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

The mountain wind howled, stirring up dust and a faint stench of blood. The massive carcass of the Wind and Thunder Falcon lay among the rubble, its bluish-gray feathers dulled, with occasional crackling arcs of electricity. A sudden encounter had ended with the Qingyun Dao Sect members managing to eliminate a mid-stage second-tier demonic beast without serious harm, or even quite "smoothly." But everyone knew that this "smoothness" was largely thanks to the young man in blue robes standing atop the giant rock, now slowly recuperating.

After a brief silence, the group resumed their movements. At Elder Xuanjizi's signal, several Foundation Establishment deacons skilled in material processing stepped forward and began dissecting the Wind and Thunder Falcon's corpse. A mid-stage second-tier demonic beast, its entire body was a treasure trove; its feathers, claws, bones, and demon core were all valuable materials for refining weapons and pills. Especially its demon core, containing pure wind and thunder attribute demonic power, was a rare treasure for cultivators practicing related techniques.

The other disciples dispersed to maintain order and tend to their own injuries. Hou San, Wang Tie, and Huang Ling'er surrounded Lu Zhao, their faces filled with excitement and lingering fear.

"Senior Brother Lu, you're amazing! That was a mid-stage second-tier demonic beast!" Wang Tie rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining as he looked at the corpse of the Wind Thunder Falcon.

"Senior Brother Lu, are you alright? That finger strike must have taken a toll on you, right?" Hou Sangeng was more observant and noticed that Lu Zhao's face was somewhat pale.

"I'm fine, I just need to recuperate for a moment." Lu Zhao shook his head and took out a "Heavenly Origin Qi-Recovering Pill." That "Silent Extinction Finger - Cloud Piercing" strike just now, to ensure it penetrated the Wind and Thunder Falcon's protective aura and hit a vital point, not only used his full strength but also incorporated a stronger "penetrating" will and a precise grasp of its "weaknesses" into the finger strike, resulting in greater energy expenditure than usual. Fortunately, the "Dragon's Sleep" technique has strong recovery capabilities, and with the aid of the pill, he will recover quickly.

Huang Ling'er didn't speak, but silently handed over a water pouch containing diluted "Spiritual Spring Water from Lingyun Lake". Lu Zhao took it, thanked her, and drank a few mouthfuls. The cool spiritual spring water refreshed him.

At this moment, Elder Xuanjizi, Elder Yun, and Elder Tiexing, having finished handling the distribution of materials for the Wind and Thunder Falcon (the demon core and some core materials were kept by the elders and distributed uniformly after the battle, while the remaining materials were distributed to the participating disciples according to their contribution), came over.

"Lu Zhao." Elder Xuanjizi's gentle gaze fell upon Lu Zhao, scrutinizing him from head to toe, his eyes filled with inquiry and contemplation. "Your finger strike just now was quite powerful, and it seemed to have a special 'penetrating' and 'eroding' effect on the protective demonic power of that Wind and Thunder Falcon. This is not an ordinary Five Elements technique, nor is it simply a Yin-cold attribute technique. Observing your spiritual power circulation, I sensed a hint of annihilation and decay, yet it also carried a trace of ancient majesty, which seems... to be related to some ancient lineage of legend."

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, knowing he couldn't hide it from this knowledgeable and highly skilled array master and Lord of the Myriad Laws Hall. He bowed respectfully and carefully said, "Reporting to the Elder, this disciple had some fortuitous encounters in the secret realm, and by chance obtained a fragmented ancient method of concealing one's breath and refining one's spirit, as well as... absorbed a trace of mixed and strange energy—a mixture of earth fire and yin cold—causing a mutation in my spiritual power attributes, which seems to have an additional restraining effect on evil spirits and demons. As for the specific lineage, this disciple is not entirely clear."

He shifted the blame to "mysterious encounters" and "energy mutations," a claim that was both true and false, making it extremely difficult to discern the truth.

