Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Could it be that this Divine Seal is waiting for a genius to become its master?

Is it left by that Emperor-level powerhouse to choose disciples for inheritance?

”So, Senior Jiang created the Martial Arts Garden to search for talents to come here?”

”Yes... and no.”

Jiang Taiyi sighed lightly, ”I personally cultivated several geniuses, some of whom reached the Innate Second Realm at your age, and even surpassed you in terms of realm, yet none of them ever returned once they entered the Abyss.”

Lin Chen noticed a hint of sorrow in Senior Jiang’s eyes. Even though his purpose in cultivating those disciples was to suppress the black mist, there was a real master-disciple bond. Several disciples died in the Abyss; to say he wasn’t saddened is impossible.

The Myriad Phenomena Realm is lofty, but that’s towards those with no connection. How could there be no feelings for disciples he personally cultivated?

”To cultivate them, I left Canglan Island several times to go to the Flame Dynasty, and that’s when I met your grandfather...”

Jiang Taiyi’s gaze shifted to Yin Yue. Yin Yue did not refute this time; even for a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert, cultivating an Innate Second Realm powerhouse at twenty is not easy, let alone several, which naturally requires effort in seeking martial arts resources for the disciples.

The reason for approaching one’s grandfather should have been for Innate Stones.

With enough Innate Stones, an Innate Second Realm martial artist can quickly break through to the Innate Third Realm.

But this ”enough” is a terrifyingly large number.

”I established the Martial Arts Garden to search for highly gifted individuals among the Nine Kingdoms. But after those disciples sacrificed themselves, I abandoned this plan. On one hand, I couldn’t bear it; on the other, there were no longer sufficient resources to cultivate them. Though the Martial Arts Garden still exists, I no longer paid much attention to it.”

The successive deaths of three disciples in the Abyss dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Taiyi. Who can be indifferent?

Moreover, he had exhausted all his connections and resources just to cultivate these three disciples. Even if he wanted to train others, it was impossible.

”Senior, your disciples couldn’t accomplish it, so I’m afraid I can’t either.”

Lin Chen spoke awkwardly, doubting he could succeed where stronger ones died in the Abyss.

”Indeed, if speaking in terms of realm and strength, you are not the suitable candidate.”

Jiang Taiyi nodded, making Lin Chen’s mouth twitch. This Senior Jiang was certainly straightforward.

”Lin Chen, before you went to the Flame Dynasty, I thought of you as just a decent kid.”

”I understand, Senior.”

Lin Chen didn’t feel wronged being regarded as just a decent kid by Senior Jiang. When he went to the Flame Dynasty, his talent rating by the sect was merely at the Direct Disciple Level.

A genius at this level might catch the attention of the elders, but would never get into the eyes of a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert.

If not for his rapid progress after reaching the Flame Dynasty, he probably wouldn’t have even seen the Supreme Elder.

The same would apply to Senior Jiang too.

”But outside Lingxiao City, when you resolved the Liang crisis, that was when I truly started to pay attention to you.”

”Was it because I borrowed the Canglan Sect to intimidate those Innate powerhouses, demonstrating my wits?”

Lin Chen recalled, when Innate powerhouses arrived at Canglan Island, forcing the nations to submit, and Liang refused. Those Innate powerhouses headed to Lingxiao City, where Lin himself used the sect elders’ transmission to intimidate these powerhouses.

In terms of strength, his growth wasn’t rapid at the time.

”Wits?”

Jiang Taiyi didn’t expect Lin Chen to think that, and he fell silent for a moment: ”This degree of wits counts for little. It’s because you... the Abyss has changed for the first time in thousands of years. It’s the first time the black mist attempted to actively break the seal, and I heard something call from the Abyss below. Can you guess what it called?”

”Surely it wasn’t calling for me?”

Lin Chen joked, but seeing Jiang Taiyi silently watching him, his smile stiffened, and Yin Yue beside him also froze.

