The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

In the half hour since Fang Hao broke through to the ninetieth floor, the area around the Trial Tower had become completely packed—there wasn't room for a single more soul.

Unless you were a figure of immense power or from a major faction, you couldn't even squeeze your way in, let alone have the qualifications or courage to move forward. Most could only watch from the far outskirts, hoping to be part of the spectacle.

The greater the crowd, the quieter it became.

Everyone held their breath, hoping Fang Hao would reach the ninety-ninth floor, breaking a record untouched for who-knew-how-many tens or hundreds of thousands of years.

At the same time, few truly believed he would make it—it was simply too difficult.

At this very moment, Fang Hao had already reached the ninety-eighth floor.

Standing before him were eight black-robed cultivators, each at the eighth level of the Fusion Realm. Their auras were dense and chilling, like merciless assassins.

Just one more floor stood between him and the ninety-ninth.

But Fang Hao's condition was far from good.

He was kneeling on one knee, his blade planted in the ground. His right hand gripped the hilt in reverse, using it to prop himself up and keep from collapsing entirely.

"Huff…!"

Fang Hao gasped for breath, his pale face dripping with large beads of sweat.

His body had clearly reached its limit—but his will remained burning with unrelenting battle intent.

"Ugh…"

A deep growl rumbled from his throat as he clenched his teeth and forced himself upright, summoning every ounce of strength he had left.

Sensing his explosive fighting spirit, the eight Fusion Realm experts acted in unison—attacking without a moment's hesitation.

"No one will block my path!!"

Fang Hao roared, igniting the power in every drop of his blood. His massive blade emitted a piercing cry.

"Cut the Galaxy!!"

He swung.

Above the vast illusionary space, a river of stars—countless dazzling stars condensed into a brilliant galaxy—formed with radiant splendor.

The next moment—

"BOOOOM!!"

The resplendent galaxy suddenly fractured. From the rupture poured forth a wave of terrifying power so immense that even the space around it trembled.

Outside the Trial Tower, some watchers were startled.

"Did… did the tower just shake?"

"Yeah! I felt it too—I thought it was my imagination!"

"No way! Fang Hao's strength is enough to make the Trial Tower itself tremble?!"

"Looks like he's at the final stretch. The only question is—what floor will he fall on?"

All eyes locked on the Trial Tower, unwilling to miss even the slightest detail.

Inside the tower, the ninety-eighth floor was illuminated by the terrifying light of Fang Hao's blade. When that brilliance faded—

The eight black-robed cultivators were nowhere to be seen.

Seeing this, Fang Hao finally let out a long breath.

He knew—he'd done it.

But now, he was truly spent. He had nothing left. His body had reached its absolute limit.

He was so exhausted he couldn't even open his mouth, speak, or keep his eyes open.

The moment his body gave out and collapsed—

He arrived at the ninety-ninth floor.

There, he saw nine Fusion Realm ninth-level black-robed cultivators.

Before losing consciousness, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

At the exact moment Fang Hao stepped into the ninety-ninth floor, a crisp bell chime rang out from the top of the Trial Tower.

"Dong…"

The bell wasn't loud—it only echoed about a hundred feet outward.

Yet to everyone present, it was like thunder cracking right next to their ears—no, inside their very skulls—blasting their minds into a blank daze.

Because they all understood what it meant:

Fang Hao had entered the ninety-ninth floor!

After tens—or perhaps hundreds—of thousands of years, someone had finally reached the ninety-ninth level of the Trial Tower again.

This wasn't just a matter of becoming famous in Zhen Tian City.

This meant renown throughout the Mingyue Immortal Dynasty, and even some of the great factions within the Azure Cloud Dao Domain would now pay special attention to him.

If his cultivation realm were just a bit higher, even other Dao Domains in the Immortal Realm would take notice.

At that very moment, communication jade slips shot out in all directions.

The factions, once calm and composed, were now all scrambling into action.

Even the Fourth Prince, upon receiving the news, shot to his feet in astonishment.

Breaking through to the ninetieth floor and breaking through to the ninety-ninth—though separated by only nine levels—were worlds apart.

For a monstrous talent like Fang Hao, there was no faction that wouldn't covet him.

As such, discussions began immediately about what price they'd have to pay to win him over—and how best to approach the recruitment.

The area around the tower remained still for a brief moment—before erupting into complete chaos.

Cheers and exclamations rang out in waves.

"He actually did it!!"

"Unbelievable! Just seeing this with my own eyes makes life worth it!"

"If I'd known he was this terrifying, I would've shared more drinks with him on the top floor of Ruyi Tower!"

"Every cultivator in history who reached the ninety-ninth floor had minimum achievements of the Heaven Emperor Realm—most even became immortals! I wonder how far Fang Hao will go…"

"Fang Hao is destined to soar ninety-thousand miles—question is, which faction will he join?"

Once the Trial Tower verified that Fang Hao had lost consciousness, it automatically expelled him.

A flash of light streaked across the sky, and Fang Hao's body appeared at the entrance of the tower—unconscious and sprawled on the ground.

The old man stationed there, his murky eyes filled with satisfaction, gazed down at him.

"A fine seedling indeed."

This plain-looking elder—whom few had ever paid attention to—raised his hand. A streak of light entered Fang Hao's body.

Moments later, despite his previous state of utter depletion, Fang Hao's eyes slowly opened.

Under normal circumstances, given his injuries and physical collapse, he would've remained unconscious for months. This alone revealed the extraordinary nature of the old man.

Jin Tianlu somehow managed to push through the crowd and came rushing over.

"Brother Fang!!"

He knelt down at Fang Hao's side and promptly shoved a handful of restorative and essence-nurturing pills into his mouth.

"How are you feeling, Brother Fang?"

Though Fang Hao was awake, he was still extremely weak—he couldn't even turn his head. He simply moved his eyes, saw that it was Jin Tianlu, and blinked once in response.

He couldn't speak.

From behind came a chorus of voices:

"I have a Nine-Turn Golden Pill! Quick, give it to Brother Fang!"

"Nine-Turn pills boost cultivation. Fang Hao's injuries and exhaustion call for my Return-to-Immortal pill. He'll recover more than half within three days!"

"I specialize in healing arts—bring him with me, I'll treat him properly and ensure zero side effects."

"I have…"

Powerful figures from all sorts of major factions stepped forward, waving around sacred healing elixirs and rare spiritual treasures—desperate to shove their gifts into Fang Hao's mouth.

It was clear that their concern wasn't born of true care.

They simply wanted an excuse to form a connection—a chance to recruit him later.

Jin Tianlu stood up and raised his voice.

"Everyone, Fang Hao is far too weak right now—he can't even speak. I'll take him home to recuperate first. You can come find him again in a month!"

Both Jin Tianlu and Fang Hao understood:

Last time, they could afford to refuse invitations.

This time?

There was no turning them all down.

He had to pick a faction or a powerful backer.

For the sake of safety—and for a smoother path ahead in his cultivation journey.