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

Time slipped by quietly amidst the tranquil flow of spiritual energy in Yunmengze. Inside the bamboo hut on the island in the middle of the lake, Lu Zhao was like a delicate piece of porcelain, being carefully nurtured and restored.

With Elder Yun's personal intervention and the aid of the sect's treasured healing elixirs, Lu Zhao's physical injuries healed unexpectedly quickly. Broken bones were reconnected and healed under the influence of the medicine, damaged internal organs were gently nourished by spiritual energy, and the blocked spiritual energy in his meridians gradually dissipated and began to circulate. In just half a month, his physical wounds had healed by seventy or eighty percent, and outwardly, he appeared no different from an ordinary person.

But Elder Yun's brow remained furrowed. She realized that Lu Zhao's injuries were far more than just the visible physical wounds. The most troublesome were the two "hidden injuries."

Firstly, there was the depletion of his soul. The fierce battle with the black-clad assassin "Shadow Assassin," the forced use of the "Minor Five Elements Talisman Array," and the sneak attack, especially the final finger strike where he concentrated all his essence, energy, and spirit, fusing with that eerie gray power, all placed a tremendous burden and caused immense damage to Lu Zhao's soul. This damage could not be healed by ordinary elixirs; it required a long period of nurturing and cultivation of his own spiritual techniques for a slow recovery. Fortunately, Lu Zhao cultivated the "Refining Spirit Technique," and his soul foundation was far more solid than that of cultivators of the same level. Although recovery was difficult, it was not hopeless.

Secondly, and what troubled and alarmed Elder Yun the most, was the extremely weak yet exceptionally stubborn trace of gray energy remaining deep within Lu Zhao's meridians and dantian. This gray energy was the remnant of the gray finger strike he had just delivered. It seemed to possess its own "life," entrenched at several key meridian points and the edge of Lu Zhao's dantian, constantly emanating a decaying, corrosive, and chaotic fluctuation, slowly devouring and assimilating the flowing spiritual energy, and even showing faint signs of eroding Lu Zhao's life force!

Elder Yun attempted to use her own pure spiritual power to dispel and purify this gray energy, but found it to be of little use. Although this energy was weak, its "essence" seemed extremely high, and it possessed a strange "inertia" and "assimilation" characteristic. When her spiritual power came into contact with it, it was either slowly eroded and weakened, or it was "repelled" and unable to penetrate. Forcibly dispelling it would likely damage Lu Zhao's meridians.

"What kind of power is this? It's definitely not from any of the techniques of my Qingyun Dao Sect, and it doesn't even seem like a righteous method... It's more like... some extremely ancient, or extremely sinister 'curse,' 'death' power?" Elder Yun was filled with doubt and surprise. She recalled Lu Zhao's final finger strike, piercing Zhao Wuji's palm print, as well as his previous experience in the "fragments of ancient ruins," and the token that had attracted the attention of the Supreme Elder...

"This child harbors too many secrets. Whether this gray power is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen." Elder Yun temporarily abandoned her plan to forcibly expel it, instead using gentle spiritual energy to construct layers of protection within Lu Zhao's body, temporarily "sealing" and "isolating" the gray energy at several fixed points to prevent its further spread and erosion. At the same time, she increased the supply of nourishing and repairing pills to Lu Zhao's meridians and vitality, hoping that Lu Zhao's own recovery ability and the profound mysteries of the "Hibernating Dragon" technique would allow him to slowly adapt to, and even... refine, this strange energy.

This process was slow and arduous. After being unconscious for ten days, Lu Zhao finally awoke. Upon waking, he felt as if his body had been disassembled and reassembled, with pain everywhere, especially in his meridians and dantian, where he felt waves of dull pain and stagnation. His mental energy was also weak, and his sea of ​​consciousness was like a dried-up lake.

"You're awake." Elder Yun's cool voice rang in my ears.

Lu Zhao struggled to get up and bow, but was held down by a gentle force.

"No need for formalities, just lie down." Elder Yun looked at him calmly. "Your injuries are quite severe, especially to your soul and meridians. You need to take good care of yourself. Zhao Wuji has had his cultivation crippled and his soul extracted and refined by the Supreme Elder himself. His accomplices are being investigated by the Enforcement Hall. You are safe for now."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhao felt a great weight lifted from his heart. Zhao Wuji, this major threat, had finally been completely eliminated. However, he immediately thought of the gray finger energy and the strange sensation lingering in his body, and quickly looked inward.

"Elder, it seems that something is wrong with my body..." Lu Zhao asked hesitantly.

