Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

The next day.

Three Flying Ships slowly rose from Giant Stone City, heading toward the east.

On the third Flying Ship.

”I didn’t expect Brother Gu to actually be from the Canglan Sect. Recently your sect has been stirring up the winds and clouds of the entire Flame Dynasty, especially yesterday’s battle between your sect’s Lin Chen and the Eight Desolates Sect’s Sima Kong. It shook the whole Flame Dynasty.”

On the front deck of the Flying Ship, Lin Chen stood to one side, listening to the middle-aged man beside him. A smile appeared on his face, and the next moment he snorted lightly: ”That Sima Kong overestimated himself. He was already Junior Brother Lin’s defeated opponent long ago, yet he still refused to give up and kept challenging. This time not only did he lose face, he also made the Eight Desolates Sect look bad.”

”Brother Gu is absolutely right. It seems Brother Gu and that Lin Chen must be quite close.”

Hearing the middle-aged man’s words, Lin Chen smiled faintly: ”Brother Sun, you jest. When Junior Brother Lin entered the sect, I was still out traveling and have yet to return even now, so we’ve never actually interacted. And even if I went back to the sect, I still wouldn’t have much contact with Junior Brother Lin. Junior Brother Lin is a Celestial Pride Disciple of the sect, while I am only an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.”

Hearing this, Sun Kang also sighed inwardly. What this Brother Gu said was the truth.

He and Gu Fei might both be disciples of Super Sects and seem infinitely glorious in the eyes of the outside world, but only disciples from other Super Sects truly knew how fierce the competition within the sects was, and how strict the hierarchy.

Outer Sect, Inner Sect, the elites of the Inner Sect, Direct Disciples, Celestial Pride Disciples.

With each step up in rank, the resources and treatment granted by the sect differed enormously.

Take people like him and Gu Fei: they only broke through to the Innate Second Realm in their thirties. Among the sect’s Inner Sect Disciples, they could at best be considered decent. They rarely even had the chance to meet Direct Disciples, let alone Celestial Pride Disciples.

At most, they might pass each other within the sect and exchange a nod.

”Brother Gu, you don’t need to belittle yourself. We may not measure up to those above us, but we’re still far better than many below. Who knows how many Martial Artists in the Flame Dynasty envy the two of us.”

Sun Kang offered Lin Chen a word of comfort, and in doing so, comforted himself as well.

If they compared themselves to those Celestial Pride Disciples, then indeed they were nothing. But if they compared themselves to those outside, they were the targets of envy and jealousy for countless Martial Artists.

”Brother Sun really has a clear view of things.”

”Haha, it’s not that I truly see through everything. It’s just that even if I didn’t, what could I do? I had a few friends who couldn’t think things through, and unfortunately, they’ve already fallen.”

Sun Kang’s expression turned somewhat dim. On the road of Martial Arts Cultivation, aside from those Celestial Pride-level Disciples—who, because the gap between them and others was too great, walked a solitary and aloof path—Martial Artists like them still had a few close friends.

They motivated one another and would sometimes exchange Martial Path resources they each needed. This was the norm among Martial Artists in the Flame Dynasty’s Martial Arts Realm.

After nearly forty years of cultivation, of the several friends who had started out with him, only a handful were still alive.

”If someone’s talent is poor, they instead end up truly letting go. The most troublesome are those whose talent isn’t bad, who have a chance to break through higher thresholds. In order to obtain resources, they take all kinds of risks, and in the end, they die in various Secret Realms or at the hands of other Martial Artists.”

Lin Chen could understand Sun Kang’s sighs. Talent that was neither too high nor too low was indeed the most frustrating.

If it was a bit worse, one might simply give up and lie flat.

But it was precisely those with some hope of reaching higher Realms—who could see that hope, yet needed vast amounts of Martial Path resources—that had no choice but to risk their lives, competing with other Martial Artists for resources. If fortune smiled on them, they might obtain enough to break through; if not, they would lose their lives.

Seeing Lin Chen fall silent, Sun Kang realized he had spoken too much.

”Brother Gu, don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to throw cold water on you. With the foundation of the Canglan Sect and your talent, breaking through to the Innate Third Realm should be no problem.”

”Brother Sun, I’m not someone who doesn’t know good intentions when I see them. How could I possibly misunderstand you?”

Lin Chen smiled. What Sun Kang had just said was indeed rather forward—after all, he’d only known Sun Kang for a day, and the two of them didn’t share a deep bond. But since Sun Kang had spoken out of goodwill, he could accept it.

”Brother Gu, don’t take offense. The reason this old brother of yours is saying all this is because you look somewhat like an old friend of mine. Let’s drop the subject.”

Sun Kang gave a brief explanation and then shifted the topic: ”Brother Gu, do you know what this caravan is transporting this time?”

”I don’t.”

Lin Chen shook his head: ”Does Brother Sun know?”

”I’m just as in the dark as you, Brother Gu. This caravan is clearly unusual; they actually dispatched three Flying Ships, and the first Flying Ship is also filled with escorts.”

A strange light flashed in Sun Kang’s eyes: ”Brother Gu, to tell you the truth, this trip is far too mysterious. You know Flying Ships aren’t cheap. A normal caravan transporting goods is only earning the regional price difference, but the cost of those Flying Ships alone could completely consume that margin. And we, as Innate Powerhouses, aren’t even allowed to enter the second Flying Ship?”

”Brother Sun, if that’s the case, you still chose to take this task?”

”I had no choice. The payment is too tempting. A hundred Innate Stones—Brother Gu, you should know how attractive that is to an Innate Second Realm Martial Artist like us. Don’t tell me you didn’t come for those hundred Innate Stones as well?”

”That’s exactly why I’m here.”

Lin Chen nodded. He’d taken this task partly because it was on his way, but the main reason was indeed those hundred Innate Stones.

”Whatever secrets this caravan has, we’re only responsible for escorting it. As long as nothing happens along the way, that’s enough.”

Lin Chen felt no particular curiosity about the caravan’s secrets. Sometimes too much curiosity only brought a person a lot of unnecessary trouble.