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

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past three days, Lu Zhao had not left the villa. He meditated quietly, adjusting his state to its peak. The annihilation dragon energy and the dark gold dragon energy flowed slowly through his meridians; one was condensed and restrained, containing a new life force of destruction; the other was magnificent and vast, concealing the majesty of an emperor. After the life-and-death battle with the Blood Bone Demon, the fusion of the two dragon energies seemed to have deepened, and their circulation became more harmonious and effortless.

He repeatedly rehearsed the possible scenarios and how to deal with them. He kept the "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Talisman" bestowed upon him by Liu Xuanfeng close to his body. This talisman resembled a small jade sword, its surface warm and smooth, emitting a faint sword hum. Activated with spiritual power, it could instantly deploy a sword light shield and automatically counterattack attackers, its power comparable to a full-force strike from a Golden Core stage sword cultivator—a true life-saving item. In addition, he had exchanged several unused demonic artifacts from the Black Rock City Lord for several high-level defensive and escape talismans, just in case.

On the morning of the fourth day, at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Lu Zhao arrived at Liu Xuanfeng's quiet room on time. Liu Xuanfeng and Tieshan were already seated, both ready. Liu Xuanfeng was still wearing his moon-white sword robe, his aura as deep as the sea. Tieshan, on the other hand, had changed into a tight-fitting outfit, the massive sword on his back radiating a heavy spiritual pressure, making him appear even more imposing.

"Here you are." Liu Xuanfeng glanced at Lu Zhao and nodded slightly. "You're in good condition. Keep this safe."

He flicked his wrist, and a streak of light flew toward Lu Zhao. Lu Zhao caught it; it was slightly cool to the touch. It was a bead the size of a pigeon's egg, with a hazy blue color throughout, and it seemed as if clouds and mist were flowing inside.

"This is the 'Wind-Stabilizing Pearl,' which can stabilize the earth, fire, wind, and water elements, protect the mind, and resist the erosion of demonic energy. When you go deep into the demonic swamp, the demonic energy is dense and has the effect of confusing the mind. This item can help you keep your mind clear," Liu Xuanfeng explained.

Lu Zhao quickly thanked him, put away the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, and placed it together with the sword talisman. Although this item was not an offensive or defensive treasure, it could resist the erosion of demonic energy and protect the mind. In the demon cave, its value was no less than that of an offensive magic weapon.

"Let's go." Liu Xuanfeng said no more. With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped Lu Zhao. The next moment, the three of them transformed into two streaks of light (Tieshan also wielded a giant sword), soaring into the sky and flying towards the huge demonic pit outside Black Rock City.

The Golden Core cultivators flew through the air at incredible speed. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three of them had already arrived at the edge of the enormous pit.

From the air, the crater was even more terrifying than it appeared from the ground. Over a thousand feet in diameter and seemingly bottomless, its steep walls exhibited a vitrified state, as if scorched by intense heat, reflecting an eerie luster in the dim morning light. Inside, dense, ink-like demonic energy churned and churned, forming black "clouds" from which faint, chilling roars and writhing sounds could be heard. At the very bottom, it was utterly pitch black; probing with divine sense was like throwing a stone into the sea—only a chaotic, violent, and chilling aura could be sensed.

At intervals along the edge of the pit, there are talismans shimmering with golden light, which are the "Demon-Sealing Talismans" set up by Liu Xuanfeng. They form a simple array to prevent the demonic energy from leaking out further and to restrict the range of movement of the demons in the pit.

"Such dense demonic energy!" Tie Shan said in a deep voice, his brows furrowed. "It seems even denser than it was two days ago. It looks like that thing is recovering quite quickly."

Liu Xuanfeng's expression was solemn: "This place has become a demonic lair, and the earth's veins have been polluted. If it is not controlled, it will surely become a disaster in the future. After we go down, Junior Brother Tieshan, you are responsible for clearing out the demons along the way, especially those that are newly born and have the potential to advance. Young Friend Lu, stay close to me and do not leave my ten-zhang range. Once I tell you to release your dragon energy, release only a trace, and do not release too much, lest you overstimulate it and cause unpredictable changes. Remember, your task is to lure the snake out of its hole, not to fight it to the death. If anything changes, immediately activate the sword talisman and the escape talisman and retreat out of the pit. Junior Brother Tieshan and I will cover your retreat."

