Vol. 1 - Ch. 38 - Double Deduction?

In the blink of an eye, Ji Yang's emotions shifted as the ritual commenced with the sacrifice of several wild beasts.

This time, the offering included two Blood Coagulation Realm beasts and three late-stage Body Tempering Realm beasts.

These beasts not only replenished the life force Ji Yang had expended but also boosted his vitality and blood energy significantly.

From his experiences in absorbing Qi and Blood, Ji Yang had learned that late-stage Body Tempering Realm beasts generally contributed between 1 and 10 points of Qi and Blood, while Blood Coagulation Realm beasts offered between 10 and 20 points.

The specific points varied with each beast's cultivation level, but the differences were usually minor.

For instance, the beast from the late-stage Body Tempering Realm earlier had contributed 8 points of qi and blood, while another beast from the same realm had contributed only 7 points.

Spiritual energy, however, couldn't be gauged merely by cultivation level.

After absorbing all the Qi and Blood, Ji Yang checked his attributes once again:

[Life Force (Qi and Blood): 56 (Convertible to Vitality)]

[Spiritual Energy: 29]

[Deduction Points: 15]

[Available for Deduction!]

This time, he had received even more Qi and Blood than yesterday, enabling him to make several deductions.

The sudden abundance left Ji Yang momentarily disoriented, yet it brought a rather pleasant feeling.

Having just lost 10 points of vitality, Ji Yang replenished 20 points, ensuring his vitality remained sufficient and his condition did not deteriorate.

As for the remaining Qi and Blood, Ji Yang decided to keep it for now.

After the grand ritual, he would determine its best use.

With several days until the grand ritual, there was no rush.

Moreover, during the night, he could use the Lunar Eclipse Technique to absorb moonlight and further replenish his vitality, avoiding any need to hastily distribute his Qi and Blood.

After the ritual, the family began feasting.

Everyone enjoyed the food, including the blood rice acquired earlier from the Li Clan and meat from late-stage Body Tempering Realm beasts.

Both types of food replenished the life force of the clan members.

Amidst laughter and joy, the clan atmosphere exuded vibrant energy.

Not far away, Chen Xingzhen watched with a faint smile.

The prosperity, enduring strength, and unwavering faith of the members seemed ideal, but it wasn't enough.

The clan needed to grow stronger.

Additionally, the remnants of the Li Clan needed  to be dealt with quickly.

On the second day of the grand ritual, the ceremony continued, though Ji Yang noticed many stronger martial artists were absent from the ancestral hall.

Upon closer inspection, he found that most of them were participating in the ritual, but today's offerings were meager---only two late-stage Body Tempering Realm Beasts.

Ji Yang shook his head, understanding the situation.

The Chen Clan remained relatively weak, and there were still many mouths to feed.

Even if there were dangerous beasts roaming the Chaotic Burial Mountain, hunting them required effort and resources.

"Two will suffice," he thought, accepting the offerings.

The two late-stage Body Tempering Realm Beasts contributed 14 points of Qi and Blood and 2 points of spiritual energy to Ji Yang.

His Qi and Blood reached 50 points, and his spiritual energy reached 31 points.

On the third day of the Grand Ritual, Ji Yang gained another 10 points of Qi and Blood and 1 point of spiritual energy, bringing his totals to 65 points of Qi and Blood and 32 points of spiritual energy.

On the fourth day, he gained 13 points of Qi and Blood and another 2 points of spiritual energy.

During the ancestral rites, the Chen Clan integrated the Li Clan's territory completely.

Despite their martial strength, they couldn't cover everything.

They needed people to cultivate blood rice for the upcoming harsh winter and sent warriors to search for remaining Li Clan members.

After several days, they made progress, remaining patient for the right time to act.

....

Outside an abandoned cave, a figure moved quickly. After ensuring no signs of trouble, the figure entered the cave and disappeared.

"Uncle, what's the situation?"

Inside the cave, Li Yongcheng faced the middle-aged man before him and inquired, "Uncle, how are you?"

The middle-aged man was none other than Li Cailiang, who had stood guard for Li Yongfu during their escape that day.

Despite Chen Tianjing possessing the Locust Leaf, Li Cailiang's late-stage Blood Coagulation Realm strength allowed him to free them from their predicament.

Hearing Li Yongcheng's question, Li Cailiang furrowed his brow and spoke slowly.

"According to my investigation, the Chen Clan is currently conducting a large-scale ritual and hasn't sent too many clan members to track our whereabouts. Now that our clan's power has diminished, I suggest we take this opportunity. Let's lead the remaining clansmen away from Chaotic Burial Mountain. When we regain strength, we can return for revenge. What do you think?"

Li Yong fell into pensive silence.

The fall of their clan, with most of its members dying in that fateful battle, haunted his nights, often waking him from nightmares.

