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

Yunmengze, a secluded courtyard in a bamboo grove by the lake.

More than a month has passed since the Blackwater Swamp cleanup operation ended. Inside the secluded courtyard, the quiet room is isolated from the outside world's hustle and bustle. Only the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window and the gentle breeze from the lake bring a touch of coolness and a sense of tranquility.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on a futon in the center of the quiet room, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and slow, as if he had merged with his surroundings. There was no sign of violent fluctuations in spiritual energy around him, only a very thin, hazy mist, like the softest veil, slowly flowing and floating on his body. Within the mist, there were faint, extremely fine, dragon-scale-like patterns, and specks of deep, dark golden light, appearing and disappearing. The air was filled with a strange, complex aura, a mixture of deep, restrained vitality, icy desolation, and a faint, almost imperceptible sense of majesty and malevolence.

For the past month, he has hardly left his house, spending all his time healing, digesting, and trying to control the chaotic and enormous power within his body.

The battle in the Blackwater Swamp, especially the final "devouring" of the demonic soul remnants and the essence of the blood pool, and the subsequent fierce conflict with his own power and will, left him severely injured. His meridians were severed and barely reconnected, his soul was damaged, and several forces within his body (the power of annihilation, the resentment of bloodlust, the remnants of the demonic soul, the origin of the dragon-shaped mark, the aura of the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, and the vitality of his own "Hibernating Dragon" technique, etc.) were like wild horses, rampaging through his body, eroding and clashing with each other, and strangely attempting to merge.

If Elder Yun hadn't provided timely assistance with the "Jade Marrow Pill" and his own moonlight power, if it weren't for his own powerful vitality and recovery ability at Lv7 of the "Dragon's Sleep" technique, and if the power of the annihilation source that erupted from the dragon-shaped mark between his eyebrows at the last moment had temporarily suppressed the most violent remnant power of the demonic soul, he would probably have already died and disappeared, or become a monster that only knew how to devour.

He lived on thin ice for the past month, having to be extremely careful with every step.

First, with the help of the top-grade healing pills and soul-nourishing spiritual items bestowed by Elder Yun and exchanged with contribution points, combined with the "Spiritual Spring Water of Spiritual Cloud Lake," the injuries to the physical body and soul were repaired with all efforts. The "Dragon Shedding" characteristic of "Dragon's Sleep" played a huge role at this moment, and the speed of injury recovery far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Secondly, and most difficultly, was sorting out, refining, and controlling the chaotic power within his body. He used the methods for condensing annihilation spiritual power and controlling annihilation energy from the "Nine Netherworld Annihilation Scripture: Foundation Building Chapter (Fragment)" as his core, guided by his unwavering will to "control my own destiny," carefully, like the most skilled craftsman, guiding, separating, and refining those external, violent forces.

The bloodlust and resentment energy was the most complex and violent, but its essence was relatively low. He forcibly refined and annihilated it with the power of annihilation, extracting the purest part of its energy to replenish his own consumption and strengthen his blood and qi. Although the process was painful, the gains were considerable; his blood and qi strength actually improved slightly as a result.

The remaining power of the demonic soul was the most troublesome. It was the remnant power of a fragment of the "Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's" soul, of extremely high quality, containing fragments of its will and the characteristics of devouring and polluting. Lu Zhao dared not refine it directly, but could only use the methods of the "Nine Netherworld Annihilation Scripture," combined with the annihilating dragon might of the dragon-shaped mark between his eyebrows, to forcibly suppress, divide, and seal it in several remote corners of his sea of ​​consciousness and meridians, and continuously use the power of annihilation and his own will to slowly wear it down and purify it. This was a slow and painstaking process, and could not be rushed; the slightest carelessness could trigger a backlash.

