Senior Tongxuan held the seven-colored dragon pen with respectful reverence, his heart filled with excitement—this ancient royal pen of the clan, untouched for a millennium, was finally being unfurled! "Xun...," he murmured, his gaze fixed on Xun as he tightly gripped the seven-colored imperial pen. Upon seeing him look, Xun nodded slightly and then gently closed her beautiful eyes. As Xun nodded, Senior Tongxuan's expression grew solemn, a surging tide of powerful energy radiating forth from within him. Suddenly, he tightened his grip on the seven-colored imperial pen, his arm sweeping dynamically, and intricate, celestial patterns swiftly formed beneath his palm. With each movement of the pen, radiant seven-colored clan emblems appeared, one by one, etched precisely upon Xun's smooth forehead. This vibrant hue is a color so resplendent it surpasses the seven-colored glow on the forehead of the young man in the green robe by a vast margin—by far more powerful. Though only a single rank apart, the difference between a divine-tier and a ninth-tier cultivator is as distinct as that between clouds and mud. As the seven-colored clan emblem gradually materializes stroke by stroke, the face of the Senior Tōhō grows increasingly serious. His hands, gripping the Emperor’s brush, tremble subtly, and his internal qi flows away like a tide, swiftly and continuously. "Such a formidable Emperor’s brush! It’s no wonder it has remained untouched for a millennium. The sheer consumption of qi it exerts—merely this level of absorption—would likely reduce any cultivator below the level of a Battle Saint to mere dry bones within moments!" Feeling his qi vanish at an accelerating pace, the Senior Tōhō’s expression grows somber. He quickly steadies himself, focusing intently on maintaining the flawless trajectory of the brushstroke. Shhh— The Seven-Colored Celestial Brush danced in mid-air, just half an inch from Xun'er's forehead, leaving a continuous trail of vibrant hues upon her brow. "Ha!" Under the unwavering gaze of the entire audience, this intricate process of etching the ancestral patterns lasted nearly ten minutes before finally concluding. Even with the formidable strength of the Tongxuan Elder, who had to exert himself to the utmost, fine beads of cold sweat beaded upon his forehead. Though the effort was immense, a radiant sense of exhilaration shone in his eyes. "Done..." Hearing the voice beside her, Xun'er's gently closed eyes slowly opened. At the very moment her eyes did so, the Seven-Colored Ancestral Patterns on her forehead erupted in a powerful surge of brilliant hues. "Plunged!" Amidst this dazzling radiance, several powerful elders from the ancient lineages could no longer withstand the profound pressure emanating from within, and with a sudden gasp, they fell to their knees, faces alight with fervor and admiration, before Xun'er. "Hehe, the seven-colored clan pattern—after a millennium of our ancient clan, it's finally reappearing once more..." As the vibrant seven-colored light surged, a faint, elderly laugh echoed softly from the distant sky, delicate and fleeting, barely perceptible unless one had exceptional hearing. "I didn't expect even this one to have stirred such a response..." Upon hearing this unusually aged voice, the Tongxuan Elder was momentarily startled, then slightly bowed to a spot in the heavens. The seven-colored light lasted only a brief moment before fully receded into the seven-colored clan pattern on Xun'er's forehead, where it gently shimmered and gradually faded away. This pattern, normally invisible, only surfaced on the forehead when the clan member deliberately summoned it. "Come on, there's nothing left to see now—during the holiday days, Xun will surely surpass anyone in the clan..." As the vibrant hues of light faded, the young man in green robes atop the towering trees smiled slightly, just about to turn away, when his gaze suddenly shifted toward a section of seating. There, Xiang, slightly pale in complexion, had also directed his eyes toward him. "Ah, I see—you have such sharp perception!" Upon noticing Xiang's gaze, the green-robed man chuckled, then lightly tapped the tree's crown with his foot, and his form drifted gracefully away. In a few swift movements, he vanished completely, with the silver-robed man and the sturdy man following close behind. "Indeed, the ancient clan is brimming with strength—there's no doubt the Bloodline of the Battle Emperor is truly admirable..." With his eyes fixed on the mysterious green-robed figure retreating, Xiang slightly furrowed his brows. This man must also be from the clan, yet the sense of pressure he conveyed was even stronger than that of the ancient beasts. "We'll head out too—the remaining rituals won't offer much of a spectacle anymore." Xiao Yan stood up from his seat, bowed politely to Bang Tian Shi, then smiled at Xun'er in the center of the hall before turning and swiftly retracing their steps back the way they had come. "That youngster must have taken quite a beating. Though the Tongxuan elder has healed his external injuries, the Ancient Beast's Stillness Finger technique is no ordinary top-tier skill—it's truly formidable." Watching Xiao Yan and his companions depart, Bang Tian Shi didn't stop them. He clearly understood that while Xiao Yan had triumphed over the Ancient Beast, it had been a narrow victory. "Since the ceremony is over, I'll make my way out as well." Seeing Xiao Yan and the others leave, Xun'er was concerned about his condition and decided not to linger. She simply said a word to the Tongxuan elder, then, without