Druid Fairy

Chapter 198 Undercurrent
Inside the study of Tingtao Xiaozhu, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

The four siblings sat around a table, the candlelight casting a play of light and shadow on their different expressions.

Li Mengjin recounted the leak in the imperial city's formation that he discovered within the Golden Scale Guard, as well as the Yin Sha aura that was identical to the blood pool at Falling Phoenix Slope.

Li Mengze then recounted in detail the astonishing secrets he had discovered in the Royal Alchemy Academy's "Health Records" and the results of his divine sense probing beneath the Kunning Palace that day.

From the "Ten Thousand Souls Blood Crystal" to the "Dragon Qi Blood Fruit," and then to the crazy cycle of suppressing resentment with the Empress Dowager's Phoenix Rank and the nation's fortune, a revolutionary method for prolonging the dynasty, built on countless bones, was completely pieced together.

Li Mengyue clutched the "soul-soothing talisman" tightly in her small hand, her face solemn: "Big brother, second brother, it's no coincidence that the Emperor allowed the eldest prince to appear in Kunning Palace today. He's probably starting to suspect us."

“He’s not doubting us, he’s testing us.” A cold glint flashed in Li Mengze’s eyes. “He’s praising us so highly and granting us great power, just to put us on the fire and see how far we can investigate and how we will react. Every step we take now is within his calculations.”

The place is fraught with danger; one wrong step could lead to utter ruin.

“This information must be delivered to Father immediately,” Li Mengjin said in a deep voice. “Only Father knows what to do next.”

“I’ll do it.” Li Mengze immediately took out a blank jade slip and meticulously imprinted all the information the four of them had exchanged that day, including their speculations about the emperor’s mind and their conjecture that the “National Protection Ceremony” might be the final day of harvest.

Then, he took out a palm-sized, emerald-green, and slightly pulsating mushroom from a hidden storage bag.

This is the "communication mushroom" that Li Pingcan left for them, cultivated using Druidic secret methods. Through the mushroom carpet network, it can achieve instant communication over thousands of miles, which is far more secretive and secure than any flying sword message.

As Li Mengze infused his spiritual power, a soft halo appeared on the mushroom's cap. He gently placed the jade slip imprinted with information on it. With a flash of light, the jade slip vanished into thin air.

After doing all this, the four siblings looked at each other and saw an unprecedented solemnity and determination in each other's eyes.

From this moment on, they were truly at odds with this seemingly glamorous dynasty. The chessboard had been set, and they were no longer willing to be mere pawns.

…………

Inside the imperial study, candlelight shone brightly.

The Emperor of Great Yu leaned back on the dragon throne, toying with the jade seal that symbolized imperial power in his hand, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Li Pingcan..."

He murmured the name, a deep, inquisitive glint in his eyes.

A "recluse" who can teach three unparalleled geniuses but is willing to live in seclusion in the mountains.
A hermit who can casually produce a divine object like "Sangling Leaf" but claims to have obtained it by chance.
There aren't that many coincidences in this world.

“Your Majesty,” Lin Mang appeared silently in the hall, “there is no unusual activity at Tingtao Xiaozhu. However, Li Mengze went to the Dandao Academy again today, seemingly to consult some ancient books about ‘earth veins’.”

"Oh?" The emperor raised an eyebrow slightly. "It seems they are getting closer to the truth."

Far from being angry, he instead curled his lips into a playful smile.

"Since they want to investigate, then I will give them a chance, and also give myself a chance to see their true colors."

He put down the imperial seal and said calmly, "Issue my decree that the Fifth Prince be sent to Peach Blossom Mountain in Yunshui County on my behalf, carrying tribute, to 'visit' Li Pingcan, the head of the Li family, and say that it is to thank him for his efforts in educating the country's children."

Lin Mang felt a chill run down his spine.

The Fifth Prince was the youngest and most inconspicuous of all the princes.

He had neither the cunning of the eldest prince nor the ambition of the third prince. His greatest hobby was studying strange tales and seeking out extraordinary people in the mountains and fields. He was gentle and unassuming.

Sending him would be the best way to lower the other party's guard.

"Furthermore," the Emperor added, "tell the Fifth Prince to take the 'Sky-Gazing Mirror' with him. I need to know whether Peach Blossom Mountain is a blessed land or... a den of dragons and tigers."

"According to the order."

…………

Three days later, on the official road leading from Yunshui County to Peach Blossom Mountain, a luxurious motorcade escorted by golden-armored guards attracted the attention of passersby.

