Druid Fairy

Chapter 172 The Black-Hearted Ancestor
The Tiger Guard member was a tough guy; upon hearing this, he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Thank you... thank you for your trouble, Miss."

He didn't actually have much hope.

A broken soul is a stubborn ailment that even immortal masters are helpless against. What can a little girl do?
Li Mengyue didn't care what he was thinking; her face was tense, making her look exceptionally solemn.

"Yuehua, please help him," she prayed softly.

The "Moonlight Pearl" floating in her palm seemed to understand her call and suddenly emitted a soft and holy moon-white radiance.

The light was not dazzling, but rather like the gentlest moonlight, seeping slowly through Li Mengyue's small hand into the brow of the Tiger Guard member.

The Tiger Guard members' bodies trembled violently!
The stinging pain he expected did not come. Instead, he felt a cool and comfortable warmth, like a long-parched riverbed receiving its first spring rain.

Like a deep-seated wound, the black cracks began to be smoothed and repaired at a visible speed under the purest moonlight power, and the excruciating pain quickly subsided.

“This is…” The Tiger Guard members’ eyes were filled with shock.

He seemed to "see" a bright moon slowly rising, casting down its gentle light and dispelling all the gloom.

Li Mengyue's face turned somewhat pale from her focused output, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Healing a person takes far more effort than comforting the lingering soul of a little rabbit.

She bit her lip, stubbornly channeling the power of the pearl continuously into it.

After an unknown amount of time, when the last crack was completely repaired, the Tiger Guard member felt a sense of lightness and refreshment, and even his eyes were brighter than before he was injured.

"I...I'm all better?"

He touched his head in disbelief; the excruciating pain that had plagued him for days had vanished without a trace.

"call……"

Li Mengyue let out a long sigh of relief, plopped down on the ground, her little face flushed red, like a little steamed bun.

Looking at the Tiger Guard member, she gave him a pure and radiant smile: "Uncle, your soul is shining brightly now!"

The Tiger Guard member could no longer contain his excitement and gratitude. He suddenly jumped up from the ground, knelt down on one knee respectfully, and performed a standard military salute.

"I, Sun Tieniu, will never forget the young lady's kindness in saving me!"

The new generation of the Li family is growing up at a speed that exceeds everyone's imagination!
…………

The next day.

Sun Tieniu, a burly man who was eight feet tall and could kill a tiger with his fist, was now dancing around in the backyard of the Li family like a primary school student who had been praised by his teacher.

He would tell everyone he met, with great enthusiasm, about his miraculous experience of "coming back from the dead".

"You didn't see it! My head was throbbing so badly I wanted to smash my head against the wall! But when that young lady put her little hand on me, wow! It felt so good!"

He slapped his thigh, the loud sound making the roof tiles vibrate. "It's like drinking ice-cold plum juice on a sweltering summer day, refreshing from the top of my head to my heels! All that black smoke vanished in a flash! Now? Hey, I feel like I could punch two cows to death!"

Several members of the Peach Blossom Guard nearby listened with shining eyes, surrounding Li Mengyue who had just come out of the house, their eyes filled with affection as if they were seeing their own father.

"Young Miss, are you tired? Shall I give you a leg massage?"

"Young Miss, are you thirsty? These are wild fruits that I specially picked for you from the mountain, they're very sweet!"

"Get out of the way!"

Sun Zheng's face darkened, and he pulled out a small wooden carving wrapped in layers of oilcloth from his pocket. "Miss, this is a little horse that I carved when I had nothing else to do. Please...please don't mind."

Ever since witnessing Li Mengyue's miraculous healing abilities, these hardened men have come to revere this exquisitely beautiful young lady as a deity.

In their simple worldview, being able to fight is nothing special; they can fight on their own.

But this ability to pull people back from the brink of death and heal the invisible yet deadly "soul injury"—isn't that the work of a living god?
As a result, the title "Little Fairy Doctor" spread like wildfire within Peach Blossom Guard overnight.

To mess with the Li family is one thing, but you'll have to step over their dead bodies first. But if anyone dares to lay a finger on even a hair on Little Fairy Doctor's head, it will be an absolute blood feud, one that lasts until death!
Li Pingcan watched this scene from a distance and stroked his chin with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad, my little darling, she's now the heart of the army. That's great, from now on, when this girl goes out, she'll probably be more loyal than the emperor's guards."

He returned to the courtyard with peace of mind and looked at the long sword that the golden eagle had brought from the market of rogue cultivators.

