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

The child's cries were like invisible threads, tangling around one's heart, compelling one to investigate and comfort. But Lu Zhao's spiritual perception far surpassed that of ordinary people; the cries did not lower his guard, but rather felt like a bucket of ice water, instantly drenching his entire body. At the same moment the cries began, he clearly and unmistakably detected that hidden, twisted, and greedy spiritual fluctuation.

It's a trap! They lure people over with the sound of a child crying, and then...

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Zhao activated the [Turtle Breathing Technique] at full power, suppressing his life force and aura to the extreme. At the same time, he slowly crouched down, hiding in the dense thicket of wormwood. He neither approached immediately nor retreated, but remained like a lifeless stone, silently watching the direction of the collapsed tomb where the yin energy was most concentrated.

The crying lasted for about ten breaths, intermittent, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if a lost child were truly crying helplessly in a graveyard. But Lu Zhao keenly noticed that the tone and rhythm of the crying had an unnatural stiffness, as if it had been deliberately "performed," lacking the vibrancy and emotional changes of a real child.

"It's fake, some kind of imitation, or rather, a controlled 'bait'." Lu Zhao sneered inwardly, becoming even more certain of his judgment. It seemed that the "owner" of this graveyard not only knew how to use illusions but also understood how to read people's hearts and minds.

He waited patiently, like the most experienced hunter. The crying gradually subsided and eventually disappeared completely. The graveyard returned to its suffocating silence. The greedy mental fluctuations also seemed to have vanished, but Lu Zhao could feel a cold, viper-like gaze sweeping over the area where he was hiding, scrutinizing and wary.

The other party is also observing.

Lu Zhao held his breath, suppressing his heartbeat to the lowest possible level. After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the "gaze" seemed to have found nothing unusual and finally moved away. However, the intense yin energy and the regular fluctuations remained unchanged in the direction of the collapsed tomb.

Is it a case of waiting patiently for a rabbit to run into a tree stump, or is that place its "nest"?

Lu Zhao quietly took out a flat pebble from his pocket, flicked his wrist, and the pebble traced an arc, landing far away at the edge of the graveyard with a soft "thud".

Almost the instant the stone hit the ground, a chilling mental wave, like a startled venomous snake, suddenly swept across the direction of the collapsed tomb! It was extremely fast and carried a hint of anger at being fooled.

"It really is there." Lu Zhao's eyes narrowed as he confirmed the target's location. At the same time, he also confirmed that this thing was extremely sensitive to "sound" and "the aura of living beings."

He thought for a moment, then gently drew his wood-chopping knife and smeared the packet of realgar powder on the blade. He had gotten it from Old He; it was said to repel snakes and insects. Although he wasn't sure if it would work on this thing, it was better than nothing. Then, he tore off a corner of his clothing, wet it with his water pouch, and covered his mouth and nose to protect himself from possible miasma or poisonous fog.

Once prepared, he began his operation. He didn't rush straight in, nor did he approach the collapsed tomb. Instead, he used the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to conceal his aura, and with the help of the waist-high weeds, tombstones, and mounds for cover, he began to slowly and cautiously circle around the perimeter of the cemetery, in the direction of the collapsed tomb.

He needs to observe from multiple angles and gather information. To blindly storm into the enemy's lair without accurately determining their strength and attack methods would be foolish.

The cemetery was deathly silent, save for the rustling of the wind through the wild grass. Lu Zhao took each step with utmost lightness, his spiritual perception heightened to its limit, like invisible tentacles, carefully probing the ground beneath his feet, the surrounding grave mounds, and even the flow of energy in the air.

As he moved slowly and observed more closely, some details he had not noticed before gradually emerged.

He discovered that on the backs of many grave mounds and tombstones, or near the ground, were twisted runes drawn with dark red, seemingly dried blood. The runes were somewhat similar to the serpentine markings the village chief had drawn on the table, but more complex and exuding an evil aura. He dared not use his mental power to "touch" them, but silently memorized their shapes and approximate locations.

[Unknown, unorthodox runes (damaged) discovered, speculated to be nodes of a 'Yin Gathering' or 'Bewitching' type of formation.]

The panel provided a confirmation of Lu Zhao's guess. This entire cemetery had likely been set up as an evil formation! Used to gather yin energy, confuse minds, trap intruders, and even aid in cultivation or the nurturing of something.

He continued circling, stopping under a withered tree about thirty feet from the collapsed tomb. The yin energy here was noticeably thinner, but the soil beneath his feet seemed different. He crouched down and carefully brushed away the loose soil and dead leaves with his machete.

A layer of dark red, mud-like soil was revealed. The cloying, fishy smell in the air was particularly strong here. He suppressed his nausea, picked up a small pinch, brought it close to his nose, and then probed it with his spiritual senses.

[Discovery: Contaminated soil containing a mixture of decaying blood, bone meal, malevolent energy, snake slough, and the roots of some kind of bewitching herb.]

[Effects: Prolonged exposure can erode the mind, induce fear and hallucinations, and attract specific evil spirits.]

Snake molt? Bewitching herb?

Combining the "snake, snake" murmurs he had heard earlier, the snake-shaped runes he saw, and the composition of the soil, a possible outline gradually emerged in Lu Zhao's mind.

"Formed in the shape of a snake, using souls as sacrifices, gathering yin energy to form malevolent spirits... Is it a snake demon? Or a sorcerer practicing evil arts? Or perhaps... a collection of some kind of serpentine spirits?"

He stood up and looked toward the collapsed tomb, his gaze grave. The other party had been entrenched there, using the natural yin energy of this cemetery and the evil array they had set up to create the lure of children's cries, hunting down intruders, and perhaps even devouring the life force and souls of those missing children... Their purpose was probably not as simple as just "causing trouble".

This place is not safe to stay in for long. We must find out the truth as soon as possible before making any further plans.

Lu Zhao took a deep breath and began to slowly retreat, preparing to leave. He had already explored the area sufficiently; venturing further was too risky. He needed to return and, based on this information, formulate a more prudent plan.

However, just as he retreated to the edge of the cemetery, about to leave—

"Hiss..."

A faint hiss, as if coming from the depths of the earth, suddenly rang in his ears! Immediately afterward, a chilling, malevolent mental shock, like an invisible awl, pierced his mind!

[I'm suffering a mental shock!]

[Refining Spirit Technique passively resisted! Mental resilience assessment in progress...]

[Judgment successful! Mental impact weakened, slight mental concussion sustained. Health -2%.]

Lu Zhao groaned, a sharp pain shooting through his head, and his vision blurred. He instantly realized he'd been discovered! Not only had the enemy set up bait and illusions, but they'd also established some kind of mentally triggered alarm around the perimeter! The contaminated soil he'd stepped on, or perhaps he'd accidentally touched an undiscovered rune, had triggered the alarm!

"retreat!"

He acted decisively, enduring the discomfort, and suddenly exerted force with his feet, shooting off like an arrow away from the graveyard! He no longer concealed his [Turtle Breathing Technique], activating it at full power to increase his speed!

"hiss--!"

A hiss, several times louder than before and filled with rage, suddenly rang out from the direction of the collapsed tomb! The sound was not like a live snake, but rather like the hiss of countless snakes superimposed together, sharp, noisy, and carrying a chilling coldness that made one's soul tremble!

Immediately afterward, in Lu Zhao's spiritual perception, a thick, viscous, ink-like aura of Yin energy surged forth from the direction of the collapsed tomb, spreading rapidly! Within that black energy, several slender, scarlet figures, gleaming with a cold light, chased after him with lightning speed in the direction he had fled! Their speed was astonishing!