Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 362 A Clash of Titans, A Moonlit Promise

Under the moonlight.

Lin Chen and Pei Qingming were alone in the courtyard, undisturbed by anyone.

The shadows of the two were stretched long under the moonlight.

The two are now the most powerful geniuses recognized by the nine kingdoms of Daliang... or more accurately, the most powerful geniuses in the nine kingdoms.

"Brother Pei, what are your thoughts on the Canglan Sect and the East Sea Divine Palace?"

I learned from Gao Zeming that the sect was very interested in Brother Pei, and that after Brother Pei cultivated the Flawless Sword Dao Will, he came to find Brother Pei as soon as he left the courtyard.

Pei Qingming did not ask Lin Chen if he was there as a persuader, because he believed that Lin Chen was not there to recruit him on behalf of the Canglan Sect.

"What do you think the Great Liang will be like in the next ten years?"

Instead of answering Lin Chen's question directly, Pei Qingming posed another question.

Lin Chen was taken aback; he vaguely guessed what Brother Pei was thinking.

“Brother Pei, I think that our Great Liang should be safe in the next ten years. I will also discuss with the sect to see if we can provide some protection for Great Liang.”

Lin Chen smiled. What Brother Pei meant was that if the future of the Great Liang Dynasty was unstable, he would choose the East Sea Divine Palace.

The East Sea Divine Palace is the largest sect in the East Sea Region and one of the twenty-four super sects. It can be said to be the overlord of this sea region. If Brother Pei becomes a disciple of the East Sea Divine Palace, after he enters the Innate Realm in the future, those Innate Realm martial artists will definitely not dare to have any designs on Daliang.

Even if the Great Liang were to encounter a crisis, Brother Pei would be able to return immediately.

The Canglan Domain is located in the heart of the Yan Dynasty's interior. A round trip would take several months. If the Great Liang were to encounter a crisis, I wouldn't be able to return in time.

From the perspective of the Great Liang or from a selfish standpoint, Brother Pei would naturally choose the East Sea Divine Palace as the best option.

But he had asked Deacon Gao, and from Deacon Gao he learned what the flawless sword will meant.

The answer to Brother Pei's question, "The Great Liang will be stable for the next ten years," was meant to encourage Brother Pei to pursue his own path of swordsmanship, rather than choosing the East Sea Divine Palace for the sake of the Great Liang.

"I asked the sect's senior steward, and he told me that in the entire Yan Dynasty, there are still some super sects with sword cultivators at the fifth level of the Innate Realm, but those who can reach the sixth level of the Innate Realm all come from the Guixu Sword Tomb. The Guixu Sword Tomb is the holy land of sword cultivators."

After Lin Chen finished speaking, he looked at Pei Qingming. Pei Qingming lowered his head, his fingers stroking the scabbard at his waist. Just as he was thinking, a sound came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Go to the Sword Tomb of Guixu."

Lin Chen and Pei Qingming looked up at the same time and saw Kong Qifeng appear at the door. They both stood up.

"Master Kong."

Kong Qifeng first nodded to Lin Chen, then his gaze fell on Pei Qingming, and he said in a deep voice, "Qingming, you have given enough for the Great Liang over the years. If it weren't for the Great Liang, you would probably have already reached the first rank."

Upon hearing Lord Kong's words, Lin Chen looked surprised. Brother Pei suppressed his breakthrough in martial arts realm for the sake of the Great Liang?

"The adults already know?"

"With your talent, how could you have remained silent for so many years? Now that I think back, you entered the seventh rank at the age of twenty-one, while Fei Mingxi, a genius from Han Kingdom in the same era as you, entered the seventh rank three months later. However, Fei Mingxi surpassed you at the sixth rank, two months faster than you. At the fifth rank, he was three months faster than you, and at the fourth rank, he was six months faster than you."

Kong Qifeng looked at Pei Qingming with a pained expression in his eyes: "If it weren't for the sake of Daliang, how could Fei Mingxi have surpassed you with your talent? Are you afraid that Han Kingdom will impose sanctions on Daliang's trade in martial arts resources with other countries because of this?"

Pei Qingming nodded: "At that time, Han Kingdom was the number one among the nine kingdoms, and Fei Mingxi was the number one genius in Han Kingdom. If I, your disciple, surpass Fei Mingxi, Han Kingdom will definitely punish my Great Liang. Han Kingdom will not allow the rise of martial arts in Great Liang. One Pei Qingming is not scary. What is scary is that several Pei Qingmings will appear in Great Liang."

Lin Chen's face showed emotion; he understood what Brother Pei meant.

Given Han's modus operandi, they would never allow anything to affect Han's status. If Brother Pei surpasses Fei Mingxi, Han will inevitably become wary of Daliang. Today Pei Qingming can be born, tomorrow a second, or even a third, could emerge...

On the contrary, Brother Pei, with his genius, was known as the number one genius of the Great Liang Dynasty in three hundred years. However, after passing through the three lower realms, his cultivation speed slowed down and he was overtaken. In the eyes of the Han Kingdom, he was no more than the genius of the Great Liang Dynasty in three hundred years.

