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

"Click...click...click..."

A sickening, bone-grinding sound came from all directions, growing ever more intense. In the depths of darkness ahead, countless eerie green lights flickered and converged like will-o'-the-wisps, slowly crawling forward. Wherever the light of the luminous pearl reached, shadowy figures emerged—some complete, some broken, some charred—from the darkness, from the crevices of rocks, from the soil! They varied in form; some wore tattered miner's clothes, others were the skeletons of wild beasts, their eye sockets flickering with eerie green flames, their bodies shrouded in viscous black mist, emanating a nauseating aura of death.

【Rotten Miner Corpse Puppet (Elite), Level: 5-6】

[Status: Clustered, skeletal body, high physical attack resistance, afraid of fire and light, corrupted and strengthened by an unknown force]

There were no fewer than a hundred of them! And all of them were enhanced elite-level! They staggered, yet with an unyielding madness, they surrounded the two, forming a despairing sea of ​​bones!

"Hiss..." Even with her vast experience, Miss Yun was taken aback by the sight before her. Such a massive number of corpse puppets, all with bizarre enhancements, could not possibly have been conceived in a naturally formed place of gathering evil spirits! There must be something fishy going on deep within this mine!

"Senior, where is the remnant of the earth fire vein? Is there any way to counter it?" Lu Zhao asked in a deep voice, his hand already pulling out several [Exorcism Talismans]. Faced with so many corpses with high physical resistance, the effect of the [Exorcism Talismans] would be greatly reduced, but it was better than nothing.

"Deeper inside, I can feel a faint warmth! But we must get through these corpse puppets!" Yun's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for a weak point. "The corpses fear fire! Use fire!"

Lu Zhao's mind raced. Fire attack? He didn't have any large-scale fire attack methods at his disposal. Ordinary torches would probably have limited effect on these enhanced corpse puppets. Wait… he suddenly remembered the [Plague Poison Crystal (Mid-grade)] he had obtained from the Plague Mother. Although the plague poison contained within was domineering, it also possessed strong corrosive and toxic properties. Perhaps it could restrain the corpses? But this item was indiscriminate, friend or foe, and could not be used lightly. So… only one move remained!

"Senior, buy me a moment!" Lu Zhao shouted, pulling out the "inferior" [Blood Wolf Inner Core (Inferior)] he had obtained from the Blood Wolf's corpse! This inner core contained the Blood Wolf's demonic power and essence blood, its energy mixed and violent, but he couldn't care less now! He wanted to use it to unleash the maximum power of the [Exorcising Talisman], and even attempt to detonate the demonic power within, creating a one-time, large-scale impact! This was dangerous; the inner core's energy was extremely unstable, and a slight mishap could backfire on him, but he had no other choice at the moment!

"What are you going to do?" Miss Yun was also surprised when she saw him take out his inner core.

"Give it a try!" Lu Zhao didn't have time to explain. He tightly gripped the inner core in his palm, picked up three [Exorcism Talismans (Good)] with his other hand, and frantically activated the [Spirit Refining Technique], recklessly pouring his spiritual power into it. At the same time, he guided the mixed and violent energy in the inner core into the talismans!

This was an extremely risky move! Forcibly mixing energies of different attributes was highly susceptible to going out of control! The demonic power within his inner core surged wildly, almost tearing his meridians apart. A sharp pain shot through him, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. But he gritted his teeth, frantically circulating the [Dragon's Hibernation] technique to forcibly stabilize his mind, suppressing and guiding the raging energy to merge with the exorcising power of the [Exorcising Talisman]!

"Buzz—!"

The talisman trembled violently, emitting a blinding light mixed with crimson gold and blood, like a fireball about to explode! The violent energy fluctuations distorted the surrounding air!

"go!"

With a roar, Lu Zhao used all his strength to slam three talismans, which were infused with demonic power and the power to ward off evil, into the area in front where the corpses were most concentrated!

"Boom—!!"

A deafening explosion rang out! Crimson-gold exorcising power mingled with dark red demonic energy, forming a violent energy shockwave that instantly swept across an area dozens of feet in front! Wherever the light passed, decaying corpses melted, vaporized, and turned into a shower of bone dust, like ice blocks thrown into a furnace! Corpses a short distance away were also thrown about by the shockwave, their black aura dissipating and their skeletons shattering! The entire underground cavern shook violently in the explosion, with rubble falling in a shower!

[Detonate the energy of the 'Blood Wolf Inner Core (Inferior)', fuse with 'Exorcising Talisman' x3, and release a mixed energy shockwave!]

[Deals area-of-effect Holy + Demonic damage to the 'Rotten Miner Corpse Puppet' (Elite)! Triggers a counter effect!]

[A large number of corpse puppets have been purified and destroyed! Gaining experience points... gaining experience points...]

[Obtained: Several fragments of decaying bones, several weak soul power crystals.]

