"We obey the Ancestor's decree without question."
Within the quiet depths of the Leonhart Clan's inner sanctum, Leon and the elders exchanged glances every one of them brimming with excitement.
This wasn't just a set of orders.
It was proof.
Proof that Ancestor Leo hadn't given up on the clan. Proof that the rise of the Leonhart name wasn't just a hope, it was a certainty. With a Transcendent powerhouse at their helm, and now an open mandate for expansion, it was clear: the Leonhart Clan was about to enter a new era.
A golden era of Leonhart .
"First Elder, Second Elder," Leon said calmly. His voice was hoarse from the aftereffects of the berserker pill, but no less commanding. "My injuries from the battle aren't fully healed. You two are in better condition announce Ancestor's decrees to the clan. Especially the fourth one... emphasize it."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
As the two elders left the chamber, Leon and the other Core Break realm elders returned to meditation, refining the last threads of medicinal energy gifted by Ancestor Leo. Once again, silence reclaimed the stone chamber.
But outside, that silence was no more.
The moment the decrees were read aloud, a wave of shock and excitement swept through the clan like wildfire.
"What?! You mean... having children gets you contribution points? For real?"
"Are you blind? Look at the fine print! No-talent kids get 100 points. Low-tier talent? 500. Mid-tier? 2,000! High-tier gets 10,000 and a top-tier heir? Fifty. Thousand. Contribution. Points!"
"F-Fifty thousand?!"
"And don't even get me started on a spirit body heir. That's five hundred thousand!"
"Bah! You think your half-baked bloodline can birth a spirit body? Dream on."
Though the clan rules included four full decrees, most people, unsurprisingly, latched onto the one most immediately relevant to them—reproduction rewards.
And it made sense. In a world like the Great World, filled with spirit-rich lands and cultivation-boosting herbs, conceiving and raising children wasn't nearly as difficult as in the mundane world.
As the conversations buzzed with energy, not all were driven by greed. Many of the families mourning their loved ones had tears in their eyes—tears not of sorrow, but of relief.
Relief... and hope.
One courtyard inside the estate told the story of how all of the clan were feeling.
A woman in her fifties knelt quietly before a smoldering basin, burning yellow paper in memory of her fallen son. Her eyes were red, her hands trembling, but her face... bore a hint of pride.
"My boy," she whispered. "You gave your life for the clan. And I swear to you, I'll raise your son. I'll keep your wife safe. Your sacrifice won't be forgotten. The Leonhart Clan will raise your child into a man worthy of your name."
Her grandson, no older than seven, stepped forward.
"Papa, I'll grow strong," he said, clenching his small fists. "I'll join the Guard and protect everyone like you did."
Beside him, his mother, tears trailing silently, smiled.
And they weren't alone.
One by one, they pledged support. Because the Leonhart Clan didn't abandon its heroes. And in a vicious world like this where other family were competing for resources within their clan and fighting with each other... that made all the difference.
Back in the forbidden mountains, deep within the sealed cultivation grounds, Leo was watching all of this unfold.
Through the Eye of Fate, he had seen it all.
The pain of the people that lost their loved ones, The pride the clan members felt .Lastly, the hope they had their eyes when thinking about their and the clans future.
As the voices of the clan echoed faintly in his soul, he exhaled softly.
"In the end... everything comes at a price," he murmured. "I can't protect them from every blade. But I can ensure that they are able to protect themselves from any outside danger."
The clan's hearts ignited with purpose.
But it wasn't just the Leonharts listening.
No wall can contain a secret this loud.
Whispers of the new policies began trickling into other sects and families across Blazecity. Some dismissed it as internal politics that were spread by the Leonhart to elevate their clan's prestige and also to entice other people in joining the clan.
Everyone in Blazecity knew that Leonhart had the lowest amount of clan members out of the 3 top families so they just dismissed it as a recruiting tactics.
But some people who got more information through various means... did not.
"Wait, wait these rules were passed down by the old Ancestor himself?" one elder of the Flamegold Sect muttered, eyes wide.
The Flamegold Sect was a small sect that had set up their base in Blazecity. They had some notable members but no one worthy of competing with the top members of the 3 families that ruled the city.
"I thought he was dying?"
"Clearly not," another snapped. "This isn't something you fake. No clan elder would dare push such drastic measures without absolute authority backing them."
As the outside factions buzzed with disbelief, one place in particular was boiling over with rage.
The Drake estate.
Inside the main hall, Brandon Drake, Clan Head of the Drake Family slammed his fist down, cracking the jade table in-front of him in two.
"Damn it!" he snarled having just received information about the new rules that Leonhart clan implemented. "What are these fools thinking?! That old monster was dying he's supposed to be rotting in his cave, not handing out child-birthing rewards!"
"Calm yourself, Clan Head," one of the elders offered smoothly.
"They're just desperate, that's all this is fake confidence to boost their prestige and morale, like they're putting on a show. They want everyone to think they've got it together, but it's all an act. The second you look closer, you can see right through it"
But his words felt thin.
Everyone in that chamber knew this was not fake news. Having seen the numbers of Core Break experts and even competed with them, they knew more than anyone that the Leonhart was really thriving.
The whole thing burned in their chest like a swallowed flame.
"This information came straight from the SkyCloud Sect!" Brandon barked. "From a Soul Stage elder who specializes in divination! Are you telling me they got it wrong?!"
The Drakes fell quiet.
Because the truth was: they didn't know what to do now.
And for the first time... they weren't sure if they'd made a mistake by making the Leonhart their Life and Enemy this time.
"Let's play their game," Brandon finally said standing up from his chair. "Give them what they want. Offer some compensation just enough to keep that fossil of old man pacified."
"We wait passively for now."
Brandon said as he looked out of the Drake estate's window towards the direction of Leonhart clan.
"In two months time from now," his eyes narrowing to icy slits as he thought about the new plan, "Hell will befall on the Leonharts."