Stone Village’s entrance was bustling with villagers and the village chief, who had come to see Ethan Chen and Alexander Chen off. Despite their departure, the villagers lingered, reluctant to return to the village.
Seeing this, Lucas Chen and Alexander Chen quickly spoke up:
“Village Chief, there’s no need to see us off any further. We’re leaving now.”
If they continued, they might end up being escorted all the way back to their clan.
“Well, alright then…”
The village chief hesitated, scratching his head and looking as if he wanted Lucas and Alexander to see through his facade and understand his true feelings.
But before he could say anything, a villager nearby said:
“Village Chief, they’ve already left.”
“What? They’ve left already?”
The village chief looked up to see their figures already far away. It was too late to catch up now.
He sighed deeply and quickly asked a man beside him:
“How much grain rice did they eat last night?”
“Fifteen pounds, Village Chief.”
Hearing this, his heart skipped a beat.
Perhaps he had been too hospitable last night. If he had known, he wouldn’t have let them stay.
But he hadn’t expected these two young men to have such appetites!
If not for the large amount of grain rice they brought, they might have eaten everything in one night.
That’s why he had felt embarrassed to speak up earlier.
After all, they had traveled a long way and brought food for the village, only to eat a meal, even if it was from his own home.
Sigh, it seemed he would have to tighten his belt in the future.
…
“This grain rice isn’t very filling. Blood rice is better.”
“Yeah, we were full last night, but I’m starting to feel hungry again.”
On their way back to the clan, Lucas and Alexander chatted.
In reality, it wasn’t just the grain rice. After eating blood rice, they would usually refine their bodies, digesting the blood rice.
Ordinary grain rice didn’t produce much Qi and blood.
Moreover, they had consumed a lot of energy yesterday, which made them hungry quickly.
As for the village chief’s expressions and actions, they hadn’t noticed.
Following the path from yesterday, they quickly returned to the clan.
But when they saw Mason Chen and Elijah Chen guarding the entrance, their joy from the conversation instantly vanished.
…
“Bang!”
With a final move of the Grand Ancestor Long Fist, Oliver Chen killed the mid-Blood Condensation Realm Zhen Beast with a single punch.
But after defeating the beast, Oliver’s face showed no joy, only a hint of worry.
During his previous battle with Liu Shengrong, he had a moment of insight into the Grand Ancestor Long Fist’s essence. But now, using the same technique, he couldn’t recapture that feeling, always missing that crucial bit.
As for the newly learned Bright Moon Like Frost, a Xuan-level combat skill, he hadn’t yet mastered it.
Xuan-level combat skills were even harder to comprehend than the Grand Ancestor Long Fist, but he felt he could grasp it in a few days.
Combat skills aside, Oliver was more eager to break through his own realm, aiming not just for the peak of the Blood Condensation Realm, but for the Innate Realm!
Previously, he had temporarily broken through to the Innate Realm using the Sacred Tree’s Sophora Leaf. Although it wasn’t a true breakthrough, it was still a valuable experience.
This experience made Oliver even more determined to reach the Innate Realm.
After the clan elders were resurrected, his father had told him in a dream several ways to break through quickly. The most suitable for him was the combat breakthrough method, which involved stimulating his Qi and blood through intense battles.
But the mid-Blood Condensation Realm beast he just fought was too weak for a fierce battle. He needed to find stronger beasts.
However, they couldn’t be at the Innate Realm, as that would be seeking death.
Despite this, his recent trips to the Disordered Burial Mountain had yielded significant gains, and he felt he was close to reaching the peak of the Blood Condensation Realm.
After handling the beast’s corpse, Oliver prepared to leave.
As he left, a sudden chill on his forehead made him look up.
Snowflakes were gently falling from the white sky, melting quickly upon touching his skin, leaving a cool sensation.
After a brief pause, Oliver’s figure soon disappeared.
…
“It’s snowing!”
The snow fell silently, the cold seeping into the bones.
But under the Sacred Tree’s protection, the Chen Clan members didn’t feel the same chill. Watching the falling snow, many were excited.
This excitement wasn’t just from seeing snow.
Snowfall in the Disordered Burial Mountain was normal every winter.
In contrast, they didn’t like winter, as it meant no planting or hunting, and many could catch colds from the cold.
But now, things were different. The clan had firmly established itself in the Disordered Burial Mountain, and the clan was warm and comfortable. Even if planting and hunting were still impossible, they didn’t have to worry about food.
Recalling last winter, when the clan was still in constant conflict with the Li Family and struggling to fill their stomachs, the improved situation made the clan members appreciate the snowy scenery.
Many were surprised to find that the snowflakes melted completely when they fell above the Chen Clan, leaving no trace.
But just a few meters outside the Chen Clan, the snow had already formed a thin layer of frost on the ground.
It was as if the inside and outside of the clan were two different worlds.
“Have all the clan members returned?”
In the Ancestral Hall, Ethan Chen asked Mason Chen and the others.
“Clan Chief, all the clan members who were outside have returned, and the grain rice has been distributed to all the villages. Only Oliver hasn’t sent any news back.”
Ethan nodded slightly.
Spring planting, summer weeding, autumn harvest, and winter storage. Although the clan couldn’t do much in winter, it allowed the members to focus entirely on martial arts.
As for Oliver, worrying now wouldn’t help. They could only hope he returned before the heavy snow sealed the mountain.
But the snowfall had disrupted Ethan’s plans.
Although the clan wasn’t afraid of the wind and snow, the villages around the Disordered Burial Mountain couldn’t cope.
Snow blocking the roads would cut off communication with the villages, thwarting his previous plans.
It was an oversight on his part.
Now, he could only wait for the snow to stop before making new plans.
After thinking for a moment, Ethan turned and said:
“In the next few days, focus on training the clan’s warriors. Later, we’ll assess how well the clan members have learned their combat skills.”
He hadn’t forgotten his promise to reward the top three.
But considering the realm differences, Blood Condensation Realm warriors wouldn’t be assessed.
“Yes, Clan Chief.”
After the clan members left, Ethan turned his gaze back to the Sacred Tree and offered a sincere prayer.
The clan’s current prosperity owed much to the Sacred Tree.
Next year, the clan would offer even more offerings.
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