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

The moment Lu Zhao rushed into the spatial rift, he felt as if he had fallen into an extremely violent vortex.

The surroundings were endless darkness and chaos. Countless tiny yet powerful spatial turbulences, capable of tearing through metal, slashed towards them like blades. Furthermore, violent and unpredictable void gales howled and crashed against them. In such an environment, the protective spiritual light of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator would probably not even last a breath before being shredded into dust along with their physical body.

Lu Zhao was prepared. The moment he rushed into the rift, he activated the True Dragon Transformation Technique to its limit. The Dark Golden Dragon Emperor's Qi formed a layer of solidified pale golden aura on his body, like dragon scales, resisting the cutting force of the spatial turbulence. At the same time, the Annihilation Dragon Qi circulated rapidly within his body, and the aura of Annihilation and Return to Nothingness spread out, actually weakening the tearing sensation brought by the void gale that impacted his soul. He possessed dual dragon energies, and his physical body, strengthened by the True Dragon Transformation Technique and the ten-thousand-year-old stalactite, was already far superior to others of the same level. At this moment, he was only able to barely stabilize his body inside the raging spatial rift by defending with all his might.

But he only managed to stabilize himself. The overwhelming suction force didn't disappear; instead, it came from all directions, dragging him towards the depths of the crack, towards the point of dark golden light. Lu Zhao simply stopped resisting and instead used this suction force to push the "Dragon Soaring Step" to its limit. His figure was like a fish swimming upstream, moving with difficulty but determination towards his goal.

The closer they got, the more violent the surrounding spatial turbulence became, and the fiercer the void winds grew. The pale golden aura around Lu Zhao's body fluctuated violently, emitting cracking sounds as if it were about to shatter under the strain. His spiritual energy was also being rapidly depleted.

But his eyes were fixed on that single point of dark golden light ahead. In the vision of the Eye of Annihilation, the light grew clearer and clearer. It was a crystal about the size of a fist, entirely dark golden, with liquid flowing inside, radiating pure, ancient, and heavy dragon energy!

"It really is a ley line dragon crystal! And its quality is extremely high, far exceeding that of a low-grade one!" Lu Zhao was thrilled. Such a pure ley line dragon crystal was not only far more valuable than the mission requirements, but it could also greatly benefit his cultivation of the True Dragon Transformation, his comprehension of the ley line dragon energy, and even his future core formation.

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang… the distance was shrinking, but Lu Zhao's pressure was also increasing. The dragon energy on his body was cracked, and several wisps of spatial turbulence broke through his defenses, leaving several deep, bone-revealing bloodstains on his body. The blood that had just seeped out was blown away by the void winds. His soul was being pierced by countless fine needles, the pain unbearable. If it weren't for his strong soul and the protection of the Annihilation Dragon Energy, he would have collapsed long ago.

Just as his protective aura was about to shatter completely, and he was only a foot away from the earth vein dragon crystal, he gritted his teeth and poured the last bit of annihilating dragon energy into the black longsword in his hand.

"Annihilation, Slay!"

There was no dazzling sword light, only an extreme, seemingly all-consuming dark sword aura, which sliced ​​through the last few violent spatial turbulences in front of it as easily as cutting tofu, creating a brief passage!

Lu Zhao moved with lightning speed. The moment the passage appeared, he lunged forward, his left hand forming a claw with five fingers, carrying a faint golden dragon aura, and fiercely grabbed at the dark golden crystal floating in the turbulent current!

The weight felt warm and smooth to the touch, and a powerful, pure dragon energy surged into his body through his arm, invigorating him. It was done!

However, the moment he grasped the earth vein dragon crystal, a sudden change occurred!

This dragon crystal didn't seem to float there naturally. Below it, there appeared to be an extremely thin, almost transparent, dark gold line, the other end of which extended into the endless darkness deeper into the crack. Lu Zhao grabbed the dragon crystal, trying to take it off, but found that the line was exceptionally tough and seemed to have a life of its own, suddenly trembling!

Immediately afterwards, a massive, chaotic force, filled with endless resentment, savagery, and a hint of...familiar dragon might, roared down along the thin dark golden line!

Lu Zhao was absolutely familiar with this dragon's might! It shared the same origin as the aura of the remnant demonic dragon's soul beneath Blackrock City! Only it was much weaker and more chaotic, as if it were just a wisp of countless broken thoughts!

