304: return

Dead?

Xu Sanyan’s brows furrowed slightly. He had seen earlier that Old Clan Leader was on her last breath, which was why he rushed to see her one last time, but he didn’t expect her to die so quickly.

“Old Clan Leader… has passed away?” Xu Sanyan’s voice was heavy.

“The Clan Chief has returned to the embrace of the dog god. May the dog god protect her.” The Middle-aged Woman’s expression was sorrowful, and she looked at him with her eyelids slightly raised, a hint of vigilance in her gaze.

Xu Sanyan took note, his eyes unconsciously narrowing. Previously, she had no vigilance towards him at all, but now that things had changed, it must be that Old Clan Leader said something to her before her death.

What she said was irrelevant, because he deliberately delayed his action, intending to cause Old Clan Leader’s death.

As long as she was alive, Xu Sanyan would never have the chance to control the Dog Clan!

“Well… Old Clan Leader, rest in peace.”

The Middle-aged Woman carried Old Clan Leader towards the back mountain. She paused briefly as she passed Xu Sanyan, “The Clan Chief instructed before her death that our cooperation still stands. After the Snake Clan Leader is eliminated, the third Pray for blessings will be arranged for you.”

Xu Sanyan nodded, then asked, “Did Old Clan Leader mention that transaction?”

The Middle-aged Woman started walking away, speaking as she went, “She did. One hundred weapons for the fourth Pray for blessings.”

“Mhm…”

Xu Sanyan watched her depart.

…

The next morning, at the foot of Yinghun Mountain,

Xu Sanyan and Xun An Cai stood together, watching the flames consume the bodies of Old Clan Leader and the Seven-Headed Dog.

After Old Clan Leader died, the Seven-Headed Dog also followed soon after.

Everyone looked solemn, quietly watching the Clan Chief burning in the flames, the atmosphere incredibly heavy.

Over ninety percent of the people in the Dog Clan came to send Old Clan Leader back to the embrace of the dog god.

They didn’t view life and death as so important, because they believed that death didn’t mean the end, but another kind of rebirth. So, although it was solemn, it wasn’t as sorrowful as one might imagine.

After the flames extinguished, the Middle-aged Woman buried the bone fragments at the foot of Yinghun Mountain. There was no tombstone, no offerings; all steps were very simple.

The Middle-aged Woman held Old Clan Leader’s staff, which signified that she had taken over as the new Clan Chief. From then on, she would lead the direction of the Dog Clan’s progress.

The transfer of power went very smoothly; no one raised objections, because this woman was currently the strongest person in the Dog Clan, and she was also the successor chosen by Old Clan Leader.

The crowd gradually dispersed. Some people looked curiously at Xu Sanyan; they all knew this person was Xun An Cai’s man, but no one bothered him.

Xun An Cai and he walked home, Xu Sanyan pondering silently.

He already knew about the destruction of the Bear Clan, because there were many Bear Clan people in the Dog Clan now. They would become vassals of the Dog Clan and gradually integrate into it.

However, they would no longer have the opportunity to receive Pray for blessings, but they could still have descendants.

And their descendants would also be descendants of the Dog Clan.

Pregnancy and childbirth here were different from the outside world; they didn’t rely on fertilization for pregnancy, but had to go to Yinghun Mountain to receive a special method of conception, and both men and women could become pregnant.

Conceiving on the Dog Clan’s Yinghun Mountain, the children born would naturally be Dog Clan people.

But he still couldn’t understand how men, without a uterus, could conceive children?

Xu Sanyan rubbed his head, still feeling a bit of throbbing pain; the aftereffects of using the Lu Family Refining Spirit Strength had not completely disappeared.

Xun An Cai followed beside him, her spirits low, still immersed in the sorrow of Old Clan Leader’s passing.

Xu Sanyan took her arm and asked softly, “What did you all do at the Bear Clan yesterday?”

Xun An Cai looked up and recalled, “Didn’t do much, just snatched some things and captured some people.”

Xu Sanyan nodded silently.

With the Bear Clan destroyed, the Dog Clan was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary. They probably plundered a lot of earth vein stone and Bear God essence blood. Next, the Dog Clan might usher in a period of rapid strength increase.

During this time, through his observation, the strongest person in the Dog Clan was undoubtedly the new Clan Chief, who had undergone five Pray for blessingss.

Next were the clansmen who had undergone four Pray for blessingss, numbering around seven or eight. Below them were those like Xun An Cai, who had undergone three Pray for blessingss, the most numerous, about two hundred.

It was evident that three to four Pray for blessingss were indeed a watershed, requiring essence blood.

Xun An Cai suddenly remembered something and said happily, “The Clan Chief said we performed very well this time, and we’ll receive our fourth Pray for blessings in a few days.”

Xu Sanyan nodded. Xun An Cai’s increase in strength was a good thing for him.

The two walked and chatted, soon returning home. Xun An Cai prepared some simple food, and just as they finished eating, Xu Sanyan felt a sense of rejection from the world. He knew his time was almost up.

This time, his stay in the Secret Realm was longer than last time, a full three and a half days.

After two comparisons, Xu Sanyan discovered something: the time he stayed in the Secret Realm world was related to the amount of magic power he infused into the secret realm fruit.

The first time he infused about half of the magic power in his body and only stayed for three days. This time, he intentionally infused more magic power, and the time indeed extended accordingly.

“My time is almost up,” Xu Sanyan said to her.

Xun An Cai was startled, her face full of reluctance, “Ah? When will you be back?”

“In a few days, I suppose.”

As soon as his words fell, Xu Sanyan’s figure vanished from the spot.

Xun An Cai lowered her head, feeling empty inside.

She was like a young wife waiting at home for her husband to return, with her husband rushing back for two days each time, then leaving again.

…

In the stone chamber within the mountain, Xu Sanyan’s figure abruptly appeared. He didn’t have time to think much and immediately took out Spirit Stones to restore his magic power.

After a long while, his magic power was restored to over eighty percent. He then took out Soul Crystals to restore his Divine Soul Power until the throbbing pain in his head subsided, only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

The feeling of exhausting Soul Power was truly painful, and it was difficult to replenish in the Secret Realm world, only recovering slowly over time, which was extremely gradual.

But its power was not to be underestimated. People in the Secret Realm world did not cultivate Divine Soul, and they had no way to resist Divine Soul secret techniques. For example, Bear Mountain, a powerful expert who had undergone six Pray for blessingss, was still ambushed and killed by him.

However, this method also had limitations. With his current Soul Power, he could only kill one person each time he went to the Secret Realm, and after that, he would be powerless.

“Phew…”

Xu Sanyan exhaled a turbid breath, clenching his five fingers, feeling the surging strength in his body, and becoming increasingly satisfied.

This Pray for blessings increased his strength by over thirty percent, and at the same time, his body’s toughness was once again improved. If he were to fight Tu Wanshan and his group again now, he would certainly not be so disheveled.

He was also looking forward to the third, and even the fourth Pray for blessings, even more.

He got up and wrapped the secret realm fruit tightly with a large banner, then pushed aside the rubble and walked out through the mountain crevice. It was night outside, and the sound of the night wind rustling through the treetops occasionally echoed in the dark forest.

The world was silent. Xu Sanyan took out the map Old Master Chang had given him, compared it, and then strode forward, gradually disappearing into the darkness.