lotus platform, feeling an unprecedented sense of tranquility and clarity.

In the real world, every wisp of spiritual energy from heaven and earth that is attracted and purified by the "Heart of Nature" will manifest in this spiritual plane, and after being transformed by the lotus platform, it will become the purest spiritual power, continuously nourishing him.

"What a brilliant cheating device!"

Li Pingcan inwardly praised it. Cultivating in this emerald dreamscape allowed his spiritual consciousness to grow much faster than when meditating outside.

No wonder the Master of the Wusheng Sect went to great lengths to build his Daoist temple. This method of establishing a domain and harnessing the power of heaven and earth for one's own use is the true mark of an immortal.

He tried to repair the lotus platform, carefully infusing it with his magic power. Unfortunately, two years later, the cracks on the lotus platform were healing slowly at a rate imperceptible to the naked eye, and only a tiny bit was repaired.

Even with just this slight feeling, Li Pingcan felt his connection with the dojo become even stronger.

To his even greater surprise, he discovered that this lotus platform could not only transform spiritual energy, but also seemed to be able to analyze "rules".

He immersed himself in the task, trying to decipher the elusive yet omnipresent "dynastic dragon aura."

From the perspective of the dream, the fortune of the entire Yunshui County is like golden streams rising from thousands of households, eventually flowing into the sea and converging into the official seal of the county government called "Yunshui Mirror". Through the official seal, it connects with the vast dragon energy representing the entire Dayu Dynasty at a higher level.

Liang Xianguan is the manager of this "lake".

His "Druidic Dojo" is like a brand new, hidden "natural lake" quietly opened up upstream of this water system.

Although the "merit" of diverting the flow is not much, it has already touched the most fundamental rules.

"I see." Li Pingcan understood perfectly.

Immortal officials like Liang Xianguan are not simply cultivators; they are more like dodder, burrowing into the masses in exchange for the blessing of the dynasty's fortune as resources for their own cultivation. In reality, it is a form of exploitation of the lower classes.

However, the "Druidic Dojo," in essence, has established a completely different cyclical system on this land. It takes nature as its foundation, shelters all living things, and the prosperity of all living things, in turn, nourishes the Dojo, forming an independent merit and fortune.

This is tantamount to planting a new tree next to a dynasty. Although it is only a sapling at present, it has already begun to instinctively compete with the other for sunlight and rain.

If the family wants to truly settle down and make a living on this land, there are only two paths to take.

Alternatively, one could take their family and flee to a distant land, completely severing ties with the Great Yu Dynasty's system, and go to an overseas immortal mountain or another dynasty to become a carefree hermit cultivator. But this was no easy task, not to mention the perilous journey, the new environment also harbored new evil dragons.

Either...

A glint of ambition, unnoticed even by himself, flashed in Lee Pyeongchan's eyes.

It will take its place and become the new "guardian" of this land!
"The essence of the dynastic system is to 'harvest' merit and fortune, so why can't I use the Emerald Dream to harvest the dynasty in reverse?"

This is not simple destruction, but a more sophisticated "theft" and "integration," allowing the Emerald Dream and Druid Dojo to silently cover the dynastic system.

Ultimately, he transformed all the fortune of this world into his own.

Once this thought arose, it grew like a wildly spreading vine, impossible to stop.

(End of this chapter)