Druid Fairy

Chapter 122 Zhao Clan Cultivators
"Crack!"

With a barely perceptible soft sound, a tiny crack appeared on the hard seed coat.

Immediately afterwards, a tender black sprout, even deeper than the night, stubbornly emerged from the crack at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The tender shoot was entirely black, yet its surface shimmered with a mysterious obsidian-like luster, and a glistening dewdrop clung to its tip, emitting a strange, delicate fragrance.

Unlike ordinary plants that grow upwards, it seemed to possess life, its roots deeply embedded in the soil, greedily absorbing the natural power injected by Li Pingcan, as well as the spiritual energy from the surrounding spiritual fields.

"Wow, what a glutton!"

Li Pingcan could clearly feel that the magical power in his body was rapidly draining away. In just a short while, nearly 30% of it was absorbed by this tiny sprout!
He dared not delay, and quickly took out five divine berries and stuffed them into his mouth to replenish his magical power, continuing to increase the "feeding" intensity.

Finally, just as Li Pingcan's magical power was about to run out, the growth rate of the black sprout gradually slowed down, eventually growing into a strangely shaped black sapling about three inches tall.

Its entire body is as black as ink, its branches resemble dragons and snakes, and its two leaves have a translucent, crystalline black color.

You have successfully nurtured the 'Soulwood' seedling.

Your skill 'Plant Growth' has gained 10 proficiency points.

on the panel.

【LV0 Plant Growth (One Ring) (10/1999) [Earth]】

Li Pingcan's lips twitched as he looked at the proficiency level, which was as slow as a tortoise crawling. No wonder it's a first-level spell; the difficulty of upgrading is too high. It only costs all his mana for 10 points of proficiency.

Fortunately, the skills after upgrading do not need to have their proficiency refreshed again; otherwise, he could hardly imagine the terrifying amount of refreshes required.

Of course, skills that have been upgraded can still be gradually enhanced through use. For example, sensing the Five Elements Stone Tablet can increase the power of elemental skills, but it will not be displayed in the form of data.

"This Soul Wood can actually nourish the soul?"

As Li Pingcan approached the Soul Wood, he felt that the range of his divine sense had slightly expanded.

"Great! Isn't this just a portable divine sense amplifier?"

"Eight low-grade spirit stones, that's really a steal."

Although there's only a trace left now, the Soulwood can still grow, and its future is promising.

He plucked a leaf from the Soulwood tree and placed it on his person, hoping to enhance his spiritual perception—something was better than nothing.

…………

The sacred mountain is ethereal, and the clouds are so deep that one cannot know where to return.

Just as I stepped into Ling Mountain, before even getting close to Listening Wind Cliff, I happened to encounter a familiar figure.

"Immortal Lord Ye, it's a rare treat to see you."

Xiong Er greeted them, with a second-generation treasure-hunting bee flying beside him, holding half of a beehive he had somehow acquired, its mouth full of honey.

Perhaps because the treasure-hunting queen bee loved honey the most, she often went honey-hunting in the mountains with Xiong Er, and they became very close friends.

Li Pingcan was about to make a few jokes with Xiong Er when he saw it sniffle, its face showing a confused yet longing expression.

"What...what kind of aura is this?"

Xiong Er tentatively asked, "Immortal Lord Ye, do you carry any divine artifact with you?"

Li Pingcan's heart stirred.

He was no different from usual, except for that Soulwood leaf.

But now that he has achieved success in his cultivation, his aura is concealed. Normally, Xiong Er would not be able to detect him, unless... the two are mutually attracted.

Li Pingcan no longer concealed himself and took out the black jade-like Soul Wood leaf.

The moment the leaves appeared, Xiong Er's gaze was instantly drawn to them.

"This is the aura, there's no mistake!" It looked excited and eager, but dared not overstep its bounds, gazing longingly at the source.

Li Pingcan smiled slightly and said, "Go and call the other four spirits as well."

In a short while, the five spirits gathered together, their eyes seemingly glued to the leaves of the Soul Wood.

Li Pingcan said, "Fellow Daoists, this wood is destined for you all. I intend for you to coexist with it and rely on each other. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, the Five Spirits were first taken aback, then burst into a thunderous cheer.

This is not "relying on" at all, it is clearly an opportunity!

