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

Ever since he double-crossed the Yinluo Sect's spirit mine and smuggled a large quantity of mid-grade spirit stones, Murong Fan had been deep in thought. Those mountains of spirit stones were both wealth and a death sentence. In the dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, without matching strength, no amount of spirit stones was more like meat to attract hungry wolves. He constantly plotted how to use this windfall to quickly improve his cultivation and escape his fate as a "lamb to the slaughter."

Inside the Ting Lei Courtyard, Murong Fan took out the cold mining deed from his storage bag, his mind replaying the thrilling scenes from the Blackwater Abyss. The ruthlessness of the Yin Luo Sect cultivators, the strict guarding of the mine, and the final, heart-stopping escape—every scene left him with lingering fear.

"Although the Thunder Sound Sect is a righteous sect with profound Buddhist teachings, it is ultimately too rigid and inflexible," Murong Fan sighed softly, his gaze drifting to the solemn yet somewhat somber golden roof outside the window. "While the cultivation method I currently practice is moderate and peaceful, it lacks the decisive and domineering edge of killing. Without protective techniques for combat, even with abundant spirit stones, I'm nothing more than a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered. It's like a flower in a greenhouse—beautiful but unable to withstand wind and rain!"

Murong Fan thought of the rule-abiding elders of the Thunder Sound Sect and the sect's cumbersome rules and regulations, and a wave of irritation washed over him. In this perilous world of cultivation, blindly adhering to the rules would only put him at a disadvantage.

Murong Fan knew that he was now at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and to advance further, hard work and elixirs alone were no longer enough. He needed matching physical abilities and deadly techniques. Although the Thunder Sound Sect's Scripture Pavilion was large, its core secret techniques required a huge amount of sect contribution points to acquire, and each floor was guarded by elders, making it unsuitable for someone like him with "secrets" to frequently enter. Yuan Xiang only trusted him superficially, and didn't allow him to get too involved in many of the sect's core secrets.

The only one in the Thunder Sound Sect who suited his tastes was the Sinful Buddha Old Monster, whom he had knocked unconscious. Every time Murong Fan brought him spirit wine, he not only provided plenty but also described the outside world and the gossip headlines of the Thunder Sound Sect. Over time, their relationship became more than just a simple supply and demand relationship; they also became close friends despite their age difference. However, this relationship seemed to depend on the Sinful Buddha's mood and state of mind.

The Sinful Buddha was from the same sect as the "Three Elements" of the Thunder Sound Sect, and possessed extraordinary talent and resourcefulness. He was the sect's most promising successor, renowned within the sect for his expertise in formations, weapon crafting, and alchemy. During a mission, he was mistakenly accused by his fellow disciples of colluding with the demonic path by using someone else to commit murder. From then on, he lived on the fringes of the sect for many years, eventually giving up and truly becoming a heretical cultivator. It is rumored that a defensive formation he once created actually blocked a full-force attack from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, which greatly impressed Murong Fan.

As usual, Murong Fan delivered the spirit wine to the ninth floor of the Scripture Pavilion. The withered figure of the Sinful Buddha appeared at the door, still shrouded in a faint aura of malevolence, looking like a demon crawling out of hell. But Murong Fan knew that beneath this terrifying exterior lay an extremely intelligent and mad mind. When he saw Murong Fan, a flash of resentment crossed his eyes; the humiliation of being tricked out of three hundred years of accumulated resources, spirit stones, relics, and magical artifacts was still vivid in his mind.

He casually opened the lid a crack, and instantly, an extremely rich aura of mid-grade spirit stones overflowed, making his eyelids twitch. He quickly closed the lid, and his gaze towards Murong Fan instantly changed. The previous resentment vanished, replaced by solemnity and madness. "Junior Brother Murong, you've certainly gone all out. I've given you hundreds of high-grade spirit stones, and in return, you're only giving me three thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Using this to test a leader—which leader can't withstand such a test?" The Sinful Buddha licked his lips, his voice even hoarser. "Tell me, what do you want? As long as I can do it, anything is negotiable. However, if you dare to play any tricks again, I'll fight to the death and make sure you don't get away with it."

"Don't worry, senior. There's nothing to play tricks on me. I just want to borrow something from you." Murong Fan smiled slightly, his tone calm but exuding an undeniable domineering aura. "I want the 'Ming Wang Jue'."

