177: Chapter 177 True Essence, Awakening

A Breakthrough is only the first step.

Chen Ran closed his eyes and guided the newly transformed True Essence within his body, slowly circulating it along the path of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture.

The further one progresses in martial cultivation, the tighter the bond between the Physical Body and True Qi becomes.

The Return to Truth Realm is a transitional stage where Acquired True Qi is converted into Innate True Essence.

Time slipped away, bit by bit.

Until the first ray of dawn light filtered in through the window.

Only then did Chen Ran slowly withdraw his energy and exhale a breath of turbid air.

As this turbid breath was expelled, he felt as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his entire being, leaving him feeling incredibly light.

The bustling noises of the marketplace could already be heard outside.

The sounds of people waking up and washing, the greetings of neighbors, and the faint cries of peddlers from afar.

His house was in a good location, surrounded by well-off families, and filled with the heavy atmosphere of daily life.

Chen Ran pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard.

Although he hadn't slept all night, having spent his entire body and mind in Cultivation.

He felt no fatigue at this moment.

His eyes were bright, and his spirit was full.

This was the effect formed by the 'three flowers gathering' of essence, Qi, and spirit after a Realm upgrade.

Chen Ran stretched.

It is said that those high and mighty Grandmaster Realm experts can even go seven days and seven nights without closing their eyes, and fast for several days without weakening.

Although he cannot fast yet, not sleeping for a few days doesn't have much of an impact.

There is still a long way to go before reaching that legendary Realm.

However, with the heavenly book of prison suppression in hand, it is only a matter of time.

The morning mist had not yet fully dissipated.

The rising morning sun spilled onto the bluestone road, shimmering with a faint golden light.

Chen Ran took a deep breath of the cool air and pushed open the courtyard gate to walk out.

The breakfast stall at the end of the alley had already been set up.

The steaming white mist enveloped the steamer, and the enticing aroma of meat drilled straight into his nose.

The stall owner was an old man in his fifties, busy kneading dough; looking up and seeing Chen Ran in his green robes, he immediately put on a smiling face.

"Yo, Jailer Chen, you're up early today!"

"Morning."

Chen Ran nodded with a smile and walked over to an empty table to sit down.

"The usual?" the old man asked while wiping his hands.

"I need a bit more today."

Chen Ran rubbed his shriveled stomach, and a wave of intense hunger surged into his heart.

Martial cultivation is fundamentally a process of refining essence into Qi.

Last night's Breakthrough to the Middle Stage of the Return to Truth Realm and the transformation of his Physical Body consumed a large amount of blood and Qi.

Now his stomach was like a bottomless pit, urgently needing a large amount of food to replenish energy.

"First, bring me ten steamers of meat buns, two jin of spiced beef, and three bowls of soy milk."

Chen Ran casually rattled off the numbers.

Several neighbors nearby drinking porridge stared in astonishment.

Ten steamers of meat buns? That's a full hundred.

The old man was also stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted and replied repeatedly: "Alright, please wait a moment!"

Soon, a tall stack of steamers was brought to the table.

Chen Ran did not stand on ceremony; he grabbed a fist-sized meat bun and swallowed it in two bites.

The skin was thin, the filling was large, and the juices were overflowing.

He ate extremely fast, yet he did not appear crude.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, ten steamers of buns and two jin of spiced beef had entered his stomach.

A sense of fullness finally arrived in his stomach.

Chen Ran gave a comfortable burp and tossed down a piece of broken silver.

"Keep the change."

Watching the old man bow and thank him repeatedly, Chen Ran sighed inwardly.

"The poor study, the rich practice martial arts; the ancients truly did not deceive me."

"This one breakfast alone cost half a month's expenses for an average family."

"If it weren't for being able to scrape some extra profit in the prison, I would have starved to death long ago relying only on that meager fixed salary."

While complaining in his heart, he strolled towards the prison.

Pedestrians on the road gradually increased.

Many people were whispering to each other, discussing the tragic case of the Wu Family's extermination last night.

"Have you heard? The dozens of people in the Wu Family died so miserably!"

"Who knows? I heard it was a madman who suffered from Qi Deviation and has already been captured by Six Doors and thrown into the prison."

"I heard there are strange signs from the Barbarians again; it is said there have been frictions at the Great Wei border..."

Chen Ran listened for a few moments; it was nothing more than exaggerated street gossip or news from the papers.

Some said the murderer was eight feet tall with a green face and fangs.

Others said the murderer was an old enemy the Wu Family had offended, who had turned into a vengeful ghost to claim their lives.

Chen Ran shook his head, too lazy to pay attention to such nonsense.

The Great Wei Dynasty is currently plagued by internal troubles and external aggression, with demons running rampant; plenty of people die every day.

The extermination of an overbearing Wu Family doesn't even count as a splash in the deep waters of the capital.

...

The prison.

The cold and damp atmosphere rushed towards him, seemingly a different world from the bustling daily life outside.

Chen Ran had just changed into the black official uniform unique to prison wardens and sat down in the duty room.

A Jailer hurried in.

"Lord Chen, the new prisoner in the Jia Ward has woken up."

The Jailer lowered his voice, his expression carrying a hint of awe.

Chen Ran's hand, which was holding the teacup, paused slightly.

"Woken up?"

"Yes, just woke up not long ago, but he looks a bit weak and won't say a word."

Chen Ran nodded and put down the teacup.

Calculating the time, the Soul Suppression Talisman that Six Doors stuck on that person should have lost its effectiveness.

It is time to conduct an interrogation.

A prisoner who can trigger a wish value must have some hidden story.

"Let's go, let's take a look."

Chen Ran stood up and adjusted his hem.

"I want to interrogate this infamous maniac who exterminated the family myself and see just how tough his bones are."

He walked out of the duty room and headed towards the Jia Ward.

In the dim corridor, the light of the torches flickered unsteadily.

From the cells on both sides, the painful groans and insane curses of prisoners could be heard from time to time.

Chen Ran was long accustomed to these sounds.

He arrived at the deepest part of the Jia Ward without any obstruction.

Behind the thick steel bars.

A disheveled figure was locked tightly to the wall by thick iron chains.

His shoulder blades were pierced by two specially made steel barbs, and the blood had already dried and turned black.

Hearing footsteps, Shi Taichu slowly raised his head.

Beneath his messy hair was a pair of bloodshot eyes.

His eyes were like a dry well, devoid of any signs of a living person's Life Qi.

Chen Ran stood outside the bars, looking the other up and down.

A Martial Artist at the Peak of the Aperture Condensation Realm has extremely tenacious vitality.

Even having suffered such heavy injuries, with his shoulder blades pierced, he could still hold on without dying.

"Shi Taichu."

Chen Ran spoke indifferently, his voice echoing in the empty cell.

Shi Taichu did not speak, only looking at him coldly.

The Jailer beside him changed color, drew the long whip in his hand, and lashed out with it.

"Crack!"

A bloody mark immediately appeared on the prisoner's back.

"My Lord is asking you a question!"

Facing the Jailer's interrogation, Shi Taichu remained silent.

...