Immortal Druid

I made my rounds through the forest, doing druid stuff.

That mostly involved wandering wherever my feet carried me while trusting Druidic Insight to warn me whenever something felt wrong. Sometimes it pointed me toward a diseased tree. Sometimes it led me to territorial beasts preparing to tear each other apart for weird reasons like who got bigger dongs. What the hell, man? Self-aware and spark-touched beasts were a pain in the ass to deal with. Once, it guided me toward a squirrel that somehow got its head stuck inside a hollow log after trying to steal nuts filled with spirituality.

Apparently, the squirrel gained the spark in eating a similar nut and wanted to make more of him. Of course, I gave him the nut. Hopefully, I wouldn’t regret that later down the line.

The life of a druid was glamorous.

I stepped over a thick root and paused when I noticed something nailed high against an old cedar tree.

“Oh, what’s this?”

One of the birdhouses I asked made a long time ago sat nestled between the branches. Moss had grown around the edges, softening the wood with age, but the structure itself remained surprisingly intact.

A family of woodpeckers lived inside.

Honestly, I didn’t think many of the birdhouses survived after all these years. The forest’s growth, beasts making a mess, and random cultivators blowing up forests for enlightenment? There were plenty of reasons they should’ve disappeared by now.

Seeing one still occupied felt strangely nice.

The woodpeckers froze upon noticing me staring upward. Then one of them leaned out from the hole and started complaining immediately.

“That owl’s saying strange things again.”

Another woodpecker clicked its beak dismissively. “Probably soliciting.”

A third lowered its voice nervously. “Should we really be speaking ill of the Wise Owl?”

“There’s nothing wise about that owl,” the first one grumbled. “Not after she left this forest.”

Ouch.

They were ruthless.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “I’ll… see what I can do.”

The woodpeckers continued muttering among themselves while I walked deeper into the forest. Sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, scattering shifting patches of gold across the earth. The deeper I went, the quieter the world became until even the wind seemed careful not to disturb the silence.

I looked upward.

“Hey, Willow, didn’t see you there.”

The owl perched atop a thick branch and stared down at me.

Most people probably would’ve just seen an owl blinking slowly.

Druidic Insight told me otherwise.

Her feathers were slightly puffed. Her talons gripped the bark tighter than usual. Even the subtle angle of her head carried tension. She looked stressed.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

Willow let out a deeply offended hoot.

“No one wishes to join the Willow Order,” she declared bitterly. “This Wise One foresaw recruitment difficulties, but this Wise One did not expect the beasts of the same forest to reject the Willow Order so thoroughly. Ah, they must hate me now.”

“Don’t be like that, of course, they like you… er… I think?”

I tried not to smile.

It wasn’t a terrible idea.

Using the local wildlife to replenish the Willow Order’s numbers was clever, especially after the losses they suffered. From what I heard, the coordinated assault from the Dark Order had devastated them badly enough that the Willow Order finally abandoned its reclusive tendencies and openly entered the cultivation world.

Heck, it wasn’t long ago Li Ming asked me to make a sect.

That alone spoke volumes.

The problem was that the local wildlife genuinely liked living here.

Because of my influence, the forest had transformed. It was basically a paradise for spirit beasts. Competition for territory had become fierce over the years because nobody wanted to leave. Some conflicts apparently escalated badly enough that certain species nearly got wiped out before stronger beasts or wandering cultivators intervened.

Trying to convince them to abandon their territories and join an organization elsewhere was probably a hard sell, when another beast might steal there territory.

Still, I wasn’t blind to the narrative forming here.

I was a gamer, damn it.

A once-great organization suffering decline before slowly rebuilding itself into prominence again? That was classic material. One of the coolest tropes around.

I looked up at Willow. “Come walk with me. We’ll talk it out a bit. Might help relieve some stress.”

She tilted her head. “Where are we going?”

“I wanted to explore the Emerald Verdant Forest a little more.”

Willow spread her wings and glided down silently before landing on my shoulder.

Together, we made our way toward the entrance of the secret realm.

The gateway itself sat between enormous stone pillars wrapped in thick vines glowing faintly with spiritual energy. A pair of Foundation Establishment guards stood watch nearby, both wearing the colors of the Willow Order, primarily white robes accented with flowing green patterns resembling branches and leaves.

There was a constant stream of people entering and exiting the passageway.

Ever since the gate connecting the Emerald Verdant Forest and the Sky Stone Cave had been discovered, both secret realms remained indefinitely open to allow easier transportation between the Twin Mountains Domain and the Serenity Lake Domain.

Trade and travel increased.

So did trouble, probably.

One of the guards noticed me first.

Her eyes widened immediately before she thumped a fist against her chest respectfully.

“Sage Wo Li!”

The second guard snapped upright so fast it almost looked painful.

