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

Seeing their revered immortal master reduced to ashes, the Wild Wolf Gang members were terrified. Jia Tianlong, his face ashen, collapsed to his knees, his thousands of wolf guards behind him abandoning their armor and weapons, fleeing in all directions, crying and screaming. Li Feiyu led the elite of the Seven Mysteries Sect in a flanking attack, their blades flashing like lightning, forcing the fleeing Wild Wolf Gang members and their lackeys back to the center of the mountain path.

"Senior Brother Murong, what should we do with these bastards?" Li Feiyu was covered in blood, his long sword dripping with blood, but his gaze towards Murong Fan held a mixture of awe and fanaticism. He had witnessed his former fellow disciple swiftly and decisively kill cultivators, and he was deeply shocked.

Murong Fan's gaze swept over the densely packed, kneeling figures of the Wild Wolf Gang, the Broken Water Gate, and the Iron Spear Society—more than three thousand people in total. Most of these were refugees and outlaws from within the Yue Kingdom, recruited by Jia Tianlong with gold and silver, who committed countless atrocities, including arson, murder, and robbery. He subtly extended his divine sense, spotting dozens of individuals among the crowd whose auras were exceptionally fierce—the core members of the Wild Wolf Gang, their hands stained with the blood of innocents.

"Jia Tianlong," Murong Fan stepped forward slowly, his boot crushing a piece of charred stone, "you led your men to attack my Seven Mysteries Sect, causing such a massacre. Do you know your crime?"

Jia Tianlong trembled violently, his forehead slamming heavily against the bluestone slab: "Immortal Master, spare my life! I was momentarily bewitched by that Golden Light Immortal, and had no intention of being an enemy of the Seven Mysteries Sect! I am willing to offer up all my possessions, just to spare my worthless life!"

"All your wealth?" Murong Fan's lips curled into a slight smile, but his gaze was icy cold. "Your Wild Wolf Gang has dominated Jingzhou for decades, robbing caravans, slaughtering villages, raping and kidnapping, and treating human life like dirt. What use is this blood-stained money to me?"

Before he finished speaking, a wind blade had already materialized at his fingertips. The bluish-green blade light tore through the air, and to Jia Tianlong's horrified gaze, it severed his head three zhang away. Blood gushed out like a fountain, and the headless corpse convulsed as it fell to the ground, a truly gruesome sight.

"The gang leader is dead!"

"Run!"

The Wild Wolf Gang completely collapsed, and chaos reigned on the mountain path. Murong Fan, however, ignored this rabble. He turned to Li Feiyu, winked at him, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Li, please lead your men to inventory the battlefield and deposit all the Wild Wolf Gang's loot over the years into the Seven Mysteries Sect's treasury. As for these prisoners…"

Looking into his eyes, Li Feiyu immediately understood and thought, "This kid's up to his old tricks of embezzling again. But that's fine, I'll definitely get my share!"

Murong Fan paused, gazing at the distant mountains, and slowly said, "Those who commit heinous crimes will be dealt with according to the sect rules; those who were coerced into joining will be temporarily exiled to the sect to perform labor for three years and participate in the sect's construction to atone for their crimes."

"Yes, sir!" Li Feiyu clasped his hands in obeisance, a complex look flashing in his eyes. He vaguely sensed that when this Senior Brother Murong killed Jia Tianlong, it didn't seem to be simply to avenge the Seven Mysteries Sect—there was some deeper calculation hidden in his eyes.

That night, Murong Fan went alone to the forbidden area behind the Wild Wolf Gang's mountain.

The spoils of the daytime battle lay quietly in his arms: over ten chests of gold and silver jewelry seized from the Wild Wolf Gang's secret chamber, and boxes neatly arranged in a pharmacy containing decades-old ginseng, century-old lingzhi mushrooms, blood-replenishing pills for healing wounds, wound medicine, qi-gathering pills, and various herbal pills for specific stages. But what truly moved him were the three thousand-plus members of the Wild Wolf Gang—to others, they were prisoners to be dealt with; to him, they were the best sacrifices on the altar. But considering the many families connected to these men, he ultimately softened and abandoned the idea.

"Altar, appear!"

In his mind's eye, the ancient altar suddenly appeared. After the last sacrifice to the Golden Light Master, the runes on the altar's surface became even clearer, and faint golden patterns even appeared at the edges, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.

Murong Fan placed Jia Tianlong's body in the center of the altar and silently offered a sacrifice. This was the leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, whose hands were stained with hundreds of lives; the enormity of his sins was enough to cause the altar to react.

"Buzz—"

The altar trembled, and a beam of blood-red light was drawn from the corpse. Unlike when it was offered as a sacrifice to the Golden Light Immortal, this beam of blood-red light contained wisps of black energy, the karmic burden accumulated by Jia Tianlong's life of slaughter. The runes on the altar's surface circulated faster, purifying the black energy, leaving only pure energy that entered Murong Fan's brow.

The purple-blue light screen displayed: "Sacrifice one mortal martial artist to obtain a wisp of blood essence."

Altar upgrade progress: 1.1 percent.

Murong Fan's eyes flickered slightly. The benefits of sacrifice for mortal martial artists were far lower than those for cultivators, but little by little, it added up. If all three thousand members of the Wild Wolf Gang were to sacrifice themselves…

He suppressed his thoughts and simply took out the corpses of the core members of the Wild Wolf Gang one by one. These were all experts who had practiced martial arts for many years, with vigorous blood and energy. Although the sacrifices they made were not as effective as those made by cultivators, they could still yield some useful items.

A moment later, Murong Fan opened his eyes.

