Vol. 1 - Ch. 64 - Blood Rice

Time flew by, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye.The Chen clan thrived in a state of harmony. Every morning, the clan members gathered in the courtyard to practice martial arts and temper their bodies. 

They had also repaired many of the wooden houses that had been damaged over the years, coating them with a special paint to prevent rot.

In the fields, Chen Tianyu crouched down, carefully inspecting the growth of the Blood Rice. Half a month earlier, the clan had planted all their fertile fields with this precious crop. 

Now, tender shoots had begun to sprout. Unfortunately, not all the fields were suitable for growing Blood Rice. Only certain fertile plots could yield the desired results. If planted in ordinary fields, the rice would be no different from the common variety.

Even among the three great families, the number of fertile fields that could grow Blood Rice was limited. 

The clan had tried to understand why, but after thorough investigation, they found no significant clues. They speculated that the fertility of the soil in these fields was the key factor.

In the long run, the importance of Blood Rice even surpassed the resources found in the beasts of Chaotic Burial Mountain. 

After all, no matter how many beasts roamed the mountain, their numbers were finite, and they took a long time to mature. 

Blood Rice, on the other hand, could be harvested at least three times a year and had a high yield, making it ideal for martial artists to temper their bodies. It would undoubtedly become the cornerstone of the clan's future prosperity.

Starting next year, the clan planned to prioritize cultivating Blood Rice. Since the Chen clan had annexed another clan, the number of fertile fields had doubled. If they could harvest once more before winter, the clan's martial artists wouldn't have to worry about Body Tempering for a while.

As the person in charge of this task, Chen Tianyu checked the growth of the blood rice every day. Because the fertile fields were far from the clan compound and wild beasts could occasionally emerge from the mountains, several wooden guardhouses had been built near the fields. 

The clan's martial artists were assigned to guard them day and night. The beasts had long been eliminated by the clan's warriors, given how crucial the Blood Rice was to their future.

After a thorough inspection, Chen Tianyu couldn't help but frown slightly. Blood Rice grew very slowly, and winter arrived early in the Chaotic Burial Mountains. 

The weather often turned particularly cold by mid-November, which slowed the growth of the Blood Rice even more. 

It was already late September, and there was uncertainty about whether there would be enough time to harvest a crop. If it weren't for the delay caused by conflicts with other families, the third crop of Blood Rice would have been harvested long ago.

Chen Tianyu slowly stood up and stopped dwelling on it. Man proposes, and God disposes, he thought. He could only hope that winter would come later this year.

Meanwhile, deep in the Chaotic Burial Mountains, Chen Qingyu and his team were battling an early-stage Blood Coagulation Realm Black Gold Beast. To speed up their hunting efforts, the clan had divided their high-level warriors into three teams, each led by a Blood Coagulation Realm warrior. Chen Qingyu led this team.

His group consisted of five young clan members, all around seventeen or eighteen years old. However, their cultivation levels were not particularly high. Only two were in the late stage of the Body Tempering realm, while the others were at the early stage.

For Chen Qingyu, dealing with an early-stage Blood Coagulation Realm Black Gold Beast was extremely easy.

However, at that moment, Chen Qingyu did not intervene; he merely observed the battle from the sidelines. The clan leader had instructed him that the clan could not rely on just one person; others needed to grow and learn through their own experience. 

Even with the Body Tempering Techniques, it would be difficult to achieve much without facing real combat. In moments of life and death, it is even harder to fully utilize one's strength without prior experience.

The five of them were using traps to fight the Black Gold Beast. Although it was at the early stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm, the beast had low intelligence and relied solely on brute strength. 

Despite its ability to easily break large trees, under the persistent attacks of the five, its stamina gradually waned. However, given that the group was only at the early stages of the Blood Coagulation Realm, they remained cautious, not daring to push too hard for fear of a last-minute failure.

Eventually, the Black Gold Beast grew exhausted and collapsed. The five managed to bring it down.

"Brother Qingyu, we did it!" they exclaimed, excitement evident in their voices.

"Well done," Chen Qingyu praised them, his face softening from its usual severity, showing a hint of friendliness.

Every night, Chen Tianshun would impart wisdom to him in his dreams, advising him on building good relationships with clan members. Although Chen Qingyu didn't care much for these lessons, they were his father's instructions, so he heeded them.

After defeating the Black Gold Beast, one of the clan members stepped forward and asked, 

"Brother Qingyu, should we continue? There don't seem to be many wild beasts around here anymore."

Over the past half month, the clan's hunting had gradually advanced, nearly clearing the outskirts of Chaotic Burial Mountain of wild beasts. Chen Qingyu gazed ahead, deep in thought. 

They were now in the outer-middle area of Chaotic Burial Mountain. Moving forward would lead them closer to the inner area, though it was still some distance from the clan's secret passage. 

There were more wild beasts inside, and the territory of the beasts in the Innate Realm was vast. If the Green Wolf truly roamed within Chaotic Burial Mountain, they might encounter it while patrolling.

If he encountered the Green Wolf alone, he might be able to flee, but with several clan members under his care, it would be risky. 

Remembering his father's and the clan leader's instructions, Chen Qingyu shook his head slightly and replied, 

"Today's harvest is enough. Let's head back."

"Alright!" the clan member agreed without further question. 

After clearing the area, everyone prepared for their return.

On the way back, Chen Qingyu felt his Blood Qi surging within him. It had been nearly a month since he broke through to the late stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm.  Searᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

During this time, he felt his progress and began to grasp the next major stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm, where one's Blood Qi would be as dense as mercury.

This is all thanks to that locust leaf from earlier, he thought. Besides, as the head of the clan, I have access to certain clan resources.

However, the clan's support could only take him so far. Progress ultimately depended on his own efforts.

Even with significant strides this month, it would take time to reach the level he achieved with the locust leaf. As for the Innate Realm, he still had no idea how to reach it---neither his father nor the clan could provide guidance. 

After all, the strongest warrior in the clan was only at the late stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm, and there was a significant gap between that and the Innate Realm.

While he was lost in thought, the group saw the clan estate in the distance. Chen Qingyu decided not to dwell on it further and prepared to continue his cultivation upon their return.

Soon, they arrived at the clan gate. 

The two guards saw Chen Qingyu approaching and cheered, "Brother Qingyu is here!"

As the most prominent figure in the clan, Chen Qingyu was now well-known within the clan. Even many of the clan elders treated him with great respect. 

According to the clan rules, he was now considered an elder, but he had declined the position, saying his seniority was too low for such a role.

Chen Xingzhen did not press the matter.