Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

After drinking, there was not the slightest trace of satisfaction on his face, only a hint of bitterness.

He recalled the first time he came to the Chen family estate. Back then, he had come with a touch of curiosity and an air of superiority. The rice wine had been novel, though not particularly remarkable.

The second time he came, he was the Clan Leader of the Zhou Clan. At that time, he was brimming with confidence and basking in success. Even the rice wine in his cup had tasted far better.

But now, on his third visit, he was so disheveled that the faintly sweet rice wine tasted bitter in his mouth.

Perhaps it is not the wine that is bitter, but his heart!

Zhou Huai’an let out a few bursts of laughter, as though mocking the twists of fate he had endured.

Seeing that Zhou Huai’an no longer drank, Chen Xingzhen finally could not hold back and asked,

“May I ask, Clan Leader Zhou, what business brings you to my clan at such a late hour?”

When asked by Chen Xingzhen, Zhou Huai’an merely smiled and replied:

"There's no need to call me Clan Leader Zhou anymore. The Zhou Clan has been destroyed. From this day forth, there is no Clan Leader Zhou.”

Hearing these words spoken in jest, Chen Xingzhen and the others could not help but change their expressions; disbelief was written across their faces.

Chen Xingzhen hurriedly said,

“Clan Leader Zhou, surely you must be joking?”

Zhou Huai’an answered calmly,

"Do you truly think I am joking, Clan Leader Chen? If my clan were still standing, would I have come here alone?"

His words were devoid of emotion, yet his eyes brimmed with endless pain. Judging by Zhou Huai’an’s current disheveled state, his words seemed anything but a jest.

Nevertheless, Chen Xingzhen found it difficult to remain composed and pressed on:

“But with the Zhou Clan’s strength, how could this possibly be?”

Before he could finish, Zhou Huai’an spoke.

"Nothing about it is impossible. The Zhou Clan held absolute power in Yunmeng City with few rivals, and we had more than a dozen subordinate families beneath us. Yet, even with three Qi Manipulation-realm martial artists in our ranks, what good did it do us? At best, we were still only a mid-tier clan!"

"What? Even the Zhou Clan was only a mid-tier clan?"

Chen Qingyu could not help but speak up. After all, he was the only one in the Chen family who had personally witnessed the Zhou Clan's former glory. He knew well the scale and strength they once possessed.

"Hehehe... Of course."

"The world is vast, and clans are spread far and wide. Most clans number only a few dozen people, with not even a single Innate-realm martial artist among them. Such clans can only be considered unranked.

"If a clan possesses even one Innate-realm martial artist, then it may be called a small clan. As long as they don't seek further expansion, they can endure for several decades.

"Above the small clans are the mid-tier clans. The boundary between the two is clear. To become a mid-tier clan, a family must have at least one martial artist in the lower third stage of the Qi Manipulation realm and number in the thousands.

“Beyond the mid-tier clans lie the upper clans. An upper clan must have at least one martial artist who has reached the second stage of the upper Qi Manipulation realm and a population exceeding ten thousand.

"Above the upper clans are the top-tier clans. Such clans must have at least one martial artist who has reached the Martial Dao True Core or True Fire Refining Spirit realm. Their numbers range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

“Beyond the top-tier clans are the Great Houses! A hundred years makes a clan; a thousand years makes a Great House. For these, sheer numbers no longer matter. What defines them is that there must be at least one martial artist within their ranks who has attained the Heaven-and-Earth Profound realm. Only those who reach this level can live for a thousand years and preserve the glory of a Great House.

"The vastness of Heaven and Earth... What is Yunmeng City in comparison?"

Zhou Huai’an's voice carried a tone of self-mockery.

Upon hearing this, Chen Tianjing and the others revealed expressions of bewilderment. The weight of this information struck them heavily.

According to Zhou Huai’an, their clan had previously been an unranked family and could only now barely be considered a small clan.

Yet, the strongest among them was only at the mid-stage of the Innate Realm, and they had fewer than two hundred clansmen. The distance to becoming a mid-tier clan was still long and arduous, let alone the higher thresholds beyond that.

If the family continued to grow, who knew when they might reach the level of an upper clan?

Chen Xingzhen listened and could not help but sigh inwardly. Truthfully, after Zhou Huai’an’s last visit, his father had filled him in on much of what he had previously lacked knowledge of. However, he chose not to share it with the clan, fearing that the vastness of the outside world and the strength of its enemies might rob his people of the courage to continue moving forward.

Ultimately, this was something that had to be told to the clan. How could they ever ignite the fighting spirit needed to press forward without knowing the dangers that lay ahead?

At that moment, Chen Xingzhen's thoughts ran deeper. In order to so easily annihilate the Zhou Clan, the enemy could not have possibly been another mid-tier clan. At the very least, it must have been an upper-tier clan with several martial artists at the second stage of the Upper Qi Manipulation Realm.

However, what puzzled him was why the Zhou Clan of Yunmeng City would provoke such a powerful upper clan to the point of complete destruction.

Before Chen Xingzhen could voice his doubts, Chen Tianjing could no longer restrain himself and asked outright.

Zhou Huai’an’s gaze grew distant. With a long sigh, he said,

"If you do not wish for your clan to follow in my footsteps, then it is best you do not know."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions shifted, and none dared to ask more.

Zhou Huai’an lifted the wine jug once more and drank several mouthfuls in succession.

Cough, cough, cough!

But before he could drink his fill, Zhou Huai’an suddenly coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

Puh! Puh!

"Qingyu, quickly! Bring out the finest healing herbs from the clan!"

Chen Xingzhen's voice was urgent.

However, Zhou Huai’an waved his hand weakly and said,

"No need. Thank you for your kindness, Clan Leader Chen, but this wound cannot be healed by medicine.”

He paused, his tone shifting slightly.

"Besides, I did not come here empty-handed. I brought something from my clan. Clan Leader Chen, perhaps you should take a look.”

With that, Zhou Huai’an drew a rectangular wooden box from his robes.

Immediately, Chen Qingyu and the other three became wary. Though they sympathized deeply with the Zhou clan’s plight, Zhou Huai’an was still a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation realm. A starved camel is still larger than a horse. The clan could not afford to drop its guard.

Yet Zhou Huai’an seemed unconcerned. He casually tossed the object forward.

Chen Xingzhen caught the wooden box without hesitation and slowly opened it.

Inside was a strange flower with petals that shimmered in three unusual colors: purple, blue, and black. The unusual blossom emitted faint wisps of white vapor, like mist rising from water.

Chen Xingzhen's gaze lingered on the strange flower in the wooden box. His expression was tinged with doubt.

"This is..."

Zhou Huai’an smiled faintly and explained,

"Indeed. This is the Wind Immortal Flower of my Zhou Clan. It comes in three grades: one color for the lower grade, two colors for the middle grade, and three colors for the upper grade. The flowers our clan sold in the past were all of the lower grade.”

He paused, his voice weakening as a fit of coughs wracked his chest.

Cough! Cough!

Fresh blood quickly stained the front of his robes, yet his eyes remained fixed on Chen Xingzhen.

"Last time, I promised Clan Leader Chen that I would bring a Wind Immortal Flower. Today, I have not broken that promise."

Chen Xingzhen held the wooden box, but did not immediately accept the gift. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke.

"Our clan has received much aid from Clan Leader Zhou. If there is anything within our power, Clan Leader Zhou need only speak.”