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

Lu Zhao's stealth skills had reached perfection during his training in the "Nine Netherworlds". He concealed his aura to the extreme, his figure almost blending into the dark red sand and shadows of the skeletons. The [Flowing Cloud Step] combined with his exquisite control of qi allowed him to move like a ghost along the edge of the chaotic crowd, extremely fast, yet silent.

The two Soul Devouring Demon Sect cultivators he had chosen as his targets stood beneath a cluster of half-collapsed giant rib cages. They wore the same wide black robes as other demon sect cultivators, but their auras were relatively restrained, and their cultivation levels were around the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage. At this moment, they were intently watching the scene ahead as the three major forces fiercely attacked the blood-red restriction and as the restriction backfired and devoured the rogue cultivators. Their bodies beneath their black robes were slightly tense, as if they were waiting for something.

"The Blood-Drawing Array has been activated... faster than expected." One of the men in black robes whispered in a hoarse voice, his tone tinged with excitement and greed.

"Hmm, it seems 'Master's' prediction was correct. The 'Blood Dragon's Vengeance' here has accumulated enough power; it only needs the final trigger." Another person's voice was even colder. "Once these people have almost exhausted the power of the restriction, we'll use the 'Blood Soul Talisman' to open the passage and enter first!"

"Be careful, those guys over there (referring to the other groups of Soul Devouring Demon Sect cultivators) are also watching, as are people from the three major sects..."

While the two were talking in hushed tones and staring intently ahead, Lu Zhao had already silently crept into a patch of shadow less than three zhang behind them.

The opportunity was fleeting! Ahead, the second combined attack from the three major forces slammed into the crimson barrier, triggering an even more violent explosion and energy turbulence. Screams, roars, and the sounds of colliding spiritual energy mingled together, drawing the attention of almost everyone. Even the two black-robed figures instinctively leaned forward slightly.

It's now!

A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, and his figure shot out from the shadows like a ghost! He didn't use any spiritual power, relying purely on his powerful physical strength and speed to cover the final three zhang in a fraction of a second. His right hand, fingers like a knife, carried an extremely condensed, annihilating finger force specifically designed to break through protective qi, silently striking the Dazhui acupoint on the back of the hoarse-voiced black-robed man's neck! At the same time, his left hand flicked, sending a thin, gray-black stream of energy towards the shadow beneath the feet of another cold-voiced black-robed man—not an attack, but to create a tiny disturbance of spiritual energy, drawing their attention away for a moment!

"Ugh!" The hoarse man in black robes felt a numbness in the back of his neck. A cold, deathly power instantly invaded his body, sealing off his major acupoints and soul. Before he could even groan, everything went black, and he slumped backward.

"Who?!" Another cold, black-robed figure was indeed attracted by the faint spiritual energy fluctuations beneath his feet. He instantly turned his head to look at the ground, and at the same time, black energy surged around his body, and his protective spiritual light was about to shine.

The instant he turned his head, Lu Zhao caught his fallen companion, and his aura instantly changed! An aura of the "Soul Devouring Demonic Art," originating from the same source as his opponent but purer, deeper, and carrying a faint hint of dragon might, emanated from him! This aura subtly resonated with the mutated "Soul Devouring Seal" between his brows, almost indistinguishable from the real thing! At the same time, he imitated the voice of the hoarse black-robed man from before, saying urgently and in a low voice, "It's me! Don't be distracted, quickly prepare the 'Blood Soul Talisman,' the restriction is about to break!"

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. The man in the cold black robe whirled around and saw his "companion" (Lu Zhao in disguise) supporting another companion who seemed to have "fainted" due to nervousness or some other reason (actually being subdued). The aura emanating from his "companion" was that of pure Soul-Devouring Demonic Art, even carrying a hint of oppressive power that made him feel uneasy, as if facing a superior! Coupled with his "companion's" familiar (disguised) voice and urgent words, and the even more violent explosion coming from ahead—

"Useless! Letting you down at this crucial moment!" The cold, black-robed man cursed under his breath, without a shred of suspicion! He assumed his companion's situation was simply a matter of chance (perhaps a mishap during cultivation, or perhaps he was too excited by the blood sacrifice), and that "the other companion" was taking care of him. The current intense fluctuations in the protective barrier presented the perfect opportunity to infiltrate using the "Blood Soul Talisman," and he dared not delay!

"Here!" The cold, black-robed man swiftly pulled two palm-sized talismans from his robes. Neither gold nor wood, they were dark red and covered in strange, twisted runes. He tossed one to Lu Zhao (in disguise), then clutched the other, hissing, "Now! Infuse it with demonic energy and charge with me!"

Before he could finish speaking, he slammed the talisman in his hand onto his chest! The talisman instantly transformed into a viscous, dark red blood light that enveloped his entire body. The aura of that blood light was seven or eight parts similar to the aura emanating from the blood-red restriction in front of him!

Following suit, Lu Zhao immediately slapped the talisman in his hand onto his body (while simultaneously injecting demonic energy fluctuations using the Annihilation Dragon Qi), and was also enveloped in a dark red blood light. His other hand was "supporting" the real black-robed man who had been restrained, and his movements looked somewhat labored, but this seemed more reasonable given that his "comrade was injured."