Without hesitation, they each offered a drop of their life essence, which floated in the air. Upon seeing this, Li Pingcan immediately activated [Natural Symbiosis].

With a "hum," five drops of essence blood, brimming with vitality, instantly formed an invisible bridge with the leaves of the Soul Wood, revealing five distinct spirit beast totems: tiger, crane, bear, deer, and ape. The totems shimmered with light and exuded a profound aura.

The five spirit beasts also felt as if their souls had been infused with a clear spring, and their divine senses became more solid and clear than ever before. The bottleneck in their cultivation that had stagnated for many years even showed signs of loosening.

Simply put, your mind becomes clearer and your comprehension improves!
As long as this Soul Tree stands, the path of cultivation will be smooth sailing.

"Thank you for your kindness, Immortal Venerable Ye!"

The five spirits bowed and knelt before Li Pingcan, looking towards the distant Peach Blossom Village, which was in the direction of the Soul Wood's original form.

Having grown to this point, they are naturally not stupid; they know that Peach Blossom Village probably has a significant connection with Night Immortal.

"From this day forward, we, the Five Spirits, vow to forever guard the place where the Soul Wood resides. If we break this oath, may we be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Li Pingcan gladly accepted. With these five spirit beasts as the family's guardians, the Li family was even more secure.

To his even greater surprise, the leaves of the Soulwood underwent a miraculous change after being nourished by the symbiotic contract, and a faint layer of iridescent light appeared on the leaves.

With a thought, he put the Soul Wood leaf into his mouth and felt a warm current flow in. As his soul grew stronger, his mind began to uncontrollably deduce the various changes of the "Five Spirits Play".

For Li Pingcan, who is at the Divine Martial Realm, these changes cannot bring about a qualitative change; they can only broaden his thinking. However, the descendants of the family who practice martial arts can have an "enlightenment" under the Soul Tree!
Moreover, the Soulwood is still in its early stages and has the potential to grow!
"It's practically a living martial arts manual!"

Li Pingcan was overjoyed. This Soul Wood was a magical artifact for sudden enlightenment, specially made for the "Five Spirits Play".

…………

There is no time to practice.

The symbiotic relationship between the Soul Wood and the Five Elements has brought tremendous benefits to Li Pingcan.

His understanding of the Five Spirits Play has become increasingly profound, and his stagnant martial arts skills have also begun to improve.

The most important thing is to sort out and strengthen the spirit and soul.

That night.

With a crisp sound of the bottleneck shattering, he successfully broke through and entered the fourth level of Qi Refining.

His dantian expanded once more, his magical power surged, and his divine sense covered an area of ​​several miles in radius.

[Your Druid level has increased; you have gained 4 points for leveling up.]

Looking at the panel, Li Pingcan unhesitatingly added three points to [Hallucinogenic Mushroom], [Sculpting Earth], and [Natural Symbiosis], transforming them all into first-level spells. He reserved the last point as a backup plan, just in case.

The panel has changed.

[Hallucination Mushroom (Level 1): Your hallucinogenic dreams are enhanced, making you more effective against powerful beings. In combat, you can summon Hallucination Mushrooms to project brief, disturbing illusions onto a single target that evoke their fears or desires, disrupting their spellcasting or attack rhythm.]

[Sculpting Earth (Level 1): Increases your ability to manipulate rocks and soil. You can briefly resonate with the earth, slowly merging into soft soil for short-distance stealth, but you cannot penetrate hard rock.]

[Natural Symbiosis (Ring 1): The level of the creatures you symbioticate with increases, and a new symbiosis slot is added.]

……

The reason for increasing the hallucinogenic mushroom is to make "interrogation" easier in the future. When facing cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, the original zero-ring spells are obviously gradually weakening and becoming somewhat useless.

As an elemental skill, Clay Shaping is convenient and easy to use, and it has long been one of Li Pingcan's goals for skill upgrades.

The ability to coexist naturally is self-evident and is one of the important capabilities for the sustainable recycling of resources.

"Great, great, it has achieved the effect I wanted."

In the midst of this joy, Li Pingcan's expression suddenly changed.

The [Main Domain] has quietly unfolded.

In his "God's-eye view," a blurry and thin figure was silently appearing in the territory of Yunshui County.

The man, dressed in a faded gray Taoist robe, was hunched over and leaned on a wooden cane of indeterminate material. He walked unhurriedly through the wind and snow.

