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

A cold, hard sensation, seemingly capable of piercing the soul, traveled from his fingertips. The moment Lu Zhao's five fingers touched the cold, sharp edge of the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, an indescribable, vast, ancient, and frenzied torrent of terrifying will, filled with endless resentment and destructive desire, surged through his fingertips like a volcano that had accumulated for billions of years, rushing into his sea of ​​consciousness!

This is not a simple transmission of information, but a direct spiritual invasion. It is the forceful infusion of the most primal and insane destructive will originating from an ancient ferocious beast, suppressed for countless years, filled with hatred for all living beings and the entire world!

"Insects! How dare you covet my unyielding nature!"

"Die! Die! Die! All living beings deserve to die!"

"Destruction! Devouring! Let annihilation return! Let everything return to nothingness!"

A dragon's roar, filled with savagery, chaos, and madness, exploded deep within Lu Zhao's soul! In an instant, he felt his consciousness being dragged into an endless, apocalyptic illusion filled with a gray-black storm of destruction, countless shattered stars, a collapsing continent, and the wailing of living beings! At the center of the illusion, a pair of enormous dragon eyes, burning with gray flames and filled with endless pain, rage, and extreme hatred for "existence" itself, were coldly and frantically "staring" at him.

This is the last and most crucial wisp of mad will remaining within the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, belonging to the Nine Nether Evil Dragon! It carries the endless resentment of being suppressed, dismembered, and sealed; it carries the deep-seated hatred for the "Soul-Devouring Demon Lord" and all those who besieged it; and it carries its ultimate obsession with "annihilating all things and returning to nothingness"! This wisp of will, though broken and weak, is far more profound and mad than the relatively milder fragments of memory passed down from before!

Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness felt as if it were being simultaneously slashed by billions of blades of destruction, the pain far exceeding that of when he received the inheritance! The mental barrier constructed by the [Refining God Technique] Lv7 shattered layer by layer like paper under the impact of this frenzied will originating from an ancient ferocious beast! The newly formed gray dragon-shaped mark between his brows trembled violently, emitting light, attempting to resonate with, soothe, and even absorb this frenzied will of the same origin, but there seemed to be a huge difference in "mass" between the two, and the light of the dragon-shaped mark was quickly suppressed and dimmed.

"Aaaaaah—!" Lu Zhao roared in agony, as dark gray blood gushed from his seven orifices. He felt himself about to be completely devoured and assimilated by this insane will to destroy, to be reduced to a madman, a monster who knew only destruction, annihilation, and revenge!

No! Absolutely not!

Just as his consciousness was about to completely succumb to the illusion of mad destruction, in the deepest part of Lu Zhao's soul, his will to survive, honed through countless life-and-death experiences, and his core Daoist belief that "My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven, not in the hands of demons, and certainly not in the hands of you, you dead worm," ignited once again, stubbornly, tenaciously, and indomitably, like the last spark erupting in the abyss of despair!

"Get out of my head!!!"

In his consciousness, he let out a deafening roar! This roar had nothing to do with the strength of his power, but only with the most fundamental declaration of "my" existence!

At the same time, the blood energy within him, which contained a faint dragon's might and was obtained from breaking through to Lv7 of "Dragon's Sleep," as well as the newborn "vitality" that was stimulated on the verge of life and death and contained the meaning of "reversal," also seemed to be stimulated and suddenly erupted! This vitality, which was completely opposite to the will to destroy, was equally tenacious and stubborn, like wild grass struggling to survive in the storm of destruction, desperately protecting his last bit of self-awareness.

More importantly, the "Demon Lord's Mark" between his eyebrows, which had been dormant and formed a delicate balance with the dragon-shaped mark, seemed to have been passively and slightly fluctuated under the stimulation of this pure destructive will. It emitted a cold, strange, and seductive aura, as if mocking the madness and failure of the Nine Nether Evil Dragon, or as if enticing Lu Zhao to give up resistance and embrace another way of "existence".

Three wills—Lu Zhao's own "self" will, the Nine Nether Evil Dragon's "destructive" will, and the "bewitching" will of the "Demon Lord's Mark"—formed a brief but intense triangular confrontation in Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness!

