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

Deep within the city lord's mansion in Blackrock City, there is an even more secluded quiet room.

Located underground, this place is constructed of special stone and is covered with layers of spiritual energy gathering, calming, and protective formations. It is rich in spiritual energy and exceptionally tranquil, serving as Liu Xuanfeng's temporary cultivation retreat.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on a futon, his expression solemn. Before him floated a drop of liquid, about the size of a pigeon's egg, milky white in color, with a hazy, shimmering light flowing within. This liquid appeared ordinary, yet it emitted a refreshing and invigorating fragrance; a single whiff was enough to make one feel refreshed and invigorated, even invigorating one's spiritual energy. Even more strangely, the space around it rippled subtly, as if containing some profound rhythm.

It is a rare treasure of heaven and earth—a stalactite that has stood for ten thousand years.

"This item was obtained by me in an underground cave many years ago. It was not easy to collect and contains the essence of the earth. It has the effects of cleansing the marrow and strengthening the foundation of one's cultivation, nourishing the soul, and purifying spiritual energy. It is most suitable for your current condition." Liu Xuanfeng stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm. "You should take it and refine it using your own cultivation method. I will be here to protect you and prevent demonic thoughts from backfiring. The refining process may be somewhat painful. You need to guard your spiritual platform, guide the medicinal power, and focus on cleansing the sea of ​​consciousness, strengthening the seal, and nourishing the soul."

"This junior understands, and thanks you for your generous gift, Master." Lu Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement and slight trepidation. This ten-thousand-year-old stalactite was a priceless treasure for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It could not only greatly enhance cultivation and solidify the foundation, but more importantly, it could nourish the soul and had a strong suppressing and purifying effect on the demonic thoughts that were sealed in his sea of ​​consciousness. The fact that Liu Xuanfeng was willing to take out this item showed his character.

Without further hesitation, he opened his mouth and inhaled, and the drop of ancient stalactite transformed into a stream of milky white light, disappearing into his mouth.

The moment the stalactite entered his stomach, it didn't transform into a surging torrent of heat. Instead, it felt like a warm, sweet spring, instantly spreading throughout his body. An indescribable coolness and comfort instantly enveloped his entire being. Lu Zhao felt as if every pore on his body had opened up, and every cell was cheering and greedily absorbing this incomparably pure energy, containing boundless vitality and the essence of the earth.

The "Silent Extinction Heavenly Art" and "True Dragon Hundred Transformations" operated automatically, guiding this pure energy to flow slowly through the meridians. The Silent Dragon Qi, like a parched riverbed being nourished, became more solid and serene. Wherever it passed, some subtle, previously unnoticed hidden injuries in the meridians were quietly repaired, and the meridian walls faintly gleamed with a warm luster, becoming more resilient. The Dark Golden Dragon Emperor Qi appeared even more active, like rain after a long drought, greedily devouring the essence from the stalactites. Its color seemed purer, and a trace of its majestic imperial aura condensed.

But this was just the beginning. With Lu Zhao's conscious guidance, most of the essence of the stalactites flowed into his sea of ​​consciousness like rivers flowing into the sea.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, which had been somewhat dim and stagnant due to the erosion of demonic thoughts and the sealing of Liu Xuanfeng's sword intent, a milky-white, gentle yet powerful energy surged in, nourishing every inch of "land" like a spring breeze and rain. The divine soul power that had been consumed and damaged in the previous fight against demonic thoughts was quickly replenished and repaired, and the entire sea of ​​consciousness seemed to become "brighter" and "more stable."

In the center of his sea of ​​consciousness, within the cage woven from countless fine threads of sword intent, the dark red demonic thought seemed to sense a threat, frantically assaulting the seal and emitting a silent shriek. Milky-white stalactite energy flowed through, some absorbed by Lu Zhao's soul, while the rest, as if possessing sentience, actively coiled around the sword intent cage, giving the sword intent threads a warm, milky-white luster, making them even more resilient and stable. Some even subtle energy seeped through the gaps in the cage, making contact with the dark red demonic thought.

"Hiss hiss hiss..."

Like cold water dripping into hot oil, the milky white energy made a silent "melting" sound the moment it came into contact with the dark red demonic thought. The dark red demonic thought seemed to have met its nemesis, violently twisting and retreating, its color even dimming slightly. Although this dissolution was insignificant to the entire demonic thought, it was undoubtedly a good sign, indicating that the power of the ten-thousand-year-old stalactite could indeed restrain and purify it.

However, as the energy from the stalactites continued to flow in, the refining process entered its deepest stages. The gentle energy began to reveal its domineering side. This cleansing and purification was not merely repair, but a process of destruction followed by reconstruction. Lu Zhao felt waves of soreness, numbness, itching, and pain emanating from his entire body—bones, meridians, and internal organs—as if countless tiny needles were pricking him simultaneously, or as if countless ants were gnawing at him. This pain was not excruciating, but rather persistent and relentless, penetrating every crevice and testing his will.

