Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 229: Chapter 66: Shocking Tragic News

Ten days later.

Lin Chen entered the iron house.

As soon as he stepped in, his body stiffened, and a formless pressure surged from all directions.

On three sides of the iron house, there was the sound of gears turning, and the next moment Lin Chen noticed holes appearing on these three walls.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The next moment, countless sounds of breaking wind roared towards him.

Terrifying forces rained down on his body like raindrops.

Faced with this scene, Lin Chen remained calm, as he had already experienced this situation for three days.

In these ten days, he took only four days to break through the second trial, and now he faced the third trial.

Compared to the first trial of defeating eight copper men, the second and third trials were much easier; for this, he had asked Senior Brother Xue.

Senior Brother Xue just replied: ”Junior Brother Lin, for some, it’s about passing the trial, for others, it’s about completing the trial. People are different.”

A baffling answer.

When asked again, Senior Brother Xue remained silent.

Facing the hundreds of terrifying forces that fell on him like a sudden downpour, Lin Chen just performed the Iron Bone Skill, producing various clashing sounds all over his body.

When he first broke through the third trial, the stones shot from these crossbow arrows would disrupt his internal qi blood, and once his qi blood surged, the Iron Bone Skill could not maintain its operation.

But after a few days of experimentation, although his internal qi blood was slightly surging at this moment, the speed of its operation wasn’t disrupted.

One step, two steps...

After ten steps, looking at the iron pillar in front of him that reached his waist, and the red button on top of the iron pillar, Lin Chen pressed it without hesitation.

The button pressed down, and the holes on the three walls disappeared.

Inside the iron house, for the first time, there was light; feeling the oil lamp light up above his head, Lin Chen was a bit dazed. Had he really completed the trial?

Apart from the first trial, the remaining two trials didn’t cause him any trouble.

”Do you feel disappointed?”

The back door of the iron house was pushed open, and the figure of Zhao Cangsheng appeared there.

”This junior indeed feels... that the second and third trials seemed a bit too easy,” Lin Chen answered honestly.

”That’s because your first trial was directly completed, not just passed.”

Zhao Cangsheng answered in his heart. The original goal of the first trial was to last a hundred breaths, but who would’ve thought Lin Chen managed to incapacitate all eight copper men.

If calculated based on the difficulty of lasting a hundred breaths in the first trial, the subsequent two trials should be more difficult than the first. However, incapacitating the eight copper men was much harder than the second and third trials.

That Lin Chen found it easy was quite understandable.

”For the special training ground, the only thing that can still sharpen your martial path is the Martial Arts Mountain. I plan to take you to a place, and there is something similar on the Martial Arts Mountain...”

Zhao Cangsheng smiled kindly at Lin Chen: ”As for cultivation resources, since you’ve completed all the tests, I have prepared all the reward resources from the special training ground for you.”

”Alright!”

Lin Chen, after a brief moment of thought, agreed.

”I’ll give you two hours. After two hours, I’ll be waiting for you at the misty area of the special training ground.”

Zhao Cangsheng left through the back door of the iron house. Lin Chen pondered for a moment; it seemed he didn’t have much to prepare.

Aside from returning to the wooden hut to take the Thousand Hammer Map, there was nothing else worth taking along.

”I should at least bid farewell to Junior Brother Shen and the others before leaving.”

...

...

”Senior Brother Lin, are you leaving?”

Shen Ge and Yin Aosong, along with others, were surprised to hear that Lin Chen was departing.

During this time, they were so exhausted from special training that they lacked the energy to pay attention to anything else; they had no idea Lin Chen had already passed the three trials.

”Yes, I’ll be leaving here for a while. You should all strive hard, as there might be a duel between our special training ground and the neighboring one.”

Lin Chen revealed this piece of information, and as for which neighboring special training ground he referred to, Shen Ge and the others could guess.

”Senior Brother Lin, though we can’t compare to you, we have been working hard in our cultivation, inspired by you.”

