Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

”Don’t know what a demon is?”

Duke Dingxi’s response left Lin Chen and Yin Yue both with confusion in their eyes. Isn’t the Dingxi Army guarding the Western Border precisely to fight against demons?

The one who understands oneself the best is always one’s eternal opponent.

The Dingxi Army has existed in the Western Border for three hundred years, yet it doesn’t know its own adversary?

If Lin Chen wasn’t certain that Duke Dingxi wouldn’t joke about this with him, or wouldn’t hide anything, he would almost believe there might be some secret involved here which he was not yet qualified to know.

”Lord Lin, with your status, I won’t hide anything. Our duty of the Dingxi Army is to defend against demon invasions, and we’ve also engaged in battles with demons. But the manner of engagement might not be what Lord Lin expects.”

Duke Dingxi knew that by saying this, Lin Chen would surely misunderstand. Not only Lin Chen, but every soldier who comes here initially fails to grasp it.

”Every month on the full moon day, the Abyss releases black mist that flows out, and our Dingxi Army fights against this black mist.”

When mentioning the black mist, Duke Dingxi’s expression turned serious: ”The black mist houses demons, but what exactly demons are, even those who enter cannot describe clearly. All the martial artists who walk out from the black mist forget their experiences inside, and their bodies become weak, needing a month to recuperate before recovering, while those who fail to come out vanish without a trace.”

Lin Chen had a contemplative look in his eyes: ”If that’s the case, why must one enter the black mist? Can’t you just wait for the demons within the mist to emerge?”

In the Western Border, just the desolate yellow sands alone stretch tens of thousands of miles; the Dingxi Army can retreat thousands of miles.

”Lord Lin, the black mist doesn’t dissipate on its own, it only progresses, and the further back you retreat, the more black mist emerges. To make the mist disappear, martial artists must be sent in to fill the mist with numbers, only then will the mist stop growing.”

Zhang Hai added a sentence, and Duke Dingxi instructed to the guard beside him: ”Bring over the sand table.”

The guards obeyed and turned to run towards the barracks, while Duke Dingxi explained to Lin Chen: ”Lord Lin, many like you who come to the Western Border for the first time find it difficult to understand. Generations of Dukes have simply made a sand table; soon, Lord Lin will see it clearly.”

In less than a hundred breaths, several guards returned carrying the sand table.

On the sand table, on the far left was an abyss, below the abyss was filled with some kind of liquid.

”Please take a look, Lord Lin.”

Duke Dingxi ignited the liquid below the abyss, and soon black smoke began to rise. Lin Chen smelled it and knew this liquid was kerosene.

Black smoke flowed out of the abyss, and under the guard’s control of momentum, it began to spread towards the right side. At the center of the sand table was the Dingxi Army’s camp.

”If our Dingxi Army doesn’t rush into the black smoke, the abyss will continuously spew out black smoke. Even the desert covering thousands of miles could be engulfed by the black smoke.”

Both Lin Chen and Yin Yue watched the sand table, the speed of black smoke rising was fast, and judging by the volume of kerosene in the abyss, it was far from depleted.

When the black smoke was about to reach the camp position on the sand table, more guards took out small balls resembling cotton. These thumbnail-sized balls were thrown into the smoke, and the black smoke quickly adhered to them, turning the once white balls into black balls.

The white balls absorbed the black smoke, and with more white balls continuously tossed in, the area covered by the smoke began to shrink. Once it was reduced to a certain range, Duke Dingxi struck with a palm, causing the black smoke on the balls to return to the abyss, with some balls carried by the palm wind falling into the abyss as well.

”In three hundred years, we’ve discovered that as long as the black smoke doesn’t exceed a hundred miles from the abyss, it will retreat on its own when the moon sets. However, if the smoke’s range exceeds a hundred miles, the abyss will continuously spew out black mist, unaffected by the moon’s descent.”

With the sand table and Duke Dingxi’s explanation, Lin Chen and Yin Yue both understood, but precisely because they understood, they felt even more puzzled.

Why does the black mist exceeding a hundred miles cause the abyss to continually emit mist, while below a hundred miles it retracts?

”Over all these years, every martial artist who enters the black mist loses their memory of the experience inside; is there no exception?”

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s question, Duke Dingxi chuckled bitterly: ”None, I’ve entered the black mist dozens of times. Each time after the mist dissipates, I fall into a coma, and upon waking, only remember the events before being engulfed by the mist.”

”If nothing is remembered, how do you ascertain there are demons, rather than the mist itself being peculiar?”

Yin Yue spoke softly from the side; Duke Dingxi, having learned from Lin Chen’s introduction about Yin Yue’s identity, knew the identity Lin Chen had fabricated for her.

”Little girl, that’s because there are records of black mist emerging from the yellow sands. Back then, citizens of several cities were enveloped in black mist. After it passed, all citizens’ hearts had disappeared. According to writings still passed down from the previous dynasty and locally, the mist contains heart-eating demons, and the demon ancestor resides in the Abyss.”

The term ’demon’ wasn’t coined in Liang; it existed much earlier...

It can be traced back thousands of years, even further. The previous dynasty called them thus; Liang simply adopted it.

Yin Yue didn’t ask further questions, seeing her bowed head, Lin Chen knew she was deep in thought, and continued to ask: ”Marquis, those martial artists taken by the mist, why were they taken? Were they weak? Surely there has been research in the army?”

