Black Prison

Water turned to ice beneath her step, and the black-clad figure was gone. Staring at the tracks Ran Qingmo had left across the lake's surface, the complicated feelings in the depths of Xu Yuan's eyes dissipated, replaced by a flash of astonishment. Perceived through his spiritual vision, the ice qi had no tangible form. The ice crystals forming over the water appeared to be her Ice Cloud Steps—the technique Ran Qingmo had used before to walk on air. Yet strangely, beneath his spiritual vision, not the slightest fluctuation of Source Qi could be detected on the crystals. So... Was this Dao charm? And a Dao charm that did not need to be activated by a qi dynamic at that? At the thought, Xu Yuan kept his expression carefully controlled while inwardly drawing a sharp breath. Two words surfaced instinctively in his mind. Dao transformation. Ran Qingmo was actually on the verge of breaking through to the Origin Realm, and she was even treading the path of Dao transformation! Unlike ordinary cultivators who had to fumble through the dark on their own to figure out how to break through realms, Xu Yuan, despite being a mere cultivator of Body Integration at present, knew all the various methods and cultivation paths for advancement by heart. Apart from the method of breaking through to the Saint Tier, which his old man had kept from him, he possessed several methods for every other realm breakthrough—even for stepping from the Origin Realm into the Transcendent Realm—not to mention the path for a Grandmaster to break through to the Origin Realm. There was a widely circulating proverb in this world regarding a Grandmaster breaking through to the Origin Realm: *Upon reaching the Origin, one who enters through martial prowess can achieve rebirth from a drop of blood; one who enters through qi can solidify intent and soul, projecting the spirit to seize souls.* When he had first transmigrated, Xu Yuan had taken those words quite literally. But looking back now, those were merely the two earliest known methods. Whether entering the Dao through qi, martial prowess, or any other path, the essence remained the same: integrating the Dao charm into oneself. Naturally, different methods of breakthrough granted different traits. They were largely consistent with the proverb, though its descriptions had been embellished with some exaggeration. Among these methods of breaking through to the Origin Realm, the most difficult known path was Dao transformation. This was because there were subtle differences between Dao transformation and the ordinary method of Dao fusion. Dao fusion meant integrating the Dao charm into one's own body, whereas Dao transformation meant gradually transforming one's body into the Dao charm itself. The most prominent sign of this was that fluctuations of Source Qi would be replaced by Dao charm. A cultivator who broke through via Dao transformation gained far superior concealment because their Source Qi fluctuations were masked. Furthermore, every movement they made could carry Dao charm without needing Source Qi to drive it. The prime examples were that older sister Lou Ji, and Luo Bingli, the Semi-Saint expert who had ambushed him in Huizhou County. However, this did not mean a cultivator of Dao transformation was necessarily stronger than one of Dao fusion. As Lou Ji had put it back then: "Dao fusion and Dao transformation are merely two different paths. Whether one is powerful depends on the individual. Your uncle and eldest brother both reached their realm through Dao fusion, yet none in the same tier can suppress them." With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan looked once more toward the pavilion standing solitary by the lake. Judging by what his spiritual vision had sensed just now, the big ice block would likely break through to the Origin Realm very soon, backed by the vast resources tilted in her favor by the Prime Minister's Manor. Joy and mixed feelings mingled in his heart, ultimately settling into a silent sigh. Soon enough, he probably wouldn't be able to scratch through her defenses again... Thanks to Wang Yuqian's status as Vice Minister of War—a court official of the third rank—they smoothly entered Luguang Water Courtyard, the deepest compound in the Prime Minister's Manor accessible to outsiders. This was a sprawling architectural complex built over a massive artificial lake, covering several hundred mu. Palatial halls and jade pavilions were interconnected by winding covered walkways stretching across the water. Small lotus leaves dotted the lake's surface, koi swam lazily among them, and a faint, fragrant freshness rose from the water. This was where the high-ranking members of the Chancellor's Manor held their annual assembly, and it was also the pinnacle of architectural craftsmanship in this era. After all, beneath this lake lay a massive underground prison. A classic piece of the