Immortal Druid

[POV: Old Black]

The Hermit Sage Forest earned its name because of Wo Li.

To outsiders, he was the mysterious cultivator with silver hair and pointed ears who transformed the once ordinary forest into a sacred land overflowing with spiritual energy. To the beasts within the forest, however, Wo Li was something far greater.

He was their master.

And now, their home was under attack.

The forest descended into utter chaos.

“Aaaaaargh!”

“Get it out of my head!”

“MONSTERS! THERE ARE MONSTERS EVERYWHERE!”

Dark Order cultivators stumbled blindly through the forest, clawing at their own faces and screaming incoherently. Some hacked wildly at empty air while others attacked their own allies in terror. Blood soaked the earth as spiritual techniques exploded randomly between the trees.

Watching over the carnage was Old Black.

The enormous serpent slithered soundlessly across thick branches high above the battlefield, his black scales blending seamlessly with the darkness. His golden eyes glowed faintly with cruel amusement.

At the Core Formation Realm, Old Black’s strength was already terrifying. Among cultivators, it was common knowledge that beasts naturally possessed stronger physiques and greater potency than humans within the same realm.

And Old Black specialized in illusions.

The venom hidden within his fangs did not merely poison the body. More than that, it poisoned the mind itself. A Dark Order Core Formation cultivator staggered through the forest, panting heavily as hallucinations consumed his senses. Before he could regain clarity, Old Black struck.

The serpent’s massive body wrapped around the cultivator instantly.

Crack!

The sound of a spine snapping echoed through the trees.

The cultivator released a shrill scream before Old Black casually tossed the broken body toward the undergrowth below.

The surrounding beasts immediately surged forward.

“You brought the nasty seeds into our forest!”

“Kill him!”

“For the Master!”

A swarm of spirit monkeys clawed at the cultivator’s face while venomous wolves bit into his limbs. Vines erupted from the earth and pierced his flesh as smaller beasts tore into him with savage fury.

Old Black flicked his tongue calmly.

Individually, many of these beasts were weak.

But beneath his illusions, the Dark Order cultivators could no longer distinguish reality from nightmare. Their senses betrayed them constantly, allowing even lesser beasts to inflict devastating damage through coordination.

The Master entrusted him with protecting the forest.

Old Black intended to fulfill that duty properly.

…

..

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[POV: Roo]

Elsewhere in the forest, a certain kangaroo caused an entirely different kind of chaos.

His name was Roo.

Despite merely being at the Foundation Establishment Realm, Roo rampaged through the battlefield with astonishing enthusiasm.

“I SHALL HAVE THE MOST PASSIONATE BATTLE EVER!” Roo bellowed while leaping between trees. “YOU INTRUDERS SHALL LEARN THE MEANING OF TRUE FEAR!”

A Dark Order cultivator barely managed to look upward before Roo descended from above like a falling meteor.

Bang!

The cultivator crashed into the ground violently.

Beside Roo, a massive tiger pounced onto another enemy and bit directly into their shoulder.

“FOR THE FOREST!” the tiger roared proudly.

“BITE THEM!”

“PROTECT THE TREES!”

“GET THEIR LEGS!”

Other beasts joined the fray excitedly. A troop of monkeys hurled sharpened fruits and stones from above. Several giant boars charged through the battlefield like battering rams, tossing cultivators into trees. Spirit deer kicked enemies with glowing hooves before darting away gracefully. An owl swooped downward silently and tore out the eyes of a fleeing cultivator. Meanwhile, a family of raccoons shamelessly looted storage rings from unconscious enemies.

Roo dodged through the battlefield with shocking agility.

A frenzied cultivator lunged at him with a sword.

Roo leaned backward just enough for the blade to miss before spinning acrobatically and smashing the enemy across the face with his tail.

Crack!

The cultivator spun through the air.

Roo immediately bounced forward again, delivering several rapid punches before launching another enemy away with a powerful kick.

