Moonlit Oath, Journey Ahead

The Wenying Pavilion inauguration ceremony was held as scheduled three days later.

The venue was the family's newly completed Yinghua Hall. It was a seven-story octagonal tower with upturned eaves and intricate brackets, built entirely from azure jade rock and gleaming with a warm luster beneath the autumn sun.

The plaza before the hall was nearly filled with every prominent figure in the family. Supreme Elder Li Yunming, the elders of Heaven Hall, the supervisors of Earth Hall, the heads of every department, and the specially invited representatives of the Dongyue Clan—all had gathered. Elder Dongyue Qingxuan had come with several young geniuses from the Dongyue Family.

The six members of Wenying Pavilion stood atop the platform before the hall, dressed in specially tailored moon-white uniforms. Golden phoenix patterns were embroidered along their cuffs and lapels. Behind them stood thirty-six "reserve pavilion members"—family descendants between the ages of twelve and sixteen who had already displayed the potential to become Titled Douluo.

Ye Qi stood at the very front of the reserve ranks. The eleven-year-old boy stood straight and tall, his eyes shining with longing. Beside him were Li Xuanchang, Li Xuanmeng, Li Xuanyan, and the rest of the young geniuses.

"The auspicious hour has arrived—"

The master of ceremonies called out, and the bell rang nine times.

Li Yuanhui stepped onto the platform and unfurled a gilded decree. "Our Li Family has stood for four hundred years, passing down its flame through the generations and producing countless outstanding talents. Today, we establish Wenying Pavilion to gather the family's finest and cultivate pillars of strength. All who enter this pavilion must take the family's fate as their own, cultivate diligently without cease, and bravely scale the highest peaks..."

Once the decree had been read, Li Lexuan slowly stepped forward. The newly