Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 506 Lin Chen: I'm still too shallow

The moment the aroma of medicine wafted from Yuan Shengyao's incense burner, the entire Li family present believed that Yuan Shengyao was destined to win.

Xiao Yan probably knew he was no match for him, so he simply didn't make a move.

Although it's not entirely logically clear, if they weren't going to fight, why did they agree to the duel in the first place?

But they really couldn't figure out how Lin Chen could win when he was behind Yuan Shengyao by a batch of ten pills.

Twenty pills can be refined in one batch?

This is a Profound Soul Pill, not some unknown low-grade pill.

The medicinal properties of the ingredients in the Xuanpo Pill are strong and domineering. The more ingredients there are, the more difficult it is to control. Unless one reaches the master level, very few people can make more than ten pills in one batch.

Yuan Shengyao's ability to refine ten pills in one batch is already top-tier.

But when Lin Chen actually took action, the Li family members were dumbfounded.

Without a furnace, Lin Chen snapped his fingers, and a wisp of flame appeared between his fingers, then floated in the air and spread continuously, eventually expanding into the shape of a furnace.

Transform the primordial fire into a furnace!
The Li family members exclaimed in surprise. They had seen alchemists with innate fire before, and the fourth elder of the clan was a master-level alchemist with innate fire, but they had never seen anyone use innate fire directly as a furnace.

"Fourth, what do you think?"

In the main hall of the Li family, the eyes of the other elders were all on the Fourth Elder, Li Hong, as he was the only one who had the right to speak.

"If this child can truly succeed in refining the Profound Soul Pill using only innate fire, then he will undoubtedly be among the top fifty in this alchemy competition."

Li Hong gave his assessment, but everything still depends on Xiao Yan's results—whether he's truly confident or just trying to attract attention.

The furnace, formed from primordial fire, drew the attention of everyone present, and the entire scene fell silent.

"go with!"

Lin Chen raised his right hand, and the medicinal herbs placed to the side flew up and directly into the flames. The amount of the herbs was more than twice that of Yuan Shengyao's.

Lin Chen waited until Yuan Shengyao had finished refining a batch of pills before taking action. This wasn't to play the "building up the fire" game or to show off, but rather because he wanted to observe Yuan Shengyao's pill-refining process to determine the most accurate ratio of medicinal ingredients.

With his divine sense, he could clearly perceive the changes in the medicinal herbs in Yuan Shengyao's alchemy furnace.

This is called learning from the barbarians' superior techniques to control them!
"Refining!"

As the medicinal herbs were placed into the furnace, Lin Chen's hands moved, causing the entire furnace to shrink continuously, tumbling and changing with his gestures. One breath, two breaths...

Everyone's gaze kept shifting between Lin Chen and the innate fire that had transformed into a ball in front of him. Yuan Shengyao stood aside with a solemn expression, even stopping the refining of the next batch.

There's no need for that. If Xiao Yan succeeds, then even if he refines another batch, he will still lose. If Xiao Yan fails, then he has already won this battle.

Li Kai was in the worst mood at this moment, but he still had to force a look of anticipation on his face because he knew that this competition would definitely be watched by the elders' divine senses, especially after Xiao Yan used this method to refine pills.

From the perspective of the Li family's interests, if Xiao Yan succeeds in refining the pills, it means that Xiao Yan has a high level of alchemy skills, and the higher Xiao Yan's alchemy skills are, the greater the benefits will be for the Li family.

If he were to wear a bitter expression at this moment, hoping for Xiao Yan's failure and being detected by the elders' divine senses, he would definitely face punishment from the elders.

Li Qin's eyes sparkled. Her firm choice of Xiao Yan stemmed from an intuition. After learning from Manager Li that Xiao Yan had won first place and after personally meeting him, she felt that Xiao Yan was no ordinary alchemist.

The conditions proposed by Xiao Yan, as well as the events that occurred in the Hidden Fire Tower afterward, all convinced her of this.

And the scene before her eyes was the best proof that her intuition was right!

Half an hour later, with Lin Chen's command to "withdraw," the innate fire dissipated into nothingness, and twenty Xuanpo Pills floated quietly in the air, each one emitting a rich medicinal fragrance that whetted the appetite of those who smelled it.

This stems from the soul's instinctive craving for that elixir!

Many members of the Li family couldn't help but swallow hard, but their eyes were fixed on the figure in front of them. To refine pills without a furnace, and even a high-level pill like the Xuanpo Pill, was something they had never seen before.

The scene remained silent.

Feeling all eyes on him, Lin Chen smiled slightly and looked at Li Qin: "I have fulfilled my mission."

"Thank you, Master Xiao."

At this moment, Li Qin changed how she addressed Lin Chen. Li Kai addressed Yuan Shengyao as "Master Yuan" via telepathy, because only a master could be called "Master".

Li Kai privately addressed Yuan Shengyao as "Master Yuan" in a telepathic message, which was a sign of flattery and obsequiousness. However, if he said it in public, it would be a mockery of Yuan Shengyao.

Being called a master without master-level skills is something that will invite ridicule.

But no one at the scene laughed when Li Qin called him "Master Xiao". In the eyes of the Li family, it was only a matter of time before Xiao Yan became a master alchemist.

Hearing Li Qin's change in address, Lin Chen smiled and said, "Let's go."

