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

The Earth Fire Chamber No. 3, located deep beneath the Talisman Pavilion, is a breathtaking sight. Following the winding stone steps downwards, passing through several shimmering protective barriers, a surge of intensely hot and pure fire-elemental spiritual energy rushes towards you. The chamber is small, about three zhang square, with a crimson fire pit in the center, intricately carved with array patterns. The fire, restrained by the array, forms a stable, foot-high cluster of pale blue flames, radiating astonishing heat. The walls of the chamber are inlaid with jade stones capable of gathering and stabilizing spiritual energy, and small spirit-gathering arrays are carved on the floor. The quality of the fire here far surpasses the rudimentary fire in Lu Zhao's own cave dwelling, making refining weapons, alchemy, and the creation of certain special talismans all twice as efficient.

Lu Zhao activated the stone chamber's protective barrier, isolating it from the outside world. He did not immediately begin drawing talismans, but instead sat cross-legged on a futon beside the fire pit, calming his mind and repeatedly deducing and pondering the incantations and principles of the "Minor Five Elements Sword Formation (Basic Edition)" in his mind.

"The Five Elements operate on a cycle of mutual generation and restraint. Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Earth generates Metal. Conversely, Metal restrains Wood, Wood restrains Earth, Earth restrains Water, Water restrains Fire, and Fire restrains Metal. The foundation of the sword formation lies in using the Five Elements sword energy to create a cycle of mutual generation, enhancing its power; it can also reverse the mutual restraint to specifically target and defeat the enemy..."

"My primary task in replacing swords with talismans is to forge 'talisman swords' that can bear the 'sword intent,' contain the corresponding five elements, and resonate with each other. This 'talisman sword' is not merely an ordinary attack talisman; it must also incorporate the corresponding five elements' concepts of 'sharpness,' 'agility,' 'endurance,' 'explosiveness,' and 'weight' into its runes, as well as... a trace of 'spiritual guidance' that can respond to the control of formations..."

This is undoubtedly a huge challenge. Although Lu Zhao has the ability to draw talismans at level 6 and derive runes, the integration of "artistic conception" and the addition of "spiritual guidance" involve a deeper level of the way of talismans, approaching the scope of "talisman treasures" or even "spiritual talismans", which is by no means something that a first-level talisman master can easily reach.

"Let's start with the simplest 'Sharpness' concept and the Metal element," Lu Zhao decided. He took out the first-tier superior-grade [Golden Light Talisman Paper] and the first-tier supreme-grade [Golden Crystal Vermilion] that he had exchanged. Both of these materials contained pure Metal element spiritual energy, making them excellent carriers for drawing Metal element talismans.

He picked up his talisman brush, dipped it in a mixture of golden cinnabar infused with a trace of his own blood and spiritual power, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on the description of "metal element sword energy" in the Lesser Five Elements Sword Formation: "Incomparably sharp, capable of cutting through anything, its nature is extremely firm and sharp..."

At the same time, he incorporated all his understanding of the "sword," his insights into "armor-piercing" and "penetration," and the trace of sharpness he sensed from the magical weapon, the [Azure Edge Sword], into his mind.

The brush fell, and the talisman was completed.

A standard [Golden Light Talisman (Tier 1, High Grade)] was completed, of excellent quality. However, Lu Zhao could sense that this was merely an ordinary high-grade defensive talisman, far from the "talisman sword" he desired. It lacked that unique "sharp sword intent" and "spiritual guidance."

"The artistic conception is not enough... How can I add spiritual guidance?" Lu Zhao put down his talisman brush and frowned in thought. He tried to inject more spiritual intent into the tip of the brush during the drawing process, attempting to "carve" that feeling, but the effect was minimal, and instead caused the talisman to be unstable, resulting in several failures in succession.

"Perhaps... we can try to 'derive' and 'graft' the basic runes?" Lu Zhao had a sudden inspiration. He brought up the [Rune Derivation] ability on the panel and placed the basic rune structure of the [Golden Light Rune], the fragment of "Golden Element Array Runes" in the "Minor Five Elements Sword Array", and his own understanding of the "sharp" imagery into the derivation interface.

This was a bold attempt. The deduction interface shimmered with light, countless runes disassembling, combining, and evolving... Lu Zhao's mental energy surged like a flood, consumed relentlessly. He only managed to maintain it for ten breaths before his head began to throb with pain, forcing him to stop.

