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

"Varied--?!"

The one-eyed strongman was, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stage. The moment the gray-black light appeared, a warning screamed in his heart! He barely managed to hold the Ghost Head Blade horizontally in front of him, while simultaneously trying his best to retreat to the side and back!

However, that grayish-black light was too fast and too eerie! It seemed to be able to ignore distance and arrive in an instant!

"laugh!"

A soft sound rang out, not the clang of metal against metal. The moment the indestructible ghost-headed blade came into contact with the gray-black light, the blood-red aura and protective spiritual energy gathered on its blade melted and dimmed as if ice and snow were encountering the scorching sun! The gray-black light, undeterred, struck precisely the blade that the one-eyed strongman had hastily raised to block at his throat!

"Buzz—!"

The ghost-headed blade let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain, and gray-black cracks instantly spread across the spot it had been struck! The next moment, the entire blade shattered into countless fragments! The remaining force of the gray-black light still pierced through the fragments, leaving a thin, hair-like, yet deep, charred wound on the left side of the one-eyed burly man's neck! No blood flowed from the wound; instead, it displayed a deathly gray hue, and rapidly spread outwards!

"Ah!!" The one-eyed burly man screamed in terror and pain, clutching his neck as he felt a cold, decaying power frantically eroding his life force! His single eye was filled with unbelievable fear, "Foundation... Foundation Establishment... late stage? No... what kind of power is this?"

"Boss!" The other four Black Wind Bandits were also stunned by this sudden turn of events. They didn't even see where the attack came from; they only saw their boss's treasured mid-grade magic weapon, the Ghost Head Blade, shatter instantly, and their boss was severely injured!

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! There's an expert!" The one-eyed burly man was terrified. He no longer cared about the goods. Clutching his neck, he turned and fled for his life into the depths of the Gobi Desert, not daring to utter a single harsh word. The power that was eroding his life force was too terrifying. He had to find a place immediately to suppress it and heal his wounds.

The other four Black Wind Bandits were terrified when they saw that their leader had fled. They scattered like birds and beasts and disappeared into the sandstorm in the blink of an eye.

In the depression, the three Yunmeng Merchant Guild cultivators who had narrowly escaped death stared blankly at the dramatic scene before them, unable to recover for a long time. It wasn't until Lu Zhao's figure slowly emerged from behind a boulder dozens of feet away that they suddenly snapped out of their daze.

"Thank you so much, senior, for saving our lives!" The middle-aged man at the head of the group was the first to react. Despite his injuries, he pulled his two companions and bowed deeply to Lu Zhao, his voice trembling with excitement and lingering fear. Although their cultivation levels were low, they were still perceptive. That grayish-black light had been incredibly powerful, instantly severely injuring the one-eyed, burly man in the early Foundation Establishment stage and forcing back the bandits. The person who struck was definitely far more powerful than they had imagined! At least in the mid- or late-stage Foundation Establishment!

Lu Zhao approached and calmly swept his gaze over the three men. All three were seriously injured, especially the middle-aged man, whose left arm was broken and whose internal organs had been damaged. The other two had also exhausted their spiritual energy and bore multiple wounds.

"No need for formalities. We're all from the Yunmeng Sect, it's just a small favor." Lu Zhao's voice was calm, revealing little emotion. He flicked his wrist, and three "Life-Creating Pills," emitting a faint fragrance, flew towards the three. "Heal your injuries first."

"Life...Life Creation Pill?!" The middle-aged man took the pill, his hand trembling slightly as he smelled its pure medicinal fragrance. This was a holy medicine capable of quickly healing severe internal injuries, a top-grade first-rank medicine, incredibly valuable! This senior was far too generous! He dared not be negligent and quickly shared it with his companions. The three of them took the pills and sat cross-legged to meditate.

Lu Zhao stood to the side, his divine sense extending outwards, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. At the same time, he was also observing this place known as the "Black Wind Gobi." The sandstorms continued, desolate and lifeless, and the thin, violent spiritual energy in the air made him, who was used to the rich spiritual energy of Yunmeng Marsh, feel slightly uncomfortable.

About an incense stick's time later, under the powerful effects of the "Life-Creating Pill," the three men's injuries stabilized considerably, and their complexions improved significantly. The middle-aged man was the first to finish his meditation, struggling to his feet. He bowed to Lu Zhao again, saying, "This junior is Zhou Tong, captain of the third patrol team of the Black Wind Gobi Desert from the Yunmeng Chamber of Commerce. I thank you for your life-saving grace and the medicine! May I ask your esteemed name? Are you an elder or deacon from our sect?"

The other two young cultivators also quickly stood up and bowed, their eyes filled with gratitude and awe.

Lu Zhao waved his hand: "My surname is Lu. I'm not an elder or deacon, just an ordinary disciple. Why are you here, and being chased by the Black Wind Bandits?"

"Senior Lu... Senior Lu." Although Zhou Tong was puzzled as to when the sect had produced such a powerful young senior who called himself an "ordinary disciple" (Lu Zhao looked too young), he didn't dare to ask any more questions and quickly replied, "Reporting to Senior, the three of us are a patrol team dispatched by the Merchant Guild to the 'Black Stone Fortress' stronghold. We are responsible for patrolling the trade routes on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert and collecting some Gobi specialties. A few days ago, we accidentally discovered a broken jade slip with ancient dragon patterns in an abandoned ruin deep in the Gobi Desert. It contained some incomplete maps and text, which seemed to be related to some ancient ruin. Somehow, word got out, and we were targeted by the Black Wind Bandits, who chased us all the way here."

