Chapter 317: Breaking Into the Blood God Clan's Forbidden Grounds, Destroying a Grandmaster Level Spiritual Array
"Ah, I'm finally fully recovered!"
In a secluded valley on the Western Heaven Continent, Xiao Tiance stood up slowly within the massive spiritual array. From his storage ring, he retrieved fresh clothes, which he donned neatly. Channeling his spiritual energy, he swiftly grew a head of jet black hair. Only when it reached shoulder length did he stop.
"Full recovery. Based on the Great Thousand World's system of cultivation, my current level should correspond to Peak Earth Supreme Realm." Xiao Tiance muttered, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
With a wave of his left hand, the swirling spiritual array dissipated in an instant.
A Missed Opportunity
As the array disappeared, Xiao Tiance summoned Qinghou, who appeared by his side almost immediately. After sensing Qinghou's energy briefly, Xiao Tiance couldn't help but feel a hint of regret.
The Heavenly Demon Puppet had the unique ability to absorb the power of heavenly lightning, using it to evolve further. If the earlier heavenly thunder had been manageable, Xiao Tiance would have let Qinghou soak in the lightning, possibly pushing its strength even higher.
"Such a shame," Xiao Tiance sighed. "The power of that lightning was far too terrifying. A single misstep, and I would've fallen. Otherwise, I could've let Qinghou absorb some of its energy."
With a flick of his wrist, Xiao Tiance vanished with Qinghou.
The Blood God Clan's Dungeon
In the Blood God Clan's territory, Xiao Xuan lay on the brink of death inside a dark dungeon. Although Xue Lingzi, the Blood God Clan patriarch, had ordered the clan to focus on preparing for the upcoming Ancient Secret Realm, Xue Yi, one of the clan's leaders, was determined to extract the method for crafting spiritual array tokens from Xiao Xuan.
This knowledge was vital to increasing their chances in the Secret Realm, and Xue Yi had been interrogating Xiao Xuan daily.
Despite the relentless torture, Xiao Xuan remained unyielding.
Stubborn Resolve
Outside the dungeon, Xue Yi's expression darkened as he glanced at the emaciated and battered Xiao Xuan. Over the past few days, he had used every conceivable method to break him, but Xiao Xuan's willpower remained unshaken.
"My patience is running thin," Xue Yi growled. "You have half a month left. If you don't talk by then, I'll resort to soul searching techniques. If you die in the process, don't blame me for not giving you a chance."
Xiao Xuan chuckled weakly, his face a mix of defiance and amusement. His condition was grim, but ten days ago, he had felt the activation of the positioning jade pendant he had swallowed. That glimmer of light meant only one thing help was on the way.
"You can try," Xiao Xuan rasped.
Agitated by Xiao Xuan's unflinching attitude, Xue Yi snorted coldly and stormed off.
Left alone, Xiao Xuan focused on the faint glow within him. The light was growing stronger.
"Blood God Clan… wait and see. This debt will be repaid in full," he murmured, determination burning in his eyes.
Outside the Dungeon
Hovering in the void above the Blood God Clan's territory, Xiao Tiance and Qinghou were concealed by spiritual arrays designed to mask their presence. Unless they actively released their energy, even a Heavenly Supreme expert would struggle to detect them.
Scanning the structures below, Xiao Tiance noticed a concealed Grandmaster Level Spiritual Array.
"Hmm, no wonder my positioning jade pendant's signal was occasionally disrupted," Xiao Tiance thought. "This array is easy enough to dismantle, but doing so without alerting the Blood God Clan will be tricky."
Turning to Qinghou, Xiao Tiance issued a silent command. In an instant, Qinghou shot out of the void, descending toward the ground with incredible speed.
As Qinghou neared the array, he released his energy in full force.
A Stir in the Blood God Clan
The concealed spiritual array was immediately triggered, its glow spreading across the Blood God Clan's territory. Simultaneously, three powerful Earth Supreme auras erupted from nearby.
