Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 504 Changes in Strength Brought About by the Enhancement of the Immortal Technique

On the massive deck of the airship, Lin Chen stood at the front, gazing into the distance.

"Brother Xiao, is your niece still inside?"

Li Qin stepped out of the cabin and saw that only Lin Chen was standing on the deck, a look of doubt in her eyes.

Her flying boat was unlike any other ordinary flying boat; the entire flying boat was protected by an array, so even standing on the deck, one would not be affected by air currents.

A girl of about ten years old, who is at an age where she is naturally active, should have preferred to stay on the deck and look at the beautiful scenery of the surrounding mountains and rivers. Why would she stay in the cabin all the time?
"Xiaoyue is a quiet person, which is why I take her on my travels. I hope she can become more cheerful."

Lin Chen smiled and explained that the flying boat had been traveling for three days from Hundred Refinement City to Thousand Machine City, and during those three days, Yin Yue had spent the rest of the time in the cabin, except for the first day when she stayed on the deck for a while.

There is no such thing as autism in this world, Lin Chen made up a similar excuse.

"I see. Then your niece should be more cheerful once we get to Thousand Machine City."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Brother Xiao will find out soon."

Li Qin kept everyone in suspense, but at that moment, at the very front of the airship, an amazing spectacle appeared on the horizon.

The first thing that caught Lin Chen's eye was a giant city floating in the air, with two colorful rainbows intersecting in a cross shape above it, spanning the four cardinal directions of the city.

The entire megacity is completely different in style from other domains. The buildings are not square, but rather present various geometric shapes. There are towering towers, but these towers are not pointed tops, but huge crystal arrays and huge platforms of varying heights.

As the airship slowly approached, Lin Chen saw dozens of crystal pillars standing beneath the giant city, supporting this city suspended in the air.

"Is this Thousand Machines City?"

Lin Chen's face showed shock. The feeling he got from this Thousand Machine City was unlike any other city. The closer he got, the more he could feel the awe of this giant city.

The entire Thousand Machine City is like a massive, mechanical construct imbued with life, filled with an indescribable "beauty of wonder".

"Those who come to Qianji City for the first time all have the same expression as Brother Xiao."

Seeing the shocked expression on Lin Chen's face, Li Qin smiled slightly. Now she was certain that Xiao Yan had never been to Qianji City.

"Brother Xiao, you can ask your niece to come out and take a look."

"She's out."

At the hatch, Yin Yue appeared and slowly walked to the deck. When she saw the magnificent Thousand Machine City in front of her, she kept looking at the city, but her expression did not change much.

Seeing this, Li Qin completely believed Lin Chen's words. It seemed that Xiao Yan's niece did indeed have some personality issues. No normal child could remain so calm upon seeing Qianji City.

……

Fifteen minutes later, the airship found a landing point on a huge floating platform near the edge of the city. This platform itself was an airport, where all kinds of airships were docked. Runes were engraved on the crystals on the edge of the platform, which precisely matched the runes on the airship. With a slight vibration, the airship came to a steady stop.

"Brother Xiao, Thousand Machine City is divided into three upper levels, three hundred middle levels, and three thousand lower levels!"

After leaving the platform, Li Qin introduced the situation of Qianji City to Lin Chen. There are three places at the very top of the entire Qianji City.

These are the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, which hosts the weapon-refining competition; the Thousand Machine Tower, which powers the entire giant city; and the Thousand Machine Sect, the overlord of the Thousand Machine Domain.

The Middle Three Hundred... refers to the residences of various major forces in Thousand Machine City and the entire Thousand Machine Domain, such as the Li family, which is one of the Middle Three Hundred.

The number three hundred is fixed and has never changed since the construction of Thousand Machine City. However, these three hundred forces have changed hands many times. To secure one of the three hundred seats in Thousand Machine City, one cannot decline. Once one declines, one will be stripped of their residency qualification.

"Qianji City is vast, and living here is not easy!"

Lin Chen whispered something, and Li Qin, who was leading the way, nodded in agreement: "Brother Xiao's words are very apt. Outsiders only see the glory of our Li family and other forces, but they don't know that in order to maintain our position among the top three in the city, the family has never dared to relax in the slightest."

"Brother Xiao, we have arrived at the Li family residence!"

Li Qin led Lin Chen to land on a platform. From a distance, it was only a platform about a hundred feet in size, but after passing through the array on the platform, a region of several thousand miles came into view.

In this area, pavilions and towers are everywhere, and houses and streets are all available, making it the size of a small town.

"Miss Li, does this all belong to your Li family?"

"Ah."

Li Qin nodded. Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Since the Li family's territory was equivalent to a small city, then the other two hundred families were the same. This meant that a Thousand Machine City contained three hundred small cities, not even counting the Thousand Machine Sect's territory.

