Vol. 1 - Ch. 280 - Ripening

"How much longer until we reach Chaotic Burial Mountain, Po Jing?"

On the road, Shi Hezhang called Shi Pojing over and asked.

"Great-uncle, at our current pace, it'll take about three more days."

Shi Hezhang frowned slightly. He knew the clan was far from Chaotic Burial Mountain, but he hadn’t expected it to take so long.

The main reason was the sheer number of people on this expedition, which slowed the clan’s march considerably.

If they had only brought the Innate Realm warriors, they would have arrived in a few days. If he had gone alone, he would have been even faster.

Beside him, a few clan elders noticed Shi Hezhang’s hesitation and immediately spoke up.

“Clan Uncle, should we have the people quicken their pace?”

Seeing that the clansmen behind him were still full of energy and excitement, Shi Hezhang nodded slightly.

"All right. The sooner we deal with the Chen family, the sooner we can return to the clan.”

"I understand."

The elders nodded in agreement and immediately ordered the people in the back to speed up. After issuing their commands, Shi Hezhang spoke again: "You all go with the others. I’ll go ahead and scout the Chen family’s situation.”

Upon hearing this, the elders froze for a moment before hurriedly protesting, "Clan Uncle, isn't that risky?"

“Clan Uncle, you absolutely mustn’t.”

"The Chen family has some tricks—let us go with you!"

Shi Hezhang’s brow tightened, showing his displeasure. "You don't trust me?"

The others mumbled and did not dare say more. In the end, Shi Chengyi stepped forward. "Clan Uncle, we trust you. It's just that the Chen family is extraordinary, and this mission is crucial. Without your leadership, the clansmen here will not feel at ease.”

The others all nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t hard to understand their fear—the Chen family truly was strange.

The clan had once been full of confidence, sending out many warriors, including an Innate Realm Great Completion elder. But those who went never returned.

They had some faith in Clan Uncle He Zhang, but what if he went alone and ultimately perished? What would become of the clan then?

As long as the clansmen acted together and came in overwhelming numbers, the Chen family would be powerless, even if they had a few tricks up their sleeves.

That was the elders’ line of thinking.

Shi Hezhang fell silent, pondering. He had never expected the small Chen family to become a thorn in the clan’s side.

Resolving the Chen Clan had become an urgent matter.

Just as the elders thought their persuasion was working, Shi Hezhang calmly said, "Such a small Chen Clan. Nothing more than a speck of land. Even if they have some skill, so what? I shall go meet with them myself and, at the same time, inspect the situation. You may follow afterward.”

Without giving the elders a chance to dissuade him, Shi Hezhang soared into the air and vanished before their eyes.

"Chengyi, perhaps we should follow him?" one elder asked uneasily.

"Forget it. Clan Uncle Hezhang is extremely powerful—he is the most important figure in our clan. His cultivation has already reached the Qi Manipulation Realm, and he wields the clan’s Divine Stone. There shouldn't be a problem," Shi Chengyi replied, though his voice lacked confidence.

Besides, wouldn’t following him now be like slapping Uncle Hezhang in the face? That is absolutely out of the question!

After a round of discussion, the clan elders urged the clansmen to speed up once more.

Ahead, Shi Hezhang harnessed his internal energy, accelerating forward as subtle waves of emotion flickered in his eyes.

Although he no longer participated in family decision-making and focused solely on cultivation, he could not avoid this journey.

Even the elders themselves lacked confidence—how could the rest of the clansmen not feel their morale falter?

A clan's growth does not rely solely on resources. The confidence and momentum of its people are equally vital. One must never yield or admit defeat to advance like a blade cutting through bamboo.

This battle was not merely about victory; it demanded resounding triumph.

Shi Hezhang harbored no doubt about this. After all, the clan had dispatched most of its forces. Even if there were two more clans of equal strength against the insignificant Chen Clan, they would still be no match for his family.

But first, he needed to set an example for the clansmen. He had to prove that Chaotic Burial Mountain was not a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den and that the Chen Clan was just an insignificant family.

The previous encounters occurred because the clan had been careless and failed to take matters seriously, allowing the Chen Clan to exploit an opening.

As long as he returned unharmed, the clansmen would charge forward with unstoppable momentum in the coming battle.

With his strength in the Qi Manipulation Realm and the clan's Divine Stone in hand, Shi Hezhang did not believe that an accident would occur.

This was precisely why he had to undertake this pathfinding mission.

…

"Almost ripe! It's almost ripe!"

"The clan's fruit is about to ripen!"

Inside the ancestral hall, clansmen observing the battle technique patterns etched on the Divine Tree's trunk shouted excitedly as they watched the gray fruit nearing maturity.

Unseen above their heads, in a realm beyond mortal sight, an elderly clan elder pointed toward the ripening gray fruit and explained to the spirit of a deceased young clansman beside him.

"Look! That one is your cousin uncle!"

"That one is your aunt!"

"That one is your great-granduncle—you must call him that!"

"Hurry! Your third aunt is about to fall. Get ready to catch her!"

With the clansmen’s shouts echoing below, the gray fruits hanging from the locust tree’s branches seemed unable to restrain themselves any longer. They dropped one after another to the ground.

As before, when a dozen or so ripened fruits fell, they made no sound. Instead, just before touching the earth, they transformed into forms invisible to the living clansmen.

Chen Changming stood quietly with the other departed clansmen, waiting patiently. He did not rush forward to disturb them but allowed the newly arrived souls a moment to adjust.

As many of the bewildered clansmen gradually regained clarity, Chen Changming approached one of the freshly reborn souls.

As he drew near, the elder ahead turned his gaze toward him, his expression filled with disbelief.

"You… you are Changming?"

"Fourth Uncle, it's me!" Chen Changming replied.

Seeing that the elder before him had recognized him, Chen Changming revealed a faint smile.

"Changming, it's been so many years since I last saw you. You’ve grown into quite the man. When you were little, I held you in my arms. At that time, you still wet the bed!"

Hearing this, Chen Changming’s aged face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Perhaps bringing the ancestors back isn’t such a bad idea after all.

But soon, the elder reacted, his expression tinged with doubt.

“Wait… I remember dying. Hadn’t I?”

Chen Changming did not hesitate. He quickly explained the reason behind the clansmen’s resurrection to the elder.

After listening, the elder turned to gaze at the Divine Tree behind him, his face filled with reverence.

They held a deeper respect for the Divine Tree than the younger clansmen did. After all, they had witnessed the clan’s rise and fall and seen the Divine Tree’s glory firsthand. Yet, upon learning that the revival was the work of the Divine Tree’s power, the elder still carried a trace of awe on his face.

Comments