I transmigrated to a chaotic world and became the sole player.

"roar--!"

The Blood Fiend Puppet let out a deafening roar, its dark red eyes fixed on Lu Zhao, filled with endless savagery, pain, and bloodlust. It suddenly struggled, the thick black chains binding its limbs rattling loudly, snapping straight and embedding themselves deep into the cracks in the ground, restricting its movement. But the puppet's strength was clearly astonishing; each struggle caused the chains to groan under the strain, sending stone chips flying.

Lu Zhao dared not be careless in the slightest. The moment the demonic puppet appeared, he activated the [Concealing Breath Technique] and [Turtle Breath Stealth Technique] to their maximum, retreating rapidly to create distance. At the same time, his [Refining Spirit Technique] fully activated his senses, locking onto every subtle movement of the demonic puppet. He knew that facing a monster whose strength, defense, and aura far surpassed his own, a direct confrontation would be foolish; he had to rely on talismans, movement techniques, and wisdom to maneuver.

"Weakness...the eyes? The joints? Or those wounds?" Lu Zhao's gaze swept across the area quickly, sharp as lightning. The demonic puppet had several deep wounds, revealing bone beneath, with dark red flesh torn and black, malevolent energy seeping from them—clearly the result of long-term torture during the sealing process. Perhaps these wounds were the opening.

The moment he observed, the Blood Demon Puppet moved! It seemed to be completely enraged by the "vibrant" life force emanating from Lu Zhao, or perhaps it had been tormented by the seal for too long and desperately needed to vent its anger. It lunged forward, its heavy body pulling the chains, like a cannonball fired, carrying a stench of blood, straight at Lu Zhao! Its speed far exceeded the clumsiness that should have been expected of its massive size!

"So fast!" Lu Zhao's pupils contracted, and the [Superior Swiftness Talisman] under his feet was instantly activated. He quickly dodged to the side and back, narrowly avoiding the giant claw of the demonic puppet, which was as big as a fan and covered with sharp bone spikes! The claw wind grazed his protective aura, making a piercing friction sound, and the aura fluctuated violently.

"Don't let it get close!" Lu Zhao's mind raced. While dodging, he flicked his left hand, sending three improved [Fireball Talismans], already held between his fingers, flying in a triangular formation toward the demon puppet's face and chest! He didn't choose the more powerful but time-consuming Blazing Sun Talisman, but instead pursued speed and disruption.

"Boom boom boom!"

Three crimson fireballs exploded almost simultaneously, the scorching flames instantly engulfing the upper half of the demonic puppet! The fire-elemental spiritual power contained in the flames, which was derived and enhanced by Lu Zhao, had an extra restraint on the blood-fiend evil creature, causing the dark red scales on the demonic puppet's body to sizzle and emit puffs of black smoke.

"Roar!" The demonic puppet let out a roar filled with pain, but its momentum only faltered slightly. It stubbornly resisted the flames and continued to pounce on Lu Zhao! The wounds on its body bled more black pus and blood under the burning flames, but it did not seem to have damaged the root cause. Instead, it aroused its deeper ferocity.

"Such strong defense?!" Lu Zhao's heart sank. The power of the improved fireball talisman was close to that of an ordinary first-grade high-quality talisman, yet it only caused minor injuries? This demonic puppet's strength in life was probably at least at the late stage of Qi Refining, or even possibly the Foundation Establishment stage! Even after being sealed, tortured, and weakened, it is still so powerful.

He dared not linger, his figure flashed again, and at the same time, he swung his short sword with his right hand, a pale golden blade aura slashing towards the demonic puppet's knee joint—a relatively large wound on its body that was not yet completely covered by scales.

"clang!"

The blade struck the bone at the edge of the wound, producing a metallic clang, leaving only a shallow white mark! The demonic puppet's bones were as hard as iron!

