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

Despite his injuries, Lu Zhao forced himself to push the "Soaring Dragon Steps" to its limit, his figure almost becoming an elusive afterimage as he traversed the complex terrain surrounding the Fallen Dragon Abyss. He dared not return the way he came, fearing that the Netherworld Sect might have another ambush, or that he might be targeted by other cultivators or demonic beasts who had come upon hearing the news. Although he had quickly sealed away the fragrance of the Soul-Stabilizing Flower when it bloomed, there was no guarantee that even a trace might have leaked out and attracted covetous eyes.

He deliberately chose secluded and hidden paths, trying his best to conceal his aura and avoid any areas where there might be fluctuations in spiritual energy. His injuries were not light, and the aftereffects of forcibly activating "Annihilation - Imperial Dragon Slash" were beginning to appear. His meridians ached faintly, his qi and blood were weak, and the wisp of dark red demonic thought in his sea of ​​consciousness had become somewhat restless due to the intense battle and the stimulation of the Soul-Stabilizing Flower fragrance.

"I must heal myself immediately, otherwise my injuries will worsen, my demonic thoughts will spiral out of control, and the consequences will be unimaginable," Lu Zhao thought anxiously. Although he had quite a few healing pills on him, healing in the open here was tantamount to courting death. The Fallen Dragon Abyss was fraught with danger, and peril could strike at any moment.

As he sped along, he spread his divine sense, searching for a possible hiding place. The Eye of Annihilation was also constantly scanning the surrounding environment, looking for a place with relatively stable spiritual energy that was easy to set up an array for concealment.

After traveling for most of the day, they had traveled hundreds of miles away from the battlefield and arrived at a relatively flat area covered with low shrubs and weathered boulders. Although the spiritual energy here was still chaotic, the space was relatively stable with few spatial rifts.

Suddenly, Lu Zhao's gaze sharpened, stopping in front of a huge, unremarkable, half-buried, bluish-black rock. At first glance, the rock seemed ordinary, but in the vision of the Eye of Annihilation, several feet below it, there was a naturally formed cavity about ten feet in size, with an extremely fine crack connecting it to the surface, from which wisps of weak, relatively pure earth-elemental spiritual energy emanated.

"Earth vein energy? Though weak, it's enough to conceal it!" Lu Zhao was overjoyed. Although the earth vein energy here was chaotic due to the environment of the Fallen Dragon Abyss, this small amount of pure earth element energy was just what he needed to use it to set up an earth element concealment formation, which would be most effective.

He carefully surveyed his surroundings, confirming that there were no signs of demonic beasts or cultivators, nor any obvious danger. Only then did he approach the boulder, gather his remaining spiritual energy, and cast a simple earth-遁术 (earth-遁术 is a type of magic that allows one to escape into the ground).

The underground cavity did indeed exist, about ten feet square and less than ten feet high. It was surrounded by hard rock, with only a narrow crack leading to the surface, providing adequate ventilation. More importantly, in one corner of the cavity, a tiny, extremely fine, pure, earth-yellow spiritual energy was slowly seeping out from the crack in the rock wall—it was the very essence of the earth's veins.

"Heaven is helping me!" Without further hesitation, Lu Zhao immediately took out several array flags and a few mid-grade spirit stones. Using the wisp of earth vein energy as a guide, he set up a simple concealment and defense array inside the cave. Once the array was complete, the aura inside the cave was immediately isolated from the outside world. From the outside, this place looked like a solid boulder, and even a sweep of divine sense could hardly detect anything unusual.

After doing all this, Lu Zhao's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. He sat down cross-legged, took out several bottles of pills, and swallowed them without hesitation—some for healing, some for replenishing qi, and some for nourishing the soul. The Annihilation Dragon Qi and the Dark Gold Dragon Emperor Qi circulated simultaneously, beginning to fully repair his injuries, calm his blood and qi, and suppress his restless demonic thoughts.

The dual dragon energy truly lived up to its reputation as a top-tier inheritance, possessing exceptional healing effects. Wherever the annihilating dragon energy passed, damaged meridians and internal organs healed and regenerated at an astonishing speed under the principle of "destruction before construction," becoming even more resilient than before the injury. The dark golden dragon emperor energy nourished the physical body, stabilized the blood and qi, and replenished the depleted essence. Combined with the power of the elixir, Lu Zhao's injuries improved at a visible pace.

