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

Blackstone Fortress was larger than Lu Zhao had imagined, more like a small fortified village built against the mountainside. The tall black stone walls, weathered and sturdy by wind and sand erosion, faintly revealed the flowing spiritual light of defensive formations. At the entrance stood several guards dressed in the attire of the Yunmeng Merchant Guild, their cultivation levels at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining. Seeing Zhou Tong and his companions return in a disheveled state, and noticing the young cultivator with an unfathomable aura and unfamiliar face following behind them, they all showed expressions of vigilance and surprise.

"Captain Zhou! You're back? And who are these people...?" The guard squad leader stepped forward, his gaze lingering on Lu Zhao for a moment. Sensing the restrained yet unsettling aura emanating from him, his attitude immediately became much more respectful.

"Quick! Notify Deacon Chen immediately! We were attacked by the Black Wind Bandits, and we were saved thanks to Senior Lu!" Zhou Tong said hurriedly, while stepping aside to signal the guards not to neglect Lu Zhao.

The guards dared not delay. One of them immediately rushed inside to report, while the others quickly opened the gate and respectfully welcomed Lu Zhao inside.

The fortress was much cleaner and more orderly than the outside, with crisscrossing roads and scattered stone houses, warehouses, and quiet rooms for monks to rest. There was even a small trading market, though not large, where many weary, hurried monks could be seen replenishing their supplies or trading. The air was filled with the dry, dusty smell unique to the Gobi Desert, along with a faint mingled scent of blood and herbs, indicating that this place was not peaceful.

Soon, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a blue brocade robe, with a fair complexion and no beard, and whose cultivation was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, came out quickly with several subordinates. This man was Chen Song, the person in charge of the Black Stone Fortress stronghold and the deacon of the Yunmeng Merchant Guild.

"Fellow Daoist Lu! Thank you for your righteous intervention in saving my worthless subordinates!" Chen Song's voice preceded his arrival, his face displaying just the right amount of enthusiasm and gratitude as he bowed respectfully to Lu Zhao from afar. He had already learned the general situation from the brief reports from the guards and Zhou Tong. The cultivator who could instantly severely injure the Black Wind Bandit's Foundation Establishment leader and force back the bandits was at least a mid-Foundation Establishment expert, and possibly even a late-stage expert. He couldn't afford to be careless.

"Steward Chen, you are too kind. We are both from the Yunmeng lineage, so it is only right that I help you." Lu Zhao returned the greeting calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, you are truly virtuous! This is not the place to talk. Please come to the inner hall for tea!" Chen Song warmly led Lu Zhao into a more sturdy stone house in the center of the fortress, which was also equipped with soundproofing and simple protective formations.

After the guests and hosts took their seats, a maid served them spiritual tea. Zhou Tong then gave Chen Song a detailed account of his encounter with the Black Wind Bandits, his rescue by Lu Zhao, and the discovery of the mysterious jade slip, and presented the jade slip to him.

Chen Song took the jade slip and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed, and his expression became serious. "It does indeed bear ancient dragon patterns... This is no small matter. For the past year, various forces have been secretly searching for items related to the dragon race, especially ancient artifacts with such clear indications. The Black Wind Thieves' pack of hyenas certainly has a keen sense of smell."

He looked at Lu Zhao and said sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Lu, although Zhou Tong and the others discovered this jade slip, without your help, not only would the jade slip be lost, but the lives of the three of them would also be in danger... According to the rules, you also have the right to dispose of this item. I wonder what your plans are, Fellow Daoist Lu?"

Lu Zhao picked up the spirit tea, took a small sip, and said calmly, "I have no interest in this item. Since it was discovered by a subordinate of the Chamber of Commerce, it should naturally be handled by the Chamber. However..." He changed the subject, "I am quite interested in the recent developments in the cultivation world, especially regarding the 'Soul Devouring Demon Sect' and this so-called 'Dragon Clan Relics.' I wonder if Deacon Chen could enlighten me? In addition, I also need a detailed map of the Yunmeng Sect in the Southern Tian Region, as well as the nearest safe route."