Elder Xuanjizi remained noncommittal upon hearing this, only giving Lu Zhao a deep look, as if he could see through the many secrets within him. After a moment, he slowly said, "Power has no distinction between good and evil; it is good when used for good, and evil when used for evil. Now that you have obtained this opportunity, you should make good use of it and cultivate diligently, lest it turn against you and cloud your mind. In particular, it seems that there is more than one 'extraordinary force' surging within you, and there is considerable conflict between them. You need to be careful to harmonize them, otherwise there may be hidden dangers."

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, realizing that Elder Xuanjizi must have seen through the current state of conflict within him, where the power of annihilation, the remnants of the demonic soul, the dragon-shaped mark, and his own life force were all mixed together. He quickly bowed and said, "This disciple will remember Elder's teachings and will diligently cultivate and harmonize my inner energy."

"Hmm." Elder Xuanjizi nodded, not delving any further. He turned to Elder Yun and Elder Tiexing, saying, "This boy has a resolute character, and his talent and opportunities are both extraordinary; his future is promising. However... the karma he carries seems quite significant. Yun girl, since you value him, you should keep a close eye on him."

"Disciple understands," Elder Yun replied, his gaze towards Lu Zhao now showing a hint of seriousness and concern.

Elder Tie Xing laughed heartily and patted Lu Zhao on the shoulder (this time with less force): "Kid, well done! I love your ruthlessness and keen eye! Cultivate diligently, and you'll surely become a pillar of our Qingyun Dao Sect in the future!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Elder Tie Xing." Lu Zhao bowed again.

"Alright, we shouldn't stay here any longer. The blood of the Wind Thunder Falcon might attract other demonic beasts. Let's leave as soon as possible, find a safe place to rest, and then decide on our next move," Elder Xuanjizi ordered.

The group quickly cleaned up the battlefield, took the valuable materials from the Wind and Thunder Falcon, and, led by the three elders, left the ridge and headed deeper into the mountains towards a relatively secluded small valley marked on the map.

An hour later, the group arrived at the valley. The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a narrow entrance. Inside was a clear spring, and the spiritual energy was relatively abundant. There were no signs of powerful demonic beasts lurking there; only some low-level small animals were scattered by the group's presence. Elder Xuanjizi set up a simple concealment and warning array at the valley entrance, and the group temporarily settled down in the valley to heal, recover, and summarize their experiences.

Lu Zhao found a quiet corner, sat cross-legged, and continued to regulate his breathing. As he circulated his cultivation technique, he pondered Elder Xuanji's words. "The karma on your body is considerable..." The elder had clearly seen more. Was it related to the karma of the Nine Nether Dragon's inheritance? Or the trouble brought by the Demon Lord's mark between his brows? Or perhaps both?

He knew he had to improve his strength as soon as possible and find a way to resolve the hidden dangers within his body. Otherwise, these "causes and consequences" and hidden dangers would inevitably erupt sooner or later.

Just as he was deep in thought, Elder Yun's voice rang in his ear (telepathic transmission): "Lu Zhao, come here for a moment."

Lu Zhao got up and went to the simple stone chamber that Elder Yun had temporarily set up. Inside the stone chamber, there was only Elder Yun.

"Sit down." Elder Yun gestured for Lu Zhao to sit down, then took out the cyan demon core that he had obtained from the Wind and Thunder Falcon, which still carried traces of electric arcs, and placed it on the stone table.

"This demon core of the Wind and Thunder Falcon contains pure wind and thunder demonic power, which may benefit your cultivation of thunder attribute techniques or body tempering. You contributed the most just now, so according to the rules, you should be the first to choose this item, or it can be converted into contribution points," Elder Yun said.

Lu Zhao looked at the pigeon-egg-sized demon core, wreathed in azure light, with silver electric snakes crawling inside, and could feel the immense energy within. This demon core might be useful for his cultivation of the "Dragon Shedding" characteristic of the "Hibernating Dragon" technique (lightning tempering?), or for his future attempts to create high-level lightning-attribute talismans. But after thinking about it, he shook his head.

"Elder, this item is useful to me, but not urgently needed. I would like to ask you about something else."

