Chapter Summaries

After mastering the Five Elements Array, He Song bought the Talisman Dao Primer and supplies, then left the Immortal Market to inspect his prepared Spirit Fields. He replenished the arrays and confirmed the soil was suffused with spiritual energy, ready for cultivation.

• He Song completed the Five Elements Array and estimated that he would reach Qi Refining stage 6 within a year.
• He Song bought the Talisman Dao Primer for one hundred Spirit Stones and talisman supplies for seventy, learning that Ping'er had left Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.
• He Song prepared to plant Spirit Rice using seeds he had obtained and the arrays he had set up.
• He Song used the Earth Escape Technique to leave the Immortal Market and travel to his secluded valley.
• He Song replenished the five arrays with Spirit Stones and confirmed that spiritual energy circulated through the soil in his ten mu of Spirit Fields.

After two years of nourishing the land, He Song completed ten mu of Spirit Fields, protected the valley with arrays, and planted Spirit Rice. He returned unnoticed to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, leaving the fields to produce with only a yearly visit needed.

• He Song finished transforming ten mu of ordinary farmland into Spirit Fields after two years of using four Spirit Gathering Arrays.
• He Song installed the Five Elements Array and adjusted the Mysterious Trace Array to protect the valley and its surroundings.
• He Song sowed the Spirit Rice Seeds he had collected across the ten mu of Spirit Fields.
• He Song planned to return once a year to replenish the arrays, harvest Spirit Rice, and plant the next crop.
• He Song traveled underground back to Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and checked that none of the mechanisms in his quiet room had been triggered.

He Song studied talisman crafting as a way to earn spirit stones and protect himself, while news of an escalating conflict between evil cultivators and Qingyuan Immortal City's City Enforcement Team reached Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market. After Wei Fan warned that a major power might be supporting the evil cultivators, He Song grew wary of a possible threat to the market and asked Wei Fan to share any new information.

• He Song resumed studying the Talisman Dao Primer and planned to use talisman crafting to earn money and strengthen his defenses.
• Reports arrived of battles between evil cultivators and the City Enforcement Team, including ambushes and attacks on settlements.
• At their monthly gathering, Wei Fan told He Song that large-scale gatherings of evil cultivators usually had a major power behind them.
• He Song suspected that the conflict might threaten Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market and considered finding a way to escape if danger came.
• He Song asked Wei Fan to tell him immediately about any new information.

He Song grew wary of a possible attack on Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market by the force behind the evil cultivators and asked Wei Fan to watch for news. To prepare for the worst, he dug a concealed refuge dozens of meters beneath his home, while planning to flee if danger became clear.

• He Song decided that protecting himself would take priority if the outside world descended into chaos, and Wei Fan agreed to watch for news about the evil cultivators.
• He Song began digging a hidden refuge beneath his room because he feared a Foundation Establishment Real Person might detect him underground while he fled.
• He Song used the Earth Escape Technique and an emptied Storage Pouch to excavate soil and conceal the hole beneath packed earth.
• After more than ten days, He Song finished a room-sized cave dozens of meters underground and prepared it as a last-resort escape route.

He Song spent a year studying the Talisman Dao Primer while waiting for news about evil cultivators, then broke through to Qi Refining stage 6. He planned to become a talisman master and earn enough Spirit Stones to prepare for future bottlenecks, while remaining in the Immortal Market until he was stronger.

• He Song studied the Talisman Dao Primer and planned to make low-grade Spirit Talismans before progressing to mid-grade ones.
• A year passed without He Song or Wei Fan learning anything concrete about the evil cultivators beyond the Immortal Market.
• He Song considered leaving the Immortal Market to hide among mortals, but decided to stay until his spirit rice had matured and he had more resources and combat strength.
• He Song broke through to Qi Refining stage 6 and credited the Spirit Gathering Array with speeding up his cultivation.
• He Song checked his prepared talisman supplies and Spirit Stones, intending to become a talisman master and earn enough to buy Realm-Breaking Pills.