"Not good!" Lu Zhao's expression changed drastically, and alarm bells rang in his mind. This earth vein dragon crystal was actually formed from the remnant soul of that demonic dragon, or rather, its dissipated power, condensed in this spatial rift? Or was the dragon crystal itself some kind of "bait" or "tentacle" placed here by the remnant soul of the demonic dragon?

Before he could think further, the chaotic dragon's might surged along the thin thread, heading straight for Lu Zhao's sea of ​​consciousness! At the same time, the already incredibly violent spatial turbulence and void gales around him seemed to be stimulated by something, suddenly becoming even more intense and disorderly, like boiling water!

puff!

Lu Zhao's pale golden aura, already riddled with cracks, finally shattered completely. Several spatial turbulence slashed fiercely at him, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds from which blood gushed forth. Even more terrifying, the chaotic dragon's might surged into his sea of ​​consciousness, directly attacking the "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Intent" seal left by Liu Xuanfeng!

The seal was impacted, and its light shone brightly. The sharp sword intent shredded most of the chaotic dragon's might, but some strands of resentful and violent thoughts still seeped in and resonated with the dark red demonic thought within the seal!

"roar--!"

Lu Zhao seemed to hear a faint, yet powerful, dragon's roar, filled with endless resentment and madness, resounding deep within his consciousness! The dark red demonic thoughts within the seal, like a raging fire doused with hot oil, suddenly surged and frantically assaulted the sword intent seal! Although the seal remained stable, the intense pain from the impact caused Lu Zhao's vision to go black, and he almost fainted.

"We must leave immediately!" Lu Zhao endured the excruciating pain and the shock to his soul, forcefully stuffing the Earth Vein Dragon Crystal into his storage bag. At the same time, he activated the last "Taiyi Dividing Light Sword Talisman" given to him by Liu Xuanfeng without hesitation!

This sword talisman was a life-saving item bestowed upon him by Liu Xuanfeng. It contained the full power of a sword cultivator in the early Golden Core stage and could also be used for self-defense. Now, facing a desperate situation, with raging spatial turbulence ahead, demonic thoughts stirring behind, and the unknown remnant soul of a demonic dragon lurking nearby, he had no time to cherish it!

The jade sword shattered, and an incredibly condensed pale golden sword aura enveloped Lu Zhao, forming an oval-shaped sword light shield. The moment the sword light shield appeared, it annihilated and dispersed the surrounding spatial turbulence and void gales, protecting Lu Zhao as he shot back like an arrow, heading in the direction he had come from—the relatively stable "entrance" to the spatial rift!

The sword light shield was incredibly powerful, causing spatial turbulence to retreat wherever it passed. However, it lasted only a very short time and consumed a huge amount of Lu Zhao's spiritual energy. He gritted his teeth, frantically channeling the little spiritual energy he had left, and combined it with the sword light shield to rush outwards.

Behind him, from the endless depths of darkness, a silent roar seemed to rise, even more furious and frenzied. The thin, dark golden thread connecting the earth's vein dragon crystal suddenly taut, as if trying to drag Lu Zhao back. But the sword light shield was incredibly sharp; a flash of pale golden sword energy severed the thread!

The moment the thin thread snapped, Lu Zhao vaguely "heard" a mournful cry filled with resentment. Immediately afterward, the chaotic dragon's might and resentment receded like a tide.

With the power of the sword talisman, Lu Zhao finally broke out of the most turbulent area and saw the twisted, slowly shrinking spatial rift "exit" ahead.

Without the slightest hesitation, he squeezed out the last bit of spiritual power, his figure transformed into a stream of light, and he burst out of the crack!

The scenery before his eyes changed, and the familiar dark red rocks, leaden sky, and chaotic spiritual energy reappeared. Lu Zhao staggered and fell from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the hard ground, rolling several feet before barely managing to regain his balance.

*Pfft!* He couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood. His clothes were torn, and he was covered with dozens of wounds of varying sizes, some so deep that bone was visible. Some wounds still had spatial energy remaining at their edges, preventing them from healing, causing excruciating pain. In his sea of ​​consciousness, although the demonic thoughts within the seal had been suppressed again, the impact had caused the seal to dim somewhat, and a sharp pain emanated from his brow. His spiritual energy was completely depleted, and his meridians ached faintly.

But he did manage to come out alive! Moreover, the earth vein dragon crystal in his storage bag, radiating pure dragon energy, served as a heavy reminder that his adventure had not been in vain.