"Who dares trespass in the forbidden grounds of the Blood God Clan?"
"Boom!"
Qinghou landed with a resounding impact, unleashing a punch directly onto the array. The sheer force shook the ground, causing the entire structure encased by the array to tremble violently.
"How dare you!"
A figure darted toward Qinghou with blinding speed. With a single palm strike, the figure sent Qinghou flying. The sound of metal clashing reverberated as Qinghou crashed into the distance, unharmed but momentarily staggered.
From his vantage point, Xiao Tiance observed the figure's aura and immediately identified him as Xue Lingzi, the patriarch of the Blood God Clan and a High Earth Supreme.
Within moments, several other figures appeared, including two Low Earth Supremes. The rest were weaker Supremes, mere foot soldiers who posed no threat to either Xiao Tiance or Qinghou.
Evaluating the Opposition
"Impressive," Xiao Tiance thought with a smirk. "Even now, the Blood God Clan has three Earth Supremes. In The Great Ruler, when Mu Chen encountered them, they already had eight Earth Supremes, including Xue Lingzi.
"No wonder even a mere Blood God Clan prince dared to look down on the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. With such strength, they had the backing to act arrogantly."
His smirk deepened. "Unfortunately, they've provoked the wrong person. Let's see how you measure up."
Had the Blood God Clan already reached its peak strength of eight Earth Supremes, Xiao Tiance might have hesitated to confront them head on. But in their current state, he was more than confident in his ability to take them down.
The Distraction
However, Xiao Tiance knew he first needed to assess Xiao Xuan's condition. If the Blood God Clan used Xiao Xuan's life as leverage, it could complicate matters.
With this in mind, he directed Qinghou to retreat, intending to draw the Earth Supremes away.
"Swish!"
Qinghou launched himself into the distance with immense force, leaving behind a shockwave.
"You think you can leave so easily?" Xue Lingzi growled. "This is the Blood God Clan's territory. If I let you escape unscathed, where would that leave our reputation?"
Blood Lingzi, the patriarch of the Blood God Clan, led his forces in pursuit of Qinghou. Despite Qinghou not using divine abilities or combat arts, his agility as a Heavenly Demon Puppet matched that of an ordinary Lower Earth Supreme.
If not for material limitations during his creation, Qinghou would have reached the Earth Supreme realm. Even so, his physical body was on par with that of a Battle Emperor.
In his era, Qinghou had been a prodigy of unparalleled talent. That his identity was instantly recognized by Ling'er even after tens of thousands of years spoke volumes about his once legendary status.
As Qinghou fled, drawing Blood Lingzi and his men away, Xiao Tiance emerged from the void.
Breaking the Array
Manipulating Qinghou to dodge the Blood God Clan's attacks, Xiao Tiance began crafting an intricate spiritual pattern with swift hand seals. In less than two seconds, a complete spiritual array appeared on his palm.
With a low hum, the spiritual pattern fused with the array protecting the Blood God Clan's forbidden grounds. The array trembled slightly before allowing Xiao Tiance to pass through its barrier as if it didn't exist.
Inside, following the guidance of his positioning jade pendant, Xiao Tiance made his way to the dungeon where Xiao Xuan was held.
Xiao Xuan's Rescue
Before long, he reached a massive stone gate. While he couldn't see Xiao Xuan directly, the pendant's signal confirmed Xiao Xuan was inside.
Activating his spiritual power, Xiao Tiance scanned the dungeon with his soul sense. The layout materialized in his mind, revealing two Supreme guards and several lesser cultivators who had passed through minor life and death tribulations.
With a clear picture of the situation, Xiao Tiance pressed his palm against the stone gate.
The gate opened with a deep rumble, and before the guards could react, a burst of overwhelming soul energy radiated from Xiao Tiance.
