Chapter 25: Osmanthus Tower
From the urgency with which the previous neighbor departed, He Song had a hunch that their fate was likely grim.
The high mortality rate among wandering cultivators was no exaggeration.
However, the elderly man and little girl who had moved in afterward presented a stark contrast. The old man was kind and gentle, while the little girl was lively and adorable. He Song had grown quite familiar with them over time.
The old man's name was Su Jin.
The little girl was called Su Yan.
They were grandfather and granddaughter.
According to Su Jin, Su Yan was his biological granddaughter from the mortal world.
Having discovered that she possessed spiritual roots, he brought her out of the mortal realm to keep her by his side for personal guidance.
In the world of cultivation, this was often how cultivation families began.
The grandfather-granddaughter duo before him represented the embryonic stage of a potential cultivation family.
Such bloodline-based families were incredibly stable and dependable. If a few more descendants with spiritual roots emerged, another cultivation family might very well be established in the cultivation world.
"Little Yan, you're so well-behaved. Next time, Brother Song will bring you something tasty," He Song said, gently pinching Su Yan's cheek while his gaze shifted toward Su Jin.
"I went to visit a friend today. Senior Su, are you heading to the marketplace to set up a stall?"
Given Su Jin's cultivation level, which had reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, it was perfectly natural for He Song to address him as "Senior."
Though Su Jin appeared old and frail—his age indeed considerable—he shared a livelihood similar to Lin Cong's.
While Lin Cong, with his lower cultivation level, needed to collaborate with others to hunt demonic beasts and earn spirit stones, Su Jin was in a completely different league.
With his sixth-level Qi Refinement cultivation, an arsenal of artifacts and talismans, and extensive combat experience, Su Jin could operate independently in the wild.
Hunting demonic beasts alone meant he didn't have to split the spoils with anyone else, allowing him to accumulate significantly more spirit stones than the average person.
The "marketplace stall" He Song referred to was where Su Jin would sell the remains of the demonic beasts he hunted after returning to the settlement.
"Yes, Little Yan has been begging me to go out and play, so I thought I'd take her to the market for a bit," Su Jin replied, casting a doting glance at Su Yan before nodding to He Song and signaling his departure.
He Song clasped his hands in farewell.
Su Yan, however, kept her gaze fixed on He Song even as Su Jin led her away.
As they walked farther, she would occasionally turn her head to glance back, as if wondering whether He Song was hiding some delicious treat.
He Song didn't notice this, however.
Opening his door, he entered his house, locked it behind him, and soon immersed himself once again in the Introduction to Formations Book.
Studying Formation was currently He Song's top priority.
Once he mastered the basics and successfully set up a Spirit Gathering Formation, his cultivation speed would increase significantly.
At that point, even without offering his services as an Formation Master to earn large fees, he could quietly accumulate wealth and rapidly advance his cultivation.
Formation Mastery was notoriously difficult to learn.
But once mastered, its benefits were immense.
Take the Spirit Gathering Formation, for instance: helping others set one up typically earned an Formation Master a reward of 300 spirit stones.
Three hundred spirit stones for a single Formation!
That was equivalent to two years of He Song's current income.
Setting up a Spirit Gathering Formation took very little time, yet the rewards were astonishingly high.
This was due to several reasons:
1. The scarcity of Formation Masters: They were so rare that encountering one was almost impossible for most people.
2. The permanence of Formations: Once set up, a Formation like the Spirit Gathering Formation was essentially permanent. As long as spirit stones were added to activate it, it would function indefinitely.
3. The risks for Formation Masters: Offering their services came with significant dangers. Once an Formation Master revealed their skills, they risked being targeted by others looking to exploit them. If intercepted and attacked, even escaping could prove impossible.
While studying the Introduction to Formations Book, He Song had already resolved not to help others set up Formations personally.
Although the rewards for assisting others were lucrative, the risks involved were equally substantial.
As someone pursuing the path of longevity, He Song valued safety and stability above all else. Chasing short-term gains recklessly was a path to self-destruction—certainly not his way.
Thus, even before purchasing the introductory text on Formation, He Song had devised a plan to earn spirit stones through Formations without personally taking on the risks of setting them up for others.
With that method in mind, he could achieve a steady flow of spirit stones without exposing himself to unnecessary dangers.
The thought of this possibility reinvigorated He Song, making him even more engrossed in his study of the text.
For the next half month, He Song settled into a routine of almost monotonous repetition.
Each morning, after finishing his cultivation session, he would spend half an hour casting the Spirit Rain Technique on the spirit farmlands he managed.
If there were other tasks to handle afterward, he would deal with them. If not, he would return home immediately to restore his spiritual energy.
Once fully recovered, he would dive into his study of the Introduction to Formations Book.
Whenever his mental energy became strained from prolonged focus, he would switch back to cultivation for a while before resuming his studies.
In this way, time flew by.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
One day, while He Song was pondering a particularly intricate part of the text, a knocking sound interrupted his thoughts.
Knock, knock, knock.
Before he could even respond, a familiar voice rang out from outside his door, brimming with excitement.
"Daoist He! I've successfully broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. Today, I'll treat you to a feast at Osmanthus Tower. We're drinking until we drop!"
Recognizing Lin Cong's voice, He Song couldn't help but smile.
A month ago, Lin Cong had informed him of his plan to enter seclusion and attempt a breakthrough.
Given the time that had passed, He Song had assumed that Lin Cong had failed.
But now, Lin Cong was not only successful but had come straight to share the news.
This unexpected turn filled He Song with both surprise and joy.
He was surprised that Lin Cong's breakthrough had been delayed for an entire month.
He was joyful because Lin Cong had genuinely advanced to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.
With Lin Cong's progress, He Song now had another mid-stage Qi Refinement friend, which would only deepen his roots in the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
Moreover, Lin Cong's experience could provide valuable insights into overcoming the bottleneck between the early and mid-stages of Qi Refinement.
Opening the door, He Song welcomed Lin Cong inside.
After inviting him to sit at the table, He Song cupped his hands in congratulations.
"Congratulations, Daoist Lin, on your great advancement in cultivation. With this momentum, your foundation establishment is well within reach."
With a smile, He Song poured Lin Cong a cup of hot tea.
Hearing He Song's personal congratulations, Lin Cong's face lit up with even more delight.
Over the years, Lin Cong had grown to admire He Song's reclusive and detached demeanor, as though the outside world mattered little to him.
It had taken years of effort for Lin Cong to move beyond being mere neighbors and become true friends with He Song, sharing tea and conversation regularly.
Now, hearing He Song's sincere acknowledgment, Lin Cong felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
After all, he had become a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator!
In the small Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, while mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators were not rare, their status was noticeably higher than those in the early stage.
Emboldened by this sense of achievement, Lin Cong's smile widened with a hint of pride.
"Ah, it's just a stroke of luck! So, Daoist He, are you free now? Let's head to Osmanthus Tower. Drinks are on me, and we're not stopping until we're drunk!"
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