This debt of vengeance couldn't remain unpaid; it was essential for the souls of their fallen clansmen to find peace.

However, relying solely on their diminished clan strength made revenge seem impossible, especially with the mysterious help of the Chen Clan's Locust Leaf.

Though burning with the desire for revenge, Li Cailiang's suggestion was more pragmatic.

"Agreed," Li Yongcheng finally nodded.

Their clan had once risen from humble beginnings to its current state.

Given that, why shouldn't they fight back?

Besides, they still had surviving clan members, even if their cultivation levels were low.

In time, these individuals could be the key to their clan's revival.

Seeing Li Yongchen's renewed determination, Li Cailiang's face showed a hint of approval.

As the clan leader, he understood the importance of unwavering determination.

"Uncle Wu, this journey might not be easy. I think we should discuss it carefully..."

Chaotic Burial Mountain was already remote, and although there were some main paths, they couldn't take a too conspicuous route with the remaining clan members.

If they chose smaller paths to leave Chaotic Burial Mountain, the roads would be treacherous, and they'd have to ensure the safety of the elderly and young clan members.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Yongcheng's eyes showed determination. "Uncle Wu, here's my plan."

"What? This...!" Li Cailiang's surprise echoed in the air. His face showed hesitation, but when he saw Li Yoncheng's determined gaze, he slowly nodded. "Alright, let's do it your way!"

...

On the seventh day of the grand ritual, the Chen clan seemed transformed.

Children's laughter echoed throughout the clan, and the once-empty clan square was now filled with clan members refining their bodies and striving to break through to higher realms.

The clan's Blood Coagulation Realm warriors had been extremely busy these days, constantly shuttling outside.

In the ancestral hall, Chen Xingzhen had already begun presiding over the closing ceremony of the Sacred Tree Great Festival.

After the ritual concluded, the clan once again presented the final day's offerings.

Once everything was done, Chen Xingzhen turned to Chen Tianjing and inquired,

"Is the information accurate?"

Chen Tianjing nodded.

"I personally checked. There are no issues; indeed, they are members of the Li Clan."

"Good!" Chen Xingzhen nodded decisively.

"Immediately summon our clan members and intercept the Li clan. We'll leave a few people here to guard the clan, just in case. As for the Liu Clan, continue surveillance."

With these orders, the entire clan became busy once again. This time, they were determined to eliminate Li Yongcheng and the others.

Above them, Ji Yang overheard their conversation but didn't pay too much attention.

As a tree---even a divine one---he couldn't concern himself with matters too far away.

Right now, Ji Yang was more concerned about his current state.

After today's grand ritual, Jiyang's attributes had undergone significant changes:

[Name: Jiyang]

[Race: Young Huai Tree]

[Life Force (Vitality.): 30.4]

[Divine Abilities: Insightful Eye, Reversal Dan Technique, One-Leaf Concealment]

[Cultivation Method: Lunar Eclipse]

[Combat Techniques: None]

[Qi and Blood: 104 (convertible to life force)]

[Spiritual Power: 36]

[Points for Divination: 25]

[Divinable!]

[Status: As the revered tree, you finally have some self-defense capability, but it's still far from enough.]

Ji Yang's life force, originally 16 points, had now reached 30 points due to absorbing moonlight in recent days.

This increase in life force caused Ji Yang's roots to extend several meters beyond the ancestral hall.

Additionally, the seven days of offerings had elevated Ji Yang's Qi and Blood to an impressive level.

During this time, two late-stage Body Tempering Realm clan members broke through to the Blood Coagulation Realm, and six others further advanced in their cultivation.

As a result, Ji Yang's points for divination had significantly increased.

Seeing the abundant Qi and Blood, the spiritual energy, and the potential developments below, even Ji Yang's usually calm demeanor was slightly shaken.

Increasing his vitality was undoubtedly the key to strengthening himself, but he felt that performing deductions was the shortcut to quickly increasing his vitality, and it was also the foundation for making the Chen Clan strong.

Besides, he had never come across anything like this in the martial arts field before.

He hoped to gain some insight this time.

[This subtraction will consume 10 Qi, 5 spiritual energy, and 5 subtraction points. Continue?]

[Yes? No?]

When the deduction conditions appeared again, Ji Yang habitually prepared to click "Yes".

However, just as he was about to do so, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Wait!

Why are the colours of the Qi and blood, mental energy, and extraction points different from before?

If he remembered correctly, they used to be black. Now, they were green, with a subtle plus-minus symbol next to the points.

This unusual situation caused Ji Yang to pause. He couldn't help but click on the plus symbol after the points.

[This subtraction will consume 20 Qi and Blood, 10 Spiritual energy, and 10 Subtraction points. Continue?]

[Yes? No?]

(Note: This is a double deduction. During the deduction, you may randomly bring one of your abilities into the deduction).

(Note: The higher the deduction multiplier, the easier it is to unlock rare cards.)

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