The Ashen Clan's Strength

The Ashen Clan.

The Glow Clan.

The Hunter Clan.

Three successive increases in power had finally stabilized Lin Jin's existence.

Feeling that his very essence was no longer on the verge of collapse, Lin Jin was delighted. At last, he could act without fear of falling apart.

But even as he savored his power, he did not forget the drawbacks of a faith-based system.

Without insects to worship them, gods would rapidly lose their power and might even die.

Ultimately, compared with the genuine Higher Beings of this world, he was still far too inexperienced.

Lin Jin had learned his lesson. He would not treat his believers as tools for supplying essence.

Insects were actually quite simple. As long as you treated them well, they would treat you well in return. There was none of that endless scheming.

That was also the purpose of this ceremony: to let his believers see the tangible benefits of worshipping him.

He rewarded those who fought well, recognized their achievements, and bestowed a new name upon the mantises.

With the mantises' loyalty firmly secured, this special ceremony came to an end, and night fell.

The Ashen Clan continued its patrols, while the Glow Clan put together more detailed accounts of everything it had recorded during the day.

The defense of the Black Shell Plains had cost them hardly any fighting strength, but their military supplies and provisions were nearly exhausted.

That was partly due to Gron's strategy. His thinking was simple: gather intelligence first, then start with the toughest opponent.

By dealing with the hardest task at the beginning of the expedition, when supplies were most plentiful, their later conquests would become increasingly smooth.

The corresponding drawback was that supplies were consumed extremely quickly in the early stages. Once they ran short, making progress would become difficult.

Thus, until fresh supplies arrived from Ashen City, the expeditionary force had to remain stationed here.

However, unlike the Ashen Clan, which chose to recuperate in camp,

the mantises, having enjoyed the tangible benefits of faith, did not rest.

They began hunting in groups across the grasslands, pursuing the beasts that had scattered and fled during the day.

For one thing, killing these beasts and sacrificing them to the Sunfire God would make the mantises themselves stronger-an advantage they could never have imagined before.

For another, a considerable number of beasts had escaped the day's battle, and Gron understood that they absolutely could not be given another chance.

With a full understanding of the mantises' strengths and authorization from him as supreme commander, the Hunter Clan entered the grasslands to begin the hunt.

Tonight, those beasts clad in black shells had been marked for death. The Hunter Clan would eliminate as many as possible before dawn.

Soon, the entire grassland fell deathly silent. Apart from the occasional scream and the thud of a massive body hitting the ground, the hunters allowed no unnecessary sounds.

A gust of wind swept over Gron as he sat alone at the highest point in camp. Below him were squads of Ashen Clan warriors standing guard.

He had been observing from here ever since the Hunter Clan began its hunt.

The mantises were extraordinarily efficient.

With them constantly hunting down beasts, patrols hardly seemed to matter anymore.

Gron's eyes dimmed slightly. He truly felt the pressure.

"Ha ha, what's wrong? What's troubling you, my Chosen of God?"

An ethereal voice suddenly sounded beside Gron.

Gron reacted immediately, rising to bow. "My Lord! You've come in person."

"Hmph, Gron, you know I don't care about these formalities."

"No. Even if our god does not care, his believers must still show him reverence."

Lin Jin's smile faded, and he silently regarded his chosen standing before him.

The wind grew stronger. Gron still stood tall in the cold gusts, yet he now carried a loneliness that had not been there when the expedition began.

Ah, is he feeling pressured because of the mantises?

He's just like a child, Lin Jin thought.

Still, despite that thought, Lin Jin understood. If he had finally found a new job, only for a newcomer to suddenly arrive who outperformed him in every way, it would be natural to worry about being replaced.

But the Ashen Clan was the foundation of everything he had. Without their very first prayer, Lin Jin would probably still be sitting in the ruins, idly rolling balls of grass out of boredom.

"You don't seem pleased with my arrangements."

Gron shuddered violently, as though his deepest concern had been exposed. Yet he stubbornly replied, "No, I would never dare. Our god's will is the guiding principle of our actions."

"I know. You're worried that you're no longer useful, aren't you?"

