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

Seeing that Murong Fan was alone, the Nascent Soul stage cultivator from the Pure Sound Sect grinned and said, "Fellow Daoist from the Thunder Sound Sect, this ruin is unclaimed, and these treasures naturally belong to the capable. This is the territory of Mulan. Although I am a Buddhist, my origins are those of a true Mulan native. Now, you can only escape death by obediently handing over the treasures; otherwise, you certainly won't be able to cross the Mulan border!"

Murong Fan raised his eyes with a look of disdain. He didn't want to say much. He knew that in the world of cultivation, strength was everything. He immediately circulated the lightning power and Buddhist power within his body at the same time. After the Xiaoyin Magic Sword hummed and lit up with lightning, he coldly said, "You want these treasures? If you want treasures, then you'll have to see how much you're worth!" Before he finished speaking, a Xiaoyin Magic Sword wrapped in Buddhist power had already broken through the air and was heading straight for his face.

The Pure Sound Sect cultivator hadn't expected Murong Fan to be so defiant. His face darkened, and he slammed his staff heavily on the ground, shouting angrily, "Where did this brat come from? He's utterly courting death!" Before he finished speaking, he quickly formed hand seals, and the Buddhist light at the tip of his staff suddenly surged, transforming into a ten-foot-tall golden Buddha phantom. The Buddha statue chanted Sanskrit, and countless golden runes emerged from the void, crushing towards Murong Fan.

Murong Fan's eyes narrowed, and he unleashed the full power of his Thunder Sound Step, transforming into a streak of lightning to instantly evade the direct impact of the runes. With a flick of his wrist, the lightning and Buddhist power on his Xiaoyin Sword erupted simultaneously, unleashing a massive sword shadow that shattered the incoming runes.

"Clang!" The sword shadow collided with the phantom of the Buddha statue, producing a deafening sound. Murong Fan felt a numbness in his arm and involuntarily took three steps back.

"Interesting!" A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Pure Sound Sect cultivator, then he sneered, brandishing his staff. The boundless Buddhist light condensed into a huge golden blade of light, slashing towards Murong Fan with a whistling sound. Murong Fan dared not be careless. He circulated the lightning power within his body to its limit, and the lightning on the Xiaoyin Sword surged. He gripped the sword with both hands and slashed head-on at the blade of light.

"Boom!" The lightning bolts collided with the golden light blades, and a violent energy shockwave spread outwards, instantly shredding the surrounding trees into dust.

Upon seeing this, the Jingyin Sect cultivator chanted incantations, and a golden beam of light shot out from the tip of his staff. The beam of light transformed into a huge Vajra Subduing Demon Circle in the air, enveloping Murong Fan.

Murong Fan's expression changed slightly. He could sense the powerful Buddhist energy contained within the Demon-Subduing Circle. If he were trapped by it, the consequences would be unimaginable. He immediately formed hand seals rapidly, channeling all his Buddhist energy into his body. The phantom of the Great Sun Tathagata Bell appeared, and with the sound of the bell, golden Buddhist energy formed a solid barrier, blocking the attack of the Demon-Subduing Circle.

"The Great Compassion Mantra!" The Jingyin Sect cultivator roared, uttering a deep mantra that transformed into invisible sound waves that surged towards Murong Fan. Wherever the sound waves passed, ripples spread through the space.

Murong Fan felt a sharp pain in his head. He quickly circulated his lightning power to protect his consciousness, while simultaneously planting the Xiaoyin Sword in the ground. He formed a hand seal, and lightning power and Buddhist power intertwined to create a protective shield that blocked the sound wave attack.

"Pfft!" The Pure Sound Sect cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Murong Fan in disbelief: "You...you've actually broken through to the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage! And your lightning power and Buddhist power are so pure!"

Murong Fan sneered, "You think you can kill me?" Before he finished speaking, the Xiaoyin Sword thrust out again. It could have killed him in one blow, but he chose to let him go considering the impact on the sect.

"Thank you for your mercy, Elder Murong. I am no match for you. This magic weapon is yours, Elder. I am completely convinced!" The Jingyin Sect cultivator coughed up blood and then turned and staggered away.

Just as the Jingyin Sect cultivators finished their battle, the demonic Yinluo Sect cultivators arrived, eager to make their move. Leading them was a cultivator who had just entered the late Nascent Soul stage. Seeing that Murong Fan's aura was slightly unstable after the fight, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he wanted to strike first.

He suddenly drew his black iron ghost-head saber from his waist, the blade enveloped in a thick black mist that seemed capable of swallowing all light. "Kid, if you know what's good for you, hand over your treasures, and maybe I'll spare your corpse!" He sneered, slashing the ghost-head saber horizontally, the air shrieking as the blade passed.

