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

Ever since Lu Yunfeng and Murong Fan made their duel agreement on the platform, rumors of murder have been rampant in the valley, causing Chen Qiaoqian great distress.

Murong Fan initially thought this incident was merely a petty squabble between young disciples, and that he could settle the matter by demonstrating his strength to Lu Yunfeng on the sword-fighting stage three days later. However, he underestimated the methods of cultivation families.

Lu Yunfeng first asserted his dominance under the guise of being a Daoist partner, then played the victim to gain sympathy from the crowd. Next, he used sweet words and empathetic performances to feign deep affection in front of the Chen family clan, thereby gaining the support of the unsuspecting elders. After Chen Qiaoqian was isolated by her family, he pretended to comfort her, further deepening her emotional dependence on him. Finally, he promised to protect her during the Blood Trial, forcing Chen Qiaoqian to choose between gratitude and freedom.

This series of methods was intricately linked, and if Murong Fan hadn't noticed something amiss in Chen Qiaoqian's increasingly haggard appearance, he would have been almost completely deceived by her "deeply affectionate" facade. Even more insidious, Lu Yunfeng secretly spread rumors that Murong Fan was using herbal arts to bewitch female cultivators, and even fabricated the story that "Hong Fu's disciple is abusing her power," intending to drag Hong Fu into this vortex as well.

The next morning, Murong Fan was refining the Soul-Entangling Vine Seed in his cave when he suddenly felt a vast divine sense sweep across the entire Qingluo District. That divine sense was as deep and boundless as the ocean, silencing everything in its path, even causing the protective array outside the cave to hum under its strain.

"Murong Fan, a disciple of the Hongfu Sect, is to proceed immediately to 'Forget-Worry Peak' for an audience with the Ancestor."

The voice was old and peaceful, yet it carried an undeniable authority. Murong Fan's heart skipped a beat—Ancestor Linghu, the only Nascent Soul stage expert in Huangfeng Valley, usually lived a secluded life, rarely seen even by Golden Core elders. Why would he suddenly summon him, a disciple who had just reached the Qi Refining stage?

He dared not delay, so he put away the altar's sensory input, straightened his clothes, and took to the air. Along the way, he encountered several fellow disciples, all of whom looked at him with strange eyes. Some whispered among themselves, while others kept their distance, as if he carried some kind of ominous presence.

Forget-Worry Peak is located at the deepest part of Yellow Maple Valley, where an ancient stone hall can be vaguely seen amidst the swirling clouds and mist. Murong Fan landed in front of the hall and found that Lu Yunfeng was already kneeling beside him, still dressed in white, but with a perfectly measured expression of respect and grievance.

"Disciple Murong Fan greets the Ancestor."

The stone hall doors opened silently, and a gentle force pulled the two inside. The hall was empty, with only a white jade platform on which sat an old man in a gray robe. His face was as ordinary as an old farmer in the fields, but his eyes were as deep as the starry sky, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.

"Get up and speak." Linghu Patriarch's voice was gentle, but it sent a chill down Murong Fan's spine—his divine sense could not perceive the Patriarch's presence, as if there was only a void there.

"You two little brats have caused such a ruckus in the valley." The patriarch's gaze fell on Murong Fan, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "One possesses a Heavenly Spiritual Root, the other a Unique Spiritual Root; both are promising talents. Yet, you're willing to fight to the death over a girl. Isn't that laughable?"

Murong Fan lowered his head: "This disciple knows his mistake."

"What wrong have you done?" The patriarch suddenly laughed, a laugh that instantly chilled the temperature in the hall. "Was your mistake in associating with the Chen family woman? Or was it in accepting that jade slip?"

Murong Fan remained silent. This question was a trap—no matter which option he answered, he would be admitting to the crime of fighting out of personal grudges.

"This disciple was wrong..." he carefully chose his words, "...unable to resolve the misunderstanding in a better way, thus disturbing the Ancestor's seclusion."

A hint of surprise flashed in Linghu Patriarch's eyes, then he looked at Lu Yunfeng: "And you?"

Lu Yunfeng bowed and said, "This disciple was wrong to act impulsively, which has harmed the harmony of the sect. But..." He raised his head, his face showing just the right amount of sincerity, "This disciple's marriage agreement with the Chen family girl was agreed upon by both clans. Junior Brother Murong interfered, and this disciple is truly..."

"A marriage agreement?" the patriarch interrupted him. "Has the Chen family sent the betrothal gifts to your Lu family ancestral hall?"

Lu Yunfeng's expression changed slightly: "Not yet, but the elders have already..."

"Then there is no," the Ancestor said calmly. "In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme; verbal agreements are meaningless. Your use of the 'Daoist partner' label to bind others is itself an act of bullying."

Lu Yunfeng's face flushed red, but he dared not refute.

The patriarch's gaze returned to Murong Fan, and he suddenly asked, "Do you know why I summoned you?"

"Your disciple is dull-witted."

"Three days ago, the seven major sects of Yue Kingdom received news that the ancient ruins deep within the Crimson Forbidden Land were the final resting place of an ancient plant and tree master." The patriarch's tone was calm, yet it was like a thunderclap. "That ruin has restrictions, and only Qi Refining stage disciples can enter, but the inheritance within..." He paused, "is enough to make even Nascent Soul stage disciples envious."

