Those living near mountains live off mountains, those near water live off water. Peach Blossom Mountain was rich in peach fruits, and every household grew some peach trees—the Li family was no exception.

As an infant, Li Pingcan had no chance to go outside, let alone plant trees to level up. His experience points came entirely from "shearing" his father's efforts. The four acres of peach trees the Li family had taken over were already fourteen-year-old orchards. Had it not been for this, and the urgent need for money, the previous owners wouldn't have sold the land at a reduced price.

Old peach trees often suffered from pests, disease, and withering, requiring healthy saplings to be replanted during spring and autumn. This became an important source of Druid experience.

After painstakingly accumulating experience for over a year, he finally leveled up!

Li Pingcan excitedly processed the information flooding his mind.

[You have successfully leveled up to LV1!]

[You have acquired new branch skills.]

[LV0 Dancing Wind (Cantrip) [Element]]

[You can summon a gentle breeze by consuming energy.]

[LV0 Speak with Animals (Cantrip) [Beast Lord]]

[You can communicate with animals. Conversations with those having high affinity may yield unexpected surprises.]

[LV0 Earth Pulse Detection (Cantrip) [Earth]]

[You can sense changes in the earth (emergency auto-activation).]

[LV0 Swarm Breeding (Cantrip) [Swarm]]

[You can summon a swarm of fleas, cockroaches, pill bugs, centipedes, etc. within a twenty-meter radius. These insects have no direct lethality and will disperse after one minute.]

"...No Plant Growth?"

Looking at the four skills, Li Pingcan couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Plant Growth was undoubtedly a divine farming skill—not only could it provide crucial help for his family, but it could also increase tree survival rates and allow more efficient leveling. Was a Druid without Plant Growth even a Druid?

Ever since learning that his family had been reduced from minor landowners to common farmers due to the famine, he'd felt deeply troubled. Ancient farmers had extremely weak resilience against natural disasters, let alone the ability to access immortal cultivation and aspire to longevity.

Thus, he desperately yearned to grow stronger, though rushing wouldn't help.

"Food must be eaten bite by bite!"

"Stay low-key, develop, endure!"

Li Pingcan clenched his tiny fists to encourage himself.

That said, the Druid branches had expanded to include [Element] and [Swarm]. Although Dancing Wind and Swarm Breeding seemed more like playful tricks, this meant he could acquire such skills by comprehending nature.

Besides, the new skills weren't useless. Earth Pulse Detection could at least provide early warnings of earthquakes and mudslides. Speak with Animals was standard for Druids, and as for Swarm...

"If that Granny Wang dares trouble Mother again... I'll summon southern cockroaches on her!"

Seeing Li Pingcan's serious expression, Lady Qin pinched his fair cheeks with a smile. "Good boy, Mother will finish gathering mushrooms soon."

Her youngest son was clever, well-behaved, and adorable, with pure, bright black eyes. His childish yet amusing words made him seem like a soft, glutinous rice ball, melting hearts effortlessly.

"Mother, wear mask," Li Pingcan said, pointing to the slipping cloth on Lady Qin's face.

"Alright," Lady Qin responded with indulgent helplessness. If she didn't wear it, her usually obedient youngest son would throw a tantrum—she didn't understand why.

The autumn heat was stifling, with not a hint of breeze. The mushroom shed was especially stuffy.

By the time Lady Qin finished working, strands of hair clung to her sweaty face, flushed like a peach. She hurried outside, unwilling to stay a moment longer.

A refreshing breeze unexpectedly swept over her, this natural gift extinguishing every trace of heat and irritation in her body.

Picking up her youngest son outside, she sighed contentedly, "So cool..."

…………

"Mushrooms again today!" Li Pingfu wailed.

On the Eight Immortals table were three dishes and a soup: stir-fried mushrooms, egg-fried mushrooms, mushroom buns, and mushroom soup.

There was a time when he'd considered mushroom soup a heavenly delicacy, but now, after eating it so often, it felt like torture. The idea of never getting tired of it was a lie.

