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

The familiar clamor, mixed with the sect's unique scent of incense, spiritual energy, and the aroma of plants, instantly flooded Lu Zhao's senses. Beneath his feet was a solid, warm white jade floor; above him stood the familiar mountain gate of the Qingyun Dao Sect and a clear sky. All around him rose and fell breaths, whispers, exclamations, and even suppressed sobs. Hundreds of disciples, some standing, some sitting, some looking around blankly, some excitedly conversing with acquaintances, all wore expressions of weariness, relief, and varying degrees of joy at their recent return from the perilous secret realm.

Lu Zhao stood still, taking several deep breaths, slowly exhaling the mixed stench of blood, sulfur, decay, and death that had lingered in the secret realm, allowing the relatively peaceful and orderly spiritual energy of the sect to fill his lungs. He looked around and saw many familiar or acquainted figures. Liu Feng, Shi Yong, Hou San, and a few others were gathered not far away. Although their clothes were tattered and their breathing was unstable, their spirits were still good, and they were excitedly talking in hushed tones. Wang Tie was gesturing wildly to Huang Ling'er, who only nodded occasionally, but her gaze swept across the crowd, seemingly searching for something. When she saw Lu Zhao, a barely perceptible hint of relaxation flashed in her eyes. Li Mu and the two inner disciples also came out and were gathered together, their faces gloomy, their eyes occasionally sweeping over Lu Zhao with undisguised coldness and greed.

Many disciples wore expressions of relief at surviving a disaster, or disappointment at returning empty-handed. Some of the more seriously injured had already been helped aside for treatment by fellow disciples or deacons who had rushed to the scene. A complex emotion permeated the square.

"Silence!" A stern, cold shout silenced the commotion in the plaza. The stern-faced, black-clad elder who had been presiding over the competition had appeared on the teleportation platform, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below with lightning speed. "The secret realm is closed. Your safe return is truly remarkable. Now, step forward one by one, hand over your secret realm tokens, have your contributions recorded, and briefly describe your main gains and experiences within the realm. No major discoveries must be concealed, and no false reporting is permitted; violators will be severely punished!"

This is a routine procedure, which serves both to tally the disciples' gains and assess the situation in the secret realm, and to prevent any disciple from hoarding items of significant value or harm to the sect.

The disciples lined up in a long queue and stepped forward one by one. Lu Zhao remained calm and stood at the back of the queue, slowly moving forward with the group while organizing his thoughts and considering how to give a "brief" explanation.

His greatest gains were undoubtedly the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, the Cloud Sea Elixir Scripture (fragment), and a portion of the Nine Nether Evil Dragon's inheritance, as well as the truth about blood sacrifice and sealing. However, these could not be reported truthfully. The Reverse Scale and the inheritance involved the Nine Nether Evil Dragon, an ancient and ferocious demon. If exposed, the consequences would be unpredictable, likely attracting the covetousness of the sect's higher-ups and even outsiders, leading to endless trouble. The Elixir Scripture was priceless, but its origin was equally sensitive (related to the Nine Nether Dao relics), and possessing such a treasure was a crime. As for the truth about the blood sacrifice, it was of great importance, but involved too many profound secrets. For a Qi Refining stage disciple to "coincidentally" know so many core secrets would be difficult to explain and might alert the enemy.

"I must be selective, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood," Lu Zhao decided. He decided to focus on the "normal" exploration of the secret realm, such as the environment of the "Deadly Wasteland," his observations at the "Soul River Ferry" (he could say he saw it from afar but dared not approach), and his encounter with the "Azure Edge Squad," being chased, and finally, his lucky fall into the subterranean fire, his accidental entry into Spirit Cloud Lake, and the opportunity to obtain some spiritual herbs and that spiritual spring. As for the core of the "Nether Tomb," the "Nine Nether Remnant Stele," and the "Nine Nether Altar," he would not mention them at all. Regarding the harvest, he would report some collected spiritual herbs and ores, as well as the incomplete ancient scroll he had "luckily" obtained, which contained information about the geography of the Cloud Sea Secret Realm and some of the monsters (replacing it with the "Nine Nether Altar Route Map," but only showing the unimportant parts of the map), the few crystal herbs, and the discovery of the "spiritual spring at the bottom of Spirit Cloud Lake." In this way, the harvest would appear good without attracting too much attention.