"This is troublesome!" Lu Zhao frowned. Physical attacks were barely effective, and talisman attacks were neutralized by its powerful defense and vitality. This demonic puppet was practically an iron hedgehog. Moreover, although it was restricted by chains, its range of movement still covered most of the hall, leaving limited space for maneuvering.

The demonic puppet pounced again, this time unleashing both claws with a piercing shriek that tore through the air, blocking Lu Zhao's space to dodge left and right. Simultaneously, it opened its massive maw, unleashing a dark red, foul-smelling, and corrosive blood-fiend breath, like an arrow, aimed directly at Lu Zhao's face!

"Earth Wall Technique!" Lu Zhao shouted, his spiritual power surging within him. He quickly formed hand seals and pushed forward with a mighty thrust! A thick, earthen-yellow wall, about a foot thick and ten feet high, instantly rose from the ground in front of him!

"Pfft!"

The bloodthirsty breath struck the earthen wall, producing a violent corrosive sound. The wall melted and turned black at a visible speed. But this brief obstruction bought Lu Zhao precious time. Instead of breaking through from the left or right (where the claw winds had blocked the way), he slammed his feet off the ground, his figure soaring into the sky. Just as the earthen wall completely collapsed, he flipped over the demonic puppet's head!

While still in mid-air, he struck again! This time, it wasn't a fireball talisman, but two [Exorcising Talismans (Superior)]! Against this kind of demon purely driven by bloodthirsty evil power, exorcising power might be more effective than flames!

"break!"

Two dazzling golden beams of light, like two sharp lightsabers, shot precisely from the left and right towards the back of the demonic puppet's neck—where there was a deeper wound, almost revealing the spine, left by the long-term friction of the sealing chains.

"Sizzle!"

The moment the golden beam of light entered the wound, it was like boiling oil splashed onto snow, bursting forth with blinding light and a violent sizzling sound! The demonic puppet let out an extremely shrill scream, its massive body suddenly stiffening, then trembling violently! From the wound, a large amount of black, foul-smelling pus and blood gushed out like a fountain, while at the same time, a pure yet evil dark red energy seemed to be forced out, purified, and dissipated by the power of exorcism!

"It works!" Lu Zhao landed, overjoyed. Sure enough, the Exorcism Talisman was far more effective against this kind of evil creature than other elemental attacks. He immediately seized the opportunity, his figure moving like lightning, circling around the demonic puppet that was slowed down by the intense pain and was constantly screaming and struggling, while the talismans in his hand shot out like a machine gun! He used the Exorcism Talisman and the Improved Fireball Talisman alternately, focusing on the obvious wounds on the demonic puppet's body, especially vital areas such as joints, back of the neck, and spine.

"Boom! Hiss!"

The sounds of exploding talismans, purification rituals, and the screams of the demonic puppets echoed throughout the hall. Lu Zhao pushed his movement technique to its limit, flitting like a butterfly among flowers, weaving through the gaps in the demonic puppets' frenzied but chaotic attacks. Every strike was precise and ruthless. He no longer sought a fatal blow, but instead focused on constantly weakening, consuming, and inflicting damage.

The demonic puppet retaliated fiercely, unleashing claws, breath attacks, and even sweeping blows with heavy chains, cratering the hall floor and sending stone chips flying. However, Lu Zhao's [Refining Spirit Technique] provided powerful dynamic vision and predictive abilities, allowing him to always anticipate attacks half a step ahead and narrowly avoid fatal blows. Occasionally, he was struck by the aftershocks of the claw attacks, or felt the bloodlust intrude, but these were resisted by the temporary shield of his [Mysterious Iron Bracers], the purifying power of his [Pure Heart Jade Pendant], and his own powerful blood and unwavering will.

This was a difficult, dangerous, and highly skillful battle. Lu Zhao made full use of his strengths: powerful mental strength (perception and prediction), exquisite control of talismans, agile and swift movements, precise grasp of timing, and a cold yet tenacious fighting will honed on the brink of death countless times.

