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

Deep in the dense forest, ancient trees reach for the sky, vines entwine, and the light is dim. The air is filled with the damp smell of decaying leaves, and the occasional eerie bird call adds to the sinister atmosphere.

Lu Zhao's figure darted among the thick tree trunks like a ghost, silent and stealthy. His divine sense had already spread out, covering a radius of a hundred feet, vigilantly sensing any movement. The feeling of being watched, like thorns in his back, had not disappeared; on the contrary, it had become even clearer.

"Three...no, four." Lu Zhao sneered inwardly. In his divine sense, four well-concealed auras were following him leisurely, a hundred feet behind him. Three of them had similar auras, all at the peak of Foundation Establishment, subtly connected, seemingly skilled in combined attacks. The last aura, however, was elusive, appearing and disappearing like a ghost; if Lu Zhao's divine sense hadn't been so sharp, he would have been almost completely unaware.

"Blood Shadow..." Lu Zhao recalled the name Su Yuanshan had mentioned before—a remnant of the Blood Fiend Sect, a Golden Core stage assassin. It seemed the Qin family had not only sent three Foundation Establishment stage experts working together, but had also hired Blood Shadow, a Golden Core stage assassin; they really thought highly of him.

"A Golden Core stage assassin..." A hint of seriousness flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. With his current strength, dealing with three Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators skilled in combined attacks was not easy, but not impossible. However, adding a Golden Core stage assassin made things much more troublesome. Especially assassins, who excel at concealment, ambush, and one-hit kills, making them extremely difficult to defend against.

"I must first deal with those three Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators to force out the Blood Shadow, or create an opportunity to severely injure him." Lu Zhao's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant. He swayed and changed direction, heading deeper into the dense forest to an area with more complex terrain, denser ancient trees, and vines that almost blocked out the sky.

That place was a natural hunting ground.

Behind them, four figures moved silently through the dense forest like cheetahs.

The black-robed elder at the head of the group was none other than the sinister old man who had examined the earth dragon's corpse in the valley earlier, named Yin Gu. Beside him was a burly man with a scar, named Xue Tu. The other was a short, cold-eyed dwarf named Gui Shou. These three were all notorious rogue cultivators, skilled in combined attacks, ruthless and vicious; countless cultivators had died at their hands.

The last, elusive aura was naturally Blood Shadow. He did not travel with the three Yin Bone members, but instead remained hidden in the shadows, like a venomous snake, waiting for the opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow.

"Old Yin, that kid seems to have spotted us; he's sped up." Scarface Blood Butcher licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"So what if he found out?" Yin Gu sneered. "He's just a Foundation Establishment kid. What trouble can he cause? The faster he runs, the sooner he dies. Deep in this dense forest, there are even more demonic beasts and the terrain is more complex. It's the perfect place to make our move."

"Heh heh, Old Yin is right." The dwarf ghost hand let out a shrill laugh. "Once we catch that brat, I'm going to give him a good beating and let him know what the hell the consequences are for offending the Qin family!"

"Don't be careless," Yin Gu said in a deep voice. "This boy was able to kill a third-tier mutated earth dragon beast on his own; his strength should not be underestimated. We will proceed as planned, with the three of us attacking together to finish the battle quickly. Lord Blood Shadow will intervene at the crucial moment to ensure everything goes smoothly."

"Understood!" Blood Butcher and Ghost Hand replied in unison, their eyes filled with even greater killing intent.

The four stopped talking, quickened their pace, and chased after Lu Zhao.

Half an hour later, Lu Zhao stopped in an area covered with vines, ancient trees reaching for the sky, where light could barely penetrate. It was deathly silent, devoid even of the chirping of insects and birds, filled with a chilling oppressive atmosphere.

"This is it." A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He stopped, turned around, and quietly waited for the pursuers to arrive. He was going to eliminate the three Yin Gu members here and force Xue Ying to surrender.

A moment later, three dark figures, like ghosts, appeared silently from three directions, surrounding Lu Zhao. They were Yin Gu, Xue Tu, and Gui Shou.

"Kid, you're pretty fast." Scarface Blood Butcher grinned maliciously, a ghost-headed knife the size of a door panel appeared in his hand, its blade dark red and exuding a strong bloody aura.

"Just surrender obediently, and I'll give you a quick death." The dwarf ghost hand grinned sinisterly, toying with two pitch-black daggers in his hands. The daggers shimmered with blue light, clearly coated with deadly poison.