As for his cultivation breaking through to the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, it can be explained as a breakthrough aided by the rich spiritual energy and spiritual spring of Lingyun Lake. Although it was a bit fast, there are quite a few people who break through by chance in the secret realm.

Having made up his mind, Lu Zhao felt somewhat at ease.

The group moved forward slowly. Some disciples at the front handed over a few spiritual herbs and pieces of ore, earning dozens to hundreds of contribution points, their faces beaming with joy; others handed over materials from demonic beasts or fragments of magical artifacts, reaping even greater rewards; a few, seemingly having obtained valuable fragments of cultivation techniques or special materials, attracted the attention of the stewards and were taken aside for detailed questioning. Li Mu's group seemed to have handed over quite a lot, gaining a considerable number of contribution points, but their expressions were not good; clearly, their true target (Lu Zhao) had not been obtained.

Finally, it was Lu Zhao's turn. He stepped forward, handed over the secret realm token, and then took out the "harvest" he had prepared in advance from the [human skin pouch]: a dozen or so spirit herbs that were not particularly rare but were still good, collected from the "Deadly Wasteland" and Lingyun Lake; a few pieces of ores of decent quality; a small bottle of "Lingyun Lake Spirit Spring Water" (diluted); a few crystal grasses; and an ancient leather scroll with a dark gold color, but only the part marked "Distribution of Monsters around Lingyun Lake" was unfolded.

The person in charge of recording was a stern-faced middle-aged deacon. He carefully inventoried and inspected Lu Zhao's belongings, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, especially when he saw the few unfamiliar crystal grasses and the ancient scroll. He picked up the scroll, carefully examined the unfolded part, and then tried to unfold the other parts, only to find that they were sealed by a peculiar restriction and could not be opened.

"Where did you get this scroll?" the deacon asked.

"Reporting to you, sir, this disciple discovered several weathered remains of cultivators in a secluded underwater cave near Lingyun Lake. The scrolls seem to be sealed, preventing this disciple from opening any further," Lu Zhao replied respectfully, half-truthfully.

The deacon nodded and handed the scroll to a white-haired elder beside him, who specialized in appraising antiquities. The elder took it, examined it carefully for a moment, and frowned slightly: "The restriction is ancient, and the method is unique, seemingly not the usual approach of our Qingyun Dao Sect. The content... seems to be related to the geography of the secret realm and demonic beasts, and has some reference value. However, the core part is sealed, so its value is difficult to determine." He looked at Lu Zhao, "Would you be willing to hand this item over to the sect? The sect can reward you with contribution points based on its initial assessment of value, and promises to provide further compensation if you break the restriction and obtain information of higher value in the future. Of course, you can also choose to keep it yourself, but you must explain the source and must not use it to harm the sect."

Lu Zhao replied without hesitation, "This disciple is willing to hand it over to the sect. This item is useless to me, but if it can help the sect explore the secret realm, it would be my honor." He couldn't wait to hand over this hot potato (especially the part involving the blood sacrifice warning) to the sect to handle, and he could also get some contribution points in return.

"Good." The white-haired elder nodded and wrote an assessment in the record book: "This scroll is preliminarily valued at 1,500 contribution points. These crystal herbs are suspected to be 'Mind-Cleansing Crystal Herbs,' which have the effect of calming the mind and helping to break through bottlenecks. Each herb is worth 300 contribution points, and there are four in total, worth 1,200 points. The spiritual spring water is pure and rich in spiritual energy; this bottle is worth 200 contribution points. The remaining spiritual herbs and ores are worth a total of 600 contribution points. In total, 3,500 contribution points."

Three thousand five hundred contribution points! Many disciples around cast envious glances. This harvest was definitely considered generous among all outer disciples, even surpassing that of many inner disciples.

"Furthermore," the middle-aged deacon continued, his tone serious, "tell me about your main experiences in the secret realm, especially whether you discovered anything unusual, encountered major dangers, or clashed with other forces."

