Wait… I’m a Druid in a Cultivation World?! - Chapter 72

“The Century Fire Spirit Nectar is finally ready!”

Feeling the incredibly dense, almost liquid-like fire spiritual power radiating from the nectar, Qi Ping felt immense joy in his heart.

The day he had been eagerly anticipating had finally arrived!
He had been planning for this day since he obtained the Lihuo Crow and the Fire Spirit Grass nearly a month ago.

It had been followed by a long cultivation process and complex research and experimentation, all culminating in this batch of Century Fire Spirit Nectar!

And now, that day was finally here!
Today was the day to help the Lihuo Crow restore its peak first-tier strength and unlock the secrets hidden beneath the Blood Ginseng’s growth site!

Everything else was already prepared. The moment he started digging, he would be ready for a fight!

“There are actually three whole bottles…”

A single century-old Fire Spirit Grass, combined with other spirit herbs, had yielded three small bottles of Fire Spirit Nectar!

Not only was the quality superior, but the quantity had also increased.

“It’s almost noon. Just about half an hour left. Let Crow-Crow prepare. The solar energy is most intense at noon, making it the perfect time for the Lihuo Crow to break through…”

Quickly, Qi Ping informed the Lihuo Crow of the plan.

Upon hearing this, the Lihuo Crow began its preparations in earnest.

It too placed great importance on this opportunity. Restoring its strength to its peak and potentially enhancing its bloodline—everything hinged on this moment!

After notifying the crow, Qi Ping started gathering all the spirit herbs…

Next, he collected the black dwarf bees, the Day-Slumber Flowers, and the Moon-Essence Flowers…

Once everything was packed, Qi Ping walked down to the small courtyard Old Man Zhou had built at the mountain’s base.

Since no one had tended to it for so long, spiderwebs were everywhere, inside and out, and a thick layer of dead leaves covered the courtyard.

The red sandalwood table Old Man Zhou often sat at, the purple bamboo lounge chair, the wine pot and cups… all were covered in a thick layer of dust.

The rooms inside were cold and desolate, as if they had been abandoned for ages…

For a moment, Qi Ping found himself missing the old man.

Having that laid-back old man around had meant occasional warm meals and drinks, unlike the current emptiness and silence.

In that moment, Qi Ping realized he didn’t like the idea of being utterly alone in the vast world. The Path of Emotionlessness wasn’t for him; that wasn’t the kind of longevity he sought…

And in that same moment, it was as if something clicked for Qi Ping. His gaze grew even more determined.

“Countless texts mention that cultivating immortality requires understanding one’s own heart and nature, comprehending a path that is uniquely one’s own.”

“But these simple words have stumped countless cultivators, who spend their entire lives unable to achieve this understanding.”

“Understanding one’s heart and nature… my own path…”

Qi Ping’s eyes then drifted over the plants and flowers following their cycle of growth and decay, the black dwarf bees diligently collecting nectar, and the spiders spinning webs to catch their prey.

His ears picked up the faint hum of the bees, the skittering of a spider, the struggle of a small insect caught in a web…

Slowly, Qi Ping closed his eyes.

In that moment, he seemed to merge with the surrounding nature. The Druid’s Natural Affinity amplified his perception, expanding his senses.

The next instant, his clothes and hair stirred though there was no wind. A vast, mysterious, and profound spiritual power continuously converged from the heavens and the earth.

As this spiritual energy poured into his body, the Wood-Flame Art within him began to operate at high speed.

In mere moments, Qi Ping’s cultivation broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining!

However, after this breakthrough, the influx of heaven and earth spiritual energy began to gradually decrease, and he slowly withdrew from that extraordinary state…

Once he emerged from that state, Qi Ping discovered he had not only broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining but had even progressed to the mid-stage of that level.

Moreover, his foundation was incredibly solid!

Upon testing his Wood-Flame spiritual power, he found it flowed more smoothly than before the breakthrough, feeling almost innate and effortless.

It carried a certain flavor of “the Dao follows what is natural.”

“I’ve broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining… Was that comprehending nature? Or a moment of sudden enlightenment? Or perhaps unity of heaven and man?”

Feeling his increased strength, Qi Ping was naturally overjoyed.

He just wasn’t sure how to define the state he had just been in. His knowledge of the Dao was still too limited.

He knew some grand, abstract concepts, but his understanding of specific cultivation methods and detailed knowledge was still sorely lacking.

“It’s a shame cultivation knowledge is so hard to come by. Sigh…”

This was a frustrating problem for Qi Ping. Unless he became a sect disciple, accessing more advanced cultivation knowledge would be difficult. But gaining entry into a sect was easier said than done…

Not to mention, the internal competition and strife within sects were no less intense than those among rogue cultivators.

As a rogue cultivator, by being cautious, the enemies he usually encountered were mostly at the Qi Refining level; Foundation Establishment experts were the peak and relatively rare.

If he were in a sect, like the Qingyuan Sect, Foundation Establishment cultivators were as common as dogs, and there were plenty of Golden Core experts too. With his current low strength, a single misstep could lead to utter ruin.

“Fortunately, reaching Foundation Establishment isn’t an urgent need right now.”

Knowledge about the Qi Refining stage was widespread in the cultivation world, with few secrets left. It was from the Foundation Establishment stage onward that lineage and inheritance truly mattered. Qi Ping planned to cross that bridge when he got there, once he had more ability to protect himself.

“However, the path of tempering the heart and comprehending the Dao is definitely correct.”

This breakthrough through enlightenment gave Qi Ping a lot more confidence. The path of immortal cultivation indeed required exceptional mental fortitude, and in that aspect, he still needed much tempering.

“And the Druid’s Natural Affinity seems to be a great help in comprehending the Dao. I must make good use of it in the future.”

“As for this courtyard…”

Qi Ping looked at this all-too-familiar place and finally let out a long sigh.

“Once the chaos in Qingshi County settles, I’ll bring Old Man Zhou back. I’ll build him a new courtyard then.”

Old Man Zhou was Qi Ping’s savior after he transmigrated to this cultivation world and his guide on the path of cultivation.

If not for Old Man Zhou, Qi Ping would have long been reduced to a pile of bones. He wouldn’t have had the chance to learn cultivation techniques or meet fellow cultivators like the Fulsheng Society. Without meeting Sister Nan, he wouldn’t have obtained the Insect Cultivation Manual… Missing any single link would have made his path countless times more difficult.

Therefore, no matter what, Qi Ping would never let Old Man Zhou face old age alone and die in solitude.

Having someone to occasionally buy him good wine and snacks would make his twilight years more comfortable and peaceful, with fewer regrets.

After gazing at the courtyard for a long while, Qi Ping finally turned and left. Noon was approaching; it was time for the Lihuo Crow to consume the Century Fire Spirit Nectar and attempt its breakthrough.

At the peak of Mountain #7, where the solar energy was most intense.

The Lihuo Crow was surrounded by solar energy even denser than before.

The flame mark on its forehead faintly shimmered with a golden light, and an unusual aura emanated from the crow.

When Qi Ping arrived, the Lihuo Crow opened its eyes and looked at him, its gaze filled with determination and confidence.

Seeing the look in the crow’s eyes, Qi Ping knew that Crow-Crow was completely ready!
Without needing to ask anything, Qi Ping directly took out the three bottles of Century Fire Spirit Nectar from his storage bag. After removing the lids, he used his spiritual power to carefully float the bottles and set them down steadily in front of the Lihuo Crow.