Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Xiao Luo, time for soup (Thanks to Broth Noodle for the reward) !
Translator: 549690339
Red Pillar, a prison uniquely designed and created by the Yu Ding Sword Pavilion due to the surroundings.
The reason why this prison is named Red Pillar is because of Luo Feng Mountain.
Rumor has it that the Yu Ding Realm was once part of the Lianxia Mountain Range within the Million Mountains, with dozens of mountains extending consecutively. Not only were the resources plentiful, but the scenery was also exceptionally beautiful.
It was praised for its stunning beauty with heavenly jade and endless mists!
However, an Immortal Phoenix from the upper realm broke through the spatial barrier and descended here, its massive body wrapped in infinitely potent phoenix flames.
Just a moment after it descended, the Lianxia Mountain Range suffered disastrous damage, countless mountaintops were incinerated.
The renowned Purple Mist Mountain barely survived but was reduced to a small hill less than a hundred meters high.
Later, Purple Mist Mountain was renamed Luo Feng Mountain.
When the Immortal Phoenix descended to the mortal realm, one of its feathers fell and crashed into the ground.
Although it was just a seemingly insignificant feather, it was not an ordinary one, it was a feather of a phoenix from mythological tales.
Just one feather created a ravine hundreds of meters long on the ground.
Seen from high above, this ravine looked like a red-hot pillar of fire that had been crushed into the ground.
Ever since the Yu Ding Sword Sect established the Great River District next to the Lancang River and the Ancient Plains Mountain Range, the transformation of the area never stopped.
Luo Feng Mountain not only served as the core of the big formation but also became the main body of the Dao Debate Platform.
And the enormous ravine was remodeled into a long and narrow prison.
This is what is known to all the tens of thousands of rogue cultivators in the Great River District as Red Pillar Prison.
Why is it known to everyone?
Becuase in the past month, the cultivators of the Yu Ding Sword Pavilion announced that the prison is now officially open!
Any calamity cultivators daring to openly commit crimes in the Inner City and the Outer City of the Great River District would be directly thrown into the Red Pillar if they’re caught by the patrol team.
To get out of Red Pillar Prison, either someone had to spend a large amount of Spirit Stones to buy your freedom.
Or, you had to serve your full sentence.
There was one more way, which was to participate in the Dao Debate Platform battles and win ten rounds in a row, then you could leave the prison directly.
Because of this, the safety of the Great River District reached an all-time high.
Some cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refinement even dared to walk the streets at night.
Things had surely changed for the better.
At the crossroads, the crowd was bustling.
Many people squeezed on the roadside, curious to watch the patrol team escort a cultivator into Red Pillar Prison.
“Isn’t this the thirty-second calamity cultivator caught this month?”
“Wrong, it’s the thirty-fifth one!”
“Why don’t they just throw him in there? Why parade him around the street, especially stopping here at the crossroads in the city center?”
“Isn’t this to deter others by making an example?”
“Right, the more people who know, the better. Only then will the Great River District be safe.”
“A safer place is good. Though this district is remote, the abundance of cultivation resources is tempting. I’m considering settling here.”
“Why not move over? It’s icy over at the Xuelian District. My old bones can’t take it.”
In the midst of all the conversation, the patrol team was almost at the end of their route.
The leader of the team had eyes as sharp as a knife, occasionally sweeping over the vicinity.
Whenever he saw a dormie-hat-wearing cultivator who dared not show his real face, he would shoot a fierce glare.
These were all potential calamity cultivators!
Luo Chen naturally didn’t mind the glare. Seeing the dumb junior brother getting thrown into Red Pillar, he sighed with relief.
Then he slowly retreated into the crowd, disappearing into the sea of people.
“The spy who was keeping an eye on me, I managed to get rid of him using the Yu Ding Sword Pavilion.”
“But this is just temporary!”
“Once that Gao Tingyuan frees up his hands, I’m sure I’ll have endless troubles.”
Luo Chen walked unhurriedly, wearing his dormie hat, gradually straying off the main roads and started to venture into side alleys.
The direction he took previously was not towards home. Instead, he intentionally went in the opposite direction.
This was possible thanks to when he was renting a house, Sun Shou showed him many houses, especially big ones.
Luo Chen had quite a good memory, especially about those houses with exceptionally good environments. He remembered them out of envy, hoping that he’d move there once he had enough Spirit Stones.
This time, his good memory came in handy.
His home was to the north of the city center, a quadrangle courtyard compound.
The place he purposely went to was around the area near the Southern City’s rogue cultivator’s market, an extremely spacious three-compound quadrangle courtyard.
A huge quadrangle courtyard with excellent environment, perfect tranquility and safety wasn’t something he could afford even after working hard for several years.
But it was perfect for misleading any followers.
To get away was simple too; he just had to find a courtyard wall and vault over it.
“But this is just a temporary solution.”
“In the future, I’m sure to set up a stall to sell pills. No matter how careful I am, my address will be exposed.”
“Unless I find some underlings to help sell the pills while I stay hidden.”
While there were solutions, unfortunately, Luo Chen was only at the Fourth Level Qi Refinement Stage. And who would want to be his underling at this stage?
In the end, it all came down to his lack of strength!