"Go!" Lu Zhao didn't bother to check his experience gains. He endured the excruciating pain in his meridians and the dizziness caused by the energy backlash. He grabbed Yun, whose blood and qi were also churning from the explosion, and rushed madly toward the passage cleared by the explosion and toward the direction from which the aura of the earth fire veins was coming from!

Behind them, more corpses roared and pursued, drawn by the alarm! Ahead lay unknown darkness and danger! But there was no way to retreat!

The two moved with incredible speed, breaking free from the encirclement of corpses in a few leaps and rushing into a narrower, more winding mine tunnel. Behind them, the roars of the corpses and the grinding of bones were left behind. But Lu Zhao could sense that the immense, chilling energy, seemingly awakened by the earlier explosion, was rapidly reviving! A cold, malevolent will, filled with the aura of decay and death, like a ferocious beast awakening, slowly enveloped the entire underground space!

"Quick! It's waking up!" Miss Yun's face was pale, clearly she had sensed it too. She grabbed Lu Zhao and, no longer holding back, sped through the mine tunnel at top speed.

As they went deeper into the mine, the air grew increasingly scorching, the smell of sulfur intensified, and the malevolent aura also grew stronger, almost merging with the geothermal heat to create a strange sensation of contrasting extremes. Ahead, a faint, dark red light flickered, accompanied by a gurgling sound, like boiling magma.

Finally, the space opened up before them, revealing a massive, funnel-shaped underground chamber. At its center lay a dark red lava lake, several tens of feet in diameter, its crimson magma flowing slowly, emitting a scorching light and intense heat that illuminated the entire cavern. In the very center of the lava lake stood a large, protruding black rock platform, upon which dozens of enormous, rusted iron chains were driven into the lava, their ends extending into the magma, seemingly imprisoning something.

Below the black platform, at the edge of the lava lake, scattered among the rocks were fragments of crystal-like minerals that shimmered with a faint red light—Crimson Flame Gold Crystals!

"Found it!" A hint of joy flashed in Miss Yun's eyes. But her joy froze instantly, her gaze fixed on the black platform.

Lu Zhao followed her gaze and was immediately chilled to the bone! On the black platform, at the center of the entwined chains, sat a skeleton! But this skeleton was completely different from the corpse puppets outside! Its entire body possessed a strange, jade-like luster, shimmering with a metallic sheen. The skeleton was tall, easily two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters), with thick bones and faintly visible strange runes flowing across its surface. Two eerie green, will-o'-the-wisps flickered in its eye sockets, far more concentrated, powerful, and malevolent than the will-o'-the-wisps of the corpse puppets outside! Even more chilling was the dense, almost tangible black malevolent energy constantly rising from its body, intertwining and colliding with the heat emanating from the magma, emitting a hissing sound.

"This is... a Bone Demon?!" Miss Yun exclaimed in shock, her voice filled with disbelief and horror. "How could such a ferocious creature be here?!"

Bone Demon?! Lu Zhao's heart trembled violently. The name itself sounded ominous! He immediately focused his attention, and the information displayed on the panel was:

[Unknown skeleton (eroded), Level: ??? (Undetectable)]

[Status: Dormant (about to awaken), Extremely Dangerous, Source of Yin and Evil, Suppressed by Earth Fire]

[WARNING: Extremely dangerous! Immediate evacuation recommended!]

Undetectable level! Extremely dangerous! Dormant! Suppressed by subterranean fire!

Lu Zhao instantly understood! The dense Yin energy deep within this mine was emanating from this skeleton! It was the source of this abandoned mine becoming a "ghost cave"! The existence of the lava lake seemed to be a natural seal, using the power of the most Yang earth fire to suppress this most Yin and evil skeleton! And those crimson gold crystals were special products that condensed at the edge of the mine after the earth fire and the skeleton's Yin energy had been fighting, eroding, and fusing for a long time!

"roar--!"

Just then, the soul flame in the skeleton's eye sockets suddenly leaped! Like a colossal beast awakened from its slumber, an incomparably terrifying will, filled with endless resentment, deathly stillness, and icy chill, swept through the entire underground space like a tsunami! Lu Zhao and Miss Yun were struck as if by a heavy blow, letting out a muffled groan and staggering backward, their faces instantly turning deathly pale! The mere pressure of this will made it almost impossible for them to breathe!

"Click, click..."

The skeleton slowly raised its head, its two eerie green flames locking onto the intruder. It seemed to try to stand, but the massive, rusty iron chains binding it suddenly tightened, glowing with dim, seemingly extinguished crimson runes! The runes clashed violently with the black, malevolent energy emanating from the skeleton, producing a teeth-grinding "crunch" and sending sparks flying! It was a seal! These chains were a seal, using the power of the earth's fire to suppress the skeleton!

