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

The dawn dispelled the eeriness of the night, but the deathly silence of the ruins remained oppressive. Lu Zhao carefully checked his condition; his health and stamina were at full strength, and he gripped his wood-chopping knife tightly. Although the attribute boost from leveling up to level 3 was minor, it increased his confidence somewhat.

He didn't venture too far in rashly, but instead carefully explored the outer area, focusing on finding lone, low-level Soul-Eating Puppets. Perhaps because it was daytime, the puppets were noticeably less active than at night; the pale red lights were much sparser and mostly clustered in the center of the ruins.

After wandering around the perimeter for half an hour, Lu Zhao finally found an ideal target: a level 2 Soul-Eating Puppet was aimlessly wandering in a relatively open, dilapidated courtyard. The courtyard entrance was narrow and had a broken wall about half a person's height, making it a good spot to block the way.

"You're the one." Lu Zhao took a deep breath and used the same trick again. He made a sound with stones to attract the level 2 ghost puppet, and then quickly retreated behind the broken wall at the entrance of the courtyard.

The ghostly puppet roared and charged forward, only to be slightly hindered by the broken wall. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Zhao drew his sword and slashed at its lower limbs.

[Attack hit! Deals damage to Soul-Eating Puppet (LV2)! Health -8%!]

The damage was significantly lower than when fighting level 1 monsters, and the Ghost Puppet's counterattacks were even more swift. Lu Zhao was fully focused, maximizing the "kiting tactic," using the broken walls and stone pillars in the courtyard as cover, constantly maneuvering, striking and retreating immediately, never greedily taking hits.

The process was several times more dangerous than dealing with a level 1 Phantom Puppet. Several times, the Phantom Puppet's claws almost grazed his scalp, and the eerie wind it generated made his hair stand on end. But he became more and more familiar with the Phantom Puppet's attack patterns, and his use of his agility became more and more proficient, always managing to avoid fatal attacks at crucial moments.

It took a full incense stick's time to finish before the final, precise thrust struck the Phantom's throat, and the Level 2 Phantom finally howled and vanished into black smoke.

[Successfully defeated 'Soul-Eating Phantom Puppet' (LV2)!]

[Experience points gained: 50!]

[Obtained: Broken Soul Core x1]

Through intense combat, I have gained some understanding of 'basic swordsmanship,' and my proficiency with swords has slightly improved.

"Basic swordsmanship?" Lu Zhao was delighted. It seemed that frequent use of a certain weapon in combat could also increase the corresponding "proficiency," which might bring him closer to mastering formal swordsmanship skills. The experience bar became (110/300), bringing him one step closer to level 4.

After resting briefly and regaining his strength, Lu Zhao became bolder. He decided to explore further in the direction where the Qingyun Sect disciples disappeared yesterday, which was the central area of ​​the ruins.

The further you walk into the center, the larger the scale of the architectural ruins becomes. Occasionally, you can see some broken stone tablets and charred beams and pillars, indicating that this may have once been a bustling town center square or the site of government offices. The chill in the air also grows stronger.

He became even more cautious, observing almost every step, and using the [Turtle Breathing Technique] to minimize his aura as much as possible. Along the way, he avoided several groups of wandering Level 3 Phantom Puppets; these creatures were in large numbers and not something he could afford to provoke at the moment.

Lu Zhao stopped in front of the ruins of a large building that appeared to be a town hall or similar structure. The building was mostly collapsed, but there seemed to be space underground. A downward staircase entrance, partially obscured by rubble, caught his attention.

More importantly, he saw several remains of ghost puppets that had recently vanished scattered at the entrance of the stairs, and a faint, scorching aura remained in the air, completely out of place with the surrounding yin energy.

"Is it a remnant of the Qingyun Sect woman's magic from yesterday?" Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat. "They went in here!"

He hesitated for a moment, but curiosity and a desire for "opportunity" overcame his fear of the unknown. He carefully brushed aside the rubble at the entrance, and a musty, stale smell wafted out. The stairs descended, disappearing into the darkness.

He took out a torch he had prepared earlier, simply wrapped with dry grass and twigs, from his backpack (made from strips of torn cloth from tattered clothes), and lit it with a tinderbox. The flickering flame illuminated the downward steps, which appeared to be a passage leading to an underground chamber or cellar.

The passage wasn't long; after about a dozen steps, you reached the bottom. Below was a small stone chamber, roughly the size of an ordinary room. In the center of the chamber lay a skeleton sitting cross-legged on the ground. The clothes on the skeleton had long since decayed, but the skeleton itself possessed an eerie, jade-like luster, seemingly immortal despite the passage of time.

In front of the skeleton was a palm-sized, dark-colored wooden box.

In the corner of the stone chamber lay the corpses of two Soul-Eating Puppet, their forms purified by the golden light, slowly dissipating.

Lu Zhao's heart raced. This skeleton was no ordinary person in life! That wooden box…

He suppressed his excitement and didn't rush forward immediately, but instead carefully examined his surroundings. There were some blurry patterns and characters carved on the walls of the stone chamber, seemingly recording something. He brought the torch closer to decipher them.

