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

Lu Zhao pushed his speed to the limit, simultaneously activating the [Turtle Breathing Technique] and [Spirit Refining Technique], squeezing out the last bit of potential within his body. His figure shot forward like an arrow, weaving through the pervasive silence and mist. Behind him, the roars and heavy footsteps of the plague-ridden villagers grew closer, clinging to him like maggots.

"We absolutely cannot stop!" Only one thought occupied Lu Zhao's mind. The thing in the ancestral hall was far more bizarre than he had imagined. The enormous, plague-like mass of flesh, the endless stream of infected villagers, and the terrifying mental shock all testified to its horror. A direct confrontation would be utterly futile.

As he ran, he pulled out the [Gentle Breeze Talisman] from his pocket, activated it without hesitation, and slapped it onto himself! A cool breeze arose out of nowhere, swirling around him and quickly dispelling the sticky, plague-laden mist clinging to him, allowing him to breathe freely and increasing his speed by half a step.

Using the brief speed boost from the [Gentle Breeze Talisman], Lu Zhao rushed into the narrow alleyway he had come from, abruptly turned, and darted into a half-collapsed thatched hut. The pursuers behind him were hindered by the alley's terrain, creating a slight gap. He dared not linger, smashing through the dilapidated fence behind the hut, rushing into a weed-covered slope, and then rolling down the slope without stopping, landing in a shallow, foul-smelling stream.

The icy sewage made him shiver, but Lu Zhao didn't care. He immediately held his breath, submerged himself in the water, leaving only his mouth and nose above the surface, and used the current to quickly drift downstream.

Behind him, the roars and footsteps of the plague-stricken villagers stopped by the stream. They seemed to have lost their way, pacing anxiously on the bank, panting heavily. The stench of the plague in the water seemed to obscure Lu Zhao's faint breath.

After drifting a full hundred feet away, and with no sound behind him, Lu Zhao cautiously climbed ashore and hid behind a dense thicket, panting heavily. He was soaking wet, mud and blood mixed together, looking utterly disheveled. The wound on his shoulder, which had been scratched by the infected villagers, stung with a burning pain, and the skin around the wound had a faint, ominous bluish-black tinge.

[Attacked by plagued villagers, infected with a weak form of corpse virus, health -8%, additional status: Mild Plague Corrosion. Health continues to decrease slowly, -1% per minute.]

The panel's notification was cold and glaring. It was indeed infected! Lu Zhao gritted his teeth and immediately took out the [Antidote Pill] he had obtained from Qingyun Temple from his storage bag, stuffing it into his mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, a warm current flowing towards the wound, but the effect seemed minimal. The bluish-black color only receded slightly, and the continuous loss of life points slowed to 0.5% per minute, but it didn't stop.

"Ordinary antidote pills have limited effect, but this corpse poison is mixed with plague qi, making it even more troublesome." Lu Zhao's expression was solemn. He took out another [Blood Replenishing Pill] and swallowed it to stabilize his continuously declining health. Now was not the time to investigate further; he had to leave the village as soon as possible.

He dared not return the way he came, fearing that villagers infected with the plague might be lying in ambush. After determining the direction, he chose to go from the other side of the village, bypassing the ancestral hall area, and making his way outwards. This time, he was even more careful, concealing his presence to the extreme, preferring to take a longer route rather than approach any area with a strong plague odor or unusual sounds.

After a perilous journey, and having evaded two more scattered groups of infected villagers, he finally spotted the woods at the edge of the village in the distance. Darkness was falling, the last rays of daylight being swallowed by the gloom. The infected village in the night would be even more terrifying.

With a determined effort, he used his last bit of strength to break free of the village shrouded in thick fog and plunge into the dark woods. Only after confirming that there were no pursuers behind him did he slide down a tree trunk and sit on the ground, panting heavily. Sweat, blood, and sewage mingled together, making him look as if he had been pulled out of the water.

After resting for a full half-incense stick's time, swallowing the last blood-replenishing pill to stabilize his condition, Lu Zhao finally managed to calm his breathing. He tore off the hem of his clothes and used stream water (now far from the village) to simply wash the wound, sprinkled the last bit of antidote powder on it, and tied it tightly with a clean strip of cloth. A slight coolness came from the wound, but the slow, eroding, tingling sensation had not completely disappeared.

