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

"laugh--!"

The Bloodstone instantly turned to dust under the corrosive effects of the venom. The moment the red light went out, the connection between the bloodstone and the monk's mind was severed as if by a sharp blade! A backlash caused the monk's breath to falter slightly, and his staff attack slowed down.

"Who?!" The gray-robed monk whirled around, his eyes flashing like lightning, sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the direction from which the crossbow bolt had come—the dense thicket of bushes beside the road. He hadn't even noticed someone hiding so close! The person's concealment of their aura was exquisite, and the timing of their attack was cunning; they were no ordinary fighter!

"call out!"

His response was a second whooshing sound! This time, the target was him! A tiny, almost imperceptible star, almost invisible in the sunlight, hurtled straight for his throat! The speed and angle were both cunning and ruthless!

The monk's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Without flinching or dodging, he made a hand seal with his left hand, and a faint, blood-tinged dark red aura instantly appeared on his body.

"Ding!"

The crossbow bolt struck the halo with a crisp sound, as if hitting a metal plate, the arrowhead shattering instantly and falling limply to the ground. But the dark green venom clinging to the arrowhead seemed to have a life of its own, spreading along the halo with a soft "sizzling" sound, actually corroding the blood-red protective shield!

"What a cunning poison!" A hint of surprise flashed in the monk's eyes. Although his "Blood Fiend Protective Qi" was something he had casually created, ordinary poisons would hardly be able to penetrate it. The poison on this arrow was so corrosive, and it carried an aura of evil and disease—it was definitely not ordinary! His gaze swept over the blackened arrow shaft on the ground, then back to where the crossbow bolt had come from. His assessment of the person hiding there rose even higher. Enemy? Friend? Was it just a chance encounter, or was it premeditated?

Just as the monk was distracted by the crossbow bolts and his mind was diverted, the old man, who had been enduring his injuries and preparing for his attack, suddenly seized the fleeting opening with a glint in his eyes. He sprang up, his palms as red as branding irons, bringing with them a wave of heat, and struck the monk directly in the back! He had deliberately feigned weakness to lure the enemy in, waiting for this very moment!

"Bloody Hands Open the Monument!"

The palm strike was powerful and heavy, with the sound of wind and thunder hidden in its palm, clearly a desperate attack!

"Hmph! A mere trick!" The monk sneered, remaining completely composed despite the sneak attack. Without turning around, he swung his staff with unparalleled precision, like a gazelle leaping off a cliff, aiming for the old man's palm! At the same time, a surge of crimson light erupted around him, and the protective aura that had been corroded by the venom solidified once more, withstanding the old man's palm strike head-on!

"puff!"

The tip of the staff collided with the palm, producing a muffled thud. The old man's face paled, and he groaned as the force of his palm strike was completely neutralized. He staggered backward again, more blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. The monk, however, merely swayed his shoulder slightly, and with a flick of his staff, he dissipated most of the invading blood energy. The difference in their cultivation levels was significant; even though the old man had launched a sneak attack, he was unlikely to gain the upper hand.

But this brief delay had bought the carriage a chance to catch its breath! The old man on the carriage shaft mustered his strength and lunged forward again, joining the previously injured guards in desperately entangled with the monk, preventing him from having another chance to attack the carriage.

"You cowards! Hiding yourselves, do you dare to show yourselves and fight!" The monk, entangled by several people, was enraged and shouted fiercely. He wielded his staff like a wheel, and blood-red light surged from it, forcing his attackers to retreat repeatedly. His gaze never left Lu Zhao's hiding place, his killing intent chilling.

Hidden in the bushes, Lu Zhao took a deep breath, knowing he could no longer hide. This monk was highly skilled, at least at the peak of the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and possibly even the late-stage; he was no match for him. But the situation forced him to act. The other party was clearly after the person (or thing) in the carriage, and his methods were ruthless. Once he succeeded, he, as the "witness," would have no chance of survival. Moreover, Li Gang was an old acquaintance; both morally and logically, he couldn't stand idly by.

"Show yourself? Alright." A calm, slightly hoarse voice rang out from the bushes. Immediately afterward, a boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old, dressed in ordinary gray clothing, with delicate features but calm eyes, slowly emerged from behind the tree. It was Lu Zhao.

He held a dark, short crossbow in his hand, the bolt already strung, its arrow gleaming with an eerie green light. An unassuming short knife hung at his waist. There wasn't a trace of true energy emanating from him; he looked like an ordinary, somewhat strong mountain boy. But his eyes were too calm, as still as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple. Even his posture—unhurried, steady, each step measured in the space between breaths, subtly blending with his surroundings—was far beyond that of an ordinary hunter.

