(TN: Choice for Beast King Druid: Curse Immunity or Beast King's Will.)
(TN: Lv1 Curse Immunity: Reduces or grants immunity to most curse-based damage. Passive, non-upgradeable.)
(TN: Lv1 Beast King's Will: As a Beast King Druid, you possess a unique royal majesty that can grant immunity or reduction to most mental-type attacks, with a slight increase in spiritual power. Passive, non-upgradeable.)
'Curse Immunity... Beast King's Will...'
'Which one should I choose?'
Qi Ping hesitated for a brief moment before ultimately deciding on Beast King's Will.
While Curse Immunity was an excellent and rare skill, the likelihood of him needing it right now was too small. Furthermore, Qi Ping was not one to stir up trouble, so the chances of provoking an enemy who specialized in curses were slim. It was clearly unwise to waste a skill slot on a low-probability event.
'I can save that choice for later. If I ever encounter curse-type spells, I can pick it up when my Druid level increases again...'
'For now, Beast King's Will is better. It defends against mental attacks and provides a slight boost to my spiritual power!'
Compared to the rarity of curse encounters, the utility of Beast King's Will was much higher. Mental attacks, while not overwhelmingly common, were far from rare—especially after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, where such methods became increasingly prevalent.
Secondly, even a slight increase in spiritual power would make Qi Ping more effective at comprehending universal laws, studying formations, and casting the Plant Growth skill. Its benefits were constant and far-reaching.
(TN: Skill selection complete. Status panel generating...)
(TN: Name: Qi Ping)
(TN: Level: Lv5 (1/1600))
(TN: Profession: Beast King Druid (Primary), Shepherd of Trees (Jungle Druid Advancement) (Secondary))
(TN: Talents: Animal Companion, Natural Heart, Tree-Spirit Contract)
(TN: Animal Companions: (4/5) Golden Marrow Bee, Solar-Fire Crow, Fairy-Trance Spirit Fox (One-Seal), Hundred-Eyed Flower Sprite)
(TN: Wild Shape: (1/1) Golden Marrow Bee (Sub-forms: Golden Marrow Bee, High-Speed Ring-Cutter Bee, Big-Belly Bee, Balanced Bee, Poison Bee, Ink-Armor Bee))
(TN: Shared Talents: Grand Brewer, Solar Fire Physique, Fairy-Trance Divine Seal, Hundred-Eyed Demon Realm)
(TN: Special Talent: Blessing of Heaven and Earth)
(TN: Skills: Lv3 Plant Growth (373/400), Lv1 Beast King's Favor (42/100), Lv5 Barkskin (310/1600), Lv2 Healing Art (111/200), Lv3 Beast King's Flame (168/400))
(TN: Skills (Constant): Beast Speech, Beast Friendship, Feral Heart, Natural Perception, Beast King's Will)
(TN: Druid Exp +512, Plant Growth Exp +208, Beast King's Favor Exp +5, Barkskin Exp +522, Healing Art Exp +79, Beast King's Flame Exp +189.)
'It has been more than six months since I reached level four. The progress is quite good!'
Looking at the data on his attribute panel, Qi Ping could not help but smile with satisfaction. Through his hard work, his Druid panel was becoming increasingly magnificent!
Every significant change in his stats brought him immense joy. Usually, he judged whether his comprehension was on the right track based on his experience gains. Druid skills did not gain experience through mechanical repetition; Qi Ping had to grasp the correct direction to earn more. Thus, experience was not fixed—it fluctuated based on his level of insight.
Regardless of whether the experience came quickly or slowly, seeing his efforts bear fruit filled his heart with fulfillment, giving him the motivation to keep pushing forward.
A day like today, marked by a level-up, was the culmination of all his hard work. From the status panel alone, the success was delightful!
The Jungle Druid class had advanced to Shepherd of Trees. He had gained the critical talent, Tree-Spirit Contract, which he could use to nurture spiritual trees, create spirit lands, produce resources, or grow combat-type plants.
The Natural Affinity talent had evolved into Natural Heart, vastly increasing his affinity for plant-based energy and providing him with the foundation to become a top-tier formation master.
The Beast King Druid class had gained the new skill, Beast King's Will, which allowed him to resist mental attacks and bolstered his spiritual power. The benefits were infinite!
And this did not even account for his new animal companion slot or his achievements in cultivation spells. Such a massive leap in power made all the nights of effort over the past half-year worth it!
After advancing to level five and familiarizing himself with his new powers, Qi Ping gave himself a few days off. Every person's spirit and will had a threshold; rest and relaxation were necessary.
Maintaining a balance between tension and release ensured efficiency in cultivation and provided a better mindset to face the difficulties of the immortal path. While grinding was fun, constant strain was not. In the cultivation world, it was not uncommon for people to lose their minds—they either went on a killing spree only to be suppressed by others, or they were led astray by heart-demons, destroying a lifetime of progress.
On this day, Qi Ping lay leisurely on a soft, comfortable lawn, enjoying the gentle breeze and warm sunlight. Breathing in the fresh forest air mixed with the scent of herbs, he felt his body pulsing with vibrant life.
This was the true meaning of cultivation!
A cacophony of playfulness reached his ears. Qi Ping glanced sideways to see the little spirit fox and the flower sprite wrestling with each other. Both still possessed the temperament of children and were at an age where play was paramount.
Aside from the training Qi Ping required of them, they spent their days either playing or sleeping soundly. Their lives were quite carefree. The little spirit fox, in particular, was living its best life with plenty of spirit fruits to eat—it had even hidden a cache of fruits in a secret spot no one knew about!
Because the little flower sprite had gained true sentience right here, it didn't have many complicated thoughts. Sometimes it clung to Qi Ping, and other times it played with the spirit fox. The only thing it found strange was the big crow that basked in the sun atop the trees day after day; the bird didn't seem interested in playing with them.
As for the bee swarm, they continued their diligent work of gathering nectar and brewing honey. For them, the prosperity of the hive was the greatest source of happiness.
As Qi Ping watched the increasingly lively and warm scene on the peak, he felt satisfied, yet a trace of regret lingered in his heart. This place was getting better, but it did not truly belong to him. He still faced threats and inspections from the sect at any time.
Outside, a strange war was causing the deaths of countless cultivators, and the flames of that conflict could spread here at any moment.
What Qi Ping truly wanted was a territory that no one could disturb—a place where he could handle any risk. He wanted to farm and raise bees in peace, researching honey and spiritual trees with various special effects. For instance, he could use the Star-Spirit Wood engraved with the Spirit-Gathering Art to create spirit lands efficiently. Or perhaps a tree that collected solar essence or one that could launch explosive fireballs.
From there, he would slowly reach the peak of the immortal path, becoming both eternal and invincible.
As he pondered, a sudden clarity bloomed in Qi Ping's heart. A special aura slowly began to take shape around him.
'Is this... Dao-heart Intent?'