Chapter 93: A Chilling Realization

Although this massive trap didn't seem to have any immediate lethal consequences, and jumping into it might appear to lead to a bright future, the realization that everything he had done was part of a carefully orchestrated plan by the cultivators of this world filled He Song with a deep sense of unease.

It was terrifying!

This was the world of cultivation, after all. As long as there was profit to be made, the minds of these cultivators were incredibly sharp, ready to set up traps wherever possible.

Faced with this situation, He Song felt a strange sense of familiarity. Wasn't this similar to the lives of the working class in his previous life, where everything was meticulously planned out?

The first twenty years were spent spending their parents' money.

The next thirty years were spent paying off debts.

The final twenty years were spent sending money to hospitals.

Everything was neatly arranged, wasn't it?

The trap He Song now faced had also been carefully laid out long ago.

Once someone mastered formation crafting, even if they didn't know that they could join the Earth Sect as an inner disciple—like He Song, who had been completely unaware of this until Ping'er informed him—it didn't matter.

As soon as they established their own spirit fields and began selling spirit rice, the Earth Sect would quickly find them.

Under the Earth Sect's jurisdiction, the annual output of spirit rice and spirit plants in immortal cities and markets was strictly monitored.

Any increase or decrease would attract attention, and a quick investigation would likely lead to the person responsible.

In this way, even someone like He Song, who had been unaware of the opportunity, would soon be recruited by the Earth Sect.

It was clear that the Earth Sect had thought of everything.

If you mastered formation crafting, you couldn't escape the Earth Sect's notice.

If you showed any unusual activity, the Earth Sect would track you down.

If you demonstrated value, the Earth Sect would naturally bring you into its fold.

Want to establish your own independent path? According to He Song's speculation, that was unlikely.

Living under the Earth Sect's rule, how could they possibly allow you to carve out your own path?

At the same time, when He Song read in Ping'er's letter that it typically took five years for someone with talent in formation crafting to master it, he felt a moment of clarity.

So, not only did he have talent in formation crafting, but he had also learned faster than most. Perhaps this was due to his stronger soul, He Song thought.

But soon, He Song fell into deep thought again.

Ping'er's letter had made it clear: within the Earth Sect's territory, if He Song wanted to sell spirit rice and earn spirit stones, he would inevitably be discovered by the Earth Sect.

Once that happened, He Song would likely be recruited as an inner disciple of the Earth Sect and would no longer be able to stay in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market as he was now.

While becoming an inner disciple of the Earth Sect wasn't a bad thing—in fact, it came with many benefits—He Song still needed to consider whether he wanted to join the Earth Sect or continue living in the immortal market.

For a moment, He Song began weighing the pros and cons.

The benefits were clear: joining the Earth Sect would mean becoming an inner disciple with the backing of a major sect.

He would no longer have to live as a rogue cultivator, constantly on edge. Moreover, with his talent in formation crafting, he could focus on setting up formations and avoid combat, allowing him to cultivate in peace and advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, becoming a revered True Person.

However, there were also drawbacks. After joining the Earth Sect, he would be obligated to contribute if the sect faced any crises.

Additionally, he wasn't sure if he would still have the same level of income as he did now. As an immortal, if he stayed in the Earth Sect for too long without aging, it could raise unnecessary suspicions.

Being part of a sect would also mean losing the freedom he currently enjoyed.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, He Song pondered for a long time but couldn't reach a decision.

However, while weighing the pros and cons, He Song still sent a message talisman to thank Ping'er, who was now in Green Wall Immortal City.

If it weren't for Ping'er's message, He Song might have unknowingly stepped into this massive trap.

The three formations in the introductory chapter of formation crafting were the trap He Song had mentioned.

Although the trap wasn't deadly, the idea of his fate being out of his control made He Song feel that it was best to avoid it if possible.

At the same time, realizing that the introductory chapter of formation crafting was a trap made He Song question whether he should sell his spirit rice at all.

If he decided not to join the Earth Sect, he could still use his position as the herb garden manager to secretly sell spirit rice.

However, He Song couldn't guarantee that selling large quantities of spirit rice wouldn't attract the Earth Sect's attention.

While being discovered wouldn't necessarily result in any losses, the uncertainty made He Song frown.

The question remained: should he join the Earth Sect?

If other cultivators knew of He Song's dilemma, it would likely cause an uproar. In the immortal cities and markets under the Earth Sect's jurisdiction, almost every cultivator dreamed of joining the Earth Sect.

Even becoming an outer disciple was considered a monumental step up. If they knew that He Song was hesitating over whether to become an inner disciple of the Earth Sect, they might swarm him in envy.

An opportunity that others could only dream of had fallen into He Song's lap, and yet he was hesitating.

After a long period of contemplation, He Song sighed, feeling his mind in chaos. He decided to stop thinking about it for now and instead began meditating to cultivate.

Days passed.

Several days had gone by since He Song learned that mastering formation crafting would allow him to join the Earth Sect as an inner disciple. During these days, He Song didn't follow his usual routine of cultivating, studying talisman crafting, selling talismans in the market area, or overseeing the herb garden.

Instead, he found himself idle, wandering aimlessly through the immortal market.

This state wasn't because he had made a decision. On the contrary, it was because he hadn't reached a conclusion that He Song acted this way.

As he walked through the streets of the immortal market, looking at the ancient-style houses and courtyards around him, He Song sighed inwardly. This difficult choice had left him mentally exhausted.

If he joined the Earth Sect, there might be future complications. As an immortal with endless lifespan, staying in the Earth Sect for too long would inevitably draw attention.

Unless he could break through to the Golden Core stage within a normal lifespan and stand on equal footing with the Earth Sect's patriarch, it would be problematic.

But if he didn't join the Earth Sect, what would he do with his spirit rice? How would he secure resources for his future cultivation? His small cargo storage bag still held over twenty-two thousand pounds of spirit rice.

If he wanted to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, he would need to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill. Without resources, where would he get one?

(End of Chapter)