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

Following the map's guidance, after leaving the black rocky area where the Five Elements Cloud Beasts fought, Lu Zhao headed northwest and traveled through the vast sea of ​​clouds for nearly two days.

Along the way, he encountered several waves of unique monsters and spirits from the secret realm, mostly of mid-to-high rank first. He easily dealt with or avoided them all using talismans, movement techniques, and his rudimentary grasp of the power of annihilation. He also collected some spiritual herbs and ores characteristic of the Cloud Sea Secret Realm; while not particularly precious, they were better than nothing. He didn't deliberately explore the other resource points marked on the map; time was limited, and his primary target was the "Nine Netherworld Remnant Stele."

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding environment began to change noticeably. The once pristine, ethereal clouds gradually turned gray and stagnant, as if shrouded in dust. The rich spiritual energy in the air also began to be mixed with an unsettling, chilling, and decaying aura, somewhat similar to the gray fog near the "Ghost Tomb," but much thinner and more dispersed. The plants growing on the cloud-covered land or floating islands also became sparse and deformed, mostly displaying an unhealthy gray-green or dark yellow hue.

"It seems we're approaching the 'Dead Wasteland'." Lu Zhao was on high alert, pushing the [Return to Nothingness Concealment Technique] to its limit while simultaneously activating the [Refining Spirit Technique] to full perception.

After traveling for another half day, the view suddenly opened up before us, yet it also made our hearts sink.

An endless, somber wasteland, seemingly devoid of all life, stretched out before them. The "ground" here was no longer the soft, cloud-covered land, but a dark gray, hard, cracked earth, barren of all vegetation. The sky was leaden gray, with low-hanging clouds slowly creeping like heavy curtains. A faint, unpleasant odor, like a mixture of rotting plants and dust, permeated the air, along with an increasingly palpable pressure of decay and death. Here, even spiritual energy became sluggish and difficult to absorb, as if infected by the land's "deathly stillness."

The map's label, "Dead Wasteland," is truly fitting.

Standing at the edge of the wasteland, Lu Zhao could feel the annihilating energy within his body, seemingly drawn to something, becoming slightly more active. Meanwhile, the life force of the "Sleeping Dragon" was being suppressed by an invisible force.

"As expected, this environment is beneficial to the annihilation attribute and suppresses the vitality attribute," Lu Zhao thought to himself. He tried to absorb a trace of the "inert spiritual energy" here and found that it was several times more difficult to refine than the outside world. Moreover, the decaying aura mixed in with it was harmful to cultivators practicing orthodox techniques. However, for him, who had cultivated the incomplete "Nine Nether Annihilation Scripture" and had annihilation energy in his body, this environment was actually helpful for him to comprehend the meaning of annihilation, and could even slightly accelerate his refinement and control of the annihilation energy.

"The map shows that the 'Nine Netherworld Stele' is deep in the wasteland, near the central area..." Lu Zhao checked the direction and stepped into this desolate place.

The ground beneath his feet was hard and cold, making a soft "crunch" sound as he stepped on it. All around was silent; even the wind seemed to be swallowed by the earth. Only the faint sounds of his own footsteps and breathing were exceptionally clear. The perception of the [Refining Spirit Technique] was also somewhat suppressed here, only extending to about a hundred feet.

After traveling for about an hour, apart from the increasingly dense aura of decay and death, they encountered no living creatures, not even a trace of demonic beasts. This wasteland truly seemed to be a forbidden zone for life.

However, just when Lu Zhao thought he would arrive at his destination peacefully, the edge of the perception of the [Refining God Technique] suddenly detected several fluctuations of vibrant life energy that did not belong to this desolate place, and they were moving rapidly in his direction!

"Someone's there?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He immediately stopped and hid behind a huge, weathered gray rock, concealing his presence and observing cautiously.

Soon, four figures appeared in his field of vision. They were four outer sect disciples dressed in uniform cyan outfits, each possessing a considerable aura—three men and one woman. Leading them was a tall, thin young man with a cold face and a long sword on his back, his cultivation at the seventh level of Qi Refining. The other two male disciples were a short, stocky man wielding double axes, at the sixth level of Qi Refining; the other was tall and thin, using a long spear, at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining. The female disciple was petite, with delicate features, several leather pouches hanging from her waist, and a pair of water-splitting daggers in her hands; her cultivation was also at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The four men had clearly noticed the unusual nature of the wasteland, their faces showing seriousness and vigilance. They moved slowly, maintaining a certain distance from each other in a loose diamond formation, clearly an experienced team.

