Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian respectfully welcomed Gu Hao into the Qilin Heavenly Palace.
Gu Hao sat in the seat of honor.
"Master, did you come to find us this time to break through your realm with the help of our heavenly descending power?"
"That's right."
"Then may I ask what realm the Master is breaking through to?"
"Heavenly Venerable."
"Heavenly Venerable? What kind of realm is that? Why have we never heard of it?"
"Heavenly Venerable is a realm independent of all cultivation systems. I don't know the exact details, but I know that a Heavenly Venerable rules across eternity," Gu Hao said with a smile.
"Rules across eternity! That must be the most formidable realm in the world! That's wonderful! Congratulations, Master, on achieving the Heavenly Venerable realm."
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian stood up and knelt before Gu Hao.
"Master, from this day forward, we swear to follow you to the death."
"Very well, rise."
At that moment, a Qilin guard hurriedly ran in.
"Master, a few old fellows have barged in outside, and they say they're looking for you."
"Good grief, they actually came in."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian stood up.
"Do these old fellows have a death wish? How dare they trespass into my Qilin Realm!"
Before Lin Xiaotian's voice had even faded, a voice echoed from outside.
"What? Is your Qilin Realm so remarkable that we aren't even allowed to enter?"
Five old ancestors—An Lan, Gu Jian, Cao Yuanhai, Jiang Yu, and Li Hongchen—strode in through the grand gates.
Gu Hao quietly watched them.
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian walked forward to meet them.
"Ever since our minor worlds were formed, there has been a heavenly law that we do not interfere with or visit one another. By coming here, you are violating the heavenly law."
"Heavenly law? That heavenly law was established by us in the first place. In this world, there is nowhere we cannot go. The two of you, with your puny Qilin Realm and Swallowing Heaven Realm, want to stop us? You are still far from being able to."
"You...!" Lin Xiaotian was so angry he couldn't speak.
Tun Xiaotian said, "We don't care who established it. Since there is a heavenly law, both sides must abide by it. You know the consequences of violating it."
"Consequences? Ha! What consequences? Tun Xiaotian, you're being naive."
Ancestor An Lan laughed and patted Tun Xiaotian on the shoulder. "This heavenly law was made by us. Since we made it, we can also abolish it. What do you think the consequences will be then?"
"You... You...!"
"What about you?" Ancestor Gu Jian flipped his palm, revealing a token in his hand—the Heavenly Decree.
The light emanating from the Heavenly Decree instantly pressed Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian down onto their knees.
"Gu Hao, why aren't you kneeling when you see the Heavenly Decree?"
"Heavenly Decree? What nonsense is this? I kneel to the heavens above, the earth below, and my parents in between. This Heavenly Decree is useless to me. Old Ancestor, you'd better put it away."
"Oh? You brat, you certainly have a big mouth! This Heavenly Decree represents the heaven of this universe and the earth of this universe. Do you still say you won't kneel?"
"Well, if you put it like that, then I'll kneel..."
Gu Hao knelt toward the Heavenly Decree, and the decree transformed into a beam of golden light that sank into his body.
As the golden light dissipated, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian felt their bodies lighten, and they stood up.
"Master, how did that token end up inside your body?"
Gu Hao also stood up and released his divine sense to examine his body. He discovered that the token was suspended within his sea of Dantian, and within that sea, a universe had actually formed—a universe so vast that even he was astonished.
"What is going on?"
"What is it, Master?"
"Why is there a world in my sea of Dantian? No, not a world—it's even bigger than a world. It should be a universe."
"A universe? Master, you're not pulling our leg, are you? How could a universe exist inside a sea of Dantian?"
Ancestors An Lan, Gu Jian, and the others smiled faintly.
Ancestor Jiang Yu said to Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian, "Take a look at your own seas of Dantian."
Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian released their divine sense to look into their seas of Dantian.
"Good grief..."
In both of their seas of Dantian, the embryonic form of a universe was also taking shape.
The three of them were dumbfounded.
"Old Ancestors, what is happening here?" Gu Hao asked.
"What is happening? How would we know? In any case, this is a good thing. With a universe existing inside your bodies, your future achievements will be unimaginable."
"Several Old Ancestors, did you come to the Qilin Realm to drag me back?"
"That's right. Will you return with us willingly, or shall we drag you back?"
Gu Hao hesitated, wondering whether he should return or not.
Ancestor Cao Yuanhai said, "Brat, don't think that just because you've broken through to the Heavenly Venerable realm, we can't do anything to you. I advise you to behave yourself."
Ancestor Li Hongchen also spoke up, "You little rascal, and you two as well—all of you are coming back with us, or else I'll tear down your Qilin Realm and Swallowing Heaven Realm."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian were too frightened to utter a sound. They knew very well that Ancestor Li Hongchen was a man of his word.
With no other choice, the three of them followed the ancestors out of the Qilin Realm and came to the Tianlong Palace in the Tianlong Realm.
On the steps of the Tianlong Palace, the ancestors stopped and turned around.
"Hao'er, your divine arts are now complete. Today, we, your old ancestors, will do one last thing for you, and then the three of you will leave the Tianlong Realm."
"What? Old Ancestors, you're driving us away?"
"That's right! Our Qilin Realm and Swallowing Heaven Realm are right here, and this is our home. You can't just tell us to leave and expect us to go."
Ancestor Gu Jian smiled faintly. He waved his hand toward the sky, and a palace flashed into view in the firmament.
When Gu Hao, Lin Xiaotian, and Tun Xiaotian looked up, they exclaimed, "The Heavenly God Palace!"
The aura of the Heavenly God Palace gave them a deeply familiar feeling.
