Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

Vol. 1 - Ch. 272 - Preparing to Act

"Hm? Where is he?"Chen Xingzhen asked joyfully upon hearing the report.

"Clan Leader, I came to inform you as soon as he arrived outside the clan. He should still be at the gate."

"Good!"

Chen Xingzhen nodded. He did not disturb the clansmen who were observing martial patterns; instead, he slipped away from the crowd.

Before he reached the clan’s gate, he caught sight of Chen Xingsong returning.

His clothes were tattered, his hair was disheveled, and his body was covered in scratches from thorns and vines. He looked utterly miserable.

Yet, the radiance on his face shone brighter than when he had first departed.

"Clan Leader, Xingsong has not failed in his mission. I have successfully brought back some of our clansmen."

His expression filled with excitement, Chen Xingsong carefully drew out a locust leaf hidden within his robes.

Though he was ragged, the leaf remained intact.

Seeing this, Chen Xingzhen’s heart swelled with emotion. He hurried forward to take the locust leaf, repeating, "Good... good... good!"

"Good... good... good!"

"This time, you have rendered great merit to the clan!"

Supported by two clansmen, Chen Xingsong was escorted back to rest. He had suffered no serious injuries, only exhaustion from continuous travel and tension. Two days of rest would be enough for him to recover.

Feeling the weight of the locust leaf in his hands, Chen Xingzhen carefully stored it away.

That night, after the clansmen had dispersed, Chen Xingzhen entered the ancestral hall once more. From within his robes, he drew forth the special locust leaf.

Unseen to his eyes, the soul forms of Chen Changming and many others had already gathered above him, watching intently as the pitch-black leaf was revealed.

"I can feel the aura of our clansmen!"

"I wonder if my mother is among them!"

Voices of anticipation rose among the souls, their eyes filled with hope.

Everyone watched as the locust leaf in Chen Xingzhen’s hand rose into the air without any wind and drifted upward.

The next moment, more than ten fragmented souls floated out one by one from within the leaf.

These souls were all different. Some were missing an arm or a leg, while others had only half a head remaining. They all wore expressions of confusion at that moment, like wandering spirits.

Soon, however, as if drawn by an unseen force, the souls drifted toward the locust tree above and merged into its trunk.

In no time at all, more than ten new green fruits sprouted on the tree.

For the clansmen, this sight was familiar. Their faces held expectation as they waited for the fruits to fall.

Yet, while using his divine power, Ji Yang noticed something unusual: two of the souls could not merge into the locust tree's trunk.

Unable to condense into the clan’s soul, it was clear that these two were not of the Chen family.

Ji Yang could only kindly send them on their way.

Though broken, the two fragmented souls, one male, one female, could still be guided onward.

After Ji Yang infused them with Soul Qi, their forms quickly began to mend and fragments of their past lives' memories returned.

"Who are you? I want to go home!"

One soul spoke in fluent dialect. His expression was wary as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

The other soul, a woman, seemed still immersed in memories of the past and not yet awakened.

Seeing that, even with their memories restored, they were still confused and unable to comprehend, Ji Yang took the initiative to send them on their way.

Unfortunately, the Soul Qi they contributed was negligible. Clearly, the stronger the martial artist had been in life, the richer and denser the Soul Qi and Yin Energy they could provide.

For souls like these, only sheer numbers could make a difference. Ji Yang thought that once his roots extended across Chaotic Burial Mountain, he would surely harvest more souls.

Watching ten more clansmen be restored through the Divine Tree filled Chen Xingzhen’s heart with relief.

Though the clan’s path to strength and growth was unusual, the result mattered more than the method.

Satisfied, Chen Xingzhen turned to leave the ancestral hall.

But at that moment, Chen Tianyu returned. As Innate Realm martial artists, Tianyu and Tianjing had been dispatched to monitor the Shi family’s movements outside the clan. His sudden return meant that he had discovered something.

Before Chen Xingzhen could ask anything, Tianyu spoke gravely.

"Clan Leader, outside Chaotic Burial Mountain, we detected activity from the Shi family. But this time, it does not appear to be their main force. They have sent Innate Realm martial artists instead. It seems they are here to observe our clan’s actions.”

Chen Xingzhen was not surprised. Every clan knew to send scouts to probe the situation, so there was no reason the Shi family would remain idle.

"Were you able to determine their exact location?"

He asked, his gaze deep.

Chen Tianyu shook his head.

"This time, the Shi family sent men with considerable cultivation. Their strength is likely greater than mine and Tianjing's. We could only use the locust leaves from the Divine Tree to probe, but we could not pinpoint their exact whereabouts.”

Chen Xingzhen frowned slightly, then quickly smoothed his expression.

"No matter. Have Father Dispatch clansmen to investigate further. You continue to monitor the area, and afterward, I will send Qingyu to join you."

At this, Chen Tianyu’s eyes lit up.

"Clan Leader, are you preparing to…"

Chen Xingzhen nodded firmly.

"Yes," Chen Xingzhen affirmed resolutely.

"This time, the ones sent are surely Innate Realm martial artists—the Shi family's core clansmen. Our clan is weak. If we wait until the Shi family launches a full assault, we may not survive. Instead of passively awaiting destruction, we must strike first. If we eliminate those scouts, we will weaken the Shi family and perhaps gain a glimmer of hope for victory.”

Hearing this, Chen Tianyu’s eyes lit up. Indeed, the Shi family’s observers were isolated and without support. If they could be dealt with in Chaotic Burial Mountain, the clan’s path forward would be much smoother.

Understanding the plan, Chen Tianyu nodded and left the clan to prepare for the coming battle.

In the ancestral hall, Chen Changming listened to the exchange below. A faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Chen Changming felt reassured entrusting the position of clan leader to Chen Xingzhen.

Yet, as a father, he could not afford to fall behind.

In the next instant, a hint of the clan leader’s authority appeared on Chen Changming’s face as he gave orders:

"Xingba, take several clansmen and search the north side of the clan.

"Xinghe, lead a group from the south.

"Xingjian, you go east. I will be responsible for the west.

"But remember this well: Innate Realm martial artists can sense the presence of soul forms. Do not approach too closely. If you discover anything, observe from afar and confirm their location only. Do not startle the snake. Leave the rest to Qingyu and the others."

"Yes, Clan Leader!"

The clansmen replied in unison.

Just as they were preparing to leave, the branches of the locust tree above them suddenly trembled, sending a ripple throughout the ancestral hall.

Several locust leaves drifted down from the branches and landed gently in the hands of Chen Changming and the others.

"Thank you for the aid of the Divine Tree!"

Chen Xingba and the others were overjoyed. With the Divine Tree’s help, their actions would be much safer. They would have the means to strike and no longer need to worry about their targets escaping.

Chen Changming bowed respectfully toward the tree, then solemnly reminded them:

“Do not be careless. Unless it is a critical moment, do not use the locust leaves. Save them for what lies ahead. Remember, the Divine Tree’s power is not infinite what can be spared must be spared.”

The clansmen nodded in unison, their expressions serious. They felt the weight of the coming confrontation, but the Divine Tree’s blessing had grown their confidence.

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