Mortal: Starting with the Seven Mysterious Sects, I proved my Dao through sacrifice.

With less than three days left until the one-year deadline, Li Feiyu rushed over with Han Li's instructions, her face filled with panic as she reminded Murong Fan. Murong Fan, however, remained calm: "Junior Brother Li, there's no need to panic. Dealing with Mo Juren is more than enough for me."

In the past six months, Murong Fan's cultivation has become increasingly advanced, and he has reached the eleventh level of Qi Refining in the Everlasting Spring Technique. This confidence has long been ingrained in his bones.

"Don't worry! Go back and calm Han Li down, so he doesn't panic!" Murong Fan patted Li Feiyu's shoulder, his gaze fixed on the misty valley. "I will go to Divine Hand Valley at midnight in ten days. Let him continue his cultivation as usual, and don't alert him."

Although Li Feiyu was full of doubts, seeing that Murong Fan was confident, she had no choice but to leave in a hurry.

Three days later, at midnight.

Divine Hand Valley was shrouded in the deep darkness of night, except for the brightly lit residence of Mo Juren. Murong Fan used the Wind Control Technique, his figure drifting into the valley like a falling leaf, landing without disturbing a speck of dust. His cultivation at the eleventh level of Qi Refining not only brought him profound spiritual power but also gave him exquisite control over his aura.

"Senior Brother Murong!" Han Li emerged from the shadows, his face deathly pale. "Elder Mo has examined the cultivation technique for the third time today, and the deadline is in three days. He... has already decided to kill me!"

Murong Fan nodded, his divine sense spreading out, clearly sensing two auras in the east wing: one decaying and desolate yet exuding a chilling aura, which was Mo Juren; the other faint and long, with bulging muscles and skin of an eerie iron-blue color—it was the iron corpse that had been forged.

"Proceed according to plan," Murong Fan said in a low voice. "Go in and continue your cultivation as usual. I'll handle the rest."

Han Li took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and pushed open the door to enter.

"Master Mo, your disciple is late."

"Hmph, the fourth level of Changchun Gong, are you confident?" Mo Juren's voice was hoarse like sand, particularly jarring in the quiet night.

"Disciple... has truly done his best." Han Li's voice trembled slightly.

Murong Fan hid by the window and peered through the crack: Mo Juren's emaciated body was wrapped in a black robe, the dominoes on his chest gleaming eerily, his sunken eyes flashing with two cold glints. This old ghost was already on his last legs, yet he still dared to try to usurp the lives of others to restore his own essence; he was truly greedy for life to the extreme.

"Do your best?" Mo Juren sneered. "I can't wait. If you haven't broken through by midnight tomorrow, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Before he finished speaking, Murong Fan suddenly sprang into action! He activated the Wind Control Technique to its limit, flying out of the window like a bolt of blue lightning. His left hand formed a hand seal, while his right palm condensed a fist-sized crimson fireball—the Fireball Technique!

"who--!"

Mo Juren reacted extremely quickly, a black shadow shot out from his sleeve, and the iron corpse's claws, like hooks, pounced straight at him.

The fireball collided with the iron corpse, but the iron slave was only injured and fell to the ground, without being seriously injured. Murong Fan's move was originally a test, and he only used 30% of his spiritual power.

"Iron Slave, kill him!" Mo Juren ordered sternly.

Murong Fan thought to himself, "This iron slave has been refined to be so powerful." He then condensed another fireball, and at the same time, a talisman flashed at his fingertips—the Mind-Stabilizing Talisman! The fireball struck the iron corpse a second time, and the golden light of the Mind-Stabilizing Talisman weakened its copper skin and iron bones first. In the midst of the blinding flash, the iron corpse finally could not withstand the spiritual power fully activated by the sixth level of Qi Refining, and was blown to pieces, with charred and smelly limbs scattered all over the ground.

"boom--!"

"A cultivator?!" Mo Juren was horrified.