The deduction was unsuccessful, failing to generate a completely new and perfect "Golden Element Sword" rune. However, the changing directions of several rune nodes and the several unsuccessful "combination" forms during the deduction process gave Lu Zhao great inspiration!

"I see... The meaning of 'sharpness' doesn't need to be forcibly depicted; it can be manifested through the turning angles of the runes and the acceleration and compression points of the spiritual energy flow! As for 'spiritual guidance'... perhaps we can borrow the connection principle of chain runes, leaving a tiny, open 'interface' at the end of the rune that can be activated by mental power or specific spells!"

Lu Zhao's eyes gleamed, and disregarding his exhaustion, he picked up his brush again. This time, he no longer pursued a complete and unfamiliar rune. Instead, he made minor adjustments to several key turning points on the basis of the [Golden Light Rune], making its angles sharper and more pointed. He added two tiny "vortex" structures along the path of spiritual energy flow to temporarily compress and accelerate the spiritual energy. Finally, at the end of the rune, he carefully drew an extremely simple, hook-like, open "spiritual guide" rune.

The moment the pen was lifted, the talisman shone with a brilliant golden light, more dazzling and refined than any previous [Golden Light Talisman]! Within the golden light, a faint, metallic clanging sound emanated! The entire talisman no longer felt merely like a "sturdy shield," but also carried a restrained sharpness, as if it were about to break free from its sheath!

Although it is still far from being a true "Spell Sword", this is undoubtedly a huge step forward!

Suppressing his excitement, Lu Zhao picked up the improved talisman, which he would tentatively call the [Sharp Golden Light Talisman], and carefully sensed it. Sure enough, at the "spiritual guide," he could feel a faint connection to his spiritual power. He tried to gently touch the "spiritual guide" with his spiritual power.

"Buzz..." The talisman trembled slightly, and the golden light on its surface flowed like water ripples. Its sharpness intensified, as if it could shoot out at any moment!

"Success! Although it's still rudimentary, the direction is right!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. He immediately took a Spirit Nourishing Pill to restore his mental energy, and then began frantically drawing this [Sharp Golden Light Talisman]. The failure rate was high; he could only succeed two or three times out of ten, and the quality was inconsistent. But he was not discouraged at all. He carefully summarized his experience after each failure and constantly fine-tuned the details of the talisman.

"Ding! You have successfully drawn a new type of talisman, [Sharp Golden Light Talisman (Improved/Tier 1 Superior)], [Talisman Drawing] experience +20, [Talisman Derivation] experience +5."

"Ding! [Talisman Drawing] Experience +15..."

"Ding! Drawing failed. [Talisman Drawing] Experience +3..."

The monotonous yet fulfilling days flew by in the Earth Fire Chamber. Lu Zhao almost forgot the passage of time, completely immersed in the creation and refinement of the "Talisman Sword." When he was hungry, he would take a fasting pill; when his spiritual energy and mental energy were depleted, he would take pills and meditate to recover.

Five days later, he was able to consistently draw the [Sharp Golden Light Talisman], increasing the success rate to 40%, and he could roughly control the direction of its activation (through mental guidance of "spiritual attraction"). He defined this as the "Golden Element Talisman Sword (First Edition)".

Next is the "Wooden Talisman Sword". Wood represents life, entanglement, and binding. He chose the [Vine Entangling Talisman] as the base, incorporating the artistic conception of "endless life" and "entangling and trapping the enemy", and deduced the [Life-Giving Vine Entangling Talisman]. When activated, it can form more resilient vines that can slowly absorb the enemy's spiritual power to replenish itself.

The "Water-based Talisman Sword" is based on the [Clear Water Talisman] or [Frost Talisman], incorporating the concepts of "versatility," "overcoming strength with gentleness," and "slow freezing," thus giving rise to the [Gentle Water Frost Talisman], which can transform into water arrows and ice spikes, or form a water curtain for defense, with variations at will.

The "Fire Element Talisman Sword" is based on the [Blazing Sun Talisman] and incorporates the meaning of "explosive burning" and "aggressive like fire" to derive the [Explosive Blazing Sun Talisman], which is more powerful, has a stronger burst, and comes with a continuous burning effect.

The "Earth Element Talisman Sword" is based on the "Earth Wall Talisman" and incorporates the meanings of "heavy and stable", "mountain-like defense" and "earth spike attack", thus deriving the "Thick Earth Stone Talisman", which has stronger defensive power and can spew stone spikes from the ground to injure enemies.