"Senior Brother Chen, this place is sparsely populated with spiritual energy and filled with death energy. Staying here for too long might affect our cultivation. Do we really want to go in?" the short, stocky disciple asked, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"The map shows that deep within this 'Dead Wasteland,' there may be 'Extinction Stones' and 'Withered Spirit Herbs' left behind by ancient cultivators, precious materials for refining certain special pills and magical artifacts. Moreover, it is said that there is an ancient ruin in the center of the wasteland, perhaps containing a legacy." The aloof young man at the head of the group, Senior Brother Chen, said in a deep voice, "Fortune favors the bold. We've been here for half a month with mediocre results; we can't go back empty-handed. We must be careful."

"Senior Brother Chen is right. When has our 'Azure Edge Squad' ever been afraid of danger?" the tall, thin gun-wielding cultivator laughed, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

"I just hope I don't encounter anything unclean..." the petite female disciple whispered, tightening her grip on the Water-Splitting Thorn.

The four continued their exploration while conversing. Judging from their direction, they seemed to be heading quite close to Lu Zhao's goal—the Nine Netherworld Stele!

Lu Zhao hid behind a rock, his brow furrowed slightly. He didn't want to clash with these people, but if they shared the same destination, they were bound to run into each other. In the secret realm, it was not uncommon for fellow disciples to kill each other for treasures. Especially since the other side was a complete team, and their strength was not to be underestimated.

"Let's see where they're going first, and then we'll act accordingly." Lu Zhao made up his mind and followed the "Azure Edge Squad" from a distance, using the terrain and the [Return to Nothingness Concealment Technique] to quietly follow them.

After traveling for about half an hour, the wasteland became even more desolate. Huge, unidentified fossilized skeletons of unknown creatures began to appear on the ground, half-buried in the gray soil, exuding an ancient aura. The sense of decay and death in the air grew stronger, even forming faint, grayish-black wisps of mist that drifted slowly. Even the four members of the "Azure Edge Squad" had to raise their protective spiritual light to resist the encroaching mist.

"Be careful! This mist is strange; it can corrode spiritual energy!" Senior Brother Chen warned sharply, his longsword already drawn three-tenths of the way out of its sheath.

"Senior brother, there seems to be something ahead!" The tall, thin gun-wielding cultivator suddenly pointed to the left front.

Everyone stared intently, and deep within the gray-black mist, they could vaguely see a collapsed wall of black stones, its area seemingly quite large. In the center of that ruin stood a colossal stele, three zhang tall, entirely black, its surface covered with cracks and indistinct ancient characters! Around the stele, the gray-black mist was exceptionally dense, almost tangible, slowly swirling like a small vortex.

"It's a historical site! And there's even a monument!" the short, stocky disciple exclaimed excitedly.

"That stele... seems to be the 'Nine Netherworld Remnant Stele' mentioned on the map?" The petite female disciple was somewhat uncertain.

"Let's go take a look, but be on guard." A hint of eagerness flashed in Senior Brother Chen's eyes as he led the team to approach slowly.

Lu Zhao, hiding in the distance, also saw the giant stele. Indeed, it was the "Nine Netherworld Remnant Stele" marked on the map! Moreover, the environment and atmosphere surrounding this stele were extremely similar to the "Netherworld Tomb," only more dilapidated and exposed. It seemed that this was indeed an outer remnant of the Nine Netherworld Path.

"They spotted us first..." Lu Zhao felt a little helpless, but he wasn't impatient. He continued to lie in wait and observe how the "Azure Edge Squad" would act.

The four of them cautiously approached the broken stele and stopped about fifty feet away. The decaying fog here was already very thick, obstructing visibility, but the outline of the broken stele was still faintly visible.

"There are words on the stone tablet, but I can't see them clearly... There seems to be a restriction." Senior Brother Chen focused his attention to sense it.

"Let me try using the 'Barrier-Breaking Talisman'." The petite female disciple took out a pale gold talisman, infused it with spiritual power, and the talisman transformed into a golden light, shooting towards the gray mist surrounding the broken monument.

"laugh--"

The golden light disappeared into the gray fog, like a clay ox entering the sea, causing only a slight ripple in the fog before there was no further reaction.

