Translator: CinderTL
Dead?
Xu Sanyan's brow furrowed slightly. He had sensed earlier that the Old Clan Chief was nearing the end of her life, which was why he had rushed here to see her one last time. He hadn't expected her death to come so swiftly.
"The Old Clan Chief... has passed?" Xu Sanyan asked, his voice heavy with grief.
"The Clan Chief has returned to the embrace of the Dog God. May the Dog God protect her," the middle-aged woman replied, her expression sorrowful as she glanced up at him, a hint of wariness in her eyes.
Xu Sanyan noticed this subtle change, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly. She had shown no suspicion toward him before, so this shift must mean the Old Clan Chief had said something to her before dying.
But whatever she had said was irrelevant. Xu Sanyan had deliberately delayed his intervention, intending to hasten the Old Clan Chief's death.
As long as she lived, he would never have a chance to seize control of the Dog Clan!
"This... May the Old Clan Chief rest in peace."
The middle-aged woman cradled the Old Clan Chief's body and began walking toward Back Mountain. As she passed Xu Sanyan, she paused briefly. "The Clan Chief instructed before her death that our alliance remains valid. Once we eliminate the Serpent Clan Chief, we will arrange your third blessing."
Xu Sanyan nodded. "Did she mention the trade agreement?"
The woman resumed walking, answering as she moved, "Yes. One hundred weapons in exchange for your fourth blessing."
"Hmm..."
Xu Sanyan watched her disappear into the distance.
The next morning, at the foot of Heroic Soul Mountain, Xu Sanyan, Xun Ancai, and the others stood together, watching the raging flames consume the corpses of the Old Clan Chief and the Seven-Headed Dog.
The Seven-Headed Dog had followed the Old Clan Chief into death.
Everyone wore solemn expressions as they silently watched the clan chief burn in the fire, the atmosphere heavy with reverence.
Over ninety percent of the Dog Clan had gathered to send the Old Clan Chief back into the embrace of the Dog God.
They did not view life and death with the same weight as humans. To them, death was not an end but a transition to a new form of existence. Thus, while the ceremony was solemn, it lacked the profound grief one might expect.
When the flames finally died down, the middle-aged woman buried the remaining bone fragments at the foot of Heroic Soul Mountain. There was no tombstone, no offerings—the entire ritual was remarkably simple.
The woman now held the Old Clan Chief's staff, symbolizing her succession as the new clan chief. From this day forward, she would guide the Dog Clan's path.
The transfer of power proceeded smoothly, without a single objection. This woman was currently the strongest member of the Dog Clan and had been personally chosen as the successor by the Old Clan Chief herself.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, some curious glances lingered on Xu Sanyan. Everyone knew he was Xun Ancai's man, but no one paid him any further attention.
Xun Ancai walked home with him, Xu Sanyan lost in thought.
He already knew about the Bear Clan's destruction. Many Bear Clan members were now among the Dog Clan, destined to become vassals and slowly integrate into Dog Clan society.
Though they would never again receive the blessing, they could still bear children—children who would naturally be considered Dog Clan offspring.
Here, pregnancy and childbirth differed from the outside world. Conception didn't rely on fertilization; instead, both men and women had to journey to Heroic Soul Mountain to undergo a unique method of impregnation.
Children conceived on Heroic Soul Mountain were naturally considered Dog Clan people.
Yet Xu Sanyan couldn't fathom how a man without a womb could carry a child.
He rubbed his head, still feeling lingering throbbing pain—a lingering side effect of using the Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force.
Xun Ancai walked beside him, her spirits low, still grieving the Old Clan Chief's death.
Xu Sanyan took her arm and asked softly, "What did you do at the Bear Clan yesterday?"
Xun Ancai looked up, trying to recall. "Nothing much. We just took some things and captured some people."
Xu Sanyan nodded silently.
With the Bear Clan's destruction, the Dog Clan would undoubtedly be the greatest beneficiary. They likely seized a significant amount of Earth Vein Stones and Bear God's Essence Blood, potentially ushering in a period of rapid power growth for the Dog Clan.
Through his observations, Xu Sanyan had determined that the strongest member of the Dog Clan was undoubtedly the new clan chief, who had undergone the Sixfold Blessing.
Next came the seven or eight clan members who had received the Fourfold Blessing, followed by Xun Ancai and the other threefold blessed warriors, who numbered around two hundred.
This clearly demonstrated that the transition from threefold to fourfold blessings marked a significant threshold, requiring the use of essence blood.
Suddenly remembering something, Xun Ancai exclaimed happily, "The clan chief said we performed well this time! She'll grant us the Fourfold Blessing in a few days!"
Xu Sanyan nodded. Xun Ancai's growing strength was good news for him.
The two chatted as they walked, quickly returning home. Xun Ancai prepared a simple meal, and just as they finished eating, Xu Sanyan felt the world begin to reject him. He knew his time was up.
This time, his stay in the secret realm had been longer than before, lasting a full three and a half days.
After comparing his two experiences, Xu Sanyan realized something: the duration of his stay in the Secret Realm World was directly related to the amount of spiritual power he poured into the secret realm fruit.
The first time, he had poured in about half of his body's spiritual power, resulting in a three-day stay. This time, he had deliberately poured in more, and sure enough, his time had been extended.
"My time is up," Xu Sanyan said, looking at her.
Xun Ancai blinked, her face filled with reluctance. "Ah? When will you be back?"
"In a few days."
Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, Xu Sanyan's figure vanished from the spot.
Xun Ancai lowered her head, feeling a hollow emptiness in her heart.
She felt like a young wife waiting at home for her husband's return, only for him to rush back for a couple of days before leaving again.
Xu Sanyan's figure materialized abruptly within the stone chamber carved into the mountainside. Without a moment's hesitation, he drew out spirit stones to replenish his spiritual power.
After a long while, his spiritual power had recovered to over eighty percent. He then retrieved a soul crystal to restore his divine soul power, continuing until the throbbing pain in his head subsided, at which point he finally exhaled in relief.
The sensation of depleted soul power was truly agonizing, and it was nearly impossible to replenish within the Secret Realm World. Recovery relied solely on the slow passage of time.
Yet its potency was undeniable. The people of the Secret Realm World, who did not cultivate their divine souls, were defenseless against divine soul mystical arts. Even Xiong Shan, a formidable Sixfold Blessing expert, had fallen victim to Xu Sanyan's sneak attack.
However, this method had its limitations. With his current soul power, he could only kill one person per visit to the Secret Realm World before exhausting his reserves.
"Hah..."
Xu Sanyan exhaled a stream of stale air, clenching his fist to feel the surging power coursing through his body. His satisfaction deepened.
This blessing had increased his strength by over thirty percent, and his physical resilience had also been enhanced. If he were to clash with Tu Wanshan's group again, he would undoubtedly fare far better than before.
He now eagerly anticipated his third and even fourth blessings.
Rising to his feet, he carefully wrapped the secret realm fruit in his large banner. After clearing away the rubble, he squeezed through a crevice in the mountain wall and emerged into the night. The pitch-black forest was punctuated by the rustling of leaves in the night wind.
The world was utterly silent. Xu Sanyan pulled out the map Old Master Chang had given him, consulted it briefly, and strode forward, gradually vanishing into the darkness.
(End of the Chapter)
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