The derivation and mastery of each type of "talisman sword" consumed a great deal of Lu Zhao's effort and time, resulting in countless failures and the consumption of massive amounts of materials. However, he enjoyed it immensely, and his proficiency in talisman drawing and rune derivation increased rapidly. His understanding of the five elements and his grasp of "artistic conception" also reached a new level.

As the one-month usage period of the local fire chamber was about to end, five neat stacks of talismans of different colors and auras were placed in front of Lu Zhao. These were his initial successes of the five elements "talisman swords" of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth! Although each stack only contained about ten talismans, and they were all only of the first-grade high quality, there was still a long way to go before they were the "talisman swords" he envisioned, which could be flexibly controlled like flying swords and formed into profound formations. However, the prototype had already appeared!

"Next, it's time to try setting up the formation!" Lu Zhao's eyes gleamed with excitement. He rested for half a day, adjusting himself to his best condition, and then came to the open space in the center of the stone chamber.

He first took out five "talisman swords"—gold, green, blue, red, and yellow—belonging to the five elements, and placed them in front of him. Then, following the basic formation method of the "Minor Five Elements Sword Formation," he used his mental power as a guide and spiritual power as a medium to begin communicating with and activating the "spiritual guide" within these five "talisman swords."

"Gold shop, rise!"

"Wooden stalks, rise!"

"Water movement, rise!"

"Fire element, activate!"

"Earth element, rise!"

With a deep shout, five talismans simultaneously lit up, floated up, and slowly rotated around him according to the five elements: metal in the west, wood in the east, water in the north, fire in the south, and earth in the center. The five-colored light flowed, faintly forming a weak but undeniably present energy field about ten feet in diameter!

"Formation complete!" Lu Zhao shouted, channeling his full mental energy to control the simple "Minor Five Elements Array." With a thought, he pointed to the incredibly hard obsidian target used for testing on the side of the stone chamber.

"Metal generates water, water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal—the five elements generate each other, and metal's sharp edge pierces through armor!"

The suspended [Sharp Golden Light Talisman] on the west side suddenly shone brightly, its sharp aura soaring into the sky! Simultaneously, the [Gentle Water Ice Talisman] on the north side flashed with blue light, a gentle power flowing into the Golden Light Talisman, making its light even brighter and more concentrated! Then, the [Life-Generating Vine Talisman] on the east side burst into vibrant green, its life force joining in... The five talismans lit up in succession, their spiritual power flowing and empowering in a mutually reinforcing sequence, ultimately converging on the [Sharp Golden Light Talisman]!

"laugh--!"

A golden beam of light, condensed to its extreme and only as thick as a finger, yet radiating a dazzling golden light and carrying an unparalleled sharpness, shot out from the [Sharp Golden Light Talisman] with lightning speed, slamming heavily into the obsidian target!

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the hard obsidian target shuddered violently, a hole half a foot deep with smooth, mirror-like edges blasted into its surface! Debris flew everywhere! This power far surpassed that of a single high-grade first-tier attack talisman, almost approaching the power of some top-grade first-tier talismans! Moreover, the attack was more concentrated and its penetrating power was stronger!

"Good!" Lu Zhao's spirits lifted, but his face immediately paled. That attack had drained nearly 30% of his spiritual power and a large amount of his mental energy! The consumption of maintaining this simple talisman array far exceeded his expectations! Moreover, at the moment the attack was launched, his control over the other four talismans was noticeably sluggish, and the array almost collapsed.

"Too much energy consumption, imprecise control, unstable formation... it's still far from practical application," Lu Zhao analyzed calmly. But his heart was filled with joy. This proved that his thinking was absolutely correct! Using talismans instead of swords to set up a Five Elements Talisman Array was feasible! And its potential was enormous!

He dispelled the formation and took a pill to recover. In the following days, he no longer pursued power, but instead began practicing simultaneously manipulating multiple talismans, maintaining the stability of the formation, and performing simple formation changes (such as switching from mutually reinforcing to mutually restraining). This was excellent training for his [Spirit Division Technique].

When the time allotted for the Fire Chamber ended, although Lu Zhao still couldn't maintain the Five Elements Talisman Array with perfect control for an extended period, he had made significant progress in simultaneously manipulating multiple items and maintaining simple formations. His [Spirit Distraction Technique] was also showing signs of breaking through to Lv4 under this intense pressure.