As the wounds multiplied and the power of exorcism continued to erode it, the demonic puppet's movements slowed, and its roars grew weaker. Large patches of its dark red scales peeled away, the flesh at the wounds began to dry and shrivel, and the bloodlust in its eyes dimmed. The prolonged torment inflicted by the sealing chains, coupled with Lu Zhao's relentless attacks, finally brought it to the brink of exhaustion.

"The final blow!" A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes as he suddenly accelerated, circling behind the demonic puppet. His short sword once again condensed a pale golden aura, this time infusing it with the power of the [Sleeping Dragon]'s bloodline. The aura instantly solidified and surged! Simultaneously, he slapped a [High-Grade Exorcising Talisman] onto the back of the sword with his left hand. The golden light merged with the aura, and the short sword emitted a clear, resonant hum!

"cut!"

Lu Zhao shouted, his body and the sword transforming into a golden thread, like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox, slashing into the deepest wound on the demon puppet's neck! The golden light of evil-dispelling, the sharp blade energy, and the powerful blood energy combined into one, cutting fiercely into the demon puppet's cervical vertebrae along the wound!

"Snap!"

A sickening cracking sound of bones breaking rang out! The massive body of the demonic puppet stiffened abruptly, and then its hideous head, trailing a spray of black blood, shot skyward! The headless body swayed twice before crashing to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The black chains binding it instantly lost their luster and loosened.

"Huff...huff..." Lu Zhao knelt on one knee, panting heavily, his clothes already soaked with sweat. The series of high-intensity dodges, attacks, and controls had consumed a large amount of his spiritual energy, physical strength, and mental power. Especially that final strike, which fused three powers, had almost drained most of his remaining spiritual energy. But it was worth it!

He won! In the first battle of this hellish dungeon, he single-handedly killed an elite monster whose strength far surpassed his own, comparable to or even stronger than a late-stage Qi Refining expert!

"Ding! Killed [Blood Demon Puppet (Elite)], gained 1500 experience points!"

"Defeat an elite unit of a higher level, and receive an additional 500 experience points!"

"First kill of the dungeon, bonus experience points +300!"

"Total experience points gained: 2300!"

"Ding! The Blood Fiend Puppet (Elite) dropped: Blood Fiend Crystal (Medium) x1, Broken Seal Chain Fragment x3, Puppet Core (Fragment) x1, Unknown Metal Key x1."

"Pickup successful. Item has been automatically stored in [Human Skin Pocket (System Extension)]".

A series of pleasant (to Lu Zhao) notification sounds rang in his mind, accompanied by a warm current flowing into his body. This not only rapidly restored his energy but also made him feel his cultivation barrier subtly loosening. 2300 experience points! This was almost equivalent to his gains from several months of arduous training! And there was a drop! Genuine, panel-verified "loot" dropped from a "monster"!

Lu Zhao's spirits lifted, and he quickly checked the fallen items.

**【Blood Fiend Crystal (Mid-Grade)】: Formed from pure blood fiend power, it can be used to cultivate certain blood-path techniques or as the energy core of certain evil formations and magical artifacts. It is valuable but possesses strong malevolent properties and must be handled with caution. Exchangeable for 300 contribution points.

**【Broken Fragment of Sealing Chain】: A fragment of an ancient sealing chain, containing a faint sealing power. It can be used to craft low-level sealing artifacts or to research sealing runes.**

**【Demonic Puppet Core (Fragment)】: A fragment of the Blood Fiend Demon Puppet's energy core, containing chaotic soul power and blood fiendishness. It can be attempted to be refined or used to feed certain special spirit pets/puppets.**

[Unknown Metal Key]: Its antique design suggests it may be related to some mechanism within this ruin.