The surrounding cultivators reacted instantly as well. Conversations stopped. People lowered their gazes and stepped aside to clear a path.

Meanwhile, Willow casually flew from my shoulder onto my head like this was the most natural thing in the world.

I sighed internally.

“Please, be at ease,” I said as I walked forward. “You don’t need to act so nervous around me.”

Nobody relaxed anyway.

That was about what I expected.

I passed beneath the gateway and entered the secret realm, marked by a massive stone engraved with the symbol of a willow tree. The moment I crossed through, the atmosphere shifted completely.

The air became richer and denser.

The Emerald Verdant Forest stretched endlessly ahead of me, ancient trees towering like pillars beneath a sea of green. Countless spiritual auras pulsed throughout the wilderness, some calm, others dangerous enough that even from this distance I could feel their presence pressing against my spiritual senses.

Willow remained perched atop my head quietly.

I had a feeling the forest itself was calming her down.

Inside the secret realm, a clear road had been paved through the wilderness, leading toward the teleportation gate connected to the other secret realm. Spiritual formations were hidden beneath the earth along the path, stabilizing the area and discouraging stronger beasts from wandering too close.

Cultivators, merchants, and disciples traveled steadily along the road carrying supplies between domains. The moment they noticed me, many immediately slowed down and cupped their fists respectfully.

“Sage Wo Li.”

“Greetings, Sage Wo Li.”

I raised a hand helplessly. “Be at ease. Continue your business.”

They relaxed slightly after that, though plenty still kept their backs straight while I passed by.

I was never getting used to this.

After walking a short distance along the road, I stepped into the untamed forest instead. Thick undergrowth blocked the way immediately, but vines shifted aside at my will while bushes bent gently away from me. Roots moved beneath the earth as phytokinesis quietly opened a trail forward.

Willow glided overhead before settling onto a branch nearby.

“I come here sometimes whenever I want to unwind,” I told her. “You could probably do the same.”

She looked around thoughtfully. “It is peaceful.”

The deeper regions of the Emerald Verdant Forest reminded me heavily of the forest I came from, though the life here felt stranger and more dangerous. Both forests contained similar amounts of qi in the atmosphere, but this place had likely been steeped in spiritual energy for much longer.

That probably acted as a catalyst for more aggressive evolution.

Everything here looked slightly sharper than normal.

Plants possessed stronger vitality. Insects carried faint traces of spiritual fluctuations. Even the silence felt predatory.

I stopped suddenly.

A rabbit stared directly at me from the bushes.

Except it wasn’t exactly an ordinary rabbit.

Two sharp horns curved backward from its skull, and traces of blood stained the fur around its mouth. Druidic Insight immediately informed me the creature was carnivorous and aggressive.

The rabbit lowered its body slightly, preparing to spring at me.

“Slumber Pollen.”

Golden spores drifted lazily from my staff.

The horned rabbit lunged once before stumbling midair. It landed awkwardly, swayed in place, then collapsed into the grass with a soft thump, sleeping peacefully.

I glanced toward Willow. “Stay where you are so I can protect you.”

She huffed immediately. “I don’t need protection.”

“I know,” I replied calmly. “Then think of it less as protecting you and more protecting the forest.”

That earned me an annoyed stare.

I wasn’t joking, though.

Willow was powerful. A genuine Core Formation beast could dominate most areas without issue. Still, the Emerald Verdant Forest wasn’t somewhere you casually underestimated.

Even Core Formation cultivators could get themselves killed here if they became careless.

That was precisely why I hadn’t explored the place seriously yet. Before moving deeply through a new ecosystem, I preferred understanding territorial boundaries, migration habits, predator hierarchies, and the overall balance of local life.

If I went charging around recklessly, I might accidentally displace species and trigger a chain reaction I really didn’t want to deal with.

The paved road remained relatively safe because of the flag formation established by the Willow Order. I had actually been present when they built it.

Watching formation masters work had been genuinely educational.

The amount of precision required to stabilize spiritual terrain across such a massive distance was absurd.

We continued walking deeper into the forest while filtered sunlight danced through the canopy overhead.

After a while, I looked toward Willow. “How’s the Willow Order treating you?”

Her feathers puffed slightly with satisfaction.

“They’ve treated me really well,” she admitted. “They gave me resources, responsibilities, and a proper place within the organization.”

“That’s good.”

“I’ve also visited the other two villages recently.” Her voice carried visible excitement now. “I met different cultivators, learned new customs, and listened to all sorts of stories.”

She paused briefly before adding quietly, “It feels nice having my world broadened.”

I smiled faintly hearing that.

For all her quirks, Willow genuinely loved learning new things.

The sound of rushing water eventually reached us.

I planted my staff against the trunk of a nearby tree and vaulted upward using it as leverage. Branches blurred past me as I ascended before landing smoothly atop a thick limb overlooking the river below.

