Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 424 You call this a bit weak?
Five days later.

A faint sound came from inside the fire cave, and Du Shuang's gaze immediately turned to the fire cocoon.

As a martial artist with innate abilities, even the slightest movement at such close range cannot escape the perception of one's soul.

As his gaze fell upon the fire cocoon, cracks began to appear throughout it.

Click click click.

The sound of an eggshell cracking echoed continuously. Du Shuang stared intently, wanting to see what changes Lin Chen would undergo this time as he emerged from his cocoon.

Click!

When the loudest sound rang out, the entire fire cocoon shattered completely, and a surge of energy swept over.

Du Shuang's eyes began to look blank.

There was no sign of Lin Chen in front of him, only a pair of deep blue eyes.

Just by meeting those eyes for a single glance, Du Shuang not only looked bewildered, but her whole demeanor gradually became dazed.

"wake up!"

A voice rang out, and Du Shuang was startled. The pair of deep blue eyes in front of him disappeared. When he came to his senses, Elder Zhuang was standing beside him at some point, and Lin Chen was also standing in front of him.

"Brother Du, I'm sorry, I couldn't control myself just now."

Lin Chen apologized to Du Shuang, explaining that he had failed to control his energy at the moment he hatched, creating an illusion for Du Shuang.

Fortunately, Elder Zhuang arrived in time, preventing Du Shuang from falling into the illusion and keeping her soul unharmed.

"Elder Zhuang, Brother Lin... what exactly happened? What was that pair of eyes just now?"

Du Shuang's face showed a look of fear. Although he didn't know what had happened, the image of those eyes was still in his mind, and he felt a tremor deep in his soul.

"You've fallen into Lin Chen's illusion. As a Xiantian martial artist, you didn't even realize you were trapped in an illusion. That's incredibly foolish."

Hearing Elder Zhuang's reprimand, Du Shuang blushed slightly and lowered his head in embarrassment. He really hadn't realized when he had fallen into the illusion.

He himself was at the late stage of the Innate Realm, yet even he couldn't detect it. Didn't that mean Lin Chen was practically invincible in the Innate Realm?

hiss!
Lin Chen has only been in the Innate Realm for a short time. According to the news from the Canglan Sect, it has been less than half a year at most, while I have been in the Innate Realm for five years.

"Get lost."

Zhuang Lie waved his hand impatiently. Du Shuang knew that Elder Zhuang wanted to ask Lin Chen about the Wujin Divine Appearance Technique. He also wanted to listen, but seeing Elder Zhuang's expression, he was clearly in a bad mood, so he decided not to provoke him.

"The disciple retire."

Du Shuang left, and Zhuang Lie looked at Lin Chen: "What is the third transformation of your Boundless Divine Appearance Technique?"

Upon hearing Elder Zhuang's question, Lin Chen did not answer. Instead, a thought flashed through his mind, and his figure changed the next moment.

His once jet-black hair has now been replaced by three-colored flames, and his face is covered with a mask made of three interwoven flame patterns. The golden wings that were originally behind him have now appeared on his shoulders, like shoulder guards, with a reddish-gold luster flowing around them.

With a thought from Lin Chen, the pair of golden protective gear extended backward to a length of three feet, no longer in the shape of wings, but more like two long golden blades.

Its entire body was now covered by a layer of crimson-gold armor, covering most of its vital parts.

This is the third transformation of the Boundless Divine Appearance Technique.

Lin Chen didn't explain because he didn't know how to describe it. If it were in his previous life, he could have said that his form was somewhat like a mecha warrior transformation, but obviously the Yan Dynasty didn't have the word "mecha".

"Battle Puppet Form?"

Zhuang Lie was surprised to see Lin Chen's transformation. This third transformation was completely different from Lin Chen's previous two forms.

This is the magic of the Inexhaustible Divine Form Technique; no one can predict what form it will ultimately take.

Even if it is the same three kinds of innate fire, the form will be different if the order in which they are refined is different.

"War puppet?"

Lin Chen didn't expect Elder Zhuang to describe it that way, but then he thought of the battle puppets he had seen at the ruins of the Qingtian Sect, and they really did look somewhat similar.

"You haven't been in the Yan Dynasty for long, so it's normal that you don't know much about battle puppets. Once you go to the Thousand Machine Domain or meet a disciple there, you'll learn about battle puppets. There are many martial artists in the Thousand Machine Domain who mainly rely on the battle puppets they've crafted to fight."

Hearing Lin Chen's soft voice, Zhuang Lie assumed that Lin Chen did not understand the battle puppet and gave a simple explanation.

"Junior understands."

"Your form can create illusions?"

"can."

Lin Chen nodded, his eyes beneath the mask shimmering with a deep blue light, reflecting starlight vortexes within them, and an invisible energy fluctuation emanated from his body.

Zhuang Lie narrowed his old eyes slightly, raised his right hand gently, and pressed down with his fingers in the air. Energy rippled out from his fingertips.

An illusion collapses before it even takes shape.

"Your illusion is effective against those at the first level of the Innate Realm. But against those at the second level, it might only hold them for a few breaths. If they are prepared, it will be ineffective."

Zhuang Lie gave his assessment, and Lin Chen also smiled and said, "Senior is right, my illusion is indeed a bit weak."

"A bit weak?"

If he hadn't noticed that Lin Chen's expression didn't seem fake, he would have suspected that the kid was just being modest. A mere illusion capable of trapping a martial artist of the same level—and he calls that weak?

The Yan Dynasty has many geniuses, but how many dare to claim that they are invincible in their own realm?