Murong Fan's face darkened, and the Xiaoyin Sword was instantly drawn. Amidst flashes of lightning, it clashed with the Ghost Head Blade. With a loud "clang!", sparks flew everywhere, and Murong Fan felt a numbness in his arm, involuntarily taking three steps back.

The ghost-headed saber's remaining energy did not diminish, forcefully cleaving through the thunder sword's defense and crashing into the stone wall of the Buddhist temple. The shockwave caused dust to fall from the entire ancient Buddhist temple, and a deep crack appeared on the stone wall.

"A demonic cultivator who has just entered the late Nascent Soul stage! This one is quite powerful. But what are the demonic Yinluo Sect cultivators doing in the Mulan Grassland? If the Jingyin Sect is here for Buddhist teachings, could the demonic Yinluo Sect be colluding with the Mulan cultivators?" Murong Fan asked with a puzzled expression. At the same time, his lightning and Buddhist power circulated rapidly within his body, restoring the spiritual energy he had consumed in the battle.

"A demonic cultivator who has just entered the late Nascent Soul stage! This one is quite powerful. But what are the demonic Yinluo Sect cultivators doing in the Mulan Grassland? If the Jingyin Sect is here for Buddhist teachings, could the demonic Yinluo Sect be colluding with the Mulan cultivators?" Murong Fan asked with a puzzled expression. At the same time, his lightning and Buddhist power circulated rapidly within his body, restoring the spiritual energy he had consumed in the battle.

"Good lad, you do have some skill!" The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator sneered and waved his hand to summon two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators behind him as helpers. "Attack together, kill him and seize the treasure!" The two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators immediately drew their magic weapons and flanked him from the left and right.

The cultivator on the left summoned a black poison sword, its blade shrouded in green poisonous mist. Wherever the mist passed, even the air became murky.

The cultivator on the right took out a black banner. As the banner was waved, countless ghosts flew out from it, letting out mournful screams, and rushed towards Murong Fan.

"Three against one, kid, what are you resisting for? Surrender!" The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator began psychological warfare, while simultaneously unleashing his Ghost Head Blade once more, the blade condensing into a massive black aura that seemed to cleave the heavens and earth in two.

Before he could finish speaking, the Yinluo Sect cultivator on the left suddenly unleashed a black poison needle. The needle transformed into a streak of black light, silently piercing Murong Fan's back. At the same time, he chanted incantations, and the poisonous mist on the black poison sword surged, forming a poisonous dragon that devoured Murong Fan.

The cultivator on the right waved a black banner, and under his control, countless vengeful spirits formed a wall of spirits, completely sealing off Murong Fan's escape route. At the same time, he flicked a black spiritual light from his fingertip, which landed on the banner. The vengeful spirits on the banner became even more violent, and their screams were ear-piercing.

Murong Fan's eyes narrowed, and he used the Thunder Sound Step to dodge the poison needles like a ghost. At the same time, he made a hand seal with his left hand, and the Great Evolution Technique was activated to its limit. His divine sense spread out and instantly saw through the three people's flaws.

"A mere trick!" He sneered, thrusting out his right hand with the Xiaoyin Sword, unleashing the Qingyuan Sword Technique. A torrential downpour of azure sword light poured forth, shredding the Yin spirits one by one. At the same time, he waved his left hand, and dozens of Core Formation stage puppets flew out of his storage bag, engaging them in a fierce battle and relentlessly wearing down their fighting strength.

Under Murong Fan's arrangement, the puppets formed a large array, instantly boosting their combat power several levels. Murong Fan took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, analyzing the weaknesses in the three's techniques, magical artifacts, and array formation.

"Die!" Murong Fan roared, and lightning surged on the Xiaoyin Sword. The lightning power and Buddhist power intertwined to form a huge sword shadow, which slashed towards the three of them.

Seeing this, the cultivator on the left took out another black banner. As the banner was waved, countless black poisonous mists spread out, and even the stone walls began to melt wherever the poisonous mists passed. "Boy, taste the power of my bone-corroding poisonous mist!" He grinned maliciously, and the poisonous mist surged towards Murong Fan.

Murong Fan dared not be careless. His left hand formed a hand seal, activating the Bright King Mantra to its fullest extent. A golden Buddhist shield appeared around him, shimmering with golden Buddhist patterns, blocking the poisonous mist's corrosive influence. His right hand formed another hand seal, and the Three Worlds Bright King Wheel hovered above his head. Three golden Bright King phantoms appeared, emitting bursts of Buddhist chants that caused the Yinluo Sect cultivators' blood to surge. "Break!" Murong Fan roared, and the Three Worlds Bright King Wheel shot out three golden beams of light towards the three.