It was amazing at first, but it's nothing to worry about later.

Brother Pei has secured a path for future young martial artists in the Great Liang Dynasty to avoid punishment.

Any sanctions have a lag effect. They won't affect Brother Pei because the Liang Dynasty still has a lot of stock in its martial arts resource trade with other countries. But one year, two years, three years... when these stock are depleted, some of the medicinal materials needed for certain pills will be unavailable, affecting those who come later.

Lin Chen looked back on his martial arts journey over the past few years. He became famous in Daliang after making a name for himself at Wudao Mountain, and even broke Brother Pei's record. However, the Koreans never really took him seriously.

Because of the example of Brother Pei, in the eyes of the powerful in Han Kingdom, no matter how amazing one is in the early stages, it is useless. Once the potential for growth is exhausted, one will only be a second Pei Qingming.

Now Lin Chen finally understood the meaning of Brother Pei's question, "What will the future of the Great Liang be like in the next ten years?"

Brother Pei truly cares about the entire Liang Dynasty.

For the sake of the Great Liang, one can give up one's martial arts future.

“The situation in Daliang is very good now. We old bones can live for a few more years. You and Lin Chen should follow your own hearts in martial arts. Daliang is your homeland, but it should never become a burden on your progress in martial arts.”

Kong Qifeng looked at Lin Chen and Pei Qingming: "These words are not only my opinion, but also the opinion of several officials in the court, and His Majesty asked me to convey them to you two."

The eagle spreads its wings and soars high.

One's homeland can be something that an eagle soaring in the sky longs for, but it should not be a burden on the eagle as it soars through the sky.

The Yan Dynasty is vast, teeming with geniuses.

Lin Chen and Pei Qingming, the two most outstanding geniuses in the Great Liang Dynasty in the past three hundred years, are determined to make a name for themselves in the Yan Dynasty. The Great Liang Dynasty can be a driving force for their martial arts cultivation, but it must never become a burden.

"Disciple understands."

Pei Qingming nodded, and Lin Chen also smiled and said, "Brother Pei, you were here for the first fifteen years, and now I am here. Who can say that after we leave, there won't be new geniuses emerging in Daliang? Maybe in a few years, a few geniuses will emerge who surpass the two of us. Don't forget that their starting point is higher than ours now."

The Great Liang Dynasty has now established contact with the Yan Dynasty, and there are innate martial artists stationed there. The new generation of young martial artists have a much higher understanding of martial arts than their predecessors. At least they know that the highest level above the first rank is innate, and they will also be exposed to more martial arts cultivation methods.

"Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, Pei Qingming laughed, finally letting go of the burden in his heart.

"Tomorrow, I will leave Lingxiao City, bid farewell to my family, and head to the Yan Dynasty."

Pei Qingming was not one to drag things out, so this time it was Lin Chen's turn to be surprised: "Brother Pei, aren't you going to the Yan Dynasty with me?"

"No, the sects in the Martial Alliance also have ships heading to the East Sea. I won't join the Canglan Sect or the East Sea Divine Palace, so I won't go to the Yan Dynasty with you, Junior Brother Lin."

Pei Qingming shook his head, then smiled and said, "But before I leave, there is one more thing I need to do, and I hope Junior Brother Lin will grant my request."

"Brother Pei, please speak. I will never refuse to do anything that I can do."

"Let's fight with all our might. We are the two geniuses of the Great Liang Dynasty for the past three hundred years. Let's see who is the number one genius."

Lin Chen was initially surprised, thinking that Brother Pei had something he needed help with, but he didn't expect this request. He then understood what Brother Pei meant and nodded, "Okay."

"Then I will be a witness to your battle," Kong Qifeng said with a smile, stroking his beard.

……

Under the moonlight.

Sword light shone like a radiant flame, filling the entire courtyard.

A finger points to mountains and seas, obscuring the courtyard and the vast sky. A sword's intent permeates the air, shattering the moonlight that pours forth.
There was a giant Hokage who burned away the full moon's sword energy.

Even though the two courtyards were several miles apart, Gao Zeming's smile never faded, but a hint of regret lingered in that satisfied smile.

What's satisfying is Lin Chen's strength, but what's regrettable is that Pei Qingming ultimately didn't choose the Canglan Sect.

Hu Yunhua, living in the neighboring courtyard, had a rather complicated expression.

In such a desolate place for martial arts, two such geniuses could emerge in the same era.

These islands at sea belong to the East Sea Divine Palace, but this time the East Sea Divine Palace failed to capture a single one.

Soon, the instructors and disciples in the martial arts academy also sensed the commotion, but Hou Zhantian appeared on the perimeter and prevented everyone from getting closer.

A quarter of an hour later.

Lin Chen and Pei Qingming stopped at the same time.

Lin Chen's clothes were torn in many places by the sword energy, while Pei Qingming's clothes were not torn, but a few strands of long hair fell from his forehead.

The two were evenly matched.

"Junior Brother Lin, you win."

