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 wasn’t very strong, it was enough to make people feel tipsy.
Even Noah Ji in the ancestral hall had a taste, though he couldn’t 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 wouldn’t 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 hadn’t 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 hall’s 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.
“Clan Chief, let me help you to your room.”
“No need, you should get some rest too.”
Ethan Chen waved his hand and slowly walked towards his room.
As the clan chief, he naturally couldn’t miss today’s events. After seeing the many weddings, Ethan couldn’t help but have a few more drinks.
However, as a late-stage Blood Condensation Realm warrior, the rice wine didn’t 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.
“Father, you’re here.”
In his dream, Ethan greeted Benjamin Chen.
However, he felt that Benjamin seemed preoccupied today, prompting Ethan to ask:
“Father, is there something I’ve forgotten to handle in the clan recently?”
Benjamin shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke:
“Ethan, you’re not young anymore, yet you’re still unmarried and childless. Have you considered…?”
Hearing this, Ethan’s 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 father’s words in the dream. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly:
“Father, I’m already old, and as the clan chief, how can I…”
In the room, Benjamin, who had been ejected from the dream, sighed.
He didn’t 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 father’s perspective, considering Ethan’s future.
But seeing Ethan’s 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 clan’s 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 didn’t 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 hadn’t completely dissipated, the snow in Disordered Burial Mountain was slowly melting with the rising temperatures.
The snow around the Chen Clan’s territory melted particularly quickly.
In two months, the clan had undergone significant changes. The winter expansion had doubled the clan’s original size. Under the guidance of several elders, Ethan had also re-planned the clan’s buildings, making the layout more efficient and reasonable.
Additionally, many women in the clan were now visibly pregnant, carrying the hope of the clan’s 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 skill’s 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 hadn’t learned as quickly as the younger members.
But talent doesn’t consider seniority.
The progress of the younger generation also spurred many middle-aged warriors in the clan to intensify their own training.
They couldn’t 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 clan’s food supplies were running low, and the blood rice was nearly depleted.
Even though the first batch of blood rice for the new year hadn’t been harvested yet, the clan members couldn’t afford to delay their body tempering.
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