Murong Fan lunged forward, closing in like a ghost.

"Oh, so it's Nephew Murong!" Mo Juren quickly put on a warm expression. "I once saved your master, Sect Leader Wang. This wicked disciple Han Li betrayed his master and ancestors. Nephew must have been bewitched by him to come and protect him. Although you killed the Iron Corpse just now, I naturally won't hold it against you. Today I'll clean up my own mess and then put in a good word for you with Sect Leader Wang in the future."

"Truly treacherous and cunning," Murong Fan cursed inwardly, then sneered in response, "Elder Mo, you are mistaken! You used poison to coerce Han Li, treating him as a medicinal ingredient; that is truly hypocritical and worse than a dog!"

As they spoke, fireballs rained down on the domino shield like meteors, causing the barrier to tremble violently. Mo Juren's expression changed drastically: "What... exactly is your cultivation level?" He retreated hastily, a poisoned dagger silently sliding out from his sleeve.

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly smashed the poison sac at his waist, and dark green poisonous mist instantly spread out, with a pungent and foul stench that caused plants to wither upon contact—this was "Bone-Rotting Powder," which would cause veins to rot after just a moment of contact.

Taking advantage of the pervasive poisonous fog, Mo Juren unleashed his signature move, "Silver Demon Hand"! His palm was covered in silver scales, and his five fingers transformed into sharp claws, lunging straight for Han Li's heart. Han Li hastily retreated, scattering medicinal powder with his hand, and dodged to the side using the smoke. The silver claws grazed past his shoulder, carving three deep furrows into the stone wall, which then turned into black powder.

"Junior Brother Han, get out of the way!" Murong Fan roared, his hands forming hand seals simultaneously: a fireball condensed in his left palm, while his right palm subtly changed its hand gesture—it was the "Entangling Technique" he had been practicing diligently for the past three months!

Murong Fan pressed his advantage, the vines formed by his Entangling Technique spreading like serpents along Mo Juren's severed wrist, binding his entire right arm tightly. The sharp thorns of the vines pierced deep into his flesh, causing Mo Juren to writhe in pain, making it impossible for him to use his poison techniques any longer.

"No, you can't kill me!" Mo Juren screamed hoarsely, "I am a retainer of the Seven Mysteries Sect, Sect Master Wang will never let you go!"

Murong Fan ignored him, his right palm already forming a fireball, the scorching spiritual energy distorting the air: "You used the Corpse Worm Pill to control Han Li, and threatened his family's lives, did you ever think about this day?"

"boom--!"

The fireball struck him squarely in the chest, shattering the domino-shaped shield. Mo Juren flew backward like a rag doll, crashing into a medicine cabinet, scattering bottles and jars, the aroma of medicine mingling with the stench of blood creating a bizarre odor.

"puff--"

Black blood gushed out, and Mo Juren stared in disbelief at the charred hole in his chest. The entanglement vines had already spread to his waist and abdomen, continuously draining his internal energy.

Suddenly, the dominoes on his chest shone with a bright, eerie light. Mo Juren pressed his withered fingers tightly against his brow, and a hoarse roar echoed in his mind: "Yu Zitong! We have signed a blood pact. If I die, your primordial spirit will also dissipate!"

Mo Juren coughed up black blood and laughed wildly: "You think you can escape? The power of the blood pact has already locked your primordial spirit!" Before he finished speaking, cracks spread across the dominoes, and a wisp of green light was forcibly pulled out from the top of his head—it was Yu Zitong's primordial spirit.

"How dare you, you brat!" A furious shout, filled with shock and anger, rang out from within the green light. The primordial spirit was forced to manifest, revealing itself to be Yu Zitong, who had been forcibly activated by the blood pact.

