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

"roar--!"

A silent roar, chilling and deathly, emanated from the hollow mouth of the third-tier bone lizard dragon. Its massive, gray, deathly-shrouded skeletal body lurked violently, stirring up a stench of blood. A huge, bone-spiky forepaw, carrying the terrifying power to shatter mountains and split rocks, slammed down towards Elder Xuanjizi, who stood at the forefront! The air seemed to whistle and howl as the claw's claw passed through.

"You beast!" Elder Xuanjizi sneered, and the ancient longsword in his hand emitted a dazzling silver-white sword light. Countless mysterious runes flowed on the sword. When he slashed out, it was not flashy, but it contained a kind of Daoist charm that could simplify complexity and destroy all laws.

"clang!"

The sword and claws clashed, producing a deafening clang like metal striking metal! Sparks flew everywhere! Elder Xuanjizi swayed slightly, while the Bone Lizard Dragon's giant claw was sent flying high into the air, several bone spikes even breaking off at the tip. However, the green flames in the Bone Lizard Dragon's eye sockets only dimmed for a moment before burning even more fiercely, as if oblivious to pain, and it pounced again.

At the same time, the three skeletons clad in tattered black robes let out silent roars, brandishing bone swords and lunging at Elder Yun, Zhao Ming, and Liu Qing respectively. These skeletons were also at the mid-to-late stage of the second tier, and their movements were swift; their swords were imbued with dense necromantic power and demonic energy, making them extremely difficult to deal with.

"Lu Zhao, be careful and protect yourself, wait for an opportunity!" Elder Yun transmitted his voice to Lu Zhao while wielding his sword to block a skeleton. In a battle of this level, it would be extremely dangerous for Lu Zhao, at the seventh level of Qi Refining, to directly confront any enemy.

Lu Zhao nodded, fully aware of his role. He didn't rush forward rashly, but instead activated his [Flowing Cloud Step], his figure moving like a ghost along the edge of the battlefield. His [Refining Spirit Technique] was pushed to its limit, and he gripped the [Spirit Detection Compass] tightly in his hand, not only to observe the battle but also to constantly sense the surrounding energy fluctuations, especially the demonic energy emanating from the bone lizard dragon and skeleton, related to the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord," and… the special fluctuations emanating from the depths of the canyon that resonated with the dragon-shaped mark and the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale within his body.

The battle was exceptionally fierce. The primary battlefield was the fight between Elder Xuanjizi and the Bone Lizard Dragon. Both were Golden Core level beings, their every move exuding destructive power. Sword energy and deathly claw shadows crisscrossed, constantly crushing the surrounding rocks and bones. Elder Yun dealt with one skeleton with ease, quickly suppressing it. However, Zhao Ming and Liu Qing struggled against the other two skeletons. These undead creatures were tireless and unaffected by pain, and the necromantic power accompanying their attacks continuously eroded their life force, accelerating their spiritual energy depletion.

Lu Zhao observed this, his mind racing. His "Annihilation" power seemed to have a natural restraint on negative and sinister energies like the dead and demonic energy. However, his strength was ultimately limited, and directly dealing with a second-tier skeleton was still too dangerous.

"Attack the magical runes on their bones! That's the key to controlling them!" Elder Xuanji's voice suddenly rang in Lu Zhao's mind. Even amidst the fierce battle, he remained focused on the overall situation.

Lu Zhao's eyes lit up. He stared intently and, sure enough, on the joints, spines, and other key bones of the skeletons, as well as on the skull and spine of the skull lizard dragon, faint, dark, twisted demonic patterns were faintly visible, somewhat similar to the "Soul-Devouring Demonic Seal" on the spine of the "Golden Radiance" dragon soul, but much simpler.

"Now!" Lu Zhao seized the opportunity when Zhao Ming briefly trapped one skeleton with earth magic and Liu Qing entangled another with water-wood vines, and his figure moved swiftly! The [Flowing Cloud Step], combined with his powerful physical explosiveness, allowed him to reach an astonishing speed over a short distance, like a gray lightning bolt, instantly traversing the battlefield and appearing beside one of the skeletons entangled in vines!

His target was a distinct, dark, demonic rune at the junction of the skull's cervical vertebrae and head!

"Touch of Deathly Silence!" Lu Zhao did not use the "Finger of Annihilation" which consumes a lot of energy. Instead, he concentrated his condensed annihilation spiritual power into his index finger and pointed it hard at the demonic rune at the fastest speed!

