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

"roar--!!!"

Before the giant dark hand even arrived, that pure, abyss-like evil will, like billions of ice needles, pierced deeply into Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness! This was no simple mental attack, but a crushing blow from a higher level, originating from an ancient demon lord, even if it was just a fragment of his soul! The madness, brutality, destruction, and insatiable thirst for the souls and flesh of living beings contained within were enough to instantly shatter the mind of any Qi Refining cultivator, turning them into a puppet that knew only slaughter or was utterly devoured!

Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness was like a lake tossed with a boulder, instantly churning up towering waves! The mental barrier constructed by the [Refining Spirit Technique] crumbled like paper under such a terrifying impact of will! The [Pure Heart Jade Pendant] erupted with an unprecedented, almost burning, intense light, attempting to protect Lu Zhao's mind, but before the Demon Lord's will, it was like a candle flame in the wind, flickering and quickly dimming!

"Ah—!" Lu Zhao let out a scream of extreme pain, blood instantly seeping from his seven orifices! His thoughts, his perceptions, his consciousness were almost completely overwhelmed and devoured by the endless darkness, madness, and cold evil thoughts! Before his eyes was an endless sea of ​​blood and demonic shadows; in his ears were the wails of billions of vengeful souls and the whispers of the Demon Lord; his soul seemed to have been thrown into an eternal ice cave, enduring indescribable torment and tearing.

"Ants...surrender...sacrifice...become a part of me..."

The demonic sound pierced his mind, penetrating to the very core of his soul. An irresistible, primal fear and an urge to submit grew wildly within him like weeds. Give up, resistance is futile. Merge into this great darkness, become a part of the Demon Lord, and gain eternal... no, eternal torment and madness!

No! Absolutely not!

Just as his consciousness was about to completely succumb, deep within Lu Zhao's soul, his will to survive and his indomitable belief, forged through countless battles and trials, like steel tempered a hundred times, roared like a beast driven to the brink of despair!

"I, Lu Zhao, have fought my way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, not to die here! Not to become this inhuman monster! I want to live! I want to become stronger! I want to uncover the truth of all this! I want... revenge!"

"Get out of my head!!!"

"boom--!"

As if some kind of shackles had been broken, or as if a dormant volcano had suddenly erupted! Deep within Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness, the power of the panel's origin, which had been silently operating and complementing the [Refining God Technique], yet seemed to be more core and more mysterious—or rather, the essence of his otherworldly soul, which he had transmigrated into, incompatible with this world, yet endowed with a unique perspective and potential—was completely activated and ignited at this moment by the Demon Lord's evil will, which sought to assimilate and devour everything!

An indescribable, cold, deathly still, yet transcendental, strange fluctuation—as if capable of analyzing, defining, and even… "formatting" everything—erupted from the deepest recesses of Lu Zhao's soul! This fluctuation wasn't powerful, even faint, but its "essence" seemed to subtly surpass the evil will of the Demon Lord! Like a superior, emotionless "observer" and "recorder," it coldly scrutinized this invading "foreign object"!

"???!"

The demonic will that had invaded Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness seemed to have encountered something completely beyond its comprehension. It suddenly paused, emitting a barely perceptible fluctuation mixed with surprise, confusion, and even... a trace of fear! Its invincible power to erode, assimilate, and crush the will of living beings seemed to have crashed into an invisible, slippery wall in the face of this strange, cold fluctuation, and it could not advance an inch for a moment!

It was that moment of stillness!

"Refining Spirit Technique! Suppress it!"

Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch his breath, bought with the essence of his soul, Lu Zhao roared and recklessly activated the [Refining Spirit Technique]! In his sea of ​​consciousness, the almost completely extinguished spiritual "Mirror" erupted with its last and most intense light under the impetus of his tenacious will! The light was no longer merely defensive, but carried a resolute determination to self-destruct, actively crashing into the invading Demon Lord's will!