Lu Zhao was prepared and calmly recounted his fabricated experience: exploring the wasteland, encountering the Mist Shadows and the "Azure Edge Squad," being chased, falling into the subterranean fire (claiming it was a slip in the chaos), miraculously surviving, being carried by the subterranean fire to the Spirit Cloud Lake area, discovering a spiritual spring and cave, obtaining a scroll and spiritual herbs, and finally cultivating and breaking through in the lake, leaving after sensing the exit open. Regarding the fate of the "Azure Edge Squad," he only said they were surrounded by the Mist Shadows and separated, their fate unknown. Details about their experiences in the subterranean fire and the Crystal Palace at the bottom of Spirit Cloud Lake were completely omitted.

His narrative was generally logically sound, with some details (adapted from real experiences), and partially corroborated the accounts of the survivors of the "Azure Edge Squad" (if they were still alive). The steward took careful notes and found no obvious flaws. After all, bizarre experiences were common in the secret realm, and while Lu Zhao's ordeal was thrilling, it wasn't impossible.

"Hmm, noted. This is your contribution point token; 3,500 points have been deposited. In addition, since your cultivation has broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining, and your performance in this secret realm was decent, you will be awarded an extra 500 contribution points as encouragement, according to the rules." The steward returned the updated identity token to Lu Zhao.

"Thank you, Steward." Lu Zhao accepted the token, a slight joy in his heart. With four thousand contribution points in hand, plus the remaining ones from before, it was another considerable fortune.

He stepped aside and waited for the other disciples. Soon, all the disciples had finished registering. The elder in black spoke again, summarizing the event and encouraging everyone to diligently cultivate and digest what they had learned, before announcing the dismissal.

The crowd began to disperse, and familiar disciples left in twos and threes, discussing their experiences and gains in the secret realm. Lu Zhao was about to go and say goodbye to Liu Feng and Hou San before returning to his cave when a servant disciple dressed in Yunmengze attire quickly approached him, bowed, and said, "Senior Brother Lu, Elder Yun requests your presence at Yunmengze immediately."

Elder Yun summoned him? Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. Yes, although he had concealed much of his trip to the secret realm, his breakthrough in cultivation and the change in his aura (carrying a trace of the might of the Annihilating Dragon) probably couldn't escape the eyes of a Golden Core stage expert like Elder Yun. Moreover, the commotion he caused in the secret realm (damaging the Soul Pillar, seizing the Reverse Scale, falling into the Earth Fire), while the chief priest might not publicize it, would likely not escape the notice of the sect's higher-ups who had been closely monitoring the situation. Elder Yun's summons at this moment was probably not just about his gains.

"Thank you for leading the way, Senior Brother." Lu Zhao nodded, gestured to Liu Feng and the others not far away, indicating that they should go back first, and then followed the servant disciples, leaving the square and heading towards Yunmengze.

Stepping into Yunmengze once again, the familiar scenery of the lake and mountains, and the misty spiritual energy, allowed Lu Zhao's tense mind to relax slightly. The servant disciple led him to the bamboo hut on the island in the middle of the lake, then bowed and withdrew.

The bamboo hut door was slightly ajar. Lu Zhao straightened his clothes, calmed his mind, and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Disciple Lu Zhao has come on orders to pay respects to Elder Yun."

"Come in," Elder Yun's cool voice came from inside.

Lu Zhao pushed open the door and entered. Inside the bamboo hut, Elder Yun, still dressed in white, stood with her back to him by the window, gazing at the shimmering lake. Her aura seemed even deeper and more restrained than before, as if she had blended into her surroundings. Hearing Lu Zhao enter, she slowly turned around, her cool gaze, like a penetrating spring, falling upon Lu Zhao as she scrutinized him from head to toe.

Lu Zhao immediately felt an invisible pressure enveloping his entire body, as if he had been seen through from the inside out. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet Elder Yun's gaze. At the same time, he fully activated the [Return to Nothingness Concealment Technique] and drew upon a trace of aura from the dragon-shaped mark between his eyebrows, trying his best to conceal and simulate his own state, especially the trace of annihilation power and dragon might within his body.

"Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, solid foundation, and spiritual power... seems to possess a special attribute." Elder Yun spoke slowly, his tone unreadable. "It seems you gained quite a bit in the secret realm. Not just those spiritual herbs and contribution points, right?"