He walked very slowly, each step as if measured, standing out from the hurried pedestrians around him.

"This is a cultivator, and not a rogue cultivator."

That art of concealing one's breath in harmony with heaven and earth is clearly a tradition passed down only by prestigious sects.

Li Pingcan immediately withdrew from his investigation, retreating to observe from a distance using a mushroom. The old Taoist priest looked very old, his face covered with deep wrinkles that could trap mosquitoes, and his cloudy old eyes were half-open, as if he might be swept away by the wind at any moment.

But beneath this seemingly dying appearance, Li Pingcan keenly sensed a hidden, terrifying power and a chilling killing intent!
The murderous aura wasn't directed at him, but rather precisely locked onto a single direction—the Yunshui County government office.

Li Pingcan followed the old Taoist's trail and discovered that after entering the city, the old Taoist did not rush to find a place to stay. Instead, he lingered for a while in several seemingly ordinary locations in the city.

One of these places is the Zhao family mansion, which has long since fallen into disrepair and is now just an empty house.

Seeing this, Li Pingcan had a sudden thought, and a conjecture emerged.

"Could it be... that this person is actually the legendary immortal from the Zhao family who has joined a sect?"

Once the thought came to mind, it wouldn't leave.

If you calculate the age carefully, it does match up.

If that's the case, then his purpose in coming here is self-evident—to seek revenge!
This old Taoist priest, let's call him Zhao Xiushi for now, wandered around the city seemingly aimlessly for a few minutes before finally stopping at a secluded corner not far from the Li family mansion.

The wind and snow instantly became his best cover.

"What is he trying to do?!" Li Pingcan asked gravely.

Could it be that this old cultivator has gone mad with revenge and intends to eliminate everyone connected with Immortal Liang?
His eldest and second eldest brothers were still working in the county government, and Zhao Sisi was his nominal concubine.

The relationships involved are complex and cannot be easily separated!
In an instant, several possible solutions flashed through Li Pingcan's mind.

Just as his killing intent surged, the Zhao cultivator did not make any further move.

He stood silently in the wind and snow, like a lifeless stone statue, his murky gaze piercing through the courtyard walls, as if staring at something.

Through the field of the fungal carpet, Li Pingcan could clearly "see" that an extremely complex emotion was intertwined on Zhao Xiushi's face.

There was heartache, anger, and resentment, but more than anything, there was a deep-seated sense of desolation and loneliness.

…………

Zhao Wuyou's heart was colder than the wind and snow.

Zhao Wuyou, a hundred years ago, with his mixed spiritual roots of the five elements, was fortunate enough to be admitted to the Seven Stars Sect and become an outer disciple. After a hundred years of arduous cultivation, enduring countless scornful looks, exhausting his energy, and risking his life, he barely managed to cultivate to the ninth level of Qi Refining, but ultimately collapsed before the insurmountable barrier of Foundation Establishment, his lifespan nearing its end.

There's no going back to the sect.

A worthless old man in the Qi Refining stage is not even as good as a dog in the sect.

Disheartened, he finally remembered his long-forgotten mortal family. He hadn't cared about his family when he was young, but now the desire to return to his roots was perhaps the last solace for every loser.

But what he received was the devastating news that his clansmen had been bullied and his ancestral home had been seized. And the culprit was none other than "Immortal Liang" Liang Zhiyuan!

Blood debts must be repaid with blood.

However, there is one more thing to do before that.

Her own bloodline descendant, a girl named Zhao Sisi, had become a concubine in the Li family.

What a shame.

No matter how much the Zhao family has fallen from grace, it is still a family that has produced immortals!

How could his bloodline be allowed to associate with such vulgar martial artists and become mere playthings?!
He could barely contain his murderous intent and wanted to raze the entire Li family mansion to the ground.

Amidst the wind and snow, a powerful divine sense had already locked onto Zhao Sisi, the descendant who was bowing her head and doing needlework in the backyard wing.

But just a second before he was about to make his move, he suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and his aged brows furrowed slightly.

His unique technique, "Bloodline Tracing Technique," has received an unusual response.

Beside Zhao Sisi's life force, there was a faint yet incredibly pure new life force, originating from the same source as his Zhao family bloodline!
"pregnant?"

