123: Chapter 123 A Prisoner with a Clear Mind (4k)

After opening the locked heavy door, a ghostly wind blew within the cell, accompanied by shrieks like those of malevolent spirits.

"Such terrifying Aura. Just who is imprisoned beneath this Sky Prison?"

Warden Wen Ruoxu flicked his sleeve to cover his face, his expression full of disgust.

Chen Ran did not respond and walked straight down.

He had long been looking forward to the cells of Jia-Zi Ward in this Sky Prison.

If he could imprison a few peerless criminals, his strength would be further enhanced.

As soon as he stepped inside, the ghostly wind instantly vanished.

In the empty corridor, each cell was separated by over ten meters, and everywhere the eye could see was engraved with runes.

Seeing this, Warden Wen Ruoxu's expression changed slightly.

Merely being inside the Sky Prison, he could feel an extremely strong sense of oppression, let alone those prisoners held within the cells.

"It seems Father was right to send me here for secluded cultivation. With the enhancement of the dense Evil Qi, it's only a matter of time before I break through my Bottleneck..."

Warden Wen Ruoxu's expression flickered as he suppressed the churning blood and Qi within his body.

The smile on his face grew wider, but he froze slightly when he saw the Prison Officer beside him.

Chen Ran looked calm, unbothered by the eerie atmosphere as he walked straight ahead.

Click.

"Let's go."

This caused Warden Wen Ruoxu's eyes to flicker in surprise.

Even as a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Aperture Condensation Realm, he felt intense discomfort upon entering the deep layers of the Sky Prison for the first time.

How could this Jailer, who had just entered the Seventh Grade, be perfectly fine?

Warden Wen Ruoxu feigned a shiver and asked curiously:

"Brother Chen, aren't you afraid of the Evil Qi in this Sky Prison?"

"I have an Innate 'big heart,' and my ancestors were all Jailers. I've already adapted to this environment."

"I see. Brother Chen's Heart-Nature is truly rare."

Warden Wen Ruoxu nodded repeatedly. The Great Wei was full of talented people; it was normal for someone with such a stable mind and no fear of Evil Qi to appear.

No wonder he could climb to the position of Prison Officer so quickly.

He was practically an Innate Jailer Saint Body.

As the two walked forward, they heard several raspy laughs from a distance.

"Heh heh heh, it seems a newcomer has arrived in the Sky Prison?"

"Fledglings who just entered... to let them come down alone so carelessly, I think this Great Wei is about to go to ruin."

"Come, let this old man see how much capability this newcomer has to dare descend with only two people."

The voice boomed like a bell, resonating throughout the Sky Prison.

As he spoke, an extremely strong Aura pressed down.

These old monsters imprisoned here, though their cultivation was sealed and they couldn't use Cultivation Techniques,

Their cultivation was profound. Just the pressure of their Aura alone could shatter the minds of ordinary people.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound carried a fierce wind that whistled past, making their robes flutter loudly.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes and looked toward the source of the voice.

In the darkness, several blurry figures gradually emerged.

An old man with disheveled hair sat on the floor, repeatedly stabbing a "doll" in his hand with his fingernails.

The next moment, he threw the doll.

A lifelike wooden Puppet that looked exactly like Chen Ran actually took several steps on the ground.

After a few steps, the Puppet creaked, and finally, it grabbed its own head and twisted.

Crack.

The Puppet's round head rolled all the way to Chen Ran's feet.

The old man revealed yellowed teeth and said with a chuckle:

"Come, little Jailer, here's a meeting gift for you."

Such a bizarre scene would likely leave a psychological shadow on an ordinary Jailer.

But Chen Ran remained expressionless and crushed the Puppet beneath him into powder with one foot.

The area instantly fell silent as numerous gazes from the darkness fixed on him.

Chen Ran smiled and clapped his hands, his tone indifferent:

"Good, a very interesting ability."

[Prisoner: Liu Kuchan]

[Realm: Fourth Grade, Peak of Aperture Condensation Realm]

[Sin Value: High]

[Status: Cultivation Sealed]

[Cultivation Technique: Heavenly Silk Puppet Technique]

A Puppeteer.

A mysterious profession circulating in the Jianghu; rumor had it that those with profound cultivation could turn martial arts experts into marionettes.

Without harming the Physical Body, they controlled the limbs and Moves, letting them kill each other.

They could also infuse internal breath into carved wooden dolls, turning them into Martial Puppets to fight on their behalf, with the dolls' Moves replicating the ultimate techniques of Martial Artists they had previously fought.

It was definitely an obscure martial path; he hadn't expected such a being to be imprisoned in the Sky Prison.

Seeing that the other party was unaffected, the old man spat in frustration and helplessly withdrew his hands.

Several nearly invisible threads danced at his fingertips before vanishing with a swish.

"Tsk, boring."

"Thread-Pulling Old Monster, your tricks are too old. See? You've hit a steel wall this time."

