Immortal Druid

The forest had gone quiet.

The echoes of battle had long since faded, swallowed by the endless sea of trees. Leaves drifted through the still night air, disturbed only by the lingering spiritual pressure that clung to the battlefield like an invisible mist.

Above the canopy, the enormous silhouette of Xuanwu glided across the heavens. His turtle shell carried the weight of mountains while the colossal serpent coiled around it with quiet majesty. The divine beast looked almost unreal beneath the moonlight, his outline wavering like a mirage before dissolving into countless motes of spiritual light. Moments later, Xuanwu landed beside me in his human form, his dark curly hair framing his tanned face as though nothing extraordinary had happened.

He surveyed the battlefield before resting his gaze upon the miserable woman impaled before us.

"Sage, what do you plan to do with her?"

I followed his gaze.

Jin Hong no longer resembled the proud immortal who had arrogantly declared herself invincible. Fragments of broken puppets littered the ground around her, each one desperately crawling toward their master in a futile attempt to rebuild themselves. They twitched and scraped against the earth, only to be halted by my Thorn Whips and Entanglement. Thick roots wrapped around every shattered limb while thorn-covered vines pinned them beneath the soil. Even the surrounding vegetation had joined the assault, swallowing the puppets little by little as though the forest itself wished to erase every trace of their existence.

Jin Hong fared no better.

An Ironwood Spike pierced straight through the center of her body, suspending her several feet above the ground. Twisting roots coiled around her torso and limbs while thorny vines dug relentlessly into her flesh. Her jaw had been completely torn away. One eye hung lifelessly from its socket, connected only by strands of flesh. Most of her robes had been shredded beyond recognition, the enchanted threads unable to withstand the relentless punishment inflicted by all of us together. Every attempt at regeneration was met by fresh wounds as the thorns continued carving into her body. The poison, bleeding, and bramble effects stacked without mercy, ensuring her innate immortality never had the opportunity to catch up.

Watching her struggle reminded me how many abilities I had ignored back in Legacy World Online.

The game had always limited players by forcing us to choose only a handful of equipped spells. Entire branches of druidic magic had remained untouched simply because they never fit inside an optimized loadout. Now that those artificial restrictions no longer existed, every spell I had neglected became another weapon waiting to be mastered. I had spent years relying upon efficiency, rotations, and cooldown management. The Nevle part of me still lacked the instincts expected of someone raised in this world, so I naturally leaned upon the habits I had developed as a gamer. Every battle became another puzzle to solve. Every spell was another tool to test. At first, I thought I should abandon that mindset, but the longer I lived here, the more I realized there was no reason to discard it. All I needed was a broader repertoire. Strategy would naturally evolve alongside experience.

A familiar weight landed upon my shoulder.

Old Crow folded his golden wings neatly against his body before glancing toward the distant battlefield.

"It seems the remaining enemies have been annihilated by our allies."

I nodded calmly.

"Our work here is finished."

I barely felt winded.

The entire confrontation had ended far more easily than expected. I had never needed to invoke Primal Nature Spirit. Between Xuanwu's overwhelming strength, Old Crow's support, and my steadily expanding arsenal of spells, Jin Hong had never possessed the slightest opportunity to reverse the battle.

I stepped closer until I stood directly before her.

"Do you have any last words?"

With a wave of my staff, the roots loosened around her throat. Vines carefully shifted aside while Phytokinesis guided the surrounding plant life away from her face. Muscles knitted together. Bone reformed. Flesh regenerated. Within moments, a new jaw had fully grown.

She immediately threw back her head and laughed.

"You've picked the wrong fight, savage."

Blood trickled from the corner of her lips, yet her voice remained filled with absolute confidence.

"The Heavenly Domain Sect will reign supreme over this miserable world. Every fool who dares oppose us will kneel beneath our banners. Your little forest, your allies, your insignificant ideals? They will all be reduced to ashes."

She spat blood onto the ground.

"You should feel honored. Once my sect discovers what you've done, they will grant you suffering unlike anything you can possibly imagine. They'll tear your soul apart piece by piece until you beg for death."

Her lone remaining eye stared straight into mine.

"...Although..."

A strange smile slowly spread across her battered face.

"If you surrender now... if you cast aside your pride and swear eternal fealty to the Heavenly Domain Sect..."

She licked the blood from her lips.

"...I might be willing to plead for mercy on your behalf."

She actually sounded sincere.

At least, her mouth did.

Her heart was another matter entirely.

Ever since obtaining the Voice of the World, I had grown accustomed to hearing the thoughts of nature, animals, spirits, and countless other things around me. Yet what echoed into my mind now was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

"He's so handsome..."

The voice made me freeze for the briefest instant.

"Look at those ears... they're so long... so elegant... I wonder how sensitive they are..."

My expression remained perfectly still.

"I want to pin him down. No... chain him somewhere nobody else can see. I'd spend centuries making him mine. Those eyes... that face... I'd kiss every inch of him until he couldn't think anymore... I want to pin him down, ride him until he breaks, taste every inch of that strange, perfect body. I’ll make him beg for me, make him mine while my slaves watch..."

What in the world?

