### Chapter 132: Sudden Change

Despite He Song's formidable background and considerable strength, he remained cautious while using the Mountain-Linking Wind Art.

He kept himself close to the treetops or raced across flat terrain, never flying more than a few meters above the ground.

This approach minimized the risk of detection and allowed him to move stealthily. In case of any unexpected events, it also gave him more time to react.

As he darted through the forest, He Song's gaze swept over the rapidly receding trees. The fierce wind rushing past him filled his heart with exhilaration.

The Wind Art was far superior to the Light Body Art.

While the latter merely lightened the body, enabling swift movement on the ground, the former allowed him to manipulate the wind, hover in mid-air, and cover hundreds of meters in a single step.

Most importantly, it allowed him to fly!

Although it couldn't match the abilities of a Foundation Establishment expert, who could travel thousands of miles using escape techniques or soar through the skies on a spirit vessel, the sensation of soaring above the ground at incredible speed was intoxicating.

However, He Song quickly composed himself and continued his journey.

Several days later, after a long and arduous trek, He Song finally arrived near the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. But as he approached the valley where he had cultivated his spirit fields, the scene before him made him frown.

Hundreds of miles from the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, in the valley where He Song had cultivated twenty acres of spirit fields, the formations he had set up had all failed.

The spirit stones powering them had been depleted, rendering them useless. Only the Maze Formation was barely maintaining the illusion, keeping the area hidden.

He Song, who had concealed his presence and traveled underground from a great distance, was visibly troubled by what he saw.

The Spirit Gathering Formations, which had once drawn in the surrounding spiritual energy, were now empty shells, devoid of any effect.

The Five Elements Formation, which combined offense and defense, had also been damaged. He even noticed cracks in one of its foundational nodes.

Of all the formations he had set up, only the Maze Formation remained functional, barely maintaining a faint illusion to keep the area hidden from other cultivators.

Although the scene suggested that the area had been invaded by other cultivators, He Song saw no sign of anyone present.

Given his current strength and his status as a disciple of the Earth Sect, he felt confident enough to investigate.

Even if he encountered an attack, he could quickly flee to the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market for help.

Instead of fleeing, He Song's eyes gleamed with determination as he surveyed the valley.

At first glance, the spiritual energy in the area had dissipated, leaving only a faint trace of energy drifting aimlessly.

However, in one spot, he noticed a surge of spiritual energy shooting into the sky. This anomaly immediately caught his attention.

After a moment of thought, He Song summoned his Crimson Gold Sword and Earth Shield, and took out several high-grade Earth Talismans.

He cautiously retreated from the valley and climbed a nearby mountain.

Concealing himself underground, he peered at the source of the surging spiritual energy.

What he saw filled him with shock.

Through the illusion of the Maze Formation, He Song spotted the remains of a cultivator.

The corpse was severely mutilated, as if it had been hacked by blades, struck by axes, and scorched by flames.

It appeared that the cultivator had been killed by the Five Elements Formation.

The surging spiritual energy He Song had observed earlier emanated from the corpse.

After carefully scanning the surroundings and confirming that no one was lying in ambush, He Song fully armed himself and entered the valley.

The moment he stepped inside, he deployed several formation nodes to completely repair the Five Elements Formation. Once that was done, he also reinforced the Maze Formation.

With both formations restored and covering the entire valley, He Song finally relaxed. His gaze then turned to the corpse.

Maintaining his vigilance, He Song approached the remains.

The corpse of a cultivator still contained a significant amount of spiritual energy.

When a cultivator dies, the spiritual energy within their body gradually disperses, returning to the world.

This was what caused the surge of spiritual energy. However, if the body was destroyed immediately after death, the energy would dissipate rapidly, preventing such a phenomenon.

The corpse before He Song had not been destroyed after death, allowing the spiritual energy to surge.

"Why did this person force their way in? I had set up the Maze Formation outside the Five Elements Formation. How could they have triggered it and been killed?" He Song muttered, puzzled.

Turning his attention to the twenty acres of spirit fields, He Song sighed at the sight of the withered spirit rice. "You had to die, didn't you? And you ruined my twenty acres of spirit rice. That's over two thousand spirit stones!"

If the intruder hadn't activated the Five Elements Formation, it wouldn't have drained the Spirit Gathering Formation's energy to kill them.

Once the Spirit Gathering Formation's spirit stones were depleted, the spirit rice naturally withered. Fortunately, the Five Elements Formation had managed to kill the intruder before they could escape.

Otherwise, He Song might have returned to find the valley completely empty.

Though the situation was dire, at least he could salvage something from the corpse.

With a wave of his hand, He Song retrieved the storage pouch near the corpse.

After a quick inspection, a pile of items appeared before him: spirit stones, books, clothing, and magical tools.

However, after a thorough search, He Song estimated the total value to be around five hundred spirit stones—typical for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Disappointed, He Song muttered, "What bad luck." He then conjured a large fireball with a flick of his finger and incinerated the corpse. After collecting the ashes into his storage pouch, he sighed again.

"Sigh, I don't even know if this spirit field is salvageable. And who knows if this person had any friends who might come looking for them." He Song's eyes lingered on the twenty acres of withered spirit rice, a hint of conflict in his gaze.

(End of Chapter)