“Brother, I understand!”  

Green Jiao firmly caught the Fire Spirit Mushroom that Li Pingcan threw. Its agile body darted and weaved, dodging the erupting magma. The fiery spirit roared in anger, its gaze never leaving the Fire Spirit Mushroom.  

Not only did the Red-Eyed Dragonfly guard the Fire Spirit Mushroom, but the fire spirit’s energy was also concentrated within this spiritual plant.  

With the Fire Spirit Mushroom in hand, there was no fear of you escaping!  

Li Pingcan thought to himself. Compared to the earlier Earth Spirit and Water Spirit, this Fire Spirit seemed more “humanized,” but its intelligence was still inferior to humans!  

“Puff, puff, puff!”  

The fire spirit grew impatient. As the magma surged like a crimson dragon rolling back, Li Pingcan pushed his Fire Control skill to the limit, tearing a gap about a meter wide in the boiling liquid fire wall before him. The fire spirit shot out violently from the opening.  

“I’m here to help you!”  

Green Jiao didn’t forget to swirl and spray a water curtain, buying time for Li Pingcan. The light flickering on its dragon horns dimmed—the power of water magic was reduced by half in the presence of underground magma.  

Li Pingcan’s back fin scales stood stiffly erect as he activated the “Shape Solidification” trait of his Water Manipulation skill. A sharp water spear finally took form, exuding a chilling frost aura.  

He shouted lowly, “Go!”  

Fire can overcome water, but water can also suppress fire!  

The spear, like a dragon and thunder combined, shot instantly, piercing the fiery entity!  

The underground lava dimmed, and the fire spirit’s roar turned fearful. Cracks appeared on the molten surface. Several strands of pure fire spirit energy fled into the lava. Li Pingcan was about to continue his water-fire technique when the Red-Eyed Dragonfly suddenly dashed out, leapt into the magma, completely blocking the fire spirit’s escape route.  

Opportunities can be lost!  

He immediately acted decisively, using Element Gathering several times, finally “refining” all eight fire spirits.  

“Nice~”  

The Red-Eyed Dragonfly crawled back onto the platform. As it shook, the magma beneath it dropped to the ground, forming white blocky substances glowing red. It mischievously leaned back halfway, respectfully retracting its two slender antennae.  

“Well done.”  

Shu Xiyun didn’t hold back on her praise. A slap followed by a sweet reward.  

I glanced at the status panel. The seven elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth were all present. A brand-new path lay before me!  

Although the magma on the ground was dangerous, it was also suitable for cultivation, at least temporarily.  

Looking at the Red-Eyed Dragonfly and the Fire Spirit Mushroom, Shu Xiyun used Natural Symbiosis to probe the attributes of the seven, all of which were “fire” properties.  

“If the seven can naturally symbiotically coexist, could they combine to produce a weaker effect?”  

The Fire Spirit Mushroom was a spiritual plant. Even consuming it raw could increase abundant spiritual energy and enhance cultivation. If it could continuously generate small medicines like the Purple Gold Leaf, wouldn’t that be a huge gain?  

Thinking about the Purple Gold Leaf pills and Treasure-Seeking Bees and their various uses, I enthusiastically attempted to symbiotically combine the seven.  

But the reality was unexpected.  

The Red-Eyed Dragonfly showed excitement and willingness, but the Fire Spirit Mushroom was uninterested, swinging its umbrella cap in a disdainful manner toward the dragonfly, fully living up to its “treasure-grade” status.  

Forcible symbiosis would have a low chance of success.  

Left Protector could only helplessly give up.  

Suddenly, the ground rumbled. The once calm magma boiled violently, and countless rocks fell from the cliff walls.  

“This place isn’t safe to stay. Let’s go!”  

The fish and the snake exchanged glances, grabbing the Fire Spirit Mushroom and Red-Eyed Dragonfly, quickly retreating.  

..........  

Back at Qing River, the heat faded, like being reborn.  

“It’s still cooler here. That great fissure isn’t a place for snakes.” Green Jiao sighed comfortably.  

As a snake species, it preferred dark and cool places. Although it had Enhanced Resistance, being in the scorching heat was still quite uncomfortable.  

Li Pingcan also breathed a sigh of relief. Except for fire-affinity beings, normal people disliked such heat. Without air conditioning in his previous life’s summer, it was torture!  

