Druid Fairy

Chapter 120 Ancient Dream Ruins
Li Pingcan's use of water magic was not refined enough, so he encountered the Water Dragon Guard, who was an expert in this field, as his sparring partner.

As for the Azure Dragon, its bloodline inherently contains a strong earth element power, so the Dragon Palace sent an Earth Dragon Guard to test its strength!

Having figured this out, Li Pingcan suddenly had a new idea.

Since the Dragon Palace's trials are designed to make up for weaknesses, why does he have to start by comprehending his strongest strength when he is studying the elements?

We entered the Five Elements Hall and began our training for the day.

This time, he went straight to the water elemental stone tablet that emitted a faint blue light.

He took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and focused his mind once again.

Unlike the powerful vitality of the wood element, the water element gives him a feeling of inclusiveness and change, and of pervasive penetration.

He saw trickling streams, tranquil lakes, roaring rivers, and tsunamis that swept everything away.

He practiced his Water Manipulation spell in his mind again and again, verifying it with the most primal water law emanating from the stone tablet.

He realized how superficial his previous understanding of water was. The so-called "turning water into soldiers" was merely a superficial representation, while the true mystery of water lies in its "formless" nature.

Time passes day by day.

Li Pingcan was completely immersed in this wonderful realization, losing himself in the moment.

Several days later, in a sudden moment, a light flashed in his mind, as if a bolt of lightning had pierced through the fog in his head.

He has completely figured out a key point about the "combination of strength and gentleness" in water flow!

"So that's it!"

He opened his eyes excitedly, feeling a sense of clarity and understanding of the [Water Manipulation] spell, which instantly elevated him to a whole new level.

He subconsciously brought up his Druid panel, wanting to see how much his skill proficiency had increased.

However, when he saw the element collection section, he was stunned for a moment, and then an indescribable joy welled up in his heart.

[LV0 Element Collection [Unlimited][Elements]]

【Wood (45/70)】

【Soil(41/70)】

【Gold(5/70)】

Water (4/70)

【Fire(6/70)】

The affinity with water attribute has increased from three to four, a slight increase!
"this!"

Li Pingcan's heart was pounding wildly, almost as if it would jump out of his chest.

He originally thought that the Five Elements Hall was just a super training ground to improve his spell proficiency, but he never expected that it could directly improve his most fundamental spiritual root aptitude!
"All five elements are present? A superior spiritual root?"

He laughed, "With the Five Elements Hall here, those are all small goals!"

His gaze swept intently over the three stone tablets representing metal, fire, and earth, his eyes burning with intense passion.

"Don't be in a hurry, take your time."

Suppressing his overwhelming joy, Li Pingcan sat down again in front of the water element stone tablet, a smile of immense satisfaction and anticipation on his face. "Let's start by farming water attributes!"

…………

Inside the Five Elements Hall, there is no sun or moon, and no record of years.

Li Pingcan has fully embarked on his "buffet-style" self-cultivation mode.

If I had to say that I wasn't really motivated to try and understand the wood element before...

Now, comprehending the three elements of water, metal, and fire, every moment is filled with novelty and challenges, a bittersweet experience.

He seemed to transform into a drop of water, experiencing the entire process from the melting of snow and ice on the mountaintop, to the formation of a stream, and finally to its rushing into the sea.

The first-level [Water Manipulation] spell became increasingly easy for him to wield.

But when he arrived at the sharp gold stele, the scene changed abruptly.

"Hey...it hurts!"

The moment his divine sense touched the stone tablet, an invincible and sharp aura pierced his soul, making him feel as if he had been thrown into a sword's edge, with every inch of his consciousness being repeatedly cut.

This is completely different from the gentle warmth of wood and water; it is full of aggression and killing intent.

"Good heavens, this gold element has a terrible temper!"

Li Pingcan grimaced, but dared not relax for a moment.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain that felt like his soul was being torn apart, as he tried to comprehend the "Dao" within that sharp aura.

The sharpness of metal lies not only in its destructive power, but also in its essence of "condensation" and "breakthrough." It can be an invincible spear or an unbreakable shield.

As for the Firestone Stele.

As soon as Li Pingcan got close, he felt as if he was about to be melted.

The violent fiery energy made the magic power within his body restless. He even had a strange feeling that if he stayed any longer, he might spontaneously combust from the inside out.