So, Lin Chen’s joke was actually true?

”Senior, you’re not kidding, are you?”

”Do you think I would joke with you?”

Jiang Taiyi’s rhetorical question left Lin Chen silent, and after a few moments, he said: ”Senior, could it be that the voices from my mentors reaching across Canglan Island and even the Abyss are why it recognized my name?”

”What you say is possible.”

Hearing Senior Jiang agree with his guess, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He now understood that Senior Jiang couldn’t guarantee his safety if he went down, and, in this situation, he was naturally unwilling to descend.

Throughout his journey in martial arts cultivation, even when he seemed to be gambling, he had considerable confidence.

But this Abyss... he’s truly unsure.

”I suspected that as well, but as news of your exploits in the Flame Dynasty came back, I changed my view. The Divine Seal wasn’t disturbed into remembering your name. It was more likely disturbed enough to have captured and noticed your uniqueness, leading to such a reaction.”

”Senior, isn’t that assumption too arbitrary?”

”Arbitrary? Your talent exhibited on Canglan Island would be average in the Flame Dynasty, something I also believed, but it turns out I was mistaken.”

Jiang Taiyi calmly said, and before Lin Chen could explain, he continued: ”Assessing a young martial artist’s potential, even with your current insight, it’s possible to judge without factoring in an extraordinary fate, and it’s not hard to predict their growth ceiling. The conclusion I reached was that the Divine Seal held your potential in high regard, thus its reaction. Neither I... nor the Supreme Elders at your Canglan Sect saw your potential clearly.”

”But Senior...”

”I will tell you now why I said talented individuals are unharmed by the black mist... it’s because the Divine Seal is tasked with aiding successors. The Martial Arts Mountain in the Flame Dynasty wasn’t established out of royal kindness but to protect the Divine Seal. Once it disperses, a new Emperor-level powerhouse would emerge, something the royal family wishes to avoid.”

This revelation left Lin Chen genuinely bewildered, as Senior Jiang’s words exceeded his knowledge limits.

”Why is there only one Emperor-level powerhouse in existence now? It’s not just their martial strength but because they’ve condensed the Divine Seal. There can only be one Divine Seal in existence. If someone condenses it, no other martial artist, no matter their talent, can reach Emperor level.”

”And to condense the Divine Seal, one must absorb the current age’s fate, and having absorbed it, they must bear responsibility for it... acting impartially.”

Jiang Taiyi, knowing Lin Chen’s lack of understanding about the Divine Seal, explained it thoroughly.

”To make a grand vow and attain Buddhahood on the spot?”

Hearing the explanation, Lin Chen suddenly recalled this phrase. An Emperor-level powerhouse needs to make a great vow for the world’s wellbeing to condense the Divine Seal.

Since it’s for the public good, promoting a prosperous martial path and nurturing talents naturally becomes their duty.

This is something Lin Chen could understand, but he still had doubts: ”Senior Jiang, if it’s as you say, why would the Divine Seal release the black mist that harms people?”

”Because this is not the Divine Seal of the present world, and extremity begets opposition... the current Divine Seal blesses and benefits all the souls of the world, but the past Divine Seal is exactly the opposite. The energy it releases destroys everything, and even the Divine Seal itself cannot control it...”

Jiang Taiyi repeated the words spoken by his master back then.

”Yin and Yang are opposites. The present Divine Seal is Yang; the past is Yin. The demons are born from Yin, and when fully grown, the world will cease to exist.”

So this is about saving the world?

Lin Chen was at a loss, finding the plot somewhat clichéd.

”Senior Jiang, if this is the case, shouldn’t the royal family of the Flame Dynasty be informed? Perhaps they have a solution?”

To Lin Chen, the royal family of the Flame Dynasty, having birthed an Emperor-level expert, should have the clearest understanding of the Divine Seal, and perhaps a way to address its catastrophe.