Chapter 51: Farewell
At the very least, He Song didn't need to worry about being trampled to death for offending someone.
Here in the small Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, He Song's foundation was solid. It was unlikely anyone would dare make a move against him.
Rather than venturing into the Immortal City before his strength had grown, it would be wiser to wait until he reached the late stage of Qi Refinement and was ready to pursue Foundation Establishment.
By then, he would have some ability to protect himself, making it less necessary to tread so carefully in the Immortal City.
With this thought, He Song's refusal became even more resolute.
The Immortal City?
Whoever wants to go can go.
As for him, he wasn't going anywhere.
Even if it was just for sightseeing or gaining experience, he wasn't interested.
Who knew what might happen in the Immortal City?
The outside world was far too dangerous.
Seeing He Song's repeated headshakes and the determined rejection written all over his face, Wei Fan wasn't surprised.
This friend of his was as cautious as ever.
"Very well, very well. Since you don't wish to go, I won't insist. However, during my absence, I hope you can take over my duties at the Spirit Builder Pavilion for a while."
As a steward of the Spirit Builder Pavilion, Wei Fan couldn't leave the Immortal Market without making arrangements.
If he left without notice, the Spirit Builder Pavilion wouldn't hesitate to revoke his position.
Thus, when Meng Guan sought his help, Wei Fan had no choice but to temporarily entrust his duties to He Song.
This way, he could accompany Meng Guan to the Immortal City without leaving the stewardship unattended.
He didn't trust anyone else with the responsibility.
Inviting He Song to the Immortal City earlier had also been a test.
If He Song had wanted to come along, Wei Fan would have had to delegate the job to someone else.
In that case, Wei Fan would have left some precautions in place to prevent that person from acting recklessly.
"No problem. Just tell me what my duties are, and I'll gladly take the opportunity to try being a Spirit Builder Pavilion steward for once," He Song replied with a nod.
But then, as if remembering something, He Song hurriedly pulled out a few talismans from his belongings.
These were the talismans Wei Fan had entrusted to him for self-defense before killing Chen Zhou.
Now that Wei Fan had returned, and Chen Zhou was dead, there was no reason for He Song to keep them.
Moreover, Wei Fan was about to leave for Qingyuan Immortal City with Meng Guan.
Although a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator and a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator traveling together weren't likely to encounter significant danger, it was always better to be prepared.
Returning the talismans to Wei Fan would make their journey even safer.
"These are the talismans you gave me for self-defense. Now that Chen Zhou is dead, you should take them back. Since you're leaving, they'll serve you well as protection," He Song said, handing the talismans to Wei Fan with a nod.
These were top-grade talismans, their full power only usable by late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
Keeping them with He Song would have been a waste.
"Well, you're thoughtful as always," Wei Fan said as he accepted the talismans, feeling a warm sense of appreciation.
This gesture deepened his regard for He Song.
Although the talismans were originally given by Wei Fan, He Song's thoughtfulness in remembering to return them before the journey spoke volumes about his character.
For the rest of the day, the three companions drank and chatted atop the pavilion, enjoying a pleasant time together.
That evening, all three stayed at Wei Fan's courtyard.
The Immortal Market had a curfew, and anyone found wandering the streets at night without special status would likely be mistaken for an evil cultivator and apprehended by the Enforcement Squad.
Even though He Song had a home to return to, he had no desire to take such risks.
The danger aside, being caught by the Enforcement Squad would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary trouble.
At dawn the next day, Wei Fan and Meng Guan departed.
He Song escorted them to the gate of the Immortal Market but went no further.
Beyond that point, the risk was too great for him, and he had to stop there.
Cultivators were incredibly swift.
As He Song stood at the market gate bidding them farewell, he saw their figures blur and vanish into the distance like phantoms, speeding away as though riding lightning.
He had no idea what kind of movement technique or escape art they were using.
After sending them off, He Song returned to the spiritual farmlands under his care. He spent half an hour casting Spirit Rain Technique before heading toward the Spirit Builder Pavilion.
Before leaving, Wei Fan had formally introduced He Song to the pavilion's staff and asked him to oversee matters in his absence.
Naturally, after tending to his farmlands, He Song also needed to fulfill this duty.
Interestingly, the role of a Spirit Builder Pavilion steward had very few actual responsibilities.
It was less a position of duty and more one of oversight.
Most tasks within the pavilion were handled by subordinates, leaving the steward to ensure everything ran smoothly.
Beyond occasionally receiving tenants of the Immortal Market to renew their leases—if in the mood to do so—the steward had no other obligations.
If uninterested, He Song could spend his time in seclusion within the pavilion without fear of interruption.
This led He Song to marvel at how much authority came with higher cultivation.
In the world of cultivation, strength truly allowed one to live freely.
A role as leisurely as this would have been unthinkable in his previous life unless backed by powerful connections.
For He Song, holding this position didn't disrupt his routine at all.
Each morning, he would visit his seven acres of spiritual farmlands to perform the Spirit Rain Technique for half an hour.
On days he didn't need to oversee the pavilion, he returned home to study the Introduction to Formations Book.
On days he was on duty, he sat within the pavilion, also studying the formation book.
In short, holding the stewardship had no impact on his plans.
Day by day, He Song deepened his understanding of formations.
Additionally, thanks to inheriting Chen Zhou's entire estate, He Song had gained dozens of spirit stones.
With these spirit stones, he rapidly honed his technique for inscribing formation patterns onto spirit stones.
As he practiced, his strokes became more stable, precise, and skilled.
The consumption of spirit stones also released residual spiritual energy, which He Song absorbed to gradually strengthen his cultivation.
Months Later
One day, in the second-floor meditation room of the Spirit Builder Pavilion, He Song sat cross-legged on a cushion.
Holding a spirit stone in his hand, he carefully channeled his spiritual energy, inscribing intricate formation patterns into the stone.
Formation pattern inscription required a unique method: using one's spiritual energy as the medium to etch profound patterns into the inner structure of the spirit stone.
Once the formation patterns were complete, the spirit stone could serve as the foundation of an formation.
With a successful foundation, the stone would be ready for deployment in a formation.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please join my Patreon, for $5 each month, you can read all of the available chapter.
Patreon Account:
Latest Chapter In Patreon:
Link to the latest chapter: