Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

”Thank you for the compliment, Senior!”

Lin Chen politely expressed his gratitude.

”Young friend, don’t think that being considered a little genius in the Flame Dynasty, which is merely a part of one region, is meant to belittle you by me.”

The last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect guessed Lin Chen’s thoughts from his expression and said with a smile, ”The vastness of the Flame Dynasty’s territory is beyond your imagination; just one region alone is equivalent to dozens of your islands.”

Islands?

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed; it was the first time he had heard such a description regarding the land of the Nine Kingdoms.

So the Nine Kingdoms are on an island?

”Senior, can you tell me about the situation of the land I’m in and the outside world?”

”If you are willing to participate in the second test, I can tell you.”

Lin Chen: ...

He didn’t know why this senior insisted on him participating in the second test.

”To be honest with you, although I have passed away, I still have descendants in the Dynasty, and my Heaven-Supporting Sect is not considered a major sect in the Flame Dynasty. Therefore, it’s hard to recruit truly genius disciples, so we resort to discovering those yet undiscovered islands. If you pass the second test, you will qualify to join the Heaven-Supporting Sect, and I will be credited for the discovery, and the sect will reward my descendants.”

This time, Lin Chen understood. This senior was seeking to secure benefits for his descendants, a reflection of the compassion and sentiment of an old ancestor for his kin.

”Since Senior thinks highly of me, I am willing to give it a try.”

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s answer, the last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect smiled, ”Excellent, ask any questions, and I will clear up your doubts.”

”May I ask, Senior, the Martial Path has been prevalent in the Nine Kingdoms for two thousand years. According to the rules of the Flame Dynasty, interference was not allowed within a thousand years, but it’s been two thousand years now without a strong individual from the Flame Dynasty coming. Why is that?”

”Because of the Abyssal Storms.”

”Abyssal Storms?”

”The sea area where your island is located is in the eastern region of the Flame Dynasty. There are Abyssal Storms present in the sea area, and the deeper you go, the stronger the storm energy becomes. However, the existence of Abyssal Storms is not fixed; sometimes they appear every thirty or fifty years, and other times it spans over a hundred years... even crossing a millennium.”

”I see.” Lin Chen suddenly understood. So it seems that the absence of the Flame Dynasty’s people was due to the occurrence of Abyssal Storms.

”Senior, are these Abyssal Storms strong?”

”At least I have never heard of anyone who could pass through the Abyssal Storms. Perhaps there are strong individuals in the Flame Dynasty who can, but they wouldn’t come here just for an island.”

The words of the last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect made Lin Chen ponder; he understood the underlying meaning in that Sect Leader’s words.

Abyssal Storms are terrifying, but it’s not that the Flame Dynasty lacks strong individuals who can traverse them; it’s just that these strong individuals do not see the necessity.

Even if such powerful individuals exist, they are unlikely to be interested in a martial artist on an island, at most just passing by.

”Senior, if people from the Flame Dynasty came to the island, what changes would it bring?”

Lin Chen asked the question he cared about most, as the Flame Dynasty always loomed like a sword hanging over the Nine Kingdoms.

”You want to ask if the arrival of martial artists from the Flame Dynasty would affect the distribution of territories on the island, right?”

The last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect laughed, ”When people from the Flame Dynasty arrive, they will inevitably change the configuration of major forces on the island. It depends on which forces arrive. What I know is that there were initially five forces from the Flame Dynasty that came here, but several more batches followed later, and these forces will certainly look to cultivate their Martial Path inheritance with certain families or even nations.”

”As for what impact this could have on you, I can’t say for sure, but if you have your own affiliated forces, joining my Heaven-Supporting Sect would be a way to break the deadlock. With the protection of the sect, regardless of which forces arrive, our sect would at least be shown some respect.”

”Thank you, Senior, for the guidance. I understand now.”

Lin Chen nodded and then continued to ask, ”May I ask, Senior, what’s the situation with the Demon Race and the Magic Tribe?”

The Martial Path of the Nine Kingdoms originates from the Flame Dynasty. If the Demon Race and Magic Tribe existed before the arrival of Martial Arts Sects from the Flame Dynasty, theoretically, the Human Race of the Nine Kingdoms would have been long gone.

”The Demon Race naturally exists in various places, but as for the Magic Tribe...”

The last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect’s expression became deep, ”I am unclear about the origin of the Magic Tribe, except that wherever there are Humans, the Magic Tribe appears. Even in the Flame Dynasty, they are a major disaster.”

”Young friend, my Divine Soul fragment cannot last much longer, so begin the second test now.”

”Okay.”

Lin Chen nodded, as the last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect waved his sleeve, three beams of light descended from above his head, converging on Lin Chen.

As the tri-colored light pillars enveloped Lin Chen, the scene before him suddenly twisted into a blood-red battlefield. Among the floating limbs and broken blades were countless semi-transparent human figures, each face identical to Lin Chen’s, whispering incantations.

”What kind of test is this?”

Seeing the countless transparent phantoms, identical to him, suddenly rushing at him, Lin Chen’s Spirit Platform shook intensely, as these phantoms, much like the thunderous sound, directly attacked his Divine Soul.

Every time these phantoms attacked, his head felt a needle-like pain,

Although these phantoms affected his Spirit Platform less than the sound of thunder, the sheer number overwhelmed him as they flooded from all directions.

As if countless ghosts assailed him, he found himself helpless against these phantoms.

