Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

”Is that Junior Brother Lin? This place is quite unique, one can hear voices but cannot see anyone.”

Li Yuan’s voice came through, with a hint of confusion: ”I just walked several feet in the direction where you are, Junior Brother Lin, but could not find you.”

”Senior Brother, it’s probably the mist blocking us. It seems like we’re moving forward, but we’re actually treading in place. This Thousand Illusion Secret Realm deceives our divine soul and perception. Senior Brother Li, there’s no need to waste time trying to find me.”

Lin Chen explained, recalling that Murong Yan had described in the booklet that the mist inside the Thousand Illusion Secret Realm was peculiar, capable of confusing one’s perception and judgment.

In the mist, it seems like one is walking, but in reality, they may be treading in place.

”It’s like a ghost hitting a wall!”

When he first saw the description in the booklet, the first thought that came to Lin Chen’s mind was, isn’t this like ”a ghost hitting a wall”?

”I see, then I can relax.”

Li Yuan’s voice was relaxed. Lin Chen understood Senior Brother Li’s words; since the mist could deceive everyone, he wouldn’t worry about attacks from martial artists from other countries.

He didn’t have to fear being secretly calculated and ambushed by Bian Xinjie and others who came in before.

Rumble rumble!

Suddenly, a sound caught Lin Chen’s attention.

The millstone high above began to rotate, and a red aura instantly spread around, rippling at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Lin Chen gazed at the slowly rotating blood-red millstone in the sky, his pores silently opening. When the first wave of red light swept through, he did not gather qi to protect himself like other martial artists. Back at the Heaven-Supporting Sect ruins, he had realized one thing: a divine soul attack couldn’t be resisted by qi force.

He formed seals with his hands and performed the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Refining Technique.

The little figure within Lin Chen’s dantian glowed with mysterious runes, pulling the blood-red aura into his body.

”It’s really nourishing.”

Feeling the soul force contained within the aura, Lin Chen’s lips slightly curved.

He wasn’t sure how others would handle this aura, but after using the Thousand Mechanisms Divine Refining Technique, these red auras were like nourishing spiritual liquid before the little figure, flowing along the meridians, nourishing his divine soul.

The rumbling of the millstone’s rotation became more rapid. Although people couldn’t be seen, Lin Chen could hear exclamations and muffled groans.

Clearly, many disciples couldn’t withstand the rapid surges of red aura.

”I can’t hold on, I have to exit.”

A voice of reluctance came through. Lin Chen was unfamiliar with the voice, indicating it was likely martial artists from other countries.

”How is Junior Brother Lin?”

Li Yuan’s voice came through again, and Lin Chen responded in a deep tone, ”I can still endure.”

Far from merely enduring, Lin Chen wished there could be more red aura so his divine soul could absorb more.

One wave, two waves, three waves...

Soon, the density of the red aura became like waves, surging one after another.

Lin Chen continually absorbed the red aura, leaving him with no time for anything else.

Boom!

After a hundred breaths, Lin Chen felt the surrounding mist suddenly churn, and in the high sky where the millstone was, a red crack appeared on the millstone, from which countless red soul items floated out, rushing madly in all directions.

At the moment these soul items swarmed in, Lin Chen immediately split his divine thought, transforming it into nine flying sabers to slash at the approaching soul items.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

A wave of dozens of soul items was completely annihilated under the flying sabers, and the nine flying sabers returned to Lin Chen’s side.

”Senior Brother Li, how is it?”

After dealing with the soul items, Lin Chen inquired towards the left, but there was no response from Senior Brother Li on the left.

Could it be that Senior Brother Li exited?

Lin Chen frowned; if Senior Brother Li had exited, he should have informed him, not just left without a word.

Soon, Lin Chen found the surrounding area was eerily silent, something seemed amiss.

Earlier, he could hear the exclamations and screams of other disciples, but now he couldn’t hear any of them. There was only one possibility: the mist had changed again, even blocking the sound.

Without hearing any sound, Lin Chen couldn’t determine the progress of others and could only do his best to persevere with all his might.

The crack on the millstone kept releasing waves of soul items, but before they could get within three meters of Lin Chen, they were annihilated by the nine flying sabers.

Like threading a needle through flowers, the nine flying sabers shuttled back and forth in front of Lin Chen, who was deeply immersed in manipulating these divine thoughts, especially in controlling the divine thought flying sabers in battle with the soul items, enhancing his experience in manipulating divine thoughts.

Whoosh!