"This junior understands." Lu Zhao nodded, took a deep breath, and held the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl in his hand. The cool aura flowed into his body, and his mind became clear. The pervasive feeling of demonic energy eroding him was also greatly reduced.

"Walk!"

Liu Xuanfeng let out a low shout and took the lead, falling into the deep pit. Tieshan followed closely behind, and Lu Zhao, enveloped by Liu Xuanfeng's spiritual power, also plummeted downwards.

Upon entering the pit, the surrounding scenery abruptly changed. The light dimmed rapidly, as if jumping from daylight to midnight in an instant. Thick demonic energy, seemingly alive, surged in from all directions, attempting to penetrate the three's protective aura. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur, blood, and decay, making one want to vomit. Various eerie sounds constantly echoed in their ears: whispers, roars, cries, maniacal laughter… intertwining and assaulting their senses.

The Wind-Stabilizing Pearl in Lu Zhao's hand emitted a faint azure halo, isolating him from the surging demonic energy and diminishing the mind-altering sounds. He focused his gaze and saw that the pit walls were covered with all sorts of bizarre, mutated vines and moss, corrupted by demonic energy, as well as some red, eye-like fungi. Deeper inside, he could vaguely see twisted shadows darting through the demonic energy, exuding a ferocious aura.

"You beast, prepare to die!" Tie Shan roared, and the giant sword behind him shot into the sky, transforming into a huge sword light, which slashed down fiercely at a corner below where demonic energy was particularly dense and several powerful auras were hidden!

Boom!

Where the sword light passed, the demonic energy dissipated, revealing the scene below. Several lizard-like creatures, covered in bone spurs and oozing pus, were perched on a recessed rock wall, greedily absorbing the demonic energy. Sensing the threat, they let out piercing hiss, spewing dark green poisonous flames from their mouths to meet the sword light head-on.

However, these demonic creatures, at most at the early stage of the third rank, were utterly no match for the attack of the Golden Core sword cultivator. The sword light sliced ​​through the poisonous flames like a hot knife through butter, easily turning the demonic creatures and the rock wall they occupied into dust!

"These demonic creatures are born from the demonic energy dissipated from the remnant soul of that demonic dragon, or from the transformation of monsters and creatures corrupted by that demonic energy. They are of low intelligence and only know how to kill and devour. If they are not cleaned up regularly, they will soon grow in number." Liu Xuanfeng explained to Lu Zhao as he slowly descended. At the same time, he pointed his fingers like a sword and pointed them out from time to time. The condensed sword energy seemed to have eyes, accurately killing some of the more hidden demonic creatures that tried to attack from the shadows.

Lu Zhao observed silently, his heart filled with dread. They had only descended a hundred feet, yet they had already encountered no fewer than dozens of demonic creatures, including several at the third rank. This deep pit had indeed become a demon's lair.

The deeper he went, the denser the demonic energy became, almost turning into a viscous liquid, severely restricting his vision and divine sense. The aura of the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl was also compressed to a radius of three feet around him. Various demonic shadows flickered and whispered, becoming increasingly clear, attempting to penetrate his mind. If it weren't for Lu Zhao's strong divine soul and the assistance of the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, he would probably have already wavered in his resolve.

Suddenly, a furious roar from Tieshan came from ahead, accompanied by even more intense fluctuations of spiritual energy and the howls of demons. It seemed they had encountered a tough opponent.

Liu Xuanfeng carried Lu Zhao down at an accelerated pace, and they saw a relatively open "clearing" shrouded in demonic energy in front of them, where Tieshan was fighting a huge demon.

The demon resembled a giant python, but its head was like a magnified lizard, with a single, curved horn atop its head. Its body was covered in thick, black scales with flowing, magma-like patterns, and its tail was like a battering ram, each sweep causing rock walls to crumble. Its aura had reached the peak of the third tier, comparable to a pseudo-core cultivator!

"It's a 'One-Horned Flame Lizard,' mutated after being corrupted by demonic energy, and has actually reached the peak of the third tier!" Tie Shan roared as he wielded his greatsword, clashing head-on with the demonic lizard. "Senior Brother Liu, this beast is tough and resilient; it's a bit troublesome!"