The greatest gain, however, was the further refinement and understanding of the gray dragon-shaped mark between his brows. After being activated and even "overdrawn" his primal power in the face of dire straits, the connection between this mark and him seemed even stronger. Although still fraught with danger and the unknown, he could now better sense the deeper mysteries of the Dao of "annihilation" contained within it, as well as... the heavy "Dao traces" and "causality" originating from the Nine Netherworld Dragon. Simultaneously, the wisp of pure annihilation dragon energy emanating from the Netherworld Dragon's Reverse Scale was slowly resonating and merging with the annihilation power within his body and the dragon-shaped mark, resulting in a significant improvement in the quality and "annihilation" characteristics of his annihilation spiritual power.

Now, after more than a month of arduous training, Lu Zhao's injuries have recovered to 80-90%. His strength has not only not decreased, but has actually improved significantly due to the misfortune.

His cultivation level was stable at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, with an incredibly solid foundation. He was only one opportunity away from breaking through to the seventh level.

"Sleeping Dragon" has reached its peak at Lv7. Its blood and energy flow like a dragon, its vitality is boundless, and its recovery and defense are greatly enhanced. The illusory dragon scales beneath its skin have become even clearer.

The "Refining Spirit Technique" is steadily progressing towards Lv8, with divine sense becoming more refined and perception and deduction abilities further enhanced.

The biggest change is his control over the power of "annihilation." Now, he can more freely mobilize the pure annihilation spiritual power within his body, which is a fusion of the dragon-shaped mark's origin and the aura of the reverse scale, making it far more powerful than before. The power of "Annihilation Finger," even in its normal state, is enough to threaten someone at the ninth level of Qi Refining. If he desperately draws out more of its origin, it can even cause some damage to someone in the early stages of Foundation Establishment. He has also become more proficient with "Touch of Deathly Silence" and "Decaying Spirit Domain (Prototype)." In addition, his control over the "Nine Nether Soul Control Technique" has also deepened, especially in the process of fighting against and purifying the remnants of demonic soul power, where his understanding and control of soul power has reached a new level.

Of course, hidden dangers remain. The remnants of the demonic soul sealed within his body are like a time bomb. The delicate balance between the dragon-shaped mark between his brows and the "Demon Lord's Mark" remains fragile. The heavy "karma" from the Nine Netherworld Dragon is also a sword hanging overhead.

"Hoo..." Lu Zhao exhaled a long breath of turbid air, within which there were faint gray-black impurities. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze restrained, but deep within, the gray flame and the wisp of barely perceptible black energy still remained, only much more stable and restrained than a month ago.

"At least things have stabilized for now," Lu Zhao muttered to himself, his voice calm. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt the surging, even stronger power within him. However, he felt little joy, only a heavy sense of responsibility and crisis.

The greater one's strength, the more secrets and dangers one encounters. He knew he had been completely drawn into a massive vortex involving ancient demons, evil forces, and unknown conspiracies.

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the quiet room, followed by Hou San's somewhat hurried voice: "Senior Brother Lu, are you there? Elder Yun asked me to inform you to go to the bamboo hut on the island in the middle of the lake immediately; he has something important to discuss!"

Elder Yun summoned him? Lu Zhao's heart stirred. The sect should have already made a decision regarding the aftermath of the Blackwater Swamp operation and the discovered secret passage.

"Okay, I'll be right there." Lu Zhao replied, straightened his clothes, and went out the door.

A bamboo hut on an island in the middle of the lake.

Elder Yun, still dressed in white, sat by the window, a rolled-up map on the tea table before her. Opposite her sat Elder Tie Xing, and a middle-aged man Lu Zhao didn't recognize, but whose aura was as solid as a mountain, with a refined face and wearing a blue Daoist robe. This man's aura was clearly that of a Golden Core cultivator! Moreover, Lu Zhao felt he was even more unfathomable than Elder Yun and Elder Tie Xing.

