If Tang Xiao were to actually compete with Qi Ling in terms of Soul Power, he might have the advantage, since as Titled Douluo, he might not necessarily lose to Qi Ling in terms of raw strength.
Unfortunately, Qi Ling's greatest strength right now is his aura. The Wrath of the Son of Heaven is unstoppable, and it's impossible to overwhelm Qi Ling with sheer force of will.
After some probing, Tang Xiao had abandoned his underestimation. Qi Ling represented his second brother, and he couldn't possibly drive Qi Ling out; otherwise, wouldn't that be tantamount to driving Tang Hao out as well?
The next second, Tang Xiao had already withdrawn his aura, and Qi Ling's domineering aura also dissipated like flowing water.
"Very well, it seems I did underestimate you," Tang Xiao said. "Since Tang San voluntarily acknowledged you as his elder brother, and my second brother has no objections, let's put this matter aside for now."
Hearing Tang Xiao say this, Tang Yuehua and Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't want to see the two of them actually fight.
"Then, Tang San, tell me why you've come to my Clear Sky Sect!" Tang Xiao continued.
Immediately afterwards, Tang San kowtowed three times to Tang Xiao, explaining his purpose of atoning for his father's sins. Although Tang Xiao looked furious, everyone could see that he was just all bark and no bite, and that he didn't really have much hatred for Tang Hao and Tang San.
Upon receiving the two sect Soul Bone from Tang San and learning that Tang Hao had severed an arm and a leg for this purpose, Tang Xiao was deeply shaken and overwhelmed with emotion. As the leader of a sect, he even shed two lines of tears.
"Brother Hao, why did he do this to himself!" Tang Xiao said, his voice trembling. "I never blamed him for what happened back then..."
Seeing Tang Xiao's behavior, Qi Ling felt that he had some sense of responsibility, at least he wasn't completely heartless.
Afterwards, Tang Xiao instructed Tang Yuehua to arrange Tang San's ancestral recognition ceremony the following day, and at the same time, he accepted the two Soul Bone.
"But, brother, shouldn't you inform the elders first? What if they..." Tang Yuehua said worriedly.
Tang Xiao waved his hand at her and said, "There's no need to do that. You just need to prepare. I know what I'm doing."
Then, Tang Xiao turned to Tang San and Qi Ling and said, " Tang San, you must remember, the Clear Sky Sect is different from other places. Here, etiquette is useless. If you want everyone to accept you, you can only rely on your strength!"
"At tomorrow's ancestral recognition ceremony, you only need to do two things: be firm and be sincere! Perhaps, tomorrow we really need you, the eldest brother, to do something."
"Oh? I'm in charge?" Qi Ling was immediately delighted to hear that she had something to do. "Great! Sect Master Tang Xiao, just tell me, what do you need me to do?"
Tang Xiao said, "It's very simple. The elders are all focused on making the sect better, so as long as you demonstrate strong capabilities, they will naturally allow you to pass the ritual."
" Tang San, during tomorrow's ceremony, the elders will definitely try to make things difficult for you, but as long as you demonstrate your worth, even if you fail their test, they will still agree to let you be recognized as a member of their clan."
Tang San nodded earnestly and said, "Yes, Uncle, I understand."
"As for you, Qi Ling, besides Tang San's own strength, you are his bargaining chip!" Tang Xiao said. "So there's only one thing you need to do tomorrow, and that is to be arrogant! Be arrogant enough to make everyone acknowledge your strength, and you'll have succeeded."
Tang Xiao said this because Qi Ling's strength was astonishing during the earlier probing, and the elders would often compromise as long as the sect could gain benefits.
This was exactly what Qi Ling wanted to do. These elders were actually the main reason for Qi Ling's dissatisfaction with the Clear Sky Sect, because they allowed Tang San to return simply because of his strength, not because of blood ties.
This kind of direct consideration of interests undoubtedly makes people feel very cold-blooded. If Tang San really didn't have any strength, they would really expel Tang San from the sect and even prevent him from worshipping in the ancestral hall.
Since this has turned from a family reunion into an exchange of interests, there's nothing more to say; we'll just have to conquer them with our own strength.
That night, after settling the two men in, Tang Yuehua said to them, " Qi Ling, Tang San, perhaps you think what your elder brother said today is a bit of an exaggeration, but that's how things are in the Clear Sky Sect."
"Although the elders are old-fashioned, they have always prioritized the sect. Only those with strong fists have enough say! Back then, the eldest and second eldest brothers' positions in the sect were entirely earned through fighting. Anyone who disagreed was beaten until they submitted!"
"So, Qi Ling, if you can really defeat everyone tomorrow and convince all the elders, even if you're gone, they will still actively try to bring Xiao San back to the sect, all for the sake of having such a powerful ally."
"Huh? Such a good thing?" Qi Ling laughed. "It's a pity I'm not a member of the Clear Sky Sect, otherwise, wouldn't the next sect leader be my for the taking?"
"But it's pretty much the same now. Once the Xiao San returns, naturally no one will be his match. Who else but him will be the next sect leader?"
Tang Yuehua couldn't help but laugh, "You, you, Tang San hasn't even returned to the sect yet, and you're already eyeing the sect leader's position for him? You're quite the domineering older brother."
"The position of sect leader should belong to the most capable person," Qi Ling said with a smile. "Teacher Tang, to be honest, please don't mind, but today I found all the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect unworthy of my attention! The only one in the entire Clear Sky Sect who dares to call himself a hero is my brother, Tang San!"
Tang Yuehua wanted to get angry after hearing Qi Ling's words, but she had to admit that what Qi Ling said was true. Although the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were excellent, they were still far inferior to Tang San.
More importantly, perhaps because the sect has been closed off for too long, these disciples of the Clear Sky Sect lack something crucial: the spirit of striving and passion to lead the sect forward!
After twenty years of seclusion, not only have these disciples lost their edge, but even their elder brother's sharpness has long been worn away. Even if the Clear Sky Sect re-emerges in the future, the people who can revive the sect will definitely not be them.
On the other hand, Tang San is full of vigor and ambition. More importantly, perhaps because he is often influenced by Qi Ling, Tang San's ambitions are also vast.
A year ago, when Tang Yuehua first saw Qi Ling, she knew that he was destined for greatness and that his future achievements would far surpass those of the Clear Sky Sect.
Therefore, appointing Tang San as the sect leader was also for the sake of the Clear Sky Sect. At least Qi Ling would never regard Tang San as her enemy.
"Sigh, I hope everything goes well tomorrow," Tang Yuehua said as she left. "You two get some rest; tomorrow's success will depend on your performance."