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

Murong Fan straightened his robes, calmed the surging blood and qi within his body caused by the interdimensional teleportation, and stepped out of the ancient stone hall.

As he stepped out of the palace gate, the sight before him made his eyes widen instantly, his face filled with disbelief and amazement!

"This...this is the market town of the Great Jin Dynasty?"

Murong Fan was overwhelmed with astonishment; he had never seen such a bustling and vibrant scene. The shops lining both sides of the street were neat and orderly, their dazzling array of goods filling the air with the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the clanging of magical artifacts, creating a lively and energetic spectacle.

His gaze swept across the shop, taking in all sorts of treasures, each radiating a spiritual light. Crystal-clear jade, magical artifacts shimmering with mysterious light, pills exuding a rich medicinal fragrance… every single one of them stirred his heart.

"Such treasures are rare even in Yue Kingdom, yet they're everywhere here!" Murong Fan murmured to himself, his eyes filled with astonishment. "This is the Great Jin! Truly living up to its reputation!" Taking a deep breath, Murong Fan suppressed his excitement and stepped into the bustling market. He secretly vowed, "Now that the ancient mirror has opened the path to heaven, and karma is in my hands, I am determined to improve my cultivation and achieve great things in the Great Jin! I will carve out my own place in this vast world!"

Adhering to the principle of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," Murong Fan went to the market to change into a low-key and appropriate outfit. After exchanging for some necessities, he asked an old man selling maps for directions to the Thunder Sound Sect. The old man told him that the Thunder Sound Sect was not far from there, and he could reach it by passing through three markets.

Murong Fan thanked the old man and hurried off to find the Leiyin Sect Zen Temple. He had long heard that the Leiyin Sect's Buddhist teachings were profound and could suppress inner demons; more importantly, he vaguely learned from the fluctuations of the remnant soul of the ancient Buddha relic that the relic contained the secret to enhancing cultivation, which could only be unlocked under the special environment of the Leiyin Sect.

"This is it," he whispered.

This place is the location of the mountain gate of Leiyin Sect, one of the four great Buddhist sects of the Great Jin Dynasty. "A thousand years ago, an ancient ascetic Buddha left Leiyin Sect, traveled to various countries, and finally passed away in the desolate mountains of Tiannan. Before his death, he condensed his life's cultivation into relics and entrusted a karmic connection to a young man." Murong Fan repeatedly pondered the story he had written and directed.

He took a deep breath, straightened his appearance, and shouted loudly, his voice shaking the heavens:

"Murong Fan, a cultivator from Tiannan, brings with him an ancient Buddha relic and requests an audience with the abbot of Leiyin Temple!"

Before the words were finished—

Rumble!

The entire Thunder Sound Mountain Range trembled violently! The nine layers of lightning from the mountain-protecting array shot into the sky, transforming into a ten-thousand-foot-long lightning lotus, illuminating thousands of miles. Inside the mountain gate, countless monks were startled awake, and even the Nascent Soul elders who were in seclusion opened their eyes.

"Relics have appeared in the world?!"

"It's the remains of an ancient Buddha!"

"Quickly inform the host! This is a major event!"

A moment later, a figure soared into the air from the mountain peak, surrounded by lightning like dragons, his aura as vast and unfathomable as the ocean. It was none other than Master Yuanzhi of the Thunder Sound Sect, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

His gaze was like lightning, landing on the relic in Murong Fan's hand, his pupils suddenly shrinking—there was a faint fluctuation of the remnant soul of an ancient Buddha within the relic! He then swept his gaze over Murong Fan's body, and saw that a Buddhist pattern appeared between his brows, and his aura resonated faintly with the relic, indicating that he was no ordinary rogue cultivator!

"Where did you obtain this item?" Master Yuanzhi's voice was deep, yet it carried an undeniable tremor.

Murong Fan bowed, his tone respectful yet not humble: "In the desolate mountains of Tiannan, I encountered the place where an ancient Buddha passed away. His remnant soul entrusted this object to him, saying, 'If there is an opportunity, return it to Leiyin Temple to settle the karmic debt.'"

Master Yuanzhi remained silent for a long time, then suddenly sighed, "The ancient Buddha has been missing for a thousand years, and today his relics have returned to the lineage. This is a great fortune for Leiyin Temple." He waved his hand and said politely, "Benefactor Murong, please follow me into the mountain gate! I will treat you with the courtesy due to a guest elder!"

……

The Listening Thunder Courtyard, located beside Thunder Sound Peak, is exclusively for distinguished guests below the Nascent Soul stage. A spiritual spring flows gently within the courtyard, the air is filled with the fragrance of herbs, and a small spirit-gathering array operates day and night.

Murong Fan stood in the courtyard, feeling the spiritual energy in the air so dense it was almost liquefied, and was secretly delighted. The spiritual energy here was several times stronger than that of the top-tier caves in Tiannan! Moreover, a gentle Buddhist power washed over his soul like a clear spring, causing the inner demons and karmic fire that had been growing within him due to the frequent sacrifices to high-level targets (Core Formation demonic beasts and demonic cultivators) to subtly subside.

"No wonder cultivators from the Great Jin Dynasty can produce Nascent Soul cultivators," he thought to himself.

Afterwards, a late-stage Foundation Establishment monk delivered a jade slip and pills, his attitude extremely respectful: "Fellow Daoist Murong, you come from Tiannan with deep karmic burdens. This is a pass to the first seven floors of the Scripture Pavilion, allowing you to enter five times a month; this is the 'Vajra Bodhi Pill,' which can stabilize your Dao heart, three pills per month; also, you can bathe in the Thunder Sound Spiritual Spring seven times a month, please do not exceed the limit."