"laugh--!"

Like cold water poured into boiling oil, two forces of completely opposite nature, yet both involving the very essence of the soul, collided violently and annihilated in Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness! Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness felt as if it were about to explode, the pain far exceeding what he had experienced before, but he gritted his teeth and poured all his mental strength, all his will, all his anger and resentment into this final counterattack!

"Aaaaaah—!"

A scream erupted from Lu Zhao's mouth, and simultaneously from the invading Demon Lord's will! Blood flowed even more from Lu Zhao's seven orifices, his entire body appearing as if he had been pulled from a pool of blood, his consciousness on the verge of collapse. But the Demon Lord's will seemed to show signs of instability and retreat due to this unexpected and fierce resistance from the "ant," as well as the interference of that eerie, cold fluctuation.

"Ant... Weird... I'll spare you for now..." The cold, demonic voice, tinged with annoyance and confusion, quickly faded and became indistinct, receding from Lu Zhao's consciousness like a tide. Clearly, to the Demon Lord's divided soul, Lu Zhao, this "ant," while somewhat strange, wasn't worth expending too much power or risking being "contaminated" or "recorded" by that strange fluctuation to forcibly devour. Its primary goal was to completely break the seal; tens of thousands of more "appetizing" and "safer" sacrifices awaited it outside.

The shadow of the giant dark hand paused slightly just before it touched Lu Zhao, then, like a phantom, it quickly dissipated and shrank back into the dark red light at the center of the array plate. The terrifying pressure that almost solidified space also weakened and disappeared rapidly, like the receding tide.

"Bang!"

Lu Zhao's body, as if all his strength had been drained, slid off the stone platform and crashed heavily onto the cold ground. He gasped for breath, each breath carrying the smell of blood and a burning pain. His vision blurred, his ears rang, and his mind was in chaos and stinging, as if he had just been pierced by thousands of steel needles and then smashed by an iron hammer.

But he is still alive.

Faced with the overwhelming will of a fragmented soul of an ancient demon lord, he actually... withstood it? Although the price was heavy—his soul was damaged, his mental strength was almost exhausted, and his body suffered considerable internal and external injuries—he was not devoured, did not go mad, and did not turn into a monster.

"I...survived..." Lu Zhao lay on the ground, too weak to even move a finger, only his chest rising and falling weakly. He could feel that the [Pure Heart Jade Pendant] had completely dimmed, covered with fine cracks, seemingly reaching its limit and unusable for the time being. The mental barrier constructed by the [Refining Spirit Technique] had also almost collapsed, requiring a long period of nurturing to recover. But most importantly, the strange, icy fluctuation deep within his soul, after its outburst, had subsided again, as if it had never existed.

Was it the power of the panel? Or... the essence of his transmigrated soul? Lu Zhao didn't know. He only knew that this power had saved his life at the last moment. But it also filled him with more apprehension and doubt about the panel and the secrets within him.

"Now... isn't the time to think about these things..." Lu Zhao struggled to turn his eyes to the core of the array plate on the stone platform. The dark red light at the center of the array plate had subsided, returning to its previous dimness and deathly stillness, as if the earth-shattering scene had never happened. Only the lingering, soul-chilling evil aura in the air, and the cracks on the stone platform and the ground caused by the oppressive force, testified to the danger that had just occurred.

"That Demon Lord's divided soul... seems to have temporarily retreated for some reason? Was it because of my resistance? Or because of that strange fluctuation? Or... because it sensed some change in the outside world? Or perhaps, it just felt that I, this 'ant,' was unaware that it was expending its power?" Lu Zhao's mind raced. In any case, the crisis was temporarily averted.

He had to leave immediately! Although the Demon Lord's fragmented soul had retreated, it could turn its attention back at any moment. Moreover, he couldn't linger here; he had to take the intelligence he had gathered, leave the instance, return to reality, and report to Elder Yun as soon as possible.