Of course, there are also the three thousand streets below and countless markets and hamlets...

"Rumors have it that Thousand Machine City in the Thousand Machine Domain is as powerful as the entire domain. Today, I have truly witnessed it."

Lin Chen sighed. The jade slip given to him by his master contained a description of Thousand Machine City, but knowledge gained from books is never enough. Seeing it with his own eyes, he was once again awestruck.

"You must be tired from your journey, Brother Xiao, why don't you go and rest first?"

"it is good."

Lin Chen nodded, and Li Qin personally led Lin Chen and Yin Yue to a guest courtyard in the Li family.

“Our Li Family Guest House also has an array, just like the Thousand Machine Tower. Both were made by the Thousand Machine Sect, so Brother Xiao can stay here with peace of mind.”

After leaving these words and instructing the servants, Li Qin took her leave, and Lin Chen and Yin Yue entered the courtyard.

"What did she mean by her last sentence?" Lin Chen asked Yin Yue curiously.

"She meant that we don't have to worry about being spied on by the Li family's experts if we speak here."

Yin Yue provided the answer. Lin Chen glanced around and probably understood why the Li family had arranged an array in the guest courtyard. Anyone who could become a guest of honor in the Li family must at least be a Xiantian expert.

Which cultivator doesn't have their own secrets? If staying in the Li family's guest courtyard means everything is exposed to the divine senses of the Li family's powerful members, then it's better to live outside.

"This Thousand Machine City has truly impressed me."

"The Thousand Machine Domain is undoubtedly the largest domain of the Yan Dynasty, and Thousand Machine City is also one of the earliest mega-cities established by the Yan Dynasty."

Yin Yue knew that Lin Chen's purpose in saying this was nothing more than wanting to know some secrets about Qianji City from her.

"The founder of the Thousand Machines Sect was second only to the one of the Yan Dynasty. After that one condensed the divine seal, the founder of the Thousand Machines Sect could no longer reach the divine level. However, there are rumors that that one's divine soul also reached the divine level, but these are just rumors. Our ancestors did not reach a conclusion on the specifics."

"His divine soul has reached the god level?"

Lin Chen was somewhat shocked. No wonder the Thousand Machine Domain was so vast. He now knew that there could only be one god-level expert. It seemed that it wasn't that the founder of the Thousand Machine Sect couldn't break through to the god level, but that someone else had taken the lead.

"After the Yan Emperor Dynasty reached the God level, the one from the Thousand Machines Sect came to the Thousand Machines Domain, created the Thousand Machines Sect and built the Thousand Machines City. Our ancestors once speculated that the one from the Thousand Machines Sect wanted to enter the God level in an alternative way, but obviously failed."

Upon hearing Yin Yue's words, Lin Chen's pupils shrank: "Are you saying that the founder of the Thousand Machines Sect created the Thousand Machines Sect and built the Thousand Machines City in order to find an alternative path to godhood?"

"Hmm." Yin Yue nodded: "The birth of a god-level expert is a tragedy for some top geniuses, because it means that they can no longer step into the god level. But how could these amazingly talented experts be willing to accept this? The expert on Canglan Island was like that, and so was the founder of the Thousand Machines Sect. It's just a pity... that no one has been able to succeed until now."

At this point, Yin Yue suddenly asked Lin Chen, "If one day you find that your path forward is blocked, are you willing to accept that fact?"

"The road ahead is blocked?" Lin Chen asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says: the upper limit of martial arts cultivation has been locked."

Hearing Yin Yue's explanation, Lin Chen understood what she meant and smiled, "You really think highly of me. Do you think I'm qualified to compete for godhood?"

"It's just a question; if you don't want to answer, then forget it."

After saying that, Yin Yue walked into the house. Lin Chen pondered for a while before replying, "There's always a way out."

Yin Yue, who was just stepping across the threshold, paused, but said nothing more.

……

……

During his stay at the Li family's guest courtyard, Lin Chen continued to study the Divine Soul Cultivation Technique while also beginning to experience the wonders of his evolved Immortal Technique.

At this moment, his panel changed again.

[Host: Lin Chen]

[Realm Level: Innate Second Realm]

[Innate Technique: Immortal Art] (Can be evolved)
[Soul: Level 10]

[Comprehension: Level 7]

[Martial Soul: The Bright Moon Rising Over the Sea]

[Immortal Body: Dual]

The Immortal Body has entered the second stage, but the Immortal Technique still shows that it can evolve.

In the courtyard, Lin Chen was enveloped in a faint golden glow, but upon closer inspection, one could see that this golden glow was actually pulsating, resembling flames rather than pure light.

No golden wings appeared behind him, yet his speed was ten times faster than before.

Within his body, the innate liquid in his dantian surged like a tide, but the moment his mind stirred, it was like a raging torrent, its powerful aura and vitality like a great sun, making it impossible to look directly at him.

