Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

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Although these individuals were lacking in learning, the clan still needed to attract talent in the future. Using blood rice as a parting gift would set a good example for others who came to settle near Chaotic Burial Mountain.

…

In the grand hall of the Shi family estate in Yong'an City, the air was thick with grief. Many clan members stood silent, eyes rimmed red.

At the center of the hall lay two corpses—Shi Potian and Shi Podi. Even those who hadn't been close to them in life couldn't help but show sorrow upon seeing their lifeless forms.

The Shi clan had been rooted in Yong'an for generations, and never before had they lost two Innate Realm cultivators in a single incident.

"Clan Leader, no matter who the killer is, this blood debt must be avenged!" someone shouted.

At the head of the hall, Shi Chenghong exhaled slowly and asked, "Have the causes of death been confirmed?"

"They have, Clan Leader. Both men were slain by sword techniques. The wounds on their chests show they were engaged in direct combat, not ambushed. The one who struck moved cleanly and with deadly precision. Potian and Podi never stood a chance.

"They were buried in different spots, but the distance between them wasn't far."

That detail made several in the hall frown. A skilled swordsman, clean strikes, no signs of other injuries… whoever had fought them must have been formidable. And yet, Potian and Podi were both Innate Realm martial artists, backed by the clan's divine stones. Ordinary cultivators at the same level would not have been able to defeat them.

Could it really have been the Xie family?

"Hmph," someone scoffed. "Even if it was the Xie family, we Shi need not fear them. If they dare to tear up the Four Great Clans' agreement, then we have no reason to show mercy."

"Exactly. Even the Xie clan must pay a price."

The hall burned with righteous fury, but Shi Chenghong remained still, deep in thought. After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

"No… if it truly were the Xie family, they wouldn't have left such obvious sword wounds. Nor would they have spared the corpses. If they intended to cover their tracks, they would have destroyed all evidence."

"Maybe they did that on purpose," one clan member offered. "To mislead us into blaming someone else?"

"Unlikely. If the Xie clan moved, they'd come prepared. The time between the deaths of Potian and Podi wouldn't have been staggered, and neither would've had the chance to flee."

He turned his gaze to the side. "Chengyu, what's your take?"

Shi Chengyu, after a moment of silence, replied,

"If it wasn't a Qi Control Realm cultivator, it must have been someone at the Innate Realm. But to kill them so cleanly, their strength would have to surpass Potian and Podi's. And that level of execution… it couldn't have been done with a low-grade technique."

He looked around the room. "To achieve such precision and lethality, even a perfected Profound-grade technique wouldn't suffice. At minimum, the sword technique must have been Earth-grade… or perhaps even Heaven-grade."

The hall stirred. For most of them, Profound-grade techniques were already lofty goals. Earth-grade techniques were the stuff of legends, and Heaven-grade techniques had only been heard of in tales.

It was said the Zhou clan of Yunmeng City possessed an Earth-grade sword technique. But such families had no need for underhanded schemes. They wouldn't waste time staging deaths and burying corpses.

None of the Four Great Clans of Yong'an had been known to wield such techniques—certainly not the Shi family.

"Clan Leader," someone said suddenly, "if the Chen family has a divine totem, is it possible they also have high-grade martial techniques?"

Others nodded slightly. It was a fair point. A divine totem shouldn't have appeared in a family of such low standing.

The Shi had looked into the Chen family's background, but with a totem like that, perhaps there were still secrets hidden beneath the surface. Maybe the Chen hadn't produced Innate Realm warriors until now, and so had remained off the radar.

Shi Chenghong nodded slowly. "It's possible."

He stood, voice calm but sharp. "High-grade techniques often generate unique phenomena during use. Send someone to the Chen clan to investigate."

He glanced at the two bodies. "Bury Potian and Podi in the ancestral shrine. Until we understand how they died, this incident must remain secret. No one is to act without my command. Anyone who disobeys will be punished according to clan law."

"Yes, Clan Leader!"

Though the Shi had kept the matter under wraps, word had begun to spread. The other three clans in Yong'an—who formed the rest of the city's Four Great Clans—had caught wind of the event. Upon hearing of the Shi clan's loss, they each began their own quiet investigations, though none showed it outwardly.

Like the Shi, they would not act prematurely. But they, too, needed answers.

…

It was early winter, the first days of the eleventh month. Around Chaotic Burial Mountain, snow had begun to fall lightly.

The farther one traveled from the mountain, the thicker the snow became. Yet within its boundaries, the climate remained unchanged—as if that place were removed from the natural world.

None of the villagers truly understood why, but none complained. The unseasonal warmth meant they could continue farming—planting rice, vegetables, and more—without fear of frost.

In the Chen family's main plaza, two martial instructors were guiding clan members through the fundamentals of footwork and striking. Martial skills were important, but they came with a cost—techniques consumed blood and qi. And in battle, things could change in an instant. When techniques failed, one's own strength often determined life or death.

In the schoolhouse, the instructor stood at the front, staff in hand, while the students hunched over their desks, scribbling furiously. Outside the window, several curious children who were too young to join in watched secretly from behind the sill.

To them, books and ideas were more alluring than martial drills. Sayings like "If one learns the Way in the morning, one can die content by nightfall" left them wide-eyed with wonder.

The whole of the Chen clan buzzed with life. Faces were filled with joy and calm—contentment that had been missing for a long time. But in the ancestral hall, the mood was more serious.

Several Blood Coagulation Realm cultivators had gathered to report to the clan leader.

"Clan Leader," said Chen Tianmo, "the blood rice crops are developing well. We expect to harvest by mid-month. However, pest outbreaks have occurred recently. We managed to deal with them swiftly, but we estimate a loss of several hundred catties."

He stepped back, and another stepped forward.

"Clan Leader, most of the clan's construction is finished. In addition to the blacksmith forge, we've also established a pharmacy. Clan members have begun studying medical texts and gathering herbs from the surrounding mountains.

"As for forging, our people have reached the third tier. However, the iron ore we've found still needs more refining."

Chen Xingzhen nodded. "If I recall, there's some decent-quality ore on the western side of Chaotic Burial Mountain. Send people there to start mining."

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