"Oh? What is it?" Elder Yun's eyes flashed with surprise.

"This disciple would like to ask the elder if you have ever heard of 'Dragon's Roar Valley'?" Lu Zhao asked. This was another "dragon"-related marker he had seen in the map jade slip he exchanged at the Contribution Hall. It was located about three hundred miles northeast of "Dragon's Bone Canyon," and was marked as "Strange dragon roars are occasionally heard, suspected to be the residual aura of ancient dragons or special ley line phenomena; the level of danger is unknown." The dragon-shaped mark and the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale within his body seemed to tremble extremely faintly as he approached this area.

Elder Yun's beautiful eyes flashed with understanding, seemingly unsurprised by Lu Zhao's question. "You are indeed interested in places related to 'dragons'," she paused, then slowly continued, "'Dragon Roar Valley' is indeed mentioned sporadically in the sect's records. Legend has it that in ancient times, a true dragon perished or lingered here. Its remaining dragon might and energy, over the years, combined with the earth's veins, forming a special field. Every so often, strange sounds resembling dragon roars emanate from the valley, accompanied by strong spiritual energy tides and various unusual phenomena. Senior cultivators have ventured inside to investigate, but most found nothing or met with misfortune. Over time, it became one of the forbidden zones."

"However..." Elder Yun's tone shifted, his gaze becoming profound, "Based on sporadic and uncertain intelligence gathered in recent years, and... Uncle-Master Xuanjizi's previous deductions, the anomalies surrounding 'Dragon Roar Valley' seem to have intensified recently. Moreover, the dragon energy fluctuations emanating from it have an extremely subtle and inexplicable connection with a certain aura emanating from you. This is one of the reasons why Uncle-Master agreed to let you join this exploration and subtly offered you guidance."

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough! Elder Xuanjizi had already sensed it! He might even have deduced that there was some connection between him and "Dragon's Roar Valley"!

"Does the elder mean... that the unusual activity in 'Dragon's Roar Valley' might be related to me?" Lu Zhao asked in a deep voice.

"It may not be directly related, but there's definitely something fishy about it." Elder Yun shook his head. "Perhaps some being in the valley sensed the 'dragon' aura on you and resonated with or was attracted to it. Or perhaps the hidden opportunities or dangers in the valley are inherently connected to the inheritance you received. In any case, if you go to 'Dragon's Roar Valley,' you must be extremely careful. The dangers there far exceed those of the Wind and Thunder Falcon, and may even involve ancient restrictions or remnants of souls."

"Disciple understands." Lu Zhao nodded solemnly. He understood the principle that danger and opportunity coexist. However, the dragon-shaped mark and the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale within him felt an instinctive call to "Dragon Roar Valley" that he could not ignore.

"You should accept this demon core," Elder Yun said, pushing the Wind and Thunder Falcon demon core towards Lu Zhao. "Whether you go to 'Dragon's Roar Valley' or not, improving your strength is never a bad thing. Also, you can ask me about what we know about 'Dragon's Roar Valley' anytime within these three days. Although it's not much, it might be helpful to you."

"Thank you, Elder!" Lu Zhao accepted the demon core without further ado, feeling grateful. Elder Yun had indeed been very protective and supportive of him.

Leaving the stone chamber, Lu Zhao returned to his resting place. He held the still-warm Wind and Thunder Demon Core in his hand, his gaze fixed on the northeast, as if he could pierce through the mountains and see the mysterious and dangerous "Dragon Roar Valley".

"Dragon's Roar Valley... the remnants of the ancient dragon race... is related to me..." He murmured to himself, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Whatever it might be there, he was determined to go to "Dragon's Roar Valley" to find out after completing the main exploration mission. This was not just curiosity, but an intuition and pull from the depths of his blood and soul.

He needs power, he needs answers, and he also needs to... settle some karmic entanglements.

Night gradually enveloped the valley. In the distance, the long howls of unknown beasts could be faintly heard. Deep within this ancient and wild mountain range, a new adventure and challenge seemed to be just beginning.