Upon hearing this, Chen Song's eyes flashed with understanding. It seemed that this Fellow Daoist Lu had been in seclusion or traveling for a long time and had just emerged/returned, so he was not very aware of the current situation. He quickly said, "Fellow Daoist Lu, rest assured, I will immediately have someone prepare the most detailed intelligence and maps and send them over. As for this jade slip..." He hesitated for a moment, "This item is quite important, so I will immediately send it back to the sect through the merchant guild's channels as soon as possible for the elders to decide. However, before sending it out, if you are interested, you can make a copy yourself."

This was his way of showing goodwill to Lu Zhao, and it was also a necessary step to befriend a powerful stranger who clearly had goodwill towards the Yunmeng Sect.

"In that case, thank you very much, Deacon Chen." Lu Zhao did not refuse. Although the jade slip was incomplete, it might be helpful for him to explore clues about the "Silent Dragon Tomb" or to understand the origin of Senior "Jin". It would be fine to make a copy for research.

Soon, a detailed jade slip recording the major events in the cultivation world over the past two years, as well as rumors about the "Soul Devouring Demon Sect" and the "Dragon Clan Ruins," along with several meticulously marked maps indicating different routes, risks, and supply points, was presented to Lu Zhao. At the same time, Zhou Tong also respectfully presented the ancient dragon-patterned jade slip for Lu Zhao to make a copy of.

Lu Zhao first picked up the intelligence jade slip and immersed his consciousness into it.

The information inside was countless times more detailed than what Zhou Tong and the others had recounted. Indeed, during the two years he was "missing," the outside world had undergone tremendous changes:

1. The Soul-Devouring Demon Sect's activities extend far beyond imagination. Not only have they perpetrated numerous horrific "Blood Soul Sacrifices" within the Great Jin Dynasty, but they have also frequently appeared in several surrounding cultivation kingdoms. There are indications that they are collecting a special material related to "Dragon Souls" or "Ancient Dragon Aura." Their actions are becoming increasingly rampant; several small and medium-sized cultivation families and independent cultivator settlements have been wiped out overnight, seemingly becoming their "food" and "material source." The Great Jin Dynasty and several major sects have jointly issued a warrant for their arrest, but with little effect. Their movements are elusive, and they appear to possess some powerful means of concealment.

2. Mystery Surrounding the Ruins: Rumors about the "Dragon Ruins" are intensifying, pointing to the depths of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range," spanning several regions, and some ancient and perilous places extending from it, such as the "Fallen Dragon Abyss" and the "Ancient Dragon Wasteland." The Black Wind Gobi Desert is just one of the areas affected. Rumors suggest that there are multiple ruins, possibly involving the lineage or burial grounds of a powerful ancient dragon clan, attracting countless cultivators, rogue cultivators, and even some hidden forces to intervene, making the battles in the Gobi Desert more frequent and bloody. The righteous sects such as the Cloud Dream Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, as well as the Great Jin Imperial Family, seem to be secretly investigating as well.

3. Unrest on the Border: Friction between the Great Jin Dynasty and the barbarian tribes of the "Sirius Grassland" to the west intensifies, while the monsters of the "Northern Ice Plains" to the north also show unusual activity. The Black Wind Gobi Desert, located in the northwest, is considered a border region, a melting pot of people. Besides the Black Wind Bandits, there are adventurers, treasure hunters, and even spies from other countries, making the situation complex.

4. Recent Situation of the Sect: In addition to strengthening security and searching for his (Lu Zhao's) whereabouts, the Yunmeng Sect also seems to be secretly investigating the Soul Devouring Demon Sect and the Dragon Clan's ruins. The intelligence vaguely mentions that some high-ranking members of the sect seem to be paying great attention to the "Blackwater Swamp Incident" and the subsequent "Soul Devouring Demon Traces," believing that there may be a significant connection between them.

Setting down the intelligence jade slip, Lu Zhao's mind raced: "The 'Soul Devouring Demon Lord' is getting increasingly aggressive... Is he collecting dragon souls and ancient dragon aura to repair the 'Ten Thousand Dragons Devouring the Heavens Formation,' or does he have some other scheme? It seems I must return to my sect as soon as possible, partly to let them know I'm safe, and partly to report Senior 'Jin's' warning about the formation, as well as what I saw and heard in the 'Nine Netherworlds.' This matter is likely to have far-reaching implications."