Seeing this, the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator roared, unleashing his full power to the limit, transforming into a black whirlwind that rushed towards Murong Fan. A massive black blade light condensed on his ghost-head saber, seemingly about to cleave the heavens and earth. "Boy, prepare to die!" he roared, slashing the blade light towards Murong Fan.

Murong Fan remained calm. He immediately summoned the Great Sun Tathagata Bell, its golden body hovering in front of him, shimmering with golden Buddhist patterns. With a loud "clang!", the bell's sound shook the entire side hall. The black blade light was blocked by the bell, turning into specks of black light and dissipating.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Murong Fan closed in, gathering Buddhist power in his left hand and striking the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the chest. The Buddhist power exploded, instantly injuring him. At the same time, he thrust out the Xiaoyin Sword with his right hand, the sharp sword energy of the Qingyuan Sword Technique instantly piercing through the cultivator's dantian. "Ah!" The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator screamed, his body flying backward and crashing heavily into the stone wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The cultivator's nascent soul was about to escape when it was pulverized by the Buddhist power shot from Murong Fan's fingertips, and his physical body vanished into black smoke along with it. Murong Fan's eyes were icy cold. The Yinluo Sect cultivators were ruthless; if they weren't eliminated completely, they would surely cause future trouble.

After Murong Fan had just breathed a sigh of relief after dealing with the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the remaining two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were both shocked and furious. After exchanging a glance, they simultaneously summoned their sect's secret treasures.

The cultivator on the left took out a black skull, from which black flames spewed from its mouth, making the air extremely hot wherever the flames passed; the cultivator on the right took out a string of bone beads, which flew around and transformed into countless bone arrows that shot towards Murong Fan.

Murong Fan formed hand seals, pushing the Mingwang Technique to its limit. Golden Buddhist patterns appeared around his body as he withstood the attacks of the two men, but he was still forced to retreat repeatedly, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Murong Fan's eyes flashed fiercely as he simultaneously unleashed the Three Worlds Bright King Wheel and the Great Sun Tathagata Bell. Golden Buddhist power and azure sword energy intertwined to form a pillar of light, instantly enveloping the two cultivators. "Kill them!" he roared, and a powerful energy erupted from the pillar of light, completely shattering the two cultivators' attacks.

Amidst screams, just as their nascent souls were about to burst forth, they were annihilated by the golden light emanating from the Three-Life Bright King Wheel, their physical bodies instantly turning into black smoke and dissipating. Murong Fan put away the magic weapon, his eyes devoid of any pity. The Yinluo Sect cultivators had committed numerous evils; today, eliminating them completely would be a service to the people.

"Damn it! They had a backup plan! I almost fell for that late-stage Nascent Soul demonic cultivator's trick. I thought there would only be three, but I didn't expect them to have a fourth to ambush me. This is indeed in line with the Yinluo Sect's sinister and unpredictable style!" Murong Fan cursed inwardly, while his figure flashed to avoid the blade shadow attacking from behind.

Murong Fan remained calm, raising his hand to conjure the Bright King Dharma Shield. The golden shield blocked the blade's shadow, and with a crisp clang, the black iron ghost-head blade was bounced back. The cultivator's tiger's mouth split open, and his blood surged. Before he could catch his breath, Murong Fan closed in, gathering Buddhist power in his left hand and striking the cultivator's chest with a palm strike. The Buddhist power exploded, instantly injuring him.

At this moment, he held the Xiaoyin Sword to the cultivator's neck with his right hand and said coldly, "Speak, what is the purpose of the Yinluo Sect's visit to the Mulan Grassland?"

"Ancient Buddha relics have appeared on the Mulan Grassland. This matter is only related to Buddhism, so it is reasonable for the Mulan people to get involved. But why does your Yinluo Sect have to get involved? You must explain the reason clearly today, otherwise, those three demonic cultivators will suffer the same fate as you!" Murong Fan's words were sharp and his tone was full of intimidation.

"I'll talk, I'll talk... Please don't kill my Nascent Soul!" the Yinluo Sect cultivator pleaded, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"As far as I know, the Yinluo Sect Master needs a massive amount of living souls to sacrifice for the repair of the sect's treasured Ghost Banner. However, starting a war within the Great Jin territory is too risky. Coincidentally, the Mulan people urgently need external assistance for survival, so the two sides hit it off immediately. The Mulan people were already planning to invade Tiannan in exchange for living space..." After the Yinluo Sect cultivator finished speaking, he said tremblingly, "Can you keep your promise and let me go?"