Liu Xuanfeng's gaze sharpened as he looked behind the demonic lizard. There, on the rock wall, was a cave entrance several meters wide, from which dense demonic energy was continuously pouring out, mixed with wisps of dark red, chaotic, and violent aura.

"It's one of the demon's lairs, and one of the larger ones," Liu Xuanfeng said to Lu Zhao. "Wait here for a while, and don't go any closer."

Having said that, he took a step forward, his figure already appearing above the demonic lizard. With a flick of his finger, a sword aura, condensed to its extreme, shot out like a startled swan from the heavens, piercing straight into the demonic lizard's lantern-sized scarlet eyes.

Sensing a deadly threat, the demonic lizard let out a terrified hiss, abandoned the iron mountain, and spat out a thick column of venom burning with black flames. At the same time, the single horn on its head shone brightly, and a destructive black ray shot towards Liu Xuanfeng.

However, Liu Xuanfeng moved like a ghost, dodging the black rays at the last second. The condensed sword energy pierced the venom column without any fancy moves, splitting it in two. With its remaining force, it precisely entered the demon lizard's left eye!

*Thud!* The sword energy pierced through his brain.

The lizard's massive body stiffened abruptly, then crashed to the ground, twitched twice, and remained motionless. One strike, just one strike, and a peak third-tier demon was finished.

Lu Zhao was captivated. This was the strength of a mid-stage Golden Core sword cultivator! His sword energy was refined, effortless, and decisive in killing.

Liu Xuanfeng killed the demonic lizard without even glancing at its corpse. In a flash, he arrived at the entrance of the demonic cave. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and suddenly his body shone with a dazzling sword light, as bright as the sun.

"Bipolar Magnetic Force, vanquishing evil and demons! Go!"

He let out a low shout and pushed his palms forward. A beam of light, interwoven with black and white and constantly rotating, burst forth from his palms and slammed into the entrance of the demon cave! Wherever the beam of light passed, the demonic energy seemed to have met its nemesis, dissolving and purifying itself. A series of mournful hisses and explosions came from inside the cave, clearly indicating that the demons hidden inside had been completely annihilated by this "Dual-Element Magnetic Divine Light".

A moment later, Liu Xuanfeng finished his practice, and the demonic energy emanating from the entrance of the demon cave was noticeably thinner, and the dark red, violent aura contained within it also dissipated.

"Continue downwards." Liu Xuanfeng's expression remained unchanged, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

The three continued their descent. Along the way, they encountered several more similar demonic lairs, which were cleared by Tieshan and Liu Xuanfeng. Lu Zhao also occasionally took action, using his Annihilation Sword Qi to kill some low-level demons that had escaped, honing his swordsmanship and gaining a deeper understanding of the troublesome and eerie nature of the demonic energy in this area.

The deeper one goes, the higher the temperature becomes, and the air begins to smell of sulfur. The rock walls glow faintly red, and it seems to connect to the subterranean fire below. The demonic energy also becomes increasingly viscous, almost turning into a liquid. Divine senses are compressed to their limit here, only able to extend a few feet around the wearer.

Finally, after descending about a thousand feet, the three of them reached the bottom of the pit.

This was an unimaginable sight. The bottom of the pit wasn't solid ground, but a vast, slowly flowing, viscous, dark red "swamp." Bubbles constantly rose from the swamp, bursting open to release a dense demonic aura and a pungent stench. Floating on the swamp's surface were various twisted remains, broken bones, and some partially dissolved demonic corpses. The entire swamp exuded a nauseating aura of evil, chaos, and brutality—a "Demonic Swamp" formed from demonic energy concentrated to its extreme, mixed with subterranean fire, blood, and resentment!

In the center of the swamp, the demonic energy was most concentrated, almost solidified into a black vortex, slowly rotating like a bottomless whirlpool, emanating a chilling, devouring power. Even Liu Xuanfeng and Tieshan, facing this demonic swamp, had extremely solemn expressions.

"That remnant soul is most likely hiding in the deepest part of this swamp," Liu Xuanfeng said in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as he scanned the slowly rotating black vortex. "The demonic energy here is too dense, and it's mixed with earth fire, making it difficult for divine sense to penetrate. A forced attack might trigger a demonic energy surge, or even affect the earth's veins, with unpredictable consequences."