"Before it completely breaks free of the seal! Snatch the Crimson Flame Golden Crystal and leave immediately!" Miss Yun made a decisive move, enduring the discomfort on her soul level. She drew her longsword, transforming it into a streak of azure light, and rushed straight towards the nearest Crimson Flame Golden Crystal! Her speed was so fast that she almost became a blur!

Lu Zhao also realized what was happening. He suppressed his fear and frantically activated [Dragon's Sleep] to resist the terrifying pressure, rushing towards another piece of crimson gold crystal! His target was a larger gold crystal located a little further from the lava lake and closer to the cave wall!

"Insects... how dare you covet what belongs to me... die!"

A dry, hoarse sound, like two bones rubbing together, exploded in their minds! It was the skeleton's telepathic communication! Immediately afterward, the skeleton suddenly raised a bone claw and grabbed at Yun's direction from afar!

"boom!"

A hideous ghost claw, as large as a house and formed entirely from dense black energy, appeared out of thin air, carrying an aura of tearing everything apart, and fiercely grabbed at Miss Yun!

"Defend!" Miss Yun's expression changed, and her sword light swirled, creating a cyan light screen in front of her!

"Bang!"

The ghostly claw slammed into the light barrier, producing a deafening roar! The light barrier trembled violently, cracks appearing on its surface! Miss Yun groaned, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the rock wall! But in her hand, she already held a fist-sized Crimson Flame Golden Crystal that emitted a scorching red light!

"Roar!" The skeleton seemed to be enraged, raising its other bone claw and aiming it at Lu Zhao, who was rushing towards another piece of crimson gold crystal!

The shadow of death instantly loomed over Lu Zhao! He felt his blood freeze, the terrifying pressure rendering him immobile! But a fierce glint flashed in his eyes; in this life-or-death moment, his potential erupted! He activated the [Refining Spirit Technique] to its limit, his spiritual power burning wildly, temporarily breaking through some of the pressure's restraints. Without hesitation, he crushed the last [Plague Poison Crystal (Mid-Grade)] he had obtained from the Plague Mother, mixed it with the last [Exorcising Talisman], and threw it towards the approaching ghostly claw! He didn't seek to harm the enemy, only to slow it down!

"Sizzle—!"

The plague crystals exploded, releasing a dark green poisonous mist that mixed with the crimson-gold light of the exorcising talisman, forming a chaotic energy field that collided with the ghostly claw! The ghostly claw paused slightly, weakened a bit, but still slammed down with unstoppable force!

"Bang!"

Lu Zhao was swept away by the aftershock, as if struck by a charging wild bull. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body flying through the air like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the cave wall before rolling to the ground. His vision went black, and his bones felt like they were shattered! His health plummeted to 20%! [Severely Injured] status!

But when he landed, he was only a few steps away from the largest crimson gold crystal! He endured the excruciating pain, rolled over, pounced on the crystal, and with his last bit of strength, grabbed it and stuffed it into his arms!

"You're courting death!" The skeleton was utterly enraged, seemingly completely provoked by the two's actions. Forgetting about the seal, its entire skeletal body thrashed violently, the chains on its body rattling loudly, the crimson runes flickering as if they would break at any moment! The soul flames in its eye sockets surged, and an even more terrifying pressure and killing intent, as if tangible, crushed towards Lu Zhao! This time, it was a true killing move!

"Go!" Miss Yun struggled to her feet, spitting out another mouthful of blood, clearly seriously injured. She glanced at the terrifying skeleton about to break free of its seal, then at the heavily injured Lu Zhao lying on the ground, a resolute glint in her eyes. She bit her tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the longsword in her hand! The longsword suddenly burst forth with a dazzling blue light, its aura surging!

"Azure Cloud Sword Technique - Breaking Evil!"

With a sharp cry, she merged with her sword, transforming into a streak of azure light. Instead of attacking the skeleton, she slashed fiercely at one of the chains binding it! Was she trying to break the seal and release the skeleton? No! Was she trying to completely destroy the seal, unleashing the subterranean fire and causing them to perish together? Or was she using this opportunity to create chaos?

"Snap!"

The sword light struck the rusty iron chain, producing a piercing snapping sound! The already dim crimson runes on the chain instantly extinguished most of them! At the same time, the entire underground space began to tremble violently! The lava lake began to boil and churn, and the earth shook! A violent and destructive force of subterranean fire began to gush out from the broken chain, from beneath the skeleton!

"roar--!!"

The skeleton let out a deafening roar, a roar that was both furious and seemingly tinged with... fear? The loosening of the seal seemed to have triggered something far more terrifying!

"Go!" Using the force of the recoil, Miss Yun rushed to Lu Zhao's side, grabbed him, and crushed a talisman with her other hand!

"Buzz!"

A flash of white light, and the two figures vanished from their spot in an instant! Was that an earth-遁符 (earth-遁符, a type of talisman that allows one to escape into the ground)?!

The next moment, the unbound skeletons and the violently erupting magma completely engulfed the spot where the two had just stood! The entire underground cavern began to collapse!