Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

Chapter 2: Clan’s Peril

Upon these words, the faces of everyone in the ancestral hall darkened with murderous intent and indignation, and they all turned their gaze towards the elder holding the beast hide.

"Clan Chief, let's fight them!"

"That's right, our Chen Clan won't be bullied so easily!"

***

Under the intense gaze of the crowd, Ethan Chen, who was well into his sixties, also showed a grim expression. The amiable and respectful look on his face was gone, replaced by a hint of outrage:

"Hmph, the Li Clan thinks our Chen Clan is defenseless!"

"Men of the Chen Clan, follow me into battle!"

Ethan Chen's body tensed, revealing strong muscles beneath his loose clothing, making it hard for Noah Ji, watching from above, to believe that this man was a sexagenarian.

Buoyed by the momentum, the others in the ancestral hall also responded fiercely:

Emotions running high, they quickly exited the ancestral hall!

In an instant, the ancestral hall was quiet once more!

All that remained were a withered tree and several bloodless beast corpses beneath it!

Looking at the empty Chen Clan ancestral hall, fragments of Noah Ji's memory resurfaced.

***

The Chen Clan, a small clan established near Disordered Burial Mountain.

Due to the abundance of resources in Disordered Burial Mountain, there were many small clans like the Chen Clan.

But resources were limited, so conflicts were constant among the many small clans that depended on them.

From what he had just heard, it seemed that the nearby Li Clan had come knocking.

As Noah Ji pondered, angry shouts from outside followed by the sounds of clashing weapons reached him.

Listening to the battle cries and wails outside, Noah Ji was curious to take a peek.

Unfortunately, as a tree, he could not see the battle outside and could only listen to the fierce fighting.

"Quickly summon the Elder Ancestor from his coffin!"

Soon after, Noah Ji heard Ethan Chen's rallying cry.

They were calling upon the Elder Ancestor, which suggested that the situation was not ideal.

But on second thought, since they were being attacked at home, it was clear that the Chen Clan was at a disadvantage.

Before Noah Ji could ponder the significance of "summoning from the coffin," a disheveled member of the Chen Clan rushed into the ancestral hall where Noah Ji was.

Only then did Noah Ji notice that the ancestral hall he was in was just the exterior, and there was another room inside, likely where the spiritual positions of the Chen Clan were placed.

The man who rushed into the ancestral hall fiddled around inside, and then Noah Ji saw him emerge, holding up a mutilated corpse and shouting as he ran out:

"The Elder Ancestor has arrived!"

***

Noah Ji was somewhat speechless; it seemed there was a reason why the Chen Clan had survived until now!

Indeed, with the emergence of the Elder Ancestor, the sounds of battle outside the ancestral hall intensified.

"Retreat!"

With a stranger's command echoing around, the noise outside gradually faded until it disappeared.

"The Elder Ancestor is mighty!"

Amidst the joyful shouts of the Chen Clan, the "Elder Ancestor" who had been summoned was carried back in.

Only now, the Elder Ancestor, who was already missing an arm, had also lost a leg!

The members of the Chen Clan who came in with him were also in a sorry state, many bearing serious injuries.

It seemed to be a Pyrrhic victory.

After the group respectfully placed the "Elder Ancestor" back in the ancestral hall and paid their respects, everyone dispersed.

Before long, the ancestral hall returned to the quiet it had before.

Looking at the empty surroundings, Noah Ji sighed inwardly.

Being reincarnated as a tree, unable to speak or move, was a great torment for him.

And the performance of the Chen Clan today had dashed Noah Ji's hopes of transforming Qi and Blood into Vitality.

The Chen Clan was so unstable that it might be exterminated within days. Growing here was too risky.

Noah Ji had already died once; he didn't want to die a second time.

Besides, this new world intrigued him!

He needed to live a little longer, even if as a tree!

***

Night fell quickly, and the Chen Clan was relatively quiet, with only a few dim oil lamps placed at key intersections.

In the Chen Clan ancestral hall, a Sophora tree barely two meters tall stood forlornly to one side, its withered branches looking as if a strong wind could blow it over.

Under the cover of night, a figure slowly entered through the main door of the ancestral hall.

Noah Ji, deep in thought, quickly turned his attention to the movement inside the hall.

Noah Ji had no eyes, but his consciousness was more effective than sight, allowing him to see his surroundings even in the pitch-black night.

Once he recognized the figure, Noah Ji realized it was none other than Ethan Chen, the current Clan Chief of the Chen Clan.

What puzzled Noah Ji was why Ethan Chen would come to the clan's ancestral hall so late.

Noah Ji watched with interest, experiencing sensations different from his previous life.

Ethan Chen walked into the ancestral hall without pausing under the Sacred Tree where Noah Ji resided, heading straight inside!

Looking up at the many spiritual positions, Ethan Chen sighed and began to weep!

He spoke of the difficulty of maintaining the clan and the possibility of its destruction on his watch!

The outside Noah Ji remained silent after hearing this.

In truth, he also wanted to help the Chen Clan, as he was, after all, their guardian Sacred Tree.

But considering he was just a tree, Noah Ji's rationality overcame reality.

Perhaps even if he took root here, he might not have the strength to help; it was better to watch and wait for the right opportunity.

After lamenting his hardships, Ethan Chen heard footsteps approaching from outside the ancestral hall.

Sensing the noise, Ethan Chen composed himself, once again assuming the role of the Clan Chief.

As the Clan Chief, he could not show his sorrow and helplessness.

"Clan Chief, Oliver seeks an audience!"

"Come in."

Soon, a robust young figure entered the ancestral hall.

Noah Ji remembered this person; he was part of the group that had paid respects to him during the day, and what struck Noah Ji was that this person didn't seem to hold the same reverence for him as the others, even showing some disdain.

Seeing the two, Noah Ji suddenly remembered he had a skill he hadn't used yet, and this was the perfect opportunity to try it out.

The next moment, Noah Ji used the Eye of Insight on the two men.

With the skill activated, information about the two men quickly appeared before Noah Ji:

[Name: Ethan Chen]

[Age: 62]

[Realm: Late Stage of Blood Condensation Realm]

[Introduction: Clan Chief of the Chen Clan]

[Name: Oliver Chen]

[Age: 23]

[Realm: Mid Stage of Blood Condensation Realm]

[Introduction: A genius of the younger generation of the Chen Clan]

Blood Condensation Realm, a unique cultivation realm of this world!

The Three Realms of Body Refining are: Body Tempering Realm, Blood Condensation Realm, Innate Realm!

Five Stages of Qi Control: Internal Cultivation, External Qi, Gathering of Three Spirits, Condensing Five Qi, Unity of Heaven and Man!

Three Realms of Concentrating Spirit: True Pill of Martial Dao, True Fire Refining Spirit, Communication between Heaven and Earth!

And finally, the Realm of Martial Immortal!

It is said that reaching this realm allows one to triumph over nature!

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan