The deep blue water rippled in rhythm with the sound, while a few leisurely snails slowly crawled on the rocky wall.  

“Old Tortoise, you’re free now too,” the White Snake said gently.  

The malevolence that had been imprisoned for three hundred years dissipated faintly the moment it regained freedom. It was not without resentment but had reached a reconciliation with itself.  

Among humans, there are both wicked and kind-hearted ones.  

The Mystical Tortoise remained silent for a long time, then grumbled: “That kid actually has a conscience… But human cultivators are always cunning. You should still be careful. You might end up being sold out and even help them count copper coins.”  

Despite these words, when it looked toward Li Pingcan’s departing direction, its eyes showed less hostility and more complexity.  

The White Snake chuckled softly and did not argue.  

It gazed at the rippling lake outside the cave, eyes distant, murmuring, “Good causes yield good results. Even if it’s not as I hoped, I have no regrets.”  

“That same ‘good theory’ again, I’m sick of hearing it,” the Mystical Tortoise said, shaking its head. “Now that you’re free again, are you still going to play the ‘White Lady’ role here?”  

“This is my ‘Way’,” the White Snake retorted. “What about you?”  

“Who’s got your ‘Way’? Only humans cultivate the Way,” the Mystical Tortoise snorted lightly. “I’m just used to staying still and don’t want to move.”  

The White Snake laughed heartily, stretching freely across the vast Dragon Spring Lake.  

The world is vast and unrestrained, and the brilliant sunlight shines equally on every living being.  

..............  

Li Pingcan transformed into a golden eagle and sped along, the wind roaring past his ears. His eagerness to return home was even stronger than when he left.  

A massive amount of information flickered in his mind like stars—mysterious runes, intricate formation diagrams—constructing a grand yet subtle and wondrous world he had never heard of before.  

“Seven Elements Druid” was the name of that formation technique book.  

Back in Peach Blossom Village,  

The golden eagle instantly changed back into a person, heavily landing in the courtyard. He immediately spotted Dake sleeping while leaning against the corridor, drool gleaming at the corner of his mouth.  

“That girl is sleeping again, probably afraid of catching a cold.”  

Although Dake was lazy, he handled assigned tasks well and remained loyal.  

Zhou Junzhi casually summoned a light breeze carrying a blanket, which he heavily placed over Dake before excitedly returning to his room. His spirit immersed into the information stream formed by the white light.  

The opening of “Seven Elements Druid” did not start directly with how to set formations but began with the most basic “Formation Principles.”  

What is the formation’s eye? What is the formation’s foundation? How to draw spiritual energy from heaven and earth? How to use runes as skin and spirit materials as bones to build an independent great cosmos apart from heaven and earth?  

This formation technique thoroughly described seven basic formations, dispelling all doubts previously raised by the “Mystical Records of Blessed Lands.” To put it simply, the knowledge in the “Mystical Records of Blessed Lands” was like a beginner apprentice’s, while “Seven Elements Druid” had reached the level of a minor grandmaster, returning to the fundamentals.  

Zhou Junzhi was currently studying the most basic formation method called “Spirit Cultivation Gathering.”  

During the first half month, he was completely lost, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.  

These profound theories, like “The meeting of Kan and Li, water and fire complementing each other,” “The positioning of heaven and earth, yin and yang generating each other,” were even harder to understand than the most difficult articles outside the study room of Seventh Brother.  

The problem was that his spirit was weak; he first had to memorize mechanically before quickly gaining insight and digesting the material.  

“The most important thing in formations is the power of spiritual consciousness.”  

He suddenly understood.  

Materials, composition, and the sequence of items were important, but the key was the spiritual force communicating with the formation.  

Fortunately, Li Pingcan had taken the Dao Spirit Pill and was a natural Druid. Even at the first refined energy layer, he already possessed spiritual consciousness, belonging to the “corner overtaking” category.  

Taking advantage of his deepest understanding of the Spirit Gathering Formation, he decided to draw the “formation diagram.”  

As a beginner, he was completely unable to build the “Mountain Protection Grand Formation” like those in towns and prefectures. One must be grounded. Beginners should honestly draw formation diagrams and build the foundational framework of the formation.  

To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools.  

The rice paper was specially purchased through contacts in Yunshui County. Actually, it was best to use beast skin—skins of Blood Qi beasts or treasure beasts could increase the success rate and power of the formation.  

But since this was just practice, he did not need such expensive materials.  

For ink, because he needed to draw formation patterns, Li Pingcan specially concocted a “treasure ink” mixing treasure beast blood, cinnabar, and gold ink. The smell was somewhat stinky, but the drawn formation lines shimmered with a pale red and flowing golden light. Apart from being a bit hard on the eyes, the color was particularly beautiful.  

Based on the basic framework of the Spirit Gathering Formation in his mind, his brush moved like a dragon and snake, completed in one go. Thanks to his strong spiritual consciousness, the foundation of the formation patterns was drawn almost without pause.  

“Still drew two mistakes.”  

Li Pingcan put down the brush and carefully checked, discovering some oversights.  

Some things looked simple but were not easy to do.  

He circled the mistakes and continued drawing.  

The lamp’s shadows flickered as he worked tirelessly.  

Time flowed by, and the days in Peach Blossom Village were peaceful and serene.  

In the Li family, Li Rongzhou no longer needed to rely on planting peach trees to survive, but after training in martial arts during his leisure time, he still went up the mountain to reclaim land—a bitter-sweet remembrance of the past, unwilling to forget the road traveled.  

Li Pingfu’s martial arts school grew stronger. With the Jiang family’s help, the new Li Escort Agency was successfully established and running smoothly.  

Li Ping'an assumed office and married into the Mu family, gaining much glory.  

Xie Yuan was also very promising; her talent was good, and her disposition best matched the White Crane Style. At the start of the year, she reached the peak of Blood Qi.  

The Li family’s martial culture was strong, driving the whole Peach Blossom Village into a wave of martial arts enthusiasm. For this, Li Pingfu specially arranged for Li Yuan and Li Chao to teach several village children for free, much to the delight and renewed vigor of the old village chief.  

However, Li Yuan had been troubled lately. Li Qian had been out of contact for many years, and many of the major families in Flat Peach Town were dissatisfied.  

Li Pingcan’s usual days were full, aside from drawing formations and planting trees, he also sat in meditation and trained in martial arts.  

One day,  

“The Spirit Gathering Formation diagram is finally complete!”  

A tightly woven, complex formation diagram lay before him. The lines connected with each other, golden light flickering, the completeness at one hundred percent.  

Pure joy and the thrill of exploring the unknown surged in Li Pingcan’s heart, no less satisfying than the feeling brought by an increase in cultivation.  

Having completed the “skin” of the formation diagram, a practical problem emerged—he lacked enough “formation bone” materials.  

The way of formation was not made up from thin air. Even the simplest Spirit Gathering Formation required “Old Yang Wood” as the formation’s bone, Five Elements materials as the foundation. Depending on the formation’s complexity, it might also need formation flags, formation eyes, and “spirit stones” as the energy source to activate the formation.  

All these things were treasures difficult to obtain in the mundane world.  

Maybe he could slowly search the black market to gather them all, but that would take too much time and risk attracting unwanted attention.  

After much thought, Li Pingcan could only pin his hopes on his second brother, who was now officially an “official.”  

He picked up the pen and wrote a letter. The letter did not directly mention cultivation formations but said that he had recently become fascinated with some intricate mechanisms and wanted his second brother’s help to find some materials for settling down and protecting the home.  

“Little Black, go quickly and come back quickly!”  

Under the night sky, the black raven vanished without a trace, responding with a “caw” as it flew away.  

Li Pingcan’s eyes showed expectation. With his brother’s intelligence, he was sure he would understand the hidden meaning.  

......  

Yunshui County, the county clerk’s residence.  

Li Ping'an unfolded the letter and saw his younger brother’s familiar handwriting. A helpless yet doting smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He could see clearly that the so-called “intricate mechanisms” in the letter were just a cover for something else.  

“That kid always comes up with new tricks,” he shook his head and carefully put the letter away.  

If it were before, he would have been helpless in this matter. But times had changed. As the son-in-law of the prestigious Mu family in the prefectural government, things that seemed impossible to others were just a matter of ease for him.  

He did not go directly to see his father-in-law Mu Hong but went to the backyard, to his wife Mu Wanqiu’s chamber.  

Mu Wanqiu was embroidering by the window. When she saw him enter, she quickly put down her embroidery frame and came forward, softly asking, “Husband, is official business not busy today?”  

“No matter how busy, I have to come see my dear wife,” Li Ping'an smiled, holding her hand and lightly explaining his younger brother’s “request,” saying only that his brother had some strange hobby of collecting curious stones and old wood.  

“I thought it must be something serious.”  

