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

"call--"

Within the underground space, there seemed to be a gentle breeze, which was caused by the natural overflow of Lu Zhao's powerful aura.

He sat cross-legged before the dilapidated blue altar, his eyes slightly closed, his face serene, yet his body was enveloped in a faint, hazy halo of dark gold and gray-gold. Between his brows, two dragon patterns, one dark red and one dark gold, flowed slowly, reflecting each other and exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

Inside the body, earth-shattering changes are taking place.

The dark gold dragon pattern formed from the fragment of the True Dragon's Reverse Scale was like an inexhaustible spring, continuously gushing forth pure, gentle, and profound dragon essence. This essence was not simply spiritual power, but contained the primordial power of the ancient True Dragon's understanding of the way of water and soil and the nurturing power of the earth, and its quality was extremely high.

Wherever the Dragon Essence passed, the internal organ tremors and hidden injuries to the meridians left by Lu Zhao's fierce battle with the Azure-Eyed Mystic Water Lizard, the minute cracks caused by the spatial tearing force of the teleportation array, and some long-standing ailments that he himself had not even noticed before, were all rapidly healed as if washed by warm spring water. Broken bones regenerated, internal organs returned to their proper places, and meridians widened and strengthened, radiating a warm, jade-like luster.

This repair is not just restoration, but a transformative nourishment and strengthening.

At the same time, this powerful dragon essence naturally flowed towards his dantian.

Lu Zhao's dantian seemed to have transformed into a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing and refining this pure power. The Annihilation Dragon Qi circulated wildly along the path of the "Annihilation Heavenly Art," growing stronger with each cycle and becoming deeper and more condensed in color. Within the gray-gold hue, there was a faint trace of profound and weighty meaning, which was the influence of the water and soil nourishment method from the fragments of the Dark Gold Reverse Scale.

At his brow, two dragon patterns, one dark red and one dark gold, though of different attributes—one for destruction and conquest, the other for nourishment and protection—both belonged to the origin of the dragon race. At this moment, they coexisted harmoniously within Lu Zhao's body, even subtly resonating. As the two dragon energies flowed through his meridians, they occasionally merged. Though not completely unified, they gave Lu Zhao a more direct and profound understanding of the essential power of the "dragon," a creature of heaven and earth. The True Dragon Body Tempering Technique operated automatically under the nourishment of these dual dragon energies without conscious effort. His flesh, bones, and internal organs underwent subtle but continuous strengthening, progressing towards inhumanity.

"Click..."

A barely audible sound rang out within Lu Zhao's body. It was the sound of his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation barrier finally shattering completely under the continuous erosion of this vast and gentle power.

It happened naturally and without any hindrance.

Lu Zhao's aura surged upwards like a dragon breaking free from its restraints! Foundation Establishment Level 7... Foundation Establishment Level 8... Foundation Establishment Level 9...

Ultimately, he steadily reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage—the peak of Foundation Establishment!

Moreover, this was not a superficial realm forcibly elevated through elixirs or secret techniques. Under the infusion of the pure essence of the Dark Gold Reverse Scale fragments and the combined nourishment of the dual dragon energy, his foundation was honed to an incomparably solid and profound level. His dantian and qi sea nearly doubled in size, and the total amount and purity of the annihilating dragon energy far exceeded those before the breakthrough. His divine soul, too, became more refined and resilient under the cleansing influence of that vast will. The Refining God Technique quietly broke through to the peak of the second level, "Divine Thought Like Silk," and was not far from the third level, "Divine Thought Transformation."

The whole process, though seemingly long, actually took only half an hour to pass in the outside world.

As the last wisp of dragon essence was completely absorbed and refined, the light of the dark gold dragon pattern between his brows gradually subsided, becoming warm and ancient, standing quietly alongside the dark red dragon pattern beside it.

Lu Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes shone brightly, as if the sun, moon, and stars were rising and falling within them, and two miniature dragon shadows flashed by. His entire demeanor underwent a subtle shift. Previously, it was sharp, restrained, and imbued with a chilling edge. Now, beyond that sharpness, there was a greater sense of weight and composure, as all-encompassing as the earth, and as unfathomable as the deep sea.

He stood up, stretched his limbs slightly, and immediately a series of sounds, like a rushing river or a low roar of a dragon, resonated within him. A surge of power filled his entire body, and he felt better than ever before, even several times stronger than before entering the "Dragon Bone Wasteland"!

"Peak of Foundation Establishment...and it seems I've even touched the edge of Core Formation." Lu Zhao felt the surging power within his body and the increasingly clear fluctuations of spiritual energy in the world, and he understood. This opportunity not only greatly improved his cultivation and fully healed his injuries, but also broadened his foundation, laying an unimaginably solid foundation for his future Core Formation.

He didn't revel in the joy of his increased power; his gaze swept over the now empty underground space. He had already seized the opportunity; this place was no longer safe to linger.

"It's time to go back."

With a thought, Lu Zhao felt the newly acquired dragon energy within him, imbued with the power of water and earth, circulate slightly. His affinity and control over water seemed to have increased considerably because of this fragment of the Reverse Scale. He leaped into the icy pool once more.

This time, the heavy water pressure and biting cold during the descent posed little obstacle to him. He moved with the agility of a fish, quickly rising to the surface. He didn't even need to consciously activate a water-avoidance technique; the water flow naturally parted, lifting him up rapidly.

A depth of tens of meters was traversed in the blink of an eye.

"Splash!"

Water splashed up, and Lu Zhao's figure emerged from the dark pool, landing lightly on the sandy ground at the edge of the cave.

"senior!"

"Senior Lu!"

Chen Bai and the others, who had been waiting anxiously, were stunned for a moment when they saw Lu Zhao return safely, then burst into suppressed cheers of joy. But then, everyone stared wide-eyed at Lu Zhao in disbelief.

The Lu Zhao before my eyes was completely different from the one who jumped into the icy pool half an hour ago!

Back then, although Lu Zhao possessed an extraordinary aura, his face was pale and his breath was weak; it was obvious to anyone with eyes that he was seriously injured. But now, he was radiant, his complexion ruddy, and his aura was as deep as the sea. The pressure he exuded made even a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator like Chen Bai feel his heart tremble and his legs go weak, as if he were facing a towering mountain or an endless deep sea!

Is this...is this the same person? Could it be that they had another extraordinary encounter at the bottom of the pool?

The crowd was filled with doubt and uncertainty, but even more so with elation. The stronger Lu Zhao became, the greater their chances of leaving this place alive!

Lu Zhao's gaze swept over the crowd. Seeing their exhaustion, but also the renewed hope in their eyes, he nodded slightly. He didn't explain what had happened to him, but simply said in a deep voice:

"I am unharmed and have even gained some opportunities. But this place is not a place to stay for long. Although that monster is injured, it may attract its own kind or something even more terrifying. The passage behind the waterfall is our only way out at the moment."

His tone was resolute, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Everyone, check your belongings immediately, help each other, we're setting off right now to leave this cave, follow the passage upwards, and return to the surface!"