For this reason, he did not take the Red-Eyed Dragonfly out of the fissure but found an intact magma cave to place it, planning to rely on it to search for treasures and spiritual creatures.  

As for the Fire Spirit Mushroom... since it couldn’t symbiotically coexist naturally and was conspicuous if taken out, it was better to deal with it on site.  

“Let’s split it in half.”  

He poked the plump mushroom stalk with his fin, forming a small pit before it bounced back with surprising elasticity.  

Without Green Jiao, he wouldn’t have easily obtained the fire spirit. Of course, good things must be shared with one’s spirit beast partner.  

“Alright, alright.” Green Jiao consented, saliva dripping and eager.  

They agreed quickly. The fist-sized Fire Spirit Mushroom instantly turned into sashimi, revealing pure white mushroom flesh.  

Li Pingcan took a bite.  

As his teeth pierced the mushroom slice, the bouncy and smooth texture exploded on his tongue. It was crisp and tender, and the burning fire sensation was like a spicy pain, making him instinctively blow air, mouth full of fragrant taste.  

A strong and thick spiritual energy surged throughout his body, activating his dantian as if flames were burning inside, cleansing impurities without discomfort.  

“Delicious!”  

Green Jiao ate with tears in its eyes, completely stimulated by the “spicy” flavor. This sharp yet pleasant tingling sensation was as delightful as a good scratch!  

To prolong the pleasure, it cleverly used a small-scale Creation skill to shrink its size, turning into a “little green worm” that happily feasted on the mushroom slice. It soon made a hole in the tender white sashimi, making Li Pingcan’s hand itch with the urge to swat away the “pest.”  

After the fish and snake finished the Fire Spirit Mushroom, Li Pingcan properly closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, recalling the “Basic Refining Qi Technique” he had obtained from Left Protector. Taking advantage of the dense spiritual energy in his body, he tried the “Hundred Meetings Absorb Star Marrow, Chaos Drill Seven Orifices” cultivation method taught by the technique.  

Unexpectedly, after one incense stick of time, then two, then an entire hour... he felt not the slightest sensation of energy, and had a vague feeling that something was off with the cultivation path!  

He immediately stopped. As a druid, his “spiritual intuition” was strong; if something felt wrong, it probably was.  

“What’s going on? Could it be that the cultivation method from Left Protector is fake?”  

Li Pingcan was very confused.  

Logically, practitioners of demonic paths were lone wolves. The most valuable things were either hidden or carried on them for emergencies.  

Left Protector wouldn’t have a reason to carry a fake refining qi technique.  

“Something must be wrong.”  

Li Pingcan was somewhat distressed. The Fire Spirit Mushroom’s spiritual energy was abundant, and his meridians felt swollen and tense!  

Although skills could consume it, that was actual consumption, not converted cultivation.  

Excited from initial cultivation, he overlooked some details.  

After greeting Green Jiao, Li Pingcan quickly returned home, instructing the girl “Xiao Ke” to keep watch at the door with eyes wide open, allowing no one to disturb except his parents and elder brother.  

Xiao Ke was dozing but happily accepted the task. She slapped her face twice to stay alert, glaring fiercely around.  

Li Pingcan twitched his mouth corner. This little girl could be ruthless when needed—she was destined for greatness!  

Back in his room, he crawled under the bed, groping in the dark until he pressed a protruding green brick lightly, revealing a hidden passage leading underground.  

This was the Li family’s secret chamber.  

The chamber was small, only a little over three meters long and wide.  

Li Pingcan used Fire Control to brighten the candlelight the size of rice grains and quickly approached the cabinet holding the “Basic Refining Qi Technique.” He opened it and carefully examined it twice.  

“The cultivation method’s incantations are correct... unless...”  

He thought of a possibility, channeling spiritual energy to his eyes. Upon opening them, the original black ink characters crawled like ants, changing shape and position, turning into a completely new “Earth God Refining Qi Technique!”  

Li Pingcan was ready to curse. Such caution, even with anti-counterfeit measures!  

Ordinary cultivators wouldn’t be as intuitively sharp as him to sense something wrong. If cultivated to the end, it might cause catastrophic errors, destroying the path!  

Memorizing the “Wang God Refining Qi Technique,” as a practitioner with both Wood and Earth top-grade spiritual roots, the Wang-style refining qi method was exactly what he needed.  

He sat cross-legged, finally able to cultivate in peace.  

............  

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.  

