Chapter 272 272: Illusion of Bloodline

The Black Lotus Guild had a unique way of tracking their members—through their bloodline connection.

No matter where a guild member was, as long as they were part of the Black Lotus Guild, they could be sensed by others who shared the same bloodline.

It was how they monitored missions, how they ensured loyalty, how they always knew who was where.

And right now, Max was caught in that very net.

Max needed to leave—even if just for a short while.

But he knew Klaus.

He knew how the Black Lotus Guild operated.

And he knew that if he so much as stepped out of his room, they would immediately sense that he was gone.

It wasn't just about physical presence.

It was about his bloodline signature.

And that was the problem.

Because Max wasn't just planning on sneaking around—

He was about to vanish entirely from their awareness.

And that was impossible—unless he had a way to deceive the very bloodline that connected them all.

His bloodline.

But as of now, he currently didn't have a way to do that.

Max stared at the glass of his own blood, the deep crimson liquid swirling faintly as he held it in his hand.

This would be the key.

'If my bloodline is what connects me to them—then I'll use that same bloodline to deceive them.'

Max stared at the glass of blood, his mind running through possibilities.

He had never attempted this before.

He wasn't even sure if it was possible.

But—

'There's always a first time for everything.'

With a calm exhale, he placed the glass carefully on the table beside his bed.

This blood already carried his scent, his essence—his very being.

Now, all he needed to do was take it one step further.

"I need to create an illusion… an illusion that this blood is my bloodline itself."

If he could do that—then to anyone sensing through the Black Lotus connection, his presence would still remain in the room, even when he left.

No suspicion. No alarms. No risk of being tracked.

Max reached into his spatial storage, pulling out a rune brush and a small piece of parchment paper.

Holding the brush in his hand, he closed his eyes for a moment.

He had to calm his mind.

What he was about to attempt was not ordinary rune crafting.

This was a deception against something deeply ingrained in his very existence—his bloodline.

His eyes opened, sharp with focus.

Summoning the power of his black flames, he let the dark fire ignite around his hand, wrapping his fingers in dancing tendrils of heatless energy.

The flame curled around the rune brush, flickering in an almost unnatural rhythm.

But—

Even as the brush was engulfed in black flames, it didn't burn.

Because of his Level 3 Flame Aura, Max's control over his flames had become so precise, so refined, that he could hold pure destruction in his palm…

Without letting it consume anything unless he willed it.

This was the fine control he had mastered.

And now—

He was about to put it to use.

Max slowly lowered the rune brush, the black flames swirling as he prepared to write the rune of deception.

'If this works…'

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

'Then I'll be completely invisible to them or the exact opposite.'

Max's fingers tightened around the rune brush as he focused deeply.

He had always known that his soul power was immense—far beyond that of most experts at his level.

And now, he would use it to his advantage.

'My soul power is exceptionally high… I can create a Rank 3 Rune without issue.'

With that thought, he reached deep into his soul reserves, summoning an overwhelming but controlled flow of power.

It was time to begin.

With a steady hand, Max guided the rune brush across the parchment.

Every stroke was calculated, flowing like an artist's masterpiece.

The ink, infused with his soul energy, pulsed slightly with an ethereal glow, flickering between black and faint blue.

Minutes passed.

The rune slowly took shape, its intricate lines perfectly balanced, its structure imbued with power.

It wasn't overly complex—just a simple illusion rune.

But simplicity was relative.

To Max, this was basic—something he could craft with ease.

To anyone else, it would be a work of mastery.

Because unlike ordinary runes—

This one glowed.

Not just any glow—

It burned with black flames.

The subtle black flames flickered softly around the rune's edges, as if the parchment itself was alive.

If anyone else had seen it, they would be shocked beyond belief.

To engrave fire into a rune—to fuse Flame Aura, Soul Power, and Rune Crafting into a single piece of work—

It was something beyond the reach of most cultivators.

But for Max—

It was instinctual.

Because his black flames weren't just an element he controlled.

They were part of him.

Something so deeply ingrained in his being that they obeyed his will effortlessly.

With a final stroke, he completed the rune.

The glowing black flames dimmed slightly, settling into a stable state—its power locked within.

Max leaned back, staring at the rune with a satisfied smirk.

'This should be enough.'

Now—

All he had to do was activate it.

Max didn't hesitate.

He took the newly crafted rune and slapped it directly onto the glass carrying his blood.

The moment it stuck, a powerful aura erupted from it—

An identical aura to his own bloodline.

The very same energy that the members of the Black Lotus Guild used to sense and track each other.

Max remained still, carefully controlling the flow of the aura, ensuring it didn't immediately spread beyond the walls of his room.

For now, it was contained—completely under his command.

'It's done.'

With the illusion now active, he could leave without any suspicion.

Max quietly made his way to the door, pressing a hand against it.

Then—

He stepped outside.

The moment Max exited the room, the aura from the glass seamlessly replaced him, filling the space as if he had never moved.

To anyone sensing through the bloodline connection, Max was still inside—sitting in his room, completely unaware of anything happening outside.

Even Max himself, now standing outside, could feel it.

He focused on his senses, reaching out to check the presence inside his room.

What he felt stunned him.

'It's working perfectly.'

He could sense himself—his own bloodline, his own aura—inside the room.

It was as if he had never left.

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

'This is even more effective than I thought.'

Max slipped into the shadows, walking silently through the garden, his movements precise and calculated.

He was no longer concerned about being tracked—his plan had worked flawlessly.

Now, he had only one focus.

Finding Alice.

With that thought, Max stepped beyond the mansion's perimeter, leaving the Black Lotus Guild's quarters behind.

And just like that—

He vanished into the Sun Palace.