Chapter 46: Crushing Bones and Scattering Ashes
In the blink of an eye, it landed right in front of He Song.
Releasing a hint of his own aura, the sound-transmitting paper crane in front of He Song turned instantly into a piece of white paper.
He unfolded it.
"Fellow Daoist, this matter started because of me, and your aftermath is my part."
"I thought it would be okay to deal with it later, but I didn't expect you to have already found out about Chen Zhou's details."
"That Chen Zhou is ill-tempered, bullying the weak and extorting spirit stones on weekdays. He is nothing but evil, a great sinner, and absolutely a harmful horse to the team."
"Your uncovering is indeed a great achievement."
"I have removed Chen Zhou's name from the spiritual plant farmers and made a plea for you."
"With this merit, you should be rewarded by the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, and the reward will be personally delivered by me."
"Zhao Lin."Thê sourc𝗲 of this conte/nt n/o/v/(𝒆l)bi((n))
In his letter, Zhao Lin didn't mention why he wants benefits for He Song, or that He Song wants to deal with Chen Zhou.
Instead, having removed Chen Zhou's name from the spiritual plant farmers, and saying that Chen Zhou is unforgivably guilty, he would make a plea to He Song once Chen's guilt was revealed.
This operation was simply classic.
After reading it, He Song couldn't help but smile.
Even Wei Fan, who was angrily reacting to Chen Zhou's actions, looked strange when he accidentally glanced at it.
This Zhao Lin.
As long as it is within his authority, he dares to seek benefits for his friends.
"This Daoist is indeed an interesting person."
Wei Fan looked strangely appreciative, speaking in a soft voice.
He also once wanted to help He Song save some spirit stones, relying on his own position to provide He Song with benefits. But he never thought.
Zhao Lin did even more excessively than him.
He only exempted He Song from nearly half a month's rent.
Zhao Lin on the other hand.
Not only helped He Song handle the spirit field affairs, but also provided cover for He Song when he wanted to kill someone, and even pleaded for him.
This…
It was obvious that there was a conflict between the two sides, and one side wanted to eliminate the root cause to avoid future troubles.
In Zhao Lin's place, it turned into He Song's wise and clear eyes, detecting that Chen Zhou's character was extremely bad, and cleaning the tumor for the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion.
If it weren't for the fact that he was involved in this incident, Wei Fan might have believed Zhao Lin's words.
"This Daoist friend has known me for more than three years, and is a network that Lao Meng entrusted me with before he left. When Lao Meng returns, perhaps we can add him to our gathering and have one more person."
Seeing Wei Fan's interest in Zhao Lin, He Song, who had long considered Zhao Lin a part of his circle, quickly explained.
A person, if he is a friend with any one of three people, can confirm his character.
If he is friends with two of the three people, there will be no obstacle to joining the small circle.
He Song, Wei Fan, Meng Guan.
The three of them have known each other for many years and understand each other's temperament.
People recognized by two of them will naturally not have character problems.
"However, speaking of Lao Meng, has Lao Meng passed you a paper crane message recently?" Halfway through, He Song thought of Meng Guan, and hurriedly asked another question.
He Song hadn't seen Meng Guan for a long time.
Three years ago, Meng Guan sent He Song and Wei Fan a sound-transmitting paper crane each, and then there was no more news until now.
He Song and Wei Fan tried to contact him, but there was always no response to their sound-transmitting paper cranes.
The two were desperate but could do nothing.
The Red Spirit Gold Mine was too dangerous, and they didn't dare to go and investigate with their current abilities.
They could only worry in their hearts.bender
"Let's discuss adding new people to the group after Lao Meng returns, and Lao
Meng hasn't given me any sound-transmitting paper cranes either. But wait, I'll let those below chase Chen Zhou out of the Immortal Pavilion." Shaking his head, Wei Fan said, and then released a sound-transmitting paper crane.
He, Wei Fan, is not a powerless person.
As a steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion and a Qi-refining late stage cultivator, his power is enormous.
The Spirit Construction Pavilion is established to manage all buildings in the Immortal Pavilion.
Being a steward in such a real authority department, driving a loose cultivator out of the Immortal Pavilion is just a matter of a word for him.
Now.
Since Chen Zhou has been removed from the spiritual plant farmers by Zhao Lin, it means he is now a loose cultivator.
The simplest way to deal with a loose cultivator is to drive him out of the Immortal Pavilion and then kill him with one hit.
As a late stage Qi-refiner, Wei Fan, who drastically enhanced his battle capacity three years ago, had an easy time dealing with a fourth-tier Qi-refining practitioner.
Chen Zhou may be a loose cultivator, but he is only a Qi-refining mid stage practitioner who has just broken through the fourth tier.
In the face of a late Qi Refining stage cultivator with finely tuned Artifacts, abundant spirit amulets, and proficient spells, there is almost no resistance.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I fetch the scoundrel's head." After releasing the sound-transmitting paper crane, Wei Fan smiled slightly at He Song and quickly rushed out of the small courtyard.
Looking at his excited spirit, it seemed that he hadn't taken any action for a long time and was a bit restless.
However, just as he was about to step out of the yard.
The voice of He Song sounded behind him.
"Wei friends, we don't need the head, remember to burn it to ashes afterwards!"
Wei Fan's figure visibly paused, then rushed out towards the courtyard at an even faster speed.
At the same time, a voice followed.
"Alright, I'll bring you some ashes when I'm done burning."
So, Wei Fan's figure disappeared into the courtyard, heading towards the position where Chen Zhou's house was.
Within the small courtyard.
Watching Wei Fan's figure disappear from his sight, He Song was speechless in his heart, but after thinking about it, he didn't refuse. Burn the body after killing, and crush and scatter the ashes.
This should no longer bring any troubles.
Even if Chen Zhou has friends outside, they probably can't track him down.
In addition, burning the body and scattering the ashes could also prevent Chen Zhou from playing dead or feigning death and escaping.
Even if he really dies, he won't become a zombie monster.
The body was burned and the bones were crushed and scattered, everything would dissipate.
Chen Zhou will completely disappear from this world.
After thinking about it, He Song forcibly resisted the idea of going with Wei Fan to destroy the corpse and eliminate his traces.
Outside the Immortal Pavilion, the situation was still too dangerous for He Song at the moment.
His cultivation had reached the Qi-refining mid stage, and he had not learned any offensive or defensive skills, his magic-fighting ability was almost zero.
Under such circumstances, if he encountered an enemy, he would probably have to hide behind Wei Fan.
This is not what He Song wanted.
"Wait until I've learned some offensive and defensive skills, then pair them with offensive and defensive Artifacts, prepare some high-grade spirit amulets, and then leave the Immortal Pavilion."
In Wei Fan's small courtyard, He Song was silently considering the things he needed to prepare.
At this point, He Song's cultivation has reached the Qi-refining mid stage, and he will have at least ninety spirit stones a year.
This is much richer than the Qi Refining Early Stage.
As long as some time was saved, He Song felt that the things he had just thought about could certainly be gathered.
After all, the thing about time. He never lacked it..
Chapter 47: Destroying the Corpse and Erasing Traces
With this in mind, He Song quickly began planning the future use of his spirit stones.
First of all.
Skills!
Skills are cheap – a common Qi Refining skill only costs ten spirit stones.
Although special skills for the Qi Refining stage are slightly more expensive, they should not be too costly.
He probably wouldn't have to spend many spirit stones to learn all the skills he would like to learn.
This is the easiest way to increase one's strength.
Moreover, there are many Qi Refining skills that have various unique applications and can greatly contribute to other aspects of one's abilities.
For example, the Spirit Vision Skill, Sound Transmission Skill, or Breath
Concealment Formulas are just like this.
Of course, practicing skills takes a long time.
But He Song has a stronger soul than ordinary cultivators, as he came from another world, and his learning speed for skills is also much faster than ordinary cultivators.
It would be a waste not to take advantage of this great asset.
Aside from that.
There are spirit amulets!
The spirit amulets play a significant role during the Qi Refining stage.
A low-quality Thick Earth Amulet that costs five spirit stones can resist attacks from the Qi Refining Early Stage several times, as well as some offensive power from the Qi Refining Mid Stage.
A mid-quality Thick Earth Amulet costing twenty spirit stones could resist several Qi Refining Mid Stage attacks and some offensive power from the Qi Refining Late Stage.
A low-quality Golden Light Amulet costing five spirit stones has incredible lethality. If there is no Defense Spirit Amulet or Artifacts to guard against it, a Qi Refining Early Stage cultivator will not be able to take it without suffering.
