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

Upon returning to "Wang Anju", Lu Zhao declined the warm concern of Master Zhao and the refugees, saying only that he was fine and needed to rest for a few days. He then locked himself in the dilapidated little house that could barely be called a bedroom.

He sat cross-legged on the simple wooden bed, not immediately beginning his cultivation, but first calming his mind and focusing his inner self. The plague had been cleared, his soul injury had healed, and although his meridians were still somewhat weak, they were no longer a major problem. His greatest gain was the newly fused skill—[Dragon's Hibernation].

"It can significantly enhance recovery capabilities in a deep state of tranquility, slowly purify and suppress negative status effects, and even allow one to enter a 'feigned death' state to reduce their presence... This is simply a divine skill for survival, healing, and stealth!" Lu Zhao carefully experienced the changes brought about by the skill. He tried to activate [Dragon's Hibernation], and a cool and gentle aura, like ripples of water, flowed through his limbs and bones. His previously slow recovery of physical and mental strength was noticeably accelerated by more than double! He even had a faint feeling that if he could enter a meditative state in this state, the recovery and growth of his mental strength would be even faster. The only drawback was that this skill seemed to focus more on support and recovery, and its direct amplification in combat was not obvious.

"No rush, let's practice until we're proficient first. Right now, we have enough experience points, so let's level up our level and attributes first." Lu Zhao opened the panel and looked at the experience bar that had surged due to killing the Plague Mother and a large number of Plague Villagers.

Name: Lu Zhao

[Level: 8 (650/800)]

Health: 85%/100% (Slowly recovering)

[Stamina: 90%/100%]

[Mental Strength: 72%/100%]

[Attributes: Strength: 1.2, Constitution: 1.1, Agility: 1.3, Spirit: 3.3]

[Skills: Hidden Dragon Sleep (Beginner) Lv1 (5/100), Basic Talisman Drawing Lv2 (80/300)]

[Title: Plague Slayer (Deals +8% damage to enemies affected by diseases, toxins, and plagues; receives -5% damage from these types of enemies)]

[Equipment: Fine Iron Short Sword (Attack +5, Durability 20/20), Hardwood Short Crossbow (15 Bolts), Damaged Bone Shield (Defense +2, Durability 8/15), Amulet (Inferior), Tranquility Charm (Common), Mind-Cleansing Charm, Miasma-Avoiding Charm, Damaged Ghost Bone Shield]

[Items: Corrupted Heart (Core) x1, Plague Crystal (Medium Grade) x8, Yin Sha Crystal (Medium Grade) x5, Evil God Emblem (Fragment) x1, Silver: 42 taels, Copper Coins: a certain amount]

[Special Item: 1 Loose Cultivator Token, 2 Cleansing Soul Pills]

He was just 150 experience points away from reaching level 9. After a moment's thought, Lu Zhao decided to collect all the low-level materials he had previously acquired, such as [Corrupted Finger Bone] and [Plague-Stained Cloth]. Although the experience gained from each item was small, every little bit helps. With the remaining materials, his experience bar reached 730/800, just 70 points away from leveling up. He didn't rush to find monsters to grind, but instead focused his attention on the [Corrupted Heart (Core)] in his storage bag.

This item is a core drop from defeating the Plague Mother. It contains extremely pure but incredibly ferocious plague poison and Yin energy. The panel indicates it's a "Special Material, usable for refining, poison making, or special cultivation techniques. It can also be used as an energy core, but handle with caution as there is a risk of backlash." He currently lacks the ability to process it; using it rashly could very well poison him to death. However, its value undoubtedly far exceeds that of the [Plague Poison Crystal], and he might be able to exchange it for something good at the trade fair.

As for the few [Mid-Grade Plague Crystals] and [Mid-Grade Yin Fiend Crystals], they are of good quality and are good materials for making poisons, Yin-attribute talismans, or magical artifacts, and are worth some money. The [Unknown Evil God Emblem (Fragment)] is even more mysterious, but Shopkeeper Chen is very secretive about it, so he dares not touch it easily and will leave it for now.

"Right now, the most important thing is to prepare for the exchange meeting in three days. I need to improve my strength, and more importantly, I need to understand the rogue cultivator circle and gather information. In terms of strength, [Dragon's Hibernation] requires proficiency, which cannot be achieved overnight. Improving my talisman drawing level also requires a lot of practice and materials, but I don't have much talisman paper and cinnabar left. Perhaps I can use the remaining silver to purchase another batch of talisman paper and draw a few [Exorcising Talismans] and [Tranquilizing Talismans] for later use. I also need to replenish the crossbow bolts."

"In addition, the improvement of [Dragon's Hibernation] is slow, but you can try to actively guide its effect of 'purifying and suppressing negative status' while in a resting state, which may speed up the elimination of residual plague toxins and even increase resistance to poisons and diseases."

