Chapter 123: A Trio’s Journey (Bonus chapter 3/10 for Alliance Leader Wuliang Mountain Dormitory Lao Wu)

Wei Cheng did not rush into seclusion immediately. Instead, he headed to the marketplace of Cangwu City to procure some cultivation resources.

He currently held one-third of a Gold Dragon Coin and a single Silver Dragon Coin. These were top-tier resources, particularly valuable for their ability to instantly restore Mountain-Moving internal energy, and thus were not to be used lightly. As for the Copper Dragon Coins, he received 50 per day due to his status as a squad leader, though they possessed no mystical properties.

Wei Cheng surmised that Gold and Silver Dragon Coins were the currency of the immortal cultivation world, while Copper Dragon Coins were merely for the mortal realm. The actual exchange rate between them could not be as simple and arbitrary as it currently seemed—it felt like a child’s game. He suspected it was merely a function of the trial mechanism, keeping everything as streamlined as possible.

Walking through the streets, he noticed that Cangwu City had regained about fifty or sixty percent of its vitality. Under the shade of trees, he could even see children playing or elderly folk with white hair—these were undoubtedly true natives. He wondered where they had emerged from; had they been hiding in their homes all along? Looking at the smiles on their faces, Wei Cheng thought to himself that perhaps the trial-takers weren't entirely useless after all.

But then, a chilling thought struck him. During the fifth stage, they rarely interacted with the natives. When the city fell, they seldom saw the corpses of the townsfolk; it was as if it were just a cutscene that flashed by. This time, however, would they be forced to witness the brutal deaths of these very people? After all, the level of realism was increasing. One day, these seemingly NPC-like natives might become real, living beings with their own thoughts—people just like them.

With this thought in mind, he browsed several shops. Surprisingly, there were indeed higher-quality cultivation resources available. Outside one apothecary, a sign was clearly posted:

"Hemostatic Pill: Treats minor internal and external injuries; has some restorative effects on severe wounds. Sold individually for two Silver Dragon Coins."
"Rejuvenation Pill: Significantly increases vitality and restores internal energy. Sold individually for two Silver Dragon Coins."
"Calming Pill: Significantly suppresses the erosion of miasma, plague, curses, and ominous evil spirits. Sold individually for five Silver Dragon Coins."

Passersby would stop to look, only to shake their heads and walk away—it was simply too expensive. Wei Cheng felt the same; he couldn't afford them, nor did he want to.

However, he had a different plan. He bought some paper and a brush before entering the shop. Inside, there was no elderly physician; instead, six apprentices were busy at work. He didn't need to look twice to know they were fellow trial-takers. They were quite temperamental as well.

"Press one to buy medicine, press two to become an apprentice, and if you’re just here to chat, get lost," one barked.

It was a familiar and intimate interaction. It seemed their lives as apprentices here were quite tough. Wei Cheng smiled without exposing them; everyone was just trying to make a living.

"I would like to ask, what are these herbs called?" As he spoke, Wei Cheng’s brush flew across the paper, depicting three unknown plants with lifelike precision. This wasn't a skill he had used to make a living on Earth, but at his current level of spiritual power, photographic memory was trivial, and the synchronization of mind and body made such artistry simple. A mortal might be impressed, but for any trial-taker with at least Level 3 spiritual power, it was nothing extraordinary.

"Brother, that trick won't work here. The old man in charge doesn't buy it. If you want to learn alchemy, be a proper apprentice, otherwise, forget it," one apprentice warned him.

"Do you recognize them, then?" Wei Cheng handed over the papers. He didn't insist on seeing the master physician.

"Hmm?" The apprentices glanced at the drawings, and their expressions shifted slightly. They actually recognized them—which was only natural, as they couldn't have spent several days as apprentices without learning something.

"I recognize them. This is Gold-Silver Herb, this is Wood-Heart Herb, and the last one is White Poria Herb. They are common here, but I can tell you for sure, consuming them directly has no special effect unless you master alchemy," the apprentice said confidently.