Pei Qingming smiled nonchalantly and sheathed his longsword.

"Brother Pei, given my miserable state, it should be considered a draw rather than a win."

"No matter what, I'm decades older than you, so a draw is a loss."

Pei Qingming shook his head. Seeing that Lin Chen was about to speak, he waved his hand and said, "You won this time. I hope you can win again next time we meet, Junior Brother Lin. Don't let me surpass you. Sword cultivators' breakthroughs don't follow the usual rules. I heard a Xiantian martial artist from the Martial Alliance say that there was once a senior sword cultivator who comprehended the true meaning of the sword and crossed two Xiantian realms overnight."

"Don't worry, Brother Pei. I will definitely not let you down next time we meet."

This duel wasn't really about determining a winner; it was just an agreement between the two.

This parting is inevitable, but we must both make sure we don't fall behind when we meet again.

……

……

Pei Qingming left.

He left Lingxiao Martial Academy early the next morning, leaving in a very carefree manner and refusing any offer of farewell.

"Lin Chen, how long do you plan to stay in Daliang?"

If it were an ordinary disciple, Gao Zemin would have been extremely generous to have him personally come to pick him up, and the disciple would have packed his bags and left with him. However, Gao Zemin was very lenient with Lin Chen, knowing that Lin Chen had just come out of seclusion and needed to finish some things before he could leave with peace of mind.

“Sir, I need to say goodbye to my family.”

Heading to the Canglan Sect of the Yan Emperor Dynasty was within Lin Chen's goals. Having reached this point in his martial arts journey, he couldn't possibly give up the opportunity to continue growing. If he stayed in Daliang, he wouldn't be able to cross the threshold of the Innate Realm.

"Alright, then we'll set off in ten days. We're using the Dragon King's ship from the East Sea Divine Palace to come to your island, so we can't stay too long."

If it weren't for Hu Yunhua from the East Sea Divine Palace, staying another month wouldn't have been a problem. But this time, Hu Yunhua was with them, and there were also several deacons from other sects on the way back, so it wasn't good to linger for too long.

Of course, Gao Zeming could also let Hu Yunhua go back first, but without the Dragon King Ship, it would take at least fifteen more days to return to the East China Sea.

"Lin Chen, with your current strength and age, the sooner you reach the Innate Realm, the better it will be for you."

Even traveling non-stop, it would take three months to get from here to the Canglan Sect, and Lin Chen is nineteen years old now, an age when every second counts.

The meaning of being a Xiantian (innate) after the age of twenty is different from that before the age of twenty. Moreover, entering Xiantian earlier allows one to strive for a higher ranking in the Martial Arts Mountain.

"Yes, I will take care of things at home as soon as possible, and then head to the Canglan Sect."

……

……

Two days later.

Lin Chen returned to Raozhou Prefecture.

He returned to Linhu Village alone without informing anyone.

"A mid-level martial artist?"

Sensing several auras surrounding the village, Lin Chen's eyes narrowed, but he quickly realized that these must be the guards arranged by the imperial court for his family.

When Lin Chen entered the village, he did not conceal his aura, and these mid-level martial artists noticed him immediately.

"Who?"

Four mid-level martial artists appeared at the same time, but when they saw Lin Chen, their faces showed excitement.

"Lord Lin is back."

In terms of age, these four are all Lin Chen's uncles and elders, but in martial arts, the most accomplished comes first. Lin Chen now possesses the strength of a superior martial artist, so they were not at all reluctant to address him as "sir."

"Thank you for taking care of the elders in the family."

Lin Chen clasped his hands in a salute, and one of them quickly said, "Lord Lin, you flatter us. The Great Liang is where it is today thanks to your great contributions. It is our honor to be able to protect your family. Moreover, the court has given us four considerable contribution points, which is a wonderful job that many colleagues envy."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with these mid-level martial artists, Lin Chen bid farewell and headed towards his home in the village.

"Although Lord Lin is young, his aura is no weaker than those of the older officials."

The four mid-level martial artists watched Lin Chen's departing figure with mixed feelings in their eyes.

“This place in Linhu Village might really be a geomantically auspicious place. I heard the old villagers talking about it, and it seems to be called something like ‘Qianlong Chuyuan Di’ (meaning ‘Dragon Emerging from the Abyss’).

"If there is an opportunity, I will move my ancestors' graves here."

"Stop dreaming. The land of Linhu Village, including the surrounding land and terrain, is now registered by Raozhou Prefecture. People have to be sent to patrol every few days. They can't even cut down a few trees, because they're afraid that the terrain will be damaged and affect the feng shui of this auspicious place."

The concept of Feng Shui is vague and ethereal.

But it's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't.

Preserving the original topography of Linhu Village is not a big burden for Daliang. In the past, the villagers used to cut firewood for cooking in the winter. Now, all they have to do is transport a batch of charcoal over, which is only worth a few dollars.

If cutting down a few trees or digging up a hill disrupts the feng shui and affects Lin Chen's future martial arts progress, then he would be a sinner against the entire Liang Dynasty.

……

……

(End of this chapter)