Chapter 178 - 177: Domineering Clan Leader’s Forced Stay

She wasn’t sure if it was just her, but the moment she finished speaking, everyone’s eyes seemed to light up as they looked at her.

They clearly hadn’t expected her to say something like that. After a moment of bewilderment, smiles bloomed on their faces—the kind they couldn’t suppress no matter how hard they tried.

Some of the more mischievous ones couldn’t help but smirk and gesture toward the Phoenix Clan members.

Their expressions seemed to say, ’See that? Our leader dotes on us! So what if you’re the Phoenix Clan? We don’t need you!’

The members of the Phoenix Clan, of course, saw everything. One by one, their faces turned livid.

"Clan Chief, they clearly don’t want us to join. Let’s just go back. We shouldn’t stay here."

Feng Qingqing looked nervously at her Beast Mother. While she also felt that the other tribe didn’t take them seriously, their true purpose was the Beastification of their females and young.

’If we just go back now, wouldn’t this whole trip have been for nothing?’

However, to their utter astonishment, the Phoenix Clan Chief wasn’t angry at all. Instead, she burst out laughing. "Bold! That Chu Clan Leader is truly bold!"

"Leave? Why would we leave? With a leader that powerful, we absolutely must join the Xihe Tribe."

Feng Qingqing never knew her Beast Mother’s mind worked in such a peculiar way. Her mouth fell open, and she said worriedly, "But we seem to have angered everyone. Leader Chu might not be willing to let us join anymore."

"So what if she says no? We’re joining, and that’s final!"

Feng Qingqing: ...

’So pushy,’ she thought. ’I wonder if Leader Chu will appreciate that.’

"Is this really a good idea?"

The Phoenix Clan Chief rolled her eyes at her. "What’s not a good idea about it? It was your idea to come here in the first place. Are you having second thoughts now?"

Feng Qingqing immediately shook her head. A moment later, afraid she’d be misunderstood, she quickly explained, "I don’t regret it. If you’re willing to join, Beast Mother, then of course I’m happy."

"Good enough. Let’s make camp."

With a wave from the Phoenix Clan Chief, the members of the Phoenix Clan dispersed, reluctantly setting off to find materials to build their shelters.

Since they were insisting on staying, they had no choice but to build their settlement on the land the others hadn’t wanted.

The vast majority of the Phoenix Clan were against it, but once their chief made a decision, they had no choice but to obey.

A clan chief held immense power within their tribe, which was why so many people had to accept the Phoenix Clan Chief’s decision, despite their dissatisfaction.

Still, for a female to have become clan chief, she was clearly a person of considerable means.

News of these events soon reached Chu Liangyu. At the time, she was in the middle of a discussion with Xiong Jiaojiao.

After her initial surprise, Xiong Jiaojiao asked Chu Liangyu curiously, "What are you thinking, Sister Liangyu? Are you going to send them away?"

Chu Liangyu just looked at her and smiled without a word.

"Oh! I get it! Sister Liangyu, don’t tell me you said all that on purpose?"

"No, I really meant it. I just didn’t expect the Phoenix Clan Chief to react like that," Chu Liangyu said, shaking her head with a hint of exasperation.

Xiong Jiaojiao wrinkled her nose, looking as if she was starting to understand. "You know, now that I think about it, it’s not that surprising. Sister Liangyu, just think about your Beast Husband, Feng Qiwu. His way of doing things can be a bit like that sometimes, can’t it?"

Chu Liangyu paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh at the comment. She nodded in agreement. "You’re right."

In short, Chu Liangyu hadn’t intended for any of this, but it ended up being a minor affair.

But this was just an interlude. They exchanged a few more words on the topic before moving on.

"Right, what was it you were about to tell me about Cheng Zheng?"

Xiong Jiaojiao tapped her forehead, as if just remembering she had something important to say.

"It’s like this. You know how Cheng Zheng is Cheng Miao’s twin brother? Well, the reason they don’t get along is jealousy."

"They’re the same age and have similar levels of strength, but Cheng Zheng never became the Elf King because the Holy Tree didn’t approve of him."

This was the first time Chu Liangyu had ever heard of someone’s advancement depending on another’s approval—even if that "other" wasn’t exactly a person.

"The Holy Tree didn’t approve?"

Xiong Jiaojiao nodded and explained, "That’s right. We are born from the Holy Tree, so she is like a second mother to us. When we advance, we inevitably draw on the Holy Tree’s power to some extent."

"If the Holy Tree is unwilling to help at that moment, there’s a ninety-percent chance the advancement will fail."

After all that explanation, Xiong Jiaojiao still hadn’t gotten to the point, so Chu Liangyu couldn’t help but interject, "What I mean is, *why* didn’t the Holy Tree approve of him?"

"That’s the main point I was getting to." Xiong Jiaojiao’s expression darkened. After a moment, she said, "My guess is that his heart isn’t pure. The Holy Tree must have sensed that he would become a threat to our people if he grew stronger, so it refused to help him advance."

Chu Liangyu was inclined to agree, especially considering the recent incident with the Poison Vine that Cheng Zheng had disguised as Strengthening Essence Grass.

The five of them had come dangerously close to becoming someone else’s puppets.

"But the news they sent back says that Cheng Zheng has somehow already advanced to the rank of Elf King."

Instead of explaining how, Xiong Jiaojiao asked Chu Liangyu, "Sister Liangyu, do you remember that time the Holy Tree was withering, and I and a few of the Elders had to transfer energy to it?"

’I even used Crystal Cores to replenish the tree’s energy back then. How could I forget?’

But seeing the look on Xiong Jiaojiao’s face, Chu Liangyu pondered for a moment before venturing a guess. "Don’t tell me... he did something to the Holy Tree and then advanced?"

"Exactly." Xiong Jiaojiao knew she was intelligent. After only a brief pause, she continued, "Recently, the five of us have all felt the Holy Tree’s aura gradually weakening."

"Sister Liangyu, the Holy Tree is vital to us, so I was hoping..."

Chu Liangyu knew what she was about to ask. Before she could finish, Chu Liangyu nodded. "We can save it, but you need to stay here. Let Cheng Miao go instead. I’ll give him what he needs to save the Holy Tree."

Besides the fact that Xiong Jiaojiao was needed to oversee the Body Technique training, Chu Liangyu was more worried that this was a trap deliberately set by Cheng Zheng.

Any member of the Wood Spirit Clan would notice the change in the Holy Tree, so there was no guarantee he hadn’t set this up as a ploy.

And Chu Liangyu wanted to use this as an opening to begin dealing with Jiang Li’s forces.

She had promised Elder Yu she would accelerate her plans, so naturally, dealing with Jiang Li had to be moved up the agenda.

"I understand, Sister Liangyu. I’ll tell him. But this needs to be handled sooner rather than later."

Chu Liangyu packed all the Spirit Stones that Lou Sang had given her into a storage bag and handed it to Xiong Jiaojiao. "These should be enough to save the Holy Tree. Just place them at her base, and she will absorb their power on her own."

It was the same storage bag from the old Beast God. Chu Liangyu couldn’t very well have them lug so many Spirit Stones over in regular sacks, so she had no choice but to lend them the bag.

’Since Crystal Cores could replenish the Holy Tree’s power,’ she reasoned, ’these stones, filled with the world’s Spiritual Energy, should have a similar effect.’