Fang Hao lifted his head and gazed at the towering, ancient Trial Tower. His eyes burned with determination. Unfortunately, his injuries weren't fully healed yet, so he couldn't attempt a climb for now. After pausing for a moment, he and Jin Tianlu left and made their way to the top floor of the Ruyi Pavilion. Last time, Fang Hao had come here quietly with Wu Yuqi and the others. Their entrance and exit went unnoticed—they sat in a dark corner and left after a while. But this time, when Fang Hao stepped into the building— "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!" Every pair of eyes from the talented young cultivators who had been laughing, drinking, and chatting turned toward him in unison. Immediately, several of them stood up and approached swiftly. "Brother Fang! You've arrived!" "Right this way, Brother Fang." Just as Jin Tianlu had predicted, the scene of numerous prodigies seeking to befriend Fang Hao after returning from the small world had long since spread throughout Zhentian City. Everyone had heard about Fang Hao's mountain ascent in the small world. They were not only impressed by his strength but deeply moved by his unwavering resolve. Thus, his arrival naturally drew great attention. Surrounded by them, Fang Hao was escorted to a wide table near the center. He sat at the center position, with the others seated around him, enthusiastically chatting. "Brother Fang, a toast to you!" "Let me join in too!" Most of those present were Nascent Soul–level cultivators, many of whom had personally witnessed Fang Hao climbing the mountain. Ironically, even other Manifestation Realm prodigies weren't qualified to join the circle. Yet Fang Hao, also at the Manifestation Realm, was the one seated at the very center. There were, of course, some unfamiliar with him. "Who's this guy? A Manifestation Realm cultivator, yet all these Nascent Soul elites are doting on him?" "You don't know Fang Hao?" "No. What, does he have some massive backing?" "Not at all. He's from some obscure little city." "Then why—?" Follow current novels on novel✶fire.net Very soon, Fang Hao's story spread around the room. Some even thickened their skin to approach and raise their cups, hoping to form a connection. Fang Hao stayed there for an hour, then left amid respectful goodbyes and returned to his residence. Over the following days, people came to visit constantly. Some came personally, others represented factions trying to recruit him. Fang Hao declined all of them politely, citing his focus on training—and soon chose to enter seclusion. As the days passed and interest cooled, the stream of visitors dwindled. Only after he had fully recovered did Fang Hao leave his courtyard and return to the Trial Tower. After paying one mid-grade spirit stone, he stepped inside. At the entrance, an old man gave him a reminder: "Only one weapon is allowed inside the Trial Tower. Pills, talismans, and other aids are prohibited. If you want to exit mid-trial, just say 'Exit.'" This rule was meant to prevent reliance on external tools. Fang Hao nodded, took out his usual long sword, and began the challenge. Just as Jin Tianlu had explained, he was met by a black-robed cultivator of the same level as himself. The surroundings shifted into a realistic grassy plain, and the opponent was indistinguishable from a real person. "Impressive. The Trial Tower is indeed remarkable." As soon as he finished speaking, the black-robed cultivator launched an attack—swift, sharp, and lethal. But the opponent was no match for Fang Hao and was defeated in one strike. The second floor featured two identical opponents, but they fared no better. Just like that, Fang Hao charged all the way to the forty-first floor. At that point, the black-robed foes were four levels higher than him. Fang Hao activated his Ancient Desolate Sacred Physique, going all out and slaying them. On the forty-ninth floor, he had to face nine enemies who were all four levels stronger. He gritted his teeth and defeated them all. On the fiftieth floor, though, it reverted to a single opponent—but now at the second stage of the Nascent Soul Realm. Fang Hao fought for the duration of an incense stick's time, but ultimately realized he could not win. Had he used his secret arts, he might have succeeded—but even then, he wouldn't have reached the ninetieth floor. And since secret techniques came with side effects, better not to waste them. In the next moment, Fang Hao reappeared at the tower entrance, completely uninjured, as though nothing had happened. "Truly a mysterious marvel…" Returning to the Tianyuan Realm, Fang Hao began practicing combat techniques against the Hidden Dragon Guards and Qū Wúbìng, refining his martial arts and improving his combat experience. About half a year later, he returned to Zhentian City and once again entered the Trial Tower. This time, as before, he made it to the fiftieth floor—yet this time, he defeated the second-stage Nascent Soul opponent after a fierce half-hour battle. Satisfied, he exited the tower and resumed training. It became a routine—train, grow stronger, then challenge the tower again. This was a long game. Throughout history, many genius cultivators had tried and failed. Even prodigies with celestial constitutions didn't make it to the ninetieth floor in one go. Most succeeded only after repeated attempts and continual improvement. Additionally, most people tackled the tower before breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm. Because once inside that realm, they would start facing Saint Realm opponents. And the gap between Saint Realm and those below was simply too vast. At most, a few could cross one or two levels, perhaps three—but beyond that was nearly impossible. Meanwhile, twenty years had passed since the last grand auction held by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion—an event scheduled once every two decades by decree of Fang Ting himself. In those two decades, all of the Fang family's prodigies had made great progress—not just Fang Hao, who was now at the eighth stage of the Manifestation Realm. Fang Mu Ge, cultivating in the Xuantian Sacred Sect, had advanced from the fifth stage of the True Saint Realm to the first stage of the Great Saint Realm. Fang Ying, now training in the Ethereal Immortal Palace, had achieved the same. As celestial bodies, their rate of improvement was staggering. For most True Saint Realm cultivators, gaining one level in twenty years was considered impressive. They had made five breakthroughs in the same period—highlighting the immense gap. It wasn't just their talent as celestial bodies. They were also Heaven's Chosen, with destiny and fortune on their side—encountering far more opportunities than ordinary cultivators. Fang Luo, Fang Chen, and Fang Qiufeng of the True Dragon Academy, who had risen from second-stage to sixth-stage True Saints. Though not celestial bodies, their speeds still eclipsed almost every other so-called prodigy. However, there was one unusual exception—also a Heaven's Chosen: Fang Chu. Back then, he had been at the seventh stage of the Manifestation Realm. Now, after all these years, he had only reached the ninth stage. Even many Fang family guards, the Hidden Dragon Guards, had surpassed him. But there was a reason. Fang Chu never left the Fang clan compound, never sought out trials or fateful encounters. Without tempering or real opportunities, progress was naturally slow. Thankfully, he had the Five Elements Divine Physique. Had he retained his previous ordinary constitution, he'd likely be even further behind. Still, despite the prodigies' growth, none surpassed the improvement of Fang Ting. Thanks to his dual cultivation with Yin Xianhong, he had gone from eighth-stage Great Saint to ninth-stage, and now—after receiving spiritual feedback from the entire clan's advancement—had broken through to the fifth stage of the Saint King Realm. To put that in perspective: Yin Xianhong was currently only at the seventh stage of the Saint King Realm—a huge leap already. But at Fang Ting's pace, he would soon overtake her. And he hadn't even been in that realm as long as she had. The Saint King Realm was the summit of Cangzhou. The strength of a dominant force in the region was measured by how many Saint Kings it possessed. Once, Fang Ting and the Fang clan could only gaze in awe at those high-level powerhouses. But now, Fang Ting stood among them. He hadn't made a move in some time—but if he ever chose to reveal his full strength, the entirety of Cangzhou, and even the nearby continents, would be shaken to their core. His rate of cultivation was so absurdly fast that it completely shattered conventional logic—and exceeded everyone's expectations.