Vol. 1 - Ch. 75 - Inevitable Fate 

"If the Natural Blood Spring is gone, doesn’t that mean Blood Rice can no longer be grown on Chaotic Burial Mountain?"

"Exactly."

Chen Changming’s confirmation sent Chen Xingzhen’s thoughts into turmoil, and his brows furrowed deeply. As the clan leader, he knew all too well the importance of Blood Rice. Without the constant threat of the Li family, the clan could continue to grow and thrive on Chaotic Burial Mountain, relying on Blood Rice to restore their former glory. 

But if the Blood Rice was lost, the progress of the clan’s Body Tempering would slow, or even halt altogether, and their development would fall far behind. Wild beast blood could be used for Body Tempering, but how many wild beasts were left in Chaotic Burial Mountain? And how many years could the clan sustain the constant hunting required?

Blood Rice, which could be harvested three times a year, was a rare and invaluable resource. Chen Xingzhen had always believed it was unique to the area, never suspecting it was tied to the Natural Blood Spring hidden beneath the mountain. 

If the Liu family found the spring and caused it to disappear, what would become of the clan’s future?

Chen Xingzhen’s eyes filled with determination. He couldn’t allow the Liu family to find the Natural Blood Spring; otherwise, the clan’s future would be cut short. 

Yet, when he considered the Liu family’s strength, his resolve wavered. Could the Chen clan, no more than an ant, really block the Liu family’s ambitions?

Trying to stop them would likely end in disaster, leading to the clan’s destruction. Allowing the search to continue would mean losing the Blood Rice, but it might also preserve the clan. 

The Liu family had not attacked the Chen clan since discovering the Blood Rice. If they had intended harm, they would have acted already. The choice seemed clear.

Chen Changming stayed silent, letting his son wrestle with the decision. Eventually, Chen Xingzhen’s expression turned resigned. 

Though they now knew the Liu family’s goal, they were powerless to stop them. Pretending ignorance was their only option. Losing the Blood Rice was a heavy blow, but if it meant preserving the clan’s strength, it was a price worth paying. And besides, they still had the Divine Tree.

Given that the Liu family hadn’t established roots in Chaotic Burial Mountain over the past few years, it seemed unlikely they would do so after finding the blood spring. 

If that were the case, the Chen family might one day stand as the sole clan on Chaotic Burial Mountain. This small advantage, however, would be quickly overshadowed by the loss of the Blood Rice, serving only as a hollow consolation.

As Chen Xingzhen reflected on the Liu family’s actions over the years, a thought struck him. He turned to his father with a spark of hope. 

"Father, the Liu family has been searching for the blood spring for years, yet Blood Rice has continued to grow all this time. Is it possible they won’t find it this year either?"

Chen Changming shook his head. 

"The Natural Blood Spring has many tributaries, making it difficult to pinpoint, but the Liu family has already ruled out most of the larger areas. Though they haven’t found it yet, Chaotic Burial Mountain isn’t that large. Their current large-scale search shows they’ve lost patience. Even if they don’t find it this time, they will continue until they do."

Chen Changming’s words extinguished the last bit of hope in Chen Xingzhen’s heart.

It seemed that the clan was unlikely to make any changes.

At that moment, Chen Xingzhen suddenly asked:

"Father, do you know the location of the Natural Blood Spring?"

Chen Changming nodded and calmly replied:

"Yes, the Natural Blood Spring is located right under our clan's Ancestral Hall."

Oh!

Chen Xingzhen's expression remained neutral when he heard this.

However, when he fully realized what he had been told, his face was filled with astonishment, and even in his dreams, his heartbeat increased significantly.

He had asked out of curiosity, but he hadn't expected the Natural Blood Spring to be located right under the clan's Ancestral Hall. It was hard for him to accept.

Chen Changming continued:

"When the clan moved to this place, I was seriously injured and near death. By a stroke of luck, I discovered the Natural Blood Spring and Blood Rice in this area."

"That's why we founded the new clan here."

"To be precise, the Natural Blood Spring is located right under the Divine Tree in the Ancestral Hall. If the Divine Tree were to awaken, it's likely that the origin of the spring would be revealed as well."

Chen Changming's constant revelation of secrets left Chen Xingzhen unsure of how to react.

However, once he learned the location of the Natural Blood Spring, his thoughts changed dramatically.

If the Natural Blood Spring was somewhere else, he might have been able to pretend that he hadn't seen it.

But now that his father had revealed that the blood spring was under the Divine Tree in the Ancestral Hall, it meant that to find the blood spring, he would have to disturb the clan's Divine Tree.

The Divine Tree was not only the clan's totem, but also a symbol of the clan's prosperity and a deity that saved the clan from danger.

Between the Blood Rice and the Divine Tree, he would choose the Divine Tree without hesitation. And now that the two were intertwined, he had no choice.

After a moment of thought, Chen Xingzhen nodded silently:

"Father, I understand."

Seeing Chen Xingzhen's expression, Chen Changming felt reassured. He had waited to reveal this detail to see how Chen Xingzhen would decide. It seemed that Chen Xingzhen had made up his mind.

When Chen Changming first learned of the Liu family's intentions, he had already formed a plan in his heart. If it weren't for this blood spring, the clan's Divine Tree wouldn't have been revived and they wouldn't have been reborn.

For the future of the clan and its current situation, this battle is inevitable. He hoped that Chen Xingzhen felt the same way.

Despite the huge disparity, the current Chen family still had the strength to fight back.

In the Ancestral Hall, Ji Yang silently observed the area under the green stone slabs that were now covered with crimson soil, feeling a trace of astonishment:

"Natural Blood Spring? Crimson soil?"

With his improved vitality, Ji Yang was now able to see the scenes within these souls' dreams.

He had also heard the conversation between Chen Xingzhen and Chen Changming.

At first, he had thought that the crimson soil was just the result of blood rituals, but he hadn't expected this additional layer of meaning. Ji Yang slowly extended one of his enhanced roots downward, probing the depths below.

Soon, he discovered something unusual. When his root descended to a certain depth, it touched a ground that resembled a swamp.

Moreover, the sensations transmitted through the root were completely different.

It seems that this is the Natural Blood Spring hidden deep underground, although it is different from what he had imagined.

Ji Yang tried to absorb from the roots to see if he could draw vitality from the blood spring, but he couldn’t. As he pulled out the roots, he couldn't help but sigh.

Earlier, he had thought that the two families might end up in conflict, and now it seemed that he was right.

Even if the Chen family wanted to give up this blood spring now, it wouldn't work because it was bound to the Chen family and couldn't be moved.

Considering the strength of the Liu family, Ji Yang felt that the battle ahead would be challenging.

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