The monk, the old man, Li Gang—all eyes were on Lu Zhao. They were all stunned to see how young he was. Li Gang, in particular, widened his eyes the moment he recognized Lu Zhao's face and exclaimed, "Lu...Young Brother Lu?! It's you!"

He never expected that the person who would come to his aid in this desolate wilderness would be Lu Zhao, the young man he had met once before, who later became famous in Qingmu Town for slaying the snake demon! Shouldn't he be in Qingmu Town? How did he end up here? Moreover, those two arrows just now—the timing, accuracy, and execution were all extremely skillful, far beyond the reach of ordinary people! In such a short time, this young man… has actually grown to this extent?!

Lu Zhao nodded to Li Gang as a greeting, but his gaze remained fixed on the gray-robed monk. He said calmly, "Master, you have quite the temper. Monks are supposed to be compassionate. Why are you bullying women and children here, robbing them by force?"

"Compassion?" The monk scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Lu Zhao. He noticed Lu Zhao's weak aura and seemingly insignificant cultivation, but Lu Zhao's composure and earlier attack made him wary. He coldly said, "Young benefactor, you're quite nosy. This is the karma between this humble monk and them, none of anyone else's business. If you know what's good for you, leave quickly, and this humble monk might spare your life. If you remain obstinate, don't blame this humble monk's staff for showing no mercy!"

Lu Zhao remained unmoved, his short crossbow firmly pointed at the monk, and calmly said, "Master, when you speak of cause and effect, are you referring to this 'Blood-Guiding Stone'? This object is sinister and vicious, tracking with blood energy; it is an evil object. As a monk, Master, using such an evil object seems somewhat inappropriate, doesn't it? Moreover, what karmic connection do you have with the people in the carriage that requires you to personally take them by force?"

He deliberately brought up the "Blood-Guiding Stone" and questioned the man's "monk" identity, intending to test him and buy time. He noticed that although the emerald green light shield inside the carriage was cracked, it wasn't completely broken and seemed to be slowly repairing itself. The people inside might be preparing something. Moreover, although Li Gang and the others were seriously injured, they hadn't lost their fighting ability. If they could catch their breath, they might still have a chance to fight back.

The monk's expression darkened slightly. The destruction of the Bloodstone had already infuriated him, and now that the young man had exposed him to his face, his murderous intent surged. He said no more, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Sharp-tongued! Since you're courting death, this humble monk will grant your wish!"

Before he finished speaking, he blurred, abandoning the attackers and transforming into a blood-red shadow, rushing straight at Lu Zhao! His speed far exceeded his previous speed! Clearly, Lu Zhao's crossbow bolts and poison made him feel threatened, and he decided to eliminate this variable first!

"Watch out!" Li Gang and the old man exclaimed at the same time.

Lu Zhao's pupils contracted; this monk's speed was even faster than he had anticipated! His late-stage Qi Refining cultivation was on full display! He dared not take it head-on, and activated the [Turtle Breathing Technique] at full power, retreating rapidly while simultaneously pulling the trigger!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Three poisoned crossbow bolts, arranged in a triangular pattern, were aimed at the monk's face, chest, and abdomen! The aim was not to injure him, but merely to hinder him!

The monk snorted coldly, brandishing his staff with a technique that seemed to seal and close, deflecting all three crossbow bolts. However, the plague poison attached to the crossbow bolts once again contaminated the staff and the protective blood aura, emitting a soft "sizzling" sound. Although it could not break through the defenses, it was slowly eroding them, making the monk even angrier.

"Die!" The monk closed in, his staff whistling through the air as it came crashing down on Lu Zhao's head! Even before the staff arrived, a strong stench of blood and a chilling aura assaulted his senses, making him want to vomit. There was also an invisible mental pressure trying to intimidate Lu Zhao's mind!

"A mental shock?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He instantly activated the [Refining Spirit Technique], and a bright light shone in his sea of ​​consciousness, easily neutralizing the impact. At the same time, his footwork changed. He no longer simply retreated, but glided to the side like a ghost. This was the evasive footwork he had learned from [Sleeping Dragon], combined with the breath-concealing effect of [Turtle Breath Technique]. His figure was elusive, narrowly avoiding the staff that was about to strike him!

"Huh?" The monk's staff missed its mark, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. His strike, seemingly simple, actually contained a mental shock and a lock on the qi and blood, something an ordinary early-stage Qi Refining cultivator would find extremely difficult to dodge. This young man was so slippery? And, seemingly unaffected by the mental impact?

"Good footwork! It's a pity your cultivation is too low!" The monk grinned maliciously, sweeping his staff to block all of Lu Zhao's escape routes. The staff's shadows were numerous, enveloping him! He could see that Lu Zhao's footwork was strange, but his cultivation was shallow, and his strength and speed were far inferior to his own. As long as he used brute force to overcome skill and forced Lu Zhao to fight head-on, he would surely die!

