Chapter 50: Escaping to Salvation

"However, since we have already reached a cooperation, Senior should show at least some sincerity," Liang Yan said, his tone suddenly shifting.

"Oh? And how do you propose we do that?"

Liang Yan turned and pointed at Tang Diexian, who was still immersed in the Blood Fiend Puppet Realm, and said, "I must trouble Senior to withdraw your divine ability."

"Hahaha!"

The man in red gave him a meaningful look and said, "I didn't expect you, kid, to be such a sentimentalist!"

Liang Yan remained expressionless, merely cupping his fists and saying, "I request Senior to perform the spell!"

"Fine! I shall grant your wish!" The man in red nodded. "Also, stop calling me 'Senior' this and 'Senior' that; it's annoying. Remember this well: my name is 'Blood Mad'!"

As he spoke, he cast a hand seal toward Tang Diexian. Numerous streaks of red and black turbid qi slowly surged from her nose and mouth. Guided by Blood Mad's spell, they gathered into the palm of his hand.

Liang Yan watched as the red-black turbid qi flew out of Tang Diexian's body. Her furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her breathing became steadier, though she still did not wake.

"Do not worry, she has escaped the illusion, but she was trapped too deeply before. It will take some time for her to awaken," Blood Mad said from the side.

Liang Yan nodded. He calculated silently for a moment, then stepped forward to pick up Tang Diexian, placing her somewhat casually against a wall. He gently brushed the dust from her clothes before walking back to face Blood Mad.

Blood Mad raised his hand and cast a spell, sending a massive surge of spiritual energy toward the teleportation array. Several pillars of light ignited upon the array, and a blue, ring-shaped portal appeared in the center.

"Everything is ready. Kid, are you prepared? Let's lay the cards on the table: if you dare to play tricks, I will ensure your soul and body are both annihilated!"

Liang Yan said respectfully, "I wouldn't dare. Please, Senior, break the array!"

"Good!"

Blood Mad let out a roar and spat out a red orb of light. The orb flew into mid-air, spinning rapidly, followed by a rumbling sound from beneath his feet.

Cracks split across the surface of the stone platform, and blood surged within the fissures like a volcano on the verge of eruption. In the next instant, it was about to burst forth.

Blood Mad's hands moved continuously through various seals. He pointed toward the sky, and the red orb instantly exploded, revealing the object inside: a silver ring-shaped dharma treasure.

As the orb above shattered, the blood within the cracks below erupted like a breached dam, instantly coalescing into a crimson sea.

The scene was utterly bizarre. The stone platform where Blood Mad stood was clearly only about ten feet in length and width, yet the blood surging from beneath it formed a vast ocean above it.

"A ten-foot stone platform is actually supporting an entire ocean?"

Liang Yan thought in astonishment. Though the logic was nonsensical, it was undeniably happening before his eyes—or rather, imprinted upon his mind.

*Rumble!*

The blood sea underwent another change. Seven tombstones rose from seven different locations within the sea, and the entire space became thick with blood fiend qi.

Even though Liang Yan stood on the shore, a single glance at the blood sea caused an unbearable urge to kill to spread through his heart. He turned pale with fright and hurriedly circulated his "Chaos Cultivation Technique" to protect his consciousness, which only slightly eased the sensation.

Blood Mad stood proudly atop the blood sea, enveloped in a sky full of murderous aura like a god of death from hell, as he charged toward the edge of the stone platform.

The four dharma treasures surrounding Blood Mad immediately became alert, as if provoked. They soared into the sky, each emitting a golden light that converged into a golden barrier, pinning Blood Mad firmly inside.

Blood Mad's face was distorted with a crazed expression as he shouted, "You damn monk! You cannot kill me! You cannot seal me! Break!!"

The blood sea rose in massive waves, like a violent storm, sweeping toward the golden light. The gold and red lights clashed fiercely in mid-air, erupting with earth-shattering explosions.

Though the blood sea possessed overwhelming momentum, the Buddhist dharma treasures in the air remained surrounded by divine light, condensed and unyielding. No matter how much momentum was thrown at them, they remained unmoved. The two sides were evenly matched, resulting in a temporary stalemate.

