Chapter 180: Combat Chamber
Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Combat Chamber
Chapter 180: Combat Chamber
Located in the southern sector of the Battle Arts Division, were a row of heavily fortified underground complex beneath the training arenas.
These were the Combat Chambers.
Unlike ordinary training arenas where disciples sparred openly, Combat Chambers were private, sealed environments specifically designed for individual disciples to push their limits without restraint, and fear of being exposed.
Each chamber was a self-contained fortress, its walls, ceiling, and floor inscribed with layer upon layer of arrays that absorbed, dispersed, and neutralized the devastating energies released during high-intensity training.
These arrays also provided complete sensory isolation — no sound, no essence fluctuation, and no spiritual pressure could leak beyond the sealed doors.
It was the perfect place for a cultivator to unleash techniques they would never dare to use in the open.
Rhain had gained a foundational understanding of what Laws truly were from Krell’s demonstration.
But theoretical knowledge was useless if it wasn’t forged into practical combat power.
He needed a place to go all out.
A place where he could unleash his Heavenly Flame without holding back and completely digest the vast repository of martial knowledge he had stolen from the Grand Library.
He arrived at the Combat Chamber Management Desk.
"I need your highest-tier Combat Chamber," Rhain stated calmly, presenting his Gold Badge.
Combat Chambers were divided into three tiers, mirroring the hierarchy of the Inner Palace.
Lowest tier for bronze badge, mid tier for silver badge, and highest tier chamber were specifically reserved for gold badge disciples.
The attendant glanced at the gleaming golden badge, and nodded.
"One month in a Gold-tier chamber will cost exactly one thousand Contribution Points."
Rhain didn’t bat an eye.
Out of the twenty thousand points he had earned from the Violet Thunder Panther mission, he had transferred fifteen thousand to Neve for the Epic-Grade herbs, leaving him with exactly five thousand points.
He handed over his badge.
With a flash of light, a thousand Contribution Points vanished from Rhain’s balance, leaving him with roughly four thousand remaining.
"Chamber Number seven is yours," the attendent said, handing him a golden key, "End of the corridor, last door on the right. The arrays will activate automatically once the key is inserted and the door is sealed from within."
Rhain took the key and walked down the long, underground corridor.
The passage was dimly visible by essence lanterns embedded in the walls.
He stopped before the final door.
Chamber Number 7
Rhain swiped the golden key, and the array enforced heavy stone doors open automatically.
The room was vast, easily the size of a small arena, with glowing arrays covering the walls in a spider web like runic formation.
The moment the doors slammed shut behind him, the arrays activated, sealing him off from the rest of the world completely.
He was now in total isolation.
"Perfect," Rhain murmured.
This was exactly what he needed.
Rhain closed his eyes, centering his breathing.
Then he opened them, and a blood-red spark ignited above his right hand.
Fwoosh!
Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame erupted in his fingertips, its searing heat instantly raising the temperature of the sealed chamber by dozens of degrees.
The arrays embedded in the walls grew brighter, absorbing and dispersing the radiant thermal energy without strain.
"Let’s see how much power this holds."
He initiated the premier technique he had selected from the library: Empyrean Purgatory Bloom.
Swoosh—!
Rhain thrust his palm forward.
"First Form — Purgatory Lotus."
The blood-red flame spiraled out, rapidly expanding and compressing until it formed a massive, terrifyingly beautiful lotus of pure fire.
The fiery petals bloomed in mid-air, radiating a heat so high that the ancient defensive arrays of the Gold-tier chamber began to tremble.
BOOM!
The lotus detonated.
A shockwave of scorching crimson fire swept the massive room, crashing against the obsidian walls with the force of a falling meteor.
If this attack had been unleashed outside, an entire field of dozens of miles would have been instantly vaporized into ash.
"The area-of-effect is devastating," Rhain evaluated with a satisfied smirk. "But it lacks pinpoint concentration."
He shifted his stance.
"Second Form — Ember Serpent Coil."
This time, instead of projecting the flame outward, Rhain wrapped the Heavenly Flame around his forearms and legs.
Blood-red fire slithered across his body like living serpents, coiling tightly around his limbs before compressing into paper-thin sheaths of concentrated power.
He threw a punch.
A trail of scorched air followed his fist, and where his knuckles stopped, the residual heat left a visible distortion in the space ahead.
"This move is good for close-range amplification," Rhain praised.
He didn’t stop.
His figure blurred into a streak of dark light as his Flashing Thunder Boots activated.
He seamlessly transitioned from the ranged devastation of the Empyrean Purgatory Bloom to explosive, close-quarters combat.
He wrapped the Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame tightly around his fists and legs, executing a dozen different close-combat Epic-Grade fire arts in rapid succession.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
He struck the empty air with such devastating speed and physical force that deafening sonic booms echoed endlessly within the isolated chamber.
He was blending the fundamental truths of the Law of Fire he had deciphered from Krell and Fabian’s lectures directly into his physical strikes.
For the next several hours, Rhain immersed himself in this isolated practice.
Although his realm hadn’t increased, his strength was skyrocketing in these few hours.
Buzz.
Right in the middle of a devastating flaming high-kick, a faint vibration came from his spatial ring.