More importantly, there was the sea of ​​consciousness. The overwhelming energy, while nourishing the soul and reinforcing the seal, also brought a feeling of "swelling pain." The sea of ​​consciousness felt as if it were about to burst open, and the soul experienced a dizzying sensation of "overeating." The sealed demonic thoughts, stimulated by the pain and the energy of the stalactites, resisted even more fiercely, constantly impacting the seal, attempting to amplify the pain and the feeling of "fullness," and disrupt Lu Zhao's mind.

"Keep your mind focused, without a single thought arising, and all worries cease. Guide the medicinal power, circulating it throughout your body, returning it to your dantian, nourishing your soul, and strengthening the seal." Liu Xuanfeng's calm voice rang in my ears, carrying a strange and soothing power.

Lu Zhao gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, enduring the pervasive pain and the dizziness and fullness in his mind. Following Liu Xuanfeng's instructions, he circulated his cultivation technique with all his might, guiding the energy of the stalactites through a series of major cycles within his body, continuously purifying and absorbing it, and channeling excess energy that could not be absorbed temporarily into his dantian for storage. At the same time, he multitasked, using the Nirvana Visualization Technique to visualize the true meaning of Nirvana, suppressing his mind and resisting the interference of demonic thoughts.

Time passed slowly. In the quiet room, only Lu Zhao's heavy breathing and the foul-smelling black impurities constantly being expelled from his pores were heard. These were the accumulated toxins and hidden injuries in his body, being cleansed and expelled by the stalactites.

He didn't know how much time had passed—perhaps a day, perhaps two. When the last trace of energy from the stalactite was completely refined and absorbed, Lu Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes shone with a sharp, inner light, radiating brilliance. His aura was far more solid and profound than before, subtly exuding a sense of perfect perfection. Although his cultivation hadn't immediately broken through to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, his Dao foundation had been solidified to its limit, his spiritual power incredibly pure, and he was only a thin veil away from the Great Perfection. More importantly, his divine soul power surged, his sea of ​​consciousness became clear and stable, and his perception range and thought speed had increased several times over. The lingering pain and coldness from the sword intent seal between his brows had also greatly diminished, even enveloped by a touch of warmth, feeling even more stable.

"How are you feeling?" Liu Xuanfeng's voice came.

Lu Zhao quickly stood up, bowed deeply, and said gratefully, "Thank you for your kindness, Master! I have never felt so good. My Dao foundation is solid, my spiritual power is pure, and my soul has greatly improved. The demonic thoughts that were eroding me have also been suppressed by the power of the stalactites, and the seal is even more secure."

Liu Xuanfeng carefully examined Lu Zhao and nodded slightly: "Not bad. The medicinal power of the ten-thousand-year-old stalactite is mild and mellow, and you have absorbed it quite thoroughly. Your foundation is already extremely solid, and there should be no bottleneck before you form your core. That demonic thought has also been temporarily suppressed, but you must not be careless. This thing is like a maggot clinging to your bones, entangled with your dragon energy. The stalactite can only suppress and weaken it, but cannot eradicate it. You need to constantly nourish and break through the seal with the True Meaning of Nirvana and your own dragon energy, and find a way to cure it completely."

"I will remember this."

"Hmm. Your foundation is solid, and your spirit is strong. It's time," Liu Xuanfeng said. "Come with me to the Scripture Pavilion."

The Xuantian Sword Sect's headquarters in Black Rock City was located in the west of the city. It was a large and heavily guarded mansion. Deep inside the mansion, there was an inconspicuous three-story gray-white building. It looked ordinary, but Lu Zhao could sense that the building was surrounded by layers of terrifying array formations and restrictions, and several hidden but powerful auras were lurking in the shadows.

This is the outer sect's scripture repository, established by the Xuantian Sword Sect. Although it is only an outer sect, the Xuantian Sword Sect, as a major sect in the sword path, has a collection in its scripture repository that is enough to make countless cultivators envious.

Liu Xuanfeng led Lu Zhao to the front of the small building, took out a sword-shaped token, and waved it at the door. The door slid open silently, revealing rows of towering bookshelves, and the faint scent of ink and the atmosphere of time.

"The library here is divided into three levels. The first level mainly contains miscellaneous knowledge, travelogues, geography, anecdotes, basic cultivation techniques, and spells. The second level contains intermediate-level cultivation techniques, sword manuals, secret arts, pill formulas, and formations from various schools. The third level contains some more precious or obscure high-level inheritances, secrets, incomplete ancient books, as well as cultivation insights and notes from senior members of the sect," Liu Xuanfeng explained. "You have three days to freely browse all the jade slips and books on the first and second levels. The third level requires me to open it personally, and you may also enter, but some jade slips are subject to restrictions and cannot be viewed by those who are not disciples of this sect or have made sufficient contributions. You may read as much as you want, but you must not share it with others or make copies. After three days, regardless of what you have gained, you must leave."