waiting for his response, flashed forward and swiftly caught up with them under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Upon seeing Xun'er who simply decided to go without a word, Long Xun, the senior elder, could only shake his head helplessly and sighed, "It seems even with a divine-rank bloodline, it's not enough. The Xiao clan truly is strong—doing absolutely nothing, yet still managing to secure a wife with a divine-rank bloodline..." At a corner of the square, a figure cloaked entirely in black watched Xun'er's retreating silhouette with attentive eyes, a faint glint of cold steel shimmering in his gaze. "I didn't expect the Ancient Clan to have produced a divine-rank lineage. This will surely become a major threat to our Spirit Clan in the future. Moreover, it might even disrupt our Spirit Clan's plans. I'll have to find a way to eliminate this person quietly..." ... After experiencing such a pivotal ceremony—akin to a major shockwave—the rest of the events had lost their appeal, so the Senior Master of the Supreme Perfection retired early, delegating the remaining tasks to other elders. At that moment, Xiao Yan and his companions had already returned to the bamboo pavilion nestled among the forest. The serene atmosphere brought a sense of relief to those who had endured a day of bustling activity. The setting sun cast a blood-red glow across the sky, gently radiating the final warmth upon the land. "Creak…" The tightly closed bamboo door was gently pushed open, and the young physician stepped in silently, then smiled at Xiao Yan, who had just opened his eyes at the same moment. "How are you feeling?" "Not serious at all—just quite drained. As for the extinguishing qi that had been infused into my body, it's now completely eliminated thanks to Xun'er's assistance," Xiao Yan said, nodding with a smile. His complexion, having rested for several hours, had improved noticeably. "Oh, it wouldn't have come to such a desperate situation, but the gap between the ranks is now growing harder and harder to bridge..." Xiao Yan sighed, saying that as his strength improved, the opportunities for cross-level battles were becoming increasingly limited. After the Five-Star Domain Sovereign level, each star tier represented a substantial gap—ordinary Domain Sovereigns simply couldn't defeat opponents one level above them. Moreover, this time, his opponents were not only strong but also possessed elite-tier cultivation techniques and elite-tier combat skills. It was truly remarkable that Xiao Yan managed to win such a match. Little Healer smiled and nodded, saying, "Of course. If you were on the same level as the ancient beast, he would have hardly been able to put up any resistance at all." Xiao Yan didn't respond to her words, but shifted his gaze and asked, "What about Xun'er?" "She's gone to the Ancient Clan. I heard she mentioned that the 'Heaven Tomb' will open in two days..." the young physician said. "Heaven Tomb..." Hearing the word, Xiao Yan's heart also jumped slightly. This time, he had come to the Ancient Realm for several reasons—primarily to visit the mausoleum left behind by his ancestor, Xiao Xuan. And according to Huo Xuan, this mausoleum is situated within the Heaven Tomb. That meant, in order to reach his ancestor's tomb, he would first have to enter the Heaven Tomb itself. With this in mind, Xiao Yan's brows furrowed. His relationship with the Ancient Clan wasn't particularly strong, so he was somewhat concerned about whether the Clan might intervene and obstruct his entry... "Next, we will discuss the opening of the Heavenly Tomb. As everyone knows, only sixteen spots are available for entry into the Heavenly Tomb, with each of the eight ancient clans holding two spots. However, this time, the Ling Clan has not sent any representatives, thus leaving two spots vacant. According to the established rules, our ancient clan may claim these two spots, meaning our clan will now have four in total." At the conference table, Senior Tongxuan glanced around the room, speaking calmly. "Yet, we have arranged for six members of our clan to enter the Heavenly Tomb this time. That means we still need two additional spots." One senior elder spoke softly. "Hasn't the Xiao Clan's spot always been held by our clan? If we include them, the numbers will be just right." Senior Gu Qian glanced at several elders beside him and spoke. "But this time, the Xiao Clan has sent one representative, Xiao Yan. If that's the case, then..." another elder hesitated. "The Xiao clan's decline has, in fact, already placed them beyond the realm of ancient lineages. Excluding them now is quite reasonable—I believe Xiao Yan would understand this himself." The ancient elder with the white hair spoke in a calm, even tone. Upon hearing this, several elders nodded slightly, while the Tongxuan elder's brows furrowed slightly. "Boom!" As the Tongxuan elder's brows furrowed, the grand doors, which had been tightly closed, suddenly burst open with a resonant crash. The guards at the entrance were about to shout in outrage when, under a sudden burst of seven-colored light, they instantly fell to their knees. "Senior Elder Gu Shan, since the Xiao clan departed the Zhongzhou region, the Gu clan has consistently held onto their designated slot. Now that the Xiao clan finally has someone arriving here, you refuse to return even this single slot—doesn't that seem rather excessive?" The seven-colored light surged into the hall, enveloping all the elders. At the same time, a clear, composed voice echoed throughout the hall, rising sharply.