But... should we just leave like this? The core of the array is right in front of us; we even just activated a tiny bit of its "turtle" position. Although insignificant, it proves that manipulation is possible. Moreover, the blood sacrifice is in full swing outside. Every moment of delay increases the danger for the people of Qingfeng Town and the greater the chance of the seal breaking.

Lu Zhao's gaze fell once again on the skeletons of the Blood Fiend Cult members, especially the one clutching a dark red bone fragment in its hand. He struggled, using his last bit of strength, to crawl over, pry open the tightly clenched hand, and remove the bone fragment.

The bone fragment was warm to the touch, even slightly hot, and covered with twisted, malevolent, blood-red runes that clashed with the surrounding sealing runes. Inside the bone fragment, there seemed to be a wisp of pure and violent blood demonic power sealed.

"【Blood Fiend Restriction Bone Fragment (Special)】: A heretical artifact used by the Blood Fiend Cult to erode and destroy specific sealing nodes. It can be activated to release the sealed Blood Fiend essence, causing strong corrosion and destruction to sealing formations and restrictions. It can also be reverse-analyzed to obtain its erosion principle, or used to refine certain one-time restriction-breaking items."

The evil entity that destroyed the seal... but conversely, if we can analyze its principles, could it also be used to... reinforce it? Or, at least to know how the Blood Fiend Cult eroded the seal, thus finding a way to counter it?

Lu Zhao then looked at the core of the array plate, at the missing tortoise, qilin, and pixiu reliefs, at the ancient sealing runes on the surrounding walls, and at the broken array plate fragments and stone slab pieces in his hand...

An extremely bold, even insane, idea gradually took shape in his mind.

"The Demon Lord's fragmented soul has temporarily retreated and may not return for some time. Although the core of this array is damaged, its foundation remains. The Blood Fiend Cult used this bone fragment to erode the seal, so why can't I... try using what I possess, combined with the remaining power of this array, and... the reverse application of the erosion principle contained in this bone fragment, to create a... temporary, crude, but perhaps effective 'reinforcement'?"

The thought, once it appeared, spread like wildfire. Reason told him that this was utterly absurd, a joke with his life. He was just a lowly cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining, with a rudimentary understanding of formations. To think he could repair and reinforce the core of this ancient formation? It was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

But... he had indeed activated a trace of the "Turtle" position before! This meant he wasn't entirely without a connection to this formation. He had a panel, deduction abilities (though mainly talismans), some information obtained from the fragments of obsession, and this bone fragment containing the principle of erosion as a "negative example"... Most importantly, he had a copy! Here, time was ten times that of reality! He could try, and even if he failed, as long as he didn't die, he had a chance to start over! In reality, however, time was tight, leaving him no time to study slowly.

"I'll take the gamble!" A ruthless glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. Rather than watching the disaster unfold with incomplete information, he might as well fight to the death and try to do something! Even if it only buys the outside world a few more breaths of time, it's still worth it! Moreover, trying in a dungeon makes the risk relatively controllable (if he fails, he still has a substitute talisman and a teleportation talisman as a last resort).

Without further hesitation, he immediately consumed the best Jade Dew Rejuvenating Pill and Spirit Nourishing Pill he possessed, sat cross-legged, and began to focus all his energy on regulating his breathing and recovering. He needed to restore a certain level of mobility and mental strength as quickly as possible.

An hour later (during the instance time), with the help of pills and the [Dragon's Sleep], Lu Zhao had barely recovered 30-40% of his condition, and his external injuries had also begun to stabilize. Although the trauma to his soul and the exhaustion of his mind were still severe, he could now barely move and think.