"Your final finger strike triggered an extremely peculiar gray energy. This energy lingers in your meridians and dantian, difficult to expel, and I have temporarily sealed and isolated it," Elder Yun stated bluntly. "This power is inherently strange; for you, it is both a hidden danger and perhaps... an opportunity. How you deal with it is up to you. The Supreme Elder has instructed that once your injuries stabilize, you can go to 'Inquiry Cliff' to see him. Perhaps he has a solution, or can offer you guidance."

"The Supreme Elder wants to see me?" Lu Zhao was shocked. That Nascent Soul cultivator, who was like a god and could decide life and death with a single word, actually wanted to see him in person?

"Don't be nervous. Although the Supreme Elder is stern, he is not unreasonable. You performed admirably during this ordeal, and perhaps you have caught the Elder's eye. This is your good fortune, so make the most of it." Elder Yun paused, then continued, "A month has passed since the end of the Grand Competition. You missed the subsequent matches due to injury, but considering your merits and the ordeal you suffered, the sect has granted you permission to retain your previous results and compensate you with 5,000 contribution points. In addition, you found some clues about yourself and the Blood Fiend Sect among Zhao Wuji's belongings, which have been handed over to the Enforcement Hall. This matter is now considered closed."

"Thank you, Elder, thank you, Sect." Lu Zhao said gratefully. He knew that if it weren't for Elder Yun's protection and the Sect's fair handling of the matter, he would probably have died at Zhao Wuji's hands long ago, or been purged by his accomplices afterward.

"You should stay here and rest to recover. When you feel ready to move, tell me and I will take you to the Asking Cliff." After Elder Yun finished speaking, he got up and left the bamboo house, leaving the space to Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao lay on the bed, silently circulating the "Hibernating Dragon's Sleep" technique, sensing the state of his body. His physical injuries were rapidly healing, and the fatigue in his soul was slowly recovering under the operation of the "Refining Spirit Technique." Only those few sealed gray energy nodes, like a few cold, slightly stinging "pebbles," were embedded in his spiritual energy path, causing stagnation and obstruction. He tried to touch and probe them with the blood and spiritual power of the "Hibernating Dragon's Sleep" technique, but the gray energy only fluctuated slightly, without any other reaction. It was neither refined nor backfired; it simply existed stubbornly.

"Where does this power come from? Is it from that black token?" Lu Zhao pondered. He vaguely remembered that at the last moment, the mysterious black token in his arms suddenly became hot, emitting a wave that interfered with Zhao Wuji's attack lock. At the same time, it seemed to have triggered some kind of power lurking in his body or the token itself, which merged with his own will and turned into that gray finger force.

"Token... Demon Lord's Mark... Gray Decay Power..." Lu Zhao felt as if he had touched upon some deeper clues about himself and the hidden secrets of this world, but the fog before his eyes remained thick.

"Regardless, let's recover our strength first. Then, let's go see the Supreme Elder."

In the days that followed, Lu Zhao recuperated peacefully in Yunmeng Marsh. With the excellent resources and environment provided by Elder Yun, coupled with the profound nature of his own cultivation technique, his recovery was extremely rapid. After another half month, his physical injuries were completely healed, and his soul had recovered to about 70-80%. His [Refining Spirit Technique] even showed faint signs of further advancement due to this period of extreme exertion and recovery. Only those few patches of gray energy remained unchanged.

His cultivation, after experiencing a life-or-death battle and recovering from severe injuries, ironically became more refined and solid, his mid-stage Qi Refining fifth level realm completely stabilized, and he even took a small step towards the later stage. His understanding of the "Minor Five Elements Talisman Array" and the "Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Hand Seal" also became more profound due to their application in the face of life and death.

On this day, Lu Zhao felt that he had recovered almost completely, so he suggested to Elder Yun that he prepare to go to "Inquiry Cliff".

"Are you sure? That gray energy inside your body..." Elder Yun asked with some concern.

"I feel much better now. The energy has been temporarily sealed and there are no unusual movements. The Supreme Elder summoned me, and I dared not delay," Lu Zhao said.

Elder Yun gazed at him for a moment, then nodded: "Very well. Follow me."

The two left Yunmeng Marsh and flew through the air towards the depths of the Qingyun Mountains, towards an inconspicuous solitary peak that was shrouded in a light mist all year round. That was the location of "Inquiry Cliff".

The closer Lu Zhao got, the more he felt an invisible, vast, and seemingly integrated pressure enveloping the surroundings. It wasn't deliberately released, but rather the mountain itself seemed like a living, sleeping behemoth, and the natural Daoist aura it exuded made lower-level cultivators feel awe and dare not speak loudly.