"Mother, Can'er says he doesn't want mushrooms," Li Pingfu tried.

Li Pingcan, sitting on a specially made high chair, glanced at his eldest brother—I'll just quietly watch your performance.

Lady Qin carefully poured the oily rice water from the congee into Li Pingcan's small bowl, smiling as she exposed her eldest. "Your brother never eats mushrooms to begin with."

"Aww~" Li Pingfu's scheme failed, his disappointed voice dragging out.

Li Ping'an fastened a bib around Li Pingcan, acting like a proper little adult. Praised by Lady Qin, he puffed out his chest proudly and gave Li Pingfu a triumphant look, earning a mock-threatening fist from his eldest brother, which he defiantly returned.

"Enough. Keep it up, and no dinner for either of you," Lady Qin feigned anger.

Watching his brothers lower their heads in chastisement, Li Pingcan shook his head silently—my foolish brothers...

The courtyard gate creaked.

"I'm back."

Li Rongzhou's burly frame was covered in dust from his coarse cotton work clothes. His stern expression softened upon seeing his family, and he immediately picked up his youngest son to plant a kiss. "Was Can'er good today?"

Li Pingcan pushed his father away with a look of disgust.

Dad, do you know how scratchy your beard is? This is torture!

"Let's eat."

Lady Qin handed her husband chopsticks with a smile, subtly studying his expression.

Li Pingcan tensed. He'd noticed something off about his father's expression when he entered—something big must have happened. His mother, who knew his father best, had likely noticed too.

He cast [Animal Affinity] on his father.

After a brief drain of energy, a surge of intense emotion erupted in his heart, like the precursor to a volcanic explosion.

[Name: Human - Li Rongzhou]

[Mood: Heavy with anger]

Something was definitely wrong!

Li Pingcan finished his rice water uneasily, the food tasteless in his mouth.

A year together had given this former orphan a taste of familial love he'd never experienced before. Sometimes, he even felt that nothing mattered more than his family living peacefully and safely.

Please don't let anything bad happen!

…………

Dinner ended.

The Pingfu and Ping'an brothers returned to their room to rest.

As for Li Pingcan—a one-year-old naturally slept with the adults.

He burrowed under the thin quilt, pretending to be sleepy while listening intently to his parents' conversation.

"What happened?" Lady Qin asked softly.

Li Rongzhou shed the composure he'd shown in front of the children. "The disaster in Qingyuan County wasn't natural—it was caused by immortals!"

The matter was simple.

Young disciples from an immortal cultivation family were testing magical artifacts when they lost control, causing an immortal disaster. A year later, the culprits had already been severely reprimanded and fined a massive sum of spirit stones as compensation for the victims, according to the Dao Laws.

As for those who'd tragically perished, their remains had been buried deep in the silt by the floodwaters, never to resurface.

Lady Qin was silent for a long time. She thought of their former hundred-acre farmland, their worry-free life, their harmonious neighbors... then of the suffering and fear during their flight from famine...

Hate? Of course she hated. But who could she hate?

Those were lofty immortals!

All her emotions condensed into a helpless sigh. "This is how the world has always been."

Seeing her husband's bloodshot eyes, she spoke with both sorrow and reason: "Don't hold grudges against the immortal lords. If anyone notices, it'll be a grave crime."

"I know." Li Rongzhou clenched his fists, then released them. "All trades are lowly; only cultivation is exalted. Ping'an is seven—old enough for spiritual root testing. I'll take him on an auspicious day."

"Then I must get him a divine talisman for protection."

Lady Qin clasped her hands in prayer. Testing a child's spiritual roots was the most important event for commoners. If they were lucky enough to detect spiritual roots, it would be like a carp leaping over the dragon gate—the entire family would rise to heaven!

…………

Li Pingcan remained silent for a long time.

He realized he'd been immersed in the illusion of familial happiness. But in truth, no matter which world it was, without sufficient strength, family safety was nothing but a pipe dream!

Taking a deep breath, he set his life's goal in his heart.

I will cultivate immortality. I will seek longevity. I will establish an eternal Immortal Clan!