When the package was opened, the first thing that caught everyone's eye was a pile of gleaming jade coins.
However, these coins were unlike ordinary jade coins. Within each piece, a blood-red hue occupied one half of the jade, while the other half remained pure white.
As the coins shifted, the blood Qi inside them seemed to swirl and flow, yet always maintained an equal division between red and white.
"Are these... white jade coins?" Chen Tianyu asked in surprise as he sensed the abundant blood Qi pulsing within them.
White jade coins were indeed a form of currency, with an exchange rate of one white jade coin to ten regular jade coins.
However, few people ever exchanged white jade coins for ordinary ones, simply because they were an incredibly rare resource in their own right.
Beside him, Chen Qingyu casually picked up one of the coins and silently activated her cultivation method. Within moments, the blood Qi contained in the coin dissipated, and a faint crack appeared on its surface, rendering it unusable.
After a brief assessment, Chen Qingyu spoke up.
"The blood Qi from this coin doesn’t linger in the body for long, but it can be directed freely. I'd need around two hundred of these to fully restore my blood Qi."
The others nodded thoughtfully, having gained a rough understanding of the white jade coins.
However, for cultivators still in the Blood Coagulation Realm, these coins were of little use—they couldn’t absorb the Qi to replenish themselves.
Worse, two hundred white jade coins, equivalent to two thousand jade coins, were required just to restore a single early-stage Innate Realm martial artist. That was an astonishing cost.
Even so, in critical situations, these coins could rapidly supply blood Qi, making them valuable as wartime resources.
A quick count revealed there were only about a hundred of them—roughly a thousand jade coins' worth. Not a great number, but rarity had its own value.
The coins were set aside, and the clan members turned to examine the rest of the package.
To their delight, it contained not only the white jade coins but also several plants they recognized: Tian Nan Star and Bodhi Pearls. These alone were worth twenty to thirty thousand jade coins. The rest consisted of mundane items—spare clothes, some dried rations.
After seeing everything, Chen Xingzhen had a guess.
But now, all of these had become clan property.
Life was unpredictable, fate ever-changing. What belonged to the clan today might become someone else's spoils tomorrow.
Rather than hoard such items like treasures, it would be wiser to convert them into personal strength. That way, when the next crisis hit, the clan would stand stronger.
"Qingyu, take these Tian Nan Star plants."
She was the only Innate Realm martial artist in the clan. No one else could make use of them anyway.
Chen Tianjing and his group then described in detail the other items they'd bought.
When it was mentioned that several silk scrolls had also been acquired, Chen Xingzhen was visibly pleased.
Though the clan had many martial artists, their knowledge in other areas was sorely lacking. The scrolls could help broaden their horizons.
Looking around, Chen Xingzhen spoke decisively.
"Tianquan, you’ll take charge of this. Hasn't your son started learning to read recently? As his father, this is your responsibility. In a few days, we’ll build a new school for the clan. Let others begin studying too."
Chen Tianquan looked uneasy. He knew some characters, but he wasn’t confident in his skills. Still, thinking of his son, he nodded.
At worst, he could learn alongside the boy. How hard could it be to master a few more characters?
"Alright. That’s all for today. Don’t worry about anything else for now—focus on your martial arts training."
After offering prayers to the Divine Tree, the clan members slowly dispersed.
Upstairs, watching the day’s haul, Ji Yang couldn’t help feeling a flicker of anticipation.
With all these cultivation resources, he would soon be ready for his next tenfold simulation.
The vital energy spent this time wasn't significant. Most of it had been consumed by his Divine Armor ability.
Previously, when Chen Changming and the others were only in the Blood Coagulation Realm, it took five points of life force to cloak them in armor.
But after advancing to the Innate Realm, it now cost Ji Yang ten points for each soul body—and this time, there were four of them.
Even so, the cost was worth it. At critical moments, the clan now had four additional Innate Realm fighters.
Of course, there were still limitations. These four could only fight at night—their power waned under daylight. Their strength couldn’t be sustained for long either.
After every deployment, they needed to absorb Yin energy beneath the Divine Tree for a time. Without that replenishment, they couldn't maintain their realm for long.
Still, it was a significant boost. In the right situation, these warriors could produce miraculous results.
Eventually, as the number of Innate Realm soul bodies increased, the clan would have a team of fearless, powerful fighters at its command.
Ji Yang lifted his gaze to the sky. Stars scattered the heavens, but among them, one dim star slowly began to shine brighter.
"What? You're telling me the two Mei Shan brothers took the goods and ran?"
Yong’an City. The Shilin clan.
Upon receiving the news, the clan members exploded in fury.
"I told you! Outsiders can’t be trusted!"
"The Shilin clan gave those two resources and helped them reach the Innate Realm. And this is how those ungrateful dogs repay us? Outrageous! Patriarch, I volunteer to lead a team to hunt them down!"
As angry voices filled the hall, even the patriarch, Shi Chenghong, wore a dark expression.
The two had disobeyed orders and fled—not only defying the clan’s authority but shaming the entire Shilin clan.
And if word got out...
The clan members downstairs were up in arms, and even the patriarch of the Shi clan, Shi Chenghong, looked visibly displeased.
The two had defied orders and fled on their own, not only challenging the clan’s authority but openly disgracing the Shi name. If word of this spread, the clan’s reputation would be utterly ruined.
Shi Chenghong immediately issued a cold command. “Potian, Podi, listen to me. Take the clan’s divine stone, pursue them at once, kill them, and retrieve the item!”
The two acknowledged the order and swiftly departed.
But even with the deployment, the fury among the clan members did not abate.
Their escape risked leaking the clan’s prior plans, which could bring further trouble. Just as the unrest was rising again, Shi Potian stepped forward once more and calmly reassured them.
“Patriarch, please be at ease. I’ve already sent men to monitor Chaotic Burial Mountain. If the Chen clan sends someone to seek aid from the Zhou clan, we’ll know right away.
“Although we failed to eliminate the Chen clan members this time, at least we cut off their supply of cultivation resources. They must be in disarray. And now that those two have fled, there’s no direct evidence left—it won’t lead back to us.”
“These two are truly vile. The clan must not let them off lightly!”
At that, many in the room nodded in grim agreement.
In retrospect, the plan had been partially successful. The thirty thousand jade coins' worth of goods might have caused some pain, but to the clan, it wasn’t a significant loss.
For now, as they dispatched forces to chase down the fugitives, their focus should remain on the Chen clan—to observe how this incident would ripple through.
If the fallout proved minor, then there was no need to keep enduring. They could strike quickly and decisively—seize the blood rice and end the matter.
As for the two runaway martial artists in the Xiantian realm, they were nothing more than dogs raised by the clan. They wouldn't be able to stir up any real waves.
And the divine stone gifted to them?
That wasn't merely to assist them.
With the power of the clan totem imbued in it, there was no way they would get far.