Druid Fairy

Chapter 232 Noise
The birth of this idea was like the first clap of thunder in spring, bringing about the revival of all things.

In the days that followed, Ancestor Yunqing changed.

He no longer resisted anything at Jingxinyuan, but truly began to learn like an apprentice. His most important task each day was to care for the ancient tea tree.

The cultivation of the Qingyun Ancestor was rapidly "regressing." Under the influence of the "Rejuvenation Seal" and his own will, his immense magical power was transformed into the purest life essence, which was then given back to this land and the ancient tea trees he cared for.

Li Ziran had been silently observing his changes. He did not interfere, but occasionally, after giving a sermon, he would sit with Ancestor Yunqing under the tea tree.

They didn't talk about cultivation or the Great Dao, but only about how the tea tree's tender buds had grown a bit more and about the new nest of squirrels that had moved into the tree hole.

One day, under the meticulous care of Master Yunqing, the ancient tea tree finally showed amazing vitality, with tender buds stretching out in the morning light and emitting a refreshing fragrance.

Ancestor Yunqing personally picked three tea leaves and brewed a cup of tea for Li Ziran using the purest mountain spring water.

As the tea steamed in the air, Ancestor Yunqing looked at the tea leaves floating in the cup and suddenly smiled. There was no longer any gloom in that smile, only relief.

"I am Yun Qing, and my life has been filled with sins. Only today do I realize that it is easy to destroy a tree, but difficult to bring forth a single leaf." He picked up his teacup and bowed deeply to Li Ziran. "Thank you, Your Excellency, for showing me the path to a new life. From now on, there will be no more Ancestor Yun Qing in this world, only an old tea farmer, Yun Qing, who is willing to protect this tea tree."

As soon as he finished speaking, his magical power shattered. But what emerged after the shattering was not an emptiness where his cultivation had been completely dissipated, but a "Dao Seed" radiating a soft emerald green light and brimming with life.

He actually abolished his demonic arts of hundreds of years and replanted his own Dao foundation in this human realm.

Li Ziran smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, and returned the toast, saying, "Welcome, Fellow Daoist Yun Qing."

The story of Ancestor Yunqing quickly spread throughout the Eastern Region.

A former demonic master, under the tutelage of the Natural Academy, laid down his sword and attained enlightenment. This demonstrates the power and inclusiveness of the "Human Way" more than any battle record.

More and more outsiders no longer regard the Eastern Region as a barbaric wasteland, but rather as a sacred place where their Dao heart can be reborn.

Sixty years is enough time for the ocean to turn into mulberry fields.

The third generation of the Li family are no longer children who need protection. They have put their grandfather's ideals into practice in their own way on this vast land.

The Northern Frontier, the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

This place was once the most chaotic den of monsters in the Eastern Region, but now it has become the sacred site of the "Covenant of Ten Thousand Beasts".

Li Weishan, the Grand Commander of the Mountain and River Guard, did not set up his command tent inside the fortified city, but stood on a giant rock atop the mountain. His figure was as imposing as a mountain, and simply sitting there cross-legged, he seemed to merge with the entire mountain range, his aura as calm and unwavering as an abyss.

On this day, deep within the mountains, an ancient and violent aura suddenly awakened, causing the earth to tremble and the sky to be stained with an ominous crimson.

A giant lava beast, which had been sleeping for thousands of years, was awakened by the strange movements deep within the earth's veins and roared as it threatened to turn the entire mountain range into a sea of ​​fire.

"Commander!" A general from the Mountain and River Guard reported solemnly, "The lava behemoth has awakened, the demons in the mountains are in panic, and the alliance is showing signs of wavering!"

Li Weishan slowly opened his eyes. In those eyes, there was no panic, only a sense of weight and calmness like the earth itself.

"Why panic?"

He stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "It was hungry and scared. After sleeping for so long, it woke up to find the world had changed, so naturally it got angry."

Instead of summoning a large army, he walked alone towards the center of the violent aura. With each step he took, the earth beneath his feet emitted a soothing rhythm, and the ley line fires that had been raging due to the awakening of the giant beast gradually subsided.

Inside the enormous lava cave, he saw a colossal beast the size of a mountain, its entire body flowing with molten lava.

Faced with the terrifyingly high temperature that could melt metal, Li Weishan calmly said, "Big guy, welcome back. I am the guardian of this land, Li Weishan."

The lava behemoth let out a deafening roar, and a scorching dragon breath erupted forth. Li Weishan neither dodged nor evaded, but simply stomped his foot lightly.

