The night sky over Wu Tan City was a canvas of deep indigo, dusted with a million fractured stars.
Clan Leader Xiao Zhan walked through the winding, lantern-lit corridors of the estate, finally stepping into the quiet expanse of his private courtyard. It was one of the largest and most beautifully manicured spaces in the compound, yet tonight, it felt distinctly hollow. He glanced toward the eastern wing. The windows were dark.
Xiao Yan was not there, likely out in the back mountains again, training rigidly under the moonlight. A proud, quiet smile touched Xiao Zhan's lips; he knew his son was rapidly reclaiming his former glory, pushing himself to improve with an unbreakable resolve.
Xiao Zhan walked to the stone table under the great willow tree and sat down, pouring himself a cup of cold tea. He let out a heavy, tired sigh.
The silence of the courtyard allowed the chaotic events of the Grand Assembly Hall to rush back to the forefront of his mind. He closed his eyes, and instantly, the phantom image returned.
The blood-red sun. The mountains of grotesque corpses. The suffocating, primordial killing intent.
Xiao Zhan's hand trembled slightly, spilling a few drops of tea onto the stone table. As a 5-Star Da Dou Shi, he had fought vicious magical beasts and ruthless mercenaries, but the primal vision hidden within Yoriichi's Dantian had shaken his very soul.
'What was that?' Xiao Zhan thought, massaging his temples. 'Is there a terrifying problem within Xiao Ning's Dantian? Or is it a manifestation of his soul? To survive a near-death experience and awaken with such an aura… it defies all known laws of cultivation.'
His thoughts then drifted to tomorrow. Xiao Ning would enter the Dou Ji Pavilion to select his foundation.
A sudden, chilling premonition washed over the Patriarch, colder than the night wind.
Deep within the Dou Ji Pavilion, hidden away from the greedy eyes of the younger generation, lay a forbidden, almost non-existent Qi Method.
It was a secret guarded so fiercely that no one in the clan knew of its existence—not the Great Elders, not the guards, and certainly not any of his sons. Only the Clan Leaders of each generation carried the burden of its truth. It was a cursed legacy likely left behind by a legendary ancestor.
'What if he finds it?' the intrusive thought whispered in Xiao Zhan's mind. 'An anomaly of a youth drawn to an anomaly of a scroll.'
Xiao Zhan gripped his teacup tightly. He quickly took a deep breath, forcing his galloping heart to calm down.
'No,' he reassured himself. 'The Pavilion has hundreds of scrolls. That broken parchment is buried in a dead corner. Besides, Xiao Ning is smart. He proved his calm maturity today. He knows the dangers of erratic cultivation. He will take a stable Pure Yang or Gold method, just as I suggested.'
Pushing the dark thoughts aside, Xiao Zhan finished his tea. He ate a simple, late-night meal, retreated to his chambers to meditate, and finally allowed exhaustion to pull him into a few hours of restless sleep.
Across the estate, the atmosphere in the First Elder's courtyard was vastly different.
The night was filled with the sounds of clinking cups, hearty laughter, and the mouth-watering scent of roasted spirit-mushrooms. Yoriichi sat quietly, partaking in the feast while his grandfather boasted loudly to the moon about the glorious future of their bloodline. Xiao Yu sat beside him, continuously placing the best cuts into his bowl, her smile never fading.
It was that a warm, vibrant celebration of life. For a swordsman who had once lost everything, this simple, noisy dinner was a treasure more valuable than any high-tier pill.
Eventually, the wine ran dry, and the celebrations concluded. Yoriichi bid farewell to his grandfather and sister, retiring to his room. He fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, his body passively absorbing the ambient worldly energy through the slow, steady rhythm of his Sun Breathing.
The next day began like any other.
Yoriichi woke before dawn. Despite having broken through to the Dou Zhe realm, he did not abandon his physical conditioning. He spent the morning at the hot springs, refining his Shadowless Sun Tread and acclimating his muscles to the explosive, condensed power of his new milky-white cyclone.
By noon, the sun was high and bright. Yoriichi washed, dressed in his clean, dark training robes, and walked toward the heart of the estate.
His destination was the Dou Ji Pavilion.
Due to its supreme importance to the clan's survival, the Pavilion was located directly adjacent to the Grand Assembly Hall. It was a sturdy, pagoda-like structure built from fire-resistant black ironwood, surrounded by a high stone wall.
As Yoriichi approached the heavy, brass-studded doors, he found an elderly man sitting cross-legged on a woven mat by the entrance. The elder wore a faded gray robe, and a simple clay wine gourd rested by his knee.
Despite his sleepy, half-closed eyes, Yoriichi's heightened senses immediately picked up the dense, coiled Dou Qi within the old man. He was a peak Dou Shi, perhaps even a Da Dou Shi.
"Greetings, Elder," Yoriichi said, offering a respectful bow.
The guarding elder opened one eye. Seeing the youth, he pulled out a thick, leather-bound ledger. "Name and purpose."
"Xiao Ning. I have broken through to 1-Star Dou Zhe. The Patriarch has granted me access to select a Qi Method."
The elder's eyebrows rose slightly. He had received the Patriarch's special missive this morning regarding this specific youth. The elder set his brush down and looked at Yoriichi with immense seriousness.
"The Patriarch placed great importance on your visit, Xiao Ning. Listen closely to the rules of the Pavilion," the elder instructed, his voice raspy but firm.
"First: You may only select one Qi Method. Greed in cultivation leads to an exploded Dantian. "Second: Do not attempt to forcefully open the spiritual seals on the scrolls to read their contents. The basic introduction, elemental attribute, and meridian requirements are written on the outside casing of every scroll. You choose based on that."
Yoriichi nodded calmly. It was a flawless, ingenious security system.
"Third," the elder continued, pointing toward the interior. "The Pavilion is divided strictly by elemental attributes. Wood to the east, Fire to the south, Water to the north, Metal to the west, and Earth in the center. Do not roam recklessly. Find your element, find your path, and bring the chosen scroll to me to unseal. Understood?"