However, the duration of these spirit amulets is generally short, often lasting only about ten breaths.
As the duration is short, the price is relatively high.
Ordinary cultivators usually carry a few, and more cautious ones may bring ten or more for self-defense.
But during the Qi Refining stage, it is never wrong to carry extra spirit amulets with you.
This is also why many cultivators choose to dabble as an amulet Tao master.
Creating your own amulets is more cost-effective once you become proficient, and selling unwanted amulets can help supplement household expenses. Amulet Tao masters tend to make a decent amount of money.
Aside from skills and spirit amulets, there are Artifacts.
Low-quality Artifacts can be purchased at the Artifacts Pavilion in Immortal Pavilion, with prices fluctuating around 100 spirit stones depending on factors such as newness and style.
Mid-quality Artifacts are more expensive, usually priced around 500 spirit stones.
In the Cultivation World.
Generally, Qi Refining Early and Mid Stage cultivators have low cultivation levels and limited wealth, so they mainly use low-quality Artifacts.
Having an offensive and defensive set of low-quality Artifacts would already put one above the vast majority of cultivators at the Early and Mid Stage of Qi Refining.
After all, He Song has already reached the Qi Refining Mid Stage, but at this point, he doesn't even have a single low-quality Artifact.
Most other cultivators in the Immortal Pavilion are just like that.
Only loose cultivators, who face survival pressures in the outside world, would grit their teeth and purchase protective Artifacts for themselves during the Qi Refining Early Stage.
Meanwhile, Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators have abundant spirit power, so they basically use mid-quality Artifacts.
The Artifacts Wei Fan exchanged three years ago were both in a mid-quality offensive and defensive set.
This is considered to be normal among Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators.
As for high-quality and top-quality Artifacts.
They are only considered after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
They are too expensive and consume too much spirit power, making Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators generally unwilling to purchase them.
Of course, there are also Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators who use high-quality Artifacts, but since they consume too much spirit power, they are typically used only as trump cards, with only a few strikes of power.
Skills.
Spirit amulets.
Artifacts.
All these cultivation-aiding methods require a large amount of spirit stones.
After careful consideration, He Song decided, for the time being, to first master the Array Tao Introduction and set up the simplest Spirit-Gathering Array to improve his cultivation speed.
Later, he would spend spirit stones to learn skills and purchase spirit amulets.
Once he had enough spirit stones, he could proceed to buy Artifacts.
In this way, he would not delay his cultivation progress and also strengthen his battle capabilities.
Simply perfect!
Although his combat strength couldn't be improved for the time being.
However, the Immortal Pavilion was relatively safe with the protection of
Foundation Establishment Masters. As lonq as no huze turmoil took place, the security was extremely strong.
After making up his mind, He Song poured himself a cup of tea and waited for Wei Fan in the small courtyard. R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only
At night.
He Song set down the teacup in his hand, feeling a trace of worry in his heart.
Wei Fan had been gone for quite some time but still had not returned.
Could it be…
An unpleasant thought flashed through He Song's mind as he looked at the darkening sky outside the courtyard, frowning gradually.
It shouldn't be. After all, Wei Fan was a Qi-refining late stage cultivator, and he had just replaced his Artifacts and had enough spirit amulets on hand. How could he possibly fail against a fourth- tier Qi Refiner like Chen Zhou?
The difference in strength was too large.
However, just as He Song was starting to lose his patience and about to release a sound-transmitting paper crane to find out what happened.
Two figures appeared at the courtyard gate.
They were arm in arm, looking as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time and were genuinely excited.
At first glance, He Song thought they were two drunkards.
But after observing carefully, He Song's face revealed a smile of joy.
Pod pod pod…
With a series of rapid footsteps, He Song quickly arrived at the courtyard gate.
He opened the door.
"Wei, Lao Meng, what is this?" Looking at the two men hugging each other, He Song welcomed them into the courtyard before asking.
That's right, the two men who appeared arm in arm were Wei Fan and Meng Guan.
Having been gone for three years at the Red Spirit Gold Mine without any news, Meng Guan now suddenly stood right in front of He Song, alive and well.
And what's more, he came back with Wei Fan.
This scene filled He Song's heart with questions.
Of course, after ushering the two men into the courtyard, he immediately started asking questions.
"Take a seat first, let's sit down and talk slowly." Wei Fan smiled, leading the two up to the loft.
Only after all three were seated and had a cup of tea in front of them did Wei Fan point to Meng Guan and began explaining to He Song.
"This time when I left the Immortal Pavilion, it was to kill Chen Zhou, right? After I chased him out of the Immortal Pavilion, he disappeared like a slippery fish."
"Fortunately, he encountered me. Just three years ago, I happened to learn a Tracking Skill. After casting the tracking skill, I chased him in the direction he fled for half a day."
"I don't know how far I went from the Immortal Pavilion, but as the sky gradually darkened, I finally caught up with him and killed him."
"Coincidentally, just as I was about to turn his bones to ashes as He Song instructed, someone happened to pass by."
"At first, I thought I'd kill that person as well, but then that person called me
'Weil."
"So, we came back together."
Looking at Meng Guan next to him, Wei Fan spoke with a somewhat strange expression on his face.
He didn't expect to encounter Meng Guan, who had just left the Red Spirit Gold Mine and was about to return to the Immortal Pavilion, right after he had killed someone and was in the process of disposing of the body as He Song had instructed. At that time, Meng Guan had asked him with a puzzled face what he was doing. What else could he be doing….destroying the corpse and concealing his tracks!
Chapter 48: So Poor
It was fortunate that it was Meng Guan who came across this scene; if it were other cultivators, there would probably be another life taken in his hands.
Thinking about Meng Guan's expression and involuntary inquiry at the time, Wei Fan couldn't help but smile.
He actually really dared to ask such a question.
However, after thinking about it, Wei Fan couldn't blame him.
Meng Guan was his good friend, and it was reasonable for a friend to ask a question when they saw him disposing of a body.
If it were someone else, Meng Guan would probably have been running away with the Breath Concealment Formulas the instant he saw this scene.
He wouldn't have come forward and asked questions then.
"I was only a hundred miles away from the Red Spirit Gold Mine when I saw someone who looked just like Wei killing a loose cultivator with a single sword. I was startled and immediately used the Breath Concealment Formulas to hide. I didn't even dare to recognize him," said Meng Guan, his face flushed red, and his beard twitching as he added a few more words.
"Only when I hid and observed for a while and confirmed that it was indeed Wei, did I come out and recognize him. Alas, it was later revealed that this loose cultivator had actually made an enemy out of my friends. He really deserved to die!"
In the end, Meng Guan shook his head, a fierce look appearing on his face.
Judging by his appearance, it seemed that if it wasn't for Wei Fan, he would have ground Chen Zhou's bones and scattered his ashes himself.
At this moment, after listening to the vivid descriptions of the two, He Song was rendered speechless.
Who could have thought that when Wei Fan left Immortal Pavilion to kill people for him, he would bring Meng Guan back as well?
Just when He Song saw Wei Fan and Meng Guan at the entrance of the courtyard earlier, he hadn't even thought about it.
But it really happened.
This…
It was just too coincidental.
"By the way, I brought back some of Chen Zhou's ashes and put them in his storage bag. Here." After explaining the situation, Wei Fan quickly took a storage bag from his chest and handed it to He Song.
Before leaving the small courtyard, he had promised He Song that he would bring back some of his ashes.
Now that Chen Zhou was dead and his body was burned, he naturally brought back some ashes as well.
Not a lot, but enough.
As for the storage bag, it was naturally found on Chen Zhou's body.
A small storage bag containing a space of about one cubic meter for storing items.
One could usually buy it for a hundred spirit stones at the Artifacts Pavilion.
Chen Zhou's storage bag was just like that.
Although a hundred spirit stones were considered quite a lot for Qi Refining Early Stage and Qi-refining mid-stage cultivators, it didn't pique the interest of Wei Fan, who was at the Qi-refining late-stage. N/nêw n0vel chap/ers are published o/n n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m
Taking the storage bag, He Song immediately input a spirit power.
Suddenly, a pile of things appeared before He Song.
A small jar.
Several spirit amulets.
A small pile of spirit stones.
A few sets of changeable clothes.
A set of Thick Earth Formulas.
And some other miscellaneous items.
Glancing over each item, He Song's gaze rested on the small jar for a moment.
If he was not mistaken, Chen Zhou's ashes should be in this jar.
As for the other things-
He Song took a quick glance and quickly calculated the price.
The several spirit amulets were all low-quality and worth twenty to thirty spirit stones.