Rhain halted his momentum instantly, the blood-red flames dissipating into the air within a millisecond.
He pulled out a glowing transmission talisman.
"Master," Vulcan’s deep, respectful voice echoed from the talisman.
"Speak," Rhain replied, wiping a faint bead of sweat from his forehead.
"We have successfully secured a highly premium storefront right in the center of Stormveil City’s busiest merchant district," Vulcan reported, "Location is excellent. it is one of the most heavily trafficked commercial streets in the entire city! The rent was steep, but we leveraged the advance payment in Aetherium Crystals to negotiate a favorable, long-term contract. The interior renovations are already underway. Luka and Dex are standing guard around the clock, and Ives has established our intelligence network in the surrounding blocks."
Rhain gave a slight nod of approval, though Vulcan couldn’t see it.
"Good work," Rhain replied through the talisman. "Proceed with the preparations. Have you decided on a name?"
"Yes, Master. We have named the shop the Celestial Elixir Pavilion." Vulcan paused for a moment before adding, "We are preparing for a quiet grand opening today. No massive announcements, no flashy parades. Just as you instructed, we will let the quality of the goods speak for themselves."
"Do it," Rhain commanded simply. "Keep me updated."
With a flick of his wrist, he stored the talisman away.
The seeds had been planted. Now, it was only a matter of time before the Inner Province experienced a true earthquake.
Rhain ignited the Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame once more and threw himself back into his brutal training regime.
______________
Meanwhile, in the absolute center of Stormveil City’s sprawling merchant district.
The streets were packed with wealthy independent cultivators, aristocratic heirs, and powerful mercenaries.
Amidst the towering, centuries-old establishments backed by the three great Noble Families, a new shop had quietly opened its doors.
Celestial Elixir Pavilion.
There were no deafening gongs, and no grand announcements.
It simply opened for business.
Because of its incredibly premium location, it didn’t take long for the foot traffic to notice it.
A wealthy independent cultivator, wearing luxurious silk robes and radiating the aura of a late-stage Spirit Manifestation Realm expert, wandered into the shop with a skeptical frown.
"Welcome to the Celestial Elixir Pavilion," Vulcan greeted with a respectful nod.
The merchant looked around the pristine but unadorned interior, his eyes landing on the towering figure of Vulcan standing behind the main counter, and the intimidating, scarred presence of Luka standing guard near the door.
"Core Formation Realm guards?" the wealthy cultivator muttered under his breath, slightly surprised.
But his skepticism remained. In Stormveil City, a shop without the backing of a Noble Family was usually selling second-rate garbage.
"You call this the Celestial Elixir Pavilion?" the cultivator scoffed lightly, approaching the counter. "Quite an arrogant name for a shop with no backing. Let’s see if you have the goods to back it up. I need a high-tier Epic-Grade spirit amplification pill. Show me the best you have. If it has more than thirty percent impurities, don’t even bother wasting my time."
Vulcan looked down at the arrogant cultivator with a perfectly calm expression.
He didn’t argue.
Vulcan simply reached under the glass counter and retrieved a single, exquisite jade bottle.
He placed it on the counter and gently popped the cork.
Fwoosh—!
The moment the seal was broken, an overwhelmingly rich, intoxicating medicinal fragrance exploded outward, instantly flooding the entire shop.
The wealthy cultivator’s skeptical sneer froze entirely on his face.
His eyes stretched so wide they looked as though they might pop out of his skull.
He stumbled forward, his hands trembling as he stared into the jade bottle.
Resting at the bottom was a perfectly round elixir, not a single imperfection on its surface.
Its color was pure white, radiating a pure, clean essence that was utterly devoid of the cloudy impurities that plagued even the finest pills he had purchased from the Green Lotus Apothecary and the Crimson Cauldron Hall.
"One... one hundred percent purity," the merchant whispered in utter disbelief, "Is this fake? No alchemist in Stormveil City can achieve one hundred percent purity on an Epic-Grade pill."
"Respected sir, we do not sell fake products in our Celestial Elixir Pavilion," Vulcan stated firmly, "It’s a genuine flawless Epic-Grade elixir. One hundred percent purity."
"Genuine One... One hundred percent?!"
The wealthy cultivator sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Even the Supreme Master Alchemists of the Emberford Noble Family could only dream of producing an Epic-Grade pill with seventy to eighty percent purity!
A flawless pill was always a legendary myth!
"I’ll take it! I’LL TAKE IT AT ANY PRICE!" the wealthy merchant practically screamed, slamming a heavy spatial pouch onto the counter like a madman afraid someone else would snatch it away from him.
But he wasn’t the only one.
A minor noble who had just strolled into the shop witnessed the entire exchange. The intoxicating fragrance hitting his nose sent his own instincts into a wild frenzy.
"A FLAWLESS EPIC-GRADE PILL???" the noble shouted, his eyes turning red with greed. "Shopkeeper! Do you have more? I want ten! No, I want twenty!"
The wealthy merchant revealed a painful expression as if his wife had been snatched, and turned back to bark at the noble man, "I HAD COME FIRST. THIS PILL IS MINE."
Within an hour, the quiet opening of the Celestial Elixir Pavilion was completely shattered.