A hundred breaths passed, and Lin Chen lost count of how many times he was pricked, as he started to feel drowsy.

But just at this moment, the door to the Spirit Platform opened automatically, pouring out a golden light, accompanied by an ice-blue dragon shadow.

In an instant, Lin Chen regained clarity. When he looked within his Spirit Platform, he observed a bizarre scene.

Under the illumination of the golden light, one could see red dots rushing toward his spirit platform, but the icy blue dragon shadow hovered wildly in front of the platform like a guardian deity, absorbing and devouring all the red dots it passed by.

In the end, the icy blue dragon shadow emitted a layer of red fluorescence from its body.

Lin Chen didn’t know how many red phantoms passed through his body; he was numb to it anyway, until the dragon shadow suddenly stopped, and when he looked around, he noticed all the phantoms had completely disappeared, leaving the surroundings empty.

On the spirit platform, no more red dots appeared, the dragon shadow suddenly flipped and spewed a red flame toward the small golden figure of Lin Chen.

As soon as the flame touched the divine soul, Lin Chen let out a heart-wrenching scream.

This flame did not burn flesh but directly roasted the very essence of the divine soul.

The golden figure trembled violently in the flame, like gold thrown into a furnace.

The intense pain twisted Lin Chen’s facial features like a demon, veins bulged like worms wriggling on his forehead, and his fingernails dug deeply into his palms without his awareness.

Just as Lin Chen perceived that his golden figure was about to be burned to pieces, a green waterfall descended on the spirit platform, turning the crimson flame into a ghostly blue.

The cracks on the golden figure healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the newly formed golden light was several times more solid than before, slowly flowing on its surface like liquid metal.

The moment the flame disappeared, the golden figure suddenly opened its eyes, causing Lin Chen’s Dantian Qi Sea to churn, as the vast Qi Blood automatically formed into a vortex surrounding it.

”Panel!”

Lin Chen immediately called out the panel, with a vague suspicion in his heart.

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Realm: Refining Viscera Realm - Great Success]

[Nine Revolutions of the Refining of the Viscera: 7/9]

[Spirit Tier: Third Tier]

...

As expected, the spirit tier level had increased by one tier.

But before Lin Chen could fully look at the panel, a sigh filled with ”resentment” sounded in his ear.

”Young friend, you’re not being fair.”

Lin Chen looked up and found himself back in the original place, and at this moment, the last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect was looking at him with a resentful expression.

”Senior, what do you mean by this?”

”The energy in your divine soul is of Canglan origin, so you’re qualified to join the Canglan Sect, so why didn’t you say so just now?”

Lin Chen scratched his head upon hearing this: ”Senior, I feel that your sect suits me better, and I only have the qualifications to participate in the Canglan Sect’s disciple assessment, which doesn’t necessarily mean I must choose Canglan Sect.”

”... Why make such jokes, young friend?”

The last Sect Leader of the Heaven-Supporting Sect sighed lightly: ”Young friend, you must have obtained the Canglan Order, so you should know that receiving the order’s approval means you can only join Canglan Sect unless they decide to let you go.”

”I do know the rule, but when the time comes, if your sect’s senior communicates with Canglan Sect, it should be fine.”

Lin Chen showed an innocent expression, but the last Sect Leader hummed lightly: ”Young friend, to be honest, if you weren’t the holder of the Canglan Order, I would want to slap you to death right now.”

”?”

”Canglan Sect is a major sect in a region, and my Heaven-Supporting Sect is only a second-class sect in the same region, what do we have to fight with Canglan Sect over disciples?”

Fight with Canglan Sect over disciples?

That’s not fighting for disciples, that’s asking to have the sect destroyed.

”I really didn’t know these things.”

Lin Chen wore an expression of remorse; he had a preconceived notion, thinking that since a True Monarch of Canglan Sect left behind a legacy for a destined person, the same must be true for the Heaven-Supporting Sect’s Sect Leader, thus assuming the two sects were equally powerful.

”The matter has already happened, and I won’t pursue it any more. Young friend, if you ever have the chance to travel to the Flame Dynasty, I hope you visit Thousand Forging City in the Celestial Secret Domain to see if the Zhu Family is still there. My name is Zhu Cangshan.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen’s expression turned serious: ”If I ever go to the Flame Dynasty, I will surely visit Thousand Forging City.”

Lin Chen understood the Senior’s intention, as he could no longer reward his descendant through his martial sect; he wished to form a connection with Lin Chen.

It seems that Canglan Sect is even more powerful than Lin Chen imagined.

Only if Canglan Sect was powerful enough and Lin Chen had the qualifications to participate in its entrance assessment would this senior believe he had potential.

”My sect’s Sect Introduction Order cannot be taken by you, but I have another significant gift for you, take out that square seal from your bosom.”

Square seal?

Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed, and he took out the Martial Arts Seal from his bosom in the next moment.

Since he broke through to the Refining Viscera Realm, he hadn’t paid attention to this Martial Arts Seal.

There are three platforms on Martial Arts Mountain, but one needs 10 points to ascend to the second platform, and he doesn’t have enough points now.

”The forging method of this item originates from my Heaven-Supporting Sect. It must have been leaked when the sect disbanded, but the refiner’s skills weren’t sufficient, and it wasn’t completed. I’ll complete it for you today.”

”Thank you, Senior.”

Lin Chen joyfully accepted, not expecting this Martial Arts Seal to be a secret technique crafted by the Heaven-Supporting Sect.