The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

After fully stabilizing his cultivation and adjusting his condition to its peak, Fang Hao returned once again to the ruin left behind by the Emperor-level expert in the Ancient Battlefield.

Now, with the destruction of the demonic tree, the boundless foliage and spirit plants had all withered away.

Although the captured Heaven's Chosen had perished in the explosion, most of their storage artifacts remained intact.

Fang Hao dropped into the massive pit below, spreading his divine sense to collect all the spatial rings and bracelets from the fallen geniuses.

These cultivators had all come from powerful backgrounds—each had amassed considerable wealth.

Combined, their resources would form a staggering fortune.

Of course, Fang Hao would wait until he was back in the Fang Family to carefully inspect each item, wary of hidden restrictions or traps.

It didn't take long for him to gather all the artifacts—a massive haul.

"Time to leave. If more Heaven's Chosen find the entrance, it could get complicated."

Fang Hao sped through the ruin. After searching for several hours, he finally located the exit and escaped the perilous domain.

He resumed his exploration of the Ancient Battlefield, seeking more opportunities.

Although he was now at True Saint Fourth Heaven, this level was still not impressive within the Ancient Battlefield. Even before he entered, Fang Hao had already encountered Great Saint Realm geniuses.

And during these three years, other cultivators had also found fortuitous encounters and advanced their strength.

Thus, Fang Hao continued to maintain a low profile.

His experience with the Emperor-level ruin had taught him that such ruins were currently too dangerous for him. Unless absolutely necessary, he would avoid them.

Saint-level ruins, however, were ideal for his current stage.

So for the next two years, Fang Hao searched specifically for Saint ruins. He hunted any spirit beasts he could overpower and collected rare resources wherever possible.

Time passed quickly.

After reaching True Saint Fifth Heaven, and just after slaying a Saint-level beast, the token in his robes emitted a faint glow.

It was the secret key that allowed access to the Ancient Battlefield. When the battlefield reopened, it would emit such a signal.

If he didn't leave now, he would be trapped for a thousand years, awaiting the next opening.

"It's been five years. Time to go."

When he entered, Fang Hao had been at Spirit Fusion Sixth Heaven. Now, five years later, he stood at True Saint Fifth Heaven—a terrifying rate of progress.

Among all the peak Heaven's Chosen of the Qingyun Dao Domain, his advancement was exceptional.

Fang Hao took out the token and activated it. His figure vanished instantly.

When he opened his eyes again, he had left the Ancient Battlefield. Around him were other returning Heaven's Chosen, and not far away stood the ancient city that guarded the battlefield entrance.

He approached Prince Huai and greeted him respectfully.

"Your Highness Huai."

Prince Huai looked at him and nodded with a faint smile.

"Not bad."

Simple words, but those who knew him understood the weight of such praise.

Even the exceptionally gifted Fourth Prince had never earned such a compliment from Prince Huai.

Before long, the Fourth Prince and Marquis Kaishan also emerged. Both had gained some benefits, but compared to Fang Hao, they were far behind.

After exchanging greetings with Prince Huai, the Fourth Prince looked toward Fang Hao.

"It seems Wushuang Marquis had quite the harvest. Congratulations."

Fang Hao replied courteously,

"Just luck, not worth mentioning compared to Your Highness."

"Wushuang Marquis is too modest," the Fourth Prince responded with a smile.

As the final group of Heaven's Chosen exited the battlefield, the portal closed completely. The battlefield would not open again for another thousand years.

Behind Prince Huai stood only three figures: Fang Hao, the Fourth Prince, and Marquis Kaishan.

The Moonlight Immortal Dynasty had sent ten people. Only these three had made it out alive—a stark reminder of the battlefield's brutality.

Marquis Kaishan, somewhat stunned, muttered,

"Can't believe Yun Chenglai and Fairy Qingyu didn't make it either."

The four of them had clashed during the Hundred Cities Battle, all at a similar level. Yun Chenglai and Qingyu had even formed a team. Their failure to return was a sobering thought.

"Luck is a part of strength," the Fourth Prince commented.

Fang Hao's survival and rapid rise seemed all the more remarkable.

Before entering the battlefield, he had only been at Spirit Fusion Sixth Heaven. He was not as strong as the other four, and arguably the weakest among the ten.

But now, not only had he survived—his cultivation had soared, and his presence had become sharper and more imposing.

This pushed the Fourth Prince's evaluation of him even higher, and his desire to recruit Fang Hao deepened.

But he also understood that Fang Hao seemed focused solely on cultivation, rejecting all political overtures, making it hard to find a proper entry point. It left him somewhat frustrated.

Fang Hao glanced around. Among the top Heaven's Chosen from Qingyun Dao Domain, only thirty percent had survived.

And these were elites with strong backing and deep reserves of power.

If it had been ordinary cultivators of similar realms, the casualty rate would have been over ninety percent.

"Let's go."

Prince Huai summoned a flying vessel, and the group began their return to the Moonlight Immortal Dynasty.

The journey passed uneventfully.

Once they arrived in Zhentian City, Fang Hao prepared to leave, but the Fourth Prince invited him to a banquet.

Fang Hao politely declined, and the Fourth Prince merely smiled.

But as Fang Hao's figure disappeared into the distance, the Fourth Prince's smile faded.

Marquis Kaishan commented,

"Didn't expect that kid—he was just Spirit Fusion Sixth Heaven before, and now he's almost caught up to us."

"More factions will try to pull him in now."

The Fourth Prince remained calm.

"None will succeed in the short term."

If Fang Hao were recruited by other powers—especially rival factions—he wouldn't be this composed. He might even move against Fang Hao preemptively.

Conversely, if he recruited Fang Hao himself and word spread, others might target Fang Hao out of fear.

After all, no faction wanted their enemies to gain a Heaven's Chosen with such terrifying potential.

In this way, Fang Hao's neutrality and focus on cultivation protected him. By refusing all invitations, he avoided being entangled in dangerous power struggles.

Not long after Fang Hao returned to his residence, Jin Tianlu arrived with wine in hand—as well-informed as ever.

Seeing Fang Hao, his eyes were full of surprise and admiration. He gave him a big thumbs-up.

"You brat… incredible!!"

He had thought Fang Hao entering the Ancient Battlefield at Spirit Fusion Sixth Heaven was already risky. But not only did Fang Hao survive—he came back stronger than ever.

Each time he thought Fang Hao had already shown how monstrous he was, the next time always left him even more awestruck.