Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Seven days later!

Canglan Sect.

The Sect Protection Array fully manifested, and the protective light shield enveloped the entire sect.

Approaching the boundary of the array, Lin Chen activated the Azure Wave Technique within his body and passed through the light shield directly, entering the territory of the sect.

To enter the Sect Protection Array, there are only two ways. One is to activate the Azure Wave Technique, and the array will automatically recognize and let through the Canglan Sect disciples. The other is to hold a Pass Order.

However, although Lin Chen entered the array smoothly, he soon stopped because he sensed an approaching presence.

“Who are you?”

Zhao Yulin looked at Lin Chen in front of him, frowning. Innate Fourth Realm… such strength is not insignificant in the sect, ranking among the strongest stewards just beneath them elders, and many are their contemporaries.

Yet, he hadn’t seen this person before.

“Elder Zhao, it is I, disciple.”

Lin Chen spoke, and slowly restored his appearance. Since he was already inside the sect, there was no need to conceal it any longer.

“Lin Chen!”

Seeing Lin Chen’s true appearance, Zhao Yulin was startled, his pupils tightening with disbelief, obviously due to Lin Chen’s realm.

“You’ve already stepped into the Innate Fourth Realm.”

“Hmm, perhaps at the Peak of Innate Fourth Realm.”

Zhao Yulin: …

After a full two breaths of silence, Zhao Yulin finally spoke: “Come with me to the hall.”

The two figures, one in front and one behind, turned into streaks of light and headed straight for the Canglan Hall.

…

…

“Sect Leader, Lin Chen has returned!”

Upon entering the hall, Zhao Yulin immediately spoke, and at this moment besides Ji Cangtian, the Sect Leader of the Canglan Sect, there were two other elders in the hall.

In an instant, the three of them cast their eyes on Lin Chen, who followed closely into the hall.

The more they looked, the brighter their eyes became.

“Good boy, already at the Innate Fourth Realm!”

Zhou Zhifeng couldn’t help but slap Lin Chen on the back. But just after his hand landed, he felt something was wrong. From Lin Chen’s shoulder, there was a recoil force. Although weak, it indeed made him feel it.

It’s known that he is a strong practitioner of the Innate Fifth Realm. Even if Lin Chen is at the peak of the Innate Fourth Realm, and even if he didn’t use his full strength, he shouldn’t feel any recoil force.

This wasn’t an active resistance from Lin Chen but an instinctive reaction of his physical body.

“You brat… how exactly did you cultivate?”

Zhou Zhifeng asked, while Zhao Yulin at the side laughed: “It seems Senior Brother Zhou is also shocked by Lin Chen’s cultivation speed.”

“It’s not just the cultivation speed.” Zhou Zhifeng shook his head. “Lin Chen, let me ask you honestly, what level is your strength now?”

Beside them, Zhao Yulin, including Ji Cangtian and Elder Chou, were somewhat curious why Zhou Zhifeng would ask this way. Lin Chen is Innate Fourth Realm, so naturally, his strength is also Innate Fourth Realm.

“Disciple should be able to fight against the Innate Fifth Realm.”

Lin Chen rubbed his nose and answered truthfully.

“Able to fight against the Innate Fifth Realm?”

In the hall, there was a moment of silence.

Elder Chou said in a deep voice: “Lin Chen, are you sure?”

“On the way back, disciple once fought against an Innate Fifth Realm martial artist from the Eight Desolate Domain. Elder Qu said the person was Elder Xi Zelang from the Eight Desolates Sect.”

Hearing Lin Chen’s words, Ji Cangtian and the others exchanged glances. Of course, they knew Xi Zelang, a person promoted ten years ago to the elder position of the Eight Desolates Sect.

“So you were targeted by that Xi Zelang, and in the end, Junior Brother Qu came to your rescue?”

Elder Chou offered a conjecture. Lin Chen returned from the Outer Domain, encountered by Xi Zelang from the Eight Desolates Sect, engaged him in battle, and eventually dragged the situation until Junior Brother Qu arrived.

“Elder Qu did arrive, but it wasn’t Elder Qu who saved me. Before Elder Qu arrived, I had fortunately killed Xi Zelang.”

With Lin Chen’s word “fortunately,” the entire hall became even more silent than before.

On the high platform, Ji Cangtian widened his old eyes: “Lin Chen, are you telling the truth?”

“When Elder Qu arrived later, he confirmed that person’s identity. Elder Qu knows about this matter too.”

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s confirmed answer, Elder Chou and the other three in the hall looked at Lin Chen as if he were a rare treasure, seemingly wanting to see him inside and out.

At the same time, footsteps were heard outside the hall.

“Sect Leader, a message was sent from Elder Qu.”

“Bring it in.”

A steward walked into the hall, and upon seeing Lin Chen standing in the hall, there was a look of surprise in his eyes. He had never met Lin Chen; when Lin Chen was in the sect, he was in seclusion, but later, when Lin Chen was outside, he witnessed the battle between him and Sima Kong through the Martial Arts Mountain light screen.

Junior Brother Lin is back?

No, what about Junior Brother Lin’s realm?

Ke Yan was a bit bewildered, unable to see through Junior Brother Lin.

“You may leave.”

Hearing the Sect Leader’s voice, Ke Yan snapped out of his daze, saluted, and then left the hall.

