**Chapter 60: A Three-Year Promise**

With the Maze Array now fully set up and the aura of the Spirit Gathering Array completely concealed, He Song finally let out a sigh of relief.

Now.

He no longer needed to worry about his identity as a formation master being exposed.

With the Maze Array in place, even if He Song brought someone into his meditation chamber, that person would have no idea they were enveloped by two arrays.

They would never suspect that the seemingly ordinary He Song before them was actually a formation master.

Having completed the setup of the Maze Array, He Song left the meditation chamber and entered the main room.

Sitting down at his desk, He Song brewed himself a cup of tea.

The faint aroma of tea filled the room, gradually reviving his slightly weary spirit after the exhausting process of setting up the array.

He took a small sip.

The unusual flavor made him pause for a moment.

But then.

The figure of Pinger from the Spirit Technique Pavilion suddenly flashed through his mind.

Three years ago, Pinger had gifted He Song a box of fine tea.

Now, three years later, He Song was using that very tea to brew a pot in his own home.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

He wondered if Pinger, who had personally handed him that box of tea back then, was free now.

Could he fulfill his promise and invite her to share a cup of tea during a moment of solitude?

A three-year delay for an invitation did seem rather long.

After a moment of thought, He Song took out a sheet of paper.

"Fellow Daoist Pinger, three years ago, you gifted me a box of fine tea, for which I am deeply grateful. However, mundane affairs have kept me occupied and distracted."

"Now, as I take out that box of tea again, I realize how swiftly time has passed."

"In the blink of an eye, three years have gone by."

"I wonder if you are free today. I am drinking alone and fear that I may have neglected your kind intentions."

"He Song."

Threads of spiritual energy flowed from He Song's fingertips, instantly etching lines of text onto the paper.

After confirming the message was correct, He Song pointed at it casually.

A communication paper crane immediately soared into the sky, flying off into the distance.

---

Spirit Technique Pavilion.

Second Floor.

Pinger, who had been in the midst of her daily cultivation, suddenly opened her eyes.

Her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of confusion as she looked at the communication paper crane before her.

A communication paper crane?

In the immortal district, the only people she was familiar with were those from the Spirit Technique Pavilion.

If someone from the Spirit Technique Pavilion wanted to contact her, they would come directly.

Who would use a communication spell to reach her?

Puzzled, Pinger released a trace of her aura.

Instantly, the glowing paper crane transformed into a sheet of paper.

As the paper landed in her hand, lines of text appeared.

"So, he's not dead..."

After reading the message, a look of realization flashed in Pinger's eyes.

Three years had passed.

She had thought He Song had died in some forgotten corner.

Otherwise, after three years, he should have contacted her by now.

After all, the small box of tea she had gifted him back then was quite valuable.

But no matter how long she waited, He Song never reached out.

She also didn't want to contact him herself, fearing it might come across as if she was pressuring him to repay her kindness.

Thus, after three years, she had almost convinced herself that her efforts had been in vain and that He Song, whom she had wanted to befriend, had likely perished somewhere.

But now.

Holding the sheet of paper in her hand and reading the lines of text, she suddenly realized.

He Song hadn't died—he had simply forgotten about her.

Heartache.

However, she quickly took a deep breath, composed herself, and calmly took out a sheet of paper.

Spiritual energy flowed from her fingertips, etching words onto the paper.

"Fellow Daoist He, how could I refuse your invitation? Where shall we meet? I will come at once."

"Pinger."

After receiving Pinger's reply, He Song thought for a moment and decided to meet at a teahouse within the immortal district.

"I will await your arrival at the Hundred Flowers Teahouse."

However, after sending the communication paper crane, He Song paused for a moment and then placed a few Earth Vein Talismans within easy reach.

Only then did he leave his home and head straight for the Hundred Flowers Teahouse.

Inviting someone to his home?

That was absolutely out of the question.

Even if they had met a hundred times and become close friends, He Song would still think twice before inviting someone to his home.

Things were different now.

In the past, his home had no secrets, so inviting guests wasn't a problem.

But now, with two arrays operating simultaneously, if someone noticed anything unusual, he would immediately become a target for countless cultivators.

He Song couldn't afford to take such a risk.

---

Hundred Flowers Teahouse.

Named after its signature Hundred Flowers Tea.

Hundred Flowers Tea was made from a blend of a hundred fragrant petals.

Once brewed, the aroma of flowers filled the air, as if one were standing in a field of blossoms, creating a refreshing and uplifting experience.

A single sip left a lingering floral fragrance on the palate for three days.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a spiritual tea. While it might be priceless in the mortal world, its price in the immortal district wasn't particularly high.

Arriving at the Hundred Flowers Teahouse, He Song entered a private room, ordered a pot of Hundred Flowers Tea, and then began brewing the tea Pinger had gifted him.

Soon, the aroma of tea filled the room.

Pinger arrived.

Today, she wasn't wearing the standard attire of the Spirit Technique Pavilion. Instead, she was dressed in a light green robe adorned with subtle embellishments.

The light green robe and delicate accessories made Pinger look strikingly different from He Song's memory.

Her already beautiful features became even more captivating, and her figure appeared more graceful.

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.

Indeed, a change of attire made all the difference.

He Song silently praised her appearance but didn't let it show on his face.

This invitation to share tea with Pinger was merely a sudden recollection of the promise from three years ago and an attempt to figure out what Pinger was really after.

Of course, there were also a few things he wanted to ask her.

"Fellow Daoist He, I've waited three long years for this pot of tea," Pinger said as she sat down across from He Song, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, her expression tinged with a hint of melancholy.

Three years.

How many three-year periods does one have in a lifetime?

As she watched He Song calmly brewing tea, Pinger's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

She had never imagined that after sending a gift to befriend someone, she would have to wait three years for a response.

However, upon seeing He Song in person, a flicker of spiritual light passed through Pinger's eyes, and a strange look appeared in her gaze.

The slight resentment she had felt was immediately suppressed.

How had his cultivation improved so much faster than hers?

In just three years, he had already broken through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

When they had last met three years ago, He Song had just reached the fourth level of Qi Refining.

At the time, she could even sense the faint spiritual fluctuations that indicated a recent breakthrough.

(End of Chapter)