I wished I hadn't heard any of that.

"Those muscles... that calm expression... I want him to look at me while I—"

I immediately stopped listening.

Her body was barely holding itself together, yet her heart had somehow abandoned every coherent thought in favor of increasingly depraved fantasies.

This hadn't happened before.

No matter how often I used the Voice of the World, I had never once heard the voice of someone who was already as good as dead. Not their bodies. Not their rotting carcass. Yet Jin Hong's heart continued shouting every embarrassing desire imaginable directly into my consciousness.

Apparently, dying from eldritch nightmares had unlocked an entirely new category of voices.

I silently wished it hadn't.

I raised my staff.

"Your voice had been heard."

Quintessence gathered beneath my feet.

"Now, farewell."

According to Mab, only a handful of methods truly existed for killing an immortal.

The simplest involved an Immortal Art capable of erasing both body and soul. Certain divine treasures and ancient formations could accomplish similar feats, though acquiring such things bordered on impossible. The final method demanded nothing but overwhelming, relentless violence. One simply destroyed the immortal's physical form so completely, so thoroughly, that regeneration eventually became impossible. It was the same brutal approach I had used against Lu Jing.

Such endings remained exceedingly rare.

Among immortals, battles usually became contests of endurance rather than outright slaughter. Sometimes victory was measured by whose will broke first beneath endless pain. Other times, sects, disciples, or treasured bloodlines served as symbolic representations of an immortal's continued existence, forcing one side to concede before everything they valued disappeared. The sheer difficulty of permanently killing an immortal was precisely what elevated them above every other cultivator.

I wasn't interested in symbolism.

Nor was I interested in prolonging her suffering.

I struck my staff against the earth.

Dozens of Thorn Whips erupted from every direction, each one overflowing with empowered quintessence. The vines wrapped around Jin Hong before tightening simultaneously. Flesh tore apart. Bones shattered. Her body fragmented into countless pieces as the forest greedily consumed everything left behind. Roots dragged the remains beneath the soil while flowers bloomed where blood had fallen, drawing nourishment from what had once been an immortal.

Within moments, nothing remained except quiet earth, gently swaying grass, and the peaceful rustling of leaves beneath the moonlit sky.

Upon her death, the broken puppets born from her Dao Domain across the clearing also vanished.

I exhaled softly and lowered my staff.

The colossal mirage of the Spirit of the World Tree standing behind me gradually dissolved into countless emerald motes that drifted into the wind. The towering branches that had seemed capable of piercing the heavens faded one after another until nothing remained except the ordinary forest.

As the blessing disappeared, the overwhelming spiritual pressure blanketing the surroundings receded with it. Xuanwu's aura dimmed considerably as well. The majesty of the Soul Transformation realm left him, and his cultivation naturally settled back into the Nascent Soul realm. Even so, the satisfaction on his face remained unmistakable.

He flexed his fingers before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Sage, this was a valuable experience. To glimpse the Soul Transformation realm with my own senses... that alone is a tremendous boon. I finally understand what lies beyond my current path."

Old Crow flapped down from my shoulder before folding his wings.

"I feel the same. Now that I've experienced what the Nascent Soul realm truly feels like, I finally have a direction to advance."

The radiant golden feathers coating his body gradually darkened until they returned to their familiar pitch-black color. His cultivation likewise receded, stabilizing once more at the Core Formation realm. Although the temporary empowerment had disappeared, neither of them looked disappointed. If anything, they appeared more motivated than ever.

Old Crow scratched the side of his beak awkwardly.

"If it doesn't sound too impertinent..."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"...when I eventually reach the Nascent Soul realm, would you grant me a name as well? Just as you named Xuanwu."

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

"Of course. When that day comes, I'll gladly give you one."

His crimson eyes widened with delight.

"It would be a tremendous honor."

The first among our companions to return was Zhen Ai.

Her immense azure dragon body emerged from the distant clouds, weaving gracefully across the sky before descending toward us. Every movement carried an elegant rhythm that reminded me of flowing rivers. She landed with remarkable gentleness despite her enormous size. Azure light enveloped her body as she transformed into her human form, immediately dropping onto one knee before me.

"I have returned."

I reached down and helped her to her feet.

"There's no need to kneel."

She lowered her gaze apologetically.

"Forgive me if I have overstepped, but—"

"I understand."

She blinked before slowly relaxing.

There had been no need for further explanation.

During our battle against Jin Hong, I distinctly remembered hearing Zhen Ai's voice reach me through our connection. She had requested to form a contract in the middle of combat. Faced with a formidable opponent and seeing no apparent drawback, I had accepted almost instinctively. Looking back now, the whole process had happened so naturally that I barely questioned it.

I released a quiet sigh.

Zhen Ai tilted her head.

"Is something troubling you?"

"There isn't."

That wasn't entirely true.

Ever since defeating Jin Hong, something within the Voice of the World had subtly changed.

At first, I thought hearing her heart had been a unique phenomenon brought about by the circumstances of her death or mine. Yet as I focused my senses once more, faint voices gradually surfaced around me.

"He truly lives up to the name Sage..."

Zhen Ai's heart carried quiet admiration.