"Excellent! These are all good items!" Lu Zhao thought with delight. The Blood Fiend Crystal was the most valuable, but he didn't need it for now; he could save it to exchange for contribution points or for later research. The fragments of the sealing chains would help him understand the seal of this place. The Demon Puppet Core... perhaps he could try using the [Refining Spirit Technique] to devour and refine the remaining soul power within? Although it was mixed and chaotic, with the [Pure Heart Jade Pendant] and the [Refining Spirit Technique], the risks were manageable. As for that key... it was very likely the key to open the stone door in the hall!

He first picked up the metal key; it was cold and heavy to the touch, neither gold nor iron, and engraved with simple cloud patterns. He walked to the tightly closed stone door and inserted the key into the lock.

"Click."

With a soft click, the key clicked shut perfectly. Lu Zhao gave it a sharp turn.

"Crunch—crunch—"

The heavy stone door creaked open slowly, revealing a deep, sloping stone staircase passage shrouded in a faint mist of blood. Sparse, pale moonstones, illuminating the area several dozen feet ahead, shrouded the deeper passage in darkness. An aura, even colder and more decaying than that of the main hall, carrying the deathly stillness of time and a faint stench of blood, emanated from the depths of the passage.

"It seems this is the path to the next level." Lu Zhao didn't enter immediately. Instead, he retreated to the center of the hall, sat cross-legged, took out some pills, and began to focus on recovering. The battle just now had greatly depleted his strength, and venturing into unknown areas while not in optimal condition would be suicidal.

An hour later, Lu Zhao's condition had recovered to about 80-90%. He got up, checked the dropped items again, and did a quick search of the demon puppet's corpse (there was nothing else to be found except some useless broken bones and rotten flesh). Then, holding the key and gripping the short knife, he stepped into the downward staircase.

The passage was long and winding, descending steeply. The stone steps were badly worn, covered in moss and dust, clearly untouched for a long time. A faint blood mist hung in the air, seemingly possessing a weak hallucinogenic effect, unsettling the mind, and making one feel as if faint weeping and whispering could be heard. Lu Zhao focused his mind, the light of the [Refining Spirit Technique] flickering slightly in his sea of ​​consciousness, interfering with and blocking out these distracting noises.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a fork in the road appeared ahead. One path continued downwards, while the other extended horizontally to the side. Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment, then chose the horizontal path. He wanted to explore the structure of this level first to gather more information.

The horizontal passage was short, ending at a half-open, decaying wooden door. Lu Zhao carefully pushed the door open, the hinges creaking loudly. Behind the door was a small room, resembling a prison cell.

The room was only about ten feet square, with rough stone walls. In one corner lay a pile of straw that had long since rotted into ash, and in another corner was a rusty iron ring fixed to the wall, seemingly used to lock people up. The air was thick with an overwhelming sense of despair, resentment, and... the stench of death.

"Was this place...where prisoners were once held? Were they prisoners from the sealed land?" Lu Zhao frowned. His gaze swept across the room, and in the corner, beneath a pile of rotting straw, he discovered a skeleton almost reduced to bones. The skeleton was curled up, its clothes long since weathered away, leaving only a few tattered pieces of cloth, their color dull, seemingly once some kind of uniform. The skeleton's hand bones were tightly gripping a palm-sized, heavily corroded piece of iron.

Lu Zhao carefully pried open his hand bones and removed the metal piece. The piece was icy cold to the touch, and there seemed to be some blurry writing engraved on it, but the corrosion was too severe to make out. He wiped it with his sleeve, and could barely make out a few incomplete characters: "...sin...suppress...eternally...forgive..."

"A sinner? Suppressed here, never to be forgiven?" Lu Zhao pondered. This sealed land didn't seem to simply seal away a certain being; it might have also been a prison, holding cultivators or beings who had committed grave crimes or were judged as "demons." Perhaps the Blood Fiend Puppet was one of them?

He tried to sense the bones and iron fragments using the [Refining Spirit Technique], and could vaguely feel a faint but extremely pure resentment and unwillingness that had not dissipated over the years. This resentment seemed to have some subtle connection with the bloodthirsty aura that enveloped the place.

