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

System notification: You have accepted the hidden quest [Investigation of the Undercurrents]!

[Mission Description: Secretly investigate the Black Fiend Sect's movements near Yunmengze, and identify any potential spies within the sect. Report regularly to Elder Yun.]

[Task Duration: Long-term]

[Task Rewards: 200 base contribution points per month, with additional rewards based on the value of the intelligence. Elder Yun's favorability increases.]

[Failure Penalty: Identity exposed, potentially hunted down by the Black Fiend Cult and its accomplices.]

[Warning: This mission is extremely dangerous. Please proceed with caution. It is recommended to prioritize improving your own abilities and building a reliable network of contacts.]

Lu Zhao looked calmly at the new task on the panel. He had anticipated that taking on this hot potato would inevitably come with risks, but it also meant opportunities. 200 contribution points per month was a considerable and stable income for a new disciple like him. More importantly, Elder Yun's goodwill and support were intangible assets.

"The first priority is to increase our strength. The third level of Qi Refining is still too weak; we must break through to the fourth level as soon as possible. Secondly, we need to solidify our position within the Talisman Pavilion; this will serve as both cover and a source of intelligence. Finally, we must begin building our own information network..."

After a moment's thought, he devised a detailed plan:

Phase 1 (1-2 months):

1. Focus all your efforts on cultivation and strive to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refining.

2. Master the first three levels of the Divine Interference Technique and improve your talisman drawing skills to Lv5.

3. Establish a foothold in the Talisman Pavilion and make connections with useful people.

4. Secretly observe Zhao Wuji's movements and gather basic intelligence.

Phase Two (3-6 months):

1. Improve your cultivation level to the mid-stage of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

2. Achieve a first-class superior level in talisman drawing and strive to become a formal disciple of the Talisman Pavilion.

3. Develop 2-3 reliable informants.

4. Begin to try to access information channels outside the sect.

With the plan set, Lu Zhao no longer hesitated and immediately began to execute it.

The following day, he officially reported to the Talisman Pavilion. Deacon Zhou showed him around the pavilion's affairs: he needed to complete a monthly quota of thirty Tier 1 talismans, with no quality restrictions, but a success rate of over 60% was required. Any excess could be exchanged for contribution points based on quality. In addition, there were two group lectures each week, taught by Deacon Zhou or an inner sect talisman master.

"Junior Brother Lu, this is your workstation." Deacon Zhou led Lu Zhao to a spot by the window on the second floor. The room was well-lit, and the table was neatly arranged with talisman paper, cinnabar, a talisman brush, and a simple spirit-gathering array.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou."

"No need to be polite. By the way, since you're new here, feel free to ask the senior brothers and sisters around you for advice. That's Senior Sister Li over there, specializing in water-based talismans; that's Senior Brother Wang over there, skilled in defensive talismans..."

Deacon Zhou gave a brief introduction, which Lu Zhao noted down. The second floor of the Talisman Pavilion housed over twenty registered disciples, most at the third to fifth level of Qi Refining, ranging in age from their teens to their thirties or forties. When they saw the newcomer Lu Zhao, most simply nodded in acknowledgment, their expressions indifferent, neither particularly enthusiastic nor hostile. Talisman masters were generally calm and focused on their craft.

Lu Zhao sat down in his seat and began drawing today's quota. He chose to draw the Fireball Talisman, which he was most familiar with, firstly because he was highly skilled at it, and secondly because the quality was guaranteed. He laid out the paper, ground the ink, picked up the brush, concentrated, and began to write... a series of actions flowed smoothly, and after a stick of incense had burned, a mid-grade first-tier Fireball Talisman was completed.

"Oh? Mid-grade?" A senior brother in his thirties with a slightly dark complexion peeked over and looked surprised. "Junior Brother Lu's technique is very steady. A mid-grade painting on your first try?"

"It was just a stroke of luck. I would appreciate your guidance, senior brother," Lu Zhao said modestly.

"I wouldn't presume to offer advice. However, the force you used when finishing the stroke could be slightly lighter, making the rune more rounded..." The dark-faced senior brother didn't hold back, pointing out a few details.