“Entering the realm of cultivation, first layer of refining qi.”  

Li Pingcan’s expression was joyful.  

This month-long seclusion completely refined the Fire Spirit Mushroom within him, transporting strands of spiritual energy. He felt a profound and steady aura supporting everything.  

Though just beginning, he had already mastered the “Earth God Refining Qi Technique” skillfully—not fluent by heart but very proficient.  

Firstly, the “Wang God Refining Qi Technique” was only one branch of refining qi methods, secondly, it was probably a low-level technique with limited difficulty.  

Li Pingcan suppressed his aura and discovered the earth-element refining qi method was particularly strong in concealing aura. Once activated, he truly became like a black king, attracting no attention at all.  

Other cultivation methods might have stealth effects, but none matched the “Earth God Refining Qi Technique.”  

“But this cultivation speed is much slower than I imagined.”  

Li Pingcan’s face showed dissatisfaction.  

He had consumed the Fire Spirit Mushroom. Although fire and earth elements were not exactly matching, this pure spiritual energy was solid.  

Without such abundant spiritual energy as cultivation foundation, it took an entire month just to reach the first layer of refining qi.  

He had top-grade earth spiritual roots after all.  

“Although my spiritual energy perception is high and cultivation fast, I don’t have spiritual veins or spiritual mines. In such a common region, spiritual energy is pitifully scarce. Only at dawn on the mountain peaks is there purple energy for cultivation. It’s incredibly difficult.”  

“A clever housewife can’t cook without rice!”  

No matter how high the perception, without spiritual energy, it was all illusion.  

To cultivate quickly, one must either find suitable spiritual mountains, veins, or places with dense spiritual energy, or consume heavenly spiritual plants and spirit beasts, just like using Fire Spirit Mushrooms to aid cultivation.  

He had planned to cultivate with spiritual sand but found it too impure, not suitable for direct absorption. There was a risk of “poisoning” from flawed cultivation.  

However, spiritual lands were mostly controlled by noble families and dynasties. The only known place with spiritual energy was Spirit Mountain. With an old mulberry leaf and guidance, perhaps he could find the spirit mountain hidden by the mist formation.  

In recent months, the Treasure-Seeking Bees had bullied the Five-Spirit Fox and found many treasure plants, recorded on the map.  

Though their spiritual energy was not as pure as spirit plants and required much time to refine, it was better than nothing.  

There was also another place to obtain cultivation resources... the Dragon Palace Secret Realm.  

“Now that I’m a cultivator, I can also try the second layer of the Bliss Platform.”  

.............  

Green Jiao’s residence.  

Usually cheerful Green Jiao now wore a grim and killing expression. Its “army” made of treasure fish and treasure shrimp was swimming eastward along the Dayu River, with Little Gold among them.  

“What’s going on?” Li Pingcan had planned to go to the Dragon Palace but hurriedly stopped Green Jiao to ask.  

“It’s those bandits from the east again!” Green Jiao’s anger showed.  

The entire Qing River was Green Jiao’s territory, where survival of the fittest created relative peace.  

But robbers from the Dayu River frequently invaded, attempting to seize Qing River’s territory.  

Li Pingcan had heard of this long ago and said without hesitation, “I’ll go with you.”  

“Hey! Carp, with your help, we’ll surely win big this time.” Green Jiao swayed its snake body, delighted.  

Usually, it was minor skirmishes confined to certain areas, but this time the conflict was fierce.  

Could there be a fuse that triggered it?  

Li Pingcan asked his doubt, and Green Jiao also became suspicious, muttering, “A few days ago, the border between Qing River and Dayu River had raging waves. Could some treasure have been born?”  

The fish and snake exchanged a glance, their faces serious.  

Following the mixed schools of fish and shrimp, they stirred up countless silt and wood chips, muddying the water.  

Li Pingcan’s transformed little crucian carp sat on an old turtle, inconspicuous.  

The water flow fluctuated as if thousands of troops were charging.  

I squinted. The undercurrent carried several dozen small brown reefs, forming a rolling stone formation that charged the fish and shrimp’s vanguard.  

Li Pingcan clearly saw stones fiercely strike a treasure fish, sharp protrusions immediately carving a bloody mark!  

At the same time, the reef stones were forced to stop. Two round eyes suddenly emerged atop one stone!  

“The bandits from the east are actually a bunch of giant crabs!”  

