Immortal Druid

[POV: Wo Li]

The invasion of the Steelfrost Fortress had been staved off. Their cloud-riding warships broke formation and fled the moment their sovereign fell. Those that escaped vanished beyond the horizon, while those that failed littered the heavens and the earth alike. Splintered hulls drifted through the clouds, broken arrays flickered before dying out, and countless fragments rained upon the scorched landscape beneath us.

The battlefield, which had been filled with thunderous clashes only moments ago, had descended into a strange silence interrupted only by distant explosions as damaged ships finally succumbed to their wounds.

"Xuanwu," I called. "Gather every piece of those ships you can find and store them in our storage rings. I want Jia Ping to examine every fragment. If the Steelfrost Fortress possesses technology we've never seen before, then we would be fools to leave it rotting on the battlefield."

Xuanwu nodded without hesitation. "Understood."

He rose into the air, accompanied by several crows carrying empty storage rings, and immediately began collecting the scattered wreckage.

Not every enemy had chosen to flee.

The ships I had personally destroyed left their survivors stranded upon the battlefield, and rather than surrender, they assembled into ragged formations beneath their officers. Their armor was battered, many carried fresh wounds, and their spirit had already been broken, yet they still raised their weapons.

"For the Steelfrost Fortress!"

"We shall fight to the very last man!"

"Protect the honor of our fortress!"

"Do not yield!"

Qi Refinement soldiers charged behind their Foundation Establishment officers with desperate determination. They knew there would be no reinforcements. They knew retreat was impossible. Yet not one of them abandoned the battlefield.

I watched them quietly.

Rather than ending the battle quickly, I deliberately took my time dismantling every remaining warship still floating overhead. Branches pierced their formations. Vines crushed their decks. Towering roots tore apart their spirit engines until each vessel became another burning carcass falling from the sky.

Every explosion echoed across the battlefield like a funeral bell. If the Steelfrost Fortress intended to invade again, I wanted every survivor to remember this day. Fear often accomplished what swords could not.

Still, I had underestimated their resolve.

Even after witnessing their sovereign's defeat and their fleet reduced to ruins, those soldiers refused to abandon the fight.

Fortunately, my crows and Shadow Elementals required little effort to suppress them. They didn't even need to summon the eternal night through their grand formation. Illusions scattered enemy formations before they could organize, while shadows slipped between panicked soldiers to bind them with talismans.

Every attempt at resistance collapsed into chaos. Without commanders capable of restoring order, the Steelfrost Fortress warriors stumbled over one another, each squad fighting an entirely different battle from the next.

A gentle laugh came from nearby.

Zi Wen approached while brushing soot from his robes. Despite the blood staining his sleeves, his expression remained composed.

"Sage Wo Li," he said with admiration, "your courage today has left this humble physician speechless. To stand before the Cloud General without hesitation and bring down such a terrifying opponent... it is truly worthy of praise. I am also rather curious. What was that treasure capable of sealing someone as powerful as him?"

I scratched the back of my head.

"I don't deserve that praise," I admitted with a wry smile, feeling strained with xianxia-speak. "If anything, I merely stole the finishing blow. You had already exhausted the Cloud General far more than I ever could have. Whether you ultimately won or lost, you still managed to hold your ground against someone renowned throughout the Four Sovereign Flags. That's an incredible achievement for someone who insists he's only a physician."

Zi Wen chuckled quietly.

"As for the treasure," I continued, glancing at Zhen Ai who just returned the chest on her storage ring, "it belongs to the Willow Order. It's called the Immortal Sealing Chest. Thankfully, it worked exactly as intended."

Before Zi Wen could respond, an overwhelming pressure descended from above.

A figure landed heavily before us, robes fluttering violently despite the still air. His stern face was twisted with barely restrained anger.

"What is the meaning of this!?" demanded Su Zhelan.

I blinked in confusion.

"Calm down," I replied. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you sparing them!?"

Only then did I notice what had infuriated him.

None of my crows or Shadow Elementals were delivering killing blows. Instead, they overwhelmed soldiers with illusions, forced weapons from trembling hands, and restrained them using talismans and vines. Everywhere across the battlefield, defeated invaders lay bound rather than slain.

Considering the circumstances, I couldn't blame him.

These were invaders.

This was war.

I answered patiently.

"Their leader has already fallen. The rest are nothing more than a disorganized mob. They are completely powerless before my people. Killing them now would accomplish very little, while sparing them represents far greater value to me. Every living prisoner is another possibility. Every life contains a destiny that may yet shape the future. Throwing those possibilities away simply because victory has already been decided would be a tremendous waste."

As I spoke, my gaze drifted across the battlefield.

Every person possessed countless unseen futures. Every decision, every regret, every opportunity left its mark upon the world. If I could preserve enough of those destinies and wield them to my liking, then perhaps one day I could influence the future itself.

