Black Prison

Water turns to ice upon being stepped on, and the black-clad figure vanishes without a trace.

Staring at the traces Ran Qingmo left on the lake, the complexity in Xu Yuan's eyes disappeared, replaced by a look of surprise.

The icy energy perceived by Spirit Sight is formless.

The ice crystals that formed on the water's surface seemed to be Ran Qingmo's aerial technique called the Ice Cloud Steps, but strangely, no Source Qi fluctuations could be sensed on the ice crystals under Spirit Sight.

so.

Is this the essence of Tao?

Moreover, it is a Dao essence that does not require the activation of Qi.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan controlled his expression and inwardly gasped, two words subconsciously surfacing in his mind.

Dao Transformation

Ran Qingmo is actually about to break through to the Origin Beginning, and he's even on the path of Dao Transformation!

Compared to other cultivators who have to painstakingly figure out how to break through their cultivation levels, Xu Yuan, although currently only a Body Fusion cultivator, is already thoroughly familiar with all the methods and techniques for advancing in cultivation.

Aside from the method his father didn't give him for breaking through to the Saint rank, he already possessed several other methods for breaking through Mortal Shedding, including the method for Grandmaster to break through to Origin Beginning Origin Beginning.

When Grandmaster breaks through to the Origin Beginning, there is a widely circulated proverb in the world:

Once one reaches the Origin Beginning, entering the realm through martial arts allows one to be reborn from a drop of blood; entering the realm through Qi allows one to solidify one's will and soul, enabling one to leave the body and seize souls.

When he first transmigrated, Xu Yuan took these words seriously, but now he realizes they were just the two initial methods.

Whether one enters the Dao through Qi, martial arts, or any other means, the essence is the same: to integrate the Dao into oneself.

Of course, different breakthrough methods will result in different characteristics.

It's similar to that proverb, but the description in the proverb has been slightly exaggerated.

Among these methods for breaking through the Origin Beginning, the most difficult known path is the Dao Transformation.

Because there are some subtle differences between the methods of Dao Transformation and breaking through ordinary Dao fusion.

"Integrating with the Dao" means merging the essence of the Dao into oneself, while "Dao Transformation" means gradually transforming one's own body into the essence of the Dao.

The most significant characteristic is that the fluctuations of Source Qi are replaced by the essence of the Dao.

Cultivators who break through realms using the method of Dao Transformation have stronger concealment abilities because their Source Qi fluctuations are masked, and they can imbue their every move with Dao essence without needing Source Qi to activate it.

Typical examples include Lou Ji's older sister and Luo Bingli, the semi-saint powerhouse who ambushed and killed him in Huizhou County.

However, this does not mean that cultivators who Dao Transformation are necessarily stronger than those who have reached the Fusion stage.

In Lou Ji's own words

"The fusion of the Dao and the Dao Transformation are merely two different paths. Whether one is powerful or not depends on the individual. Your maternal uncle and elder brother are both at the fusion of the Dao realm, yet there's no one among their peers capable of suppressing them."

Thinking about it, Xu Yuan looked again at the elegant pavilion that stood alone by the lake.

Based on what I sensed with my Spirit Sight, the Big Ice Block should soon break through to the Origin Beginning with the resources allocated to it by the Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion.

He felt a mixture of joy and disappointment, and finally let out a silent sigh.

He'll probably be unable to break through her defenses again soon.

Because of Wang Yuqian's status as a high-ranking official of the third rank in the Ministry of War court, he was able to easily enter the innermost part of the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence, the Dewlight Water Court, which was accessible to outsiders.

This is a complex of buildings built on a huge artificial lake, covering hundreds of acres. The magnificent buildings are connected by corridors over the water. The lake is covered with Xiao He lotus leaves, and koi carp swim among them. You can smell the faint fragrance of the water.

This place, where the Prime Minister's Estate's Mansion held its annual meeting, is also the pinnacle of architectural craftsmanship of this era.

After all, beneath this lake lies a massive dungeon.

This is a traditional skill of the Xu Family.

