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

The crimson palm print, carrying the destructive power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's furious strike, ignored the arena's protective array (which seemed to have been temporarily interfered with by Zhao Wuji using some kind of authority or secret technique), and crashed towards Lu Zhao's head like the sky collapsing! Before the palm print even arrived, the terrifying spiritual pressure had already solidified the air around Lu Zhao, cracked the ground, and made him feel as if he were being suppressed by an invisible mountain. Even moving a finger became extremely difficult, and he could only watch helplessly as death descended.

"Zhao Wuji! How dare you!" Elder Yun's furious roar was like a thunderclap from the heavens. She transformed into a sword light and shot down from the high platform, but Zhao Wuji's attack was too sudden and ruthless, and seemed to have been premeditated, taking advantage of the momentary gap in the formation. She was ultimately half a step too slow! The cold sword light struck the side of the crimson palm print, bursting out with dazzling light, weakening the palm print by half, but the remaining majority of its power still solidly struck towards Lu Zhao!

"It's over!" countless disciples exclaimed in shock, unable to bear the sight. On the high platform, some elders and deacons also paled in shock, never expecting Zhao Wuji to dare to openly commit such a heinous act against a disciple in the midst of the sect's grand competition and in full view of everyone! This was utterly lawless!

Life or death hung in the balance! Lu Zhao's pupils shrank to pinpoints; the chilling sensation of death was crystal clear. His spiritual energy was depleted, his mental strength exhausted, and he barely had the strength to activate the [Substitute Talisman] (already used) or the [Void Escape Talisman] (whether it would be effective against a Foundation Establishment cultivator's lock-on was unknown). Was he really going to die here? Die from Zhao Wuji's despicable sneak attack?

No! I cannot die here!

A surge of intense resentment and rage, originating from the deepest recesses of his soul, erupted like a volcano! At the same time, the incomplete, unknown black token he kept close to his body—obtained from the dungeon [Gift of the Blood Abyss]—that he had never fully understood, suddenly began to heat up and vibrate violently! A chilling, evil, and chaotic yet ancient and weathered energy, seemingly capable of twisting and devouring everything, suddenly emanated from the token, instantly enveloping Lu Zhao's entire body!

This fluctuation was extremely weak and fleeting, but the instant it appeared, the Foundation Establishment stage spiritual pressure and killing intent contained in Zhao Wuji's crimson palm print, which was locked onto Lu Zhao, seemed to have struck a slippery and strangely mysterious barrier, causing an extremely brief and imperceptible deflection and delay! Just like in the previous instance, when the Demon Lord's will attacked his sea of ​​consciousness, it was interfered with by that strange, cold fluctuation!

Although the deviation and delay were almost negligible, for a cultivator like Lu Zhao, whose perception was extremely sharpened by being tempered on the edge of life and death, this moment of life was eternity!

"roar--!"

Lu Zhao let out a roar that was inhuman, a mixture of pain, rage, and endless madness! In this critical moment, he abandoned all thoughts of defense and evasion, pouring all his remaining strength—the life force of his body, his depleted spiritual power, his wounded mental strength, and even the indomitable will deep within his soul—into his right index finger! At the same time, the incomplete method of the [Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Hand Seal - Mountain Suppressing Seal] that he had initially mastered, his understanding of "suppression" and "annihilation," and the fierce killing intent he felt in this desperate situation, facing death to survive, all merged together with a thunderous roar!

He didn't form hand seals, because there wasn't enough time. He simply concentrated everything into this one finger, pointing it fiercely at the remaining crimson palm print that had struck down on him, and at Zhao Wuji's ferocious face on the high platform behind the palm print!

This finger strike lacked dazzling light and earth-shattering momentum. Instead, it was a highly refined, unassuming gray finger strike—a force seemingly imbued with all of Lu Zhao's life essence, his indomitable will, and a trace of the strange token's fluctuations—that surged upwards like a dragon emerging from its depths, fiercely striking the center of the crimson palm print!

"An ant dares to resist?!" Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed with cruelty and contempt, and the power of his palm strike increased by three points, intending to crush Lu Zhao along with this ridiculous counterattack!

However, at the very moment the gray fingertip made contact with the crimson palm print—

"puff!"

A soft, yet unsettling sound, like a bubble bursting, rang out.

The terrifying crimson palm print, even weakened by Elder Yun, was still powerful enough to annihilate any Qi Refining cultivator. However, at the center point struck by the gray finger force, it suddenly caved inward and collapsed like a punctured ball! Immediately afterward, a chaotic, decaying, and eerie power, seemingly capable of eroding and disintegrating all energy structures, invaded the palm print along the finger force and spread wildly!

