Druid Fairy

Chapter 130 The Shepherd Branch
Songling Prefecture was one of the most prosperous places in the Great Yu Dynasty.

The streets are bustling with traffic and towering buildings; the air seems to be filled with the scent of wealth and power.

The prefectural academy is situated atop the city's most central spiritual vein, with pavilions, towers, flying eaves, and rising purple aura. The lifelike stone carvings of auspicious beasts everywhere showcase the dynasty's majesty and profound heritage.

Li Mengze, dressed in a well-fitting blue scholar's robe, stood in front of the grand gate of the academy, with Li Ping'an and Mu Wanqiu behind him who had come to see him off.

"Ze'er, once you enter the academy, you must respect your teachers and be friendly to your classmates," Li Ping'an carefully instructed.

"Understood, Second Uncle."

After bidding farewell to his family, Li Mengze, alone and without crying or making a fuss, stepped steadily into the immortal academy that countless people dream of.

As soon as I finished the enrollment procedures, a senior student dressed in white brocade robes, who looked very enthusiastic, came up to greet me.

"This must be Junior Brother Li from Yunshui County, right? I've long admired your name. Li, the registrar who achieved the highest rank in all three imperial examinations, is a capable man my father often talks about!"

The senior brother smiled broadly and patted Li Mengze on the shoulder familiarly. "My name is Lin Feng. I arrived two months earlier than you. If you have any questions in the future, just come to me. I'll take care of you!"

As he spoke, he eagerly offered to help Li Mengze with his luggage.

Li Mengze turned slightly to the side, subtly avoiding his hand, but his face still wore that polite yet distant smile: "Thank you, Senior Brother Lin, but I wouldn't dare trouble you."

In his "insight into good and evil" perspective, although this senior brother Lin also radiated a light red aura representing "enthusiasm," beneath this aura lingered a gray-black color that made him extremely uncomfortable, like a sticky spider web.

It stemmed from jealousy, contempt, and a hint of ill-intentioned malice.

'Father is right. Not all smiles in this world represent goodwill,' Li Mengze thought to himself.

He could "see" the glint of greed in the eyes of his senior brother Lin when he saw his seemingly ordinary robe, which was actually made of the finest brocade.

When he heard that his eldest uncle was a county magistrate and his second uncle was a registrar, a hint of calculation appeared in his smile.

This "smiling tiger" probably thinks he's a "fat sheep" that can be manipulated at will.

"Hey, junior brother, there's no need to be so polite."

Lin Feng was subtly rejected, and a hint of displeasure flashed through his heart, but his smile remained unchanged. "Come on, come on, senior brother will take you to your residence. The dormitories in our academy are divided into different grades. I'll help you pull some strings and I guarantee you'll get a top-class room with the most abundant spiritual energy!"

As he spoke, he enthusiastically led the way, occasionally boasting about his connections and influence.

Li Mengze listened quietly, occasionally chiming in, but in his mind, he had already added this person to his "keep at a distance" blacklist.

Never underestimate anyone's malice, and never overestimate anyone's goodwill. Before you have sufficient strength, humility and caution are your best protection.

The road ahead is filled with the guidance of teachers and the camaraderie of classmates, but it will also inevitably be fraught with hidden dangers and treacherous schemes.

However, Li Mengze was not afraid.

The Li family will become stronger and stronger, and my father will protect me.

"Only after a good night's sleep will you have the energy to begin tomorrow's practice."

As night fell, Li Mengze lay on the slightly hard bed in the academy and slowly closed his eyes.

As he slept, his consciousness seemed to drift into a warm and reassuring emerald green world.

He didn't know where he was, but he felt as if he had returned home, enveloped in endless gentleness. All the unease and weariness of his new arrival melted away in this green halo.

He slept very soundly and had a very long dream.

In his dream, he seemed to have returned to the courtyard of Peach Blossom Village, where his father and mother were smiling and waving to him.

…………

When Li Mengze woke up, he felt refreshed and full of energy, having slept very well.

After breakfast, it's time to go to class.

The teacher in charge of instructing these new disciples was a man surnamed Chen.

Master Chen was over fifty years old, with a stern face and rarely smiled. He was said to be an old official who had retired from the prefecture. His cultivation had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. When he talked about "An Introduction to the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation", he quoted classics and spoke eloquently.

