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

"laugh--!"

The scalding, viscous magma, like maggots clinging to bones, scorched the protective aura formed from the condensed energy of the Annihilation Dragon on Lu Zhao's body, producing a teeth-grinding sound. The fiery gales were like countless red-hot blunt knives, frantically cutting into his protective spiritual light and skin, leaving behind charred marks.

Lu Zhao gritted his teeth, pushing his speed to the limit, his grey-gold streak struggling through the dark red torrent of lava. He felt as if his body was about to melt and tear apart; his newly formed, powerful physique still seemed fragile before the might of heaven and earth. But he had no way out; he could only rush towards the place he sensed as having the most intense and dangerous spatial fluctuations.

Finally, after passing through a curtain of almost solidified dark red magma, an extremely unstable, elliptical fissure appeared ahead, shimmering with distorted light spots! The edges of the fissure were filled with tiny fragments of space, and inside was a violent, chaotic, multicolored spatial turbulence, exuding a terrifying aura of destruction.

"That's it!" A resolute glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, and without hesitation, he plunged headlong into it!

"boom!"

It was as if he had stumbled into a storm of countless sharp blades and violent energy! Intense tearing sensations came from all directions; Lu Zhao felt as if he had fallen into a meat grinder, his body and soul enduring unimaginable torment. His recently healed wounds reopened, the blood annihilated by the spatial turbulence before it could even flow. The protective aura around his body shattered like bubbles, leaving him only able to rely on his powerful physique and the desolate dragon energy within him, fused with the indomitable will of a warrior, to withstand the onslaught.

"Pfft!" Lu Zhao spat out another mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of his internal organs. His consciousness began to blur, and all he could hear was the sharp whistling of the spatial turbulence and the excruciating pain of his body being cut.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness and be completely torn apart by the spatial turbulence, the Dao Foundation of the "Silent Demon Dragon" in his dantian, which had merged with the will of the warrior, suddenly trembled. A gray-gold energy with dark red patterns, containing the meaning of indomitable spirit and the destruction of all laws, burst out and temporarily formed a thin but extremely tough protective shield on his body, resisting the most fatal waves of spatial cutting.

"Hold on! My life is in my own hands! How can I die here!" Lu Zhao roared in his heart, his last remaining will driving the "Reverse Scale Pact," which emitted a faint resonance, trying to find a stable path to "life" in this raging torrent.

I don't know how much time has passed; it may have been just a moment, or it may have been a long century.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, accompanied by the cracking sound of bones breaking, Lu Zhao was thrown out of a void rift like a tattered sack and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Cough cough..." He curled up on the ground, coughing violently, each cough bringing out large mouthfuls of blood and shattered internal organs. His whole body ached, he didn't know how many bones were broken, his meridians were severely damaged again, his breath was extremely weak, and he was almost on the verge of collapse.

But he is still alive.

He endured the dizziness and excruciating pain, struggled to lift his head, and cautiously looked around.

This is no longer the scorching, violent, and destructive magma space of the earth's veins, but a... silent, dark, yet faintly glowing strange cave.

The cave isn't particularly large, about a hundred feet in diameter, with countless stalactites of varying sizes and shapes hanging from its ceiling. Strangely, these stalactites aren't the usual grayish-white, but rather a pale milky white, light green, or even ice blue, as if liquid is flowing inside, emitting a soft and pure light that illuminates the entire cave in a hazy, dreamlike state.

The air was fresh and moist, carrying a refreshing coolness that contrasted sharply with the scorching heat of the previous fiery space. What invigorated Lu Zhao even more was the unusual abundance and purity of the spiritual energy here. With each breath, he could feel a wave of comfort emanating from his depleted spiritual power and damaged meridians.

"Where...is this?" Lu Zhao wondered in surprise. This seemed to be a secluded, isolated underground space. Could it be that the spatial rift had transported him to another hidden location deep beneath the "Dragon Bone Hill"?

His gaze swept across the cave, finally settling on the center of the cave.

There, there was a small pool, about three zhang square. The water was crystal clear, displaying a beautiful icy blue hue, with a faint, fragrant white mist rising from its surface. In the center of the pool, on a smooth, jade-like blue stone protruding from the water, grew a strange lingzhi mushroom.