"Zhen Ai," I called out to her softly. "Retrieve every corpse you can find. Friend or foe, it doesn't matter. Store them carefully. I'll resurrect them when I have the spare time."

"As you command," she answered before soaring back into the sky as she took on her dragon shape.

My words served two purposes. The first was practical. The second was to demonstrate my resolve before everyone present.

Unfortunately, that only caused Su Zhelan's expression to darken further.

"If you think the resurrection arts of my Renewal Sect will be used to preserve the lives of my enemies," he said coldly, "then you are mistaken."

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"Unfortunately, my old friend," said Xing Mei gently as she intruded between us, "it seems you were quite late to the latest news. The Renewal Sect no longer holds a monopoly over the resurrection arts."

Su Zhelan stared at her for several long moments before letting out a defeated sigh.

"So the rumors were true."

I nodded before addressing everyone gathered around us.

"The evacuation shall continue. We don't know when the enemy forces will make their next move against your sect. Your people need you more than this battlefield does. Protect them."

I paused briefly before continuing.

"If you truly believe the enemy commands an army of immortals, then I invite the Renewal Sect to relocate to my domain. Two immortals currently reside there. They can provide protection until this crisis ends. In exchange, I ask only one thing. Let your immortal practitioner accompany me on my journey to the remaining Four Sovereign Flags. I intend to persuade them to lay down their arms before this war consumes the entire cultivation world."

Su Zhelan snorted.

"You mean subdue them."

I smiled helplessly.

"If persuasion fails, perhaps."

Before the conversation could sour further, Zi Wen stepped forward.

"Sage Wo LI," he said respectfully, "this disciple wishes to remain with the Renewal Sect. If another attack comes while we're vulnerable, my place is beside our people."

I inclined my head.

"I respect that decision, Zi Wen. Your sect is fortunate to have someone of your ability."

My attention shifted toward Xing Mei.

"Your duty here is finished. Once every soldier of the Steelfrost Fortress has been restrained, march them alongside the evacuation. Under your guidance, and with one of my crows accompanying you, escort everyone back to the Serenity Lake Domain. Let them rest within the Hermit Sage Forest. They'll be far safer there than remaining anywhere near the front lines."

Xing Mei bowed her head.

"It shall be done."

While my people worked, I took the opportunity to rest atop the highest cliff overlooking the Renewal Sect. From there, the entire mountain lay beneath me. The frantic evacuation had slowed considerably.

Instead of fleeing in panic, the disciples and civilians had begun carefully sorting through the remnants of their lives. Some entered damaged homes to retrieve ancestral tablets, while others bundled treasured keepsakes and cultivation manuals into storage pouches. They moved with far less urgency now that the immediate threat had passed, though the weight hanging over the sect remained palpable.

I withdrew the Heavenly Eye from my storage ring and held it in both hands.

Golden light blossomed from its pupil.

The world around me dissolved.

Countless futures unfolded before my eyes like an endless river splitting into innumerable tributaries. Every choice branched into another possibility. Every possibility birthed countless more. Cities burned. Mountains crumbled. Rivers turned crimson beneath armies marching beneath unfamiliar banners.

The Four Sovereign Flags fractured into civil war while another future showed them united only to be swallowed by a greater catastrophe descending from the heavens. Every path I followed eventually led toward bloodshed.

The visions continued drawing me deeper.

I could feel my consciousness slipping into that sea of possibilities, losing sight of which future was real and which had yet to come.

I forced myself awake.

My breathing became ragged as I tore my gaze away from the Heavenly Eye before it consumed me entirely.

"Please forgive my uncle."

The unexpected voice broke my thoughts.

I turned to find Zi Wen standing a respectful distance away.

"He spoke far too harshly," Zi Wen said with an apologetic bow. "I ask your forgiveness on his behalf. Uncle Su rose during an era when the strongest cultivator on the continent was merely at the Soul Transformation Realm. The fiercest battles he experienced were disputes among the Ten Great Sects or the occasional invasion from neighboring continents. A war capable of engulfing the entire continent was something even he never imagined would come to pass."

I nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Truthfully, I did.

People could only prepare for disasters they were capable of imagining. Until recently, even I hadn't expected events to escalate this quickly. If I moved fast enough, perhaps there was still time to prevent the worst outcomes.

At least, that was what I wanted to believe.

After consulting the Heavenly Eye, however, pessimism lingered stubbornly in my heart.

I looked toward Zi Wen before asking the question that had been bothering me.

"I'm sorry if this comes out wrong, but... how old are you?"

He smiled with quiet amusement.

"Why ask?"

I searched for the right words.

"For an Immortal, you're awfully..." I hesitated before chuckling. "Hm. How should I put it? Young. You don't act immature, and nothing you've done would've made me suspect otherwise. It's just... I get that impression from you somehow."

It wasn't easy to explain.