Lu Zhao listened attentively and tried to improve, and the quality of the second talisman indeed improved again.

"Not bad, you have good comprehension. My name is Wang Tie, specializing in earth-based talismans. How should I address you, Junior Brother Lu?"

"Your humble servant Lu Zhao greets Senior Brother Wang."

"So it's Junior Brother Lu, I've heard so much about you." Wang Tie had obviously heard of Lu Zhao's deeds, and there was a deeper meaning in his eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions.

The two exchanged a few more words about their talisman-making experiences, and Lu Zhao took the opportunity to ask about some of the difficulties in drawing earthen wall talismans. Wang Tie patiently answered their questions, and the two gradually became acquainted.

In one morning, Lu Zhao drew fifteen fireball talismans, succeeding in drawing twelve, five of which reached the mid-grade level and seven the low-grade level. This was an excellent result among the newcomers. He handed in the talismans and received 30 basic contribution points, with an additional 10 points for the excess.

The afternoon session was a lecture on talismans, given by an inner disciple on "The Continuity of Talisman Patterns and the Flow of Spiritual Power." Lu Zhao listened attentively, comparing his understanding with his own practice, and gained a great deal. He noticed that the inner disciple repeatedly used the Blood Fiend Sect's talismans as examples to analyze their evil principles and methods of countering them.

"...The runes of the Blood Fiend Cult are mostly driven by the power of blood sacrifice. The patterns are bizarre and full of resentment. When breaking them, one should use masculine and purifying power to attack their nodes, such as the Blazing Sun Rune and the Evil-Breaking Rune..." The inner disciple explained while drawing several common Blood Fiend runes on the jade plate.

Lu Zhao's heart stirred, and he secretly made a mental note of it. Perhaps this would come in handy in the future.

After the lecture ended, Lu Zhao did not leave immediately. Instead, he asked the inner disciple a few questions. Seeing his sincere attitude and the insightful questions, the disciple patiently answered them. Before parting, the disciple said, "Junior Brother Lu has a solid foundation and is willing to study diligently. Given time, you will surely achieve something in the art of talismans. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."

"Thank you, senior brother!"

After leaving the Talisman Pavilion, Lu Zhao didn't return to his cave dwelling but headed to the Transmission Pavilion. He needed to exchange for several cultivation techniques to aid his practice, and also... gather some information.

He "bumped into" Hou San in front of the quest board on the first floor of the Transmission Hall. Hou San was scratching his head and looking at the quest board, seemingly choosing which quest to accept.

"Senior Brother Hou," Lu Zhao greeted him.

"Junior Brother Lu!" Hou San's eyes lit up. He pulled him to a corner and lowered his voice, "I was just looking for you! I heard you joined the Talisman Pavilion? Congratulations!"

"Just lucky. Is Senior Brother Hou reviewing the mission?"

"Yeah, I got a lot of contribution points from the last mission, and I wanted to take on an easier one to save up some points. But..." Hou San said with a bitter face, "These missions are either too dangerous or offer too few contribution points. It's hard to choose."

Lu Zhao glanced at the task list and an idea struck him: "Senior Brother Hou is good at investigation and tracking, so why not take on some gathering and investigation tasks? Although these tasks don't contribute many points, they are relatively safe, and..." He lowered his voice, "I can come into contact with all sorts of people and have access to good information."

Hou San's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! Junior Brother Lu is so thoughtful. By the way..." He looked around and lowered his voice even further, "Be careful lately. I heard that Deacon Zhao is very dissatisfied with you. Yesterday he even questioned Senior Brother Liu and Senior Brother Shi, seemingly trying to find something on you."

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged: "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Hou. Why is Deacon Zhao targeting me like this?"

"I don't know about that. But I heard..." Hou San leaned closer, "Deacon Zhao seems to have connections with some... not-so-clean forces. During the last mission, he was in such a hurry to take the Blood Pool Core, which was very suspicious."