"Now that you have entered the path of immortality, you should know the difference between immortals and mortals. Spiritual roots are the dividing line between heaven and earth."

Master Chen's voice was loud and clear, "Spiritual roots are divided into five elements, and also into grades. Those of the lowest grade can only sense spiritual energy as if looking at flowers through fog; those of the middle grade can glimpse the path; and those of the highest grade are the true pillars of the immortal path. Today, I will enlighten you and guide the energy into your bodies."

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, all the children below could no longer contain themselves. They sat up straight, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation.

Li Mengze followed the example of others, sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes. He kept his father's instructions firmly in mind, deliberately calming his mind and using only a faint trace of divine sense to perceive his surroundings.

Even so, when Master Chen began to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, he could clearly feel a warm and lively stream of colorful light, as if seeing a relative, joyfully surging towards his body.

"Is this spiritual energy? It feels so warm..."

A thought struck him, and he immediately remembered his father's words. He quickly pretended to be bewildered and let the spiritual energy surround him, but did not actively absorb it.

After a while, Master Chen asked everyone to open their eyes and began to question them one by one.

"What did you sense?"

"Master, I have sensed a comfortable warm current."

"Hmm, fire elemental root, low grade, not bad."

When it was the turn of a child dressed in fine clothes with an arrogant expression, the child said loudly, "This disciple has sensed the five-colored spiritual light and has guided it into my dantian!"

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Master Chen's eyes. "Dual spiritual roots, both of them of superior grade, excellent! Excellent! What's your name?"

"Disciple Zhang Ao!"

"Is 'arrogant' the 'arrogance' in 'conceited and conceited'? He lives up to his name," Li Mengze thought to himself.

Soon it was his turn.

Li Mengze stood up, a perfectly measured look of annoyance and confusion on his small face: "Master, this disciple...this disciple sensed nothing."

Upon hearing this, a burst of suppressed laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding area.

Even Master Chen frowned slightly and shook his head in disappointment: "Never mind, perhaps you are not in a good mood today. Try again tomorrow."

Little did he know that as Li Mengze spoke, he was using his talent for "seeing good and evil" to observe the overly familiar senior brother Lin Feng with great interest.

Sure enough, when he heard that he "had no feeling", Lin Feng's enthusiastic smile also showed a "regretful" expression, but the gray aura of "schadenfreude" on his body became even stronger.

'Hmph, what kind of superior spiritual root is that? He's just a piece of trash!'

Lin Feng sneered inwardly, 'I was even thinking about how to curry favor with you, but now it seems like a complete waste of time. That Zhang Ao, on the other hand, is someone I could get to know better.'

When Master Chen praised Zhang Ao, the jealousy and malice in Lin Feng's eyes were like surging ink, almost engulfing him completely.

Li Mengze took in all of this, becoming increasingly vigilant.

He thought to himself, 'This senior brother is probably no pushover.'

In the following days, Li Mengze perfectly played the role of a disciple who "had a good top-grade spiritual root but poor comprehension".

He arrived at the classroom earliest and left latest every day, and the questions he asked the teacher were all about the most basic breathing techniques. He never revealed his extraordinary affinity for spiritual energy, and then secretly practiced at night.

Once the spiritual energy enters the body, it will "disappear," and only Li Mengze can clearly feel its presence, perfectly matching his desire for a low profile.

His "clumsiness" made Zhang Ao look down on him even more, and also made Lin Feng completely let down his guard against him, and devote all his "energy" to how to "befriend" Zhang Ao.

Lin Feng followed Zhang Ao around every day, calling him "senior brother" this and "senior brother" that, showing him endless obsequiousness.

Although Zhang Ao's background was not as good as Lin Feng's, he was proud and arrogant, and was flattered so much that he quickly regarded Lin Feng as a "confidant". He listened to Lin Feng's every word and even shared his cultivation insights without reservation.

However, the good times did not last long.

Half a month later, during a small competition at the academy, Zhang Ao unexpectedly underperformed. Not only was his spiritual energy circulation sluggish, but he also nearly lost his breath when performing the most basic "Spirit Control Technique," and was severely reprimanded by Master Chen on the spot.