A massive shadow moved gracefully and slowly beneath the surface of the water.

The creature swam through the current leisurely for quite some time, almost as if simply enjoying the sensation of the river flowing across its body. Eventually, it rose upward.

A gigantic water buffalo emerged partially from the depths.

It was majestic.

Dark moss clung to portions of its hide while small spirit flowers bloomed along its enormous curved horns. Every movement carried a strange calmness that made the surrounding river seem gentler.

Willow landed beside me quietly.

We watched the creature in silence for a while before I spoke again.

“What motivated you to join the Willow Order anyway?”

She blinked. “That came out of nowhere.”

“Humor me.”

Willow looked toward the river thoughtfully before answering.

“…You.”

I turned toward her in surprise.

She avoided eye contact briefly. “I’d been thinking for a long time about exploring the outside world. I wanted to spread my wings more and learn about places beyond the forest.”

“That sounds like you.”

“The Willow Order actually approached me in the past as well. They wanted to recruit me years ago.”

“And you declined?”

She nodded slowly.

“I was worried my leaving would throw the forest out of balance.” Her gaze drifted toward the distant trees. “There was always the possibility of a demonic beast emerging if stronger creatures started fighting over territory uncontrollably.”

That was a valid concern.

In cultivation worlds, demonic beasts often formed when ecosystems became unstable, especially in places overflowing with spiritual energy. All it took was one especially violent creature surviving long enough to evolve incorrectly.

Willow’s expression softened slightly.

“I didn’t want something like that terrorizing my home.”

I leaped from the branch and landed against another tree trunk before immediately climbing higher. My fingers found grooves in the bark easily while spiritual energy reinforced my movements. Branches whipped past me as I ascended through layers of leaves and drifting sunlight.

Eventually, I found the tallest tree in the area.

Naturally, I climbed that too.

The higher I went, the stronger the wind became. The canopy gradually opened around me until I finally reached the highest point sturdy enough to support my weight.

I settled myself comfortably atop the massive branch and exhaled slowly.

From up there, the Emerald Verdant Forest stretched endlessly across the horizon like a living ocean of green. Rivers cut silver lines through the wilderness while distant mountains rose above the canopy like ancient guardians watching over the realm.

It was peaceful.

Dangerous, obviously.

But peaceful.

Willow landed beside me with ease.

“You could’ve just left before,” I remarked. “Old Black was still around.”

Willow immediately made a face.

“Old Black’s way of protecting the forest is extremely hands off,” she complained. “That old snake would retreat somewhere deep in the forest and ignore everything unless the problem became impossible to avoid.”

I tilted my head slightly. I wasn’t sure I fully agreed with that. Old Black had done plenty while I was hunting Dark Order cultivators through the region. I guessed it depended on perspective and personality.

Willow snorted softly. “That old snake may not look like it, but he actually enjoys fighting strong opponents. I doubt he’d interfere if a demonic beast started forming.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

“He would probably say something ridiculous like, ‘Chaos is part of nature,’ before challenging it personally.”

I burst out laughing.

“That really does sound like him, but he have a point, you know?”

I could absolutely picture Old Black lounging lazily somewhere while an ecological catastrophe unfolded nearby, only bothering to move once something genuinely entertaining appeared.

Willow puffed her feathers irritably. “There is nothing funny about it.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

She continued glaring at me for another few seconds before calming down slightly.

“When you appeared,” she admitted quietly, “I thought I finally had my chance. To really have an adventure. To spread my wings properly and explore the world beyond the forest. So I joined the Willow Order, and took the position they offered me.”

I smiled faintly hearing that.

It suited her.

For all her occasional complaints, Willow genuinely seemed happier lately.

Then her expression shifted suddenly.

“Now that I think about it…” She frowned. “Where is Old Black?”

“Hm?”

“I haven’t seen him in weeks.” She looked genuinely puzzled now. “I’ve been roaming throughout the forest recruiting volunteers and searching for potential disciples, but I haven’t sensed him anywhere.”

“Oh.” I leaned back against the trunk casually. “Old Black found a breakthrough. He’s hidden himself away, so you know, he could break through?”

Willow’s head snapped toward me so quickly I almost laughed again.

“What?”

“He found a breakthrough.”

“That cannot be right.”

Her voice rose several pitches higher than usual.

“That lazy snake?”

I nodded solemnly.

Willow looked personally betrayed by reality itself.

“No. Absolutely not. I refuse to believe that.”

I grinned. “Are you jealous?”

“I am not jealous,” she snapped instantly.

“Mm.”

“I am merely shocked that someone with such questionable work ethic advanced before me.”

That only made me laugh harder.

Willow groaned dramatically and buried her face beneath one wing for a moment.

“…I must work harder in my cultivation.”