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

The cold, clear lake water, brimming with vibrant life, gently enveloped his sinking body. The pressure of the water, mixed with the omnipresent, rich spiritual energy, soothed Lu Zhao's ravaged and nearly broken body and soul like the softest hand. Compared to the destructive heat and suffocation of the earth's core fiery veins, this place was the other extreme—an ocean of life, a cradle of spiritual energy.

The darkness didn't last long. Perhaps it was due to the powerful vitality and regenerative abilities brought by the Lv7 of "Dragon's Sleep," perhaps it was because the residual medicinal power of the "Fountain of Life and Death" was still at work, or perhaps it was because the water of Lingyun Lake itself possessed some kind of magical healing effect. After an unknown amount of time, Lu Zhao's consciousness, like water plants sinking to the bottom of a lake, slowly, little by little, rose from the endless exhaustion and darkness.

"Cough...cough cough..." The icy lake water choked him, causing a violent cough that also jolted Lu Zhao awake. He opened his eyes abruptly, and what greeted him was the rippling, clear lake water reflecting the seven colors of sunlight, and the silhouette of the vast, azure sky above. Around him, strange fish, colorful and emitting a faint, ethereal glow, swam curiously, only to scatter in fright at his sudden movement.

"I...I'm still alive..." A sense of relief, like surviving a catastrophe, welled up in Lu Zhao's heart. He found himself floating in the lake, his body swaying slightly with the current. His entire body still throbbed with excruciating pain, especially his left shoulder blade (gripped by the high priest's blood-red spear) and the areas burned by the earth's fire. But compared to the despair of being melted at any moment in the earth's fiery veins, this pain was practically a kind of "bliss."

He immediately examined himself. His injuries were severe; his meridians were badly damaged, his spiritual energy was almost depleted, and his soul was weak from the previous struggle against his will and the serious injuries. However, his foundation was not destroyed. The blood and qi of the "Sleeping Dragon" technique were slowly and tenaciously repairing his injuries, and the "Refining God Technique" was maintaining the basic stability of his sea of ​​consciousness. Most importantly, the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale was still firmly held in his right hand! Although its light was restrained, the cold, heavy touch and the faintly emanating annihilating dragon's might gave him peace of mind.

"This is...Lingyun Lake?" Lu Zhao looked around. The lake water was crystal clear, with extremely high visibility. He could see the lakebed below, covered with fine white sand, dotted with colorful, glowing pebbles and aquatic plants, as well as the majestic, rugged underwater peaks covered with aquatic plants and corals in the distance. Sunlight shone through the lake water, forming bright beams of light that illuminated the underwater world like a dreamlike fairyland. The spiritual energy was so dense that it was almost liquid. With each breath, surging spiritual energy automatically flowed into his body, slowly nourishing his injuries and replenishing his parched meridians.

"I must find a safe place to heal as soon as possible. Although this place seems peaceful, it may not be without danger," Lu Zhao thought warily. The core of the secret realm must contain powerful demonic beasts or special beings. He tried to move his body, which aggravated his injuries, causing him to grimace in pain. Fortunately, the lake water had considerable buoyancy, and he barely managed to control his body, slowly "swimming" towards a lake shore that looked relatively calm and had huge lake rocks for cover.

As he swam, he was surprised to find that the water of Lingyun Lake seemed to have an additional nourishing effect on his injuries. In particular, the skin and flesh that had been scalded and necrotic by the earth fire felt cool and tingly as it was soaked in the lake water; the necrotic tissue was slowly peeling off, and new granulation tissue was sprouting. Although this effect was far less miraculous than that of the "Spring of Life and Death," it was superior in that it was continuous, gentle, and omnipresent.

"Lingyun Lake, as expected of the core of the secret realm, is indeed mysterious," Lu Zhao thought to himself. He recalled the marking of "Lingyun Lake" on the map, which was the area with the most abundant spiritual energy and the most concentrated natural treasures in the secret realm, a place where danger and opportunity coexisted.

After much effort, Lu Zhao finally "climbed" onto a shallow area covered by dense, luminous aquatic plants and huge coral reefs. This place was located under a protruding boulder, forming a natural semi-enclosed space that was both secluded and allowed for observation of part of the lake surface.