In the small pile of spirit stones, He Song counted a total of fifty-four.
The changeable clothes were not worth any money, the Thick Earth Formulas were not worth any money, and the miscellaneous things were not worth any money either.
In summary,
The value of Chen Zhou's possessions, including the storage bag, was only around one hundred and eighty spirit stones.
"So poor."
With a sigh in his heart, He Song shook his head, feeling that this meager wealth really wasn't worthy of Chen Zhou the Loose cultivator's status.
Isn't it said that Loose cultivators are wealthier than Immortal Pavilion cultivators?
Now that he looked at it, it didn't seem to be anything special.
However, after thinking about it, He Song felt relieved.
Loose cultivators are involved in dangerous and high-stakes work. The resources they gained were most likely used for their own cultivation.
If it weren't for joining the Immortal Pavilion as a spiritual plant farmer and having a stable income, Chen Zhou's fortune would probably be even less. Thinking about himself, He Song couldn't help but feel dumbstruck.
Comparatively, Chen Zhou was richer.
He Song currently had only about a dozen spirit stones and didn't even have a storage bag.
Truth be told, he was the poorest of them all.
"Fellow Daoist, you just take these spoils of war. In the future, just remember that you owe me a favor, " said Wei Fan, eyebrows raised with a smile on his face, upon seeing He Song empty the contents of the storage bag.
Of the three of them, He Song had the lowest cultivation level and the lowest annual salary.
Now that he has finally broken through to the Qi-refining mid-stage, his yearly salary had just increased, but it was not much.
Wei Fan himself was a Qi-refining late-stage cultivator with many resources at his disposal.
Meng Guan was a sixth-tier Qi Refining cultivator. After working as a small leader in the Red Spirit Gold Mine for three years, his wealth was also quite bountiful.
Only He Song had just broken through to the Qi-refining mid -stage and had not yet started receiving this year's salary.
Seeing He Song in such a predicament, he naturally wanted to lend him a hand.
After a few years, when He Song starts receiving his mid-stage Qi Refining
annual salary, his financial situation would gradually improve.
At that time, he wouldn't need to worry about such trivial matters anymore.
Wei Fan didn't care about a little over a hundred spirit stones.
A few years later, He Song wouldn't care about such a small amount of spirit stones either.
When Wei Fan mentioned owing him a favor, it was just so He Song would accept the items.
"Right, fellow Daoist, just take it. When the time comes, just owe him a favor, and that's fine. Now that you've broken through to the Qi-refining mid-stage and have received more spirit stones, you'll realize in a few years that these spirit stones are inconsequential," Meng Guan nodded in agreement upon seeing Wei Fan persuading He Song.
Previously, Meng Guan was the manager of Spiritual Medicine Pavilion. Although his cultivation and position were not as high as Wei Fan's, he also understood the ways of the Immortal Pavilion cultivators.
The annual salary acquired based on rank among Immortal Pavilion cultivators might not be much.
However, there are other sources of income.
For example, Zhao Lin, the amulet Tao master, can earn spirit stones by making amulets, apart from his annual salary from the Immortal Pavilion.
With just the annual salary from the Immortal Pavilion, one might not receive many spirit stones in a year.
However, if you add the spirit stones earned through the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Truth, the income would increase significantly.
This was the main reason why the vast majority of Qi-refining mid-stage cultivators could save spirit stones.
Ordinary cultivation, buying elixirs, Artifacts, spirit amulets, and acquiring skills all require spirit stones.
If there was no extra income, relying solely on the annual salary issued by the Immortal Pavilion would make it difficult to make ends meet.
A few years would be enough for ordinary cultivators to practice a skill from the Hundred Skills of Cultivation Truth and earn spirit stones through it.
That was the reasoning behind their mention of a few years.
"Alright, then I shall respectfully comply. This favor will be etched in my heart." After considering it, He Song didn't refuse.
If Wei Fan and Meng Guan were willing to help, it was only right for him to accept their offer.
After all, just as they said, no one would care about some hundred or so spirit stones in a few years.
Furthermore, He Song would keep this favor in his heart.
However, He Song was somewhat skeptical about their words.
It had been three years, and he still hadn't mastered the Array Tao Introduction.
Even if he did master the array tao and could set up a Spirit-Gathering Array, he wouldn't dare risk his life to help others set up arrays for spirit stones.
Therefore, he couldn't be sure if he would really be indifferent to over a hundred spirit stones in a few years. He Song couldn't even assure himself of that..
Chapter 49: A Bountiful Harvest
Since both of his friends agreed, He Song didn't dispute and accepted the benefits. As for favours, he could pay them back slowly over time.
After all, he planned to live a long time.
If he couldn't repay them immediately, it would be fine to return the favour to their descendants.
Thinking this way, He Song casually accepted the pile of goods in front of him, and then thanked the two men in front of him with a bow of his hand.
The two men waved their hands in a gesture of indifference.
The matter about Chen Zhou was settled.
He Song lightly rubbed the storage bag in his hand, breathing out a sigh of relief in his heart.
Good that he's dead.
Good that he's dead.
Only the dead would pose no threat to him.
Just like Chen Zhou, who had offended him and begun to secretly investigate him.
He Song wouldn't give such a person the opportunity to retaliate.
He was not one to let enemies grow powerful enough to threaten him.
If he felt threatened, he would eliminated that danger as quickly as possible.
If not for the shot.
The shot would be a thunderbolt.
Couldn't beat him? No problem, a friend could assist him instead.
Although asking a friend for help required payment, once his own cultivation improved and he accumulated more spirit stones, this small expense wouldn't be significant.
Besides, Chen Zhou's death had brought him a storage bag and a few tens of spirit stones.
Although he would have to return these things down the line, having them now would allow He Song to grow stronger more quickly.
A few tens of spirit stones.
If he used these to purchase skills, He Song believed his power would increase.
The increase might be slight and would require time to master the skills, but it would definitely lead to an improvement.
Once his own strength was substantial enough and his enemies were relatively weak, then He Song would consider secretly eliminating threats.
After carefully considering everything from Chen Zhou's first appearance to Wei Fan bringing Chen Zhou's ashes, He Song's mind gradually stabilized.
He handled this crisis perfectly.
From the moment he offended Chen Zhou to Chen Zhou's ashes appearing in front of him, less than a day had passed.
He quickly eliminated the crisis, at least in He Song's eyes, without any mistake.
As for Chen Zhou.
He might never have expected.
To offend someone in the morning.
Moreover, it was not a face-to-face confrontation but rather a subtle investigation of the opponent's information. Then… by dusk, his life was already over.
Not only was his body cremated.
His ashes were put in a small jar and brought to He Song.
Perhaps until his death, he would never know who wanted to kill him.
Now that Chen Zhou is dead.
All that remains is to occasionally keep an eye out to see if anyone seeks revenge for him.
Given Wei Fan's and his own connections within the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion, they would be the first to know if anything happens.
There's no need to worry too much.
He Song's eyebrows gradually relaxed.
On the side, Wei Fan and Meng Guan also began discussing what they had both experienced over the past three years.
He Song listened while learning about the changes in the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion and the Red Spirit Gold Mine over the past three years.
The Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion.
What Wei Fan learned was not different from what He Song knew.
Ever since Master Cheng Shan returned three years ago, the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion began to recruit loose cultivators on a grand scale.
However, because of this, the quality of the new members in the Immortal Pavilion started to vary.
There were some like He Song who were recruited into the Pavilion while still in the first-tier Qi Refining.
There were some like Chen Zhou who were recruited into the Pavilion when they had reached the Qi-refining mid stage.
More of them, however, were loose cultivators from the second to third-tiers of the Qi Refining, and they were also recruited into the Pavilion. There were differences among these three types of cultivators.
First.
Cultivators like He Song who were in the first-tier Qi Refining when they joined the Pavilion, could quickly adjust to the inside of the Pavilion, steadily increase their cultivate, and wouldn't cause trouble.
In the recruitment process three years ago, most of the cultivators recruited had a clear mind and hadn't gone through life as a loose cultivator.
Among the cultivators in the Immortal Pavilion, a large portion would join the Thick Earth Sect if they luckily established their foundation. Naturally, the sect hoped that the cultivators' minds were pure so they could further their cultivation after joining the sect.
Second.
Cultivators like Chen Zhou who joined the Pavilion in the Qi-refining mid stage had difficulty adjusting. Although they had settled down more than when they were loose cultivators, their core temperament still reflected the habits of being a loose cultivator.
Take Chen Zhou as an example whose nature was wayward. He often bullied the weak, extorted spirit stones, and always sought to do evil was the norm for such mid-stage Qi refining cultivators.
