Vol. 1 - Ch. 87 - A Mistake

[Name: Ji Yang]

Originally, Ji Yang had two hundred and eighteen points of vitality plus one hundred and eight points of health. 

Now, only twenty-five points of health remained. The battle had consumed a total of two hundred forty-seven points of vitality. Most of it was used for Reversing Dan Progress, a divine ability that consumes vitality to provide the clan with healing powers.

It wasn’t necessary to expend so much, but the martial artists in the clan were not strong enough, so they had to give it their all. As a result, the vitality consumption was much higher than usual. 

Ji Yang calculated that, compared to Blindfolded Perception, healing the clan's injuries had been more cost-effective. However, this didn’t mean Blindfolded Perception was useless. On the contrary, the victory was largely due to this divine ability.

If he hadn’t used Blindfolded Perception to raise Chen Qingyu's strength to the Innate Realm, the clan might not have been able to hold on. Besides Reversing Dan Progress, the divine power that consumed the most vitality was the armor they had acquired earlier.

Before the great battle, Ji Yang had repeatedly reviewed his divine powers and the strength of the clan. Of course, he hadn’t forgotten about the Protective Armor. 

However, it was ranked last in his considerations because he wasn’t sure how much power these souls could exert after being covered by the armor, or if they could turn the tide for the clan. He couldn’t afford to waste life force on an uncertain outcome.

But the reality proved Ji Yang's instincts correct. The souls were strong, but they consumed significant amounts of vital energy. The stronger the soul, the more life force the armor required. 

For instance, Chen Changming, with the highest realm, consumed nine points of vitality after the armor was applied. The other twenty souls used between two and four points each.

After donning the armor, Chen Changming likely achieved the strength of the middle stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm. However, without a physical body, he wasn’t as powerful as a real martial artist. 

If he were to face a well-conditioned martial artist of the same stage, he might not be able to win. Martial artists possess circulating Qi and Blood energy, which gives them continuous strength, while Chen Changming and the other souls couldn’t absorb enough Yin energy during combat.

Although they weren’t as strong as their living counterparts, the souls had the advantage of being unaffected by terrain and immune to most conventional injuries. 

In other words, their strengths and weaknesses balanced each other. This was why Ji Yang hadn’t unleashed them on the remaining Liu martial artists until the battle was nearly decided.

The souls had another benefit—they could continue to grow stronger, no longer confined to their current realms. While the armor's vitality cost would increase with time, the long-term advantages outweighed the price.

Under the dual effects of Blindfolded Perception and Ji Yang’s efforts to strengthen his new roots, the vitality consumed hadn’t been wasted. Yet the significant loss of Qi and Blood caused Ji Yang’s condition to deteriorate. 

Though his roots and leaves showed no external damage, his consciousness had significantly weakened, and his once vibrant branches now seemed dull and lifeless.

It felt as if Ji Yang, who once had perfect vision, had suddenly gone blind. Still, the overall outcome was positive. With the Liu clan vanquished, all resources near Chaotic Burial Mountain now belonged to the Chen clan. 

No one would contest them for control over the prime lands, including the fertile fields that produced blood rice.

As the Divine Tree of the Chen clan, Ji Yang could look forward to a period of growth and recovery. 

The Qi and Blood he’d expended would eventually be restored, making the battle a long-term gain rather than a loss.

Outside the Ancestral Hall, the clan was already cleaning up after the conflict. Houses were being repaired, and the slaves who had hidden during the battle returned to their duties. 

The sight of so many corpses scattered about made the slaves shiver, but they also felt a new level of respect for the Chen clan. They understood that last night’s battle had changed the balance of power in the Chaotic Burial Mountain.

From now on, there would only be one clan—the Chen clan. Their word would become the law.

The expansion of the clan's power promised a better future for the slaves as well. With many warriors lost, there would be opportunities for them to prove themselves and rise in status. Eager to seize this chance, they worked even harder.

As they cleaned up the battlefield, the slaves were surprised to find so few Chen clan corpses. The grim expression on their faces turned into one of relief. They were grateful they had chosen to serve the Chen clan and not the doomed Liu clan.

By dawn, the estate had regained its usual appearance, though the scent of blood still hung in the air. 

The surviving clansmen moved about in a daze, as if the events of the night before had been a dream. They instinctively touched their chests, reassuring themselves that their hearts were still beating.

The strange and miraculous events of the battle left them questioning reality, but the sight of the corpses being carried away reminded them of the gravity of what had occurred. 

Among the fallen were some of their own. One clansman, overwhelmed by emotion, felt his eyes burning with tears as he prepared to voice his grief.

"Cousin, you’re mistaken—those bodies belong to the Liu clan warriors," another clansman explained, cutting off his outburst. 

"Where are the bodies of our clansmen?"

The emotional clansman blinked in confusion and looked again. 

"What? Just three?"

Realizing what he had said, he fell silent. There were indeed only three bodies of Chen warriors, and he remembered one of them had died because his heart had burst from excitement during the battle. 

The other two had been killed by lucky blows to vital points. Otherwise, even those with crippled legs had been able to stand and fight, thanks to the glowing green light from the Divine Tree.

"Cousin, don’t be sad," another clansman comforted him. 

"In a few days, these fallen warriors will visit us in our dreams!"

The words took hold, and the sombre atmosphere lifted. The clansmen remembered the power of their Divine Tree. Death wasn’t final for them—the tree would ensure their spirits lived on to watch over the clan.

The sadness in their hearts gave way to a sense of pride. Their clan had survived the unthinkable, with few losses. 

The three fallen warriors, though unable to be refined into spirit guardians due to their lower cultivation stages, had still contributed to the clan’s victory.

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