As Chen Zong entered the Clan Hall, he keenly sensed that the atmosphere was different—somewhat heavier and more urgent.
As he walked towards the Earth Courtyard, he encountered some Clan Hall disciples. Their gazes shifted from surprise to shock.
"Clan Brother Chen Zong..." A voice called out from behind as he approached his residence, trembling with both surprise and excitement.
"Brother Chen Zhong," Chen Zong turned and smiled faintly.
"Clan Brother, it's really you! You're alive... Thank goodness... you're alive..." Chen Zhong stammered, his voice breaking. "The elders searched the mountains for you but couldn't find you. They all thought you had perished on Subduing Dragon Mountain..."
"I'm alive," Chen Zong said firmly, his smile reassuring. Gradually, Chen Zhong calmed down.
"Come, let's go to the Main Hall to see the elders," Chen Zhong urged, tugging at Chen Zong's sleeve.
"Clan Brother, let's not rush. I need to put away my things first," Chen Zong said, nodding at the large bundle on his back. Fortunately, he hadn't lost the key to his residence.
As Chen Zhong led Chen Zong to the Main Hall of the Clan Hall, Chen Zong's expression grew cold and solemn, his heart heavy with grief.
He hadn't expected such catastrophic losses after they became separated, yet perhaps it was inevitable.
The Chen Clan Iron Guard was formidable, and the elder stationed at the ore vein camp was equally strong. But they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of demon beasts, culminating in the appearance of a Level Three Demon Beast, a terrifyingly powerful creature.
In the end, the elder and thirty Iron Guard members perished. Hall Elder Chen Shaojie lost an arm, and four Clan Hall disciples went missing. Chen Zong was the only survivor to return. The fate of the other three, stranded in a place like Subduing Dragon Mountain, was likely grim.
"What's the situation at the ore vein now?" Chen Zong asked.
"I heard the Iron Guard has been restationed there to continue mining," Chen Zhong replied.
The ore vein was crucial to the Chen Clan; they couldn't afford to abandon it. With a significant portion still unmined, they had no choice but to persevere.
As they entered the Main Hall, all eyes immediately fell upon Chen Zong. Shock gave way to uncontainable joy, like sparks igniting across their faces.
"Chen Zong..."
"Chen Zong, you're alive!"
"I always knew you were blessed with extraordinary luck, you little rascal!"
The three elders, startled, spoke one after another.
"Elder Wei, Elder Xing, Elder Li..." Chen Zong bowed respectfully. "I apologize for making you worry."
"It's best that you've returned safely," Elder Xing said with a radiant smile.
"Have you been in Subduing Dragon Mountain for over a month?" Elder Wei asked, scrutinizing Chen Zong.
"Yes, I got lost in the mountain. It was fortunate," Chen Zong replied with a smile. The hardships and dangers he had endured remained his secret. However, he had grown stronger, seized opportunities, and become more powerful—details he saw no need to share.
"To survive over a month in Subduing Dragon Mountain and emerge unscathed with a cultivation base at the Fifth Layer of the Qi Blood Realm... you're the first," Elder Li said with a smile.
"It's good to have you back," Elder Xing sighed, visibly relieved.
"Earlier, outside the city, the Young Gang Leader of the Fine Rain Gang and several of his men tried to kill me. I killed them instead. I'm worried this might bring trouble to the clan," Chen Zong said.
"The Fine Rain Gang... just a petty gang. How dare they attack you? You did well to eliminate them. The Chen Clan won't seek trouble with them, but they wouldn't dare provoke us again, would they?" Elder Xing said with a cold smile.
"You needn't concern yourself with this matter," Elder Wei said. "Focus on your cultivation. The Fine Rain Gang is no real threat."
Chen Zong nodded, then suddenly remembered something and added, "By the way, elders, I encountered someone very strange on Subduing Dragon Mountain."
"How so?" Elder Li asked with a smile.
Chen Zong detailed his encounter with the Black Shadow in the cave. As he spoke, the three elders' faces grew grave and astonished.
"Could the legends be true..." Elder Li murmured, as if speaking to himself.
"Chen Zong, do you know that our era is called the True Martial Era, and the previous era was the Kingdom Era?" Elder Wei asked. Chen Zong nodded.
"The Kingdom Era fell to the demon beasts. But there's a rumor that their rise from the mountains to form an invading army was orchestrated by someone. That orchestrator was the Black Demon Gate."
"The Black Demon Gate?" Chen Zong had never heard of them before, yet the name sent a shiver down his spine, as if it represented something profoundly terrifying.
"The Black Demon Gate is the most powerful force in the Eastern Continent. Even the three great kingdoms of the Kingdom Era couldn't compare to it. The Black Demon Gate sought to destroy these three kingdoms and ultimately control the entire Eastern Continent."
Chen Zong was inwardly stunned.
The most powerful force in the Eastern Continent? The mere thought was terrifying. Could the Black Demon Gate be connected to that half-human, half-snake monster he encountered?
Could that monster have been a member of the Black Demon Gate?
One question after another sprang to mind.
"Ultimately, the three kingdoms fell. But their desperate resistance inflicted catastrophic losses on the Black Demon Gate and its demon beast horde. It's said that after the kingdoms' collapse, surviving martial artists banded together and repelled the Black Demon Gate. Forced to retreat into Hundred Beasts Mountain, the remaining demon beasts were gradually eradicated. To fend off future invasions, Martial Cities were built by the survivors, and Martial Arts Techniques were passed down, allowing more people to cultivate into martial artists. This marked the dawn of the True Martial Era."