"Calm down, calm down! A calm mind will cool you down... Cool down my ass!"

Li Pingcan was covered in sweat, feeling like a chicken being roasted over a fire.

He had to divert some of his attention to repeatedly practice the [Water Manipulation] spell, creating a faint layer of water vapor around his soul, which barely allowed him to withstand the scorching heat.

In this extreme tug-of-war between ice and fire, he struggled to comprehend the mystery of fire's "destruction" and "rebirth".

Such excruciating spiritual practice would likely have caused others to suffer from demonic possession long ago.

Whenever Li Pingcan felt his soul was about to be "broken," he would immediately exit the Five Elements Palace, return to the real world, eat a red berry created by the [Divine Berry Technique], and "recharge" for half a day in the Emerald Dream.

Once their spirits have recovered and they are full of energy, they will rush back into the Dragon Palace to continue being "ravaged".

This cycle repeats itself over and over again.

He was like a sponge, frantically absorbing the knowledge of the Five Elements.

Finally, a year later, when he awoke from his reverie before the water elemental stone tablet, the numbers on the panel underwent a decisive change.

Water (10/70)

【Gold(10/70)】

【Fire(10/70)】

The attributes of water, metal, and fire all broke through double digits, transforming the inferior spiritual root into a low-grade spiritual root!

In that instant, Li Pingcan felt an indescribable transformation in his body and soul.

The distinct spiritual energies within him, which were originally clearly defined, have now begun to subtly flow and interact with each other, showing a tendency to mutually benefit each other.

What shocked him even more was the transformation of the jade dream.

Meanwhile, the white jade lotus platform in the center of the lake, which was transformed from the "heart of the sacred lotus," sprouted a new bud next to the original two lotus leaves.

The world of dreams is a projection of the real world, but the degree of reality and illusion in its construction stems from Li Pingcan's understanding of the five basic elements that constitute the world.

It's clear that the jade dream has become more solid, and...

As the thick fog enveloped the edge of the Emerald Dreamland, it slowly receded, revealing a completely new scene.

It was a desolate ruin.

Broken, towering pillars, collapsed celestial palaces and temples, and cracked earth... everywhere exudes an ancient, desolate, yet powerful aura.

Countless powerful and chaotic battle obsessions, like silent branding marks, are deeply etched into every inch of this ruined land.

[The Emerald Dream has expanded, coming into contact with powerful divine thoughts left over from an ancient battlefield; the 'Ancient Ruins Dream' has been opened.]

A prompt appeared on the panel at the right time.

Before Li Pingcan could even see clearly, a chilling sword intent rushed towards him, making his soul tremble.

Amidst the ruins, a blurry figure stood silently. The figure's face was obscured, but its slender frame and mere presence resembled a peerless divine sword drawn from its sheath, its sharpness fully revealed, as if it were about to cleave the heavens and earth in two.

Without any warning, an extremely fast sword light instantly crossed the distance of space and pierced straight for his brow!

The sword light was so pure that it seemed to have gathered all the "sharpness" in the world.

"leave!"

Just as the sword light was about to reach him, Li Pingcan decisively moved his mind, and the white jade lotus platform suddenly shone brightly. A gentle force enveloped him, instantly ejecting his consciousness from the emerald dream!

"call!"

Inside the cave, Li Pingcan suddenly opened his eyes, still shaken. "Too powerful... That was definitely the divine thought left behind by a powerful sword cultivator from ancient times!"

Instead of fear, his face showed a look of certainty.

The higher the risk, the greater the reward.

This sword cultivator's divine sense is so powerful; if we can defeat him, we can probably gain a lot of useful knowledge about swordsmanship.

I didn't learn swordsmanship before because I couldn't find a powerful sword technique. Now that this Divine Soul Sword Technique is so advanced, I might be able to fly a sword with my mind in the future.

"I refuse to believe that you can bully a mere projection of divine thought in my Emerald Dream!"

In the days that followed, Li Pingcan became completely locked in a battle of wits with that sword cultivator's divine sense.

He entered the dream world of the ruins time and time again, only to be "forced" out by the other party with all sorts of unbelievable sword moves.

In every critical moment, it will automatically pop out of the Emerald Dream, which is equivalent to exploiting a bug.

