Druid Fairy

Chapter 88 Qi Refining Level 1

"Brother, I understand!"

The Azure Dragon steadily caught the Fire Spirit Mushroom that Li Pingcan threw, its body moving nimbly to avoid the exploding lava. The Fire Spirit roared angrily, its "gaze" fixed on the Fire Spirit Mushroom.

Not only are the red-eyed centipedes guarding the Fire Spirit Mushroom, but even the Fire Spirit Qi is coveting this spiritual plant.

With the Fire Spirit Mushroom in hand, you're sure to take the bait!
Li Pingcan thought to himself that this fire spirit seemed more "human" than the earth and water spirits he had encountered before, but its intelligence was still inferior to that of humans!
"Puff puff!"

The fire spirit was impatient. The moment the magma surged like a red dragon, Li Pingcan activated his "fire control" ability to the extreme. The boiling liquid fire wall tore open a gap of about ten feet in front of him, and the fire spirit shot out from it.

"I'm here to help you!"

The azure dragon continued to circle and spew out a curtain of water to buy time for Li Pingcan. The light that had been dancing on its horns dimmed—the underground magma had reduced the power of water-based spells by half.

Li Pingcan's dorsal fin scales stood up with a "clang," and he used the "Water Manipulation" property "Condensation," finally revealing a sharp spear made of water, exuding an aura of frost.

He hissed, "Go!"

Fire can overcome water, but water can also overcome fire!
The spear moved like a dragon, as swift as thunder, and pierced the burning object!

The underground lava was no longer dazzling, and the fire spirit's roar was filled with terror. Cracks appeared on the surface of the lava structure. Several streams of pure fire spirit energy fled into the lava. Just as Li Pingcan was about to continue casting water and fire spells, the red-eyed centipede suddenly darted out and leaped into the magma, completely blocking the fire spirit's path.

Don't miss out!

He acted decisively, using "Elemental Gathering" several times, and finally "refined" all six fire spirits.

"Shh~"

The red-eyed centipede crawled back to the platform. As it shook, the lava on its body fell to the ground, forming black lumps that glowed red. It tilted its forebody back obsequiously, its two slender tentacles respectfully retracted.

"Well done."

Li Pingcan was generous with his praise, giving a slap followed by a sweet treat.

He looked at the panel, which contained all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and a brand new path lay before him!

However, the underground lava is dangerous and not suitable for cultivation, so there's no rush.

Looking at the red-eyed centipede and the fire spirit mushroom, Li Pingcan used [Natural Symbiosis] to examine their attributes, both of which were "fire" attribute.

"If the two coexist naturally, could they combine to create an even more powerful effect?"

Fire Ganoderma is a spiritual plant. Even if taken orally, it can increase the rich spiritual energy and improve cultivation. If it could continuously generate great medicine like the Seven-Leaf Purple Gold, wouldn't that be incredibly profitable?
Thinking of the wonderful uses of the Purple Gold Seven-Leaf Medicine, the Treasure-Seeking Bee, and so on, he was very interested in the symbiosis of the two.

However, the reality was unexpected.

The red-eyed centipede seemed excited and willing, but the fire spirit mushroom was uninterested, swaying its umbrella and looking at the red-eyed centipede with disdain, dissatisfied with the centipede's "precious species" status.

If symbiosis is forced, it will most likely fail.

Li Pingcan could only regretfully give up.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the ground, and the previously calm magma suddenly boiled, with countless rocks falling from the rock walls.

"It's not a good place to stay for a long time, let's go!"

The fish and the snake exchanged a glance, grabbed the fire lingzhi and the red-eyed centipede, and quickly left.

…………

Returning to Qingjiang, the scorching heat subsided, as if I had been reborn.

"It's much cooler here. That great rift valley isn't a place for snakes," the Azure Dragon sighed comfortably.

It is a snake and prefers dark and cool places. Although it has the ability to increase resistance, it is still quite uncomfortable to stay in a hot environment.

Li Pingcan also breathed a sigh of relief. It can be said that apart from fire-attribute creatures, normal people do not like scorching hot places. In his previous life, he felt that without air conditioning in the middle of summer, it would be torture!
For this reason, he did not bring the red-eyed centipede out of the rift valley, but instead found a lava cave that had not collapsed, put it down, and planned to use it to find treasures and spiritual objects.

As for this Fire Spirit Mushroom... it cannot coexist naturally, and taking it out would attract attention, so it's better to deal with it on the spot.

"Let's split it in half."

He poked the plump mushroom stem with his fin, creating a small dent that bounced back with amazing elasticity.

Without the Azure Dragon, I wouldn't have been able to easily obtain the Fire Spirit. Of course, good things should be shared with one's spirit beast companion.