"Yes, junior understands, thank you, Master." Lu Zhao suppressed his excitement. Although it was impossible to see everything in three days, it was already an immense opportunity for him. What he needed most right now was information on body tempering, swordsmanship, movement techniques, and any secret methods or insights that could suppress or purify demonic thoughts, nourish or specially utilize dragon energy.

Liu Xuanfeng said no more, handing the sword-shaped token to a deep-set, stern-faced old man guarding the pavilion. After giving him a few instructions, he turned and left. As a Golden Core elder, he had many duties to attend to, especially the matter of the demonic dragon's remnant soul escaping into the earth's veins, which he needed to report to the sect as soon as possible.

After bowing to the old man guarding the pavilion, Lu Zhao took a deep breath and stepped into the long-awaited Sutra Repository.

The first floor was the largest, filled with bookshelves, jade slips, animal skin scrolls, and paper books neatly categorized and arranged. A cursory glance suggested there were tens of thousands of books. Lu Zhao didn't linger on the first floor; while it contained a vast array of items, they offered limited help with his current needs. He headed straight for the stairs leading to the second floor.

There was a restriction at the top of the stairs, but the old man guarding the pavilion cast a spell, temporarily opening the restriction. Lu Zhao stepped onto the second floor.

The second floor was slightly smaller, but the bookshelves were more antique and made of better materials, with a faint spiritual light flowing through them. There were significantly fewer jade slips than on the first floor, but each one was full of spiritual energy. Lu Zhao scanned them with his divine sense and saw the classification labels: sword techniques, body refinement, five elements techniques, escape techniques, formations, alchemy, talismans, miscellaneous studies, and so on.

He first arrived at the "Body Refinement" area. There were only a few dozen jade slips here, but each one looked quite ancient. Lu Zhao picked one up and probed it with his divine sense.

"The Vajra Subduing Demon Body is a Buddhist body-refining method that requires the combined power of Buddha to cultivate to a high level, which can lead to an indestructible Vajra body..."

"The 'Wood Longevity Body' is a wood-attribute body-refining method. It is full of vitality and has miraculous effects in healing and prolonging life, but its offensive capabilities are somewhat weak..."

""Earth Yuan Magnetic Gang Body" uses the earth's magnetic force to refine the body. When it is completed, the body can be like a magnetic gang, invulnerable to all laws..."

Lu Zhao scanned through them one by one. These body-refining methods all had their unique features, but either their attributes didn't match, or their requirements were special, or they weren't as profound as his existing "Silent Annihilation Heavenly Art" and "True Dragon Hundred Transformations." He mainly wanted to find some secret methods or insights that he could learn from, supplement his existing techniques, or that involved the use of dragon energy.

Soon, a jade slip titled "Miscellaneous Talks on the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon" caught his attention. This was not a cultivation technique, but rather a travelogue by a senior member of the Xuan Tian Sword Sect. It recorded that he had seen fragments about the "Nine Transformations of the True Dragon" at some ancient ruins, and included his various conjectures and deductions about the bloodline and application of dragon energy. Although it was not systematic, some of his insights were eye-opening for Lu Zhao, especially his ideas on how to simulate, attract, and refine different attributes of dragon energy with a human body, which were quite inspiring to him.

He immediately memorized the contents of the jade slip. Then, he found several other jade slips containing miscellaneous anecdotes and stories related to the dragon race, and read them one by one. Although they did not contain specific cultivation techniques, they broadened his horizons and deepened his understanding of the dragon race and dragon energy.

Next is the "Sword Techniques" section. There are many more jade slips here, no less than several hundred, each exuding a chilling sword aura. Lu Zhao's main cultivation is not the sword path, but the "Silent Annihilation Heavenly Art" can utilize sword techniques, and the sword path is unparalleled in offensive and defensive combat, so he naturally wants to learn a thing or two from it.

He was looking for sword techniques suitable for body-refining cultivators, or those containing special artistic conceptions (such as annihilation, slaughter, or profundity). Soon, several jade slips came into his view.

"The 'Chongyue Sword Technique' uses brute force to overcome skill; its sword momentum is as solid as a mountain, suitable for those with immense strength and profound spiritual power..."

"The Sword of Splitting Light and Shadow: The sword transforms into light and shadow, creating a play of illusion and reality, emphasizing speed and change..."

"The Sword of Annihilation and No Life (Fragment)" This sword technique contains the true meaning of annihilation, and the sword strikes without birth. Unfortunately, only the first three moves are available...

