When Yu Huang came to receive them in person, Jiang Ziyan and her companions were astonished. But they soon recalled the person Yu Huang had mentioned earlier.
Given their status, they did not greet him but instead used their spiritual senses to examine him.
Meanwhile, Qin Zhenren of Qiandao Palace sent a message to Li Hao through spiritual transmission: "General, the sword I forged for you is ready. When will you come to collect it?"
"I'll be there soon," replied Li Hao.
"Good, I'll await your arrival, General," said Qin Zhenren gently.
The spiritual transmission faded.
Yu Huang then invited Li Hao to the rear palace of the Imperial Palace.
Ren Qianqian followed by Li Hao's side, feeling restrained throughout the journey. This was the Imperial City, the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty. Even though her father was a Grand Master, she had never been there before. And now, the elderly man before her was the emperor, and he appeared so gentle.
"Your Majesty, any news about the little fox demon I asked you to find?" Li Hao inquired about Xiao Baihu as soon as they arrived at the rear palace.
He had entrusted the task to Yu Huang, but there had been no news so far.
Yu Huang shook his head slightly. "I've tasked the Demon Suppression Department to search, with the minister personally involved. But we haven't received any updates. There's a lack of information, and there are too many fox demons, so it might take some time."
Li Hao sighed. "Where could that little thing have gone? Has something happened to it? Has it fallen prey to another demon or monster?" As these thoughts crossed his mind, he furrowed his brows and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Your Majesty further."
"Fox demons are adept at hiding," Yu Huang consoled him. "I've instructed the Demon Suppression Department to spread the word. Perhaps, one day, it will come out on its own, knowing that you're searching for it."
Li Hao nodded and then asked, "What about the calligraphy, paintings, and chess manuals?"
Yu Huang laughed and said, "We've found quite a few, and I'll take you to see them later."
"Okay," Li Hao nodded. He wondered what kind of strange attributes he would gain this time.
Just then, several figures approached from the rear palace. It was Jiang Ziyan and the others.
They glanced at the young man sitting with Yu Huang in the courtyard, speaking softly, and their eyes narrowed. They had never seen anyone besides the royal offspring dare to be so casual with the emperor, not even before attaining their current cultivation levels at the Immortal's Gate. In the past, they would have been trembling in fear before his majesty.
Yu Huang noticed the approaching group and proceeded to introduce Li Hao to them.
Once Li Hao entered the Immortal's Gate, with his aptitude, he would surely be able to join the Sacred Mountain, and they could look out for each other in the future.
"...This is my daughter, Jiang Ziyan," Yu Huang said. "Ziyan, this is the young man I mentioned, the one who saved our Great Yu Divine Dynasty and is also the benefactor of our Jiang family."
Although Yu Huang's words did not explicitly ask Jiang Ziyan to take care of Li Hao, the seriousness in his eyes conveyed his unspoken request.
Jiang Ziyan sized up Li Hao, sensing that despite being at the Daoist Law Realm herself, she couldn't discern his aura at all. The only hint she caught was the minuscule thread of the Hearing the Dao Realm that he had intentionally revealed earlier.
How could someone so young, having cultivated in the mortal realm, be capable of cross-realm killings of six Daoist Law Realm cultivators? Jiang Ziyan found it hard to believe, but she knew her father wouldn't lie, and deceiving him was difficult. Moreover, she had visited Grandfather Qin recently and learned about the battle.
Having witnessed various ultimate skills, secret techniques, divine abilities, and the existence of the Martial Arts Ultimate Realm in the Immortal's Gate, she knew that with a combination of these, cross-realm battles were possible.
Moreover, the young man before her was a saint's reincarnation, so his skills must be extraordinary.
"General, thank you for coming to our Jiang family's aid. I, Ziyan, will remember this gratitude," Jiang Ziyan said softly. "In three days, the three major sacred sites of the Cloud Realm will be here to accept disciples. They are mainly seeking those who have attained the Ultimate Realm, with top geniuses as a secondary priority. General, since you can kill those in the Daoist Law Realm, you must have mastered several Martial Arts Ultimate Realms, right?"
Li Hao already knew about this from Chu Jiuyue, so he simply nodded.