After a year of studying the Talisman Dao Primer, He Song mastered the methods for making several kinds of talismans and went to prepare for harvesting his spirit rice. He bought a cargo Storage Pouch and reached his hidden Spirit Fields, where a massive harvest awaited him.

• He Song finished comprehending the Talisman Dao Primer and planned to begin practicing talisman-making.
• He Song reflected on his fifteen years in the cultivation world and went to the Stall Area to buy a small cargo Storage Pouch for his spirit rice.
• He Song spent one hundred Spirit Stones on the pouch and secretly traveled to his Spirit Field using the Earth Escape Technique and Conceal Breath Art.
• He Song found his ten mu of Spirit Fields full of ripe spirit rice, worth about one thousand Spirit Stones.
• He Song replenished the thirty Spirit Stones consumed annually by the six arrays protecting and nourishing the fields.

He Song harvested more than eleven thousand jin of Spirit Rice from his secluded Spirit Field, giving him an annual income of over twelve hundred Spirit Stones. Back in the Immortal Market, he hid most of the harvest and began practicing the Talisman Dao by attempting to draw a low-grade Thick Earth Talisman.

• He Song harvested over eleven thousand jin of Spirit Rice, replanted the seeds, and replenished the valley’s formation with Spirit Stones.
• He Song calculated that selling the harvest alongside his stipend would bring his yearly income to over twelve hundred Spirit Stones, then returned to the Immortal Market.
• He Song kept some Spirit Rice for his meals, hid the rest, and decided his difficult days of saving every Spirit Stone would soon be over.
• He Song laid out talisman ink, paper, and a Nether Wolf-Hair Talisman Brush, then began drawing a low-grade Thick Earth Talisman.

He Song succeeded in crafting a Thick Earth Talisman on his first attempt and gained new insight into the Talisman Dao. After failing on his next two attempts, he calmed himself and began drawing a fourth talisman.

• He Song drew a low-grade Thick Earth Talisman on his first attempt and recognized himself as a talisman master.
• He Song failed to complete his second talisman when his spiritual power wavered at the final step.
• He Song's third attempt failed after he pressed too hard and distorted one stroke of the pattern.
• He Song brewed fresh tea, reviewed the techniques and mindset needed for talisman crafting, and waited until he had regained his composure.
• He Song picked up his brush and began drawing his fourth Spirit Talisman.

He Song made his first batch of low-grade Thick Earth Talismans and found that three of ten attempts succeeded. He decided to keep practicing and wait until his success rate reached fifty percent before revealing his identity as a talisman master or selling his stored spiritual rice.

• He Song succeeded at drawing his fourth low-grade Thick Earth Talisman and considered the costs and success rates required to profit from talisman-making.
• He Song used the remaining materials and obtained three successful talismans from ten attempts, a result that pleased him.
• He Song decided to raise his success rate to fifty percent before announcing that he was a talisman master or selling his spiritual rice.
• He Song resumed overseeing the medicinal garden by day and studying the Talisman Dao Primer at night, but postponed further talisman-making until he received his annual stipend.

Over the year, He Song improved his Thick Earth Talisman-making enough to earn Spirit Stones and harvested another crop of Spirit Rice. He then went to the Stall Area to begin publicizing his identity as a talisman master and selling talismans.

• Meng Guan told He Song he had joined the City Enforcement Team, and He Song and Wei Fan chose not to interfere, checking on him monthly instead.
• He Song raised his low-grade Thick Earth Talisman success rate above fifty percent but focused on practicing it rather than the less successful Golden Light and Divine Movement Talismans.
• He Song traveled to his secluded Spirit Field, replenished its formation, harvested ten mu of Spirit Rice, and planted the next crop.
• He Song calculated that his accumulated Spirit Rice was worth over two thousand two hundred Spirit Stones.
• He Song took Thick Earth Talismans to the Stall Area to sell them and planned to spread word of his new profession through his local connections.

He Song learned from Ping'er that entering the Array Dao could earn him an inner-disciple position in the Thick Earth Sect, but her explanation revealed that the three arrays in his primer were designed to expose anyone cultivating Spirit Rice outside official channels. He realized his secret Spirit Fields and rice harvest could bring dangerous attention, leaving him to reconsider the opportunity and the risk.