More importantly, he successfully pioneered a unique path of combat that belonged to him alone—the Rune Array Master! Although it was only in its infancy, its potential was limitless.

Leaving the Fire Chamber and returning to the sunlight, Lu Zhao felt as if he had been transported to another world. A month had passed in the Fire Chamber, while nearly a month had also passed in the outside world. Only two months remained until the sect's grand competition.

He returned to his cave dwelling first. The filth at the entrance had long been cleaned up, but the feeling of being spied on and surrounded by malice had not disappeared. Without making a sound, he activated the barrier and entered.

After a day of rest, Lu Zhao went to the Talisman Pavilion to hand over his assigned tasks and inquire about Hou San's whereabouts.

When Deacon Zhou saw him, he informed him that the quota task had been completed (exceeded, with excellent quality), and handed him a storage bag: "This is your contribution point share for this month, plus an extra 500 contribution points awarded by the Pavilion Master, in recognition of your dedicated study of talismanic arts in the Earth Fire Chamber. As for your friend Hou San..."

Deacon Zhou lowered his voice: "The Enforcement Hall has investigated. It was a fight, and both sides were at fault. They were both punished equally, fined contribution points, and confined for a few days. They've already been released. However... I heard that those who provoked Hou San seem to have some shady connections and are quite close to Deacon Zhao's faction. Be careful."

As expected, it was related to Zhao Wuji. Lu Zhao's eyes turned slightly cold. After thanking him, he left the Talisman Pavilion.

He found Hou San. Hou San looked somewhat haggard, with a bandage wrapped around his left arm, but his spirits were still good. Upon seeing Lu Zhao, he quickly pulled him to his newly acquired, more secluded, and simple cave dwelling.

"Senior Brother Lu! You've finally come out!" Hou San looked terrified. "A few days ago, some bastards came to cause me trouble, saying I sold false information and cheated them out of contribution points. They demanded compensation and even started a fight. I couldn't beat them, but luckily the people from the Enforcement Hall arrived quickly... But I always felt something was off; it seemed like they were deliberately picking a fight."

"I know. I've dragged you into this," Lu Zhao said in a deep voice, handing Hou San a few healing pills and a hundred contribution points. "Be careful these days, and try not to take on missions where you can go out alone. Be cautious when gathering information, and safety comes first."

"What are you saying, Senior Brother! We're brothers!" Hou San couldn't refuse, so he accepted the pills and contribution points, gritting his teeth as he said, "They're that old dog Zhao Wuji's men, aren't they? Damn it, I'll kill them sooner or later!"

"Don't be impulsive, now is not the time." Lu Zhao patted his shoulder. "Heal your injuries first and improve your strength. We'll settle this score sooner or later."

After calming Hou San down, Lu Zhao went to see Wang Tie and Huang Ling'er, subtly reminding them to be careful recently, especially if they got too close to him, as they might be implicated. Wang Tie patted his chest, saying he wasn't afraid, while Huang Ling'er simply nodded, but a hint of seriousness appeared in her eyes.

After dealing with these matters, Lu Zhao began making final preparations for the sect's grand competition. Since his cultivation level was unlikely to break through quickly for the time being, he focused on honing his skills in actual combat and further mastering his rune array techniques.

He began taking on practical missions to hunt demonic beasts and eliminate evil spirits, mostly choosing relatively safe areas near the sect. On one hand, he earned contribution points; on the other hand, he tested and honed his new techniques in real combat—[Thunder Flash], [Flowing Cloud Step], the improved version of the Five Elements Talisman, and... the nascent "Small Five Elements Talisman Array."

The practical results are remarkable. Lu Zhao can now handle mid-to-high-grade Tier 1 demonic beasts with relative ease. The combination of [Flowing Cloud Step] and [Swift Movement Talisman] makes his movements even more unpredictable. The suddenness and paralyzing effect of [Thunder Flash] often result in a decisive blow. Furthermore, when he unleashes the "Minor Five Elements Talisman Array" (a simplified version, usually involving the simultaneous manipulation of two or three attribute talismans), he unleashes astonishing combat power. He once single-handedly killed a Tier 1 peak, near-Tier 2 "Ironclad Rhinoceros," a hard-won victory that further enhanced his mastery of talisman arrays.

