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

Murong Fan arrived at the Scripture Pavilion in Yellow Maple Valley. At this point, he was already at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, so the ordinary scriptures in the pavilion naturally didn't catch his eye. Only because his master, Hong Fu, strongly recommended him was he allowed to browse the scriptures on the fourth floor and below, and naturally, he wanted to select those that best suited his needs.

As Hong Fu's most prized disciple, although many of the scriptures in the Yellow Maple Valley Scripture Pavilion were not as good as the "Green Wood Manual" and "Green Origin Sword Manual" that he had previously obtained, as a member of the sect, he still had to master the most basic techniques. This was both a sign of respect for his master Hong Fu and a way to conceal his own strength and secrets.

"Now that I'm here, I must cultivate diligently—this will not only make my master, Hong Fu, happy, but also enhance our mutual trust and improve my own cultivation. On the path of cultivation, as long as you put in the effort, no step will be wasted." Murong Fan secretly made up his mind.

He looked up at the Sutra Repository and saw that the entire building was made of bluish-gray stone, five stories high, with flying eaves and brackets, simple and solemn, exuding a sense of the weight of time.

The pavilion was surrounded by a faint glow of spiritual light, clearly indicating the presence of a protective array. Ordinary disciples would be unable to approach it without a token.

Holding the token bestowed upon him by his master, Hong Fu, Murong Fan walked to the front of the pavilion and placed it against a groove embedded in the door. The moment the token touched the groove, a soft white light flashed, and the heavy stone door creaked open, releasing a rustic scent that blended the fragrance of ink and the aroma of old paper.

Upon entering the pavilion, the light was somewhat dim. In the center was a large atrium, with sunlight streaming in from above, illuminating the first floor. Bookshelves stood in rows, layer upon layer, stretching to the horizon. Many low-ranking disciples, dressed in the standard robes of Huangfeng Valley, were engrossed in their studies among the bookshelves, some searching for books, others sitting cross-legged and softly reciting scriptures. The entire first floor was filled with a solemn and focused atmosphere of learning.

Murong Fan didn't linger there; his goal was the fourth floor. He ascended the spiraling stone steps, passing through the second and third floors. The number of disciples on these two floors was noticeably reduced, and the books on the shelves were more advanced, mostly concerning cultivation techniques and spells from the high-level Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, as well as some basic knowledge of alchemy and talismans. He quickly scanned the books, finding nothing particularly appealing, and then went straight to the staircase leading to the fourth floor.

At the entrance to the fourth floor, there was also a restriction. Murong Fan summoned his token again, and this time, the light emanating from it was even more dazzling. The restriction rippled like water, revealing the passage to the fourth floor. Stepping into the fourth floor, unlike the bustling activity of the lower floors, it was unusually quiet, with almost no other disciples in sight.

The entire floor was slightly smaller than the lower floors, but the bookshelves were more exquisite, and the books on them were noticeably older and more precious. Many of the book covers shimmered with a faint spiritual light, clearly made of special materials that allowed them to be preserved for a long time. The scent of ink in the air was stronger, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible, spiritual aura.

Murong Fan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and began to browse carefully. He didn't rush to find cultivation manuals, but instead followed his master Hong Fu's instructions, heading towards the areas related to formations, pills, talismans, and weapon crafting. He remembered his master saying that one should first build a foundation before seeking specialization.

In the formation area, he found several basic introductory texts on formations, such as "Azure Phoenix Breaking Void Sword Diagram" and "Essentials of the Three Talents Trapping Formation," which are mostly used for mission combat or sect competitions.

He casually picked up a book titled "The Essentials of the Three Talents Trapping Formation," opened it, and found that it detailed the composition, drawing methods, and principles of spiritual energy flow of various formation patterns. It was richly illustrated and explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

Murong Fan became more and more interested as he looked at it. Previously, his understanding of formations was only at the level of rudimentary application, but now he realized that there were profound principles behind each formation pattern.

Next, he went to the cultivation technique area. The books here were equally abundant, including "Purple Mansion Nourishing Yuan Technique" and "Nine Revolutions Condensing Infant True Explanation," which are exclusive cultivation techniques for the Core Formation stage, covering mid-to-high-level cultivation techniques suitable for various attribute spiritual roots.

