Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 12

Within moments of swallowing the Gold Marrow Honey, Qi Ping’s dantian and meridians were flooded with dense spiritual energy.

At the same time, his body rapidly strengthened under the nourishing surge of blood essence.

“This is insane!”

The sheer potency of the honey left Qi Ping awestruck. Having only ever consumed low-grade resources, he was experiencing high-quality spiritual energy for the first time.

And the blood essence—continuously tempering and enhancing his physique—was on an entirely different level compared to any spiritual herb he’d refined before.

“No wonder sect disciples and noble clan heirs advance so quickly. Unless you’ve tried resources like this, you’d never understand the real gap.”

For a rogue cultivator scraping by, buying even a single high-grade spiritual herb could cost half their savings. A few more purchases, and they’d be completely broke.

And once their savings were drained? Who knew how long it’d take to earn that many spirit stones again.

Most couldn’t afford to splurge.

Earning spirit stones was hard.

For the average cultivator, farming or raising spirit poultry were among the best options—and even those barely turned a profit.

Contrary to those fanciful tales where protagonists stumbled upon treasures and hunted mystical beasts with ease, reality was far harsher.

There were no secret realms bursting with artifacts, no lucky chances for ordinary cultivators to rise overnight.

The truth? The cultivation world’s core resources were tightly controlled.

Unless one had the rare fortune to master a lucrative skill—alchemy, talisman-making, artifact-forging—most were stuck toiling in menial trades: farming, livestock, or other drudgery the elite disdained.

Even then, they faced constant risks—plagues, beast tides, you name it.

And commerce? Forget it. Without power or connections, any high-level cultivator could make a nobody vanish without a trace.

In this world, strength dictated privilege. Background mattered.

Given how grueling it was to earn spirit stones, Qi Ping’s exhilaration at refining Gold Marrow Honey was understandable!

But after the initial excitement, he pushed aside all distractions and immersed himself in cultivation.

Focusing intently on the Wooden Shield Technique and the flow of wood-attribute spiritual energy, he channeled the honey’s power into his dantian, converting it into shield-plated spiritual force.

His dantian expanded at an unprecedented rate.

Spiritual energy and blood essence swirled around him, his aura growing steadily stronger.

Then, something unexpected happened.

A peculiar energy arose from the ancient fir beneath him and the surrounding trees.

Guided by this force, an additional surge of wood-attribute spiritual energy poured into Qi Ping’s body.

His absorption efficiency now rivaled that of a mid-grade wood spirit root!

And this was just at Druid Level 1. As he advanced, the effect would only intensify.

With this boost, his refinement of the Blood Ginseng’s energy accelerated dramatically.

Startled, Qi Ping realized:

“This must be the power of a Forest Druid!”

“Choosing to cultivate deep in the Misty Cloud Mountains was definitely the right call.”

Here, the limitations of his low-grade spirit root were significantly mitigated.

Wasting no time, he refocused, seizing this rare opportunity.

…..

About half an hour later, the first mouthful of honey’s energy was fully refined.

Qi Ping’s aura had grown noticeably—equivalent to half a year of normal cultivation.

“Wealth, companions, location, methods… No wonder ‘wealth’ tops the list. A few moments of refining just saved me months of work!”

After a brief marvel, he gulped down another generous dose and resumed cultivating.

His goal? To ride this momentum and break through to Qi Refinement Layer 2.

With experience now on his side, the second refinement went even smoother. Despite the larger quantity, Qi Ping handled it effortlessly.

Spiritual energy surged within him once more.

As it was refined, his power climbed another notch.

Then came the third mouthful. The fourth.

Each time, his strength ascended further.

Hours later, as he finished the second-to-last dose—

Boom!

A wave of energy erupted from Qi Ping, sweeping through the forest.

He had officially reached Qi Refinement Layer 2!

“I broke through!”

The difference in power was staggering. In just one session, the Gold Marrow Honey had propelled him past a barrier that would’ve taken five or six years otherwise.

“Talent might be lacking, but with the right resources, progress is possible!”

Of course, this batch of honey had represented a significant portion of the Gold Marrow Bees’ reserves—accumulated over a long period. Its effects were no fluke.

“My comprehension of the Wooden Shield Technique is nearing the ‘Proficient’ stage too. With the Forest Druid’s woodland buff, grasping wood-attribute techniques is several times easier now.”

“Becoming a Druid was absolutely the right choice. For someone like me, cultivating wood-based arts? Perfect fit.”

Too exhilarated to sit still, Qi Ping leaped down from the fir tree and unsheathed his spirit blade, eager to test his newfound strength.

In the next moment, the forest echoed with the whirl of steel.

The technique he practiced—Gale-Cleaving Saber Art—was nothing extraordinary, just a basic Qi Refinement-era manual.

But the fluidity of his movements revealed years of diligent practice.

Truthfully, since arriving in this world, Qi Ping had trained relentlessly. His lack of progress had never been from laziness—just abysmal talent.

Such was the fate of most rogue cultivators.

Without stumbling into the Druid class and contracting the Gold Marrow Bees, breaking through to Layer 2 would’ve remained a distant dream.

…..

By the time he finished, Qi Ping was thoroughly satisfied.

Not only had his cultivation advanced, but his physical strength, spiritual energy, and defensive capabilities had all leaped forward.

“The Gold Marrow Honey’s effects are unbelievable… Is this what happens when Blood Ginseng is the main ingredient?”

A new thought struck him:

“What if other herbs were used? Like body-tempering, healing, or breakthrough-enhancing ones?”

Having tasted the honey’s wonders, the possibilities were endless.