Murong Fan was deeply shaken. The place where the great plant master passed away? At that moment, the altar in his sea of ​​consciousness trembled slightly, and the newly emerging plant totems seemed to be summoned by something, their light flowing endlessly.

"The various factions have reached an agreement that once the ruins open, disciples will compete based on their own abilities," the patriarch continued. "But before that, I don't want the elite of Yellow Maple Valley to be harmed by personal grudges. Your duel at the Sword Arena..."

With a flick of his sleeve, two jade talismans fell into the hands of the two men respectively.

"The change will be made within the ruins. At this time when Huangfeng Valley needs manpower, you may only make a brief exchange, not engage in a life-or-death struggle," the patriarch's voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "Using the herbal inheritance within the ruins as the stake, whoever obtains the core inheritance first will win. The loser will withdraw from the competition and will never be allowed to entangle the Chen family woman again."

Murong Fan gripped the jade talisman, sensing a wisp of divine consciousness imprint contained within it—this was a contract, and if violated, the backlash from the Nascent Soul stage would be enough to obliterate his soul.

"Ancestor," Lu Yunfeng said urgently, "my cultivation is slightly lower than Junior Brother Murong's. Is this agreement... appropriate?"

"Fairness?" The old ancestor laughed, a smile tinged with desolation. "Has there ever been fairness in the cultivation world? If you are confident, go and prove yourself in the ruins. If you dare not..." His gaze suddenly turned cold, "Then admit defeat now."

Lu Yunfeng's face turned ashen, and he ultimately dared not speak further.

"The ruins will open in three days." The ancestor waved his sleeve, and the two felt the world spin around them, finding themselves standing at the foot of Forget-Worry Peak. "Go, and take care of yourselves."

Murong Fan stared at the jade talisman in his hand, his expression grave. This agreement, seemingly offering him a chance, was in reality fraught with peril.

"Junior Brother Murong," Lu Yunfeng suddenly spoke, his face regaining its usual gentle and refined demeanor, "Since the Ancestor has given the order, we shall each make our preparations over the next three days. However…" he lowered his voice, "Do you really think that your meager skills in herbal arts can compare to the centuries of accumulated knowledge and experience of my Lu family?"

Murong Fan looked up at him and suddenly asked, "Senior Brother Lu, do you know why the Ancestor changed the agreement to be placed in the ruins?"

Lu Yunfeng frowned slightly.

"Because the Ancestor knows," Murong Fan said calmly, "that within the ruins, cultivation level is not the deciding factor."

He turned and left, leaving Lu Yunfeng standing there, his expression uncertain.

Upon returning to his cave, Murong Fan immediately went into seclusion. His divine sense sank into the altar, where the plant totems became increasingly active after sensing the aura of the jade talisman, vaguely forming a blurry map—pointing to an ancient hall covered in vines.

"I see..." Murong Fan murmured.

The altar and that ruin are of the same origin.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. When Murong Fan stepped out of the cave again, the Qi Refining disciples of Huangfeng Valley had already gathered. Chen Qiaoqian stood at the edge of the crowd, a complex expression flashing in her eyes when she saw him, but she dared not step forward—the ancestor's contract had spread throughout the entire valley, and if she spoke to Murong Fan at this moment, it would be causing him to break the contract.

Murong Fan nodded slightly to her, his gaze passing over the crowd to meet Lu Yunfeng's across the distance. The latter was surrounded by several Lu family disciples, all elites at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, clearly intending to work together within the ruins.

"Set off!"

With a command from the Golden Core Elder, twenty streaks of light shot into the sky, rushing towards the Crimson Forbidden Land. Murong Fan rode the wind, the altar in his sea of ​​consciousness slowly rotating, the plant totems pointing in a certain direction—there, a fateful duel awaited.

Linghu the Elder was incredibly astute. Although he had been in seclusion for a long time, cultivating and researching the art of health preservation, he still had complete control over all affairs of Huangfeng Valley. He was perfectly aware of Murong Fan's Heavenly Spiritual Root talent, Hong Fu's selfish motives, and the struggle between Murong Fan and Lu Yunfeng. However, he did not want these trivial matters to disturb his cultivation, nor did he want the sect to suffer damage to its foundation due to internal strife.

This summons, seemingly a gesture of appeasement, was in reality a means to transform personal grudges into sect interests through the agreement regarding the relics—regardless of who won or lost, Huangfeng Valley would benefit. If Murong Fan won, the disciples with Heavenly Spiritual Roots would receive the herbal inheritance, and the sect would gain a promising new talent; if Lu Yunfeng won, the value of Extraordinary Spiritual Roots would be proven, and the powerful clans would be appeased. As for Chen Qiaoqian, in the patriarch's eyes, she was merely a catalyst to ignite the fighting spirit of the two young people.

Murong Fan understood this and felt no resentment. Such was the nature of the cultivation world; personal feelings were insignificant compared to the grander goals of the sect. His only concern was the mysterious connection between the altar and the ruins—that shared origin and resonance was no coincidence. Perhaps his arrival here and acquisition of the altar were preordained.

PS: Murong Fan's innate spiritual root talent, Hong Fu's selfish motives in taking him as a disciple, and his struggle with Lu Yunfeng—all of these were under the control of Patriarch Linghu. Ultimately, Patriarch Linghu summoned him—behold the exciting life of the protagonist Murong Fan as he grows in the later stages.