Three days later, his external wounds had healed, his internal injuries were mostly healed, and his depleted spiritual energy had recovered to 80%. Only the wisp of dark red demonic thought in his sea of ​​consciousness, stimulated by the fragrance of the Soul-Stabilizing Flower and the fierce battle before, seemed to have become slightly more active, like a lurking venomous snake, restless and ready to strike, despite being firmly suppressed by the sword intent. Lu Zhao knew that if this problem was not eliminated, it would remain a major concern and would inevitably become a mental demon when he formed his core.

"Fortunately, we have obtained the Soul-Stabilizing Flower. After returning to the sect, we can ask Fairy Bibo to start refining the pill. Once the 'Soul-Nourishing and Spirit-Refining Pill' is completed, this ailment can be cured." Lu Zhao felt a little relieved and began to check the gains from this trip to Dragon Abyss.

First, of course, are the three 500-year-old Dragon Blood Grass plants and a small bottle of Dragon Blood Essence. These are required for the mission and are quite valuable.

Secondly, there was the fist-sized, extremely high-quality earth vein dragon crystal, which he had risked his life to obtain from a spatial rift. It felt warm and heavy to the touch, with a golden liquid seemingly flowing within it. The pure dragon energy fluctuations caused the dual dragon energy within Lu Zhao's body to surge with joy. Whether handed over to the sect in exchange for contribution points or kept for personal use, it was a rare treasure.

Secondly, there was the Soul-Stabilizing Flower, which he had unexpectedly discovered beside the Dragon Blood Essence, perfectly blooming and which he had sealed away. This was the greatest unexpected joy of his journey, concerning the very foundation of his cultivation path.

Finally, there were the spoils obtained from the three envoys of the Netherworld Cult. The three storage bags contained nearly ten thousand spirit stones, ranging from mid-grade to low-grade. There were also various pills, talismans, and materials, mostly of average quality, often common items used by the Netherworld Cult, exuding a sinister aura that Lu Zhao disliked and planned to dispose of upon returning. What caught Lu Zhao's attention most were the set of array flags capable of setting up the "Netherworld Ghostly Fiend Array," and a blood-red jade slip found in one of the envoys' storage bags.

The array flags are a set of mid-grade magic artifacts that can be used to set up simple combined attack arrays. They are quite powerful, but require three people to cooperate and their techniques must be compatible. They are not very useful to Lu Zhao and can be sold or exchanged.

The crimson jade slip contained a secret technique of the Netherworld Cult called "Blood Transformation Escape," along with information on the terrain, danger points, and several areas potentially yielding materials needed by the Netherworld Cult, such as "Yin Soul Wood" and "Blood Fiend Stone." Blood Transformation Escape is a speed-boosting escape technique that uses blood essence as a conduit, but it consumes a significant amount of blood essence, making it a life-saving secret technique of the demonic path. The terrain information was of little use to Lu Zhao, but it mentioned a location—"Blood Fiend Valley"—marked as "Suspected accumulation of ancient demonic dragon's remnant blood, malevolent energy soaring to the sky, dangerous, enter with caution." This made Lu Zhao's heart skip a beat. Could the Blood Bone Demon be recovering there? Or were there other arrangements made by the remnant soul of the demonic dragon?

He noted down this information, and then used the Annihilation Dragon Qi to destroy the blood-red jade slip and other evil objects that clearly bore the marks of the Netherworld Cult, leaving no future trouble.

"I've gained a lot, but I've also made the Netherworld Sect my mortal enemy, almost died in the spatial rift, and even stirred up the demonic thoughts within me..." Lu Zhao finished his review, his feelings complicated. The path of cultivation is indeed a mix of danger and opportunity.

"My injuries are mostly healed, and my spiritual power has recovered to 90%. It's time to leave the Fallen Dragon Abyss and return to the sect." Lu Zhao deactivated the formation and used the Earth Escape Technique again to silently return to the ground.

He determined his direction and headed towards the outer edge of the Fallen Dragon Abyss. This time, he was even more cautious, concealing his aura as much as possible and avoiding all suspicious areas, yet his speed was not slow.