"If you master one Ultimate Realm, you will be selected by the sacred sites. If you master three Ultimate Realms, you can become a disciple of a Half-Saint or even attract the attention of a Saint. If you master four Ultimate Realms, you can become a disciple of a Saint..." Jiang Ziyan glanced at Li Hao and continued, "If you can become a disciple of a Half-Saint, I hope you'll consider my Primordial Sacred Site. Even among the various sacred sites, ours is renowned and is the number one sacred site in the Cloud Realm."
Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he asked Jiang Ziyan about the situation of the sacred sites.
Jiang Ziyan did not hide anything and briefed him on the general situation.
It was then that Li Hao learned that the scope of the sacred sites far exceeded his imagination—thirty-three small worlds and a hundred and eight sacred sites. No wonder they were called such.
In the mortal realm, Saints were rarely seen, but in the sacred sites, they were like blazing suns, illuminating countless dynasties.
However, even in the sacred sites, meeting a Saint was extremely difficult. Only those with extraordinary talent had a chance to lay eyes on one.
On the rare occasions when Saints imparted their teachings, they attracted geniuses from all directions, creating grand gatherings.
After a brief conversation, Jiang Ziyan and the others took their leave. They also wanted to scout for royal geniuses who were willing and qualified to go to the Immortal's Gate.
Li Hao, accompanied by Yu Huang, headed to the royal treasury to select from the collected calligraphy, paintings, and chess manuals.
Additionally, Li Hao took out 170 of the battle flags he had made and gave them to Yu Huang, leaving only ten at Tianmen Pass, which was still more than sufficient.
Li Hao explained the wonders of the battle flags to Yu Huang, who was already aware of their might from the Battle of Liangzhou. Imbued with an array of laws, the flags possessed tremendous destructive power. Now that Li Hao was offering them as a gift, Yu Huang was surprised and curious.
"Where did you learn to make these?" Yu Huang asked, unable to shake off the feeling that Li Hao was a saint's reincarnation, possessing inexplicable and extraordinary skills.
"I figured it out on my own," Li Hao replied, his face stiff as he had no other explanation.
Yu Huang smiled but did not press further, knowing that this involved secrets.
Li Hao put away the battle flags, feeling a sense of emotion. According to him, the intimidation factor of these 170 battle flags was probably even more effective than the ten talismans Jiang Ziyan had given him.
After all, aside from their destructive power, these battle flags could be utilized in numerous ways, making their true value far greater than just the number of flags.
Each flag possessed an aura of intimidation.
"If the Great Yu ever faces calamity again, it will surely be filled with your battle flags..." Yu Huang said softly.
Li Hao felt helpless. It's not a good idea to jinx it, Your Majesty. What if it really happens?
Yu Huang brought Li Hao to the collection of calligraphy, paintings, and chess manuals, saying, "These are all here. Feel free to choose whatever you like. I don't know much about these, so let me know if you need anything. I'll go take care of some matters."
Li Hao nodded, and Yu Huang left, leaving him alone in the royal treasury. It seemed that the emperor wasn't worried about Li Hao stealing anything.
After Yu Huang left, Li Hao's gaze swept across the various calligraphy and paintings, and he activated his panel to start scanning and collecting them.
Soon, prompts appeared on the panel:
'Detection of masterpiece "Howl at the Moon": Include in collection?'
"Include."
Soon, a new entry appeared in the panel's catalog.
And in front of Li Hao, the painting of towering peaks disappeared from the collection.
Li Hao took a look and chose to embed the "Howl at the Moon" painting into his physical body's path.
Soon, a new attribute was born in the catalog:
Howl at the Moon: Attacks possess penetrative effects.
Li Hao was slightly stunned. Penetrative effects? This was the first time he had seen such an attribute, but it seemed incredibly powerful.
He wondered if his attacks would be able to ignore the tough and rugged physical bodies of the Dragon Clan or some treasure-like armor.
Could his attacks also penetrate and destroy indestructible Dao Power, directly killing his enemies?
These questions would have to wait for real battles to find the answers.
Li Hao continued to collect.
Several chess manuals and paintings were gradually added to the panel.
Although not all the paintings and manuals were masterpieces, he still managed to acquire over a dozen new entries in his catalog.
