The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

But now, in the utter silence of his Sea of Consciousness, he could only perceive the small mountain where his awareness rested, completely helpless.

For the first time, this powerlessness plunged Chen Dong into despair.

'Move, dammit! Move!' he screamed internally, but not a single sound disturbed the silence of his Sea of Consciousness.

Having exhausted every option, Chen Dong could only gaze at the blurry mountain silhouette high above him.

'If I'm going to die, then at least let me see my past clearly!'

Chen Dong poured all his strength into reaching out to the mountain with his senses. The closest peak seemed to grow clearer for a moment.

Chen Dong realized it wasn't an illusion. The mountain was actually drawing closer to his consciousness, as if it had heard his summons.

As it drew ever closer, Chen Dong could make out the scenery on its slopes. It was a frigid, snow-covered mountain.

With what felt like a thunderous RUMBLE, Chen Dong's Sea of Consciousness shook violently. The frigid, snow-covered mountain slammed against the small peak representing his consciousness, merging with it to form a single, new mountain.

Instantly, a jumble of chaotic memories flooded Chen Dong's awareness.

A father, a mother, and quite a few cousins. Chen Dong's spirit was frozen in shock.

He had always believed he was an orphan, just lucky enough to have been adopted by his master. It turned out he had a family after all—he had just been abandoned.

These memories from before he was seven, as bone-chillingly cold as the snowy mountain itself, came flooding back. His heart felt like it was being torn apart.

At that very moment, tears began to seep from the corners of the eyes of his charred, blackened body.

Chen Dong realized his consciousness could actually control a small part of his physical body.

In the pitch-black cave, a lump of what looked like charcoal began to squirm slowly. As Chen Dong's consciousness fully returned, the charred mass began to move.

Chen Dong found he could only move his left eye and right hand. Not a single part of his body was unscathed. He strained with all his might to crawl toward the Blood Pool. Now, only the Array within it could save him.

This was all thanks to overhearing the conversation between Corpse Dove and Lord You while he was in his conscious state. Otherwise, even if his mind had returned to his body, he would have been a dead man.

Chen Dong didn't know how long he had been crawling, but he finally reached the center of the Array. Gritting his teeth, he clawed at the charcoal-like crust on his chest, revealing several porcelain vials nestled within.

'Thank goodness.' The porcelain vials weren't conductive, so their contents were preserved. Otherwise, he would have been dead for sure.

He picked up the bottle containing the Evil Flood Dragon Blood Essence. Opening it was a struggle, but he managed to pour out the crimson bead of Blood Essence. With the last of his strength, he pressed it into the center of the Array, right where the Blood Stone had been.

The crimson patterns of the Array flared to life, fed by the blood and energy from the Blood Essence. Droplets of blood began to seep out from the Array, gradually accumulating. As time went on, the blood slowly rose, submerging Chen Dong's body.

Time had no meaning in the pitch-black cave. The Blood Pool had long ago filled to capacity, and blood now constantly dripped onto the cavern floor. Perhaps because of the difference between the Evil Flood Dragon Blood Essence and the original Blood Stone, resentful crows didn't spawn from the overflow. Instead, crimson flowers bloomed one after another.

The red flowers were exquisitely beautiful, similar in shape to roses but very different. If Chen Dong could have seen them, he would have recognized them as Dragon Abomination Flowers. They had a marrow-cleansing effect, but they were most famous for arousing passion and replenishing one's blood and qi. They were said to work wonders for a man's flagging vitality.

The cave full of crimson flowers, all reflecting the Blood Pool, created an incredibly bizarre scene. Suddenly, the flowers began to sway in the windless cavern. A pale, flawless arm slowly rose from the Blood Pool, followed by a bald head and a powerful torso. The bald man was remarkably handsome, with sharp brows and eyes like stars, projecting an air of heroic valor. Yet, there was also a seductive, almost demonic, aura about him.

The bald man's eyes snapped open. Bright as stars, they swept around the cave.

"I'm finally alive again!" The bald man was none other than Chen Dong, and he spoke with a sigh of profound relief.

Completely naked, Chen Dong slowly walked out of the Blood Pool.

"The healing effect of this Blood Storage Array is simply miraculous. It can bring the dead back to life and grow new flesh on bare bones!" As he spoke, lightning flashed in his palm, tinged with a faint purple glow. After the baptism of the Thunderfall, his thunder techniques had improved by leaps and bounds. Having been born again from the brink of death, his lightning now contained not only the intent of utter destruction but also the sense of vibrant, burgeoning life.

Chen Dong picked up the few porcelain vials from beside the Blood Pool; they were his only possessions now. His eyes glinted as he surveyed the floor covered in Dragon Abomination Flowers. He hesitated, debating whether to take back the Evil Dragon Blood Essence.

If these Dragon Abomination Flowers continued to be irrigated by the Blood Pool, they would evolve into Dragon Blood Grass in a century—an herb that was the best of the best.

After a moment's thought, Chen Dong decided to retrieve the Blood Essence after all. With a casual gesture, the Evil Dragon Blood Essence flew out of the Blood Pool and back into his hand. The level of the vast Blood Pool began to recede, and it wouldn't be long before it was dry once more.

Chen Dong inspected the Blood Essence. Less than a fifth of its energy had been used, almost all of which had gone toward repairing his injuries. Without the Blood Storage Array, he couldn't have made a full recovery even if he had depleted the entire Blood Essence.

'This Blood Storage Array truly is a miraculous thing.' However, it would be impossible to copy it. The Array was established based on the specific feng shui of this location. Without the same unique confluence of energies, recreating this Blood Storage Array would be incredibly difficult.

Chen Dong didn't just retrieve the Blood Essence. He circulated his True Qi, summoning a sudden gale that swept all the Dragon Abomination Flowers in the cave into a large pile.

Corpse Dove and Lord You might return to this place. Though the chances were slim, Chen Dong didn't want to leave any traces.

Judging by his aura alone, Lord You was not an opponent he could face right now.

After erasing all traces of his presence in the cave, Chen Dong faced an awkward problem. Not having any clothes was a secondary concern. The fact that he was sporting a stubborn erection that refused to go away was what truly troubled him. 'This must be a side effect of using the Evil Flood Dragon Essence Blood for my recovery,' he figured.