Vol. 1 - Ch. 337 - A Sharp Blade

New Novel - Read Here

"Cousin, some of the Shi Clan's martial artists survived. Shouldn't we have wiped them all out?"

Chen Tianmo asked on their way back.

Having witnessed the deceased clansmen's combat prowess at Stone Warm Pavilion, he was confident that eliminating the remaining Shi Clan members on the first and second floors wouldn't have been difficult.

Doing so would have eliminated any lingering threat, settling the matter once and for all.

Chen Tianyu shook his head.

"With the Shi Clan's upper leadership eliminated, whatever remnants remain won't pose much of a problem anymore. Even if we don't move against them ourselves, plenty of other clans eyeing the Shi Clan's remaining resources won't let them off easily."

"Still, it's a bit of a shame. There were so many resources left on those first two floors!"

Chen Tianmo shook his head with a note of genuine regret.

Thinking back on what they'd gained from this trip, Chen Tianyu gave a faint smile.

"We're still within Yunmeng City, after all. If our clan had cleared out every last resource, other clans would have started digging into the matter, and we would have ended up drawing far more attention than we wanted. But there's no need to worry about that now. The Zhao Clan won't let those resources go to waste."

"It's just a few unremarkable resources. Trading them away in exchange for the clan's continued safety and stability was well worth it."

The other clansmen nodded slightly in agreement. Besides, hadn't all the resources from the upper floors of the Stone Warm Pavilion ended up in their clan's hands? This could be considered fitting compensation for the spoils the clan lost following their great victory.

"Tianquan, how did the trade go on your end?"

"The Cui Clan sent the same representative as last time to handle the trade. I checked everything over myself, no issues to report."

"Good, that's a relief!"

After briefly discussing how the trades had gone, the dozen or so Azure Wolves surged forward once again at full speed, racing toward Yong'an City.

…

"Sacrifice!"

In a hidden valley, countless figures knelt prostrate on the ground. Before them stood an ancient sacrificial altar built from stacked stone slabs.

At the center of the altar lay a ferocious beast resembling a colossal serpent. It was coiled and motionless with its eyes shut tight. Its entire body was encased in a layer of pale blue frost crystal as though it had been frozen solid for a very long time.

Following a series of elaborate ritual procedures, several figures wielding blades stepped forward slowly. In the next instant, each of them drew their blade across their own wrist.

Streams of fresh blood flowed rapidly down the wrists of several figures, dripping into the carved groove at the base of the altar below.

Though their faces grew steadily paler from blood loss, not a single one of them stopped. They continued until the blood spread to fill the entire groove beneath the altar. Only then did they finally step back.

Once the blood settled into the groove, it slowly crept toward the ferocious beast coiled at the altar's center.

As it spread further, reaching the center of the altar, the frost crystal encasing the serpent gradually began to thaw.

Before long, the frost crystal covering the massive serpent had completely melted away. Its eyes, which had been shut tightly, slowly opened, and its colossal body began to stir and writhe.

At that moment, the figures gathered around erupted into cheers.

"We welcome the Ancestor's return to life!"

Sensing the immense cultivation realm radiating from the massive serpent, a burly, broad-shouldered man at the front of the altar broke into a grin.

This particular ancestor they had just unearthed had reached the late stage of the innate realm. Without a doubt, this would make the clan's archaeological excavation plans proceed more smoothly. The glory of the Gu Clan would soon be restored to this world!

Unfortunately, these revived Ancestors had only fragmented, incomplete spiritual awareness. They were capable of nothing more than basic instinct and unable to hold any real conversation. Still, that much was enough for their purposes.

"Clan Head, our people report that, within the next two days, another two villages' worth of travelers will return from Yunmeng City.”

A nearby clansman reported.

The burly man nodded slightly upon hearing this.

"Have this one handle it. Take the Ancestor with you this time. Be sure to clean things up thoroughly. Leave no trace behind."

"Understood!"

After the clansman left, the burly man turned his gaze back toward the depths of the sacrificial altar.

There, countless more frozen ferocious beasts lay in wait, each still encased in frost crystals, awaiting the clan's efforts to free them.

Breaking through these crystals required a considerable number of rare and unusual materials. Though difficult to gather, this posed no serious obstacle. The key issue was that all of these materials needed to be purchased with jade coins.