The will to destroy surged wildly, attempting to annihilate everything.

My will is firmly guarded in my mind, and I vow to never yield.

The Demon Lord's will observe coldly, waiting for its opportunity to act.

This was a confrontation that transcended the level of power and went straight to the essence of the soul. Lu Zhao felt as if his consciousness was about to be completely torn apart by these three forces. But he knew he must not give up. Once his will collapsed, whether he was devoured by the will of destruction or seduced by the will of the Demon Lord, he would truly "die" and no longer be himself.

"Annihilation... is not your path... revenge... is not your way..." In the midst of extreme pain and chaos, Lu Zhao's consciousness strangely retained a last sliver of clarity. He recalled the heart-touching test of the "Nether Tomb" skeletal spirit, his understanding of "annihilation" in the "Annihilation Heart Refinement," and the path he had chosen.

"My path... is control! It's transcendence! It's living!"

"Your power, your hatred, your obsession... I can borrow them, but I will never let you control me!"

"I'll take this taboo subject! But how I use it is up to me!"

An unwavering and clear thought, like a thunderbolt piercing the darkness, exploded in his mind! This was not a surrender to power, nor an endorsement of hatred, but a naked and forceful declaration—a declaration of his absolute control over his own destiny, a declaration that he would wield this power, rather than be wielded by it!

This unquestionable sense of "domination," originating from the deepest recesses of the soul, seemed to have touched upon some deeper level of rules. The frenzied, destructive will, in the face of Lu Zhao's "weak" yet incredibly firm declaration of "self," experienced an extremely brief, almost imperceptible pause! It was as if this lingering will had never encountered such a "weak" being, yet so "tough" and so "pure" in its self-awareness.

In that brief moment of hesitation, the gray dragon-shaped mark between Lu Zhao's brows, which had been trying to resonate with and absorb the will of destruction, seemed to seize the opportunity and suddenly shone brightly! It no longer tried to "appease" or "absorb," but instead turned the passive into the active, using itself as a guide and Lu Zhao's "self" will as the core, forcibly guiding, dividing, and enveloping a small portion of the relatively "mild" will fragments that were more inclined towards the "path of annihilation" itself rather than the pure obsession of "destruction," and pulling them into the mark for slow refining and fusion!

At the same time, within Lu Zhao's body, the cultivation technique of the "Nine Netherworld Annihilation Scripture" was running wildly on its own, working in conjunction with the dragon-shaped mark to refine and absorb this "gentle" fragment of the will of annihilation, transforming it into a deeper understanding of the Great Dao of "annihilation" and a purer spiritual power of annihilation.

As for the most core and most insane obsession with "destruction," it was forcibly rejected, driven away, and compressed by Lu Zhao's will of "self," in conjunction with the "Refining God Technique" and the newly born "vitality." Ultimately, it was temporarily sealed and isolated in a corner of his sea of ​​consciousness, like imprisoning a mad beast. Although it was still roaring and charging, it could no longer threaten Lu Zhao's self-awareness in the short term.

This process, though seemingly lengthy, actually lasted only a moment after Lu Zhao touched a nerve.

When Lu Zhao "opened" his eyes (his consciousness returned), he found himself still standing on the edge of the altar, his right hand tightly gripping the cold, hard, and terrifyingly destructive dragon scale! The scale felt heavy in his hand, as if he were holding a mountain, and the immense destructive power contained within it almost burst through his body.

On the altar, the eight dark red chains, having lost the "suppression" and "traction" of the Reverse Scale's original body, were now vibrating and taut wildly, emitting a creaking sound as if they were about to break under the strain. The sealing runes on their surfaces were flickering and fading, as if they were about to collapse at any moment! The entire stone chamber shook even more violently, and the ghostly fire in the eyes of the skulls on the rock walls began to become disordered and dim.

"Got it!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed, but his expression immediately changed. The stone door to the chamber was almost completely closed, leaving only a crack about a foot wide! Outside the door, he could hear rapid footsteps, angry shouts, and powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy. The pursuers had reached the door! Furthermore, a terrifying, chilling, and murderous spiritual pressure that sent shivers down his spine was rapidly descending from above the altar! It was the late-stage Foundation Establishment high priest! He had clearly been alerted as well!