"Alright, alright." The Azure Dragon readily agreed, its mouth watering and eager to pounce.

They hit it off immediately, and the fist-sized Ganoderma lucidum was transformed into Ganoderma lucidum sashimi in the blink of an eye, revealing the pure white flesh of the mushroom.

Li Pingcan took a bite.

When the tip of your teeth pierces the Ganoderma lucidum slice, the chewy and smooth texture bursts on your tongue, both crisp and tender. The burning sensation is similar to the pain of "spicy," making you want to blow on it and enjoy the fragrant taste.

A surge of powerful spiritual energy spread and aroused from all parts of the body, and it felt as if flames were burning in the dantian, cleansing away impurities, yet without the slightest discomfort.

"good to eat!"

Qingjiao ate with tears in his eyes, completely stimulated by the "spicy" flavor. This painful yet pleasurable, tingling sensation was no less than the pleasure of being tickled!

In order to prolong its pleasure, it deliberately used the Ruyi Size Creation Technique to shrink its size, turning into a "little green worm" that lay on the fire lingzhi slice and feasted. Soon, it drilled a hole in the tender white thorn, making Li Pingcan's hands itch, and he had an irresistible urge to slap it down to "eliminate the pest".

After the fish and snake have finished eating the fire spirit mushroom.

Li Pingcan closed his eyes and sat cross-legged in a serious manner, recalling the "Basic Qi Refining Technique" he had plundered from the Left Protector. Taking advantage of the extremely high density of spiritual energy in his body, he tried to cultivate according to the teachings of the technique: "Gathering star marrow at Baihui and carving seven orifices in chaos."

But to his surprise, after the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, three incense sticks to burn, and an hour... he still couldn't sense any Qi, and he felt that there was something vaguely wrong with his cultivation path!
He stopped immediately. As a druid, his "intuition" was quite strong, and if he sensed something was wrong, it was very likely that there was a real problem.

"What's going on? Could it be that the cultivation technique given by the Left Protector is fake?"

Li Pingcan was very confused.

Logically speaking, those who follow the demonic path are always lone wolves; they either hide their most valuable possessions or carry them with them to deal with unforeseen circumstances.

There's no reason for the Left Protector to be carrying a fake Qi Refining Manual.

"Something must have gone wrong."

Li Pingcan felt a little uncomfortable. The fire spirit mushroom was rich in spiritual energy, and his meridians felt a bit swollen.

Although it can be consumed by skills, that is a real consumption and will not be converted into cultivation.

I was too excited during my first attempt at cultivating immortality, which led to some oversights.

After greeting Qingjiao, Li Pingcan quickly returned home and told his maid, "Xiao Ke," to keep her eyes open and guard the door, and not to let anyone disturb them except her parents and older brother.

Xiao Ke was dozing off when she heard her master's task. She gladly accepted and slapped her face twice to stay awake. She stared intently at her surroundings.

Li Pingcan twitched his lips. This little girl is ruthless to herself when she needs to be; she's capable of great things!
Back in his room, he crawled under the bed and groped around in the dim light. He pressed down on a protruding blue brick, revealing a mechanism leading underground.

This is the Li family's secret room.

The secret room was not large, only a little over ten feet long and wide.

Li Pingcan used his [Fire Control] ability to make the tiny candlelight glow brightly. He quickly walked to the counter where the "Basic Qi Refining Technique" was displayed, opened it, and took a look.

I read it carefully twice.

"The incantation for the technique is correct... unless..."

He thought of a possibility, drew the spiritual energy in his body to his eyes, and when he opened his eyes again, the original black ink characters changed shape and position as if ants were crawling, turning into a brand new "Earth God Qi Refining Technique"!
Li Pingcan immediately wanted to curse. So cautious, even using anti-counterfeiting measures!

If it were an ordinary cultivator, they wouldn't have such keen intuition as him to be able to detect something amiss. In the end, they would probably make a mistake and their cultivation path would be ruined!
He memorized the contents of the "Earth God Qi Refining Technique," for as a cultivator with dual superior-grade wood and earth spiritual roots, the earth-based Qi refining technique was exactly what he needed.

He sat cross-legged, finally able to cultivate in peace.

…………

In the blink of an eye, a month has passed.

"I've entered the realm of cultivation and reached the first level of Qi Refining."

Li Pingcan looked delighted.

This month-long seclusion allowed me to completely refine the Fire Spirit Mushroom within my body, circulating the wisps of spiritual energy and sensing a profound aura of virtue and responsibility.

He has only just begun his studies, yet he has already mastered the "Earth God Qi Refining Technique" quite well. He can recite it from memory, but he has certainly reached a high level of proficiency.

