The Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder possessed the might of Yin Thunder. By using flesh, blood, and Mana, one could summon a sinister, evil thunder, allowing the user to manipulate the Yin Thunder to expel evil, exterminate fiends, and clear away all obstacles and filth.

It looked like a Thunder Manipulation Technique, but in reality, it was also a form of Light Magic.

It had a wide area of effect and was extremely damaging to all things foul.

When Yang An had previously entered the Ascension Cave, he could only choose one Technique. Forced to pick one of two, he had to select the Extreme Day Divine Aspect, which was versatile for both close and long-range combat. He had always felt a pang of regret for not being able to obtain the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder.

'Now that I'm back here, I have to make up for that regret.'

Looking at all the Techniques he had mastered, he had fire and light; he could absorb light and manipulate light; he could Seal and defend against other Techniques.

'If I added a Thunder Manipulation Technique to my arsenal, it would be even more impressive.'

Furthermore, his current Cultivation Level had already reached the peak of the Early Stage of Corpse Transformation. He was just one Dao of Destiny Technique away from stepping into the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation.

'This is exactly what I need.'

He wanted to spend the next period of time breaking through to the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation, greatly enhancing his strength before heading to Jinzhu City.

'No one knows what I might encounter on the way. Ultimately, strength is the greatest guarantee of safety.'

「An hour later.」

Yang An left the Ascension Cave, putting away the Micro Realm Painting Object as he did. The entrance formed by the black lines instantly dissipated.

Not only had he successfully obtained the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder, but he had also found a new set of gear.

His current undergarments and shoes were all from the old man's private collection. He looked completely refreshed, radiating an impressive aura.

'I'm a Sect Leader now, after all. I can't be stingy with myself.'

In addition, Yang An also discovered numerous Body Refining Methods for cultivating the physical body within the Ascension Cave.

It seemed they had been gathering dust for a long time, as none of them had been touched. The old man apparently had no interest in them.

Given the urgency of his current situation, Yang An didn't delve into them for now, planning to look at them after he returned from Jinzhu City.

With his new acquisitions in hand, Yang An returned to the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.

From the moment he became the Sect Leader of the Mystic Path Sect, the Heavenly Respect Pavilion had become his personal sanctum.

The Heavenly Respect Pavilion had nine floors in total, making it the tallest building within the Life Crane Sect.

Yang An specifically chose a Quiet Chamber for himself on the ninth and highest floor to use for his cultivation.

Because the Technique obtained from the Ascension Cave was directly infused into his mind as a memory, his progress in cultivating it was miraculously fast.

Just ten days later, Yang An successfully mastered the Technique. He then spent another day integrating it into a Dao of Destiny Technique, officially stepping into the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation.

While cultivating the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder, Yang An didn't neglect accumulating power for his Celestial Gnomon Light and Nine Forces Shocking Dragon.

Although he didn't have much time, he still managed to build up a portion of their power.

RUMBLE—

Under the bright daylight, a deafening thunderclap suddenly echoed.

A flash of red light burst forth. Several dazzling bolts of lightning seemed to appear from the void, shattering everything within a ten-meter radius.

Feeling the destructive power of the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder, Yang An was quite impressed.

When a Thunder Technique and Light Magic were combined, the destructive power was simply breathtaking.

'Just a casual strike possessed such might. Among all the Light Magic I've mastered, this easily ranks in the top five.'

Once he became more familiar with this Technique, its power when unleashed with his full strength would be even more terrifying.

Besides its large-scale destructive capabilities, Yang An also learned of some of the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder's other ingenious uses from the infused memory.

The thunder could also be used to stimulate his physical body, but this required extremely fine control over its power.

Otherwise, overdoing it would cause harm to his body instead.

Additionally, he could cast the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder by accumulating power first—the legendary hand-cast thunder.

However, while this method was immensely powerful, it also consumed a great deal of Mana. He wouldn't typically use it unless the situation was just right.

After testing the power of the Sacrificial Dao Yin Thunder, Yang An returned to the Mystic Path Sect.

That's right, he had tested it outside the Mystic Path Sect's grounds. Now that he was the Sect Leader, he couldn't bear to damage a single blade of grass within his sect.

Upon returning to the Mystic Path Sect, he instructed Wen Yin to look after the sect's affairs. He would now be heading to Jinzhu City, the main city of Zichuan State.

The Mystic Path Sect was currently located within the jurisdiction of San Valley City, nearly a thousand li away from Jinzhu City.

However, with Yang An's current Cultivation Level, traveling at full speed would allow him to arrive on the same day. It wasn't a difficult task.

After leaving the Mystic Path Sect, Yang An set off for Jinzhu City. He made no effort to conceal the aura of his Cultivation Level along the way.

'In a place like this, the weaker you appear, the more trouble you attract. It's better to reveal your true Cultivation Level to deter the rabble. That naturally means fewer problems.'

Even so, Yang An still encountered quite a few Demon Fiends on his way to Jinzhu City.

These Demon Fiends were ubiquitous, seeping into every nook and cranny.