Unfortunately, the clan's current strength was insufficient. During their previous excavation, one of the Ancestors they unearthed was intercepted and killed, which slowed the pace of their ongoing efforts considerably.

…

"Clan Brother, there seems to be some kind of commotion up ahead!"

"Let's go take a look!"

"Clan Brother, it looks like an Innate Realm ferocious beast is attacking the local villagers!"

"Oh? What a stroke of fortune!"

Astride their Azure Wolves, the group's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and they urged their mounts to pick up the pace.

Upon spotting the massive serpentine beast in the Innate Realm, Chen Tianyu and the others didn't hesitate, moving to intervene once again.

The colossal serpent was formidable, refusing to retreat even after spotting Chen Tianyu's group approaching. After several exchanges of combat, however, the serpent sensed something was amiss and attempted to flee. Yet, under the combined assault of Chen Tianyu and the others, the beast ultimately proved no match for them and was subdued.

Having earned the heartfelt gratitude of the villagers from the two nearby settlements, Chen Tianyu's group set off on their journey home once more, their haul in tow.

"Clan Brother, our luck really has been incredible lately!"

As he listened to the delighted voices of his fellow clansmen, a thoughtful expression crossed Chen Tianyu's face, hinting at quiet contemplation.

Was it good luck?

Doubtful.

After all, Chaotic Burial Mountain only harbored one Innate Realm beast. Yet here they were, having passed through this stretch of road only twice, and encountering an Innate Realm beast both times. Wasn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?

Could someone be trying to curry favor with the Chen Clan by arranging these encounters?

After a moment's thought, Chen Tianyu decided not to dwell on it further.

Ferocious beast resources were scarce to begin with, let alone ones at the Innate Realm. Bringing this one back as an offering to the Divine Tree would surely satisfy it.

…

"Clan Head, this is terrible!

"The Ancestor has been taken again!"

"...?!

"Damn that Chen Clan! I'll never let this rest. We are sworn enemies from this day forward!"

Somewhere in a distant valley, a furious roar echoed out, though Chen Tianyu's group was already well on their way home by that point, so they never heard it.

…

Back in Yong'an City, Chen Tianjing listened to the full account of Chen Tianyu's group's journey and broke into a satisfied smile.

Though the Shi Clan's power had already been broken beyond recovery, their remaining forces were still formidable. Having now resolved the matter of the Shi Clan once and for all, the clan had eliminated a source of potential future trouble.

Furthermore, this trip yielded a considerable haul from Stone Warm Pavilion, including a fair number of valuable resources, such as roughly a dozen Arisaema root specimens. The clan had previously purchased this item. Additionally, Chen Tianmo came away with a formidable weapon discovered on the fourth floor of Stone Warm Pavilion.

A weapon capable of channeling and conducting a martial artist's True Qi from the Qi Manipulation Realm was known as a "Sharp Blade."

This particular Sharp Blade was a long sword, roughly three feet in length, with a striking, resplendent blue blade. It could transmit a martial artist's Qi and Blood with twelve-fold amplification, and if wielded by a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm, the effect would be even more formidable.

Holding the blue longsword, Chen Tianjing gave it a few experimental swings, eager to test its power. A surge of bold, unrestrained confidence welled up within him as he felt that nothing could stand in his way.

This was precisely the intangible effect a Sharp Blade granted its wielder—it instilled an overwhelming sense of self-assurance in whoever carried it.

This was its strength. But it was also its weakness.

After all, confidence taken too far becomes nothing more than arrogance.

After examining the blade briefly, Chen Tianjing carefully set it back down.

A man who carries a fine blade soon finds murderous intent stirring within him. Such a weapon must be handled with the utmost care and restraint.

A weapon that only a martial artist in the Qi Manipulation Realm could truly wield was not simply a matter of conducting True Qi; there was clearly more to it than that.

It came as something of a surprise that the Shi Clan had possessed such a weapon in the first place. It likely hadn't come from anything they acquired in Yong'an City; otherwise, they surely would have used it during the decisive clan battle all those years ago.

Hello readers!

Read up to 12 advance chapters by joining us on Patreon! Support us and read ahead[Join Patreon]Enjoying the story? Help more readers discover it by leaving a rating and reviews on NovelUpdate!

Every review counts.

[Rate on NovelUpdate]Thanks for your support and happy reading!