The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"That Xuan Sect—though not particularly strong or well-known—was loaded. Just one trip there and I made a killing."

"Brother, you have to bring us along next time. We've been holed up cultivating for so long, it's been ages since we got to do anything."

"Of course, of course. Next time we'll do something big together! Once we get stronger, we might even trade up for a better grotto-heaven."

"Marvelous, absolutely marvelous!"

Inside Yellow Maple Valley, a Human-grade Blessed Grotto-Heaven in the inner city, Li Han and four friends were drinking and boasting about past exploits.

As someone listed on the bounty board, Li Han's companions were naturally cut from the same cloth—none of them were good men.

They had met in prison, broken out together during a jailbreak, and began a life of crime on the run. While not entirely irredeemable, they certainly caused trouble wherever they went.

As their strength and ambition grew, so did the scale of their crimes.

Eventually, they were listed on a regional bounty board and became jointly wanted by several factions. With nowhere else to go, they fled to Seven Kings City and managed to seize control of a Human-grade grotto-heaven.

Now they stayed in the city year-round—either cultivating or indulging in leisure.

Whenever a good opportunity arose, they would venture out to pull off a big heist, then return to resume their pleasures.

They were quite content with this lifestyle.

"Hm?"

Just as Li Han raised his wine cup, his brows furrowed and his expression soured.

"What's wrong, brother?" asked Tie Zhen, the man beside him.

Li Han's face darkened as he slammed the cup down and cursed, "Damn it! Some bastard out there's got their eye on Yellow Maple Valley and wants to challenge me!"

The four others exchanged glances, then erupted in angry exclamations.

"Looking to die!"

"Let's go! I want to see which blind fool thinks he can take what's mine!"

They had been living comfortably in a top-tier sanctuary. Naturally, they weren't pleased to be disturbed.

Li Han, in particular, was furious—not only were they not challenging others, but someone had the gall to target him? It felt like a slap in the face, as if he were the weakest and easiest to bully.

Even though his fame wasn't top-tier, he was still on the bounty board. Being so underestimated—who could tolerate that?

Li Han stood up and stormed off, his four friends close behind.

They left the grotto-heaven in a fury and, under the broker's guidance, arrived at Arena Platform No. 3 of the martial grounds.

Upon learning that Fang Luo's group was the challenger, all five glared at them with murderous intent. If it weren't for the city's restrictions, they would've attacked on the spot.

Fang Luo's team naturally felt the intense hostility immediately.

Fang Chen raised an eyebrow and remarked, "That plain-faced one is Li Han. The other four are close to him and live together. If we beat Li Han, they'll be homeless too—keep an eye on them."

"Especially that Tie Zhen—he's been in seclusion lately and might even be stronger than Li Han now."

As the social butterfly of the group, Fang Chen had already gathered information from bystanders. After all, knowing the enemy was half the battle.

Fang Luo and the others silently took note.

Three hours later, several hundred cultivators had gathered before the platform—mostly to watch, but also to place bets with spirit stones.

"Who are the challengers?"

"No idea. They only arrived in Seven Kings City today."

"What? Just got here and already challenging a grotto-heaven owner—one on the bounty list, no less? Should I call it ignorance or overconfidence?"

"Doesn't matter—I'm putting all my money on Li Han. That guy's ruthless and cunning. These rookies don't stand a chance."

"I'm the type who always bets the opposite!"

Seven Kings City acted as the bookie, and there was no shortage of gamblers. But compared to usual, fewer people were betting this time.

That's because Li Han had a reputation as a long-time resident, while no one knew anything about Fang Luo and his companions.

Most were betting to win stones, not just for fun, so many chose not to wager at all.

Those who did place bets were either die-hard gamblers, confident in Li Han, or speculative contrarians betting against the odds.

Overall, nearly 99% bet on Li Han to win.

First, he was an Eighth Stage Great Saint, while Fang Luo's group were all Seventh Stage—the gap was clear. Second, Li Han was famous, a bounty-listed name whose strength was well established.

Several more hours passed, and finally it was time for the battle.

Li Han's figure flashed as he appeared atop the arena platform, glaring down at Fang Luo's group, eyes brimming with killing intent.

The platform hovered high above the ground, surrounded by layers of protective formations. It was safe and spacious—more so even than the one in Ascension City.

Fang Chen stepped forward. "Let me go."

The trio had traveled together for years and had a clear grasp of each other's capabilities. Without using his hidden cards, Fang Chen, with his Ten Thousand Thunder Physique, was the weakest. Fang Qiufeng, with the Five Elemental Divine Body, came next. The strongest was the reborn Fang Luo.

But if Fang Chen drew upon the vast trove of treasures he'd accumulated via aura-reading techniques, even Saint Kings might pale in comparison.

For now, facing someone just one stage above them, Fang Chen was more than enough.

Fang Luo and Fang Qiufeng nodded, and Fang Chen leapt onto the stage.

"Today, you must die!!"

Li Han's tone was icy, his voice dripping with killing intent—he clearly intended to take Fang Chen's life.

In his eyes, Fang Luo's team had not only disrupted his drinking session, but also insulted him by treating him like an easy target. That was something a prideful man like Li Han could never tolerate.

He had already made up his mind—he would kill them!

Fang Chen said nothing. Calmly, he pulled out a long spear—radiant with golden light. The shaft bore the carving of a vivid Azure Dragon, exuding a chilling aura, as if the dragon itself were about to awaken.

"Hmph! Don't blame me for not letting you say your last words!"

With a cold snort, Li Han summoned a longsword. It hummed violently, sword intent piercing the skies.

BOOM! BOOM!!

Their auras clashed in midair, erupting with a deafening roar.

In the blink of an eye, the two transformed into streaks of light—charging straight at each other.