Eighteen years later.
In a certain world, a twenty-year-old young man was stepping through the void, flying through the air.
No, he wasn't just flying; he was fleeing.
Right behind him, two middle-aged men were chasing him with all their might.
"Gu Hao, you little brat, you sure run fast."
"Gu Hao, you little rascal, stop right there! I swear I won't beat you to death."
Gu Hao called out as he ran, "As if I'd believe you! If I don't run, are you going to spare me? Do you take me for a fool?"
Gu Hao knew very well that if those two Old Ancestors caught him, he would be in for a world of hurt. Even if they didn't kill him, he'd be skinned alive.
Gu Hao quickly flew toward the edge of a cliff, and the two Old Ancestors followed closely behind. Their names were Jiang Yu and Li Hongchen.
"Little bastard, let's see where you can run now! Be a good boy and come back with me to take your punishment, hahaha."
"Exactly! I just love watching you get punished—such a truly delightful sight, hahaha."
"You two old perverts, I'm not going back with you," Gu Hao said dismissively.
"You little punk, getting bolder, aren't you? Look around—you're cornered now. Be a good boy, Old Ancestor promises I won't beat you to death." Li Hongchen chuckled, unable to hide the eager anticipation in his heart at the thought of watching Gu Hao suffer his punishment.
"You two Old Ancestors, you're overthinking it. Who said I was cornered?"
With that, Gu Hao leaped off the cliff and hovered in mid-air.
Jiang Yu and Li Hongchen stopped short in utter shock.
"You little brat, what are you trying to pull?"
"I'm taking a few days off from you Old Ancestors. I'm going to the Qilin realm to play for a bit. Once I've had my fun, I'll come back. Bye-bye..."
"Damn you, brat! When did you discover this Qilin realm? How come we had no idea?"
"Doesn't everyone have a few secrets?"
Gu Hao flashed a playful wave at the two Old Ancestors, his figure blurring and vanishing into thin air.
Jiang Yu and Li Hongchen stared blankly at the empty sky before bursting into laughter.
"That little rascal actually reached the Earth Immortal Realm."
At that moment, a figure materialized from the void.
"What are you two idiots standing here giggling about?"
The two turned their heads to see a gracefully dressed woman standing in the void.
"Oh, Fifth Sister! We're not laughing at anything. What brings you here?" Jiang Yu said with a smile.
"I'm looking for Hao'er. Where is he?"
"Him? Haven't seen him. Who knows where he ran off to play."
"Playing? You two old fogies! Hao'er has been in your care for two years—what on earth have you been teaching him?"
"We taught him everything we could. Besides, Hao'er mastered every single martial technique and cultivation method to Great Completion without breaking a sweat. There's nothing left for us to teach him."
"Great Completion? Really? Don't go exaggerating just yet. When Big Brother and Second Brother get back, you're going to be in for it."
"Relax, Fifth Sister, when have we ever lied?" Hongchen patted his chest as he assured her.
The woman's name was Anran, and she was one of Gu Hao's seven masters.
When Gu Hao was three years old, the Old Ancestors Anlan and Gu Jian had taken him away from Gu Lingyu and arranged for him to cultivate here in the Tianlong Realm. The Tianlong Realm was a high-level divine minor world, but in Hong Star, minor worlds were suppressed to the level of an earthly paradise, independent of the universe.
Gu Hao's seven masters were Anlan, Gu Jian, Cao Yuanhai, Jiang Yu, Anran, Zhao Guimei, and Li Hongchen. In reality, they were all his Old Ancestors who had lived for millions of years.
For eighteen years, the seven Old Ancestors had meticulously taught Gu Hao martial arts inside the Tianlong minor world.
Thanks to his sharp wit and top-tier cultivation talent, Gu Hao had already driven every single martial art and cultivation method to Great Completion, falling just a hair's breadth short of the ultimate pinnacle.
By now, Gu Hao's cultivation had already reached the Earth Immortal Realm. Furthermore, he had practiced a concealment technique; though his cultivation had reached the absolute peak, it gave off a completely natural, unadorned aura, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true realm, as he looked entirely like an ordinary person.
Anran looked at Li Hongchen and said, "Fine then. I'll go look for Hao'er and see if he's really as advanced as you claim."
Anran turned and melted into the void.
Li Hongchen said to Jiang Yu, "Fourth Brother, let's head back too. Once the kid enters the Qilin realm, he probably won't be coming out anytime soon."
"Alright, let's go. We won't interfere in the affairs of the Qilin realm and the Tun Tian realm."
The two turned and instantly vanished into the void.
As soon as Gu Hao entered the Qilin realm, Lin Xiaotian sensed his aura and froze.
"Why is this brat back again?"
"Big Brother, it looks like this kid came prepared this time," Tun Xiaotian said to Lin Xiaotian.
Within the Tianlong minor world, there were two additional minor worlds: the Qilin minor world and the Tun Tian minor world. The three minor worlds operated independently without interfering with one another. Only Anran and Zhao Guimei were permitted to travel freely between the Qilin and Tun Tian minor worlds; the other Old Ancestors were barred from setting foot in them, and frankly, they couldn't be bothered to visit either.
Lin Xiaotian was the master of the Qilin realm, and Tun Xiaotian was the master of the Tun Tian realm. They had grown up together like brothers, frequently visiting each other, but they had never entered the Tianlong realm because they were restricted and fundamentally incapable of entering it.
