Normal life resumed on the Saint continent, with small joys here and there, like Mia giving birth to a boy, and spending most of her time with her parents in Lacrimosa. A month later, Blossom announced she was pregnant as well, which drove the wives into a horny frenzy, abusing their husband for long hours.

Pef did his best, as his stamina didn't deplete anymore, not with Tyrant ranked partners for duo cultivation, but in the end it was a numbers game. He would need decades to get lucky with all his wives.

In other aspects, life got better for the locals, as crime became extinct with a Monarch and two Sovereigns monitoring the continent for any rumors. Large construction projects became the norm, using half of the cultivators as workforce while the Fire Guardians were split into five groups and tasked with aiding the industry with their fire qi.

In a year, Lady Erin became a blonde Earth Tyrant, as Pef nurtured her intently, giving her demanding jobs, to search and extract minerals, and also took her on a short roaming to Black Magma continent, to place her in combat and find more Black Pill ingredients. Sadly, the bubbling tar pits with the Black Origin Mud Lotus only contained two flowers, as the former cults on the continent had exploited this resource mercilessly.

Like clockwork though, the second he left another wave of beast waves began, stopping infrastructure projects for defensive works.

But this time, the Guardians were prepared, the Xi family having Sovereign ranked armors and weapons, while the grunts, the Sky and the Earth ranks had Tyrant ranked feather polearms.

The beasts merely became food on the tables.

When Pef returned, he stopped in Port Li for a week, Awakening a hundred of the small nobles in the Sea Guard, and gifting them weapons and armor. Then he sat at a sad dinner with trader Diu and Admiral Fang, deploring their lost daughters and explaining what he did as revenge.

Fang smiled grimly, hearing about the siege of Phobia and its demise, while Diu heard about Locust and Myrrth and the burned swarm.

"It won't bring my daughter back, my son. But it is the beginning of justice. I hope you won't stop here..." the sad trader asked with a sob.

"No, I won't. And you two can help. There will be a month of pain, but after that you would become Guardians and be sent overseas, as my governors over the conquered cities in Black Magma." Pef offered as a minor payback.

Trader Diu hesitated for a while. "I could settle in Myrtth, and gather a thousand women in a harem. It would be hard work, but I would gain new children that way." he concluded after some time.

Pef smiled kindly, as it would indeed work, but exhaust the man for years. He knew how hard it was, with merely a dozen wives.

Fang shook his head in denial. "I'm not that kind of man, Emperor Xi. But perhaps an intelligence network, spread across the known lands...like a web, of human intrigue." he asked with serious eyes.

The Sovereign thought about it, and agreed. "To Green Gea then. The druids are still fighting the spiders there. I'll give you permits and some metals to trade as a cover."

"And an airship too, I suppose?" Fang asked amused, as reaching other continents was impossible by sea, as long as sea beasts were in majority and so strong.

"Fang, you will need a Monarch ranked ring to store a large enough airship, of Sky rank. And you'll need a bodyguard...Dong would do nice, right, my wife?" Pef asked Erin who sat beside him and just listened.

"Eh, my lieutenant? Yeah, he's a decent Sky rank now. But Master Fang needs to be a bit stronger too. Core ranks are very fragile, in this world." Erin said in a doubtful tone.

"I can fix that next month, for both of them. Get them to Earth ranks on a quick moon seeing trip. Perhaps with the Sea Guardians once their finish awakening." Pef concluded and shook both men's hands. "Get home and have your servants prepare you tea and baths and aspirin."

"This is my home..." Trader Diu said in a wry tone.

The Sovereign scratched his head embarrassed a bit. "Right. You have three hours to prepare. See you soon." Pef said in a softer tone, then flew away, first to Lacrimosa, the capital, and then back home.

In a blink of an eye, seven more months passed, and Yen gave birth to a cultivator daughter, while Mia's son grew a bit as well. Pef was happy and content, as his plans for a big and loving family were starting to piece together.

A dozen more concrete buildings were poured in the capital's center, one of them a large stadium, with embedded formations to restrict spells and kinetic damage.

The Guardians began holding monthly tournaments, and gaining trophies and artifacts based on victories, in each ranking category.

A year later though, a new contender arrived to participate in the Tyrant ranks competition. He looked stern and composed,

with straight black hair and a golden aura.

Lady Yuan glanced at Pef, for advice, but her husband just sighed. His oracle wife was the all time winner in this category, undefeated for 11 consecutive tournaments. If his father wanted a showdown, he should have stayed an Emperor.

The fights went as always, Lara beating anyone except Lia, and Lia defeating everyone else with ease.

