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

If you blossom, flowers and butterflies will come.

Murong Fan, holding the Seven Profound True Token, walked out of the sect master's secret chamber, and his legend had already spread rapidly within the sect.

"A closed-door disciple... They can freely enter and exit the first four floors of the Scripture Pavilion, their monthly elixir quota is several times higher, and they can even receive the master's true divine skills. A meteoric rise to the top, it's simply meteoric! I'm so envious!"

"Master is really biased. Why did he choose him as his last disciple? He's only just turned sixteen; is he really capable of shouldering such an important responsibility?"

"Junior Brother Murong is a prodigy; he has the potential to become the sect leader!"

……

These fragments of words drifted in like snowflakes, carrying with them astonishment, bitterness, resentment, and flattery.

Murong Fan didn't raise his head to meet any gazes. He simply lowered his face slightly and walked forward step by step, ignoring the words of his fellow disciples. Yet, one could almost smell the complex emotions permeating the air: longing, jealousy, scrutiny, and scheming...

Several days later, everyone came to congratulate Murong Fan.

Inside the main room, there were stacks of brocade boxes, varying in size and color, all tied with festive red silk or gold thread. A long, heavy wooden box stood quietly against the wall.

Among them are some uniquely shaped and richly meaningful packages, which are carefully placed on desks or specially made shelves.

In addition to the previous odors, the air also faintly exuded the warmth of fine jade, the astringency of spiritual plants, the exotic fragrance of elixirs, and the unique coldness of a certain metal.

Yesterday, in full view of everyone, Master Wang Juechu personally handed him the Seven Profound True Inheritance Token, which represented his status as the last disciple. After giving him a few brief words of admonition, he left, leaving behind a group of disciples with different thoughts.

What followed was an endless stream of congratulations, pleasantries, and flattery, along with the constant stream of "gifts" being sent to him.

Master Li of the Seven Absolutes Hall presented a seven-star sword that had not been sharpened. The blade was engraved with fine evil-suppressing runes, which matched his reputation for being incorruptible and impartial. The gift was simple, but the meaning was profound.

Master Wu of the Gongfeng Hall presented a handwritten copy of the "Seven Mysteries Heart Sutra." The handwriting was neat, and the ink was still fresh, indicating that it had been rushed out overnight, conveying a perfectly appropriate sense of care and expectation.

Master Liu of Sihai Hall was the most extravagant. He brought over two pieces of jade of excellent quality. The jade was warm and lustrous, with a faint spiritual energy, which attracted the attention of everyone present.

Master Zhao of Jubaotang delivered two hundred taels of silver, five bottles of wound medicine, and five bottles of blood-tonifying pills.

The other hall masters, elders, managers, and even some prominent inner disciples presented a dazzling array of gifts, some rare, some practical, and some ingenious.

Each gift arrived accompanied by words that were sincere, warm, subtle, or flattering. The esteemed hall masters and elders, who rarely had the opportunity to appear in public, were now showering this "lucky one" who had just become his closed-door disciple with praise.

"Junior Nephew Murong possesses exceptional talent and extraordinary potential; he is destined to become a pillar of the sect!"

"In recent years, Sect Leader Wang has rarely shown such favoritism and high regard to any disciple. Junior Brother Murong must have extraordinary qualities, and we have long wanted to befriend him."

"This is just a small gift, nothing more. I hope Junior Brother Murong will put in a good word for me with the Sect Master in the future..."

……

The flattery came crashing down on him like a tidal wave, almost overwhelming him. Murong Fan kept his head down and eyes lowered, maintaining just the right amount of respect and a hint of flattered shyness, responding appropriately without revealing any of his true emotions.

Only he himself knew that his composure in the face of honor or disgrace at this moment was the best social response he could make.

At this moment, the noise has subsided, and alone facing the room full of "prosperity," the glitz and glamour that has settled overnight, mixed with the expectations, calculations, and observations of others, seems even stronger.

After the banquet ended and everyone left, he walked to the window, pushed it open halfway, and took a deep breath of the cool morning air, trying to dispel the slight unease in his heart.

Just as his gaze swept over the most dazzling box of jade in the corner, it flickered like a heartbeat.

At this moment, the purple-blue light screen began to scroll with subtitles again:

[Resources available for sacrifice detected. Convert them into cultivation opportunities?]

"Yes," Murong Fan silently replied.

Should all of them be sacrificed?

"Wouldn't it attract too much attention to offer all the gifts we receive as sacrifices? Perhaps we should offer some first and then gradually offer more as needed later?" Murong Fan's mind raced.

Slowly, Murong Fan snapped out of his reverie. He focused his mind, and at that moment, the purple-blue light screen displayed:

[The value of the sacrificial offerings is being determined...]