"Disciple Lu Zhao greets Elder Yun, Elder Tie Xing, and other seniors." Lu Zhao stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, no need for formalities. Please sit." Elder Yun nodded slightly, gesturing for Lu Zhao to sit beside her. Her gaze lingered on Lu Zhao for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. "It seems you've recovered quite well, and your cultivation has even improved."

"Thank you for your concern, Elder. I am now fully recovered," Lu Zhao said.

"This is Elder Xuanjizi, the Hall Master of the sect's 'Hall of Ten Thousand Laws'," Elder Tie Xing introduced in a gruff voice.

"Elder Xuanjizi." Lu Zhao bowed again. The Hall of Myriad Laws, in charge of the sect's scriptures, formations, talismans, weapon crafting, and many other miscellaneous disciplines, holds a high position, and its master is a top formation master and a learned scholar within the sect.

Elder Xuanji nodded with a smile, his gaze gentle yet seemingly all-seeing. When it swept over Lu Zhao, Lu Zhao felt as if he were being seen through, and even the mark between his brows tightened slightly. However, the elder did not say anything more.

"The reason I summoned you here today is regarding the secret passage discovered in the Blackwater Swamp." Elder Yun got straight to the point. "After investigation and deduction by the sect's higher-ups and Elder Xuanjizi, it has been basically confirmed that the passage does indeed lead to an ancient area deep within the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.' Moreover, the passage itself seems to have been built by an ancient sect or force for the secret entry and exit of the mountain range."

"The 'Corruption Cult' established a stronghold there, probably not only for blood sacrifices, but also to use this passage to enter the depths of the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range' to search for something or to carry out some kind of conspiracy," Elder Tie Xing interjected.

"The sect has decided to organize an elite team to enter that passage and conduct preliminary exploration. The purpose is to ascertain the situation on the other side of the passage, search for possible traces or targets of the 'Corruption Poison Cult,' and gather intelligence from the depths of the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.'" Elder Yun looked at Lu Zhao. "This operation will be led by Elder Xuanjizi, and Tie Xing and I will also accompany them. The team needs some disciples with outstanding strength, firm will, and some understanding of this matter to participate."

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough! The sect was going to take action against that passage! And it seemed they wanted him involved.

"Your performance in the Blackwater Swamp, especially your handling of the Blood Pool Beast and the array nodes at the end, as well as... your ability to sense certain special auras, has led the sect to believe that you might play a unique role in this exploration." Elder Xuanjizi spoke slowly, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable power. "Of course, the depths of the 'Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range' are fraught with danger, far surpassing the Blackwater Swamp. It not only contains powerful demonic beasts, but may also contain ancient restrictions, perilous areas, and other unknown threats. Whether you participate or not is your own decision."

Lu Zhao remained silent. He knew this was both an opportunity and a tremendous danger. The depths of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range" were a perilous place even Golden Core cultivators had to tread carefully. But equally, it might also contain immense opportunities, and... clues possibly related to the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord" and the "Nine Netherworld Evil Dragon."

Moreover, he had a vague feeling that the dragon-shaped mark within him and the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale seemed to have some subtle connection and attraction to the depths of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range." Perhaps, there really was something related to the "Nine Netherworlds" there.

"This disciple is willing to go." Lu Zhao raised his head, his gaze firm. "This disciple is also very curious about the other side of that passage, and I believe I have some ability to protect myself. I am willing to explore the way forward for the sect."

"Alright." Elder Yun nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. "Meet at the sect square in three days. For this operation, everything will be arranged by Elder Xuanjizi. Prepare well in these three days."

"Yes," Lu Zhao replied.

Leaving the island in the middle of the lake, Lu Zhao already had a plan in mind. In three days, he needed to further consolidate his cultivation, master the new power, refine more talismans, and exchange contribution points for items for survival and reconnaissance.

"The Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range..." He looked southeast, at that majestic, mysterious mountain range filled with endless dangers and opportunities, a hint of anticipation and solemnity flashing in his eyes.

A new storm is brewing. And he is ready to step into it.