Lava Cellar Is Good for Cultivation

Unless it was a major crime like betraying one's master or causing a death, minor offenses were usually punished with ten days to half a month of confinement. It sounded easy, but the mere mention of confinement made disciples of the Taichu Sect turn pale. Those who had experienced it would rather die than return to that hellhole.

Two groups of enforcement disciples escorted Yuan Shanhu and his two companions, as well as Qin Haoxuan, to the confinement area. Feeling the pitying gazes from passersby, Yuan Shanhu and his companions, whose faces were already ashen, trembled even more. Qin Haoxuan, amidst his apprehension, felt a flicker of anticipation. Just how terrifying were the Lava Cellar and the Ice Cliff that merely hearing their names instilled such fear?

The confinement area was not far from Spirit Field Valley. After walking along a narrow, winding path, they saw a serene and beautiful mountain peak. This was the renowned confinement mountain of the Taichu Sect, also known as Repentance Peak.

With over ten thousand disciples in the Taichu Sect, many made mistakes and were confined daily. To prevent disciples from forming gangs and causing large-scale chaos during their confinement, the far-sighted elders of the Taichu Sect had used great divine abilities to carve out numerous confinement points within the belly of Repentance Peak. These included countless locations like the Lava Cellar, Ice Cliff, and Blade Mountain Cave. Each confinement area could hold over ten people simultaneously, ensuring that incorrigible disciples received different "treatment" each time while greatly reducing management risks.

As they approached Repentance Peak, Yuan Shanhu, who had been confined before, stared at the dark, gaping entrance about two meters high and one meter wide, carved into the mountainside. Recalling his unbearable confinement history, he instantly turned ashen and began to tremble uncontrollably. The bravado he had shown while bullying Qin Haoxuan was completely gone. Zhang San and Li Si were also sweating profusely.

The enforcement disciples said coldly, "The Lava Cellar and the Ice Cliff are both within the belly of Repentance Peak. The mountain holds its own world, with an environment different from the outside. Especially when walking the paths inside the mountain, you will encounter all sorts of dangers. You must rely on your own strength to resist. If you truly can't manage, call for help, and we will assist you."

Following the stone steps to the mountainside, Qin Haoxuan looked at the entrance to Repentance Peak, which looked no different from an ordinary cave. A tremendous sense of oppression washed over him. The entrance resembled the gaping maw of an ancient beast, capable of devouring everything.

Under the stern gaze of the enforcement disciples, Yuan Shanhu and his two companions, enduring the sharp pain of their broken bones from Qin Haoxuan's earlier assault, forced themselves to enter the terrifying mountain entrance. Qin Haoxuan followed closely behind. As they stepped inside, the originally dark mountain path suddenly opened up. This was no mere mountain path; before Qin Haoxuan and the others lay a broad avenue, four to five meters wide and bottomless. Every meter along the walls, a torch was placed, casting flickering, dim, and shifting light, making the place appear even more sinister and terrifying.

Between every two torches, there was a small door. Behind these unassuming small doors lay the various confinement areas that struck fear into every Taichu Sect disciple. The names of these confinement areas, such as Blade Mountain Cave, Wind Blade Valley, and Lightning Gorge, were written above the doors.

With each small door they passed, they could feel the terrifying aura emanating from the confinement area behind it. When they passed the Blade Mountain Cave, several sharp blade energies shot out from the door. If not for the enforcement disciples' prior warning and the fact that these blade energies were not particularly strong, Yuan Shanhu and the others would have coated their bodies in Essence Energy for protection as they flew towards them. As for Qin Haoxuan, the enforcement disciples diffused the crisis for him. His strength alone was insufficient to withstand these blade energies. However, as someone protected by two Purple Seed disciples, the enforcement elders had instructed the enforcement disciples to ensure his safety at all costs.

