**Chapter 70: Arrival**  

"Since Brother Wei is already aware, then I've spoken out of turn. If the law enforcement team from the Immortal City leaves, I hope you'll notify me so I can return to the market." 

"—He Song." 

With a flick of spiritual energy from his fingers, He Song left the message on the paper. Then, with a surge of spiritual power, the thin sheet transformed into a message-carrying paper crane that soared into the sky, passing through the Misty Traversal Formation and disappearing in the blink of an eye. 

The speed of the message-carrying paper crane was extremely fast—far beyond what a Qi Refining cultivator could match.

Even a Foundation Establishment expert, unless they had mastered a high-level movement technique, would find it difficult to catch up. 

However, once one reached the Foundation Establishment stage, the Message Transmission Technique would become obsolete, replaced by the more advanced Communication Talismans, which were the mainstream method of communication in the cultivation world. 

The Message Transmission Technique was merely a convenient way for Qi Refining cultivators who couldn't afford Communication Talismans to stay in touch with their friends. 

Paper cranes sent between Qi Refining cultivators were unlikely to be intercepted or chased by Foundation Establishment experts. 

Cultivators were busy people and rarely had the time or inclination to bother with such trivial matters. 

Moreover, if someone did attempt to intercept the paper crane, it would self-destruct instantly, leaving no trace of the message. 

This was why He Song had released his own aura when receiving the paper crane earlier. 

Only his own aura could dissipate the spiritual energy within the paper crane, preventing it from self-destructing. 

If someone tried to forcibly open it, the paper crane would instantly self-destruct. 

After sending the paper crane, He Song pondered for a moment but ultimately decided not to leave his current location. 

Although his aura had trailed from the Immortal Market to this spot, only the Message Transmission Technique could follow his aura to this point. 

And even then, it couldn't penetrate the Misty Traversal Formation. 

Ordinary cultivators would have no way of finding this place. 

Auras dissipated over time, and within a few minutes, they would fade almost completely. Not every cultivator could track such traces. 

Only a technique like the Message Transmission Technique, which carried a trace of He Song's aura, could locate the last point where his aura had been detected. 

Under these circumstances, He Song didn't need to worry about malicious individuals tracking his aura to this location. 

This place was safe. 

With this in mind, He Song took out five formation bases from his storage bag. 

These were the formation bases for the Spirit Gathering Formation. 

However, since he was outside the Immortal Market, where spiritual energy was much thinner, even with the Spirit Gathering Formation in place, the concentration of spiritual energy would be significantly lower than if he had set it up inside the market. 

Still, it should be comparable to the natural spiritual energy concentration inside the market without a formation. 

After all, the spiritual energy within the Immortal Market wasn't naturally abundant—it was also gathered by Spirit Gathering Formations. 

If He Song set up a Spirit Gathering Formation outside the market, the spiritual energy it gathered shouldn't be much worse than that inside the market. 

With this thought, He Song began forming hand seals. 

Streams of light flew from his hands and landed in their designated positions. 

A flash of light later, He Song immediately felt the previously thin spiritual energy within the cave gradually becoming denser. 

Having set up a Spirit Gathering Formation before, He Song knew how it worked. 

After the formation was activated, it would take about ten days to reach maximum efficiency. 

Only then would the spiritual energy concentration inside the formation peak. 

By that time, it should be sufficient for his cultivation needs. 

Sitting on his meditation mat, He Song pondered for a moment before pushing these thoughts aside and focusing on practicing the Earth Escape Technique. 

The Earth Escape Technique was a high-grade spell, and its difficulty was considerable. 

Based on He Song's estimation, it would take him at least a year to master it to the point where he could use it normally without losing its effectiveness. 

This was already a stroke of luck, considering that his soul was stronger than that of an average cultivator, allowing him to learn spells faster than most. 

Even so, it would still take him at least a year to reach that level. 

One could only imagine how much longer it would take for other cultivators to master the same technique. 

If a high-grade spell was this difficult, what about Foundation Establishment-level spells? 

Would they require even more time? 

It was only now that He Song truly understood why cultivators in the cultivation world always felt their lives were too short. 

The amount of time required for cultivation, mastering techniques, and other pursuits was simply too great. 

Improving one's cultivation level required time to accumulate. 

Mastering the various arts of cultivation demanded both time and resources. 

Learning spells also consumed a significant amount of time. 

Add to that the time spent dealing with mundane matters, seeking opportunities, earning spirit stones, and undergoing closed-door cultivation breakthroughs, and it was clear that no cultivator, whether at the Qi Refining stage or the Foundation Establishment stage, ever had enough time. 

This was also why cultivators became so desperate when they saw a chance to break through and extend their lifespans. 

Fighting tooth and nail for even the slightest opportunity to advance was no joke. 

On the other hand, when cultivators knew their lifespans were nearing their end or that they had no hope of breaking through, many would retreat to the mortal world, leaving behind cultivation manuals and opportunities for future generations. 

This was why, every year, new rogue cultivators emerged from the mortal world, stepping onto this arduous path once more. 

In the cultivation world, time was the greatest obstacle preventing cultivators from advancing further. 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, He Song quickly calmed his mind and continued practicing the Earth Escape Technique. 

Several days later, while practicing the Earth Escape Technique within the range of the Misty Traversal Formation outside the cave, He Song suddenly noticed a group of people traveling together in the distance, heading straight for the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. 

Since He Song was within the Misty Traversal Formation, these individuals wouldn't be able to detect him. 

However, upon closer observation, He Song recognized the uniforms they were wearing. 

"These are... the standard robes of the Immortal City's law enforcement team!" 

The Verdant Wall Immortal City and the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market were in a subordinate relationship. 

He Song was familiar with the uniforms worn by the law enforcement team in the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. 

However, the uniforms worn by the market's law enforcement team were merely standard attire, not enchanted robes. 

The individuals before him, dressed in enchanted robes, were undoubtedly members of the law enforcement team sent from the Verdant Wall Immortal City to handle the current situation in the market. 

Since He Song was within the Misty Traversal Formation, his aura and figure were completely concealed, so he wasn't worried about being discovered. 

As a result, he observed these individuals, who were clearly different from rogue cultivators, with particular care. 

He noted the design of their enchanted robes and their physical features in detail. 

Their identities were unmistakable. 

"I hope I'm overthinking this." 

After the group disappeared from sight, He Song shook his head and sighed. 

Although he had already extricated himself from the Immortal Market, meaning that no matter how chaotic things became, it wouldn't affect him directly, if the market truly descended into chaos after their arrival, it would confirm the suspicions he had harbored earlier. 

(End of Chapter)