He picked up the map again and carefully studied the route back to the Southern Region. The journey from the Black Wind Gobi to the Cloud Dream Sect was long, traversing nearly half of the Great Jin Dynasty, passing through several major states, and some well-known dangerous places and territories. The safest route was to take a large merchant guild's inter-regional flying ship, but this was time-consuming and required a considerable amount of spirit stones. The fastest route was a direct passage through some dangerous areas, but this was extremely risky.

"With my current strength, I should be able to protect myself as long as I don't encounter any Golden Core stage monsters. But the Soul Devouring Demon Sect might still be secretly searching for me..." Lu Zhao frowned slightly, sensing the space between his brows. The gray-black dragon-shaped mark lay dormant, and deeper still, the "Soul Devouring Seal," belonging to the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord" and having been suppressed and mutated by the power of "Annihilation" and "Ember," seemed to be in a dormant state as well, though not completely gone. "It seems I need to find a way to completely eliminate or better conceal this mark..."

He temporarily suppressed the thought and picked up the rubbing of the ancient dragon-patterned jade slip again to study it carefully. Although the topographical map on it was blurry, combined with some scattered descriptions in the "Jin" inheritance about the outer spatial nodes of "Nine Netherworld" and their corresponding areas in the present world, Lu Zhao vaguely felt that the location pointed to by the map seemed to be related to a dangerous place called "Dragon Bone Wasteland" in the western section of the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range".

"Dragon Bone Hill... Legend has it that it was a battlefield of ancient war, where a true dragon fell, and its malevolent aura soars to the heavens, making it difficult for ordinary cultivators to approach..." Lu Zhao pondered. "Perhaps, there are clues there leading to a place similar to the 'Silent Dragon Tomb,' or... perhaps it's another target that the 'Soul Devouring Demon Lord' is searching for?"

Just as he was pondering, suddenly, a very faint, almost imperceptible tremor came from the "Soul-Devouring Seal" (after its mutation) between his brows! This tremor did not come from a direct external sensation, but was more like a kind of... resonance? Or rather, it was sensing a slight fluctuation of some kind of power of the same origin or opposing forces in the distance?

"Hmm?" Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed, and he instantly raised his divine sense to its limit to carefully sense it. But the tremor was fleeting and disappeared without a trace.

"An illusion? Or..." Lu Zhao's gaze drifted outside the stone house, as if trying to pierce through the thick stone walls and look towards the depths of the Gobi Desert, or even further towards the "Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range." "It seems that the Black Wind Gobi, or rather, this northwestern border, is more treacherous than I imagined. Before leaving, perhaps I could... conduct a little reconnaissance."

He decided to rest in Blackstone Fortress for a day or two to fully adapt to the present environment and recover to his best condition. At the same time, he would dispose of some unused materials and magical artifacts he brought out from "Nine Netherworld" in exchange for some spirit stones and necessities. Then, he would decide whether to return directly to the sect or... take a look around the vicinity of "Dragon Bone Wasteland" on the way.

After all, whether it was to find more clues about Senior "Jin", to figure out the plot of the Soul Devouring Demon Sect, or to grow his own "Silent Demon Dragon" Dao Foundation, anything related to "dragons" was worth his attention.

"Steward Chen," Lu Zhao said to Chen Song, who had been waiting respectfully beside him, after putting away the jade slip and map, "I plan to stay here for two days to recuperate. Also, I have some miscellaneous items that I'd like to dispose of at this market. Would you be so kind as to do me that?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Song's smile widened even more: "Fellow Daoist Lu, you're too kind! You're a distinguished guest of this base, so you can stay as long as you like! I'll have someone put in a good word with the market; they'll make sure you don't suffer any losses! If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!"

"Thank you for your trouble." Lu Zhao nodded, said no more, and got up to walk towards the quiet room that Chen Song had arranged for him.

In the quiet room, Lu Zhao sat cross-legged, but did not immediately enter meditation. He slowly circulated the "Nine Netherworld Annihilation Scripture," and the gray-black Dao Foundation vortex in his dantian slowly rotated, with wisps of pure Annihilation Dragon Qi and Devouring Power flowing through his meridians. He separated a wisp of his mind to carefully observe the "Soul Devouring Seal," hidden deep within his sea of ​​consciousness between his brows, which had partially merged with the "Annihilation Demon Dragon" mark and become somewhat different.

"Was that sudden tremor just now... an illusion, or does it foreshadow something?" A deep, cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes.