Since returning from Old Yin Mountain, Li Pingcan's days had once again settled into their usual tranquility.

Besides studying the newly acquired cultivation methods, practicing on the Five Elements Stone Tablet, he also refreshed his Druid skill proficiency and planted trees.

[You practiced a cycle of the Thunderclap Wave spell, proficiency +1]

[You communicated with the Grass Spirit, gifting a strand of spiritual energy, gaining the Grass Spirit’s favor, Dream Language proficiency +1]

[You cast Plant Growth on the Soulwood and Spirit Mulberry Wood, proficiency +2]

“This Druid life skill grind is exactly like the one in the game from my previous life—one word: grind!”

Li Pingcan sat cross-legged on the ridge of a field, complaining as he expertly guided the natural magic within him.

Clusters of emerald green light flew from his palm, landing precisely on each seedling.

This process was extremely mana-consuming;

for every ten precious plants he nurtured, he had to swallow a Divine Berry to replenish his energy.

If not for this “sustain” skill, the daily consumption alone would give him a massive headache.

Yet, even so, seeing the upgrade experience bar reach a staggering one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine points, he felt his teeth clench painfully.

“When will this ever be over...”

Fortunately, in these dull days, there were always small little figures that brought him comfort and joy.

“Daddy! Look at my sword!”

A childish voice interrupted Li Pingcan’s occasional break from work.

Li Mengjin was waving a seedling around, imitating the big brothers from the martial training ground, clumsily chopping at a wooden stake.

I was never naturally gifted with weapons;

even a special branch in my hands carries a faint sharpness.

But today wasn’t sword practice—it was... tree planting.

There was a reason. Though Li Pingcan was older, his personality was quiet, with average martial aptitude, and physically much weaker than his eldest son Li Mengze, so Master Li didn’t pressure him about tree planting.

Li Mengze was different—stiff and hyperactive, hating outdoor activities the most.

With dual cultivation debuffs on Caoyahe and the difficulty in raising offspring, my wife and concubines worked hard at farming, but the belly remained still. We could only devote all our efforts to nurturing the two children we had, focusing on their development.

“Dreamjin, yes, yes.”

Caoyahe smiled as she walked over, correcting my posture, “He’s chopping the tree, no, planting it. See? Like this, stick the ‘Divine Sword’ into the soil, water it, and wait for it to grow into an even bigger ‘Great Divine Sword’.”

I had packaged the “tree planting” into an ultimate sword cultivator game called “Forge and Nurture the Sword.”

Li Mengze nodded vaguely, not really understanding that planting trees and forging swords had little to do with each other, but I hated playing with Dad, even more so the flying and earth-tunneling “Sword Immortal” stories Dad kept telling.

I imitated Master Li, digging a large hole in the ground with the “Divine Sword,” carefully placing a peach tree seedling inside, then cleverly cupping soil over the roots with my big hands.

At the front, I clumsily carried a big bucket, wobbling as I watered the seedling, muttering, “Grow slowly, grow into the Xuanyuan Sword!”

Seeing my son’s serious expression, Master Li chuckled to himself. That “innate sword body” talent might get twisted by me;

in the future, others wield swords to fight, but I’ll fight with trees. Just imagining it is amusing.

At that moment, a long-awaited notification popped up on the panel.

[His descendant Li Mengze successfully planted a seedling, gaining 1 experience point.]

Li Pingcan’s smile stretched wide.

It’s here!

Finally here!

This feeling was a hundred times better than breaking through a realm!

What kind of planting is this?

This is clearly unlocking the “descendant leveling” invincible mode!

“Good son! Truly your father’s great eldest son!”

He lifted Li Mengjin up and planted a big kiss on the mud-streaked little face, making the boy giggle uncontrollably.

..........

A year flashed by.

Prefectural Academy, Orchid Garden.

The afternoon sunlight was warm and gentle.

Su Qingxue, a female cultivator dressed in the academy’s teacher robes, sat before an ancient zither, her delicate hands lightly lifting as she played the piece “High Mountains and Flowing Water.”

At just twenty years old, she had reached mid-stage Refined Energy cultivation and was a renowned talented woman in the academy—beautiful and gentle in demeanor, admired and respected by countless disciples as the “Fairy Teacher.”

Beside her, an about eight-year-old delicate child sat quietly kneeling on a meditation cushion, brewing tea for her.

The child was Li Mengze.

His movements were skillful and focused, whether fetching water, warming the cup, tossing tea leaves, or pouring the hot water, all carrying a calm and elegant composure beyond his years.

After finishing the song, Su Qingxue lifted the tea cup, took a small sip, and praised, “Mengze, your tea skills might even outshine the best tea master in the palace.”

“Teacher, you flatter me. It’s just a little pastime during my free time.”

Li Mengze smiled slightly, the pure and clean smile warming Su Qingxue’s heart.

She truly liked this student.

He wasn’t naughty like other children, nor arrogant like Zhang Ao, nor scheming like Lin Feng.

He was always quiet, speaking little, but when you looked into his clear eyes, you could feel a calming tranquility.

Not to mention, the boy was genuinely cute—delicately carved like jade, rosy lips and white teeth, making anyone want to pinch his little face.