"What?!" Zhao Wuji's expression changed drastically. He felt the spiritual energy structure within his palm print rapidly collapsing and disintegrating! That strange gray power, though weak, seemed to have an extremely special "essence," capable of eroding and interfering with his Foundation Establishment stage spiritual energy! Although it was only for an extremely brief moment, it was enough to cause the power of the palm print to drop sharply once again!

"boom--!!!"

The remaining crimson palm print, less than 30% of its original power, still struck Lu Zhao! But at this moment, the palm print was more of a final burst of energy than a destructive explosion of spiritual power.

"puff--!"

Lu Zhao was struck as if by a heavy hammer. His body flew backward like a broken sack, spitting out blood. A clear cracking sound came from his sternum, and his internal organs seemed to shift. He slammed heavily against the protective light shield at the edge of the arena, then bounced back to the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop. He lay in a pool of blood, his breath extremely weak. Countless bones in his body were broken, his internal organs were injured, and his meridians were damaged. He was almost a blood-soaked figure.

But he was still alive! He miraculously survived the Foundation Establishment cultivator's furious sneak attack! Although he was severely injured and on the verge of death, he certainly didn't die on the spot!

The entire arena fell silent! Everyone was stunned by this unbelievable scene. A Qi Refining Level 5 disciple, after being ambushed by a Foundation Establishment Elder, not only survived but also managed to weaken the attack using some strange method?!

"You wretch! Die!" Zhao Wuji was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected that his sure-kill attack would be mostly blocked by an ant using a strange method, failing to achieve its full effect. At this moment, his killing intent burned even brighter. He disregarded his pride and moved to strike again, ready to deliver the fatal blow and leave no room for future trouble!

"Zhao Wuji! You're asking for death!"

However, this time, Elder Yun would not give him another chance! A cold, furious roar, like a chilling wind from the depths of hell, swept across the entire arena! A silver sword light, several times sharper and faster than before, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the heavens and earth, instantly traversed dozens of feet, fiercely slashing towards Zhao Wuji! Wherever the sword light passed, the air froze, and spiritual energy annihilated, revealing the true strength of Elder Yun, a late-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator!

Zhao Wuji's expression changed drastically. Although he was also in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, how could he compare to a prodigy sword cultivator like Elder Yun? In haste, he could only summon a small crimson shield and hold it in front of him.

"clang--!!!"

The sword light struck the small shield, unleashing a deafening clang of metal against metal! The crimson shield flashed wildly, a deep sword mark appearing on its surface. Zhao Wuji was forced to retreat repeatedly by the sword strike, his blood churning, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

"Yunmengze! How dare you attack me?! This boy used evil magic weapons and harmed his fellow disciples. What wrong have I done in cleaning up my own sect?!" Zhao Wuji roared, his voice fierce but his voice weak.

"A heretical magical artifact?" Elder Yun's figure appeared on the arena, standing in front of Lu Zhao, protecting him behind her. Her face was frosty, her gaze like a sword, coldly sweeping over Zhao Wuji, then glancing at the struggling, barely breathing black-clad masked man on the arena. "Who exactly used assassins to ambush a fellow disciple in this life-or-death arena? And who openly violated the rules of the competition, destroyed the protective formation, and attacked a disciple, attempting to silence him?! Zhao Wuji, do you take the sect's rules for a joke? Do you think all the elders and tens of thousands of disciples here are blind?!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner of the room, carrying an undeniable authority and a chilling killing intent.

On the high platform, the other elders and deacons also rose to their feet, their faces grim. Zhao Wuji's actions today had completely trampled on the sect's bottom line. If this matter were to be let off lightly, the sect's laws and regulations would be utterly destroyed!

"Elder Yun is absolutely right!" A stern-faced, imposing elder in purple robes spoke in a deep voice. He was none other than Tie Xing, the Iron-Faced Judge, the head of the Enforcement Hall! He was in charge of the sect's criminal law and was known for his impartiality and strictness, showing no favoritism. "Zhao Wuji, as a member of the Enforcement Hall, you knowingly broke the law, openly attacking disciples participating in the Grand Competition and disrupting the formation. The evidence is irrefutable! Now, surrender immediately and cooperate with the investigation! If you resist, kill without mercy!"

As soon as Elder Tie Xing finished speaking, several powerful auras instantly locked onto Zhao Wuji; they were all iron-faced experts from the Enforcement Hall. Several elders who were on good terms with Elder Yun, or who already disapproved of Zhao Wuji's actions, also subtly stepped forward, their auras linked.

