Chapter 722 The Ancient Clan Chief's Favor

Before the afterglow of the bloodline awakening had completely dissipated, Xun'er had already stepped out of that dazzling golden light, without lingering in the center of the square.

She turned to Elder Tongxuan, who was still holding the Seven-Colored Heavenly Emperor's Brush, and said in a clear, gentle voice, "Elder, now that Xun'er's bloodline awakening ceremony is complete, we will not delay the other disciples' tests here."

As she finished speaking, she nodded slightly in greeting, her posture respectful yet lively.

The next second, her figure leaped up as lightly as a butterfly's wings lifted by the wind. As her clothes swept through the air, they brought up a faint golden glow. She was so light that she seemed to be untouched by dust. In the blink of an eye, she reached the edge of the stands and landed steadily back on the seat next to Xiao Ling.

As Elder Tongxuan watched the girl's graceful figure disappear into the distance, the warmth of the Heavenly Emperor's Brush still lingered on his fingertips. He couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, his aged eyes filled with undisguised amusement. He murmured, "This girl is still as decisive as ever, but she's a little too clingy to Xiao Ling."

After saying that, he shook his head slightly, looked away, and raised his hand to signal the clansmen waiting behind him to continue the bloodline test.

Seeing Xun'er's slender figure fall back to his side, Xiao Ling's smile deepened. He turned his head to look at the seven-colored light that had disappeared from her forehead, and his tone was full of teasing laughter: "Hehe, as expected of my Xun'er, once this divine bloodline awakens, it has nailed the eyes of all the ancient races around her. She is really amazing."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan beside him turned to Xun'er, his expression more solemn than Xiao Ling's, his eyes filled with genuine joy, "Congratulations, cousin Xun'er, on successfully awakening your divine bloodline. Such talent is unmatched in the entire Dou Qi Continent."

Xun'er first nodded slightly to Xiao Yan, a faint smile appearing in her clear eyes, and said in a gentle voice, "Thank you for your congratulations, Cousin Xiao Yan."

After saying that, she turned to look at Xiao Ling, who was smiling beside her, and her expression became more affectionate. "Brother Xiao Ling, please don't tease Xun'er. Even if Xun'er has awakened a divine bloodline, she is still not as good as Brother Xiao Ling."

Even though Xun'er had lost the terrifying commotion she had when she awakened her bloodline, she was still the absolute focus of everyone's attention.

Although other ancient clan disciples stepped forward to awaken their bloodlines, few people truly paid attention to the commotion in front of the star chart. Countless gazes crossed the square, some openly, some secretly, focusing on a corner of the stands, firmly locking onto the girl who had just awakened her divine bloodline.

No one expected that the ancient goddess who had been looking down on all living beings in the pillar of light would now be completely devoid of any aloofness. When she looked at Xiao Ling beside her, her eyes were filled with soft light, and even her tone of voice had a touch of girlishness.

This stark contrast drew envious whispers from the crowd, all revolving around Xiao Ling, and even the air itself seemed to be thick with envy.

However, the gazes and discussions that filled the room seemed to go unnoticed by Xun'er and Xiao Ling.

The two chatted quietly, their bodies turned to the side, their posture intimate yet proper, their eyes full of relaxed smiles, as if the surrounding noise had become a background irrelevant to them.

……

Xun'er's awakening of her divine bloodline exploded in the square like a thunderclap. The subsequent awakening ceremonies of other clan members were like tea that had been diluted, failing to arouse any interest from the crowd.

Even the ancient clansmen who had been intently watching around the square had their gazes scattered, their minds still on the golden pillar of light that had pierced through heaven and earth.

Elder Tongxuan, who had previously drawn the seven-colored clan pattern for Xun'er, was already pale from the excessive consumption of his battle qi. Seeing that the atmosphere in the room had faded, he did not linger any longer. He whispered a few words to the elders beside him about the follow-up matters, then, holding the still faintly glowing seven-colored Heavenly Emperor Brush, he turned and left the room with a slightly unsteady figure, entrusting the remaining bloodline test tasks to the other elders.

After observing the bloodline awakenings of several ancient clan disciples, I noticed that the light patterns on the star charts were mostly dim fourth or fifth grade, with none reaching the seventh grade. They were utterly unremarkable, and it was difficult to find any highlights worth lingering over.

With the envious, inquisitive, or scrutinizing gazes constantly fixed on him, Xiao Ling lost all desire to linger.

He turned his head to look at Xun'er beside him, his voice lowered slightly: "It seems there's nothing else worth watching, Xun'er, shall we leave?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xun'er nodded gently in response to Xiao Ling's suggestion, a faint smile appearing in her clear eyes. "I'll do whatever Brother Xiao Ling says."

