Neither of them spoke, but the surging blood and inner energy within their bodies had already reached a boiling point—it could no longer be restrained.

Boom!

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Qingyu struck first, unleashing the full might of his Taizu Long Fist.

But the black-robed figure was even faster. As if he had anticipated the blow in advance, he retreated several steps before the strike could land—just enough to slip out of range.

Seeing this, Chen Qingyu’s expression grew even more grave.

A hoarse voice rasped out from beneath the black robes. “A Yellow-Rank technique from the big guy, huh? Not bad. Then let me show you the one I’ve trained for years—Ghost Shadow Step!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the man vanished without a trace.

Chen Qingyu's gaze swept the surroundings, fists clenched tight. Then—“Above!”

Sensing danger, he struck upward in a flash.

“Wrong. Behind you!”

As soon as he made his move, the black-robed man’s mocking laughter echoed from the rear.

Chen Qingyu pivoted sharply, guarding himself, but there was nothing behind him. The black-robed man had vanished once more, slipping away like a shadow into the night. Even the occasional gusts of wind offered no clues—too quick, too elusive to track.

Realizing it was futile to follow with his eyes, Chen Qingyu stopped looking. Instead, he drew his focus inward, extending his perception to a two-meter radius, and closed his eyes. Wind and sound would only cloud his senses—better to rely on the awareness granted by the Innate Realm. It might just be enough.

“Heh. Clever... but still a petty trick.”

The voice came again from the dark.

In the next instant, the black-robed figure no longer hid, and launched a direct assault.

Chen Qingyu opened his eyes at once, meeting the attack head-on with his Taizu Long Fist. Their techniques clashed violently. The black-robed man’s martial arts were varied—not high in grade, but clearly honed to perfection. Every move was executed with surgical precision, each transition fluid and refined.

What troubled Chen Qingyu the most, however, was how the man seemed to predict his every move. Every punch he threw, the enemy dodged in advance or countered immediately, as if reading the trajectory of his fist before it was ever thrown.

This must be it, Chen Qingyu realized grimly—this was the Innate Realm state Father and the others had spoken of.

As the battle continued, Chen Qingyu began to fall behind. Blow after blow came, each more difficult to block than the last. The black-robed man narrowed his eyes and quickened his pace. Perhaps now, he thought, at the edge of life and death, the boy will be forced to use that Earth-Rank technique. Let’s see if it lives up to the legend.

Under the storm of attacks, Chen Qingyu struggled to hold on. With every breath, danger drew closer—death hovered near.

Then, at the critical moment, a brilliant white light flared from Chen Qingyu’s hands.

The black-robed man abruptly halted, a hint of smugness flickering across his face. So, he sneered inwardly, in the end, you couldn’t hold back. Youths always show their cards too early. Now, it’s exposed.

But just as he prepared to defend himself, his brows creased slightly. Strange. There was an aura of anomaly, yes—but the power didn’t match that of an Earth-Rank technique. In fact, it was weaker than even the Profound-Rank arts he had mastered.

This can’t be it. Could the family’s intelligence have been wrong?

He was about to probe further when movement from the perimeter drew his attention. The unusual fluctuations had already alerted the surrounding guards. Several figures were now rushing toward the scene.

With his cover blown, the black-robed man made no attempt to linger. He turned and vanished into the night.

Chen Qingyu did not pursue.

The man’s cultivation was too high, his strength overwhelming. Without using his Earth-Rank technique, Chen Qingyu was no match. But he wasn’t disheartened either. He had only just reached the mid-stage of the Innate Realm—how could he be expected to compete with someone who had dwelled in that realm for years?

Still, one day, he believed, he would surpass them all.

“Who’s there?!”

“It’s Brother Qingyu!”

“Brother Qingyu, what happened just now?”

The clan guards had arrived and were calling out in concern.

“It’s nothing. Return to your posts.”

With that, Chen Qingyu’s figure flickered and disappeared into the shadows.

He was the Chen clan’s only Innate Realm martial artist—and the only one who could stand against high-level cultivators coveting the secrets of the Blood Rice.

…

“Greetings, Uncle Chengyu.”

Deep within the dense forest, Shi Pojing bowed respectfully. Though he now commanded considerable resources, he still exercised caution around clan elders. The Shi family had many branches and numerous elders, but only a handful had reached the late stage of the Innate Realm.

“I went to scout the area earlier,” Shi Chengyu said flatly, “but was intercepted by an Innate Realm martial artist from the Chen clan. His strength was respectable, but I found no trace of an Earth-Rank martial technique on him.”

Shi Pojing’s eyes flickered in surprise. For Uncle Chengyu to offer praise—that was no small matter.

Then again, whether the man truly possessed an Earth-Rank technique was of little importance now. The clan’s plan was already in motion. Whether the Chen family had such a technique or not, they would not give up on the Blood Rice.

And yet, a trace of doubt crept into Shi Pojing’s face. He murmured to himself, “That doesn’t make sense. If the Blood Rice had been ruined, why would the Chen clan deploy such tight security? Why refuse us a closer look? Unless… could it be they’ve already neutralized the Red Lady’s poison?”

He was confident such a poison was nearly impossible to resolve—but the Chen family had some history. Who’s to say they didn’t possess some rare item?

The more resistance they showed, the more they needed to be watched. This was no time for carelessness—the situation had to be confirmed.

“I must trouble you again, Uncle Chengyu,” Shi Pojing said. “I suspect—”

“I understand,” Shi Chengyu interrupted, then disappeared into the darkness.

The Chen family only had one Innate Realm expert. Since that was the case, Shi Pojing thought, it was time to send two more. Let’s see if they can still hold the line.

“Clan Leader, more and more spies are appearing. Even Brother Qingyu is having trouble holding them off. What should we do?”

…

Two days later, in the ancestral hall, members of the Chen clan gathered once again, voices low with tension.

The situation had grown dire enough that even Chen Tianjing and Chen Tianyu—both of whom were supposed to be focusing fully on breaking through to the Innate Realm—had been reassigned to bolster the defenses around the rice fields.

But their enemies were not ordinary scouts—each was at least Innate Realm level. Even with the Divine Tree’s aid, the clan could barely hold them back.

Fortunately, in the past two days, the Blood Rice had mostly recovered under the nourishing effects of the Blood Spring.

Unfortunately, if this continued, the rice’s recovery would inevitably be discovered. And once that happened, the clan would lose all strategic advantage.

Chen Xingzhen listened to the report, his brow furrowing deeper.

If the enemy discovered that the Blood Rice had recovered, it would bring a fresh wave of danger to the clan. This season’s crop would be lost.

There was still about a month until the harvest. A short time in theory—but in practice, far too long.

How could they stop the enemy’s probing? How could they protect the Blood Rice until then?

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