Two days later, Lu Zhao was nearing the outer edge of the Fallen Dragon Abyss. A hundred miles further and he would be able to leave this dangerous place completely. He felt a little relieved and was about to speed up his departure when suddenly, from behind a pile of rocks ahead, he heard a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy and a vaguely familiar aura of water spirit.

"Hmm? It's her?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he quietly approached.

Behind the pile of rocks, in a sheltered hollow, sat a figure in light blue robes, her body shrouded in a pale blue mist, meditating and healing. It was Ye Qingyi. Her face was pale, her breathing unsteady, and her light blue robes were stained with dark red spots, clearly blood. Her aura carried a chilling, malevolent energy, suggesting she had been poisoned by some kind of sinister poison.

Not far from her, Zhao Yan and Li Yue were on guard, both bearing injuries, though much less severe than Ye Qingyi's. Zhao Yan was cautiously looking around, while Li Yue stared anxiously at Ye Qingyi.

"Junior Sister Ye forcibly activated the 'Azure Wave Curtain' to resist that old demon's 'Bone-Melting Yin Fiend Palm,' and the Yin Fiend entered her body. If it weren't for the purifying effect of the 'Azure Wave Spiritual Technique' she cultivated, she probably would have already..." Li Yue said in a low voice, his voice filled with regret and worry. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so greedy and reckless, alerting that 'Bone-Rotting Lizard,' that old demon wouldn't have been attracted..."

"It's useless to talk about this now," Zhao Yan said in a deep voice, a look of shame on his face. "That old demon is at least at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and may even be a pseudo-Core Formation cultivator. His techniques are vicious, and even the three of us combined are no match for him. If it weren't for Junior Sister Ye sacrificing herself to block that palm strike, we would probably all be dead. The most urgent thing is to expel the Yin energy from Junior Sister Ye as soon as possible and leave this place. Although that old demon was frightened away by Junior Sister Ye's secret technique, there's no guarantee he won't return."

Lu Zhao overheard the conversation and roughly understood the situation. It seemed that after Ye Qingyi and the other two separated from him, they also encountered a powerful enemy. Ye Qingyi was injured while saving her fellow disciples and was poisoned by the Yin Sha poison. That "Bone-Melting Yin Sha Palm" sounded like a demonic technique.

He hesitated for a moment, then revealed himself and walked over.

"Who?!" Zhao Yan and Li Yue immediately became alert, summoning their magical artifacts to block Ye Qingyi's path. Upon seeing who it was, both of them were stunned.

"Fellow Daoist Lu... Fellow Daoist Lu? You're still alive?!" Zhao Yan was both surprised and delighted. When Lu Zhao rushed into the spatial rift that day, they all thought he was surely dead, but they never expected him to survive.

Ye Qingyi also sensed Lu Zhao's presence, slowly opened her beautiful eyes, and saw Lu Zhao. A relieved smile appeared on her pale face. Then, due to the aggravation of her injuries, she coughed lightly, and a trace of dark red blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

"Fellow Daoist Lu...I am relieved to see you back safely." Her voice was weak, but her tone was sincere.

Lu Zhao approached, glanced at Ye Qingyi, and frowned slightly. He could sense that the Yin energy within Ye Qingyi's body was quite troublesome, constantly eroding her meridians and internal organs. If it weren't for the purifying effect of her water-based cultivation technique, which she was practicing, she would probably have already succumbed to the poison. Even so, the situation was far from optimistic.

"Fellow Daoist Ye's injuries are quite severe. Yin energy has entered his body and needs to be expelled as soon as possible," Lu Zhao said, taking out a jade bottle from his storage bag and pouring out a light blue pill that emitted a cool, watery vapor. It was one of the high-grade detoxification pills he had purchased earlier, which had a certain restraining effect on Yin energy.

"This is the 'Cleansing Spirit Pill,' which has the effect of suppressing Yin energy. Fellow Daoist Ye can take it first to temporarily suppress the injury."

