The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

The thin layer of uncertainty between Qu Wubing and Yao Zitong finally shattered after that life-or-death experience—they had truly come together as a couple.

Yao Zitong stayed by the wounded Qu Wubing's side every day, caring for him personally.

Fang Chu, meanwhile, was constantly subjected to their public displays of affection.

However, the two Great Saint cultivators who had dared to attack so close to Ascension City—such an audacious act could not be tolerated.

Fang Ting had only sensed them by chance when his divine sense happened to sweep the area. A moment later, and Qu Wubing and Yao Zitong might really have died together.

He had immediately frozen time with his domain of laws, killing both attackers in an instant and simultaneously performing a soul search.

They turned out to be from a hegemonic force in the Shan Continent—an infamously wicked faction whose experts often traveled to other regions to commit such atrocities.

They had taken note of Ascension City's bustling activity in recent years and had become greedy.

Their plan had been to exploit the chaos and ambush Saint-level cultivators traveling through the area.

The location they chose was perilously close to Ascension City, causing many cultivators to believe they were still within its safe zone—thus letting their guard down.

With powerful cultivation and thorough preparation, the pair had already succeeded in five such ambushes before.

If their crimes had merely occurred near Ascension City, Fang Ting might've considered the matter settled after killing them.

But they had dared to target the Fang family. That made it personal—and unforgivable.

Fang Ting immediately gathered the Coiling Dragon Guard and led them in a direct assault on Shan Continent, wiping out the entire hegemonic faction.

That faction had two Saint King-level experts. Fang Ting allowed them a complete corpse—but only so he could bring them back.

That very night, their bodies were strung up on the city gate of Ascension City, with a detailed account of their crimes posted beside them.

The intent was clear: a public warning. Let the world know the price of committing evil on Ascension City's doorstep.

The Next Morning

Travelers came and went. The two corpses hanging on the city gate drew immediate attention—some even reacted with fright.

"Holy crap! I looked up and nearly died of fright!"

"What happened? This has never happened since Ascension City was founded!"

"There's a notice next to them. Apparently, these two were ambushing Saint-level cultivators near the city."

"The Fang family doesn't play around! They went all the way to Shan Continent and wiped out the whole faction!"

"Whoa! These two were Saint Kings?!"

"Can't believe the first Saint Kings I ever saw were like... this."

"Well done, Fang family. That's exactly what needed to be done!"

Ascension City had become a magnet for cultivators and powers from across Cang Continent because of one key reputation: safety.

Someone attacking cultivators nearby was a direct threat to that core advantage.

Naturally, the Fang family had to respond with overwhelming force.

After this incident, the safety level of Ascension City and its surroundings skyrocketed. No one dared make trouble.

As for Qu Wubing and Yao Zitong…

With their feelings finally made clear, the two spent nearly every day together.

But it wasn't all romance and scenic getaways. Most of their time was spent deep in cultivation discussion—often following theory with practical sparring.

Half a year passed in this way.

Qu Wubing eventually had to return to the Holy City—he was still its city lord, after all.

He had originally planned to return after six months, but because of Yao Zitong, he delayed a few months longer. Now, it was time to leave.

Yao Zitong wasn't one for clinginess. After they parted ways, she returned directly to the Jiuli Dynasty.

Her father, the Divine Emperor of Jiuli, had just finished a long closed-door cultivation session. When Yao Zitong saw him, she noticed that though his injuries were healed, he looked noticeably older.

"Father, I've already visited Ascension City."

The moment she mentioned the city, the Jiuli Divine Emperor furrowed his brow. His recent cultivation setback had been due to the pressure from Da Qian.

"And?" he asked.

Yao Zitong recounted everything she had seen and heard in full detail.

The Divine Emperor remained silent for a long time before sighing deeply.

"Sigh... in your view, what should our Jiuli Dynasty do now?"

Yao Zitong paused briefly, then shared the thoughts in her heart.

"In my opinion, rather than watching our people slowly flee and letting Da Qian devour us piece by piece, we should hand over the dynasty sooner rather than later. That way, our family survives, and the people can start living peacefully sooner."

The reason Ascension City had attracted so many cultivators and factions was because people from all over Cang Continent were flocking there. Even many from Jiuli had already moved or were preparing to move.

If things went on, Jiuli's decline was inevitable.

The Divine Emperor loved Yao Zitong dearly and had even considered naming her as his heir.

If anyone else had said such things, he'd have been furious.

After all, the Jiuli Dynasty had existed for over a hundred thousand years, with numerous divine emperors. If it ended with him, how could he face the ancestors?

But clever Yao Zitong understood his inner conflict.

"Father, you surely know the power of the Fang family and Da Qian by now. Continuing to resist is just gambling that Da Qian won't act."

"You must consider what price we'll pay if that gamble fails."

If they surrendered, the Yao family would at least survive.

But if they lost... the Jiuli Dynasty would be no more, and the Yao family would likely be destroyed and forgotten—nothing more than a footnote in history.

"Cough—" the Divine Emperor's breath caught, as his daughter had pierced straight through to his deepest fears.

Yao Zitong knew her father couldn't accept such a truth immediately, so she didn't press the issue. She changed the subject.

"While I was away, I also met someone I truly care for."

At those words, the frowning, silent Divine Emperor raised his head, joy lighting up his face.

"Oh? Who?"

He knew his daughter had always had high standards. Over the years, she'd met countless brilliant young men and taken a liking to none.

Yao Zitong replied, "You might remember him—he was once ranked among the Heaven's Chosen. His name is Qu Wubing."

"Qu Wubing? The current City Lord of the Holy City?" the Divine Emperor asked, stunned, even a little excited.

Yao Zitong nodded, her eyes glowing with gentle warmth.

"Hahahaha!"

The Divine Emperor burst out laughing, stroking his beard and slapping his chair.

"Excellent! Excellent!!"

A nearby eunuch who had been bowing quietly this whole time was dumbstruck—he hadn't seen the Divine Emperor smile like this in ages.

And from the sound of it, the joy was truly heartfelt.