He returned to the core of the array plate, placing the [broken array plate fragments], [stone slab fragments], [blood-fiend restriction bone fragments], and all the previously obtained items related to sealing and arrays (chain fragments, remnants of the ancient demon-suppressing sword, etc.) before him. Then, he closed his eyes, laboriously activating the [Refining Spirit Technique], carefully sensing the structure and energy flow of the array plate (although extremely weak). At the same time, in his mind, he activated the [Rune Deduction] ability on the panel—although this was for deducing runes, arrays and runes, to some extent, share similarities, both involving the application and guidance of energy and rules.

What he was trying to do wasn't to actually repair the ancient array—that was impossible. What he was trying to do was to use the existing incomplete parts, his limited knowledge, and the erosion principles revealed by the bone fragments to temporarily "build" a simple, one-time, "stimulating" or "misleading" device on the array plate. The goal was to maximize the activation of the remaining sealing power of the array plate in a short period of time, and perhaps even deceive or interfere with the Blood Fiend Cult's blood sacrifice erosion process on the seal, thus buying time for external rescue or for the seal itself to "resurrect" before it died.

This was an extremely complex, meticulous, and uncertain project. Lu Zhao was like an apprentice tinkering with precision instruments while holding rust-cutting tools, each step as if walking on thin ice.

He first tried using the [Spiritual Tentacles] of the [Refining Spirit Technique], combined with a small amount of spiritual power, to guide the remaining sealing power of the "Turtle" position in the array plate, slowly circulating it according to the partial incantation on the stone slab fragment. At the same time, he placed the [Blood Fiend Restriction Bone Fragment] on the edge of the array plate, carefully sensing the fluctuation frequency of the blood fiend origin within it and the direction of the erosion runes using the [Refining Spirit Technique].

"The erosion of the bloodthirsty power occurs by distorting, polluting, and reversing the normal flow of spiritual energy in the sealing runes, rendering them ineffective or even causing them to backfire... So, if at a critical juncture, I use my spiritual energy (containing the stable blood energy and weak exorcising properties of [Sleeping Dragon]) and some of the reverse runes analyzed from this bone fragment to construct a temporary 'purification node' or 'misdirection path,' could I guide, deflect, or even... temporarily 'reinforce' some of the eroding bloodthirsty power to the weak points of the formation?"

As Lu Zhao deduced, he cautiously experimented. He dipped his finger in a specially made spiritual blood cinnabar mixture, which was a blend of his own essence and the last bit of powder from the [Pure Heart Jade Pendant]. Near the "turtle" position on the array plate, next to a rune node whose spiritual power had become stagnant and dim due to the erosion of blood evil, he began to draw an extremely simple composite rune. It combined some basic purification runes, the "deflection" structure that he deduced from the bone fragments, and the "guiding" patterns that he had haphazardly figured out himself.

"Buzz..."

The moment he drew the last stroke and infused the simple rune with a wisp of spiritual and mental energy, the rune glowed slightly, actually resonating faintly with the remaining sealing power of the "turtle" position on the array plate! Immediately afterward, the previously clogged and dim rune node lit up extremely faintly, though fleeting, the obstruction seemed to lessen by a negligible amount! And at the center of the array plate, the previously dormant dark red stain seemed to ripple very slightly due to this subtle change!

It works! Although the effect is so slight as to be almost negligible, it proves that his idea, at least in theory, has a slight degree of feasibility!

Lu Zhao's spirits lifted, and ignoring the stinging pain in his soul and the exhaustion in his mind, he continued his attempts. He repeated the process, drawing similar rudimentary "composite runes" near several other key rune nodes on the array plate that were relatively less damaged or where the blood demonic influence had not yet fully penetrated. Some were successful, causing a more obvious reaction from the array plate (for example, in a certain area representing the "Qilin" position, the array pattern below the damaged relief actually lit up for several breaths, emitting a faint auspicious aura that repelled some of the surrounding demonic energy); others failed, with incorrect rune drawing or spiritual energy conflicts causing a slight backlash from the array plate, which made Lu Zhao vomit blood and worsen his injuries; still others had no reaction at all.