Upon hearing this, the Sinful Buddha was struck dumb, abruptly standing up, his withered body trembling slightly with excitement. He stared intently at Murong Fan, his eyes filled with disbelief and raging fury: "How do you know about the 'Ming Wang Jue'?!"

This cultivation technique was of paramount importance to him, his only hope for a comeback. How could he possibly hand it over so easily? Moreover, he knew Murong Fan's methods; if he didn't agree, even more trouble would ensue. He stared at the jade box, his eyes filled with struggle and madness. Torn between his hope for a comeback and his deep-seated hatred, he was caught in a dilemma: "This Murong brat, he swindled so much from me last time, and now he's after my 'Ming Wang Jue'—he's gone too far! But he also knew that Murong Fan was ruthless; if he didn't agree, his life would likely become even more difficult."

"Benefactor Murong...you're taking my life!" The Sinful Buddha slumped into his chair, a look of agony on his face. His mind was in turmoil. Moreover, he knew Murong Fan's methods; if he didn't agree, even more trouble would ensue. He stared at the jade box, his eyes filled with struggle and madness.

"I don't want the spirit stones. But you must swear that you will never reveal the source of the *Ming Wang Jue*, otherwise, even if my soul is scattered, I will drag you down with me!" He knew that only in this way could he have a chance to make a comeback after losing the *Ming Wang Jue*. Murong Fan chuckled inwardly. This Sinful Buddha was indeed cunning, but he had already anticipated this. This old bastard, after I extorted so much from him last time, he still wants to negotiate with me this time. He really doesn't know what's good for him. However, for the sake of the *Ming Wang Jue*, I will tolerate him for now.

Murong Fan sat cross-legged, a thick, ancient golden scroll before him. This was a fragment of the *Ming Wang Jue* (The Bright King's Manual), not the complete work, but it contained the most core techniques for body refinement and domineering methods. The scroll exuded an ancient and majestic aura, as if containing boundless power. Murong Fan gently stroked the scroll, his eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. He knew this would be the key to changing his destiny.

"Buddha has no form, yet gives rise to myriad forms. Compassion is Buddha, and so is wrath." Murong Fan silently recited the opening verse, his mind suddenly enlightened. This *Ming Wang Jue* (The Mantra of the Bright King) emphasizes using the fierce and wrathful posture of a Vajra to subdue demons and monsters. It does not cultivate the afterlife, only this life; it does not seek Nirvana, only slaughter. This unexpectedly resonated with the power-craving heart beneath his current "Taoist" exterior. He seemed to see countless wrathful Bright Kings, wielding their weapons, subduing demons and monsters, majestic and awe-inspiring.

As the cultivation technique circulated, the spiritual energy within Murong Fan's body began to surge wildly. This time, it was no longer a gentle trickle, but a raging river, impacting his meridians and body. He felt his meridians expanding continuously, his bones cracking, and his muscles writhing, as if countless ants were gnawing at his body.

A sharp pain shot through him, causing him to groan involuntarily. Beads of sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face was ashen. But he knew this was the "Ming Wang Jue" transforming his body; only by enduring this pain could he gain immense power. He gritted his teeth and continued circulating his inner energy, letting the spiritual power rage within his body.

At this moment, Murong Fan's consciousness began to blur, as if he were engulfed in a sea of ​​fire, every inch of his skin burning. He saw his past, the days he struggled to survive in the Blackwater Abyss, the time he endured and lay low in the Thunder Sound Sect. He told himself he couldn't give up, he had to persevere. With his indomitable will, he persevered, persevered…

"Roar—" A deep tiger roar came from his body, and a faint golden light appeared on the surface of Murong Fan's skin. His originally handsome face was now faintly revealing an aura of majesty and ferocity.

Murong Fan felt his physical body undergoing a transformation. His foundation, which had been somewhat weak due to his long-term seclusion behind the scenes, was now being gradually solidified by this domineering power. His strength was constantly increasing, his speed was constantly accelerating, and his senses were becoming increasingly acute.

