With the snow melting, the clan could finally resume hunting in Chaotic Burial Mountain. Coupled with the blood wine brewed during the winter, their immediate needs seemed manageable.
That evening, a crescent moon hung high in the sky.
Inside the Ancestral Hall, Chen Xingzhen performed his routine worship of the Divine Tree. After concluding the ceremony, he lingered, pacing back and forth while pondering the clan’s affairs.
The snow would take two more days to melt completely, but preparations couldn’t wait. The recent expansion of their territory, including the Li and Liu families’ lands, had significantly increased the clan's farmland. They now possessed over ten acres of spiritual fields suitable for cultivating blood rice and several dozen more acres for other crops.
However, the spiritual fields were scattered. Chaotic Burial Mountain, though not vast, posed logistical challenges for travel between fields. The clan would need to station more members there to prevent incidents such as beast invasions.
We need more efficient patrols, Chen Xingzhen thought. Perhaps building watchtowers would help.
As he strategized, another problem loomed. The clan’s workforce was stretched thin, especially with warriors needed for both hunting and fieldwork. Last year, the clan devised a plan to divert the Natural Blood Spring’s tributaries to consolidate their fertile lands. A few days ago, with the ground beginning to thaw, they started implementing the plan.
However, the Natural Blood Spring lay deep underground, spanning a wide area. Diverting its tributaries required tunneling first—a process far more time-consuming than anticipated. Completing the project would take at least a month, delaying the first blood rice harvest. This posed a significant issue, as their current blood rice stock was critically low, and the clan was relying on the early harvest for replenishment.
This unforeseen complication underscored the clan’s lack of resources. Adding to the strain was the worsening situation in Chaotic Burial Mountain.
Over the past two months, the clan's domesticated animals had nearly run out, with barely enough left for offerings to the Divine Tree. Yesterday, they sent an advance team to scout the mountain.
Chen Tianyu and other Blood Coagulation Realm warriors discovered that while wild beasts were noticeably scarcer, green wolves were far more numerous. Though the wolves they encountered were mostly at the Body Tempering or Blood Coagulation Realm, the clan knew a far greater threat lurked in the mountain—a green wolf at the Innate Realm.
This powerful beast had claimed Chaotic Burial Mountain as its territory and formed a pack. A wolf pack was much harder to handle than a solitary Innate Realm beast. If the situation persisted, wild game in the mountain could be wiped out, dealing a severe blow to the clan’s resources.
For now, Chen Qingyu—the clan’s most promising warrior for advancing to the Innate Realm—remained in seclusion. With spring approaching, these challenges weighed heavily on Chen Xingzhen's mind.
He sighed deeply, his gaze shifting toward the Divine Tree. For two months, the clan had maintained their weekly sacrifices, yet the tree hadn’t grown. It remained the same height as before. Chen Xingzhen suspected the battle two months ago had stunted its growth.
Worried, he sought advice from the spirits of the clan’s deceased elders. Their responses were reassuring. The Divine Tree was in excellent condition, growing stronger daily. The spirits even noted that their own absorption of Yin energy had accelerated. When the Divine Tree displayed its divine power again, their strength would undoubtedly surpass their last battle, and one spirit might even advance further, nearing the Innate Realm in its ethereal form.
Hearing this, Chen Xingzhen felt a weight lift from his heart. As long as sacrifices continued, the Divine Tree would recover.
The clan’s strength had also grown over the past two months. Two Tian-generation members had broken through to the Blood Coagulation Realm, inspired by the younger generation’s progress. Many others advanced to the Body Tempering Realm, including Chen Qingmeng, who reached its mid-stage last month.
The clan now had eight Blood Coagulation Realm warriors and about thirty in the Body Tempering Realm—a notable improvement.
With this progress in mind, Chen Xingzhen felt more optimistic. The current challenges, while pressing, were not insurmountable.
The scattered fields could be managed by assigning more clan members, even if it required some inconvenience. Once they had sufficient blood rice, they could revisit the plan to redirect the Natural Blood Spring.
As for the green wolves in Chaotic Burial Mountain, they could turn to the Divine Tree for aid. Its divine power could allow even Blood Coagulation Realm warriors to unleash Innate Realm strength. However, caution was necessary, as Chen Qingyu remained in seclusion, and mid-stage Blood Coagulation Realm warriors like Chen Tianjing had yet to break through. Careful selection of candidates for the mission would be crucial.
If needed, I’ll go myself, Chen Xingzhen thought with determination. I may be old, but my arrows are still sharp. Besides, I’d like to experience the Divine Tree’s power firsthand.
After leaving the Ancestral Hall, Chen Xingzhen returned to his quarters.
Meanwhile, Ji Yang’s consciousness stirred.
Over two months of absorbing lunar essence, Ji Yang’s vitality had reached a new peak. Though he hadn’t sprouted new branches or leaves, his trunk and roots had grown.
Considering that a large tree attracts attention, and the Chen clan currently lacked the power to protect itself from such scrutiny, Ji Yang used his ability to control his growth, maintaining his current appearance. He decided that once the clan grew strong enough, he would no longer need to conceal his true potential. For now, however, it was wiser to remain inconspicuous.
Over the past two months, Ji Yang's simulation points had increased significantly due to the clan's sacrifices and the clan members' cultivation progress. If he chose to, Ji Yang could now use several subtractions at once. However, he decided to wait a bit longer. He already understood the lower limits of subtraction and was eager to explore the upper limits of multiple subtractions.