Ji Cangtian looked at the message from Elder Qu inside the jade scroll, growing more astonished as he read, and finally, his divine thought exited the jade scroll, staring silently at Lin Chen.

The matters mentioned by Elder Qu in this jade scroll were all related to Lin Chen, especially concerning Lin Chen’s defeat of Xi Zelang.

Single-handedly killing Xi Zelang and four Innate Fourth Realm martial artists without suffering a single injury.

This is far beyond being able to contend with the Innate Fifth Realm; this represents strength at the middle of the Innate Fifth Realm.

“Sect Leader, did Elder Qu encounter something?”

Seeing the Sect Leader staring silently after reading the jade scroll from Elder Qu, Elder Chou was a bit curious.

“Take a look for yourselves.”

Ji Cangtian decided it was better for Junior Brother Qiu and the others to see for themselves instead of reciting it.

The jade scroll circulated among Elder Chou and the other two, and after they finished reading, they looked at Lin Chen with even more perplexity.

Is this what it means to be able to battle an Innate Fifth Realm martial artist?

Originally, Lin Chen claiming to have killed Xi Zelang was enough to astonish them. In their view, Lin Chen must have been severely injured after killing Xi Zelang, but the truth was completely contrary to their expectations.

According to Junior Brother Qu’s observations of the battlefield after Lin Chen left, Lin Chen defeated Xi Zelang in an extremely short time, and was completely unscathed.

Though Xi Zelang had only recently stepped into the Innate Fifth Realm, he was still an Innate Fifth Realm expert. Even if they wanted to defeat Xi Zelang, it wouldn’t be difficult, but killing him would come at a cost.

Innate Fifth Realm experts naturally have some life-saving moves or deadly tactics.

“Lin Chen, where did you go in these nearly three years? Did you encounter any mystical opportunity?”

Ji Cangtian slowly spoke, as no matter how high one’s talent in martial arts, it would be impossible to reach the Innate Fifth Realm in just three short years.

“Disciple indeed had a great opportunity. I ventured to the Thousandfold Secret Realm of the Entropy Race.”

“Entropy Race, the ancient remnant race?”

Ji Cangtian’s eyes narrowed, and Elder Chou and the other two also displayed looks of surprise. Lin Chen understood that the Sect Leader and the elders were aware of the existence of the ancient remnant races, likely knowing his master was also aware.

The jade scroll from his master didn’t include information about the ancient remnant races in its summary of the major forces within the Flame Dynasty likely due to his low realm at the time.

“The time flow in the Thousandfold Secret Realm was slower than the outside world…”

Lin Chen recounted his experiences in the Thousandfold Secret Realm in brief, skipping over parts about helping Yin Yue reclaim the Moon Soul Race’s treasure and slaying Yun Ye from the Cloud Race, only mentioning his cultivation.

Upon hearing this explanation from Lin Chen, Elder Chou and the others finally realized that it seemed Lin Chen had been cultivating for forty years; to go from the Innate Second Realm to the peak of the Innate Fourth Realm in forty years, with actual combat strength comparable to the middle of the Innate Fifth Realm, became acceptable.

In fact, Lin Chen, being a prodigy of such caliber, taking forty years to reach the peak of the Innate Fourth Realm wasn’t particularly outstanding.

Progeny-level geniuses generally require thirty years to enter the Innate Sixth Realm, while the challenge is in breaking through from the Innate Sixth Realm to the Myriad Phenomena Realm.

At that stage, there is no certainty; some prodigies break through in a few years, while others take decades…

However, they also knew that Lin Chen chose to temper his physical body in that secret realm, slowing his progression, and Lin Chen’s martial resources weren’t enough to support forty years of cultivation, likely relying purely on time towards the end.

Progenies like Lin Chen have resources planned for each stage by the sect, not extravagantly lavish but sufficient for daily cultivation. If more resources were required to speed up cultivation, one would have to find a way themselves.

“Unexpectedly, you had such an opportunity. I know of the Entropy Race, but not about the Thousandfold Secret Realm.”

Ji Cangtian had an appreciative look on his face, and seeing Lin Chen’s puzzled expression, explained, “The ancient remnant races are rather reclusive, recognizing only other remnant races, rarely interacting with the outside world. Therefore, I know of their existence, but little of their internal matters. To avoid misunderstandings, sects do not investigate these remnant races specifically.”

Lin Chen nodded, understanding the Sect Leader’s meaning.

The upper echelons of the super sects are aware of the ancient remnant races. Each of these races possesses considerable strength and doesn’t interact much with the outside world. Thus, to avoid misunderstandings, the major sects refrain from spying on these remnant races.

There is even a tacit understanding among the super sects that sect disciples will not be informed about the existence of ancient remnant races until they reach the rank of elder.

“Sect Leader, has any other faction interfered in our sect’s battle with the Eight Desolates Sect?” After recounting his experiences, Lin Chen asked about a matter that concerned him.

The elders exchanged glances. Lin Chen was not a sect elder; typically, such internal affairs shouldn’t be disclosed, but Lin Chen’s strength was already at the elder level, so whether to inform him was left for the Sect Leader to decide.

All eyes turned to Ji Cangtian on the high seat, who pondered for a while and said, “The Blood Moon Sect and the Eight Desolates Sect have secretly formed an alliance. A year ago, the Blood Moon Sect deployed a thousand Innate Martial Artists to join the battlefield.”