The black-robed Yin Gu remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on Lu Zhao like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. He held a white bone staff, its head inlaid with a skull, and his eye sockets burned with eerie green flames, radiating a sinister and eerie aura.

"The Qin family's dog?" Lu Zhao's gaze was calm as he swept over the three of them, his tone indifferent.

"You're courting death!" Blood Butcher roared in fury. He swung his Ghost Head Blade, and a blood-red blade aura several meters long tore through the air, carrying a pungent stench of blood, and slashed fiercely toward Lu Zhao!

"Attack!" Yin Gu shouted, and with a wave of his white bone staff, the ghostly green flames in the skull's eyes on the staff's head intensified, transforming into two green ghostly fire chains that coiled around Lu Zhao like venomous snakes!

Ghost Hand's figure flickered, disappearing from the spot like a ghost. The next instant, he appeared behind Lu Zhao, two poisoned daggers silently stabbing towards Lu Zhao's back!

The three attacked in perfect unison, blocking all of Lu Zhao's escape routes! A powerful frontal assault with blade energy, a flank maneuver with ghostly fire chains, and a sneak attack from behind with a poisoned dagger—their killing intent was palpable!

However, Lu Zhao remained unmoved, as if he had anticipated this. The instant the Blood Slaughter Blade Qi struck, he swayed, activating the Nine Dragons Qi Control Technique, his movements as swift as a ghost, narrowly avoiding the blade qi. Simultaneously, he raised his right hand like a sword, unleashing a gray-gold annihilation sword qi that slashed towards the entangling ghost fire chains!

"Sizzle—!"

The sword energy of annihilation is invincible! The chains of ghost fire, as if encountering their nemesis, were instantly severed. The eerie green ghost fire let out a mournful howl before extinguishing and dissipating!

"What?!" Yin Gu's expression changed. His ghost fire chains contained a sinister ghost energy that was specifically designed to counter spiritual power. Even a Golden Core cultivator would have to put in a lot of effort to break them, yet Lu Zhao had actually severed them with a single sword strike!

Just as Lu Zhao severed the chains of ghost fire, the two poisoned daggers from Ghost Hand were already at Lu Zhao's back!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lu Zhao didn't move, but instead struck out with his left hand!

"Nine Dragons Controlling Qi—Transforming Qi into Dragons!"

"roar--!"

A solid, gray-gold dragon-shaped energy roared out from Lu Zhao's palm and slammed into Ghost Hand's two poisoned daggers!

"Clang! Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out, and Ghost Hand felt a terrifying force surge through his body. His hands throbbed with pain, and the two poisoned daggers nearly flew out of his grasp! He staggered backward, his eyes filled with horror!

"Such formidable strength!" Ghost Hand was shocked. He was a master assassin, his movements unpredictable, his daggers poisoned, and his strikes deadly; he had never been outmatched in strength. Yet, Lu Zhao's casual palm strike had sent him flying!

"Attack together! Don't give him a chance to breathe!" Yin Gu roared, brandishing his white bone staff and chanting incantations. The eerie green ghost fire in the skull's eye on the staff blazed brightly once more, transforming into countless green ghost fire skulls that surged towards Lu Zhao like a tidal wave! These ghost fire skulls emitted piercing shrieks, terrifying and capable of devouring a person's soul!

"Blood Slaughter Blade Technique - Boundless Sea of ​​Blood!" Blood Slaughter roared, his ghost-headed blade dancing wildly. Countless crimson blade energies, like a sea of ​​blood, swept towards Lu Zhao! Within the blade energies lay a dense aura of bloodlust, capable of eroding a person's blood and weakening their combat power!

Ghost Hand steadied himself and vanished again, wandering around Lu Zhao like a ghost, looking for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow!

The three of them went all out, unleashing their most lethal moves, determined to kill Lu Zhao!

Lu Zhao's eyes sharpened, and the Annihilation Dragon Qi within his body circulated wildly. A gray-gold light shone brightly around him, and a terrifying dragon might spread out!

"Nine Dragons Controlling Qi - Dragon's Might Suppresses the Prison!"

"Buzz—!"

An invisible pressure emanated from Lu Zhao, spreading out like ripples on water! The ghostly fire skulls of Yin Bone, as if encountering their nemesis, let out mournful howls and exploded, turning into specks of green light and dissipating! Xue Tu's Blood Sea Blade Qi also seemed to be stuck in quagmire, its speed greatly reduced and its power drastically decreased! Ghost Hand's concealed figure was also forced to reveal itself by this dragon's might, his face filled with horror!

