**Chapter 71: Half a Month Later**  

In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme. 

The arrival of the law enforcement team from the Immortal City likely came with the intention of seeking extra gains. 

If the Immortal Market truly descended into chaos, and innocent cultivators were tragically killed by the law enforcement team, it would mean that the dark side of the cultivation world had finally revealed its cruel face to He Song. 

Since He Song had crossed over into this world, everything he had experienced had been relatively peaceful. 

Although he had faced two minor calamities, the brutal, cutthroat nature of the cultivation world had never truly manifested before him. 

Cultivators fought against the heavens for their lives. 

Fight! 

Seize! 

Plunder! 

Conquer! 

These were the main themes of the cultivation world. 

In the past decade or so, He Song had remained within the Immortal Market, with little contact with outside cultivators. 

Although he had always been cautious, he had no real understanding of how dark the hearts of those outside cultivators could be. 

His decision to leave the market this time was solely out of caution. 

As for whether the law enforcement team from the Immortal City would act in such a manner, He Song only had his suspicions. 

However, if news spread of innocent cultivators being tragically killed by the law enforcement team, He Song felt that he would need to be even more cautious in the future. 

The human heart is hard to predict. 

Only through caution could one survive to the end. 

"Forget it. Only Wei Fan is still in the market. My other friends—Zhao Lin has already fled, Meng Guan is in the Immortal City, and Lin Cong left the market six years ago and went to the Verdant Wall Immortal City. With Wei Fan's strength and status, he should be fine." 

After a long period of contemplation, He Song finally shook his head and continued practicing the Earth Escape Technique. 

The arrival of the law enforcement team had little impact on He Song. 

Aside from the lower spiritual energy concentration outside the market, it even brought some benefits. 

Since he was within the Misty Traversal Formation and there were no buildings or structures around, He Song could practice his Boulder-Shattering Finger technique without restraint. 

In the market, surrounded by buildings, He Song had to be cautious when practicing the Boulder-Shattering Finger. 

A single misstep could damage property or even injure passersby. 

But outside the market, it was completely different. 

There was no need to worry about damaging buildings or harming others. 

As long as He Song remained within the Misty Traversal Formation, he could strike wherever he pleased. 

Except for the formation's core, which he couldn't touch, He Song could even dismantle the area within the formation's range without anyone noticing. 

Thus, half a month later, when He Song saw the law enforcement team leave the market and received a message-carrying paper crane from Wei Fan, the area within the Misty Traversal Formation was already riddled with craters. 

These were all the result of He Song practicing the Boulder-Shattering Finger. 

Inside the formation, He Song opened the thin sheet of paper. 

Lines of text immediately appeared before his eyes. 

"The law enforcement team from the Immortal City has left. You can return to the market now." 

"However, if possible, please come to the Spirit Construction Pavilion as soon as you return. There's an important matter to discuss." 

"—Wei Fan." 

The message was brief, simply urging He Song to return to the market and meet him immediately. 

After storing the paper, He Song gazed thoughtfully in the direction of the market. 

But then he shook his head. 

Half a month had passed. 

He Song had been keeping an eye on the market's situation, but being several miles away, he couldn't hear any commotion from the market. 

As a result, he had no idea what had happened there. 

All he knew was that many things must have occurred in the market during those two weeks, but the specifics would only be revealed after he returned and spoke with Wei Fan. 

In addition, He Song glanced around, a hint of helplessness on his face. 

Perhaps because it was his first time leaving the market and being able to practice spells freely, he had inadvertently created numerous craters in the ground while practicing the Boulder-Shattering Finger. 

This wouldn't do. 

Now that he was about to leave, he needed to restore the area. 

Otherwise, once he removed the Misty Traversal Formation, the damage caused by his spells would be immediately visible. 

He Song didn't want anyone to discover that he had lived here for half a month. 

Fortunately, there was a way to quickly erase all traces of his presence. 

Using the Object Control Technique, He Song manipulated his spiritual energy to fill in the craters one by one. 

After retrieving the formation bases for both the Misty Traversal Formation and the Spirit Gathering Formation, he even used the Object Control Technique to seal the cave. 

Once everything was done, He Song activated his Lightfoot Technique and swiftly made his way back to the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. 

Soon, He Song stepped into the market. 

But the moment he entered, he noticed something was wrong. 

The streets of the market were sparsely populated. 

Those who were walking around seemed to be in a hurry, as if they didn't want to linger. 

The once bustling streets were now eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the lively scene he had left behind. 

Looking further, He Song saw that many of the rented houses on the outskirts of the market bore signs of destruction. 

Some houses had lost their roofs, while others had collapsed walls, revealing the interiors, yet no one had come to repair them. 

He Song even spotted traces of blood in some corners. 

As his gaze swept over the changed landscape of the market, He Song's heart sank. 

If he hadn't personally seen the law enforcement team leave and received Wei Fan's message confirming their departure, he might have turned around and left immediately. 

The current state of the market was completely different from when he had left. 

When he had departed, the streets had been bustling with activity. 

Over the past few years, the constant influx of rogue cultivators had filled the streets with people. 

Even the rented houses on the outskirts, which had been renovated by the Spirit Construction Pavilion six years ago, had looked brand new. 

But now? 

As He Song surveyed the drastically altered market, he hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to head to the Spirit Construction Pavilion. 

Since he had already returned, he might as well meet with Wei Fan first. 

If the market was still unsafe, he might have to leave again after their meeting. 

Without any obstacles, He Song quickly arrived at the Spirit Construction Pavilion. 

On the second floor, he saw Wei Fan sitting at a small table, waving him over. 

"Brother Wei, why has the market changed so much in the past half month?" He Song asked, frowning as he sat down beside Wei Fan. 

The market had been fine when he left. 

Yet, after just over half a month, it had transformed into this. 

Could all these changes have been brought about by the law enforcement team from the Immortal City? 

If so, their greed must have been insatiable. 

(End of Chapter)