There was no path to the mountain peak, only steep cliffs. Elder Yun led Lu Zhao directly to a massive, smooth, mirror-like stone platform jutting outwards halfway up the mountain. At the edge of the platform lay a bottomless abyss, with clouds swirling below. The platform was empty, except for a blurry, gray figure, seemingly blended into the rock, sitting cross-legged in the center.

It was the incarnation of the Supreme Elder who appeared to make the judgment that day (or rather, a wisp of his divine consciousness that resided in this place).

"Disciple Yun Mengze (Lu Zhao) pays respects to the Supreme Elder." Elder Yun led Lu Zhao to bow respectfully at the edge of the stone platform.

The gray figure slowly "opened" its eyes. There were no physical eyes, only two points of profound light that seemed to see through the very essence of the world. The gaze fell upon Lu Zhao, and Lu Zhao immediately felt as if he had been completely seen through, inside and out, with no secrets left to hide. No, perhaps there were, for example, the existence of the panel didn't seem to elicit any particular reaction from this gaze.

"Hmm, the recovery is acceptable." The Supreme Elder's voice remained indifferent, resounding directly in their minds. "Yun girl, you may step back now."

"Yes." Elder Yun bowed again, glanced at Lu Zhao, and turned to leave in a flash of sword light.

On the stone platform, only Lu Zhao and that gray figure remained. The mountain wind howled and the clouds churned, yet it couldn't penetrate the stone platform at all, as if it were a world unto itself.

"Do you know why I want to see you?" the Supreme Elder asked.

"This disciple does not know, please enlighten me, Elder," Lu Zhao said respectfully.

"Three things," the Grand Elder said slowly. "First, where did that wisp of 'annihilation energy' remaining in your body come from?"

An aura of annihilation? Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. So that gray energy was called "Aura of Annihilation." He dared not conceal anything and truthfully recounted the process of how, at the last moment, the black token in his arms stirred, his will erupted in desperation, and he drew upon an unknown power, which fused into the gray finger energy. Of course, he concealed the panel and the instance, only saying that "at the critical moment of life and death, my spirit resonated with some strange thing."

"A black token... incomplete, with runes depicting twisted, pained faces..." The Grand Elder pondered for a moment, "Could this be it?"

He pointed with his finger, and a ray of spiritual light entered Lu Zhao's brow. In Lu Zhao's mind, a complete phantom of a token immediately appeared, its patterns extremely similar to his incomplete token, but more complex and its aura more ancient and evil.

"Exactly! The patterns are extremely similar to the fragments my disciple obtained!" Lu Zhao affirmed.

"As expected... it's a fragment of the 'Nine Netherworld Decree'." The Supreme Elder's tone seemed to carry an indescribable meaning. "This decree originates from an extremely mysterious, both righteous and evil, sect from ancient times—the 'Nine Netherworld Path.' Cultivators of this path delve into the secrets of life and death, annihilation, and reincarnation. Their power is this 'Aura of Annihilation,' capable of corroding all things, causing them to decay, rot, and return to nothingness. The Aura of Annihilation contained in your fragment is negligible, and after the passage of time, its power has been reduced to almost nothing. The fact that you were able to activate even a trace of it in such a desperate situation and withstand its backlash without dying is quite remarkable, especially considering the unique nature of your cultivation technique (referring to the vigorous vitality of the 'Sleeping Dragon' technique)."

Nine Netherworld Path? Nine Netherworld Token? Annihilation Qi? Lu Zhao was shocked, never expecting that the black token had such an origin.

"This energy remaining in your body is more of a curse than a blessing. Although it is weak, its essence is extremely high, and it will continuously erode your vitality and spiritual power, hindering your path to enlightenment. I can take action to completely remove it for you," said the Supreme Elder.

Lu Zhao's heart stirred, but he did not immediately agree. Instead, he asked, "May I ask, Elder, besides its harms, does this 'Aura of Annihilation' have any benefits?"

The Supreme Elder seemed to glance at him, then said indifferently, "Nirvana is also the Great Dao. If you can find the authentic lineage of the 'Nine Netherworld Dao,' you might try to refine and control this energy, making it your own. Its power is boundless, and it would greatly help in comprehending life and death, and reincarnation. However, the lineage of the Nine Netherworld Dao has long been severed. Its techniques are unpredictable and strange. Cultivating it can easily lead to losing one's mind, falling into Nirvana, and becoming a walking corpse that only knows destruction. The risk is extremely high."