old Xu family's heritage, so to speak. There was a dungeon beneath the Xu Manor in Jingjiang, and there was one here in the Imperial Capital's Prime Minister's Manor as well. The slight difference was that the dungeon in the Jingjiang Xu Manor had no name, while the dungeon beneath the Prime Minister's Manor was the Black Prison, one of the Great Yan's Three Prisons, draped in many notorious reputations. Yes, the very Black Prison where many remnants of the Burial Village were held. After the steward led them to Luguang Water Courtyard, another attendant promptly guided them into a quiet pavilion. Beneath that pavilion was a secret passage leading directly to the Black Prison. Watching the deep passage open before him with a rumbling sound, Xu Yuan suddenly recalled a dark joke Lou Ji had once told him. "Changtian, do you know why the manor's regular assemblies are held here in Luguang Water Courtyard?" "To make it convenient to toss useless freeloaders straight into the Black Prison, of course! Hehehehe~" Every year during the manor leadership's regular assembly, someone would be escorted from here into the Black Prison. And this year, the number of people going in would probably be quite large... After all, his father had already said that a major purge would sweep through the Prime Minister's Manor this year. At the thought, Xu Yuan gave a slight shake of his head and stepped into the Black Prison. The procedure for entering the manor's inner courtyard was far more complicated than Xu Yuan had imagined. It felt like an underground agent meeting in a spy film. The old fellow Wang Yuqian walked ahead, exchanging secret countersigns as they descended layer by layer. Yet on second thought, such trouble was indeed necessary. After all, he could neither use the identity of the Vice Minister of War's son nor his true identity. Moreover, during the time he returned to the inner courtyard, someone had to take his place so that Wang Yuqian could be seen escorting "his son" back to the Wang residence. Not a single link in the chain could afford the slightest mistake. Following behind the guide the entire way, Xu Yuan surveyed the underground prison with keen interest. He had already visited the Imperial Prison before, and now he was in the Black Prison. If he could manage a trip to the Heavenly Prison as well, he would unlock an achievement called "All-Around Convict" back in Cangyuan. Compared to the Imperial Prison, which reeked everywhere of stench and blood, the tunnel of his family's Black Prison, though cramped and narrow, was far cleaner and more hygienic. There was even a faint scent of incense in the air. As expected of a place directly under Lou Ji's jurisdiction. However, once Xu Yuan used his spiritual vision to peer through the sealed cell walls engraved with array formations, that impression was instantly shattered. Bloody. Extremely bloody. Given the astonishing vitality of high-tier cultivators, the tortures available in this world were vastly more creative than those of ancient times in his past life. *Tap, tap... tap...* The three of them walked in silence through the cramped corridor of the Black Prison. Their footsteps echoed far into the distance. There were no screams, yet the stillness was eerie. Coming to a stop before a sealed cell, Xu Yuan lifted his eyes to glance at the characters inscribed on the cell door, a faint trace of hesitation flickering in his gaze. Silver Willow Orchid. Since it fell under Lou Ji's management, the important cells were mostly named after flowers. And if Xu Yuan's memory served him correctly, the room called Silver Willow Orchid held an old man with snow-white hair and beard. An eccentric who acted with complete abandon like a child, yet carried an extraordinarily high aura of mystique. His name was Wuming. Of course, his real name was certainly not Wuming. But Cangyuan had simply given him the moniker of "Nameless Old Man," and across all the different game endings, players never learned his true name or identity. As for why such a formidable, enigmatic figure was imprisoned in his family's Black Prison? Heh. According to the plot in Cangyuan, perhaps this old man named Wuming could be put to use. After all, this person was genuinely strong. Barring any massive deviations, he was probably evenly matched with Lou Ji? Musing silently, Xu Yuan chuckled, shook his head, and continued forward, though he made a mental note of the location. When he had time, he could try coming back to take a look. The paths within the Black Prison were labyrinthine, but there was no road leading directly into the inner courtyard; the three of them had only entered to pass through unnoticed. After several transfers, Xu Yuan finally removed his human-skin mask and returned to his own inner courtyard. Then, the moment he pushed open his bedroom door, he saw Xu Xinyao fast asleep in his bed. Revived on critical health!