The Pavilion's upper echelons had complaints about this kind of cultivator, but since the Pavilion currently needed their labor, they turned a blind eye.
Perhaps, when they no longer need these cultivators in the future, those with twisted characters will face the fate of being discarded after use.
Third.bender
Cultivators who were loose cultivators from the second-tier to third-tier of Qi Refining.
This group of cultivators, who had gone through the period of being a loose cultivator, understood how harsh and dangerous life as a loose cultivator could be.
Also, due to their low cultivation level, they basically belonged to the cautious and conscientious category.
They didn't make much noise inside the Pavilion, but their numbers were quite large.
Because they had spent some time as a loose cultivator, so far, only a few of these cultivators had shown abnormal behavior.
Besides this.
In the past three years, there were sporadic rumors of evil cultivators haunting outside the Pavilion.
But hardly anyone paid attention.
As long as these evil cultivators do not enter the Pavilion, no one would care.
After Wei Fan shared the changes that occurred in the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion over the past three years, allowing Meng Guan to better understand the Pavilion.
Their attention then shifted onto Meng Guan.
When two friends looked at him simultaneously, Meng Guan naturally understood that it was his turn to speak.
Consequently, He Song and Wei Fan quickly learned of the secrets within the Red Spirit Gold Mine from Meng Guan.
According to Meng Guan.
The Red Spirit Gold Mine was rich in Red Spirit Gold.
After going through a large-scale attack by several Foundation Establishment Masters three years ago, many of the mining loose cultivators were killed or injured. Since then, the mine constantly recruited loose cultivators to mine gold.
Over the three years that he had acted as supervisor in the red spirit gold mine, the depths of the pits became deeper and deeper.
Cultivators often died on the spot because they dug out strange things.
Some cultivators came across other valuable items and were rewarded.
Mostly, the deeper they went, the richer was the Red Spirit Gold.
Fortunately, Meng Guan was a supervisor and didn't need to go down into the mines, so he naturally avoided countless dangers.
While retelling his experience, Meng Guan couldn't help but thank He Song and Wei Fan.
Before leaving for the Red Spirit Gold Mine, only He Song and Wei Fan had advised him against it.
Wei Fan, especially, had done him a great kindness by informing him in advance. If it were not for Wei Fan's timely information, he would not have become a supervisor. If he had gone to mine gold, he might have already been dead by now. He had stated before, three years ago, that he wanted to thank both of them properly when he returned..
Chapter 50: Green Wall Immortal City
However, as He Song had guessed, Meng Guan did not mention the part about inviting them for drinks in the original sound-transmitting paper crane message.
Seeing this, He Song and Wei Fan exchanged a smile and didn't take it to heart.
Both of them knew Meng Guan's personality well.
He would never take them out for such a drinking session.
At least, the Meng Guan of three years ago would never have done that.
It seemed the same was true for him now.
There would be no alcohol, but he was sure to express his gratitude to them in some other form.
Since Meng Guan insisted on thanking the two of them, he would indeed do so, just in another way.
He Song and Wei Fan were not worried about this.
After expressing his gratitude verbally, Meng Guan continued his story.
Over the past three years, he had worked in the Red Spirit Gold Mine, made friends with some loose cultivators, and witnessed their hard lives as well as their terrifying speed in earning spirit stones.
In the Immortal Pavilion, the annual rent they had to pay took up most of the income of a mid-stage Qi-refining cultivator.
Due to the rent, cultivators in the Immortal Pavilion were generally poorer than loose cultivators.
Loose cultivators, on the other hand, didn't have to pay rent.
Ten spirit stones per month might not seem like much rent. However, it amounted to 120 spirit stones per year.
He Song's current annual salary was only ninety spirit stones for personal use.
Being able to save that many spirit stones, the lives of loose cultivators were generally better off than those in the Immortal Pavilion.
It should be noted that the jobs available to loose cultivators were usually life-threatening and highly dangerous, thus their rewards were naturally higher.
Under such circumstances, compared to Immortal Pavilion cultivators, loose cultivators indeed lived more comfortably.
It's just that cultivators in the Immortal Pavilion had a more stable lifestyle. As for loose cultivators, they faced greater danger but also had more wealth.
At this point, Meng Guan turned his gaze towards Wei Fan.
He stood up.
And saluted respectfully.
"The reason I left the Red Spirit Gold Mine this time is that I have earned enough spirit stones. I would like to invite Wei to accompany me to Green Wall Immortal City to purchase the Breakthrough Elixir."
Meng Guan took this salute very seriously.
Even though he had known Wei Fan for so long and they had become good friends, he still treated the matter with great importance.
When Meng Guan left the Immortal Pavilion to go to the Red Spirit Gold Mine three years ago, he was already forty-three years old.
Now, three years later, he was forty-six.
He had less than fourteen years left to reach the optimal age of sixty for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.
To break through from the sixth-tier Qi Refining stage to the ninth-tier Qi Refining stage in such a short time and obtain a Foundation Establishment Elixir would be extremely difficult.
Even without the Foundation Establishment Elixir and choosing to force a breakthrough, with Meng Guan's Five Spirits Roots aptitude, even if he successfully advanced to the seventh-tier Qi Refining stage this time, it would still be incredibly difficult to break through to the ninth-tier Qi Refining stage in such a short time.
However, in Meng Guan's view,
since he had already resigned from his position in the Immortal Pavilion and decided to forge ahead, he needed to risk his life. Even if there was only a slim chance, he would set foot on this inevitably thorny path!
As long as he could successfully break through to the late Qi-refining stage this time, he was confident that he could cultivate to the ninth-tier Qi Refining stage before the age of sixty and make an attempt at the Foundation Establishment Realm.N/nêw n0vel chap/ers are published o/n n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m
As for the final outcome,
Meng Guan didn't want to think too much about it.
Since he had decided to risk his life, there was no need to think about anything else.
The determination in Meng Guan's eyes made He Song sit up straight.
In front of him, facing Meng Guan's serious salute, Wei Fan's face immediately turned serious as well.
"Lao Meng, our friendship doesn't require such formalities. Fine, I will accompany you on this trip. It's just a Breakthrough Elixir, and I can protect it."
After a while, Wei Fan agreed.bender
He had thought a lot about it.
The risks of going to Green Wall Immortal City.
The danger after purchasing the Breakthrough Elixir.
The danger during Meng Guan's breakthrough.
The possible dangers of returning to Pavilion.
Having considered almost all possibilities and believing that he could handle them without too much difficulty, he agreed to the request.
A Qi-refining late-stage cultivator buying a mid -stage Breakthrough Elixir is bound to come with some risks but not many.
He had confidence in handling such situations.
If Meng Guan succeeded in breaking through, there would be virtually no danger with the support of two late-stage Qi-refining cultivators.
"Thanks to you, Wei, for agreeing to accompany me to Green Wall Immortal City. If I were to go there alone, it could be dangerous, but with your company, there's no problem."
Upon seeing Wei Fan's agreement, Meng Guan heaved a sigh of relief, and his old face immediately filled with joy.
Although he had anticipated Wei Fan's agreement, when he finally agreed, Meng Guan couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
This meant that he had not misjudged Wei Fan.
At the same time, it also meant that his trip to Green Wall Immortal City to buy the Breakthrough Elixir would now be free of hidden dangers.
Finally, it signified that the bond between him, Wei Fan, and He Song was still intact after three years had passed.
Naturally, he felt delighted at the moment and was greatly reassured.
However, just as he indulged in his joy, Wei Fan spoke up again.
He looked at He Song.
"Fellow Daoist, would you like to come with us to Green Wall Immortal City for a visit? It's not like the Immortal Pavilion. It's a truly bustling place."
Since he had already agreed to go with Meng Guan to Green Wall Immortal City, bringing one more person wouldn't hurt.
After all, He Song was already at the mid-stage of Qi Refining now. If he came along, they would have one more combatant on their side.
Although Wei Fan knew He Song's current combat power was almost negligible, other cultivators they encountered on the way wouldn't know that.
With strength in numbers, they might avoid some trouble.
At the same time, it would be an eye-opening experience for He Song.
Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion was just a marketplace established under the jurisdiction of Green Wall Immortal City for the convenience of nearby cultivators to trade.
The visiting cultivators were mostly low-level Qi Refining cultivators from the surrounding areas, and it was rare to see a Foundation Establishment Master.
He Song had been in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion for almost ten years and had never seen a Foundation Establishment Master other than Master Cheng Shan.
How could such a place compare to the Immortal City?