Although it would consume a lot of his spiritual energy and cause him a headache, it was still much better than his spiritual energy being damaged.

During this intense "torture" process, his understanding of kendo was also improving at an alarming rate.

Several days passed quickly, and Li Pingcan finally figured out some of the patterns.

This divine projection seems to only repeat a fixed set of sword techniques. Although it is exquisite, it ultimately lacks the agility and adaptability that a true "human" should have.

Li Pingcan made thorough preparations before stepping back into the ruins, no longer foolishly waiting for the opponent to make a move as before.

"Thunder Wave!"

With a low growl, the Druid unleashed his skills in an instant!
"Boom!"

A violent sonic boom shockwave emanated from him and spread rapidly outwards. The sword cultivator's divine sense visibly froze, clearly disrupted by this sudden area-of-effect attack.

It's now!

Li Pingcan unleashed his full power, his figure transforming into a swift ghostly shadow, advancing instead of retreating, charging fiercely towards his opponent!

The sword cultivator flicked his wrist with his divine sense, and a streak of sword light swept across, blocking all of Li Pingcan's paths of advance.

This is exactly what Lee Pyeongchan was waiting for!
Although the sword technique of this sword cultivator's divine sense is exquisite, it is ultimately a fixed "program". After countless "reloads and restarts", Li Pingcan has long been familiar with its starting stance, variations, and even the trajectory of every sword light.

Faced with this sweeping attack that blocked all escape routes, Li Pingcan neither dodged nor avoided, his mind racing.

Five Spirits Play, Crane Play!

His spiritual body instantly became light and ethereal. Instead of leaping upwards, he lowered his body and glided along the ground like a feather, narrowly escaping the sword light in an incredible manner.

The sharp sword wind grazed his scalp, causing a stinging pain in his soul, but he had successfully broken into the inner circle of the sword cultivator's divine sense!
Close!
An ordinary swordsman, brought to such close range, would have been thrown into disarray, but the projected divine sense showed no fear. With a flick of his wrist, the sword's momentum instantly shifted from a sweeping motion to a downward slash—concise, efficient, and deadly!
He was fast, but Li Pingcan's counterattack was even faster!
The crane's agility instantly transforms into the tiger's ferocity!

He pointed his fingers like claws, without any fancy moves, and with a fierce and unparalleled tiger claw, carrying immense power, he struck the sword cultivator's wrist, which was holding the sword with divine sense!

The swordsman's divine sense swordsmanship is exquisite and unparalleled, capable of dealing with the agility of the crane and parrying the ferocity of the tiger.

With a slight dip of his wrist and a turn of his sword, he struck with incredible precision at the center of Li Pingcan's "tiger claw," precisely where the force was weakest.

However, just as the sword was about to strike, Li Pingcan's attack changed again!
Monkey Play!

The tiger's domineering nature has vanished, replaced by the cunning and unpredictable nature of the ape!

That fierce tiger claw instantly turned into a feint, a mere decoy attack. The real killing move was his other hand, which stretched out like an ape's long arm, bypassing the sword at an unbelievable angle and heading straight for the opponent's wide-open chest!
This is precisely the tactic that Li Pingcan summarized from countless failures!

The power of a sword cultivator's divine sense lies in its flawless sword technique "program," but as long as it is attacked with a martial arts logic that is beyond its comprehension and changes rapidly between fierceness and agility, its "program" can be disrupted for a moment!

As expected, for the first time, a "sluggish" fluctuation appeared on the blurred face of the sword cultivator's divine sense. He was unable to immediately process this instantaneous shift from "fierce tiger's head-on clash" to "spirit ape's sneak attack."

When masters clash, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant!
The one in ten thousandth of a second of delay was the golden opportunity that Li Pingcan had been waiting for!

Li Pingcan seized the opening, his spiritual body suddenly expanded, and a savage and heavy aura erupted.

He formed his five fingers into a claw, concentrated his power, and slammed it hard into the chest of the sword cultivator's divine sense!

"Let me go!"

"boom!"

A deafening roar, seemingly emanating from the depths of one's soul, exploded forth!

The sword cultivator's divine sense was blasted back half a step by the immense force, revealing a huge opening.

While you are sick, I will kill you!
Conquer strength with softness!

With a thought, he stirred the lake in the Emerald Dream, and an invisible yet omnipresent water-like atmosphere quietly enveloped the entire battlefield.

