Escape from Death

Red Cloud took out Azure Parasol Palace and placed it atop the mountain.

Azure Parasol Palace had previously been sealed, and Red Cloud had noticed nothing unusual. Now that the restrictions had been lifted, Azure Parasol Palace had completely opened itself to him.

Next, Red Cloud used his divine sense to scan Azure Parasol Palace over and over, searching for Azure Parasol Ancestor's inheritance.

Through his unremitting efforts, Red Cloud finally found something unusual. It was still hidden within the formation on the domed ceiling of Azure Parasol Palace.

As Red Cloud sensed it while using the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune to analyze it, he discovered that a key to unlock the inheritance was missing.

"Missing a key? Then where is the key?"

After pondering for a moment, a flash of inspiration struck Red Cloud. He suddenly thought of the crystal Azure Parasol Ancestor had dropped. Could that crystal be the key to opening the inheritance?

Red Cloud took out the crystal and sent it toward the ceiling that resembled a Starry Sky. As expected, the formation on the ceiling reacted.

Several thousand Star Divine Beads detached from the ceiling and revolved around the crystal, directly forming a cultivation technique.

Red Cloud muttered, "Azure Parasol Scripture?!"

Judging by its name, it should have been Azure Parasol Ancestor's cultivation technique. Red Cloud used the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune to record it.

The changes had not ended. A moment later, the several thousand Star Divine Beads began moving again, evolving one divine ability and Dao technique after another, while the crystal gradually wore away.

By the time the crystal had been completely ground away, the Illustrated Record of Literary Fortune had recorded a total of twenty-seven cultivation manuals. They covered Primordial Spirit cultivation, magical power cultivation, divine abilities, alchemy, artifact refinement, formations, and other profound arts of the mystic sects.

After the crystal vanished, the several thousand Star Divine Beads returned to the ceiling, and that trace of abnormality disappeared as well.

"This harvest is enormous."

A delighted expression appeared on Red Cloud's face. The Azure Parasol Scripture alone was enough to thrill him beyond measure.

This cultivation technique contained cultivation insights and specific methods from the Heavenly Immortal realm all the way to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm. It would provide unimaginable help in creating the eighth transformation of the Red Cloud Dao Scripture, the Hunyuan Golden Immortal section.

Besides the Azure Parasol Scripture, there was another manual specifically detailing the formations Azure Parasol Ancestor had left on Azure Parasol Mountain.

The Azure Parasol Mountain Range contained countless formations and restrictions laid down by Azure Parasol Ancestor. However, with no one controlling them, most of those formations and restrictions were dormant.

To activate them, one either had to attack them directly and trigger their response mechanisms, activating them passively, or have someone activate them again.

Red Cloud found the method to control them within the inheritance.

After studying it, Red Cloud learned that the grand formation guarding Azure Parasol Ancestor's Daoist grounds was a Hunyuan Golden Immortal-level formation.

However, after the erosion of time and changes in the environment, the power of the guardian formation had inevitably declined.

Even so, if a Great Luo Golden Immortal wanted to break through the formation guarding this Daoist ground, they would need at least three to five years.

Aside from the guardian formation, there was also a grand teleportation formation in the mountain range. Azure Parasol Ancestor had set it up when he was still weak, specifically to leave himself a path of survival.

However, Azure Parasol Ancestor had never used it. He had risen smoothly to become a Great Luo Golden Immortal without ever encountering a life-or-death crisis, so the teleportation formation had naturally gone unused.

The teleportation formation had been built by Azure Parasol Ancestor for escape. It was later upgraded many times, and even Great Luo Golden Immortals could not detect its changes.

"Heaven never seals off every path!"

Red Cloud was overjoyed. He immediately followed the method in the inheritance and found the location of the teleportation formation.

But Red Cloud did not leave in a hurry, because he had another idea: activate every formation, trap the Immortal Crane, and buy himself time to escape.

