Chapter Summaries

After reconnecting with Ping'er, He Song asked her about spells that could help him escape quickly as he prepared to establish a Spirit Field outside the Immortal Market. Ping'er brought him to the Spirit Skill Pavilion and presented its escape-method Jade Slips for him to examine.

• He Song apologized to Ping'er for their three-year silence, and they settled into a friendly conversation over tea.
• He Song asked Ping'er about spells for escaping with one's life so he could prepare for opening a Spirit Field.
• Ping'er described several available spells, including the Mountain-Connecting Light Body Technique and the Earth Escape Technique.
• He Song accompanied Ping'er to the Spirit Skill Pavilion, where she fetched the Jade Slips containing its escape methods.
• Ping'er placed the Jade Slips before He Song and offered to answer his questions.

He Song reviewed the Spirit Skill Pavilion’s escape techniques and chose the Earth Escape Technique for its concealment and safety. After buying it, he asked Ping'er to bring him the Object Manipulation Technique and other mid-grade spells to consider.

• He Song read the booklets describing several escape techniques and compared their speeds, costs, and uses.
• He Song decided the Earth Escape Technique best suited his need to travel and flee unseen, especially when paired with the Conceal Breath Art.
• He Song paid Ping'er one hundred Spirit Stones for the Earth Escape Technique and memorized the information from its Jade Slip.
• He Song asked Ping'er to bring the Object Manipulation Technique and several other mid-grade spells, surprising her with his continued purchases.
• Ping'er took the tray and went to fetch the spells, wondering about He Song.

He Song bought the Object Manipulation Technique and Stele-Splitting Finger, spending most of his savings on spells to prepare for future cultivation and combat. After returning home, he practiced the Object Manipulation Technique until he could cast it freely without weakening it.

• Ping'er brought He Song several mid-grade spells, and he chose the Object Manipulation Technique and Stele-Splitting Finger.
• He Song paid Ping'er one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones for the two spells and imprinted their contents into his memory.
• He Song left the Spirit Skill Pavilion with only a dozen or so Spirit Stones and hoped that opening his Spirit Field would increase his income.
• He Song returned home, activated the Mysterious Trace Array, and practiced the Object Manipulation Technique for a month until he could cast it freely without diminishing its power.

He Song practiced the Object Manipulation Technique and Stele-Splitting Finger before focusing on the difficult Earth Escape Technique. Zhao Lin arrived with a long-delayed reward for He Song’s role in exposing Chen Zhou, but He Song pretended not to know what reward he meant.

• He Song explained the range and uses of spiritual power and divine sense, then mastered the Object Manipulation Technique.
• He Song learned the Stele-Splitting Finger and began studying the Earth Escape Technique to prepare to cultivate Spirit Fields outside the Immortal Market.
• Zhao Lin arrived at He Song’s home, claiming he had come to deliver a reward.
• He Song recalled that Zhao Lin had promised to seek a reward after He Song reported Chen Zhou’s crimes and removal from the Spirit Plant Farmer list.
• He Song invited Zhao Lin in, brewed tea, and pretended he had no idea why the Immortal Market would reward him.

Zhao Lin delivered He Song a reward for eliminating Chen Zhou, presenting the deed as He Song’s service to the Immortal Market. He then revealed that the reward’s approval was connected to Chen Zhou’s crimes after the great calamity, leaving the explanation unfinished.

• Zhao Lin brought He Song a small box containing the Immortal Market’s reward for exposing Chen Zhou as an evil cultivator.
• He Song thanked Zhao Lin and accepted the reward, while Zhao Lin was pleased by his gratitude.
• Zhao Lin hinted that the reward had arrived at this particular time for a reason, and He Song asked him to share what he knew.
• Zhao Lin recalled that he had described Chen Zhou as a habitual bully and extortionist when requesting merit for He Song.
• Zhao Lin explained that six years earlier, the great calamity had nearly wiped out the Immortal Market’s low-level cultivators, then began describing how the survivors had managed to endure.

Zhao Lin explained that the Immortal Market had recruited Rogue Cultivators six years earlier out of necessity, but now had enough internal cultivators to operate without them. He Song realized the sect was preparing to purge Rogue Cultivators with notorious records, and Zhao Lin confirmed that the City Enforcement Team would soon investigate the Immortal Markets.