Lu Zhao's expression remained unchanged as he weaved through the shadows of the staff, like a leaf in a storm. Though seemingly fraught with danger, he always managed to dodge the arrows just before they could be fired. He didn't engage the monk in direct combat, but instead used hit-and-run tactics to buy time. His short crossbow occasionally fired stray arrows at tricky angles, targeting the monk's eyes, throat, and groin—vital points. Although blocked by the blood-red aura, these arrows still disturbed the monk's concentration. While the plague wasn't fatal, it clung to the blood-red aura, constantly eroding it, forcing the monk to focus on maintaining his protective energy, which consumed a significant amount of his energy.

"You coward! All you can do is dodge!" The monk, frustrated by his prolonged attacks, grew increasingly angry. He had thought he could finish off the boy in a few moves, but he hadn't expected the boy to be so persistent, his movements elusive and unpredictable, and he even harassed him with poisoned arrows from time to time, keeping him constantly on his toes. What alarmed him even more was the boy's deep and sustained aura, as if he had cultivated some superior method of concealing and cultivating his energy; after fighting for so long, he showed no signs of fatigue!

"Master, why are you in such a hurry? As a monk, you must abstain from anger and rage." Lu Zhao spoke calmly as he dodged, his tone only fueling the monk's anger.

"You're courting death!" The monk completely lost his patience, a flash of bloodlust appeared in his eyes, and he slammed his staff down hard!

"Buzz—!"

The nine bronze rings vibrated simultaneously, emitting a piercing, ear-piercing shriek! This shriek penetrated straight to the soul; it was not a physical attack, but a sonic mental attack! Li Gang and several guards were the first to be hit, screaming in agony as they collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads, blood streaming from their seven orifices, writhing in agony. Even the old man groaned, his face deathly pale, his body swaying.

Lu Zhao also felt a buzzing in his head and his vision went black. Although the [Refining Spirit Technique] could resist most mental shocks, this sonic attack was strange and penetrated straight into his sea of ​​consciousness, causing him to freeze in his tracks!

"Now!" A fierce glint flashed in the monk's eyes. Seizing the moment when Lu Zhao hesitated, his staff transformed into a blood-red shadow, carrying an incomparably sharp wind, and pierced straight for Lu Zhao's heart! This time, he used all his strength, determined to kill him with one blow!

"Young Master Lu!" Li Gang cried out in despair, but was powerless to help.

As the staff approached, a fierce glint flashed in Lu Zhao's eyes. He stopped dodging and instead met the staff tip head-on, advancing instead of retreating! At the same time, he suddenly raised his left hand, and a talisman that had been held in his palm was instantly activated!

"Break the evil! Suppress it!"

A burst of crimson-gold light erupted at such close range! It was the last [Exorcism Talisman (Good)]! Lu Zhao didn't throw the talisman, but instead directly struck the incoming staff! He wanted to use the talisman to dispel evil and directly confront the opponent's weapon!

"boom--!"

The crimson light and the blood-red staff collided violently! The violent power to exorcise evil clashed fiercely with the sinister bloodlust, erupting with blinding light and a deafening roar! The shockwave rippled outwards, blasting a shallow crater in the ground!

The monk felt a scorching, majestic energy, brimming with the power to ward off evil, surge through his staff and violently enter the meridians of his arm! He cultivated an evil cultivation method and was most afraid of such power to ward off evil! Instantly, his blood and qi surged, his evil energy became chaotic, and he could barely hold onto the staff! What shocked and angered him even more was that the power to ward off evil that the talisman unleashed instantly purified most of the bloodthirsty energy attached to his staff, and even his protective blood aura fluctuated violently, dimming somewhat!

"Pfft!" The monk groaned, a trace of dark red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, indicating he had suffered some internal injuries! He was horrified; this young man's cultivation was not high, yet the power of his talisman was so domineering! Moreover, the other party seemed to have been prepared, risking injury to break his evil technique!

Lu Zhao fared even worse. Although he had used talismans to neutralize most of the staff's force, the aftershocks still caused his blood and qi to surge, his internal organs to feel displaced, a sweet taste rising in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground several feet away. His clothes were torn at the chest, revealing a tattered leather armor underneath—a modified version of the damaged Yin Soul Bone Shield he had previously seized. Now, it was riddled with cracks and nearly unusable. His health instantly dropped below 40%!

But a cold glint flashed in his eyes. It was a success! The Demon-Slaying Talisman's effectiveness against evil arts far exceeded expectations! This monk was injured! Moreover, with his evil arts broken, his aura was unstable!

