Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 421 The Illusory Sea Asks the Heart
The house inside the courtyard.

Lin Chen returned to the house, and with a thought, chose to activate [Martial Arts Reputation].

In an instant, countless figures appeared before his eyes, from Zhao Haoyang, whom he had recently defeated, to Sima Kong and Zeng Xi from Martial Dao Mountain... the entire Martial Dao Mountain had nearly 100,000 people...

These figures appeared before him in a fleeting manner, only to be replaced by the next one. Lin Chen was quite satisfied with the way the figure was revealed in the "Martial Arts Reputation" system.

The recently defeated items are displayed first, making it easier for him to find the objects he wants to search for.

Once a thousand figures appeared, Lin Chen stopped displaying them and instead said in his mind, "I choose Zhao Haoyang."

Zhao Haoyang's figure appeared before Lin Chen once again. A moment later, Lin Chen felt the star chart in his dantian vibrate, and then he found himself in a space surrounded by darkness.

Snapped!
The next moment, a light appeared in front of him, first a point, then a patch, and finally the last training platform covered in light appeared before him.

On the martial arts stage, there were two figures.

One was Lin Chen himself, and the other was Zhao Haoyang.

Lin Chen's gaze fell on the top of the training ground, where a line of text was displayed: [Thirty Days: Zhao Haoyang]

"【Martial Arts Legacy】can only be used once a month. Once a candidate is selected, they cannot be changed midway. Is this a countdown reminder for the freeze?"

Just as Lin Chen was pondering, he and Zhao Haoyang had already begun their duel on the martial arts stage.

Flames appeared in Zhao Haoyang's hands, and Lin Chen immediately focused his mind. In his vision, Zhao Haoyang's movements were not fast, and every movement seemed magnified in his eyes, even the veins on his hands were clearly visible.

Breathing, movement...

In Lin Chen's eyes, Zhao Haoyang's every move was like a slow-motion, magnified shot. At this moment, Lin Chen ignored the battle situation and focused all his attention on Zhao Haoyang.

Every time Zhao Haoyang formed a hand seal, the flow of innate power was broken down into slow motion and analyzed frame by frame.

As the flames in Zhao Haoyang's palm spread like vines, a crimson light shone from the tips of his fingers. This crimson light spiraled up along the three points of his spine, then merged into the Baihui acupoint and split into nine. This was the circulation route of Zhao Haoyang's internal energy cultivation technique.

……

……

One day, two days, three days...

After watching the battle for three consecutive days, Lin Chen closed his eyes, and the two figures on the entire martial arts arena disappeared.

His figure appeared on the martial arts stage.

At this moment, Lin Chen began to circulate the innate power within his body, first by activating the Fire Fusion Technique, and then by continuously adjusting the path of the Fire Fusion Technique's circulation within his body...

He didn't have the incantation or cultivation method for the Fire Refining Technique; he could only deduce it from the reverse...

Fortunately, according to Du Shuang, the Fire Refining Technique was created based on the Fire Melting Technique. Since he had the foundation of the Fire Melting Technique, it was not difficult to deduce it from the reverse.

Once, twice...

Ten times, a hundred times...

During this period, Lin Chen re-observed hundreds of battles...

Four days, five days, six days...

On the martial arts stage, only Lin Chen remained. After a while, he raised his hands, with a cluster of flames leaping in each of his palms. As Lin Chen slowly brought his palms together, the two flames began to merge, just like two clumps of liquid merging together without any ripples.

The Fire Fusion Technique allows one to merge with the innate fire, but it doesn't yet allow for complete control.

Only the Fire Refining Technique truly refines the innate fire, after which the innate fire becomes a part of the body.

For Lin Chen, he could only manipulate flames when he entered the state of the Eternal Divine Body. The Golden Crow Radiant Flame was fixed in the wings on his back, while the Blazing Fire appeared on the surface of his body.

Before he could transform his inexhaustible divine form, he was unable to mobilize these two innate fires.

However, even without using the Boundless Divine Appearance Technique, he can now mobilize these two innate flames, which is the power of the Fire Refining Technique.

Day 7!
On the martial arts arena, Zhao Haoyang and Lin Chen activated the Fire Refining Technique almost simultaneously, and innate fire appeared in their palms. However, Lin Chen's speed was slightly faster than Zhao Haoyang's.

For martial artists below the Innate Realm, this time difference might be imperceptible, but for Innate Realm martial artists, this tiny difference in time can often determine the outcome of a battle.

"Could it be that I really have such a high talent for manipulating innate fire?"

Surpassing Zhao Haoyang made Lin Chen doubt his own talent.

Is it because I have high talent, or because I have high comprehension?
……

……

The next day.

tenth day.

Led by Du Shuang, Lin Chen headed to a volcano, or more accurately, a group of volcanoes, belonging to the Wanhuo Sect.

From a high altitude, one can see a dense array of volcanic craters, each with a primordial fire beneath it.

After traversing numerous volcanic craters, Du Shuang led Lin Chen to a seemingly calm crater, where Zhuang Lie was already waiting.

"Elder Zhuang, I have brought Lin Chen here."

"Ah."

Zhuang Lie put his hands behind his back, nodded, and looked at Lin Chen: "Below this fire cave is the dwelling place of the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame. If you want to refine the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame, you have to enter the cave. However, in order to prevent you from being instantly devoured by the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame and leaving only a body, I have already made some arrangements inside. Do not go beyond the sealing wall I left for you. Use the Fire Fusion Technique through the wall to attract the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame to come up on its own."

The Illusionary Sea Heart Flame is the mother flame. It has existed in the fire cave for thousands of years, and its power is beyond Lin Chen's ability to withstand. If Lin Chen wants to refine the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame, he can only attract it to appear on its own and refine it strand by strand.

"Thank you very much, Senior Zhuang."

"Even with the sealing wall I left behind, if you find that you cannot withstand it, you'd better give up immediately, or your soul will suffer serious damage."

Zhuang Lie gave Lin Chen a deep look, gave him a few instructions, and even took out a jade slip.

"Senior Zhuang, what is this?"

"Use your divine sense to leave your name inside. In case you really become useless, I don't want to have any trouble with your master or the Canglan Sect."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen read the contents of the jade slip and his lips twitched a few times. The jade slip contained a disclaimer.

Refining the third innate fire by choosing the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame was my own decision, and it had nothing to do with the Myriad Fire Sect or Senior Zhuang. I will bear all the consequences myself.

"Now, can you still give up?"

“Senior Zhuang, now that I have made my decision, I will not give up.”

Lin Chen shook his head, his attitude firm.

A dozen or so breaths later, Du Shuang remained standing still as Lin Chen walked into the fire pit.

"Why are you still here?"

"Elder Zhuang, this disciple would like to see if Lin Chen can successfully refine it."

Du Shuang chuckled. Refining three innate flames at the first stage of the Innate Realm is no easier than Lin Chen igniting twenty-seven innate flames on the Refining Fire Platform. If he succeeds, it will surely cause a sensation throughout the entire sect.

He wanted to be a witness so that he could be the first to know the news, regardless of whether Lin Chen succeeded or not.

Zhuang Lie glanced at Du Shuang but didn't reprimand him. It was good to have Du Shuang here to keep an eye on things; if any emergencies occurred, he could be notified immediately, saving Zhuang Lie the trouble of sitting here all the time.

According to his estimation, even if Lin Chen successfully refined it, it would still take a month, and he, as a dignified elder, couldn't possibly wait here for a whole month. The Fire Cave was different from other places; if he used his divine sense to enter the Fire Cave to investigate, it was highly likely to alarm the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame and provoke its resistance.

Zhuang Lie left, leaving Du Shuang to wait at the entrance of the fire cave.

……

……

Lin Chen ventured deeper into the fiery pit. The pit was vast, but the temperature remained relatively stable. In fact, the further he went in, the colder and more serene it became.

"Have I already been affected by the Illusory Sea Heart Flame?"

The soul targeted by the Illusory Sea Heart Flame may feel somewhat cold, but this is an illusion in the perception of the soul.

With each step, the echoing sound of my footsteps reverberated through the emptiness, creating a feeling akin to walking on a deathly silent road, which was extremely uncomfortable.

A quarter of an hour later.

Lin Chen stopped in his tracks. In front of him was a crimson wall covered with runes. Even so, this crimson wall barrier was constantly fluctuating, as if it were being subjected to wave after wave of impacts.

At its most intense, bubbles as long as three feet appeared on the wall, but they quickly deflated as the runes on the wall flickered.

When he was still a foot away from the sealed wall, Lin Chen sat down cross-legged and began to circulate the "Fire Refining Technique" that he had secretly learned from Zhao Haoyang. A special aura emanated from his body.

As Lin Chen activated his technique, a hazy, eerie blue light appeared in the darkness beyond the sealed wall, like a fluorescent jellyfish slowly swimming closer in the deep sea.

One breath, two breaths...

As the deep blue light approached the wall, it silently passed through the surface. Although Lin Chen had his eyes closed, his soul could sense that some special energy was staring at him.

The Illusionary Sea Heart Flame is extremely special. When it is in full force, it is like a tyrant sweeping away everything. But if it is just a wisp, it is extremely timid and will immediately flee and disappear if anything goes wrong.

After a few breaths.