"What does the invasion of Tiannan by the Mulan people have to do with your looting of the ancient Buddha's relics and treasures? Speak up now!" Murong Fan roared, and at the same time, he exerted a little force with his Xiaoyin Sword, leaving a bloody mark on the cultivator's neck.

"I came here to incite conflict between Buddhist sects, to use others to do my dirty work, to put Buddhism in opposition, and to weaken its strength! Everything I said is true, please let me go!" The Luoyin Sect cultivator kowtowed repeatedly, his face full of fear.

"Die!" Murong Fan's eyes flashed with malice, and the Buddhist power shot from his fingertips instantly shattered the nascent soul, turning the physical body into black smoke and dissipating. Recalling the brutality of the six sects of the Southern Demonic Path, Murong Fan did not hesitate at all; he never showed mercy to the cultivators of the Yinluo Sect.

Murong Fan recalled the brutality of the six demonic sects in Tiannan. They did not keep their promise this time, but instead completely killed the last demonic cultivator, leaving no hidden dangers.

Murong Fan searched the storage bags of the Luo Yin Sect cultivators and found quite a few Nascent Soul pills, cultivation techniques, magic weapons, and spirit stones. However, given his current cultivation level, he figured he would mostly use these items for sacrifices. Thinking of this, he smiled with satisfaction, "This time, I not only obtained spiritual treasures and formations and seized the storage bags of several Nascent Soul cultivators, but I also gained valuable combat experience. It's a win-win situation!"

"Killing and robbing for treasures is common practice in cultivation. If you want treasures, you'd better see what you're capable of!" Murong Fan not only seized the treasures of the Yinluo Sect cultivators, but also uncovered their conspiracy. It was truly a worthwhile trip.

Murong Fan turned around and continued to explore the side hall. The side hall was covered in dust, and in the center was a stone futon with half a brass Buddha amulet under it. Murong Fan picked up the Buddha amulet and felt a cool Buddhist power surge into his sea of ​​consciousness. His sea of ​​consciousness instantly became clear and bright. The few points where he had been stuck in his understanding of the fourth level of the Mingwang Technique instantly became clear, and his understanding of the fourth level of the Mingwang Technique became more profound.

Murong Fan sat down against the stone wall of the side hall, restarted the Mingwang Mantra, and gradually sorted out his meridians with the enlightenment brought by the Buddhist amulet. He sat there for three whole days.

Three days later, Murong Fan suddenly opened his eyes. A soft hum came from his body, indicating that his cultivation had improved significantly, bringing him one step closer to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm! He stood up, feeling the surging Buddhist power and lightning power within his body, and finally a joyful smile appeared on his face. This trip to the ancient Buddha's ruins had not only yielded the follow-up method of the Mingwang Technique, but also provided him with an immense opportunity for cultivation.

He carefully put the Buddha amulet away, gripped the Xiaoyin Dharma Sword tightly, and turned to walk deeper into the Buddhist temple. At this moment, he was thinking about two things: "First, how to explore the unexplored areas, and second, how to report back to my master, Yuanxiang!"

Murong Fan formed hand seals, pushing the Mingwang Technique to its limit. Golden Buddhist patterns appeared around his body as he withstood the attacks of the two men, but he was still forced to retreat repeatedly, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Murong Fan's eyes flashed fiercely as he simultaneously unleashed the Three Worlds Bright King Wheel and the Great Sun Tathagata Bell. Golden Buddhist power and azure sword energy intertwined to form a pillar of light, instantly enveloping the two cultivators. "Kill them!" he roared, and a powerful energy erupted from the pillar of light, completely shattering the two cultivators' attacks.

Amidst screams, just as their nascent souls were about to burst forth, they were annihilated by the golden light emanating from the Three-Life Bright King Wheel, their physical bodies instantly turning into black smoke and dissipating. Murong Fan put away the magic weapon, his eyes devoid of any pity. The Yinluo Sect cultivators had committed numerous evils; today, eliminating them completely would be a service to the people.

"Damn it! They had a backup plan! I almost fell for that late-stage Nascent Soul demonic cultivator's trick. I thought there would only be three, but I didn't expect them to have a fourth to ambush me. This is indeed in line with the Yinluo Sect's sinister and unpredictable style!" Murong Fan cursed inwardly, while his figure flashed to avoid the blade shadow attacking from behind.

