That was one of the four most mysterious forms of Providential Power in all the heavens!
'Not only did the Star-Sea produce an immortal artifact acting as a key, but it also birthed a Sovereign Dao cultivator. And now, the Gilded Providential Power—one of the Four Great Mysteries—has appeared...'
'This is not right.'
A sense of unease, born of a situation spiraling completely out of control, rose within the heart of the Black-Crystal Dragon. For the first time, it did not feel absolute confidence in its success.
Setting aside the fact that these three powers—each legendary across the myriad domains—had appeared in the same world, the sheer, terrifying effect of the Gilded Providential Power was enough to make its scalp crawl!
An immortal key and a Sovereign Dao cultivator were manageable. A key was useless until one reached the Consummate Mahayana stage, and it clearly wasn't in Qi Ping's hands. As for a Sovereign Dao practitioner, no matter how strong he was, once his world was slaughtered, his foundation would crumble.
But Gilded Providential Power was different. This substance could directly trigger a world-altering shift in strength!
Even with its status and power, the dragon could not ignore such an effect, especially since it was currently manifesting through only a wisp of its divided consciousness!
The confirmation of its fears arrived instantly. Without giving the dragon a chance to react, a horrific aura erupted from Qi Ping's body.
"Monster!"
That was the dragon's first thought upon sensing Qi Ping's aura. For an entity like itself to find someone "fearsome" spoke volumes of the sheer intensity radiating from Qi Ping. As the catalyst for a "Variable," the Gilded Providential Power displayed its ability to transform the mundane into the miraculous.
Within Qi Ping's perception, the four Druid professions he had mastered were instantly fused under the influence of the Gilded power:
Tree Shepherd (Jungle Druid)
Beast Warden (Beast King Druid)
Earth Immortal Druid
Sovereign Dao Druid
Each of the four professions Qi Ping had awakened possessed inconceivable strength. Whether it was the Tree Shepherd who could command spirit wood or the Beast King who could contract animal companions, they were all formidable paths. The Earth Immortal and Sovereign Dao Druids had further pushed the power of nature's spirit to its absolute limit.
When the power of plants, the power of animals, the power of a world's terrain, and the power of a sovereign of all life—four paths that each had the potential to reach the pinnacle of cultivation—were fused into one, the resulting strength was unimaginable.
Countless profound insights exploded and spread within Qi Ping's consciousness.
'Blood Ginseng, Spirit-Gathering Trees, Azure-Thunder Bamboo...'
'Golden-Marrow Bees, Ya Ya, the Little Spirit Fox, the Little Flower Sprite...'
'Qingshi County, Qingtian Domain, the Star-Sea Nine Domains...'
'The citizens of the Star-Sea...'
Infinite memories and realizations fused in his mind, finally condensing into a pure, irregular white spiritual entity that hovered peacefully between heaven and earth. It seemed both independent of the world—a self-contained whole—and yet intimately linked to all things in existence.
These two contradictory states were harmoniously displayed within Qi Ping. This special state was the perfect manifestation of his current Druid belief.
'What is a Druid?' A voice within his heart seemed to ask him.
'Is it someone who plants trees and farms?'
'Is it someone with animal companions?'
'Is it someone who can change shape into a bear, a bird, or an eagle?'
'Is it someone who protects the forest and rejects everything else? Or someone who coexists peacefully with human civilization?'
'There are even fallen Druids who control plague and decay, finding nature and power within destruction.'
There were far too many types of Druids. So, what was a true Druid?
Qi Ping had often pondered this question without reaching a perfect answer, as his exploration of the world itself was still insufficient. But now, he had found his answer.
A Druid was a living being who had forged a contract with the will of nature. The deeper the relationship with that will, and the more profound the understanding of natural laws, the more powerful they became.
The will of nature was a thing of myriad manifestations and changes. Life, growth, death, and decay were all parts of it. Each power had its own mission; there was no absolute good or evil.
The survival and development of heaven and earth required the reproduction and growth of life. However, resources were ultimately limited. Thus, death and reincarnation were the best answers. Stagnation and decay were the inherent laws of the world.
Every type of power had its own mission and duty, and from them, vastly different or even completely opposite Druids could be born. But from the perspective of nature's will, all of this was rational. The power of life was diverse, and thus the power of a Druid was diverse; even the conflicts between them were logical.
The Earth Immortal and Sovereign Dao Druid paths Qi Ping had grasped were manifestations of the Earth Immortal and Sovereign Dao forces within the cultivation world. But all Druid powers had to follow one prerequisite: Balance and Development. Without balance, true destruction and nothingness would begin.
For example, the unrestrained devouring and consumption of spiritual energy would lead to the world's exhaustion. Mass slaughter of spirit beasts and over-harvesting of spirit herbs would cause the cycle to fall out of balance, making resources increasingly scarce and causing each generation of life to be weaker than the last.
If such a situation continued, the entire world would begin to accelerate into decay and collapse. This was a form of decay that even a Druid of decay could not stop. Such a Druid would grow strong in a short time, but would also cause the world to perish faster, eventually being swallowed by the void to become part of the endless emptiness.
The world was the cornerstone of all living beings. In the endless void, even Mahayana cultivators were nothing more than rootless duckweed.
'The Dao follows nature. Nature is heaven and earth. And heaven and earth are so vast that to harness even one-ten-thousandth of their power is no easy task.'
'Jungle Druids, Beast King Druids, Earth Immortal Druids, and Sovereign Dao Druids are but parts of the boundless heaven and earth—manifestations of the myriad things.'
'For a cultivator, taking one path to the extreme is perfectly fine. But for a Druid, it is fatal. Extreme strength in one part leads to the loss of balance in the world. Just as a Druid of decay who is too strong will accelerate the world's demise.'
'Thus, in the path of the Druid, the "Universal" is the essence.'
'Formless and shapeless, yet capable of manifesting as all things in heaven and earth. The Universal Druid!'
Infinite insights surged through Qi Ping's mind. Though they seemed to take an eternity, under the influence of the Gilded Providential Power, only an instant had passed.
Simultaneously, the transformation of his body began and completed in that same breath!
The previously fading Sovereign Dao Druid power had long since vanished. In its place was a surging, unstoppable force of life and growth!
'This is the power of growth representing the Tree Shepherd?'
Under this power, Qi Ping's physical body and soul recovered rapidly. From an infant state, as if catalyzed, he quickly grew into an adult, restoring his original appearance. At the same time, his cultivation level began to skyrocket—Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core... Void Refinement... Unity!