Chapter 55: Xiao Luo, time to drink the soup (Thanks to Alliance Leader Tenggu Paomian for the tip)

The Red Pillar, a prison constructed by the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion to suit the local terrain.

The reason this prison was named the Red Pillar was due to the Falling Phoenix Mountain.

Legend has it that the Jade Tripod Domain once belonged to the Lianxia Mountain Range within the Million Great Mountains. Dozens of massive peaks rose and fell in succession, offering not only abundant resources but also breathtaking scenery.

It was renowned for its "Heaven-Piercing Jade and Ten Thousand Miles of Radiant Clouds"!

However, an immortal phoenix from the Upper Realm broke through the spatial barrier and descended upon this land, its massive body enveloping the area in infinite Phoenix True Flames.

In the mere instant of its descent, the ten-thousand-mile Lianxia Mountain Range suffered a devastating blow, and countless mountain peaks were incinerated.

The most famous peak, Mount Zixia, barely survived, but it was reduced to a mere hill less than a hundred feet high.

Later, Mount Zixia was renamed Falling Phoenix Mountain.

As the immortal phoenix fell to the mortal realm, its feathers drifted down and struck the earth.

Though it was just a single, seemingly insignificant feather, it was no ordinary plume—it was a feather from the phoenix of myth and legend.

A single feather was enough to crush a trench hundreds of meters long into the earth.

Viewed from high above, this trench looked like a pillar of fire, glowing red-hot, carved by sheer pressure.

Ever since the Jade Tripod Sword Sect established the Great River Market in the area adjacent to the Lancang River and the Ancient Plateau Mountains, the transformation of this land has never ceased.

Falling Phoenix Mountain serves not only as the core of the great formation's terrain but also as the main body of the Dao Discussion Platform.

And that massive trench was repurposed into a long, narrow prison.

It is the Red Pillar Prison, known to every one of the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators in the Great River Market.

Why is it known to everyone?

Because over the past month, the cultivators of the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion have officially announced that the prison is now open for business!

Any bandit cultivators daring to commit crimes openly within the inner or outer districts of the Great River Market will be thrown directly into the Red Pillar if caught by the patrol teams.

To leave the Red Pillar Prison, one must either have someone pay a massive amount of spirit stones for ransom, or serve the full term of their sentence.

There is one other way: participate in battles on the Dao Discussion Platform. Achieve ten consecutive victories, and you can be released immediately.

It is precisely because of this that the security of the Great River Market has reached an all-time high.

Even some low-level Qi Refinement cultivators now dare to walk the streets late at night.

The social atmosphere has truly undergone a complete and refreshing transformation.

At a crossroads, the crowds were surging.

Many people crowded the roadside, watching curiously as a patrol team escorted a cultivator into the Red Pillar Prison.

"Is this the thirty-second bandit caught this month?"

"Wrong, it's the thirty-fifth!"

"Why don't they just throw them straight in? Why the parade through the streets, and why stop specifically at the city center crossroads?"

"It's to make an example of them!"

"True. The more people know, the better. That's how the Great River Market stays safe."

"Safety is good. Even though this market is remote, the cultivation resources are truly abundant. I almost want to settle down here."

"Why don't you just move here? The Xue Lian Market area is nothing but ice and snow; I'm getting old and can't really handle it."

Amidst the murmurs, the patrol team neared the end of their route.

The leading cultivator had eyes as sharp as blades, scanning the surroundings from time to time.

Whenever he saw a cultivator wearing a bamboo hat, hiding their true face, he would glare fiercely.

These were all potential bandits!

Luo Chen, naturally, did not care about the glare. Seeing that foolish junior had been dragged into the Red Pillar, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

He then slowly retreated behind the crowd, vanishing into the sea of people.

"The nail that was driven into me has been pulled out using the Jade Tripod Sword Pavilion as a tool."

"But this is only temporary!"

"Once that Gao Tingyuan finds the strength to act again, I fear my troubles will be endless."

Luo Chen walked unhurriedly under his bamboo hat, gradually veering off the main path and beginning to weave through small alleys.

He wasn't heading toward his home at all; he was intentionally walking in the complete opposite direction.

He had this advantage thanks to Sun Shou, who had shown him many houses when he was renting—especially the large ones.

Luo Chen had a very good memory, particularly for those large houses with excellent environments; he had memorized them out of envy.

He had planned to move into one once he had plenty of spirit stones.

This time, that good memory came in handy.

His home was in the north of the city, a single-entry courtyard house.

The place he had intentionally gone to just now was near the rogue cultivator market in the south, and the house he entered was a spacious, three-entry courtyard.

A courtyard house with such large area, excellent environment, and quiet security was not something he could afford even after several years of hard work.

But it was perfect for misleading pursuers.

Escaping was simple; he just had to find a courtyard wall, climb over, and run.

"But this is just treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

"I will definitely have to set up a stall to sell pills in the future. No matter how careful I am, my rental address will eventually be exposed."

"Unless I find a few subordinates to sell the pills for me, so I never have to show my face again."

Solutions existed, but unfortunately, Luo Chen was only at the fourth level of Qi Refinement; how could he recruit subordinates?