Seeing the prisoner retreat into the depths of the cell, the other peeping prisoners laughed.

For these pitch-black cells,

Every new occurrence was a source of entertainment for these old fellows during their long prison lives.

Chen Ran scanned the surroundings and recorded several more pieces of information.

"Fu Xiuya, Fourth Grade, Peak of Aperture Condensation Realm, Vice Sect Leader of the White Bone Demon Cult..."

"Chu Muyong, Fourth Grade, Late Stage of Aperture Condensation Realm, Jia Ward wanted criminal..."

In Jia Ward of this Sky Prison, all the imprisoned prisoners had a cultivation no lower than the Fourth Grade Aperture Condensation Realm.

Chen Ran continued recording as he moved along.

There was no rush to increase his participation with these experts; he just needed to wait for time to slowly wear them down.

It wouldn't take long to raise it.

Chen Ran looked at the list in his hand, checking the stability of each cell and Formation.

Soon, he arrived at the final cell.

The information of this cell's owner was completely different from the other prisoners on the list.

There was even a special mark on the left side of the list.

Chen Ran looked into the pitch-black cell, which was very quiet.

Unlike the noise of the other cells, this one held a middle-aged man with simple clothes and a peaceful face.

This person sat upright on the ground, and aside from his long breaths, he was as silent as a dead man.

The heavenly book of prison suppression.

With a thought from Chen Ran, a piece of information appeared before his eyes.

[Prisoner: Shen Jixuan]

[Realm: Peak of Innate Realm (Currently fallen to: Peak of Return to Truth Realm)]

[Sin Value: Extremely High]

[Life Experience: Ancient Dao-Abandoning Cultivator, specialized in Divine Soul and discarded the Physical Body. Often used Soul Emergence to wander the world, kidnapping the Divine Souls of Martial Artists to refine into Origin. Sealed by the joint efforts of multiple Sects and imprisoned in the Sky Prison...]

[Cultivation Technique: Nether Soul Heart Sutra]

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow.

"Peak of Innate?"

"Why would a Second Grade Peak Martial Artist be imprisoned here?"

Martial Dao Realms were divided from First to Ninth Grade; the further one went, the harder it was to increase cultivation.

If the Lower Three Grades were for tempering blood and Qi and refining bones and muscles,

Then the Middle Three Grades were for opening acupoints and connecting Meridians to lay the foundation for the future.

And the Upper Three Grades leaned more toward the phase of 'form and intent' in the Martial Dao, mainly focused on refining essence, Qi, and spirit.

The Third Grade Return to Truth Realm was the final step before returning from Acquired to Innate; internal Qi turned into liquid, and Lifespan extended to 150 years.

The Second Grade Innate Realm involved opening the bridge between heaven and earth, making internal breath endless and even allowing one to briefly draw upon the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, with Lifespan extending to 200 years.

The First Grade Grandmaster stood at the top of the era, condensing Martial Dao Will, capable of facing ten thousand soldiers alone, with Lifespan surging to 300 years.

This was only the fourth floor of the Sky Prison; how could such a top-tier powerhouse be imprisoned here?

While Chen Ran was thinking,

The middle-aged man in the cell seemed to sense something and slowly opened his eyes.

"A new Jailer?"

Shen Jixuan was somewhat surprised to see the newcomer, and his gaze quickly focused on Warden Wen Ruoxu, his lips moving slightly.

"The Aura of the Floating Life Like a Dream Art... Are you from the Wen Family?"

Hearing this, Warden Wen Ruoxu's expression changed slightly, and he discreetly took a few steps back.

Shen Jixuan slowly shook his head:

"It seems your Wen Family is finally willing to send someone here to Cultivate. Looking at you, you must be from the main lineage."

With just a few words, Shen Jixuan revealed the identity of the person before him.

"Truly divine..."

Warden Wen Ruoxu gave a fake smile and complained.

Seeing that this person was about to speak again and the situation wasn't right, he had no choice but to forcibly pull Chen Ran away.

Tap, tap, tap.

As the two gradually disappeared from the Sky Prison, Shen Jixuan sat cross-legged on the ground again.

He closed his eyes, his breathing long and steady, seemingly entering a state of meditation.

"What a pity. It's been a long time since I've seen such an interesting Family Disciple..."

...

...

Rumble.

The Sky Prison gates moved to both sides, causing dust to fall from the surroundings.

Chen Ran held up his credentials, and the Formation lit up with a glow, finally leaving a path leading directly to the upper floors.

As they walked, Chen Ran curiously asked the man beside him:

"Brother Wen, are you acquainted with that prisoner?"

"Agh, what a mess. Why did that guy have to expose my background like that?"

Warden Wen Ruoxu shook his head with a bitter smile and spoke again:

"Brother Chen, regarding my Family background, please keep it a secret for me. My coming to the Zhenyu Division was indeed for the sake of Cultivation."