"laugh!"

The gray, annihilating power, like the most potent poison, instantly invaded the pitch-black demonic runes! The runes suddenly darkened, like embers doused with cold water, emitting a hissing sound, and rapidly turned gray and disintegrated!

"Uh..." The skeleton's movements suddenly froze, and the green flames in its eye sockets flickered violently, as if it had lost some kind of support. Although it did not fall apart immediately, its movements became noticeably slower and more sluggish.

"A perfect opportunity!" Seeing this, Liu Qing's eyes lit up. His hand seals changed, and countless sharp thorns suddenly sprouted from the vines binding the skull, piercing deep into the gaps in its bones. At the same time, a condensed water arrow shot directly into the soul fire in its eye socket!

"Bang!" The skull was struck by the water arrow, the soul fire flickered and eventually went out, and the entire skeleton was scattered all over the ground.

"It worked!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. He flashed again, repeating the process, and together with Zhao Ming, quickly dealt with the other trapped skeleton.

The rapid defeat of the two second-tier skeletons ignited a furious, silent roar from the bone lizard dragon that was locked in battle with Elder Xuanjizi. It seemed to sense the aura of "annihilation" emanating from Lu Zhao that it loathed, even feared. With a sudden swipe of its tail, it disregarded Elder Xuanjizi's attack and unleashed a thick, gray breath, formed from dense death energy, towards Lu Zhao's location!

"Watch out!" Elder Yun exclaimed, trying to intercept, but the distance was too far.

Faced with this deathly breath, equivalent to a strike from a Golden Core cultivator, Lu Zhao's hair stood on end, and a sense of impending death instantly enveloped him! He couldn't dodge it! Taking it head-on would mean certain death!

At this critical moment, the dragon-shaped mark within his body suddenly scorched intensely, and the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale in the [Human Skin Pouch] also vibrated rapidly! As if stimulated by this extreme danger and the dense aura of death and the remnants of the dragon race, both of them simultaneously erupted with a strong gray light filled with an indomitable and annihilating will!

"Buzz—!!**"

A phantom-like dragon scale shield made of gray light instantly condensed in front of Lu Zhao! This shield was not thick, but the mysterious patterns flowing on it were none other than the "Dragon Scale Shield" runes from the "Ancient Dragon Language Runes" gifted by "Golden Radiance"! However, at this moment, it was triggered by the annihilating dragon energy and the instinct for danger within Lu Zhao's body, and spontaneously formed a defense in a special way!

"boom!"

The deathly breath slammed into the gray dragon-scale shield! The shield trembled violently, its light rapidly dimming, but it had actually blocked most of the terrifying breath! The remaining deathly energy struck Lu Zhao, sending him flying backward, his blood churning, spitting out a mouthful of blood, but he was not fatally injured!

"Good lad!" Elder Xuanjizi's eyes flashed with a sharp light upon seeing this. He seized the opening in the Bone Lizard Dragon's attack on Lu Zhao, and the sword light in his hand suddenly condensed to its extreme, turning into a silver line as thin as a hair, yet seemingly capable of cutting through space. It instantly swept across the Bone Lizard Dragon's cervical vertebrae—that was precisely where a patch of pitch-black demonic patterns was most concentrated!

"Zzzzt!"

With a soft sound, the massive head of the Bone Lizard Dragon was severed by this single sword strike! At the break, dark demonic runes flickered wildly, attempting to reconnect, but the righteous energy and demon-dispelling sword intent contained within Elder Xuanjizi's sword instantly annihilated them!

"Boom!" The headless body of the bone lizard dragon crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of bone fragments and dust, and the green flames in its eye sockets were completely extinguished.

The battle is over.

Lu Zhao struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart filled with lingering fear. That moment had truly been a brush with death. However, the "Dragon Scale Shield" that spontaneously formed during the crisis, as well as the unusual movement of the dragon-shaped mark and the reverse scale within his body, deepened his understanding and control over his own power.

"Are you alright?" Elder Yun walked over quickly and asked with concern.

"It's alright, thank you, Elder." Lu Zhao shook his head.

"That shield of yours just now..." Elder Xuanjizi sheathed his sword and walked over, giving Lu Zhao a deep look. "Was it the power of the 'Dragon Language Ancient Symbol'? It seems that your gains in 'Dragon Roar Valley' are greater than I imagined."