• He Song received Ping'er's letter saying that Array Dao cultivators could be admitted as inner disciples of the Thick Earth Sect.
• He Song replied that he had failed to enter the Array Dao and had become a talisman master, while asking why Array Dao entry was so difficult and so highly valued.
• Ping'er explained that entering the Array Dao required talent and that cultivators who mastered its three great arrays could establish Spirit Fields outside.
• Ping'er warned that the Thick Earth Sect deliberately circulated the Spirit Gathering, Mysterious Trace, and Five Elements Arrays, while accounting for all Spirit Rice produced in Immortal Markets and Immortal Cities.
• He Song recognized that the arrays in his primer were the same three and understood that they could expose his secret Spirit Fields and Spirit Rice operation.

After reading Ping'er’s letter, He Song realized that his Array Dao talent and any large-scale spirit rice sales would likely draw the Thick Earth Sect’s attention and lead to his recruitment as an inner disciple. He remained undecided between joining the sect and keeping his freedom in Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, and the chapter ended with him worrying about how he would secure cultivation resources if he refused.

• He Song realized that the Thick Earth Sect tracked spirit rice production and would likely discover him if he sold spirit rice or showed unusual Array Dao talent.
• He Song weighed the benefits of joining the Thick Earth Sect against the loss of freedom, possible obligations, uncertain income, and the risk that his immortality would attract notice.
• He Song sent Ping'er a Sound Transmission Paper Crane to thank her for warning him about the consequences of learning the Array Dao.
• Unable to decide whether to join the sect or sell his spirit rice, He Song stopped deliberating and cultivated, then spent several days wandering the Immortal Market.
• He Song worried that refusing to join the Thick Earth Sect would leave him without resources for a Foundation Establishment Pill, despite having more than twenty-two thousand jin of spirit rice stored away.

He Song reunited with Su Yan, whom he had known as a child, and her growth reminded him that his unchanging appearance could expose his secret. He abandoned his plan to join the Thick Earth Sect as a formation genius and took Su Yan to a teahouse to catch up.

• He Song recognized Su Yan, his former neighbor, after she greeted him in the Immortal Market.
• Seeing that Su Yan had grown into an adult while he remained unchanged, He Song feared others might discover his secret and resolved to avoid attention.
• He Song gave up his plan to join the Thick Earth Sect as a gifted formation cultivator, deciding he would only consider joining once he could protect himself.
• Su Yan told He Song that her grandfather had moved them from Area B to Area A twelve years earlier.
• He Song led Su Yan into a teahouse, where they sat by the window and began asking about each other's lives.

He Song reunited with Su Yan after more than twelve years and learned how she and Su Jin had survived the Immortal Market calamity. Su Yan revealed that Su Jin had died, and after comforting her, He Song exchanged contact auras with her before they went their separate ways.

• Su Yan told He Song that Su Jin had taken her away from the Immortal Market during the evil cultivators' attack twelve years earlier, and they had lived in District A ever since.
• He Song privately doubted Su Yan's explanation but shared selected stories from his own past and learned that he had reached Qi Refining stage 6.
• Su Yan told He Song that Su Jin had died, leaving He Song saddened as he recalled the old cultivator and reflected on mortality.
• He Song comforted Su Yan and encouraged her to pursue higher cultivation, while deciding to wait before offering her any help.
• He Song and Su Yan exchanged Sound Transmission Technique auras, shared where they lived, agreed to keep in touch, and parted ways.

He Song decided to remain a Rogue Cultivator and devised a plan to sell his stored spirit rice while hiding his identity. He traveled to Xian City to seek a mortal martial art that could alter his appearance, but the lead he found pointed him toward a flower-plucking bandit.

• He Song rejected joining the Thick Earth Sect and planned to conceal his identity while secretly selling spirit rice.
• He Song used earth escape to reach Xian City and captured a burly man who had just murdered a commoner.
• He Song questioned the man about martial arts that could alter a person's build and appearance.
• The man said a flower-plucking bandit near Xian City reportedly had that ability, but he could provide no name or exact location.
• He Song killed the burly man with Fireball Technique and erased the traces of their encounter.