"Senior brother, what do we do now?" Tieshan gripped his greatsword tightly, staring warily at the swamp. He could sense that a great terror was hidden deep within the black vortex.

Liu Xuanfeng looked at Lu Zhao: "Young friend Lu, it's your turn. Right here, at the edge of the swamp, release a wisp of dragon energy from within you. Remember, just a wisp, enough to attract its attention; do not release too much."

Lu Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart. As he approached the demonic swamp, the dual dragon energy within him, especially the Dark Gold Dragon Emperor energy, began to stir subtly. It seemed to both loathe the filth and evil of this place and feel a subtle connection to, or even... a longing for, the thing deep within the black vortex?

He suppressed the inexplicable restlessness and took a few steps forward as instructed, arriving at the edge of the swamp. Beneath his feet were scorching, blackened rocks tainted by demonic energy, and a few feet ahead lay the slowly flowing, foul-smelling, dark red swamp.

He closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and slowly activated a wisp of dark gold dragon emperor energy within his body. The reason he chose dark gold dragon energy was because its imperial aura was more majestic and righteous, which might be more attractive to demons and more likely to stimulate the remnant soul that bore the name of "dragon".

A faint, almost imperceptible, yet imbued with the majestic aura of an emperor, dark golden light emanated from Lu Zhao.

At first, the Demonic Swamp did not react and continued to flow slowly, with the black vortex slowly rotating.

But only three breaths later—

boom!

The entire Demonic Swamp suddenly boiled up like boiling oil that had been thrown onto a boulder!

The dark red swamp churned violently, bubbling up even more bubbles. The slowly rotating black vortex suddenly accelerated, emitting low, guttural roars as if from the depths of the netherworld! An indescribable, terrifying will, filled with greed, savagery, chaos, and a hint of ancient dragon might, abruptly awakened from the depths of the black vortex, like a slumbering beast being startled!

On the surface of the swamp, countless viscous, asphalt-like black demonic energies surged wildly towards Lu Zhao's location as if they had come to life, coalescing in the air into a huge, blurry, fang-covered phantom of a dragon's head! This phantom was countless times smaller and more illusory than the previous fleshy demonic shadow, but the two deep, pure dark red lights in its eyes were like the most evil stars, locking onto Lu Zhao!

No, to be more precise, it locked onto the trace of dark golden dragon emperor aura emanating from Lu Zhao!

"roar--!!!"

The silent roar resounded deep within Lu Zhao's soul! It was filled with endless longing, possessiveness, and a trace of... humble trembling, like a servant meeting its master?

"As expected, he's here!" Liu Xuanfeng's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he shouted, "Young friend Lu, retreat!"

The moment the dragon's head phantom appeared, Lu Zhao felt as if his soul had been struck a heavy blow, and his vision went black. If it weren't for the protection of the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl and the automatic protection of the Annihilation Dragon Qi, which extinguished part of the mental impact, he would have lost his mind instantly. Hearing Liu Xuanfeng's stern shout, he didn't hesitate and immediately activated the golden escape talisman that Liu Xuanfeng had given him earlier, which he had already been holding in his hand!

A flash of golden light, and Lu Zhao's figure vanished from his spot, reappearing a hundred feet away in mid-air, his face pale and his heart still pounding with fear. The impact of that remnant soul's will was more focused and more bizarre than the gaze of the demonic shadow before!

"Dual-polar Magnetic Force, Heaven and Earth Sword! Slash!"

Just as Lu Zhao fled, Liu Xuanfeng and Tieshan made their move!

Liu Xuanfeng clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his sword intent soaring to the heavens. The interwoven black and white "Bipolar Magnetic Divine Light" erupted from his body, transforming into a massive, slowly rotating Tai Chi diagram, suspended above the demonic swamp. The Tai Chi diagram slowly rotated, radiating a vast power to purify, suppress, and dissipate all evil. The boiling demonic swamp below was instantly suppressed as if by an invisible mountain, its surging momentum halted!

At the same time, Tieshan roared and the giant sword behind him soared into the sky. The sword grew longer as it faced the wind, transforming into a giant sword phantom that was tens of feet long and solid. The sword was surrounded by thick, earthy yellow sword energy, which carried an unparalleled momentum that could split mountains and shatter peaks. It slashed fiercely down at the black dragon head phantom that had just taken shape!

"Demon! Prepare to die!"