Chapter 23: I alone will suffice

“Very well, very well!”

“It seems the Chen Clan truly has no other recourse, unable to even secure food for their people!”

“In three days’ time, it will be our moment to strike.”

The clan member who came to report scratched his head in confusion:

“But I saw Mason Chen, his Qi and Blood are abundant, repelling several of our people!”

Joshua Li snorted lightly upon hearing this:

“Isn’t that obvious? If the Chen Clan can’t even provide for their Blood Condensation Realm Warriors, why would we wait another three days?”

“The Clan Chief is right!”

The clan member gave a sheepish smile and then withdrew.

Joshua Li took out a map from the side, on which the Chen Clan’s buildings and main roads were meticulously marked.

Holding an ink brush, Joshua occasionally made marks on the map.

The places he marked were the key exits of the Li Clan.

In clan warfare, one must not be careless, nor can there be any fish that slip through the net.

Even in a small place like Disordered Burial Mountain, there have been instances where, out of pity during clan wars, the young of rival clans were spared, only to lead to their clan’s extermination later on.

Coincidentally, the Elder Ancestor of the Li Clan was one of those spared youngsters, who after annihilating his old enemies, managed to grow the clan to its current state.

Therefore, he would not let a single person from the Chen Clan escape, not even a tree; he would split it in two!

After confirming that the plan for three days later was flawless, Joshua Li put away the map.

“Clan Chief, your fifth paternal great-uncle has just broken through to the later stages of the Blood Condensation Realm!”

Soon, another clan member came to report.

Upon hearing this news, Joshua Li’s face lit up with joy! This was truly good news.

His Li Clan originally had two late-stage Blood Condensation Realm Warriors, and with the addition of other warriors, they had a total of eight.

In contrast, the Chen Clan only had four Blood Condensation Realm Warriors. If it weren’t for their ‘Elder Ancestor,’ the Chen Clan would have already been defeated.

Now that another person in the clan had broken through to the later stages of the Blood Condensation Realm, even if the Chen Clan’s ‘Elder Ancestor’ took action, they would not fear.

With this, the clan could truly be assured of victory.

They could even take down the Chen Clan right now.

But after some thought, Joshua Li still abandoned this idea.

The Chen Clan was not to be feared, but another clan in Disordered Burial Mountain required caution.

Since the Chen Clan couldn’t escape anyway, it was best to minimize their own losses.

…

As night fell, Ethan Chen paced around the high grounds of the clan. Seeing that everything within the clan was as usual, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed that today’s sortie by the clan members would allow them to hold out for a few more days.

Ethan Chen quickened his pace towards the Ancestral Hall.

When he arrived outside the Ancestral Hall, he could already glimpse the glimmering Sacred Tree through the cracks of the door.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that the light emitted by the Sacred Tree seemed brighter today.

Ethan Chen pushed open the door and looked towards the Sacred Tree.

But when he saw the current state of the Sacred Tree, his face revealed a hint of astonishment.

The Sacred Tree before him had grown much taller, its trunk thicker, and the glowing leaves on its branches shone like scattered jade stones, crystal clear.

He hadn’t come to observe during the day and hadn’t expected such a significant change in the Sacred Tree, which filled Ethan Chen with joy and surprise.

It seemed to be the result of last night’s sacrifice.

But then Ethan Chen seemed to remember something, his face showing a hint of difficulty.

Because he had already instructed the clan members not to hunt tonight.

Naturally, the reason was due to the encounter with an Innate Realm beast during yesterday’s hunt.

If that Innate Realm Green Wolf was still nearby, the risk for the clan members going out to hunt would increase.

But now, the change in the Sacred Tree was clearly the result of his continuous sacrifices. If he stopped sacrificing now, would the transformation of the Sacred Tree cease?

He had once heard from the clan elders that if the Sacred Tree was at a critical moment, it required daily sacrifices, and the more sacrifices made, the stronger the divine power the Sacred Tree would exhibit, better protecting the clan.

He had asked what constituted a critical moment.

The clan elder had smiled without answering, only saying that he would naturally know when the time came.

And the current scene very much fit the critical moment described by that elder.

If he really stopped sacrificing today, wouldn’t he become a sinner of the clan?

And the two beasts left from last night were mostly consumed by the clan members by now, likely insufficient for the sacrifice.

Could it be that the clan members had to take the risk again tonight?

“But if we really have to go hunting, who should I send?”

Ethan Chen murmured to himself softly.

If the clan members sent out were of too low a Realm, hunting would be problematic. If he sent people like Mason Chen again, encountering that Innate Realm beast would mean no return!

As Ethan Chen was in a dilemma, a faint voice suddenly came from behind:

“Clan Chief, I’ll go.”

“Oliver? When did you get here?”

“Just arrived.”

Oliver Chen glanced at the significantly changed Sacred Tree, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued:

“For tonight’s hunt, I alone will suffice.”

“This…”

Ethan Chen was visibly conflicted.

But after careful thought, aside from Oliver Chen, it seemed no one else could replace him.

There were only two late-stage Blood Condensation Realm Warriors in the clan, and besides himself, there was Oliver Chen.

Although he was much older, a warrior’s strength did not necessarily increase with age. If one’s age was too advanced and their Realm had not broken through for a long time, their Qi and Blood would rapidly decline.

Currently, Oliver Chen was considered the strongest warrior in the clan, and his late-stage Blood Condensation Realm strength allowed him to move with ease in Disordered Burial Mountain. If he encountered a formidable beast, he could detect it early and leave quickly.

In every way, Oliver Chen was highly suitable.

Without much hesitation, Ethan Chen quickly turned his gaze to Oliver Chen and cautioned:

“You must be careful on this journey. If you find anything amiss, retreat immediately and do not be reckless.”

“Mm, I understand.”

Oliver Chen nodded, clearly not taking Ethan Chen’s words to heart, which made Ethan sigh internally.

Oliver Chen was excellent in every way, but he was just a bit too impetuous due to his youth.

But then again, perhaps young people should be like this; otherwise, how could they have the ability to break through their limits?

Ultimately, the fault lay with the clan. If the clan were stronger, they could have provided talents like Oliver Chen with better resources and opportunities.

Seeing the Clan Chief’s agreement, Oliver Chen immediately headed towards the direction of the clan’s secret passage:

“Clan Chief, I’m off!”

“Mm, be very careful and cautious.”