Chapter 128: Gravely Injured, Milk Tea (I)

"One thousand two hundred low-grade spirit stones!"

Luo Chen stared at the pile before him, warmth blooming in his chest. That was what those so-called kind souls had brought him—not just bruises and flying swords, but a fortune hefty enough to buy six bottles of Dust Transformation pills.

And when he added that to yesterday's gains, along with his prior savings, his total spirit stones had finally crossed the two-thousand mark.

"I guess I can call this a small fortune now," he murmured.

With over two thousand spirit stones in fixed savings, top-grade enchanted offensive artifacts like the Soul-Breaking Nail, long spear, and Ice Snow Flying Sword, plus the defensive robe he'd just stripped off someone, not to mention the versatile Four Symbols Cauldron, Luo Chen felt well-equipped.

And that's not even counting the mid-grade enchanted artifacts like the jade blade, white planks, or bells.

All things considered, Luo Chen's personal arsenal and resources ranked him squarely among the elite of late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators.

But as he thought about how he'd actually acquired these treasures, his smile wavered.

Except for the Four Symbols Cauldron, which he'd mooched off Mi Shuhua, everything else was...

Cultivation realms based on popping pills, enchanted artifacts courtesy of others' charity—am I just not trying hard enough?

Muttering inwardly, Luo Chen found himself at a loss with so many artifacts. There were plenty of treasures, but more enchanted artifacts didn't necessarily mean better.

Most lower-tier cultivators specialized in only a handful of artifacts, and for good reason. Spirit power was limited, and they lacked spirit consciousness to wield too many artifacts at once, only diluted their effectiveness.

Even during his battle in the snowy grove, his arsenal had looked impressive—but in reality, he'd relied on spells for most of the fight. The only artifacts he'd actually used were the mid-grade jade blade and the top-grade Four Symbols Cauldron.

Even so, after a fierce battle, his spirit power had been depleted by more than half.

Thus, selecting the most suitable enchanted artifacts from his collection and combining them to create a new combat style was a task Luo Chen needed to focus on right now.

Luo Chen muttered to himself. "The courtyard is too small. It's not suitable for testing.

"This needs to be done in a more open space."

Luo Chen immediately dismissed the idea of using the Trial Hall at Fallen Phoenix Mountain. The fees there were outrageously high. It seemed he would have to use the forest behind Crescent Moon Valley to practice with his enchanted artifacts.

What's that smell?

Just then, a bitter medicinal scent drifted in through the doorframe.

Luo Chen's nose twitched. He stepped outside and saw a thin wisp of steam rising from a large cauldron in the courtyard. Someone was brewing medicine.

"It's Sister Xia. Aren't you going to work at this time?"

Feng Xia looked up but didn't respond immediately.

Luo Chen yawned and wandered over, crouching beside her. His eyes flicked to the simmering brew.

"This is healing medicine, right? Is someone hurt?"

"It's Xiao Duan," Feng Xia replied hoarsely.

Feng Xia's voice was hoarse. Even though her throat had long since healed, the years she'd spent testing medicines at the Hall of Hundred Herbs had left permanent damage. Her voice would probably never return to what it once was.

In a flat tone, she added, "It's been five or six days."

Luo Chen exclaimed in surprise. "Injured for that long? What happened?"

"On the Debate Platform, blades and swords show no mercy. Now that it's winter, some rogue cultivators are desperate and will do anything to win."

Feng Xia glanced at the east wing room and sighed. "Xiao Duan fought fiercely with a rogue cultivator from Snow Lotus Market to maintain his place in last month's top three of the Qi-Refining Realm. One died, and one was injured."

Duan Feng is that strong now?

He remembered Qin Liangchen once telling him that Duan Feng was just slightly weaker than his peak state. And now, Duan Feng had somehow clawed his way into the top three of Dahe Market's Qi-Refining cultivators?

The strength of rogue cultivators in Dahe Market was no longer what it used to be. These rogue cultivators had always been formidable due to their frequent battles with demonic beasts, but the additional honing on the Debate Platform had made them even tougher. Even Wang Yuan, who hadn't participated in battles for a long time, had dropped out of the top fifty rankings.

Yet, Duan Feng had unknowingly risen to the top three.

Luo Chen sighed and asked in confusion, "Isn't it said that normal battles have Foundation Establishment cultivators as judges to prevent fatalities?

"There are only so many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Sword Pavilion, right?"

Under Feng Xia's explanation, Luo Chen finally learned that the current battles on the Debate Platform were somewhat different from before.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

With the arrival of winter, more and more cultivators participated. After careful selection, the matches were fully scheduled every day. The Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion only had a few Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed there to begin with. With so many matches happening daily, it was impossible for them to oversee them all.

So, most of the judging was left to the low-tier Jade Cauldron cultivators from the enforcement team. To be blunt, these low-tier Jade Cauldron cultivators were all in the Qi-Refining Realm.

At critical moments, they might not even be able to stop two fighters who had gone all out.

Over the past month, there had already been numerous cases of cultivators accidentally killing each other during battles.

In fact, the Sword Pavilion might even be encouraging such occurrences. The more intense the battles, the more spectators and gamblers they attracted.

Duan Feng's match was supposed to be a highlight battle, but the previous fight between the first and second-ranked contestants was added at the last minute. As a result, the Foundation Establishment cultivators overseeing it were replaced by others.

