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

The faint, dark golden light, like the only star in the dark night, guided the way and ignited the last bit of strength in Lu Zhao's heart.

The water pressure was immense, the chill biting to the bone. The aura of water-repelling light trembled precariously, and even the meridians and bones groaned. But Lu Zhao's eyes remained fixed on that single point of light. The annihilating dragon energy within his body circulated relentlessly, resisting the extreme pressure from the outside world. He used both hands and feet to desperately swim towards the direction of the light.

Closer, closer.

The dark golden light became clearer and clearer, no longer a blurry dot, but taking on a certain regular shape, seemingly an... irregular oval spot of light.

Lu Zhao's divine sense had already condensed into the most sensitive tentacles, reaching out to the source of the light first.

The light originated from a sloping area at the bottom of the pool, covered by numerous collapsed boulders and several feet of thick black silt and aquatic plants. Between the boulders and silt, there was a barely visible, irregular gap, just wide enough for one person to pass through. The dark golden light stubbornly shone through that gap.

The divine sense cautiously slipped through the crack and probed inside.

There was no sign of life, no stench of lurking beasts, and no spiritual energy fluctuations from traps or mechanisms. Only an extremely rich, pure, and ancient spiritual energy, carrying the gentleness of water and the weight of the earth, permeated the space beyond the gap. This spiritual energy shared the same origin as the strange fluctuations sensed earlier, but being within it, the sensation was more direct and intense.

What made Lu Zhao's heart race even faster was that the vast, majestic, and ancient aura belonging to the "dragon" within this spiritual energy, though gentle and restrained, was incredibly clear! Moreover, the resonance between it and the annihilating dragon energy and the "Reverse Scale Pact" within his body reached an unprecedented level of intensity!

This is it!

Lu Zhao's spirits lifted. Ignoring the heaviness of his body and the rapid depletion of his spiritual energy, he swam to the gap half-hidden by rocks and mud. He reached out and braced himself against a massive, dark blue-green boulder that weighed at least a thousand pounds, blocking his path. An aura of annihilation surged into his arm, his muscles bulged, and he exerted tremendous force!

"Creak... Boom!"

The boulder was slowly pushed aside, rolling to the side and stirring up large amounts of silt, making the already murky water even more turbid. Lu Zhao ignored all of this and quickly cleared away the silt and weeds blocking the opening, revealing a hole just big enough for a person to crawl through.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhao shrank his body and, like a fish, darted into the cave entrance that emitted a dark golden light.

The entrance to the cave was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. But after walking only a few feet, the space suddenly opened up ahead!

A powerful buoyancy surged up, catching Lu Zhao off guard. His body jerked upwards, and he actually... broke out of the water!

"Splash!"

Water splashed everywhere. Lu Zhao staggered to his feet and found himself standing in shallow water, which only reached his calves. And what he saw before him was a scene completely unexpected.

This place is actually a dry space located at the very bottom of the pool, isolated by some invisible force!

The space was small, only about ten zhang in diameter. The dome was not high, made of natural rock that shimmered with a faint phosphorescence, like a natural gas bubble in the rock strata at the bottom of a pool, or rather, an independent space forcibly opened and maintained by some force. The air was humid, but not stuffy; instead, it was filled with the pure, ancient spiritual energy that had been sensed earlier, carrying the breath of water and earth. Taking a breath invigorated one's spirit, and even one's injuries seemed to have healed slightly.

In the center of the space, a dilapidated ancient altar, built of some kind of warm, bluish-green jade, stood silently.

The altar is simple in style, with three tiers, and is marked by the passage of time. Many parts have been broken and collapsed, and the jade has turned into ordinary stones. However, the center of the top tier of the altar remains intact.

There, something is enshrined.

A scale, about the size of a palm, with a dark and restrained gold color, an irregular shape, slightly damaged edges, yet naturally radiating a soft and resilient light...

The scale's texture was neither gold nor jade; it felt warm to the touch, yet possessed an indescribable resilience. Its surface was naturally covered with countless fine, mysterious, dark golden dragon patterns, seemingly containing the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. These patterns flickered in and out of existence in the light, as if slowly flowing and breathing. A vast, boundless, ancient, and gentle, yet unassailable, faint dragon's might emanated from this scale, permeating the entire space.

This is the source of that dark golden light and strange fluctuations!

Lu Zhao's gaze, once it met the scale, was fixed on it. It wasn't just a visual shock, but an unprecedented stirring and resonance within his very soul!

The dormant dragon energy within him, at this moment, seemed to receive a king's summons, circulating on its own with unprecedented activity, cheering and rejoicing, yet carrying an instinctive awe. The "Reverse Scale Pact" between his brows was even more intensely hot, conveying a strong sense of closeness, longing, and even... a trace of filial piety?

The aura of this scale is of the same origin as the "Reverse Scale Pact" left by "Jin", but it is more ancient, purer, and gentler! If "Jin's" Reverse Scale Pact contains the will of annihilation, conquest, and indomitable spirit, then this scale exudes a sense of weight, nourishment, protection, and a compassion and desolation that has been tempered by the passage of time.

"This is... a genuine, ancient water (or water and earth) attribute dragon's... natal reverse scale fragment?!" Lu Zhao was shocked, an unbelievable thought surfaced in his mind.

A true dragon is one of the most powerful beings in the world. Its innate reverse scale is the essence of its entire body and a portion of its inheritance, containing its fundamental Dao principles. Even a mere fragment is of immeasurable value! No wonder the Azure-Eyed Mystic Water Lizard dwells here. The spiritual energy in this pool and the faint dragon aura emanating from its scales are unparalleled nourishment for a water-attribute demon beast like it. Only by being nourished by them for a long time can it have the opportunity to break through to the peak of the second tier.

And this dilapidated altar… Lu Zhao’s gaze swept over the blurry, ancient patterns on the altar that bore some resemblance to the emblem of the Earth Origin Sect. Could it be that this was once the place where the ancestors of the Earth Origin Sect discovered and enshrined this fragment of the True Dragon’s Reverse Scale? The Earth Origin Sect was an expert in studying the earth’s veins; perhaps they had interacted with the True Dragon of this place, or even received gifts or commissions from it?

Various speculations flashed through Lu Zhao's mind, but his gaze ultimately returned to the dark golden fragment of the Reverse Scale lying quietly on the altar.

An opportunity, a tremendous opportunity, is right in front of us!

If he could refine and absorb the pure dragon energy and primordial Dao principles contained within this fragment of the Reverse Scale, it would not only allow his annihilation dragon energy to undergo a qualitative leap, instantly healing his injuries and causing his cultivation to surge, but he might even gain some of the inherited memories or innate divine abilities of an ancient true dragon! It would bring unimaginable benefits to his cultivation of the "Annihilation Heavenly Art" and the "True Dragon Body Tempering Technique"!

However, fortune may be fraught with misfortune. Such a treasure is not easily obtained. Although the altar is dilapidated, it may still be protected. This fragment of the Reverse Scale may seem gentle, but its essence is extremely high. Given his current state and cultivation, would recklessly touching and refining it trigger a backlash? Will that Azure-Eyed Mystic Water Lizard return?

More importantly, there were dozens of people waiting for him outside, and time was of the essence.

Should we immediately step forward and try to collect and refine this Reverse Scale fragment?

Should we note the location first, and come back after we've settled the people outside and recovered from our injuries?

As Lu Zhao gazed at the scale that radiated an alluring glow, his breathing quickened involuntarily, and his eyes flashed intensely.