Lu Zhao struggled to sit up, quickly took out several healing and restorative pills and swallowed them. He then used the Annihilation Dragon Qi to forcefully suppress and dissipate the residual spatial power at the wound site before he had time to look around.

This was still the same area of ​​jagged rocks, but it had shifted several hundred feet away from where the spatial rift had appeared. The spatial rift had vanished as if it had never existed; only a few chaotic spatial fluctuations lingered in the air, testifying to the danger that had just occurred.

Ye Qingyi and the other two had long since disappeared. They must have escaped danger and, seeing him rush into the crevice with his fate unknown, either left or were searching for him on the outside.

Lu Zhao couldn't worry about them; his immediate priority was to heal his injuries and recover. This area was still dangerous and he shouldn't stay any longer. He forced himself to find a relatively secluded crevice in the rocks, set up a simple concealment formation, sat down cross-legged, and began to focus all his energy on healing.

The extinguished dragon energy circulated within his body, carrying the meaning of "destruction before construction." Wherever it passed, damaged meridians and flesh began to slowly repair themselves. The dark golden dragon emperor's energy nourished his body and stabilized his blood and qi. The two dragon energies complemented each other, and with the power of the elixir, the speed at which his injuries healed far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Three days later, Lu Zhao's external wounds had basically healed, his internal injuries were almost completely healed, and his spiritual power had recovered by about half. The stinging pain in his sea of ​​consciousness had also lessened considerably, and the sword intent seal had been re-established. However, that wisp of dark red demonic thought seemed to be a little more "active" than before, which cast a shadow over his heart.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer; we must leave as soon as possible." Lu Zhao dispelled the formation, preparing to search for Ye Qingyi and the other two, or simply leave the Fallen Dragon Abyss. He had already obtained the Earth Vein Dragon Crystal. Although he hadn't found the Dragon Blood Grass and the Soul-Stabilizing Flower, their value far exceeded his expectations, enough to satisfy his mission. Moreover, his encounter in the spatial rift had given him a deeper understanding of the dangers of the Fallen Dragon Abyss. The remnant soul of that demonic dragon could actually penetrate here; this place was definitely not a safe haven.

However, just as he stepped out of the crevice and prepared to determine his direction, the sensing jade slip in his arms suddenly began to heat up slightly.

"Hmm?" Lu Zhao took out the jade slip, and saw that the surface of the jade slip was emitting a soft and continuous emerald green light in a certain direction to his left.

"Is this... sensing the Dragon Blood Grass? Or... the residual fluctuations of the Earth Vein Dragon Crystal?" Lu Zhao was stunned. The jade slip had almost failed outside the Fallen Dragon Abyss before, but now it suddenly reacted, and the light was pointing in a clear direction.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go and take a look. If it really was Dragon Blood Grass, he could pick it as well. He was still recovering from his injuries and in poor condition, but if he was careful, he should be able to protect himself in the outer area as long as he didn't encounter any spatial rifts or third-tier demonic beasts like before.

Following the guidance of the jade slip, Lu Zhao concealed his aura and proceeded cautiously. After traveling for about half an hour, he arrived at the foot of a shady mountain wall covered with dark red moss. At the bottom of the mountain wall, there was a narrow crevice that could only accommodate one person at a time. From the crevice, faint spiritual energy carrying the might of a dragon emanated.

The light from the jade slip was pointing directly at this crack.

Lu Zhao activated his Eye of Annihilation to its maximum, carefully observing the inside and outside of the rift. He detected no aura of demonic beasts or cultivators, nor any obvious signs of danger. Holding a black longsword, he cautiously stepped into the rift.

The crevice was initially extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a small, natural stone chamber, less than ten zhang in diameter. In the center of the chamber was a small pool of dark red, viscous liquid, exuding a strong stench of blood and a pure dragon's might. At the edge of the blood pool, in a crevice in the stone, grew three spiritual herbs, entirely crimson, with long, narrow, sword-like leaves, dark gold patterns on their surfaces, and a small, blood-red flower at their tip.

"Dragon Blood Grass! And judging by its age, it's at least five hundred years old!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. The jade slip he sensed was precisely sensing these few Dragon Blood Grass plants. This place was secluded, and with the small pool containing dragon blood essence to nourish it, it was no wonder that such ancient Dragon Blood Grass could grow here.