Lu Zhao nodded, not pressing further, and instead said, "Senior Brother Hou, if you take on an investigation mission and pass by any suspicious places or hear any rumors, feel free to let me know. Sometimes I need special materials and information in the Talisman Pavilion."

As he spoke, he handed Hou San a small cloth bag containing five low-grade spirit stones.

Hou San weighed the cloth bag in his hand, beaming, "Of course, of course! Don't worry, Junior Brother Lu, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news!"

The two chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways. Lu Zhao pondered to himself, Hou San was clever and well-informed; although somewhat greedy, he was a valuable source of information as long as the benefits were right. This investment was worthwhile.

Over the next few days, Lu Zhao's life became a regular routine of three points: cultivating in his cave, making talismans in the Talisman Pavilion, and attending classes in the Transmission Pavilion. During the day, he completed his quota in the Talisman Pavilion and exchanged insights with his senior brothers and sisters, such as Wang Tie. In the evening, he returned to his cave to diligently practice "Hibernating Dragon" and "Refining Spirit Technique." In his spare time, he practiced the Divine Splitting Technique and the newly acquired spells.

System notification: After diligent practice, your "Dragon's Hibernation" skill has been upgraded to Lv4!

【蛰龙眠Lv4（0/400）】：真气恢复速度+30%，生命恢复速度+25%，对阴邪之气的抗性+15%。解锁新特效【蛰龙吐纳】：在灵气浓郁处修炼，可小幅提升修炼速度。

System notification: "Refining Spirit Technique" has been upgraded to Lv4!

【炼神术Lv4（0/400）】：精神力+40，感知範围+50%，对幻术、精神攻击的抗性+20%。解锁新能力【精神触手】：可延伸出无形的精神触手，感知、操控十丈内的细微物体。

Lu Zhao's spirits lifted. His Hidden Dragon Sleep technique had improved, accelerating his cultivation speed; the Refining Spirit Technique had unlocked new abilities, greatly increasing its practicality. He tried controlling the [Mental Tentacles] and discovered he could move teacups and turn pages of books remotely. Although the force wasn't great, its intangible nature might prove surprisingly effective in certain situations.

In terms of talismans, under the guidance of Steward Zhou and Wang Tie, his drawing skills have steadily improved, with a success rate of 80% and a mid-grade rate of 40%. His cultivation of the Divine Interference Technique is also progressing well; he can now draw a talisman while visualizing another talisman in his mind. Although the success rate is still low, he has seen hope.

In terms of cultivation, the progress bar for the third level of Qi Refining is slowly but steadily increasing, reaching 90/100, just one step away from a breakthrough. Lu Zhao is not in a hurry; he wants to solidify his foundation before breaking through.

During this time, Hou San brought several messages: Zhao Wuji had been frequently going out recently, and his whereabouts were mysterious; someone saw items suspected to belong to the Blood Fiend Cult being traded on the black market; in several villages near the sect, livestock had died mysteriously, their life essence drained...

Lu Zhao organized this information and recorded it in a specially made jade slip, preparing to report it to Elder Yun at the end of the month.

Half a month later, a small incident occurred at the Talisman Pavilion. An inner disciple surnamed Li came to order a batch of special "Blazing Sun Talismans," requesting that their power be 30% higher than ordinary Blazing Sun Talismans, and that they be delivered within three days. Deacon Zhou assigned the task to several senior disciples, but for two consecutive days, no one succeeded—either the power was insufficient, or the talisman paper could not withstand the spiritual energy and spontaneously combusted.

On the third day, with the deadline fast approaching, Deacon Zhou frowned deeply. Lu Zhao, who was drawing talismans nearby, overheard their discussion and had an idea. He stepped forward and said, "Deacon Zhou, perhaps this disciple can give it a try."

The senior disciples around him looked at him with varying expressions—some disdainful, some doubtful, and some curious. Lu Zhao had only been a disciple for half a month, and although he had performed well, he was still a newcomer.

Deacon Zhou glanced at him: "Lu Zhao, this Blazing Sun Talisman is quite difficult to make, you..."

