11: Chapter 11 Pre-war Preparations

"Over these next ten days, all of you should go back and prepare. I will put Yuanwen in charge of the participating personnel," Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin swept his gaze across everyone in the ancestral hall and said.

"Understood, Clan Chief," everyone said respectfully.

"Xuanqi and Changqing, for these ten days, I must trouble the two of you to refine as many Talismans for the Family as possible."

"Yes, Clan Chief," Chen Xuanqi and Chen Changqing both cupped their fists.

"Alright, all of you go down and prepare," Chen Xuanqi waved his hand.

Everyone stood up and quickly left the ancestral hall to mind their own business.

Chen Changqing was still in his seat; he was not in a hurry to leave because there was something he needed to confirm.

After everyone had completely left, Chen Changqing looked directly at Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin and asked, "Fifth Grand Uncle, is Fourth Aunt because of me…"

Before he could finish, Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin immediately stopped him and explained, "It is not your reason. Every year, Qinghe Market transports a batch of Talisman Materials back to the Family, but this time it was personally escorted by Yuanping. Furthermore, the objective of the Wu and Xu families was our Family's Talisman makers and Artifact Refiners, which is why this incident occurred. You don't need to blame yourself."

"Because even without this time, there would have been a next time. I just didn't expect their intelligence network to be so well-informed."

Hearing this, Chen Changqing's expression improved slightly, but upon hearing the latter part, his whole body tightened, "Fifth Grand Uncle, you mean...?"

"There was a traitor among the Cultivators under our Family. I already had Yuanqing investigate it, and they were dealt with yesterday. However, this matter also reminds us: those who are not of our kin are bound to have different hearts."

Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin nodded towards Chen Changqing. After finishing, his left hand unconsciously exerted force, and with a bang, the tea bowl in his hand shattered into several pieces that flew in all directions.

"Mm, Fifth Grand Uncle, ten days from now I also want to participate in the battle," Chen Changqing requested.

"No, if you want to do things for the Family, just obediently stay in the Family and refine Talismans. The Family does not yet need you juniors to participate," Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin refused.

"Fifth Grand Uncle, I can refine Talismans, and I must also fight this war. It is impossible for me to always stay safely in the rear and obediently Cultivate. If that were the case, what is the meaning of my Cultivate in the Immortal Realm? If I cannot fight across the four directions for the Family, wouldn't all these years of my Cultivate have been in vain? If my Cultivate was in vain, what is the use of me achieving Foundation Establishment?"

Chen Changqing argued strongly on grounds of reason. A few years ago, his cultivation was insufficient, so he could only obediently wait for news of his father and Family members. Now, his strength was such that most Family members might not even be his opponents. With this strength yet choosing to do nothing, his heart could not rest at ease.

Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin had originally wanted to refuse, but when Chen Changqing mentioned Foundation Establishment, his tone unconsciously loosened. Within the Chen Family, Chen Changqing had the greatest hope of reaching Foundation Establishment; if his state of mind were affected because of this matter, this good seedling would be completely ruined in his own hands.

He pondered for a moment, sighed, and for the first time used such a stern tone towards Chen Changqing, "I can let you go, but you must obey commands. If you encounter an unsolvable formidable enemy, or if the Family is destroyed, you must abandon us and escape alone. You are the hope of our Family; I, along with everyone in the Family, do not permit you to die in this war. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Chen Changqing took a heavy breath.

"Mm, you should go back and prepare as well."

After Chen Changqing took his leave, for the following several days, he spent almost all his time refining Talismans for the Family.

Over these few days, all Family members were busy. A portion of them was responsible for Artifact Refining and Talisman refining, a portion went to Qinghe Market to purchase a large amount of strategic resources, and another portion took advantage of this period to learn various spells to prepare for any unexpected needs.

During these few days, Chen Yuanwen also finished registering all the participating personnel. Two-thirds of the Cultivators in the Chen Family participated in the battle. Among them, a total of four people from the Xuan generation participated. As the backbone combat strength of the Chen Family, excluding those who had died, fifteen out of the remaining seventeen people from the Yuan generation participated. As for the Chang generation, because they were the younger generation and most did not have high cultivation, only four people participated, namely Chen Changtian, Chen Changling, Chen Changyun, and Chen Changqing.

When everyone learned of this list, they all felt that Chen Yuanwen was messing around blindly because ten-year-old Chen Changqing was also on the participation list.

"Yuanwen, aren't you just fooling around blindly? Changqing is only ten years old, why did you also include him in the list?" As the first person to discover this matter, Chen Yuanshan's very first action was to directly go find Chen Yuanwen and ask.

"Eldest Brother, this cannot be blamed on me! I am also very curious why Fifth Uncle wanted Changqing to join," Chen Yuanwen wore an innocent look.

"You're saying Fifth Uncle designated Changqing? Then I will go find him right now." Finished speaking, Chen Yuanshan headed straight for the ancestral hall.

Chen Yuanwen was also quite helpless and hurriedly followed behind him.

The two of them walked quickly to the back of the ancestral hall. Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin, as if he had long known someone would come to look for him, stood up and came to the entrance of the ancestral hall.

"Fifth Uncle, why did you let Changqing participate in the battle as well? We have enough manpower and completely do not need a ten-year-old child to participate," Chen Yuanshan questioned sternly.

"This is his own decision."

"What?"

Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin explained the matter in detail to the two of them.

After hearing this, the two of them didn't know what to say either. As Cultivators, they all knew how important the state of mind was. If Chen Changqing truly failed to reach Foundation Establishment because of his state of mind, they would be sinners of the Chen Family.

The two said nothing more. After taking their leave, they explained things clearly to the other Family members.

After sending the two away, Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin went alone to the back mountain of the Family.

The back mountain of the Chen Family was about two hundred zhang high. Although it belonged to the shorter category compared to the surrounding peaks, the environment was extremely beautiful, blessed by nature and radiating spiritual splendor.

On the mountain, there was an extremely crude wooden house. This was the birthplace of the Chen Family; back then, Chen Family Old Ancestor Chen Tianyi was born in this very place, and it was also from here that he stepped into the Immortal Realm.

Inside the wooden house, besides a table, there were no other things. On the table were several spirit tablets made of spiritual wood, recording the Family members of the Chen Family who had long since died, and now another one had been added.

Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin glanced at them, his face full of shame. As the head of a clan, he failed the Family; as a descendant of Chen Tianyi, he failed his ancestors.

If the Family could not get through this current hurdle, Qinghe County would no longer have the Chen Family, and this place would also be destroyed.

After Clan Leader Chen Xuanlin sighed with emotion for a moment.

He took out a box from somewhere inside the wooden house. Inside it was a life-saving item left behind for the Family by Chen Tianyi.

When he opened it to take a look, it unexpectedly turned out to be a Talisman Treasure and a set of Formations.

The light of the Talisman Treasure was somewhat dim. Judging by its appearance, it could probably be used about two more times. As for this set of Formations, it was composed of sixteen Formation Flags and a Formation Plate, making it a First-Order Peak-Grade Defensive Formation. On the market, it was worth nearly three to four thousand Spirit Stones, and it possessed the ability to block a full-strength strike from an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

If it were Cultivators at the Perfection of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, unless three came at the same time and were willing to spend several hours of time to wear away the spiritual power of the Formation, there was simply no possibility of breaking it.

At this moment, the foundation of the Chen Family as a Qi Refining Family was finally fully displayed. After all, how could a Family that could carve out a mountain in a region like Qinghe County, which had already been carved up by major forces, possibly be simple?