Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 42

Half a day later.

After personally escorting Old Man Zhou to the Fortune Trade Guild to reunite with Wang Shan and Fatty Zhou, Qi Ping finally set aside this lingering concern.

In the current climate, rogue cultivators were as expendable as weeds—returning to the mortal world was far safer.

Now, with no more worries holding him back, Qi Ping could fully focus on cultivating spirit herbs and raising his army of High-Speed Cutter Bees.

“Though Qing Stone County is dangerous now, with caution and a strong enough swarm, this could also be an opportunity—whether against demonic insects or rogue cultivators.”

“My advantage lies in insect control and rapid army-building through herb cultivation. High-Speed Cutter Bees are fast and can relay information from afar. I can always send a scouting party ahead to assess threats before deciding whether to fight or flee.”

Strike when possible, retreat when necessary!

“And if I prepare escape routes in advance, I’ll be even more secure.”

Though Qi Ping preferred a peaceful life of farming, he wouldn’t hesitate when pushed to the brink.

If circumstances demanded it, he would kill without remorse!

“If only I could reach Druid Level 3 soon…” A flicker of anticipation rose in his heart.

Upon reaching Level 3, he would gain the skill—Wildshape!

[Wildshape: You can transform into an animal and gain its supernatural abilities.]

Right now, Qi Ping’s most desired form was his first contracted companion—the Golden Marrow Bee.

With the High-Speed Cutter Bees maturing and the swarm growing, transforming into a bee would make him indistinguishable from the rest in aura, appearance, and even soul resonance.

In such a state, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn’t easily capture him.

Faced with overwhelming danger, Qi Ping could scatter the swarm across the Misty Cloud Mountains and blend in seamlessly.

At that point, not just one Foundation Establishment cultivator—even four or five wouldn’t be able to pin him down.

That was why he wanted the bee form—unrivaled survivability!

There was another reason: Wildshape had limitations.

The transformation could only replicate a form Qi Ping was intimately familiar with, and the creature’s power couldn’t exceed his own energy reserves.

Even if he knew the anatomy of a mythical qilin, attempting to transform into one would fail—the energy disparity was too vast.

Though High-Speed Cutter Bees surpassed Qi Ping in cultivation, their tiny size made the transformation feasible.

“Level 3 isn’t far now…”

[Druid Level: Lv2 (83/200)]

“Just 117 more EXP. At worst, a little over a month until promotion!”

“And if I cultivate another century-old Blood Ginseng and a fifty-year Glowgrass, it’ll go even faster.”

Last time, successfully breeding High-Speed Cutter Bees, Balanced Bees, and Big-Bellied Bees had netted him 47 EXP in one go!

Once the cutter bee army was fully raised, he could simultaneously farm herbs for EXP and use mutation elixirs to evolve the Golden Marrow Bees again—doubling his gains.

At this rate, he might not even need a full month to reach Level 3!

With Wildshape, his survivability would skyrocket. Unless he recklessly provoked supreme experts, even the three great clans would struggle to kill him!

The thought bolstered his confidence. He just had to endure this critical period.

Next steps:

1. Maximize herb cultivation and cutter bee production.

2. Use mutation elixirs to rush Druid Level 3 and unlock Wildshape (bee form).

3. Once secure, approach Merchant Gao about spirit beasts. With Wildshape and the bee army, even if targeted for purchasing high-tier beasts, he’d have countermeasures. His next animal companion’s potential would be crucial.

Ideally, the next companion would either have exceptional talent or rare abilities worth gambling on. If suitable, he might even contract two at once.

By completing these three steps, no matter how chaotic Qing Stone County became, Qi Ping would have a foothold to weather the storm.

…..

On his way back after seeing off Old Man Zhou, Qi Ping stopped by Sister Nan’s place to warn her about the Blood-Striped Locusts.

Upon hearing the news, she fell silent but remained firm in her decision to stay.

Qi Ping respected her choice—she was shrewd enough to have her reasons. If possible, he’d help her when he could.

He also asked if her crisis premonition talent had triggered. The answer was no, which eased his mind. If even she sensed no threat, large-scale demonic insect attacks were unlikely for now. Small raids could be handled by the Golden Marrow Bees.

Before leaving, he urged her to alert him immediately if her premonition ever flared up—a request she readily agreed to.

Upon returning to the mountain, Qi Ping’s recovered spirit energy went straight into Blood Ginseng cultivation. Every root counted—they determined his army’s size.

Once he stockpiled enough, he’d shift focus to century-old Blood Ginseng and fifty-year Glowgrass to further mutate the bees and accelerate his leveling.

With his [Plant Growth] skill now at Level 2, not only was herb production faster, but cultivating high-grade herbs had also become easier.

For the following days, Qi Ping pushed himself to the limit. Aside from essential rest to recover energy, every waking moment was spent frenetically tending the Blood Ginseng!

Even exhaustion couldn’t shake his resolve—a mix of determination and looming dread kept him going.

The results were extraordinary.

Blood Ginseng stockpiles grew rapidly, either converted into honey by the bees or stored for future brewing once the Big-Bellied Bee army was ready.

Even his Druid EXP accumulated at 2-3 times the usual rate!

[Druid EXP +1]
[Druid EXP +1]
[Druid EXP +1]
…

Each notification filled him with satisfaction.

Yet this momentum lasted only three days before uninvited guests arrived—stronger than the Blood-Striped Locusts.

Blood-Armored Mole Crickets.

“Damn it… This is no coincidence!”

Last time, he couldn’t be sure—but now, these creatures were also heading straight for the Blood Ginseng site!