Firstly, the "Earth God Qi Refining Technique" is only one type of Qi refining technique, and secondly, this technique should not be of a high level and has limited difficulty.

Li Pingcan concealed his aura, discovering that the Earth-based Qi Refining Technique was remarkably effective at masking one's presence. Once activated, he truly resembled a clod of black earth, attracting no attention whatsoever.

Perhaps other cultivation methods also have the effect of concealing one's breath, but none are as good as the "Earth God Qi Refining Technique".

"However, this cultivation speed is much slower than I expected." Li Pingcan's expression was somewhat displeased.

You should know that he had taken the Fire Spirit Mushroom. Although fire and earth are not exactly compatible, the pure spiritual energy was real.

With such abundant spiritual energy as a foundation for cultivation, it took a whole month to finally reach the first level of Qi Refining.

You should know that you are a cultivator with a superior earth elemental root.

"Although I have a high sensitivity to spiritual energy and can cultivate quickly, I do not have spiritual veins or minerals for cultivation. In such ordinary places, spiritual energy is pitifully scarce. The only thing available for cultivation is the purple aura on the mountain peaks at sunrise. It is really too difficult."

“It’s hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice!”

What's the use of having a high level of sensitivity if there's no spiritual energy? It's all in vain.

If you want to cultivate quickly, you must find a suitable spiritual mountain or vein, a place rich in spiritual energy.

They can either consume spiritual plants and beasts from heaven and earth, just like the Fire Spirit Mushroom helps with cultivation.

He originally intended to cultivate using spirit sand, but after trying it, he discovered that the spirit sand contained too many impurities and was not suitable for directly absorbing its spiritual energy, posing a risk of "poisoning" him if he practiced it incorrectly.

Most of the spiritual lands are controlled by powerful families and dynasties. The only place Li Pingcan knows of with spiritual energy is Mount Ling. He has leaves from an old mulberry tree, and following the guidance, he might be able to find Mount Ling, which is hidden by the mist array.

In the past few months, relying on the Five Spirit Fox's false tiger's power, the Treasure-Hunting Bee has found many treasure plants and recorded them on the map.

Although it can't compare to the purity of spiritual energy in spiritual plants and requires a lot of time to refine, it's better than nothing.

Actually, there is another place where one can obtain cultivation resources... the Dragon Palace Secret Realm.

"Now that I've become a cultivator, I can at least try the second level of the Illusionary Music Platform."

…………

Qingjiao's residence.

The usually cheerful Azure Dragon now had a murderous aura on its face. Its "army" of treasure fish and shrimp was swimming eastward towards the Dayu River, and Little Gold was among them.

"What's going on?" Li Pingcan, who had originally planned to go to the Dragon Palace, quickly stopped the Azure Dragon and asked.

"It's those bandits from the east!" Qingjiao said angrily.

The entire Qingjiang River is the territory of the Azure Dragon, where life is relatively peaceful due to the survival of the fittest.

However, bandits from the Dayu River repeatedly invaded, attempting to seize the Qingjiang River occupied by the Qingjiao.

Li Pingcan had heard about this before, and he said without hesitation, "I'll go with you."

"Hey! Carp, with your help, we're sure to win big this time," the Azure Dragon said happily, swaying its snake body.

Normally, these are just minor skirmishes, kept within a certain scope, but this time such a fierce conflict has erupted.

Could there be some trigger?

Li Pingcan voiced his question, and Qingjiao also became puzzled, muttering, "A few days ago, the blue waves rolled at the confluence of the Qingjiang River and the Dayu River. Could it be that some treasure has been born?"

The fish and the snake exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.

Following the majority of fish and shrimp, it stirred up countless silt and wood chips on the bottom of the river, making the water murky.

Li Pingcan, disguised as a small goldfish, sat on an old turtle, completely inconspicuous.

The ripples of the water seemed to surge forward with the force of a thousand horses.

He narrowed his eyes. The undercurrent carried countless huge brown rocks, forming a boulders barrage, which charged towards the vanguard of the fish and shrimp.

Li Pingcan clearly saw that the stone slammed into a treasure fish, and the sharp edges instantly left a bloody mark on the fish's body!
At the same time, the reef was forced to stop, and two round eyes protruded from the top of the rock!
"The bandits to the east are actually a bunch of giant crabs!"

This is a bit difficult to fight, mainly because there are many of them, and their shells are even harder than the flesh of the giant bream. Even with the "Water Manipulation" skill to control the water flow, it's impossible to directly crush or freeze them all.

Li Pingcan frowned. He liked to think things through in battle, so he preferred to use tactics such as containment and guerrilla warfare.