Seeing this, Liang Yan thought to himself, *"These four treasures are indeed extraordinary. Even without a driver, they can achieve this level through their own spiritual intelligence. It seems that Buddhist expert is incredibly powerful; it's likely not as simple as Blood Mad saying his 'cultivation is only a little higher' than hers."*

However, before he could think further, another change occurred.

Blood Mad suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood toward the silver ring treasure. The silver ring instantly glowed with intense blood light. Blood Mad then raised his hands and cast spells toward the seven tombstones. The tombstones shook, and from beneath each one, a blood-colored figure emerged. These seven figures, some wielding blades and others swords, all slashed toward the four treasures in mid-air.

The sounds of *clang, clang, clang!* rang out continuously. The area covered by the golden light gradually shrank while the red light grew brighter, appearing as if it were about to breach the golden barrier's defense. At that moment, the small white jade bottle above the stone platform suddenly vibrated, shooting out a streak of white light that merged into the four Buddhist treasures.

The golden barrier instantly stabilized, and the faint sound of Buddhist chanting could even be heard from the air.

Blood Mad narrowed his eyes, his hand seals shifting. The seven blood figures in mid-air suddenly merged into one, transforming into a blood-colored giant. Holding a mountain-cleaving axe, the giant swung toward the alms bowl among the four treasures.

With an earth-shattering boom, the alms bowl was struck by the axe and pushed several inches away from the sealing array, leaving a vacant spot. After the blood giant finished its strike, it seemed to have exhausted its energy and dissipated in mid-air.

"Now!" Blood Mad roared.

Liang Yan had already understood the plan. He lunged forward, silently chanting a nameless incantation while pushing his "Eightfold Origin Derivation" to its limit. A faint golden light radiated from his entire body, giving him an appearance of solemn, divine majesty.

With a racing heart, he charged toward the golden seal. To his surprise, when the two met, there was no sense of discord; it felt as if they were meant to be together. Liang Yan was easily accepted by the golden light in mid-air and stood in the position originally occupied by the alms bowl.

The alms bowl, having been pushed out of the array, desperately tried to return to its place, but the sealing array had become a unified whole; there was no longer a place for it.

Standing within the array, Liang Yan could clearly feel that he, the small bottle above his head, and the three treasures beside him had become one. Stepping upon the golden light in mid-air, he climbed upward step by step. The surrounding golden light seemed to sense his intent; with every step he took, a golden lotus bloomed beneath his feet, carrying him upward.

One step, two steps, three steps...

Finally, Liang Yan stood before the small white jade bottle. Looking at the supreme treasure before him, a look of greedy excitement crossed his face, and his breathing grew rapid. He slowly reached out his hand toward the white jade bottle.

What he did not see was that Blood Mad, who was below him struggling to resist the seal, had a cold smirk on his face.

*Boom!*

As Liang Yan took the bottle, the entire sealing array shuddered. The golden light in mid-air seemed to lose its support and began to fade. Although Blood Mad appeared to still be exerting all his strength to resist the seal, the pressure he was under was actually gradually decreasing.

"Haha! Congratulations, young friend Liang, on obtaining such an opportunity. In the future, you shall be a hidden dragon taking to the skies, with limitless potential!"

Holding the jade bottle, Liang Yan turned around, his face full of smug satisfaction. "To obtain such a great opportunity, it is all thanks to Senior's efforts. I thank you!"

Blood Mad laughed. "Haha! Young friend Liang is too modest. You possess extraordinary wisdom and a steadfast Dao heart. Previously, your only concern was your own aptitude, but now, having cleansed your marrow and transformed your fate, your future achievements may not be below mine. If you are willing, I would like to become a friend across generations..."

He wanted to say more, but suddenly noticed Liang Yan's eyes shining brightly, looking at him with a half-smile. His heart skipped a beat as he thought, *"Oh no!"*

Before he could react, Liang Yan suddenly turned and, without a moment's hesitation, threw the jade bottle toward the nearby teleportation portal. Simultaneously, he retreated at high speed in the opposite direction, exiting the range of the seal within a few breaths.