The image roughly depicts a fierce battle, with human armies fighting against a blurry, black-glowing monster, while light descends from the sky... The text beside it is an ancient seal script, which Lu Zhao cannot understand at all.

But when he focused his attention on the text, the attribute panel gave him a prompt:

[Unknown inscription discovered, containing faint Daoist principles. Continued observation may slightly enhance the growth potential of the 'Divine' attribute (requires relevant knowledge or extremely high comprehension to decipher the content).]

It can enhance attribute growth potential! Although I don't understand it now, just observing it is beneficial!

Lu Zhao was overjoyed and quickly memorized the patterns and words on the wall. Then, his gaze returned to the skeleton and the wooden box.

He bowed respectfully to the skeleton and said in a low voice, "Senior, I, Lu Zhao, have strayed into this place by mistake. Please forgive me if I have offended you. If the contents of the box are destined for me, I will ensure that they are not left to gather dust."

After speaking, he cautiously stepped forward. The skeleton did not react. He reached out and gently picked up the wooden box.

The wooden box felt cold to the touch; it was neither metal nor wood, and was quite heavy. There was no lock on the box, only a simple clasp. Lu Zhao took a deep breath, gently pried open the clasp, and opened the lid.

Inside the box were no jewels or precious stones, only two things: a thin booklet with a yellowish hue and a strange material, and a pill the size of a longan, perfectly round, emitting a soft white light...?

On the cover of the booklet were a few ancient characters that he could barely make out:

Basic Spirit Refining Techniques

Next to the pill, the panel also displayed the following information:

【Soul Nourishing Pill (Inferior Grade)】

[Grade: Low-grade Mortal]

[Effect: After consumption, it nourishes the spirit, slightly enhances divine attributes, and weakly restores depleted mental energy.]

"Cultivation techniques! Elixirs!"

Lu Zhao's heart nearly leaped out of his chest! He'd searched high and low without finding it, only to have it come to him so easily! It was actually a cultivation technique for the spirit, and a corresponding elixir!

He suppressed the urge to take the pills immediately and carefully put the booklet and the medicine away. He bowed to the skeleton again, then, not daring to linger, quickly left the underground stone chamber.

Back on the ground, the sunlight was a bit dazzling. Suppressing his elation, Lu Zhao found a completely safe and secluded corner and couldn't wait to take out the "Basic Refining Spirit Technique".

He opened the booklet; the text inside was also in ancient seal script, obscure and difficult to understand. But when he concentrated and tried to comprehend the "meaning" of those characters, the attribute panel reacted again:

[Found a fragment of the cultivation technique "Basic Spirit Refining Technique". Would you like to spend 100 experience points to begin initial comprehension?]

You can even learn skills using experience points?!

Lu Zhao was stunned at first, then overjoyed! This was simply a godsend for players! Although 100 experience points was almost all of his current savings (110 points), it was absolutely worth it!

"Yes!" he confirmed without hesitation.

In an instant, the booklet in his hand seemed to come alive; the obscure words transformed into streams of cool air, flowing into his mind. Countless profound methods about spiritual concentration, mental guidance, and nourishing divine consciousness were branded into the depths of his memory. Although it was only the most rudimentary introductory part, it opened a completely new door for him!

[Consumed 100 experience points, successfully comprehended the "Basic Spirit Refining Technique" (Beginner Level)!]

[Acquired Skill: Spirit Refining Technique (Beginner) Lv1 (0/100)]

[Effect: When activated actively, it can slowly enhance divine attributes, improve mental perception and resilience. It also slightly accelerates the natural recovery rate of mental energy.]

His experience points instantly dwindled to 10, but Lu Zhao didn't care. He immediately tried to circulate the [Refining Spirit Technique] according to the method in his mind.

A feeling completely different from the [Turtle Breathing Technique] emerged. The [Turtle Breathing Technique] is restrained and calm, affecting the physical body's breath; while the [Refining Spirit Technique] concentrates the mind, as if lighting a lamp in the mind, illuminating the internal organs, making perception more acute, and even the faint energy flow in the surrounding air can be vaguely sensed.

He felt his mind had never been so clear!

"This is true cultivation!" Lu Zhao exclaimed excitedly. He took out the Soul Nourishing Pill and swallowed it without hesitation this time.

The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and a gentle yet powerful cool energy surged into his mind, like sweet rain nourishing parched land. He immediately activated the [Spirit Refining Technique] with all his might, guiding this energy to nourish his soul.

[By consuming the Soul Nourishing Pill (inferior grade), divine attributes are enhanced!]

[God: 2.0 → 2.5!]

[Refining Spirit Technique (Beginner) Experience +20!]

The Divine attribute increased by 0.5! The effect was immediate!

Feeling the surging spiritual power in his mind, and the new perceptions brought by the [Refining Spirit Technique], Lu Zhao knew that his path as a "player" had truly embarked on the right track from this moment on!

His gaze as he looked at the ruins was filled with unprecedented confidence and anticipation.