“Mengze, how is your ‘Qi Guidance Technique’ practice going? Any difficulties?” Su Qingxue asked with concern.

Li Mengze shook his head. “Reporting to teacher, no difficulties. I am just slow and clumsy, still in the early stage of Refined Energy.”

Su Qingxue gently comforted, “It’s alright. Cultivation requires gradual progress. Your spiritual root aptitude is excellent, but your temperament is calm, unlike others who rush. Take your time and don’t be anxious.”

Though she spoke softly, she sighed inwardly.

This child was perfect in every way except his cultivation comprehension seemed a bit lacking. Although possessing a top-grade wood spiritual root, his entry speed was slower than some middle-grade root disciples.

Little did she know, Li Mengze wasn’t slow—he was ridiculously fast.

The Druid power inside him had long blended seamlessly with cultivation spiritual energy;

his progress was rapid, only blocked by the lotus seed concealing his potential from outsiders.

His daily “hard practice” was just hiding his true strength.

While the teacher and student chatted happily, a discordant voice came from nearby.

“Teacher Su, are you personally instructing Brother Li again? You really favor him.”

It was Lin Feng, wearing a warm smile but with a trace of malice in his eyes.

He approached and feigned concern toward Li Mengze. “Brother Li, I heard your test a few days ago made no progress? Don’t be discouraged. When I first started, I was like you. Then Master Chen guided me, and after taking some Qi Gathering Pills, I suddenly understood. Why not let Senior Brother take you to visit Master Chen one day?”

His words seemed comforting but were actually sharp daggers in Li Mengze’s heart, mocking his poor talent and lack of insight.

Su Qingxue’s brows twitched, a flash of displeasure crossing her face. “Lin Feng, stop talking nonsense. Mengze is diligent and studious. As his teacher, I will instruct him more. As for you, if you don’t focus on the right path, your cultivation will never advance.”

“Yes, yes, teacher, you’re right.”

Lin Feng quickly smiled in agreement, but inwardly sneered, “What achievement can a waste like him have, who can’t even guide Qi into his body? Teacher Su is just kindhearted, fooled by his obedient act!”

His jealousy grew with every thought. Why?

Why did Teacher Su stay lukewarm toward all my efforts, yet so easily favor this sly little brat?

A poisonous thought sprouted wildly in his heart.

When the academy organized disciples to gather herbs at the “Hundred Herbs Cliff” behind the mountain, Lin Feng saw his chance.

The Hundred Herbs Cliff was scenic but had a dangerous precipice shrouded in mist, bottomless and forbidding.

He pretended to chat with a few familiar disciples while subtly leading Li Mengze toward the cliff’s edge.

“Brother Li, come look! Here’s a ‘Condensed Dew Grass.’ It’s said to be miraculous for stabilizing the soul!” He pointed enthusiastically at an unremarkable blue grass near the cliff edge.

Li Mengze’s face showed curiosity as he stepped forward, but inside he was cold.

“It’s coming.”

He had already sensed Lin Feng’s malice through “Insight into Good and Evil.”

Calmly, he took out a crystal-clear stone from his pocket—the “Recording Stone” his second uncle had given him.

“Senior Brother Lin, is this the Condensed Dew Grass?”

Pretending to concentrate, he squatted and pointed the Recording Stone at the grass and the sneaky Lin Feng approaching behind him with a sinister smile.

“Die, you little bastard!”

Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, unable to contain his jealousy and hatred. He suddenly stretched out both hands and shoved hard at Li Mengze’s back!

A cold smile curled at his lips, as if already seeing the annoying guy falling into the abyss and shattering to pieces.

At that moment, an unexpected change occurred!

Li Mengze, focused on recording, stepped forward but was tripped by something, causing his body to leap and fall perfectly sideways.

Lin Feng’s shove missed completely!

He pushed too hard, and his momentum couldn’t be stopped;

he flew straight toward the cliff edge!

“Ah!”

A piercing scream shattered the valley’s silence.

Lin Feng’s body traced a parabolic arc in midair and was instantly swallowed by the swirling mist.

At the Hundred Herbs Cliff, other disciples gathering herbs heard the commotion and looked over anxiously.

“What happened? Was that Senior Brother Lin’s voice?”

“Sounds like it came from the cliff side...”

While they murmured, Li Mengze stumbled back from the cliff, face pale, lips trembling, eyes brimming with tears, as if terrified.

He collapsed with a “thud,” pointing at the cliff, gasping, “Senior Brother Lin... he fell down!”

Everyone was stunned by his words.

Su Qingxue, guiding disciples nearby, hurried over upon hearing the news.

“Mengze, don’t be afraid. Tell me what happened.” She helped him up gently and comforted him softly.

“Teacher Su...” Li Mengze sobbed, handing over the Recording Stone. “Senior Brother Lin wanted to show me the Condensed Dew Grass. I wanted to record it, but... I slipped, and Senior Brother Lin tried to pull me back, but he...”

His words were jumbled but successfully painted Lin Feng as a self-sacrificing hero.

Su Qingxue took the Recording Stone and infused spiritual energy into it;

the scene at the cliff became clearly visible to all.

