Druid Fairy

Chapter 82 The Form and Meaning of Beasts
The Lingshan Mountain, shrouded in mist, was entangled with wisps of black light.

The Nine-Colored Spirit Deer's once vibrant fur was now stained with mud, and it was spitting out a black, viscous liquid. It looked disheveled, its eyes were ferocious, and it had lost its mind.

It looks a bit like a zombie beast from a post-apocalyptic movie...

Li Pingcan thought silently.

Suddenly, the spirit deer, which had been motionless for a long time, stood up abruptly, its antlers pointing skyward, and charged towards the spirit bear.

"excuse me."

The four spirit beasts bowed respectfully, looking at the spirit deer with a mixture of helplessness and sorrow. Each of them occupied a corner in the cardinal directions, their bodies radiating ripples of spiritual energy. Then, the monkey leaped lightly, the white crane danced in flight, and the magnificent tiger roared angrily, causing the forest leaves to ripple and fall like waves.

The roar also made the spirit deer pause.

The spirit bear, the target of the attack, stood up, its broad body instantly enveloping the spirit deer. It pushed forward with both palms, and just as the deer's antlers were about to pierce its own calf, it struck the spirit deer hard on the back of the neck, causing it to convulse for a moment before completely losing consciousness.

Li Pingcan narrowed his eyes, watching the four beasts' movements as they connected. Their moves were clean and crisp, subtly in harmony with the natural world, and imbued with the essence of spirit beasts.

The flashes of inspiration in my mind were like a sky full of stars, which felt very mysterious.

An idea began to form in his mind.

'Could you observe the movements of these five spirit beasts and comprehend a set of techniques?'

Since ancient times, there have been techniques that were adapted from animal movements and used by humans to improve health. The famous "Five Animal Frolics" originated from this practice.

Li Pingcan didn't need the Five Animal Frolics exercise; he wanted a set of exercises that were even more powerful than the Five Animal Frolics.

Martial arts school masters all have two or three different martial arts techniques. For example, the master of the Azure Dragon School can practice both the Azure Dragon Cloud-Piercing Hand and the Azure Dragon Nine-Turned Step, which is truly unpredictable and versatile!
However, because the eldest brother's Black Tiger Kung Fu was too powerful, it was difficult to find suitable other kung fu techniques to match, which resulted in a limited range of effects.

In a one-on-one fight, one can "overcome all techniques with one's own strength," but if one fights against many with few, one's two fists are no match for four hands, and one may suffer a loss.

If one can comprehend a set of techniques that include multiple moves such as fist techniques, body techniques, palm techniques, and footwork, or even the "Tiger and Crane Dual Forms" where the moves complement each other, then the historical problems arising from the initial practice of the Black Tiger Technique and White Crane Technique will be easily resolved.

Li Pingcan could tell that the four spirit beasts cooperated well, which must be a "battle formation" they had been practicing on a regular basis. In battle, the four spirit beasts would form a whole and unleash power far exceeding four times their normal strength!

But deep down, the inspiration could never break free from the shackles of the fog, the understanding was not genuine enough, and something was clearly missing.

And this crucial link is probably due to the absence of the spirit deer.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon the spirit deer.

The spirit bear noticed the bird's gaze and said sullenly, "Knocking out the spirit deer is a last resort, with limited effect. Under the influence of demonic energy, the deer will soon wake up and continue its madness, neither deer nor ghost."

The white crane's wings stood out starkly against the black mist. "If not for the guidance of the old mulberry tree, we would not have known you. We have no other choice but to ask you to save the little deer."

Having been together for a hundred years, the five spirits were as one. They lived a carefree life on Mount Ling, but their peaceful days were suddenly shattered by a calamity.

Druids can sense the mountains, rivers, and all things in nature, the spirits of the natural world.

Conversely, the purer and more innocent a mountain spirit is, the more likely it is to sense the presence of a druid.

The mountain spirits were surprised, delighted, and blessed this embodiment of nature. Just knowing of its existence was enough to make them jubilant and filled them with happiness.

The old mulberry tree did not want to disturb this being, but the four spirits pleaded with it. After careful consideration, it built a "bridge" for the four spirits to communicate with that being.

Hearing the four spirits' plea, Li Pingcan felt helpless.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to help.

The spirit beasts of Mount Ling are the most numerous we have encountered so far, and they have lived for a very long time. They must know many secrets of the path to immortality, which will be of great help to our future path to immortality.

That's a long way off, so let's leave it at that.

According to the Four Spirits, by saving the Spirit Deer, he will not only receive their gratitude and witness the complete Five Spirits Battle Formation, but also receive their treasures!
Li Pingcan was actually quite tempted by all the benefits and opportunities. There was also a touch of pity for Lu Ling's suffering, as well as disgust for "demonic energy".