“I DECLARE THE WAY OF THE BOUND STRIDER TO BE THE STRONGEST MARTIAL ART UNDER THE HEAVENS!” Roo cried triumphantly.

Even the beasts paused briefly to stare at him.

Then the fighting resumed immediately.

…

..

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[POV: Zhen Ai]

Far above the forest, Zhen Ai soared through the storm clouds in her dragon form.

Her azure scales shimmered beneath flashes of lightning as rain poured endlessly from the heavens. Spiritual pressure rolled outward from her enormous body, causing cultivators below to tremble instinctively.

Below her, the cultivator fled desperately through the forest.

Subduing a Nascent Soul cultivator of equal realm was never easy, even with superior numbers. A desperate Nascent Soul expert could unleash catastrophic destruction if cornered improperly.

Still, they had no choice.

This was for Wo Li.

Zhen Ai’s eyes narrowed.

Then she opened her jaws and roared.

“ROOOOOOOOAR!”

The heavens shook violently.

Draconic pressure exploded outward alongside the roar, carrying the terrifying might of her bloodline. The very souls of nearby cultivators trembled as primal fear consumed them instinctively.

Teng Hua’s figure suddenly vanished.

He attempted escape through stealth techniques and concealment arts.

Unfortunately for him, rain covered the entire battlefield. And through every droplet, Zhen Ai could feel movement. “There!” Zhen Ai roared through sound transmission. “He escaped toward the eastern edge of the forest!”

Li Qing and Guo Yupin reacted instantly.

Zhen Ai’s dragon body blurred.

Nascent Soul cultivators possessed the ability to traverse vast distances instantly through movement techniques. In a single breath, she crossed enormous stretches of forest.

She reached the edge of the woods moments later.

Then she roared again.

This time, qi surged into the heavens.

Lightning descended.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Bolts of heavenly lightning rained down across the forest, forcing Teng Hua from concealment. At the same moment, countless swords materialized high above the skies.

Guo Yupin stood in the distance with wild excitement burning in his eyes.

Sword formations filled the heavens.

Every escape route was sealed.

Li Qing raised both hands and shouted toward the forest itself.

“REVEAL!”

The earth trembled. Trees shifted violently. Massive roots twisted aside while the dense forest opened unnaturally, forming a direct pathway toward the fleeing Teng Hua.

His figure became fully exposed.

Zhen Ai’s eyes flashed as she unleashed dragon’s breath.

…

..

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[POV: Li Qing]

In the end, the traitor escaped.

Li Qing stood silently beneath the rain as the forest slowly calmed around her. Broken trees littered the battlefield while the scent of scorched earth lingered in the air from Zhen Ai’s lightning and dragon breath.

The teleportation ability possessed by Nascent Soul cultivators was notoriously troublesome. Once such an expert fully committed to escape, stopping them became exceedingly difficult, especially when the target specialized in infiltration and concealment arts.

Still, Li Qing’s expression remained calm.

This outcome had already been within her calculations.

She turned toward Guo Yupin.

“Did you manage to do it?” Li Qing asked.

Guo Yupin grinned proudly and raised one of his swords.

“I did.”

At the tip of the blade rested a small smear of fresh blood.

Her fingers lightly scraped the blood away before she retrieved an orb from within her sleeve. It was the Heavenly Eye. The artifact shimmered with countless hues beneath the stormy sky, as though entire galaxies swirled endlessly within the orb itself.

Li Qing hesitated briefly.

She disliked using this spell.

The price was severe.

Once activated, the Heavenly Eye would become sealed for a prolonged period of time. And depending on the “weight” of the target’s existence from their karma, fate, secrets, and destiny? The backlash would worsen dramatically.

Yet she no longer had a choice.

Every simulation she performed through the Heavenly Eye regarding Teng Hua’s capture ended in failure. Every single path eventually led to the traitor escaping through methods she could not fully predict.

More strangely?

Whenever Sage Wo Li was included in the simulations, the outcome became unstable.