"We must leave immediately!" Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhao flipped his left hand, storing the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale deep within his [Human Skin Pouch] (this item's aura was too strong; ordinary storage bags probably couldn't block it, but the human skin pouch seemed to be made of special material, providing some protection). Simultaneously, his right hand formed a sword-like gesture, and the annihilation spiritual power within him, which had just become purer and more powerful due to refining a portion of the Annihilation Will, surged wildly. He also unhesitatingly activated the wisp of annihilation primordial dragon energy he had just absorbed and refined from the dragon-shaped mark between his brows, mixing it with his own intense will to "break through all obstacles," and fiercely pointed his finger at the slowly closing crack in the stone door!

"Nirvana Finger - Creation of Heaven!"

This time, the finger strike was no longer dark gray, but had a hint of dark gold. Inside, it seemed as if a tiny gray creature was baring its fangs and roaring silently! Wherever the finger strike passed, the air emitted a shrill whistle, and space itself seemed to distort slightly!

"boom--!!!"

The dark golden annihilation finger strike slammed into the edge of the foot-wide crack in the stone door! This strike, imbued with the primordial dragon energy of annihilation and all of Lu Zhao's power, was far more powerful than before! The thick stone door, covered in runes, was blasted open by this single strike, creating an irregular hole the size of a washbasin! Fragments of stone mixed with the light of the restriction flew everywhere!

"Stop him!" "He broke through the stone door!" Outside the door, the guards roared in alarm and anger, and the sound of magic whistling could be heard.

Before the dust had settled, Lu Zhao shot out of the hole in a flash! As soon as he stepped out, he saw dozens of black-robed believers, led by several late-stage Qi Refining leaders, blocking the passageway. Various spells and magical artifacts rained down on him like a storm! Further away, an even stronger aura was rapidly approaching.

"Those who block my way shall die!" A fierce glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He had just refined a portion of the Will of Annihilation, and his strength was at its temporary peak. Now, having gained a new thorn in his side, a surge of pride welled up within him. He no longer simply dodged. He unleashed the [Flowing Cloud Step] to its fullest extent, transforming into a series of afterimages in the narrow passageway. At the same time, his hands flicked out in rapid succession, scattering modified Five Elements "Talisman Swords" as if they were free, exploding among the crowd and creating chaos.

At the same time, he formed his right hand into a claw, covered in annihilating spiritual energy, and unleashed the [Touch of Deathly Silence], which he had only just begun to comprehend. Combined with the sneak attack of the [Mysterious Yin Soul-Slaying Needle], he specifically targeted those late-stage Qi Refining leaders. Anyone who got close to him or was hit by the Soul-Slaying Needle was either killed or seriously injured, their spiritual energy and blood qi rapidly eroded and decayed.

Like a tiger among sheep, he carved a bloody path through the crowd, charging desperately back the way he came! Wherever he went, black-robed believers fell, screaming in agony. But the enemy was too numerous, and reinforcements kept coming, greatly hindering his speed.

Even more terrifying was the approaching, terrifying spiritual pressure emanating from above, from a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator! It felt as if the High Priest himself would descend at any moment!

"We can't linger!" Lu Zhao was frantic. He glanced around and suddenly spotted a fork in the road to the side, seemingly leading to the Earth Fire Pool. The Earth Fire Pool had a complex environment and violent energy; perhaps it could interfere with the pursuit, or even... allow him to escape using the Earth Fire?

His mind raced, and without further hesitation, he abruptly turned and plunged into the side path. Behind him, a large group of black-robed believers pursued relentlessly.

The fork in the road indeed led to the underground cavern where the Earth Fire Pool was located. When Lu Zhao rushed out, he saw the mess he had caused by detonating the "Essence of Earth Fire" and "Breath of Lava" earlier, as well as more black-robed believers who had rushed over from all directions, completely blocking the area around the Earth Fire Pool.