Zhao Wuji's face turned deathly pale instantly. He knew that his actions today had been far too impulsive and foolish. Lu Zhao's bizarre survival techniques and Elder Yun's timely reaction had completely disrupted his plans. Now, with public anger unleashed and irrefutable evidence, if he dared to resist again, he would likely be killed on the spot!

"I...I acted impulsively, seeing this boy using a sinister and evil weapon, fearing it would harm the sect..." Zhao Wuji tried to argue.

"Shut up!" Elder Tie Xing roared. "The truth will be revealed! Seize him!"

Two imposing disciples from the Enforcement Hall stepped forward, their chains, gleaming with restrictive light, and aimed at Zhao Wuji.

A hint of resentment and despair flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes. He knew that once he was captured, given his actions today, plus the other things that might be uncovered before (his unclear relationship with the Blood Fiend Sect, the failure of his plan in Qingfeng Town, etc.), he would probably not escape severe punishment, and might even have his cultivation destroyed and be expelled from his sect! He suddenly looked at Lu Zhao, who was on the verge of death on the arena, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.

"You little beast! It's all your fault! I'll haunt you even as a ghost!" Zhao Wuji let out a shrill roar, slapped his chest, spat out a mouthful of blood essence, and his figure transformed into a streak of blood light, fleeing desperately towards the outside of the mountain gate! He actually chose to betray the sect and escape!

"Where do you think you're going!" Elder Yun and Elder Tie Xing roared simultaneously, their figures transforming into streaks of light as they gave chase. The other elders also stepped in to intercept them.

But Zhao Wuji was clearly prepared, or rather, he had already planned his escape route when he decided to launch a sneak attack on Lu Zhao. The escape technique he used by burning his essence blood was strange and swift, and he temporarily broke free from the interception, and it looked like he was about to rush into the vast mountains outside the mountain gate.

However, at this very moment—

"snort!"

A cold snort, seemingly from the heavens above and resounding deep within everyone's soul, aged, indifferent, yet containing supreme majesty, suddenly rang out!

The cold snort wasn't loud, but it instantly froze the entire bustling plaza! All the disciples, including the elders and deacons, felt a tremor in their souls, and the flow of their spiritual energy momentarily halted! Zhao Wuji, who was flying away, was struck as if by lightning; his escape light instantly dissipated, and he plummeted straight down from mid-air like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the bluestone plaza in front of the mountain gate. He coughed up blood, his breath weak, and he was unable to move!

A phantom figure dressed in a simple gray robe, with a blurred face, seemingly blending into the surrounding space, had silently appeared above the mountain gate. He did not exude any aura, but simply standing there, he seemed to be the center of the entire world, inspiring awe in all who beheld him, making them dare not look directly at him.

"It's...it's the Supreme Elder?!" A knowledgeable inner elder exclaimed in a trembling voice.

The Supreme Elder! The true foundation of the Qingyun Dao Sect, a Nascent Soul stage expert who had been in seclusion and whose whereabouts were rarely seen! He was actually alarmed by today's events?!

The gray-robed phantom swept its gaze indifferently across the area below, pausing slightly on the heavily injured Lu Zhao before looking at the imprisoned Zhao Wuji. Finally, its gaze settled on Elder Yun and Elder Tie Xing.

"The laws of the sect are not to be disrespected. To harm fellow disciples, to betray the sect and flee, is a crime punishable by double the severity." The voice of the gray-robed phantom was devoid of any emotion, yet carried an air of absolute authority. "Zhao Wuji, your cultivation is hereby abolished, your soul extracted and refined, as a warning to others. His accomplices shall be thoroughly investigated and severely punished."

Before he could finish speaking, and without any visible movement, Zhao Wuji, who had fallen to the ground, let out a shrill scream that was almost inhuman. Countless black wisps of energy oozed from his pores, and his cultivation aura receded like a receding tide, instantly transforming him from a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator into a withered, dying cripple! Furthermore, a blurry phantom (soul) filled with endless pain and resentment was forcibly pulled from the top of his head by an invisible force, absorbed into the sleeve of the gray-robed phantom, and disappeared.

Soul extraction and spirit refining! This is a punishment more cruel than death! It means that Zhao Wuji will suffer torment for eternity, without even the chance of reincarnation!

The entire room fell silent, everyone stunned by the Supreme Elder's ruthless yet authoritative methods.

The gray-robed phantom looked at the black-clad masked man on the arena, raised his hand and grabbed him, lifting him into the air. The mask shattered, revealing a pale, numb face of a middle-aged man with a blood-red mark between his eyebrows.