[The Breaking Qi Blade: Forged from Azure Spirit Iron mixed with refined steel, it is capable of fighting against cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining.]

On the other side, fifteen sets of brand-new armor gleamed with a cold yet resilient luster in the sunlight.

[Azure Spirit Armor: A full-coverage heavy armor with incredible defensive capabilities without compromising mobility.]

Li Pingcan nodded in satisfaction. With this batch of equipment, plus Ze'er's elixir, even those with average martial arts talent could improve their strength and cultivate a group of loyal "guards".

…………

At the border of Yunzhou and Songlingzhou lies Black Wind Mountain, where a notorious rogue cultivator, who calls himself "Black Heart Ancestor," resides.

This person's cultivation has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining, making him a ruthless character that no one wants to provoke.

As his name suggests, he was ruthless and greedy by nature, and he loved killing and robbing. Over the decades, at least eighty or a hundred cultivators and mortal families had died at his hands.

On this day, he had just wiped out a foolish little family and plundered their treasure vault. Feeling somewhat unhappy about the meager gains, he overheard an interesting rumor from a trembling prisoner.

"Grand...Grand Ancestor, spare my life!"

The prisoner was so frightened he wet himself. "I...I heard that an extraordinary immortal has emerged from Peach Blossom Mountain in Yunshui County, Songling Prefecture! It's said that the Li family produced a genius in alchemy, and they're incredibly wealthy!"

"Oh? A magic pill?"

A greedy glint flashed in the black-hearted patriarch's triangular eyes. He threw away the now useless prisoner and licked his lips.

"A genius in alchemy? Rolling in money? Hehehe..." He let out a nasty laugh. "Isn't this the winter provisions I've prepared for my ancestor? I was just worried about not having enough resources to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and someone has delivered it to my doorstep. Good, very good!"

How strong can a mortal family, which has no foundation and has risen to prominence by the luck of a descendant, really be, even if it has some fortuitous encounters?
Without the slightest hesitation, he transformed into a black wind and headed alone towards Peach Blossom Mountain.

The moment he set off, Li Pingcan, who was resting with his eyes closed in his study on Peach Blossom Mountain, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, and a sense of crisis, as if he were being targeted by a venomous snake, arose spontaneously.

"Ok?"

Li Pingcan suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint in them. "Such a powerful killing intent! It's aimed at the Li family!"

He immediately pushed his perception to its limit, his divine sense spreading out like an invisible net in an instant.

Soon, he "saw" the black wind approaching at an astonishing speed, and the old man in black robes with a ferocious face within it.

Li Pingcan was not surprised but rather pleased.

How much effort has he poured into this family and this mountain? How many schemes has he devised? He's just worried that no one will be so blind as to come and test the results!

"Pass on my order! Level one alert! All villagers, immediately take refuge in the tunnels! Sun Zheng, take your men and prepare to welcome the guests!"

"Yes!" Sun Zheng and the others showed no panic; instead, their eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"Azure Dragon!" Li Pingcan shouted again to a lazy snake in the cave, "Wake up! Get to work! When I give you my orders, yell like there's no tomorrow!"

"What are you yelling about? I just ate..." came the reluctant voice of the Azure Dragon, but it still obediently moved its body.

Li Pingcan took a deep breath, walked into the courtyard, and gently placed his hands on the ground.

"Little Stone, wake up." He gently called to the little stone spirit in the center of the formation in the language of dreams, "Bad guys are coming to destroy our home. Get ready and let them taste the hospitality of Peach Blossom Mountain."

"Om-"

Deep underground, the little stone spirit, the core of the formation, exuded a warlike aura.

In an instant, the spiritual veins of the entire Peach Blossom Mountain seemed to come alive.

The Black-Hearted Ancestor arrived quickly; in less than half an incense stick's time, his ghostly figure appeared at the entrance of Peach Blossom Village.

He made no attempt to conceal his aura; the terrifying pressure belonging to the ninth level of Qi Refining swept across the entire Peach Blossom Mountain like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down!

He enjoyed this feeling, and loved watching the ants in front of him tremble with fear and despair.

To his surprise, the entire Peach Blossom Village was deserted and eerily quiet.

"Huh? Ran away?"

The ruthless old patriarch frowned, then sneered, "You can run away, but you can't hide! Nothing I set my sights on has ever flown away!"

He was highly skilled and daring, and with a confident stride, he swaggered up the mountain.