His practical experience accumulated rapidly, and his contribution points also increased slowly. During this time, he encountered two ambushes by unidentified individuals and one clumsy attempt to frame him (by smuggling contraband into his quest items), but Lu Zhao, relying on the keen perception and caution of the [Refining Spirit Technique], either avoided them in advance or exposed them on the spot. The other party seemed to have some reservations as well, and did not send out any experts at the late stage of Qi Refining, which seemed more like harassment and probing.

Lu Zhao sneered inwardly, knowing that Zhao Wuji was slowly cutting him with a dull knife, constantly creating trouble for him, draining his energy, interfering with his cultivation, and trying to prevent him from preparing in peace before the competition, or even making mistakes.

"Trying to wear me down? Let's see who gives up first." Lu Zhao thought fiercely, not letting these disturbances disrupt his rhythm, but instead cultivating even more diligently. He turned pressure into motivation, his control over the rune array became increasingly proficient, and after another high-intensity rune array practice, his [Spirit Distraction Technique] finally broke through to Lv4! His ability to multitask was greatly enhanced, and he could now control three "rune swords" in simple coordination with each other quite smoothly.

Time flew by amidst cultivation, missions, and battles against harassment from the shadows.

In the blink of an eye, only ten days remain until the sect competition.

On this day, Lu Zhao had just completed a mission to wipe out the "Rotting Bone Wolves" and was returning to the sect, feeling somewhat tired but also satisfied with his achievements. As he passed by the outer sect's "Martial Arts Hall," he was drawn by a commotion.

On the open ground in front of the martial arts hall, dozens of outer sect disciples were gathered, watching something. Two groups were facing off in the middle. One group consisted of several familiar disciples led by Liu Feng and Shi Yong; the other group comprised several arrogant inner sect disciples with formidable presences. Their leader, dressed in brocade robes, had a effeminate face and held a jade-bone folding fan, which he used to tap Liu Feng's nose, his tone contemptuous:

"...Liu Feng, don't push your luck. It's your good fortune that Senior Brother Zhao has taken a liking to your 'Mysterious Iron Essence'! If you know what's good for you, hand it over obediently to offset the compensation for your failed mission last time. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite and punishing you according to the sect rules for your incompetence and damage to public property!"

Liu Feng's face was ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but Shi Yong, Hou San (whose injuries had healed), and the others behind him dared not speak out. The other party was an inner disciple, and had invoked the "discipline rules" and "Senior Brother Zhao" (clearly referring to Zhao Wuji).

Lu Zhao's eyes turned cold. This was... finally unable to hold back any longer, and starting to target those around him in a more direct way? And choosing the eve of the competition, in full view of everyone, was this a way to make an example of him, and also to force him to show himself?

He parted the crowd and went inside.

"Junior Brother Lu!" "Senior Brother Lu!" Liu Feng, Hou San, and the others were pleasantly surprised to see him, but their faces quickly turned to worry.

The effeminate inner disciple, upon seeing Lu Zhao, flashed a smug sneer in his eyes. He snapped his folding fan shut and said in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, who do we have here? It's the recently popular 'Great Hero Lu,' isn't it? What, are you going to stand up for your good-for-nothing friends?"

Lu Zhao walked to Liu Feng's side, his gaze calmly fixed on the effeminate disciple: "Senior brother, what has my friends done wrong? And what about the so-called 'Mysterious Iron Essence' and 'mission failure'?"

"Hmph! Last month, they accepted the 'Gathering Mystic Iron Ore' mission, but failed to complete the quota and even damaged the sect's mining tool, the 'Earth-Splitting Pickaxe'! According to the rules, they need to compensate with 500 contribution points or equivalent items! Liu Feng has a piece of 'Mystic Iron Essence' of good quality, which can be used to make up for it! What, Junior Brother Lu, do you think the sect's rules are a joke?" The effeminate disciple sneered, acting as if it were business.

Liu Feng said urgently, "Junior Brother Lu, that's not how it is! We completed the quota, but the 'Earth-Splitting Hoe' itself had hidden damage and suddenly broke during use. It wasn't damaged by us! Moreover, the Mission Hall has already recorded it, so why are you investigating now? That 'Mysterious Iron Essence' was my personal possession and has nothing to do with the mission!"

"Hidden damage? Who can prove that?" The effeminate disciple sneered. "Mission records? I didn't see them. My Enforcement Hall branch is in charge of investigating this matter! I said you damaged it, and that's it! I said you have to compensate, and you have to compensate! Otherwise, come with me to the Enforcement Hall!"