As soon as he retreated, the wandering alms bowl immediately returned to its position. The four great treasures once again emitted streaks of golden light, enveloping Blood Mad once more.

"You dare!"

The change happened in the blink of an eye. Liang Yan, who had just been looking smug, had turned around and discarded the True Dragon Essence Blood as if it were trash. Even a figure like Blood Mad could not react in time.

After discarding the small bottle, Liang Yan sprinted toward Tang Diexian. At the same time, his hands formed seals as he muttered incantations, shooting out a streak of blue spiritual light. The light spiraled into the air and instantly vanished into the rocks above, leaving no trace.

Blood Mad's eyes nearly split with rage. He let out a heaven-shaking roar, actually shattering the four treasures in mid-air simultaneously.

Without the support of the True Dragon Essence Blood, the four treasures lost their core and could no longer maintain the array, turning into four streaks of golden light that shot out in different directions.

Seeing this, Liang Yan leaped high while running and reached out to grab one of the golden lights. Upon inspection, it was the Purple-Gold Glazed Lamp!

Having shattered the four Buddhist treasures, Blood Mad spat out a mouthful of blood with a "waah!" sound. His footsteps faltered; clearly, he was not faring well either.

Regaining his composure, he waved his hand, and two red lights flew from his sleeves—one toward Liang Yan, and the other straight toward Tang Diexian on the ground.

A sense of danger flared in Liang Yan's mind. He threw his body to the side, narrowly dodging the first red light. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the other red light was heading straight for Tang Diexian.

He was struck with terror. With no time to think, he moved as if possessed, throwing his body across to block the path of the red light.

With a *puchi* sound, the red light entered his body! Liang Yan took the hit for Tang Diexian, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He scrambled forward until he reached Tang Diexian. At that moment, a ring of blue light suddenly shot down from a fissure in the cave ceiling, illuminating the area near them.

Having taken a hit from Blood Mad, the blood in Liang Yan's body was still churning violently. He reached out to scoop up Tang Diexian, and the two of them rolled on the ground, landing precisely within the circle of light. Immediately after, with a flash of blue light, the two vanished.

"A Minor Teleportation Array!" Blood Mad exclaimed in shock.

He glared ferociously in the direction Liang Yan had fled, then looked toward the teleportation portal where the jade bottle had been thrown, a look of hesitation appearing on his face.

However, in the next moment, he gritted his teeth and turned to charge into the portal where the jade bottle had been cast, vanishing instantly.

Outside the spirit mine, it was already late at night. Starlight spilled from the sky, making everything exceptionally quiet.

A flash of blue light suddenly appeared at the entrance of the mine, revealing two figures: Liang Yan and Tang Diexian.

The array Liang Yan had set up in front of Tang Diexian before entering the spirit mine was indeed a "Minor Teleportation Array"!

He had never trusted Blood Mad from the very beginning. One must remember that Blood Mad practiced Blood Path techniques; while other things might be negotiable, the True Dragon Essence Blood was a dream treasure for him, something he would never allow anyone else to touch.

Liang Yan had seen through Blood Mad's intentions long ago. His repeated conversations with him were merely to secretly calculate the coordinates of the Minor Teleportation Array he had previously set up.

Knowing that Blood Mad was determined to obtain the True Dragon Essence Blood, he deliberately threw the bottle toward the portal, forcing Blood Mad to choose between obtaining the treasure and killing him out of spite.

As it turned out, Liang Yan had gambled correctly. As for whether the other end of that portal truly led to a great Buddhist sect as Blood Mad claimed, that was no longer Liang Yan's concern.

However, although he had escaped from underground, he did not dare to linger for a single moment. He hurriedly picked up Tang Diexian and sprinted toward the foot of the mountain.

That night, people in Yongle Town saw a young man carrying a girl in white into the Laifu Inn in a great hurry. Not long after, he rode out on a swift horse, galloping toward the official road outside of town. And on the young man's shoulder, there was now an additional large, snow-white cat.

(End of Chapter)