Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 510 Re-entering the Forbidden Area
Liang Jin led the group into the cave and returned to the same spot.

soon.

The stone tablet warning "Do Not Enter" had already come into his view.

At this moment, Zhao Xiling in his hands suddenly let out a muffled groan:
"Um……"

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin noticed that the expressions on the faces of Zhao Xiling, Shen Cangming, Mu Mu, Wen Hengrong, and the others had begun to change.

This change is like a person on the verge of waking up.

Their appearance was completely different from their previous dazed state when they were fully immersed in the illusion.

This made Liang Jin think:
"Could it be... that the most effective way to escape the illusion is distance?"

"As long as you leave the area affected by the power that causes hallucinations, you can automatically break free from the illusion?"

Liang Jin immediately led everyone to continue forward.

As they continued forward, the signs that the group was about to wake up became increasingly clear.

Soon, they had already crossed the stone tablet that warned them not to enter.

After passing the stone tablet, everyone even began to slowly open their eyes.

So Liang Jin put everyone on the ground, then took off the "Si" mask from his own face and put it away.

After Zhao Xiling opened her eyes, she looked around blankly:

"I have already ascended the throne as Empress... and we are currently discussing the matter of launching a military campaign..."

Why...are you here?

Shen Cangming also looked confused. He opened his mouth, but hesitated several times before speaking.

Clearly, he was also filled with deep confusion.

After Wen Hengrong clearly saw the situation around her, she looked even more panicked:
How did I get back to this place?

"I left this cave years ago, I got married and had children, so who brought me back here?"

Where is my husband? Where are my children?

Wen Hengrong screamed and searched around, clearly not yet recovered.

Compared to the panic of the crowd, the divine doctor Mu Mu was the calmest.

After a moment of confusion, he seemed to have figured out the situation:

"A dream... Was everything I just experienced an illusion?"

"I need to think carefully about when I started to fall into hallucinations and what made me fall for it without even realizing it?"

As he spoke, he took his own pulse, clearly wanting to determine his physical condition and see what kind of poison had caused him to be immersed in hallucinations for so long.

Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, Liang Jin knew that they had come to their senses.

His gaze then fell upon the stone tablet.

It seems that the ancestors of the Youhuan Clan also knew a lot about this place. They knew that once they left this area, they would no longer be affected by the illusion-creating power.

That's why they erected a stone tablet at the boundary of this area to warn future generations.

At this time.

Mu Mu exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh no! We've been trapped in this illusion for so long?!"

"The miasma-avoiding pill's effects are wearing off quickly. We need to leave here immediately, or we'll be poisoned to death by the miasma!"

These words surprised everyone.

Only then did they realize that they were already starving, parched, and thirsty.

These physical reactions all prove that a long time has passed.

At this moment, everyone gradually realized that everything just now was an illusion. Faced with life and death, they could no longer care about everything they had encountered in the illusion.

Immediately, everyone got up and hurriedly ran out of the cave.

Having just escaped the illusion and suddenly facing a life-or-death crisis, everyone was so focused on escaping that no one had time to take care of Zhao Xiling.

Using their lightness skills, the group ran far away in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Xiling was just an ordinary person, and before she could even react, she was left behind.

Fortunately, Liang Jin didn't leave her behind. He grabbed Zhao Xiling and continued on with her.

This relieved Zhao Xiling:
"Great and wise teacher, thank goodness for you!"

"Once I am safe... I will reward you handsomely!"

At this point, Zhao Xiling couldn't help but look back at the depths of the cave, a hint of nostalgia appearing in her eyes.

In fact, it wasn't just her; Liang Jin noticed that many people, when leaving, couldn't help but reveal a lingering reluctance to leave the depths of the cave.

It seems they are filled with longing for everything in the illusion.

After all, that illusion was so real, as if one were truly in a real world.

Perhaps the world is full of disappointments, but the illusion brought them all sorts of illusory beauty.

So much so that they were filled with longing for that illusion.

Liang Jin, with Zhao Xiling by his side, quickly caught up with the group ahead.

They left the winding, labyrinthine cave together.

As their view suddenly opened up, the group arrived at the huge underground cavern, the area where medicine was made.

Liang Jin paused slightly and looked behind him.

Three dark cave entrances are located on the rock wall.

Just as Liang Jin was about to lead everyone away quickly, he suddenly sensed something:
"Ok?"

"Murderous!"

Liang Jin's eyes instantly fixed on the cave on the left.