He collapsed onto the wet, sandy shallows, panting heavily. After a moment, he struggled to sit up and first checked the [Human Skin Pouch]. Except for the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, the items inside were mostly intact; the pills, talismans, materials, maps, jade slips, and so on were all still there. He first took out a few healing and restorative pills and swallowed them, then, enduring the excruciating pain, he used his spiritual power to guide his healing, combined with the "Hibernating Dragon's Sleep" technique, and began to focus all his efforts on healing.

The spiritual energy of Lingyun Lake, combined with the power of the elixir, greatly accelerated his recovery. After only about an hour of meditation, his severe injuries stabilized, stopped worsening, and even began to slowly improve. A faint flow of spiritual energy also returned to his parched meridians.

Only then did Lu Zhao breathe a sigh of relief, and have the energy to observe his surroundings and think about his next steps.

"The secret realm will be open for a month. I wonder how long I've been unconscious in the fire and the lake, and how much time I have left..." he calculated in his mind. From entering the secret realm, to exploring the "Nether Tomb," the "Deadly Wasteland," and the "Soul River Ferry," to seizing the Reverse Scale at the "Nine Nether Altar," falling into the fire, and finally arriving at this Spirit Cloud Lake, probably more than half a month has passed. The secret realm is about to close, and he must find a way out as soon as possible, or at least reach the exit area before it closes.

"The most urgent task is to completely stabilize my injuries and recover some of my strength. Then, I'll explore this lake area, look for clues to the exit, or... see if there are any other opportunities," Lu Zhao decided. He looked at the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale in his hand. This item was of great importance, and its aura was special, so it shouldn't be exposed. He tried to put it into his [Human Skin Pocket], and found that this time it went smoothly. After the Reverse Scale entered the pocket, its aura was completely isolated. It seemed that the aura had leaked out in the subterranean fire because of the special environment and the Reverse Scale itself being stimulated.

Putting away his hidden resentment, Lu Zhao continued to heal. Another half day passed, and his injuries had healed by 30-40%, while his spiritual power had recovered by 10-20%, giving him basic mobility and a certain degree of self-defense capability. He decided to explore the surrounding area a little.

The shallow beach where he stood was located on the western shore of Lingyun Lake, backed by a steep rock wall covered with glowing moss and strange vines. There were some natural caves and fissures in the rock wall. Using his [Refining Spirit Technique], Lu Zhao sensed that deep within one of the larger caves, there seemed to be a relatively dense and stable fluctuation of spiritual energy, not like the presence of a powerful life form.

"Let's go in and see; perhaps it can serve as a temporary hiding place." Lu Zhao carefully pushed aside the vines and water plants at the cave entrance and slipped into the cave. The cave entrance was narrow, but the interior gradually opened up, dry and well-ventilated, with no standing water. The glowing moss on the cave walls provided a faint light. After going in for about ten zhang, a natural stone chamber several zhang in diameter appeared ahead. In the center of the chamber, there was a small spring gushing out milky white spiritual water! Around the spring, several strange little grasses grew, their bodies crystal clear, as if sculpted from crystal, emitting a faint fragrance.

"A spiritual spring? And accompanying spiritual herbs?" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. The spiritual energy concentration of this spring was several times purer and richer than that of the lake water outside, and it was also much gentler and easier to absorb. Although he didn't recognize those few crystal herbs, judging from their shape and the spiritual energy they emitted, they were definitely not ordinary.

"Truly, there's always a way out!" Lu Zhao walked to the spring, carefully scooped up a handful of spiritual spring water, examined it thoroughly to confirm it was non-toxic and harmless, and then drank a few mouthfuls. The spring water was sweet and refreshing, instantly transforming into warm currents that quickly spread throughout his body, nourishing his flesh, replenishing his spiritual energy, and even having a slight soothing effect on his soul. It was even better than the pills he carried!

"Excellent spring water!" Lu Zhao no longer stood on ceremony and immediately sat cross-legged by the spring, drinking the spiritual water while circulating his internal energy to heal and recover. With the aid of the spiritual spring, his recovery speed increased dramatically once again.