Hao Lei possessed the weariness of someone who had witnessed countless generations rise and fall. Mab hid millennia of experience beneath eccentricity that occasionally bordered on insanity. Zi Wen possessed neither. There was a lightness to him that only someone who hadn't yet been weathered by endless years could carry.

If not for the Voice of the World, I doubted I would've noticed.

His robes fluttered gently in the mountain breeze.

"Our master is the youngest Immortal!"

"Only one hundred and seventeen!"

"He'll surpass everyone one day!"

"Wear us proudly, Master!"

The clothes all but sang with pride.

I couldn't help smiling.

"I think it's in the eyes," I said. "I don't remember who first told me this, but they said the eyes are the gateway to the soul."

Zi Wen nodded in understanding.

"I see."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"You are correct. I'm still young by an Immortal's standards. I turned one hundred and seventeen last summer."

I stretched before standing.

"Break's over."

Below us, the last pockets of resistance had finally collapsed. My crows and Shadow Elementals had finished subduing every remaining soldier from the Steelfrost Fortress. Rather than chains, specially treated spirit ropes restrained each prisoner, preventing them from circulating qi while avoiding unnecessary injury.

I looked toward Zi Wen.

"Keep doing what you're doing. Continue protecting the people you cherish. Don't let yourself be swayed by what others think you should become."

His expression grew thoughtful.

"As for Sect Leader Su..." I continued, "I don't think badly of his temper. I understand where he's coming from. Like you, he has a role to fulfill. So do I. We simply chose different paths to protect the people entrusted to us."

Zi Wen bowed respectfully.

"I shall remember your words."

I smiled before transforming.

My body shrank as feathers erupted across my skin. Moments later, I spread a pair of broad eagle wings and launched into the sky.

The rest of my companions quickly gathered around me.

"Report," I called.

Xuanwu stepped onto a floating rock beneath us.

"I've already handed every storage ring containing the ship debris to Xing Mei. She'll forward them to Jia Ping for examination."

Several crows landed nearby.

"Caw!"

"Caw!"

Old Crow flapped down beside me before tilting his head.

"So where to next, Boss?"

"The True Origin Sect."

Every eye turned toward me.

"They sent a plea for help before communications went silent. We don't have time to waste."

I looked toward Zhen Ai.

"Transform. Don't hold back your qi expenditure."

She nodded.

"Understood."

Then I swept my gaze across everyone else.

"If you can't keep up, split off. Don't become a burden trying to stay together. We need to cross the distance between here and the True Origin Sect as quickly as possible. Once we're done there, we'll continue responding to every sect targeted by this invasion."

With a flash of azure light, Zhen Ai resumed her dragon form. Her immense body stretched across the heavens as scales shimmered beneath the afternoon sun. I stepped onto her forehead and struck my staff lightly against her scales.

"Spirit of the World Tree."

An immense phantom tree manifested behind me.

Its branches stretched toward the heavens while emerald light bathed everyone present. Their cultivation surged upward beneath the blessing as strength flooded their bodies.

"Go!"

Zhen Ai exploded forward. The world blurred. Mountains became streaks beneath us. Clouds shattered apart from the sheer speed of our passage. By the time the True Origin Sect should have come into view, I dispelled the Spirit of the World Tree to conserve qi. The colossal phantom vanished.

Everyone stared silently ahead.

There was no mountain. Only a vast lake stretched before us.

Old Crow circled overhead before slowly descending.

"I've been here before," he muttered. "Long ago, when I migrated with another murder of crows. The True Origin Sect stood atop a beautiful mountain surrounded by this very lake. Streams flowed from it into smaller rivers across the region."

He looked around in disbelief.

"This is the place..."

His voice became uncertain.

"But... where's the mountain?"

I closed my eyes. The Voice of the World spread outward. Immediately, countless frightened voices filled my ears.

The rocks trembled.

"The scary woman..."

The reeds rustled.

"She buried everything..."

Even the wind whispered mournfully.

"The mountain sank..."

I knelt beside the water's edge.

"What happened here?" I asked softly. "Where did the mountain go?"

The lake answered as one.

"A scary woman..."

"She pushed the mountain down..."

"She sank it beneath us..."

Without another word, I transformed once more. My body shrank until silver scales replaced my being. A trout splashed into the lake before diving toward the depths. As sunlight faded above me, the outline of an enormous mountain gradually emerged beneath the water.

Collapsed pavilions clung to steep cliffs. Broken bridges floated between ancient trees. Countless buildings had been crushed beneath the immense pressure.

Among the ruins, I spotted silhouettes of women, cultivators, and disciples. Some remained trapped beneath shattered architecture. Others were pinned between uprooted trees and broken stone.

None had escaped.

A school of native fish swam cautiously around me.

I asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"

The fish scattered nervously before answering in frightened voices.

"A scary woman came..."

"She pushed the mountain down..."

"Everything sank..."

"Nobody could stop her..."

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