They were like the natural antithesis of Cultivators. Despite originating from the same source, their behavior was completely different, utterly without scruple.

To this day, Yang An still didn't know what the purpose of these Demon Fiends was. 'Could it be purely for the sake of cultivation? But exploring that question is meaningless to me, so I can't be bothered to investigate.'

After dispatching the Demon Fiends he met on the road, Yang An arrived smoothly at Jinzhu City.

Jinzhu City was a massive city, covering a vast area with a large population.

As the main city of Zichuan State, it was in no way inferior to the main city of the Golden Soul Sect he had passed through in the Fusheng Domain.

And when Yang An appeared, his unconcealed Cultivation Level aura was quickly noticed.

Within Yang An's perception, there were many people with high Cultivation Levels in the greater half of Jinzhu City.

The majority were in the Visceral Stone Realm, likely no fewer than forty or fifty of them. As for Cultivators below the Visceral Stone Realm, they were innumerable.

Above the Visceral Stone Realm, there were also quite a few Corpse Transformation Realm Cultivators. Within his range of perception alone, there were several, and even some whose Cultivation Levels he couldn't gauge.

With so many Cultivators present, ordinary Demon Fiends would find it impossible to enter the city and cause trouble. It was truly an impregnable fortress. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

And this was just one main city of a State Territory within the Golden Thread Pavilion's sphere of influence.

'One could only imagine how formidable the Golden Thread Pavilion, one of the two overlords of the Treasure Temple Domain, must be to tower over so many other powers.'

The one who appeared before Yang An was a Corpse Transformation Realm Cultivator.

Like him, this person was also at the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation. In fact, his Cultivation Level aura was even deeper and more robust than Yang An's.

This indicated that the man had been immersed in the Middle Stage of Corpse Transformation for a very long time.

Before Yang An could even get close to Jinzhu City, the man had swiftly appeared at the city gate, blocking his path and looking at him warily.

"Which Cultivator are you? State your name!"

Only after confirming that Yang An was not a Demon Fiend in disguise did he ask in a stern voice.

The man looked to be in his thirties or forties. He wore a golden silk long robe, and though his attire was refined, his face looked anything but gentle.

Mixed in with his black hair were numerous long, silver strands that were even longer than the black ones.

'Yang An secretly gave him the nickname "Black and White Head".'

'Since this man stopped me before I could enter the city, and even the city guards and other Cultivators are all staring at me, he must be from the Golden Thread Pavilion.'

There were no kingdoms in the Outer Continent; it was a world ruled entirely by Cultivators. Mortal kingdoms would be completely unable to protect their subjects here.

These guards were all recruited and managed by the City Lord's Mansion, specifically responsible for handling the mundane affairs within the city.

'Otherwise, what Cultivator would have the time to manage the myriad trivial matters concerning mortals?'

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I am the Sect Leader of the Mystic Path Sect from San Valley City. You may call me Mystic Path. I have come to Jinzhu City for the Golden Thread Sect Seal."

Yang An explained his purpose to Black and White Head, simultaneously using the two words 'Mystic Path' as his Daoist name.

'I've suffered enough for being careless before. I can't just reveal my real name. Fortunately, the name "Mystic Path" isn't bad.'

"San Valley City… Mystic Path Sect?"

Countless factions were on record in Zichuan State. It was common for old Sects to be destroyed and new ones to rise at any time.

Hearing Yang An's words, the man known as Black and White Head naturally understood his purpose.

But as he muttered the three words 'Mystic Path Sect,' a hint of suspicion appeared on his face.

Some time ago, a report from San Valley City mentioned that a minor faction, the Jade Flesh Sect, had been destroyed and its grounds occupied by a new Sect.

But the name of that new Sect was the Life Crane Sect, not the Mystic Path Sect.

'Could it be that another new Sect has been established, and San Valley City just hasn't reported it yet?'

"What was the name of the previous Sect whose grounds you occupied when you established your Sect?"

Black and White Head asked immediately.

"Fellow Daoist, it was the Jade Flesh Sect."

Yang An answered honestly.

But upon hearing Yang An's words, Black and White Head's expression changed, and he suddenly flew into a rage.

"The Sect that occupied the Jade Flesh Sect's grounds and destroyed it is called the Life Crane Sect! Where did this 'Mystic Path Sect' come from?"

"..."

'This guy is surprisingly well-informed. He already knew about it so quickly.'

Yang An, however, remained calm and immediately explained.

"We changed the name. You may not be aware, Fellow Daoist, but the Mystic Path Sect was formerly the Life Crane Sect."

"Is that so?"

Black and White Head was still a bit skeptical.

"I came here for the Golden Thread Sect Seal. I have no reason to deceive you, Fellow Daoist."

Yang An nodded.

Black and White Head mulled it over, nodding and then shaking his head.

"Then your timing is truly unfortunate. If you had come five days ago, the State Lord would have been here, and you would have had your chance to obtain the Golden Thread Sect Seal.

But now, the State Lord has temporarily left Jinzhu City. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for some time."