In Immortal City, Foundation Establishment Masters were rare but there were at least several who resided there permanently.
Sometimes, there were even visiting Foundation Establishment Masters from other places.
The goods sold in the Immortal City were also of a higher grade than those found in the Immortal Pavilion.
However.
Just as Wei Fan expected He Song to agree,
He Song shook his head repeatedly after hearing what was said.
"Forget it, you guys go ahead. Immortal City has its advantages, and so does the Immortal Pavilion. For now, I prefer staying here."
As he said this, He Song continued to wave his hands, trying to dispel Wei Fan's idea.
Immortal City?
Why go to City?
He could do as he pleased in this small Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion.
Even if someone offended him, he could use his connections to make them vanish off the face of the earth.
Why go to the Immortal City to be at the bottom of the hierarchy when he could be a tyrant here?
Once in Immortal City, what would his meager connections amount to?
Not to mention Wei Fan was only a seventh-tier Qi Refining cultivator. Even if he were at the ninth- tier, it was doubtful he could make a name for himself in Immortal City.
In such circumstances, the protection he could provide would naturally decrease significantly.
If He Song were to offend a Foundation Establishment cultivator in Immortal City, he might even drag Wei Fan down, and neither of them could escape. Though this was a low-probability event, He Song felt that it was better to stay in the Immortal Pavilion for the time being since he lacked the ability to protect himself..
Chapter 51: Farewell
At least.
He Song didn't need to worry about being stepped on and killed after offending others.
Within this small Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion, He Song's foundation was very solid, and generally, no one would harm him.
He'd rather stay, instead of entering the Immortal City while his strength isn't at its peak.
It would be better to wait until his cultivation has reached the Qi-refining late stage and he needs to progress to the Foundation Establishment Realm, then move onto the Immortal City for breakthrough opportunities.
By then, he should have some self-defense capabilities and won't have to be overly cautious in the Immortal City.
Thinking all these, He Song's face showed an even more resolute refusal.
Let whoever wants to go to the Immortal City go.
He's not going, not now.
Even just to take a look, it's not feasible.
No one knows what could happen in an Immortal City.
The outside world, too dangerous.
Seeing He Song shaking his head continuously, his face full of refusal, Wei Fan was not surprised by this attitude.
His friend.
Still as careful as ever.
"Alright, if you don't want to go, I won't insist. But during the time when I'm away, I hope you'll stand in for me at the Spirit Construction Pavilion."
As a steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion, Wei Fan couldn't leave the Pavilion without saying a word.
If he dares to leave quietly, the Pavilion dare to quietly withdraw his position.
Thus, when Meng Guan came calling, he could only temporarily assign his duties to He Song.
He didn't trust anyone else.
The previous invitation for He Song to go to the Immortal City with him was also a test.
If He Song also wanted to go, then he would have to entrust it to someone else.
But by then, he would have his arrangements to ensure no one messes up.
"It's a small matter, let Brother Wei tell me the responsibilities when he is ready. I would indeed enjoy getting a taste of being a steward of the Spirit
Construction Pavilion."
He Song nodded in agreement.
Then, as if thinking of something, he quickly took out several spirit amulets from his body.
Wei Fan had given these amulets to He Song for protection before going to kill Chen Zhou.
Now Wei Fan has returned and Chen Zhou is dead.
He Song would naturally return these amulets to their original owner.
Not to mention, Wei Fan and Meng Guan are about to head for Green Wall Immortal City.
Even though there wouldn't be any trouble when a late-stage Qi-refining cultivator and a sixth-tier Qi refining cultivator go to Green Wall Immortal City together.
However, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Returning these amulets to Wei Fan would make their journey safer.
"These are the spirit amulets you gave me for protection. Now that Chen Zhou is dead, you should take them back. Besides, you are going away, and it would be good to have these amulets for protection."
Handing the amulets in his hand over to Wei Fan, He Song nodded to him.
These were all high-quality spirit amulets, which could only exert their full power when deployed by a late-stage Qi refining cultivator. In He Song's hands, they would simply be wasted.
"Thank you for your consideration,"
Wei Fan felt a warm feeling inside as he accepted the amulets.
He had further recognition for He Song.
Although these spirit amulets were given out by him, He Song remembered them and returned them to him before he left, this consideration meant everything.
For the rest of the time, the three of them drank and chatted on the loft, they were absolutely joyful.
That night.
All three stayed in Wei Fan's small courtyard.
The Pavilion enforced a curfew, at night, unless you had a special identity, one would be treated as an Evil Cultivator by the Law Enforcement Team if caught.
Even though He Song had his own home, he didn't want to take a risk on the streets at night.
Not to mention the danger.
There's a chance of being caught by the Law Enforcement Team.
That would inevitably cause some trouble.
Wei Fan and Meng Guan left early the next morning.
He Song went to see them off, but he didn't go too far. He stopped at the entrance of the Pavilion.
Moving any further would be somewhat dangerous.
He had no choice but to stop there.
Cultivators were known for their speed.
After bidding farewell to his two friends at the entrance of the Pavilion, He Song saw two indistinct figures rushing towards the distance like ghosts.
The speed was as fast as lightning.
It was unknown whether they had cultivated some sort of tunneling skill.
After sending off the two, He Song first returned to his spirit field. He carefully carried out the Spirit Rain Skill for half an hour, then he turned towards the Spirit Construction Pavilion.
Before Wei Fan's departure, he formally introduced He Song to everyone in the Spirit Construction Pavilion, requesting that He Song stand in his place.
Naturally, after He Song finishes taking care of his spirit field, he would need to attend to his duty at the Spirit Construction Pavilion.
It's worth mentioning.
There is no specific duties for the position of the steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion.
Rather than calling it a position, it's more like a management role.
Most of the tasks in the Spirit Construction Pavilion are carried out by the people below.
As a steward, all he needed to do was ensure those underneath him kept things in order.
Beyond occasionally receiving some internal cultivators who come to renew their rent, there were no other matters.
If he didn't feel like receiving these internal cultivators, He Song could even seclude himself in the Pavilion every day, and no one would dare disturb him.
This made He Song sigh unavoidably.
In the cultivation world.
Being highly skilled really allowed you to do whatever you wanted.
Such an easy job, he couldn't even dream of in his previous life, unless he had connections.
But for He Song, working at the Spirit Construction Pavilion didn't affect anything.
Every morning, he'd go out to his managed seven-acre spirit field to carry out the Spirit Rain Skill for half an hour.
If he doesn't need to go to the Spirit Construction Pavilion today, he'd just go home and continue contemplating Array Tao Introduction.
If he has to go to the Spirit Construction Pavilion, he'd enter the Pavilion and spend the day there, still contemplating Array Tao Introduction.
In other words.
Taking up the duty of a steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion didn't affect He Song at all.
His understanding of Array Tao Introduction also increased day by day.
Moreover.
Because he had acquired all of Chen Zhou's properties, He Song had a dozen spirit stones more than before.
With these dozen spirit stones, He Song's skill in engraving array patterns on spirit stones quickly improved.
Under the consumption of a large amount of spirit stones, the technique of He Song carving array patterns became more stable, more precise, and more proficient.
And as spirit stones were constantly consumed, more spirit Qi was released when spirit stones shattered.
After being absorbed by He Song, his cultivation naturally started to increase.
This continued for several months. One day. Upstodatee from n(0)/v𝒆/lbIn/.(co/m
Spirit Construction Pavilion.
Second floor.
He Song was sitting on a cushion, holding a spirit stone in his hand. With his body's spirit power flowing out, he carefully engraved array patterns into it. Engraving array patterns required a special technique, using the internal spirit power as a base to engrave the profound array patterns into the spirit stone.
In this way, once the array patterns in the spirit stone are formed, they could serve as the foundation of an array.
Once the Array Foundation is successful, this spirit stone could be used for array formation..
Chapter 52: Spirit- Gathering Array!
Of course, different Array Skills require different Array Foundations.
What He Song is creating now is the Spirit-Gathering Array's foundation.
Spirit-Gathering Array.
It requires a total of five array foundations.
Only after completing all of them can one proceed to the next step.
Setting up the array.
It also requires the use of a special technique.
Using a special method to input the array foundations into specific positions, then connecting them in a unique way, and finally establishing a connection with the world's energy.
Only then can a true array be formed.
When the array patterns within the foundations resonate with the power of the world, continuously producing special effects, the array is formed successfully.
These are the introductions to Array Tao of the Array Tao Introduction volume.
At the same time, it is also what He Song has been pursuing.
At one moment,
He Song, who was originally sitting on the cushion, carefully carving array patterns, let out a deep breath.