"This plague-induced erosion doesn't seem like ordinary corpse poison. It's more like some kind of active, assimilative 'spores' or 'mycelia' are eroding the body. Ordinary antidotes only treat the symptoms, not the root cause," Lu Zhao thought to himself. He had to find a more effective antidote as soon as possible, or eradicate the source, otherwise the erosion would continue to worsen and might even assimilate him into that inhuman monster.

He leaned against the tree trunk and began to review what he had seen earlier.

"The things in that ancestral hall were definitely not a naturally occurring plague. Those chunks of flesh covered in mycelium, those vesicles that nurtured the mutated villagers, that pulsating 'heart' organ... this was clearly a conscious, growing, 'reproducing,' evil, and active 'mother'! It was absorbing and transforming the life force and death energy of the entire village, turning it into puppet soldiers like the 'mutated villagers'!"

"This thing attacks primarily by releasing plague gas, mental shocks, and a continuous stream of infected villagers. The plague gas is corrosive and infectious, the mental shocks are difficult to defend against, and sheer numbers are hard to counter. That 'heart' organ is likely its core, and also the source of the mental shocks and plague gas. If we could destroy it..."

"But being near the ancestral hall itself is subject to the dual suppression of the plague and the mental impact, and we also have to face the siege of at least dozens or hundreds of plagued villagers, some of whom are even level 5 or higher... With my current strength, if I were to force my way in head-on, I would be doomed."

Lu Zhao frowned. A direct confrontation wouldn't work, and a sneak attack was difficult too. That 'mother' possessed keen senses and a wide range of mental attacks. Unless one could completely isolate themselves from the plague, gain complete immunity to mental attacks, or have a means to kill from a distance with a single blow, it was impossible to get close.

"A long-range...fire attack?" He considered using fire. That thing was an aggregate of flesh and mycelium, so it should be vulnerable to fire. But ordinary flames would likely be insufficient to penetrate its external defenses, and how to get a spark inside was also a problem. More importantly, that thing was entrenched in the ancestral hall, which itself was a brick structure, difficult to ignite, and the surrounding area was constantly releasing dense plague gas that might contain flammable or suffocating components...

"Talismans... The [Exorcism Talismans] I have on hand would definitely have a restraining effect on it, but their power is too weak, and the quantity is far from enough. Unless it's a large number of high-level Exorcism Talismans, or... attack talismans like lightning talismans or fire talismans. But I don't have any."

"External forces... Changfeng Escort Agency? They might have experts, but against this kind of evil, high martial arts skills aren't necessarily useful; they might even lead to infection. Qingyun Temple? Master Qingxu is at the third level of Qi Refining; he might have methods, but can he handle an evil entity of this scale? Besides, what makes me think I can get him involved? And what is the Dai family?"

One plan after another flashed through his mind, only to be rejected one by one. Finally, something surfaced in his mind—the evil cultivator's soul core.

"The Soul Core...contains immense soul power and Yin energy. That 'mother' feeds on soul power, death energy, and life force. Is the Soul Core a tremendous tonic for it, or...a deadly poison? If we could use the Soul Core to set a trap..."

A bold, even somewhat insane plan gradually took shape in his mind.

"I need more [Exorcism Talismans], the higher the quality the better. I need talismans that can temporarily and significantly increase mental resistance or defense. I need medicines or talismans that can isolate the plague, at least temporarily. I... need to be more familiar with the 'mother's' routines and weaknesses. For example, does it have any fixed periods of weakness during 'feeding' or 'laying eggs'? Also, is there a pattern to the frequency and range of its mental attacks?"

"Furthermore, I must improve my [Spirit Refining Technique] as soon as possible, so that I will have stronger resistance when facing mental attacks next time. The concealment effect of [Turtle Breathing Technique] also needs to be strengthened so that I can sneak into closer range."

"Time is running out. The plague-induced erosion on my body can only be suppressed for a day at most..."

Lu Zhao raised his head and looked in the direction of Qingmu Town, his eyes becoming firm and sharp again.

"Go back to town, find Master Qingxu, find Manager Wang. I need talismans, medicine, and intelligence. And that soul core... Perhaps, it's time to take a gamble."

He struggled to his feet, discerned his direction, and walked towards Qingmu Town with faltering yet remarkably determined steps. The night was thick, like a ferocious beast, but in his eyes burned an indomitable flame.