"No, that's not... I..." Gron tried his utmost to remain composed, but with little success.

"You are my first believers. You may have your concerns, but trust me: you are irreplaceable."

"Get some proper rest. Tomorrow, stay in camp with the Ashen Clan's warriors." Lin Jin gazed at the roof of the cavern, his tone calm. "Let the Hunter Clan clear out the remaining beasts. I have a gift for you."

With that, Lin Jin withdrew his projection, leaving only the Sunfire God's chosen standing there, lost in unknown thoughts.

The next day, on the camp's training grounds.

All the Ashen Clan's warriors had assembled here. Although they still maintained discipline, they looked utterly dispirited, with none of a warrior's imposing presence.

"Hey, did you hear? The Sunfire God ordered the newly arrived Hunter Clan to take full responsibility for clearing out the remaining beasts on the plains, while we were left here."

"The chief said our Lord has a gift for us. I don't know what it is, though."

The whispers that arose from time to time betrayed the insects' anxiety.

They were indeed uneasy. Even so, they did everything they could to believe that their god would not abandon them, his very first believers.

In that tense atmosphere, even time seemed to slow as the Ashen Clan waited in silence.

Until Gron appeared.

At last, the time was right, and the chief was in position. Once again, something stirred within the bonfire.

The Sunfire God descended.

His orange-red form was as flawless as ever, and the heat he radiated instantly raised the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

Ordinary insects would surely have found it uncomfortable by now.

But the Ashen Clan's earliest believers were different.

After exposure to Lin Jin's "radiation," they had long since developed a perfect tolerance for heat.

This affinity for flame was the Ashen Clan's unique trait.

Following the rites, the members of the Ashen Clan knelt on one knee and recited their prayers.

Looking at these frightened believers, Lin Jin could not help feeling a pang of sympathy.

"I have to make them understand that they're irreplaceable."

Of the three clans currently under Lin Jin's command, the Ashen Clan had the closest connection to him. Abandoning them was not an option.

Since he could not abandon them, his only choice was to devote himself fully to their development.

Lin Jin made up his mind. To nurture the Ashen Clan, which excelled in no particular area, he would have to develop it in every respect.

"My first believers, I have seen your contributions. You are not useless. You merely lack opportunities, and I shall grant them to you."

With words that reassured the insects, the Sunfire God openly expressed how much he valued them.

At last, the Ashen Clan no longer feared its own ordinariness.

Then came the flames. Tiny streams of fire flowed out of the bonfire once more and entered each warrior's body.

"This... this is!"

"I can feel it! A new power!"

The Ashen Clan's warriors were astonished by the power manifesting within them.

Gron was also deeply shocked, but not by his god's generosity. It was the familiar sensation of this power that stunned him.

Indeed, the blessing Lin Jin now bestowed upon the Ashen Clan was none other than the Soulfire Arts he had previously granted to the squad leader.

When Gron first heard that the squad leader had defeated the Mantis Lord using the Soulfire Arts, his eyes had lit up.

To him, Soulfire seemed like a power tailor-made for the Ashen Clan.

If it could be taught throughout the clan, all his concerns would be readily resolved.

Yet less than a day later, Gron was disappointed once again. The clansmen who tried to learn it either experienced no change at all or suffered severe injuries from its backlash.

This power was extraordinarily violent and savage. Without their god's guidance, it was impossible to tame.

In other words, the squad leader was merely an exception. The Ashen Clan still had no advantage of its own.

Lin Jin had anticipated this long ago.

Now, after Lin Jin's adjustments, Soulfire had become stable.

At the same time, Isara's outstanding example proved that the Ashen Clan also possessed the potential to learn spells.

Moreover, they were his core supporters, so he could teach them without any worries. Thus, the Ashen Clan had been chosen to become the first clan to master these arts.

Lin Jin smiled. "You are not ordinary. Rather, the path I have planned for you stretches far into the future. You still need time to develop."

Before their god had even finished speaking, the Ashen Clan erupted into one battle cry after another, praising the Sunfire God's name and rejoicing in their rebirth.