It was as though Teng Hua instinctively sensed danger the moment Wo Li became involved. Even theoretical futures caused the infiltrator to react and flee desperately.

Li Qing suspected some form of advanced danger-sense technique.

“Guard me,” Li Qing said solemnly.

Guo Yupin’s expression immediately sharpened.

“Leave it to me.”

Li Qing closed her eyes.

The blood upon her fingertips ignited into pale flames before flowing into the Heavenly Eye. Instantly, the orb pulsed violently.

Visions flooded her mind. She saw a child wandering through poisonous mountains. A young Teng Hua kneeling before monstrous centipedes larger than houses. Faces. Hundreds of faces. Thousands. Cultivators screaming while their skin was peeled away. Dark caverns hidden beneath mountains. Secret meetings. Blood rituals.

Several portions of Teng Hua’s memories became blurred and inaccessible, clearly protected by powerful seals meant to obstruct divination.

Even so, Li Qing saw enough.

When the spell ended, the Heavenly Eye dimmed immediately as a headache assaulted her.

Li Qing staggered backward slightly, her face pale.

Guo Yupin hurried forward.

“What’s wrong?” he asked grimly.

Li Qing slowly lifted her head.

“Everything,” she answered quietly.

Guo Yupin frowned deeply.

Li Qing’s voice turned heavy.

“A dangerous figure infiltrated your sect.”

The moment those words fell, Guo Yupin’s expression changed completely. The Serenity Cliff Sect was in danger.

Before either could speak further, a powerful gust swept across the clearing.

An enormous eagle descended from the sky.

Mid-flight, the beast transformed into a silver-haired man with pointed ears before landing lightly upon the ground.

Wo Li arrived.

“What happened here?” Wo Li asked.

At the same time, Zhen Ai descended from the storm clouds above and transformed back into her human form. Unfortunately, unlike Wo Li’s transformations, hers did not preserve clothing. Rain poured over her naked figure as she landed beside them casually, seemingly unbothered.

Guo Yupin barely spared her a glance.

“We must return to the Serenity Cliff Sect immediately,” he said urgently.

…

..

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[POV: Teng Hua]

Teng Hua’s escape was miserable.

The dragon breath alone nearly crippled him. His flesh still burned from the lingering draconic qi poisoning his meridians. Worse, Guo Yupin managed to land a strike before Teng Hua fled, leaving sword intent buried deep within his body.

The moment Teng Hua sensed overwhelming danger erupting behind him, he abandoned every remaining thought of turning the battle around.

He escaped instantly.

Using a spatial talisman hidden beneath his robes, Teng Hua tore through space itself and reappeared within a secret chamber deep beneath Serenity Cliff Sect.

The chamber was empty.

That immediately unsettled him.

Normally, the ancestor cultivated there in seclusion.

“Tch…”

Teng Hua limped forward painfully.

His breathing was ragged as blood dripped steadily from his wounds. Slowly, he emerged from the underground passageway onto an enormous cliffside overlooking a vast lake surrounded by dense forests.

Suddenly, he smelled blood.

A lot of blood.

Soon after, screams reached his ears.

“HELP!”

“PLEASE STOP!”

“AAAAAAAH!”

“Young master—!”

Teng Hua’s expression stiffened. He hurried toward the source of the commotion as dread slowly crawled into his chest. When he finally arrived, he froze.

The ancestor stood amidst piles of corpses drenched in blood.

Cultivators littered the ground around him like discarded trash. Some were dead. Others still twitched weakly while their souls were forcibly extracted from their bodies.

The ancestor turned calmly toward Teng Hua.

“Oh, Teng Hua,” he said pleasantly. “I didn’t see you there.”

Teng Hua’s lips trembled slightly.

“W-What are you doing?”

The ancestor tilted his head.

“This is the ritual I need to perform in order to ascend into the Immortal Realm,” he answered casually. “Does it surprise you?”

Before Teng Hua could respond, the ancestor drove his hand into a nearby cultivator’s chest.

The victim screamed horribly.