After receiving the reply, Xiao Ling raised his eyes and waved to Mang Tianchi on the other side of the stands as a greeting, then turned to signal to Xiao Yan.

The three moved in perfect unison, without disturbing too many people, and quietly left their seats along the stone steps on the side of the stands, their figures quickly disappearing into the tree-lined path leading to the core residential area of ​​the ancient clan...

……

Inside a council hall of an ancient clan, the candlelight flickered with a warm yellow glow, casting a play of light and shadow on the scene within.

Beside the spacious council table, more than a dozen elderly figures sat upright. The subtle fighting spirit surging between their robes made the air seem somewhat stagnant, and a somber and solemn atmosphere slowly flowed through the hall.

Elder Tongxuan sat at the head of the long table, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface. His gaze swept over everyone present, and he was the first to break the silence.

"The main purpose of gathering you all today is to discuss the opening of the Heavenly Tomb. As you all know, there are only sixteen places available for entry into the Heavenly Tomb, and the eight ancient clans originally each received two. However, since no one from the Spirit Clan has come this time, the two vacant places will belong to our Ancient Clan according to the rules. In this way, our clan can hold four places."

As soon as he finished speaking, an elder with a slender face on his right spoke softly, his tone tinged with concern: "But the clan has already selected six people to enter the Heavenly Tomb for training. So, we are still short two spots."

“Haven’t the quotas for the Xiao clan been used by our clan all these years? With these two, we can make a total of six.” Elder Gu Qian raised his eyes, exchanged glances with the elders beside him, and slowly spoke.

"That's true, but this time the Xiao Clan sent Xiao Ling, and he brought along Xiao Yan, who is relatively unknown. If we reserve spots for both of them, our clan will probably only be able to get four in the end."

Another elder frowned slightly, his tone hesitant, clearly dissatisfied with the sudden appearance of "Xiao Yan".

"The Xiao clan has long since declined and its strength has long since fallen out of the ranks of ancient races, so it is perfectly reasonable to take back its spot."

At this moment, the white-haired Elder Gushan slowly spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.
"However, Xiao Ling's talent is quite good. Judging from his aura today, he has the potential to break through to the Dou Sheng realm. Moreover, he has a close relationship with Miss Xun'er. Giving him a spot to maintain this relationship wouldn't hurt. As for that Xiao Yan, he's just a Dou Zun. There's no need to give him a spot. We'll send someone to communicate with Xiao Ling later. With his intelligence, he should be able to understand the choice."

Everyone in the hall knew that Elder Gu Shan had previously disliked Xiao Ling because of the close relationship between Xun'er and Xiao Ling. However, after witnessing Xiao Ling's strength and potential today, his opinion changed slightly. After all, even the Gu Clan was unwilling to offend such a genius who was expected to advance to the Dou Sheng realm, especially since this person had a close relationship with their young lady.

But Elder Gu Shan showed no courtesy whatsoever towards Xiao Yan. An ordinary Dou Zun was not even considered top-tier among the younger generation of the Gu Clan, so it was naturally not worth sacrificing the opportunities of other members of the clan for him. He would never budge on the chance to secure an extra spot for a prodigy of the Gu Clan.

Upon hearing Gu Shan's words, many elders in the hall nodded slowly. Their thoughts were exactly the same as Gu Shan's. Giving Xiao Ling a spot was for the sake of friendship and the future, which was reasonable. However, Xiao Yan was insignificant, and there was no need to waste precious Heavenly Tomb spots on him.

However, just as the elders were whispering and deliberating over the allocation of the spots, a calm yet penetrating voice suddenly rang out in the hall, instantly drowning out all the quiet conversations and silencing the somewhat noisy hall.

"The quota for entering the Heavenly Tomb is a right that the Xiao Clan deserves. Our clan previously used the Xiao Clan's quota and benefited greatly from it. Now that two members of the Xiao Clan have come, we should return the quota and not dwell on this matter too much."

As soon as he finished speaking, a very faint ripple suddenly appeared in the void in the center of the hall, like a calm lake being touched by a fingertip.

The next moment, a figure appeared out of thin air and stood quietly in front of the long table. He was wearing a plain white long robe that had been washed until it was almost white. The fabric was simple and unadorned, and even the hem of the robe had a few barely noticeable signs of wear.

His face was ordinary, without any of the fierce aura of a strong person. His aura was as calm as a clear spring. If he were thrown into a crowd, he would be submerged in the blink of an eye. Anyone who saw him would just think he was an ordinary mortal.

But when this person appeared in the hall, the elders who had been sitting and discussing matters just moments before suddenly stood up and left their seats, as if drawn by an invisible force.

