### Chapter 134: Three Bows and Nine Kowtows

With the spirit stones in hand, He Song planned to find a new location to cultivate spirit fields.

However, since his current location had been compromised, he could no longer sell spirit rice within the Earth Sect's territory.

To ensure his safety, he would have to venture into the territories of other Golden Core sects to sell his spirit rice.

If the newcomer's strength was moderate, He Song decided to wait for them to enter the Five Elements Formation before striking.

With the formation's support and his own abilities, even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator would have little chance of escaping.

This was He Song's domain, and with the dual formations in place, he could simply use his Mountain-Suppressing Sword Art to launch a sneak attack from a distance.

With the element of surprise and the newcomer distracted by the Five Elements Formation, He Song was confident he could severely injure, if not kill, a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator in a single strike.

Once the intruder entered the formations, they would have no chance of escape.

Their death would not only protect He Song's identity but also ensure that all traces of the spirit fields in the valley would be erased over time.

In just ten days to half a month, the weed seeds he had planted would sprout and grow lush, completely obscuring any evidence of the spirit fields.

By then, even if someone followed the trail to this location, they would only see a verdant valley with no indication that twenty acres of spirit fields had ever existed.

If the newcomer's strength was weak—a mid-stage or early-stage Qi Refining cultivator—He Song would still wait for them to enter the Five Elements Formation before acting.

With his current cultivation at the seventh layer of Qi Refining, dealing with a mid-stage or early-stage cultivator would be effortless.

However, to prevent any chance of escape, He Song decided to play it safe.

He would not strike unless absolutely necessary, but when he did, it would be a decisive, thunderous blow.

Hidden several miles away from the valley, He Song peered out with a single eye, watching the scene unfold.

Soon, a fourth message paper crane descended from the sky and landed outside the Maze Formation. This was followed by a fifth, then a sixth.

Moments later, a furtive figure emerged from a nearby forest.

The figure released a message paper crane, which flew straight toward the valley.

Seeing the crane stop just outside the valley, the figure's eyes lit up with excitement, and they quickly made their way toward the location.

From his hiding spot, He Song observed the newcomer. With a flash of spiritual light in his eyes, He Song breathed a sigh of relief.

The intruder was only at the sixth layer of Qi Refining—mid-stage Qi Refining.

This was far from the worst-case scenario He Song had prepared for.

He no longer needed to flee immediately upon seeing the intruder.

A sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator posed little threat to him.

Even in a direct confrontation, He Song could easily kill them without much effort.

In fact, the Five Elements Formation might eliminate the intruder before He Song even needed to act. After all, the previous corpse in the valley had also been a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

He Song had already devised a plan.

All he needed to do was wait for the intruder to enter the Five Elements Formation, then strike and erase all traces of the valley's anomalies.

This way, his secrets would remain safe.

As He Song waited, the newcomer arrived at the valley's edge.

Seeing the glowing message paper cranes outside the valley, the intruder's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"After searching for so long, it's fortunate that I knew Brother Li was last seen in this area. Otherwise, with how fast these cranes are, it would have been hard to keep up," the intruder muttered. "Brother Li's aura disappeared here. Could this valley be the site of the legacy he mentioned? It's been half a year since he vanished. Perhaps he's already met his end. In that case, I, Chen Zhong, will gladly take this legacy for myself."

As he spoke, he stored the message paper cranes in his storage pouch and then performed three bows and nine kowtows toward the valley.

"I am Chen Zhong. If I am fortunate enough to obtain this legacy, I vow to carry it forward and never forget the kindness of the senior who left it behind!"

He seemed to believe that the valley contained the legacy of a powerful cultivator and was performing the ritual to show his sincerity.

Watching this scene, He Song's expression turned odd. He never expected that the spirit fields he had cultivated would be mistaken for the burial site of a senior cultivator.

While it was true that stumbling upon a senior's legacy in the wild was not uncommon in the cultivation world, this valley clearly didn't resemble a cultivator's tomb.

Yet, here was Chen Zhong, performing three bows and nine kowtows in the hopes of obtaining a legacy.

It was absurd.

But just as He Song was marveling at the ridiculousness of the situation, Chen Zhong suddenly disappeared from view.

He Song focused his gaze and saw that Chen Zhong had stepped into the Maze Formation.

The Maze Formation was a basic formation designed to conceal aura, obscure vision, and slightly disorient intruders.

At most, it could make cultivators or mortals subconsciously avoid the area.

However, it was ineffective against someone who was determined to enter.

As soon as Chen Zhong stepped into the formation, the illusions it created engulfed him.

To an outside observer, it appeared as though he had vanished into thin air.

He Song, however, could see through the Maze Formation he had set up.

His eyes remained locked on Chen Zhong as the intruder took a few steps forward and entered the Five Elements Formation.

In an instant, the killing intent within the Five Elements Formation surged.

The power of the five elements churned, and attacks rained down from above, targeting Chen Zhong.

Golden sword lights, fiery vines, and boulders the size of a person descended upon him.

Despite the sudden onslaught, Chen Zhong showed no fear. Instead, his face lit up with excitement.

"Excellent! So this is why Brother Li never returned after coming here to search for the legacy. There's a formation guarding it! Good thing I came prepared. Once I break this formation, the rewards will surely be immense."

As he spoke, Chen Zhong summoned a shield.

With a thought, the shield expanded to block the incoming attacks, protecting him completely.

(End of Chapter)

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