Ultimately, it came down to his own lack of strength!

If he had strength like Wang Yuan, he could simply sneak up on the victim and kill Gao Tingyuan with a single strike.

Returning home, a rich aroma still drifted through the courtyard.

It was the Blood-Fiend Tiger Bone Soup that Murong Qinglian had stewed before he left this morning.

However, at this moment, no one was in the courtyard, and the gates to the Qin family's western wing were tightly closed.

Returning to his home alone, Luo Chen looked at the front room, which had been renovated and was now filled with the warmth of daily life, and felt a moment of silence.

Perhaps, when trouble arrives in the future, he will have to move again like a stray dog.

He truly felt a bit reluctant to leave this large house, even if it was a bit cold.

He was also reluctant to leave his neighbors: the warm and straightforward Gu Caiyi, the gentle and elegant Fu Xiuxiu, the lively and cute Bai Meiling, and the bold and direct Qin Liangchen.

Oh, and also Big Sister Feng Xia, whose voice was ruined and who didn't like to talk much.

She was actually a good person; once, when he was stuck refining pills, she helped him buy a bundle of firewood.

After much thought, Luo Chen entered his partitioned bedroom and took a bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills from his storage bag.

He had earned quite a few spirit stones today, but after paying off debts and treating guests, only seven hundred remained.

On his way home, he had bought fifty spirit stones worth of Inedia Pill ingredients and spent another five hundred on five bottles of Qi-Nourishing Pills.

As for the ingredients for the All-Mysteries Pill, he still had one hundred spirit stones worth at home, so he didn't plan to buy more for now.

His savings had once again returned to one hundred and fifty.

Luo Chen did not feel pained this time.

The spirit stones hadn't disappeared; they had simply changed form to continue accompanying him.

Cultivation!

He took out a Qi-Nourishing Pill, swallowed it, and slowly circulated the Eternal Spring Technique.

The massive medicinal power instantly spread out. Under the movement of the technique, the gentle spiritual energy continuously expanded his meridians, eventually flowing like a hundred rivers into the sea, returning to his dantian.

His spiritual power grew a bit stronger!

Luo Chen opened his attribute panel at the appropriate time.

[Lifespan: 27/75] [Spiritual Roots: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth] [Realm: Qi Refinement Level 4: 96/100] [Technique: Eternal Spring Technique (Perfect): 499/500] [Spells: Fireball Technique (Grandmaster) 700/1000, Free Roaming (Grandmaster) 512/1000, Entanglement Technique (Proficient) 291/300, Cleaning Technique (Skilled) 170/200, Attraction Technique (Perfect) 427/500, Spiritual Vision (Proficient) 287/300, Wind Control Art (Proficient) 230/300] [Skills: Tier 1 Alchemist: Inedia Powder (Grandmaster) 840/1000, All-Mysteries Pill (Perfect) 301/500] [Achievement Points: 13]

Another half month had passed.

There were no major upheavals during these two weeks.

However, the results brought by cultivation were significant.

Perhaps due to Qin Liangchen's occasional guidance during his leisure time, his proficiency in spells like Attraction, Entanglement, and Fireball had increased considerably.

Especially during actual combat, his progress in movement techniques under immense pressure had been massive.

Free Roaming had broken through to the Grandmaster level, and the Wind Control Art had soared from the Entry level directly to the Proficient level.

It was precisely this kind of progress that constantly amazed the ninth-level Qi Refinement expert, Qin Liangchen.

The advancement of these two spell proficiencies had granted him two more achievement points.

Compared to these, Luo Chen's attention remained fixed on his realm and his technique.

[Realm: Qi Refinement Level 4: 96/100]

He only needed four more points of progress to ascend to the fifth level of Qi Refinement.

Four points meant four Qi-Nourishing Pills.

Since he could only refine one per day, he would need to work hard for four more days.

Luo Chen could afford to wait.

In contrast, the reason he had suddenly decided to cultivate in the afternoon was due to his technique.

[Technique: Eternal Spring Technique (Perfect): 499/500]

"Just one more time!"

Luo Chen was very eager to know what changes would be brought by promoting the Eternal Spring Technique to the Grandmaster level.

The last time he moved from Proficient to Perfect, the cultivation time for the Eternal Spring Technique had been reduced from one hour to half an hour.

The amount of spiritual energy refined had also doubled.

It even felt, faintly, to be more in sync with his body.

After that promotion, even without consuming pills, Luo Chen's pure cultivation efficiency was almost comparable to a four-element spiritual root cultivator.

So, what would happen if he ascended from Perfect to Grandmaster?

Luo Chen hesitated, wondering whether he should push through and cultivate for another half hour this afternoon.

Since passing his heart tribulation, his foundation of spiritual sense had doubled; his usual cultivation and alchemy were no longer as tiring as before.

His mental state was fine; if he gritted his teeth, he could certainly go for one more round.

Just as he was considering it, there was a soft knock on the door.

Confused, Luo Chen stood up, went to the living room, and opened the door.

Outside, Murong Qinglian was holding a small bowl.

"Xiao Luo, come have some soup."