This is not water in its physical form, but rather a manifestation of the laws of "water".

The essence of water enveloped the sword cultivator's divine sense, seeping in bit by bit, strand by strand, along the cracks created by the bear's attack.

If sword intent is like refined steel that has been tempered a hundred times, then the essence of water is like moisture that can make even refined steel rust.

As the water's essence fully penetrated, Li Pingcan manipulated the water to condense, and the water instantly became as cold as frost, radiating an icy chill.

The first level of [Water Manipulation] can significantly alter the properties of water flow, causing it to freeze!
"Crack!"

A strange sound rang out, and the dazzling sword light on the sword cultivator's divine sense began to dim and shatter at a visible speed. His solid figure also began to become illusory and unstable.

He seemed to want to struggle, to swing his sword again to break through this constraint, but the essence of the icy water was formless and intangible, impossible to sever or dispel. Instead, it seeped deeper and deeper with his struggle, freezing everything in its path.

“The highest good is like water; water benefits all things without contending.”

Looking at the scene before him, Li Pingcan felt a sense of emptiness. "Your sword is too hard, too sharp, and too fragile."

Finally, with a soft "crack" sound, the peerless divine sword that had once made Li Pingcan so miserable shattered into pieces, turning into countless specks of light.

The sword cultivator stared blankly at his empty hands, his entire figure slowly dissipating like sand in the wind.

[You have defeated the ancient sword cultivator's will and comprehended 'Sword Intent'.]

Your will has been tempered through countless trials, and your spiritual power has been permanently enhanced.

[You defeated the divine projection of the ancient swordsman 'Lin Jinghong' and obtained part of his swordsmanship inheritance, the three forms of 'Thirteen Swords of Wind']

As his divine sense dissipated, a rune, radiant with light and seemingly composed of countless tiny sword lights, emerged from where it had vanished and disappeared into his brow.

In an instant, a vast and refined understanding of swordsmanship surged into his mind like a flood bursting its banks.

After a long time.

Li Pingcan slowly came back to his senses from his swordsmanship enlightenment. He stretched out his hand, his five fingers loosely clenched, and although he had no sword in his hand, he felt as if he could grasp its sharpness.

"The Thirteen Swords of Wind Return..."

He murmured, "What a fine 'Wind Returns,' what a stunning move!"

This sword technique is less a set of fixed moves and more a series of thirteen ultimate applications of "wind".

Each sword strike represents a form and artistic conception of the wind.

However, he only acquired three techniques: the gentle and all-pervasive "Willow Breeze"; the swift and fleeting "Flowing Light Breeze"; and the raging and continuous "Curling Cloud Breeze".

Having only inherited a portion of it is not the same as truly mastering it.

Li Pingcan rummaged through his storage bag for a moment and took out a piece of "Star Iron" that he had captured. This iron was heavy in his hand and was an excellent material for refining weapons.

He didn't know anything about weapon forging, but by using brute force to hammer it, he managed to forge it into a rough and simple iron sword.

The sword has no edge and no sheath, and looks more like an iron ruler.

But he didn't care. Gripping his iron sword, he closed his eyes, and every movement of that peerless figure flashed through his mind. He imitated the starting stance from his memory and slowly thrust out his sword.

The movements were sluggish, the swordplay heavy, lacking any of the lightness or agility expected of swordsmanship.

"wrong."

Li Pingcan immediately stopped. True sword cultivators drive their magical power and rely on their sword intent.

He took a deep breath and slowly channeled the natural magical power within his body into the iron sword in his hand.

This time, when he swung his sword again, it felt completely different. The heavy iron sword seemed to become an extension of his arm, and a faint but sharp energy flowed through its blade.

"The Thirteen Swords of Wind Return, First Form: Willow Sway!"

With a slight movement of his body and a gentle flick of his wrist, the iron sword transformed into a phantom, like a willow branch swaying in the spring breeze, softly slicing through the air.

Wherever the sword tip passed, a tiny yet deep sword mark was silently left on the stone wall in front of it!

A hint of joy flashed in Li Pingcan's eyes.

While druid magic is profound, it ultimately lacks in direct offensive capabilities.

Now that he has this sword technique, his weaknesses have been completely overcome.

(End of this chapter)