On the screen, Lin Feng’s face twisted by jealousy and murderous intent, his unhesitating shove, the whole cause and effect were crystal clear.

Su Qingxue’s gentle and beautiful face instantly hardened with frost.

“What pull to save you? This is clearly premeditated murder!”

The matter quickly stirred the academy’s higher-ups.

With witnesses and evidence, the scandal of Lin Feng attempting to murder a fellow disciple spread through the academy.

The Lin family had some influence in the prefecture, and upon hearing this, they came to the academy demanding justice, claiming their son was gentle and upright, incapable of such treason, insisting he was framed.

Master Chen and others at the academy, who favored Lin Feng, also found the matter suspicious and voiced complaints.

However, when Su Qingxue publicly displayed the Recording Stone, everyone fell silent.

The undeniable shove on the video was irrefutable.

To settle the turmoil and give an explanation to the Li family and their backing Mu Family, the academy declared:

Disciple Lin Feng, driven by jealousy, attempted to murder a fellow disciple. Heaven and Earth will not tolerate this. His fall off the cliff was the Heavenly Dao’s justice and retribution!

The Lin family was humiliated and driven out of the academy, and Lin Feng fell from a “promising immortal seedling” to the academy’s most despised disgrace.

As for the “victim” Li Mengze, he received compensation from the academy.

“Su Qing,” the white-bearded academy mountain master personally summoned him to the study, kindly patting his head, “You were frightened. Since your cultivation is slow and your talent may not be in cultivation, today we will make an exception. You may choose a profound skill, and the academy’s teachers will personally take you as their disciple to teach you carefully. How do you feel about that?”

His words were grand, both comforting Li Mengze and cleverly easing the scandal’s negative impact.

Li Mengze knew the truth clearly but immediately showed a flattered expression, waving his hands repeatedly, “Mountain Master, this... this is too much. I am clumsy and dare not trouble the teachers.”

“Nonsense! Nonsense!” the mountain master laughed heartily. “You’re just too humble. Come, I’ll take you to meet a few masters in our academy!”

Li Mengze followed the mountain master to a quiet, elegant courtyard deep in the academy.

Inside, three teachers were already waiting.

On the left was a burly man like an iron tower, shirtless, bronze muscles covered in ugly scars. This was Master Tie Wuyia, a temperamental master of forging, who despised all those scholarly spell users.

“The way of forging is about thousands of hammerings to prove the path by strength! Kid, want to learn blacksmithing from me? I guarantee to make you a human-shaped magical weapon. When you fight, just ram your forehead—no one can take it!” Master Tie spat wildly.

Li Mengze twitched his mouth, thinking, ‘This style looks exactly like my Brother Yuanhu. With my small frame, I’ll probably be hammered into iron on the first day.’

On the right was a shriveled old woman with sharp eyes, a master of talismans, reclusive and hating disturbance.

“Ting, forging is just brute force. How can it compare to my talisman arts? A single paper talisman can communicate with gods—it’s mysterious!”

Without looking up, she said in a hoarse voice, “Kid, if you become my disciple, after learning you can summon soldiers from beans, call wind and rain easily. But my skill exhausts your spirit, drawing talismans day and night, tedious beyond belief. You, a pampered young master, might not endure this hardship.”

Li Mengze shook his head secretly, thinking, ‘Learning from her means turning into a white-faced youth before even mastering the skill. Everyday waking and sleeping with runes—just thinking about it gives me a headache.’

In the middle, of course, was Su Qingxue.

Today, she wore a simple moon-white long dress. Years of alchemy had mixed medicinal fragrance with her faint orchid scent, making one feel peace just by smelling.

Seeing Li Mengze look her way, she smiled gently without saying more.

Li Mengze’s heart instantly calmed.

He took a deep breath, no longer hesitating. He respectfully bowed to the mountain master and the other two teachers, then walked slowly to Su Qingxue, lifted his robe, and solemnly knelt down, performing the formal master-disciple ceremony.

“I, disciple Li Mengze, am willing to take Teacher Su as my master, to learn the way of alchemy. I sincerely ask the teacher to accept me as a disciple!”

His voice was clear and resolute.

This choice was made after deep consideration.

Forging was too harsh;

his physique was average, and he feared he couldn’t even lift a hammer.

Talisman arts were excellent but the master’s gloomy temperament was unsuitable.

Besides, these two skills were mostly about enhancing personal combat strength, while alchemy was the family’s most urgently needed foundational strategic resource.

An excellent alchemist could not only smooth the family’s cultivation path but also become valuable currency for external connections and resource exchange. Its worth far surpassed a few treasure weapons or talismans.

Moreover...

He secretly glanced at Su Qingxue’s gentle profile.

Learning from such a beautiful and kind fairy teacher would surely brighten his mood.

Seeing this, Su Qingxue smiled warmly, “Very good. From today on, you will be my direct disciple.”

Li Mengze smiled back.

After a thrilling but safe “accident,” not only was a potential threat removed, but by fortune in misfortune, he had advanced to join the fairy teacher’s tutelage early and begun his path of alchemy.

This was a deal bloodily profitable and never regretted!