This was an extremely demanding process, draining his mental, spiritual, and emotional energy. Lu Zhao was completely focused, forgetting about time, his pain, and the perilous situation he was in. In his eyes, there was only the broken array plate, the ancient runes, and the crooked, simple patterns he had drawn that carried all his hopes and madness.

He didn't know how much time had passed (within the instance). When he had almost exhausted all the usable materials he had (including the few fragments of the broken sealing chain, which he had ground up and mixed with cinnabar), and all the spiritual and mental power he could mobilize, he finally connected the seven "composite rune" nodes he had successfully drawn on the array plate, with the two faintly activated positions of "turtle" and "qilin" as the core. This formed an extremely rudimentary, unstable, and seemingly collapsing temporary rune network that covered half of the array plate.

This network was vastly different from his understanding of the true "Eight Extremes Demon-Sealing Array," even bordering on a haphazard junk. Yet, it undeniably connected and resonated with the remaining sealing power of the array plate! Furthermore, it subtly exerted a weak repulsive and purifying pressure on the blood-red stains at the center of the array plate!

"The final step... requires a sufficiently strong, pure, or at least 'positive' energy surge to fully activate this temporary network, making it act like a 'thorn' or a 'spark' to stimulate and ignite the remaining embers of the seal deep within the array plate, which may not yet be completely extinguished..." Lu Zhao's face was ashen, his body swaying precariously, but his eyes were unusually bright. He looked at the [Substitute Talisman] given to him by Elder Yun, a life-saving item in a critical moment.

The substitute talisman can not only withstand a fatal blow, but the spatial fluctuations and pure spiritual energy it generates upon activation are themselves a considerable force. Moreover, it contains a trace of the profound mysteries of spatial laws, perhaps... it can resonate with this sealing formation involving spatial confinement?

Is it worth risking your life-saving trump card for a slim hope?

Lu Zhao didn't hesitate. He laboriously moved to the center of the array plate, the very front where the blood-red stains clashed with the sealing power, and sat down cross-legged. He affixed the [Substitute Talisman] to his chest, then placed his hands on the array plate, channeling the last remaining trace of spiritual power within him, along with all his mental focus, into the simple, hastily assembled network of runes beneath his feet. And... with his will, he locked onto the deepest part of the array plate, the core point that was heavily shrouded in blood-red stains, theoretically the "central hub" of the array!

"Success or failure... hinges on this!"

He roared inwardly, and without hesitation, used his last bit of strength to activate the [Substitute Talisman] on his chest!

"Buzz—!!!"

The substitute talisman suddenly erupted with a dazzling silver-white light! A pure, gentle yet powerful spiritual energy, carrying spatial fluctuations, instantly burst forth from Lu Zhao's center! But this time, this spiritual energy did not form a protective shield to teleport him away. Instead, Lu Zhao used himself as a medium, guided by the simple network of runes beneath his feet, and like a flood bursting its banks, it surged wildly into the array plate, rushing along the path of the rune network towards the "central hub" core point that Lu Zhao's will had locked onto!

"BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!"

The entire stone chamber—no, the entire underground sealed space—trembled violently! The core of the array plate erupted with an unprecedented, dazzling light, a mixture of silver-white, pale yellow, dark red, and jet-black colors! The network of runes that Lu Zhao had hastily drawn, under the impact of this violent energy, flickered like a candle in the wind, breaking and burning in many places! But before they broke, they successfully channeled most of the substitute talisman's energy into the depths of the array plate!

"Crack! Crack-crack—!"

The array plate emitted a deafening roar, as if it were about to shatter under the immense pressure! The blood-red filth at its center violently churned, dissolved, and resisted under the sudden impact of this energy, which was mixed with spatial power and a weak sealing resonance! And deep within the array plate, the true sealing power "embers" that had been dormant for countless years seemed to have been brutally and violently "stabbed" by this foreign, chaotic yet sufficiently intense energy "spark"!

