However, by working for the Earth Sect, the nobles of the Great Li Dynasty also enjoyed considerable benefits.
Although they lacked spiritual roots and couldn't cultivate immortality, the luxuries of the mortal world were something many cultivators dreamed of.
"The Great Li Dynasty... I'll keep heading northwest, find a secluded spot, set up a Spirit Gathering Formation and a Misty Traversal Formation, and then return to the market."
After organizing his thoughts about the relationship between the Great Li Dynasty and the Verdant Wall Immortal City, He Song sighed inwardly and quickly made a decision.
The existence of the Great Li Dynasty gave He Song a deeper understanding of this world.
Within the territory of a sect or a cultivation clan, almost everything existed to serve that sect or clan.
There were no exceptions.
Even if it didn't seem that way on the surface, the underlying reality was still the same.
Everything that existed was deliberately designed, supported by a complete and logical framework.
At the same time, he also realized one thing.
The mortal world might not be a safe place either.
This was the source of fresh blood for the Earth Sect.
If one could hide their identity and avoid detection, they could enjoy many things in the mortal world that were impossible to experience in the cultivation world.
But if a cultivator caused trouble in the mortal world, it wouldn't be long before another cultivator arrived on a flying sword to behead them.
Leaving behind a silver ingot, He Song ignored the waiter's calls and left Salty City.
While he had been drinking tea, the entire tavern had failed to provide any useful information.
This dashed He Song's hopes of being a protagonist.
What kind of protagonist goes to a tavern and hears nothing useful?
No talk of secret treasures, sect wars, or martial arts feuds.
At the very least, given his situation, he should have heard about some remote, uninhabited place perfect for establishing spirit fields, right?
Unfortunately, aside from a few drunkards causing a scene, he heard nothing of value.
Reluctantly, He Song had no choice but to leave Salty City and continue burrowing northwest underground.
After several hours of traveling underground and covering hundreds of miles, He Song passed by several mortal cities.
Finally, in a stretch of mountainous forest, he found a location that satisfied his requirements for establishing spirit fields.
It was a valley surrounded by mountains, secluded and rarely visited by humans.
Above the valley, mist hung in the air, enveloping the entire area like a fairyland.
Inside the valley, the terrain was flat, and a clear stream flowed nearby.
Apart from the thin spiritual energy, the scenery was breathtaking—a picturesque landscape of mountains and water.
He Song emerged from the ground, revealing only his head.
Seeing this, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.
"This place is perfect for establishing spirit fields!"
With a slight smile, He Song's eyes glowed with spiritual light, and the entire scene of the valley came into view.
He found no traces of fierce beasts, only signs of animals coming to drink water.
More importantly, there were no signs of any cultivators having stayed here.
Reassured, He Song dispelled the Earth Escape Technique and fully emerged onto the ground.
Inside the valley, the grass was lush and green.
But He Song had no time to admire the scenery.
As soon as he appeared, he immediately took out two mid-grade Earth Talismans and nine formation bases.
The mid-grade Earth Talismans were for defense against sudden attacks.
The nine formation bases were for the Misty Traversal Formation.
Holding the two Earth Talismans in one hand, ready to activate them at any moment, He Song used his other hand to quickly form hand seals and cast spells.
Soon, the nine formation bases transformed into streams of light, each landing in their designated positions.
A faint glow flashed, and the Misty Traversal Formation was complete.
Once He Song activated the formation, enveloping the entire valley within its range, he finally relaxed and took a moment to appreciate the scenery.
Putting away the two Earth Talismans, He Song scanned the surroundings and felt a surge of joy.
The scenery here was stunning—a perfect blend of mountains and water.
The only downside was the thin spiritual energy.
But for He Song, this was actually a good thing, as it meant he wouldn't have to worry about other cultivators competing for the spot.
However, his joy soon faded.
He had come here to establish spirit fields, not to admire the scenery.
No matter how beautiful the valley was, he would still transform it into spirit fields.
Shaking his head, He Song took out five formation bases and began setting up the first Spirit Gathering Formation.
With a flash of light, the first Spirit Gathering Formation was complete.
But soon, He Song ran into a problem.
After setting up the Spirit Gathering Formation, he needed to define its range. The formation would then gather spiritual energy and lock it within that area.
The larger the range, the thinner the spiritual energy within the formation.
Conversely, a smaller range would result in denser spiritual energy.
Setting a range of ten acres versus one acre would result in vastly different concentrations of spiritual energy.
It was only now that He Song realized the Spirit Gathering Formations in the Immortal Market were not the same as the ones he could set up. They were likely higher-level formations, possibly several tiers above his.
The difference was staggering.
After all, the Spirit Gathering Formations in the Immortal Market covered the entire market and the spirit fields outside it.
Despite such a massive range, the spiritual energy concentration remained high. Only a higher-level Spirit Gathering Formation could maintain such density.
Sighing inwardly, He Song set the range of his Spirit Gathering Formation to ten acres and began carving the formation bases for a new one.
It wasn't the right time yet. Only after ten days, when the formation reached maximum efficiency, could He Song calculate the optimal range for maximizing benefits.
Only then could he transform a barren field into a spirit field rich with spiritual energy within two years.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
During this time, He Song used the spirit stones in his storage bag to carve enough formation bases for four Spirit Gathering Formations and one Misty Traversal Formation.
Including the losses, this cost him over thirty spirit stones.
The spirit stones in his storage bag were now down to thirty-five.
These spirit stones couldn't be touched.
The Spirit Gathering Formation required spirit stones to operate, as did the Misty Traversal Formation. The spirit stones He Song had left would only last a year.
By next year, he would need to replace them to keep the formations running.
Fortunately, after ten days, He Song had finally calculated the optimal range for the Spirit Gathering Formation.
(End of Chapter)
---