He Song used the Spiritual Eye Technique to search Xian City for the flower-plucking bandit and captured him inside a wealthy household. He found the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Molding Technique and a copy of the Thick Earth Technique on the bandit, who claimed he had found both manuals in a cave.

• He Song searched the crowds and streets of Xian City with the Spiritual Eye Technique, looking for disharmony that would reveal the bandit's disguise.
• He Song discovered the flower-plucking bandit disguised as a maidservant in a wealthy household's rear courtyard.
• He Song captured the bandit, crippled his wrists and ankles, and searched his bundle.
• He Song found the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Molding Technique and the Thick Earth Technique among the bandit's belongings.
• The bandit said he had found both manuals in a cave and could not understand them, while He Song warned him to stop speaking in a woman's voice.

He Song forced a flower-picking bandit to reveal and verify the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Molding Technique, then killed him and returned to the Immortal Market. After mastering the technique, He Song planned to disguise himself while selling Spirit Rice to fund his talisman training.

• He Song made the flower-picking bandit reveal the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Molding Technique, verified it through repeated recitations, and killed him after learning where he had found it and the Thick Earth Technique.
• He Song skipped the cave and hurried back to the Immortal Market, prioritizing safety from evil cultivators.
• He Song practiced the Muscle-Tendon and Bone-Molding Technique and used it to transform his appearance into several different people.
• He Song decided to disguise himself before selling Spirit Rice so he could obtain Spirit Stones and raise his success rates for Golden Light and Divine Movement Talismans.
• He Song inspected a new disguise with the Spiritual Eye Technique and found no flaws.

He Song concealed his identity and traveled underground from Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market to Spirit Rabbit Immortal Market to sell his spirit rice safely. He arrived at the busier market and headed toward its Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

• He Song used the Conceal Breath Art, changed his appearance, and sent Wei Fan a message asking him to manage the medicine garden during his absence.
• He Song chose Spirit Rabbit Immortal Market as a safer place to sell over twenty-two thousand jin of spirit rice, then traveled there underground.
• He Song arrived near Spirit Rabbit Immortal Market after nearly a day and entered the crowded market.
• He Song checked the market map and made his way toward the Spirit Medicine Pavilion to sell his spirit rice.

He Song, disguised as Rogue Cultivator Han Feiyu, brought twenty-two thousand jin of spirit rice to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion in Spirit Rabbit Immortal Market to sell it safely. Manager Jiang Jun offered two thousand Spirit Stones, and He Song asked why the price exceeded the expected amount.

• He Song decided to sell his spirit rice at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion rather than risk attracting attention by selling it to Rogue Cultivators in the Stall Area.
• He Song entered the pavilion disguised as Han Feiyu, concealed his cultivation, and was escorted to the VIP Hall.
• Manager Jiang Jun met He Song and inspected the twenty-two thousand jin of superior spirit rice in his storage pouch.
• Jiang Jun offered to buy all the rice for two thousand Spirit Stones, more than the expected price of one thousand nine hundred and eighty.
• He Song asked Jiang Jun why he had offered two thousand Spirit Stones.

He Song sold his spirit rice to Jiang Jun, who offered him a higher price in exchange for future business and secretly split the extra payment with him. After completing the deal, He Song rented an inn room, erased his traces, and fled underground toward Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market.

• Jiang Jun offered He Song two thousand Spirit Stones for his spirit rice if He Song agreed to sell to him again, then revealed he wanted to split twenty Spirit Stones with him.
• He Song accepted Jiang Jun’s arrangement, placed ten Spirit Stones in the Small Freight Storage Pouch, and completed the sale for 1,990 Spirit Stones.
• He Song rented an inn room for five days at Spirit Rabbit Immortal Market and activated its concealment formation.
• He Song burned his black robe and used spiritual power to cleanse himself and his Storage Pouches of any tracking marks.
• He Song changed into another black robe, used the Earth Escape Technique to leave the inn, and fled west toward Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market while concealing his aura.