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

Deep within the Sword Tomb, the terrain becomes increasingly complex. Huge broken swords and blades stand like a jungle, their remaining sword energy and intent intertwined, forming a chaotic and dangerous area. Ordinary cultivators entering this place would likely struggle to even protect themselves, let alone seek opportunities.

Lu Zhao concealed his aura completely, moving swiftly through the sword forest like a ghost. His spiritual perception was amplified to the limit as he carefully avoided areas where strong, unstable sword intent lingered. The broken sword "Return to the Void" in his hand trembled slightly, emitting a low hum, as if guiding him or sensing the increasingly clear fluctuations of the inherited sword imprint ahead.

"Getting closer..." Lu Zhao thought to himself, his gaze piercing through the layers of sword shadows, looking towards the core area. There, a dazzling sword light, reaching to the heavens and earth, stood like a colossal pillar in the center of the sword mound. Countless tiny sword-shaped points of light, like stars, revolved around it, the sword intent imprints left by countless fallen sword cultivators, the essence of this sword mound.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Lu Zhao passed through a shadow formed by several huge broken swords, a sudden change occurred!

A jet-black sword light, silent and stealthy, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, pierced out from the deepest part of the shadows! This sword strike was timed perfectly, precisely the moment Lu Zhao had just passed through an area of ​​lingering sword intent and his mind had slightly relaxed! Moreover, the sword light was so cunning, aiming directly at Lu Zhao's vital point in the back, its angle so strange, and its speed so fast, far surpassing the previous Yin Wuming technique!

Sneak attack!

Moreover, it was a deadly sneak attack that had been planned for a long time and had been waiting for a long time!

"Finally couldn't hold back anymore?" Lu Zhao sneered inwardly. In fact, not long after leaving the battlefield, he had vaguely sensed a spying. The opponent's concealment technique was extremely skillful. If it weren't for his divine sense being far superior to others of the same level, and his cultivation of the Annihilation Sword Intent, making him extremely sensitive to killing intent and malice, he probably wouldn't have been able to detect it.

He had been waiting, waiting for the moment the other party would make their move!

"Clang!"

At the critical moment when the arrow could not be released, Lu Zhao did not even turn around. The broken sword "Gui Xu" in his hand seemed to have a life of its own, and he parried backward with a backhand!

The dark sword light collided with the dusty, broken blade, producing a crisp yet piercing metallic clang! A trail of sparks flew! A cold, eerie power emanated from the broken sword, attempting to erode Lu Zhao's arm.

"Hmph!" Lu Zhao's arm trembled, and the Annihilation Dragon Qi circulated, instantly dispersing the chilling power. He used the force to float forward several feet, and at the same time turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on the attacker.

From the shadows, a pitch-black figure slowly emerged. This person was entirely shrouded in a large black robe, obscuring even their face; only their eyes gleamed with a cold, sinister light in the shadows, like lurking venomous snakes. In their hand they gripped a slender, black sword, its blade long and narrow, gleaming with an eerie light that seemed to absorb even the faintest rays.

"Such a quick reaction, such power." The man in black robes spoke, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, like the scraping of metal. "It seems I underestimated you."

"Who are you?" Lu Zhao stood with his sword in hand, his expression calm, but his heart skipped a beat. This man in black robes gave him an extremely dangerous feeling, even more dangerous than Yin Wuming and Zhao Wuji before! Moreover, the aura emanating from the other party seemed somewhat strange, unlike that of an ordinary cultivator, instead carrying a kind of... deathly and decaying smell.

"Who am I?" The man in black robes chuckled deeply. "Just a debt collector. You took what you shouldn't have, so I've come."

"Something you shouldn't have taken?" Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Are you referring to the 'Burning Heaven' sword, or... this broken sword?"

He brandished the broken sword "Gui Xu" in his hand.

"All of them." The black-robed man's gaze lingered for a moment on the broken sword "Return to the Void," a strange light seeming to flash in his cold eyes. "However, more importantly, is your life. Someone has offered a good price for your head."