According to Shen Cangming, the end of this cave is a place called Tuipijian (Shedding Skin Ravine), which is also the place where the Youhuan tribe holds a ritual called Blood Shedding.

Zhao Bao, the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey, and some other martial artists entered it.

Liang Jin has been trapped in the forbidden area of ​​the central cave for almost two or three days by that illusion, and he doesn't know how Zhao Bao and the others are doing.

The sudden appearance of murderous intent at this moment indicates that something must have happened.

Shen Cangming also noticed this, and staring at the cave on the left, he said to Liang Jin:
A master is emerging!

"Very fast! Their movement skills must be superb!"

The next moment, sure enough, a fiery red shadow suddenly rushed out of the cave.

And this red shadow was actually charging towards the group.

The moment the red figure appeared, Shen Cangming immediately prepared to defend himself.

Liang Jin reached out and stopped him:
"One of our own."

"No, it's my own monkey."

Before he could finish speaking, the red figure had already rushed in front of Liang Jin and quickly climbed onto his shoulder.

Only then did everyone realize that the red figure was actually a fiery red ape.

It is indeed the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey!

When Liang Jin saw what the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey looked like, he couldn't help but frown.

Even Shen Cangming couldn't help but show astonishment after seeing the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's face clearly:
"It...it actually..."

"How is this possible?! It's clearly just a monkey!"

"How could it have performed... the Blood Molting Ritual?!"

The original Jade-Faced Fire Monkey was very clever and cute.

However, the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey now appears somewhat ferocious and ugly!
Its fur, which was originally glossy and smooth like a fiery red satin, was now falling off in patches, making it look like a sickly, hairless monkey.

Of course, these hairs weren't pulled out by someone; they fell off on their own.

Especially in the areas where hair has fallen out, some hard keratin layers have grown, which look like scales.

The Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's normally fangs had become long and thin, so much so that they couldn't even be covered by his lips, leaving a small section sticking out.

Liang Jin didn't care about the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's appearance; what he cared about was its strength.

At this moment, the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's strength and aura had increased significantly!

There were faint signs that the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey was about to break through to the fourth rank and enter the third rank!

If this Jade-Faced Fire Monkey knew how to cultivate, it would probably only need to cultivate in seclusion for ten or fifteen days to reach the third rank without any problem!
"What exactly did it encounter inside?"

Liang Jin couldn't help but be filled with curiosity about the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's experiences over the past two days.

At this moment, the murderous aura had not subsided.

The murderous aura did not emanate from the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey, but rather from the cave!
next moment.

A furious roar rang out:

"Beast!"

"Give me back my other half of divine blood!"

With a roar, a figure suddenly flew out of the cave, heading straight for the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey with a fierce killing intent.

The Jade-Faced Fire Monkey clung to Liang Jin's shoulder, baring its teeth and squeaking at the figure.

Liang Jin waved his hand, and a vast internal force suddenly blocked in front of him and the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey, forming an invisible wall.

This internal force was extremely strong, and its momentum was astonishing. Even the figure that was rushing towards them with such a fierce aura couldn't help but stop in its tracks.

"Great Master!"

The newcomer glared angrily at Liang Jin.

It was Zhao Bao!
Zhao Bao's appearance has changed since just two days ago.

He was covered in blood, but most of the blood did not come from him and had already dried.

He had some scabbed wounds on his body, clearly indicating that he had been through a fierce battle.

Most strangely, many parts of his body also had hardened keratin layers, as if they had grown scales.

These scales are exactly the same as those of the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey and Shen Cangming.

Upon seeing this, Shen Cangming was so astonished that he stared at Zhao Bao in disbelief and asked:
"You...you...you are clearly not a member of my clan, so how can you perform the Blood Shedding Ritual?!"

"What...what happened?"

Shen Cangming felt that his worldview had been completely overturned!

The Blood Shedding Ceremony is a secret ritual unique to the Youhuan Clan, and only members of the clan can master its mysteries.

It's important to understand that the Blood Shedding Ritual is not something that can be accomplished simply by performing a ritual.

It also needs the approval of the gods, and thus the blessing of divine blood, to be finally completed. Since ancient times, only the members of the Youhuan tribe have been able to gain the approval of the gods generation after generation.

But today, a eunuch, or even an animal, actually successfully performed the blood shedding ritual!
When did the blood molting ritual become so easy?

