Vol. 1 - Chapter 204 - Retreat

This time, he would strike to kill.

Just as Shi Chenghou was about to act, several figures rushed over from the distance. They weren’t weaklings—two had reached the peak of the Blood Coagulation Realm, and the rest were mid-stage cultivators. It was Chen Tianyu and his group, who had raced here at full speed.

Upon seeing the black-robed intruder, the newcomers immediately surrounded him and launched a coordinated assault. With the Divine Tree standing behind them, they were fearless.

Shi Chenghou’s steps faltered. Though he was already a late-stage Innate Realm cultivator and had little fear of being surrounded, the situation had clearly changed.

Breaking past these people to reach the Blood Rice and burn it would now be close to impossible—especially since the Chen Clan’s totem still hadn’t made a move. His mission had been to destroy the Blood Rice. If he failed, then even if he killed a few of their cultivators, it would be meaningless.

Once again, he hesitated.

“Retreat!”

Shi Chengyu’s voice rang sharply in his ear.

Without further hesitation, Shi Chenghou turned and withdrew.

Some Chen Clan members tried to give chase, but Chen Xingzhen, who had just arrived, quickly stopped them.

Those two were far too powerful. If not for the support of the clan’s spiritual spring, their people wouldn’t have been able to hold the line—much less pursue enemies of that level.

Nearby, Chen Qingyu approached quickly. “Clan Leader, it’s the same people as last time.”

Though they had only exchanged blows twice, she had recognized them immediately.

“They must’ve come for the Blood Rice.”

Chen Xingzhen nodded slightly, already forming his own judgment. With only two intruders, it clearly wasn’t a full-scale attack. Their goal had to be the destruction of the Blood Rice.

Fortunately, the Divine Tree had warned them. Without it, those two might’ve succeeded. While they still had no idea what method the intruders would use to destroy the rice, it was obvious they had something special prepared.

“Clan Leader, what should we do now?” someone asked.

Chen Xingzhen fell into a moment of silence.

Those two were stronger than Qingyu—most likely late-stage Innate Realm cultivators. With strength like that, they could advance or retreat at will. For now, there wasn’t much the clan could do to counter them.

“Reinforce the defenses,” he finally said.

Around him, many clan members still looked indignant.

“Next time they show up, we’ll make them pay!”

“Do they think the Chen Clan is helpless? Outrageous!”

“I swear, I’ll reach the Innate Realm as soon as I can!”

...

Seeing that the attack had not crushed morale but instead ignited it, Chen Xingzhen felt deeply comforted.

True strength wasn't just about rising through cultivation realms. An indomitable spirit and the will to never yield—those were what led to true power.

[Name: Shi Chengyu]

[Age: 131]

[Realm: Late Innate Stage]

[Profile: A member of the Shi Clan’s ‘Cheng’ generation. One of five in the clan to reach the late Innate Realm. Has achieved the Innate State with the aid of the clan’s totem.]

[Name: Shi Chenghou]

[Age: 128]

[Realm: Late Innate Stage]

[Profile: A fellow member of the Shi Clan’s ‘Cheng’ generation. One of five in the clan to reach the late Innate Realm. Has also achieved the Innate State with totemic assistance.]

Inside the ancestral hall, Ji Yang, having sensed that the two intruders had retreated, turned his gaze toward the intelligence he had just uncovered.

As the roots underground extended, the range of his Eye of Insight expanded with them. When the two stepped onto his root network, he had instantly grasped their identities and essential information.

They were indeed from the Shi Clan.

From this, it was clear the Shi Clan had already begun to suspect the Chen family’s recent movements. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have responded so quickly or decisively.

Even so, Ji Yang had chosen not to intervene.

Martial artists at the late Innate Realm were not to be underestimated. Apart from Chen Qingyu, no one else in the clan could match them. Even deploying the clan’s Soul Armor would be futile—and worse, it might reveal their greatest secret. Those who had seen the Soul Body and were not of the clan... could not be allowed to live.

If he truly wanted to keep those two here, he would have to act personally.

Though Ji Yang had no shortage of divine abilities, few had seen actual combat. Aside from Incense-Forged Golden Body and Scorched Earth for a Thousand Miles, only one other—Withered Wood Revives in Spring—had been recently acquired.

The Incense Body was incomplete. He had only one locust leaf, and although incense energy had been building since his last use, it wouldn’t be enough to stop those two.

As for Scorched Earth, it produced terrifying heat, yes—but late-stage Innate cultivators were fast, and the Innate State allowed them to sense danger before it came. The ability also relied on his root network, which limited its effectiveness.

That left Withered Wood Revives in Spring. He had not yet tested it, though he believed it could potentially hold them. But the Eye of Insight had already told him: Shi Chengyu and Shi Chenghou were only two of five such cultivators in the Shi Clan. There were three others of equal strength.

If he killed these two now, the Shi Clan would label them an enemy and prepare accordingly. Their next attack would be an all-out assault.

Worse yet, this intelligence hadn’t even mentioned whether the Shi Clan had any peak Innate Realm experts. Ji Yang refused to believe they didn’t. How else would they have secured a foothold in Yong’an City?

No—striking now would only expose their hand and hinder the Chen family’s future. Better to wait. Wait for a better opportunity. Wait for the clan to grow stronger.

Only by eliminating the Shi Clan in one decisive blow could they ensure lasting peace.

That was why Ji Yang had held back.

Thankfully, the clan had made rapid progress over the past two years. Otherwise, they might not have even been able to hold those two at bay.

The image currently playing in Chen Xingzhen’s mind was a minor divine ability triggered by Ji Yang through the Incense Locust Leaf. Above, the crescent moon hung in the sky as Ji Yang’s consciousness sank into stillness. Only the faint glow of the leaf continued to flicker.

...

“How could it have failed?!”

Not far from the Chaotic Burial Mountain, Shi Pojing stood in the shadows with a group of his clansmen. When he received the report, his face was filled with disbelief.

He had seen no firelight in the distance—proof enough that the elders had failed.

But how?

With their strength and cultivation, failure shouldn’t have been possible. Could the Chen Clan be hiding a high-level cultivator?

Shi Chenghou shook his head. “No. Their totem is exceptional. Before we could even approach their territory, we were already detected. With the Chen Clan on full alert, we couldn’t get anywhere near the Blood Rice storage.”

Shi Pojing’s expression turned grim.

The fire beetles were drawn to light, always flying toward the brightest source. Normally, the Chen Clan’s lanterns would have sufficed—but under tonight’s moonlight, the beetles had been even more drawn to the sky, burning themselves out mid-flight.

Without proximity to the warehouse, there was no way to burn the Blood Rice completely.

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