At the same time, his face showed a joyful expression.
"Success!" Holding the spirit stone with the carved array pattern in his hand, He Song admired his masterpiece, and a strong sense of accomplishment immediately emerged.
This feeling is great!
After over three years, He Song finally completed carving the five array foundations required for the Spirit-Gathering Array.
The completion of the five array foundations,
signifies that He Song has taken a big step forward in setting up the Spirit-Gathering Array.
Next,
he just needs to use the special technique from Array Tao Introduction to input the five array foundations into their designated positions, connect them using the refined method, and establish the connection between the array and the world's energy. With the help of several spirit stones, he can successfully set up the Spirit-Gathering Array!
The special technique in Array Tao Introduction has long been memorized by heart.
During these three years, he has been constantly practicing this special technique, fully mastering it.
Now, when the array foundations are completed, he only needs to find a place to set up the array, and he can successfully create the Spirit-Gathering Array.
Becoming a true Array Path Master!
He Song decided to put it away into his storage pouch.
He Song is currently in Spirit Construction Pavilion. R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only
Setting up the Spirit-Gathering Array in Spirit Construction Pavilion would be too troublesome, for once Wei Fan returns, he would have to leave and dismantle the array to move it back to his own home.
Therefore, after some thought, He Song chose to collect the array foundation and decided to set up the array later, after returning home at night.
Seated meditation and cultivation.
While He Song was in seated meditation, time passed quickly in the outside world. Soon, it was dusky.
After saying goodbye to the others in Spirit Construction Pavilion, He Song returned home alone.
Inside the quiet chamber,
He Song stretched out his hand and immediately, the five special spirit stones appeared in his palm.
These five spirit stones are no longer ordinary spirit stones since they have already been carved with array patterns and transformed into array foundations.
With these five array foundations, he just needs to place them in specific positions using the specialized method, and then connect them in order to establish the array, drawing power from the world.
However, He Song was not in a hurry to set up the array, instead, he took a deep breath and adjusted his state to the best condition.
Then he made his move.
He saw He Song picking up a foundation with one hand, then forming hand signs. The array foundation in his hand suddenly flew out like a swallow returning to its nest, landing steadily in the center of the quiet chamber.
Then, He Song picked up another array foundation and repeated the hand signs several times.
Finally, the five array foundations had landed in their intended locations.
At the same time, at the location of the five array foundations, threads of spiritual light began to emerge from the array patterns within, quickly connecting the five array foundations together, forming an incomparably mysterious array pattern.
This is the unique array pattern of the Spirit-Gathering Array.
The purpose of carving the array foundations is to use the pattern within to guide the formation of this mysterious array pattern.
At this point,
He Song just needed to use a special technique to induce the power of the world using the array pattern, and the Spirit-Gathering Array would be complete.
With the essentials of setting up the Spirit-Gathering Array flashing through his mind,
He Song quickly began forming hand signs.
The next moment, a bright light suddenly flashed in the dim quiet chamber. Immediately, the light disappeared as if it had never appeared. Yet within the quiet chamber,
He Song was already showing a delighted expression at this moment.
After forming the hand signs, the array pattern of the Spirit-Gathering Array he set up had activated the power of the world, successfully creating the Spirit-Gathering Array!
By setting up the Spirit-Gathering Array, He Song had become a real Array Path Master at that moment.
Although he could only create the simplest of arrays, the Spirit-Gathering
Array, he could now call himself an Array Path Master.
This was a change in identity and, at the same time, a change in status. As long as He Song revealed he was an Array Path Master, he would surely attract the respect and greedy eyes of other cultivators.
"Great, great! I did it!"
Feeling the density of the spirit Qi inside the quiet chamber beginning to increase slowly, He Song's face showed even more joy as he felt refreshed.
Over three years!
More than three years had passed, and finally, he had set up the simplest Spirit-Gathering Array. In these three years, He Song had been studying the Array Tao tirelessly.
Now, he finally saw the fruits of his labor.
Delight was there, refreshment was there, emotion was there, a mix of feelings.
However, just because the Spirit-Gathering Array was in place, it didn't mean He Song could rest easy.
Thinking about this, He Song's face turned solemn, and he quickly began forming hand signs again. A moment later,
After several adjustments,
He Song finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, the Spirit-Gathering Array can control the scope of its effect. As long as I control the spirit Qi attracted by the array within the quiet chamber, I don't need to worry about being discovered by others."
He Song sighed silently in his heart, reminding himself to stay vigilant.
His identity as an Array Path Master must be kept hidden, used only to enhance his own cultivation.
He must never reveal it openly, otherwise, he would surely attract countless greedy gazes.
He just wanted to cultivate quietly and didn't want to fight for his life against those ruthless cultivators.
As an everlasting being, one must have the awareness of being one.
Fighting for life and death can be done by other cultivators in order to advance, but absolutely not by him.
After the reminder, there was joy.
With the Spirit-Gathering Array in place, He Song's cultivation speed was set to improve greatly!
This also meant that He Song's cultivation progress in the Qi Refining stage would be much faster than before.
Perhaps, before, it took five years to break through a realm,
but by continually being under the effect of the Spirit-Gathering Array and absorbing even richer spirit Qi, breaking through a realm might only take four years now.
The time saved would ensure that He Song would not be seen as an oddity.
After all,
during the Qi Refining Early Stage, he never absorbed any spirit stones nor ate any elixirs.
His cultivation was entirely derived from the slow absorption of spirit Qi.
Compared to other cultivators with four spirits roots, He Song's cultivation speed was indeed much slower..
Chapter 53: Wild Ambition
Now with his cultivation reaching the Qi- refining mid-stage, He Song's financial situation was still tight. For the next few years, without reaching a certain level of combat ability, He Song wouldn't invest his spirit stones into his cultivation. Spirit amulets.
Skills.
Artifacts.
These three protective methods were what He Song desperately needed now.
As such, the rate of cultivation improvement from the spirit-gathering array band became particularly important for He Song.
Cultivating daily in the Spirit-Gathering Array, he should be able to keep up with the speed of cultivation of those with the same four spirits roots who use spirit stones and elixirs.
In fact, compared to those cultivators with the same four spirits roots but fewer cultivation resources, He Song's cultivation speed should even faster.
After all, He Song was cultivating every day in the Spirit-Gathering Array, unlike those cultivators who practice with the aid of spirit stones or elixirs and don't have them available every day.
In this way, He Song's cultivation speed would be in a normal state.
He would not be treated as an anomaly by other cultivators with four spirits roots.
Nor would he attract the attention of others.
In the eyes of others, He Song would appear as an ordinary cultivator with four spirits roots.
If nothing unusual happens, who would care about an ordinary cultivator with four spirits roots?
After making the decision, He Song took out another five spirit stones from his storage bag and placed them into the Spirit-Gathering Array.
The Spirit-Gathering Array also needs to consume spirit stones.
In order to maintain the Spirit-Gathering Array continuously, it costs five spirit stones every year. Once a year has passed, the spirit stones need to be replaced in order to continue operating.
After placing the spirit stones, He Song began to meditate and cultivate.
It's worth mentioning that,
the effect of the Spirit-Gathering Array right after it's set up is actually not that good.
After cultivating for one night, He Song barely felt his internal spirit power slightly increased compared to when he didn't have the Spirit-Gathering Array.
But He Song didn't mind.
Array Tao Introduction has an early description of this matter. The Spirit-Gathering Array takes about ten days to reach its maximum efficiency after it is set up.
By then, the concentration of spirit Qi within the Spirit-Gathering Array is generally much higher than that in the surroundings.
Even if the Spirit-Gathering Array is set up in the mortal world, as long as it is inside the array, the aura concentration can rival the spirit Qi concentration within the Immortal Pavilion.
In other words, as long as you are an Array Path Master, you can build your own Immortal Pavilion outside.
However, whether the sect occupying this area will cause trouble for you,
or whether the Evil Cultivators of this area will raid your self-built Immortal Pavilion, it remains unknown.
Moreover, in order to cover an area as big as Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion, one Spirit-Gathering Array is definitely not enough.
At the very least, probably at least eight or ten Spirit-Gathering Arrays are needed to work together to cover such a large area.
He Song had no intention of opening an Immortal Pavilion by himself outside.
However,
establishing one or even several spirit fields outside, that belonged only to him, was something He Song had planned to do since long ago.
Becoming an Array Path Master was just the first step in his plan.
Because only by becoming an Array Path Master could he set up a Spirit-Gathering Array.
Only by setting up a Spirit-Gathering Array could he utilize the spirit Qi gathered to nourish the land and turn it into a spirit field.
