Wang Yongzhi nearly blurted out in a lost voice, echoes resonating within the quiet mountainside.
The many elite figures of the Wang Family who followed them inside were all stunned for a moment, and then felt as if a chord had been struck at the bottom of their hearts, suddenly experiencing a quickening heartbeat.
Chong Er?
For the Wang Family, even the name of Haotian General wasn’t as resounding as this!
The crowd looked towards Li Hao in astonishment, their gazes immediately focusing on the Gold Paper.
Though the Gold Paper was only palm-sized, everyone present had such profound cultivation that they could count the number of legs on a fly a kilometer away, let alone the Gold Paper right before their eyes.
Name: Chong Er
Merit: 100100…
Their eyeballs nearly burst out in amazement—it really was him!
Chong Er, Li Hao was actually Chong Er?!
The crowd gaped slightly, looking at Li Hao in shock.
They had never imagined that the extremely mysterious Chong Er, who even declined to claim his title as a Divine General bestowed by His Majesty, turned out to be Li Hao, the one who caused so much upheaval!
But soon, like a flash of enlightenment piercing their minds, everyone had a dawning realization.
Oh… so that’s how it is, no wonder!
When the battle in Liangzhou erupted, Li Hao, alone, attracted the three Great Demon Kings and was driven to the Mo River across the border.
That Mo River was also mentioned in the Wang Family scrolls—the Dragon City Mo River, Youdu Level, difficulty: top-notch.
Clearly, Li Hao had returned unscathed not because he was a member of the Li family and protected by the obsession of Heroic Spirits, but because he had completed the Mo River challenge!
The timeline matched up.
“It really was you…”
Wang Yongzhi came back to his senses, staring at Li Hao with a face full of amazement.
Previously, when the Merit Treasure Vault opened, the name ‘Chong Er’ reverberated throughout the entire Dayu. They hadn’t failed to suspect Li Hao, but he had delayed showing himself, and the difficulty of the Dragon City Mo River was simply too high.
Ever since their Wang Family sacrificed many soldiers there without being able to overcome it, they reported it to His Majesty, and His Majesty reluctantly abandoned that stretch of territory by removing it from the border. Since then, they had stopped paying attention to that Mo River.
However, in the archived scrolls, that Mo River was one of the top five in difficulty among the dozens of Youdu Level Mo Rivers explored by the Wang Family.
Forced into ceding territory, it was clear how unsolvable it was.
The Saber Saint Li Xiaoran, after many years of attempts, had also not completed it. Although they suspected Li Hao, they eventually dismissed the idea.
After all, at that time, Li Hao was being hunted by the master of the Great Void Realm. As everyone entered the Mo River together, the difficulty would only increase, making it even less likely to complete the challenge.
But against all odds, the impossible had become possible.
And the evidence was irrefutable; the information on the Gold Paper about the Mo River would not deceive them. Currently, they didn’t know of any power that could influence the Mo River, unless it was like the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue brought from the Mo River, which might be able to affect it somehow.
“I knew it was him! When we discussed it initially, I said it was—who denied it? Who told me to come here? Stand up!” Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted loudly, a middle-aged man, his face flushed with excitement.
But the person next to him nudged him with an elbow, mouthing, “It was the Family Head and Uncle Feng.”
…
Two pairs of icy gazes swept over him simultaneously, and the middle-aged man’s fire was instantly doused. In the midst of the scorching summer, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, sweating.
“Well, it’s a bit crowded in here, I’m going to step outside to get some fresh air,” the middle-aged man said resentfully.
This remark, within the vast and empty mountain hall, was hardly persuasive, but nobody spoke.
He bowed to Li Hao: “Congratulations to Haotian General, oh no, I mean Haotian Divine General, congratulations, congratulations…”
Having said that, he really went outside to get some air.
When others heard his words, they showed not only shock on their faces but also a mix of complexities.
Indeed, a Divine General… this young man before them was no longer simply a General but equivalent to the founding Divine Generals of their five great Divine General Mansions!
With his own strength, he initiated the era of the Merit Treasure Vault and then heroically saved three provinces!
Two such astonishing acts of merit, combined in one person, it was hard to imagine what shockwaves would be set off in the outside world once Li Hao’s identity as Chong Er became known!
Among the crowd, Wang Zhenping, with his aged face, also showed a hint of astonishment.
Looking at the Gold Paper, his eyes squinting, he scrutinized it over and over, ensuring he was not mistaken.
Instantly, he thought of the words spoken earlier in the main hall, and his cheeks immediately burned with a sense of acute embarrassment.
Experience and intellect? The Wang Family’s experiences in the Mo River were indeed rich, harboring many secrets unknown to outsiders, such as the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue.
But while it might be alright to flaunt these things in front of others, discussing them before the person currently ranked first on the Merit List seemed a bit ludicrous and self-deprecating.
“Divine General?”
Li Hao, hearing the middle-aged man’s words, was a bit puzzled. The man was of the same generation as Wang Yongzhi and was unlikely to speak nonsense.
“You didn’t know?”
Wang Yongzhi looked at Li Hao in surprise, then suddenly realized:
“No wonder you didn’t go to the court to claim it. His Majesty said he would reward you with the title of Divine General. The impact of opening the Merit Treasure Vault has been too profound, with an extremely significant influence on Dayu’s future. It has not only helped us solve the challenge of cleansing the Mo River but has also raised the limits of Martial Artists—truly a benefit for generations to come.”
Li Hao blinked, he was to be given the title of Divine General?
Such a great honor, and he hadn’t known?
But then again, he had just returned, so this matter would probably be considered old news by now. Moreover, no one knew his identity.
“Apart from the title of Divine General, is there any other reward?” Li Hao asked curiously.
Wang Yongzhi paused, then said, “There might be… yeah, something else. You’ll probably have to see His Majesty to know the specifics of the rewards.”