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

Under the leaden sky of Jin Gu Plain in Yue Kingdom, the camps of the seven allied forces stretched for dozens of miles, yet exuded a suffocating deathly aura. Although the battle of Yan Family Fortress was a great victory, the main force of the six demonic sects remained intact and continued to lurk menacingly on the border. The prolonged stalemate had consumed a great deal of resources from the seven sects, and the disciples' faces were filled with exhaustion, confusion, and resentment.

Inside the central command tent, the atmosphere was heavy, but fortunately, the battle situation had changed from the initial stage where each faction harbored its own secrets to the present stage where they were united in their hatred of the enemy!

"Commander Murong, although our army won the previous victory, we also suffered heavy casualties. Now that the demonic army is pressing in, we should hold our ground and wait for reinforcements to arrive," the new leader of Tianque Fort cautiously suggested, his eyes filled with fear of battle.

"To hold out for reinforcements? Wouldn't that be a waste of opportunity!" Murong Fan sat upright in the main seat, his silver armor gleaming coldly in the candlelight. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, producing a rhythmic sound that seemed to strike the hearts of everyone present. "Haven't you all noticed that the offensive of the Six Demonic Sects has slowed down? Their battle lines are stretched too thin, and their morale is low due to their previous defeats. If not now, when?"

Murong Fan abruptly stood up, his gaze sharp as a knife, sweeping across the entire room: "I propose a Northern Expedition! First, strike straight at the Ghost Spirit Sect's lair and wipe them out!"

"What?!"

An uproar erupted inside the tent.

"A Northern Expedition? Are you out of your mind?!"

"They've just won a battle, and they're already getting cocky? We don't want to die in vain!"

"Although the Ghost Spirit Sect has suffered a setback, its main force is still intact. If you propose a northern expedition now, wouldn't that be like us handing ourselves over to them? Wouldn't that be like walking into a trap?"

Faced with the crowd's doubts, Murong Fan remained expressionless, coldly uttering a single sentence: "To defend is a slow death; to attack offers a glimmer of hope. Offense is the best defense! If none of you share this resolve, I, Murong Fan, will lead the Yan Family Fort on a solo northern expedition!"

These words were like a slap in the face to the leaders and elders of the seven sects. They dared to risk their lives even against a newly risen Yan Family Fortress; were these thousand-year-old sects really inferior to a mere vassal family?

Ultimately, amidst heated discussions among the seven factions, the Northern Expedition plan was successfully approved.

The allied forces of the seven factions set off, with Murong Fan leading the charge. Instead of charging straight at the Ghost Spirit Gate's defenses as everyone expected, he took advantage of Yan Ruyanran's familiarity with the terrain and her inside-outside coordination to lead his elite troops around to the Netherworld Valley.

The Netherworld Valley is a treacherous place, perpetually shrouded in miasma. Located in an extremely yin area, the valley is constantly enveloped in black ghostly energy and overgrown with yin-loving plants such as datura vines. The environment is extremely eerie, making it a perfect fit for the Ghost Spirit Sect to exorcise ghosts and command demons.

"Governor, ahead lies the 'Soul-Severing Valley' of the Ghost Spirit Sect, which is said to be guarded by a late-stage Core Formation cultivator," a scout from Yan Family Fort reported.

Murong Fan's lips curled into a cold smile: "Late-stage Core Formation? Perfect for using as a sacrifice for the flag."

In this battle, the Core Formation Elder who was guarding the town was killed by Murong Fan with a single sword strike, and his head was displayed on the flagpole.

The news quickly spread among the Allied forces, greatly boosting morale.

"It seems this Northern Expedition proposal is quite good; indeed, taking the initiative is better than being passively attacked!"

"We've won for now, but what if the demonic army arrives...?"

"I still don't feel confident!"

"Murong Fan's bravery surpasses that of the entire army!"

"This kid's actually got some skills!"

……

After the minor victory, there were two conflicting voices: one of high morale and the other of hidden worries. Murong Fan ignored these concerns and instead used the internal conflicts among the six demonic sects to turn a unit of the Yu Ling Sect against them, causing them to turn against the Yu Ling Sect at a crucial moment and severely damage the main force of the Yu Ling Sect.

In just three months, the Northern Expeditionary Army swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum, its advance heading straight for the heart of the Ghost Spirit Gate.

