Vol. 1 - Ch. 63 - Apprehension

In the Ancestral Hall, Ji Yang silently absorbed the moonlight. The faint rustling of several wandering spirits reached his ears. When the stranger approached earlier, Ji Yang had already dispersed the Lunar Eclipse Technique, so Cai Mao hadn't noticed anything unusual. Unbeknownst to Cai Mao, a wandering spirit had been tailing him from the moment he arrived. These deceased elders of the Chen clan could only hide within Ji Yang's tree trunk during the day, emerging only at night.  Catching an abnormal stranger wasn't easy, and they wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. If it weren't for Cai Mao's mere curiosity, the clan members would have awakened long ago, capturing him without hesitation. Ji Yang no longer paid attention to the minor disturbance. Instead, he shifted his gaze to his own panel: [Name: Ji Yang] [Race: Netherworld Locust Tree] [Vitality: 44.3] [Divine Abilities: Eye of Insight, Reversing Dan Progress, Blindfolded Perception, Spirit Condensation, Protective Armor] [Cultivation Techniques: Lunar Eclipse, Yin Gathering] [Combat Skill: Taizu Long Fist (can be transmitted once)] [Qi and Blood: 33 (convertible to vitality)] [Spiritual Power: 15] [Simulation Points: 2] [Not subject to Simulation!] [Status: Despite the change in your race due to the prolonged use of the Yin Gathering Technique, it doesn't significantly affect your strength. You remain relatively weak]. Without the drain from those wandering spirits, Ji Yang now replenished his vitality daily by absorbing moonlight, accumulating over forty points. Even his underground roots had expanded further.  With the clan's stability, he no longer needed to use his divine abilities, allowing his vital energy to accumulate even faster. "However," he mused, "I wonder when my vital energy will reach a level that allows me to grow new branches again. Due to the short time, there aren't many people in the clan who have advanced their cultivation realm. In the past few days, only two young clansmen have just reached the initial stage of the Body Tempering Realm, adding two points to my calculations." "But this is still far from what I need for my next simulation. I won't be discouraged. If the Chen clan continues to develop at the current rate, it won't be long before they become the most powerful clan in Chaotic Burial Mountain." Ji Yang's thoughts then shifted to the other remaining clan in Chaotic Burial Mountain---the Liu clan.  Even though he was just a tree, his roots extended about ten meters underground, and information flowed to him. Moreover, countless spirits lived under his shade. Without actively seeking information, news from the clan naturally reached his ears. "When I hear about the Liu clan," he thought, "I can't help but feel that they are a great challenge." Despite their modest size, the Liu clan did not take advantage of the conflicts between the Chen and Li families, nor did they actively take sides.  They hadn't revealed their intentions at all. In this situation, there were only two possibilities: either the Liu clan was content to live a peaceful life, uninterested in worldly affairs, or they had greater ambitions and despised the resources of Chaotic Burial Mountain. The former seemed highly unlikely. In a place where two tigers couldn't coexist on one mountain, whether it was the Chen clan or the Li clan, if one became dominant, it would inevitably swallow up the other families in Chaotic Burial Mountain to strengthen its own.  To live peacefully would mean voluntarily giving up resources, but how could the other families think the same way? Similarly, as one of the three major families in Chaotic Burial Mountain, how could the Liu clan not understand this?  Besides, the true strength of the Liu clan had yet to be revealed. The clan didn't even know the exact number of martial artists within the Liu clan. With such a lack of information, the rift between the two families remained unknown. "The initiative is in the hands of the Liu clan," Ji Yang concluded. Chen Changming and his group had analyzed the situation and even considered sending out spirits from their clan to investigate at night. However, this plan was later vetoed internally by a few members. Although spirits are intangible, experiments by Chen Changming and others have shown that martial artists' Qi and Blood attacks can affect them.  The stronger the Qi and Blood, the greater the damage to the spirit. Furthermore, the more powerful the martial artist, the sharper their senses.  For example, a martial artist like Chen Qingyu, who is in the late stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm, can already sense the approach of a spirit. But what if the Liu clan has even stronger martial artists? A reckless investigation would only alert the enemy. If the enemy doesn't move, I won't move, Chen Changming thought. The current situation is ideal for the clan's development. Once the clan grows stronger, it won't be too late to investigate. ... "Yi Hu, Xuan She, step forward!" At the edge of the clan's square, Chen Tianjing looked at the list in his hand and called out. Standing before him were the twenty servants who had been selected seven days ago.  At this moment, they were a mix of nervousness and excitement, for today was the final day of the evaluation, which would be based on their performance over the past week. Hearing their names called, two figures with anxious faces slowly stepped out of the crowd. These two were Yi Hu and Xuan She. Though their names sounded a bit unusual, it was common in the Chaotic Burial Mountain region, where most names were inspired by the wild beasts of the area. Neither of them stood out in the crowd, nor were they exceptional in any way. As their names were called, a hint of relief appeared in the eyes of the others present. Since these two were not outstanding, it seemed certain they would be the ones eliminated this time.  However, Chen Tianjing's next words took everyone by surprise: "You two have performed well in this servant evaluation. From now on, you will be in charge of the other servants." Upon hearing this, the two were overjoyed. They had thought they had no chance of becoming servants of the Chen clan, but their fortunes had unexpectedly changed. Not only did they pass the evaluation, but their status was also elevated. Behind them, the other servants were bewildered, but none dared to object. Still, one person stepped out from the crowd and shouted: "Elder! Why am I, Tian Meng, not the leader?" Chen Tianjing glared at Tian Meng, who, despite feeling a twinge of fear, did not back down. Seeing this, Chen Tianjing sneered twice: "I forgot to mention," he said. "Cai Mao, Tian Meng, for violating the clan rules, you are now expelled from the Chen clan and can no longer serve as servants." "What? What did I do wrong?" Tian Meng demanded. Chen Tianjing turned to him sharply, "Cai Mao, you ignored the clan rules and sneaked into the Ancestral Hall at night." In the crowd, Cai Mao's face turned pale. He didn't argue but remained confused. He was certain no one had seen him that night. How had the Chen clan found out? "As for you, Tian Meng, you've been bullying other servants, which is also against our clan rules." "That's not true!"  Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tian Meng protested, but before Chen Tianjing could respond, another clan member stepped forward and struck him down with a single punch. "If you want to be a servant of the Chen clan, you must follow the rules!" the clan member barked. "This is a minor punishment." Tian Meng, lying on the ground, looked grim, but the blow had completely sobered him up.  Although he had some strength, he was no match for a mid-stage Body Tempering martial artist, let alone Chen Tianjing, who was a Blood Coagulation martial artist. Tian Meng lowered his head slightly, suppressing the hatred in his eyes. Chen Tianjing continued,  "All right, from now on, I expect everyone to strictly follow the Chen clan rules. If anyone violates them, don't blame me for not giving you another chance." He added, "Also, this month's stipend will be distributed in advance." The dozen or so people who had been trembling with fear just moments ago were now excited by this news.  As for the two who had been expelled, no one paid them any attention.