Mu Wanqiu laughed softly, covering her mouth. “Your brother is my brother as well. These things are usually given to new disciples in the clan to practice with; they are not precious at all. I’ll tell the steward to prepare a set right away and have it sent to Peach Blossom Village tomorrow.”  

She was about to get up, but Li Ping'an stopped her, pulling her into his arms and gently saying, “Thank you for your hard work.”  

Mu Wanqiu’s cheeks flushed as she leaned against his chest, softly saying, “It’s my blessing to help my husband.”  

Her heart was joyful. Being needed and trusted by her husband made her feel incredibly secure. Helping her husband’s family also made her feel like a true part of the Li family, with a strong sense of belonging.  

The next day, an unremarkable carriage left the Mu family’s side gate. On it were the formation materials Li Pingcan needed.  

The Mu family was generous; the several kinds of Five Elements materials sent were all different, and their quality far surpassed ordinary items on the market.  

This was the strength of a great family. Materials considered precious by ordinary people were just clutter in their warehouses.  

Of course, these materials were still far from the realm of “spirit materials.”  

With the newly obtained spirit materials, Li Pingcan began secluding himself again.  

Using his finger as a brush, he guided the spiritual energy within him to carve new formation patterns on the century-old Old Yang Wood.  

The spiritual energy flowed at his fingertips like an invisible engraving knife, leaving trace marks on the hard wood.  

Li Pingcan’s expression was focused, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.  

This was not just physical work but the ultimate test of spiritual power and spiritual energy control. One mistake in a stroke, and the entire formation would fail.  

After several hours, a formation bone covered with intricate patterns was finally completed!  

Next came the Five Elements formation foundation, another round of careful carving.  

Looking at the freshly finished formation, a smile appeared in Li Pingcan’s eyes. This Spirit Gathering Formation might not be perfect, but in his eyes, it was flawless, filling him with pride and accomplishment.  

.......  

With the Spirit Gathering Formation complete, it was time to test its effectiveness.  

“Grandpa Peach Tree, I’ll set a Spirit Gathering Formation for you.”  

Li Pingcan did not intend to set the formation in Peach Blossom Village. Unless he learned the “Concealment Formation,” he wouldn’t set a Spirit Gathering Formation where there were many people and eyes.  

Setting the formation for Grandpa Peach Tree could both test the formation’s effect and repay Grandpa Peach Tree. Besides, the peach tree’s location was hidden, making it a win-win.  

Following the directions indicated in the formation manual, he placed the Five Elements formation foundations at five different positions and finally buried the formation diagram underground at the center of Grandpa Peach Tree.  

After finishing, he stepped back, formed hand seals with both hands, and chanted softly,  

“Borrowing the momentum of heaven and earth, gathering the qi of the eight directions, forming a single field!”  

He sent a thread of spiritual energy into the underground formation diagram.  

“Snap!”  

An invisible ripple centered on the formation diagram instantly spread throughout the entire peach forest. The land seemed to twist slightly before returning to calm.  

Li Pingcan focused his mind and looked. The familiar peach forest was before him, but using his cultivator’s spiritual consciousness to sense it, strands of spiritual energy were continuously gathering and condensing.  

It really worked!  

“Too bad this is only the most basic Spirit Gathering Formation. The more powerful large-scale Spirit Gathering Formation requires 360 smaller formations, precisely joined together.”  

The spirit materials used were unknown and certainly beyond Li Pingcan’s imagination.  

“Forget it, no need to aim too high. I’ll just focus on learning new formations first! The more skills, the better.”  

After successfully activating the Spirit Gathering Formation, the pages of the “Five Elements Profound Formation” book flipped, revealing a new formation.  

It was exactly what Li Pingcan needed—the “Mysterious Tracking Formation” that could break through the Spirit Mountain’s fog formation!  

.............  

Drunken Immortal Restaurant.  

Two young scholars were having a small gathering.  

“Weining, I toast to you.”  

Zhou Junzhi laughed heartily and drank first as a sign of respect. “You really know how to make things happen. I thought I would waste my life in that remote poor place.”  

He wasn’t as good at studying as Li Ping'an, ranking lower on the lists. Also, as a grassroots background, he lacked support. Students who performed worse than him got better positions.  

Back then, the scholarly idealism was bold and ambitious, hoping to serve the people after passing the imperial exam, but he was struck down before his ambitions could be realized, taught a harsh lesson by the world of fame and fortune.  

If not for Mo Qianzhi helping to maneuver things, he probably would never have had a chance to rise above and would have remained a bitter, calculating official all his life, wasting his talents.  