Elder Tongxuan lost his previous composure, and Elder Gushan also shed some of his arrogance. Everyone bowed and lowered their heads, their tone filled with undisguised respect: "Greetings, Clan Chief!"

The visitor's identity was clearly revealed from the respectful bows of the elders; he was none other than Gu Yuan, the current patriarch of the ancient clan.

"Elders, please rise." Gu Yuan raised his hand in a gesture of support, his tone as calm as if discussing ordinary family matters, devoid of any of the clan leader's imposing authority, yet causing everyone in the hall to unconsciously breathe a sigh of relief. Once everyone was seated again, he slowly spoke, his gaze sweeping across the long table:

“My ancient clan and the Xiao clan have been close friends for thousands of years. Although the Xiao clan is no longer as glorious as it once was, the friendship that Xiao Xuan and I made back then cannot be forgotten.”

His fingertips lightly touched the edge of the table, his voice carrying a hint of melancholy:

“Now that his descendants have come to the Ancient Clan, I should let them meet their descendants. The Xiao Clan already has a spot to enter the Heavenly Tomb, so his descendants should have a chance to try. As an ancient clan, our Ancient Clan has no need to lose the dignity passed down from our Dou Di ancestors for the sake of these two mere spots.”

Seeing that the clan leader had already spoken and set the tone, the elders in the hall exchanged glances and then stopped discussing.

This was originally a minor matter concerning the number of training slots for the clan's members, and it didn't require the clan leader, Gu Yuan, to personally decide on it. However, since the clan leader had already made his point, they naturally had no reason to object.

Elder Tongxuan stood up first, bowed respectfully to Gu Yuan, and said in an increasingly solemn tone: "Since the clan leader has given such instructions, then so be it. The two slots for the Xiao clan to enter the Heavenly Tomb will be given to Xiao Ling and Xiao Yan. I will send a disciple of the clan to inform the two of this matter shortly."

After giving the instructions, Gu Yuan did not intend to linger there any longer.

He nodded slightly to the elders in the hall, and his figure faded away like smoke blown away by the wind. In an instant, he left the council hall, leaving only a faint trace of his presence to prove that he had been there.

In fact, he never intended to personally handle such a trivial matter as allocating training slots.

The ancient clan has a profound heritage, and the clan elders are capable of handling such matters. There is no need for the clan patriarch, who is extremely busy, to personally intervene.

But today, in the plaza where bloodline awakening took place, Gu Yuan witnessed Xiao Ling firsthand, and the talent that the young man displayed was truly undeniable.

With his peak nine-star Dou Sheng cultivation and the keen perception of his Emperor Realm soul, Xiao Ling's current situation was completely exposed to him.

He could see clearly that Xiao Ling was now not far from the Dou Sheng realm. This progress in cultivation was astonishing among the younger generation of the entire Dou Qi Continent.

What's even more remarkable is that Xiao Ling has relied entirely on his own hard work to get where he is today, unlike the disciples of the ancient clans who have powerful forces behind them constantly supplying resources and paving the way for them.

This rapid growth, achieved without external assistance, truly surprised Gu Yuan and made him appreciate Xiao Ling even more.

That's why Gu Yuan personally made this trip to specifically confirm the quota for entering the Heavenly Tomb.

He knew the temperament of these elders in the clan all too well. Although they were devoted to the ancient clan, they were still quite calculating when it came to the allocation of quotas. They might even put Xiao Ling in a difficult position in order to secure opportunities for their own clan members.

He had always thought highly of Xiao Ling, so he naturally didn't want Xiao Ling to be hindered by such a trivial matter. Therefore, he simply made a detour to the council hall to explain the matter clearly and put an end to the elders' subsequent entanglement.

Moreover, Gu Yuan didn't really care about these quotas for entering the Heavenly Tomb.

The Heavenly Tomb has been controlled by the ancient clans for many years. He has been studying the Heavenly Tomb for so many years that he has gained an extremely profound understanding of its rules and mysteries.

If he really wanted to manipulate the quota, with his own strength as a peak nine-star Dou Sheng, he could easily stuff someone into the Heavenly Tomb with just a few tricks, so he didn't need to worry too much about this matter.

"Alright, everyone disperse." Only after Gu Yuan's figure had completely disappeared did Elder Tongxuan withdraw his gaze and resume his duties in the hall. His tone carried a hint of admonition, "Recently, the Ancient Realm has invited many powerful figures from outside the world to open the Heavenly Tomb. You should all keep an eye on the movements of your clans and make sure that these outsiders do not interfere with the daily lives of the ancient clan's descendants."

"Yes."

The elders in the hall responded in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized.

Then everyone rose, nodded slightly to Elder Tongxuan, and turned to leave slowly along the passageways on either side of the hall. The once solemn council hall quickly returned to its usual tranquility. (End of Chapter)