The moment he stepped onto the bluestone path leading to the Li family mansion, something unexpected happened!
The ruthless patriarch felt a sudden blur before his eyes; the once clear sky instantly turned gray, and the surrounding peach grove became distorted and eerie, as if countless eyes were secretly watching him.

"Oh? An illusion array?"

The ruthless patriarch curled his lips into a disdainful smile. "A mere illusion array, you think you can trap me, your patriarch? You're just showing off your limited skills before an expert!"

His body trembled with black energy, and he was about to use brute force to break through this illusory illusion.

But right now!
"Puff puff!"

Without warning, dozens of pitch-black thorns, half a person's height, sprouted from the ground beneath his feet. Their sharp thorns, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, shot towards his vital points like a rain of flowers.

【Azure Ghost Thorn】!
"Hmph! A little trick!"

The ruthless patriarch snorted coldly, and his protective aura instantly expanded, forming a semi-transparent black shield.

“Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!”

Countless poisonous stingers struck the protective shield, producing a series of crisp, rapid sounds, yet failing to even create a ripple.

But this is just the beginning.

Before the disdain on his face could fade, a strange, colorless and odorless pollen, carried by a gentle breeze, silently enveloped the area where he was.

【Three-Mysterious Paralysis Flower】!
The Black-Hearted Ancestor only inhaled a trace of it, but he felt a momentary stagnation in the flow of his magical power. Although it was very slight, it made him shudder.

"It's poison!" He immediately held his breath, but it was too late.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Not far from him, under some seemingly ordinary rocks, several crimson vines suddenly trembled, and the fist-sized fruits hanging on them exploded one after another like a lit powder keg!

【Exploding Vine】!
The power of the explosion was comparable to the full-force attack of several mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and the raging fire wave instantly engulfed him.

"Ahhh! You brat, how dare you!"

Amidst the flames of the explosion, came the roar of the ruthless patriarch, filled with shock and rage.

Although he managed to withstand the attack thanks to his powerful cultivation, he was still covered in dust and dirt, his black robe was torn in several places, and he looked extremely disheveled.

He finally realized that he seemed to have underestimated this place.

Individually, none of these traps would pose a fatal threat to him. But their interconnectedness, one after another, was utterly insidious!

"Break it for me!"

The ruthless patriarch was thoroughly enraged. He held nothing back and took out a jet-black banner surrounded by ghost heads from his storage bag. It was the magic weapon he relied on to make a name for himself—the [Hundred Ghost Banner].

He shook the banner violently, and amidst the mournful howls of ghosts, dozens of hideous black figures rushed out, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced in all directions.

Just as the hundred ghosts left their bodies, a dragon's roar, seemingly from the ancient primordial era, suddenly resounded from the depths of Mount Ling!

"Roar--!!!"

Upon receiving Li Pingcan's order, the Azure Dragon unleashed the dragon's might that originated from the depths of its bloodline!
This oppressive aura might only intimidate cultivators, but it is a natural nemesis to those ghosts and spirits!

The dozens of ferocious ghosts, who had just been so menacing, were terrified upon hearing the dragon's roar, like mice seeing a cat. They screamed in terror and, ignoring their master's orders, scrambled to crawl back into the [Hundred Ghosts Banner].

"puff!"

The ruthless patriarch's mind was connected to the magical artifact, and he immediately suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with horror.

"A dragon... Dragon's might?! How could there be a real dragon here?!"

Before he could recover from the shock, seven dazzling beams of light suddenly shot into the sky from seven different directions of Peach Blossom Mountain, weaving together in mid-air to form a huge seven-colored net that enveloped the entire mountain.

The Seven Spirits Array was fully activated under the full force of the little stone spirit!
The little stone spirit, acting as the eye of the formation, was excitedly rolling around in the core of the array. It was mobilizing the spiritual veins of the entire mountain, maximizing the power of the flowers and plants.

In an instant, spikes, vines, poisonous mist, explosions... all kinds of attacks surged towards the Black Heart Ancestor like a tidal wave, trapping him firmly in place.

"Damn it! Damn it! What kind of hellhole is this?!" The Black-Hearted Ancestor cursed as he desperately tried to defend himself.

He felt like a wild bull stuck in a quagmire, full of strength but with nowhere to use it, and instead overwhelmed by endless troubles.

Just as he was distracted by the great formation, a cold and orderly shout came from the mist ahead.

"Peach Blossom Guards, form ranks and attack!"

(End of this chapter)