Vol. 1 - Ch. 13 - The Family's Secret Passage

"Ha-ha-ha!"After assessing their own conditions, the clan members were filled with joy and excitement. They were warriors and their movements were hindered after being injured. Their clan's physicians had told them they would take a long time to heal but they had fully recovered in the blink of an eye because of the green light particles.

Silently, Chen Tianyu felt his arm, then exerted a bit of force, causing the white cloth that was used to bandage his wound to instantly unravel, he understood that he had  truly regained the combat power of a Blood Coagulation Realm warrior!

As Chen Tianyu glanced again at the family's divine tree towering above him, a hint of reverence appeared in his eyes.

Outside the wall, the two brothers saw everyone waking up and dared not look again in fear of being discovered. They quickly lowered their heads and left the way they came.

The scene they had just witnessed had left a profound impact on them.

They never expected the family's divine tree to be actually divine.

Remembering their plan to chop down the divine tree with some panic. They didn't know if they were in trouble.

"Qinghe, what should we do?"

"Will the sacred tree blame us?"

Chen Qing asked anxiously, "It shouldn't, right?"

Chen Qinghe replied, feeling panicked, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"It's okay, as long as we keep quiet, no one will know it was us!"

"Yeah."

The two comforted each other briefly before blending back into the crowd outside the ancestral hall.

"After this the ancestral hall will be off-limits. We shouldn't disturb the sacred tree unless absolutely necessary!" Chen Xingzhen told the recovering members.

If initially some people were skeptical, now having personally experienced the divine power exhibited by Ji Yang, their eyes were filled with fear and respect when they looked at him, so they all agreed eagerly.

"Tianjing, Tianyu and Qingyu stay here. The rest of you can leave." Chen Xingzhen waved his hand to gesture to them to leave, and everyone nodded in agreement. As they left, they once again paid their respects to the sacred tree, but this time they were much more sincere than before. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NʘvᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Watching the three individuals left behind, each with a different expression, Chen Xingzhen's lips curved into a slight smile.

Although the family's sacred tree possesses such divine power, relying solely on it is not enough to turn the tide. Discussing how to open the family's secret passage and deciding how many people should go out to hunt are matters that require careful consideration. The elders of the clan had previously emphasized that every time they sought something from the sacred tree a sacrifice must be made. This made the hunting expedition even more crucial.

"The matter of going out hunting through the family's secret passage this time, let's hear your thoughts," Chen Xingzhen spoke slowly.

Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Tianyu spoke up, "Chief, since the sacred tree possesses such divine power, this plan is feasible! And it needs to be swift in my opinion, we should go hunting tonight."

"Brother is absolutely right. The Li family is watching us closely, and we don't have time..."

After a brief discussion among them, they quickly reached a decision.

Now, the family had no other choice. To survive, they needed to act decisively!

Upon hearing the discussion Ji Yang's residual reluctance quickly dissipated. 

The green light spots imparted forcefully into the bodies of Chen Qingyu and Chen Tianyu were for the sole purpose of bolstering his credibility within the Chen family. 

The current outcome seemed promising. Even Chen Qingyu, who had previously entertained thoughts of using him as firewood, was now convinced. 

With the support of the four Blood Coagulation Realm warriors from the Chen family, his prestige within the family was bound to soar.

Ji Yang couldn't help but sigh repeatedly in his heart, "Hiss, it took 1.1 of my life force to heal all of them!"

Even though he knew well enough that healing the injuries of so many people would consume a significant portion of his life force. Ji Yang couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache as he watched his life force decrease from 4.1 to 3.0.

That was the result of his entire night's work gone!

The decrease in vitality wasn't just a simple numerical drop. Ji Yang could feel his perception of the outside world slowly weakening. His consciousness, which originally could extend beyond the ancestral hall, now barely reached its edges. 

Moreover, the roots underground had also retracted significantly, weakening his control over them. 

It seemed these were all negative effects brought about by the decline in vitality. Without sufficient vitality or in an urgent situation, this skill was more harmful than beneficial.

But now, all he could do was pray that the Chen family would put in some effort and bring over a couple of strong beasts for the sacrifice soon.

The Chen family members having a discussion had reached a conclusion. Once they left, the ancestral hall became quiet again.

Ji Yang looked around, a silent sigh echoing in the air.

Night fell and the Chen family household was unusually quiet today.

Under the moonlight, Ji Yang diligently practised the Lunar Eclipse technique, continuously absorbing the power of the moonlight. The entire tree trunk emitted a pure white glow.

At this moment, the tightly closed doors of the ancestral hall suddenly swung open, and several figures slipped inside. The newcomers were not Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng, who had previously sneaked in to chop down the tree, but instead were Chen Tianyu and a few others who had discussed going out to hunt with the clan leader Chen Xingzhen earlier in the day.

A closer look revealed that the individuals in the hall were the strongest warriors in the Chen family, aside from Chen Qingyu and a few others at the Blood Coagulation Realm. Each of these warriors possessed late-stage Body Tempering Realm strength.

Right now, these few individuals represent the last of the Chen family's formidable lineup. As they quietly entered the ancestral hall, they were greeted by the sight of the divine tree radiating a brilliant glow.

Those who had never witnessed such a scene were all shocked, their eyes filled with a mix of wonder and reverence, and a glimmer of hope in their gazes. However, Ji Yang was puzzled. Weren't Chen Xingzhen and the others supposed to be planning a hunt tonight through the family's secret passage? Why were they gathering in the ancestral hall in the middle of the night?

Before Ji Yang could think further, another figure entered the hall.

This time, it was the clan leader Chen Xingzhen who entered.

"Are you ready?" Chen Xingzhen asked.

"Clan leader, we've already stationed our clan members around the area. If there's any sign of trouble, they'll report immediately," Chen Tianyu replied.

Hearing this, Chen Xingzhen nodded, "Good. This mission is extremely important. We cannot afford any leaks."

"Additionally, the secret passage for our family leads to the depths of the Chaotic Burial Mountain. There are many Blood Coagulation Realm beasts inside. It is said there are even beasts of the Innate Realm. You must be careful and prioritise your safety."

"Yes clan leader." they responded in unison.

The group nodded solemnly after hearing Chen Xingzhen's instructions.

"Time is of the essence. Go quickly and return even quicker," Chen Xingzhen urged.

With that, they headed towards the room dedicated to their ancestors. Inside the room, Chen Xingzhen moved a stone slab, revealing a dark passageway.

Outside, Ji Yang's expression shifted as he sensed what was happening. He hadn't realised that the Chen family's secret passage was hidden within the ancestral hall. 

His roots, extending over ten metres underground, still hadn't reached beneath that room, explaining why he hadn't detected it before.