This was something Shen Cangming found incomprehensible and utterly incomprehensible!
Zhao Bao ignored Shen Cangming and instead stared coldly at Liang Jin:

“Great and wise teacher, we have no grudges against each other, please do not stop me.”

"You monkey ruined my plans and stole what was rightfully mine. Give it back to me!"

Clearly, Liang Jin's actions just now had filled Zhao Bao with apprehension.

Otherwise, judging from Zhao Bao's furious appearance at this moment, if Liang Jin hadn't been there, he would definitely have skinned and dismembered the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey.

Liang Jin turned his head and glanced at the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey.

The Jade-Faced Fire Monkey was completely empty-handed, indicating that the divine blood Zhao Bao mentioned had probably already been absorbed by the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey.

If they want to extract the divine blood, the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey will likely be crippled, if not killed.

This made Liang Jin frown slightly.

His true form regarded Zhao Bao as a brother.

But now, the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey is also the battle pet of this clone of his.

He was torn between the two and did not want them to become enemies.

So Liang Jin said:

"Brother Zhao Bao, let me understand what happened before I deal with this matter."

"If my mischievous monkey has indeed taken something it shouldn't have, I am willing to provide sufficient compensation."

"The most urgent thing now is to leave this Burial Dragon Ridge first."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bao merely let out a cold laugh.

He was already wary of the great teacher in front of him, so naturally he was unwilling to believe Liang Jin's words about compensation.

In Zhao Bao's view, this great teacher clearly wanted to help his pet.

Zhao Bao was about to take action immediately!
After all, he has now completed the Blood Transformation Ritual, greatly increasing his power and physical strength to a terrifying level.

Inside the cave, he personally killed many martial artists who coveted the divine blood, including a third-rank martial artist!
That third-rank martial artist was Xie Linyuan, known in the martial arts world as "Jade Flute Master," who was once as famous as Shen Cangming, the "Azure Nether Sword."

He didn't even survive ten moves against Zhao Bao!
If it weren't for the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey's incredible speed, Zhao Bao would have killed it along with the other creature!
It's fair to say that Zhao Baoqiang is terrifying now!
Even when facing the Great Master of Wisdom, whose martial arts skills were unfathomable, he was full of confidence!
at this time.

Zhao Xiling, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up:

"Hey! Who is it?"

"I'm about to be poisoned to death, what are you still babbling about here for?"

"We can talk about it after we get outside!"

"If you cause me any harm, I'll cut off your heads!"

Zhao Xiling had never met Zhao Bao, but she only considered him to be a martial artist she had recruited.

All martial artists under her command must prioritize her safety and obey her orders.

Zhao Xiling did not know Zhao Bao, but Zhao Bao, who had once served in the palace, did know Zhao Xiling.

The moment Zhao Bao saw Zhao Xiling, he instinctively knelt down:

"This servant greets Your Highness!"

The kneeling motion was so fluid and natural.

This also reflects the natural oppression that the royal family exerted over eunuchs.

But after kneeling down, Zhao Bao couldn't help but feel some regret.

He used to kneel before nobles whenever he saw them in the palace; it had become a habit.

But he is different now; he is already a third-rank master. How could he kneel down so quickly and smoothly?
Upon reaching the third rank, one might even have the potential to become one of the four top officers in the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

The four chief officials held high positions and wielded great power. Even when facing a princess of noble birth, they only needed to maintain proper etiquette and did not need to kneel down at every turn.

But Zhao Bao remained kneeling respectfully, even with a hint of flattery and ingratiation on his face.

Because he knew that although his martial arts skills had improved, he had not yet obtained a status commensurate with his strength.

To obtain these identities and statuses, he would need Zhao Xiling's help.

Zhao Xiling waved her hand impatiently:

"Stop talking nonsense! Get out of here!"

"Otherwise, I would have died here!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bao immediately rose respectfully.

Since the princess had spoken, he couldn't argue with her directly, so he had no choice but to back down and temporarily put aside his grudge against Liang Jin.

But then, he looked everyone over again and couldn't help but ask:
Where is Lord Gu?

After learning that Zhao Xiling and Gu Jinfu were in the Burial Dragon Ridge, he knew he had to hold on tightly to these two powerful figures!
Now that Zhao Xiling knows about him, he also needs to let Gu Jinfu know about him.

Liang Jin didn't hide anything and answered:
"Gu Jinfu is still in that cave behind."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bao's eyes darted around.