"A jade slip with dragon patterns?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. "May I take a look?"

"Of course!" Zhou Tong took out a carefully preserved jade box from his pocket without hesitation. After opening it, he found a palm-sized jade slip with broken edges, a dark blue color, and a faint, twisted dragon pattern and some unrecognizable ancient characters engraved on its surface. The jade slip itself had a dim spiritual light, clearly indicating that it had been through countless years.

Lu Zhao took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. Sure enough, the information inside was severely fragmented, containing only scattered, disjointed images and text fragments, mostly incoherent. However, a faint topographical map and several key ancient characters ("寂", "龙", "冢", "西") still sent a jolt through Lu Zhao! This jade slip might actually contain information about the "Silent Dragon Tomb" or other similar burial grounds for dragons! Moreover, the location seemed to be near this "Black Wind Gobi," or... somewhere connected to the western section of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range"!

"Where did you find this jade slip? The exact location?" Lu Zhao looked up, his gaze becoming somewhat serious.

Zhou Tong felt a chill run down his spine under Lu Zhao's gaze and quickly replied, "Reporting to Senior, it was in an ancient ruin about three hundred miles northwest of here in the Gobi Desert. It used to be a small cultivator's stronghold, but it was abandoned for some unknown reason. The jade slip was found in the basement of a half-collapsed stone house."

"In recent years, have quite a few people been searching for things related to the dragon race in this area?" Lu Zhao asked again.

Zhou Tong paused for a moment, then nodded, saying, "Senior is astute. Indeed. Starting about a year ago, a number of mysterious cultivators have been entering and leaving the Gobi Desert, seemingly searching for something. The Black Wind Bandits are probably targeting us for this reason. And…" He lowered his voice, "I've heard that some of them carry an unsettling, chilling aura, like… remnants of the legendary 'Soul Devouring Demon Sect'!"

As expected! Lu Zhao sneered inwardly. The forces of the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord" had indeed not given up searching for relics related to the "Nine Netherworld Evil Dragon," and might even have expanded their search area here! This jade slip might just be one of their targets.

"What are your plans next?" Lu Zhao returned the jade slip to Zhou Tong.

"This junior intends to return to the 'Black Stone Fortress' stronghold first and report this matter to the jade slip," Zhou Tong said. "However... this place is still more than two hundred miles away from Black Stone Fortress. In our current state, I'm afraid..." He glanced at his two companions, a troubled look on his face. Although the Black Wind Bandits had been frightened away, there was no guarantee they wouldn't return or encounter other dangers.

"I'll give you a ride," Lu Zhao said calmly. "Perfect timing, I also need to get to a populated area to find out about the recent situation."

"Thank you so much, Senior!" Zhou Tong and his companions were overjoyed. With this mysterious and powerful Senior Lu escorting them, their safety was absolutely assured.

"However, on the way, you need to tell me everything you know about the past year or two, especially about the 'Soul Devouring Demon Sect' and the unusual events in various places," Lu Zhao added.

"Yes! This junior will answer all your questions without reservation!" Zhou Tong quickly replied.

The group of four, led by Lu Zhao, set off towards "Black Stone Fortress." With Lu Zhao's divine sense guiding them and his formidable strength providing cover, the journey was indeed uneventful; even the common monsters of the Gobi Desert kept their distance.

On the way, Zhou Tong and his two companions recounted all the information they knew.

It turns out that nearly two years have passed since Lu Zhao disappeared in the Blackwater Swamp! The flow of time in the "Nine Netherworlds" is indeed different from that in the real world.

The past two years have been anything but peaceful.

First, the remnants of the "Soul Devouring Demon Sect" have significantly increased their activity. Their presence has been felt not only in the Southern Region, but also in other parts of the Great Jin Dynasty, and even in several surrounding cultivation kingdoms. They seem to be frantically searching for something, and have perpetrated numerous bloody and horrific incidents.

Secondly, rumors about the "Remains of the Ancient Dragon Clan" have been quietly circulating in the cultivation world for some time now, especially in the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range" and some adjacent dangerous areas (such as the Black Wind Gobi), which have become popular areas for treasure hunters. Many cultivators, and even some powerful forces, have sent people to investigate.

Furthermore, within the Great Jin Dynasty, undercurrents have been surging in recent years. The relationship between the imperial power and the major cultivation families and sects has become delicate, with frequent frictions occurring in border regions. Naturally, no-man's-land like the "Black Wind Gobi" is even more chaotic.

Zhou Tong and his companions knew little about the Yunmeng Sect, only that the sect had strengthened its defenses in recent years and was constantly searching for a disciple who had gone missing in the Blackwater Swamp (Lu Zhao's heart stirred), but to no avail.

"It seems a lot has happened during the two years I've been missing," Lu Zhao pondered. "The 'Soul Devouring Demon Lord's' influence is so active; they must have a grand scheme. I wonder if the 'Ten Thousand Dragons Devouring the Heavens Formation' has already been activated, or is in the planning stages. And that jade slip… might be a clue."

"Senior, Blackstone Fortress is just ahead!" Zhou Tong's voice interrupted Lu Zhao's thoughts.

Looking up, one could see at the edge of the Gobi Desert a small but sturdy fortress built of black boulders, nestled in a relatively sheltered mountain hollow. Above the fortress, the flag of the Yunmeng Merchant Guild fluttered.

"Blackstone Fortress..." Lu Zhao's eyes flickered slightly. "Let's stay here for now, gather more information, and then make further plans."