In just one day, Lu Zhao's serious injuries were almost completely healed, and his spiritual power had recovered to the mid-stage of the sixth level of Qi Refining! Moreover, as a blessing in disguise, under the extreme tempering of the Earth Core Fire Vein and the nourishment of Spirit Cloud Lake and Spirit Spring, his physical strength, the cultivation of "Hibernating Dragon," and the foundation of "Refining God Technique" were all further consolidated and improved. His control over the power of annihilation also became more adept due to refining a portion of the Reverse Scale Will and undergoing the tempering of the Earth Fire.

Having largely recovered, Lu Zhao was in high spirits. He carefully collected the few crystal herbs; although he didn't know their purpose, it was always good to keep them safe. Then, he began to carefully explore the stone chamber.

The stone chamber appeared to be naturally formed, without any artificial traces. However, on one side of the chamber, Lu Zhao carefully sensed the rock wall using the [Refining Spirit Technique] and discovered that the rock texture and spiritual energy fluctuations in one area were extremely subtlely different from the rest. He stepped forward and touched it; it felt cool and smooth, unlike ordinary rock.

"Could it be... that the back is empty?" Lu Zhao's heart stirred, and he tried to inject a wisp of annihilating spiritual power into the rock wall. The rock wall did not react. He then tried to activate the aura of the dragon-shaped mark between his brows. This time, the rock wall actually trembled slightly, and extremely faint, almost imperceptible gray-black patterns appeared on its surface, somewhat similar to the runes of the Nine Nether Path, but more ancient and simpler.

"Is it a seal? Or... a portal?" Lu Zhao tried to use the dragon-shaped mark as a guide to probe the patterns with his spiritual power. The patterns glowed slightly, and then the rock wall rippled like water, revealing a downward-sloping passage paved with some kind of translucent crystal, leading to an unknown destination!

The passageway emanated a soft, pure white light, starkly different from the gray-black, desolate aura of the Nine Netherworld Path. Instead, it was filled with a sense of holiness, etherealness, and vastness. Moreover, the spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from the passageway were extremely pure and concentrated, even faintly carrying a subtle, calming Daoist charm.

"This is...?" Lu Zhao was filled with surprise and doubt. Such a mysterious passage was hidden at the bottom of Lingyun Lake? Judging from its style and aura, it didn't seem to belong to the Nine Nether Path, but rather... the ruins of a more ancient and orthodox righteous sect?

He hesitated for a moment. Should he explore, or leave? The secret realm was about to close, and time was precious. But this passage before him was clearly extraordinary, and the opportunities it contained might far exceed his imagination.

Ultimately, curiosity and the desire for power prevailed.

"Since the dragon-shaped mark can be activated, it means it might be related to the Nine Netherworld Path, or... it might be some kind of special 'key'. Let's go in and take a look. If anything seems amiss, we'll leave immediately." Lu Zhao made up his mind, adjusted himself to his best condition, held a few more talismans in his hand, and then stepped into the crystal passage.

The passage sloped downwards, but it wasn't steep. The crystals on both sides and underfoot were crystal clear, with a milky white light flowing within them, illuminating every detail of the passage. After walking about a hundred feet, the path suddenly opened up ahead.

A colossal palace, constructed entirely of pure, flawless white crystal, appeared before Lu Zhao's eyes! The palace towered dozens of meters high, its dome inlaid with countless gems emitting a soft starlight, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. Inside, dozens of enormous crystal pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, stood erect. Their surfaces were carved with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, insects, fish, and various mysterious runes and patterns, exuding an ancient, weathered, and profound aura.

The palace floor was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the starlight above. Deep within the palace, atop a lotus-shaped altar, about ten feet high and also carved from crystal, sat an object—an ancient scroll, neither silk nor cloth, neither gold nor jade, its surface a pale gold, with naturally flowing cloud-like patterns. The scroll floated silently in the center of the lotus altar, radiating a vast, peaceful, yet indescribably powerful aura.

Scattered around the altar were the remains of cultivators who had long since turned into jade skeletons. They remained in seated or guarding postures, as if they were still protecting the scroll in their final moments. The clothes on these remains had long since weathered away, but judging from the crystal-clear jade-like bones that emitted a faint spiritual light, their cultivation levels in life must have been extremely high.

"This...this is the sacred site of an ancient righteous sect?" Lu Zhao was shocked. The style and aura of this crystal palace were completely different from the gloomy, deathly, and violent Nine Nether Path; it was full of light, order, and righteousness. The sect capable of building such a magnificent palace at the core of this secret realm, at the bottom of Spirit Cloud Lake, must have been far stronger than the current Azure Cloud Dao Sect!

