**Chapter 57: A Life-and-Death Struggle**

When Wei Fan first learned that Meng Guan had decided to stay in the immortal city, he was initially puzzled.

He had tried to persuade him otherwise.

But.

After Meng Guan shared his thoughts, Wei Fan fell silent.

"Brother Wei, from the moment I left Bamboo Mountain Immortal District three years ago, my fate was sealed. Either I would risk everything to achieve Foundation Establishment, or I would fall on the path to Foundation Establishment. There is no other way."

"I am a Five-Spiritual Roots cultivator, unlike you, who have Four-Spiritual Roots. With your talent, you can follow a steady cultivation path and glimpse the Foundation Establishment realm before the age of sixty."

"Although attempting to break through to Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Establishment Pill has a low success rate, compared to someone like me with Five-Spiritual Roots, you still have a slightly better chance."

"Without a stroke of luck or a life-and-death struggle, reaching the late stage of Qi Refining would be my limit. That's why I left the immortal district and gambled everything."

"Fortunately, I gambled correctly. Now, the bottleneck of the late stage of Qi Refining has been broken, and the road ahead is smooth. I just need to cultivate diligently and reach the ninth level of Qi Refining before the age of sixty to attempt Foundation Establishment."

"It's a pity that I wasted my youth and didn't master any special skills. Now, it's too late to regret."

"There's no other choice."

"Bamboo Mountain Immortal District is too small. Only in the immortal city can I find enough cultivation resources to glimpse the Foundation Establishment realm before the age of sixty."

"Brother Wei, take care."

Recalling the heartfelt conversation he had with Meng Guan after his breakthrough, Wei Fan let out a long sigh.

Then, he repeated Meng Guan's words to He Song.

He Song, upon hearing this, also fell silent.

---

Spirit Construction Pavilion.

Second Floor.

The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Only the faint aroma of tea lingered in the air.

He Song had never imagined that Meng Guan had been planning this for three years.

Perhaps, from the day he resigned from his position as manager of the Spirit Herb Pavilion and left the immortal district, Meng Guan had already made up his mind.

Either he would break through to the Foundation Establishment realm and become a revered Foundation Establishment expert.

Or, he would fall on the path to Foundation Establishment, becoming an unremarkable corpse by the roadside.

There was no other path.

"Sigh, it seems Old Meng has truly made up his mind. I hope he finds smooth sailing in the immortal city."

After a long silence, He Song picked up the teacup from the table, raised it in the direction of Greenwall Immortal City, and then drank it in one gulp.

This cup of tea was a blessing.

A blessing for Meng Guan to find success in the immortal city.

For now, He Song's cultivation was still too shallow to offer any real help to Meng Guan.

Thus, this was all he could do, hoping that Meng Guan would achieve his dreams.

After all, Meng Guan had been the guide for He Song's predecessor. To the current He Song, Meng Guan was also a great benefactor.

If it weren't for Meng Guan gifting him the book *Spiritual Plant Cultivation Techniques*, He Song's life as a rogue cultivator would have been much harder.

Though he couldn't offer direct assistance, He Song wouldn't hesitate to offer his blessings.

"I hope so."

Beside him, Wei Fan shook his head with a smile. Though he didn't think such gestures were of much use, he didn't voice any objections.

Foundation Establishment was no easy feat.

This thought flashed through Wei Fan's mind, but he kept it to himself.

In the following hours, the two of them caught up on the events of the past few months, as they hadn't seen each other in a while.

He Song also gained a better understanding of the distant Greenwall Immortal City.

---

Greenwall Immortal City.

Located over two thousand miles north of Bamboo Mountain Immortal District, Greenwall Immortal City was under the jurisdiction of the Golden Core Sect, Earth Vein Sect.

In Greenwall Immortal City, cultivators of all kinds mingled—rogue cultivators, sect disciples, family descendants, and immortal district cultivators. It was a bustling, chaotic place.

In fact, one-quarter of the city was designated for mortal residents.

This was an immortal city where immortals and mortals coexisted.

The mortals in the city were mostly descendants of cultivators, with intricate connections to the cultivators within the city.

They made a living by performing tasks that cultivators were unwilling to do.

The city was guarded year-round by several Foundation Establishment experts, ensuring its safety.

These Foundation Establishment experts included disciples of the Earth Vein Sect, ancestral elders of cultivation families, and even rumors of rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators residing there.

The presence of these experts greatly enhanced the city's security.

However, it also increased the likelihood of offending a Foundation Establishment expert.

After all, one could never know if the person they inadvertently offended had a Foundation Establishment expert backing them.

At the same time, the city provided opportunities for late-stage Qi Refining cultivators aiming to break through to Foundation Establishment.

The number of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the immortal city far exceeded that of the immortal district.

Many, like Meng Guan, sought to establish themselves in the city and prepare for the leap to Foundation Establishment.

However, the vast chasm between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment proved insurmountable for far too many.

Over the years, most of these late-stage Qi Refining cultivators would operate shops or other businesses to earn spirit stones.

First, if a Foundation Establishment Pill appeared at an auction, they could participate in the bidding.

Second, if they failed to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill, the spirit stones they earned could be left to their descendants with spiritual roots, increasing their chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

Third, being stuck at the late stage of Qi Refining with no further progress could easily lead to inner demons. Having something to occupy their time was essential.

Fourth...

Thus, in the fiercely competitive environment of Greenwall Immortal City, rogue cultivators like Meng Guan found it easier to obtain cultivation resources compared to Bamboo Mountain Immortal District.

They didn't need to risk their lives, and their safety was assured.

Moreover, due to the large number of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators involved, the resources one could earn in the city were also greater.

With his cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining, Meng Guan should be able to live comfortably in Greenwall Immortal City.

At the same time, his cultivation would progress rapidly.

Through Wei Fan's description, He Song gained a general understanding of Greenwall Immortal City and its cultivators.

He also no longer had any objections to Meng Guan's decision to stay there.

If he wanted to stay, let him stay.

After all, he could live comfortably in the immortal city.

If anything happened in the future that made it impossible for him to stay, He Song and Wei Fan in Bamboo Mountain Immortal District would serve as his fallback.

In the end, after handing over his duties as steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion to Wei Fan, He Song returned home to continue his cultivation.

Several days had passed since his return from the Spirit Technique Pavilion.

During these days, He Song's mastery of the Fireball Technique had progressed rapidly.

This was thanks to his stronger soul, a result of his transmigration, which allowed him to learn spells faster than ordinary cultivators.

Now that Wei Fan had returned and He Song no longer needed to report to the Spirit Construction Pavilion daily, he naturally went home to continue practicing his spells.

(End of Chapter)