"But Fourth Uncle, what about the clan leader..."
"Huh, now that the Chen family has no one left, why bother with him? As for Yongcheng, I'll take care of him myself!"
The burly man spoke dismissively, no longer looking around, but walking quickly toward the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.
Soon, they arrived before the ancestral hall.
The doors were wide open, revealing the situation inside. This sight dispelled the last trace of caution in the burly man's heart.
However, when he saw the tree inside the hall---its branches and leaves emitting a faint glow---he was instantly captivated.
"Fourth Uncle, look! The tree is glowing!"
"I'm not blind!" he retorted.
The burly man grumbled, "I've heard rumors about the Chen clan's ancestral tree, but I never thought it was real. Looks like they couldn't take it with them when they left, so we might as well benefit from it."
His excitement grew as he considered the possibility of studying the tree firsthand. Without hesitation, he headed toward the Chen clan's ancestral hall.
However, after only a few steps, he noticed the glow on the tree suddenly fading. Confused, he wondered what was happening.
At that moment, his heart raced as a strong surge of danger raced through his mind.
Reacting swiftly, the burly man rolled to evade the impending threat. But Chen Qingyu's meticulously planned attack was anything but simple.
Before he could fully dodge, Chen Qingyu's fist, powered by his entire body's energy, struck the burly man's back, sending him flying.
As Chen Qingyu made his move, hidden Chen family warriors emerged from concealed positions around the ancestral hall, swiftly engaging the nearby fighters.
Each of them chose their target initiating a cross-tier battle.
The huge gap between the Body Tempering and Blood Coagulation realms was difficult to bridge without sufficient numbers.
Unfortunately, the Chen clan's disadvantage in numbers didn't allow for an overwhelming force.
"Chen Xingzhen, you have some nerve!"
The last remaining Blood Coagulation Realm expert from the Li family expressed his anger at the Chen family's sneak attack.
Realizing the danger, he stopped shouting and focused on defense.
"Chen Tianyu!" he shouted.
As the fighters clashed, the sounds of battle promised to draw more clan members into the fray, leaving the outcome uncertain for the Chen family.
Meanwhile, Chen Qingyu's satisfaction was fading. The strange sensation from his last punch indicated it hadn't struck a mere human body.
As the burly man rose from the ground, Chen Qingyu noticed something unexpected; the man wore a layer of intricately patterned, sturdy inner armor.
Despite Chen Qingyu deliberately holding back some of his power, the armor had absorbed most of the impact.
Nevertheless, the burly man now coughed up blood, clearly suffering from internal injuries.
"It's you, Chen Qingyu!"
The burly man turned to face his attacker, his eyes blazing with anger and a hint of relief.
Fortunately, this time, the burly man was protected by an inner armor made of Azure Python skin. Otherwise, he would have been severely injured by Chen Qingyu's latest blow.
"Wait, you're in the late stage of Blood Coagulation?"
Only now did the burly man notice Chen Qingyu's transformation, and his surprise was evident.
Had Chen Qingyu only reached the mid-stage of Blood Coagulation, the burly man wouldn't have considered him a serious threat despite his minor injuries.
However, facing a late-stage opponent like Chen Qingyu required a reassessment of their match.
Chen Qingyu remained silent and continued his fierce attack on the burly man.
Soon, the other members of the Li family would discover the ongoing battle. Time was of the essence.
As Chen Qingyu attacked, the burly man's expression hardened.
Without further words, they clashed, their blows carrying the force of several stone weights. Explosive sounds echoed through the air.
The noise of their battle quickly spread throughout the Chen family compound.
On the other side, the remaining three teams continued their meticulous search, assessing the situation.
Initially, when they heard the noise coming from the ancestral hall, they dismissed it as the burly man's violent demolition work.
However, as the sounds grew louder and the cries of the clan members echoed, they realized that something was amiss.
"Quickly, move out! We need to support them!"
Li Yongcheng's face showed a hint of surprise as he ordered the others to hurry towards the ancestral hall.
Though he hadn't seen the details, he could guess what was going on.
What surprised him, however, was that the Chen family hadn't fled, but had set up an ambush.
This caught him off guard.
Despite his resentment towards his fourth uncle, Li Yongcheng couldn't ignore the greater interests of the family.
As he hurried to provide reinforcements, a trace of worry remained on his forehead.
He couldn't understand why the Chen family chose to stand their ground instead of fleeing.
What gave them such confidence?
Could it be that they thought a surprise attack would make them our equal?
A warrior at the late stage of Blood Coagulation can't be caught off guard so easily!
Li Yongcheng couldn't fathom the reason behind their choice and quickened his pace.
However, just as he was about to reach the ancestral hall, he was stopped by the sound of a sharp blade.
Looking up, he recognized a familiar face.
Both of them were at the mid-stage of Blood Coagulation and had often crossed paths during previous clan battles. They were well acquainted.
"Clan Leader, let's take him down together!" suggested another Blood Coagulation expert from the clan.
But Li Yongcheng shook his head. "No, I'll take care of him. You assist the others."
Seeing Li Yongcheng's serious expression, the fellow warrior refrained from further discussion and walked towards the ancestral hall.
Chen Tianjing watched the situation unhindered, leaving Li Yongcheng to fight. This was his mission.
Li Yongcheng, as the patriarch of the Li family, may not have a high level of cultivation, but in the ongoing struggle between the two families, he repeatedly caused trouble for Chen's family.
Li Yongcheng didn't know Chen Tianjing's thoughts, but he had his own thoughts.
Now that the great battle had begun, no plan would be effective. Ultimately, it would come down to the strength of their respective families.
The Li family already had several Blood Coagulation Realm warriors, and now they had another late-stage Blood Coagulation Realm cultivator. No matter how you looked at it, the Li family seemed poised for victory.
Even if he left Li Yongcheng here, what would be the point?