"No, this fog is strange; the talisman will have little effect." The female disciple shook her head.

"Let's try a direct assault? Perhaps breaking through the fog will allow us to see the inscription," the short, stocky disciple suggested.

"Don't be reckless!" Senior Brother Chen shouted. "This place is eerie; what if we trigger some kind of restriction or monster..."

Before he could finish speaking, something unexpected happened!

"Ugh—!"

The vortex of gray-black mist surrounding the broken stele suddenly accelerated its rotation! At the same time, the indistinct ancient characters on the stele itself suddenly emitted an extremely faint, dim gray light! A wave of cold, deathly, resentful, and unwilling will, more than ten times stronger than the surrounding environment, spread out from the broken stele like a tide!

Immediately afterward, to the astonishment of the four and Lu Zhao in the distance, the gray-black mist began to condense and deform wildly! In the blink of an eye, it transformed into dozens of blurry, ferocious-looking gray-black figures wielding various broken weapons! These figures, seemingly formed from a combination of mist and some kind of obsession, emitted silent roars, their eyes flickering with two eerie green flames, radiating a chilling aura ranging from level four to six of the Refined Qi level, and surged towards the four members of the "Azure Edge Squad" like a tidal wave!

"It's a vengeful spirit guard! Be careful!" Senior Brother Chen's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply. He drew his longsword and unleashed a fierce sword aura, shredding the leading misty figures. But after the misty figures were shattered, they merely dispersed and then reformed in the mist, as if they were immortal!

"Kill!" The short, stocky disciple and the tall, thin spearman roared as they charged forward, their axe flashes and spear shadows crisscrossing. The petite female disciple swiftly unleashed several crimson lightning beads radiating masculine energy, which exploded within the mist. The lightning had a certain restraining effect on the mist, but it was still difficult to completely eliminate it.

The battle erupted instantly! The Mist Shadows were numerous and impervious to ordinary physical attacks; only attacks imbued with masculine energy, lightning, fire, or special purifying power could inflict effective damage. Although the four members of the "Azure Edge Squad" were strong and well-coordinated, they were overwhelmed by the bizarre environment and the relentless onslaught of the Mist Shadows, barely managing to defend themselves.

"These misty shadows seem to be part of the restrictions imposed by the broken stele, or perhaps they are the manifestation of the resentment of the Nine Netherworld Dao cultivators who perished here..." Lu Zhao observed from a distance, pondering. He could sense that the aura of those misty shadows was somewhat similar to the aura of annihilation, but it was more mixed, chaotic, and filled with negative emotions.

"This 'Azure Edge Squad' is probably not going to come out on top. Moreover, the commotion they've caused might attract even more trouble..." Lu Zhao's gaze passed over the fierce battle and landed on the mist-shrouded broken monument. He could feel the fragment of the Nine Nether Token in his arms resonating faintly once again in this place. Moreover, deep within the broken monument, something seemed to be attracting the annihilation energy within his body.

"Perhaps... I can use the Nine Nether Token and the Qi of Annihilation to try and get closer to the broken stele?" A bold idea rose in Lu Zhao's mind.

Seeing the four members of the "Azure Edge Squad" increasingly entangled by the growing mist and gradually forced away from the ruined monument, Lu Zhao no longer hesitated. He activated the [Return to Nothingness Concealment Technique] to its maximum, while simultaneously attempting to draw upon the wisp of controllable annihilation energy within his body, covering his skin to form a very faint gray film. Then, like a ghost, he silently slipped out from his hiding place, hugging the edge of the battlefield, using the mist as cover, and swiftly stealthily moved towards the ruined monument!

His goal was not to fight the Shadow of Mist, but to take advantage of the chaos to get close to the broken monument!

Sure enough, after he covered his body with the aura of annihilation, the "hostility" of those misty figures towards him seemed to lessen considerably. Some of the misty figures even "saw" him, but the ghostly green flames in their eyes only flickered for a moment before they ignored him and continued to besiege the "Azure Edge Squad." It was as if they regarded him as one of their own, or some kind of "harmless" being.

With a slight sense of calm, Lu Zhao silently used the [Flowing Cloud Step] to move through the mist and quickly approach the broken stele.

Thirty zhang... twenty zhang... ten zhang...