Moments later, the ancestor ripped a glowing soul directly from the body.

“I was very pleased with the information you sent me earlier,” the ancestor continued. “But I really do not like being lied to.”

Teng Hua stiffened.

“What… do you mean?”

The ancestor raised a finger.

A paper crane descended from above and landed gently upon it.

“I knew you were trying to use me,” the ancestor remarked calmly. “I did not mind. Such things are normal within the cultivation world. But how dare you lie to me about the Shén?”

A terrifying pressure descended instantly.

“Why did you not tell me about the Shén?”

Cold terror flooded Teng Hua’s entire body.

“I-I can explain—”

Thud.

His head fell to the ground before he even realized what happened.

…

..

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Guo Yupin guided the way personally.

Li Qing remained behind to guard Li Ming after discovering the scale of the infiltration. Zhen Ai also stayed within the Hermit Sage Forest to help clean up the remaining Dark Order cultivators hiding among the trees.

That left only the two of us rushing toward the Serenity Cliff Sect.

The entire way there, my Druidic Insight screamed at me.

It hammered against the back of my skull relentlessly, filling me with a growing sense of dread that only worsened the closer we got. Nature itself felt disturbed. Wrong. The wind carried the scent of death long before the sect even came into view.

When we arrived, it was already too late.

An explosion erupted from the mountain cliff ahead.

BOOOOOOM!

The entire peak shattered apart before my eyes.

Massive cracks split across the enormous cliffside as spiritual energy burst violently from within the mountain itself. The upper half of the Serenity Cliff Sect detached completely before collapsing downward into the lake below.

The impact shook the heavens.

Water exploded upward in towering waves while debris rained across the landscape like meteors. Entire buildings crumbled apart midair. Bridges snapped. Cultivators screamed as they fell alongside the ruins.

My chest tightened.

And somewhere deeper within me, something laughed.

“Heh… you don’t have it in you,” the Monster whispered mockingly from the darkness inside my mind. “Give me your body. I’ll kill him for you.”

I crushed the voice immediately.

No.

The laughter faded, though I could still feel it lingering somewhere in the back of my consciousness like a predator waiting patiently.

Beside me, Guo Yupin stumbled forward.

“No…”

The old man fell to his knees. His swords clattered against the broken earth as he stared blankly at the collapsing remains of his sect.

“NO!” Guo Yupin cried out hoarsely. “My sect…!”

I had never seen him like this before. The Sword Formation King always carried himself with arrogance and confidence, even in the face of death. Yet now, he looked like a broken old man watching his home burn to ashes.

A figure slowly descended from the skies above the ruined cliff.

At first, my heart almost stopped.

It was Guo Yimu.

No.

This wasn’t the same bald idiot I remembered.

It wasn’t just the hair growing wildly from his head or the blood staining his robes. His entire presence had changed completely. The pressure radiating from him felt ancient, cold, and utterly alien.

And in his hand?

He held an old man by the throat.

Guo Yupin’s eyes widened in horror.

“Sect Leader!” he shouted desperately. “Yimu! Yimu, what are you doing?!”

The old man struggled weakly within Guo Yimu’s grasp.

“R-Run…” the Sect Leader choked out painfully. “This… this is not your grandson—”

Crack.

Guo Yimu crushed his neck before he could finish speaking. The corpse fell lifelessly into the lake below.

Something inside me snapped.

“LU JING!” I roared.

The man wearing Guo Yimu’s body slowly turned toward me.

Then he laughed.

“Ha ha ha ha~!” Lu Jing’s voice echoed through the ruined mountains. “That was fun!”

My grip tightened around my staff.

“But this is over for you,” he continued gleefully. “I shall learn the secrets of your body—”

He vanished.

No.

He moved so fast that my eyes barely managed to track him. One moment he floated above the ruined sect, and the next he stood directly before me. Spiritual pressure crashed into me like an avalanche as he formed a hand seal calmly.

“Immortal Art,” Lu Jing whispered. “Heart of the Abyss.”

Everything turned black.