Lin Chen's ability to create an illusionary realm by combining his understanding of the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame and the Eternal Divine Appearance Technique is already an immense stroke of luck.

Several disciples of the Myriad Flames Sect have refined the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame, but these disciples can only use it in battle to attack the opponent's soul.

Condensing illusions is not all the supernatural power of Illusionary Sea Heart Flame.

Lin Chen was able to do it mainly because of the Boundless Divine Appearance Technique.

The Boundless Divine Appearance Technique truly lives up to its reputation as a technique with no upper or lower limits.

Practicing this technique can grant extraordinary abilities, but it may also stagnate one's progress.

"Lin Chen, I promised you before that if you could refine three innate flames, I would open the Myriad Flames Sect's techniques to you. However, I must break my promise now."

"Slip of the tongue?"

Lin Chen was taken aback, then immediately said, "I was able to refine the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame entirely thanks to your help, Senior. You not only provided me with pills, but also the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame. Senior Zhuang, you are too kind to say that."

Although Lin Chen felt a little regretful that he couldn't observe the Wanhuo Sect's techniques, he felt only gratitude towards Elder Zhuang.

Because they value talent, they gave me so many resources even though they knew I couldn't join the Myriad Fire Sect.

Looking into Lin Chen's eyes, Zhuang Lie could tell that Lin Chen wasn't saying it on purpose, but was being sincere, which made him feel even more guilty.

He was the one who first set an almost impossible condition for Lin Chen, and Lin Chen risked his life to complete it. In the end, he couldn't keep his promise. Don't be fooled by how easily Lin Chen spoke; this little guy probably suffered a lot while refining the Illusionary Sea Heart Flame.

As an elder of the Myriad Fires Sect, Zhuang Lie had also cultivated his way up from the Innate Realm step by step, and he knew that every time he refined an Innate Fire, it was an adventure.

Half of his fellow disciples from that year perished while refining the innate fire.

No matter how thorough the preparation, it's impossible to achieve 100% certainty; at most, it can only be increased to 70% or even 80%. And as long as it's not 100% certain, there is always the risk of failure.

If you're lucky, you can recover after a period of rest following a failure.

If you're unlucky, you might lose your life or have all your skills crippled.

"Although I have broken my promise, if you come to my Ten Thousand Fires Sect again in two years, the sect's cultivation techniques will be open to you, provided that you can reach the second level of the Innate Realm within two years."

Zhuang Lie spoke slowly, and seeing Lin Chen's puzzled expression, he smiled and said, "Don't ask me why. If you really have doubts, go back and ask your master. He will tell you the reason."

"I've written it down."

Lin Chen could sense a hint of self-satisfaction in Senior Zhuang's words. Therefore, if he could break through to the second level of the Innate Realm within two years and then come to the Myriad Fire Sect, the benefits he would gain would probably go beyond just being able to observe the Myriad Fire Sect's techniques.

Do you have a magic box on you?

"Have."

Lin Chen hurriedly took out the Myriad Things Box that his senior brother had given him from his pocket. Zhuang Lie reached into his pocket and a bag appeared in his hand the next moment.

"This contains the Fire Nourishing Pearl; consider it my compensation to you."

“Senior Zhuang, there’s no need for that. I’m already very grateful.”

Lin Chen quickly waved his hand, explaining that the Fire Nourishing Pearl was a unique treasure of the Myriad Fire Sect, used to enhance the grade of innate fire.

The innate fire also varies in strength, but it is not inherently strong or weak; rather, it develops after birth.

A primordial fire that has existed for a thousand years is bound to be stronger than a primordial fire that has existed for a hundred years.

This is because the innate fire has absorbed enough energy over thousands of years and will also grow on its own.

The lowest level of innate fire is the first rank. The three innate fires he refined are all at the first rank. If they were at the second rank, he would not have been able to refine them successfully.

The highest level of innate fire is the third rank, and the Fire Nurturing Pearl of the Myriad Fire Sect is a treasure that can upgrade the rank of innate fire.

Of course, to upgrade a primordial fire from the first to the second rank, a massive amount of fire-nurturing beads are needed, and Elder Zhuang's bag of fire-nurturing beads is certainly not enough. However, the power of a primordial fire does not increase only when it is upgraded.

Advancing to a higher level is simply a qualitative leap.

This is somewhat similar to the cultivation realms of martial artists. Breaking through a realm brings about earth-shattering changes in strength, but even within the same realm, there are differences in strength.

"These Fire-Nourishing Pearls are nothing to me, don't be so fussy."

Zhuang Lie glared at Lin Chen. These Fire Nurturing Pearls were resources he had prepared in advance for his future disciples. Unfortunately, after meeting Lin Chen, he realized that it would be difficult for him to accept any disciples from the sect. These Fire Nurturing Pearls also had an expiration date; after ten years, the energy within them would be completely depleted.

"Thank you, senior."

Lin Chen had no choice but to accept the bag of Fire-Nourishing Pearls, but he solemnly bowed to Zhuang Lie.

"Let's go. You've stayed in the Myriad Fire Sect long enough. Return to the Canglan Sect tomorrow. There's no need to say goodbye to me again."

Zhuang Lie sighed softly, turned and left, his back view looking very lonely.

Lin Chen looked at Senior Zhuang's lonely figure, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Even though he knew that Senior Zhuang might be deliberately putting on a show of desolation, the help Senior Zhuang had given him was genuine, and he could only remember this kindness and repay it in the future.

A few breaths later, Lin Chen composed himself and looked at his panel. When he saw the changes in the values ​​on the panel, a smile appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)