"The assassins from the Blood Killing Tower... dared to infiltrate my Qingyun Dao Sect and assassinate my disciples..." The gray-robed phantom's voice remained indifferent as he clenched his fingers.

"Bang!"

The middle-aged assassin, along with his soul, was instantly reduced to dust, his body and spirit utterly destroyed!

Having done all this, the gray-robed phantom's gaze returned to Lu Zhao. This time, his gaze seemed to linger a little longer.

"This lad...is quite interesting. Yun girl, take him back to Yunmengze to heal his injuries. Once he's recovered, he can come to 'Wen Dao Cliff' to see me."

After speaking, the gray-robed phantom slowly dissipated into the air like a bubble, as if it had never existed.

But the entire arena remained deathly silent, no one uttering a sound for a long time. Everything that had happened today was too shocking. The peril of the life-or-death arena, Zhao Wuji's crazy sneak attack and defection, Lu Zhao's desperate counterattack and bizarre survival, Elder Yun's thunderous rage, and finally... the appearance and cold-blooded judgment of the Supreme Elder... all of this shook the minds of all the disciples, giving them a deeper and more complex understanding of the sect, of power, and of the rules.

Elder Yun was the first to come to her senses. She quickly walked to Lu Zhao's side, took out several more fragrant pills, fed them to Lu Zhao, and then used her pure and gentle spiritual power to protect his heart meridian and stabilize his injuries.

"Master Tie, I'm leaving the follow-up here to you," Elder Yun said to Tie Xing.

"Elder Yun, rest assured, none of Zhao Wuji's remaining followers will escape." Tie Xing nodded solemnly.

Elder Yun said no more, picked up the seriously injured and unconscious Lu Zhao, and transformed into a sword light, rushing towards Yunmeng Marsh.

A sudden life-or-death crisis, accompanied by the complete annihilation of Zhao Wuji and the unexpected attention of the Supreme Elder, has temporarily come to an end. But everyone knows that the impact of this event is far from over.

After this battle, Lu Zhao's name will resound throughout the Qingyun Dao Sect. Whether it's the strange strength and life-saving methods he displayed, the series of troubles he caused, or even the "summoning" he received from the Supreme Elder, all of this means that he can no longer keep a low profile.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, no one can know.

But at least for now, he's still alive. And he's eliminated a major threat.

Yunmengze, an island in the middle of the lake.

With the nourishment of elixirs and Elder Yun's spiritual energy, Lu Zhao's injuries temporarily stabilized, but he remained unconscious. His injuries were too severe; his physical body was almost collapsing, his meridians were severely damaged, and his soul was also injured due to overexertion and the backlash from the gray finger force. If it weren't for his cultivation of the "Hibernating Dragon" technique, which gave him abundant blood and energy and a tenacious life force, coupled with Elder Yun's willingness to expend precious healing medicines, he would probably have perished long ago.

Elder Yun settled him on the cold jade bed inside the bamboo hut, using an array to gather spiritual energy and nourish his body. She looked at Lu Zhao's pale, weak face with a complex expression.

"That eerie gray power... and that fluctuation that momentarily disrupted Zhao Wuji's attack... just how many secrets are you hiding?" Elder Yun murmured to himself. "And the Supreme Elder... why did he want to see you? Was it merely because of your performance today?"

She shook her head, deciding not to think about it anymore. The most important thing right now was to get Lu Zhaojin back to health as quickly as possible.

"The Cliff of Inquiry... that's a place even inner sect elders rarely get to enter. The Supreme Elder's summons is an opportunity for you, but it could also be... an even greater test. We'll discuss everything once you wake up."

Elder Yun set up several restrictions to completely seal off the bamboo hut, then sat cross-legged to the side, personally protecting Lu Zhao.

At this moment, Lu Zhao, though unconscious, was not completely silent. He seemed to be trapped in a boundless, hazy chaos. The excruciating pain in his body and the exhaustion in his soul became blurred. Only the image of that unknown black token, and the feeling of the gray finger force he had exerted at the last moment, repeatedly flashed and intertwined in the chaos.

He seemed to sense a faint resonance between the incomplete token and something deep within his soul. And that gray finger energy... didn't seem to originate entirely from his own power; rather, it was more like... in a desperate situation, it triggered an extremely weak, extremely ancient, and extremely strange power of "decay," "erosion," and "chaos" contained within the token, which, combined with his own will to "suppress" and "annihilate," as well as the dormant vitality of the "Sleeping Dragon," forcibly merging together?

It was a...forbidden, uncontrolled, and potentially self-destructive power.

"I... am still alive..." In the chaos, a faint thought slowly awakened.