• Zhao Lin apologized to He Song for recruiting Chen Zhou and explained that the Immortal Market had needed Rogue Cultivators to keep operating six years earlier.
• Zhao Lin said the Immortal Market now had enough personnel and that its superiors had ordered it to recruit more newcomers instead of relying on the older Rogue Cultivators.
• He Song reasoned that the Immortal Market wanted to remove unruly Rogue Cultivators to protect its role in serving the sect.
• Zhao Lin confirmed that Qingyuan Immortal City had dispatched the City Enforcement Team to investigate cultivators with notorious records, and said He Song’s reward had been approved as part of the operation.
• He Song was startled by the reference to notorious records, and memories from his previous life surfaced.

He Song realized that the City Enforcement Team might abuse its authority to label and plunder Immortal Market cultivators, so he decided to leave before it arrived. He packed his valuables and formations, arranged for his Spirit Fields to be managed, and fled toward the mountains after warning Brother Wei.

• He Song warned Zhao Lin that the City Enforcement Team could call anyone a cultivator with a record of vile deeds and use that excuse to seize their wealth.
• Zhao Lin grasped the danger, asked He Song to arrange care for his Spirit Fields, and hurried away to make preparations.
• He Song recalled fourteen formation foundations and packed his valuable belongings into his Storage Pouch.
• He Song sent Brother Wei a warning through a Sound Transmission Paper Crane and said he would leave until the City Enforcement Team had departed.
• He Song cast the Light Body Technique and raced out of the Immortal Market toward the distant mountain range.

He Song left Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and hid in a nearby mountain cave to avoid the Enforcement Squad cultivators coming from Qingyuan Immortal City. After setting up a Mysterious Trace Array and finding no one following him, he began preparing a secluded place to cultivate, but the array was suddenly disturbed.

• He Song headed northwest from Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market to avoid meeting the Enforcement Squad cultivators on the northern route.
• He Song carved a cave into a nearby mountainside and set up a Mysterious Trace Array to conceal himself and his surroundings.
• He Song searched the area with the Spiritual Eye Technique but found no sign that anyone had followed him.
• He Song expanded the cave and placed a meditation cushion inside as he prepared to set up a Spirit Gathering Array.
• He Song sensed a disturbance in the Mysterious Trace Array, took out several Thick Earth Talismans, and went outside to investigate.

He Song received a message from Wei Fan offering to protect him from an impending calamity, but He Song had already left the Immortal Market and hidden in a cave behind the Mysterious Trace Array. He chose to rely on his own precautions rather than seek another favor, while remaining willing to ask Wei Fan for help if he faced danger he could not handle.

• He Song spotted a Sound Transmission Paper Crane outside his Mysterious Trace Array and cautiously retrieved it while holding Thick Earth Talismans.
• The message from Wei Fan thanked He Song for the warning, explained that Wei Fan had already known about the danger, and offered to protect him if his plans changed.
• He Song felt grateful that Wei Fan had intended to help, but realized his warning had turned the expected favor into one owed to him.
• He Song recalled past occasions when he had relied on Wei Fan and decided to avoid seeking help unless he encountered trouble he could not resolve himself.

He Song sent Brother Wei a message asking to return to the Immortal Market once the City Enforcement Team left, then remained hidden outside the market and prepared for cultivation. After spotting Qingyuan Immortal City's Enforcement Squad heading toward Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, he feared the incident might confirm his suspicions.

• He Song sent Brother Wei a Sound Transmission Paper Crane asking to be notified when the City Enforcement Team left so he could return to the Immortal Market.
• He Song decided his hidden location was safe, set up a Spirit Gathering Array in his cave, and began practicing the Earth Escape Technique.
• He Song reflected on how cultivation, spell training, and other obligations consumed cultivators' limited lifespans, then returned to practicing the Earth Escape Technique.
• Several days later, He Song saw members of Qingyuan Immortal City's Enforcement Squad traveling toward Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song observed their clothing and features from within the Mysterious Trace Array and hoped his suspicions about disorder in the Immortal Market were unfounded.

He Song waited outside Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market while the City Enforcement Team was present, practicing his techniques and keeping watch. After Wei Fan told him the team had left and asked him to come to Lingjian Pavilion, He Song returned to find the market badly damaged and nearly deserted, and asked Wei Fan what had happened.