...
Meanwhile, in the Nine Continents, various geniuses from all directions gathered in the Imperial City.
Outside the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was bustling with excitement as the geniuses of various families eagerly awaited.
"Do you think Brother Hao will also enter the Immortal's Gate this time?"
"Mother asked us to come and try, but I'm not sure if we'll be successful."
In an inn outside the Imperial Palace, several figures gathered, including Li Wushuang, Li Yuanzhao, and others.
Currently, there were no selection criteria announced, but they knew that disciples were being recruited. Although they considered themselves to be among the best in the mortal realm, they couldn't compare to monsters like Li Hao. However, setting Li Hao aside, they were still an exceptional group.
If they could be accepted by the sacred sites within the Immortal's Gate, the opportunity to cultivate under a Saint would be immensely beneficial, even if it was just to listen to a Saint's teachings once or twice.
"It's a pity that Ninth Uncle isn't here. With his talent, he would definitely be chosen."
Li Yuanzhao sighed softly and then looked towards the Imperial Palace. He had heard that Li Hao would also be coming, and the thought of seeing his brother soon made his heart stir with excitement.
Li Wushuang and her younger sister, Li Zhining, were also present, while Li Yun, with his slightly lower talent, stayed behind.
"I've heard that the selection process is extremely strict, and we might not be chosen," Li Wushuang said, her eyes shimmering with anticipation. Although she wanted to cultivate in the Immortal's Gate, she didn't have a deep obsession with it.
In addition to them, many other geniuses from the various God General Mansions had also arrived, including both the younger and older generations. Although some of the older cultivators were older in age, they still had hope due to their relatively long lifespans.
A thousand years ago, when the Immortal's Gate had recruited disciples, the group of geniuses included not only the young but also many well-known and powerful cultivators.
However, compared to the Li family, the other God General Mansions had a more prosperous population. After all, the demons and monsters' scheme hundreds of years ago had primarily targeted the Li family, aiming to tear apart and destroy one of the mansions as a starting point.
As the Imperial City bustled with excitement, figures from the Great Wilderness within the Dahuang Heaven exited and hurried towards the Imperial City of the Great Yu Dynasty to participate in this grand event.
At the same time, Li Hao finished collecting the paintings, chess manuals, and other items from the royal treasury and then made his way to the Qiandao Palace.
Qin Zhenren had been waiting for Li Hao and presented him with the Dao Palace Sword that he had forged.
The sword was pitch-black and thick, its body dark and devoid of light, lacking the vibrant spirit essence of a Saintly Heart Treasure. It seemed like a lifeless object, but it was incredibly heavy and sharp.
Li Hao gripped the sword, feeling as if he were holding a mountain.
If it weren't for the fact that his physical strength had reached nine million jin after his breakthrough to the Hearing the Dao Realm, he might not have been able to wield it with ease.
"A million-jin sword. That's quite a weight," Li Hao commented.
He lifted the sword with ease, his movements light and graceful. Even standing on a delicate willow branch, he wouldn't bend it under the sword's weight.
"General, what name do you plan to give this sword?" Qin Zhenren asked with a smile.
Li Hao looked at the sword and thought for a moment before replying, "Since it's a sword of the Dao Palace, let's name it after the palace. How about 'Palace'?"
"Palace."
Qin Zhenren pondered for a moment and then nodded. "Indeed, a fitting name for its sharpness."
Li Hao kept the Dao Sword 'Palace' and then returned to the Imperial Palace, where he played two games of chess with Yu Huang.
With Yu Huang's strong recommendation, Li Hao agreed to enter the Immortal's Gate. Feng Lao was waiting for him there, and he also needed to deal with that saint's son.
"I'll return after I kill him," Li Hao said to Yu Huang.
Yu Huang smiled bitterly. "I hope you become a Saint there."
"I'll try my best," Li Hao replied.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. As the morning sun rose, the energy above the Imperial Palace began to stir, like boiling water.
Soon, a golden light appeared and slowly opened, reflecting endless rays of light.
The magnificent Immortal's Gate had opened.
This transcendent and majestic aura stirred the hearts of the various powerful cultivators in the Imperial City, and their gazes turned towards the sky above the Imperial Palace.