195: Chapter 195 Cultivation Techniques, Exploration

Chen Ran moved along with the crowd at the city gate. Given his current Realm and the use of his Breath Concealment Technique, even if he walked straight through the gate, he wouldn't attract anyone's attention.

However, Chen Ran still registered his information normally before walking into the city.

After all, he was using his own identity for this trip outside; otherwise, it would be hard to explain the sudden disappearance of a prison guard.

Not long after entering the city gate, a commotion suddenly broke out on the street ahead.

"Make way, everyone make way!"

Accompanied by rough shouting, a team of people slowly approached from the other end of the long street.

The originally crowded street was instantly cleared into a wide passage, and the commoners on both sides retreated one after another, their eyes filled with awe and fear.

Chen Ran stopped and stood at the back of the crowd, quietly observing this team.

This was a team of dozens, all wearing heavy black armor and carrying standard-issue long sabers.

Their armor was covered in cracks and stained with dried, dark red blood. An intense, murderous aura and the smell of blood permeated the air.

"It's the Demon-Slaying Squad..."

"Looks like they just returned from hunting Yao Beasts outside the city. That Evil Qi is quite heavy."

Chen Ran pondered in his heart, his gaze passing over the cold-faced armored soldiers and landing on the several huge prison carts in the center of the procession.

The prison carts were made of refined steel, covered on the outside with dense yellow Talismans, with faint spiritual light flickering.

Through the thick iron bars of the carts, one could clearly see several massive, ferocious-looking Yao Beasts imprisoned inside.

Although they were locked by thick iron chains through their shoulder blades and their bodies were covered with deep, bone-visible wounds, their scarlet eyes still revealed a heart-stopping cruelty and violence.

"Roar—"

A Yao Beast resembling a fierce tiger, but with two huge fangs, suddenly let out a low roar and slammed into the iron bars, causing the entire prison cart to shake violently.

The horses pulling the carts were startled and let out a series of neighs.

"Beast, you still dare to be arrogant!"

A captain of the Demon-Slaying Squad nearby let out a cold snort. He lashed out with his whip, which tore through the air with a sharp whistle, striking the Yao Beast fiercely.

"Crack."

Skin tore and flesh ripped, blood splattering everywhere.

The Yao Beast let out a painful wail and finally quieted down, but those scarlet eyes remained fixed on the surrounding crowd, as if it would devour someone at any moment.

The surrounding crowd was startled, and a few even trembled and knelt on the ground.

Information about Yao Beasts was not a secret in the capital; they appeared in many folk tales and storybooks.

However, although many knew of their existence, they lived in the peaceful capital and usually had no contact with them, so they were easily frightened upon encountering one for the first time.

Chen Ran watched this scene quietly, his eyes as deep as an abyss.

He could feel the aura on these Yao Beasts; it originated from the same source as the demon aura he felt in the depths of the prison, but it seemed to have more madness and chaos.

Amidst the exclamations of the passersby, the Demon-Slaying Squad soon disappeared into the crowd in a grand procession.

"Another batch of Yao Beasts brought in; it seems they are to be locked in the prison..."

Chen Ran whispered to himself, then withdrew his gaze, turned around, and merged into the bustling crowd, heading towards the direction of the prison.

No matter how turbulent the outside world was, for him, the prison was his true home.

...

The sky was growing dark, and the twilight reflected on the street, casting a long, narrow shadow.

In the prison, inside a well-maintained small room.

Chen Ran looked at the bamboo tube in his hand, which was emitting a pale golden light, his brows tightly locked.

"Draw the Origin Qi of heaven and earth, gather the Qi of all things, and converge it into the Dantian...?"

He understood every character written in this Cultivation Technique, but when put together, he couldn't understand it at all.

The first step to Cultivate this technique mentioned here required finding and comprehending the Origin Qi between heaven and earth.

And he was stuck at the very first step.

The Origin Qi of heaven and earth recorded here was colorless and odorless, yet it existed in all things in the world.

Chen Ran had been sensing it for a long time, but apart from almost sucking dry the air within several feet, he hadn't experienced even a fraction of that Origin Qi.

Could this mysterious Cultivation Technique recorded by the royal family be a fake?

However, judging from the feedback of the Blood Seed, Jiang Mengli hadn't lied; this Cultivation Technique was likely genuine.

Chen Ran squeezed the bamboo tube in his hand. He didn't know what kind of Materials this bamboo tube was cast from.

With his current strength, even when striking with full force, he could only barely leave a shallow mark.

Chen Ran shook his head.

"Forget it, the item should be real, but given my Comprehension Ability, I probably can't understand it anyway."

He had self-awareness regarding his own talent; after all, it had taken him three years before to achieve a Breakthrough to the Ninth Grade.

Chen Ran had no choice but to place his hope on the heavenly book of prison suppression.

As he focused his gaze, a panel slowly appeared in mid-air.

[Trait: Heavenly Technique Casting Martial Arts]

[Analysis: Cultivation power is like the sea, capable of forging all techniques. The host can invoke cultivation power to directly infuse it into martial arts Cultivation Techniques, forcibly improving the Realm of the technique and supplementing Cultivation memories.]

This was an additional function unlocked when the heavenly book of prison suppression underwent Awakening.

Apart from the rewards dropped by prisoners in daily life, ordinary Cultivation Techniques could also be recorded into the heavenly book of prison suppression.

But if he wanted to find someone to understand this Cultivation Technique, among his network, perhaps only one person could do it.

Thinking of this, Chen Ran slowly stood up.

He cast his gaze toward the depths of the prison, and everything in front of him seemed to melt away as if transparent. His gaze finally stopped in a prison cell.

"Shen Jixuan..."