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. The Sword of Annihilation and No Life! It matched the essence of the Annihilation Heavenly Art he cultivated! He immediately picked up the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

The jade slip indeed contained only three sword techniques: Annihilation Slash, Lifeless Thrust, and Return to Nothingness Twist. The techniques were simple, yet their meaning was profound, elucidating a sword intent of annihilation where all things return to nothingness, devoid of life. Although it was only a fragment, and its cultivation required rigorous understanding of the true meaning of annihilation, it was tailor-made for Lu Zhao! He was confident that, combined with his own Annihilation Dragon Qi, he could unleash the true power of this sword technique.

He treasured these three sword techniques, memorizing their techniques of energy application and key principles.

Next, in the "Escape Techniques" area, he found a movement technique called "Soaring Dragon Step." This technique wasn't part of the Xuan Tian Sword Sect's core inheritance; it was created by a senior who observed a dragon manipulating clouds and rain. When used, the movement was like a soaring dragon, agile and ethereal, extremely fast, and contained a hint of dragon-like transformation, perfectly complementing his own dragon aura. Although not as exquisite as the short-distance maneuvering of the "Soaring Dragon Step," it was superior in long-distance attacks and dodging group attacks. Lu Zhao memorized it without hesitation.

Afterwards, he meticulously searched the "Miscellaneous Studies" and "Insights" sections for jade slips and classic texts on topics such as "purifying demonic thoughts," "nourishing the soul," "the wondrous uses of dragon energy," and "exploring ley lines." He reaped considerable rewards, finding several formulas for nourishing the soul (including incomplete annotations of the "Soul-Nourishing and Spirit-Refining Pill" mentioned by the Azure Wave Fairy), several methods for calming the mind and suppressing inner demons, as well as some unorthodox techniques regarding the characteristics of ley lines, how to detect anomalies in ley lines, and even tracking special auras within ley lines. This knowledge might be helpful in his future search for the remnants of the demonic dragon's soul or in resolving his own hidden demonic thoughts.

Before he knew it, two days had passed. Lu Zhao had been working day and night, absorbing the knowledge with an insatiable thirst. Nourished by the ancient stalactites, his soul had become exceptionally powerful, and his memory and comprehension abilities far surpassed what they had been before. Even so, faced with a vast sea of ​​books, he could only select the most urgent and relevant parts to memorize.

On the third day, he ascended to the third level. There were even fewer jade slips on the third level, only a hundred or so, each enveloped in spiritual light, some even locked in specially made jade boxes, clearly more precious.

The old man guarding the pavilion followed behind expressionlessly, clearly to prevent him from touching the core inheritances that were protected by restrictions.

Lu Zhao quickly browsed through the collection. Sure enough, it contained fragments or introductions to some high-level sword techniques and secret arts, as well as records of ancient secrets, rare treasures, and special physiques. He even saw a jade slip titled "True Dragon Fighting Heaven Technique (Speculation)," which seemed to be an extremely powerful innate divine ability that imitated the fighting of a true dragon. However, it was marked "Speculation, Unverified, Practice with Caution," which greatly intrigued him. Unfortunately, the jade slip was protected by a restriction, preventing him from viewing its contents.

Finally, in a corner, he found an inconspicuous, grayish-brown bone fragment. The fragment was neither gold nor jade, and felt cold to the touch. It bore some blurry, indistinct patterns. The old man guarding the pavilion glanced at it and said calmly, "This item was obtained by a senior member of our sect from an ancient battlefield. Its material is unknown, and the patterns on it resemble ancient demonic script, but no one can decipher them. It has been here for a long time. If you are interested, you may take it to study, but you must not damage it."

Lu Zhao's heart stirred, and he picked up the bone fragment. The instant he touched it, the dormant Annihilation Dragon Qi within him fluctuated slightly! Though extremely subtle, he detected it. This bone fragment seemed to be related to the power of annihilation?

He carefully put away the bone fragment and thanked the old man guarding the pavilion. The three-day period was drawing to a close; though he felt it wasn't enough, he was content. The trip had yielded far more than he had expected: a fragment of the *Sword of Silent Annihilation*, *The Soaring Dragon's Steps*, *Miscellaneous Notes on the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon*, numerous alchemical formulas and insights, and this mysterious bone fragment…

Leaving the Scripture Pavilion and returning to the City Lord's mansion, Lu Zhao felt a sense of fulfillment. The threat of demonic influence remained, and the road ahead was fraught with peril, but with these gains, greater strength, and a broader perspective, he felt more confident.

"Next, I need to digest what I've gained, and then... it's time to leave. The matter of Blackrock City is settled; it's time to return to the Earth Origin Sect and make final preparations for Core Formation. As for the remnant soul of the Demonic Dragon and the Netherworld Sect... I'll deal with them after I've formed my Core!"

A glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes.