Luo'an

In Tianfeng Prefecture, the seat of the Taros Family, a towering manor stood at the heart of the territory like a newly constructed palace. A man in light purple robes stood before this manor, accompanied by a burly man and a gorgeously dressed noblewoman.

"Heh, I never expected my son to actually ascend to the legendary Saint Realm." Lin's eyes were filled with both joy and gratification.

His joy stemmed from the fact that his son was still young—barely over sixty years old. Now that he had achieved the Saint Realm, he would marry and have children, and his descendants would have the potential to reach Level 9. This would become the core of the family's future, the key to whether a clan could flourish and prosper.

His gratification came from the fact that the second Saint Realm expert in the family was his own son.

"This old father of yours has really been holding the family back." Lin Taros felt the Battle Qi within his body. He had reached the late stage of Level 9 years ago, but he was still half a step away from the peak of Level 9. Yet, for that very half-step, Lin Taros had been stuck for over a decade.

"What are you acting all smug for?" The beautiful woman beside him heard Lin's voice and couldn't help but roll her eyes. They had been an old married couple for decades; she knew exactly what was going on in her husband's mind.

"I'm just happy, that's all." Lin chuckled.

"I wonder where Father has gone." The beautiful woman sighed softly.

When their son stepped into the Saint Realm, the Taros Family held a continuous banquet for an entire month. Not just in Tianfeng Prefecture, but even people from several other kingdoms and duchies came to attend.

In these days, the two of them had seen many figures, such as grand dukes of duchies and kings of kingdoms.

Over the decades, although Tianfeng Prefecture hadn't expanded into something greater, its strength had undergone a heaven-shaking transformation. There were over twenty Level 9 experts within the family. Such strength was enough to sweep through any duchy or kingdom. It was only because there were Saint Realm experts above them that they were held in check; otherwise, given Lin's personality, he might have tried to establish a kingdom of his own.

After all, there were no explicit requirements on the Yulan Continent for the standards of establishing a duchy, kingdom, or empire, though at the very least, one needed a corresponding amount of land.

To establish a duchy without a Level 9 expert holding the fort, one simply couldn't conquer that much territory. As for the duchy level, the emperors during their periods of territorial expansion were never weak.

Lanterns were hung and streamers were draped; it was a scene of constant celebration.

This was the current state of Tianfeng Prefecture.

Luo'an Taros had shown unparalleled talent since childhood. He had joined Ernst Magic Academy with high fire element affinity and twenty-four times the average Mental Power. However, during his studies, he discovered that his talent for Battle Qi was even greater than his talent for magic. He was also recognized as the expert most likely to reach the Saint Realm within a century.

And Luo'an had lived up to those expectations.

Sky Wind Kingdom.

Inside the royal capital, Karl gathered several key leaders. After speaking with them, he realized that twenty-four years had already passed.

That kind of obsession with cultivation made it hard to pull oneself away. During these twenty-four years, the kingdom had grown increasingly powerful. The number of Level 9 experts had risen from a mere handful to over a dozen, including two at the peak of Level 9.

Because these two were so powerful, even Luo couldn't arrange them properly, so he could only bestow upon them the title of Kingdom Venerable while placing them in command of one hundred thousand troops each. However, this was barely a compromise; if the kingdom hadn't been founded by a Saint Realm expert, these two peak Level 9 experts would likely have left long ago.

"The two of you, introduce yourselves."

"Your Majesty, I am from the Yulan Empire. I offended a disciple of that person over a hundred years ago. Although that person wouldn't take a small character like me to heart, there are always those willing to run errands for them. I had no choice but to bring my family to the Chaotic Territory." The purple-haired middle-aged man, Kasa Hanova, spoke first.

Karl merely nodded. This information had been submitted by Luo in a detailed report before the morning court session.

A hundred years ago might be several generations for ordinary people, but as long as one reached Level 7 or Level 8, these local experts would have heard at least something about it.

As for the other man, even if he hadn't introduced himself, Karl knew his identity. He was from the Luo'ao Empire and had once served as a Great General of the empire. He had been a staunch pillar of the former First Prince of the Luo'ao Empire. However, his appearance in the Chaotic Territory clearly meant that the First Prince had failed in his bid for the throne.

As a loyalist to a loser, one was either slowly squeezed out of the empire's power center, having their wings clipped bit by bit before being dealt a fatal blow, or simply purged outright. Even those who were only supporters in name often struggled to meet a good end.

"Since you have joined our Sky Wind Kingdom, then serve with sincerity," Karl said indifferently.

The two peak Level 9 experts had defected for no other reason than to advance further. Especially in imperial-level powers, the centers of authority were filled with Saint Realm experts; as long as they could receive some guidance, they might be able to cross that threshold.

It was just that for these two, Kasa had offended the High Priest's disciple. Although this offense was only against the descendants of that disciple's family, it was still an offense. The Saint Realm experts of the Yulan Empire were basically all connected to the High Priest, especially those who performed exceptionally well and carried the title of the High Priest's disciple.

With the exclusion of colleagues and the suppression from superiors, unless one could directly break through to the Saint Realm, this situation was hard to change. Staying in the Yulan Empire was not as good as leaving to find another way out.

Kasa Hanova.

William Welter.

Karl watched the two of them and silently opened his attribute panel.

"Addition successful."

"Addition successful."

Karl was somewhat surprised; both of these men were genuinely defecting.

Otherwise, even with the system, Karl wouldn't have been able to forcibly add these people to the registry of his territory's residents.

However, since they could be added, it meant that both were reliable and could provide him with points, so Karl wouldn't be stingy.

"From this day forward, Kasa and William, you shall be the commanders of the Royal Guard. In the coming time, I will guide you in what is known as the Momentum of Heaven and Earth, striving for you to step into the Saint Realm as soon as possible."

It is said that one should pay a high price to show sincerity. Over these twenty-four years, only twenty-one Level 9 experts had defected to the Sky Wind Kingdom. Among them, sixteen were at the early stage of Level 9, and three were at the middle stage. Of these twenty-one, only four had defected with true sincerity. For those who were sincere, Karl always granted them high positions.

Over the twenty-plus years, the first two Level 9 warriors to join Karl had already reached the late stage of Level 9 and were the commanders of Karl's two major legions. The peak Level 9 experts were the commanders of the Royal Guard, which had been separated from the City Guard. As for those at the early or middle stages of Level 9 who were not truly loyal, Karl merely dismissed them with the rank of legion general. As for those who were truly loyal, even if their strength hadn't reached the late stage of Level 9, they were still given the status of deputy commander.

This formed the military core of the current Sky Wind Kingdom.