Lu Zhao nodded, making no attempt to hide anything: "It was contained within the memories bestowed upon me by Senior 'Golden Radiance.' It was my instinct that triggered it in that critical moment."

"Hmm." Elder Xuanjizi didn't ask any further questions, turning his gaze towards the "Dragon Bone Canyon." "The commotion here may have already alerted those within the canyon. We need to be even more careful. However…" He frowned, "During the battle just now, especially when you, Lu Zhao, activated that power, I vaguely sensed an extremely faint but highly potent spatial fluctuation from a certain direction deep within the canyon, which resonated with your aura in some way…?"

Lu Zhao's heart stirred; he had vaguely felt something similar during the crisis. He closed his eyes, fully activating the [Refining Spirit Technique], and, in conjunction with the dragon-shaped mark within his body and the sensation of the Nether Dragon's Reverse Scale, carefully sensed the depths of the canyon.

As expected! Within that chaotic aura filled with deathly silence, resentment, and the mixed might of dragons, a very peculiar, almost imperceptible "call" emanated from one direction. It wasn't a sound, but a remnant of will similar to that of the "Golden Radiance" dragon soul, yet more subtle, more ancient, and more... dangerous. Moreover, near the source of that "call," the [Refining Spirit Technique] sensed an extremely unstable, anomalous node—as if space itself had been torn open! The flow of spiritual energy there was completely different from the surroundings, filled with an aura of chaos and destruction.

"Elder, I sensed it too." Lu Zhao opened his eyes and pointed to a direction slightly to the left in the depths of the canyon. "In that direction, about... ten miles away, there is a spatial anomaly node, and... there is a very ancient and dangerous remnant of will, faintly 'calling' at the power within my body."

Upon hearing this, Elder Xuanjizi, Elder Yun, Zhao Ming, and Liu Qing all changed their expressions.

"A spatial anomaly node? A dangerous remnant of will?" Elder Xuanjizi pondered. "Could it be... a crucial node in the 'Ten Thousand Dragons Devouring the Heavens Formation,' or... an entrance to some sealed land?"

"Whatever it is, now that we've discovered it, we must investigate it thoroughly," Elder Yun said. "But the road ahead is sure to be fraught with danger."

"Let's approach and observe first, without making any contact rashly," Elder Xuanjizi decided. "Lu Zhao, you lead the way, sense that direction. Everyone, conceal your auras and follow me."

The five set off again, this time with an even more tense atmosphere. The battle they had just witnessed had demonstrated how dangerous the outer perimeter of "Dragonbone Canyon" was; what kind of terror might be lurking in the depths, filled with anomalies that Lu Zhao had sensed?

As they ventured deeper, the number and size of the scattered bones on the ground increased, including several clearly fragmented skeletons belonging to true dragons. The deathly aura and resentment in the air became so thick that it was almost impossible to breathe. Occasionally, even more powerful undead creatures could be seen wandering in the distance, but under Elder Xuanjizi's guidance, they carefully avoided these dangers.

Finally, after traveling about eight or nine miles, a peculiar scene appeared ahead.

It was a relatively open valley, at the center of which stood a massive, altar-like structure made of countless pale white bones. Around the altar stood eight tall bone pillars, their surfaces inscribed with twisted, black runes. Above the altar, space itself exhibited an unstable, undulating, water-like distortion and folding, with a faint, dark, writhing crack visible, like an evil eye staring down upon the world. Around the crack, a chilling chaos, destruction, and an intensely dense demonic aura emanated!

What's even more shocking is that beneath the altar and the bone pillar, and around the spatial rift, there were dozens of figures dressed in uniform black robes with blood-dripping skulls and dragon patterns embroidered on their chests, busily setting up something, occasionally throwing materials that shimmered with a ghostly light into the altar, or casting spells into the spatial rift!

"It's them! The people from 'Soul Devouring Demon Lord'!" Liu Qing exclaimed in a low voice.

"That's... a spatial node? Are they stabilizing it? Or... opening it?" Zhao Ming's face was pale.

Elder Xuanjizi's gaze was fixed on the pitch-black spatial rift, and behind the rift, the faintly visible illusory scene filled with endless blood and an aura of destruction. For the first time, his face showed unprecedented shock and...fear.

"That's... a temporary passage leading to the 'Nine Nether Blood Sea'? What are they trying to do?!"