Do you not want to save them?
He didn't know how to save her!

"I'll give it a try first!"

After a moment of contemplation, Li Pingcan gave the Four Spirits a heads-up: "However, my abilities are limited, and I may not be able to save the Spirit Deer."

"Thank you so much!"

"Please give it a try."

"No matter the outcome, you will always be my Tiger's benefactor!"

Even so, the four spirits were moved to tears, their eyes sparkling with joy.

Such a sincere friendship...it's truly touching.

Infected by this emotion, Li Pingcan's expression became serious as he looked into the eyes of the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer.

Within the spirit deer's pupils, a crystalline object continuously emitted demonic energy.

This is the root of the evil.

For safety's sake, Li Pingcan would never directly contact the source of the demonic calamity, and the talisman he carried gave him a great sense of security.

Trying to communicate with the spirit deer using the "Animal Talk" feature, I discovered that the deer had completely lost its rationality.

After a moment's thought, he decided to use [Nature's Gift] + [Boost Resistance] to create an "immunotherapy"!
Healthy spirit beasts can resist demonic energy. The reason why the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer was infected was because its aura was already weak before it was injected with demonic energy.

Therefore, by strengthening their body's resistance to supernatural forces and adding blessings of good fortune, they might be able to get through it.

From a medical perspective, in the absence of a specific treatment, the only option is to boost the immune system!

"Use 'Enhance Resistance'".

A beam of light, invisible to the mortals, fell upon the spirit deer. As its resistance increased, the blackness on the spirit deer's body gradually dissipated, much to the delight of the spirit beasts.

"Unleash the 'Gifts of Nature'!"

A refreshing breeze rustled the leaves, and the Nine-Colored Spirit Deer received the blessing of "restoration." With the combined effect of the two skills, the dark aura visibly dissipated.

'It actually works?'

Li Pingcan exhaled a slight breath of stale air.

To be honest, he was under a lot of pressure; if he couldn't succeed, he had no other choice.

We can't very well use one of our trump cards, the 'Golden Exorcism Talisman', can we? Besides, demonic energy isn't really evil spirits or malevolent entities; it's more like a curse or contamination, so the exorcism talisman would have limited effectiveness.

From beneath the trees came the cheers of the four spirits.

"Great! The fawn is saved!"

"The old mulberry tree was right after all."

"Look, the fawn is waking up."

The four spirits were fully focused, wary of the spirit deer going mad while the demonic energy had not completely subsided. They saw the spirit deer blink its eyes and ask in confusion, "Tiger Big, Bear Two, Ape Three, Crane Four... what are you doing here?"

It belatedly recalled what had happened, its pupils slowly constricting, and a look of lingering fear and gratitude appeared on its face. "Thank you, benefactor."

Li Pingcan flapped his wings and said, "No need for formalities, I'm just giving it my best."

"Does my benefactor have a name, and how should I address him?" Xiong Er asked respectfully.

Li Pingcan appears to be just an ordinary bird, unremarkable in the Spirit Mountain. But the Five Spirits dare not underestimate him in the slightest. He can move freely through the Spirit Mountain without leaking any aura. This effortless control must belong to a great spirit that has lived for thousands of years!
They never considered that Li Pingcan was truly an ordinary bird or a mortal; they only found the bird mysterious and unpredictable.

"Call me 'Nightingale,' or simply 'Fellow Daoist.'"

Li Pingcan transformed into an ordinary nightingale.

The spirit beasts, including Hu Da, dared not address him as "fellow Daoist," and instead called him "Night Immortal Venerable," which allowed Li Pingcan to experience the joy of being an immortal.

Receiving each other's "Taoist names" adds a touch of harmony to an already close relationship.

Li Pingcan gathered information about the celestial officials and inquired about the causes and consequences of the demonic disaster.

Wu Ling sneered, and Hu Da said even more bluntly, "If that cultivator hadn't used tricks to lure me away from the mountain and accidentally left the little deer alone, with his cultivation level, he wouldn't have been able to show off in front of us Wu Ling."

The image of the cultivator they described matched Li Pingcan's impression of Liang Xianguan.

A lone spirit beast is no match for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, but a fully-formed Five Spirits can defeat Liang Xianguan.

The defeat stemmed from their calculated attack on the unsuspecting enemy, which led to the deer spirit's suffering. Looking at the five spirits, filled with righteous indignation, Li Pingcan rested his chin on his wingtip and tentatively asked, "So, do you intend to take revenge on Immortal Liang?"

"Revenge?" Tiger shook his head, and the other four spirits also sighed.

Having suffered such a huge loss, how could he not be furious, wishing he could swallow that Immortal Liang whole?