"What kind of pressure is this?!" The three Yin Gu were terrified. They felt as if they were being stared at by a prehistoric beast, their souls trembling, and their strength suppressed by more than 30%!

"kill!"

Seizing the moment when the three were suppressed by the dragon's might, Lu Zhao swiftly launched his attack! His first target was the most threatening Ghost Hand! This man's movements were unpredictable, and his daggers were poisoned, making him impossible to defend against. He had to be eliminated first!

"Dragon Step!"

Lu Zhao unleashed his movement technique, moving like a swimming dragon, and instantly appeared in front of Ghost Hand. His right hand was held together like a sword, and a highly refined sword aura of annihilation was aimed at Ghost Hand's brow!

"Not good!" Ghost Hand's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but under the suppression of the dragon's might, his speed was greatly reduced, and he couldn't dodge this lightning-fast sword at all!

"Help me!" Ghost Hand screamed hoarsely, frantically channeling his spiritual power, and crossed two poison daggers in front of him!

"laugh--!"

The sword energy of annihilation is invincible! It pierced through Ghost Hand's poisoned dagger in an instant, its momentum undiminished, and stabbed into Ghost Hand's brow!

"puff--!"

Ghost Hand's body stiffened, the life force in his eyes quickly vanished, and a bloody hole appeared between his brows, from which a mixture of red and white fluid flowed. Even in death, he couldn't understand how he could be so easily killed by a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"Ghost Hand!" Yin Gu and Xue Tu's eyes widened in shock and rage! The three of them had worked together for many years without ever failing, yet today, in a single exchange, one of them was instantly killed by Lu Zhao!

"Boy, prepare to die!" Blood Butcher roared, his ghost-headed blade flashing wildly as he lunged at Lu Zhao without regard for anything else! Yin Bone also activated his white bone staff, summoning even more ghost fire skulls that surged madly toward Lu Zhao!

"Well done!" Lu Zhao's eyes were icy cold. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his body surging with the power of the Annihilation Dragon Qi, and he threw a punch!

"Nine Dragons Controlling Qi - Dragon Fist Piercing the Heavens!"

"roar--!"

A solid, gray-gold dragon-shaped fist imprint roared out and collided fiercely with Blood Butcher's ghost-head blade!

"boom--!"

A deafening roar! Blood Butcher felt an overwhelming force surge through him, his tiger's mouth split open, and the Ghost Head Blade flew out of his hand! His chest felt as if it had been struck by a giant hammer, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into an ancient tree and shattering it to pieces. His fate was unknown!

"Blood Butcher!" Yin Gu's face turned deathly pale, and fear finally appeared in his eyes! Ghost Hand was instantly killed, and Blood Butcher was blasted away with a single punch, his fate unknown! How could Lu Zhao's strength be so terrifying?! Wasn't he only at the Foundation Establishment stage? How could he be this strong?!

"Run!" Yin Gu had lost all will to fight and turned to flee! He knew that he was no match for Lu Zhao, and staying meant certain death!

"Trying to escape now? Too late!" Lu Zhao's icy voice, like the whisper of death, rang in Yin Gu's ear. He moved swiftly, instantly appearing before Yin Gu, his right hand forming a sword-like gesture, aiming at Yin Gu's brow!

"No—!" Yin Gu roared in despair, frantically urging his white bone staff to try and defend himself. But it was all in vain.

"laugh--!"

The annihilating sword energy pierced through Yin Gu's brow. Yin Gu's body stiffened, the life force in his eyes quickly dissipated, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Three Foundation Establishment stage experts, skilled in combined attacks, were so easily defeated by Lu Zhao, and were all killed in just a few exchanges!

Lu Zhao remained calm, as if he had only done something insignificant. He walked to Xue Tu's side and delivered a final blow, ensuring his complete death. Then, he quickly collected the three men's storage bags and magical artifacts, his gaze fixed on the depths of the dense forest, and coldly said, "Having watched for so long, it's time you came out, Xue Ying."

The dense forest was deathly silent. The only sound was the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

"What, is this all the Blood Fiend Sect's top assassins have? Not even daring to show their faces?" Lu Zhao's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Heh heh... kid, you do have some skill."

A hoarse, chilling voice, like the cry of an owl, echoed eerily through the dense forest. A blurry, blood-red figure, like a ghost, slowly emerged from the shadow of an ancient tree.