He carefully inspected the stone chamber, and after confirming there was no danger, he cautiously stepped forward, took out a jade shovel, and harvested the three dragon blood herbs intact, placing them in a specially made jade box for safekeeping. He also collected most of the dragon blood essence from the small pool in a jade bottle. This substance also has miraculous effects on body tempering and alchemy.

Having finished all this, Lu Zhao was about to leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over an inconspicuous, moss-covered stone in the corner of the stone chamber. Under the Eyes of Annihilation, he vaguely saw a faint, strange emerald green light flickering inside the stone, completely different from the spiritual energy emitted by the Dragon Blood Grass, cooler and gentler, carrying a unique charm that nourished the soul.

"This is..." Lu Zhao's heart stirred. He stepped forward, brushed away the moss, and examined it carefully. There was nothing unusual on the surface of the stone, but the emerald green light spots became clearer and clearer in the vision of his Eyes of Annihilation, as if they originated from inside the stone.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a subtle, ethereal sword aura shot out, carefully slicing open the surface of the stone. Inside, the stone was not solid, but hollow, and inside lay a peculiar plant.

This plant, no more than three inches tall, is crystal clear like jade, with seven narrow, jade-carved leaves, their surfaces shimmering with a faint emerald green light. At its tip, a tiny, thumb-sized, pale golden bud awaits its bloom. Though closed, the bud releases wisps of refreshing, invigorating fragrance that instantly clears the mind and soothes the soul.

"Soul-Stabilizing Flower?!" Lu Zhao could hardly believe his eyes! The missing main ingredient in Fairy Azure Waves's elixir formula, the rare spiritual medicine that Elder Red Pine had offered as an extra reward, a top-grade natural treasure that nourishes the soul and stabilizes the mind, had actually appeared before him like this? Moreover, judging from the state of the flower bud, it seemed to be about to bloom?

He suppressed his excitement and examined it carefully. Indeed, its shape, color, and that unique, soul-nourishing, cool fragrance were exactly as the Fairy of the Azure Waves had described! This was definitely a Soul-Stabilizing Flower about to mature! Moreover, judging from its growth in a place where dragon blood essence converged, absorbing nourishment from dragon blood, its quality was probably even superior to ordinary Soul-Stabilizing Flowers!

"I've searched high and low without finding it, and now it's right here!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. With this Soul-Stabilizing Flower, he could not only ask Fairy Bibo to refine the "Soul-Nourishing and Spirit-Refining Pill" to completely resolve the hidden dangers of demonic thoughts in his sea of ​​consciousness, but he could also exchange it for a precious "Golden Core Pill" from Elder Chisong! The two biggest stumbling blocks on the path to Core Formation were about to be kicked away!

He carefully placed the entire "flower-hiding stone" into his storage bag, not daring to damage it in the slightest. The Soul-Stabilizing Flower is extremely delicate; its harvesting and preservation require special techniques, ideally transplanted entirely with its original soil (or supporting structure). This stone, capable of nurturing a Soul-Stabilizing Flower, must be extraordinary; taking it along is the safest course of action.

After doing all this, Lu Zhao took a deep breath to calm his excited emotions. Although this trip to Dragon Abyss was extremely dangerous, and he almost perished in the spatial rift, the gains were also enormous! Not only did he obtain the mission objectives of the leyline dragon crystal and dragon blood grass, but he also unexpectedly obtained the Soul-Stabilizing Flower he had been dreaming of! He also managed to resolve the crisis for Ye Qingyi and the other two.

"It's time to leave." Lu Zhao took one last look at the small stone chamber, then turned and walked out of the crevice without lingering any longer.

Having determined his direction, he headed towards the outer perimeter of Fallen Dragon Abyss. His injuries were not yet healed, and his condition was poor; it was not advisable to linger. He planned to leave Fallen Dragon Abyss first, find a safe place to fully heal and recover, and then return to the Earth Origin Sect to complete his mission, exchange for the Golden Condensation Pill, and ask Fairy Azure Waves to refine it.

However, he had only walked less than ten miles when three figures suddenly appeared from behind a low hillside ahead, blocking his path.

The leader was tall and thin with a sinister face. He wore a black robe embroidered with eerie skull patterns and exuded the spiritual energy of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he coldly stared at Lu Zhao. Behind him were two men, one tall and one short, both dressed in similar attire and with cultivation levels at the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Upon seeing these three people, especially the skull patterns on their robes, Lu Zhao's pupils constricted, and a sense of unease arose in his heart.

"The Netherworld Cult?"