Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

"You..."

"Hehe, that's right. We uncovered the secrets of your Gan family's totem long ago. Sacrificing your clansmen can indeed unleash tremendous power. However, if the bloodline of the sacrifice is impure, not only will the offering fail, but it will also become poisonous. Am I wrong?"

Upon hearing these words, Gan Zongjin’s face twisted with shock and fury.

He had never imagined that the Shi family understood the Gan Clan’s totem so well.

What left him truly bewildered, though, was that all those sacrificed had been family members. There shouldn't have been any issue of impure bloodlines!

"Patriarch Gan, are you certain that all those sacrificed were truly of your Gan family's blood?"

When Shi Chengqiu asked this question, Gan Zongjin’s expression froze.

If he remembered correctly, one of the clan members had disappeared for a time several years ago.

Though that person later returned to the clan, Gan Zongjin recalled the totem giving a faint warning at that time.

According to the clansman, he had stumbled upon an ancient ruin by accident and escaped by sheer luck.

When that clansman returned, he brought back many resources, so the family did not investigate further. In hindsight, however, the matter was shrouded in suspicion.

If the problem truly lay with the clansman, then it was clear that the Shi family had plotted this for a long time and had intended to devour the Gan Clan from the beginning.

Gan Zongjin's heart was chilled by such cunning.

"Enough! Clansmen, send Patriarch Gan on his way!"

Without giving Gan Zongjin a chance to ask more questions, countless Shi family warriors charged forward.

Without the protection of the totem’s power, the Gan Clan, though still possessing one martial artist at the Great Completion stage of the Innate Realm, was no match for the Shi family's late-stage Innate elders working together.

After only a few exchanges, the Gan Clan suffered devastating losses.

Watching his clansmen fall one by one, Gan Zongjin was filled with bitter regret.

"If only I had governed with diligence from the start, perhaps the family would not have met such an end."

But it was too late to say anything now.

Soon, Gan Zongjin fell too, slain by the combined assault of several Shi family martial artists.

From that moment on, the Gan family in Yong’an City was nothing more than a memory.

As the Shi clansmen cleaned up the battlefield, Shi Chenghong slowly approached.

Though the Gan family had been eliminated, there was no joy on his face. Destroying the Gan Clan meant that all pressure would now fall on the remaining Shen family. However, with the clan’s two uncles still lacking breakthroughs, the Shi family needed more time to prepare.

Still, it likely would not take much longer.

…

“Has the Gan family truly been annihilated?”

By the time Chen Xingzhen received the news, half a month had already passed.

Though the Shi family had tried desperately to conceal the matter, truth spreads quickly—even when paper cannot cover fire.

Upon hearing the news, Chen Xingzhen remained calm. The Gan family was gone, and it seemed the Shen family’s end was not far behind.

But when Chen Xingzhen saw the fertile fields where the Blood Rice was flourishing, he felt somewhat at ease. He estimated that the Blood Rice would be ready in another month, and the Zhou family would send people to collect it again.

This meant that the clan would remain safe for the coming month.

After the recent great battle with the Shi family, it was likely that they would take time to recuperate. This would also be an opportunity for the Chen Clan to grow stronger quietly.

Still, preparations were necessary.

When Chen Xingzhen returned to the clan, he found the central square filled with clansmen practicing martial techniques. From time to time, he saw two clansmen engage in combat.

One wielded an arm bone, while the other held a skull in one hand and a leg bone in the other. They fought evenly, and the white bones in their hands erupted with astonishing power.

Though they lacked formal battle techniques, these "top-tier iron weapons" gave them astonishing killing power!

In preparation for the Great War that the clan might soon face, the clansmen had scarcely gone to the academy over the past two months. Most of the time, they remained within the clan, training or strengthening their bodies.

Watching his clansmen diligently strive to better themselves brought Chen Xingzhen a faint sense of comfort.

According to the clan’s original plans, more members should have been sent to Yong’an City by now. However, due to the growing complexity of the situation in the city, if it were not for the need to gather intelligence, he would have summoned Tianlei and Tianleng back to strengthen the clan’s power.

…

“What did Shi Chenghong say?”

In Yong’an City, within the Xie family.

Xie Yanmiao asked the clansman before him.

"Patriarch, the Shi family said that many of their clansmen suffered losses when they attacked the Gan clan. For now, they cannot join forces with us against the Shen Clan. They also claimed that the Shen Clan is nearing the end of its strength and that waiting a little longer will make no difference.”

After speaking, the clansman subtly raised his head and glanced at his patriarch’s expression.

Even though he did not fully understand the situation, it was clear that the Shi family’s words were just excuses. They obviously had no intention of lending their strength.

Xie Yanmiao, however, did not grow angry. His gaze remained calm and indifferent.

Though he did not yet know the Shi family’s purpose in delaying, his clan could not afford unnecessary losses. Even with a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation realm among them, he would not underestimate the Shen Clan, which still possessed a totem and was driven to desperation.

Since the Shi family wanted to stall, he would let them.

He wanted to see what the Shi family’s true intentions were, too.

After a brief moment of thought, Xie Yanmiao addressed the clansman before him.

"From now on, send one clansman each day to pressure them!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

After giving his orders, Xie Yanmiao was about to leave when a voice came from outside the door.

"Patriarch, Yan Mo requests an audience."

Upon hearing this, a trace of joy appeared on Xie Yanmiao’s face.

"Brother, you are far too polite. I've already said, if you have matters to discuss, you may come straight in!"

"By the way, brother, did the Zhou family give any response on this trip?"

“The Zhou family has agreed, Patriarch. They are willing to cooperate with our clan. They have already dispatched some of their clansmen to stay with us and provide support at any time.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanmiao’s expression lit up with delight.

"Excellent, excellent! I hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Brother, please tell me in detail about the events of this journey."

After Yan Mo recounted the events, Xie Yanmiao nodded slightly.

"Though there are only a few Innate Realm martial artists, if we establish ties with the Zhou family, our family will have nothing to fear, even if the Shi family aligns with other clans."

"With the Zhou family's assistance, unifying Yong'an City will be within our grasp!"

After Xie Yanmo left, Xie Yanmiao felt relieved.

Yong’an City was located within the Yunmeng Mountain Range and, strictly speaking, was still under the Zhou family’s jurisdiction. It was also the closest, so forging ties with the Zhou family was far more advantageous than with any other clan.

Though the Xie family now had a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm, Xie Yanmiao, as patriarch, knew this was the clan’s limit.

Beyond the Qi Manipulation realm, every step forward demanded immense resources from the clan. Even with their current foundation, they were lacking.

If the clan wanted to make further breakthroughs, they would need to form alliances with other families.

Their connection with the Zhou family was not a sudden decision but a long-planned strategy.

Until now, the clan had lacked a martial artist at the Qi Manipulation Realm. Without such strength, they would have been too weak and would have had no voice in any alliance. Thus, they waited until now.

Hello readers!