Signed In at the Dou Qi Pavilion!

Before long, Xiao Tian finally came to his senses, a wry smile tugging at his lips. He was clearly surprised by the result.

Still, since he'd been handed an elder's position for free, he naturally wasn't going to turn it down.

After all, elders wielded considerable authority within the Xiao Clan.

And with this position, his words would carry quite a bit of weight in the clan from now on.

"Xiao Tian, we'll have another honored guest arriving tomorrow. Get ready, and come welcome them with me. Be sure to mind your manners," Xiao Zhan said with a cheerful smile. Then he rose and left the meeting hall.

Xiao Tian nodded slightly, then left the Xiao Clan's hall as well and headed for the Dou Qi Pavilion.

The Dou Qi Pavilion was the Xiao Clan's most important place. It housed all kinds of cultivation methods and combat skills, covering a vast range and serving as the clan's most valuable resource. Under normal circumstances, no one but the Clan Leader and a few elders could enter. It only opened temporarily after the Xiao Clan's coming-of-age ceremony.

Gazing at the ancient pavilion before him, Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes, then strode inside.

"Stop!"

Just as Xiao Tian was about to enter the Dou Qi Pavilion, the two guards at the entrance blocked his way.

"Do you think someone like you can come here? Get lost!"

One of the guards looked at Xiao Tian with contempt, his gaze brimming with scorn and disdain.

They had heard about Xiao Tian's stunning performance at the testing square the day before, but deep down, they still looked down on him and refused to accept him.

After all, who would willingly accept that a worthless nobody, whom everyone had despised, could suddenly surpass them and perhaps even rise to a position they could only look up to?

Looking at the arrogant guards, Xiao Tian let out a cold laugh. Over the years, because he hadn't been able to cultivate Dou Qi, countless people had bullied him without restraint. Whenever he ran into these guys, they would provoke, humiliate, and make things difficult for him.

But things were different now. He was an elder of the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Tian glanced at the two men, took out his Elder Token, and said coolly, "Take a good look. This is an Elder Token. Am I qualified to enter now?"

Seeing the Elder Token that represented his status, both guards stiffened. Their arrogant postures vanished in an instant.

But the doubt on their faces only grew.

The Elder Token was genuine, but how had it ended up in Xiao Tian's hands?

The two looked at each other, completely at a loss.

Before either of them could question him, Xiao Tian had already strode into the Dou Qi Pavilion.

The first thing that caught his eye inside the pavilion was the pair of stone pillars before the entrance. A transparent crystal orb sat between them.

Usually, clan members entering the Dou Qi Pavilion only had to place a hand on the orb to determine their attributes, then take the passage suited to them.

Of course, the Clan Leader and elders could enter directly through a special passage.

A moment later, Xiao Tian emerged from the special passage on the highest floor of the Dou Qi Pavilion. They said the Xiao Clan's most advanced cultivation methods and combat skills were kept there.

However, the doorway on this floor was protected by the strongest defensive barrier. He would have to break through it to enter.

Xiao Tian eyed the barrier. The abundant Dou Qi within him surged, and he suddenly threw a punch.

BANG!

In almost an instant, a single Mountain Splitting Fist shattered the defensive barrier.

The crash instantly alerted the guards near the Dou Qi Pavilion. Even the hidden guards stationed around it were startled by the commotion.

If they hadn't seen Xiao Tian, a member of the clan, enter the pavilion with their own eyes, they might have thought a thief had broken in.

At that moment, a white-haired elder inside the Dou Qi Pavilion was roused by the noise. He hurried to the spot where the defensive barrier had been attacked to investigate.

When he arrived, he caught sight of Xiao Tian just stepping inside, and his face filled with astonishment.

This was where the Xiao Clan kept its highest-level combat skills and cultivation methods!

At the same time, Xiao Tian's gaze settled on a stone platform about half a zhang wide in the room. An ancient scroll lay atop it.

"Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique—Lion Mountain Split. Heh."

