Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Escape
BOOM!
In an instant, a scorching blaze erupted, turning the two guards’ bodies to ash on the spot.
After that, Zhang Chi quickly returned to his hiding spot.
He dug up some Middle Grade ore and a piece of refined Cold Iron that he had buried there.
Then, he placed his hands on two small bags and violently poured his Spiritual Power into them.
CRACK!
CRACK!
With two crisp sounds, the Spiritual Power Seals inside the small bags were instantly shattered.
Zhang Chi felt a strange new connection form between himself and the two bags.
Of course, this was only possible because the bags’ previous owners had low Cultivations and were already dead. The Spiritual Power Seals on them were incredibly weak, which was why he could achieve Refinement so quickly.
’So they are Storage Bags. This is much more convenient!’
Zhang Chi’s Divine Sense swept over them, and he instantly "saw" a one-zhang-square space inside each of the bags.
Inside were some of the guards’ belongings, which took up little room. Most of the space was empty.
Zhang Chi was overjoyed but didn’t have time to inspect them closely. He activated his Exorcism Technique, and with a wave of his hand, he pulled the Ore and Cold Iron over, placing them inside the Storage Bags.
’How miraculous!’
Zhang Chi had expected this, but he was still amazed.
But he had no time to dawdle. He immediately used the Wind Manipulation Technique and rushed toward the mine’s exit.
"Senior Brother Ma, Senior Brother Wang, this is bad! A Tier One Late Stage Demon Beast has appeared in the mine! The captain said to go provide support immediately. I’m going to find the Senior Brother Manager now!"
Soon, Zhang Chi reached the entrance and saw the two guards on duty from a distance.
They were startled to see his face covered in blood.
But before they could speak, Zhang Chi beat them to it, shouting anxiously.
"What?"
"Alright, Junior Brother Zhao, we’re on our way. You hurry up, too."
The two guards’ expressions changed drastically, and they hastily charged deep into the mine.
It was clear they had mistaken Zhang Chi for a fellow guard.
Because Zhang Chi was wearing a guard’s uniform and his face was covered in blood, they couldn’t get a clear look at him.
The fact that Zhang Chi called out their names made them not even think twice.
The news of a Tier One Late Stage Demon Beast had also captured most of their attention.
’Yes, it worked! But I can’t celebrate too early. The next step is the most critical.’
Zhang Chi was ecstatic, but he didn’t dare to relax in the slightest. He immediately bolted out of the mine.
It turned out his plan had been to kill a guard today and impersonate him.
The idea to use blood to cover his face was inspired by the day he saw Xiao Yunhong kill Brother Zhou, whose face had been covered in blood.
As for the Tier One Late Stage Demon Beast, it was, of course, a fabrication meant to scare them and lure them away.
Naturally, this was also thanks to him getting a clear picture of the guards’ situation from Xiao Yunhong over the past few days.
He’d had Xiao Yunhong draw pictures of the guards.
Plus, with the memories of this body’s previous owner, he was able to recognize those two guards at a glance.
Otherwise, facing two Qi Cultivation Middle Stage cultivators, he would have had no way past them without using the Blood Escape Technique to force a breakthrough.
Just then, he noticed it was quiet outside the mine; there wasn’t a soul in sight.
The Mining Slaves should all be in the dungeons, and most of the guards had gone into the mine.
Piled up in the open area outside were large amounts of cold iron ore. The Middle Grade and Low Grade Ore were even stacked separately.
SWISH!
His eyes lit up. He immediately went forward and quickly collected the Middle Grade cold iron ore.
In the blink of an eye, his two new Storage Bags were filled with cold iron ore.
The output of Middle Grade ore was low to begin with, and after he collected it all, there was almost none left.
’I can’t believe this month’s Ore hasn’t been shipped out yet. I’m rich!’
Zhang Chi was thrilled but didn’t dare to delay. He kept sprinting and soon reached the edge of the mining camp.
From here, he could see the mountain forest directly, but he formed a Seal with his hands and wiped it across his eyes. A flicker of Fire shone in his pupils, and he immediately saw a transparent light curtain.
This light curtain enveloped the entire mining camp. It was the Mineral Protection Array.
The Array was said to be only Tier One Peak and was only in a half-active state. It didn’t block rain, daylight, or streams, but it could prevent living creatures from passing in or out.
If fully activated, it could even hold off a Foundation Establishment Early Stage expert for a while.
For Zhang Chi, this Array was the biggest obstacle and the final barrier.
If this Array hadn’t been perpetually half-active, he would have used his Blood Escape Technique long ago, transforming into a streak of blood and easily rushing out when the Mining Slaves finished work.
Fortunately, the Array’s Level was low. As long as one had a guard’s Identity Token, they could pass through.
Zhang Chi had taken a Token precisely for the purpose of getting through this Protective Array.
At this moment, he immediately withdrew the strange snake that was following nearby into his sleeve, took out an Identity Token, and poured his Spiritual Power into it.
WHOOSH!
The Token instantly shot a beam of light into the Array Light Curtain.
The light curtain trembled, and a gap finally appeared, gradually widening.
"Which fellow disciple is that? Where are you going?"
Just then, two Qi Cultivation Middle Stage guards on patrol in the camp were alerted by the disturbance from the Array and walked over, looking puzzled.
"Wait, there’s something wrong with your aura. You’re not one of our fellow disciples!"
"Who are you? How do you have an Identity Token from our Cyan Cloud Sect? Stop! Don’t run!"
The next moment, before Zhang Chi could even respond, their expressions changed. They shouted coldly and charged toward him.
It turned out that because Zhang Chi cultivated the Blood Flame Technique, his aura was completely different from that of an ordinary guard.
Even with the Qi Concealment Technique, he couldn’t hide from two Qi Cultivation Middle Stage guards.
Moreover, he had the strange snake with him, a Spirit Beast that wouldn’t conceal its own aura.
On top of that, his actions were already suspicious.
Therefore, out of caution, the two patrolling guards used the Celestial Eye Technique. One look was all it took for them to realize something was wrong with him.
After all, unlike the previous two guards, their attention hadn’t been diverted by Zhang Chi, so they hadn’t missed so many details.
BOOM!
BOOM!
They were even quite decisive, immediately conjuring a ball of Fire and a streak of Gold light to attack Zhang Chi.
SWOOSH...
But unfortunately for them, Zhang Chi didn’t even turn his head. He directly used the Blood Escape Technique at full power and was instantly enveloped in a bloody light.
His body then shrank, and he flew out of the half-man-high gap in the Array as fast as lightning.
As for their Magic, it was a step too late and hit nothing but air.
"Damn it, there really is something wrong with this guy! He’s using the Blood Escape Technique!"
"He’s a Demon Cultivator! He reeks of blood. He must have killed our people, otherwise he wouldn’t be wearing the clothes of our Cyan Cloud Sect disciples!"
"After him!"
The two guards were furious and astounded. They immediately charged out of the Array together.
But in the next moment, they discovered to their dismay that the bloody Escape Light was already extremely far away. In the blink of an eye, even its shadow was gone.
"Damn it!"
"How can a Qi Cultivation Third Layer cultivator run so fast? What Level has he cultivated his Blood Escape Technique to?"
"Could he be hiding his true Cultivation?"
The two guards were dumbfounded, filled with a mix of anger, disbelief, and even a little lingering fear.
"Let’s go. His Escape Technique is too fast, we’ll never catch him. Even if we did, we might not win. We should report this to the Senior Brother Manager and the others!"
"It’s the only way!"
Filled with shock and suspicion, the two guards decisively gave up the chase and returned to the mining camp.