"The three of you will go into secluded cultivation in the Heavenly God Palace for one year. Once your seclusion ends, you will leave. From then on, you must rely on yourselves to make your way in the world."
With that, Ancestor Gu Jian waved his sleeve, and Gu Hao, Lin Xiaotian, and Tun Xiaotian were sent directly into the Heavenly God Palace.
Li Hongchen rubbed his hands and said, "Ha! These little rascals can finally stand on their own two feet. It's time for us to head back too."
At that moment, Ancestors An Ran and Zhao Guimei stepped out from the void.
"All three of those little fellows have gone in."
"Ah, Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, they're in. They'll come out of seclusion in a year."
"Good."
An Lan said to Zhao Guimei, "Sixth Sister, why did you come over as well?"
"Oh, Eldest Brother, I've already sent Yan'er back to Kunlun Mountain. I reckon Gu Lingyu and Yan'er have already set off for Zhongzhou."
"It seems the Gu Clan of the Hong Realm is about to experience another bloody storm."
"It is indeed time to properly settle accounts with that Hong Realm Gu Clan."
"Very well, brothers. Fifth Sister and I still need to go prepare some things so we can give them to Hao'er when he comes out of seclusion."
"Right, right, right. Let's all go make preparations."
Inside the Heavenly God Palace, the three of them practiced cultivation and quiet meditation.
Their auras were rich and potent, and their bodies radiated golden light.
Gu Hao felt the universe within his sea of Dantian continuously expanding, and a palace grew within it. Hanging upon the palace was a plaque bearing the inscription: Longxuan Heavenly Palace.
This palace was unimaginably magnificent, a sight rarely seen in this world.
Just as he was admiring his own palace, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Not bad at all. Eighteen years have passed, and you brat have actually cultivated to become a Heavenly Venerable of the Mortal Realm."
"Who are you?" Gu Hao suddenly remembered. When he was born, a system had bound itself to him. For so many years, the system had remained completely dormant, and he had almost forgotten all about it.
"Are you that so-called Over-Limit System? How is it that you're coming back to life now? I thought you were dead."
"Pbah! Is that any way to talk?"
"Isn't what I said the truth? Ever since you bound yourself to me, there hasn't been a single peep. Now that you see I've reached the Heavenly Venerable realm, you show up. What on earth are you trying to do?"
"Kid, don't be ungrateful. I am the most formidable existence in the universe! If I claim to be second, no one dares to claim first. Having me accompany you is your good fortune."
"Good fortune my foot! Tell me, what is a system like you actually for? You're not just here to play games with me, are you?"
The system projected all of its functions directly into his mind.
When Gu Hao looked at them, he gasped, "Good grief! Is this for real? If it's true, didn't I just strike gold?"
The Over-Limit System not only possessed a powerful cultivation system, but also pill-refining, artifact-refining, and various other randomized functions, every single one of them powerful to a degree rarely seen in the world. Furthermore, it possessed a storage function so immense that its capacity was equivalent to an entire universe.
Even more terrifyingly, you didn't even need to cultivate yourself; the Over-Limit System could automatically cultivate for you or directly instill cultivation base into you for an instant boost, with zero restrictions.
"Do you know how powerful I am now?"
"Indeed, powerful, formidable! With a system like you, who in this world is there for me to fear? Oh, right—what did you mean just now when you said my cultivation realm is a Mortal Realm Heavenly Venerable?"
"This universal world is divided into three realms: Mortal, Immortal, and Divine. The Mortal Realm is the lowest, and your current Heavenly Venerable realm is the Heavenly Venerable of this Mortal Realm. Moreover, there is only one Heavenly Venerable across the Mortal, Immortal, and Divine realms. This lofty cultivation realm exists entirely independently of the cultivation systems of the three realms. You could say that within the three realms, you are an invincible existence."
"Ah, so that's how it is."
Joy blossomed in Gu Hao's heart. The Over-Limit System was undoubtedly his most powerful trump card.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian felt a tremor ripple through the Heavenly God Palace, and then a beam of light shot directly into each of their bodies.
The two of them looked into their own seas of Dantian, and their jaws dropped.
"Qilin Realm, Qilin Palace!"
"Swallowing Heaven Realm, Swallowing Heaven Palace!"
They looked at each other in astonishment. "What is going on?"
An aged voice resounded in their ears: "I have moved the Qilin Realm and the Swallowing Heaven Realm into your respective bodies. From now on, take your worlds and accompany your master to roam and conquer the universe!"
Hearing this, smiles bloomed on their faces. They closed their eyes slightly, sensing the Qilin Realm and the Swallowing Heaven Realm within them.
Inside the Qilin Realm and the Swallowing Heaven Realm, the hundred Qilin divine guards and the hundred Swallowing Heaven guards felt not the slightest disturbance; the minor worlds had already been seamlessly moved into the bodies of Lin Xiaotian and Tun Xiaotian.
With a flash of their divine thoughts, the two entered the Qilin Realm and the Swallowing Heaven Realm respectively.
Upon seeing Lin Xiaotian, the Qilin divine guards immediately bowed in salute, "Greetings, Young Master."
"At ease."
When Tun Xiaotian entered the Swallowing Heaven Palace, he didn't find any anomalies; instead, he felt that the grade of the Swallowing Heaven Palace had risen considerably, giving it somewhat the feel of an immortal palace. The Swallowing Heaven guards saw Tun Xiaotian and saluted, "Greetings, Young Master."
"At ease. Did any of you feel anything just now?"
The Swallowing Heaven guards were somewhat baffled by Tun Xiaotian's question. "Young Master, what kind of feeling? We didn't feel anything. Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, just asking casually."
The two of them stepped out from their respective worlds, looked at each other, and burst into hearty laughter.