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“How could something so significant happen to the clan, and yet the Clan Chief isn’t here? It doesn’t make any sense!”
“The Clan Chief?”
The clansman who had been interrupted from his wailing scratched his head, as if trying to recall where the Clan Chief was. But soon enough, he remembered and pointed to a figure at the forefront, saying:
“Isn’t that him?”
The three of them followed his direction and looked over, their faces showing a hint of astonishment.
They hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now that they saw the back of the figure, wasn’t this the Clan Chief they had been desperately searching for?
But this realization only made them feel colder inside. They had been away from the clan for a few days, and such a major event had occurred. Looking at the Sacred Tree, its entire appearance had changed. What on earth had happened?
Could it be that the Clan Chief had gone mad again?
Up ahead, Ethan Chen’s emotions gradually calmed down.
Back when the clan migrated to this place, it was his father who led the clansmen through countless hardships.
From leaving their original home to arriving at the Disordered Burial Mountain, it took over twenty years.
During that time, the clan had stayed in other places, but due to various obstacles, they failed and finally settled in the Disordered Burial Mountain to thrive.
In those twenty years, the elders of the clan passed away one after another, and he went from being a ten-year-old boy to his current age of sixty.
Ever since he became the Clan Chief, he didn’t know how many responsibilities and expectations he had shouldered.
The responsibilities and expectations of the clan never allowed him a moment’s rest.
Whenever he recalled the days growing up under the wings of his father and many elders, he felt even more nostalgic.
It was precisely because of this that he lost his composure when he saw the White Fruit resembling his father.
The emotions came so fiercely that he forgot his identity as the Clan Chief.
However, the question from Elijah Chen behind him brought him back to his senses.
As the Clan Chief, he couldn’t afford to act so irrationally.
Moreover, seeing the likeness of his father and some of the clan elders today fulfilled his last wish.
Regaining his composure, Ethan Chen quickly wiped away his tears, stood up slowly, and his face returned to calm, as if the old man who had been crying moments ago was someone else entirely.
“Silence!”
Ethan Chen, now composed, turned to face the other clansmen, raised his hand slowly to stop their crying, and then said solemnly:
“The Sacred Tree is bearing divine fruit, and this is a critical moment. From today onwards, the Ancestral Hall will be temporarily closed, and no one is allowed to disturb the Sacred Tree!”
“Anyone who needs to worship the Sacred Tree must get my permission first.”
…
After issuing several orders, Ethan Chen once again reasserted his authority as the Clan Chief, and the clansmen had no objections. Seeing the likeness of their deceased elders today had also calmed their hearts significantly.
However, many were still curious about these White Fruits, but with the Ancestral Hall temporarily sealed, they had no other way.
At the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, Elijah Chen and the other two, who had been somewhat flustered, breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the Clan Chief hadn’t gone mad, and there was still hope for the clan.
“Elijah, have you traced the whereabouts of the Li Clan?”
After most of the clansmen had left the Ancestral Hall, Ethan Chen asked the three who had returned.
Hearing Elijah Chen’s question about serious matters, the three quickly replied:
“Clan Chief, I traveled southeast for over a hundred miles but found no trace of the remaining members of the Li Clan.”
“Clan Chief, I searched all the way northwest but also found no sign of the Li Clan.”
Ethan Chen listened quietly to their reports, his expression unchanged.
Although the Li Clan had fled, they had been operating in the Disordered Burial Mountain for a long time. He didn’t believe they wouldn’t have some secret passages or hidden places.
But despite the two searching for so long without finding any traces, it was clear the Li Clan had other means.
When they captured the group abandoned by the Li Clan, they had interrogated them but got no useful information. It was evident that Joshua Li hadn’t told them anything, and those people themselves didn’t even know they had been abandoned.
Only by deceiving their own people could they deceive the enemy.
“I did find something,” Oliver Chen’s words instantly drew the attention of the three.
“After discovering the Li Clan’s hiding place, we only found one path, indicating that the Li Clan hadn’t yet dispersed. So, I followed the tracks of the Li Clan members we found a few days ago and discovered some traces at a fork in the road.”
“Go on, Oliver,” Ethan Chen nodded after hearing this.
“Although the traces were faint and even deliberately concealed, they still left some flaws. I tracked them all the way to the hunting range of the Li Clan in the Disordered Burial Mountain.”
Hearing this, Ethan Chen suddenly understood.
So that’s it. He wondered why the clan had sent out so many people to search but still found no clues.
Even if the Li Clan had abandoned some people, there were still about twenty of them left. It was impossible to completely hide their tracks.
Now it all made sense. They had entered the Disordered Burial Mountain!
Ethan Chen hadn’t considered this before because the Disordered Burial Mountain was fraught with dangers, not only with many fierce beasts but also with snakes, insects, rats, and ants. The terrain was complex and difficult to navigate.
Even a Warrior wouldn’t venture in without proper preparation.
Although the Li Clan had taken their remaining elite members, they weren’t very old and lacked experience. Moreover, leading so many people through the Disordered Burial Mountain was fraught with difficulties beyond words.
Thinking of this, Ethan Chen sighed again:
“Joshua Li is truly a man of great courage!”
“Clan Chief, should we continue the pursuit?” Elijah Chen asked.
Although the Li Clan had fled to the Disordered Burial Mountain, the clan’s hatred might not fade even in a hundred years. If they didn’t root them out, it could be detrimental to the clan’s future development.
Ethan Chen pondered for a moment before slowly shaking his head:
“Don’t chase a cornered enemy. The terrain of the Disordered Burial Mountain is complex, and there are many fierce beasts. It’s hard to track them. Besides, Joshua Li and Jay Li are both strong and skilled hunters. They might have set traps along the way.”
“Moreover, much time has passed. They are likely halfway through their journey. Continuing the pursuit would be detrimental to the clan.”
Elijah Chen frowned slightly:
“But Clan Chief, are we just going to let them go? We could use the secret passage to enter the Disordered Burial Mountain and intercept them!”
Ethan Chen smiled faintly:
“The Li Clan is nothing more than a defeated army. Even if they take their people, so what? Our Chen Clan’s crisis is over, and we have the Sacred Tree to aid us. Do you think our future development will be inferior to theirs?”
“Besides, the Disordered Burial Mountain is teeming with fierce beasts, and there’s that Innate Realm Green Wolf deep within. What will they do if they encounter it?”
Hearing Ethan Chen’s words, the three suddenly understood.
Indeed, they had almost forgotten about the Innate Realm Green Wolf.
Moreover, with the Sacred Tree, even if they developed quietly, how could the Chen Clan be weaker than the Li Clan?
Thinking of the Sacred Tree, they couldn’t help but turn their gaze towards it.
“Clan Chief, about the Sacred Tree…”
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