He acted at once. Red Cloud began activating the guardian formations. There were thirty-six formations in total, including killing formations, trapping formations, illusion formations, maze formations, and more. Every one of them had been personally arranged by Azure Parasol Ancestor and possessed extraordinary power.

Red Cloud activated the formations one by one, linking them together and allowing them to amplify one another. When the final formation was activated, the entire barren mountain trembled, and a terrifying aura shot skyward from within it.

Sensing that aura outside, the Immortal Crane frowned slightly. "What is that brat up to?"

The Immortal Crane rose to his feet. Annihilation Divine Light unfurled behind him as he prepared to strike at any moment.

On the other side, Red Cloud exhaled a breath of stale air. All the guardian formations had been activated. With their power, they could trap a Great Luo Golden Immortal for at least two or three years.

"Two or three years is enough for me to get far away."

Red Cloud did not delay. He immediately followed the inheritance's guidance and found the teleportation formation.

Standing atop the teleportation formation, Red Cloud poured in his magical power. The surrounding space twisted, and he vanished instantly.

When Red Cloud appeared again, he was already in an unfamiliar valley hundreds of millions of miles away.

The valley was not large, surrounded by mountains on all sides. A small stream flowed through it, its water so clear that the bottom was visible.

Red Cloud drew a deep breath. Fresh air flooded his lungs, instantly refreshing his spirit.

"Haha, I finally escaped."

Red Cloud sighed inwardly, but he did not linger. The Immortal Crane might discover his escape at any moment. He had to leave as quickly as possible and find somewhere safe to hide.

Red Cloud used the Earth Escape Technique, sank underground, and continued fleeing southeast, in the direction of Buzhou Mountain.

This time, Red Cloud still did not fly. Flying made too large a target and would be easily discovered. Earth escape was slower, but it was far more concealed.

Meanwhile, the Immortal Crane waited outside the barren mountain for a long time. When Red Cloud did not emerge, he finally lost his patience.

"Hmph. Let's see how long you can hide."

The Immortal Crane rose with a cold expression. Annihilation Divine Light swept out fiercely behind him and slammed directly into the barren mountain.

Boom! Boom!

The void around the barren mountain twisted, and formation patterns emerged one after another. The thirty-six guardian formations had been triggered.

At the same time, the illusion formation shrouding the barren mountain was lifted, revealing a magnificent and striking mountain range before the Immortal Crane.

Protected by the grand formations, the Immortal Crane's Destruction Divine Light did not harm Azure Parasol Mountain in the slightest.

The Immortal Crane frowned slightly. He had not expected these formations to be so sturdy, but he did not take them too seriously.

Annihilation Divine Light swept out once more. This time, he used his full strength, and the guardian formation rippled faintly.

The Immortal Crane muttered, "Only at the level of a Peak-Stage Great Luo Golden Immortal? It has declined this far?"

Having tested the guardian formation's strength, the Immortal Crane did not continue attacking. Instead, he called out loudly, "You bald Daoist, hand over the Parasol Tree, and I will spare your life. Otherwise, do not blame me for using your soul as a lamp."

There was no response from within the formation. The Immortal Crane had no idea Red Cloud had already escaped. Thinking that Red Cloud was refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, he stopped holding back.

What followed was the Immortal Crane's frenzied assault on the formations.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

One year, two years, three years... the Azure Parasol Mountain Range finally could not endure any longer. It collapsed with a deafening crash, sending shattered rocks flying everywhere.

At the instant the mountain collapsed, the Immortal Crane's divine sense swept through the ruins, yet he found no trace of Red Cloud.

"Hm? That brat got away?!"

The Immortal Crane's expression became extremely ugly.

He was a dignified Great Luo Golden Immortal, yet a Taiyi Golden Immortal had escaped right under his nose. If word got out, where would he put his face?

Thinking of this, the Immortal Crane burned with anger. He spread his divine sense with all his strength, covering a million-mile radius, but after searching every inch of land, he still could not find Red Cloud.