Tharz Empire.
Southern Province, White-Roc City.
In the grand halls of the Fang Family Residence, one of the five great families of White-Roc City, guests flowed like a river, and colorful lanterns hung high, casting a festive glow over the bustling scene.
"The Liu family wishes senior. Fang a long, fulfilling life and boundless success."
"The Zhao family hopes senior Fang reaches even greater heights in his journey."
"The Xie family wishes senior Fang's family lasting health and a life of joy for years to come!"
Voices filled the air with congratulations and laughter, while Fang Yuan, the head of the Fang family, sat on a high seat, smiling and radiating a warm glow.
Today marked his 30th birthday, a milestone that was both significant and symbolic.
Yet despite his outward cheer, a sense of hopelessness lurked beneath Fang Yuan's smile.
As the youngest head of one of the five major families in White-Roc City, Fang Yuan's achievements were the talk of the town.
Reaching the Golden Core Realm at such a young age was no small feat, and it was the reason why Fang Clan was able to maintain its status as one of the Five Major Clan in White-Roc City.
Fang Yuan's rise was nothing short of legendary.
He stepped into the Qi Condensation Realm at just ten years old, shattered into the Qi Transformation Realm by fifteen, and stood tall in the Golden Core Realm before his twenty-fifth birthday.
To the world, he was a once-in-a-generation genius—blessed by the heavens, unmatched in talent.
But only Fang Yuan knew the truth.
His rise wasn't born of fortune or favor.
It was because of a secret no one else could possibly guess: he was a transmigrator.
From the moment he was born, his mind had been sharper, clearer, more focused, and fully aware.
Having a mature mind, Fang Yuan was able to easily grasp the technique which his peers might have struggled with.
Despite being one of the strongest in the city, Fang Yuan knew the limits of his own talent.
The gap between true genius and ordinary talent was vast and unbridgeable. While some could achieve the Qi Condensation Realm by eight, enter the Qi Transformation Realm by ten, and Golden Core realm by eighteen.
Compared to these prodigies, Fang Yuan knew his own achievements, though impressive, were pale.
Nonetheless, in this remote area, achieving the Golden Core Realm was already considered to be the strongest.
In the Fang Clan, only he, Fang Yuan was at the Golden Core Realm and most elders were at just the Qi Transformation Stage.
It was only because of Fang Yuan who not only broke through Golden Core Realm but is also at the peak of Golden Core Realm that Fang Clan was able to maintain its status as one of five major families in White-Roc City.
Otherwise, to be one of the Major Clan in White-Roc City, one had to have at least three people who are in Golden Core Realm.
The weight of his family's future pressed heavily on his shoulders. Despite his own strength, the rest of the Fang family lacked the prowess and potential needed to uphold their current standing.
His family members were either weak or lacking in talent. The strongest among them were barely at the Qi Transformation Stage and they were his elders who had been cultivating for a hundred years.
Although Fang Yuan-who reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core Realm in his twenties stood as a beacon of unparalleled genius, the rest of his generation seemed to falter in comparison.
Even the next generation felt lackluster in comparison. Among those under twenty, the most promising cultivator had barely reached the Initial Foundation Establishment Stage.
The future of Fang family was looking bleak.
Fang Yuan's heart ached with the knowledge that, should anything happen to him, the Fang Clan's status would be in jeopardy. The other great families in White-Roc City were formidable and were eagerly eyeing his clan.
The Liu family, the Zhao family, and others had numerous talented individuals and resources that dwarfed his own. Without a capable successor, the Fang Clan might very well fall from grace.
His fears were not unfounded. The rise of the Fang Clan had been swift, but such rapid ascension made them a target.
If they lost their current prominence, they could quickly become just another second-rate family, relegated to the periphery of White-Roc City's social and political circles.
"Sigh!"
As the celebration carried on, a young girl stepped forward and knelt gracefully before him.
"Elder Brother, Fang Mei greets you."
Fang Mei—a bright, beautiful girl with a spirited charm—had been adopted by Fang Yuan's uncle, Fang Zhengzheng. Her sweet nature and keen mind had endeared her to the entire clan, especially to Fang Yuan.
In the entire Fang Clan, aside from his blood brother, only Fang Mei was allowed to call him Brother.
"Brother," she said softly, "I failed to find Brother Fang Tianyi."
The joyous hum of the gathering fell silent at the mention of that name—Fang Tianyi, Fang Yuan's only blood brother.
Tianyi's root bone was poor, painfully so. By the age of sixteen, he had only managed to reach the fifth level of Qi Realization, barely clinging to the threshold of cultivation.
"Eh, Clan Leader," a young boy chimed in awkwardly, "I think Brother Fang Tianyi went off to prepare a special gift for you."
Fang Yuan nodded slightly, his expression calm.
Unlike others, he felt no disappointment in his younger brother's cultivation.
The clan had placed heavy expectations on Fang Tianyi's shoulders. After all, he was not only Fang Yuan's brother but the son of two renowned cultivators. Many had hoped he would walk the same dazzling path.
But reality struck hard. Not only did Tianyi lack any sign of exceptional talent, he struggled to even meet the standards of the average Fang Clan youth.
And yet Fang Yuan had never asked him to be a genius.
To him, Tianyi didn't need to be strong, brilliant, or gifted.
He just needed to be happy.
As for the pressures of the clan and the burdens of expectation, Fang Yuan would bear them all.