Chapter Eighty-One: Entering the Dao Palace Realm

“Your Majesty, I must apologize. I have been secluded in recent times, so I am unaware of the events at the Tang Prince's Residence. In the past, I always trusted Uncle Hao, but the family head then thought differently. If Uncle Hao wishes to return to his ancestral home, I have no objection whatsoever.”

Tang Tianchi understood the gravity of the Tang family's mistake. As the current head, he never truly regretted Tang Hao's departure, but witnessing Chu Han's strength now filled him with real remorse. Had Tang Hao not left, Chu Han would surely have served the Tang Prince's Residence, perhaps making it the most powerful force in the entire Great Chu. The boost to the Tang Prince's Residence would have been immeasurable; now, his regret was deep indeed.

"Uncle Hao, the Tang Prince's Residence owes you for what happened in the past. Let me take you to the ancestral hall to restore your place in the family."

With that, Tang Hao followed Tang Tianchi. Chu Han, worried, wanted to go along, but was stopped by Duanmu Meng’er. “Don’t fret. With His Majesty here, Tang Tianchi wouldn’t dare harm your father.”

Hearing her words, Chu Han quietly nodded, agreeing that her reasoning was sound, and did not press further. The emperor said nothing more, but leaned in to whisper a few words to Duanmu Meng’er, then ordered the young eunuch to depart, taking the troops with him.

“Chu Han, once matters here are settled, head to the palace to receive your reward. Tang Yuan wants to transfer Tang Hao’s reward to Tang Feng, but the emperor is already aware, so you need not worry. Just enter the palace with the young prince when the time comes.”

Duanmu Meng’er instructed him, then looked at Chu Han with a complicated expression. Chu Han was impassive, neither happy nor sad, his thoughts unreadable.

Chu Han glanced at her, wanting to speak but ultimately saying nothing, merely waving his hand. Duanmu Meng’er was surprised, but followed the departing group.

He had intended to ask her about the Hongmeng Realm, but realized she likely wouldn’t tell him the truth, so asking would be pointless.

“Chu Han, I must return to the palace. You’ll be coming in a few days yourself; then we can talk properly.”

Ye Tingyu departed as well. Seeing that Chu Han was unharmed, he relaxed, sticking out his tongue at him playfully.

Chu Han surveyed the devastated scene, feeling a touch of melancholy. He had braced himself for a fierce battle, but the outcome was unexpected—even the emperor had arrived, and Tang Tianchi had acted wisely. That, at least, was fortunate.

For him, avoiding conflict was ideal. Offending the Tang Prince’s Residence would make things impossible for Tang Hao in Great Chu; sooner or later, they would have to leave, so he must ensure Tang Hao’s affairs were settled.

Later that night, Tang Hao returned with Tang Tianchi, and the two seemed to have enjoyed their conversation. Chu Han finally breathed easy.

“Han’er, let’s go. We’ll find a place to rest, and tomorrow we enter the palace to see His Majesty.”

Tang Hao patted Chu Han’s shoulder, deeply satisfied with his adopted son, who had risked his life to rescue him—a gesture few would make.

Chu Han nodded, ready to leave with his father, but suddenly turned to Tang Tianchi. “I regret what happened at the Tang Prince’s Residence, but you must never harbor thoughts of harming my father or me. The consequences would be far beyond what you could bear.”

Tang Tianchi, threatened, could only force a bitter smile and nod. He had no desire to provoke Chu Han, lest the Tang Prince’s Residence suffer further devastation.

This time, Tang Yuan was dead, Tang Feng crippled, the elite masters slain, and the Tang Prince’s Residence had lost its military power—a severe blow. Now, it was time for the Tang Prince’s Residence to recuperate.

With his agreement, Chu Han was satisfied, and led his father and the young prince back to the inn where they had previously stayed. After settling the rooms, Chu Han returned to his own chamber.

He sensed an overwhelming power within, almost as if it would burst his body. He frowned; after so long, his true energy’s suppression had reached its limit. Now was the moment for his breakthrough.

With that thought, he closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. Countless streams of true energy surged wildly into his body, finally converging in his dantian.

His dantian was now filled to capacity, true energy beginning to overflow. If one were to describe Chu Han’s body at this moment, it was like a sieve, expelling vast amounts of impure energy.

Of course, only the impure energy was expelled, while the pure true energy remained within the dantian. The dantian now radiated a golden glow, growing ever richer, as though it would engulf Chu Han entirely.

Meanwhile, the jadeite hidden within the jade pendant was awakened by the light, regarding him with a half-smiling, half-serious expression. “Not bad, you broke through to the Dao Palace so quickly on your own strength. It seems I chose well; I hope you remain this formidable.”

Back at Mangdang Mountain, Jadeite thought he would die, but he miraculously survived. Jadeite knew nothing of the Immortal System; when she asked, Chu Han refused to answer, which only deepened her curiosity.

Still, now they shared common interests, so a little secrecy was harmless; after all, theirs was merely a transactional relationship. With that, Jadeite let the matter go.

Chu Han’s body was drenched in cold sweat, soaking his clothes, hair standing on end, blue lightning entwined about him in a most uncanny manner.

At that moment, Chu Han let out a loud shout, channeling the lightning energy into his dantian, where a tiny golden pill appeared—symbolizing entry into the Dao Palace realm. Chu Han had achieved this entirely on his own.

Previously, he had relied on medicinal pills to break through the Dao Palace, as did most people. But this time, Chu Han had depended solely on his own strength—a feat of immense difficulty, yet the benefits were countless.

His power now soared to one hundred fifty thousand jin; in terms of pure strength, he rivaled the experts of the Yin Realm. With his full abilities, Chu Han was now a match for even peak Dao Palace masters, and perhaps not even Zhang Yinshan could defeat him.

Moreover, upon entering the Dao Palace, his Infernal Gold Body underwent a qualitative transformation; his flesh was now as resilient as a second-tier magical beast, his defense unmatched. Coupled with his strength, few could best him without using true energy.

Chu Han opened his eyes, satisfied as he looked over his body. He stood, swung his fists, feeling the vast energy within. He had officially entered the first stage of the Dao Palace realm; now, even Duanmu Meng’er might not be able to keep pace with him.

If Duanmu Meng’er knew his thoughts, she might cough up blood in outrage. Chu Han was advancing, but so was she; if they were to duel again, the result might still be evenly matched.