The outcome was one death and one severe injury.

The rogue cultivator from Snow Lotus Market died, and Duan Feng was gravely injured. He was even carried back by Sword Pavilion cultivators, which showed just how badly he was hurt.

"His internal organs were displaced, multiple bones were fractured, and he had thirteen wounds of varying sizes on his body. Those were manageable, but the most severe issue was the frost energy invading his body, preventing Xiao Duan from using spirit power to heal.

"Additionally, his meridians were severely damaged. If they aren't healed soon, it might affect his future for Foundation Establishment."

Feng Xia looked at the east wing with pity. Her hoarse voice seemed unconcerned if the person inside overheard.

She shook her head and said, "I noticed it a couple of days ago. Since I've had some free time recently, I've been helping him brew medicine. But my methods can only help heal some of his injuries. The frost energy? He'll have to deal with that on his own. As for the damaged meridians..."

She left the rest unsaid.

Every pill capable of healing the dantian and meridians was outrageously expensive. Given Duan Feng's constant battles and relentless pursuit of improvement, he likely didn't have the savings to afford such medicine.

Luo Chen stayed silent for a moment, then quietly rose to his feet. "I'll go check on him."

As he pushed open the door, a wave of cold air hit him head-on.

The room was unexpectedly colder than the outside.

There was a blazing red furnace burning right in front of the bed. And yet, despite the warmth, the chill clung to the air like a silent shadow.

Luo Chen stepped in and saw Duan Feng lying motionless, eyes wide open, staring vacantly at the ceiling beam above him. He wasn't asleep—just still. Too still.

Luo Chen walked over, stopped at the bedside, and sighed. "You're clearly skilled at repairing enchanted artifacts. You could set up a small stall and make a decent living. Why do you insist on fighting to the death at the Debate Platform every day?

"I've told you before—if you're always by the river, it's only a matter of time before your feet get wet."

Luo Chen gaze swept over Duan Feng's frail form, noting the bandaged chest and the cracked enchanted robe tossed to the side.

"If it hadn't been this time, it would've been the next. Someone would've found your weakness eventually."

He had listened carefully earlier. The rogue cultivator from Snow Lotus Market who had challenged Duan Feng had prepared three targeted strategies against him. It was only by pushing himself past the brink—fighting like a desperate man with nothing left to lose—that Duan Feng had barely managed to claim victory.

Because of this, even his top-grade flying sword was destroyed.

At that, Duan Feng finally blinked. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he moved his lips.

"You're so annoying," he muttered hoarsely.

Luo Chen snorted. "Tch. My good intentions are wasted on you. Who cares about you anyway?"

With a grumble, he turned and headed toward the door.

Feng Xia stood at the doorway, her expression filled with pity. Before she could speak, a small medicine bottle was thrust into her hands.

"This is meridian repair liquid, specially made for Foundation Establishment cultivators to heal damaged meridians. It's incredibly effective.

"I've used eighty percent of it, but there's still some left. Give him a drop mixed with water every day"

Feng Xia stared at the bottle in astonishment. As a former medicine tester from the Hall of Hundred Herbs, she knew the value of this potion better than anyone. This wasn't some ordinary concoction—this was the real thing. The kind worth at least three hundred spirit stones, probably more.

It was designed for Foundation Establishment cultivators, meaning its quality would be even higher— one of those premium type worth five hundred spirit stones per bottle.

"This is too valuable!" Feng Xia exclaimed.

"He's on the verge of death. What does it matter if it's valuable?" Luo Chen muttered, curling his lips. "There's only a little left, and it might not even fully heal him. Just use it! Make sure not to waste it. When it's gone, rinse the bottle with water—there should still be some effect left."

Having said his piece, he ignored the faint rustling sounds from inside the room and turned to head back to his own quarters.

To be honest, he was utterly exhausted.

After yesterday's one-against-three battle, a night of interrogating Lu Huaiben, and today's rushed return to the city to handle countless matters, he was at his limit.

Even with his solid divine soul foundation, he was starting to feel overwhelmed.

Back at home, he stoked the furnace, wrapped himself in a thick blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

***

When Luo Chen woke up, the sun had already dipped beyond the horizon.

He lay still for a moment, gazing up through the skylight above his bed, watching as delicate snowflakes danced silently from the evening sky. They landed softly against the glazed glass, only to melt away into a fine mist, the warmth inside his home blurring the view like a fading dream.

A full month of cultivation, followed by another of tireless alchemy—though the words sounded simple enough, the toll they had taken on his body and spirit was relentless.

Today, for the first time in weeks, he had allowed himself a proper rest. A rare indulgence, and a much-needed one.

At the faint sound of voices, his ears twitched. He got up, slipped on his shoes, draped himself in a luxurious coat made of white fox fur, and stepped outside.

"Sister Xia, I talked to Shopkeeper Liu," one woman said, her tone tinged with frustration. "He said there's nothing he can do. The Hall of Hundred Herbs isn't under his control anymore.

"These Foundation Establishment cultivators are truly heartless! You worked for the Hall of Hundred Herbs for so many years, even ruined your voice doing it. Now a new shopkeeper comes in, and just like that, you're dismissed without a shred of decency."

A sigh followed. "Honestly... I'm thinking of leaving too."

***