"Buzz—!!!"

A deep, grand, ancient, majestic, and suppressive hum, like the impatient growl of a giant beast that has been sleeping for millennia and has been disturbed, faintly came from the deepest part of the array plate and from the endless abyss beneath its feet!

Immediately afterwards, the light from the "Turtle" and "Qilin" positions, which were about to go out completely, suddenly surged! Although still faint, it was more than ten times brighter than before! Even the array patterns beneath the damaged area representing the "Pixiu" position passively and extremely unstablely lit up with a faint light! The phantom images of the eight stone pillars appeared and disappeared around the stone chamber; although they were dilapidated, their outlines were indeed clearly visible!

A pressure, though far less oppressive than in ancient times, or even less powerful than when the Demon Lord's will descended just now, was incomparably pure, profound, and imposing, carrying an inviolable sealing will. Centered on the array plate, it suddenly spread out! It was like pouring a bucket of oil (though the oil was somewhat mixed) into a fire that was about to be completely extinguished, causing the fire to suddenly shine brightly before it was completely extinguished, bursting out with a final burst of light and heat!

"roar--!!!"

Deep within the abyss, the Demon Lord's fragmented soul seemed utterly enraged by this sudden "last gasp" from the seal itself, unleashing a deafening roar filled with boundless savagery and fury! The entire underground space trembled violently, demonic energy and bloodlust churning as if boiling! But this time, the rekindled sealing light, like a reef, stubbornly withstood the onslaught of demonic energy and bloodlust. Although the light was rapidly dimming, the illusory stone pillars were shattering, and the cracks on the array plate were widening, it undeniably formed a temporary, fragile, but real barrier!

"It...it's a success?" Lu Zhao was stunned by this sudden change, followed by ecstatic joy. Although this "reinforcement" was destined to be short-lived, and might even accelerate the eventual collapse of the array, at least for this moment, the seal's effectiveness had been temporarily enhanced! Even if it was only for a few dozen or a few hundred breaths, it could buy precious time for the outside world!

However, before he could rejoice for long, an even colder, more furious, and terrifying will that seemed to want to burn everything once again locked onto the stone chamber, the array plate, and Lu Zhao, the "instigator"!

It's the Demon Lord's split soul! It's been thoroughly enraged! This time, it's no longer just a casual glance or an attempt to devour; it's a killing intent!

"You ant...you...must die..."

The chilling demonic voice was clearer and more murderous than before. At the center of the array plate, dark red light surged wildly, and the blurry demonic shadow reappeared. A more solid and enormous dark hand, carrying the power to destroy everything, slowly condensed and slammed down upon Lu Zhao, who was collapsed on the ground, exhausted and unable to even move a finger! This time, it held nothing back; it intended to completely obliterate him, along with this detestable array plate!

Looking at the overwhelming, deathly shadow, Lu Zhao's lips curled into a smile of relief, even bordering on madness.

"It was worth it..."

He closed his eyes, awaiting final judgment. The Substitute Talisman had been used, and the Escape Talisman seemed to have been affected by the energy shock just now; it was uncertain whether it could be activated. Moreover, under the Demon Lord's enraged attack and the violent spatial turbulence, whether the Escape Talisman could successfully teleport was also unknown.

But, just as that giant dark hand was about to strike—

"Ding! Extremely high energy impact and spatial disturbance detected! Brief burst of sealing power detected! Special conditions met..."

"【Blood Sacrifice Abyss - The Tragedy of Qingfeng Town (Purgatory)】First layer exploration completion rate reached 80%! Hidden conditions met!"

"Settling your rewards for the first level of the dungeon..."

"Generifying an exit channel..."

"Warning: The exit process will be subject to powerful energy interference and carries a high risk. Exit the instance immediately? (Yes/No)"

The urgent notification sound from the panel, like heavenly music, rang in Lu Zhao's mind!