"This disciple is willing to give it my best. If I fail, I will bear the loss."

Deacon Zhou pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, give it a try. However, you'll need to use your own share of the talisman paper and cinnabar."

"Yes."

Lu Zhao returned to his workstation and spread out the specially made "Fire Cloud Paper," a type of talisman paper used for drawing high-level fire-type talismans, which was very expensive. He took a deep breath and did not start writing immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, repeatedly visualizing the talismanic structure of the Blazing Sun Talisman in his mind.

A standard Blazing Sun Talisman is a high-grade Tier 1 talisman, already powerful. To enhance its power by another 30%, the runes must be fine-tuned to increase its explosive force while maintaining structural stability. This requires extremely high control and a deep understanding of fire-type spiritual energy.

After an incense stick had burned, Lu Zhao opened his eyes and picked up his brush, dipping it in ink. He didn't use ordinary cinnabar, but instead added a little "blazing sun sand"—a material he had kept from his last mission, which could enhance the power of fire-type talismans.

The brush fell, and the talisman was formed. The entire process was smooth and effortless. As the last stroke was made, a crimson light suddenly shone on the talisman paper, with a faint heat emanating from it before receding.

Silence reigned. Several senior disciples gathered around, and upon seeing the talisman, they all showed expressions of shock.

"A first-grade superior talisman... no, this power is already close to a first-grade supreme talisman!" a senior brother who specialized in fire-type talismans exclaimed.

Deacon Zhou took the talisman, carefully sensed it, and smiled: "Good! Lu Zhao, you really didn't disappoint me. The power of this talisman has increased by at least 35%, which perfectly meets the requirements. The rest is up to you."

"Yes."

Over the next two days, Lu Zhao devoted himself to drawing the Blazing Sun Talisman, successfully producing fifteen talismans, all meeting the requirements. Upon delivery, Senior Brother Li was overjoyed and immediately paid an extra fifty contribution points as a reward. Deacon Zhou also awarded Lu Zhao an additional thirty contribution points and publicly praised him within the pavilion.

After this incident, Lu Zhao's status in the Talisman Pavilion rose significantly. His senior brothers and sisters, who had previously been indifferent to him, began to actively communicate with him; they were also willing to ask him for advice on some drawing problems. Lu Zhao accepted all questions and answered them all with a humble attitude, gradually winning over many people's goodwill.

Wang Tie said to him privately, "Junior Brother Lu, your talisman skills are probably more than just 'receiving guidance,' right? But don't worry, in the Talisman Pavilion, we only care about skills, not background. With your abilities, you'll rise to prominence sooner or later."

Lu Zhao smiled but didn't say anything more. He knew that he had initially gained a foothold in the Talisman Pavilion.

Another half month passed, and Lu Zhao's cultivation finally reached the edge of a breakthrough. He took three days off and secluded himself in his cave. With all the formations activated and all the necessary pills prepared, he sat cross-legged in the center of the Spirit Gathering Array, circulating the "Hibernating Dragon's Sleep" technique, and focused all his efforts on breaking through the bottleneck.

True Qi surged through his meridians like a river bursting its banks. Reaching the third to fourth level of Qi Refining marked a minor qualitative leap; the true Qi became more condensed, its control more precise, and the number of techniques he could cultivate increased. Lu Zhao held his breath, focusing his mind, guiding his true Qi to repeatedly assault that invisible barrier.

On the first day, the barriers loosened.

The next day, cracks appeared.

On the morning of the third day, as the first rays of sunlight shone into the cave, Lu Zhao felt a jolt, a soft "crack" sound coming from within him, as if something had been broken. The next moment, a surge of powerful true energy erupted, flowing through his meridians, more than thirty percent more refined and robust than before!

System notification: Congratulations on breaking through to the fourth level of Qi Refining!

[Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 4 (0/150)]

[Maximum Qi gain +30%, Qi recovery speed +20%, power of all spells +10%.]

