In order for the Chen Clan to win this battle, they must first eliminate Shi Hezhang, the powerhouse of the Qi Manipulation Realm.
As Ji Yang thought this, Shi Hezhang, beneath the shade of the towering tree, grew solemn.
He could already feel a terrifying consciousness locking onto him.
Before he could strike again, a massive branch swung toward him!
The branch glead like a sharp sword.
With just that swing, countless streams of Sword Aura swept toward him!
Shi Hezhang’s expression changed. Finally, he understood why the branch felt so familiar.
Wasn't this the sa high-level martial technique that Chen Qingyu had used earlier?
Yet, now wielded by this locust tree, its power and variations far surpassed Chen Qingyu’s.
As the sword auras surged forth, Shi Hezhang had no ti to evade. The Divine Stone in his hand erupted with dazzling light once again, enveloping his body in its protective radiance.
But before he could move again, a crisp sound rang out from his hand.
Crack!
The Clan’s Divine Stone, which had only a few cracks before, shattered instantly into several pieces after deflecting the blow. The divine power of the Clan’s totem was lost forever within it.
Shi Hezhang’s face turned pale. Though the stone in his hand was not the true Divine Stone, its destruction still affected the original.
However, this was not the ti to dwell on such matters, as another massive branch was already swinging toward him!
This ti, the branch did not unleash Sword Aura. Instead, stars glittered faintly within its fibers, as though it carried countless fists.
Without the Divine Stone's protection and not yet having reached the Gang Qi Body Tempering Realm, Shi Hezhang did not dare et it head-on. He could only hastily evade.
Yet no sooner had he moved than two more branches swept in from either side, each carrying the essence of entirely new martial techniques.
Below, Chen Qingyu and the others watched as the Divine Tree’s branches struck again and again. They began to realize that they were seeing reflections of the very martial techniques they had once learned, now manifested upon the branches of their clan’s Divine Tree.
When they saw the Divine Tree unleash its power and force Shi Hezhang to flee, the faces of the Chen Clan mbers lit up with joy. Their morale surged, and they clashed fiercely with the Shi Clan once again.
Without the intervention of a warrior from the Qi Manipulation Realm, the Chen Clan fought with renewed confidence.
Shi Chengyi and the others longed to aid Uncle He Zhang. However, after sensing the locust tree’s branches' might, hesitation flickered across their faces. Ultimately, they turned their blades against the Chen Clan.
There was no turning back now. They could only hope that Uncle He Zhang would prevail.
The Chen Clan’s totem was formidable, but surely it had limits. If Uncle He Zhang could just endure the tree’s attacks a little longer, the scales of victory would tilt back in their favor.
“Humph.”
But before they could dwell on this, a muffled groan echoed from above.
The warriors looked up, only to see Uncle He Zhang being hurled away like a kite with its string cut after being struck by a branch.
Shi Chengyi and the others froze in shock at the sudden turn of events, nearly getting wounded themselves.
After being struck and sent flying, Shi Hezhang did not charge back into the fray. Instead, he used the montum of the blow to shout,
"Retreat first!"
He had clearly realized that they must wait until the Chen Clan’s totem power was exhausted before attacking again.
The transformation of this locust tree was extraordinary. It was clearly the result of a special divine ability. The Chen Clan’s totem’s power could not last forever.
Now that the Divine Stone could no longer provide support, he might perish if he continued to fight. It was better to withdraw for now, endure the mont, and strike later.
Hearing their Clan uncle’s command, the Shi Clan mbers did not hesitate. One by one, they began to retreat from the Chen Clan compound.
The Chen Clan’s totem was strange, and their armored warriors were terrifying. The Shi Clan had already lost the will to fight. Regrouping and recovering was the wisest choice.
Although Shi Chengyi and the others were reluctant, with the locust tree looming overhead and blotting out the sky, even their clan uncle could not withstand it. How could they hope to resist?
Retreating was the wisest choice at this mont. The Shi Clan warriors no longer hesitated, quickly withdrawing toward the rear.
Seeing the enemy attempt to flee, Chen Xingzhen, his face pale, shouted loudly:
"Chen Clan warriors, follow in pursuit!"
The clan had suffered grievous losses. Even the green motes of light, once vast like the sea, were now nearly depleted.
Logically, the Shi Clan’s retreat should have been a blessing, giving the Chen Clan a few days to recover.
However, Chen Xingzhen knew the truth: this battle had consud far too much of the Divine Tree’s power. There was no second wave of beasts at Chaotic Burial Mountain to sacrifice to the tree.
Though the Shi Clan had also suffered heavy losses, their core strength remained intact—their Innate Realm fighters and their powerhouse in the Qi Manipulation Realm still lived.
If the Shi Clan were allowed to escape now, the Chen Clan would never withstand their next assault.
What seed like a reprieve was, in reality, a dead end.
The only way the Chen Clan could secure a true chance to breathe was by relying on the Divine Tree’s power to eliminate the Shi Clan’s Innate Realm warriors—or better yet, their Qi Manipulation Realm martial artist.
Many in the Chen Clan did not fully understand the reasoning behind it, but they obeyed their patriarch’s command without hesitation. Even the gravely wounded dragged themselves forward to chase after the retreating Shi Clan.
High above, Chen Changming, though bereft of his legs, understood the truth as well. He shouted to the warriors behind him:
“Clan mbers, continue the slaughter with !”
But before the Chen Clan could advance, the locust-leaf armor covering their bodies suddenly vanished.
The battle had dragged on too long. The armor had already grown faint, and now it was gone entirely.
Without its protection, those who were still strong enough to fight could only watch helplessly as the Shi Clan fled. They could not strike nor stop them.
"Alas... Heaven has abandoned the Chen Clan!"
Chen Changming sighed bitterly at the sight.
Ahead, Shi Hezhang, fleeing with his clansn, also noticed the scene. A cold smile spread across his face. He had known all along that their armored warriors could not last forever.
Had he understood the Chen Clan’s thods earlier, Shi Hezhang could have brought the clan’s elite warriors, lured out the armored soldiers, and advanced or retreated at will. Then, the Shi Clan would not have suffered such heavy losses.
However, it was not too late yet. Once the Chen Clan’s totem's power dissipated, the Shi Clan could strike again.
At that ti, we'll see how the Chen Clan could possibly resist!
Just as Shi Hezhang was plotting his next move, however, the ground beneath him began to tremble once more.
This ti, the quake was stronger than before. Before he could react, countless roots surged upward from the earth and wove together into a towering wall that instantly blocked his path.
Even he, flying in the air, was stopped in his tracks—let alone the warriors on the ground.
“Break for !”
Shi Hezhang's face darkened with killing intent. He unleashed his full strength, striking fiercely in an attempt to carve a gap through the wall of roots before him.
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