The sheer intensity of his soul power, enhanced by soul arts, was too much for the guards and other prisoners to bear. They fell unconscious instantly, leaving the path to Xiao Xuan completely unobstructed.
Reunited
Arriving at Xiao Xuan's cell, Xiao Tiance spotted his cousin. Despite his haggard appearance, Xiao Xuan managed a weak grin.
"Tiance, you've finally come. I've been waiting for you," Xiao Xuan said hoarsely.
"It's been a while, Brother Xuan. You've suffered enough," Xiao Tiance replied, smiling warmly.
Although Xiao Xuan looked frail, Xiao Tiance could see that his essence remained intact. A bit of rest and medicine would suffice to restore him.
Summoning the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame, Xiao Tiance ignited the flames in his hand.
With a loud whoosh, the prison door melted into molten metal upon contact with the fire.
Recovery
Entering the cell, Xiao Tiance melted the chains binding Xiao Xuan. From his storage ring, he produced a jade bottle and handed a pill to Xiao Xuan.
"Brother Xuan, this pill contains immense energy. You'll need to guide it with your internal qi to stabilize its effects," Xiao Tiance instructed.
Xiao Xuan nodded without hesitation. After swallowing the pill, he sat cross legged, focusing on channeling its restorative energy. His wounds began healing rapidly, his vitality returning.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance's expression turned serious. "Brother Xuan, we need to leave quickly. I used Qinghou to lure away the Blood God Clan's strongest, but they've trapped him. I can't let them destroy my puppet."
"Understood," Xiao Xuan agreed, rising to his feet. Though still weak, he no longer needed support.
Breaking Out
As they exited the cell, a group of Blood God Clan members surrounded them.
Xiao Tiance didn't waste words. With a powerful stomp, he directed his energy at the Grandmaster level array surrounding the area.
Crack!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the array's light barrier, spreading rapidly. Within two seconds, the once imposing spiritual array was covered in fractures.
Boom!
The array shattered completely.
Intimidation
"What?! That array was designed by a Grandmaster! How could it break so easily?"
The gathered Blood God Clan members were stunned. The Grandmaster who had set up the array had boasted that it could withstand anything short of a Heavenly Supreme's assault. Yet Xiao Tiance had destroyed it with a single strike.
"Are you satisfied with the little demonstration I just gave?" Xiao Tiance asked, smiling faintly.
Blood Lingzi, leading the group, narrowed his eyes in fear. The other clan members, too, were filled with apprehension.
"You've gone too far," Blood Lingzi growled. "Breaking into our forbidden grounds and destroying the array we paid dearly for isn't that excessive?"
"Excessive?" Xiao Tiance chuckled lightly. "I think not. After all, my cousin, Xiao Xuan, was your guest for so many days. How could I not leave a 'gift' to thank you for your hospitality?"
Swift Retaliation
Before Blood Lingzi could respond, Xiao Tiance's figure disappeared. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared beside Blood Eye, one of the Blood God Clan elites holding Qinghou captive.
"Watch out!" Blood Lingzi shouted, but it was too late.
Xiao Tiance freed Qinghou from Blood Eye's grasp with ease, then delivered a devastating kick to Blood Eye's head.
Bang!
Blood Eye was sent crashing into the ground, his skull swollen grotesquely.
Qinghou Unleashed
With Qinghou freed, Xiao Tiance examined the restraints that had bound him. A single palm strike shattered the seals, allowing Qinghou to move freely again.
"Thank you, Master," Qinghou said, rolling his shoulders to loosen up before silently taking his place beside Xiao Xuan.
Blood Lingzi's expression darkened as he muttered to himself, "This man... even without revealing his full aura, his speed and strength suggest he's at least a Peak High Earth Supreme perhaps stronger."
Xiao Tiance, however, had no intention of clarifying his power level. He turned his gaze to the Blood God Clan and spoke in a calm, commanding tone:
"Shall we continue?"
(End of Chapter)
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