Lu Zhao's heart tightened, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore, but he was prepared. He bowed and said, "Reporting to the elder, this disciple did indeed have some fortuitous encounters in the secret realm. After falling into the earth fire, I miraculously survived. Instead, at the boundary between the earth fire and a strange spiritual spring, I absorbed a trace of... a strange energy mixture of mixed earth fire and yin-cold energy, which caused some changes in my spiritual power attributes, and my cultivation level broke through as a result. In addition, next to the remains of an ancient cultivator, I obtained a fragmented method of concealing one's aura and refining one's spirit, which is slightly helpful in concealing one's aura and nourishing one's soul." He explained the power of annihilation as "a strange mixture of earth fire and yin-cold energy," and attributed the partial concealment effect of the "Nine Nether Annihilation Scripture" and the breakthrough of the "Refining Spirit Technique" to the "fragmented method" he obtained.

"A mixture of earth fire and yin cold? Strange energy?" Elder Yun's beautiful eyes flashed with a thoughtful light, as if she had thought of something, but she did not delve into it. She walked to the table and sat down, gesturing for Lu Zhao to sit as well.

"Do you know what else happened in this secret realm besides the usual monsters and resource battles?" Elder Yun asked, his eyes piercing.

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, knowing the main point was approaching. He carefully chose his words and said, "In the 'Deadly Wasteland' and near the River of Souls, I sensed extremely evil and chaotic energy fluctuations from afar, and a large number of black-robed figures gathered, seemingly performing some kind of evil ritual. My strength was too weak to approach, and I was later pursued and fled that area. At Spirit Cloud Lake, I also felt the earth tremble from time to time, as if some terrifying being had been disturbed."

He only spoke of "sensing from afar" and "feeling," without mentioning that he penetrated deep into the core, destroyed the Soul Pillar, or seized the Reverse Scale. However, the information he revealed was enough to warrant serious attention.

Elder Yun listened quietly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. After a long while, he slowly said, "You sensed it correctly. This time, an evil force infiltrated the secret realm, intending to perform a large-scale blood sacrifice to break through the ancient seal deep within the realm. The spies planted by the sect and the intelligence you brought back both confirm this. The 'Azure Edge Squad' members, including Chen Feng, whom you encountered, discovered their presence and tried to sabotage them, but were instead killed, with only one person managing to escape."

As expected! The sect has already noticed! Lu Zhao felt relieved; it seemed he didn't need to directly expose them.

"Did you discover any other anomalies in the secret realm? Or did you obtain any items or information related to that evil force or the ancient seal?" Elder Yun stared at Lu Zhao, his tone seemingly casual, but his gaze was scrutinizing.

Lu Zhao's mind raced. The dark gold scroll had already been handed over, and the sect should be able to decipher the part about the "blood sacrifice warning" soon. As for the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale and the Cloud Sea Pill Scripture, they absolutely could not be revealed. The Nine Nether Evil Dragon's inheritance and the more detailed truth could not be discussed for the time being either.

He shook his head, his face showing lingering fear and bewilderment: "This disciple's strength is too weak. I was only concerned with escaping and did not investigate further, nor did I obtain any relevant items. I just felt that those black-robed men had an evil aura and were plotting something big, which made me uneasy."

Elder Yun stared at him for a moment, seemingly trying to discern something from his face. Finally, she nodded slightly, her tone softening: "You did the right thing. Preserving yourself is the top priority. The fact that you were able to bring back that ancient scroll is already a contribution to the sect. The information within that scroll is very important."

She paused, then continued, "The change in your spiritual energy attribute may not necessarily be a bad thing, but you still need to be careful and refine it diligently, lest that strange energy take over. Since you obtained the Breath Concealment and Spirit Refinement Method by chance, you should cultivate it well. As for your breakthrough in cultivation, your foundation is decent, but you must not be arrogant or impatient, and you need to stabilize your realm."

"This disciple will keep in mind the elder's teachings," Lu Zhao replied respectfully.

"Hmm. You performed reasonably well in this secret realm and brought back valuable intelligence. According to the rules, the sect will reward you with an additional 5,000 contribution points, and you can enter the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion to choose another cultivation technique or spell. In addition," Elder Yun took out a small white jade bottle and placed it on the table, "this is the 'Purifying Soul Pill,' which can help stabilize your soul and purify your spiritual power, and may be beneficial to your current situation. Cultivate diligently and do not disappoint the sect's expectations."