He was completely shrouded in a large, blood-red cloak, obscuring his face, except for a pair of scarlet eyes that gleamed with a bloodthirsty and cruel light in the shadow of the cloak. A thick aura of blood and malevolence swirled around him, making him seem like a demon emerging from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

It was Blood Shadow!

"As expected of someone the Qin family would put a huge bounty on, you're truly extraordinary." Blood Shadow's crimson eyes scrutinized Lu Zhao with interest. "In such a short time, you've killed three members of Yin Bone. It seems your strength is considerably greater than what was described in the intelligence."

"A Golden Core assassin?" Lu Zhao's expression turned solemn. The Annihilation Dragon Qi within his body quietly circulated, his muscles tensing as he entered a state of high alert. He sensed a powerful aura of danger emanating from the Blood Shadow. This Blood Shadow was definitely a Golden Core cultivator, and not just any ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator; it was highly likely a mid-stage, or even late-stage Golden Core cultivator!

"Heh heh, kid, you've got some sense." Blood Shadow chuckled maliciously. "Since you know I'm a Golden Core cultivator, then obediently surrender, and I'll grant you a quick death. Otherwise... heh heh, I'll show you what it means to wish for death but beg for it!"

"You think you can take me?" Lu Zhao sneered, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. He knew that this battle was unavoidable. Only by defeating, or even killing, Blood Shadow could he be safe. Otherwise, being targeted by a Golden Core assassin would mean he would never have peace.

"Heh heh, interesting." A glint of excitement flashed in Blood Shadow's crimson eyes. "It's been a long time since I've encountered such interesting prey. I hope you can give me some enjoyment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Blood Shadow's figure flickered and vanished from the spot in an instant!

"So fast!" Lu Zhao's pupils contracted, and without thinking, he retreated rapidly!

"laugh--!"

A blood-red glint of cold light silently flashed past the spot where Lu Zhao had just stood, tearing a black crack in the air! Had Lu Zhao been even a fraction slower in retreating, he would likely have been cut in half at the waist by now!

"You reacted pretty quickly." Blood Shadow's figure emerged from the shadows to Lu Zhao's left, a hint of surprise flashing in his crimson eyes. His attack just now was as fast as lightning, hidden in the shadows, impossible to defend against. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn't even have time to react and would be instantly killed. But Lu Zhao actually dodged it.

"However, this ends here." Blood Shadow chuckled and vanished once more.

Lu Zhao's hair stood on end, his divine sense pushed to its limit as he vigilantly detected every slight fluctuation in his surroundings. He knew that in a fight against assassins, there could be no room for carelessness. Any lapse could be fatal.

"Left side!" A warning signal rang in Lu Zhao's mind. Without thinking, he threw a punch at his left side!

"boom--!"

A gray-gold dragon-shaped fist imprint slammed into the void on the left! A blood-red figure was forced out and staggered back a few steps.

"His divine sense is quite sharp." A hint of seriousness flashed in Blood Shadow's eyes. His greatest strengths were concealment and assassination. Yet Lu Zhao was able to detect his attack in advance; this divine sense far surpassed that of someone of the same level.

"We can't delay any longer, we must finish this quickly!" A murderous glint flashed in Blood Shadow's eyes, and his figure blurred, transforming into three blood-red afterimages that simultaneously pounced on Lu Zhao from three different directions!

"Blood Shadow Clone!" Lu Zhao's expression changed. These three afterimages had the same aura; it was impossible to tell which was real and which was fake!

"Nine Dragons Controlling Qi - Dragon's Might Suppresses the Prison!"

Lu Zhao unleashed his Dragon Might once more, spreading out an invisible pressure to suppress Blood Shadow's speed. However, Blood Shadow was only at the Golden Core stage, and the Dragon Might's suppression of him was far less pronounced than it had been on the Yin Bone trio.

"Useless!" Three blood-red afterimages simultaneously let out strange laughs, their speed undiminished as they pounced on Lu Zhao!

Lu Zhao's eyes flashed, and the Annihilation Dragon Qi within his body surged wildly as he unleashed both fists!

"Nine Dragons Controlling the Qi—Two Dragons Emerging from the Sea!"

"Roar! Roar!"

Two solid, gray-gold dragon-shaped fist imprints roared out, striking the two blood-red afterimages on the left and right respectively! At the same time, he retreated rapidly, narrowly avoiding the attack of the blood-red afterimage in the middle!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two dragon-shaped fist imprints slammed into the two blood-red afterimages on the left and right, shattering them into pieces! But, those were just afterimages!