Shen Ge smiled slightly. Originally in Yanshan County, as the top student of the new martial arts school batch, he trained diligently, but mainly for the county competition to maintain his top spot.

After witnessing Senior Brother Lin’s attitude towards training at the special training ground, he understood why Senior Brother Lin managed to eventually surpass others.

Senior Brother Lin’s dedication to the martial path was out of pure pursuit, not for ranking.

Even without the county competition or striving for first place, Senior Brother Lin wouldn’t stop his cultivation efforts.

”Senior Brother Shen is right; with Senior Brother Lin, we have learned much, and if in the future we make a name for ourselves in the martial path, Senior Brother Lin will have been a part of that reason,” Yin Aosong added earnestly.

”You give me too much credit. I’m not an instructor, nor can I provide you with cultivation resources,” Lin Chen chuckled.

”Senior Brother Lin, for us, sometimes the will for martial arts is more important than resources and guidance.”

Seeing Lin Chen not taking it seriously, Shen Ge sincerely explained.

For these students, their family background provides enough resources to reach the grade, and for guidance, aside from instructors, they have elders who can pass on training experiences.

”Alright, stop flattering me. I hope by the time I return, you will have all shone brightly at the special training ground.”

Lin Chen waved his hand. The admiration from Shen Ge and others might not bring him any direct benefits.

But for the Lin Family, it was undoubtedly more beneficial than detrimental.

Behind Shen Ge and the others are the top families of each county in the Raozhou Prefecture, and perhaps in ten or twenty years, they might be the top martial artists in Raozhou.

With Junior Brother Shen and the others recognizing him as their senior brother, should anything happen in the future, the Lin Family wouldn’t be without allies.

After a brief conversation, Lin Chen bid farewell and left gracefully.

”Why do you think Senior Brother Lin is leaving the special training ground?”

”In any case, it’s impossible for him to have been expelled.”

”Nonsense, of course he wouldn’t be expelled. What I mean is, could it be that Senior Brother Lin has already passed all the assessments in the special training ground?”

”No... that can’t be.” Yin Aosong was a bit unsure, as it had only been half a month since the entire special training began.

”If it were anyone else, it would definitely be impossible, but if it’s Senior Brother Lin, I can accept anything,” Shen Ge said with a smile, offering a different perspective.

”Even if Senior Brother Lin leaves his name on Martial Arts Mountain, you can accept it?”

Shen Ge was taken aback: ”Except for that!”

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in Senior Brother Lin, but leaving a name on Martial Arts Mountain was too difficult.

...

...

Half a time later, Lin Chen packed a few sets of clothes and kept the Thousand Hammer Map close to him. During his time at the special training, he hadn’t yet studied the Thousand Hammer Map.

Initially, the Iron House was a good place to study the Thousand Hammer Map, but today, having just passed the third gate, Senior Zhao wanted to take him somewhere else, so studying the Thousand Hammer Map had to be postponed.

”All packed.”

Zhao Cangsheng’s figure appeared on time, and Lin Chen nodded.

”Follow me, old man.”

Lin Chen followed behind Zhao Cangsheng. As the two walked out of the bamboo forest, Lin Chen saw an old man standing ahead.

This old man, he hadn’t seen before.

However, he noticed that when Senior Zhao saw the old man, his brow furrowed, and a look of displeasure appeared on his face.

”You’re trying to stop me, old codger?”

Zhao Cangsheng was not in a good mood; had his words from yesterday been in vain?

”Old Zhao, it’s not that I want to stop you, but with the Old Marquis gone, you won’t be able to take Lin Chen to the Northern Border.”

Whoosh!

Just as the white-haired old man finished speaking, Lin Chen saw for the first time the astonishing momentum erupting from Senior Zhao, like a fierce beast, appearing in front of the white-haired old man like lightning.

”Bu Wenbin, how dare you curse the Old Marquis!”

In Zhao Cangsheng’s hand appeared a long spear, like a silver dragon, exuding a murderous aura. Even though the spear was not aimed at him, Lin Chen felt a surge of killer intent.

