Reincarnated as a Divine Tree-Chapter 237: Heavy Losses

"They've gone mad! The patriarch and the elders must be insane!"

Shi Pojing muttered under his breath as he walked out of the grand hall.

The Chen family has some foundation, but compared to the Shi Clan, they are still far behind. Shi Pojing believed that if they waited for the right moment, they would seize the opportunity to annihilate the Chen family in one decisive strike.

As for the previous two failures, what did they have to do with him?

If they had listened to him the first time and acted early instead of wasting those days, the Chen family would have been wiped out long ago.

And if the patriarch had sent him more manpower this third time, how could things have escalated to this point?

Now, however, the patriarch and the elders were preparing to seek support from other clans and even make peace with the Xie family.

On the surface, it sounded good, but one misstep could plunge the clan into utter ruin.

It was better to rely on themselves than to trust outsiders.

After pondering the matter for a while, Shi Pojing quickly understood why the elders were doing this.

They felt threatened. They feared death. But to be this terrified?

These old fools! They should already be buried in the ground!

Shi Pojing inwardly cursed, but he was powerless—his voice carried no weight in the assembly.

The two elders who usually supported him, Shi Chengyu and Shi Chenghou, hadn’t attended this time, leaving him with no one to speak on his behalf.

Now, the failure of this plan had brought punishment upon him. From this point forward, he would no longer have access to the clan’s cultivation resources.

From now on, the clan would likely not entrust him with any major responsibilities. This was practically equivalent to losing his chance to become patriarch.

The earlier punishment was tolerable because he still had his own resources. But this new restriction left him helpless. Currently, very few elders in the clan supported him. He had hoped to use this opportunity to win over Elder Chengzong. Yet, he never imagined such an accident would occur.

"Damn it!

"I won't give up!"

…

"Patriarch, the bodies have all been cleared. We also found some scattered jade coins on them—altogether, about two thousand.”

Inside the ancestral hall, Chen Xingzhen nodded slightly as he listened to Chen Tianyu’s report. Then he asked:

"What about our clansmen? Were any of them killed?"

For ordinary families, it's only natural to ask about casualties. But for their clan, injuries weren’t a concern—as long as no one died, the battle was considered a zero-loss.

Upon hearing the question, Chen Tianyu hesitated slightly. His expression made Chen Xingzhen feel a faint sense of unease.

"Clan Leader, this time we lost six members. Three of them were Blood Coagulation Realm martial cultivators and three were Body Tempering Realm martial cultivators. They were Chen Xingyi, Chen Xingtong, and Chen Xingrui...”

As Chen Tianyu recited the names, Chen Xingzhen’s face darkened.

These clansmen were all his age. Two of them were even older than him by several years.

These individuals had journeyed with the clan since its migration. Though slightly lacking in talent, they had recently broken through to the Blood Coagulation Realm with the clan's help. Still, they were considered pillars of the clan, overseeing medicinal herbs, ironworks, and other vital operations. They possessed considerable experience in many areas.

No one expected them all to perish in this battle.

Even if the Divine Tree could revive some of them, life and death would still separate them. This thought brought sorrow to Chen Xingzhen's heart.

Upon hearing the report, the other clansmen silently bowed their heads.

This battle had cost them more than any previous clan war.

After a brief moment of silence, Chen Xingzhen sighed deeply and said:

"Bring the bodies of our fallen clansmen forward."

As the corpses, covered in white cloth, were carried into the ancestral hall, the clansmen wore sorrowful expressions. Yet, amidst their grief, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in their eyes.

Chen Xingzhen no longer hesitated. He turned toward the Divine Tree and began to pray.

These clansmen had died fighting for the clan—they could not simply vanish without a trace.

Above them, several gray soul forms drifted aimlessly beside the corpses in Ji Yang’s gaze. These memoryless souls were surrounded by many departed clansmen.

At that moment, the faces of the departed showed no sadness; rather, they appeared joyful. After all, they had long since passed away, and they were joyful because a few new members were about to join their great family.

After Chen Xingzhen finished praying, Ji Yang activated the Soul Coagulation Divine Art.

The next moment, their souls surged toward the trunk of the Divine Tree and merged with it.

Once their souls had fully fused with the trunk, several new fruits quickly sprouted from the locust tree's branches. However, the fruits were small and would require about a week to fully mature.

"Clan Leader, what about the bodies of these clansmen?"

Chen Tianyu asked hesitantly below.

According to the clan’s previous customs, clansmen who had reached the Blood Coagulation Realm or higher would be refined into Clan Guardians. Although their cultivation realm might decline after the ritual, their physical strength would remain formidable and still be of use to the clan.

However, the clan was no longer what it used to be. Blood Coagulation Realm cultivators were no longer the backbone of the clan. Whether to proceed with the refinement depended on the Clan Leader’s decision.

Chen Xingzhen had considered this as well. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke.

"In the past, refining the bodies was something the clan did out of necessity. Now that we have elders watching over us, we’re not as desperate anymore. As for whether to refine them, let's wait until they are reborn and see what they wish for themselves.

“For now, place the bodies in the ancestral hall."

The hall was rich in Yin energy, so the corpses wouldn't decay.

“Understood, Clan Leader.”

The others didn’t say much more. Allowing the clansmen to decide for themselves whether to undergo refinement seemed like a more respectful approach.

"By the way, Tianjing, select a few new clansmen to take over their responsibilities."

Life and death are part of the natural order, but the clan must continue to grow. Now that they had a shop in Yong’an City, all aspects of clan affairs had to proceed without delay.

According to reports from clansmen stationed in Yong’an City, the shop had sold a decent amount of items. Although the amount of jade coins earned wasn’t substantial yet, it was believed that this venture would yield promising returns once the clan’s operations were fully established.

"Clan Leader, those positions have already been assigned."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xingzhen was momentarily stunned. A thoughtful look crossed his face, but he nodded and said no more.

During the battle, many clansmen used the Five Viscera Ascension Technique. Although the Divine Tree had healed them, they still needed time to recover. Additionally, it was time to plant a new batch of Blood Rice within the clan.

Otherwise, the cultivation resources for the clansmen would soon be insufficient.

However, beyond all these matters, a far more pressing issue loomed over the clan.

How should they respond to the Shi Clan’s next move?

Though the clan had won this time, the gap between them and the Shi Clan was still enormous. A martial cultivator at the Great Completion of the Innate Realm possesses terrifying strength, and the Shi Clan surely has more than one such expert.

Just one had already been difficult to withstand. If several more appeared, the clan might not be able to hold its ground.

However, strengthening the clan’s power was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Watching the clansmen disperse, Chen Xingzhen sighed inwardly. For now, there was nothing he could do but let things take their course.