Seeing this, Zhao Yan and Li Yue exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with gratitude. They had considered asking Lu Zhao for help, but they were only strangers, and Lu Zhao had already saved them once—a great favor—so they couldn't ask again. They hadn't expected Lu Zhao to offer them the pills so readily.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu." Ye Qingyi accepted the pill without hesitation and swallowed it. As soon as the pill entered her stomach, it transformed into a cool energy that spread out, temporarily suppressing the rampant Yin energy within her body. Her complexion improved somewhat, but the dark energy between her brows still lingered, clearly indicating that the pill could only treat the symptoms and not eradicate the problem.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, to be honest, the 'Bone-Melting Yin Fiend Palm' that Junior Sister Ye was afflicted with is extremely insidious. The Cleansing Fiend Pill can only temporarily suppress it. If we do not have something of the purest and most yang nature to dispel the root of the Yin Fiend, or ask the elders of the sect to take action, I'm afraid it will damage her Dao foundation," Zhao Yan said with deep concern.

A substance of utmost yang purity? Lu Zhao's heart stirred. He possessed the aura of the Dark Golden Dragon Emperor, a supremely yang and pure imperial dragon aura, which might be able to dispel this yin energy. However, his relationship with Ye Qingyi was not deep, and exposing his own dragon aura was quite risky. Moreover, dragon aura was domineering, and if not controlled properly, it might damage Ye Qingyi's meridians.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I have some medical knowledge and may be able to try to expel some of the Yin energy from Fellow Daoist Ye and alleviate his injuries. However, this place is dangerous and we should not stay any longer. What are the three of you planning to do next?"

Ye Qingyi took the pill, regulated her breathing for a moment until it stabilized, and said, "Thank you for the medicine, Fellow Daoist Lu. This place is indeed not suitable for lingering. Although that old demon has retreated, he may return at any time. The three of us originally intended to collect 'Crimson Blood Vine,' and now we have obtained two. Although it is not enough, it is still a gain. I plan to leave Fallen Dragon Abyss first and return to the sect to ask my master to help expel the Yin energy."

Lu Zhao nodded: "That would be excellent. My mission is complete, and I'm about to return to my sect. Shall we travel together?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingyi and the other two all showed joy. With a strong ally like Lu Zhao traveling with them, their safety would undoubtedly be greatly increased.

"Then we'll have to trouble Fellow Daoist Lu," Ye Qingyi said softly, her gaze towards Lu Zhao filled with gratitude and a hint of complexity. Lu Zhao had rushed into the spatial rift to save them that day, and now he had given them medicine and offered to travel with them. This kindness was truly immense.

After a short rest, the four set off together towards the edge of Fallen Dragon Abyss. With Lu Zhao leading the way and avoiding some potential dangers, their speed was much faster than when Ye Qingyi and the other two had arrived.

Along the way, Lu Zhao attempted to use his own pure Extinction Dragon Qi (although Extinction Dragon Qi is not supremely Yang, its "annihilation" characteristic has a restraining effect on negative energies such as Yin Sha, and it is relatively gentle, making it less likely to reveal the Dark Gold Dragon Emperor's Qi) as a supplement to guide the power of the Cleansing Elixir, dispelling some of the more stubborn Yin Sha for Ye Qingyi. This greatly improved her injuries, at least relieving her of the danger to her life. The rest would require her to return to the sect for slow recuperation. This act made Ye Qingyi and the other two extremely grateful.

Several days later, the four of them finally left the area of ​​Fallen Dragon Abyss safely. Watching the desolate and dangerous ravine behind them gradually recede into the distance, all four of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally out." Li Yue was still shaken.

"If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Lu, we might not have survived this time." Zhao Yan once again solemnly thanked Lu Zhao.

Ye Qingyi also bowed gracefully: "Qingyi thanks Fellow Daoist Lu for his help many times. I have no way to repay him. If you ever need Qingyi or Bibo Pavilion's help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Lu Zhao waved his hand: "You three are too kind. We were just going through the same boat. Now that we have escaped the Dragon Abyss, I will take my leave here and hurry back to my sect to report."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Ye Qingyi's beautiful eyes, but knowing that Lu Zhao was a disciple of the Diyuan Sect and must have important matters to attend to, she nodded and said, "Take care, Fellow Daoist Lu. If you have time in the future, you are welcome to visit Bibo Pavilion. Qingyi will certainly welcome you with open arms."

"Definitely." Lu Zhao clasped his hands in a fist salute and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly remembered something. He stopped, took out a jade box from his storage bag, and handed it to Ye Qingyi.

"This item might be of some help to Fellow Daoist Ye's injuries, please accept it."