Now, he was successfully transferred to Yunshui County, holding a clerk position under the county magistrate. Though the position was not high, being near his friend and working together was a blessing he deeply appreciated.  

Li Ping'an drank a cup of wine, his expression sincere: “We are brothers and like-minded comrades. Only you, Zhou Junzhi, truly understand my ambitions and aspirations. No need for such formalities.”  

His life was smooth now. County Magistrate Liang was either impressed by the Mu family’s status or genuinely admired his talent, often advising him kindly like a caring elder. Colleagues respected his strong background and capability and dared not cause trouble.  

Moreover, everyone knew his elder brother, Li Pingfu, son-in-law of the Jiang family, was a Divine Execution Realm expert, a powerful figure in all of Yunshui County. With this backing in both civil and military matters, who would dare provoke him lightly?  

Li Ping'an understood this deeply. In the quiet of the night, he would sigh alone, still vividly recalling the scene when Granny Wang mocked him for failing the spiritual root test.  

Once a person gains power, all the people around suddenly become “good people.”  

The rules of this world were brutally real.  

Behind Peach Blossom Village, a newly reclaimed peach forest was growing vigorously.  

Li Pingcan was barefoot, stepping on the soft soil, listening to the earth’s breath, enjoying this rare leisurely moment.  

He was pondering a new formation. Once understood, he could set off for Spirit Mountain.  

These days, the Treasure-Seeking Bees’ signals had become increasingly excited, clearly having found many good things.  

But Li Pingcan was not rushing, proceeding steadily at his own pace.  

Cultivation requires balance between tension and relaxation.  

The passive ability Earth Pulse Sense allowed him to clearly feel the pulse of every peach tree. With a thought, he used Earth Shaping to precisely gather underground water veins and nutrients beneath each newly planted seedling, increasing their survival chance.  

Now, with a postnatal martial cultivation and first refined energy layer, planting trees became lighter work. Even without his father’s help, he could plant several hundred peach trees a day.  

Unfortunately, Druid skills, except for elemental ones, mostly had limited offensive power. Li Pingcan still needed martial arts as his means of self-defense.  

“Feels good!”  

A gentle breeze brushed his face. In half a day, three hundred peach tree seedlings were neatly planted, flourishing under the sunlight.  

Training, planting trees, and accompanying family made his days full and peaceful.  

One day, after planting the last peach tree, the Druid power within him resonated with nature in an unprecedented way.  

[You have successfully planted 10,000 trees. Your Druid level has increased to LV6!]  

[You have comprehended a Tier One Spell: Transform Beast into Friend.]  

[You have gained 1 Tier Upgrade Point, which can be used to upgrade your Cantrip spells (obtained upon breaking through the first refined energy layer).]  

A Tier One spell!  

Li Pingcan’s spirit surged with excitement.  

If most Cantrip spells were like “tricks,” then Tier One spells had attack power rivaling immortal spells!  

He quickly checked the new ability.  

[Transform Beast into Friend: This spell helps you make a beast believe you have no ill intent. Within casting range, designate a beast you can see, which must also see and hear you. If the target’s rank is too high, the spell has a chance to fail. Effect lasts one breath (about one minute).]  

This spell was an advanced version of Animal Affinity: one was passive listening and sensing; this was active forced pacification. For fierce and hard-to-communicate demonic beasts or temperamental spirit beasts, this spell was undoubtedly the best introduction.  

What surprised him more was the precious “Spell Upgrade” point. This was a reward given by the Druid panel after breaking through the first refined energy layer according to the cultivation realm, allowing him to enhance an existing spell.  

Destiny is crucial in cultivation.  

He almost didn’t hesitate and added this point to Nature’s Gift.  

In an instant, the text on the panel changed rapidly.  

[Nature’s Gift has been upgraded to: Divine Blessing of Nature.]  

[Divine Blessing of Nature: You pray for nature’s blessing, bestowing a divine favor on the target. This blessing not only brings good fortune and blessings but also contains pure natural power, possessing a strong effect of warding off evil and dispelling demons.]  

“Warding off evil and dispelling demons!”  

Li Pingcan’s eyes lit up. This was a timely rain!  

A holy and warm power flowed through his fingertips. This was no longer a vague “luck” blessing but a powerful force that could truly influence reality and suppress evil.  

From the demonic disaster at Spirit Mountain to the immortal true meaning on the Spirit-Locking Nail, he increasingly sensed the hidden dangers lurking in this world.  

With this Divine Blessing of Nature, he had gained a powerful trump card—one strong enough to counter those dark forces!