45: Chapter 45 A Century of Perfect Harmony, The Demon Suppression Division Selection!

Chen Ran's voice was not loud, but it was like dropping a boulder into a calm lake.

The surrounding jailers turned their heads in unison, looking at him as if he were a monster.

Zhang Wen's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, unable to close for a long time. He reached out and tugged on Chen Ran's sleeve, lowering his voice to say urgently: "Are you crazy? That's going to your death!"

The other jailers also cast looks of confusion.

Li Changfeng was equally stunned.

He had originally expected some desperate, hot-headed youth in dire need of silver to save his life to step forward, but he hadn't expected it to be Chen Ran.

This Cell Block D jailer who usually looked honest and had no presence.

"Chen Ran, have you thought this through?" Li Changfeng frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny, "A job at the Demon Suppression Division is not child's play. Blades have no eyes, and demons have no mercy."

Chen Ran's expression was calm; he met Li Changfeng's gaze and bowed slightly.

"Reporting to the Centurion, your subordinate has thought it through. Having stayed in the prison for so long, I wish to go outside to see the world and strive for a future."

These words were spoken grandiosely, without a single flaw to pick at.

However, Chen Ran had other calculations in mind.

He had already exploited the Cell Block D for all it was worth.

The internal energy provided by those ordinary prisoners was becoming less and less, and even a demonic cult Saintess of Jiang Mengli's level couldn't be squeezed for much more oil in the short term.

If he wanted to continue growing stronger rapidly, he had to come into contact with higher-Rank prisoners and go to deeper prison cells.

The Demon Suppression Division was undoubtedly an excellent stepping stone.

Li Changfeng looked at Chen Ran deeply, as if trying to see something from his calm face.

A moment later, he nodded, a hint of appreciation appearing in his eyes.

"Good! You have courage!" Li Changfeng patted Chen Ran on the shoulder, "Since you have made up your mind, I will submit your name. Go back and prepare well; participate in the assessment early tomorrow morning."

...

Night faded, and the morning light began to appear.

Chen Ran sat cross-legged on the bed, his breathing long and steady.

The [heavenly book of prison suppression] slowly opened in his mind.

[Participated in the daily patrol of Cell Block D felons, suppressed the prison's Evil Qi, obtained one year of internal energy.]

A pure, hot current appeared out of thin air and flowed into his Dantian.

Boom!

It felt as if an invisible barrier within his body had been shattered in an instant.

One hundred years of internal energy!

True Qi surged and roared within his Meridians, thick as mercury, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

The Bottleneck of the Peak of Rank 6 began to loosen, and the threshold of Rank 5 was within reach.

With just a thought, he could immediately cross that threshold and step into a brand-new Realm.

Chen Ran forced himself to hold back.

Breaking through to Rank 5 would definitely cause quite a commotion.

Especially since he had Cultivated the "Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture"; once he achieved a Breakthrough, it was very likely to trigger the phenomenon of Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

In this prison where there were many people and prying eyes, that would be tantamount to seeking his own death.

He needed to find a secluded place.

Chen Ran slowly opened his eyes and forcibly suppressed the restless True Qi in his body.

He stood up and stretched his limbs, his whole body emitting crisp cracking sounds like popping beans.

Although he hadn't officially made a Breakthrough, the foundation of one hundred years of internal energy gave his strength another qualitative leap.

...

In the outer courtyard of the prison, a dozen or so selected jailers stood in a row.

Except for Chen Ran and a very few jailers, most of the others had been forcibly assigned; they were all dejected, looking as if they were mourning their parents.

Before long, several Demon Suppression Division Centurions strode over from a distance.

The person in the lead had a sinister face and eyes as sharp as a hawk; it was Centurion Zhao Wuji.

He swept a cold glance over the crowd, seeing those jailers who were not strong and had pale faces.

The corners of his mouth curled into a sneer of disdain.

"Just these crooked melons and split dates?" Centurion Zhao Wuji's voice carried undisguised contempt, "The prison is really becoming more and more useless."

The jailers dared to be angry but dared not speak, all lowering their heads.

"Enough nonsense, follow me." Centurion Zhao Wuji turned and walked away, not even having the interest to look at them again.

The group followed Centurion Zhao Wuji through multiple checkpoints and entered the martial arts arena inside the Demon Suppression Division.

Chen Ran followed in the middle of the crowd, observing this area with great interest.

He slightly sensed the other jailers and discovered that their strength was mostly just Rank 9, with only a very few reaching the Rank 8 Realm.

Chen Ran took a closer look at those few Rank 8 jailers; he didn't recognize them, so they must have been from other areas of the prison.

Although he was currently responsible for guarding the Cell Block D, not all jailers and prisoners were locked up here; generally, it was handled according to the principle of proximity.

Simply put, it was the difference between a branch and headquarters; the prison where he was located was a branch relatively close to the Demon Suppression Division.

Bang!

A heavy sound attracted everyone's attention; several men were seen carrying huge stone locks and throwing them onto the ground.

"The first trial, testing Cultivation."

Centurion Zhao Wuji pointed to a row of wooden stakes and several huge stone locks in the center of the arena, "The Demon Suppression Division does not keep trash; those who cannot even reach Rank 9 should get out early."

The assessment method was simple and crude: hitting stakes, lifting iron.

The jailers bit the bullet and stepped forward.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Muffled impact sounds echoed across the martial arts arena.

The results were miserable to behold.

Of the dozen or so jailers, most couldn't even lift the lightest stone lock, and their punches against the wooden stakes were soft and powerless.

Centurion Zhao Wuji's face became uglier and uglier.

"Get out, all of you get out!"

In the blink of an eye, only seven or eight people were left on the field.

It was Chen Ran's turn.

He walked to a medium-sized stone lock, took a deep breath, and gripped the handle of the stone lock with one hand.

True Qi within his body circulated slightly, and a massive force surged into his arm.

Up!

The stone lock, weighing several hundred catties, was lifted over his head by him in an understated manner.

Then, he walked to the wooden stake and casually threw a few punches.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The wooden stake shook violently, emitting an unbearable creaking sound.

Chen Ran deliberately controlled his strength, only displaying power that barely reached Rank 8.

Centurion Zhao Wuji glanced at him and nodded slightly, which counted as approval.

...

"The second trial, testing courage."

Centurion Zhao Wuji led the remaining seven or eight jailers to a gloomy underground entrance.

A bone-chilling cold gushed out from the depths of the cave entrance, accompanied by faint, shrill wails that made one shudder.

"This is the deep layer of the prison, where all sorts of heinous demons and evil spirits are locked up." Centurion Zhao Wuji said coldly, "Your task is to go inside, walk a circle, and come out alive."

He paused, a hint of eeriness added to his tone.

"A word of warning: it is very dangerous inside. If you want to withdraw now, there is still time."

Several jailers looked at each other, their faces pale.

The deep layer of the prison was a Forbidden Ground that even experts from the Demon Suppression Division were unwilling to tread upon easily.

"I... I withdraw!" One jailer finally couldn't bear the pressure and said with a trembling voice.

Once there was a first, there was a second.

In the blink of an eye, a few more people chose to give up.

In the end, only four people remained.

Chen Ran stood where he was, his expression as calm as water, slowly observing the companions around him.

Except for him, the three who remained were the very few jailers who had reached the Rank 8 Realm.

However, at this moment, most of these jailers were also uneasy, looking at the depths of the prison and not daring to move.

Beneath the pitch-black cave entrance, a cold wind howled.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes and slowly stepped inside.