Lu Zhao opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them. He felt the abundant true energy within his body, and a surge of pride welled up in his heart. The fourth level of Qi Refining was still considered low-level in the cultivation world, but among outer disciples, he was no longer the weakest. More importantly, it meant he could cultivate more techniques, draw higher-level talismans, and have greater self-protection capabilities.

He got up and stretched, discovering that the cooldown of the [Mystic Iron Guardian] skill on the [Mystic Iron Bracers] had been reduced by a quarter, and the shield's strength had also increased. This was an additional benefit brought about by the improvement in cultivation.

After emerging from seclusion, Lu Zhao headed to the Talisman Pavilion. Deacon Zhou sensed the change in his aura and chuckled, "You've broken through? Not bad, it seems you've gained quite a bit from this seclusion."

"Thank you for your concern, senior brother."

"Perfect timing, I have something to ask you." Deacon Zhou took out a jade slip. "This is the method for drawing the 'Golden Light Talisman,' a high-grade first-tier defensive talisman, which is quite difficult to refine. Now that you have broken through, you can try to learn it. Just complete your quota for this month, and you can practice on your own in your spare time."

"Yes, thank you, Senior Brother!"

Lu Zhao accepted the jade slip, his heart filled with joy. The Golden Light Talisman was a more advanced defensive talisman than the Earth Wall Talisman. Once activated, it could form a golden light shield around the body, providing strong defense and suppressing evil energy. This was exactly what he needed.

He began to devote himself to studying the Golden Light Talisman. This talisman's runes were more complex than the Blazing Sun Talisman, and required a higher level of control over one's true energy. Lu Zhao failed more than ten times before barely succeeding once, and even then, it was only a low-grade one. But he remained calm and patient, carefully analyzing the reasons for each failure and gradually improving.

Ten days later, his success rate increased to 30%, and he obtained his first mid-grade Golden Light Talisman. He gave this talisman to Wang Tie to thank him for his guidance. Wang Tie couldn't refuse, so he accepted it and became even closer to Lu Zhao afterward.

During this time, Hou San brought several more messages: Zhao Wuji was having close ties with a certain deacon of the Enforcement Hall; someone was offering a bounty on the black market for "Blood Essence Stones," a commonly used array material by the Blood Fiend Sect; and the patrolling disciples around the sect's perimeter had recently increased their vigilance...

Lu Zhao combined this information with his own observations and vaguely sensed that an undercurrent was surging near Yunmengze. He organized the intelligence and prepared to report it to Elder Yun at the end of the month.

That day, after completing his quota, Lu Zhao was studying the Divine Splitting Technique, attempting to simultaneously draw two of the simplest Clear Water Talismans. This was extremely difficult, requiring precise division of mental energy while controlling the generation of two talismans. He failed dozens of times, his mental energy completely exhausted, and his head throbbing with pain.

Just as they were about to rest, an uninvited guest arrived at the Talisman Pavilion.

It's Zao Wou-Ki.

He led two law enforcement disciples, his face grim, and walked straight to Lu Zhao's workstation. The room immediately fell silent, and everyone looked in their direction.

"Lu Zhao," Zhao Wuji's voice was icy, "someone reported that you were privately drawing and selling prohibited talismans. Is that true?"

Lu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged. He stood up and bowed, saying, "Steward Zhao, this disciple has never drawn or sold any prohibited talismans. May I ask where this report came from?"

"Still dare to argue!" Zhao Wuji sneered, then ordered the enforcement disciples behind him, "Search!"

Two law enforcement officers stepped forward to search Lu Zhao's workstation and storage bag.

"Wait!" Deacon Zhou strode forward, blocking Lu Zhao's path. "Deacon Zhao, Lu Zhao is a disciple of my Talisman Pavilion. Do you have any evidence to warrant a search? Without evidence, the Talisman Pavilion is not a place where people can run wild!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes turned sinister: "Deacon Zhou, are you going to protect him?"

"It's not about covering up wrongdoing, it's the rule. Without solid evidence, no one may arbitrarily search the disciples of the Talisman Pavilion. This is a rule set by the Pavilion Master!"

The two faced off, the atmosphere tense and fraught with danger. The surrounding disciples held their breath, not daring to utter a sound.