But in reality, they were helpless against Liang Xianguan.

The spirit ape sighed, "The dynasty's fortune protects the celestial officials. If they die, the dynasty will track them down and they will suffer a backlash from the fortune. Moreover, in times of crisis, celestial officials can use the dynasty's secret treasures to unleash combat power beyond their level, and they can also mobilize the earth vein array to attack and defend freely."

Li Pingcan's expression turned serious. If that were really the case, wouldn't the immortal officials of the Great Yu Dynasty be considered invincible?

A ninth-rank celestial official might not be difficult to kill, but the real challenge lies with the dynastic system. Even if you kill someone, you cannot escape the endless manhunt and pursuit.

No wonder every cultivator wants to become a celestial official!
'Unless it spreads to another dynasty... that's not so easy!'

He pondered to himself, and tentatively asked, "Is there any other way to evade the perception of the dynasty's destiny?"

"It's not impossible," Hu Da said in a deep voice. "If we can establish a training ground, we can shield ourselves from the dynasty's perception."

"A dojo?"

"The Great Yu Dynasty was a huge Taoist temple, and sects were also allowed to open their own temples after submitting to the dynasty. Similar to heretical sects and demonic paths, they could open small temples in secret to intercept the dynasty's fortune and oppose the celestial officials."

Li Pingcan asked a few more questions, but Hu Da was not a member of the dynasty and only knew superficial information.

For example, they knew nothing about confidential matters such as how to set up a dojo and what materials were needed.

He lowered his head in deep thought.

Even if I cultivate, I can never become a member of the dynasty's system in this lifetime. Once the secret of my spiritual root is exposed, it will bring ruin to my family. In other words, I cannot board the great ship of the Great Yu Dynasty.

"Furthermore, according to Tiger, while becoming a celestial official certainly comes with various privileges, there's no such thing as a free lunch. The honor and disgrace of celestial officials lie in their political achievements, accumulating merit and fortune for the dynasty."

Good political performance leads to promotion and wealth, ensuring a stable career path.

Those with poor performance will have to give back double what they were given.

Once, Bai He saw a celestial official commit a "grave mistake," which resulted in the confiscation of his family's property and the extermination of his clan. His cultivation and lifespan were also plundered by the dynasty, and he instantly fell from a high-ranking Foundation Establishment cultivator to a mere Qi Refining Level 1 cultivator, suffering a tragic end.

It's like being someone's slave, and you still have to keep your boss happy, or else you'll be killed... It's even more terrifying than the 996 work schedule of my previous life.

The ships of the Great Yu Dynasty are tall and imposing, but one must be able to sit firmly on them!
'The secrets of establishing a Daoist temple are difficult to obtain from celestial officials. To do so, one might have to glean the information from heretical cultivators...'

'But the Daoist temple is still too far away. Even if I become a rogue cultivator, as long as I don't provoke the dynasty's officials, I'll still be safe.'

'Furthermore, while I cannot enter the celestial official system, my descendants can; there are always ways to break through the tracing of destiny.'

Having rescued the spirit deer today and learned the secrets of the immortal path, I am already extremely satisfied.

If you really have to struggle and fall in the world, you don't know how many times you'll have to get accurate information.

I glanced at the time; it was almost time to go back with my older brother.

Li Pingcan calmed himself down, looked at the Five Spirits, and made his final request: "Could you five spirits form an array so that I can observe it?"

"my pleasure."

Wu Ling was overjoyed. He was just wondering how to repay Night Immortal Venerable. This mere exercise was far too easy!

…………

[While observing the Five Elements Formation in the Spirit Mountain, witnessing the tiger's ferocity, the deer's tranquility, the bear's composure, the agility of the ape, and the crane's swiftness, you were deeply inspired by the spirit beasts' forms and intentions. A surge of inspiration flowed through you, and you successfully awakened the skill [Beast Form and Intent].]

Li Pingcan flew back into the cave through a small hole at the top of the cave entrance, dodging the hanging sharp rocks as lightly as a bat. Then he transformed back into human form and tiptoed back into the spacious cave through a passage.

Unnoticed by others, only Lei Yunyun, who was focused on Li Pingcan, whispered a comforting word: "You must be having a hard time eating, right? There's nothing we can do now, we only have pancakes to eat."

The remaining animal meat was supplied to the martial arts school owners to maintain their fighting strength.

Her eyes were filled with sympathy. She had disliked eating vegetables as a child and had experienced the pain of constipation, so she could empathize with her.

Li Pingcan immediately looked at Li Pingfu, speechless. "Brother, can you come up with a different excuse?"

After exchanging a few words with Lei Yunyun, he pretended to be unwell and closed his eyes to doze off.