"The mountains and rivers are my shield!"

A massive rock shield, formed from the purest earth vein energy, rose from the ground, blocking all of the dragon's breath.

"I'm not here to fight you," Li Weishan's voice remained calm. "Your power originates from the earth. If you use it for destruction, the earth will take it back. If you use it for protection, the earth will make you stronger. The Covenant of Beasts is lacking a Lord of Flames. Are you interested?"

Instead of using force to suppress it, Li Weishan extended an equal invitation to this ancient creature that had been lonely for thousands of years. For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared in the lava behemoth's fiery eyes.

Under Li Weishan's all-encompassing will, like the earth itself, it chose to restrain its violent flames.

Meanwhile, on the shores of the South China Sea, beneath a newly sprouted towering Jianmu tree.

This place was originally a barren saline-alkali land, but under Li Lingxi's careful guidance, the sapling of this ancient divine tree took root here. In just a few decades, it has changed the landscape of the surrounding area, turning it into a vibrant oasis.

Now, this Jianmu tree has developed self-awareness. As it grows, it begins to unconsciously draw life force from all living things around it, causing this oasis to show signs of decay.

Li Lingxi, dressed in white, stood quietly beneath the Jianmu tree, followed by countless plant spirits with worried expressions.

Instead of using Taoist magic to suppress the Jianmu's instincts, she gently placed her hand on the rough tree trunk.

“I can feel your longing, and I can feel your loneliness.”

Her voice, like a stream under the moonlight, gently seeped into Jianmu's consciousness: "You yearn to grow, yearn to touch the sky, but your friends at your feet suffer because of your yearning. This is not your intention, is it?"

The leaves of the Jianmu tree rustled, as if in response to her question.

Using its own sacred Yin body as a guide, it draws the consciousness of the Jianmu tree, helping it establish a new energy cycle with the surrounding living beings.

Several days later, the growth of the Jianmu tree became more restrained and harmonious. It no longer frantically extracted the life force from the earth's surface, but instead began to nourish the oasis with the gathered spiritual energy.

And the myriad creatures in the oasis, from the bottom of their hearts, contributed a trace of their own primal vitality to the roots of the Jianmu tree, helping it to grow.

…………

Every instance of harmonious coexistence and every successful act of protection in the Eastern Region has transformed into the purest power of will, transcending time and space to flow into the Spirit Mountain Cave and into Li Pingcan's Druidic Dojo.

Sixty years have passed, and this training ground has long since evolved into a real and tangible world. The body of the Azure Dragon of the Earth Veins is no longer rock or crimson gold, but rather possesses a warm and lustrous jade-like quality, with the natural imprint of the mountains and rivers of the Eastern Regions on its scales. With each breath, it inhales and exhales the fortune of the entire dynasty.

The waters of Tianhu Lake are crystal clear. What is reflected in the lake is no longer the sky and clouds, but the lights of thousands of homes in the city and the myriad aspects of human life.

The nine-story "Tower of All Beings" has completely solidified into a tangible form, becoming the "World Tree" of this world, supporting heaven and earth, and connecting the Dao and humanity.

Li Pingcan, who was sitting cross-legged under the tree, slowly opened his eyes. His cultivation level could no longer be measured by the traditional standards of Zhongzhou.

He is not simply absorbing spiritual energy, but creating, maintaining, and evolving a complete "Tao." Every heartbeat resonates with the pulse of this land.

He is the master of the human realm, the will that guides this world.

Li Pingcan, who was sitting cross-legged under the World Tree, slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, he no longer has a fixed form.

His blue robe transformed into millions of leaves imbued with the Daoist principles, each leaf bearing the complete picture of a creature from the Eastern Region from birth to death.

His meridians are the jade-like azure dragon that is integrated with the entire Eastern Region's earth veins. With each breath, he no longer inhales and exhales simple spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but rather the law of cause and effect called 'cycle'.

"The time is almost here," he murmured to himself, his gaze seemingly piercing through the barriers of the grotto-heaven and the sealing array of the Immortal Alliance, looking towards the distant Central Continent.

………………

Zhongzhou, Lingxiao Palace.

Above the throne, the figure of the Star Lord remains shrouded in the boundless starry sky, unchanged since time immemorial.

The "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array" floating in front of him was an ancient mirror constructed from billions of starlight. Reflected in the mirror was the vibrant and orderly "Human Realm" of the Eastern Region.