"Go!" The cold, black-robed man shouted, his figure transforming into a dark red blood shadow. Taking advantage of the moment when the three major forces were fiercely attacking, the restrictions were fluctuating most violently, blood light was flashing wildly, and vision was chaotic, he slipped into a gap with relatively weak energy, which had been temporarily opened due to the devouring of rogue cultivators, like a slippery eel!

Lu Zhao followed closely behind, carrying the "burden," and easily passed through the gap.

The instant their figures disappeared into the crimson barrier—

"boom!!!"

The third wave of attacks from the three major forces struck again, blasting a huge hole in the barrier of that area! Violent energy turbulence and shattered blood-red runes scattered everywhere.

"The barrier is broken! Charge!"

"The opportunity is right in front of us!"

Someone shouted, and the restless cultivators, bandits, several groups of Soul Devouring Demon Sect cultivators, and the forces of the three major powers surged towards the breached palace gate like a floodgate opened! The scene instantly became extremely chaotic, and no one noticed that two (actually three) dark red blood shadows had already quietly sneaked in.

The moment Lu Zhao passed through the crimson barrier, he felt as if he had passed through a layer of viscous, icy blood. The thick, unyielding stench of blood and resentment assaulted his senses, and he seemed to hear the wails of countless wronged souls. However, the crimson light formed by the "Blood Soul Talisman" on his body effectively isolated most of the negative effects, and even gave him a strange "affinity" with his surroundings.

The view suddenly opened up, but was instantly swallowed up by an even deeper crimson and darkness.

They entered what appeared to be an extremely vast forecourt of a grand hall. The ground was paved with huge, cracked, dark stone slabs, inscribed with indistinct patterns that seemed to be dragons and ancient seal script, but most were covered by dark red stains, resembling dried blood. Around them stood a dozen massive stone pillars, each requiring several people to encircle, but most were broken or toppled. The pillars, once adorned with exquisite dragon carvings, were now reduced to mere outlines, exuding an aura of decay and eeriness.

Most striking was the depths of the hall. It wasn't the interior of a palace as one might expect, but rather a massive, downward-reaching, crimson staircase entrance, seemingly leading to the earth's core! Thick, almost tangible, crimson mist poured continuously from that entrance, carrying a nauseating, sweet-smelling stench and a bone-chilling cold. The evil, resentment, and yearning energy sensed outside originated from this very place!

The cold, black-robed man (now the only conscious demonic cultivator left) landed, quickly scanned his surroundings to confirm there was no danger, then looked at Lu Zhao (in disguise) and the "companion" he was supporting, frowning (though his face was not visible): "What happened to him? Can he still move? This place is not safe to stay in. We must go deeper as soon as possible and find the 'Blood Pool' and what the 'Master' wants!"

Lu Zhao (in disguise) said in a hoarse voice with a hint of "anxiety": "He was affected by the blood demon outside and is temporarily unconscious. He may need some time to recover. Let's go inside first, I'll carry him." As he spoke, he "laboriously" lifted the unconscious man in black robes up.

The cold, black-robed figure was somewhat impatient, but he couldn't worry about that now. He nodded and said, "Alright, stay close to me! Be careful. Although we can't fool you here temporarily, there's no guarantee there aren't other traps, or... 'dirty things' attracted by that thing!"

The "thing" and "dirty thing" he referred to were clearly evil objects that might exist deep within the Blood Palace, corrupted or created by the power of the "Soul Devouring Demon Lord".

The two (actually, Lu Zhao alone with the prisoners) quickly made their way along the shattered front courtyard towards the entrance to the blood-red staircase. Along the way, they witnessed even more horrifying sights: scattered, weathered and decaying skeletons (some humanoid, some animaloid), fragments of broken weapons, and desiccated corpses that appeared to have been forcibly drained of their essence. The deathly silence and resentment permeating the air almost solidified into a tangible reality.

As Lu Zhao followed, he subtly sensed the reaction of the "Soul-Devouring Seal" between his brows. After entering the Blood Palace, the pulsation of the seal reached an unprecedented level of intensity, clearly pointing to the depths of the blood-red staircase! At the same time, he also felt that the "Silent Demon Dragon" Dao Foundation within his dantian was generating a strong repulsion and... a deeply hidden desire to devour the polluted and distorted "Dragon Qi" (or "Dead Blood Fiend Dragon Qi") in the surrounding environment.

"This is indeed the work of the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.' He's using evil magic to corrupt, and perhaps even refine, the remaining dragon essence and resentment here..." Lu Zhao's understanding deepened, and he became even more vigilant. The "Soul-Devouring Demon Lord," whom even an existence like Senior "Jin" considered a formidable enemy, couldn't possibly have a simple plan. Deep within this Blood Palace, unimaginable dangers likely lurked, but equally, it might also hold an opportunity for him to resolve the "Soul-Devouring Seal" and even advance his cultivation.

Ahead, the cold, black-robed man had arrived at the entrance to the blood-red staircase. He stopped, seemingly hesitant, and turned to look at Lu Zhao (in disguise) and the "companion" he was supporting.

Lu Zhao felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that a critical moment might have arrived. He approached silently, while secretly gathering his strength, preparing to deal with any possible changes at any time.

Should I continue to infiltrate and wait for an opportunity? Or... take care of this "guide" here and explore on my own?