"Zhang Ao! You possess dual spiritual roots and outstanding talent, so why are you so lazy! You haven't made any progress in the past half month, and have even regressed! If this continues, you might as well give up on the path of immortality!" Zhang Ao was scolded until his face turned red and he was speechless. He himself felt strange. He had clearly been cultivating more diligently than anyone else, but in the past few days, he always felt powerless and dizzy.

Little did he know that the "refreshing" spices Lin Feng gave him had been secretly mixed with a trace of "muscle-weakening powder" that could disrupt the flow of spiritual energy.

This powder is colorless and odorless, and its medicinal properties are subtle. It will not have any effect in the short term, but once used for a long time, it will be like a frog being slowly boiled in water, causing one's spiritual practice to slow down without one realizing it.

Li Mengze stood in the crowd, looking at Zhang Ao's dejected appearance.

She glanced again at Lin Feng, who was pretending to comfort her but whose eyes held a hint of smugness, and felt a chill run through her.

'Is this what Father meant by...the wickedness of human nature?'

He subtly withdrew his gaze, lowered his head even further, and completely concealed himself in the crowd, blending into the crowd.

…………

As the power of his descendants increased, Li Pingcan's Jade Dream expanded once again.

As he immersed himself in the scene, another lotus leaf bloomed from the "Heart of the Sacred Lotus" in the center of the lake, shimmering brightly.

[The Emerald Dream expands, encountering ancient ruins.]

Li Pingcan felt a chill run down his spine. He could sense that the aura of this place was from the same source as the sword cultivator's divine sense that he had defeated before, but the aura was even more chaotic.

"Is it a fragment of that divine thought?"

As he was pondering, a sudden burst of light shone forth, transforming into a blurry human figure.

It was still that face whose features were indistinct; the fragments of divine consciousness only contained the most primal fighting instincts.

It made no words and no opening gestures.

The moment it appeared, it transformed into a golden lightning bolt, and the man and the sword seemed to become one, piercing straight for Li Pingcan's brow!

That speed, that incomparably sharp sword intent, was even three points stronger than the last projection!

"Well done!"

Li Pingcan had anticipated this and remained calm.

With a Divine Martial Realm physique, a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivation, and numerous Druid skills, he was just worried about not finding a suitable opponent to test the results of his cultivation over the past few years!
"The Thirteen Swords of Wind Return, First Form: Willow Sway!"

The sword light was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing willows. It seemed to have no power, but the moment it touched the opponent's sword, it transformed into thousands of supple threads. With a clever pull and a deflection, it dissipated most of the force of the earth-shattering thrust.

"Second move, Flowing Light!"

Li Pingcan pressed his advantage relentlessly, his sword technique shifting again, transforming into a streak of light, incredibly fast, striking the opponent's wrist pulse even though he was behind.

"Third move, Cirrus Clouds!"

The sword light surged like a tide, layer upon layer, like a sea of ​​clouds rolling across the sky, completely sealing off all of the opponent's escape routes!
In just three breaths, he executed the three sword techniques he had learned from Lin Jinghong's divine sense to their fullest extent, forcing the fragment of divine sense to retreat repeatedly.

The fragments of divine consciousness are ultimately the echoes of ancient sword cultivators, their fighting instincts ingrained in their very bones.

Faced with Li Pingcan's relentless attacks, its blurry figure suddenly froze, and the longsword in its hand, condensed from sword intent, emitted a high-pitched sword cry.

An even more cunning and unpredictable sword intent suddenly erupted.

The sword light was no longer sweeping and powerful, but transformed into countless tiny golden rays, like drills, relentlessly piercing every weak point in Li Pingcan's protective true essence!
"interesting!"

Li Pingcan felt a sharp pain in his protective true essence, as if the opponent had forcibly torn a gash in it. He quickly withdrew and retreated.

【The Thirteen Swords of Wind Return, Fourth Form: Drilling Wind】!
In his mind, the essence of this sword technique clearly emerged as the opponent executed it. This move specifically targets and breaks through the body's protective true essence and spiritual energy, emphasizing the concentration of power at a single point to break through the surface, making it invincible.

"I see! Thank you for your guidance, 'teacher'!"

A glint flashed in Li Pingcan's eyes. Instead of being angry, he was delighted and immediately incorporated this insight into his sword techniques.

With a flick of his iron sword, he also split into several condensed sword energies. Although they were far less refined than his opponent's, they still accurately struck the path of his opponent's sword attack.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

A series of metallic clangs rang out, and seeing that one move had failed, the fragment of divine sense changed its tactics once more.

This time, its figure became almost imperceptible, and even the sword light in its hand seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Li Pingcan's pupils contracted, and he spread his divine sense with all his might, but he could only detect a trace of barely perceptible energy fluctuation.

"Is this the Silent Sword?"

【The Thirteen Swords of Wind Return, Fifth Form: Silent Wind】!
Silent and invisible, killing without a trace!

Alarm bells rang in Li Pingcan's mind. He dared not be careless in the slightest. He closed his eyes and stopped using his eyes to see. Instead, he used his whole body to "listen" to the flow of the wind and to feel every tiny ripple in the air.

A deadly sense of crisis came from his left side!

Without thinking, he swung his sword back and thrust it into the empty air!

"Qiang!"

With a crisp sound, he finally managed to block the invisible sword precisely!
The figure of the fragment of divine sense flashed by, seemingly not expecting that Li Pingcan could block this move by instinct.

"Break it for me!"

Li Pingcan's spiritual body suddenly expanded, and the five illusory figures of the spirits appeared behind him, roaring and shaking the heavens, forcefully pushing back that terrifying sword intent!

"puff!"

The fragments of divine consciousness suffered a backlash, and the already blurry figure instantly became even more illusory, as if it would dissipate at any moment.

And the longsword in his hand, condensed from sword intent, cracked as it was about to transform into countless points of light.

With a thought, Li Pingcan unleashed his immense divine sense, which acted like an invisible net, instantly enveloping all the golden light spots that were about to dissipate!
He tried to use his consciousness to "analyze" this shattered fragment of divine thought.

The moment his divine sense came into contact with those golden light spots, a massive and chaotic torrent of information, mixed with an incredibly clear memory image, surged into his mind!

It was a shattered sky.

A swordsman dressed in a blue robe stood proudly in the void. He held an ancient longsword in his hand and faced several demonic cultivators whose bodies blotted out the sky and exuded overwhelming demonic energy.

"Lin Jinghong..." a faint voice echoed, "You have nowhere to retreat. Surrender, or die!"

"We sword cultivators have no fear of death!"

The swordsman named Lin Jinghong laughed loudly, his voice filled with defiance and pride, "Today, I will show you the pinnacle of swordsmanship in my Sword Pavilion!"

Before he finished speaking, he drew his longsword, and thirteen peerless sword lights, each containing a different wind-like intent, soared into the sky, transforming into a dazzling sword river that stretched across the heavens and earth, heading towards the demonic cultivator!
The scene abruptly ends there.

Li Pingcan felt a sharp pain in his soul, and suddenly broke free from that memory, his heart pounding wildly.

The brutality of that ancient battle and Lin Jinghong's resolute determination to go against the tide, even if it meant facing millions, deeply shook his soul.

At that moment, the information on the panel refreshed again.

[You analyzed the incomplete divine sense of the ancient sword cultivator 'Lin Jinghong', your soul was cleansed, and your will was greatly enhanced.]

[You have mastered a new branch skill, the Shepherd Branch, Dream Language.]

【Dream Language: You can have limited communication with the fragmented divine thoughts and unclaimed spirits that remain in the Emerald Dream, and there is a certain chance to obtain fragmented memory information from them.】

In addition, you can converse with the spirits and monsters of the mountains and rivers outside. This ability will not grant you any special friendship with them, although you can combine this skill with gifts to please them. If they develop a liking for you, there is a chance you can command them. This ability will increase as your spiritual power strengthens.

Lee Pyeongchan blinked in surprise.

I never expected to discover a new skill after so long!
If I understand correctly, the shepherd branch seems to be able to communicate with the "spirits and ghosts" of the world.

Is it possible to have friendly communication with the "things" of Laoyin Mountain?
He has never forgotten the legacy of the Martial God!
(End of this chapter)