"The Sage's path reaches farther than mine. One day, I'll stand beside him as an equal."

Xuanwu's thoughts resonated with steady expectation.

"I have to reach the Nascent Soul realm. I cannot disappoint Sage. I'll train harder than ever before."

Old Crow's heart practically overflowed with eagerness.

Fortunately, unlike Jin Hong's endless depravity, their thoughts remained gentle murmurs. If I deliberately ignored them, they faded into the background like distant whispers carried by the wind.

Then the forest itself spoke.

"They're coming..."

"Your companions are returning..."

"They're safe..."

Leaves rustled overhead as a murder of crows descended upon the surrounding branches.

"Caw!"

"Caw! Caw!"

"We won!"

"The bad humans are gone!"

"Sage won!"

"The forest won!"

Their excited cries echoed throughout the trees. Curious, I reached out with the Voice of the World toward their hearts as well.

The overwhelming emotion I sensed was excitement...

...and desire?

My brow furrowed.

Little Crow caught my attention almost immediately. During the battle, she had broken through from the Foundation Establishment realm all the way into the Core Formation realm. I had been about to congratulate her.

Then I heard her heart.

"Oh! Oh! He looked at me! He looked at me! He's so handsome!"

I stiffened.

"Our nest should be on the tallest tree. No... somewhere only the two of us know. It'll be perfect."

My eye twitched.

"Our chicks will definitely inherit his beautiful ears somehow. I'll gather the softest branches for them. We should have twelve. No... twenty. The other hens will be so jealous."

I slowly turned my head toward Little Crow.

She innocently tilted hers in return.

"Caw! My handsome mate looked at me! Maybe I should start collecting shiny stones for him. If another female gets too close, I'll peck her eyes out. That should keep our family peaceful. Hm. Mab would be a problem, though. But it's fine. I think she'll understand!"

...

"Caw! I'll make him breakfast every morning. We'll raise our chicks together. It'll be wonderful."

I stared blankly at the tiny crow.

Was my Charisma really that absurd?

There had to be another explanation.

Strangely enough, no matter how carefully I listened, I couldn't hear the thoughts of any Shadow Elementals attached to the crows. Perhaps, they simply didn't possess hearts. 

Before I could dwell on it any further, another familiar presence approached.

"It seems I'm last. Apologies for my tardiness."

Xing Mei stepped into the clearing with several cuts decorating her robes. According to her clothes and her sword, the cut was inflicted by her too-sharp sword intent. Although none appeared life-threatening, they were enough for me to discreetly raise my staff.

Lifepulse flowed quietly into her body.

The wounds closed almost instantly.

She smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Sage."

Without thinking, I heard her heart.

"My precious son has become even stronger... His swordsmanship is absolutely wonderful. I knew he could do it... Ha~! The swordsmanship he taught me should become the exclusive swordsmanship of the sect. Hm. But for now, I'd monopolize it for myself!"

I smiled faintly, and then the thoughts continued.

"Once we return home, I'll make all his favorite meals. He deserves to be spoiled after working so hard. Perhaps I'll prepare fresh tea as well..."

Reasonable.

"Though... I'm still worried. He seems interested in women now. That's perfectly natural. He's already a grown man."

Still reasonable.

"The problem is the quality of women surrounding him. None of them are good enough for my precious son. Maybe I should quietly chase them away... Actually... perhaps it would be best if he never married at all. Then nobody could steal him from me. Or... maybe I could simply arrange things so he only stays with Mother forever... If someone insists on marrying him, perhaps I should eliminate her first. That way, he'll always have me."

Excuse me? What the fuck? 

I immediately clamped both hands over my ears. Stop. Please stop. To my surprise, it actually worked. The voices vanished.

"Sage?"

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"Caw?"

"Caw! Is Sage injured?"

I forced myself to lower my hands before offering everyone an awkward cough.

"I'm fine."

Another deep breath later, my composure gradually returned.

I straightened my robes and assumed the dignified bearing expected of the Sage.

"We shall continue our journey to the Renewal Sect. Even if a storm blocks our path, we'll ride through it. We've already wasted enough time in this place. You have all performed admirably today. Every one of you fought beyond my expectations and subdued our enemies with courage and resolve."

Pride filled their expressions.

"However..."

My gaze swept across every companion.

"The opponents awaiting us ahead will be even stronger."

Silence settled over the clearing.

"So steel yourselves."

Determination answered me from every direction.

Zhen Ai smiled before leaping into the heavens. Brilliant azure light erupted around her as her body expanded into the majestic form of an azure dragon once more. I stepped lightly onto her forehead. Beside us, Xuanwu transformed back into his immense Turtle-Snake form, allowing Xing Mei to stand comfortably atop his shell.

Throughout the forest, the crows took flight in unison while the Shadow Elementals merged seamlessly with them. The grand formation covering the battlefield dispersed, carrying away the false night that had blanketed the sky. Sunlight finally poured through the clouds once more, bathing the forest in warm golden light.

As Zhen Ai surged toward the horizon with the rest of our party following close behind, I looked ahead toward the distant mountains and smiled.

"The path before us only grows more difficult. Good. It means we're walking in the right direction."

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