The moment the entire body of the ghostly blue flame pierced through the wall, the star diagram in Lin Chen's dantian trembled violently.

……

boom!
As the fiery pit vanished, Lin Chen felt himself plummeting downwards, instantly sinking into the sea. Beneath the seabed, countless pale arms were hurtling toward him.

The faces of the owners of these arms are clearly visible.

He killed Li Yuan and Li Zhe, father and son from the Li family of Jiangnan Province; Zhuang Xin and Zhuang Zhi, brothers who wanted to kill him for his treasure; and the Korean martial artists who were lying in ambush after the Nine Kingdoms Martial Arts Academy competition.

These people had ferocious faces and malicious eyes, staring intently at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen's expression remained unchanged; he merely sneered, "I only killed those who deserved to die. They couldn't do anything to me while they were alive, let alone after they died."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chen unleashed a powerful aura, instantly causing the vicious figures below to vanish.
But the changes beneath the seabed did not end there. As these figures disappeared, more arms and more figures appeared, and this time the faces that appeared were all unfamiliar to Lin Chen.

"Grandpa, I don't want to die."

A child was staring pitifully at the old man, who held a machete in his hand and looked on with pity: "Don't be afraid, my dear grandson, it will be over in a moment."

"Grandpa, Grandpa, I don't want to..."

call out!
The machete slipped, and blood gushed from the child's chest, splattering onto the old man's face.

The old man dropped the knife, hugged the child, and his wrinkled face was filled with grief and indignation. He was just an ordinary citizen, why did he have to suffer such a disaster?

Why is God so cruel to kill one's own grandson?
But he couldn't bear to see his grandson perish in the fire, burned alive by the terrifying flames.

He didn't want his grandson to suffer.

Even those martial arts masters couldn't escape, so how could my grandson possibly escape?

……

"Mom, it hurts so much."

"Father, I feel so bad."

……

Countless figures endured agony in the sea of ​​fire, and countless civilians perished beneath it.

The pitiful screams of children, the roars of adults, the dying gasps of the elderly…

"Why, why did you have to hurt us?"

"Because of you, you unleashed the flames of evil; you are the executioner!"

"The executioner!"

"You are the murderer!"

"Give me back my grandson's life!"

"Pay for my daughter's life!"

Arms reached out to grab Lin Chen, and the heart-wrenching screams and resentful expressions left Lin Chen momentarily bewildered.

He now knew the identities of these people: residents of the three islands in the Spratly Islands.

After breaking free of its seal, Li Huo did not dare to head south of Daliang, but instead went towards the three islands of Nansha, wreaking havoc across the entire island.

The powerful and wealthy people on the three islands of Nansha had already fled before they even discovered the arrival of Li Huo. Those who remained on the three islands were either low-level martial artists or ordinary people who had no chance to escape.

These ordinary people were no match for the speed of the fire and ultimately perished in the flames.

"You butcher, you have killed millions of people."

"We have no grudge against you, so why did you kill us?"

"Pay back our lives?"

A series of sounds echoed in Lin Chen's ears, and his face gradually turned pale. His body even began to slowly become transparent in the sea, and these arms were getting closer and closer to him.

However, just as those arms were about to touch Lin Chen's body, Lin Chen opened his eyes, his gaze calm and undisturbed.

“A famous person from my hometown once said: Before the end of the world, first kill the Holy Mother.”

“It was not me who killed you, but the island lords of the three islands in the Spratly Islands. And the current situation is your own choice.”

Daliang had attempted to reclaim the three islands in the Spratly Islands several times.

Even though the Koreans opposed it, they could not stop it, and several times their army was about to set off.

In the end, however, they gave up. It wasn't because they were afraid that Han Kingdom would actually send troops to help them, nor because they were afraid of the martial artists on the three islands of Nansha. Rather, it was because whenever Daliang was about to send troops, the nobles of the three islands of Nansha would summon representatives of the royal families of the other eight countries to hold an island-wide referendum, allowing all the island's inhabitants to decide whether to return to Daliang.

As a result, the islanders' answer was not to return.

“I am a citizen of Daliang. I enjoy the martial arts resources provided by Daliang and have an obligation to protect the people of Daliang, protect the territory of Daliang, and uphold the dignity of Daliang. But I have no such obligation to the three islands of Nansha.”

"Even if Li Huo deliberately chose to rampage in the direction of the three islands of Nansha, I will still drive Li Huo away, regardless of whether driving Li Huo away will affect the lives and deaths of the people of the three islands of Nansha!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the faces of the crowd turned ferocious, and they swam frantically toward Lin Chen, but they could not touch him.

Lin Chen stared expressionlessly at the struggling faces. Three breaths later, all the figures disappeared, and the seabed returned to calm.

(End of this chapter)