This was going to be tough. The key was their number. Their shells were harder than the treasure fish’s skin. Even with Water Manipulation controlling the flow, he couldn’t directly crush or freeze them all.  

Li Pingcan frowned. He liked to think comprehensively during battle, preferring tactics of restraint and guerrilla warfare.  

Green Jiao, however, ignored that. Seeing its treasure fish disadvantaged, it flared its dragon horns and shouted, “Take my Shock Thunder Technique!”  

“Boom, boom, boom!”  

Thunder roared underwater. The river churned as electric nets enveloped two or three crabs, instantly scorching their shells black.  

But the reef stones soon “split” into small crabs, immediately filling the gaps. They were endless!  

“This won’t do!”  

It would be best to trap and wipe them out all at once.  

Li Pingcan tried to conceal his aura. His casting range was limited, so he planned to slowly approach the crabs before acting.  

But he couldn’t ride the old turtle anymore.  

Creatures like turtles and crabs essentially had no hearing. They relied on vibrations and had very sensitive touch.  

For example, when the old turtle approached, it spotted a crab hidden in the mud. The crab curled up, playing dead, while the crab raised its claws and charged fiercely.  

Li Pingcan had to abandon his ride, suppressing his aura to walk on foot.  

The fierce crab suddenly lost its target, confusedly turning in place before returning to the chaotic battlefield clueless.  

“Swim across this boundary, and it’s the Dayu River.”  

The murky waters showed different color depths. Where Qing River’s flow joined Dayu River, a clear dividing line formed.  

Li Pingcan broke through the line like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate. The currents instantly became more rapid, and swaying water plants were swept into straight horizontal lines.  

In close spiritual perception, he faintly caught several dangerous auras from different directions, a chill rising along his spine.  

“Dayu River is far more dangerous than Qing River!”  

He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and planned a swift battle, focusing on the crabs ahead.  

Looking deeper into the crab army, a massive figure loomed underwater like a shadow.  

It was much larger than the others, with eight pillar-like legs “standing tall and firm,” supporting a round crab body. Its two claws pointed upwards, one horizontally covering its mouth, nose, and eyes, constantly guarding weak spots.  

This giant crab was two meters tall and one meter wide, as sturdy as a giant, intimidating to behold.  

“This is a spirit crab!”  

A sentient animal, far more dangerous than spiritual plants.  

Spirit plants might grow hard shells, emit foul odors, or toxins preventing ingestion, but spirit beasts could charge wildly, relying on thick skin and flesh, far harder to deal with than fragile refining qi cultivators.  

Most importantly, spirit crabs had armored shells like armored soldiers, a real headache.  

I wondered what attracted this spirit crab to invade Qing River so fiercely.  

“Carp, I’m coming!”  

Green Jiao’s voice interrupted my thoughts. Its meter-long snake tail slammed down like a giant club, knocking countless crabs flying. The giant crab was drawn to Green Jiao’s presence, charging like a tank.  

The battle plan was for Green Jiao to lure the monsters while Carp looked for an opening to strike.  

Green Jiao arrogantly flashed its dragon horns. The Shock Thunder Technique crackled wildly. “Let’s see if Grandpa Jiao’s lightning can fry your guts!”  

The giant crab understood and angrily planted its eight legs in the mud. Its movements churned the water into wild waves, stirring sand and stones. Without Water Manipulation, Li Pingcan might have been swept away.  

Its pincers smashed through the water like giant hammers, pounding down on Green Jiao’s head, creating countless white bubbles.  

“Bring it on!”  

Green Jiao didn’t dodge. Its snake tail spun like a whip, attempting to hit the giant crab and its hammers into the mud.  

The pincers pierced the mud, sharp like the tips of twin horn spears. With a “snap,” they clamped onto Green Jiao’s tail hard!  

Green Jiao wasn’t hurt because of its dragon skin and even smiled with satisfaction.  

Previously underwater, the Shock Thunder Technique was dispersed and weak through water conduction.  

Now, conducting through its snake body, the Shock Thunder Technique burst forth again.  

“Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!”  

The giant crab smoked from its orifices, paralyzed momentarily.  

“Now’s the time, watch this!”  

Li Pingcan had been waiting for this chance. He unleashed several skills in one breath, combining the reconstructed Water Manipulation and Earth Shaping skills!  

In the next moment, the mud beneath the giant crab turned into a muddy swamp. Its body slid, and half of it collapsed and sank!