"Is it Zhao Wuji?" Lu Zhao asked, his mind racing. Zhao Wuji had just left; even if he wanted to hire someone, it wouldn't be possible for him to do so so quickly. Moreover, the aura emanating from this black-robed man was completely different from the Qingyun Sect's techniques. Furthermore, the other party seemed interested in the "Return to Nothingness" broken sword.

"Why should a dying man know so much?" The man in black robes remained noncommittal, slowly raising his slender, black sword, the tip pointing at Lu Zhao. "Ending your own life will lessen your suffering. Otherwise, my 'Shadow Killing Sword' will make you regret ever being born."

"You think you can compete?" Lu Zhao's lips curled into a cold smile. "A cowardly rat hiding its head and tail dares to speak so arrogantly?"

"Sharp-tongued." The man in black robes seemed unperturbed, merely uttering a few words. The next moment, his figure blurred, as if melting into the shadows, vanishing without a trace!

"Such swift movement!" Lu Zhao's pupils contracted slightly; his divine sense could only catch a faint afterimage! The black-robed man's concealment and speed were simply astonishing!

"Domain of Annihilation - Activate!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhao directly unleashed his initial understanding of the Domain of Annihilation! Although the range was not large, only a few feet around his body, within this range, all life force and energy flow were within his perception!

"left!"

Almost the instant the domain unfolded, Lu Zhao sensed a faint, deathly energy fluctuation approaching him at an alarming speed from the shadows on his left!

"cut!"

He swung his sword backhand, slashing towards the void to his left! The gray-gold annihilation sword energy was silent and still, yet it carried an aura of annihilation!

"laugh!"

The pitch-black sword light collided with the gray-gold annihilation sword energy, producing a soft sound. The pitch-black sword light melted rapidly, like ice and snow meeting sunlight, but it successfully neutralized most of the annihilation sword energy. A blurry black shadow flashed past the point of impact and disappeared again.

"You can sense my 'Shadow Cloak'?" A slightly surprised voice came from the shadows. "Interesting. It seems your domain is extraordinary."

"Your hiding and coy tactics are nothing special." Lu Zhao sneered, his broken sword trembling slightly. "Since you won't come out, I'll force you to!"

"Nine Dragons Controlling the Qi—Dragons Roaming the Four Seas!"

With a swift movement, he transformed into a series of afterimages, rapidly moving within the scope of the Annihilation Domain! At the same time, he formed a hand seal with his left hand, and streaks of gray-gold Annihilation Sword Qi shot out like a torrential rain towards the surrounding shadows!

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

Wherever the sword energy passed, the shadows were torn apart, and the remaining sword intent was annihilated, emitting a faint sound. This was an area-of-effect attack, forcing the opponent to reveal themselves!

"It's useless." The black-robed man's voice was elusive, seemingly coming from all directions. "My Shadow Cloak blends perfectly with the shadows and aura of broken swords in this Sword Tomb. Unless you can completely destroy this area, you won't be able to find me."

"Is that so?" A cold glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes, and he suddenly stopped and closed his eyes.

"Give up?" The black-robed man's voice carried a hint of mockery. The next moment, a jet-black sword light, as if piercing from the depths of hell, silently aimed for Lu Zhao's nape! This sword strike was faster, more deadly, and more stealthy than before!

Just as the dark sword light was about to pierce Lu Zhao's nape—

Lu Zhao's closed eyes suddenly snapped open! In them, it seemed as if grey-gold flames were burning!

"Found you!"

He didn't turn around or block; instead, he pointed his left hand, fingers together like a sword, towards a seemingly empty shadow to his right rear, and unleashed a sharp strike!

"Nirvana Finger - Void-Breaking Technique!"

This finger strike lacked the earth-shattering power of the previous attack on Yin Wuming; instead, it was more restrained, the gray-gold finger beam condensed to its extreme, seemingly capable of piercing through the void!

"puff!"

A soft thud, like a sharp blade piercing leather, ripped through the shadows. The shadow twisted, and the figure of the black-robed man staggered out! A finger-thick, gaping hole appeared in his left shoulder! Strangely, no blood flowed from the wound; instead, wisps of gray mist emanated from it, hindering its healing!