On the altar lay three bottles of pills, two martial arts manuals, and a blood-red crystal. The pills were called "Body Tempering Pills," which could strengthen the mortal body; the manuals were the Wild Wolf Gang's signature martial arts, "Wolf Fiend Blade Technique" and "Iron Shirt"; the blood-red crystal was the most peculiar, containing a rich source of blood energy that could be directly absorbed to enhance cultivation.

"Altar upgrade progress: 1.5%"

Murong Fan put away the treasure and looked out the window. For the past three days, he had sacrificed all the core members of the Wild Wolf Gang, and the ordinary members had been sent to labor as previously agreed. But now, a bolder thought arose in his mind—the Seven Mysteries Sect was no longer a place to linger.

He rose and headed toward the sect leader's residence, while disciples along the way bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with awe. The scene of slaying the Golden Light Venerable that day had spread throughout the entire sect, and the name "Immortal Master Murong" had long since replaced Wang Juechu, becoming the true pillar of the Seven Mysteries Sect.

"Fan'er is here." Wang Juechu leaned against the couch, his face still somewhat pale. He had been injured in the battle that day, and although he had received medical treatment, his foundation had been damaged, and there was no hope of recovery.

Murong Fan bowed respectfully, his gaze fixed on Wang Juechu's face. Fourteen years ago, the sect leader had rescued him from a mass grave when he was only three years old. Wang Juechu named him "Murong Fan" and later took him in as his last disciple. He had never forgotten the kindness of being raised and taught for fourteen years.

"Sect Master, your disciple... wishes to descend the mountain and travel."

Wang Juechu's body suddenly stiffened, then he shook his head with a wry smile: "I knew it, this little Seven Mysteries Sect can't hold back a true dragon like you."

He struggled to sit up and took a jade pendant from under his pillow. "I found this on you when you first became my disciple. I saw that this jade pendant was rare in the world and was afraid that others would covet it, so I kept it for you. I originally planned to return it to you when you came of age, but it seems that I will have to do it earlier today!"

Murong Fan took the jade pendant and saw that it was engraved with a flame pattern and the words "Murong" on the back. He probed it with his divine sense, but was blocked by a layer of restriction, clearly indicating that it was not an ordinary object.

"Now that you have embarked on the path of immortality, this jade pendant... may be related to your background." Wang Juechu watched his most promising child leave him, his eyes filled with the reluctance of an old father.

"I will investigate my background later." He carefully put the jade pendant away, knelt down and kowtowed, "I will never forget the kindness of the Seven Mysteries Sect in raising me. If the Sect Master has any request, I will travel thousands of miles to be there."

Wang Juechu's eyes reddened slightly, and she patted his shoulder heavily: "Go, it's good to try your luck in the cultivation world. Remember, the Seven Mysteries Sect will always be your home. You can come back anytime if you encounter any difficulties!"

Murong Fan nodded.

"Before I leave, I have a few small matters to attend to, and I hope the sect leader will grant me permission." Murong Fan turned around and looked at Wang Juechu.

"Fan'er, what is it? Your master will do everything in his power to satisfy you," Wang Juechu said in a low voice.

"Firstly, Han Li is also a cultivator, so the management of Shenshou Valley should be entrusted to him, and all his daily cultivation needs should be met as much as possible. Secondly, Li Feiyu has always been outstanding and diligent. He was incredibly brave and made outstanding contributions in the recent battle against the Wild Wolf Gang. We earnestly request that the Sect Master accept him as a disciple and promote him to the position of Hall Master of the Outer Blade Hall, to demonstrate the Sect Master's wisdom. Thirdly, Li Feiyu comes from a humble background and has developed feelings for Elder Zhang's daughter, Zhang Xiu'er. We request that the Sect Master personally bestow a marriage upon him."

Wang Juechu was taken aback upon hearing this, then burst into loud laughter, a laugh tinged with melancholy: "Good! Good! Good! Even as Fan'er departs, he is still laying the groundwork for the Seven Mysteries Sect. As his master... I am extremely gratified!"

That very night, after bidding farewell to Wang Juechu, Murong Fan quietly left the mountain. Before departing, he handed over the three bottles of Body Tempering Pills to Wang Juechu, telling him that these pills were enough for the Seven Mysteries Sect to cultivate several top-tier experts, ensuring the sect's long-term prosperity.

As night deepened, Murong Fan quietly arrived at the stone pavilion deep within the bamboo forest on the back mountain, where he met with Han Li and Li Feiyu alone. Moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows. He took out the "Wolf Fiend Saber Technique" and the "Iron Shirt Technique" from his robes and solemnly handed them to Li Feiyu, saying in a deep voice, "These two techniques are the essence of external martial arts; they can help you establish yourself in the martial world." Li Feiyu accepted the manuals with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the effort, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Murong Fan turned to look at Han Li, his gaze becoming profound: "Junior Brother Han is patient and resilient, with extraordinary talent. It would be a pity if he were confined to the Seven Mysteries Sect. I am also about to embark on the path of cultivation. If we are destined to meet in the future, we will surely meet again. At that time, we can explore the Great Dao of cultivation together and look out for each other." Upon hearing this, Han Li's pupils contracted slightly. He looked at the mysterious and unpredictable fellow disciple in front of him, recalling the various adventures he had experienced in the past, and finally nodded slowly.

Reaching the end of the mountain path, Murong Fan looked back. Sunset Peak, shrouded in a thin mist in the morning light, resembled a traditional Chinese ink painting. Fourteen years of memories surged back like a tide, ultimately transforming into a faint smile on his lips.

P.S.: Qingming Festival is a wonderful time for spring outings. May all readers be filled with youthful energy. May all past misfortunes be offered up at this altar and transformed into good fortune, accompanying readers year after year!