Five thousand contribution points! He's qualified to enter the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion again! And there's a "Purifying Soul Pill"! This reward is incredibly generous! Especially the pill, which is exactly what Lu Zhao needs right now. It can help him further refine and purify the trace of annihilation power in his body and stabilize his soul, which has been fluctuating due to receiving the inheritance.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Elder! I will certainly cultivate diligently to repay the sect!" Lu Zhao was deeply moved and bowed solemnly. Although Elder Yun was aloof, he had indeed protected and mentored him in many ways.

"Go. The sect may be in turmoil recently. You should cultivate diligently in your own Yunmengze villa (the residence Elder Yun arranged for him). Do not go out unless necessary. If you come into contact with any unknown people or encounter anything unusual, report to me immediately." Elder Yun waved his hand and gave his final instructions, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"Yes, disciple takes his leave." Lu Zhao knew that Elder Yun wanted him to keep a low profile for the time being and avoid the limelight. He put away the pills and the new permit token, bowed again, and left the bamboo hut.

After leaving Yunmengze, Lu Zhao did not immediately go to the Scripture Pavilion or the Contribution Hall. Instead, he went directly back to the secluded villa in the bamboo forest by the lake that Elder Yun had arranged for him in Yunmengze. The spiritual energy here was abundant, the environment was quiet, and it was protected by the array formation of Yunmengze, making it much safer than his own cave dwelling in the outer sect.

After activating the restrictions on the villa, Lu Zhao finally relaxed completely. A month of life-or-death battles, perilous escapes, and immense gains and secrets in the secret realm had left him mentally and physically exhausted.

He first took the "Pure Soul Cleansing Pill" bestowed by Elder Yun, then drank some "Spiritual Spring Water from Spirit Cloud Lake," and then sat cross-legged to begin using all his energy to heal his injuries, consolidate his cultivation, refine the medicinal power, and initially digest the gains from this secret realm.

First, I need to examine my own condition. My cultivation is at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, with a solid foundation. My spiritual power contains the attribute of Annihilation, making it even more powerful, but I still need to be careful to control it at all times to prevent backlash. "Dragon's Sleep" Lv7 and "Divine Refinement Technique" Lv7 provide a solid foundation. My comprehension of "Nine Nether Annihilation Scripture" and "Nine Nether Soul Control Technique" has greatly deepened, but I still need time for systematic practice. The dragon-shaped mark between my brows and the Demon Lord's mark have formed a delicate balance; whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen.

Secondly, it's time to tally up the gains. The three most important items are: the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale (temporarily unusable, requiring slow refinement and comprehension), the Cloud Sea Elixir Scripture (fragment) (a priceless treasure in alchemy, requiring an opportunity to learn alchemy), and a portion of the Nine Nether Evil Dragon's inheritance and karma (a heavy burden, but also a source of power). Other valuable resources include contribution points (currently around 8,000), spiritual herbs and materials, newly acquired elixirs, and the qualification to enter the Scripture Pavilion.

"For the next period of time, we must keep a low profile. We should make full use of the environment and resources of Yunmengze to improve our strength. Our primary goal is to stabilize our cultivation, completely refine and control the power of annihilation within our bodies, and begin learning alchemy to lay the foundation for future cultivation and resource acquisition. At the same time, we should secretly investigate the attitudes and follow-up actions of the Blood Sacrifice, the Nine Nether Path, and the sects regarding this matter."

Lu Zhao mentally planned his future path. His journey to the secret realm had shown him a wider world and exposed him to deeper dangers and secrets. Strength was the foundation for dealing with everything.

He looked out the window; the afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the tranquil lake, creating shimmering golden light. The seemingly peaceful sect was, however, already seething with undercurrents due to the events within the secret realm.

"The blood sacrifice was not completed, and those men in black robes will not give up. The sects will not stand idly by either. Even greater turmoil is likely yet to come."

"I must become stronger as soon as possible, possessing the power to stand firm amidst the turmoil, and even... to control my own destiny."

A resolute and sharp light flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in deep cultivation.