Murong Fan remained calm, raising his hand to conjure the Bright King Dharma Shield. The golden shield blocked the blade's shadow, and with a crisp clang, the black iron ghost-head blade was bounced back. The cultivator's tiger's mouth split open, and his blood surged. Before he could catch his breath, Murong Fan closed in, gathering Buddhist power in his left hand and striking the cultivator's chest with a palm strike. The Buddhist power exploded, instantly injuring him.

At this moment, he held the Xiaoyin Sword to the cultivator's neck with his right hand and said coldly, "Speak, what is the purpose of the Yinluo Sect's visit to the Mulan Grassland?"

"Ancient Buddha relics have appeared on the Mulan Grassland. This matter is only related to Buddhism, so it is reasonable for the Mulan people to get involved. But why does your Yinluo Sect have to get involved? You must explain the reason clearly today, otherwise, those three demonic cultivators will suffer the same fate as you!" Murong Fan's words were sharp and his tone was full of intimidation.

"I'll talk, I'll talk... Please don't kill my Nascent Soul!" the Yinluo Sect cultivator pleaded, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"As far as I know, the Yinluo Sect Master needs a massive amount of living souls to sacrifice for the repair of the sect's treasured Ghost Banner. However, starting a war within the Great Jin territory is too risky. Coincidentally, the Mulan people urgently need external assistance for survival, so the two sides hit it off immediately. The Mulan people were already planning to invade Tiannan in exchange for living space..." After the Yinluo Sect cultivator finished speaking, he said tremblingly, "Can you keep your promise and let me go?"

"What does the invasion of Tiannan by the Mulan people have to do with your looting of the ancient Buddha's relics and treasures? Speak up now!" Murong Fan roared, and at the same time, he exerted a little force with his Xiaoyin Sword, leaving a bloody mark on the cultivator's neck.

"I came here to incite conflict between Buddhist sects, to use others to do my dirty work, to put Buddhism in opposition, and to weaken its strength! Everything I said is true, please let me go!" The Luoyin Sect cultivator kowtowed repeatedly, his face full of fear.

"Die!" Murong Fan's eyes flashed with malice, and the Buddhist power shot from his fingertips instantly shattered the nascent soul, turning the physical body into black smoke and dissipating. Recalling the brutality of the six sects of the Southern Demonic Path, Murong Fan did not hesitate at all; he never showed mercy to the cultivators of the Yinluo Sect.

Murong Fan recalled the brutality of the six demonic sects in Tiannan. They did not keep their promise this time, but instead completely killed the last demonic cultivator, leaving no hidden dangers.

Murong Fan searched the storage bags of the Luo Yin Sect cultivators and found quite a few Nascent Soul pills, cultivation techniques, magic weapons, and spirit stones. However, given his current cultivation level, he figured he would mostly use these items for sacrifices. Thinking of this, he smiled with satisfaction, "This time, I not only obtained spiritual treasures and formations and seized the storage bags of several Nascent Soul cultivators, but I also gained valuable combat experience. It's a win-win situation!"

"Killing and robbing for treasures is common practice in cultivation. If you want treasures, you'd better see what you're capable of!" Murong Fan not only seized the treasures of the Yinluo Sect cultivators, but also uncovered their conspiracy. It was truly a worthwhile trip.

Murong Fan turned around and continued to explore the side hall. The side hall was covered in dust, and in the center was a stone futon with half a brass Buddha amulet under it. Murong Fan picked up the Buddha amulet and felt a cool Buddhist power surge into his sea of ​​consciousness. His sea of ​​consciousness instantly became clear and bright. The few points where he had been stuck in his understanding of the fourth level of the Mingwang Technique instantly became clear, and his understanding of the fourth level of the Mingwang Technique became more profound.

Murong Fan sat down against the stone wall of the side hall, restarted the Mingwang Mantra, and gradually sorted out his meridians with the enlightenment brought by the Buddhist amulet. He sat there for three whole days.

Three days later, Murong Fan suddenly opened his eyes. A soft hum came from his body, indicating that his cultivation had improved significantly, bringing him one step closer to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm! He stood up, feeling the surging Buddhist power and lightning power within his body, and finally a joyful smile appeared on his face. This trip to the ancient Buddha's ruins had not only yielded the follow-up method of the Mingwang Technique, but also provided him with an immense opportunity for cultivation.

He carefully put the Buddha amulet away, gripped the Xiaoyin Dharma Sword tightly, and turned to walk deeper into the Buddhist temple. At this moment, he was thinking about two things: "First, how to explore the unexplored areas, and second, how to report back to my master, Yuanxiang!"