After a long while, Lin Chen closed his eyes. The next moment, the instant he opened them, two beams of eerie blue light shot out. The difference this time was that these two extremely eerie blue beams of light did not move in a straight line, but rather pulsated forward...

It connects to the celestial ruins above, reflecting the constellations of the heavens as the eyes of the vast ocean!
This is a sentence that Lin Chen saw when he comprehended the Canglan Technique.

The Azure Eyes, like the flickering stars, always conceal themselves for the sake of future light...

call out!
Two beams of eerie blue light shot out from Lin Chen's eyes, disappearing and reappearing several times. To outsiders, they appeared to be pulsating, but Lin Chen knew that these two beams had never disappeared; they had simply materialized into divine souls...

The soul is invisible to the naked eye!
The moment the two beams of light shot out, the vast cosmos within Lin Chen also flickered with them. The stars dimmed for a fleeting moment, the beams disappeared, and when the stars shone again, the light reappeared…

As for its power...

Although it hasn't been verified, Lin Chen is confident that it will far surpass the original Azure Eye.

……

While Lin Chen was in the courtyard studying the wonders of the Immortal Technique, Li Qin and several others were arguing in the main hall of the Li family.

"Little sister, you're wasting your spot. You didn't even have the identity of an alchemist before. So what if you have innate fire? There are no fewer than fifty people with innate fire in the final competition. Innate fire is nothing special."

"The second brother invited Yuan Shengyao this time. He was among the top 500 in the last competition. Now, five years later, his alchemy skills are only higher. Isn't he stronger than Xiao Yan?"

Li Qin listened to her cousins' words without any change in expression. The Li family had to compete with other families externally, and their various branches also had to compete internally. This was the reason why the family could prosper for so long, but in the end, it was the elders who could decide the number of spots.

"Xiao Qin, what do you say?"

Upon hearing the question from the elder, Li Qin replied, "Third Elder, I will only occupy two spots, and the compensation offered will be the lowest."

"Hmph, does our Li family care about low rewards? What we want is to be in the top 100 in the ranking competition. Don't you know how much damage it will do to our clan if we don't make it into the top 100?"

"Does Second Brother really have the confidence that Yuan Shengyao can make it into the top 100? If Second Brother can guarantee that, I can give up my spot."

Li Qin stared intently at the young man who had spoken earlier. Upon hearing this, the young man's expression changed drastically, and he retorted, "Can you really guarantee that?"

“I can’t guarantee that, but according to the rules, I have two spots. If you want to take one spot, you’ll have to give me a reason that I can accept.”

Li Kai's expression turned cold. He naturally couldn't guarantee that Yuan Shengyao's alchemy skills were not bad. However, this was the final competition, and every sub-competition brought together alchemists from the entire Thousand Machine Domain and other domains. Although the age limit was set at fifty, with such a large pool of participants, those who could enter the top 100 were all top-notch alchemists.

"Elder, I am doing this for the sake of the family; there is no personal motive involved."

Unable to obtain a spot from Li Qin, he left and looked directly at the five elders at the head of the table.

The five elders exchanged glances, and one of them slowly said, "Our clan has already used four spots in alchemy this time, and we can't give out any more. However, since you two are confident, let Xiao Yan and Yuan Shengyao have a competition, and whoever wins will get the spot."

"Elder, this will make Xiao Yan feel that our Li family is looking down on him."

Li Qin's expression changed. Alchemists are all proud, especially those who are confident in their alchemy skills.

"If Xiao Yan wins, my Li family will give him some resources as compensation. As for these resources, Li Kai, you will provide them. Make sure Xiao Yan is satisfied."

Li Kai, who had been smiling, froze instantly upon hearing this. He knew he would have to compensate Xiao Yan and make him happy, which would likely cost him a fortune.

"Don't you have confidence in Yuan Shengyao? What else are you worried about?"

Faced with the elders' cold gazes, Li Kaixin felt a chill. The elders didn't care about the struggles among these younger generations, but the struggles had to be genuine for the benefit of the family, not for suppressing rivals.

"I...I do."

“Very good. Li Qin, you should explain this matter clearly to Xiao Yan. Even if he loses, my Li family will give him five thousand Yan coins as compensation.”

Five thousand Flame Coins?

Li Qin was taken aback. The elder was being so generous?
Seeing Li Qin's puzzled look, Third Elder Li He smiled slightly: "Although Xiao Yan has hidden his strength, he cannot hide it from our eyes. He is not at the second level of the Innate Realm, but at the third level of the Innate Realm."

If it's the second level of the Innate Realm, a thousand Flame Coins would suffice.

However, for those at the Innate Third Realm, a thousand Flame Coins would be an insult.

In the six realms of the innate system, each advancement in a realm represents a leap in status.

(End of this chapter)