Just as he rushed out, the void above the Earth Fire Pool twisted, and a tall figure, clad in a black robe with dark gold trim, wearing a dragon-head bone crown and holding a blood-red scepter, appeared out of thin air like a ghost! It was the high priest in the late Foundation Establishment stage! His cold eyes, like two blood-red suns, instantly locked onto Lu Zhao, who rushed out from the side path, covered in blood but with a violent aura.

"You little insect... how dare you steal this sacred artifact... today, I will tear your soul from your body and torment you for eternity!" The high priest's voice was like a chilling wind from the depths of hell, carrying endless killing intent and a hint of... shock and anger. Clearly, Lu Zhao's successful acquisition of the "Dragon's Reverse Scale" was completely unexpected and had utterly disrupted his plans.

The terrifying late-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure, like a tangible mountain, crashed down, completely freezing the space several feet around Lu Zhao! This time, the High Priest attacked in anger, and the strength of his spiritual pressure far exceeded the previous ground-based remote lock-on! Lu Zhao immediately felt as if his body was frozen, and even moving a finger became extremely difficult. His bones groaned under the unbearable burden, and the blood and spiritual power that had just boiled due to the fierce battle were instantly suppressed and frozen.

The shadow of death was clearer than ever before. Faced with a true, fully focused late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, all his struggles and trump cards seemed so pale and powerless.

"It's over, you ants." The high priest coldly raised the crimson scepter in his hand. The beating heart at the top of the scepter suddenly shone brightly, and a destructive crimson energy, powerful enough to annihilate Lu Zhao along with the surrounding space, began to rapidly gather!

Lu Zhao's pupils shrank to pinpoints, a sense of despair rising within him. Was he really going to die here after all the hardships he had endured to obtain the reverse scale?

No! Absolutely not!

In this critical moment, where life and death were hanging in the balance, a crazy thought suddenly flashed through Lu Zhao's mind! He looked at the churning, boiling, and scorching dark red pool of earth fire at his feet, then at the [human skin pouch] in his hand that had just put away the Reverse Scale, and at the gray dragon-shaped mark between his brows that was throbbing violently and resonating strongly with the Reverse Scale.

"Earthfire... Reverse scale... Dragon mark... Annihilation..." A vague, almost suicidal idea of ​​escaping took shape in his mind.

"Let's gamble!"

A glint of madness and resolve flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He no longer tried to resist the spiritual pressure of the high priest. Instead, he actively poured all the remaining annihilation spiritual power in his body, along with the wisp of annihilation primordial dragon energy that had just been refined and was still extremely unstable from the dragon-shaped mark between his brows, into the [human skin pouch] in his hand, aiming directly at the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale deep within the pouch! At the same time, he activated the dragon-shaped mark, using himself as a medium to send the most direct and intense call of will to the Reverse Scale:

"Didn't you want destruction? Didn't you want to break the seal? Come with me, let's blast this subterranean fire and throw this world into chaos!!"

He was actively provoking and triggering the terrifying, destructive power contained within the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale! Moreover, this was happening above the Earth Fire Pool, in an environment of extremely violent and unstable energy!

"Buzz—!!!"

As if in response to Lu Zhao's frantic call, or perhaps stimulated by the raging fire and earthly energy within the Earth Fire Pool, the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale within the [Human Skin Pocket] suddenly trembled violently! A terrifying, violent, and destructive aura of annihilation dragon might, far more intense than before, leaked out of the pocket without reservation! This mere leak of aura caused the surrounding space to distort and show signs of annihilation! The magma in the Earth Fire Pool, as if startled, suddenly surged forth with towering waves!

"What?!" The high priest, who was preparing to deliver a fatal blow, suddenly changed his expression! He clearly sensed the terrifying, annihilating dragon's might leaking from the Nether Dragon's reverse scale! What alarmed him even more was that the leaked aura resonated and clashed with the raging energy of the earth fire pool below in an extremely dangerous and unstable way! It was as if a devastating energy explosion would be triggered at any moment!