Seeing these ferocious names, feeling the sinister and terrifying atmosphere, and sensing the various threats escaping from the small doors, Yuan Shanhu and his companions, already pale with fear, nearly burst into tears. Having already been injured, spending fifteen days in such a place would be a near-certain death sentence!

After passing about ten doors, Yuan Shanhu and his two companions were escorted into the small door labeled Ice Cliff. Qin Haoxuan's Lava Cellar was directly opposite the Ice Cliff.

The moment he stepped into the Lava Cellar, a wave of heat washed over him. While the intense heat made it difficult to breathe and extremely uncomfortable, it posed no immediate threat to his life. Those enforcement disciples who had escorted Qin Haoxuan all the way did not need to protect him further once they reached the confinement area. Instead, they wore mocking expressions, eager to see what was special about the person two Purple Seed disciples had vouched for.

Behind the small door lay a narrow, dark cave path. The further down they went, the more intense the heat became. After walking about five hundred meters, even the enforcement disciples, who hadn't activated their spiritual energy shields, began to sweat. Yet, Qin Haoxuan remained unfazed, seemingly enjoying the heat.

Because upon entering the Lava Cellar, he didn't feel the oppressive heat; instead, it felt like a gentle breeze, bringing him immense relief from the internal heat that had been tormenting him.

The enforcement disciples stared at Qin Haoxuan with cold smiles, thinking, Let's see how long you can last.

Following the cave path deeper underground, the temperature gradually increased, and the heat waves increasingly counteracted the internal heat within him. An ordinary person would suffer lung burns just breathing here. The waves of heat, capable of scorching hair, felt like a summer breeze on Qin Haoxuan, making him feel so wonderful that he was grateful to the enforcement elders who had sent him here. This place, a hellhole in the eyes of others, was practically paradise for Qin Haoxuan!

After a long corridor, they reached the cellar. At the entrance stood a large iron gate, its lock forged from solid steel. Unless one was an extremely powerful cultivator, this iron gate was impossible to open without a key.

The enforcement disciples opened the iron gate, shoved Qin Haoxuan inside, and then slammed it shut with a clang. They hid behind the iron gate, observing him secretly.

Every newcomer received a "newcomer's meal." No one was an exception.

Before Qin Haoxuan, who had just been shoved inside, could even regain his senses, his head was covered with a large sheet, and a group of people swarmed him, raining punches and kicks upon him.

Before Qin Haoxuan could even get a clear look at his surroundings or how many people were confined in the Lava Cellar, he had already received a baffling beating.

Ever since he set foot on Dayu Mountain, he had been bullied by Li Jing and others. Even Zhang Kuang had stepped on him and acted arrogantly, even ordering Yuan Shanhu and his companions to beat him. If not for his resilience, he would have lost most of his life already.

He had originally wanted to spend a few quiet days in the Lava Cellar to improve his cultivation, but upon entering, he was immediately blindfolded and subjected to a brutal beating. All these accumulated grievances would ignite the temper of even the most placid person, let alone the fiery Qin Haoxuan!

Especially this beating, which instantly ignited Qin Haoxuan's anger.

"Huh? It doesn't hurt?" Enraged, Qin Haoxuan tried to throw off the sheet and retaliate, but he found that the blows landing on him felt like a massage. Not only did it not hurt, but the unbearable internal heat seemed to lessen with the beating.

It felt good. Although the blows from these people weren't as comfortable as the spiritual techniques Yuan Shanhu had used on him earlier, they were still quite effective!

Qin Haoxuan, who had initially intended to fight back, immediately abandoned the idea. He shifted into a comfortable position, lying on the ground like a dead dog, enjoying the "massage" of punches and kicks. The medicinal effects of the One-Leaf Golden Lotus, combined with the wondrous cultivation technique of the Great Dao Heart Seed Demon Technique, made Qin Haoxuan's "newcomer's meal" incredibly satisfying. He even wished they would increase the intensity.

In the environment of the Lava Cellar, even the slightest movement would cause one to sweat, let alone such strenuous activity. The group beating Qin Haoxuan were all sweating profusely.