The landscape at the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain is now quite different.

The Fifth Prince lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the vibrant village before him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

The villagers here are all full of energy and vitality, far surpassing ordinary rural folks.

At the entrance of the village stands a tall archway, on which the three characters "Peach Blossom Spring" are written in a vigorous and flowing style, seemingly imbued with a spiritual aura.

What startled him even more was that the entire Peach Blossom Mountain was shrouded in a faint yet powerful aura that made people feel refreshed and relaxed as soon as they got close.

"What an auspicious place!" the Fifth Prince exclaimed sincerely.

Just then, a man dressed in a silver flying fish robe, with a cold and aloof demeanor, appeared silently in front of the convoy, leading a team of equally imposing guards.

The captain of the guard bowed to the carriage and said in a respectful but not arrogant manner, "By order of the patriarch, we are here to welcome His Highness the Fifth Prince."

Looking at the man before him, the Fifth Prince felt a chill run down his spine, but his face revealed the warmest smile: "No need for formalities. I am on a private visit this time, so please keep things simple."

Even so, his hand, hidden in his sleeve, quietly tightened its grip on the cold "Sky Mirror".

…………

The scene shifts, and time rewinds to the night before the Fifth Prince set off.

Inside the secret room of Li Pingcan's study on Peach Blossom Mountain.

The spiritual energy was so dense that it almost materialized into mist, churning and surging within the secret chamber, forming a massive vortex.

At the center of the vortex sat Li Pingcan, who was sitting cross-legged.

Before him, the mountain of spirit stones dimmed and turned to dust at a visible speed.

That was all the treasures he had accumulated over the years, which he was now unreservedly transforming into the purest energy.

His foundation in both immortal and martial arts cultivation was so strong that the resources he needed for each breakthrough were dozens of times that of other cultivators of the same level.

Especially this final hurdle from the eighth to the ninth level of Qi Refining is extremely difficult.

"boom!"

The raging spiritual energy surged and crashed within his body, relentlessly battering the seemingly indestructible bottleneck. Under the influence of the "Heaven and Earth Furnace Body Forging Technique," his skin gleamed with a dark golden luster, its resilience comparable to a magical artifact, yet even this immense energy surge caused traces of blood to seep out. "Not enough..."

Li Pingcan frowned. He could feel that external force alone could no longer budge that barrier even slightly.

With a thought, his consciousness instantly sank into a peaceful and serene emerald world—the Emerald Dream.

Here, he was no longer a struggling cultivator, but had become the master of this world. His mind was connected to the earth's veins of the entire Peach Blossom Mountain, resonating with every blade of grass and every rock in the mountain.

He felt the wind flowing and listened to the whispers of the water.

Gradually, his magical power, which had become somewhat frenzied due to the breakthrough, miraculously calmed down under this natural rhythm. It was no longer a fierce surge, but transformed into a gentle, continuous flow, like the tide.

It's better to guide than to block; things that are too rigid are easily broken.

The moment his mind became completely one with nature, a sudden realization flashed through his consciousness like lightning!

"Crack!"

A crisp, shattering sound, seemingly emanating from the depths of the soul, suddenly rang out!

The bottleneck that had troubled him for years shattered instantly before this tide of magical power that merged with the forces of heaven and earth!

Qi Refining Level Nine, Perfected!
An aura several times stronger than before erupted from his body, instantly sweeping away the spiritual mist in the secret room.

Li Pingcan slowly opened his eyes, and in those eyes, it seemed as if thousands of plants were taking root and sprouting, full of endless vitality.

He felt an unprecedented connection between himself and this world. He could even "hear" the footsteps of an ant crawling across the ground a hundred miles away.

At the same time, a completely new stream of information flooded into his mind.

[Congratulations on breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining! Your Druid skill [Heart of the Earth] has been upgraded to [Spring Returns to All Trees]!]

[Spring Returns to All Trees: The Druid's great power to connect with the life force of all things and harness the power of heaven and earth for their own use.]

[Effect 1: Domain Expansion. Within the area covered by divine thought, all plants can be nurtured and manipulated, transforming them into the strongest shield and the sharpest spear. Within the domain, every blade of grass and tree becomes an enemy!]

[Effect Two: Endless Regeneration. Within the area, the host and friendly units will receive continuous nourishment of life force, injuries will heal faster, and stamina will recover rapidly.]