Bang!

As the spear struck, the air exploded, and the white-haired old man retreated several steps.

”Old Zhao, what are you going crazy for? Do you think you’re the only one hurting? I was also from the Hundred-man Camp. This is a confidential letter from the Court, sealed with the official stamp of the Three Dukes!”

Bu Wenbin glared angrily at Zhao Cangsheng, who remained silent, his spear like a dragon, thrusting one after another, each strike’s power forcing Lin Chen to back up several dozen feet.

”If you want to fight, old man, I’ll fight with you!”

Bu Wenbin also wielded a long spear. In the Hundred-man Camp, everyone practiced spears!

Soon, the two figures disappeared from Lin Chen’s view. Clearly, they knew they couldn’t cause a ruckus in the valley.

After a tea’s time, watching the white-haired old man reappear in his sight, Lin Chen was stunned; Senior Zhao had lost.

Bu Wenbin, knowing Lin Chen’s confusion, calmly stated, ”Both Old Zhao and I were the Old Marquis’s personal guards back in the day. With the Old Marquis gone, Old Zhao is having a hard time.”

”I understand,” the younger replied gently, looking at the tattered clothing of the white-haired old man.

He was curious about who this Old Marquis was.

According to Liang’s Court hierarchy, to be called a Marquis, you must be at least Second Grade or higher.

”Old Zhao originally intended to take you to the Northern Border, but now with the Old Marquis’s passing, there will be some turmoil in the Northern Border, and the Demon Race will surely be watching intently. It’s not appropriate to take you to the Northern Border under these circumstances.”

Bu Wenbin did not explain the Old Marquis’s identity to Lin Chen. Within days, when the Court makes the public announcement, Lin Chen would naturally know.

Someone of the Old Marquis’s status would certainly warrant a state funeral, and the Court would let people nationwide know of the Old Marquis’s achievements.

”What’s there to hide? The Old Marquis was Liang’s Northern Garrison Marquis, guarding the Northern Border for generations. With just one spear, he kept the Snowy Demonic Tribe from daring to step into Liang’s border.”

Zhao Cangsheng’s voice came from not far away. Lin Chen, seeing Senior Zhao with teary eyes, his face aging considerably in an instant, understood that the relationship between the Northern Garrison Marquis and Senior Zhao was likely not just a simple superior-subordinate relationship.

”Kid, with the Old Marquis gone, I must head to the Northern Border to pay my respects. This old thing wasn’t wrong; the Northern Border is not suitable for you now. I’ve left the prescription for you in the bamboo house.”

”Senior Zhao...”

Watching Zhao Cangsheng’s lonely figure, Lin Chen couldn’t help but speak.

”Kid, whether or not you walk the Martial Path suggested by old friends of mine, follow your own heart. Don’t make decisions out of sympathy for an old man like me.”

Zhao Cangsheng didn’t look back as he walked away with grace. Bu Wenbin cursed in his heart: Old fellow, playing a pity card right before leaving.

”Lin Chen, you’ve now passed three gates, meaning you’ve completed the top-tier special training. Focus on Martial Arts Mountain.”

”This disciple understands.”

...

...

In Raozhou Prefecture, Jiang Mansion.

Jiang Duanchao sat alone in the garden, holding a document in his hand, not moving for a long time.

The stabilizing needle of the Northern Border of Liang!

He still remembered how, after advancing in the martial arts examination, he went to the Northern Border, where the elderly personally greeted their new batch of martial arts scholars.

”Liang’s martial path is thriving, with successors in abundance!”

Such a benevolent elder in his eyes, he cared for the younger generation but was a well-known menace among the Demonic Race.

At just the mention of the Marquis’s name, little demons would stop crying!

After a long time, Jiang Duanchao wiped the spear in his hand. With the Old Marquis gone, the Demon Race and those few countries would surely start stirring; his spear was bound to see blood again.

PS: The writer’s block is severe; I’ve been deleting and revising. The update is estimated to be around two in the morning.