His gaze finally settled on the ancient, pale gold scroll. Enshrined here and guarded by the remains of so many powerful figures, the scroll's value was probably immeasurable.

He cautiously stepped forward, first bowing respectfully to the jade skeleton remains as a sign of respect for his predecessors. Then, he turned his gaze to the scroll on the altar.

The scroll was protected by a soft, pale golden light. Lu Zhao tried to touch it with his spiritual power; the light rippled slightly, showing no resistance but also no sign of opening. He thought for a moment and tried to activate a wisp of annihilating spiritual power, but the light remained unresponsive. He then tried to activate the aura of the dragon-shaped mark, but the light remained stable.

"It seems this can't be opened by brute force or the Nine Netherworld Path..." Lu Zhao frowned. He carefully observed the altar and the scroll, and suddenly noticed that on each of the eight petals of the lotus altar, there was a small groove. The shape of the groove seemed to correspond to the eight basic attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, and ice. At this moment, these grooves were all empty.

"Is it necessary to embed a spiritual object with the corresponding attributes to activate the protection and obtain the inheritance?" Lu Zhao guessed. This does align with the way some ancient sects select their successors, testing their affinity and control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

He did have some materials with the five elements, but he didn't have any of the wind, thunder, or ice attributes at the moment. Moreover, the scroll emitted such a vast aura that if he tried to use it rashly, it might trigger a backlash with unimaginable consequences.

Just as Lu Zhao hesitated whether to try to open some of the grooves with the materials on his body, the dark gold ancient scroll in his arms, which he obtained from the core space of the "Nine Netherworld Remnant Stele" and was engraved with the "Nine Netherworld Altar Route Map and Blood Sacrifice Warning", actually heated up slightly on its own and produced an extremely faint resonance with the pale gold scroll on the lotus altar!

"Hmm?" Lu Zhao's heart stirred, and he took out the dark gold scroll. The instant the dark gold scroll appeared, the pale gold scroll on the lotus altar suddenly shone brightly! The pale gold protective shield slowly opened a gap! At the same time, a vague but comforting and relieved thought entered Lu Zhao's mind:

"Those who come after... who will obtain the 'Warning Scroll' and understand the calamity of blood sacrifice... their character and opportunities are already sufficient..."

"This is the 'Yunhai Danjing (Fragment),' which records the essential alchemy techniques of the ancient Yunhai Sect, containing over a hundred formulas for elixirs below the third rank, including lost ancient formulas such as the 'Five Elements Foundation Building Pill' and the 'Soul Cleansing Pill'... I give it to you, hoping you will use it wisely to benefit the world and bring peace to the people, and not betray the Dao of alchemy..."

The Cloud Sea Elixir Scripture? The ancient alchemy tradition of the Cloud Sea Sect? Or just a fragment?

Lu Zhao was deeply shaken! The art of alchemy held a revered position in the cultivation world, and its formulas were closely guarded secrets of each sect. Although this "Cloud Sea Pill Scripture" was only a fragment, it recorded over a hundred pill formulas below the third rank, including ancient formulas like the "Five Elements Foundation Building Pill" and the "Soul Cleansing Pill," which were extremely useful for foundation building and had even been lost to time! Its value was immeasurable! For him personally, if he could learn the art of alchemy, his future cultivation resources would no longer be dependent on others, and his strength would increase at a much faster pace! For his sect, it was an invaluable treasure!

"Thank you for bestowing this method upon me, senior! I will certainly remember your teachings and make good use of this scripture, so as not to fail the responsibility of alchemy to save the world!" Lu Zhao suppressed his excitement and solemnly bowed to the altar and the remains once again. Then, he carefully reached through the gap in the light barrier and took down the pale gold "Cloud Sea Alchemy Scripture (fragment)".

The scroll felt warm and smooth to the touch, as if it possessed a spirit. Lu Zhao didn't open it immediately, but carefully put it away first. He knew that this place was not safe to stay for long; having obtained such a valuable treasure, he had to leave as soon as possible.

However, just as he put away the alchemy manual and prepared to leave the Crystal Palace, the entire Lingyun Lake area suddenly trembled! A vast, boundless, and irresistible spatial fluctuation, like a tidal wave, surged from all directions of the secret realm, instantly sweeping across every corner!