Lu Zhao remained silent. Completely eliminating it would be a permanent solution, but it would mean losing the possibility of contacting the "Great Dao of Annihilation." Attempting to refine it was extremely risky, but if successful, the rewards would be enormous. Moreover... he vaguely felt that this "Aura of Annihilation" might have some unknown connection to the "Demon Lord's Mark" within his body, or even to his transmigration and the secrets of the control panel.

"Secondly," the Supreme Elder continued without waiting for his choice, "where did the 'Demon Lord's Mark' on your body come from? What is its connection to the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's split soul beneath Qingfeng Town?"

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, knowing that this was the real reason the Supreme Elder had summoned him. He would once again give a detailed account of what he had seen and heard in the "Ancient Relic Fragments" (the instance), including the Soul Devouring Demon Lord, the Eight Extremes Demon Sealing Array, the truth about the blood sacrifice, and the process of being impacted by the Demon Lord's divided soul will and leaving a mark. This time, he described it in even greater detail, including the contents of the fragments of the ancient cultivators' obsessions.

The Supreme Elder listened quietly until Lu Zhao finished speaking, then slowly said, "The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord... an ancient extraterrestrial demon, a wisp of his soul was sealed by the Xuan Yun Sect with the full power of the sect... This matter is indeed mentioned in the sect's records, and it basically matches what you said. You were fortunate enough to obtain this opportunity, glimpse the truth, and risk trying to strengthen the seal. Although it was reckless, it showed your intention. That Demon Lord's mark is troublesome, but it is also a marker. If your cultivation is sufficient in the future, you may be able to use this mark to track and sense things related to that Demon Lord. Of course, it may also attract the pursuit of his forces. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined."

"Disciple understands."

"Thirdly," the Supreme Elder's tone suddenly became somewhat ethereal, "your innate talent, as detected by your spiritual sense, is 'mixed and conflicting,' almost like trash. However, your progress, combat strength, and even your subtle perception of talismans, formations, and even this 'aura of annihilation' far surpass those of your peers, and you can even fight beyond your level. You have a secret."

Lu Zhao's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Disciple..."

"No need to explain." The Supreme Elder interrupted him. "Within the sect, who doesn't have some secrets and opportunities? As long as one doesn't rebel against the sect or fall into the demonic path, the sect will tolerate them. I saw you not to investigate your secrets, but... because I saw a variable in you."

"Variables?" Lu Zhao asked, puzzled.

"The workings of Heaven are predetermined, and the general trend is fixed. However, there are always one or two 'variables' that deviate from this fixed order, their destinies are ambiguous and unpredictable, and their choices may cause unexpected waves." The Supreme Elder's gaze seemed to pierce through Lu Zhao, looking towards the endlessly distant future. "The blood sacrifice in Qingfeng Town was within the sect's expectations, and there were countermeasures. However, your appearance, with your Qi-refining body, penetrated deep into the core, conveyed crucial information, and even affected the seal, accelerating Zhao Wuji's exposure and destruction... This is variable one. You possess the 'Demon Lord's Mark' and the 'Aura of Annihilation,' these contradictory things combined in one person, making your future direction unpredictable... This is variable two."

"I don't know whether this variable will be a blessing or a curse for the sect or this world. But since it has appeared, we must be careful." The Supreme Elder paused, "I will give you two choices."

"Please give your instructions, Elder."

"First, I can remove the 'Aura of Annihilation' and the 'Mark of the Demon Lord' from your body, ensuring a smooth path for your future cultivation. You can then focus on your cultivation within the sect. With your talent and temperament, it will not be difficult for you to advance to the inner sect or even the true disciple in due time. However, your 'variable' qualities may be diminished as a result."

"Secondly, retain both of these, and even... I can impart to you a fragmented method for sealing and refining the Qi of Annihilation, helping you to initially control this Qi, mitigate its harm, and leave a glimmer of hope for potentially finding the Nine Netherworld Dao inheritance in the future. Simultaneously, regarding the Demon Lord's mark, I can also impart to you a secret technique for concealing your aura, which can greatly reduce the fluctuations of this mark and lower the risk of being detected. However, this path is fraught with peril, fraught with danger, and the future is unpredictable. Which path will you choose?"

On the stone platform, even the mountain wind seemed to have stopped. Lu Zhao stood on the edge of a precipice, facing a crucial choice that could determine his future path.

It may be peaceful and stable, but one may become just another ordinary person, losing the possibility of "variables" and the opportunity to access higher-level secrets.

It is fraught with danger and peril, but it retains "variables" and possesses two "keys" that may open the door to the unknown: "the aura of annihilation" and "the mark of the demon lord".

Without much hesitation, Lu Zhao raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on the gray figure:

"Disciple, choose the second path."