• He Song decided to remain outside the Immortal Market, wary that the City Enforcement Team might exploit its cultivators, and practiced the Stele-Splitting Finger within the Mysterious Trace Array.
• Half a month later, He Song saw members of the City Enforcement Team leave and received Wei Fan's message asking him to return and visit Lingjian Pavilion.
• He Song filled in the pits he had made, removed the formation foundations, and hurried back to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song found the streets nearly empty, rental houses damaged, and traces of blood, then went to Lingjian Pavilion.
• He Song met Wei Fan and asked why the Immortal Market had changed so drastically.

He Song learned that the City Enforcement Team’s arrival had left positions vacant in the Medicine Pavilion, and Wei Fan offered to recommend him as a manager. He Song set the opportunity aside and asked why a steward and two managers had been killed, leaving the cause unresolved.

• Wei Fan told He Song that the Immortal Market’s recent upheaval had mostly affected its outskirts, and He Song decided not to dwell on what had happened.
• Wei Fan asked whether He Song wanted to become a Medicine Pavilion manager and offered to apply on his behalf.
• Wei Fan explained that a Medicine Pavilion steward and two managers had been killed three days earlier, leaving their posts vacant.
• He Song asked Wei Fan why the three Medicine Pavilion officials had been killed.

He Song learned that the Spirit Medicine Pavilion steward and two managers had been executed for colluding with evil cultivators, while the Immortal Market's hidden evil cultivators had been captured. Wei Fan said Zhao Lin had been cleared but had disappeared before the City Enforcement Team arrived, then offered to help He Song apply for an open manager position.

• Wei Fan explained that the City Enforcement Team had executed the Spirit Medicine Pavilion steward and two managers and captured the evil cultivators hiding in the Immortal Market.
• He Song wondered whether Chen Zhou or Zhao Lin had ties to the evil cultivators, then asked Wei Fan whether Zhao Lin was among the dead.
• Wei Fan said Zhao Lin had been investigated and cleared, but had left the Immortal Market before the City Enforcement Team arrived.
• Wei Fan guessed that Zhao Lin had warned He Song, and He Song confirmed that Zhao Lin had visited with gifts before they both left.
• Wei Fan offered to apply for one of the two vacant Spirit Medicine Pavilion manager positions on He Song's behalf.

He Song accepted Wei Fan’s offer to become the Spirit Medicine Pavilion’s herb garden manager after learning the post would leave him ample time to cultivate in the garden’s dense spiritual energy. Back home, he found Zhao Lin waiting outside, and Zhao Lin’s apology about the promised care for He Song’s Spirit Fields left He Song uneasy.

• He Song initially refused Wei Fan’s offer because he feared management duties would reduce his cultivation time.
• Wei Fan explained that the herb garden manager only had to inspect the herbs at the start and end of the day, and that the garden’s spiritual energy could speed cultivation.
• He Song accepted the position and thanked Wei Fan for arranging it.
• He Song returned home and found Zhao Lin hesitating outside his door, then invited him in for tea.
• Zhao Lin reminded He Song that he had promised to find someone to look after He Song’s seven mu of Spirit Fields, then stood and bowed, prompting He Song to feel a sense of foreboding.

He Song learned that the person Zhao Lin hired to tend his Spirit Field had been killed, then asked Zhao Lin to support his application for a herb garden manager position to settle the matter. After the City Enforcement Team purged Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, He Song heard that the team was attacked on its way back to Qingyuan Immortal City.

• Zhao Lin apologized to He Song because the person he had hired to tend He Song’s Spirit Field had died, leaving it unattended for several days.
• He Song said the missed tending would cause no losses and asked Zhao Lin to support his application for the herb garden manager position; Zhao Lin agreed.
• He Song learned that the City Enforcement Team had taken over the Immortal Market Enforcement Squad, purged corrupt cultivators, and arrested or executed suspected criminals.
• The City Enforcement Team and Immortal Market Enforcement Squad killed a steward and two managers at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, then executed those implicated in collusion with evil cultivators.
• He Song heard that the City Enforcement Team was attacked on its return to Qingyuan Immortal City, where two Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators died, one Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator was killed, and two others escaped.

