'After grinding for so long, my Druid level finally hit 4!'
It had been nearly four months since his last level up—almost a hundred days. In a game, a hundred days per level would be infuriating.
'But for a cultivation world, this is excellent!'
In this world, reaching Foundation Establishment granted a lifespan of three to five hundred years, and Golden Core cultivators could enjoy nearly a millennium. Even at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, as long as his foundation wasn't damaged, Qi Ping could live to be two hundred. A hundred days for two unique natural skills, a new animal companion slot, and a shared talent was a bargain.
If other cultivators knew, they would likely kill him just to study his body or search his soul for the source of his inheritance. This was exactly why he stayed low-profile. Showing off was fine, but only if you could handle the risks. Currently, even if someone knew he was unusual, they would assume his strength didn't exceed the Qi Refinement stage. They would send, at most, a late-stage cultivator to investigate him.
But in reality, Qi Ping could flee from a Foundation Establishment expert, and no Qi Refinement cultivator—except a freak like Lin Qingshu—could truly threaten him. This was his confidence in surviving the chaos. Who would bother spending massive effort to target an unremarkable ant?
'Moving from 3 to 4 wasn't bad, but 4 to 5 will take much longer. Probably half a year to a year. But that's when I'll reach my first professional advancement. I can't wait!'
An advancement would bring a qualitative change. Every class-holder lived for that moment.
The level 4 skills were generated, and Qi Ping turned his focus to his panel.
[Druid Level: 3 (205/400)] → [Druid Level: 4 (1/800)]
[Generating Level 4 Skills...]
[Please choose your skills...]
[Beast King Druid (Choose One): Beast King's Flame, Bestial Cowering]
Lv1 Beast King's Flame: A powerful flame is birthed within your body. It possesses extreme destructive power, specifically effective at destroying all types of defenses, including energy shields and physical armor. (Passive, Upgradeable. You can upgrade this by sensing natural fire.)
Lv1 Bestial Cowering: As a Beast King, you can cast a spell to significantly lower the aggression of hostile animals and their desire to attack you. (Active, Upgradeable.)
[Jungle Druid (Choose One): Venom Purge, Nature Perception]
Lv1 Venom Purge: You can consume energy to purge toxins from your body, reducing or granting immunity to their harmful effects. (Active, Upgradeable.)
Lv1 Nature Perception: You possess a keen sense for the natural environment. You can smell hidden dangers and have a premonition of fortune or disaster before they arrive. (Passive, Non-upgradeable.)
It was a "two out of four" choice, though previous skills like Beast Dominance or Greed Vines were still available to pick. However, Qi Ping had no intention of looking back. Two of the level 4 skills were absolute must-haves.
His choice was decisive.
'I choose Beast King's Flame and Nature Perception!'
First, the choice between Flame and Cowering. If he were in a beast-dominated domain or fighting beast-tamers, Cowering would be divine. But currently, he had few chances to use it. Unless he fell into a monster-infested wasteland, it wasn't a priority.
As for Beast King's Flame—if he were purely a wood-attribute cultivator, its value would be limited to a basic attack. But he was a wood-fire dual cultivator! This changed everything. He already had the Sun-Fire Physique and was working on Fire Intent. This flame would not only help him master that Intent but would also grow in power as he meditated on other fire sources. It was killing two birds with one stone!
'Mastering Fire Intent should be much easier now!'
He had felt the agonizingly slow progress of the past few weeks. This threshold was no joke. Obtaining a natal flame now was a massive boost.
'And once it levels up, I'll finally have a reliable offensive move of my own.'
Previously, he had to rely entirely on his animal companions. His own arsenal was too thin.
'Now, if an enemy attacks, I can manifest Barkskin, a defensive spell, and my natal flame all at once. Triple protection!'
He immediately thought of it as a survival tool. The defense-shredding properties were just an added bonus.
In the second choice, the decision was even easier. Venom Purge was useful, but Nature Perception was in a league of its own. In a game, perception was often a niche tool, but this was a real cultivation world!
In this world, Nature Perception was a true "God-tier skill!"