Looking at the golden-yellow manual on the platform, Xiao Tian murmured with a smile.

This was one of the Xiao Clan's most powerful combat skills. Its might was overwhelming, and once mastered, it was like a collapsing mountain—unstoppable.

They said that in the Xiao Clan, only the Clan Leader, Xiao Zhan, could wield this technique proficiently, and only by combining it with the Profound-tier cultivation method, Raging Lion's Wrath.

After a casual glance, Xiao Tian picked up the combat skill and, while he was at it, claimed his system's sign-in reward for the day.

"System, sign in at the Dou Qi Pavilion!"

[Beep!]

[Sign-in successful. Congratulations, host! You have received: Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique—Snowfall in the Human World]

[Automatically comprehended]

Snowfall in the Human World, a Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique, was an Ice Attribute combat skill that had been lost for a long time. When cultivated to its peak, its attacks could transform into countless snowflakes drifting down from the sky, beautiful as falling snow yet filled with killing intent. At its peak, its icy chill could freeze anything.

After reading the description on the system panel in his mind, Xiao Tian paused. He hadn't expected another Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique.

Still, Snowfall in the Human World sounded elegant and graceful, but its offensive power didn't seem particularly impressive, which left Xiao Tian a little disappointed. It would, however, be a good choice for clearing out mobs.

Xiao Tian then left the Dou Qi Pavilion and went to register.

In the Xiao Clan, anyone who took a cultivation method or combat skill from the Dou Qi Pavilion had to register it. Otherwise, it was considered theft. The punishment ranged from confinement to being expelled from the clan.

After all, these cultivation methods and combat skills were the foundation of the entire Xiao Clan and had to be carefully guarded.

Following the rules, Xiao Tian carried the scroll to the registration desk.

The white-haired elder was already seated beside it, staring intently at the scroll on the table. His mind was full of shock:

"This is the Xiao Clan's most powerful combat skill. How could this young fellow have broken the defensive barrier and taken it?"

Despite his astonishment, the elder followed the rules. He promptly registered Xiao Tian's scroll and sternly reminded him:

"Young fellow, you know the rules. Any cultivation method or combat skill taken from the Dou Qi Pavilion must stay within the clan's territory. It must be returned intact after one year, without any damage!"

Xiao Tian nodded, but smiled as he replied:

"No need to wait a year. I'll return it intact in three days, once I've mastered it."

With that, Xiao Tian headed straight out of the Dou Qi Pavilion, leaving the white-haired elder dumbfounded.

"This young fellow..."

Remembering the confidence in Xiao Tian's voice, the white-haired elder was struck by its sheer certainty. Who had given him the nerve to boast that he could master a Profound-tier High-grade Dou Technique—Lion Mountain Split—in three days?

When Xiao Tian left the Dou Qi Pavilion and reached the Xiao Clan's square, he saw that the people were looking at him with complicated expressions. Quite a few seemed to want to say something but couldn't bring themselves to.

Clearly, they had just heard that he'd become the Xiao Clan's Second Elder.

Xiao Tian was quite pleased to have been handed the position of Second Elder out of nowhere. After all, the position had already quieted much of the noise around him.

Ignoring the looks from the others in the square, Xiao Tian smiled faintly, walked over, picked up a bamboo broom, and continued with his menial sweeping work.

What he hadn't expected was that before he could even start, two young clan members hurried over with their heads bowed, picked up the bamboo broom, and began doing the menial work for him.

Xiao Tian remembered their faces well. Of all the people who had mocked and cursed him in the past, these two had been the most vicious.

Now that Xiao Tian had made a comeback and become the Second Elder, the two were panicking, afraid he'd come after them for revenge.

"Brother... have you seen Xun'er?"

Just then, as Xiao Tian was privately enjoying the two men's uneasy expressions, he suddenly heard an anxious, flustered voice.

He turned around and saw Xiao Yan rushing over, his face full of worry and concern.