"Many thanks." Wei Cheng fished out two Copper Dragon Coins and handed them over. In this day and age, one had to respect intellectual property. Even if he couldn't pluck the goose, he wanted to leave a lasting impression.

"It's fine. I'm Jiang Haoyu. If you need anything else, brother, feel free to come find me!" the apprentice shouted happily. He loved friends who tipped without hesitation—the more, the better.

"Then, may I ask, do you have any fresh versions of these herbs?"

"No, they are all semi-processed, air-dried, and prepared. Trust me, brother, eating them raw is useless." Jiang Haoyu persisted in his advice; he was a good man.

"Thank you. I promise not to eat them, but do you know where they can be picked?"

"I don't know, but you can try your luck outside the city. However, I’ll give you a word of advice: so far, given our limited energy, anyone trying to master a life profession outside of their main combat class has suffered miserably. Don't touch secret arts; they're a trap." Jiang Haoyu spoke with such genuine heartache that Wei Cheng felt a bit sorry for him. A victim sharing his experience—this deserved a tip.

"Many thanks!" Wei Cheng handed over two more Copper Dragon Coins and left, though he didn't hold high hopes. This matter would have to take a backseat for now.

He spent the rest of his Copper Dragon Coins on various cultivation resources and returned to his courtyard, preparing for the next round of seclusion. He had two goals: to master the first level of the *Iron Prison Law* and to fully master the sixth level of the *Cloud-Ladder Steps*.

The *Iron Prison Law* was an external martial art perfectly matched to the second level of the *Mountain-Moving* mental cultivation technique, with a 90% compatibility rate. Its drop rate was extremely low, making it quite extraordinary. He took it very seriously.

Following his routine, he silently manifested an Immovable Golden Bell to shield himself. It looked like an ordinary bell, but in reality, its defensive power was ten times that of the one Bai Han could summon, fifteen times that of Tang Yuanshan’s, and fifty times that of Yu Liang or Mei Renli’s. It was no exaggeration to say that his single ordinary Immovable Golden Bell could rival the ultimate form of other Mountain-Moving practitioners. Especially since he could summon two hundred of them in one go. This was the insurmountable advantage of a First-Turn Earth Spirit Root.

He calmed his breathing, sat in meditation, and focused his mind. In an instant, Wei Cheng reached his peak state. He then retrieved the technique for the first level of the *Iron Prison Law* from his mind. The original transmission stone had only provided the incantations; whether he could understand or master them depended entirely on himself.

As expected, the starting point of the *Iron Prison Law* was quite obscure and complex. Wei Cheng deeply suspected that this technique existed somewhere between the realm of innate martial artists and immortal cultivators; it wasn't like the Golden Bell Cover, which at least a mortal could hope to comprehend. The first requirement for practicing the *Iron Prison Law* was spiritual strength—if it was below Level 6, there was no hope.

At that moment, Wei Cheng recited the incantations while forming hand seals as a guide, all while injecting his Mountain-Moving internal energy. The three elements were meant to be one. Suddenly, within his Mountain-Moving visualization, black clouds pressed down on the city, mountains drooped, and all life withered. It felt as if he had arrived in the dead of winter, with a blizzard approaching, the world plunged into darkness.

Wei Cheng was startled. The incantation broke, and his visualization returned to normal.

"What on earth? Why did it directly affect my visualization?" He was astonished. His visualization was his most important foundation. For an external technique to try and rewrite his foundation from the start—that was tantamount to treason!

For the next hour, he didn't dare continue. He hoped to find clues in the incantation to better understand the technique. But unfortunately, the incantation was just that—a cipher, a key to unlock the energy, a guide. It had no inherent "meaning" beyond its function. He had to input it step by step according to the key and guide his energy through it to see the result. It was similar to how he had cultivated the Golden Bell Cover. Back then, he was a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, ignorant and fearless. Plus, the Golden Bell Cover was simple enough that he had mastered it after a few cycles of internal energy. Now, however, that wouldn't work.

