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

"Splash..."

The crisp, continuous sound of rushing water grew clearer and clearer, a sound like heavenly music in this quiet, deep underground tunnel.

Not only Lu Zhao, but also the exhausted and almost numb survivors behind him gradually caught this unusual sound. In their despairing eyes, a faint glimmer of hope rekindled.

It's the sound of water! And it doesn't sound like the deep, rumbling flow of an underground river; it sounds more like... the sound of water cascading down from a height?

Lu Zhao took a deep breath. The faint, fresh scent of grass and water in the air seemed to become more pronounced as the sound of water drew closer. He invigorated, accelerating the circulation of his remaining spiritual energy, suppressing his aura to the extreme, while his divine sense, like the most sensitive tentacles, extended and probed deeper into the distance.

"Keep quiet and stay close to me." Lu Zhao turned around and instructed in a very low voice, then quickened his pace.

The team's hope was rekindled. Although they were still exhausted, their pace quickened involuntarily as they tried not to make a loud noise and followed closely behind Lu Zhao.

The passageway began to widen, the rock walls becoming smooth and moist, covered with a thick layer of moss that emitted a faint glow, and the light was much brighter than before. The air was also noticeably more humid, carrying a pleasant, fresh scent similar to earth and plants after rain, which diluted the original strong sulfur smell.

After making a sharp, almost right-angle turn, the view suddenly opened up before us!

A huge natural cave, shrouded by a towering dome, came into view.

The cave is extremely vast, tens of meters high and probably hundreds of meters in circumference. Countless strangely shaped, crystal-clear stalactites hang upside down from the dome, some with water droplets slowly dripping from their tips. Stalagmites rise abruptly from the ground, echoing the stalactites, creating a bizarre and wondrous underground world.

The cave's light source doesn't come from the outside, but from the dense, diverse array of bioluminescent plants growing on the rock walls, the ground, and the stalagmites and stalactites. There are velvety, pale blue moss covering the rock walls, strange mushrooms emitting a pale green glow like tiny umbrellas, and ferns hanging down like strands of hair, shimmering with starlight-like silver light... These bioluminescent plants illuminate the entire cave in a hazy, dreamlike way; though not bright, it's enough to allow one to clearly see what's inside.

The most eye-catching feature is one side of the cave.

There, a wide and thick underground river, several meters across, gushed forth from a huge fissure in the dome, tens of meters high, like a silver ribbon, crashing down with a tremendous roar into a bottomless, dark pool below. Water splashed everywhere, creating a mist that, illuminated by the glowing plants, refracted into a dazzling array of colors, possessing a breathtaking beauty.

The waterfall plunges into a pool, but the pool doesn't seem to be stagnant. The water flows slowly out through a narrow outlet on the other side, disappearing into the unknown, leaving only the murmuring sound of the water.

At the edge of the pool, near the direction from which Lu Zhao and the others came out, there was a relatively flat, dry gravelly area. It wasn't large, but it was more than enough to accommodate the seventy or eighty people who needed to rest temporarily.

"There's...there's a waterfall! There's light! Is it the ground?" someone couldn't help but exclaim softly, their voice filled with unbelievable ecstasy.

"It's water! Clean water!" Several parched mortals stared wide-eyed, wishing they could rush over and drink it all down immediately.

Even the cultivators like Chen Bai couldn't help but show their joy. A water source, a relatively safe space to rest temporarily, and light—this was truly a blessing in a desperate situation!

A hint of joy flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, but more than that, there was wariness.

Such a unique environment, with abundant water, and spiritual energy (though mixed, it still exists) that is more concentrated than the previous passageway, and with large areas of fluorescent plants growing... it is absolutely impossible that this place is without an "owner"!

The moment he stepped into the cave, his divine sense, like the finest net, silently spread across the seemingly calm deep pool. The roar of the waterfall and the pervasive mist could indeed interfere with the exploration of his divine sense, but Lu Zhao's divine sense, tempered by the "Refining Divine Technique," was incredibly refined, and its penetrating power far surpassed that of others of the same level.

At the edge of the pool, in the shallow water near the sand, his divine sense detected nothing unusual. But when he extended his divine sense into the depths of the pool, into the dark, unfathomable center—

He clearly sensed a cold, slippery aura, carrying a strong fishy smell and a hint of greed, like a lurking venomous snake!

The aura lurked deep within the pool, at least twenty or thirty feet below the surface. Had Lu Zhao not possessed powerful divine sense and meticulous observation, it would have been almost undetectable. It seemed to be dormant, or… waiting. But the appearance of Lu Zhao and his group of uninvited guests, especially the faint, lingering scent of blood from their previous battle, seemed to have alerted it. That chilling intent, like invisible tentacles, silently crept up from the depths, slowly sweeping across the cave entrance. Finally, with a hint of greed and curiosity, it locked onto Lu Zhao, who was walking at the forefront, and the group of "food" behind him.

This isn't a low-level blind fire lizard or bone-eating poison centipede! Judging from its aura, it's at least a second-tier demonic beast, possibly even close to the peak of the second tier! Moreover, it's an aquatic, stealthy, predatory demonic beast!

"Stop!" Just as everyone was about to rush towards the sand and water source by the pool, Lu Zhao suddenly raised his arm and stopped them. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable sternness.

Everyone was stunned, instinctively stopping in their tracks and looking at Lu Zhao in confusion.

Lu Zhao offered no explanation, but slowly turned to face the unfathomable pool of water. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the seemingly calm, dark surface of the water, where only the impact of the waterfall caused white foam to rise. The annihilating dragon energy within his body began to circulate quietly, and an invisible, heavy aura emanated from his body.

He didn't release any pressure, but his guarded posture, as if facing a formidable enemy, instantly froze everyone's newly risen joy, and their hearts leaped into their throats.

Chen Bai and the others followed Lu Zhao's gaze to the pool, but could see nothing but water. However, out of trust and respect for Lu Zhao, they immediately tensed up, gripping their simple weapons (stones, sticks, etc.) tightly, protecting the elderly and weak behind them, and not daring to breathe loudly.

Inside the cave, only the roar of the waterfall and the suppressed breathing of the crowd remained.

Beneath the dark water, the cold and greedy aura seemed to sense Lu Zhao's wariness and hostility, and became even more active. Beneath the surface, a massive, dark shadow silently and slowly rose upwards…