Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 66

The last medicinal ingredient, the Spirit Nurturing Fruit, was the easiest to obtain. Many of these fruits grew on the mountain where Sister Nan lived.

Early the next morning, Qi Ping set off for Sister Nan’s mountain, designated as Peak Five.

Upon arriving, Qi Ping found that Sister Nan wasn’t in her courtyard. About a dozen Blue-Feathered Chickens were pecking at corn scattered in the yard, likely recently fed.

“Has she already gone to tend the Spirit Nurturing Fruit so early? Perfect, that’s exactly why I’m here.”

Qi Ping continued toward the area where Sister Nan cultivated the Spirit Nurturing Fruit.

Soon, he spotted her on the mountainside, carefully pruning the fruit trees.

The gentle morning sun softly illuminated her simple clothing and long hair.

As she trimmed the branches, droplets of dew clung to the leaves that had settled on her clothes and hair.

“Sister Nan, you’re starting work so early?”

Hearing Qi Ping’s voice, Sister Nan turned her head toward him, her expression relaxed and content.

“Xiao Qi? What brings you here!” Her voice carried cheerful surprise.

Upon seeing Qi Ping, she quickly set aside her work.

Qi Ping was somewhat taken aback by this.

His impression of Sister Nan was that of a mature, cautious, and thorough older sister.

He had never seen her in such a leisurely state before.

“I came to buy some Spirit Nurturing Fruits from you.”

“Spirit Nurturing Fruits? Why talk about buying with me? How many do you need? I’ll pick the best ones for you!”

As she spoke, Sister Nan’s eyes began scanning the trees for the highest-quality fruits.

“I’ll take all the ripe ones!”

“All of them?”

Sister Nan turned back to look at Qi Ping in surprise.

“Yes, all of them. So you have to charge me, otherwise I won’t take them!”

Unlike him, Sister Nan didn’t have a special advantage—she relied on these Spirit Nurturing Fruits for her livelihood and cultivation resources. If he took them without paying, she would genuinely struggle.

“In that case, I’ll give you a 20% discount off the selling price!”

“And no refusing, or I won’t sell them to you!” she added firmly.

“How about a 10% discount, Sister Nan?”

Sister Nan rolled her eyes at Qi Ping. Who bargained in reverse?

“Fine, I can’t be bothered arguing. That works too!”

With that, she went off to harvest the Spirit Nurturing Fruits.

Qi Ping didn’t offer to help. Harvesting and selecting Spirit Nurturing Fruits required skill, and any clumsy assistance would likely just get in the way.

After a while, Sister Nan had gathered all the ripe fruits.

Qi Ping examined them—their quality was truly exceptional, no worse than those grown in the B-Class Zones.

Sister Nan certainly had a talent for making spiritual fertilizer.

However, this skill wasn’t very useful to Qi Ping. When he accelerated plant growth, the herbs rapidly absorbed spiritual energy from the soil.

Without a spiritual vein replenishing the energy, the spiritual fertilizer would be depleted quickly, far less efficient than leasing a good spiritual plot. Factoring in the cost of making the fertilizer, it was much less cost-effective than renting quality land.

“With the 10% discount, that comes to forty-eight low-grade spirit stones!”

Sister Nan quickly calculated the price after counting the fruits.

“Deal!”

Without hesitation, Qi Ping counted out the spirit stones, handed them to Sister Nan, and stored the Spirit Nurturing Fruits in his storage bag.

After the transaction, Sister Nan suddenly suggested, “It’s been a while since we’ve shared a meal. How about I make some chicken soup for you?”

But Qi Ping shook his head. He was eager to start experimenting with the elixir recipe:

“Next time, Sister Nan. I have something urgent to attend to.”

“Alright then.”

“Oh, by the way, Sister Nan, I might be moving away from here soon.”

Hearing this, Sister Nan paused in surprise.

“Ah? Where to?”

“I plan to rent a plot in the乙区 (B-Class Zone). The spiritual energy concentration in the D-Class Zone is too low, and the space is too limited.”

“The B-Class Zone? I thought you were leaving Qingshi County! You gave me a scare!”

“Why would I? I’m not familiar with other places. New environments can be riskier.”

“Okay, well, let me know when you move. I’ll come help you!”

After bidding farewell to Sister Nan and returning to his mountain, Qi Ping reflected that she seemed to have changed quite a bit.

Before, it felt like she was always holding her breath, giving off a sense of urgency.

But now, that tension seemed to have dissipated. She appeared more serene and natural, and she was clearly more talkative.

Qi Ping didn’t dwell on it too much—it was a good change.

Rather than living a life of constant strain, it was better to live freely.

Trying to reach higher cultivation levels without innate talent was incredibly difficult—like climbing to the sky. Fewer than one in a hundred succeeded!

Sister Nan’s current state was good. Balancing life and cultivation with a relaxed mindset might even make her cultivation efficiency higher than if she were constantly stressed.

With the Spirit Nurturing Fruits ready, Qi Ping took out all his spiritual herbs.

“Fire Spirit Grass, blood ginseng, Glow Grass, Spirit Nurturing Fruit, Moonlight Vine…”

He created fifty different combinations from these herbs, each mix containing between two to seven ingredients, with completely varying compositions.

For each combination, he prepared a small quantity of herbs.

Once done, he assigned each of the fifty combinations to different Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees, carefully labeling them.

“These herbs need to ferment inside the Big-Belly Bees for at least seven days to become honey.”

“We’ll see the results in seven days. Then, I’ll have the Lihuo Crow test which combination best amplifies the effects of the Fire Spirit Grass.”

After seven days, Qi Ping would identify which blend most effectively harnessed the fire-attribute power of the Fire Spirit Grass. By comparing it with the herb’s normal potency, he could determine the overall percentage increase in efficacy.

Once the hundred-year Fire Spirit Grass was fully grown, he would use this optimal combination for brewing, maximizing its power to restore the Lihuo Crow’s bloodline.

Qi Ping would also select the combination best suited for his own cultivation of the Wood Flame Art and use that specific honey for future training.

“It’s a pity I still know too little about alchemy and spiritual herbs. With more knowledge, I could determine which herbs work best together and purchase targeted ingredients for the Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees to test, instead of relying on trial and error like this.”

At that moment, Qi Ping realized that only with foundational knowledge of herb combinations, recipes, and potency fusion could he truly unlock the value of the Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees.

He even felt that, even if he reached the Foundation Establishment stage and hadn’t yet bred second-order Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees, having the most cost-effective and potent recipes would allow first-order advanced Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees to earn him a significant amount of spirit stones.

Moreover, since it would be first-order honey, Qi Ping wouldn’t have to worry as much about attracting envy after reaching Foundation Establishment.

Overall, Qi Ping felt he hadn’t yet fully tapped into the true potential of the Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees.

After distributing all the herb combinations to the bees, a satisfied smile spread across Qi Ping’s face.

Having good animal companions was truly wonderful. Otherwise, testing fifty different herb combinations would have been torture.

It wouldn’t just be exhausting—he probably wouldn’t do as good a job as the Brewmaster Big-Belly Bees.

Additionally, Qi Ping also prepared a combination based on the 【Fire Spirit Body Tempering Elixir】 recipe and gave it to a Brewmaster Big-Belly Bee. Once the honey was ready, he would be able to compare its effects with those of the original elixir.