Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

A detailed map was spread out on the table and the clan members beside it hurriedly pointed out directions on it.

Xie Yanmiao studied the map in his hands. After observing the direction in which the three Shi family members were heading, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Shi family must be crazy to actually plan to seek outside reinforcements just to deal with the Chen family.

They didn't realize that this move would shatter the long-standing balance of Yong'an City and alter the current family power structure. Even his own Xie family might not emerge unscathed.

Yet, after pondering for a moment, Xie Yanmiao simply rolled up the map on the table without issuing any further orders.

He had his own thoughts as well.

If the balance is broken, perhaps that won't be such a bad thing for the families as they are today.

Due to the involvement of the other three major families, the clan's actions were often restricted. Given their current strength, they were far from capable of eliminating all three families at once.

Using the Shi family as a breakthrough point and dealing with the other two families first wouldn’t be a bad strategy.

Once the other two families are taken care of, the Shi family will be isolated, leaving our clan with far more opportunities.

However, since the Shi family is making such a move, our clan cannot afford to let its guard down.

As for the Chen family, they’re nothing more than a lucky clan. Their survival or destruction is of no concern to me.

“Clan Leader, everything around the Chaotic Burial Mountain remains stable…”

"Clan Leader, the Blood Rice has begun growing smoothly over by the fertile fields. I’ve already dispatched clansmen to maintain tight security in the surrounding area.”

"According to reports from our people in Yong'an City, the Shi family has shown no recent activity, and the other three families remain as they were."

Inside the main hall of the clan, Chen Tianyu and the others reported on the recent situation of the family.

After listening, Chen Xingzhen nodded slightly. Since the last batch of Blood Rice was poisoned, the clan had become more cautious and assigned many members to guard the fields, hoping to prevent a repeat of that incident.

The lack of movement from the Shi family meant the clan had more time to develop. However, it also implied that, when the Shi family strikes next, not even the Zhou family’s name might stop them.

This was only speculation, but the clan had to prepare for the worst.

His only regret was that the clan could not take the initiative for now. They could only respond to changes as they occurred.

Fortunately, Yong’an City was some distance away. As long as the clan set up hidden sentries along the route, they had little to worry about in the event of a sudden attack from other families.

The problem facing Chen Xingzhen was that the cultivation of many clan members had once again fallen into stagnation.

Although there was still plenty of Blood Rice left and some had been brewed into rice wine, resources were lacking.

The five hundred catties of Blood Rice exchanged with the Xie family last time seemed like a lot, but they only earned a few Wu Xi fruits—far from enough to sustain the clan’s Blood Coagulation Realm martial artists.

Furthermore, several clan members in the late Body Tempering stage were about to break through. When that time came, the clan’s demand for resources would increase.

The next Blood Rice harvest wouldn't be until May, leaving a two-month gap.

The clan could not allow its members' cultivation to stagnate. The clan must do everything in its power to help them improve as much as possible. Only then will they be able to withstand the Shi family’s retaliation.

But what should they do?

Chen Xingzhen fell into deep contemplation.

He soon recalled the place that Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng had stumbled upon earlier—a site suspected to be the ruins of an ancient family.

If they could develop the ruins, perhaps it would benefit the clan.

However, the ruins were so dangerous that even Chen Qingyu had felt uneasy about them. It was probably not a benevolent place.

Originally, he had intended to wait until the clan had stabilized completely and its members had grown stronger before exploring it.

But time waits for no one. Chen Xingzhen lacked confidence in his ability to handle the looming crisis that threatened the clan. They would have to take the risk and investigate.

When he voiced his thoughts, Chen Tianyu and the others fell into deep contemplation.

"Clan Leader, I believe this is worth doing. The clan is relatively stable for now, and the Shi family hasn’t made a move. Rather than waiting for death, we should explore the ruins first. Perhaps there are things inside that could strengthen our clan. When the Shi family attacks, we’ll have a better chance of defending ourselves.”

“I agree with Tianyu. If the ruins really are from an ancient family buried beneath Chaotic Burial Mountain, they must be very old. Most of what’s inside has probably already been destroyed. If there truly is something beyond our control, the clan can always withdraw and seal the ruins."

A faint glimmer appeared in the eyes of the other clansmen.

They had never seen an ancient relic before. The only thing that could barely be considered a relic was probably the remains of their ancestors in the shrine.

As for this relic from the primordial era, curiosity was their main feeling.

Besides, the clan still had the Divine Tree. As long as they didn’t die on the spot, there wouldn't be much danger.

Despite hearing the thoughts of his clansmen, Chen Xingzhen didn’t rush to agree.

After pondering for a moment, he spoke.

"Here's what we'll do. Tonight, I’ll ask the Divine Tree and Father for their opinion and see what they think.”

Now that the clan’s totem was no longer what it used to be, he believed the Divine Tree would be able to offer guidance or warnings about this matter.

…

Night.

Chen Xingzhen stood in the shade of the tree and voiced the thoughts he had had that day. Then, he quietly prayed, hoping to receive guidance from the Divine Tree.

Meanwhile, above, Ji Yang slowly gathered his scattered consciousness and sank into contemplation.

He was well aware of this ancient clan relic's existence.

Chen Xingzhen’s original idea aligned perfectly with his own. Once the clan stabilized, his roots would surely spread even farther. Chaotic Burial Mountain would also fall within his domain.

Then, nothing would be capable of threatening the clan, and the clansmen could explore without worry.

However, exploring ahead of time carried unknown risks.

Now, it seemed the clan truly could not wait.

The Shi Clan’s silence stirred a faint sense of crisis in Ji Yang’s heart. Even after losing a martial artist at the pinnacle of the Innate Realm, they remained unmoved. The Shi Clan must have other plans—his own clan could not afford to stay idle.

After a brief pause, Ji Yang once again channeled his life force, letting several locust leaves drift down.

His reach was limited, and there wasn't much he could do for the clan. But at the very least, he could reduce the risk of casualties among his people.

Having received the Divine Tree’s will, Chen Xingzhen did not linger. He prepared to enter a dream and ask his father for advice.

Within the dream, Chen Changming quickly appeared before his eyes.

He was already aware of everything Chen Xingzhen had said earlier in the ancestral hall.

“If you want to do it, then do it!

"Father will always support you! The clansmen here support you, too!”

After receiving his father’s affirmation, Chen Xingzhen had no more worries.

Relics are dead, but people are alive. Exploring a relic doesn’t mean charging ahead recklessly.

If they sensed that something was impossible, the clan could withdraw at any time. After all, the location of the relic wasn’t far from the clan, which was their greatest source of confidence.