The Azure Dragon ignored everything and, seeing its precious fish at a disadvantage, immediately brandished its dragon horns and roared, "Take this Thunderclap Technique!"

"Boom!"

A thunderous roar echoed from the bottom of the water, the river surged, and streaks of lightning transformed into a net, enveloping two or three crabs and instantly charring their shells black.

But the rocks quickly "split" into crabs of different sizes, immediately filling the gaps, making it impossible to kill them all!

"This can't go on like this!"

Ideally, we should capture them all at once.

Li Pingcan tried his best to conceal his aura. His spellcasting range wasn't that far, and he planned to slowly approach the group of crabs first.

However, he can no longer ride the old tortoise.

Creatures like turtles and crabs don't actually have "hearing." They rely on vibrations to walk and forage, and their sense of touch is quite acute.

For example, just as the old tortoise approached, it spotted a crab hiding in the mud. It immediately recoiled and pretended to be dead, while the crab, with its pincers raised, charged at it menacingly.

Li Pingcan had no choice but to abandon his mode of transportation, conceal his aura, and walk.

The aggressive crab suddenly lost its target, circled around in confusion, and then returned to the chaotic battlefield, bewildered.

"Swim across this boundary line and you will reach the Dayu River."

The two turbid waters have different shades of color, and when the Qingjiang River flows into the Dayu River, a clear dividing line is formed.

Li Pingcan broke through the dividing line like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. The rapids became much stronger in an instant, and the swaying water plants were almost washed into straight horizontal lines.

In his close-range perception with his divine sense, he vaguely sensed several rather dangerous auras from different directions, and a chill ran down his spine.

"The Dayu River is far more dangerous than the Qingjiang River!"

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and decided to finish the fight quickly, focusing on dealing with the crab in front of him.

Looking into the depths of the crab army, a huge figure appeared as a shadow on the seabed.

It is much larger than other crabs, with eight pillar-like legs that seem to "stand tall and firm," supporting its disc-like body. Two ferocious claws, one pointing upwards and the other lying horizontally at its mouth, nose, and eyes, are always guarding its vulnerable spots.

This giant crab was two zhang tall and one zhang wide, so imposing that it resembled a giant, inspiring fear in all who heard of it.

"This is a spirit crab!"

Spiritual animals are far more dangerous than spiritual plants.

Spirit plants at most grow hard shells, unpleasant smells, and toxins that make it impossible for you to eat them; but spirit beasts can charge around recklessly, relying on their thick skin and flesh, making them much more difficult to deal with than some fragile Qi cultivators.

The most important spirit crab is unlike any other; it possesses its own shell, resembling an armored warrior, which is quite a headache.

My doubts grew. What exactly attracted this spirit crab to invade the Qingjiang River?
"Carp, here I come!"

The Azure Dragon's words interrupted Li Pingcan's thoughts. The ten-foot-long snake tail crashed down like a giant club, swatting countless crabs away. The giant crabs were also drawn to the Azure Dragon and charged towards its location like tanks.

The strategy for this battle was to lure the monsters away with the Azure Dragon, while the Carp would seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

The Azure Dragon arrogantly brandished its dragon horns, unleashing a barrage of lightning with its Thunderclap Technique, shouting, "Let's see if your Grandpa Dragon doesn't shock you until you can't even hold your shit in your hands!"

The crab understood and was immediately enraged. Its eight legs were stuck in the mud, and with its movement, the water flowed like a raging wave, causing sand and stones to fly from the bottom of the water. If it weren't for the [Water Manipulation] technique, Li Pingcan might have been swept away by the current.

The crab claws cleaved through the water like two giant hammers, crashing down on the azure dragon's head and creating countless white bubbles.

"Well done!"

The Azure Dragon neither dodged nor avoided, its tail spinning like a whip, attempting to smash the giant crab, hammer and all, into the mud and sand.

The giant tortoise pierced through the mud, its sharp point like the tip of a double-horned spear, and with a "snap," it clamped down hard on the tail of the azure dragon!
The Azure Dragon, unfazed by the dragon skin, instead revealed a triumphant smile.

Previously underwater, the Thunderclap spell was conducted through the water, resulting in a dispersed and weak magical power.

Now, thanks to the better conductivity of its snake-like body, the Thunderclap Technique has been unleashed once again.

"Zizzizi!"

The Cancer was so shocked by the electric shock that it was practically fuming, and its movements were paralyzed for a moment.

"Now's the time, watch me!"

Li Pingcan had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. He unleashed a series of skills on Cancer in one go, including the reconstructed combination of [Water Manipulation] and [Earth Shaping]!
The next instant, the mud beneath the crab turned into a muddy swamp, and it slipped, causing half of its body to collapse and fall!

(End of this chapter)