Gu Hao strolled leisurely up to the Qilin Palace.
With a faint smile, he called out, "Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, you two dogs! Get out here right now and welcome your young master!"
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian flew out from the palace.
"Gu Hao! What's this? Didn't get beaten enough last time, so you're back for more?"
"You two have the nerve to say that? That was two years ago! If you hadn't teamed up and we fought one-on-one, did you really think I'd lose?"
"Cut the crap! What—two years, and now you think you've grown strong enough to boost your cultivation?"
"Naturally. Today, I'm going to teach you two a lesson, and from now on, you'll submit to me."
"Such arrogant nonsense! Teaching us a lesson and making us submit? Who do you think you are? Even those Old Ancestors out in the Tianlong Realm wouldn't dare talk to us like that."
"Is that so? Well, that's exactly what I'm saying today. If you aren't convinced, come and fight me!"
"Kid, I advise you to watch your step."
"Oh?"
"To be honest with you, the two of us have already broken through to the Great Emperor Realm. In this world, the Great Emperor Realm is the sky itself—what skills do you possibly have to fight us?"
"Oh? The Great Emperor Realm. Is that supposed to be impressive?"
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian exchanged glances.
"Looks like if we don't teach this fellow a proper lesson today, he'll never learn."
"Enough talk. Come at me together."
"Utterly reckless."
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian launched simultaneous attacks at Gu Hao.
Gu Hao's lips curled upward.
The three of them clashed.
Lin Xiaotian's Qilin claws possessed terrifying might, and Tun Xiaotian's palm strike was powerful enough to make anyone's heart tremble.
Yet Gu Hao seemed entirely unimpressed by their moves, effortlessly deflecting them.
Trading blows back and forth, the three of them fought fiercely.
They fought from the ground into the sky, and from the sky back down to the ground. The commotion was immense.
The hundred Qilin divine guards within the Qilin realm emerged from seclusion one after another to watch the battle, cheering relentlessly for Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian.
Gu Hao remained calm and collected with every single movement. Failing to land a hit after such a long time, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian grew frantic with rage.
The two of them shook their bodies, unleashing a powerful divine beast pressure that descended from the heavens, crushing down toward Gu Hao.
This was their innate divine might, carrying power that surpassed the Great Emperor Realm and even reached the level of an Earth Immortal.
Seeing this, Gu Hao laughed aloud, "Right on time!"
Instead of dodging or evading, Gu Hao stood his ground, taking the descending pressure of the two opponents entirely with his physical body.
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian were stunned. *Is this kid looking to die?*
Gu Hao sat down cross-legged. "Keep going..."
Channeling their energy, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian intensified the pressure. The descending force grew heavier and heavier, feeling as though ten thousand massive mountains were pressing down upon Gu Hao.
"Too weak. More..."
"Fine brat, if you're courting death, don't blame us!"
With a loud shout, the aura around them surged, unleashing an even greater force from the heavens to press down on Gu Hao.
Gu Hao's body gradually began to bend under the weight.
Upon seeing this, the hundred Qilins burst into laughter. "Is this kid a fool? The two young masters' descending pressure is no ordinary force. It contains the power of divine beasts and the Heavenly Dao. Even an immortal would be crushed to dust under it."
With gritty resilience, Gu Hao held his ground and slowly straightened his posture step by step.
His face was pale, but his aura was steadily growing stronger.
"What's going on here?"
Tun Xiaotian stared at Gu Hao in bewilderment.
"Damn it, the kid is actually clever! He's using our descending pressure to cultivate. No, wait—he's trying to break through! Why do I feel like this kid's realm is about to surpass our Great Emperor Realm?"
"Break through? That's impossible! He's just at the Great Emperor Realm, where else can he break through to? Could he be trying to break into the Immortal Realm?"
"No, the Heavenly Dao restricts this place. It's impossible for him to break through to the Immortal Realm."
"Then what is he trying to do?"
"No idea. Let's just watch and see."
Under the crushing heavenly pressure, the paleness in Gu Hao's face gradually gave way to a healthy flush, his breath steady and growing ever more powerful.
Ten minutes later, Gu Hao opened his eyes. An immensely powerful aura surged into the sky, shattering Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian's descending pressure.
Blown backward by the shockwave, the two crashed heavily to the ground, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
"This is impossible."
"What... what realm is he at?"
Golden light poured out from every pore of Gu Hao's body as a majestic bloodline aura erupted, forcing Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, and all hundred Qilins to drop to their knees.
"Not only has his cultivation improved, but his bloodline has awakened as well," Tun Xiaotian muttered to himself.
"This bloodline..."
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian felt the overwhelming force of Gu Hao's bloodline power.
"This... this is the Tianlong Bloodline..."
Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, and the hundred Qilins felt a profound suppression and tugging from deep within their ancestry.
"He... he is the master."
Panic gripped Tun Xiaotian. This bloodline naturally suppressed them while evoking a deep sense of intimacy; a bloodline imprint was etched into their very minds. Whoever possessed the Tianlong Bloodline was their natural-born master.
The overflowing golden light suddenly rushed back into Gu Hao's body.
Gu Hao stood up and stretched lazily. "Ah, refreshing."
"Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, am I qualified to be your master?"
Lin Xiaotian, Tun Xiaotian, and the hundred Qilins knelt once more.
"We pay our respects to the Master."