To reveal how external fungi interact with rhizosphere community to response plant growth and drought stress, dark septate endophytes (DSE) were introduced to licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) that was grown in non-sterile soils subjected to drought. Four of six DSE species displayed physiological drought tolerance and positively affected growth of licorice depended on DSE species and water availability. DSE promoted the root length most obviously under drought stress (36.8-159.9 %), consequently increasing content of glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhizin (105.7-1473.6 %). However, the changes of ingredients were directly related to germplasm. Alterations in growth and medicinal components can be elucidated by shifts in microbial communities. DSE inoculation led to the enrichment of various microbial taxa resulting in modifications of community composition. However, changes in microbial networks were more affected by drought, with a more modularity of fungal network, while bacterial exhibited clustering, connectivity, and interspecific interactions. DSE inoculation altered soil pH, as well as levels of soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which were highly corresponded to microbial community. These findings underscore the capacity of exogenous microbes to modulate rhizosphere soil community and geodynamic cycle, improve plant growth and drought resistance, offering valuable insights for managing microbial communities in dryland medicinal plant cultivation.