Lu Zhao's mind raced. Zhao Wuji's actions were clearly provocative. The so-called "forbidden talismans" were most likely just an excuse. But if he were allowed to search, there was no guarantee that Zhao Wuji wouldn't secretly frame him...

Just as the stalemate was at hand, a cold voice came from outside the door:

"What's all this commotion about?"

Everyone looked over and saw that Elder Yun had appeared at the door at some point, dressed in white, with silver ornaments on his face, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone.

"Greetings, Elder Yun!" Everyone bowed in greeting.

Elder Yun stepped forward and looked at Zhao Wuji: "Deacon Zhao, what brings you to the Talisman Pavilion with your disciples?"

Zhao Wuji's expression changed slightly, and he bowed, saying, "Elder Yun, someone has reported that Lu Zhao is drawing prohibited talismans, so I have come to investigate."

"Oh? Who is the whistleblower? What is the evidence?"

"The whistleblower is anonymous, but the information is reliable..."

"Anonymous report, no evidence whatsoever, yet you dare to search the disciples of the Talisman Pavilion?" Elder Yun's voice turned cold. "Deacon Zhao, as the head of the Enforcement Hall branch, you should know the sect's rules. Without solid evidence, you are not allowed to arbitrarily investigate disciples, especially those belonging to Yunmengze. In this matter, you have overstepped your bounds."

Zhao Wuji's forehead was covered in sweat: "Yes... I was reckless, please forgive me, Elder."

"This is a one-time exception. Go."

"Yes..." Zhao Wuji glared at Lu Zhao and left dejectedly with his disciples.

Elder Yun looked at Lu Zhao, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, and said calmly, "Cultivate diligently and do not be distracted."

"Yes, disciple will remember." Lu Zhao bowed.

Elder Yun said no more and turned to leave, as if he were just passing by. But Lu Zhao knew that this was no coincidence.

Deacon Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu Zhao, "Junior Brother Lu, be careful lately. Zhao Wuji is a man who holds grudges."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I understand."

The storm had temporarily subsided, but alarm bells were ringing in Lu Zhao's mind. Zhao Wuji had begun to openly target him, and if Elder Yun hadn't happened to pass by today, the consequences would have been unpredictable. This indicated that Zhao Wuji was becoming increasingly impatient.

"We must speed things up..." Lu Zhao thought to himself.

That evening, he went to Yunmengze, reported the intelligence he had recently gathered to Elder Yun, and mentioned the events of that day.

After listening, Elder Yun remained silent for a moment before saying, "I will keep an eye on Zhao Wuji. Continue to proceed according to plan, but be even more careful. Also..." She took out a jade talisman, "This is a 'Substitute Talisman,' which can withstand one fatal attack. Once activated, it will randomly teleport you three miles away. Keep it close to your body and do not use it unless it is a matter of life and death."

Lu Zhao solemnly accepted the gift: "Thank you, Elder!"

"Yes, go. Remember, self-preservation is the most important thing."

"This disciple takes his leave."

Leaving Yunmengze, Lu Zhao held the substitute talisman, feeling slightly relieved. With this life-saving item, he felt much more confident.

Back in his cave, he assessed his situation: his cultivation had reached the fourth level of Qi Refining, his talisman-drawing skills were nearing the high-grade first rank, his Nascent Soul Technique was in its initial stages, Elder Yun had secretly supported him, he had established a foothold in the Talisman Pavilion, and he had even developed Hou San as his informant...

"My strength is still not enough; I must become stronger faster..."

He looked out the window; the night was as dark as ink, dotted with countless stars. Beneath this calm surface, undercurrents surged, and danger lurked everywhere. But he was fearless; instead, a fighting spirit rose within him.

He chose this path, and no matter how difficult it is, he will continue down it.

"Zhao Wuji, the Black Fiend Cult, and the enemies lurking in the shadows... Bring it on!"

Lu Zhao sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to cultivate. In the darkness, his aura was steady and firm, like a lurking dragon waiting for the opportune moment.