”There has been research.”

Duke Dingxi nodded: ”These martial artists taken by the black fog are not weak by any means. Over the years, it has been discovered that these martial artists have common characteristics: first, their realms have just broken through not long ago; second, their emotions are unstable. Therefore, before the arrival of the black fog, anyone whose realm has not stabilized for three months is arranged to stay in the rear. Also, when selecting individuals for the Dingxi Army, besides strength, we consider temperament. Those whose emotions are easily affected will not pass the Dingxi Army’s selection.”

After listening to Duke Dingxi’s introduction about the ”demons,” Lin Chen noticed that Yin Yue was still deep in thought, realizing that the Moon Soul Remnant Race likely did not have records of such an unusual existence either.

If such a thing were recorded—a being that devours others’ hearts while hiding in the black fog—just glancing at it would surely leave a strong impression in the mind.

”Lord Lin, I don’t know why you want to go to the abyss, but please be careful. Fortunately, there are still ten days until the full moon. With caution, your strength should keep you safe. If it were the full moon... those two missing Innate Powerhouses disappeared on the day before heading to the abyss.”

Duke Dingxi understood what Lin Chen meant to Liang at this moment. If possible, he wanted to persuade Lin Chen not to go to the abyss, but he also knew in his heart that Lin Chen had traveled a long way to get here. He must have his reasons, which are not something he can persuade against.

”Hmm, thank you for the Marquis’s warning, I will be careful. I won’t go to the military camp over there.”

Lin Chen nodded, not delaying further, and after bidding farewell to Duke Dingxi, he continued heading west with Yin Yue.

”Marquis, why don’t you try to dissuade Lord Lin? The abyss is so dangerous. Lord Lin is important to Liang and even the entire Canglan Island. He cannot have an accident.”

Zhang Hai watched Lin Chen’s departing figure and asked quietly, puzzled.

”Lord Lin was just here, why didn’t you try to dissuade him?”

”I’m just someone of little influence.” Zhang Hai scratched his head embarrassedly; in front of Lord Lin, what did he count for?

”You are of little influence? Do you think I’m not also of little influence?”

Duke Dingxi snorted lightly: ”Lord Lin addressing me as Marquis is out of respect for me being Duke Dingxi of Liang, giving face to Your Majesty and the Imperial Court. Outside, I wouldn’t even have the chance to meet Lord Lin.”

Are First-Grade Martial Artists strong?

In Canglan Island, perhaps, but in the Flame Dynasty, they’re nothing special.

Those Innate Powerhouses who arrived, none of them spare a glance for someone like Duke Dingxi. In the eyes of the Innate Powerhouses, he and Zhang Hai, Fourth-Grade Martial Artists, are hardly of any distinction.

Throughout Liang, those who dare and have the right to dissuade, besides Lord Kong, are only those who have guided Lin Chen on the Martial Path.

...

...

Advancing another hundred miles, Lin Chen could sense the speed of the innate power within him beginning to accelerate, even without activating innate powers.

”You know the dangers of the abyss too, why not stay at the Dingxi Army camp?”

Lin Chen glanced at Yin Yue, who shook her head: ”Though our family hasn’t recorded this demon, I am very curious about it. Though I don’t know what this demon truly is, based on what that general just said, I have a theory.”

”What’s your theory?”

The corners of Yin Yue’s mouth lifted into a smile: ”I fear that the Dingxi Army simply cannot stop the spread of the black fog. The only reason the black fog hasn’t spread could very well be the doing of that Myriad Phenomena Realm powerhouse you mentioned.”

Hearing Yin Yue’s speculation, Lin Chen’s eyes narrowed: ”Are you saying the presence of this predecessor on Canglan Island is solely to suppress the abyss’s demon?”

”It may not be just to suppress,” Yin Yue nodded then shook her head: ”Few in the Myriad Phenomena Realm would care about the lives of ordinary people. Perhaps there is a treasure beneath the abyss that even a Myriad Phenomena Realm powerhouse would covet, and suppressing the black fog is merely a casual act.”

Though she hasn’t reached the innate realm, Yin Yue spoke without deference to Myriad Phenomena Realm powerhouses. To her, a Myriad Phenomena Realm powerhouse is still just a martial artist, albeit one who has practiced longer and has greater strength.

Yet, precisely because they have practiced so long, having seen life and death often, they become more indifferent.

”This young girl is quite adept at making deductions. Even being born into the Moon Soul Race, it’s rare to have such intellect at this age, unless she’s born with the moon bone of the Moon Soul Race royal family.”

A voice echoed, but Lin Chen’s expression remained unchanged, recognizing the voice belonged to the Martial Garden Master. Since the predecessor had told him to come to the Western Border, it was certain the predecessor was here.

However, at this moment, Yin Yue’s face grew extremely wary. Seeing the middle-aged man stepping forward, she couldn’t help but step back: ”Who are you?”

The fact that the royal family possesses the moon bone is a secret within the race, and even the royal family isn’t fully aware of it. Only those with the moon bone are told this secret.

She knows, not because she is royal, but because she has the moon bone.

The tribe doesn’t know, outsiders, even Myriad Phenomena Realm powerhouses, couldn’t know.