"You...how could you possibly have discovered me?!" The man in black robes clutched his wound, his voice filled with shock and disbelief. His Shadow Escape Technique was a secret technique, one that even a Golden Core cultivator might not be able to see through! How did this kid, who was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, manage to do it?!

"Your Shadow Cloaking is indeed masterful, blending almost perfectly with the environment." Lu Zhao slowly turned around, looking at the black-robed man with icy eyes. "But you've overlooked one point. The deathly, decaying aura emanating from you is completely incompatible with the remnants of this sword tomb, filled with resentment and fighting spirit. In my Domain of Annihilation, you are like a firefly in the night, faint yet clearly discernible."

"So...that's how it is," the black-robed man rasped, his initial shock gradually replaced by a frenzied killing intent. "It seems I underestimated you. But that makes things more interesting..."

Before he finished speaking, his figure blurred again, but this time, he did not hide. Instead, he transformed into a streak of black light and pounced towards Lu Zhao! The black slender sword in his hand burst forth with a dense black light, as if it could devour all light!

"Shadow Slayer - Soul Devourer!"

Wherever the pitch-black sword light passed, even the air seemed to be corroded, leaving a black mark! This sword strike was not only fast, but also contained a strange power, as if it could directly attack the soul!

"Well done!" Lu Zhao's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. He could sense that this black-robed man was far stronger than the previous Black Wind Three Fiends! This was a rare opponent!

"Annihilation - Soul Severing!"

The broken sword "Return to Nothingness" in his hand shone brightly with gray light! A purer and more ancient sword intent of annihilation erupted from the broken sword! This sword intent not only targeted the physical body, but also directly struck at the soul!

"Buzz!"

Two sword lights, one black and one gray, collided fiercely in mid-air!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a strange, piercing scream, as if the soul were being torn apart! The surrounding space distorted slightly! The remaining sword intent was annihilated and dissipated under the collision of these two strange forces!

"Thump thump thump!"

Lu Zhao and the man in black robes both staggered back several steps. Lu Zhao's face paled, and he felt a sharp pain in his soul, as if he had been pricked by needles. The man in black robes groaned, his face, shrouded in black robes, seemed even paler, and the eerie light in his eyes dimmed. The soul-devouring power contained in his "Shadow Killing Sword" had actually been suppressed by Lu Zhao's Annihilation Sword Intent!

"The Sword Intent of Annihilation... It really is the Sword Intent of Annihilation!" The black-robed man's hoarse voice was filled with fanaticism and greed. "I never expected to encounter someone who has comprehended the Sword Intent of Annihilation in a place like this! Kill you, devour your sword intent, and my 'Shadow Killing Sword Path' will surely advance even further!"

"You think you can defeat me?" Lu Zhao sneered, suppressing the discomfort in his soul. "Your sword is filled with filth and deathly aura; it's nothing but a heretical art. Before true annihilation, it's utterly vulnerable!"

"Is that so?" The man in black robes let out a strange laugh. "Then let me show you the power of my unorthodox methods!"

He abruptly ripped off his black robe, revealing his true face. It was a deathly pale face, devoid of any color, with sunken eyes and an eerie gray-white pupil, like that of a long-dead corpse. He exuded a dense aura of death and decay, somewhat similar to the atmosphere of this sword tomb, yet even more sinister and evil.

"The Corpse Yin Sect?!" Lu Zhao's pupils constricted upon seeing the other party's appearance and aura, instantly recalling a notorious evil sect in the cultivation world. The Corpse Yin Sect was known for its corpse refining, ghost control, and cultivation of sinister techniques; its actions were bizarre and ruthless, making it intolerable to the righteous path. He never expected to encounter members of the Corpse Yin Sect in this Sword Tomb!

"You've got some knowledge." The man in black robes, or rather, the cultivator from the Corpse Yin Sect, grinned, revealing a set of black and yellow teeth. "Since you know the name of my Corpse Yin Sect, you should understand even more clearly that you are doomed to die today! To become a soul beneath my 'Shadow Kill' sword is your honor!"

"Honored?" Lu Zhao's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "I think it's your misfortune!"

"Today, I will use your blood to sacrifice for my Dao of Annihilation!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the two moved simultaneously! An even more intense and dangerous battle suddenly erupted deep within this sword tomb!