As he drew closer to the broken monument, the chilling, deathly will and resentment grew stronger. But Lu Zhao held fast to his mind, using the "Refining Spirit Technique" to protect his consciousness, circulating the energy of annihilation throughout his body to resist the erosion.

Five zhang! He could now clearly see the blurred, ancient characters on the broken stele, as if written in blood, and the crisscrossing cracks on its surface. Around the base of the broken stele, there were scattered fragments of broken weapons and long-weathered bones.

Just then, another unexpected event occurred!

Seemingly sensing the approach of a "foreign object" carrying the same aura, the broken stele suddenly trembled! The dim gray light on the stele suddenly shone brightly! A suction force several times stronger than before suddenly came from the stele, and at the same time, the mist around the broken stele swirled wildly, forming an even larger vortex, involuntarily pulling Lu Zhao's figure towards the stele!

"Not good!" Lu Zhao was startled and tried to break free, but the suction force was incredibly strong and carried a cold will that went straight to the soul, causing him to freeze.

At the same time, the shadowy figures that had been besieging the "Azure Edge Squad" seemed to be stimulated by the broken monument. A small portion of them split off, letting out a mournful, silent shriek, and rushed madly towards Lu Zhao, who was being pulled by the suction force! This time, the ghostly fire in their eyes was filled with greed and killing intent, as if they wanted to completely devour Lu Zhao, this "special" intruder!

With the eerie suction of the broken monument in front and the frenzied shadows attacking from behind, Lu Zhao was instantly trapped in a desperate situation!

"Damn it!" A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, knowing he could no longer hide. He abruptly activated several [Golden Light Talismans] and [Thick Earth Stone Talismans] attached to his body, forming a defensive layer behind him. At the same time, he pushed the controllable annihilation energy within his body to its limit, mixing it with the vitality of the "Sleeping Dragon" technique to form a strange, constantly flowing gray-green protective shield on his body, resisting the suction force of the broken monument and the impact of his will!

At the same time, he flipped his left hand, and the fragment of the Nine Nether Order reappeared in his palm. He frantically poured most of his remaining spiritual power into it!

"The Nine Netherworld Decree is here! Broken Stele... heed my command!"

He hissed and roared, aiming the fragment at the gleaming ruins of the monument!

"Buzz—!!!"

The fragment of the Nine Nether Order erupted with an unprecedentedly intense gray-black light! Within the light, the distorted, pained face runes seemed to come alive, emanating an aura of the Nine Nether Dao that surpassed even the broken monument—an aura that was more ancient and purer!

The moment this aura appeared, the suction force of the broken monument abruptly halted! The gray light on the monument also flickered violently, as if it had encountered the suppression of a "superior," causing confusion and hesitation. The misty shadows that had rushed towards Lu Zhao, as if encountering a natural enemy, let out terrified screams and retreated and scattered!

"It works!" Lu Zhao's spirits lifted. Seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he stomped his feet on the ground, no longer resisting the remaining suction force. Instead, he used the force to propel himself forward like an arrow, crashing into the shimmering, broken monument in the direction of the suction!

"Bang!"

His body collided solidly with the surface of the broken monument! The expected excruciating pain and backlash did not come; instead, it felt like he had crashed into a layer of viscous, cold liquid.

The scene before my eyes changed in an instant! The broken monument, the mist, the wasteland, the "Azure Edge Squad" fighting... all disappeared.

He found himself standing in a strange space that was even darker, more desolate, with only a faint light in the center.

In the center of the space, suspended in mid-air, was a fist-sized bone fragment, entirely black, its surface covered with even more complex and mysterious gray runes. The bone fragment emanated an aura of the same origin as the fragment of the Nine Nether Order, but far deeper and more vast. Beneath the bone fragment lay the silent remains of a cultivator, clad in a tattered black robe, long since reduced to bones. In the remains' hands, tightly clutched an ancient, dark golden scroll, neither leather nor silk.

At the edge of this space, the gray-black mist flowed slowly like a wall. Within the mist, countless faces struggling in pain could be vaguely seen, emitting silent wails. These were the origins of the misty shadows from before.

"This... is the core space inside the broken monument?" Lu Zhao was shocked as he looked at the floating bone fragments and the remains and scrolls on the ground.

He knew he had made the right bet. With the help of the fragment of the Nine Nether Order and the annihilation energy within his body, he successfully triggered some kind of "recognition" or "test" mechanism of the broken stele and entered this core area.

The real opportunity may lie here.