After a long time, a gleam shot from Lin Chen’s eyes, and another flying saber condensed in front of him.

The tenth divine thought separation was successful.

”Status panel!”

Lin Chen whispered softly.

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Realm: Ninth Grade]

[Spirit Tier: 3.3]

[Body Tempering: 4.3]

Seeing his Spirit Tier column had changed from the original third tier to 3.3, Lin Chen knew his divine soul had grown by almost ten percent.

No wonder, he was able to separate out the tenth divine thought.

It seemed that after the soul items in the Thousand Illusion Secret Realm were slain, they would be absorbed by his divine thought.

With this realization, Lin Chen’s eyes gradually brightened. This meant that the longer he stayed in this Illusion Realm, the more points he could accumulate, and his divine soul would continue to grow.

...

...

Outside the stone gate.

By now, the mist had dispersed, and the stone gate was clearly visible.

One by one, figures walked out with faces full of reluctance; these were those who couldn’t last a hundred breaths.

”So many people couldn’t last a hundred breaths?”

Upon seeing that more than half of the martial artists had exited before a hundred breaths, the scene was in an uproar.

This meant that at most, only half of the participants would receive point rewards this round.

The elimination rate was too high.

”After the first round, only ten percent remained. Now, after the second round, another half are eliminated. Now only Han Kingdom and Liang Kingdom’s martial artists are left.”

Martial artists from other countries realized a fact that was hard for them to accept. Up to now, the ones still inside were mostly from Han Kingdom and Liang Kingdom, with disciples from these two countries accounting for half.

”If we in Zheng Kingdom didn’t focus so little on divine soul cultivation, how could we let Liang Kingdom steal the show?”

On the Zheng Kingdom’s side, a disciple huffed lightly. They pursued the path of the Demon Race’s bloodline, inherently lacking an advantage in divine soul strength.

After a hundred breaths, the speed at which figures emerged from the stone gate slowed significantly, with almost only one disciple appearing every few or even ten breaths.

After two hundred and fifty breaths.

Li Yuan’s figure emerged from the stone gate, and his gaze swept around immediately. Upon seeing that there were also two martial artists from Han Kingdom coming out, he breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing that there were already four from Liang Kingdom emerged, his expression sank again.

The only consolation was that Junior Brother Lin still hadn’t come out.

After three hundred breaths.

Ling Tianhao’s figure walked out of the stone gate.

As soon as Ling Tianhao stepped out, like Li Yuan, his eyes immediately scanned the entire scene. Seeing that Lin Chen was not present at Canglan Martial Arts Academy’s position, his expression darkened instantly, and when he turned to his country’s direction and did not see Senior Brother Bian’s figure, he wasn’t surprised. However, seeing that Junior Brother Lu’s figure was also absent made his expression worsen even more.

Even though he and Lu Chuanning both belonged to Han Kingdom, his ranking was higher than Lu Chuanning’s, but this time he exited earlier than Lu Chuanning, which would likely stir some controversy.

After five hundred breaths!

When Bian Xinjie stepped out from the stone gate, the crowd was filled with disbelief.

The only three remaining were Lin Chen, Lu Chuanning, and Bian Xinjie. Due to the previous round, everyone could accept Lin Chen remaining so long, but in their view, the one to emerge first should either be Lin Chen or Lu Chuanning, not Bian Xinjie.

Hearing the commotion, Bian Xinjie’s gaze immediately turned towards Liang’s direction. Seeing Lin Chen was not at Canglan Martial Arts Academy’s position, his expression darkened.

As for Junior Brother Lu not emerging, he knew exactly why.

As the third on the Celestial List, being completely outmatched by Lin Chen in terms of divine soul was a result his pride couldn’t accept.

”This time, the first place will either be Celestial Palace Martial Arts Academy or Canglan Martial Arts Academy.”

”Celestial Palace Martial Arts Academy’s first place was expected, but who could have imagined that Canglan Martial Arts Academy would be comparable to them this time!”

The complex gazes of the disciples from various martial academies were directed towards Canglan Martial Arts Academy.

Among the four major martial academies of Liang Kingdom, Canglan Martial Arts Academy had consistently ranked at the bottom. Who could have imagined that a martial academy that had consistently been at the bottom in past years would rise to prominence this time?

Vice Dean Chen Shan couldn’t hide the smile on his face. In hindsight, the decision to recruit Lin Chen into the academy was the wisest decision Canglan Martial Arts Academy had made in the past hundred years.