Lu Zhao's expression changed. He had sensed this fluctuation when he entered the secret realm—it was a sign that the secret realm was about to close and was beginning to reject the creatures within!

"Time's up! The secret realm is closing!" Lu Zhao was startled. He couldn't care less about anything else and turned to rush out of the crystal passage! He had to reach the exit area before it completely closed, or... find a relatively safe place where he could be teleported out!

He burst out of the crystal passage, and the rock wall portal behind him automatically closed, returning to its original state. He emerged from the cave and arrived at the shallow shore of the lake. Looking up, he saw the azure sky above Lingyun Lake violently twisting and undulating, forming a massive, slowly rotating, seven-colored vortex! At the center of the vortex, a powerful suction force emanated—the exit of the secret realm was coalescing and opening!

At the same time, the secret realm token in his arms began to heat up and vibrate, resonating with the vortex in the sky and guiding the direction of the exit.

"The exit is above the center of the lake!" Lu Zhao glanced at the location of the whirlpool, then at the lake shores on either side where he was. It wasn't close, but given his current state and agility, he should be able to reach the exit before it completely stabilized and began teleportation.

Without further hesitation, he leaped into the lake, employing the water escape technique of [Flowing Cloud Step] (combining his understanding of "flow" with his movement skills), and like a swimming fish, swam swiftly towards the bottom of the whirlpool in the center of the lake.

Along the way, he saw streaks of light appearing in various parts of the lake. Inner disciples, outer disciples, and even some powerful demonic beasts were all rushing out from their hiding places or battlegrounds, desperately converging on the center of the lake. Everyone's face showed urgency, tension, and either the joy of gaining an opportunity or the frustration of getting nothing.

Lu Zhao mingled in the crowd, making his way discreetly. He spotted Liu Feng, Shi Yong, and Hou San; though somewhat disheveled, they were still breathing well and seemed to have each gained something, heading towards the exit together. He also saw Wang Tie and Huang Ling'er; Wang Tie waved excitedly, while Huang Ling'er remained aloof, merely nodding slightly to Lu Zhao.

He also saw the petite female disciple of the "Qingfeng Squad," but she was all alone, pale-faced and terrified, swimming desperately by herself. With no sign of Senior Brother Chen and the others, she was probably in grave danger.

He didn't speak to anyone, only quickened his pace. As he approached the center of the lake, he suddenly sensed several hostile and greedy gazes fixed on him. Turning his head, he saw Li Mu (Zhao Wuji's follower) with two other inner disciples of considerable strength not far away. The three of them were looking at Lu Zhao as if he were a fat sheep. They clearly recognized Lu Zhao, and seemed to have sensed something (Lu Zhao's cultivation had increased, his aura had changed).

"Hmph." Lu Zhao sneered inwardly, remaining outwardly calm, but secretly he had already seized the [Mysterious Yin Soul-Slaying Needle] and several attack talismans. If they dared to make a move at the last moment, he wouldn't mind sending them on their way.

Fortunately, the pull of the exit vortex grew stronger, and everyone was eager to leave. Although Li Mu and his group had ill intentions, they seemed to have some reservations and did not immediately launch an attack.

Finally, Lu Zhao, following the flow of people, rushed to the bottom of the whirlpool in the center of the lake. A powerful suction force came from him, and the secret realm token in his arms shone brightly, resonating strongly with the whirlpool.

"Buzzing—!"

The colorful vortex in the sky suddenly accelerated its rotation, bursting out with dazzling light! An irresistible teleportation force instantly enveloped all living beings in the lake's central area!

"It's time to go out!" Lu Zhao took a deep breath, took one last look at the Cloud Sea Secret Realm that had brought him countless dangers and pains, but also great opportunities and secrets, and then closed his eyes.

A flash of light, and the world spun around. The familiar feeling of teleportation returned.

When Lu Zhao finally stepped back onto solid ground and opened his eyes, he was back in the white jade teleportation array at the Qingyun Dao Sect's mountain gate plaza. Around him were disciples who had been teleported out one after another, each with a different expression, as well as sect deacons and elders who had been waiting for a long time.

Our journey through the hidden realm has come to an end.

But Lu Zhao knew that the real turmoil might have only just begun.