"Perhaps, the bloodthirsty resentment permeating this place originates in part from these prisoners who were suppressed and died here..." Lu Zhao put away the iron plate; this could perhaps be considered a kind of "intelligence."

Leaving the cell, Lu Zhao continued his exploration. He discovered several more similar cells, some empty, some containing skeletons, but nothing else. It seemed that the primary function of this level was imprisonment.

He returned to the fork in the road and this time chose the downward stairs. After descending a short distance, at the end of the stairs, another relatively open platform appeared. Opposite the platform was another, heavier metal door, covered with intricate sealing runes. The door was tightly closed, with a recessed keyhole resembling the shape of the key in Lu Zhao's hand. In the center of the platform stood three stone guardian statues, each wielding a spear, clad in stone armor, and with empty eyes.

The moment Lu Zhao stepped onto the platform, two dark red lights suddenly shone from the empty eye sockets of the three stone guardian statues! At the same time, the dust covering their bodies fell off in a rustling sound, and with the "click-clack" of the mechanisms turning, they slowly "came to life," turning their stone heads to lock onto Lu Zhao!

"Stone Statue Guardian (Normal) LV 15"

"Status: Corrupted by the bloodthirsty aura, now in an active state, attacking any intruder."

"Danger Level: Medium"

"Guards again...the watchdogs of this floor?" Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed. These three stone statues were only level 15 (equivalent to the third level of Qi Refining? But considering the dungeon's bonus to their stone bodies and the bloodlust infiltration, their actual combat power was probably closer to the fourth level of Qi Refining). Individually, they were not as threatening as the Blood Fiend Puppet, but there were three of them, and they were standard melee and defensive types. Their combined strength should not be underestimated.

He didn't rush forward, but first observed the platform's layout. The platform wasn't large, and the three stone statues were arranged in a triangular formation, blocking the metal gate. Behind him were the descending steps, ensuring a safe retreat. But the statues seemed to be moving somewhat slowly?

"Give it a try." Lu Zhao raised his hand, and a modified [Fireball Talisman] shot towards the leftmost stone statue.

"Boom!" The fireball struck the stone statue's chest, blasting a charred area and sending stone fragments flying. The statue merely swayed before continuing its heavy march towards Lu Zhao. Its defense was indeed formidable.

"The fire effect is so-so... let's try this!" Lu Zhao moved swiftly, his speed as fast as a ghost under the blessing of the [Swiftness Talisman], circling around the three stone statues. At the same time, he flicked his hands, and several [Exorcism Talismans (Superior)] were like golden darts, accurately shooting at the joints of the stone statues and the red light in their eye sockets!

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

The golden light of exorcism struck, with remarkable effect! Black smoke billowed from the stone statue's joints, and its movements visibly faltered; the red light in its eye sockets flickered violently, as if it had been stimulated. The stone statue that was struck emitted a low, rumbling roar, similar to the grinding of stones, and its attacks became more rapid, but its movements became somewhat stiff and uncoordinated due to the damage to its joints.

"As expected, the power of exorcism is also effective against these creations tainted by evil energy!" Lu Zhao felt relieved. He no longer held back, dodging the clumsy but powerful spear thrusts and sweeps of the stone statues while alternating between using the [Exorcism Talisman] and the improved [Fireball Talisman], concentrating his firepower on the leftmost stone statue that was the most damaged.

"Boom! Sizzle! Crack!"

After enduring the concentrated bombardment of seven or eight talismans, the leftmost stone statue finally gave way. The golden light of exorcism on its chest invaded its core, the red light in its eye sockets suddenly went out, and the entire stone statue collapsed into a pile of rubble.

"Ding! Defeat the [Stone Statue Guardian (Normal)], gain 300 experience points!"

With the remaining two stone statues, the threat was greatly reduced. Lu Zhao followed the same method, relying on his speed advantage and the restraint of the talismans, and in the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he destroyed the other two stone statues one by one. Although he consumed a lot of talismans, the process was thrilling but without any real danger.