Murong Fan arrived at the pill refining area: He found pill refining recipes, including advanced pill formulas suitable for the Core Formation stage, such as the complete recipes and key points for controlling the heat for "Nurtured Infant Pill" and "Gathering Spirit and Condensing Essence Pill." The book, "A Mortal's Journey: Starting at the Seven Mysterious Sect, I Prove the Dao Through Sacrifice," is available on the "Renren Bookstore" free reading app. Search "Renren Bookstore" on Baidu to download and install the Android app. Some pill formulas include annotations from predecessors and analyses of failed cases.

Refining Section: * *Dongxuan Jie*: Contains analysis of cultivation techniques and the refining of spiritual herbs, possibly including basic refining theory. * *Puppet Master's Scripture*: A classic text passed down through the Thousand Bamboo Sect, detailing the methods of puppet making and control; an important refining classic. * *Record of Strange Stones of Heaven and Earth*: Records the properties of various refining materials, such as spiritual ores and strange stones, extremely helpful for refining.

Outer Realms Observations and Secret Realms Guide: Records the entry conditions and danger levels of major dangerous places and secret realms in the cultivation world, such as the "Fragment Map of the Void Heaven Palace" and the "Travel Record of the Chaotic Star Sea", providing a reference for those who go out to experience cultivation.

Although Murong Fan did not see all the classic books on the fourth floor during her trip to the Scripture Pavilion, what she saw today was still quite an eye-opener for her.

"If the fourth floor is a limitation, then I'll go to the third floor to search for treasures." After some thought, Murong Fan went to the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion to look through the exhibits.

Murong Fan wandered back and forth among these areas, sometimes picking up a book to read, sometimes pausing to ponder. He discovered that these skills, though seemingly independent, were actually interconnected. For example, the third level of alchemy required identifying spiritual herbs (spiritual plants), drawing talismans required precise control of spiritual power, and weapon crafting might require knowledge of formations to inscribe restrictions.

He was still struggling with which path to start with, but now he gradually had a plan in mind: the way of formations can both trap enemies and defend against them, as well as assist in cultivation, and it has something in common with the simple formations he had set up before, so perhaps he could start by studying formations.

Having made up his mind, he carefully put away the introductory books on formations he had previously selected. Then, from the third-floor pill section, he chose the "Illustrated Compendium of Herbs" and a "Collection of Beginner Pill Recipes"—pills were fundamental to cultivation, and it was always good to know more. For talismans and weapon crafting, he chose one of the most basic books each, intending to get a general understanding first and then delve deeper later.

After selecting his books, Murong Fan found a quiet corner by the window, where the light was ample. He placed the books on the stone table, picked up the "Detailed Explanation of Basic Array Patterns" from the third floor of the library, and began to study it diligently.

After carefully reading, Murong Fan felt that the texts on the third and fourth levels wouldn't be of much use to him. At this moment, his master Hong Fu's words rang in his ears: "Remember, the path of cultivation requires balance; don't try to do too much at once and end up with something you can't digest." It seemed that his decision to select some important texts for cultivation and improvement coincided with his master Hong Fu's philosophy.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the pages of his book and his focused face. The library was silent except for the occasional rustling of pages turning and the faint chanting of lower-ranking disciples in the distance. Murong Fan was immersed in the ocean of knowledge, completely oblivious to the passage of time; a brand new learning journey had officially begun.

Before they knew it, the sun was setting, and the sunlight streaming into the courtyard gradually turned orange-red. The disciples in the Sutra Repository began to leave one after another, and the noise on the first floor gradually subsided.

Murong Fan closed the book, feeling refreshed and his mind filled with new knowledge. He glanced at the sky, knowing it was time to leave. He was preparing to carefully store the selected books into his storage bag—a gift from his master, Hong Fu, but which he had memorized word for word using his divine sense.

Stepping out of the Sutra Repository, a gentle evening breeze carried the fresh scent of the mountains. Murong Fan glanced back at the Sutra Repository, its ancient grandeur accentuated by the twilight, and felt a profound sense of fulfillment. Today's journey had not only given him a new direction in his cultivation but also allowed him to deeply appreciate the vast and profound nature of the "Hundred Arts."

Murong Fan no longer focused solely on the numbers representing his cultivation level; instead, he was filled with boundless imagination about his future path of cultivation. He knew this was just the beginning; countless treasures awaited his discovery within the Scripture Pavilion, and he himself would steadfastly walk this path, full of challenges and opportunities, step by step.

Altars, opportunities, and sects are all resources on his path to immortality; the three complement each other and are indispensable.