Murong Fan seemed to transform into a savage beast, possessing boundless power and wildness. He suddenly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing within them, and a powerful aura erupted from his body, causing the surrounding walls to tremble slightly. He knew he had succeeded; he had finally broken through the bottleneck of the early Nascent Soul stage and reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

Murong Fan could clearly feel that his strength had increased by at least 30%, his speed had nearly doubled, and his physical defense had reached a terrifying level, making it difficult for ordinary magic weapon attacks to harm him.

This is the domineering nature of the "Ming Wang Jue"! It doesn't require you to comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth; it only requires you to have enough resources to accumulate, burn, and forcibly fuse spiritual power into your bones and blood. Murong Fan crushed a large handful of mid-grade spirit stones, and the pure spiritual energy surged into his body through his palms, greedily devoured by the "Ming Wang Jue".

He felt his cultivation level constantly improving, his nascent soul growing stronger, and his power increasing steadily. He felt as if he were in a golden ocean, surrounded by boundless power.

The contents of his storage bag were silently and slowly decreasing when Murong Fan finally stopped practicing and stood up. He raised his hand and threw a punch, which produced a piercing explosion in the air, and a powerful gust of wind made the windows rattle loudly. He felt the surging power within his body and the domineering golden light that roamed endlessly within his nascent soul.

Now that his Nascent Soul cultivation was stable at the peak of the early stage, and his physical body was comparable to a high-grade spiritual treasure, he could even fight against ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators. He no longer needed to hide and cower like before. He carefully put away the fragment of the "Ming Wang Jue" scroll, erased all traces of his cultivation, pushed open the door of the Ting Lei Bie Yuan, and stepped out into the cool mountain breeze. He felt much lighter and more agile, and even the distant bell sounded clearer than usual.

"A man can't get rich without unexpected wealth, and a horse can't get fat without night grazing." Murong Fan felt the surging power within him, a cold smile playing on his lips. "If it weren't for that windfall from the Blackwater Cold Abyss, even if I obtained this technique, I wouldn't dare to cultivate it so recklessly." He knew that cultivating the *Ming Wang Jue* was extremely resource-intensive; without sufficient spirit stones, it was impossible to continue. And the large quantity of mid-grade spirit stones he possessed provided him with ample resources.

He crushed a handful of mid-grade spirit stones, the pure spiritual energy flowing into his body through his palms and greedily absorbed by the *Ming Wang Jue*. The spirit stones were consumed extremely quickly; in just half an hour, nearly a hundred mid-grade spirit stones had been used. But Murong Fan didn't care; he knew these spirit stones were worthwhile. As the spirit stones continued to be consumed, his cultivation level also steadily improved. The bottleneck of the early Nascent Soul stage began to loosen, showing faint signs of a breakthrough. Three years later, "The Ming Wang Jue is complete!" Murong Fan couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, he was mentally planning his next move. While the Thunder Sound Sect possessed excellent resources, they were ultimately limited, and the sect's rules restricted his ability to utilize many of his methods. He knew that to establish himself in the cultivation world, he needed his own power and resource network. The Thunder Sound Sect was merely a temporary refuge. He intended to utilize its resources to rapidly enhance his strength, then build his own power base and dominate the region.

He thought of the Sinful Buddha, Elder Yuanzhi, and the scheming cultivators within the sect. He knew these people were pawns he could use. He wanted to establish his own intelligence network within the Thunder Sound Sect, to monitor the sect's every move. He also wanted to make more deals with the Sinful Buddha to acquire more resources and secret techniques. He even considered joining forces with the Sinful Buddha to overthrow the Thunder Sound Sect's rule and become its leader himself. However, he also understood that the Sinful Buddha was a dangerous figure, and cooperating with him required extreme caution, otherwise, it might very well backfire.

"This Thunder Sound Sect is probably really limiting my cultivation progress. Not only do I need to be rich, but I also need to be strong." Murong Fan clenched his fist, his eyes filled with determination. He knew that only by possessing great strength could he gain a foothold in this cultivation world and protect those he wanted to protect.

Murong Fan stood up, the golden light around him receding, and he reverted to the gentle and refined Elder Murong. But he knew that beneath that gentle exterior, a "Ming King" ready to devour anyone at any moment had awakened. He stretched his limbs, feeling the surging power within him, and a confident smile curled at the corner of his lips. He knew he was no longer a lamb to the slaughter. He would make all those who looked down on him pay the price. He would make the Thunder Sound Sect a stepping stone for his domination of the cultivation world.

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