Wixtal did manage to win against Erin and Qin, but then lost to Xie in a brutal fight.

Even with Emperor ranked weapons, used to ensure the loves of the Tyrant competitors, Xie still burned with the desire of beating up men, and especially the scumbag father who tried to kill Pef at birth.

She took her time, and managed to shatter the hammer after a thousand hits. Then she kicked a groaning Wixtal off the raised platform, and threw away the cracked handle in her hand.

"Xie Xi, wins with a prolonged push out victory." Pef announced to the audience.

The crowds yelled excited, as this battle was truly long and gruesome, unlike the normal Tyrant fights, which ended normally in a few seconds.

The fights continued after, but Pef left to attend the medical bay, and see if Wixtal would recover.

Sadly, a poke with the glove showed the man still had 60 percent reserves, and had faked his defeat.

"What do you want, Wixtal Xi?" Pef asked in a deceptively pleasant voice.

"I am worried about my daughter, like any father would." the man said in a serene tone, raising up from the wounded's cot.

"She was fighting just before. Lost to every Emperor, even Pela." the dual soul son answered in a flat tone.

"Yeah, Remi needs more practice, I always told her, and she never listened." Wixtal said with a soft groan, taking out a flask of wine and drinking some to drown his pain.

"She'll get there. Her husband makes sure to keep training her." Pef said with a shrug, sitting midair and taking out his own flask of wine.

"I'm proud of you, son. So many strong wives. A continent to call your home, and another being conquered right now." Wixtal mused in a thoughtful tone, eyeing Pef's Monarch armor and rings with some envy, before glancing at the glove with a frown.

Pef held his gloved hand up, taking out his neo knife. "Our leather friend did most of it, to be truthful. Ever tried to take the knife?" he asked, actually curious.

"That one, never tried. And the Patriarch's...well. I could never draw it out. My roaming was not as fruitful as yours..." Wixtal complained and shook his head.

Pef stabbed his knife into the man's hand and left it there for a minute, both men staring at the confused puppy. "Well, you're not dead. That means something." the Sovereign explained calmly after the knife flew out on its own, turning the blade confused from father to son.

Then it flew towards Pef and sliced a finger, leaving a deep gash, before returning to the glove compartment.

Wixtal stared at his own hand, devoid of any wound or scar. "Amazing weapon, it felt like..."

"Yea, the Legion knife remembers you, or rather the golden aura. Wixtal, you died, and now you're alive again, without memories. You should try harder, Captain. Use the lightning for what it is, heavenly punishment. Take your lumps, and endure the pain, and after a thousand strikes, the memories will return. And then, become a god and bring my mother back, damn idiot!" Pef yelled and walked away, too angry to talk anymore.

'It doesn't work like that, foolish Aspirant. He would need to become a Tier 6, such that the old consciousness will reform.' the glove explained in a snarky tone.

'Yeah, so what? If Wixtal compresses the lightning qi, he will grow fast now, won't he?' Pef said in a fierce tone.

'Up to a point, just like you. Mid Sovereign rank. The White pill and other meridians would help more.'

the system replied in a more logical manner.

'Yeah, I should take Pela and Mia and try for another continent. Yellow Marshes maybe. Get them both to Tyrant rank and get the ingredients for the Yellow Meridian Pill?' Pef asked himself.

'Animating qi into elemental golems... Sure, why not?' the glove replied content. It won't be easy, but then cultivation wasn't meant to be easy.

However when Pef returned home and hid in his sauna to meditate in peace, a red-headed fairy was waiting for him, naked and sweaty and beautiful as the stars.

"Ah, you know me too well, my lovely wife." the young Sovereign complained, sitting down to soak himself in heat and steam.

"I asked Blossom to make sure Wixtal doesn't cause problems. And then I came here, to see where you plan to runaway next." Yuan answered like it was a known script already.

"To the Yellow Marshes. More pills for my beloved wives, making cultivation faster and ranks easier."

Pef whispered in fake secrecy.

Yuan rose and sat gently in Pef's lap, enjoying the hungry look in his eyes. Made her feel loved and wanted, and it felt nice.

"So... Mia and Pela, this time. Not a bad idea, but risky. Take Aria with you, husband. Your green haired wonder might cross into Sovereign as well, and she's strong enough to keep the girls safe, if you're too busy." The Fire Monarch mused, playing with her husband's hair.

Next week, after a last arduous cultivation with his wives, Pef took off on another roaming, after he made sure Wixtal had left and wouldn't try to kidnap Remi or something.

As soon as the 25 years old Patriarch left his continent, another beast invasion began, like clockwork.