Having made up his mind, Lu Zhao first activated [Dragon's Hibernation], entering a semi-quiet state, guiding the warm and cool energy to slowly cleanse away any remaining traces of the plague toxins that might have lingered in his body. The process was slow, but he could feel his body gradually becoming "cleaner."

Once his mind had completely calmed down, he took out the remaining talisman paper and cinnabar and began drawing talismans. With his previous experience, the improvement in his divine attribute, and his initial mastery of [Sleeping Dragon], his mental power was more refined and his control was stronger, increasing his success rate in drawing talismans to nearly 80%! In the end, after consuming most of the materials, he successfully drew four [Exorcising Talismans (Good)] and two [Tranquilizing Talismans (Common)].

【Spell Drawing (Basic) Lv2 (80/300) → Lv2 (120/300)】

"Not bad, your talisman-making skills are also steadily improving." Lu Zhao put away the talisman with satisfaction, which would be one of the reasons for his confidence in trading at the exchange meeting.

By the time he finished, it was already late. He didn't continue cultivating but rested early. Although his body had recovered, the mental exhaustion and the aftereffects of this serious injury still required time to heal.

In the dead of night, all was quiet. Lu Zhao's [Dragon in Sleep] state made his perception of the outside world exceptionally acute. He "heard" the gentle rustling of the wind through the grass outside, the low chirping of night birds in the distance, and... an extremely faint, almost inaudible, sound of tiles scraping against each other.

Someone's there! On the roof!

Lu Zhao was instantly jolted awake from his slumber. His heartbeat was steady, but his breathing suddenly slowed. The effect of [Dragon's Hibernation] was instantly switched to its maximum, and his entire aura vanished, as if he had merged into the darkness of a rock. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on the direction from which the sound came, but his body remained motionless.

The noise from the roof lasted less than a breath before disappearing again, as if it had just been an illusion. But Lu Zhao was certain he hadn't misheard. The other party was cautious, possessed good lightness skills, but seemed to have no hostility, at least no intention of attacking immediately.

Are they from the Black Fiend Cult? They found us so quickly? Lu Zhao's heart tightened, but he immediately dismissed the thought. If they were from the Black Fiend Cult, with their late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, they wouldn't be so sneaky; they would have already come knocking on his door.

Could it be... someone from the garrison headquarters? Here to investigate my background? Or perhaps... someone else, like the "rogue cultivator" that Manager Chen mentioned?

He didn't move, but silently placed his hand on the hilt of the short sword under his pillow, his mind highly focused. The perception of the [Refining Spirit Technique] quietly spread out, like invisible tentacles reaching towards the roof. With the blessing of [Dragon's Hibernation], his perception and stealth were far beyond his usual abilities. At this moment, he was like a cheetah lurking in the darkness, waiting for his opportunity.

However, that faint sense of being watched lasted only a few breaths before receding like the tide, leaving no trace. It was as if it were merely a passerby, or rather, a spy, who had simply confirmed something and then quietly departed.

Lu Zhao remained vigilant, keeping quiet until dawn broke and, seeing no further abnormalities, slowly sat up. He walked to the window and carefully observed the outside and rooftops by the dim light. There were no footprints or traces left. The other party had handled it very cleanly.

"Friend or foe?" Lu Zhao frowned slightly. The other party had clearly noticed his presence, and might even know that he had just recovered from serious injuries, yet had taken no action. This meant that either the other party was merely observing and was wary, or... the other party's target was not him, or they did not want to alert him for the time being.

"Was it the exchange meeting Manager Chen mentioned that brought this here? Or is it because of the Plague Mother that someone has noticed me?" Lu Zhao's mind raced. Either way, it meant the end of peaceful days. He needed to improve his strength and acquire more information more quickly to establish himself in this world full of unknowns and dangers.

For the next two days, Lu Zhao stayed home, only going to the market to replenish his supplies of talisman paper, cinnabar, crossbow bolts, and some dry rations. He devoted all his energy to cultivating the [Dragon's Hibernation] technique and drawing talismans. Under the combined effects of the elixirs and [Dragon's Hibernation], his condition recovered at an astonishing speed. Not only were his injuries healed, but his attributes also showed a slight improvement. His talisman-drawing skills also steadily improved, and he successfully drew two more [Exorcising Talismans (Good)].

On the evening of the third day, as the last rays of sunlight disappeared on the horizon, Lu Zhao changed into a clean and neat blue outfit. He carefully put away his short sword, crossbow, talismans, pills, and the [Rogue Cultivator Token]. He also carefully placed the [Plague Crystal], [Yin Fiend Crystal], and [Corrupted Heart (Core)] in a specially made jade box that could isolate his aura, and hid it close to his body. He took one last look at the dilapidated house where he had lived for more than a month, his gaze sweeping over the sleeping refugees. Without disturbing anyone, he quietly left "Wang An Ju" like a shadow blending into the night.

The night was still long. Ten miles outside the West Gate, at the "Yunlai Inn," a gathering of cultivators, rife with undercurrents, awaited his arrival.