Zhao Wuyou was taken aback.

He focused intently, and then, a terrifying glint suddenly shot out from his cloudy old eyes!

"This is... the aura of a mid-grade spiritual root!"

Although extremely faint, almost imperceptible, it is by no means wrong!
It was a quality that was naturally compatible with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, something he longed for but could not obtain!

His concubine's descendant, the unborn child in her womb, actually possesses such aptitude for cultivating immortality!
The overwhelming anger was extinguished in an instant.

Instead, a complex and indescribable feeling arose.

Zhao Wuyou's path to immortality is severed, and his lifespan is nearing its end. The Zhao family, too, exists in name only.

But now...

A descendant with spiritual roots, a brand new hope, appeared out of nowhere!

Although the origin of this hope was tinged with humiliation.

But compared to the continuation of bloodline, and a descendant who may once again embark on the path of immortality, what does so-called face matter?
A strange warmth miraculously appeared in my heart.

long silence.

Zhao Wuyou sighed softly, the murderous intent and ferocity on his face completely dissipating, leaving only endless desolation and weariness.

He slowly raised his withered hand, and an antique ring quietly appeared in his palm.

This was all the wealth he had accumulated over the past century through frugality and saving. It contained the cultivation techniques he relied on, the elixirs he had risked his life for, and a magical artifact he cherished as his very life.

He originally intended to use these things to settle things with Liang Xianguan.

But now, he has changed his mind.

"So be it...so be it."

He muttered to himself, flicked his finger, and the storage ring transformed into a barely perceptible stream of light, silently passing through the courtyard wall and landing precisely on Zhao Sisi's dressing table, hidden in a secret compartment of a jewelry box.

After doing all this, he took one last deep look at the warmly lit room, his hunched figure swayed, and then disappeared back into the boundless wind and snow, as if he had never existed.

His murderous intent was still fixed on the county government office, but there was a hint of relief in his resolute determination.

…………

I see……"

Li Pingcan took in all of this, the alarm in his heart was lifted, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed.

A crisis that seemed on the verge of erupting was resolved in such an unexpected way.

"The situation has changed."

Li Pingcan's thoughts raced, "A peak Qi Refining cultivator who is determined to die and clear obstacles for future generations, facing off against a ruthless and cautious Immortal Official Liang..."

This is an opportunity, a golden opportunity that might just solve the problem of Liang Xianguan.

Just as Li Pingcan was silently observing the two's movements, a familiar thought was transmitted through the "mushroom".

It is Bai Xiaoya.

"Caw! Immortal Night! The matter you asked me to do has made progress! I, Old Crow, have put in a tremendous amount of effort, almost turning my feathers white with worry, but I've finally deciphered it for you!"

The voice was as noisy and boastful as ever.

Li Pingcan composed himself and replied in a deep voice, "Speak."

"Those scribbles on the stone aren't some kind of martial arts manual..." Bai Xiaoya deliberately kept everyone in suspense.

Li Pingcan said calmly, "Get straight to the point."

"Gah! Alright, alright!" Bai Xiaoya choked for a moment before saying, "That's a marching map! The recorder claimed to be a personal guard under the 'God of War.' He recorded the route of the 'God of War's' defeat in his last battle, as well as... the location where the 'God of War's' life's wealth and legacy are buried!"

"The Martial God's Treasure?!" Li Pingcan's breath hitched slightly.

"That's right! According to the incomplete records, that Martial God was an ancient body-refining cultivator, and what he left behind is extraordinary! Aren't I amazing! Who but me, Bai Xiaoya, could decipher such ancient secrets?"

Li Pingcan ignored its boasting, his mind completely captivated by the "Martial God's Treasure".

He is currently stuck at the Divine Martial Realm, and the inheritance of the ancient body-refining cultivators is timely.

With the Zhao clan cultivators keeping Liang Xianguan in check, it was a rare opportunity to set off.

Bai Xiaoya seemed to sense his thoughts and added, "However, Immortal Venerable, I must remind you. The location where this treasure is buried is not a peaceful place. The map points to 'Old Yin Mountain'!"

"Old Yinshan?!"

Upon hearing this name, Li Pingcan's pupils suddenly contracted.

This name is taboo in the independent cultivation circles of Yunshui County and even several surrounding counties.

(End of this chapter)