42: Chapter 42: Power Level Calculation, Heavenly Prison on High Alert!

Celestial Prison, Cell Block D.

Chen Ran pushed open the wooden door to his break room and locked it behind him.

He took off the wide black robe and shoved it, along with the bamboo hat, into a hidden compartment under the bed. His movements were practiced and silent, not making a single sound.

Changing into his faded jailer uniform, Chen Ran walked over to the bronze mirror.

The person in the mirror had a calm expression, gentle eyes, and a hint of paleness.

To anyone looking, this was just a bottom-tier jailer in the Celestial Prison, living a life of aimless mediocrity and completely unremarkable.

No one would ever associate him with that mysterious expert in the wilderness who had caught the long blade of a Six Doors famous catcher with just two fingers.

Chen Ran adjusted his collar, confirming that there was no lingering aura of the "Black-Robed Person" left on him.

Lin Wan's intuition was terrifyingly sharp; he had only watched the execution scene, and yet he was recognized.

"What kind of human radar is this?"

Chen Ran muttered to himself.

Although he had deliberately altered his physique and voice, and even completely hidden his martial arts style, caution is the parent of safety.

After doing all this, Chen Ran sat cross-legged on the hardwood bed.

He closed his eyes and began to reflect on the brief exchange just now.

Lin Wan's "Water-Severing Blade Technique" was indeed fierce, with a sense of unyielding determination in the blade's momentum.

If it had been an ordinary Rank 6 Martial Artist facing that blade, they likely would have had to retreat from its edge.

But he did not dodge.

He merely extended two fingers.

At that moment, Chen Ran clearly felt the strength of his Physical Body.

Although his Glazed Golden Body Art was only at the entry level, combined with the terrifyingly vast True Qi in his body, his Physical Body had reached an inconceivable level of strength.

The moment the blade touched his fingers, his True Qi automatically protected him, forming a barrier as solid as reality that dissolved the overwhelming force of the blade entirely.

There were no flashy Moves, only a crushing display of pure power.

"Is this the confidence brought by absolute power?" Chen Ran muttered to himself.

He opened his eyes, feeling the surging True Qi within him.

It was an extremely heavy sensation. The True Qi flowed through his Meridians like a bursting river, endless and inexhaustible.

With every breath, he could feel power coursing through his entire body.

This thrill of constantly growing stronger and controlling everything was intoxicating.

"Hum—"

Deep within his mind, the heavenly book of prison suppression vibrated slightly.

Chen Ran focused his mind and sank his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.

The ancient bronze book slowly opened, and a faint golden light rose from its pages.

[Prisoner: Song Yushu]

[Sin: Embezzled disaster relief funds, causing the starvation of tens of thousands of commoners; heinous crime.]

[Status: Executed]

[Participation: Medium (Delivered final meal)]

[Settlement Reward: Half a year of Internal Energy]

...

[Prisoner: Zhang Dabiao]

[Sin: Murder and robbery, plundering merchants and travelers]

[Status: Executed]

[Participation: Low (Delivered final meal)]

[Settlement Reward: One year of Internal Energy]

Two beams of golden light flew out from the heavenly book of prison suppression and submerged into Chen Ran's body.

Boom!

Chen Ran felt a sudden heat in his Dantian, and an extremely pure Internal Energy emerged from thin air, instantly merging with his existing True Qi.

His Meridians were further widened, and the circulation speed of his True Qi increased once again.

Chen Ran exhaled a long breath of stale air; the airflow shot out like an arrow, creating a faint sonic boom in the air.

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging power within him, and looked up.

[Accumulated Internal Energy: 97.6 years]

He was only a few years away from the hundred-year milestone.

A trace of anticipation flashed in Chen Ran's eyes.

A hundred years of Internal Energy was a massive watershed in the martial world.

Once he achieved a Breakthrough, his True Qi would undergo a qualitative transformation, and his strength would see a leap forward.

"Soon."

A barely perceptible arc curled at the corner of Chen Ran's mouth.

Just then, a flurry of hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The door was pounded on forcefully.

"Chen Ran, come out quickly, something big has happened."

It was Li Changfeng's voice.

Chen Ran withdrew his aura, stood up, and opened the door.

Li Changfeng stood outside the door, his expression grave, with a fine layer of cold sweat even seeping onto his forehead.

He usually always wore a gentle smile, but at this moment he appeared unusually anxious.

"Captain Li, what happened?" Chen Ran pretended to be just woken up and rubbed his eyes.

"A shocking incident at the execution ground." Li Changfeng lowered his voice, his tone urgent, "Zhang Yulong has been abducted!"

Chen Ran displayed just the right amount of shock: "What? Abducted from the execution ground right under the noses of Six Doors and the Demon Suppression Division?"

"It's not just that." Li Changfeng took a deep breath,

"The ones who carried out the abduction were all death-sworn soldiers; they are all dead, not a single one left alive. Now the higher-ups are furious, and Six Doors is enraged and searching the entire city."

He paused and scanned the corridor.

"The Demon Suppression Division has also issued a strict order: the Celestial Prison is to enter Level 1 alert starting today.

All jailers' leave is canceled, and there will be rotating patrols around the clock.

Any suspicious individuals are to be killed without mercy!"

Chen Ran nodded calmly: "Understood, sir."

Li Changfeng looked at Chen Ran's composed appearance and gave a bitter laugh: "You are certainly calm; the entire Celestial Prison is in a state of panic right now, fearing that those madmen who raided the execution ground might make a return strike and storm into the Celestial Prison."

"This is a heavily guarded Celestial Prison, with experts from the Demon Suppression Division stationed here. They wouldn't dare come, right?" Chen Ran said casually.

"Who knows." Li Changfeng sighed,

"Zhang Yulong is merely the son of a corrupt official, yet someone spent such a high price to abduct him. The waters behind this run too deep."

He patted Chen Ran's shoulder.

"In any case, keep your eyes peeled during this period. If you encounter any suspicious situations, signal immediately; do not try to act the hero."

"Thank you for the reminder, Captain."

Li Changfeng hurried away; he still needed to notify the other jailers.

Chen Ran stood at the doorway, watching Li Changfeng's anxious back, his eyes deep.

Zhang Yulong abducted, Celestial Prison under martial law.

Although unexpected, thinking about it carefully, it felt normal.

Such powerful Families have massive influence and wide access to information; who knows what means they might have to grease the wheels.

Facing a life-and-death crisis, spending a fortune to hire someone to break into a prison was normal.

However, what did that have to do with him?

He was just an unremarkable jailer.

If the sky falls, the Demon Suppression Division and Six Doors will hold it up. He only needed to deliver meals on time every day and quietly accumulate Internal Energy.

"Five years…"

Chen Ran calculated in his heart.

At his current progress, in a few days at most, he would be able to break through the hundred-year milestone of Internal Energy.

By then, even if this Celestial Prison really descended into chaos, he would have enough confidence to protect himself.

Chen Ran turned to return to his room, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the end of the corridor.

It was empty.

Lin Wan hadn't appeared for a day.

Ever since she was taught a lesson by him in the wilderness that day, this proud and haughty Six Doors famous catcher had not set foot in the Celestial Prison once.

"This girl probably suffered quite a blow."

Chen Ran shook his head, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He closed the door, completely cutting off the noise outside.

The martial law in the Celestial Prison was, to him, just a different form of peace and quiet.