After much thought, Wei Cheng sighed, opened his door, and knocked on Bai Han’s. Among three people, there must be a teacher. Even with his achievements, he wouldn't forget that; a humble and open mind was the correct attitude.

Soon, Bai Han opened the door with a look of surprise. He hadn't expected Wei Cheng to seek him out. Truth be told, Wei Cheng was too unfathomable, especially since Bai Han realized that Wei Cheng was likely the mysterious person who had slaughtered the Abyssal Demon in Antai Town. Honestly, just looking at Wei Cheng made Bai Han nervous. It was said that if you didn't do anything wrong, you shouldn't fear ghosts knocking at the door, but Wei Cheng felt terrifying, even though his aura currently seemed like that of an ordinary person.

"Wei—Brother Wei, are you looking for me?" Bai Han forced a natural smile.

"Yes. I wanted to ask your advice regarding the *Iron Prison Law*. By the way, have you already mastered the first level?" Wei Cheng asked with a sincere smile.

"Ah? Advice?" Bai Han was stunned, wondering if Wei Cheng was joking. Why bother? A freak who could dual-cultivate the Spirit Swallow, the top Mountain-Moving practitioner in their district, and a top-100,000 player globally, asking *him* for advice? Besides, the *Iron Prison Law* wasn't that hard. Well, it was a little hard—anyone with spiritual power below Level 6 couldn't understand it—but was that even an issue for Wei Cheng?

"Yes, I have some confusion and hope you can explain it to me."

"Don't, Brother Wei, let's just discuss it together. I can't bear the word 'advice.' Come, come, please come in." Bai Han grinned subserviently, his cowering posture looking completely out of place on his burly frame, making him appear remarkably cunning, pathetic, and devious.

Wei Cheng couldn't be bothered to say anything more. Fine, whatever made him happy.

Once inside, they sat cross-legged, and Wei Cheng asked directly, "How do you define the *Iron Prison Law* as an external technique?"

Hearing this, Bai Han’s body, which had just begun to relax, tensed up. *Damn it*, he thought, *this idiot is still pretending to ask for advice; he’s clearly testing me. Luckily, I'm smart enough not to fall for it.*

He coughed, straightened his posture, and answered with the seriousness of a job interview: "Brother Wei, here is my opinion: the *Iron Prison Law* is definitely not meant to replace the Golden Bell Cover. It occupies an entirely new track; the Iron Prison and the Golden Bell have no overlap."

"So, generally speaking, the Golden Bell Cover is for defense, which it does very well, but it lacks offensive means. Even if we use the Immovable Golden Bell to trap enemies, that only counts as control."

"The *Iron Prison Law* fills this gap. It is a comprehensive, active, and highly aggressive method of attack."

"Of course, based on the name, it's easy to misunderstand. I think if it were renamed 'Brocade Guard Heavenly Prison' or 'Eastern Depot Heavenly Prison,' it would be much more intuitive and intimidating to enemies."

"Well, that is my humble opinion. I hope Brother Wei can correct me. I would be most grateful."

Bai Han had rattled off a speech comparable to an impromptu essay, and his sense of accomplishment was immense. Wei Cheng, however, looked thoughtful for a long time before asking, "So, the *Iron Prison Law* has no defensive effects at all?"

"None—oh, wait, that's not quite right. Nothing is absolute. In front of a true expert, one never needs to be confined by form. I feel that you, Brother Wei, have reached that realm. Defend when you want to defend, attack when you want to attack. Offense and defense are at your whim, flowing like clouds and water, like white clouds on a high mountain, like—"

"I understand, Old Bai. You’re not bad. Thank you."

Wei Cheng suddenly stood up, smiled faintly, and turned to leave, leaving Bai Han in a state of confusion.

*I understand?*

*I don't understand a damn thing!*