"Are you insane?!" The high priest was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected Lu Zhao to dare to provoke and provoke the power of the reverse scale so recklessly, especially in a place like the Earth Fire Pool! Once detonated, not only this underground cavity, but the entire altar base would likely be severely impacted, and it might even prematurely trigger the riot of the suppressed remnant soul of the "Nine Netherworld Evil Dragon" underground! This was practically suicidal!

Just as the chief priest faltered slightly in shock and anger, and his spiritual pressure showed a barely perceptible loosening, Lu Zhao was waiting for this fleeting opportunity!

"Flowing Cloud Step! Burning Blood Escape! Charge!!"

He roared hoarsely, pushing the power of his Lv7 "Sleeping Dragon" to its limit, even burning his essence blood again to unleash the [Burning Blood Escape Technique]! Under the combined effects of the high priest's loosening spiritual pressure and the spatial disorder caused by the conflict between the leaked annihilation dragon's might from his reverse scale and the energy of the earth fire, he actually managed to forcefully break through some of the spiritual pressure's restraints. With a powerful push off his feet, his figure transformed into a gray stream of light burning with blood flames. Instead of fleeing upwards or in all directions, he crashed headfirst into the churning, boiling, and scorching magma pool below, as if committing suicide!

"Is he trying to escape using the earth's fire? Or is he committing suicide?" The high priest was taken aback, then his eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Trying to run? Dream on!"

The crimson energy in his crimson scepter ceased charging and transformed into a condensed crimson spear, striking Lu Zhao's back before it could strike! At the same time, he made a grasping motion with his left hand, and a powerful suction force attempted to pull Lu Zhao back from the air.

However, Lu Zhao's speed was too fast and too decisive. The crimson spear grazed his shoulder blade, leaving a trail of blood and shattered bones, but it failed to stop his descent. Meanwhile, the high priest's suction force was disrupted and weakened by the sudden, even more violent and chaotic energy turbulence erupting from the pool of earthfire.

"Thump!"

Amidst the horrified and incredulous gazes of everyone, Lu Zhao's figure, like a meteorite, crashed into the dark red, bubbling, and molten lava pool, its temperature enough to melt metal, creating a huge splash before disappearing completely!

"Damn it!" The high priest roared in fury, wielding his crimson scepter with a mighty swing. A terrifying crimson wave of light slammed into the fiery pool, sending magma flying everywhere. However, aside from the even more violent energy turbulence, there was no trace of Lu Zhao. Beneath the fiery pool, a complex network of ley lines and fire channels stretched in all directions, their energy so turbulent that spiritual sense could hardly penetrate them. A Qi Refining cultivator falling into this place should, in theory, be certain to die, but Lu Zhao's previous strange behavior had left the high priest filled with apprehension and uncertainty.

More importantly, the aura of the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale quickly became weak and blurred after Lu Zhao fell into the Earth Fire Pool, and eventually disappeared completely, as if it was swallowed by the Earth Fire, or... taken to the depths of the earth veins.

"Search! Search every single ley line! Find them alive or dead! Also, immediately strengthen the defenses of the altar; there can be no more leaks!" The high priest, his face grim, roared at the terrified black-robed believers below. He glanced at the still slightly trembling altar base, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. With the Reverse Scale stolen and the seal weakening further, the blood sacrifice ritual would likely have to be brought forward, or... significantly altered.

At this moment, Lu Zhao, who fell into the pool of earth fire, was not instantly incinerated as the chief priest had expected.

The instant he fell into the lava, he retrieved the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale from his [human skin pouch] and held it in his hand. The annihilating dragon's might emanating from the Reverse Scale automatically formed a very thin, grayish-black light membrane, enveloping his body and temporarily isolating him from most of the scorching lava and the corrosive effects of the earth fire's poisonous gas. However, the light membrane flickered and clearly wouldn't last long.

Even more miraculously, the Reverse Scale seemed to sense the earth's fire channels beneath the Earth Fire Pool, faintly emanating a weak pulling force pointing in a certain direction.

Despite the excruciating burning pain and suffocation throughout his body, Lu Zhao followed the pulling force, desperately diving deeper and deeper into the viscous, scorching, and dark magma and raging fire...

He didn't know if what lay ahead was a deep path or an even deeper abyss. But he knew he had to leave this place, he had to survive.