I Live Forever In The World of Cultivation World (Patreon)

Chapter 81: Two Years

Instead of revealing his true source of wealth, He Song planned to portray himself as earning spirit stones through a specific cultivation art. By showcasing an ordinary skill and hiding his actual gains, he aimed to divert suspicion from his more valuable endeavors.

This approach, exposing the less important to obscure the crucial, was a tactic He Song had observed countless times. Mastering its application himself was only natural. To utilize the enormous wealth he would gain from his spirit farmland without raising suspicions, he needed to establish a plausible secondary source of income.

After careful consideration, He Song decided to pursue the art of Talisman Crafting.

The reason for this choice was straightforward: talisman crafting complemented his proficiency in formation setting. formation setting engraved patterns onto mediums, while talisman crafting inscribed symbols. While not identical, the skills were closely related. With his foundation in formation, He Song could learn talisman crafting more quickly than any other cultivation arts.

Mastering talisman crafting would provide him with an alibi for his future spirit stone gains. After all, in two years, once He Song could deploy a Five Elements Formation, the spirit farmlands he had cultivated would start yielding immense profits. At that point, explaining his sudden increase in wealth would be critical.

For context:

• In two years, his spirit farmlands would yield their first crops of spirit rice, totaling 10,000 catties.

• Sold at 10 catties per spirit stone, this would generate 1,000 spirit stones annually.

A Talisman Master’s reputation and expected income would neatly account for such amounts. People would simply believe he had earned his wealth by crafting and selling talismans, a profession that was well-known, respectable, and wouldn’t attract undue attention.

Furthermore, talisman crafting had another advantage: it required less time to learn compared to other cultivation arts like alchemy, artifact forging, or beast taming. These cultivation arts would require at least three years of study to reach a profitable level. But with his prior experience in formation setting, He Song estimated he could achieve proficiency in talisman crafting within two years.

This timeline aligned perfectly with his spirit farmland plans. By the time his spirit rice was ready for harvest, he could present himself as a competent Talisman Master, using this new identity to legitimize his income.

However, as he reviewed the spirit stones left in his storage bag, He Song sighed in frustration. He was nearly broke.

Setting up the five formations for his spirit farmlands—four Spirit Gathering Formations and one Maze Formation—had consumed a significant portion of his wealth. He had initially possessed about 30 spirit stones, but after provisioning the formations, he was left with just over ten stones.

Even this small amount was largely allocated to maintaining the Spirit Gathering Formation and Maze Formation in his meditation chamber. The ten spirit stones required annually for these formations left him with almost nothing for other expenses.

To embark on talisman crafting, He Song would need:

• Introduction to Talismans Book: 100 spirit stones.

• Talisman paper, brushes, and ink: Over 100 spirit stones.

Altogether, the cost exceeded what he could afford.

After deliberating for some time, He Song resigned himself to the situation.

“Fine, I’ll wait two more years. If I can’t afford it now, I’ll just store the harvested spirit rice until I’m ready. Once I’ve learned talisman crafting, I’ll sell the rice gradually to avoid suspicion.”

This cautious approach would ensure that his wealth didn’t draw undue attention. By prioritizing safety over maximum profit, He Song embraced a strategy that minimized risks. Time was on his side; there was no need to rush.

With his decision made, He Song shifted his focus entirely to mastering the Five Elements Formation.

As the first offensive and defensive formation he had studied, its complexity far exceeded that of the Spirit Gathering and Maze Formations. Despite his prior experience, it would still take him three years to fully grasp and deploy the Five Elements Formation.

Time flew by, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market was far from peaceful. Although He Song stayed within the Immortal Market almost every day, news of the outside world trickled in regularly, keeping him informed of the surrounding situation.

Three years ago, the Enforcement Squad from the Azure Cliff Immortal City had been ambushed near Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, resulting in three deaths and two serious injuries. This incident had prompted a relentless crackdown on evil cultivators by Azure Cliff Immortal City’s enforcement squad.

The battle between the enforcers and the evil cultivators had escalated over the years.

Despite their efforts, the Enforcement Squad lacked the support of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, which led to significant casualties on their side. Nevertheless, the evil cultivators suffered even heavier losses.

Now, three years later, the conflict showed no signs of abating. Instead, it had intensified. The enforcement squad even began recruiting wandering cultivators to bolster their ranks—a clear sign of their desperation.

When He Song first heard this, he was shocked by the sheer number and strength of evil cultivators.

However, this chaos had little impact on him directly. In the past two years, He Song had only left the Immortal Market once.