"Activate 'Element Gathering' and refine instantly!"
The Water Spirit silently merged into his body, and Li Pingcan immediately felt his understanding of [Water Manipulation] improve by a level. While his skill proficiency didn't increase, his control over water flow became noticeably smoother and more natural.
It seemed the Five Elements' energy could elevate the potential of corresponding elemental skills.
He checked his status panel. Under the [Element Gathering] section, the number behind "Water" had risen from "0" to "3"!
"The White Lady is truly generous! Even though I failed, she still gave me three Water Spirits."
The Five Elements' energy was naturally formed, a type of heavenly treasure. The White Lady likely had very few to spare.
Even Grandpa Peach Tree only possessed one "Earth Spirit."
However, judging by the aura they emitted, the White Lady was clearly a more powerful "spirit beast" than Grandpa Peach Tree.
Spirit animals seemed purer than humans—whether in their kindness or malice, they expressed everything directly without scheming or deception.
This was probably because they lived extraordinarily long lives and didn't care about short-term gains.Time could wash away hatred and grievances. Even after enduring suffering, looking back after centuries, past pains would become fleeting memories, allowing them to calmly say, "It was just a bit of hardship."
"For me, interacting with human cultivators is more dangerous than dealing with spirit beasts."
Human lives were short and filled with complex desires, lacking the purity of spirit creatures. The [Animal Affinity] effect was already weakened against ordinary people and likely useless against immortal cultivators.
Yet despite being imprisoned, the White Lady still chose to protect Dragon Spring Town's residents—a clear testament to her virtuous nature.
As Li Pingcan pondered, he realized that as a Druid, he might bypass human cultivators entirely and obtain cultivation resources from spirit beasts... allowing for a more low-key and steady approach.
Of course, spirit beasts' resources wouldn't be as suitable for him as human cultivation methods like spells and techniques. But for early-stage development, it seemed sufficient.
He had been worrying about how to gather resources as an unregistered immortal official under the Great Yu Dynasty's system. Now, a tailor-made path lay before him.
Traveling with spirit beasts!
Li Pingcan's spirits lifted, his thoughts clearing as he suddenly felt boundless freedom.
…………
Returning to the White Lady's cave.
"Why did you take so long?"
Li Yuan approached Li Pingcan with an "I knew it" expression, saying, "Eating dry rations, huh? Can't even take a proper shit. Keep eating like this, and you'll definitely get hemorrhoids!"
Li Pingcan glanced at Li Pingfu, speechless. Brother, is this the excuse you came up with?
By the time they returned to the village, who knew how this story would spread.
Li Pingfu shot him a look in return—be grateful there's any excuse at all!
After exchanging glances, Li Pingfu confirmed his younger brother's success and relaxed.
The worship ceremony concluded.
The brothers and other townspeople boarded boats to return ashore. The bustling crowd wore expressions of contentment and relief.
On the emerald waves, boatmen rowed steadily. The wooden vessels rocked gently, oars creaking against the hull.
A sudden hush fell over everyone as they basked in the peaceful, tranquil atmosphere. An elderly man at the bow began telling his grandson a story in a kindly voice:
"Long, long ago, there was a kind white snake..."
His melodious voice carried the ancient tale across the river of time, passing it down through generations.
…………
Dragon Spring Town's night market was as lively as ever.
Green tiles and red lanterns adorned the streets, with colorful flags fluttering. Shadow puppeteers performed, vendors hawked snacks, and merchants from distant lands displayed porcelain and jewelry.
Li Pingcan bought gifts for his parents, second brother, and Xie Yuan.
For his father, a small knife; for his second brother, ink; for his mother and younger sister, jewelry that women favored.
After surviving the initial growth period of the peach trees, the past five years had been prosperous. The peach harvest had multiplied, and the medicinal herbs cultivated by hired farmer Zhou Yu brought additional income, steadily improving the family's finances.
Li Pingcan rarely spent money, saving years' worth of New Year's gifts. Combined with the twenty taels of silver his mother secretly gave him and a gold leaf from his father, he could rightfully be called a "minor tycoon."
"Big brother, what did you buy?"
Li Pingcan probed for "intel." If Li Pingfu's gifts were too shoddy, he'd definitely criticize. If they were too extravagant... that wouldn't do either!
"Similar to yours." Li Pingfu carried a lotus-leaf-wrapped roast chicken in one hand and various gift packages in the other. "The thought counts. If you spend too much, Mom will scold you for 'wasting money.'"
Li Pingcan nodded in agreement, recalling an incident.
Once, for his mother's birthday, he spent two taels on an expensive orchid. Instead of praise, he received a scolding and sulked for hours.
Now he understood—his mother wasn't ungrateful, just practical. She valued thoughtful gifts over costly ones.
Hearing the Li brothers' conversation, other excited youths also dove into the night market to pick gifts for their families.
…………
The next dawn, as faint light emerged, the Weiyuan Escort Agency set off back to Flat Peach Town.
They took a different route this time.
Unlike the main road, this path cut through the mountains, bypassing distant detours for faster travel.
The trail was narrower, but the trampled grass on either side indicated frequent use.
Li Pingcan tilted his head slightly, switching to his raven's perspective. Sure enough, he spotted a mountain village with rising smoke not far ahead. A giant rock at its entrance was carved with "Eight Directions Village."
Villagers went about their daily tasks—gathering firewood, fetching water—while a wooden watchtower provided a broad view of the surroundings.
"Where did this huge crow come from? Such bad luck."
Someone on the watchtower cursed and threw a stone at the bird. Little Black cawed loudly, dropped a watery mess on the man's head, and flew off triumphantly.
Li Pingcan sighed and shifted his gaze to the "toll station" ahead.
Fang Lin halted the convoy, exchanged quiet words with the villagers guarding the path, slipped them some silver, then waved the group forward.
No wonder there were no shortcuts during Zhou Enxian's training trip—everything relied on connections and bribes. Li Pingcan suspected that without proper payment or relationships, these villagers could instantly turn into bandits, attacking without hesitation.
'But mountain villagers have lived here for generations... could they have clues about "Metal Spirits" or "Fire Spirits"?'
Li Pingcan pondered.
The Five Elements' spirits often emerged in secluded places.
He had asked the White Lady, but confined to the lake, she knew nothing.
Ultimately, he had to rely on himself.
Night fell.
The convoy camped outdoors around a flickering bonfire. A large pot hung over the flames, simmering with salted, dried chicken chunks. Ghost-Faced Kid Zhang Hua gathered wild celery and dandelions by the stream, adding them to the stew for extra flavor.
With no need to rush on the return trip, they leisurely enjoyed the meal while chatting.
"Little Black, where did you find that crystal?"
Using a bathroom break as an excuse, Li Pingcan slipped away and noticed a faint glint in Little Black's beak.
Since childhood, the raven had loved shiny objects—mostly worthless but eye-catching.
But when he saw what it held, his smile froze.
Little Black wasn't carrying a crystal—but a cluster of Glowshrooms!