Yu Zitong had rehearsed the possession operation countless times, but he never expected Murong Fan to suddenly intervene, completely disrupting his plans and leaving him extremely frustrated. He had originally intended to reap the benefits of the conflict between the two sides, but now he could only confront a powerful enemy head-on. It was truly a case of a Cheng Yaojin appearing out of nowhere.

Seeing that Mo Juren was gradually weakening and on the verge of death, Yu Zitong knew that he was not sure of winning, but he had no choice but to bite the bullet and fight to the death.

Yu Zitong's primordial spirit transformed into a green light and rushed straight at Han Li. Murong Fan fired a fireball, and the light orb was hit and then fled into the shadows in the corner.

"So you are Yu Zitong? Your grandfather, Yu Tianhua, was ambushed and killed by enemies when he was looking for you. Do you know that your family was destroyed because of you?" Murong Fan walked up to the ball of light and said in a deep voice.

"You know my grandfather? Where is he?" The voice in the green light was both surprised and worried.

"He's dead." Murong Fan said expressionlessly.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zitong's green light trembled violently, its light flickering like a candle in the wind.

"Impossible! My grandfather is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!" The green light trembled violently.

"You dare to flaunt your family's meager resources? Your grandfather was ambushed and killed by enemies while searching for you deep in the border region," Murong Fan sneered.

Yu Zitong scanned the area with his divine sense and indeed detected the familiar family mark. He immediately cried out in anguish, "Grandpa—!"

Yu Zitong remained silent for a long time, the green light slowly shrinking, revealing a hint of dejection: "I am also a cultivator... I originally wanted to possess another body and be reborn, to walk the path of immortality again..."

"Spiritual root, possession, cultivation technique..."

"You two are exceptionally talented. I am willing to introduce you to my family and help you obtain cultivation resources," the green light said eagerly.

"Don't believe him. Doctor Mo has fallen for his trick!" Han Li said coldly.

"I swear this oath!" The ball of light was clearly getting anxious.

"My Yu family possesses the formula for Foundation Establishment Elixir! If you spare my life, I will offer it to you with both hands!" the ball of light pleaded once more.

Murong Fan stepped forward, visibly excited, but immediately feigned composure: "How do I know if your pill formula is genuine!"

"I...I can swear an oath!" The green light suddenly dimmed, the voice weak and pleading.

"He's a jinx, the whole family, and Elder Mo... we'd better be careful." Han Li knew that in this life-or-death gamble, he had to be the ultimate victor, or the consequences would be dire.

Although Murong Fan felt regret and reluctance, he also knew that Yu Zitong had to die, and ultimately ignored his pleas for life. As for this remnant soul who had caused the extermination of his family, had no bottom line, and was fickle, in order to prevent him from harming others again, the only option was to let him continue to accompany Mo Juren in another world.

Han Li stared at Mo Juren's corpse. Yu Zitong's primordial spirit had been completely annihilated, his soul scattered. His expression was complex—a mixture of relief, lingering fear, and bewilderment. His heart, which had been hardened for many years, had finally shattered.

"I will never thank you enough, I will remember your kindness!" Han Li said, cupping his hands in gratitude.

Murong Fan remained silent. He raised his hand and fired another fireball, the flames engulfing the corpse until only charred bones remained: "Destroy the evidence. Junior Brother Han, the foundation of Divine Hand Valley, its medical skills and herbs... and Elder Mo's secret treasures will all be yours in the future."

The two cleaned up the scene and agreed on a story: Mo Juren died suddenly, and Han Li buried him in grief. Given his reputation in the valley and Murong Fan's status, this matter would not be difficult to cover up.

Three days later, Mo Juren's funeral was simple and solemn. Sect Leader Wang personally came to pay his respects, and Han Li cried uncontrollably before the coffin, earning him the reputation of a "filial son and virtuous grandson".

Murong Fan stood at the edge of the crowd, looking at Han Li from afar, their eyes filled with unspoken understanding.

"Come to my courtyard in three days to divide the spoils," Han Li said with a smile after everyone had left.