A blatant frame-up and abuse of power! The surrounding disciples murmured amongst themselves, but no one dared to step forward. The Enforcement Hall, especially the section under Zhao Wuji's jurisdiction, held considerable sway within the outer sect.

Looking at the arrogant and conceited face of the other party, and then at the frustrated and angry expressions of Liu Feng and the others, Lu Zhao understood. This was a calculated move aimed at him. If he backed down, Liu Feng and the others would be humiliated, and it would only embolden the other party, leading to endless trouble in the future. If he confronted them head-on, he would be playing right into their hands, allowing them to use the pretext of "disobeying the law" and "disrupting order" to publicly suppress him, and possibly even disqualify him from the competition!

"Oh? So you're a senior from the Enforcement Hall." Lu Zhao suddenly smiled, a somewhat cold smile. "May I ask how you are addressed, senior? What is your position in the Enforcement Hall? Is Steward Zhao Wuji aware of this matter?"

The effeminate disciple's face darkened: "I am Li Mu, a patrolling disciple of the Enforcement Hall! Why bother Deacon Zhao with such a trivial matter? Lu Zhao, don't change the subject! Today, will you hand over this Xuan Iron Essence or not?"

"Of course I'll hand it over." Lu Zhao nodded, and amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd, he changed the subject, "However, it's not for you, Senior Brother Li, nor is it to compensate for that unfounded 'damage to public property'."

He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the onlookers, and said loudly, "Since Senior Brother Li keeps mentioning the sect's rules, then we'll follow them. Senior Brother Liu Feng's statement is already recorded in the Mission Hall; its veracity can be easily verified. As for whether the 'Earth-Splitting Hoe' has any hidden damage, we can ask the senior brothers in the Weapon Refining Pavilion to examine it. Before the matter is clarified, forcibly demanding a fellow disciple's personal property, or even using the guise of law enforcement to coerce him... that's probably against the rules, isn't it?"

"You!" Li Mu's expression changed. He didn't expect Lu Zhao to be so slick, not confronting him directly, but instead focusing on the procedural issue.

"Furthermore," Lu Zhao continued before he could retort, "the sect competition is imminent. Peace and preparation are paramount. If Senior Brother Li insists on dwelling on this matter, delaying my friends' preparations... what if they become distracted on the stage, underperform, and disgrace the sect? Can Senior Brother Li bear that responsibility? And Steward Zhao... would you be happy to see that happen?"

Lu Zhao lowered his voice for the last sentence, so that only Li Mu and a few others nearby could hear it, but the implied threat and warning made Li Mu's pupils shrink.

Yes, the sect competition is just around the corner, and the higher-ups are watching closely. If this "trivial matter" of his causes a great uproar and even affects the preparations of several "meritorious" or "promising" disciples, once the higher-ups investigate, Deacon Zhao might not protect him, and might even push him out as a scapegoat!

Li Mu's expression shifted as he stared intently at Lu Zhao. This kid not only improved his strength rapidly, but his mind was also incredibly meticulous and troublesome! His words, while seemingly from the high ground of "rules" and "the big picture," also contained a veiled warning, leaving Li Mu in a difficult position.

"Fine! Well done, Lu Zhao!" Li Mu gritted his teeth, his tone fierce but his voice weak. "Today, for the sake of the competition, I'll let you off the hook for now! But this isn't over! Let's go!"

After saying that, he glared fiercely at Liu Feng and the others, then, with a few followers, slunk away through the crowd. The commotion was temporarily defused by Lu Zhao's words.

"Junior Brother Lu, thank you!" Liu Feng and the others breathed a sigh of relief and expressed their gratitude.

"No need to be polite. They came for me, and I'm sorry to have implicated my senior brothers." Lu Zhao waved his hand and said in a low voice, "Before the competition, try to keep a low profile and don't accept any tasks that are easy for others to sabotage. We'll talk about everything after the competition."

"We understand!"

Leaving the martial arts hall, Lu Zhao walked back to his cave, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Zhao Wuji...it seems you're determined to cause me enough trouble before the competition. Today's concession is only temporary. The real contest will likely take place on the competition stage."

"Alright, let's settle this in the arena."

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body and the five-colored, swirling illusory runes in his mind, his heart filled with a chilling fighting spirit.