But in his mind, he was looking at the description of [Beast Form and Intent] on the panel.

[You can unleash techniques related to the Five Spirit Beasts, comprehend their essence, unleash the power of different spirit beasts, and stimulate your body's bloodline. This ability can break through the upper limit of human martial arts cultivation.]

Break through the limits of martial arts!

Li Pingcan was overjoyed. As everyone knows, the highest level of martial arts is only Grandmaster, which is equivalent to a cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining. If he can continue to break through the upper limit, wouldn't he be comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

It completely opened up the path of cultivating immortality through "body refinement"!

"The Great Yu Dynasty's fortune system is too domineering. A single spell can destroy a person invisibly. Therefore, martial artists are merely the foundation for maintaining stability for the dynasty, or even expendable resources on the battlefield."

"Suppressing martial arts and promoting immortality has always been the national policy of the Great Yu Dynasty!"

Before embarking on the path of martial arts, Li Pingcan had some aspirations for it, but after gaining more and more comprehensive information, he realized that the prevailing attitude of the entire dynasty was to look down on uncouth martial artists.

The reason is simple: in this world where strength reigns supreme, martial artists are not powerful enough!

If the Beast Form and Intent can truly break through the upper limit, or even just reach the level of "Foundation Building", it could bring new changes to the dynasty.

"First, write down the techniques you've learned from the Beast Form and teach them to my elder brother. That will help solve the problem of having too few moves with the Black Tiger Technique."

Li Pingcan immersed himself in the image of the Five Spirits' graceful movements, trying to deduce a peerless martial arts technique.

He already possessed some talent in martial arts, and with the aid of skills, any insights he gained would be solidified into proficiency. As his level increased, these insights would transform into new ones, creating a virtuous cycle.

For a moment, all was quiet, except for the rapid ticking of the [Beast Form Proficiency +1] bar.

…………

Before the final demonic energy dissipated, while the warriors remained hidden and the area was sparsely populated, they took advantage of the situation.

Li Pingcan took some time to visit Lingshan, where he watched the Five Spirits practice their formation and gained many insights into martial arts.

To express their gratitude to the Night Immortal, the Five Spirits presented precious plants and fruits, scattered notes of insights from human cultivators, several martial arts manuals and weapons... as a token of their appreciation.

Li Pingcan shook his head helplessly.

The precious plants and fruits were digested after eating, but I dared not carry the cultivator's notes with me. What if they were discovered on the way back?
Upon learning of Liang Xianguan's methods in dealing with the powerful clans in the county, he knew that Liang was a man of deep thoughts and not someone to be trifled with, so it was best to be cautious.

As long as the Five Spirits are still on Mount Ling, we'll get them sooner or later.

He asked if ordinary people could find their way back after leaving Mount Ling. The five spirits all shook their heads. This bewitching array was extremely deceptive. Only those with strong divine sense could have a chance to find their way back by relying on a single leaf from the old mulberry tree.

Li Pingcan sighed. His divine sense was not weak, but it was still only within the realm of mortals. If he wanted to return to Mount Ling, he would probably have to step into the realm of immortal cultivation.

When the treasure-hunting bee was taken out, the once ferocious bee was now flapping its wings and landing on the spirit deer's antlers, looking quite docile.

These killer bees are only fierce within their own nest.

Li Pingcan smiled slightly and asked the Five Spirits to look after the Treasure-Seeking Bees to reduce the possibility of them being damaged.

After consuming three precious fruits and two precious herbs, he asked, as was his custom, before leaving, "Do the spirits of the five elements of heaven and earth exist?"

I asked this question with the mindset of "let's try our luck first," but to my surprise, Hu Da lowered his eyes slightly and said, "On the western mountain of Taichang Mountain, there is a spirit beast called 'Pan-Mountain Turtle,' which may possess the aura of metal spirit."

Li Pingcan was taken aback. Taichangshan sounded familiar.

Upon closer reflection, wasn't the legendary meteorite taken away by a "mysterious entity"?
It turned out to be a pangolin!
"Taichang Mountain is just an ordinary mountain, yet it has spirit beasts living there?"

Xiong Er explained, "Because the pangolin likes to sleep underground, it can cultivate slowly while sleeping, and it is difficult to find because it is shaped like a rock. Once it is woken up, it becomes irritable. If Night Immortal Venerable wants to find it, we can provide you with an introduction to help it control its bad temper."

They were also afraid that the pangolin's bad temper would displease the immortal.

No wonder I searched for it in vain before. This thing is like a stone underground, and it has a sense of the earth's veins. It senses that it is also a stubborn rock.

Li Pingcan gladly accepted the bear hair and crane feathers, his eyes shining brightly as he gazed at the distant mountains, his spirits soaring.

(End of this chapter)