Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

Vol. 1 - Ch. 299 - Blood Rice Fruit

It should have borne grain by now. What does this result mean?Doubt lingered in his heart, but he was already standing amidst the fertile fields. It wouldn't hurt to go take a closer look.

Led by the clansmen, Chen Xingzhen and the others quickly made their way to the half-acre plot of specially cultivated farmland.

Chen Xingzhen had already heard about the growth of the Blood Rice from the clansmen, but when he saw it with his own eyes, he was stunned.

The Blood Rice stalks, which had originally grown only one or two meters tall, now towered at six to seven meters.

The stalks themselves had also undergone dramatic changes. Once no thicker than a finger, they had grown to the thickness of a wrist. Their outer skin had become tougher, resembling tree bark.

Most astonishing of all, where the rice panicles should have been, three or four dull green fruits, each the size of a pearl, now hung.

Streaks of vivid crimson adorned these fruits. Looking closely, one could faintly discern the shape of the Blood Rice within them.

These fruits were far larger than the Blood Rice produced within the panicles.

They seemed more like an unknown kind of fruit tree than Blood Rice.

This transformation was beyond anything Chen Xingzhen had imagined.

At his side, a clansman reported once again:

"Clan Leader, these fruits have already been tested. The qi and blood within them is far denser than that of ordinary Blood Rice—far superior, in fact. But the exact effects will only be known once they fully mature."

Chen Xingzhen nodded slightly.

"Very well. Have the clansmen continue their observations. Once these Blood Rice fruits ripen, report to me immediately."

"Yes, Clan Leader."

…

Half a month later, Chen Xingzhen returned to the fertile fields accompanied by many clansmen who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

The Blood Rice fruits, which had been greenish half a month ago, were now completely crimson and on the verge of falling—as ripe as could be.

"Clan Leader, these Blood Rice fruits matured earlier this morning. They’ve already been tested. Each fruit contains about five times the qi and blood of ordinary Blood Rice. Moreover, these new Blood Rice fruits have a tremendous effect on cultivators at the Blood Coagulation Realm!

"Moreover, the clansmen have discovered that the original roots and stalks do not wither once these Blood Rice fruits mature. Instead, they continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace."

Upon hearing this, even Chen Xingzhen, the clan leader, could not hide his joy.

Previously, ordinary Blood Rice had little effect on cultivators at the Blood Coagulation Realm. But these new Blood Rice fruits solved that problem entirely.

It would be more fitting to name them Blood Rice Fruits than Blood Rice.

The only drawback was that the new fruits took longer to ripen. While ordinary Blood Rice could be harvested twice in the same span, the Blood Rice Fruit could only be harvested once. Furthermore, the quantity was far less—each stalk bore a maximum of four or five fruits, and sometimes only two or three.

Yet, the increase in potency made these shortcomings negligible.

Most importantly, these mutated Blood Rice plants no longer needed to be replanted after each harvest. Perhaps, as years of cultivation accumulated, the fruits' effects would grow stronger.

This discovery was a new foundation for the clan.

"Since they're ripe, harvest them all," commanded Chen Xingzhen.

Immediately, the curious clansmen began plucking the Blood Rice fruits.

"How is the growth of the Five-Leaf Flower?" he asked.

"Clan Leader, I checked a few days ago. It hasn’t matured yet, but its growth rate has increased significantly,” replied Chen Tianyu.

“And what of the transplanted Burial Dust plants?”

Chen Tianyu shook his head. "Still the same as before, no noticeable changes."

"Keep nurturing them," said Chen Xingzhen, his eyes filled with contemplation.

He had originally planned to send clansmen to explore the ancient ruins again in search of other useful treasures for the clan. But now, he had abandoned that idea.

The transformation of the Blood Rice was entirely due to the Guanyin Soil.

Though the ruins were ancient, items like the soil must have been considered precious even back then.

Perhaps this precious treasure was only used by members of the Blood River Sect to cultivate Burial Dust. If so, then there might be even more dangerous things deeper within those ruins.

Now that the divine tree of the clan has fallen into slumber, even if the ruins still hold valuable items, it is not the right time to explore them.

Everything must be approached with caution.

…

Time flew swiftly—three years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the clan’s plaza, an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy repeatedly struck the massive stone before him.

Under the blazing sun, sweat covered his forehead, but he paid it no mind. His gaze remained fixed on the stone, his focus entirely on it.

With each punch, the giant stone trembled faintly.

But the boy seemed dissatisfied. After recalling the clan’s battle techniques, he gathered all his qi and blood into his fist and struck the stone once more.

BANG!

The giant stone erupted with a tremendous sound, and a small groove quickly appeared on its surface.

At that moment, a delighted voice rang out from behind him.

“Clan Uncle Qingcheng, you’re amazing!”

Chen Qingcheng gathered the qi and blood within his body and gazed at the mark on the massive stone. Yet, he shook his head.

Compared to some of his older clan brothers, he was still far behind.

When he turned to see the young girl clapping and cheering behind him, however, a trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes. Still, he asked,

"Niece Xinxin, why have you come here?"

Though they were similar in age, their generational ranks differed by one, making Chen Qingcheng feel somewhat awkward. Yet, within the clan, seniority was important and could not be confused. After using that title many times, he had grown accustomed to it—after all, it was just a form of address.

"Oh, I was bored being alone, so I came to watch."

"By the way, Clan Uncle Qingcheng, you promised to accompany me to Yong'an City in two days. You’d better not break your word.”

The girl chirped like a lark, her voice lively and incessant.

"Alright. But before going out, I’ll need to ask my father first.”

"Uncle Tianquan will definitely agree!" she replied confidently.

Not far away, Chen Xingzhen quietly observed the twenty or so youths in the training grounds, a hint of wonder in his eyes.

He had not expected the children born to the previous generation of the clan to grow so much in just a few short years.

Although he knew this was the result of the Divine Tree’s power, it still changed Chen Xingzhen’s perspective.

If things continued like this, perhaps it would not be long before the clan flourished with abundant descendants.

For a clan to grow strong, its people are indispensable.

Yet, when he thought of the Divine Tree’s power, a shadow crossed his eyes.

He had once believed the Divine Tree would awaken after only a year or two. Now, however, more than three years had passed with no sign of its revival.

If not for the fact that the Divine Tree in the ancestral hall had shown no major changes and the one in Yong’an City continued to grow, he might have suspected that the clan’s Divine Tree was already lost.

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