Two jade stones: for beauty, calming, soothing, and decorative purposes.

[5 boxes of ginseng: for healing, prolonging life, and enhancing cultivation.]

[Secular silver (one thousand taels of silver): All metals, used exclusively for barter.]

[Common-grade wound medicine (5 bottles): Mildly potent, specifically for treating external injuries.]

……

In an instant, the scene in the hall began to turn eerie.

Those boxes, cartons, and gifts remained untouched, yet it was as if an invisible eraser was quietly wiping away all the "meaning" and "connections" attached to these items.

The brocade box was still bright red, but it looked empty; the jade was still translucent, but it had lost its spirituality; the exotic fragrance of the elixir had dissipated, turning into the smell of ordinary pills; and the two most dazzling jade stones were dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Murong Fan slowly walked back to the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the gifts one by one once more. The extravagance of the brocade boxes, the warmth of the jade, the brilliance of the spiritual materials, the exotic fragrance of the elixirs, the crystal-clear jade... At this moment, in his eyes, their superficial value gradually faded, revealing the tangled, invisible threads within—the craving for power, the exchange of interests, future investments, and subtle scrutiny.

These things, kept by his side, became invisible shackles, constantly reminding him of his intricate connections with this vast sect network.

"Master Wang Juechu accepted me as his last disciple. Perhaps the reasons are complicated. There may be appreciation involved, but more likely it is a scheme or balance that he cannot fully understand at present."

These gifts are the first pieces to be placed in this game. He doesn't need these pieces, and he's afraid of becoming one, so I need to work hard to become stronger and slowly take control of everything! Murong Fan fell into deep thought again.

Murong Fan looked at the sacrificial offerings and searched for treasures he could exchange for them on the purple-blue light screen.

In the blink of an eye, the three words "True Martial Pill" in the [Pill Area] stood out.

"You have two bottles of True Martial Pills available for collection. Do you wish to collect them?" The purple-blue light screen flashed with a message.

"Yes."

At this moment, the area above the center of the altar spun wildly, compressed, and refined, eventually condensing into a fist-sized, chaotic, yet radiating pure and powerful energy fluctuations.

The illusory image of the altar slowly faded away, but the ball of chaotic light trembled slightly and went straight into Murong Fan's brow!

"boom--!"

It was as if a silent thunderclap exploded in his mind.

A pure, powerful, and abundant warm current flowed in from between his eyebrows, instantly spreading throughout his limbs and bones, and rushing into his dantian.

"ah--!"

Murong Fan couldn't help but look up at the sky and roar, his voice faintly mixed with the sounds of dragons roaring and tigers howling.

That wasn't just a warm current; it was more like a violent torrent of energy!

If the previous internal energy was a trickle, then the power surging in now is like a river bursting its banks!

"Break it!"

Murong Fan roared inwardly and sat cross-legged.

Inside the dantian, the vortex of energy that was originally only the size of a fist was now frantically absorbing this foreign energy as if it were a whale swallowing a ton of water.

Click!

It felt as if something inside my body had shattered.

That is the shackles of ordinary martial arts!

The cyclone expanded several times in an instant, transforming into true energy that surged and roared through Murong Fan's meridians. With each surge, Murong Fan's meridians widened and became stronger.

pain!

Excruciating pain that penetrates to the bone!

But immediately afterwards came an indescribable feeling of comfort!

That's the exhilarating feeling of being reborn!

A layer of dark, greasy impurities seeped from Murong Fan's skin, which was the filth accumulated in his body over the years.

With a muffled groan, an invisible wave of energy suddenly erupted from him, causing the surrounding tables and chairs to vibrate and hum!

He suddenly opened his eyes, and two beams of light shot out like lightning, illuminating a corner of the dimly lit room.

A faint, vibrant pink glow appeared on the skin's surface as the black grime peeled away, revealing skin as translucent as a newborn baby's.

His originally somewhat slender physique now displayed clearly defined muscle lines, which, though not exaggerated, contained explosive power.

When his eyes suddenly opened, a glint of light flashed and disappeared, as if it could pierce through the void.

[Host: Murong Fan]

[Spiritual Root: Heavenly Spiritual Root (Wood Attribute)]

[Strength: Mortal (First-rate Martial Artist)]

[Magic Treasure: Altar of Sacrifice for All Things, sacrifice all things to exchange for the heavens]

……

A top-notch warrior!

These four words exploded in Murong Fan's mind like a thunderclap.

He slowly stood up, feeling the surging power within his body, which was more than ten times stronger than before!

He used to be not much different from Li Feiyu, but now...

"Li Feiyu, with your current skills, how many more moves can you withstand from me?"

Murong Fan's lips curled into a confident smile.

In this world of martial arts, he is no longer a lamb to be slaughtered, but a true first-class master!