"Good! Good! Good!" The monk uttered three "good"s in succession, his face so dark it could drip water. He never expected to be forced to such a state by a mere junior at the early stage of Qi Refining, and even suffer minor injuries! This was an utter disgrace! His eyes blazed with murderous intent, and he no longer held back. The crimson light around him suddenly receded, then erupted even more violently, faintly forming a blurry, ferocious crimson phantom behind him! He was going to use his trump card to quickly kill this fiend!

However, just as his aura surged, preparing for a thunderous strike—

"Buzz—!"

Inside the carriage, the emerald green light shield suddenly shone brightly! A cool, resilient, yet vibrant aura rippled outwards like water! The cracks on the light shield rapidly repaired and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in the blink of an eye, it was restored to its original state, even more solid and translucent than before!

Immediately afterwards, the carriage curtains opened automatically without any wind. A slender figure dressed in a light blue dress slowly stepped out of the carriage.

She was a girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She was slender and her face was slightly pale, as if she had just recovered from a long illness. However, her features were extremely delicate, especially her eyes, which were clear as water and carried a calmness and wisdom that were beyond her years. In her hand, she held a jade flute that was emerald green and full of spiritual energy. The flute was engraved with intricate cloud patterns and had a faint shimmering light.

The girl's gaze first swept over the injured and fallen Li Gang, the old man, and others, a hint of apology and pain flashing in her eyes. Then, it landed on the gray-robed monk who was about to erupt, and a cold chill instantly gathered in her clear eyes.

"The Blood-Clad Arhat, the Monk of Suffering. So you did come after me after all." The girl's voice was clear and melodious, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "For this 'Azure Sea Tide Flute,' are you truly determined to wipe them all out, not even sparing these innocent passersby?"

"The monk Ku Wu? The Jade Flute of the Azure Sea?" Lu Zhao struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the girl, then at the monk whose expression had suddenly changed, and was shocked. This girl's aura was restrained, but the jade flute she held could generate such a protective light barrier; she was no ordinary person! And that monk was actually some kind of "Blood-Clad Arhat"? It seemed this wasn't a simple robbery, but a premeditated assassination! Such a person and such treasures were hidden in this carriage!

"Hmph! Little girl, finally decided to come out?" The monk Ku Wu's gaze was fixed on the jade flute in the girl's hand, his eyes practically overflowing with greed. "Hand over the Azure Sea Tide Flute, and I might spare your life! Otherwise, this very place will be your burial ground!"

"Don't even think about it!" the girl said coldly, a jade flute held to her lips, a resolute glint in her eyes. "This flute is a treasure of my sect, how could it fall into the hands of a wicked and heretical person like you! Today, even if it means fighting to the death, I will never let you succeed!"

"Fight to the death? You? And this bunch of defeated soldiers, and this reckless brat?" The monk Ku Wu sneered, his staff flashing with blood again. "I'd like to see how many more times you, a girl still recovering from your injuries, can activate the 'Azure Sea Tide Melody'!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense! An even fiercer battle was about to erupt!

Lu Zhao took a deep breath, suppressing his surging blood and qi, and slowly straightened up. He gripped his short knife tightly, his gaze sweeping over the girl, the monk, and the injured Li Gang and the others. It seemed there was no escaping this trouble. This monk, with his profound evil skills and ruthless heart, would not let any witnesses go unpunished. And this girl before him seemed to have an extraordinary background; perhaps… she was a way out.

"Chief镖李, are you still able to fight?" Lu Zhao suddenly asked, his voice calm.

Li Gang gritted his teeth, propped himself up, wiped the blood from his face, and nodded emphatically: "Brother Lu, I can't thank you enough! Today, I entrust my life to you!"

The old man struggled to his feet, stood in front of the young woman, and said in a deep voice, "Miss, this old servant swears to protect you with his life!"

The girl glanced at Lu Zhao, a hint of gratitude and apology flashing in her eyes, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your help. This fiend's evil arts are powerful; he is skilled in soul-capturing sonic attacks. Be careful."

Lu Zhao nodded, saying nothing more, forming a triangle with Li Gang and the old man, subtly protecting the girl in the center. His [Sleeping Dragon Technique] circulated wildly within him, suppressing his injuries and restoring his strength. His short sword pointed diagonally at the ground, his mind highly focused, locking onto the monk with nimble fingers. Since there was no way to avoid it, then… let's fight!

The monk Ku Wu looked at the three people before him, then at the jade flute in the girl's hand. His eyes blazed with bloodlust, and his killing intent boiled: "Fine! Fine! Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish! A boundless sea of ​​blood will send you to your blissful rebirth!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crimson light of his staff shot into the sky, and the blurry crimson phantom behind him suddenly solidified. An even more violent, sinister, and blood-filled pressure swept towards everyone like a tidal wave!

A great war has broken out!