Ye Qingyi was stunned. She took the jade box, opened it, and her beautiful eyes widened immediately, her breathing becoming rapid.

Inside the jade box lay a translucent, pale gold petal with shimmering emerald edges, exuding a refreshing and invigorating fragrance. It was a petal that Lu Zhao had carefully plucked from the Soul-Stabilizing Flower.

"This...this is...a petal of the Soul-Stabilizing Flower?!" Ye Qingyi's voice trembled slightly. Born into the Azure Wave Pavilion, she was an expert in alchemy; how could she not recognize this top-grade spiritual herb that nourishes the soul and stabilizes the mind? Moreover, this petal was brimming with spiritual energy, its medicinal effects perfectly preserved, clearly having been recently picked! Its value far surpasses that of ordinary Soul-Stabilizing Flowers!

Zhao Yan and Li Yue also came over to take a look, and immediately gasped, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief as they looked at Lu Zhao. How precious was the Soul-Stabilizing Flower? Lu Zhao had actually given away a single petal so casually? This gift was far too extravagant!

"Fellow Daoist Lu, this...this is too precious. I feel unworthy to accept it." Ye Qingyi quickly closed the jade box, intending to return it. The Soul-Stabilizing Flower was indeed remarkably effective in dispelling Yin energy and stabilizing her soul, and could even bring good fortune from misfortune, but this item was far too valuable.

Lu Zhao replied, "Fellow Daoist Ye, there's no need to refuse. This item is of little use to me now. You bear the burden of Yin Sha while saving your fellow disciples, and these petals may help stabilize your soul and accelerate your recovery. Moreover, Bibo Pavilion is renowned for its alchemy, and I may need your assistance in the future. Consider this a way of establishing a good relationship."

He was telling the truth. He already possessed the entire Soul-Stabilizing Flower, perfectly preserved, enough for alchemy. Giving away a single petal wouldn't affect him much. Furthermore, Ye Qingyi was of good character and a core disciple of the Azure Wave Pavilion. This gift of the flower was both to repay her kindness in Xuan Yuan City and to pave the way for him to consult the Azure Wave Fairy in alchemy in the future. As for the claim that it was "of little use," that was naturally just an excuse.

Seeing Lu Zhao's resolute attitude and sincere words, Ye Qingyi hesitated for a moment before solemnly accepting the jade box and bowing deeply once more: "Fellow Daoist Lu's generous gift will be forever remembered by Qingyi. If you ever need anything in the future, the entire Bibo Pavilion will do its utmost to assist you."

Lu Zhao smiled, said no more, cupped his hands in farewell, and then rode a streak of azure light, drifting away towards the direction of the Earth Origin Sect.

Watching Lu Zhao's departing figure, Ye Qingyi gripped the jade box tightly, feeling the cool aura emanating from it, her heart surging with emotion. This Fellow Daoist Lu was mysterious, powerful, and loyal. He casually gifted her a treasure like the Soul-Stabilizing Flower Petal; his magnanimity and profound knowledge were far beyond that of ordinary inner disciples of the Di Yuan Sect.

"Lu Zhao..." she murmured the name, engraving it deep in her heart.

Zhao Yan and Li Yue were also deeply moved, and their admiration for Lu Zhao grew even stronger.

"Junior Sister Ye, this Fellow Daoist Lu is destined for greatness," Zhao Yan sighed.

Ye Qingyi nodded gently, her gaze distant: "Let's go back. Although this trip to Dragon Abyss was a close call, it was still... worthwhile."

The three of them also took flight and headed towards the Azure Wave Pavilion.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Lu Zhao had resumed his solitary journey. His gift of the Soul-Stabilizing Petal to Ye Qingyi was not an impulsive act. Firstly, to settle the karmic debt; secondly, to establish a good relationship; and thirdly, because the Bibo Pavilion was skilled in alchemy, it might be useful in the future for refining "Soul-Nourishing and Spirit-Refining Pills" or other elixirs.

"Next, I will return to the sect, complete the mission, exchange for the Golden Condensation Pill, and then... find Fairy Bibo to refine the 'Soul Nourishing and Spirit Refining Pill'!" Lu Zhao's gaze was firm, and his escape light increased by three points, eager to return home.

Behind them, the desolate outline of Fallen Dragon Abyss gradually disappeared into the horizon.