If he had the strength of Wang Yuan, he could stealthily approach and kill his nemesis, Gao Tingyuan, in one stroke.
Upon returning home, he could still smell the strong fragrance hanging in the courtyard.
It was from the pot of Blood Evil Qi Tiger bone broth that Murong Qinglian stewed before he left in the morning.
But at that moment, there was no one in the courtyard, and the front door of Qin Family’s western wing was tightly closed.
When Luo Chen returned home by himself and looked at his Reverse Room, which had been completely rejuvenated with signs of life, he fell silent.
Perhaps when trouble comes again, he would have to move as if he were a dispossessed dog.
He was somewhat reluctant to give up this spacious room, even though it was a little cold.
He was also reluctant to part with his neighbours in the courtyard— the passionate and straightforward Gu Caiyi, the gentle and elegant Fu Xiuxiu, the lively and adorable Bai Meiling, and the hearty Qin Liangchen.
Oh, and the woman with a hoarse voice who didn’t like to talk much, Big Sister Feng Xia.
She was actually a good person too; once when he was busy refining pills, she had helped him buy a bundle of firewood.
With all these thoughts in mind, Luo Chen entered the partitioned bedroom, took out a bottle of Qi Nurturing Pills from his storage bag.
He earned a lot of spirit stones today, but after paying his debts and entertaining guests, he was left with only seven hundred.
On his way home, he bought Fasting Elixir materials for fifty spirit stones and spent five hundred to buy five bottles of Qi Nurturing Pills.
As for the Allure Pill materials, he still had some worth a hundred spirit stones at home, and he didn’t plan to buy any for the time being.
His savings were back down to one hundred and fifty.
But this time, Luo Chen did not feel any heartache.
The spirit stones didn’t disappear; they just changed their form and continued to accompany Luo Chen.
In the cultivation level!
He took out a Qi Nurturing Pill, swallowed it, and slowly activated the Longevity Technique.
The potent medicinal strength instantly spread out, and the gentle spirit Qi continually expanded the meridians under the operation of the Cultivation Technique, eventually flowing back into the Dantian.
His spirit power grew even more intense!
Luo Chen promptly opened the attribute panel.
[Lifespan: 27/75]
[Spirit Roots: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth)
[Realm: Fourth Level Qi Refinement Stage: 96/100]
[Cultivation Technique: Perfection Level Longevity Technique: 499/500]
[Technique: Grandmaster Level Fireball Technique 700/1000, Grandmaster Level Carefree Wandering 512/1000, Mastery Level Entanglement Technique 291/300, Proficient Level Cleaning Technique 170/200, Perfection Level Attraction Technique 427/500, Mastery Level Spirit Vision Technique 287/300, Mastery Level Wind Riding Technique 230/300]
[Skill: First Order Pill Refiner: Fasting Pill Grandmaster 840/1000, Perfection Level Allure Pill 301/500]
[Achievement Points: 13 points]
Another half a month had passed.
There was no turmoil during this half month.
The progress in his cultivation was, however, significant.
Perhaps it was due to the guidance from Qin Liangchen during his spare time, Luo Chen’s proficiency in the Attraction Technique, Entanglement Technique, and Fireball Technique had greatly improved.
Especially during actual combat, under enormous pressure, he made great progress in terms of his body technique.
Carefree Wandering had broken through to the grandmaster level, and Wind Riding Technique had risen from a beginner level to mastery level.
It was precisely because of this progress that Qin Liangchen, a ninth level Qi refinement expert, was constantly amazed.
The advancement in the proficiency of two techniques earned him two more achievement points.
Compared to these, Luo Chen’s attention was always focused on his realm and Cultivation Technique.
[Realm: Fourth Level Qi Refinement Stage: 96/100]
He only needed to increase the progress bar by four points, and then he could advance to the fifth level Qi Refinement Stage.
Four points, or rather, four Qi Nurturing Pills.
As he could only refine one pill a day now, it means he needed to work hard for another four days.
Luo Chen was willing to wait for this time.
By comparison, the reason he suddenly wanted to cultivate in the afternoon was because of his Cultivation Technique.
[Cultivation Technique: Perfection Level Longevity Technique: 499/500]
“Just one more time!”
Luo Chen wanted to know what changes would occur if his Longevity Technique was promoted to grandmaster level.
The last time he progressed from mastery to perfection, the cultivation time of the Longevity Technique had been reduced from one hour to half an hour.
The amount of spirit Qi refined also doubled.
It even seemed to be more in tune with his body.
After that one-time promotion, without taking any pills, Luo Chen’s efficiency in refining Qi through pure cultivation could almost compare with a quadruple Spirit roots cultivator.
So, what would happen if he went from perfection level to grandmaster level?
Luo Chen was contemplating whether he should cultivate for another half an hour that afternoon.
Ever since he passed the Heart’s Test, his Spirit Consciousness foundation doubled, and his usual cultivation and pill refinement didn’t make him as tired as before.
He still had energy now, so if he gritted his teeth, he could cultivate again.
Just as he was pondering, there was a gentle knock at the door.
Luo Chen got up in confusion, went to the living room, and opened the door.
Outside, Murong Qinglian was holding a small bowl.
“Xiao Luo, it’s time for soup..”