"The one in the middle is real!" Lu Zhao's heart sank. He wanted to dodge again, but it was too late!

"Die!" The blood-red afterimage in the middle solidified instantly, revealing itself to be the true form of Blood Shadow! A blood-red short blade appeared in his hand, its blade swirling with dense bloodthirsty energy, and he silently pierced towards Lu Zhao's heart!

Fast! Too fast! There was no way to avoid it!

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. Without dodging or avoiding, the Annihilation Dragon Qi within his body surged wildly into his right fist, and he unleashed a punch aimed directly at the Blood Shadow's head!

Fight to the death! To perish together!

"Madman!" Blood Shadow's expression changed. He hadn't expected Lu Zhao to be so reckless, not defending himself but instead risking his life! He was an assassin, skilled in assassination. If he missed his target, he would flee thousands of miles away. The thing he feared most was a head-on confrontation, especially risking his life!

"Hmph! You want to die with me? You're not worthy!" Blood Shadow sneered, the blood-red dagger aimed at Lu Zhao's heart suddenly changing direction to block Lu Zhao's fist. At the same time, he swayed and was about to retreat.

"Too late!" A cold light flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, and his fist continued its momentum, slamming hard into the blood-red short blade!

"clang--!"

The deafening clang of metal clashing was deafening! The blood-red dagger was sent flying backward by Lu Zhao's punch! Blood Shadow felt a terrifying force, his tiger's mouth split open, his arm went numb, and he staggered backward!

"Such powerful strength!" Blood Shadow was shocked. Lu Zhao's power was so terrifying, far exceeding his expectations!

"Now!" Lu Zhao seized the moment when Xue Ying staggered, his old strength exhausted and new strength yet to be generated. His figure was like lightning, closing in instantly. His right hand was like a sword, the gray-gold light at the fingertip condensed to the extreme. A condensed and extremely silent sword aura of annihilation pierced towards Xue Ying's dantian!

"Sword Intent of Annihilation - Pointing Stars!"

This is a killing move that Lu Zhao comprehended during his battle with Qin Wuyai. It concentrates all his power into a single point, breaking through the surface with that point, making it invincible!

"Not good!" Blood Shadow's expression changed drastically. He sensed a deadly threat from this sword energy! He wanted to dodge, but his figure was suppressed by Lu Zhao's dragon might and fist force, and he couldn't dodge this lightning-fast sword strike at all!

"Blood Shadow Escape!" A hint of pain flashed in Blood Shadow's eyes. Without hesitation, he burned a drop of his life essence blood and used a life-saving secret technique! His figure instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist and dissipated on the spot.

"laugh--!"

The sword energy of annihilation missed its target, piercing through an ancient tree behind it that would require several people to encircle, leaving a fist-sized hole. The edge of the hole was smooth as a mirror, without a single speck of wood.

"It escaped?" Lu Zhao frowned, spreading his divine sense, but could no longer sense the aura of the Blood Shadow. This Blood Shadow was indeed cunning; seeing the situation was not good, it immediately escaped.

"A Golden Core stage assassin is indeed troublesome," Lu Zhao thought with a chill. This Blood Shadow was extremely powerful, especially in concealment and escape techniques, appearing and disappearing unpredictably and impossible to defend against. If he hadn't risked his life today, forcing the Blood Shadow to refrain from a direct confrontation, defeating him would have been no easy task.

"However, he was also injured." Lu Zhao looked at the few drops of dark red blood scattered on the ground. These were the drops left behind when Blood Shadow burned his essence blood and used the Blood Shadow Escape technique. These few drops of blood contained a strong bloodthirsty aura, which was the best clue to track Blood Shadow.

"Trying to run? Think you can escape?" Lu Zhao's lips curled into a cold smile. He bent down and carefully collected the few drops of dark red blood in a jade bottle. Then, he took out a tracking talisman from his storage bag, dripped the blood onto the talisman, and chanted incantations.

"go!"

The tracking talisman transformed into a streak of red light and shot swiftly into the depths of the dense forest.

"Blood Shadow, you can't escape." Lu Zhao's eyes were icy cold. With a swift movement, he followed the tracking talisman and chased after it into the depths of the dense forest.

He must strike while the iron is hot and finish him off! He absolutely cannot let Blood Shadow, this threat, leave the Heavenly Sword Secret Realm alive!