'

Murong Fan accepted it, his heart trembling slightly—the seventh floor of the Scripture Pavilion already contained some Buddhist cultivation techniques for the Nascent Soul stage! This treatment far surpassed that of ordinary guest elders.

"Thank you for your kindness, host." He cupped his hands in thanks.

After the monks left, he immediately sat cross-legged and swallowed the Vajra Bodhi Pill. As the medicine took effect, a cool sensation washed over him, and the phantoms of the bloodshed accumulated from the sacrifices—the wails of the Blood Forbidden Land, the screams of Yan Family Fortress and Golden Drum Plain, the dying curses of the demonic beasts—melted away like ice and snow.

"Good stuff!" His eyes gleamed.

That night, unable to contain himself, he took out a mid-stage Core Formation demon core (obtained from an early fortuitous encounter), placed it in his palm, and silently recited: "Sacrifice."

However, the altar only trembled slightly, and a faint message was relayed on the purple-blue light screen:

[Exchange: Complete version of the Buddhist Heart-Cleansing Mantra (helps calm the mind and ward off inner demons) + 100 Merit Points]

"What?" Murong Fan frowned.

In Tiannan, the rewards for sacrificing a mid-stage Core Formation demon core are plentiful! But now it's only worth a spell and a small amount of merit points? Murong Fan thought for a moment and understood the reason—there are many cultivators in the Great Jin Dynasty, and mid-stage Core Formation demon cores are a common resource here, so they are naturally not as precious as they are in Tiannan.

He instantly understood—the Buddhist power of the Great Jin Dynasty was flourishing, and the rules of heaven and earth naturally rejected "predatory sacrifices." "Here, even the cheat codes are severely suppressed?" Murong Fan was deeply worried at this moment.

Murong Fan tried to communicate with the altar, but received a vague message: "Adapting to the Buddhist energy environment, the altar can absorb Buddhist energy to evolve its functions." A glint flashed in Murong Fan's eyes. It wasn't being suppressed, but rather needing a new way to grow! It seems this altar also needs time to adapt!

"It seems I can't rely solely on external aids..." His gaze turned cold. "I can only sacrifice my own hidden dangers to cleanse myself of my sins!"

The next day, he went to the Thunder Sound Spring. The spring water was pale gold and exuded a Buddhist aura. He took off his robes and stepped into it.

In an instant, a burning pain rose from the depths of his soul—it was the karmic fire retaliating! But then, the power of the Buddha's spring descended like sweet rain, as if the black flames were being extinguished little by little.

Three days later, he emerged from the spring with a clear mind and a subtle shift in his cultivation. The Great Perfection of Core Formation was within reach!

However, the joy was short-lived, and the shadow of misfortune soon followed.

The attendant monk appeared respectful, but he always "happened" to pass by the courtyard gate while the monk was cultivating. The monk tried to use his divine sense to explore outside the courtyard, but was repelled by an invisible barrier—the Thunder Sound Listening Array, which records all abnormal fluctuations.

One night, Master Yuanzhi's voice resounded directly in his mind, as loud as thunder:

"Fellow Daoist Murong, since you have inherited the karma of the ancient Buddha, you should abide by the precepts of purity. Do not harbor any evil thoughts, otherwise... do not blame this old monk for being ruthless."

Murong Fan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm: "This junior will remember."

Murong Fan appeared respectful, but he was already calculating in his heart. He knew that the Thunder Sound Sect's surveillance would not be easily lifted, so rather than passively responding, he decided to take the initiative. That night, he set up a soundproof barrier in his room and communicated with himself through divine sense, analyzing the current situation and formulating a countermeasure.

Although Master Yuanzhi harbored doubts, seeing that Murong Fan had taken the initiative to confess and that his words matched the information of the ancient Buddha's remnant soul within the relic, he granted his request. Murong Fan seized this opportunity not only to gain access to the Sutra Repository but also to cleverly utilize the Leiyin Sect's surveillance to cultivate an image of "devoting himself to Buddhist practice and dispelling inner demons," while secretly searching for a way to break free from the altar's suppression and enhance his cultivation.

He knew that he was now a caged sparrow, seemingly noble, but actually living in constant fear.

In the dead of night, he returned to his room, set up a soundproof barrier again, and began his cultivation.

There, Master Yuanzhi stood with his hands behind his back, and beside him stood an old monk with white eyebrows—a confidant of the Thunderclap Ancestor.

"This child... possesses such divine consciousness at the late stage of Core Formation, and his physical body is as powerful as a magic weapon; this is no accident," Master Yuanzhi murmured. "What's even more bizarre is that he has an aura that... plunders the heavens and earth."

The white-browed old monk narrowed his eyes: "Should we cripple his cultivation and only preserve his memories?"

Master Yuanzhi shook his head: "The cause and effect of the ancient Buddha are still unclear, so we should not act rashly. Let's see if he can... truly integrate into our Buddhist school."

At the same moment, Murong Fan finished his cultivation in the room, took out a jade slip, and engraved four characters: Patience, Waiting, Planning, Breakthrough.

He knew that although the Great Jin Dynasty was good, it was the most dangerous cage. But then he thought, since he was already here, he might as well make the best of it. "The Great Jin Dynasty is the furnace to refine my Nascent Soul." He closed his eyes, and the altar within his body quietly began to operate. "When I break free from my cocoon, it will be the time for me to leap over the dragon gate."

Outside the window, thunder rumbled faintly from Thunderclap Peak, seemingly both an echo and a warning. However, having only been in the Great Jin for a short time, his cultivation had already improved considerably; cleansing his karmic ties should accelerate his later cultivation even further!