Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

"Wait, cousin, look closely. These markings seem freshly carved. Humph, the clan markings are so well-hidden. Someone must be trying to stop us from investigating! Do they really think this will stop us?"

Hearing his clansman's indignant voice, another man fell silent as he examined the markings nearly covering the tree trunk.

Clan markings were typically discreet, unlikely to be noticed by outsiders, but there were simply too many here.

Forget it. Their clan uncle had already departed a few days ago. Even if the markings were copied, the finer details couldn't be imitated. They could still find the location, though it would take a little more time.

After carefully studying the carvings, the two quickly found their next direction and disappeared into the dense forest.

Not long after, three more people arrived, following the clan's markings to the same spot.

They soon found similar markings in a familiar location, but as they took in the overwhelming number of carvings, their expressions turned vacant.

After a round of cursing and grumbling, they, too, left.

Before long, wave after wave of people poured into the thick forest, vanishing into the shadows.

On the night of the fifth day, Chen Tianjing and his group finally reached Chaotic Burial Mountain. Standing on higher ground, he looked at the distant, brightly lit clan estate, a flicker of relief in his eyes.

The others shared the sentiment.

They had been away for more than ten days. If not for the quick sale of Blood Rice in the city, the trip would have taken at least half a month.

Fortunately, they had also purchased a few horses, which would make future trips to the city much easier.

Knowing the clan leader must be anxiously waiting, Chen Tianjing and the others quickened their pace.

Just after they left, four figures emerged from the darkness—the innate martial artists of the four great clans, who had been tracking them all along.

Looking down at the scattered villages below and the direction Chen Tianjing's group had taken, even these seasoned warriors couldn't help but sigh.

Days of relentless pursuit had nearly worn down their patience, but at last, they had found their target.

Judging by the scale of the Chen clan, it was undoubtedly a minor clan. Even their so-called totem was likely a mere object of blind worship.

In the end, their greatest competitors weren't the Chen clan but rather the other three major clans.

The four men exchanged wary glances.

None of them rushed to act. Now that their target was located, the next step was to investigate the Chen clan, understand their surroundings, and—most crucially—track down the source of the Blood Rice.

Each man had his own thoughts.

There was no time for discussion. Without a word, they swiftly moved out, blending into the villages below.

Representing their respective clans, the one who gathered intelligence first and reported back would gain the upper hand in the coming struggle. Every second counted.

...

"Qinghe, this is taking too long."

Further down the road, Chen Qingmeng gazed at the seemingly endless path ahead and spoke.

Chen Qinghe nodded.

These markings, though simple in design, were numerous. They had to be meticulously carved without error. At this rate, they'd run out of provisions.

"Forget it. Let's just peel off this bark!"

"Agreed!"

The two acted without hesitation, using brute force to strip the markings from the tree. Chen Qinghe, however, deliberately misled their pursuers—when he removed the bark from a marked tree, he also peeled a section from an unmarked tree in a different direction.

That should be enough to throw them off.

...

"Neigh! Neigh!"

Before Chen Tianjing and his group even stepped into the clan grounds, the sound of their horses drew curious onlookers.

Chaotic Burial Mountain had no shortage of wild, horse-like beasts, but they were difficult to tame. The clan had never invested much effort in domesticating them. Now, seeing obedient and well-trained horses, many clan members were intrigued.

Upon learning of Chen Tianjing's return, Chen Xingzhen hurried out of the ancestral hall to welcome them.

"Tianjing, you've worked hard."

"Serving the clan is no hardship."

Chen Tianjing wasted no time resting and immediately recounted their journey, detailing the events they had encountered.

Chen Xingzhen, a man of action, sensed that the trip had not been entirely smooth. He quickly summoned several clan elders for a discussion.

Inside the ancestral hall, the dim glow of the sacred locust tree bathed the room in a faint luminescence.

A Spirit-Tailed Chicken dozed beneath the tree trunk.

Nearby, Chen Xingzhen and several Blood Coagulation Realm martial artists gathered around a newly built stone platform.

The clan had recently decided that all major clan meetings would be held in the ancestral hall.

First, the hall was under the protection of the Divine Tree, making it safer.

Second, with the spirits of their ancestors present, they could "listen in"—saving the trouble of repeating everything in dreams later.

"This is the Bodhi Fruit and Purple Ganoderma?"

As Chen Tianjing placed their greatest finds on the stone platform, the gathered elders studied the fresh spiritual herbs with curiosity.

"Qingyu, take this Tian Nan Star and see its effects."

"Tianlu, try the Purple Ganoderma."

Chen Xingzhen wasted no time distributing the items. The others had no objections. More than anything, they were eager to see the results.

With the Divine Tree nearby, there was no concern about toxicity.

Chen Qingyu and Chen Tianlu didn't hesitate. They immediately chewed and swallowed their respective herbs.

The others watched intently.

A bright gleam appeared in Chen Tianlu’s eyes after ingesting the Purple Ganoderma. He could sense the abundant blood qi contained within, along with a noticeable improvement in his own.

Moments later, he said with excitement, "Clan leader, this Purple Ganoderma increased my blood qi by about 20%. The medicinal power hasn’t been fully refined yet. Over the next month, I expect another 10% increase."

The effect wasn’t as potent as the clan’s Five-Leaf Flower, but the Five-Leaf Flower grew too slowly. Relying solely on it to strengthen their warriors was impractical.

Meanwhile, Chen Qingyu quietly assessed the effects of the Tian Nan Star before speaking in a calm tone.

"It should increase my current blood qi by 20% within a month."

Chen Tianlu was only at the early stage of the Blood Coagulation Realm, so the Purple Ganoderma’s effects were significant. If he were at the mid or late stage, the impact would have been far weaker.

Even so, it was a rare and valuable resource.

More importantly, such items could be bought with jade coins. If the clan amassed enough wealth, they could accelerate their warriors’ progress and rapidly expand their strength.

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