196: Chapter 196 Hidden Secrets, The End of Dharma

The fourth level of the Heavenly Prison, Jia Ward area.

Dense Evil Qi almost shrouded the entire area.

Chen Ran walked down the stairs slowly.

Step, step, step.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty corridor.

Wherever he passed, the dense Evil Qi seemed to find its target; dark red ripples surged in the air as it rushed toward the young man in unison.

The Evil Qi condensed, almost forming the shape of a ferocious ghost, but when it was only two or three inches away from the young man's surface, it was blocked by a layer of invisible Protective Aura.

The Evil Qi could only flow to the sides, dragging the surrounding air into ripples, creating a bizarre scene.

A young man in black robes walked slowly forward, with a sky full of blood-red afterimages behind him.

...

Deep in the Heavenly Prison, in the innermost cell,

a middle-aged man with white hair and beard and a calm expression sat cross-legged on the ground.

He placed his hands on his knees, his shoulders slightly open, his head tilted back as if dozing.

As the footsteps in the distance approached, Shen Jixuan slowly opened his eyes.

Those were eyes without any emotional fluctuations.

He turned his head, his gaze passing through the thick steel bars and landing on the young man in black robes standing outside the cell.

His gaze did not linger on his face, but instead, like a physical presence, scanned his torso and limbs inch by inch.

Shen Jixuan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

He stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked his lips.

In the eyes of others, this young man was just an ordinary person with average aura, but in his eyes, the thick Qi and blood beneath Chen Ran, like a scorching sun, could not be hidden by ordinary Cultivation Techniques like the Breath Concealment Technique.

If one were to make an analogy, it was as if a peerless beast had suddenly appeared among a group of domesticated livestock.

The unique aura of such a beast could not be hidden no matter what.

Shen Jixuan's mouth curled up; they were the same kind of people.

"You have come." Shen Jixuan's voice was hoarse.

Chen Ran stood outside the cell, looking at Shen Jixuan with a calm gaze.

After spending the last few months together, he and this major criminal were not without interaction.

Shen Jixuan looked at Chen Ran's empty hands and sneered:

"Coming here this time... you shouldn't be here to deliver food to this old man, right?" His gaze paused on the black robe for a moment.

This little Jailer before him had only entered the Heavenly Prison a few months ago, yet he had already climbed to such a position.

"I haven't seen you for a few days, and you have changed a lot."

"Senior Shen, this Junior just had some good luck and received a little appreciation from my superiors."

Chen Ran slightly cupped his hands, his tone polite.

"I have come today to ask for advice on one matter."

Shen Jixuan's eyeballs rolled a bit.

"Oh? A Junior with such outstanding Aptitude like you also has things to ask this prisoner?"

His tone rarely carried a hint of mockery.

Chen Ran ignored his teasing and spoke straightforwardly.

"Senior is knowledgeable, do you know what is the 'Origin of Heaven and Earth'?"

As soon as these words were spoken,

a rare flash of astonishment appeared in Shen Jixuan's calm eyes.

"Where did you hear this term from?"

Shen Jixuan's voice raised a few notches.

Chen Ran's expression did not change.

"I saw it by chance in an ancient book."

"An ancient book?"

Shen Jixuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Hahahaha..."

The laughter echoed in the empty cell, the entire cell creaking and cracking as if it were about to collapse.

"Interesting, interesting, to think there is still someone who knows about this thing?"

Chen Ran watched him go mad quietly, without interrupting.

After a long while, Shen Jixuan gradually stopped laughing.

He panted heavily, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Ran.

"The Origin of Heaven and Earth..."

Shen Jixuan chewed on these four words, his tone full of mockery.

"Do you know why there are no more Cultivators above the Grandmaster Realm in this world?"

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why?"

Shen Jixuan sneered, his withered finger pointing toward the ceiling.

"Because this world has long been dead!"

Chen Ran's eyes narrowed slightly.

"As early as thousands of years ago, the Origin of Heaven and Earth had completely vanished."

Shen Jixuan's voice carried a deep sense of despair.

"Without the Origin of Heaven and Earth, one cannot communicate with heaven and earth, and cannot wash away the turbid Qi of the mortal body."

"No matter how top-tier your Aptitude is, no matter how heaven-defying your Cultivation Technique is, you can only be trapped and die in this cage!"

He slowly stood up and walked forward a few steps.

"Back then, this old man was brilliant and talented; I created the 'Nether Soul Heart Sutra' and abandoned my Physical Body to cultivate solely my Divine Soul, just to find another way and bypass the restrictions of the Origin of Heaven and Earth."

"But what was the result?"

Shen Jixuan laughed miserably.

"No matter how strong the Divine Soul is, it is ultimately a tree without roots; without a Physical Body as a carrier, it is difficult to overcome the Bottleneck."

"This old man has been trapped at the Peak of the Innate Realm for hundreds of years, watching my Lifespan run out and my Realm fall, yet I have never been able to take that final step."

He looked at Chen Ran, his eyes filled with a hint of pity.

"The one you obtained is probably a Cultivation Technique from the ancient era, right?"

"What a pity."

Shen Jixuan shook his head.

"In this age of Dharma decline, that thing is no different from waste paper."

Chen Ran stood in place, silent.

He quickly digested the information revealed by Shen Jixuan in his mind.

This sentence alone had already caused a monstrous wave in his heart.

The Origin of Heaven and Earth has vanished?

No more Realms above Grandmaster?

Chen Ran rubbed his chin.

Things seemed to have become a bit troublesome.

However, he did not completely believe Shen Jixuan's words.

This old monster had lived for so long, and his words were three parts true and seven parts false.

If the Origin of Heaven and Earth had really completely vanished, why would the previous dynasty's royal family still solemnly hide this Cultivation Technique in their secret vault?

Chen Ran looked at Shen Jixuan, who had closed his eyes again in the cell, and sneered in his heart.

This old guy might be telling the truth, but he must have hidden key information.

He deliberately threw out the claim that the "Origin of Heaven and Earth has vanished," merely to suppress his mental state, or he had other ulterior motives.

"Many thanks, Senior, for clearing up my confusion."

Chen Ran said indifferently and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Shen Jixuan suddenly spoke up to stop him.

Chen Ran stopped and turned to look at him.

"Does Senior have any other advice?"

Shen Jixuan slowly opened his eyes, looking at Chen Ran with a deep, eerie gaze.

"Kid, since you can come into contact with an ancient book recording the 'Origin of Heaven and Earth,' it shows that your Opportunity is not shallow."

"This old man here actually has an Opportunity to break through the Grandmaster Realm without needing the Origin of Heaven and Earth."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of temptation.

"If you are interested, this old man can teach it to you."

Chen Ran lowered his eyes slightly, looking at Shen Jixuan calmly.

"No need."

"This Junior has dull Aptitude and fears I do not have the fortune to enjoy Senior's peerless Dharma method."

After saying this, Chen Ran turned and left without hesitation.

Shen Jixuan's expression retracted, but a voice exploded like muffled thunder beside his ear, causing the entire area to shake.

"Since you have come, then don't leave..."