However, just as the allied army was about to arrive at Ghost Valley, Murong Fan received a shocking secret report.

The core elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect, Wang Tiangu, and the sect leader, Wang Tiansheng, actually led most of the sect's elite forces away from Ghost Spirit Valley and headed to a place known as "the most dangerous place in the south"—the Fallen Demon Valley!

Murong Fan looked at the intelligence report in his hand, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

"Fallen Demon Valley... Haha! It seems the Ghost Spirit Sect is courting death."

Those idiots from the Ghost Spirit Sect had no idea that the mastermind behind all of this was Yan Ruyan from the Yan Family Fortress.

Yan Ruyan was imprisoned by Wang Tiansheng after Yan Yunshan joined the Seven Factions Alliance. However, considering that she was carrying the "Wang family bloodline," Wang Tiansheng did not kill her.

By chance, Yan Ruyan discovered a wisp of remnant soul within the portrait of Master Cangkun. The remnant soul claimed to be Master Cangkun and deceived her by saying that there was a "Lingmiao Garden" containing a vast amount of spiritual herbs in the Fallen Demon Valley, and that as long as one entered it, one could break through the bottleneck of cultivation.

On the surface, Yan Ruyan revealed this "secret" to Wang Tiansheng and Wang Tiangu for the sake of her family, her unborn child, and to atone for her sins. In reality, she wished for their early demise so she could seize control of the Ghost Spirit Sect.

Greed blinded the Ghost Spirit Sect's leadership. In their pursuit of higher cultivation and the complete annihilation of the Seven Sects, Wang Tiangu led the Ghost Spirit Sect's elite forces into an abyss from which the sect would later regret its actions and face eternal damnation.

Wang Tiangu, the core elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect, was standing at the entrance of the Fallen Demon Valley with a solemn expression.

Standing beside him, Sect Master Wang Tiansheng also looked tense. Behind them were thousands of the Ghost Spirit Sect's most elite cultivators, as well as several Nascent Soul stage elders.

"Second Brother, this Fallen Demon Valley has a terrible reputation. Do we really want to go in?" Wang Tiansheng asked hesitantly.

"Hmm, nothing ventured, nothing gained!" Wang Tiangu sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed. "As long as I can get the spiritual herbs from Lingmiao Garden, I'll brave anything, even mountains of knives and seas of fire, let alone Fallen Demon Valley!"

He held an ancient jade slip in his hand, which Yan Ruyan had given him. It was said that it contained the key to Lingmiao Garden.

As Wang Tiangu infused his spiritual power, the space at the entrance to the Fallen Demon Valley began to distort violently. A black crack slowly appeared, and an ancient and evil aura surged out from it.

"Now! Charge in!" Wang Tiangu roared and was the first to rush into the crevice.

However, the moment he entered the crack, something unexpected happened!

The black crack suddenly widened, and a terrifying suction force erupted from it, frantically sucking the Ghost Spirit Sect cultivators into it.

"Oh no! This is a trap!" Wang Tiansheng's expression changed drastically. He tried to retreat, but it was too late.

Deep within the crack, it seemed as if a pair of enormous, scarlet eyes slowly opened, filled with endless savagery and murderous intent.

"Hahaha! Thanks, you fools!"

A hoarse and menacing voice echoed in the void.

The remnant soul that called itself "Master Cangkun" had broken free from Wang Tiangu's control and transformed into a wisp of black smoke, rushing into the depths of the crack.

"Blood Flame! It's the Blood Flame of the Ancient Demon!" Wang Tiangu cried out in terror, finally realizing that he had been used.

After the ancient demon's split soul merged with its original body, its power surged. It unleashed the "Disintegration and Transformation Technique," attempting to forcibly break the seal and descend upon the human realm.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, the spatial rift above Fallen Demon Valley suddenly exploded. A terrifying spatial storm swept in like a tsunami, tearing everything around it to shreds.

Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng, who were in the core area of ​​the explosion, were pulverized by the spatial storm before they even had time to scream.

Their prized nascent souls were also instantly annihilated in the storm.

The elite cultivators of the Ghost Spirit Sect were almost entirely wiped out.

"Pass down the order: the entire army must accelerate and head straight for Ghost Spirit Valley!" Murong Fan put away the intelligence report, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Since Wang Tiangu is not here, then Ghost Spirit Sect shall be wiped out today!"