"This kid looks like he has a low cultivation level. We've been hitting him for so long, and he hasn't made a sound. Did we kill him?"

Finally, a lean man wiped his sweat and asked breathlessly, voicing his concern, which was shared by everyone else.

In a place like the Lava Cellar, even breathing normally felt stuffy. With a sheet covering his head and such a barrage of blows, even a disciple in the Immortal Seedling Realm would likely not be able to withstand it.

The disciples stopped their assault, pulled off the sheet, which now had several holes in it, and saw Qin Haoxuan, whose complexion was like jade, breathing steadily and deeply, without a single bruise, and with an expression of enjoyment. This was the complete opposite of their expectation that Qin Haoxuan would be beaten to death or suffocated.

What... what was going on?

If Qin Haoxuan were a cultivator with profound skills, it might be understandable. But by all appearances, he was just a novice who had entered the sect not long ago, only in the early stage of the Initial Immortal Root Realm!

Although they hadn't used their spiritual energy just now, beating him half to death should have been possible!

As they were pondering this, Qin Haoxuan, feeling his body becoming hot again, opened his eyes. He looked around, finally taking in the appearance of the Lava Cellar! Places of confinement were often harsh, but Qin Haoxuan hadn't expected that besides the four stone walls, there were only about a dozen other Taichu Sect disciples confined there. While a few wore thin clothing, most were shirtless.

Most of these disciples had a cultivation of the second or third leaf of the Immortal Seedling Realm. After this beating, they were all panting and drenched in sweat. Yet, the one being beaten was nonchalantly looking around. This completely enraged them.

"We're working so hard, and this kid didn't even scream once. Fine, let's see how you handle my Explosive Flame Technique!" A burly man roared, forming hand seals rapidly. The temperature around him soared, spiritual energy surged, and a small ball of fire appeared in his hand. He threw it at Qin Haoxuan, who was lying on the ground, and it exploded with a bang, like a brilliant firework.

The Explosive Flame Technique was merely the most basic spiritual technique. Even when used by him, its power was insufficient to kill, but it could injure a late-stage disciple of the Immortal Root Planting Realm. Beating Qin Haoxuan half to death should have been easily achievable.

"Old Ye, don't go too hard. This new kid hasn't been here for more than a few days. It wouldn't be good if you killed him!"

A rough voice said, followed by a burst of hearty laughter.

"Mmm..."

A comfortable groan escaped Qin Haoxuan's lips. After taking the hit from the Explosive Flame Technique, he was not only unharmed but also enjoyed the impact even more.

The man called Old Ye felt his face greatly lose its luster. He unleashed spiritual technique after spiritual technique upon Qin Haoxuan. Subsequently, the others, seeing this, became envious and joined the assault on Qin Haoxuan. In the small Lava Cellar, various spiritual techniques whistled through the air, striking Qin Haoxuan. For a time, flames, wind blades, and hailstones engulfed him.

They could never have imagined that the various spiritual techniques they unleashed not only failed to harm Qin Haoxuan but also served as a free massage, driving the medicinal effects of the One-Leaf Golden Lotus into his internal organs and bone marrow. The heat vanished, replaced by an inexplicable comfort!

This bombardment lasted for a full fifteen minutes. The attackers, their spiritual energy depleted and exhausted, collapsed on the ground. They stared at Qin Haoxuan with the eyes of people witnessing a monster, dumbfounded. Even a strong cultivator at the third leaf of the Immortal Seedling Realm would have been either dead or crippled under such an assault, yet this kid looked utterly pleased...

"Have you seniors finished beating me? If so, then it's my turn!" Standing up from the ground, Qin Haoxuan stretched his neck, his knuckles cracking as he rotated his fists. His expression was cold. Although the beating he had just received was comfortable, if he had been an ordinary person with no special abilities, he would likely have been killed or crippled by this indiscriminate assault!