Chen Qingyu's return brought a wave of cheers from the clan members. Even many of the servants looked at the few wild beasts behind him with admiration. If they had faced such beasts, they would have likely ended up as fertilizer for the burial grounds by the next day.
"Brother Qingyu's team hunted three wild beasts today. This time, they're definitely in the lead!" one clan member remarked excitedly.
"Of course! Brother Qingyu is the strongest in the clan now!" another chimed in.
Despite the praise, Chen Qingyu remained humble. His ears had long grown accustomed to such compliments.
But suddenly, a shout broke through the cheers:
"Something is wrong! Someone, come quickly! Uncle Tianmo is injured!" A figure rushed in from outside, looking extremely worried. Behind him, another hunting team was seen carrying someone toward the clan estate.
This team was led by Chen Tianlu and Chen Tianmo, both of whom had recently advanced to the Blood Coagulation Realm. Despite their recent breakthrough, their hunting experience was substantial.
However, when the clan members saw that Chen Tianmo was injured, their faces turned to shock, and they rushed forward to assess his condition.
Chen Tianmo, who had been fine before he left, was now in a dire state. His chest was bleeding profusely, and even his clothes couldn't staunch the flow.
His face was pale, and his breathing was weak, indicating he was on the brink of death. The sight caused panic to ripple through the clan members.
A clan member quickly explained,
"Our team hunted for a long time today without finding any suitable prey, so Uncle Tianmo and Uncle Tianlu decided to venture deeper. But who could have expected a mid-stage Blood Coagulation Realm wild beast to suddenly attack us? Uncle Tianmo couldn't react in time and was gravely injured. Then, Uncle Tianlu covered our retreat, allowing us to escape."
Chen Qingyu frowned. The injury looked severe, perhaps too severe to heal by conventional means. But then, a sudden thought struck him, and he hurriedly commanded,
"Quick, take Uncle Tianmo to the Ancestral Hall! Pray for the Divine Tree's help! Qingming, guide me back to save Uncle Tianlu!"
The other clan members immediately sprang into action at his words.
"Yes, how could we forget our clan's Divine Tree!" they exclaimed.
In their urgency and the overwhelming nature of recent events, they had overlooked the Divine Tree's power.
But doubt lingered in many of their minds. The last time a clan member was injured, it wasn't as critical as this.
Now, with Chen Tianmo's eyes appearing lifeless, he seemed to be on the very edge of death. Could the Divine Tree truly save him?
Despite their uncertainty, the clan members quickly carried Chen Tianmo to the Ancestral Hall. Meanwhile, Chen Qingyu, accompanied by two others, set off to rescue Chen Tianlu.
As Chen Tianmo was being rushed to the Ancestral Hall, Chen Xingzhen, hearing the commotion, came running.
He stopped short when he saw Chen Tianmo's condition, his eyes widening in shock. Without wasting a moment, he turned and sprinted toward the Ancestral Hall.
Inside, Ji Yang, who had been listening to the conversation between two ghosts, noticed the group rushing toward the hall. Sensing Chen Tianmo's faint aura, Ji Yang immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.
Under the shade of the tree, two ghosts, Chen Changming and Chen Tianshun, ceased their conversation. Taking advantage of the tree's canopy, they could appear in the Ancestral Hall during the day, though they remained invisible to the living.
Their movements were restricted by the tree's shade, so they couldn't stray too far. As they watched Chen Tianmo being carried in, both sighed deeply.
"This injury... he won't survive," Chen Tianshun murmured.
Having been Blood Coagulation Realm martial artists themselves, they understood that even though their bodies had been tempered, a serious injury could still be fatal.
Moreover, the muscles and bones of Blood Coagulation Realm practitioners were particularly toughened, making recovery from such wounds even harder. If the bleeding couldn't be stopped, the chance of survival was slim.
The two ghosts looked on with sadness. Being mere spirits, they were powerless to intervene.
Chen Xingzhen, however, was quick to act. Kneeling before the clan's Divine Tree, he composed himself and prayed fervently, "Please, Divine Tree, intervene!"
Up above, Ji Yang hesitated for a moment. Then, as the locust leaves swayed, a multitude of green light particles began to scatter from the branches, drifting down towards the dying Chen Tianmo.
This time, the green light was more intense and abundant than ever before. The severity of Chen Tianmo's injuries, coupled with his status as a Blood Coagulation Realm martial artist, demanded a greater amount of the tree's life force to pull him back from the brink.
Ji Yang knew that if this life force wasn't enough, another spirit might join them in the Ancestral Hall. Although he could resurrect a ghost, it would cost precious deduction points---saving a living clan member was the clear priority.
Chen Changming and Chen Tianshun, witnessing the Divine Tree's powers, were astonished. Since their own resurrection, they had never seen the Divine Tree demonstrate any abilities beyond that.
After all, wasn't their return already the greatest miracle? The two exchanged glances filled with doubt. If their memory served them right, even the original Divine Tree clan hadn't possessed such potent capabilities.
Could it be that this splinter of the former Divine Tree clan had become even more powerful?
They didn't jump to conclusions and continued to watch in silence.
As the green light flooded into Chen Tianmo's body, the wounds beneath the blood-soaked cloth began to heal rapidly.
The pallor on his face gradually faded; his cheeks first turned white, then warmed to a healthy blush. seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His breathing, which had almost ceased, grew steady once more.
A moment later, Chen Tianmo's eyes fluttered open in confusion.
Seeing countless faces looking down at him, he asked, "Patriarch, what happened?"
With that, Chen Tianmo sprang up from the ground, his movements nimble and showing no signs of his previous grievous injuries.
When he noticed the blood-stained cloth on his chest, he froze momentarily as memories of the attack in the burial grounds flooded back.
Recalling the situation, he urgently said, "Patriarch, hurry! Tianlu is still behind!"
Chen Xingzhen quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, Qingyu has already left to rescue him."
Chen Tianmo sighed in relief, but upon noticing his now-healed chest and the Divine Tree before him, he quickly knelt down in gratitude and began to thank the Divine Tree profusely.
Under the tree, Chen Changming and Chen Tianshun were the most shocked by what they had just witnessed. The Divine Tree's powers had exceeded their expectations, even more than they had imagined.
Meanwhile, the other clan members were filled with joy and newfound hope. If the Divine Tree could heal such severe injuries, didn't that mean that, as long as they made it back to the clan, their lives would be safe?
And even if they died, the prospect of becoming a spirit wasn't so bad.
The elders had said that the afterlife here was fun---plenty of time for gatherings, no need to eat, and the freedom to spend the days chatting and occasionally practicing martial arts.
At that moment, Chen Qinghe and Chen Qingmeng, who had been practicing martial arts in the clan square, rushed to the scene.
Chen Qinghe, observing the miraculous healing, felt a surge of excitement. A thought struck him---he vaguely remembered finding a damaged martial arts manual in the Ancestral Hall.
What was it again? He had to find it. This Taizu Long Fist... he couldn't spend another minute on it!