[Effect 3: Natural Suppression. Provides a powerful suppression and purification effect on all evil and undead entities.]

Become!

Li Pingcan slowly rose, clenched his fist, and a burst of uncontrollable energy echoed in the air. This power gave him confidence that he could fight even a true early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Just then, the communication mushroom in his arms glowed slightly.

The intelligence from the capital has arrived.

"The ranch... the national festival... the blood crystal of ten thousand souls..."

He raised his head and looked in the direction of the capital, his gaze seemingly piercing through thousands of mountains and rivers.

Just then, a member of the Peach Blossom Guard rushed over to report.

"Master! A royal procession has arrived from the mountain, saying that His Highness the Fifth Prince has come to pay a visit!"

"It came so quickly."

Upon hearing this, Li Pingcan remained calm and ordered, "Notify Sun Zheng to have the Peach Blossom Guards conceal their auras and not reveal their cultivation levels. Put the formation into stealth mode."

"As ordered!"

In recent years, the Li family has long since ceased to be the small, isolated family it once was.

With the continuous supply of medicinal pills from the "Azure Spirit Iron Mine" and Li Mengze, the Peach Blossom Guard had already expanded to a size of three hundred people.

Under rigorous training, they not only mastered the Seven Star Guardian Blade Formation, but also, with the help of Li Pingcan's elixirs, opened up all eight extraordinary meridians and became martial artists at the Great Perfection of Acquired Realm. Among them, outstanding individuals like Sun Zheng even stepped one foot into the Innate Realm.

Three hundred Acquired martial artists, equipped with the Azure Spirit Armor and the Qi-Breaking Blade, formed a battle formation. Their combat power was enough to directly confront a team composed of mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators!
After Li Pingcan advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining, he transformed the entire Peach Blossom Mountain into a true war fortress.

The [Nine Yang Refining Spirit Array] is completely integrated with the mountain's earth energy. Normally, it draws in sunlight to gather spiritual energy and nourish all things. Once activated, it can transform into a deadly array capable of burning mountains and boiling seas.

The seemingly inconspicuous [Azure Ghost Thorn] and [Three Mysterious Paralysis Flower] in the mountains have long since mutated under the nourishment of rich spiritual energy, and their toxicity and paralyzing properties are more than ten times stronger than before.

It can be said that nowadays, even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators might not fare well if they came to Peach Blossom Mountain.

As the Fifth Prince, led by Sun Zheng, stepped onto the bluestone path leading to the Li family mansion, he outwardly praised the surrounding pastoral scenery, but inwardly, a storm was brewing within him.

The "Sky-Gazing Mirror" in his hand was slightly warm, and the scene reflected on the mirror made even a prince who was used to royal grandeur feel a pang of fear.

In the mirror, the entire Peach Blossom Mountain was shrouded in a rich, almost tangible, azure-gold aura of fortune. This fortune was full of vitality and had a solid foundation, and it even had the hidden potential of a dragon in the abyss!
Those seemingly ordinary villagers and guards, in the mirror, all possessed vibrant energy and strong physiques, far surpassing ordinary martial artists.

This is hardly the dwelling of a hermit; it is clearly a rising force with terrifying potential for growth!

The Fifth Prince's heart sank slightly. He made up his mind not to easily use his power to intimidate others or to slight the Li family.

He finally arrived at the gate of the Li family mansion and met the legendary "recluse from the mountains" who had raised three extraordinary children.

A middle-aged man dressed in a simple blue robe, with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor like a scholar next door, was standing under a peach tree, leisurely pruning the branches with a pair of scissors in his hand.

He showed no signs of magical power or the aura of a master; he looked like an ordinary country schoolteacher who knew a little about gardening.

But the Fifth Prince felt his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Because in the "Sky Mirror" in his hand, this person simply does not exist!
On the mirror, there was only that peach tree, only that courtyard, but not the person pruning the branches!

Back to Basics!

This person's control over his own aura has reached an unbelievable and terrifying level, one that even magical artifacts cannot detect!
"This humble citizen, Li Pingcan, was unaware of His Highness's arrival and has failed to greet you properly. I hope you will forgive me."

Li Pingcan put down the scissors, smiled slightly at the Fifth Prince.

That smile was gentle, pure, and utterly devoid of any worldly concerns.

But in the eyes of the Fifth Prince, it was even more terrifying than facing his father’s thunderous wrath.

(End of this chapter)