For sixty years, he has been observing every single day.

Beside the mirror, a "Star Gazer" clad in a star-patterned robe reported in a trembling voice: "Reporting to the Star Lord... the fortune of the Eastern Region has already condensed and taken shape, transforming into a colossal tree reaching to the heavens and the earth. Its roots are deeply planted in the hearts of all people, and its branches and leaves have begun... to spread the 'Dao Plague' of 'symbiosis' and 'protection' to the outside world. The transformation of Ancestor Yunqing is only the beginning. If this continues, the eternally unchanging heavenly laws of our Immortal Alliance may be shaken by it."

"Tao plague..."

The Star Lord repeated the word softly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

Sixty years of observation had made him fully understand what a terrifying order Li Pingcan had built.

It was not through military conquest, but through a more sophisticated form of "assimilation".

It can turn enemies into friends and reform demons into virtuous people. Once this order spreads, the Immortal Alliance's rule, built on absolute authority and a strict hierarchy, will be fundamentally undermined.

This force has grown to the point that even the Immortal Alliance cannot easily erase it.

"Star Lord." The sword master, whose entire body was shrouded in sword intent, spoke with a hint of solemnity for the first time, "This path has already taken shape. If we continue to let it run rampant, it may shake the eternal foundation of our Immortal Alliance."

"The observation ends here."

The Star Lord slowly rose to his feet, and for the first time, his eyes, which held the birth and death of countless stars, revealed a chilling coldness.

But he made no move, his gaze remaining fixed on the horoscope.

The rise of the human realm was certainly a thorn in his side, but it was not his primary concern at the moment.

Just now, his divine sense, which was in harmony with the stars in the heavens, caught a faint but chilling "noise".

This discordant noise did not originate from the unpredictable Eastern Region, but from another direction—the sealed land of the "Nine Netherworld Demon Abyss".

With a thought, the scene on the star chart abruptly changed. The original landscape of the Eastern Region vanished, replaced by a desolate star field as black as ink, impenetrable even by starlight.

In the center of that star field, there is an enormous spatial rift that pierces through several small worlds. Countless golden chains laid down by ancient immortals bind it layer by layer, suppressing the indescribable terror within.

However, at this moment, Xingzun clearly saw that the light on one of the outermost chains of laws, formed by the "True Fire of the Sun," was slightly dimmer than yesterday.

On the surface of those chains, a wisp of black energy, more ethereal than nothingness itself, filled with absolute malice and filth, slowly eroded the laws of the chains, much like a virus.

"This is……"

He recognized that aura. It wasn't any known demonic energy from the Nine Nether Abyss, but rather from something far more ancient and forbidden than the Abyss itself—an extraterrestrial demon!
In ancient times, it was this kind of extraterrestrial demon that could pollute the laws of heaven and earth and devour the origin of the world that led to the twilight of the divine path. If it weren't for the immortal sages who risked their lives to seal its main body, the entire world would have long since turned into nothingness.

"Star Lord, what are you looking at?" The Sword Master noticed the intense fluctuations in Star Lord's aura and asked in confusion.

The Star Lord slowly withdrew his gaze, and the scene on the star chart returned to normal. His face was more solemn than ever before.

He glanced at the thriving eastern region on the star chart, then thought about the wisp of murky black energy that was eroding the seal, and made a decision in an instant.

The human realm is a struggle for internal order, a matter of differing ideologies. Even if conflict erupts in the future, it will ultimately remain an internal affair of this world.

The extraterrestrial demons, however, are an external threat capable of annihilating the entire world! They are the common enemy of all living beings, whether immortal or mortal!

"Pass me the secret order."

The Star Lord's voice became extremely serious, even carrying a hint of killing intent. "Summon all core members of the Punishment Hall and the War God Hall to the Lingxiao Hall for an immediate meeting. At the same time, shift the monitoring focus of the 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array' from the Eastern Region to the Nine Nether Demon Abyss."

He paused, then added, "Regarding the Eastern Regions... in the face of the 'Great Calamity,' all internal disputes can be temporarily put aside."

A decision powerful enough to shake the entire continent's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall dynamics) was made. For the first time, the lofty Immortal Alliance shifted its gaze from the "challenger" they had been wary of to an unknown abyss.

At that moment, Li Pingcan seemed to sense something as well, and looked up at the dark starry sky, a hint of enlightenment flashing in his eyes.

"The wind is about to rise."

(End of this chapter)