"Ding! Defeat the [Stone Statue Guardian (Normal)], gain 300 experience points!"

"Ding! Defeat the [Stone Statue Guardian (Normal)], gain 300 experience points!"

"Total experience points gained: 3200!"

"Not bad, much more efficient than outside." Lu Zhao put away his short sword with satisfaction. The drops from the three stone statues were mediocre, only a few pieces of [inferior blood fiend stone] and [stone statue core fragments], not very valuable, but every little bit helps.

He walked to the metal door and used the key to unlock it again. The heavy metal door slowly opened inward, revealing the scene behind it.

Behind the door, there were no longer endless stairs or prison cells, but a wider and more eerie space.

This was a massive, circular underground cavern. At its center lay a bottomless, pitch-black abyss, over ten zhang in diameter. At the abyss's edge stood eight thick stone pillars, inscribed with dense, intricate sealing runes. Between these pillars, broken chains connected them, forming a rudimentary array that barely sealed the abyss. But now, most of the eight pillars were broken and toppled, and the chains were mostly snapped, rendering the array almost completely ineffective.

Within the abyss, dense, inky black demonic energy, mixed with dark red bloodlust, surged forth like a volcanic eruption, coalescing at the cave ceiling into a swirling, dark red and black cloud. Within the cloud, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, and countless twisted, tormented faces of vengeful spirits floated and wailed. The entire cave was permeated with a suffocating, maddening, and despairing atmosphere, a hundred times stronger than anywhere else before!

On the edge of the abyss, near the side Lu Zhao entered from, scattered were fragments of a broken altar, shattered magical artifacts, dried, blackened bloodstains, and... the remains of several cultivators dressed in ancient robes, long since reduced to skeletons. Judging from the fragments of clothing and the style of the remaining magical artifacts, they seemed to be... cultivators from ancient times? Were they the ones who set up the seal, or those who suppressed demons here?

"This... is the core of the seal? Or rather, the 'end' of this level of the dungeon?" Lu Zhao stood at the entrance, staring in shock at the scene before him. The pitch-black abyss seemed to connect to the deepest hell, radiating boundless evil and misfortune. Just standing at the entrance, the emanating demonic energy and bloodlust made his skin sting and his mind waver.

"Ding! You have arrived at the core area of ​​the first layer of [Blood Sacrifice Abyss - The Tragedy of Qingfeng Town (Purgatory)] - [Sealed Demon Abyss (Damaged)]."

"Mission Update: [Investigate the Blood Sacrifice Core and Obtain Intelligence] Progress +20%"

"Warning: This area has an extremely high concentration of demonic energy and bloodlust. The effects of [Bloodlust Corrosion] and [Demonic Energy Invasion] have been greatly amplified! Please complete the mission or leave as soon as possible!"

"Hint: Ancient cultivators' remains and traces of array formations remain here, potentially concealing crucial information about sealing and blood sacrifice. Below the abyss, the true 'Blood Sacrifice Core' and 'Sealing Node' appear to be connected. Further exploration will be extremely dangerous, but may yield key intelligence and rare rewards."

The panel's prompt confirmed Lu Zhao's guess. This was the end of the first layer, and also the key node connecting to the deeper layers (or rather, the core of reality).

Lu Zhao did not rashly step into the cave. He stood at the entrance, observing carefully. The runes on the eight broken stone pillars, though fragmented, were still faintly discernible, somewhat similar to those on the [Broken Seal Chain Fragment] in his hand, but far more profound and complex. Beside the remains of those ancient cultivators, scattered fragments of magical artifacts, though devoid of spiritual energy, seemed to be made of extraordinary materials. Further away, on the fragments of the altar, there appeared to be some dark red patterns, like dried blood...

"Information... there must be important information here. And perhaps there are also 'drops' on the remains of those ancient cultivators?" Lu Zhao's heart stirred. If the "monsters" in the dungeon drop loot, could these "scene items" and "story NPC (corpses)" also yield something?