There is a dungeon beneath the Xu Estate mansion in Jingjiang Prefecture, and there is also one inside the Imperial Capital's Prime Minister's Mansion in the capital.

The difference is that the dungeon in the Xu Estate mansion has no name, while the dungeon under the Prime Minister's Mansion is the Black Prison, one of the three great prisons of the Great Yan, which has many prestigious names.

Yes, that's the Black Prison that imprisoned many remnants of the Burial Village gang.

After being led to this Dewlight Water Court by the steward, they were then led to a rather quiet pavilion, beneath which was a secret passage connecting to the Black Prison.

Looking at the deep tunnel unfolding before him with a rumbling sound, Xu Yuan suddenly remembered a lame joke Lou Ji had told him before.

' Changtian, do you know why the Prime Minister's Mansion's residence's regular meeting is being held in this Dewlight Water Court?'

'Of course, it's to make it easier to throw some incompetent officials into the Black Prison, hehehehe~'

Every year during the annual meeting of the Prime Minister's Mansion's administration, people are escorted from here to the Black Prison, and this year the number is expected to be rather large.

after all,

Father has already said,

This year, there will be a major purge within the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan shook his head slightly and stepped into the Black Prison.

The procedure for entering the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion was much more complicated than Xu Yuan had imagined.

It's like a secret rendezvous between underground party members in a movie.

The old man Wang Yuqian, gave the password at the front, and then entered layer by layer.

But thinking about it, it really does require this much trouble.

After all, he could neither use the identity of the son of the Vice Minister of Ministry of War nor his real identity. Moreover, during the time he returned to the inner courtyard, someone had to take his place as the person Wang Yuqian, the Vice Minister of Ministry of War, had brought back to the Prince's residence.

No step in this process can afford to go wrong.

Following closely behind the guide, Xu Yuan observed the dungeon with great interest.

He had been to the Imperial Edict Prison before, and now he's come to the Black Prison. If he goes to the Heavenly Prison again, he can achieve an achievement called Pure Prison Wind in Cangyuan.

Compared to the stench and bloodlust of the Imperial Edict Prison, the Black Prison tunnel in his own home, though narrow and cramped, was much cleaner, and there was even some incense in the air.

No wonder it's a place directly under the jurisdiction of my older sister Lou Ji.

However, after Xu Yuan used his Spirit Sight to penetrate the sealed prison walls engraved with array patterns, this idea was dispelled.

bloody,

It was extremely bloody.

Due to the powerful vitality of high-level cultivators, there are far more ways to use torture in this world than in the ancient times of the previous life.

"Da da. da."

The three walked silently through the cramped corridors of the Black Prison. Their footsteps echoed far and wide; there were no screams, but the sound was eerie.

As they approached a closed prison cell, Xu Yuan suddenly stopped, glanced at the characters on the prison gate, and a hint of hesitation flickered in his eyes.

Silver Willow Orchid.

Because it was under Lou Ji's jurisdiction, most of the important prisons were named after flowers.

If Xu Yuan's memory serves him correctly, this room, named Silver Willow Orchid, is where an elderly man with white hair and beard is imprisoned.

An old man who acts without restraint, like a child, has a very high level of sophistication.

His name is Nameless.

Of course, this person's real name is definitely not Nameless).

However, in Cangyuan, the character is given the name of an Nameless old man, and players will never know his real name or identity in any of the endings.

As for why this high-class old man was imprisoned in his own home's Black Prison?

hehe

According to the plot of Cangyuan, perhaps this old man named Nameless can be used.

after all,

This person is really quite strong.

If no major changes occur, he'll probably be on par with Lou Ji, his older sister?

Thinking to himself, Xu Yuan chuckled and shook his head, continuing to walk forward, but he did make a mental note of the location.

If he has time, he can try to come and take a look.

The paths within the Black Prison were intricate and complex, but none led directly to the inner courtyard. Xu Yuan and his companions entered only to use it as a passageway without attracting attention.

After several more twists and turns, Xu Yuan finally removed the human skin mask and returned to his own inner courtyard.

Then,

As soon as the door was pushed open,

He then saw Xu Xinyao asleep in his own bed.

Resurrected from near-death!