Chen Zong had an epiphany. The books he had read previously hadn't provided such comprehensive details, especially regarding the Black Demon Gate.
"Are all members of the Black Demon Gate monsters?" Chen Zong asked.
"We don't know much about the Black Demon Gate," Elder Wei replied. "They've been silent for centuries. We only know that their martial artists, called Demon Martial Artists, are generally stronger than ordinary martial artists of the same cultivation base. They can also use a technique called Demon Transformation to turn into half-human, half-demon beast forms, making them even more terrifying."
"So the half-man, half-snake monster I encountered was indeed a Demon Martial Artist from the Black Demon Gate," Chen Zong said, his mood inexplicably heavy.
"Wait, I remember now!" Elder Xing exclaimed, his expression brightening. "Shaojie mentioned that on the night the demon beast horde attacked the camp, a mysterious Black Shadow infiltrated the camp. It was discovered and struck as it fled. Could that have been the same Demon Martial Artist Chen Zong encountered?"
"Regardless, this information is crucial," Elder Wei said. "We must relay it to the family immediately, and they should inform the other families to be on guard. Chen Zong, keep this to yourself for now. Don't spread it to avoid unnecessary panic."
"Yes," Chen Zong nodded.
With the three elders busy with important matters, Chen Zong took his leave. Back in his residence, he retrieved some medicinal herbs, demon beast materials, and three Foundation Establishment Martial Arts manuals from his travel bag. He then returned to the Main District and entered the Martial Repository.
The Clan Hall didn't possess these three Foundation Establishment Martial Arts manuals. By contributing them, Chen Zong earned 500 Contribution Points. He then proceeded to the Mission Hall. The mission to guard the ore vein had been prematurely terminated, so he received no Contribution Points and faced no punishment. However, after submitting the medicinal herbs and demon beast materials for their respective missions, his Contribution Points surged.
In the end, Chen Zong earned over 1,500 additional Contribution Points, bringing his total to over 2,000.
He didn't need any cultivation techniques for himself.
He didn't need any sword techniques, even mid-grade Human-Rank or higher, for the time being.
He still had some pills for cultivation, so he didn't need those either.
For now, he'd save these Contribution Points.
"I wonder if the Clan Hall has the three medicinal formulas needed for cultivating the Body Tempering Art?" With this question in mind, Chen Zong headed to the Pill Hall, bolstered by his over 2,000 Contribution Points.
Unfortunately, the Pill Hall's stock of medicinal ingredients was limited. Even for the first formula, the Ice-Fire Tempering Membrane Ointment, they could only gather less than half the required ingredients.
"The cultivation of the Body Tempering Art requires a corresponding Medicinal Formula; otherwise, the results will be negligible."
"I need to gather all the medicinal ingredients listed in the formula and have a suitable environment to prepare the medicinal paste."
"It's time."
Chen Zong drew his sword and headed once more to the Main Hall.
The Main Hall was always manned by at least one elder or Hall Elder.
Chen Zong had applied to challenge Chen He, ranked second in the Elite District, and Chen Xia, ranked first. Chen Xia's courtyard had once been Chen Chuyun's residence, where Chen Zong had trained the Four Swordplay Essentials. After Chen Chuyun left, Chen Zong had harbored the desire to move back in, and today, that dream was finally coming true.
Such challenges were no joke. They required formal application, arrangement by the Clan Hall, and were conducted under the supervision of a Hall Elder or elder, making cheating impossible.
As for challenging Chen He, it was purely a countermeasure.
Chen Zong couldn't simply sit back and let Chen He keep causing trouble.
"Before a challenge can proceed, you must notify the challenged party. Once they've been informed, you'll be notified of the challenge time," the Hall Elder said amicably. "If the person you challenge is away, you can either choose another opponent or move into their courtyard temporarily. However, you won't receive the benefits of an elite disciple until the challenge takes place. If you defeat them, the owed resources will be provided retroactively."
"I understand. Thank you, Hall Elder," Chen Zong said, bowing before taking his leave.
Looking at the sky, he saw there was still some time before evening. Why not pay Cauldron Heaven Pavilion a visit?
"Before going to Cauldron Heaven Pavilion, I should bring all my Jade Coins and medicinal herbs," Chen Zong thought. He returned to his residence, carefully stored the black iron token, strapped on his Precious Iron Grade dagger, and slung his pack over his shoulder before leaving the Clan Hall.
According to Elder Wei, Cauldron Heaven Pavilion branches were found in every Martial City, suggesting it was a formidable organization. However, since the pavilion focused solely on commerce and avoided political power struggles, Chen Zong reasoned that he might be able to find the medicinal ingredients needed for the Body Tempering Art's formula there.
"I can also check if Cauldron Heaven Pavilion has any treasures that could restore Father's Qi Blood and cultivation base," Chen Zong thought, his eyes shining with hope and his heart burning with determination.
It wasn't until hearing Elder Wei's words that day that Chen Zong realized restoring his father's cultivation base would be far more difficult than he'd imagined. While he might eventually achieve it with his current abilities, his father's Qi Blood was rapidly deteriorating, and delaying the solution would only worsen his condition. The sooner he could resolve this, the better.
Cauldron Heaven Pavilion now represented his greatest hope.