He cautiously stepped into the cave. With each step, he felt the surrounding demonic energy and bloodlust grow stronger, making even the light from the [Pure Heart Jade Pendant] seem strained. He walked to the nearest cultivator's remains, a skeleton leaning against a broken stone pillar. The robes on its body had long since weathered away, but it still tightly gripped a broken ancient sword, its blade riddled with cracks. Though the sword was broken, a dim gem inlaid in the hilt still emitted a faint, pure spiritual light, utterly out of place amidst the surrounding demonic energy and bloodlust.

Lu Zhao tried to "touch" the remains and the ancient sword with his mental power.

"Ding! Pickupable items found: [Ancient Cultivator's Obsession (Fragment)] x1, [Broken Demon-Suppressing Ancient Sword (Common)] x1."

Sure enough! Lu Zhao was overjoyed and immediately "picked it up".

[The Remnant of an Ancient Cultivator (Fragment)]: A fragment of the remnant of a cultivator from ancient times who suppressed demons here and ultimately died from exhaustion. It contains some of his memories and insights. Using it will grant you some information about the seal and demons of this place, and there is a small chance to learn one of his skills from his previous life (requires a mental assessment).

[Broken Ancient Demon-Suppressing Sword (Common Item)]: A fragment of an ancient demon-suppressing artifact, devoid of its spiritual essence, but its unique material retains a faint demon-repelling attribute. It can be used to repair corresponding magical artifacts or as an auxiliary material for crafting demon-repelling artifacts.

"Fragments of obsession...memory information!" Lu Zhao's eyes lit up. This might be the key to obtaining "intelligence"! He didn't use it immediately but continued searching. Next to several other remains, he found items such as [fragments of broken array plates] and [bottles of dried spirit blood], but no more fragments of obsession. However, under a fragment of an altar, he found a piece of stone slab inscribed with some ancient characters.

Having collected all possible information carriers, Lu Zhao retreated to a relatively safe spot near the door. He didn't immediately examine the items, but instead sat cross-legged, meditating for a moment to optimize his state. Then, he took out the [Ancient Cultivator's Obsession (Fragment)].

It was a ball of light about the size of an egg, hazy and constantly shifting with a faint glow. It was cold to the touch and carried a sense of vicissitude, tragedy, and a hint of resentment.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath, brought the ball of light close to his forehead, and at the same time activated the [Refining Spirit Technique], carefully guiding his spiritual power to contact and merge with this ball of obsession.

"Buzz—!"

In an instant, countless fragmented, chaotic, yet intensely emotional images, sounds, and information flooded into Lu Zhao's mind like a burst dam!

He saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, countless hideous monsters pouring out of the dark abyss, devouring living beings...

He saw a group of cultivators dressed in ancient Taoist robes, exuding powerful auras, setting up a massive array here. Eight stone pillars soared into the sky, and countless chains sealed off the abyss...

He witnessed an extremely brutal battle, where cultivators fought against demons and some indescribable, terrifying being from the abyss. Blood stained the earth, magical artifacts shattered, and formations crumbled...

He watched as, in the end, several of the most powerful cultivators used their own essence and soul to forcefully stabilize the collapsing seal. One of them was the very cultivator who had died wielding the sword; in his final moments, he had imbued his sword with a thought containing both warning and expectation...

The scene finally freezes on the seal being barely completed, the demons being suppressed once more, but almost all the cultivators who participated in the sealing have perished, and the place has become a desolate wasteland, forgotten by time...

The information was overwhelming, and Lu Zhao had a splitting headache, but he endured it and tried his best to sort it out and memorize the key points.