After transforming the land into spirit fields, only then could He Song plant spirit rice by himself within these fields.
And when the time for harvest came, he could sell the crops at high prices and gain a huge amount of spirit stones.
Establishing his own spirit fields outside the Immortal Pavilion had always been part of He Song's plan.
Being a spiritual plant farmer within the Immortal Pavilion had no future.
Only by farming himself, could he earn more spirit stones and pave a smoother path of cultivation.
In other words,
He Song had never seen being a spiritual plant farmer within the Immortal Pavilion as his career.
It was just a stepping stone in the early stage.
If he truly wanted to acquire a large amount of resources, he had to rely on his own hands instead of farming for others year after year in the Immortal Pavilion.
"Sigh, I must consider the matter of opening a spirit field from a long-term perspective. At least… I need to fully master the Illusion Array and Five Phases Array in the Array Tao Introduction before I can really open the spirit field."
In Array Tao Introduction, there are a total of three arrays that one can learn.
Firstly, the Spirit-Gathering Array, which gathers spirit Qi, nourishes oneself or the spirit field. He Song has set it up and mastered it.
Secondly, the Illusion Array, which is shrouded in mist, and veils illusions, confusing the hearts of mortals and even cultivators, unconsciously bypassing it. It is the most important part of hiding spirit fields. He Song hasn't studied it yet.
Thirdly, the Five Phases Array, which is an integrated offense and defense system capable of killing enemies and fending off enemies. With the five phases generating each other, it's an inexhaustible array. In case the location of the spirit fields is discovered, He Song could rely on it to kill the enemy as well as escape. He Song hasn't studied it yet either.
Only after successfully studying all three array techniques and setting them up can He Song truly start opening his own spirit fields.
The three array techniques are interconnected.
The Spirit-Gathering Array nourishes the spirit fields, the Illusion Array conceals them, and the Five Phases Array provides integrated offense and defense. In this way, He Song can safely establish his own spirit fields.
His plan flashed through his mind, and He Song shook his head, got up, and left the room.
Now is not the time to think about these things.
He would consider them later, after his own strength had improved.
Upon going out, R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only
He Song quickly arrived at the spirit field he managed.
After leisurely performing the Spirit Rain Skill for half an hour, He Song didn't head to the Spirit Construction Pavilion but instead went towards the Stall
Section.
Immortal Pavilion Stall Section.
It has been a long time since He Song last visited.
Having lived in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pavilion for nearly ten years, He Song had already explored the entire Immortal Pavilion and knew that there weren't any missed opportunities to be found in the Immortal Pavilion Stall
Section.
He's not some Doomed Son; he's just an ordinary cultivator.
Naturally, knowing that there are no opportunities to be found, he no longer went to the Stall Section just to try his luck.
Walking down the street in the Immortal Pavilion Stall Section,
He Song's eyes scanned the surroundings only to find that some familiar faces had gradually disappeared, replaced by new faces.
For example, the old man He Song met when he first went out to buy rice after crossing over here, had already disappeared.
The old rice stand was now occupied by a sturdy middle-aged man.
He Song stopped and observed for a moment, then finally shook his head and continued walking.
The old man,
He didn't know whether he was dead or enjoying his twilight years at home.
If He Song remembered correctly, he once envied the old man for having a storage bag.
However, now,
He Song also had a storage bag.
But the old man from back then had already disappeared without a trace. With an unnamed emotion flashing through his mind, He Song walked quickly forward and soon arrived at his destination.
The Spirit Skill Pavilion.
As soon as he stepped into the Spirit Skill Pavilion, He Song felt someone else standing beside him.
At the same time, a fragrant breeze brushed past him.
"Mr. He, it's been three years since we last met. I would like to congratulate you on your great progress in cultivation, and I believe the Foundation Establishment is just around the corner.."
Chapter 54: Ping'er
The crisp female voice rang in He Song's ear.
Upon hearing the words, He Song immediately turned his head to look in the direction where the voice was coming from.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
With a flash of spiritual light in his eyes, He Song immediately clasped his hands together.
"It turns out to be Miss Ping'er. Indeed, it has been three years since we last met. I also congratulate Miss Ping'er for her great progress in cultivation, and her Foundation Establishment is within reach."
The person in front of him was Ping'er, who had welcomed him to the Spirit Skill Pavilion during his first, second and even now, the third visit.
At this moment, He Song's cultivation had already progressed from the first-tier Qi Refining at the time of his first visit, to the current fourth-tier of Qi Refining.
As for Ping'er's cultivation, it had also progressed from unknown during his first visit, not paying attention during his second visit, to Qi-refining fourth-tier during his third visit.
When he first visited, He Song hadn't yet learned the Spirit Vision Skill, so he naturally didn't know Ping'er's cultivation.
During the second visit, although He Song had learned the Spirit Vision Skill, he didn't use it on Ping'er, so he naturally didn't know her cultivation either.
On the third visit, which was this time, it was because Ping'er took the initiative to congratulate him on his great progress in cultivation that he used the Spirit Vision Skill and looked at her.
Only then did he find out that Ping'er's cultivation was also at the fourth-tier of Qi Refining.
"I don't know what my friend wants to order in this visit?" With a smile, Ping'er led He Song to a nearby desk to sit down and asked.
Her gaze was fixed on He Song without blinking, and there was a hint of unnoticeable surprise in her eyes.
Three years had passed.
She had originally thought that He Song, who once made her want to make friends with him, had died in the catastrophe three years ago.
She had even lamented about it for a while.
After all, He Song at that time was just a little cultivator at the third-tier of Qi Refining. It was not easy for him to survive in such a catastrophe.
Even she had survived only because of the help from a benefactor.
Otherwise, she might have died in that catastrophe three years ago as well.
The catastrophe was so terrifying, and its target was the cultivators who lived on the periphery of the Immortal Pavilion with more than the second-tier of Qi Refining and without self-preservation power.
To survive, one had to either leave in advance or be helped by a benefactor.
How did He Song manage to survive?
"Please show me some of the Qi Refining stage skills, Miss Ping'er. I need to make some selections." Not paying attention to the surprise in Pinger's eyes, He Song quickly stated his request.
This visit to the Spirit Skill Pavilion was for He Song to learn new skills.
His Spirit-Gathering Array had been set up.
As for the Five Phases Array and Illusion Array, these two Array Skills weren't something that could be comprehended in a short period.
Naturally, if he wanted to improve his own strength, there were only two ways left: buying spirit amulets and learning skills.
As for buying spirit amulets, it was still too strenuous for He Song's current financial situation.
Therefore, He Song could only come to the Spirit Skill Pavilion to learn Qi Refining stage skills to enhance his own strength.
"Alright, Mr. He, please wait a moment."
Leaving a word, although there was some curiosity in Ping'er's eyes, she still dutifully got up and left.
As Ping'er left,
another pretty-looking young girl came over and prepared a pot of hot tea for He Song.
Seeing this situation, He Song suddenly realized that the clothes on Ping'er were different from the previous two times he visited.
After asking the girl who had come later, He Song found out that Pinger had become one of the Stewards of the Spirit Skill Pavilion after she had broken through to the Qi-refining mid stage and no longer needed to play the role of a hostess for visiting cultivators like she previously did.
All she needed to do was to manage the people below and let them serve the guests.
Of course, if she felt like it, she could still serve guests personally.
Just like how she treated He Song. After making inquiries, the girl who came later left respectfully.
He Song was slightly stunned but suddenly realized that perhaps his own cultivation, which had reached the Qi-refining mid stage, had already become a "senior" who needed to be treated with respect in front of these Qi Refining Early Stage cultivators.
Or perhaps, it was because of his acquaintance with Pinger that this girl was so respectful to him.
Picking up the teacup and taking a sip,
the scene of his first meeting with Ping'er at the Spirit Skill Pavilion flashed through He Song's mind.
At that time, he was only at the first-tier of Qi Refining, and all the cultivators in the Spirit Skill Pavilion had a strong spiritual pressure on them.
Everyone seemed like a senior to him.
Now it's different.
With just a glance, he could see that most of the surrounding cultivators were at the Qi Refining Early Stage, and there were very few at the Qi-refining mid stage.
At this point, his current Qi-refining mid stage cultivation actually stood out as relatively high in the Spirit Skill Pavilion.
"Time flies by, and the scenery before me has changed." U//ppTodat𝒆d fr/𝒐/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m
With a sigh in his heart, He Song shook his head and stopped thinking about those things.
Soon, the familiar figure returned again.
Placing the tray in front of He Song, Ping'er quickly noticed the teapot on the table.