He realized that Liang Jin had already saved the princess's life, and even if he tried to please her now, he probably wouldn't make a lasting impression on her.

If he were to go to Gu Jinfu, he might be able to gain Gu Jinfu's attention.

Immediately, Zhao Bao was about to walk towards the cave in the middle.

Liang Jin reached out and stopped Zhao Bao:

"It's dangerous in there, you can't go."

Zhao Bao looked displeased and was about to lash out.

At this time.

The old man beside him spoke up:

“He’s right. This is a forbidden area of ​​our clan. Anyone who enters without permission will be put to death.”

"Zhao Bao, with your current abilities, you'll only face death if you go in."

"But judging from this kid, he has obviously entered our clan's forbidden area. So how did he manage to get out alive?"

The old woman also said with disgust:

“Even we didn’t dare to enter the forbidden area casually back then, because if we were not careful, we wouldn’t be able to get out.”

"There must be something strange about this kid who was able to come out of the forbidden area!"

"Zhao Bao killed him! Find his secret!"

Zhao Bao was slightly surprised after hearing what the old man and the old woman said.

That cave really was a dangerous forbidden area?!

This made Zhao Bao glance at Liang Jin with a puzzled look.

Is this great and wise teacher really so kind as to remind me?
The two almost had a falling out before!
Zhao Bao pondered for a moment.

Since Liang Jin was able to rescue the princess from the forbidden area, he can probably rescue others as well.

Zhao Bao immediately cupped his hands to Liang Jin and said:
"Great and wise teacher, please help me rescue Lord Gu!"

"If it can be done..."

At this point, Zhao Bao glanced at the jade-faced fire monkey on Liang Jin's shoulder, his eyes blazing with anger.

At the crucial moment of his blood transformation ritual, the beast Jade-Faced Fire Monkey secretly appeared and stole half of his divine blood.

This divine blood was obtained by Zhao Bao through a secret technique provided by that conjoined twin freak; there's only one such opportunity every ten years!
If he can fully fuse with the divine blood, his strength will undoubtedly increase by a large margin!

However, because this damned monkey stole half of the divine blood, Zhao Bao's strength, although it increased considerably, did not reach the expected level.

This made him practically want to devour the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey alive.

But Zhao Bao finally spoke:

"The feud between your pet monkey and me is now settled!"

At this moment, Zhao Bao's rationality prevailed.

He knew very well that even if he killed the Jade-Faced Fire Monkey and drew its blood, it would be useless now.

The blood molting ritual has been completed, and everything has settled down.

Instead of simply venting your anger, you should make good use of this opportunity.

Liang Jin smiled slightly:
"as you wish."

He certainly knew what Zhao Bao wanted.

If it were anyone else, Liang Jin wouldn't have time to reason with them, much less bother with exchanging conditions.

However, Liang Jin could also offer Zhao Bao special treatment.

Immediately, Liang Jin handed Zhao Xiling over to Zhao Bao:
"Brother Zhao Bao, you take the princess out first."

“Gu Jinfu, I will go to save him, and I will also let him know that you asked me to save him.”

Zhao Bao's eyes were full of satisfaction when he heard this.

What he wanted was a promise like Liang Jin's.

Zhao Bao immediately channeled his inner strength to support Zhao Xiling:

"Princess, this servant will take you out right away!"

Zhao Xiling didn't care who took her out, as long as they could keep her safe.

Immediately, Zhao Bao took Zhao Xiling and quickly flew out of the Nine Abyss Rock Prison.

Mu Mu and Wen Hengrong didn't dare to delay. After bidding farewell to Liang Jin, they also hurriedly headed outside.

Only Shen Cangming gave these words of advice before he left:

You'd better think this through!

"It's already a miracle that we were able to escape from the forbidden area."

"If you trespass into this forbidden area again, you will surely anger the gods and be shattered to pieces!"

Liang Jin smiled but did not respond to Shen Cangming's words.

Shen Cangming placed too much importance on the myths and legends of these tribes, and was too superstitious.

While many myths and legends have some basis in reality, it is not good to blindly believe in them.

Liang Jin handed the jade-faced fire monkey from his shoulder to Shen Cangming:
"Help me take this monkey out of here, don't let anyone harm it."

Shen Cangming looked at the jade-faced fire monkey in his hand, which possessed the bloodline of the Youhuan Clan, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Liang Jin then took flight and flew back towards the cave in the middle.

(End of this chapter)