"...The Abyss of Sealed Demons...suppresses a wisp of the soul of the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Lord,' who descended from beyond the realm in ancient times...This demon feeds on the souls and essences of living beings, and can pollute the earth's veins, breeding demonic creatures...The ancient cultivators of the 'Xuanyun Sect' mobilized the entire sect's strength to set up the 'Eight Extremes Demon-Sealing Array,' sacrificing the lives of eight Nascent Soul elders to seal it here...However, the demonic energy is incessant and needs to be reinforced periodically...If future generations see this, they should know this place is dangerous and leave immediately! If the seal is damaged, they can find the 'core of the array' and use 'Xuanyun Righteous Qi' to activate the remaining array, which may delay the damage...Remember, although the Demon Lord's wisp of soul is suppressed, its demonic thoughts can still corrupt living beings, transforming into bloodthirsty demons...Blood sacrifice...is the way for it to escape..."

Intermittent messages, mixed with strong warnings and a deep sense of powerlessness, echoed in Lu Zhao's mind.

"The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord... a wisp of his soul... the Eight Extremes Demon-Sealing Array... blood sacrifice is his method of escape..." Lu Zhao slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with shock. So that's how it is! The seal beneath Qingfeng Town was actually suppressing a wisp of the soul of an ancient demon! And the Blood Fiend Sect's blood sacrifice was to use the essence and souls of living beings to corrupt and weaken the seal, ultimately helping the demon lord's wisp of soul escape!

"No wonder... the Blood Fiend Sect is so insane, daring to conduct such a large-scale blood sacrifice right under the nose of the Azure Cloud Dao Sect. What they're after is this ancient demon that has been sealed away for countless years!" Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine. If even a tiny wisp of the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord's" soul were to escape, it would likely be a catastrophe for Yunmengze and the entire cultivation world!

"The core of the formation... Profound Cloud Righteous Qi..." Lu Zhao's gaze swept towards the eight broken stone pillars in the center of the cave. The core of the formation should be there. As for Profound Cloud Righteous Qi... it's probably a special technique or power of the Profound Cloud Sect. Where would he possibly have it?

"Wait... Xuan Yun Righteous Qi... Righteous Qi... Exorcising evil, suppressing demons... Although I don't have the Xuan Yun Sect's techniques, I have [Exorcising Talisman], [Demon Suppressing Nail] (although I've used it), and [Purifying Heart Jade Pendant]... Could these also have a similar effect to 'Righteous Qi'? Also, those stone slab fragments, array plate fragments..." Lu Zhao's mind raced. The mission required him to "attempt to reinforce/destroy the sealing nodes," and he now knew that the key to reinforcement lay in activating the remaining "Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Array." And perhaps the items he had collected... could piece together some clues?

He immediately retrieved the [fragment of the broken array plate] and the [fragment of the stone slab]. The array plate fragment bore partially incomplete array patterns, resembling the runes on the stone pillar. The stone slab fragment, written in ancient script, contained an obscure incantation, seemingly... an auxiliary incantation to activate the remaining array? However, it was mostly incomplete and difficult to understand.

"We need more complete array patterns and incantations... Perhaps, other remains, or deeper into the abyss..." Lu Zhao looked at the pitch-black abyss churning with demonic energy and bloodlust, then glanced at the warning on the panel that "deep exploration will be extremely dangerous," and fell into deep thought.

Should we take the information we've gathered so far (though fragmented, it has revealed the core) and try to leave the instance to report to Elder Yun? Or... should we venture deeper into the abyss to try and find a more complete array diagram, incantation, or even... that so-called "array core," to see if we can actually do something to break the seal?

The former is safer, but the intelligence value might be insufficient, and deeper dungeon rewards won't be available. The latter is extremely dangerous, but the rewards could be enormous, not only yielding more crucial intelligence but also potentially rare rewards, and even... truly impacting the blood sacrifice process in reality!

Lu Zhao's gaze once again fell upon the bottomless abyss, radiating endless evil. In his ears were the wails of vengeful spirits, the roars of demonic energy, and the low, seductive whispers of the Demon Lord, seemingly emanating from the deepest hell...

He gripped the dagger and talisman tightly in his hand.

"Since we're already here..."