Her gaze swept over the girls in the Spirit Skill Pavilion, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes, but she didn't care.
"Mr. He, let me introduce these skills to you first."
Picking up a jade slip from the tray, Pinger's voice rang out gently.
"This is the Fireball Skill, one of the basic skills. It can form a powerful fireball to attack enemies and is worth ten spirit stones."
"This is the Light Body Skill, one of the basic skills. It can enhance walking speed and is essential for traveling and escaping. It is worth ten spirit stones."
"This is the Object Controlling Skills, a mid-grade skill. It allows you to project your spirit power and control objects around you, which can be very useful. It is worth fifty spirit stones."
"This is the Mountain Light Body Skill, a mid-grade skill. It has a faster speed than the Light Body Skill and is essential for long-distance travel and escaping.
It is worth fifty spirit stones."
"This is the Tracking Skill, a high-quality skill. After casting, it can leave a tracking mark on the enemy's body, which is hard to detect and is worth one hundred spirit stones."
"This is the Earth Tunneling Skill, a high-quality skill. After casting, it can allow you to tunnel into the ground and move at extremely fast speeds underground. However, be aware that it can easily be countered by the Earthshaking Skill and is worth one hundred spirit stones."
"This is the Earthshaking Skill, a high-quality skill. After casting, it can shake the heavens and the earth, dealing great damage to enemies underground. It is worth one hundred spirit stones."
"This is the Mountain Pressing Sword Technique, a high-quality attack skill. By using the Obiect Controlling Skills to mani Dulate flvinc swords. it has great power and is worth two hundred spirit stones."
"This is… '
As Ping'er introduced one jade slip after another, He Song's eyes flickered.
He wanted all of these!
However, after sensing the remaining thirty-five spirit stones in his storage bag, He Song's heart sank.
These thirty-five spirit stones were taken from Chen Zhou's storage bag.
The dozen or so spirit stones He Song originally had, plus the more than fifty he had taken from Chen Zhou's storage bag, had all been used to engrave array patterns.
Engraving array patterns had a high chance of destroying spirit stones.
The rest of the spirit stones had all been spent on this. At this moment, He Song had only thirty-five spirit stones left in his possession..
Chapter 55: Why Aren I t You Robbing
Luckily, He Song was quick to complete the array patterns for the
Spirit-Gathering Array, otherwise, he might not have been able to keep the thirty-five spirit stones.
"Mr. He, have a cup of tea first."
Seeing that Ping'er had introduced all the jade slips, He Song casually handed her a cup of tea.
But in his mind, he started to think about which skills he should choose.
However, upon thinking about it more, He Song realized that he seemingly didn't have a choice.
The prices of these skills were beyond his expectations.
Originally, He Song thought that Qi Refining stage skills shouldn't be too expensive, around ten spirit stones or so.
Even special skills for the Qi Refining stage should only be slightly more expensive, not too outrageous.
Yet he didn't expect that the prices Ping'er mentioned kept getting higher and higher. In the end, even a set of Sword Formulas required two hundred spirit stones to purchase.
Why not just rob people instead?
With a hint of doubt in his eyes, He Song looked at Pinger sitting next to him.
At He Song's side.
Seeing his puzzled gaze, Ping'er was momentarily surprised, but quickly realized the reason.
It seemed that she understood what He Song wanted to ask.
"Mr. He, basic skills cost ten spirit stones each, mid-quality skills cost fifty spirit stones each, and high-quality skills cost one hundred spirit stones each. Attack skills cost double the original price and loose cultivators need to pay double the price for all skills. This is the rule of the Immortal Pavilion…" Her crisp voice rang out as she looked at He Song with a hint of confusion in her eyes.Th.ê most uptod/at𝓮 n𝒐vels a/re published on n(0)velbj)n(.)c/o/m
Did he never learn the prices of skills before?bender
Did he just focus on cultivation and not have friends to discuss with?
Little did she know.
He Song barely communicated with others under normal circumstances.
Of the few acquaintances he had, none of them ever mentioned the prices of skills.
Those who were more advanced in cultivation than He Song, like Wei Fan, had high incomes and didn't care about the prices.
Those who were at a similar cultivation level, like Zhao Lin, found the prices reasonable. As an amulet Tao master, Zhao Lin could afford it.
Those with lower cultivation levels wouldn't have access to such information in the first place.
And He Song had always thought Qi Refining stage skills would all be in the same price range, so he never thought they would be expensive.
But now…
After listening to Ping'er's explanation, He Song finally understood the astronomical costs of knowledge in the Cultivation World.
It turned out that not only did one need to spend spirit stones to learn cultivation knowledge, but higher-ranked skills also required a considerable amount of spirit stones to acquire.
Also, the gap between the staff of the Immortal Pavilion and loose cultivators was tremendously wide.
The cultivation knowledge was free for Immortal Pavilion staff while loose
cultivators had to pay a spirit stone per day.
Basic Qi Refining stage skills cost ten spirit stones for Immortal Pavilion staff, but twenty for loose cultivators.
Mid-quality Qi Refining stage skills cost fifty spirit stones for Immortal Pavilion staff, but a hundred for loose cultivators.
High-quality Qi Refining stage skills cost a hundred spirit stones for Immortal Pavilion staff, but two hundred for loose cultivators.
It can be said that loose cultivators had a much harder path.
He Song already had a deep understanding of this, but it was only after hearing Ping'er's introduction to the prices that he truly realized just how hard it was for loose cultivators.
No wonder they were at the bottom of the contempt chain in the Cultivation World.
Feeling a sense of relief, He Song couldn't help but silently thank his predecessor in his heart.
If it weren't for the previous owner seizing the opportunity and gaining a foothold in the Immortal Pavilion, he probably wouldn't have been able to cultivate in peace until now.
However, this wasn't the time to think about those things.
After hearing Ping'er's introduction, He Song could only focus on the only two basic skills he could afford.
Fireball Skill, one of the basic skills, can condense fireballs for attacking enemies with decent power, worth ten spirit stones.
Light Body Skill, one of the basic skills, can increase walking speed, essential for long journeys and escaping, worth ten spirit stones.
Flashes of Ping'er's descriptions of these two basic skills went through He Song's mind, and with a wave of his hand, twenty spirit stones appeared on the table in front of him.
"Mr. Ping'er, I can only afford those two basic skills for now," He Song said, cupping his hands toward Ping'er without any change in expression.
"Alright, place the jade slips on your forehead to learn the skills," Ping'er's voice replied.
Seeing that He Song only bought two basic skills, Ping'er didn't mind at all. After handing him the two jade slips, she picked up the twenty spirit stones from the table.
As she put away the spirit stones, a strange color flashed in her eyes.
If she hadn't seen it wrong earlier, He Song had casually waved his hand and twenty spirit stones appeared on the table.
Though twenty spirit stones weren't much, this action demonstrated that He Song had a storage bag on him.
Only those with a storage bag could perform such a gesture.
Her gaze shifted to He Song, who was currently placing the jade slips on his forehead, as a growing sense of disbelief filled her heart.
"His finances are meager, but he has a storage bag. Is Mr. He truly in a tight spot or…"
After pondering for a moment, her expression returned to normal, but the look in her eyes carried an indescribable meaning as she watched He Song.
Soon enough, He Song engraved all the information from the two jade slips into his memory.
With just a casual recollection, he could remember all the intricacies of casting these two skills.
Fireball Skill, one of the basic skills, can be used for attacking and as a daily utility due to its high temperature for destruction and concealing traces.
Light Body Skill, one of the basic skills, increases walking speed, making it essential for escaping and traveling long distances; a daily utility.
With these two skills, He Song would have some means of defense when encountering enemies.
Though the Fireball Skill's power was not strong, it was still a more powerful offensive means than the Spiritl Arrow Skill.
Additionally, with the Light Body Skill, He Song could run away if he was unable to win a fight.
"We're clear on both money and goods, I'll take my leave now."
Since everything was settled now, He Song got up, not giving it a second thought, and bid farewell to Ping'er with a cupped fist.
But just as He Song was about to turn around and leave, Ping'er stopped him with a smile.
"Mr. He, don't be in such a rush. I recently got some good tea; if you like it, take some back with you. Just wait a moment, I'll be right back."
Before He Song could refuse, Ping'er had already disappeared from sight.
A short while later, He Song left the Spirit Skill Pavilion with a small box filled with tea leaves.
Behind him, Ping'er smiled sweetly, watching He Song's figure disappear into the distance.
Since Ping'er had decided to befriend He Song three years ago, she naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity now that they had met again..