On this day, the Chen Clan was adorned with festive decorations.
Both inside and outside the clan, the atmosphere was lively and bustling.
Today was a joyous occasion for many clan members. Clan Chief Ethan Chen had already made all the necessary arrangements, setting aside the usual martial training. The rice wine brewed from grain rice was also brought out.
Although the rice wine wasnât very strong, it was enough to make people feel tipsy.
Even Noah Ji in the ancestral hall had a taste, though he couldnât discern much flavor.
Besides the usual grain rice wine, the clan had also brewed some from blood rice.
This blood rice wine not only had a good taste but also contained more Qi and blood than the blood rice itself, making it suitable for warriors to temper their bodies. However, it took a long time to brew, and the next batch wouldnât be ready until the spring of the following year.
In the ancestral hall, many living souls were filled with joy, as some of their descendants were among those getting married.
These living souls even offered prayers in the ancestral hall.
They hadnât expected to witness such a scene after their deaths.
Only two living souls in the corner sighed softly.
Additionally, the clan had invited many village chiefs to join the celebration. The village chiefs were initially apprehensive, but after a few rounds of drinks, they began to relax.
The purpose of inviting these village chiefs was simple: to ensure the smooth handling of future clan affairs.
The clan would need their assistance in various matters.
As night fell and the moon rose, the ancestral hallâs Sophora tree glowed faintly. The once lively clan gradually grew quiet.
The village chiefs had already settled down in the clan for the night, waiting to return the next day.
âClan Chief, let me help you to your room.â
âNo need, you should get some rest too.â
Ethan Chen waved his hand and slowly walked towards his room.
As the clan chief, he naturally couldnât miss todayâs events. After seeing the many weddings, Ethan couldnât help but have a few more drinks.
However, as a late-stage Blood Condensation Realm warrior, the rice wine didnât affect him much.
He could even use his Qi and blood to dispel the effects of the alcohol.
But he chose not to.
Many clan members were already drunk, but with the clan elders watching from above, why not indulge a little?
Ethan cleared his head slightly and lay down on his bed.
As his breathing steadied, Ethan slowly drifted into sleep.
âFather, youâre here.â
In his dream, Ethan greeted Benjamin Chen.
However, he felt that Benjamin seemed preoccupied today, prompting Ethan to ask:
âFather, is there something Iâve forgotten to handle in the clan recently?â
Benjamin shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke:
âEthan, youâre not young anymore, yet youâre still unmarried and childless. Have you consideredâŠ?â
Hearing this, Ethanâs drunkenness vanished, and he woke up from his dream.
This left him more flustered than when he had discovered the natural Blood Spring beneath the ancestral hall.
Ethan touched his forehead, recalling his fatherâs words in the dream. He couldnât help but smile bitterly:
âFather, Iâm already old, and as the clan chief, how can IâŠâ
In the room, Benjamin, who had been ejected from the dream, sighed.
He didnât think it was a big deal.
Although Ethan was a bit older, as a Blood Condensation Realm warrior, he still had plenty of vitality.
He was simply thinking from a fatherâs perspective, considering Ethanâs future.
But seeing Ethanâs resistance, Benjamin decided not to press further.
So be it. Although Ethan had no direct descendants, the clan had many younger members, so there was no need to worry about the clanâs lineage.
Meanwhile, Edwin Chen was pacing outside a secret chamber, looking worried.
Inside the chamber, Oliver Chen was in seclusion.
As a father, seeing many clan members getting married today naturally made Edwin think of Oliver.
Moreover, Oliver was turning twenty-four next year. According to the usual pace in Disordered Burial Mountain, he should already be a father of several children by now.
But Oliver was still unmarried, which worried Edwin.
Could it be that Oliver didnât like women?
Edwin was anxious but decided to wait until Oliver came out of seclusion to ask him directly.
The next day, the clan returned to normal. After sending off the village chiefs, the clan resumed its usual operations, though it was now even more lively.
Taking advantage of the winter lull, the Chen Clan planned to expand their territory to avoid a future housing shortage as the clan grew.
Amidst the snowy landscape, the clan thrived.
Time flew by, and soon it was early February.
Although the cold hadnât completely dissipated, the snow in Disordered Burial Mountain was slowly melting with the rising temperatures.
The snow around the Chen Clanâs territory melted particularly quickly.
In two months, the clan had undergone significant changes. The winter expansion had doubled the clanâs original size. Under the guidance of several elders, Ethan had also re-planned the clanâs buildings, making the layout more efficient and reasonable.
Additionally, many women in the clan were now visibly pregnant, carrying the hope of the clanâs next generation.
With the Sacred Tree, there was no worry about premature deaths among the children.
In these two months, many clan members had also learned the Grand Ancestor Long Fist combat skill. Surprisingly, the first to master it was Alexander Chen, despite his average martial talent.
Inspired by Alexander, Lucas Chen also mastered the basics of the Grand Ancestor Long Fist the next day.
Although neither could fully utilize the combat skillâs power yet, as their realms and Qi and blood increased, it was only a matter of time.
The third clan member to master the skill was Daniel Chen, who was in the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm.
However, Daniel felt quite embarrassed, as he was an elder and still in the late stage of the Body Tempering Realm, yet he hadnât learned as quickly as the younger members.
But talent doesnât consider seniority.
The progress of the younger generation also spurred many middle-aged warriors in the clan to intensify their own training.
They couldnât let the younger generation surpass them in every aspect, could they?
As the snow gradually melted, the clan made new plans.
With the warming weather in Disordered Burial Mountain, the most important task was to quickly plant the first batch of grain rice and blood rice.
The clanâs food supplies were running low, and the blood rice was nearly depleted.
Even though the first batch of blood rice for the new year hadnât been harvested yet, the clan members couldnât afford to delay their body tempering.