If he couldn't condense soul energy, then of course he wouldn't have a formidable army of souls.
As for the Yin Gathering Technique, its effects were disappointingly weak.
Ji Yang had absorbed all the surrounding Yin energy, but his vitality hadn't increased.
Clearly, this technique had little to no effect on him.
If both Yin Gathering and Soul Condensation failed, then the final armor would remain an unattainable dream. After all, its description emphasized covering the armor with soul energy leaves.
Ji Yang sighed inwardly. He had expected a gain, but it turned out to be a loss.
Surprisingly, the most useful technique was the yellow-ranked martial art, Taizu Long Fist.
The night was getting darker, and the autumn moon hung like a hook.
Once again, a faint glow shimmered on Ji Yang's branches and leaves. But just as he was preparing to absorb the moonlight, he noticed something new on his branches.
Wait, where did these twenty or so green fruits come from?
Ji Yang stared at the twenty or so green fruits on his branches, wondering if he was hallucinating.
Counting them, he realized they matched the number of souls he had just absorbed. Instead of disappearing, the souls had transformed into small green fruits.
These fruits, no bigger than grains of rice, were growing rapidly. However, Ji Yang's heart tightened as he remembered the technique's description.
"Oh no, it's his life force!"
Checking his panel, Ji Yang saw his original 30.4 vital energy had decreased by 0.2, leaving him with only 30.2.
Vital energy was his foundation, and Ji Yang meticulously tracked it down to the decimal point. But that wasn't all.
His vital energy had dropped another 0.1 during the fruit's growth. Obviously, these developing fruits were constantly consuming his vital energy.
Given this situation, how much vital energy would these fruits eventually require?
Ji Yang hesitated, not wanting to act rashly.
He could pluck these fruits one by one and avoid further depletion of his vital energy.
However, that would mean the failure of the Soul Condensation Technique.
Besides, there were only a few souls around, and removing the fruits would disrupt the technique.
Ji Yang watched with fascination as the green fruits on his branches grew surprisingly fast.
Concerns about his declining vitality faded as he reasoned with himself.
With thirty points of vital energy currently at his disposal, even after accounting for the fruits' consumption, he still retained fourteen points.
The nightly absorption of moonlight would likely replenish his vitality, mitigating the fruits' drain.
Deciding to adopt a wait-and-see approach, Ji Yang hesitated to release the Yin Gathering Technique.
He feared altering his vital energy might disrupt his other supernatural abilities.
Yet, he made a significant discovery: he could concurrently employ both the Yin Gathering and Lunar Eclipse Techniques without conflict.
As the night deepened, Yin energy densified, and Ji Yang absorbed more of it. The strengthening life force palpably surged within him, accelerating the tree's growth under the accumulating Yin Qi on his branches and leaves.
Meanwhile, ten miles away from the Li family's estate, a grim atmosphere pervaded the small path.
Dozens of people, predominantly elderly, women, and children, were amidst the Chen family warriors who had mobilized at dawn.
"Clan leader, we've found no trace of Li Yongcheng, Li Cailiang, or any surviving Li family warriors," reported one of the warriors.
Beside him, Chen Tianyu spoke with a grave expression.
"During the family's Sacred Tree Great Festival, most of our clan members were sent to search for any remnants of the Li clan," he said. "Just a few days after the Great Festival, we discovered the Li clan's hiding place."
Chen Xingzhen wasn't in a rush at that time, despite the Li clan's decline. They had to remain cautious of any potential backlash from the remaining members.
"After being blessed by the Divine Tree at the Great Festival, our injuries healed and our confidence soared," he continued. "It was the perfect time to settle scores with the Li clan, so I personally led a team to pursue them."
"This time, however, we only found ordinary members of the Li clan," Chen Tianyu added.
"Truly worthy of being the current patriarch of the Li clan," Chen Xingzhen remarked with a hint of admiration. "It takes courage to decisively abandon most of your clansmen."
"But it's precisely such an adversary that we cannot afford to spare," he continued, his tone hardening. "If the Li clan isn't completely wiped out, they may pose a future threat to our clan."
"Send more people to continue the search and expand the area!" Chen Xingzhen ordered.
"Patriarch, what should we do with these people?" Chen Tianyu pointed at the other members of the Li clan who looked panicked and fearful.
"Kill them all," Chen Xingzhen replied firmly.
Hearing the resolve in Chen Xingzhen's voice, Chen Tianyu hesitated briefly.
"Patriarch, most of these people are elderly, weak, sick, or disabled. They don't pose much of a threat to our family. In my opinion, it might be better to exile them from the Chaotic Burial Mountain."
"Tianyu, we can't afford to be soft-hearted," Chen Xingzhen countered firmly.
"These people may seem harmless, but they're all relatives of the Li clan. Given the chance, they won't forget today's kindness and could seek revenge against us in the future."
"A clan war is no trivial matter, if the Li family had won this time, how many of our remaining Chen family members would have survived?"
Chen Tianyu murmured in response.
"But..." he started to argue, then fell silent, understanding the gravity of the family's situation and the necessity of unified action.
In truth, he couldn't bear it.
"You go back first. Let Tianjing handle things here."
"Okay, sure."
Watching Chen Tianyu's retreating figure, Chen Xingzhen sighed.
Tianyu possessed a stable character, was calm in the face of great events, and adept at devising strategies.
However, he was a bit too kindhearted in such matters.
As Chen Xingzhen advanced in years, even though he was in the later stages of the Blood Coagulation Realm, the decline in vitality and energy left him feeling somewhat powerless, especially during this clan crisis that had emotionally drained him.
Not even the treatments from the Divine Tree could fully restore him.
Only by breaking through to the Innate Realm, where his Qi, blood, and bones could merge as one, could he extend his life by several decades.
But reaching the Immortal Realm was exceedingly difficult, and he knew he had no chance.
Once the Li clan issue was fully resolved, he would need to consider who would succeed him as the next patriarch.
However, it was premature to dwell on it now. There would be time enough to decide after settling matters with the Li clan.
With the last treatment from the Divine Tree, he still had ten years left to live.
Ten years should suffice.
Chen Xingzhen turned away, paying no heed to the sounds echoing behind him.