Vol. 1 - Ch. 52 - Night Attack

Ji Yang's mind raced with thoughts.

"Isn't this nice?" he mused.

But he soon realized that something was wrong. The transformations had abruptly halted.

There were no visible changes, and the scant Yin energy around him remained.

Surprisingly, he found he could now absorb this Yin energy without using the Yin Gathering Technique.

The trunk and branches of the Divine Tree had transformed into a strange mix of colors: half brown, half black.

Even the leaves displayed this duality---deep green on one side, black on the other---creating an eerie and subtly ominous appearance.

As Ji Yang observed this unusual sight, he felt a mixture of awe and confusion. Despite the odd appearance, he sensed a newfound power.

Both the branches and the underground roots had grown more resilient. Furthermore, without actively using any technique, he could sense wandering souls and absorb Yin energy more effectively.

Resigned, Ji Yang decided not to dwell on this matter further. He redirected his focus to the conditions required for his simulation.

Given the complexity of the clan's sacrifices, Ji Yang has not yet chosen to transform his blood essence. His spiritual energy remained abundant, but his simulation points had not progressed.

The clan members had been occupied with other tasks, causing Ji Yang's simulation points to stagnate.

Without enough simulation points, he couldn't continue his calculations or attempt multiple iterations.

How could he improve his situation under these circumstances? The Chen clan's lack of members seemed to exacerbate the problem.

Ji Yang considered communicating with Chen Xingzhen through writing by extending his roots, but this approach risked damaging the reputation of his clan's Divine Tree.

Additionally, he noticed that the root he had previously strengthened appeared less responsive.

Despite investing 0.5 units of vital energy into strengthening it, the subsequent growth might have left part of it unstrengthened, affecting his control.

He decided to postpone further strengthening until the need arose, given the current stability of the clan.

...

As night fell, the moon hung high in the sky. Unbeknownst to anyone, on the other side of the hill, a figure was slowly moving a massive green stone that blocked the path.

This person was Li Cailiang, the only mid-stage Blood Coagulation Realm cultivator in the Li Clan. His cultivation had been stable recently.

After moving the large stone, Li Cailiang didn't act immediately. Instead, he placed prepared pieces of beast flesh around the entrance of the mound.

The smell of blood would attract nearby beasts. Additionally, he had infused these pieces of meat with a special substance---a herb refined by the clan's pharmacist, which excited and agitated the beasts. This herb, exclusive to the Li clan, was highly effective at drawing wild creatures.

Li Cailiang had two main reasons for this.

If he managed to escape after destroying the Divine Tree, these beasts would hinder the Chen clan's pursuit.

On the other hand, if he failed, the blood-stained remains might draw the wild creatures deeper into the hill, causing trouble for the Chen clan.

With everything in place, Li Cailiang didn't rush into action.

Instead, he glanced into the distance and muttered to himself,

"They must be far away by now."

This was precisely why he had waited a day. Even if he failed, it wouldn't affect the other clan members.

Time was running out. It was time to act.

Determined, Li Cailiang set his course toward the Chen clan Ancestral Hall on the other side of the hill.

Inside the hall, Ji Yang silently absorbed moonlight to replenish the deficit caused by the white fruit on the tree.

During his idle moments, he used his underground roots to sense his surroundings, occasionally listening to the conversations of patrolling clan members.

Though Ji Yang was bored, this was his only source of entertainment at the moment.

As he listened intently to the conversations, he suddenly felt an unusual tremor in one of his extended roots.

The tremor wasn't coming from anywhere else; it was emanating from the root that extended down to the clan mound.

This puzzled Ji Yang. He recalled that the clan mound had been sealed after the deal with the Li Clan, and no one had entered it since then. So where was this vibration coming from?

Could it be that the wild beasts from the other end of the mound had found their way out and followed the root here?

No, Chen Qingyu wouldn't have been so careless after returning from his hunt.

Ji Yang shifted most of his consciousness to the root and quickly assessed the situation inside the mound.

In the pitch-black opening, a figure was cautiously approaching the Ancestral Hall. When this figure noticed the severed end in front of him, his expression brightened.

However, when Ji Yang saw the newcomer, his heart skipped a beat.

Ji Yang recognized the intruder immediately: the mid-stage Blood Coagulation Realm cultivator from the Li Clan.

Although he didn't know all the details about him, this individual had proven formidable during their previous encounter.

Now that this person had entered through the mound, it couldn't mean anything good.

Ji Yang considered alerting the other clan members, but he quickly realized it was futile.

The two clan members patrolling outside the Ancestral Hall were only at the mid-stage of the Body Tempering Realm. How could they hope to confront this formidable intruder?

Moreover, Ji Yang suspected that this intruder was specifically targeting him. Faced with this imminent threat, Ji Yang's resolve hardened.

He no longer hesitated and quickly began to fortify his roots, while simultaneously dissipating the Lunar Eclipse Technique.

His remaining life force was scarce, and he had intended to save it for other purposes---he hadn't anticipated this sudden crisis!

As Ji Yang worked on strengthening his roots, Li Cailiang had already moved the stone slab above him and descended from the mound below.

Being a mid-stage Blood Coagulation realm cultivator, Li Cailiang had previously assessed the environment inside the mound and confirmed that no other warriors were present.

Once out of the mound, Li Cailiang eagerly surveyed his surroundings.

This was indeed the Chen clan's Ancestral Hall. But where was the Divine Tree?

His urgency grew as footsteps approached from nearby. His eyes scanned the area, searching for the revered tree of the Chen clan.

And there it was, tucked away in a corner of the Ancestral Hall---the so-called Divine Tree.

Standing only two meters tall, its sparse branches and meager leaves hardly seemed to justify its esteemed reputation.

If Li Cailiang weren't a cultivator of the Blood Coagulation Realm, he might have overlooked it in the dim light.

Was this really the Divine Tree?

Even though he had glimpsed it from a distance during the previous clan battle, seeing it up close still made him doubt its significance.

However, with no other trees in the hall, it had to be the one. Li Cailiang's murderous intent surfaced.

Without hesitation, he gathered his blood energy in his hand and charged towards the unassuming tree!

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