The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed since the second grand auction at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Over those fifteen years, the talented prodigies of the Fang Clan continued to advance at astonishing speed.

Normally, even for prodigies and monstrous geniuses, cultivation would slow considerably upon reaching the Saint Realm. After all, advancing in this realm wasn't something that could be achieved through sheer accumulation of resources—it required insight and fortunate opportunities.

But Fang Mu Ge and Fang Ying were exceptions. With their powerful constitutions, heaven-defying comprehension, and the added aura of being Children of Destiny, their respective factions spared no effort in nurturing them. As a result, their cultivation speed in the Grand Saint Realm remained rapid.

In these fifteen years, while a typical Grand Saint might not break through even one minor stage, Fang Mu Ge and Fang Ying had each advanced from the First to the Fifth Stage of the Grand Saint Realm.

The difference between them lay in their unique gifts—Fang Mu Ge was simply born with exceptional talent, while Fang Ying benefited from extraordinary luck. After all, one possessed supreme aptitude, the other, boundless fortune.

Meanwhile, Fang Luo, Fang Chen, and Fang Qiufeng—who had been traveling across other continents—also progressed swiftly thanks to their own "golden fingers." They had risen from the Sixth Stage of the True Saint Realm to the Second Stage of the Grand Saint Realm.

With this, the Fang Clan now possessed five Grand Saint Realm experts.

At present, while the Fang Clan had already reached the level of a hegemonic power in Cangzhou in terms of reputation, mid- to low-tier strength, and wealth, they still fell short in terms of both the quantity and quality of Saint Realm cultivators.

The other hegemonic powers of Cangzhou typically had at least three Saint Kings and over a dozen Grand Saints.

The Fang Clan, however, had only one Saint King—Fang Ting—and five Grand Saints.

In terms of quality, it wouldn't be long before the Fang Clan caught up. But in numbers, they still needed time.

Once the latent potential of the Hidden Dragon Guards fully matured, the Fang Clan would surpass its rivals in both quality and quantity—by a crushing margin.

Then there was Fang Chu, who had remained secluded in the Fang Clan's miniature world, rarely stepping outside.

In fifteen years, he had only advanced from the Ninth Stage of the Dharma Aspect Realm to the First Stage of the Fusion Realm.

By the standards of other factions, this was decent progress. But for the Fang Clan, it wasn't impressive—even most of the Hidden Dragon Guards had surpassed him. Still, Fang Chu's achievements and contributions in other areas were unmatched.

Fang Ting understood his circumstances, and thus never pressured him about cultivation. As long as Fang Chu was happy, that was enough.

Meanwhile, Fang Hao—cultivating in the Immortal Realm with vast resources—had been preparing for the Ancient Battlefield without rest, training diligently all these years.

He had now reached the Sixth Stage of the Fusion Realm.

With only half a month left before the Ancient Battlefield opened, Fang Hao chose to stop cultivating and return home to relax and spend time with his family.

And while the clan's younger generation worked hard, their clan chief, Fang Ting, had advanced while lying flat—reaching the Ninth Stage of the Saint King Realm without even realizing it.

Fang Ting now stood only a single step away from the Emperor Realm.

That final step was a chasm that had blocked countless renowned prodigies and monstrous talents throughout history.

If the gap between the Fusion Realm and the Saint Realm could be described as 1 to 10,000, then the gap between the Saint Realm and the Emperor Realm was more like 1 to 10 million.

The sheer difficulty of breaking through from Saint King to Emperor was evident in the history of Cangzhou itself.

During ancient times, there were still Emperor Realm cultivators in Cangzhou. But after the two great wars of that era, the region fell into decline. Though Saint Kings still emerged frequently, not a single Emperor had appeared since.

Yet for Fang Ting, this breakthrough wasn't particularly difficult. He didn't need to cultivate or comprehend anything—he just needed to lie around and nap.

Why? Because he possessed a flawless Sacred Body, and was the recipient of cultivation feedback from his Child of Destiny.

It wouldn't be long before Fang Ting became the first Emperor Realm cultivator in Cangzhou since the ancient era.

The Fang Clan's miniature world had also undergone a dramatic transformation.

Previously, it had been a desolate and barren land, upon which palaces, towers, cities, and cave dwellings were built. It had lacked vitality.

Now, 99% of the Fang Clan's members had moved in, living, training, and thriving here for fifteen years.

Though their population was still too small to match the bustling scale of Duanshan City, the rich spiritual energy and exquisite environment made it an ideal haven for both life and cultivation—practically a paradise.

"ROAR!!"

A domineering dragon roar echoed through the Fang Clan's world, astonishing many clan members.

They were in awe of Clan Chief Fang Ting's power—summoning such fearsome beasts—yet none of them feared for their safety.

The roar came from the peak of the mountain where Fang Ting resided.

There, standing before Fang Ting and Fang Chu, were eight majestic beasts.

Each of them stood nearly 100 feet tall, and measured about 230 feet long.

At first glance, they resembled qilins, but they had an extra pair of black wings, dragon tails, and dragon horns on their heads.

These were the Crimson-Backed Dragon Beasts that Fang Hao had brought back from the Immortal Realm.

Most of their bodies were black, but their backs were a vivid crimson, exuding an aura of slaughter. With their immense power and oppressive presence, even slightly weaker cultivators would be scared witless by just one look.

They bore a trace of Yinglong blood. After countless generations of breeding and evolution, they had taken on their current forms.

Even when facing Little Grey—the ancient mythical beast Suanni—they held their heads high in pride despite the vast disparity in strength.

"Tch~"

Standing beside Fang Ting, Little Grey glanced at them with disdain.

Though it could easily slap these posturing beasts into a pulp, it didn't bother.

Little Grey knew its role—as the personal babysitter of the clan chief—was leagues above that of these glorified mounts.

Lowering itself to fight them would only dirty its claws. It had no interest in squabbling with these younger, lesser beasts.

Fang Ting, unaware of Little Grey's disdain, looked thoughtfully at the eight Crimson-Backed Dragon Beasts.

"How long until they can start reproducing?"

He intended for each Hidden Dragon Guards to have one.

Fang Chu replied, "Normally, the stronger a beast's bloodline and cultivation, the harder it is for them to reproduce."

"But the Crimson-Backed Dragon Beasts are an exception. Their breeding rate and fertility far surpass over 99% of other beasts."

"They can start breeding from the Profound Core Realm. But given their habits, it's better to wait until they've reached the Celestial Palace Realm or higher."

Fang Hao had originally brought back eight eggs. Fang Chu incubated them in the Azure Dragon Secret Realm, raised them to the Profound Core Realm, then brought them out and invested years of cultivation resources.

Now, they had all surpassed the Celestial Palace Realm.

"Good."

Fang Ting nodded in satisfaction.

This pace was entirely acceptable—after all, these were powerful beasts carrying a trace of Yinglong blood.