After a year of peaceful cultivation in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, He Song mastered the Earth Escape Technique and prepared to search outside the market for land to turn into Spirit Fields. He arranged for Wei Fan to oversee the medicine garden and stocked up on Fasting Pills before setting out.

• He Song learned that rogue cultivators had ambushed Qingyuan Immortal City's City Enforcement Team, prompting the team to retaliate while He Song stayed safely inside Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song became manager of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion and secured the medicine garden manager position with help from Wei Fan and Zhao Lin.
• After a year, He Song could cast the Earth Escape Technique freely, though he still needed nearly two years to master the Five Elements Array.
• He Song decided to seek land outside the Immortal Market where Spirit Gathering Arrays could cultivate Spirit Fields for future Spirit Stone harvests.
• He Song dismantled the arrays in his room and sent Wei Fan a message asking him to inspect the medicine garden during his seclusion.
• He Song bought two bottles of Fasting Pills in the Stall Area before preparing to leave the Immortal Market.

He Song sold his low-grade Spirit Talismans and spent most of his remaining Spirit Stones on four mid-grade Thick Earth Talismans before leaving Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market to find a secluded place to open a Spirit Field. He explored Xian City and learned that the Great Li Dynasty was governed under Qingyuan Immortal City's control to supply the cultivation world with Rogue Cultivators.

• He Song sold eight low-grade Spirit Talismans for forty Spirit Stones, then spent another forty of his own to buy four mid-grade Thick Earth Talismans.
• He Song cast the Earth Escape Technique and Conceal Breath Art, traveling northwest from Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market in search of a secluded Spirit Field site.
• He Song emerged in Xian City, took gold and silver from a wealthy household, and explored the mortal city.
• He Song visited a bookstore and restaurant, where he reviewed what he had learned about the city and its surrounding region.
• He Song learned that Xian City belonged to the Great Li Dynasty, which Qingyuan Immortal City controlled to manage mortals and replenish the cultivation world's Rogue Cultivators.

He Song traveled northwest from Xian City and found a secluded valley where he could establish Spirit Fields. He set up a Mysterious Trace Array and several Spirit Gathering Arrays, then calculated how much land each array could cover.

• He Song left Xian City and continued underground toward the northwest after finding no useful information at the tavern.
• He Song found a remote valley with thin spiritual energy, inspected it for threats, and decided it was suitable for Spirit Fields.
• He Song used nine array foundations to set up a Mysterious Trace Array and protect the valley.
• He Song set up a Spirit Gathering Array and realized its coverage area affected the density of spiritual energy.
• He Song spent ten days inscribing array foundations for four Spirit Gathering Arrays and another Mysterious Trace Array, leaving thirty-five Spirit Stones for the arrays' upkeep.
• After ten days, He Song calculated the coverage range of a Spirit Gathering Array.

He Song expanded his secluded valley project by installing four Spirit Gathering Arrays and opening ten mu of land, which could become profitable Spirit Fields in two years. After returning to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and resuming his garden duties, he began considering a craft that could help him launder Spirit Stones.

• He Song installed three more Spirit Gathering Arrays, bringing the valley's coverage to ten mu, and calculated the future Spirit Rice profits.
• He Song used the Object Manipulation Technique to open ten mu of farmland and placed Spirit Stones in the five arrays to keep them operating for a year.
• He Song traveled back to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and took responsibility for the medicinal herb garden from Wei Fan.
• He Song resumed his routine of cultivating by day and studying the Five Elements Array at night, while deciding to learn a money-making craft to launder Spirit Stones.

He Song chose to learn the Talisman Dao so he could explain the Spirit Stones he expected to earn from his Spirit Fields, but his lack of funds forced him to delay buying supplies and selling his harvest. Two years passed as he studied the Five Elements Array and watched reports of the escalating conflict around Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.

• He Song chose to become a talisman master because his array knowledge would help him learn the trade quickly and conceal the source of his future Spirit Stones.
• He Song realized he could not afford the Talisman Dao Primer and supplies, so he decided to store his Spirit Rice and sell it only after learning to make talismans.
• He Song began studying the difficult Five Elements Array, which he expected to take three years to master.
• Over the next two years, He Song heard that Qingyuan Immortal City's Enforcement Squad was still fighting the evil cultivators and had begun recruiting Rogue Cultivators.
• He Song remained in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and left it only once during those two years.