This lingzhi mushroom was no bigger than the palm of my hand, its entire body a translucent milky white, as if carved from the finest mutton-fat jade. On its surface, naturally formed rings of pale gold patterns, like tree rings or ripples on water, emanated a serene, peaceful, and soul-cleansing aura. Around it, the icy blue pool seemed to become even clearer, its spiritual energy even more concentrated.

"Soul-Purifying Jade Marrow Mushroom!" A name flashed through Lu Zhao's mind instantly. He had seen it recorded in a rare ancient book in the Xuan Tian Sword Sect's library. This was a rare spiritual essence that grew at the confluence of extremely pure spiritual veins and required the presence of spiritual jade essence! Its greatest effect was purifying, tempering, and nourishing the soul, having miraculous effects on damage to the soul, stabilizing the soul's origin, enhancing the strength of divine sense, and even greatly benefiting cultivators in their future Nascent Soul formation! Its value far surpassed that of ordinary thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, and it was even extremely rare and difficult to find!

Lu Zhao felt a surge of excitement. Although his soul had become stronger due to the "Refining Spirit Technique" and his previous breakthrough, the repeated fierce battles, especially the fusion with the "Earthly Fiend Dragon Soul" battle intent and the impact of spatial turbulence, had still caused considerable shock and hidden injuries to his soul. This "Soul-Purifying Jade Marrow Mushroom" was truly a godsend!

But he didn't step forward immediately. Having experienced life and death, he knew the principle that fortune and misfortune are intertwined. Such places of spiritual essence are often accompanied by guardian beasts or natural restrictions.

His gaze cautiously swept towards the edge of the pool.

Right across from the "Purifying Jade Marrow Fungus" on the edge of the pool, on a smooth jade platform, sat a... skeleton.

The skeleton possessed a warm, jade-like luster, not a stark white, but rather a faint ivory yellow, with a subtle, flowing light. Despite enduring countless years, it remained uncorrupted, even giving the impression of life. The skeleton wore a tattered Daoist robe, its original color almost unrecognizable. However, judging from the remaining patterns on the robe and the faint yet unsettling aura emanating from the skeleton, this person was at least a powerful cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage or higher in life!

In front of the skeleton, two things were neatly arranged.

On the left is a palm-sized, pale blue jade slip with cloud-patterned reliefs on its surface. The jade is warm and lustrous, with a restrained spiritual light.

To the right was a token about half the size of a palm, neither gold nor wood, with broken edges and a dark color. The pattern carved on the token was blurred and indistinct, and only the outline of what appeared to be a mountain peak could be vaguely made out, exuding an ancient and profound aura.

The skeleton, jade slip, and token lay there quietly, facing the "Purifying Soul Jade Marrow Fungus" from afar, creating a strange scene.

There were no guardian beasts, nor any obvious fluctuations from array formations or restrictions. The entire cave was so quiet that only the occasional dripping of spiritual liquid from the pool and the condensation of spiritual liquid on the stalactites could be heard.

But Lu Zhao's heart was in his throat.

The place where a powerful cultivator at least at the Nascent Soul stage passed away, a rare "Soul-Purifying Jade Marrow Fungus," a jade slip that may contain cultivation techniques and secrets, and a seemingly ordinary, broken token...

Opportunity? Or trap?

Lu Zhao was critically injured and on the verge of death, desperately needing healing. The "Soul-Purifying Jade Marrow Mushroom" held a fatal attraction for him. However, the skeleton and its belongings exuded an invisible pressure. A Nascent Soul cultivator, even one who had passed away countless years ago, should not be underestimated. Who knew if this seemingly peaceful cavern concealed a deadly restriction? Did the jade slip and token contain any contingency plans left by this powerful being?

Should we risk going forward, first obtain the "Soul-Purifying Jade Marrow Mushroom" to heal our wounds and restore our strength before making any further plans?

Should we first examine the skeleton and belongings to ascertain the identity and intentions of the owner of this place, thus avoiding unknown risks?

Or perhaps... this place is not a place to stay for long, and there may be other exits?

Lu Zhao struggled to sit up and leaned against a cool stalactite. He struggled to circulate his cultivation technique to absorb the pure spiritual energy of the place to heal his injuries, while his sharp eyes scanned every corner of the cave. His brain worked at high speed, weighing the pros and cons and risks.

He had to make a decision quickly. His severely injured body didn't know how much longer it could hold on. And this place might not be as peaceful as it appeared on the surface.