Chapter 537

Chapter 537: Settling In

Wang Chen sat in the inn for nearly an hour.

More and more people arrived, most of whom were pioneering disciples like him, including some who drank to drown their sorrows.

After understanding the dire situation they faced, some disciples appeared quite pessimistic.

This was actually quite normal; they had barely escaped with their lives and returned to Wei Fa City, only to find the teleportation array rendered useless.

Trapped in a solitary city, no one could assure that Wei Fa City would keep them safe.

This calamity was different from the previous negative energy surges, with large-scale eruptions of malevolent energy and the emergence of powerful evil spirits, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts like vast boulders.

Complaints, grievances, and regrets filled the air…

Wang Chen felt completely engulfed by negative energy and could no longer sit still.

Not hearing any more useful news, he decided to leave the inn and look for a nearby inn to stay in.

To Wang Chen’s surprise, he found every inn he approached fully booked.

There was not even a place in the large hall!

After much effort, he finally found an inn with a few rooms left, but the innkeeper said only a luxurious suite remained, costing eight hundred spirit stones per day.

Eight hundred spirit stones!

Wang Chen felt a surge of anger and disbelief.

Even during a time of chaos, there shouldn’t be such outrageous pricing. While the lodging fees in Wei Fa City were much higher than in the Mountain-Sea Realm, they should not reach such absurd levels.

To be honest, even if he could afford those spirit stones, he didn’t want to be seen as a fool to be exploited.

So he turned and walked away.

The innkeeper, with a sarcastic tone, called out, saying there would be no other inns beyond that village!

Wang Chen was not used to putting up with such behavior; if needed, he could find a secluded spot and set up a tent for a few days without any problem.

“Esteemed Immortal Master!”

Just as Wang Chen stepped out of the inn, a timid voice suddenly came from the side.

He turned to see a boy of around fifteen or sixteen crouching in the corner. The boy wore a gray cloth shirt, with a cloth wrapped around his neck and left cheek, revealing only the right side of his face.

Wang Chen was taken aback.

He recognized the boy as the guide he had hired when he first arrived in the Underworld Realm.

The boy quickly stood up and asked with hope, “Esteemed Immortal Master, are you looking for a place to stay?”

“Yes.”

Wang Chen nodded. “But all these inns are full.”

While this inn still had a room, he didn’t want to be treated like a pig to be slaughtered; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to communicate effectively.

The boy licked his lips and boldly said, “If the Immortal Master doesn’t mind, you can stay at my home for a few days.”

Wang Chen smiled and asked, “How many spirit stones?”

The little guy seemed to be here to seize the opportunity for business and appeared quite shrewd.

The boy held out a hand and said, “Five, Fifty Spirit Stones.”

His voice trembled a bit, probably worried that his price would anger Wang Chen.

However, Wang Chen thought it was a bargain: “Alright.”

Compared to the eight hundred spirit stones per day for an inn suite, Fifty Spirit Stones was indeed very reasonable. Even with limited conditions, it was far better than sleeping on the streets.

The boy was overjoyed: “Esteemed Immortal Master, please follow me.”

Under the boy’s guidance, Wang Chen crossed most of the city and arrived at an area dense with houses.

This part seemed to belong to the common folks in Wei Fa City, with generally dilapidated homes and a rather poor surrounding environment.

The boy felt anxious, but Wang Chen didn’t show any signs of criticism as he followed him into a Small House.

“Mom, I’m back.”

A woman with a scarred face came out from a room. Upon seeing Wang Chen following the boy, her expression turned wary and tense.

The boy quickly explained, “Mom, this esteemed Immortal Master wants to stay with us for a few days. I thought I could let him use my room. What do you think?”

His eyes displayed a pleading look.

Clearly, he had taken the initiative to offer the room without consulting his family first.

The Scarred Woman paused, her expression becoming quite complicated.

She bowed slightly to Wang Chen and said apologetically, “Esteemed Immortal Master, please forgive my son’s ignorance. Our humble home may struggle to accommodate such a distinguished guest.”

Hearing his mother say this, the boy looked almost ready to cry but didn’t dare to argue.

Wang Chen smiled, “It’s alright. I’m just staying for a few days. I just need a place to rest.”

As he spoke, he took out a piece of Intermediate Spirit and said, “Here’s the rent for two days.”

Seeing the shimmering spirit stone in Wang Chen’s hand, the Scarred Woman became flustered: “Sir, that’s too much.”

Wang Chen shook his head and placed the spirit stone on the nearby table.

He turned to the boy and said, “Show me your room.”

The boy was overjoyed: “Please come with me.”

Inside the house were a living room and two small bedrooms, with the kitchen outside. Although the rooms were small, they were kept tidy.

The boy’s room contained a stone bed and a stone table, along with simple bedding and pillows.

It was very modest.

But the room had a door, and closing it provided some privacy.

“This will do.”

Wang Chen was satisfied and asked the boy to take his bedding and pillows away.

Of course, he would use his own; his Xumi Ring held plenty of new items.

Thinking for a moment, Wang Chen handed the boy several pounds of spiritual rice, beast meat, and vegetables, asking him to have his mother prepare a meal.

“Keep some for yourselves as a reward.”

The boy was overwhelmed with gratitude, nearly dropping to his knees to thank Wang Chen.

After sending the boy away, Wang Chen took out some Personal Items and arranged the room simply before sitting down to meditate.

Previously, he had sustained some internal injuries when fighting the calamity, and after fleeing to Wei Fa City, he finally had the chance to rest and heal.

After circulating his energy for a while and refining the elixirs he had taken, Wang Chen’s injuries were almost completely healed.

His Invulnerable Vajra body gave him a strong physique, and his self-healing ability was far superior to that of other cultivators at the same level.

Just as he finished healing, there was a gentle knock at the door.

It was the boy, bringing the prepared dinner.

Given the limited conditions, the meal was simple, but the Scarred Woman’s cooking skills were decent. Wang Chen cleaned his plate without a trace of waste.

And so, he had temporarily settled down.

In the next two days, Wang Chen visited the inn daily to gather news and made a trip to the sect’s law hall.

Unfortunately, the results were quite grim.

The teleportation formation at the law hall was completely shut down, and no one was allowed to enter the Guardian Hall.

Master Bai Jun, who was in charge of the law hall, was reportedly in closed-door cultivation, so Wang Chen, along with other disciples, couldn’t meet him.

Meanwhile, the number of evil spirits appearing outside Wei Fa City increased significantly, while the number of fleeing cultivators had dwindled to just a few. Many likely met with unfortunate ends.

Even more terrifying, as the negative energy spread, vast clouds of Malevolent Energy formed in the sky above Wei Fa City, with Ominous Thunder booming like a cataclysm, as if the end of the world had come.

The atmosphere in the city grew tense to the extreme!