What Warden Wen Ruoxu said was true; the Floating Life Like a Dream Art he practiced was a peerless technique of the Jianghu.

To Cultivate it to the later stages, the user needed to experience the myriad states of floating life, which was extremely profound.

Simply put, this technique did not require arduous practice.

Instead, it focused more on the practitioner's insights into their state of mind.

It was a double-edged martial art with an extremely high threshold.

Passed down through generations in the Family, fewer than ten people had practiced this art.

Chen Ran did not refuse Warden Wen Ruoxu's request.

He nodded slightly: "Since it's Brother Wen's secret, I certainly won't reveal it."

"Then thanks, little brother. When the time comes, I'll take you to the best brothel in the capital to relax."

Warden Wen Ruoxu winked at Chen Ran and vanished from the Sky Prison in a flash.

"Hahaha, I can finally go drink."

Warden Wen Ruoxu's excited voice still echoed in the passage.

...

At night, moonlight spilled onto the ground.

The silver light passed through the window, coating the entire room in a layer of silver radiance.

Chen Ran sat quietly on his bed, thinking about what had happened not long ago.

The prisoners held in Jia Ward on the fourth floor of the Sky Prison all had decent cultivation.

But the only ones whose techniques truly caught his eye were that Puppet technique and that Divine Soul secret technique.

Although the other techniques were good, most were just ordinary high-grade techniques.

"The next focus for increasing participation can be on those two people."

"I just wonder what channel that Shen Jixuan used to know Warden Wen Ruoxu's information."

Recalling the final scene, Chen Ran already had a guess about his colleague's identity.

Inside the capital, aside from the Great Wei Court controlling the lifeblood,

The remaining core powers were divided among the Four Great Families.

These Four Great Families were all powerful clans with the merit of following the Dragon when the previous dynasty's emperor was overthrown.

Aside from the Lin Family where Lin Wan belonged, there were three others.

They were the Wen, Lu, and Qin families.

According to the clues investigated earlier,

The Wen and Lin families held power over the Six Doors and the Demon Suppression Division, while the Lu and Qin families were mainly responsible for the Directorate of Astronomy and military affairs.

Each of the Four Great Families had its role, controlling important government departments.

"If it's as that man said and Warden Wen Ruoxu is only here to Cultivate, he shouldn't cause much trouble."

Chen Ran didn't think too much about these trifles; for now, increasing his cultivation was more important.

Coo, coo, coo.

In the quiet night, several unusual bird calls were heard.

To an ordinary person, this might just be part of daily life.

But to a Martial Artist whose perception far exceeded that of an ordinary person by dozens of times, these bird calls with specific frequencies were not useless information.

Chen Ran sat up and walked to the window, his gaze sweeping across the dark night.

With his extremely strong eyesight, he could vaguely see many crows circling above the capital.

The crows were numerous, gathered together like a moving black cloud from a distance.

"It seems tonight won't be peaceful again."

Snap.

Chen Ran closed the window and returned to the room.

For him, participating in these matters was not a wise choice.

Undercurrents surged in the capital; for Chen Ran, as long as things didn't affect him,

He could mostly turn a blind eye.

"To gain a say in this chaotic world, one still needs to be strong enough."

Chen Ran seemed to have realized something.

The reason he couldn't take the initiative to expose himself before was that his cultivation was too weak, and he lacked the ability to protect himself.

If he had the strength of a First Grade Grandmaster, the world would be wide open, and he could go wherever he pleased; how could he be trapped here?

"I am still too weak. I was complacent after defeating a heavily injured Return to Truth Realm expert. If I had encountered a First Grade Grandmaster then, wouldn't I have been defeated even more thoroughly?"

Having lived two lives, Chen Ran had always had one habit.

When he got serious, he even put pressure on himself.

At this moment, his heart-mind was clear, and he understood many things that had confused him before.

Just then, the hour of Zi arrived.

The heavenly book of prison suppression began a new refresh.

Ding!

[You guarded the Sky Prison for one day. Reward: One year of cultivation.]

[You increased the overall participation of the Jia-Zi Ward prisoners. Reward: Two years of cultivation.]

[Accumulated cultivation: 190 years.]

The information on the panel of the heavenly book of prison suppression continued to settle.

Streams of warmth flowed from his Dantian toward his limbs and bones, Meridians and Apertures.

Crackle, crackle.

As the warm current passed through the Apertures, it made sounds like popping beans.

This was the sound of the Apertures being forcibly opened because the cultivation was too violent.

At the same time, the Aura on his body was also rising at an alarming speed.

Although he had only stepped into the Aperture Condensation Realm not long ago, the Bottleneck of the Realm seemed nonexistent at this moment.

In a few breaths, his Aura became even more unfathomable.

But it wasn't over yet. Chen Ran's gaze was like lightning as it swept over his Cultivation Technique column.

He spoke in a low voice: "heavenly book of prison suppression, add points!"