Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 103

After leaving the Cloud Mist Mountains, Qi Ping visited several gathering places for ordinary cultivators and the families of mortals.

Those once bustling and lively places, filled with the smoke of daily life, were now almost completely deserted, with only a handful of households still showing signs of life.

In some locations, there were even corpses, gnawed down to nearly bare white bones.

What was even more tragic was that in villages like these, such remains were left uncollected; it seemed that where one died, one’s bones simply piled up.

These remains belonged to cultivators and mortals alike; to adults, and also to children.

Yet, under the menace of the demonic insects, such distinctions seemed to make no difference—all were merely food for the insects.
Qi Ping had thought the Cloud Mist Mountains were bleak enough, but seeing these small villages made him understand what a truly wretched world looked like, what deathly stillness truly meant.

There were barely any living people left!

He hadn’t expected Qing Stone County to deteriorate to this state in such a short time!
It was a good thing he had sent Old Man Zhou back to the mortal world earlier. Otherwise, even with his protection, it would have been hard to say if Old Man Zhou’s frail body could have withstood this calamity.

“Has the world really become this harsh?”

It was at this moment that Qi Ping truly felt the meaning of:
Having no control over one’s fate! Life being as cheap as grass!
Next, Qi Ping stealthily went to observe the strongholds of the Three Great Families.

The estates of the Liu, Zhu, and Murong Families were still bustling with noise and excitement, as luxurious as ever, and seemed even more crowded than before.

However, upon closer inspection, Qi Ping noticed that the security measures of the Three Great Families were much stricter than in the past, and the guards occasionally showed expressions of gravity and worry on their faces.

This indicated that the situation for the Three Great Families might not be so easy either.

This was most evident with the Murong Family, who had lost a Foundation Establishment cultivator to the venom of the demonic insects.

The apparent prosperity of the Three Great Families was largely just a show of strength created by many rogue cultivators seeking refuge with them.

From the information Qi Ping had gathered, when the demonic insects first emerged, the Three Great Families were the main force in eradicating them.

At that time, their efforts to clear out the demonic insects could be seen everywhere throughout Qing Stone County.

Had they not slain the majority of the insects, the death toll in Qing Stone County could have been several times higher!
In clearing the demonic insects, the Three Great Families also paid a significant price, with no fewer than ten of their late Qi Refining stage cultivators falling in battle.

It wasn’t until a Foundation Establishment elder from the Murong Family was poisoned and died fighting the demonic insects that the Three Great Families fully retreated to defend their estates.

Now, by absorbing rogue cultivators and focusing all efforts on constructing defenses and formations, they were merely doing what was necessary after their clan strength had declined.

This isn’t to say the Three Great Families were particularly noble; rather, the multitude of rogue cultivators and the overall prosperity of Qing Stone County were their true wealth. Only if Qing Stone County remained prosperous could they continue to gain steady wealth through rents, taxes, and trade.

After all, the cultivation world isn’t lacking a Qing Tian Region, much less a Qing Stone County!

To some extent, rogue cultivators do possess a degree of freedom because the cultivation world is vast, and there’s always a suitable place to go.

At the top, the Righteous Alliance maintains pressure, prohibiting anyone from large-scale slaughter of rogue cultivators and mortals. Those who violate this rule face joint execution by the Alliance!

Those who dare to openly flout these rules—not just ordinary families, but even Great Ascension cultivators—could be jointly hunted down and killed!

This ancient rule of the cultivation world is perhaps why, despite their difficult living conditions, mortals and rogue cultivators continue to survive and thrive generation after generation.

Some sects even offer various benefits and policies to attract more cultivators to join them.

Because a thriving cultivator population means more spirit stone income, and an increase in numbers also raises the probability of geniuses being born, which is another foundation for a sect’s prosperity.

Although the cultivation world also has its share of exclusionary and unruly sects and forces, most of those have been washed away by the tides of time.
Although the Three Great Families had the intention to maintain order in Qing Stone County, unfortunately, with their own safety threatened, they were destined to be unable to preserve the county’s prosperity.
Aside from the Three Great Families absorbing rogue cultivators to build defenses and formations for self-preservation, Qi Ping spotted a familiar figure at the Zhu Family estate:
Wang Shan!

This old brother was clad in magical armor, patrolling near the Zhu Family as part of a security team.

His expression was solemn as he moved with the patrol, lacking much of his former carefree demeanor.

Perhaps, compared to this kind of work requiring discipline, raising Golden Feather Chickens and Blue Feather Chickens on the mountain was still more suited to him.

But in times like these, maybe this was the safer choice for him. Being within the Three Great Families’ estate was surely safer than being a rogue cultivator.

Qi Ping didn’t comment much on Wang Shan’s choice; it was his decision to make.

Wang Shan had said that his children had decent talent. He himself had little hope for advancement, so his biggest wish now was to build a platform for his children, to give them a higher starting point in life.

Though Wang Shan had never specified what kind of talent his children possessed.

Qi Ping had no desire or intention to interfere with others’ choices and could only silently wish Wang Shan good luck.

If Wang Shan or his children needed help in the future, he wouldn’t mind lending a hand. Over the past five-plus years, he had received much help from Wang Shan, and a bond of friendship remained.

After flying away from the Three Great Families, Qi Ping headed straight for Qing Stone Market.

But his heart was unsettled.

The current state of Qing Stone County had greatly impacted him, leaving his emotions in turmoil for a long time.

“The world is unpredictable, disasters run rampant, and one cannot control life or death!”

“Only by seeking the path of immortality, eternal life, and invincibility can one avoid being swayed by the ways of the world, untouched by calamity, and unoppressed by powerful forces.”

“But before that, I must still proceed with careful steps, walking steadily on the path towards immortal longevity and invincibility.”

At this moment, the six words—’Immortal Path, Eternal Life, Invincibility’—gradually etched themselves into Qi Ping’s heart.

His entire temperament began to undergo a profound, fundamental change.
Not long after, far outside Qing Stone Market, Qi Ping used the Bone Shrinking Art. His face and physique transformed into those of a resolute middle-aged man.

This was the new identity he had created for himself—a middle-aged man was more low-profile than a delicate-looking youth.

However, after changing back to a human form, Qi Ping felt that his body seemed somewhat different.

“My control over spiritual power and my body seems to have improved quite a bit… Is it because of the recent change in my mental state?”

After his recent shift in perspective, Qi Ping vaguely sensed something within himself similar to Sword Intent, though it wasn’t Sword Intent itself, just something analogous in nature.

“Perhaps I am gradually finding my own Dao. One day, I too will comprehend my own unique ‘Intent’!”

After taking a few deep breaths and confirming that his [Natural Perception] gave no warning of danger, Qi Ping confidently stepped into Qing Stone Market.

He had quite a few things to do this time.

“Hopefully, this trip will yield some pleasantly surprising gains!”