Li Qin nodded and left with Lin Chen. Neither of them asked Yuan Shengyao whether he had lost.

Because there's no need for it!

The Li family members all watched Lin Chen leave with respectful expressions, their faces beaming with excitement. Today, they had not only witnessed an unprecedented alchemy competition, but were also filled with confidence for the upcoming alchemy tournament.

"No one is allowed to spread this matter."

Just as many clansmen were thinking about telling their loved ones what they had seen that day, a majestic voice rang out.

The figure of the Third Elder, Li He, appeared in front of the building. Li He glanced at Yuan Shengyao, who looked somewhat lost. Yuan Shengyao's alchemy skills were not low; it could only be said that he had encountered an even stronger Xiao Yan.

"Let's take the guests to rest."

Li He instructed Li Kai that the events that occurred here should not be disclosed to outsiders before the end of the final competition, so as to prevent anyone from targeting Xiao Yan.

……

……

"Fourth Elder!"

On the other side, Li Qin, who was leading Lin Chen to the guest courtyard, suddenly stopped when she saw the old man in front of her and quickly bowed respectfully.

The Fourth Elder is the family's only master-level alchemist, and his status is second only to the First Elder among the many elders. However, Li Qin knows in her heart that this Fourth Elder is here for Xiao Yan.

"Since you have been a guest of my Li family, we have been quite negligent in our hospitality these past few days. On behalf of the Li family, I apologize to you."

"You're too kind, senior. The Li family has always taken good care of me; I've never been neglected."

Lin Chen returned the greeting, as it was not inappropriate to address a master alchemist at the fifth level of the Innate Realm as a senior.

"I have prepared fragrant tea in the courtyard. If you have some free time, you may join me for a cup of tea."

"it is good."

……

The courtyard of Li Hong was filled with the fragrance of herbs.

The entire courtyard was filled with flowerbeds planted with many precious medicinal herbs, and in the pavilion by the lake, Li Qin was responsible for pouring tea.

"To be honest, when Qin'er reported it, you proposed the condition of entering the top ten in the final competition. I didn't take it to heart. I underestimated you. I'll offer you tea instead of wine to apologize."

“Senior, there’s no need for that. I’m just an unknown person, and no one would believe me. If the Li family were so easily convinced, I would have to reconsider whether I should continue to cooperate with them.”

Upon hearing Lin Chen's words, Li Hong was taken aback, but then burst into laughter: "What you say makes sense."

An unknown person, who only won first place in the semi-finals, claimed that he could enter the top ten in the finals. If the Li family believed him so easily and agreed so readily, there is only one possibility: the Li family did not intend to actually fulfill their promise, which is why they agreed so readily.

"On behalf of the Li family, I solemnly promise you that if you can enter the top ten, we will prepare three top-notch soul cultivation techniques for you, and you can choose two of them."

"Thank you."

Lin Chen nodded. Having another top-tier cultivation technique to choose from was a good thing for him.

"There is something I am quite curious about, but it is alright if you find it inconvenient to answer."

Li Hong looked at Lin Chen with a smile, and after obtaining Lin Chen's consent, asked, "I would like to know how long you have been refining pills."

Normally, an alchemist will undergo a rating and star assessment after reaching a certain level. This is not only a testament to their alchemy skills, but also a means to receive support from the Alchemy Guild once they are rated.

Elixir prescriptions, medicinal herbs, alchemy notes...

There are additional rewards for advancing within a certain number of years...

Unless they are from a family of alchemists who look down on the meager rewards from the Alchemist Guild, it is clear, based on what the Li family knows, that Xiao Yan does not come from a family of alchemists.

Xiao Yan's behavior does not conform to the style of alchemy families, and there are no alchemy families with the surname Xiao in the Thousand Machine Domain, including the Yan Dynasty.

Hearing Li Hong's question, Lin Chen smiled and said after a while, "To be honest, I only started learning alchemy after I refined the innate fire."

Lin Chen's answer made Li Qin pause in her tea-serving hand, while Li Hong's eyes gleamed. Just as he had thought, with Xiao Yan's alchemy skills, it was impossible for him to remain unknown, unless he had only recently started practicing alchemy.

"This is the innate fire that I, Xiao, refined three years ago."

Before Li Hong could ask any further questions, Lin Chen added another sentence.

three years?

Li Qin's hand trembled slightly this time. How could she have reached this level in just three years?
"Oh, Brother Xiao, you're late with your alchemy."

Li Hong suddenly sighed, his tone filled with regret, and changed his address from "Your Excellency" to "Brother".

"I have seen alchemists who possess innate fire before. Those alchemists have been refining pills for decades before obtaining innate fire, and their alchemy skills are still only so-so. But Brother Xiao, you were able to do it in just three years. This is not just due to the innate fire. If I am not mistaken, Brother Xiao, you have extremely high talent in alchemy. If you had come into contact with alchemy earlier, you would probably be a master by now."

This was the first time Li Hong had placed Lin Chen on the same level as him. In his opinion, Xiao Yan had reached the level of a four-star alchemist in just three years, and would probably reach the master level in less than ten years.

As for martial arts realm, if Xiao Yan is willing, there are plenty of forces willing to extend an olive branch and provide him with enough resources to break through to the fourth level of the Innate Realm.

The benefits brought by a master alchemist far outweigh the costs incurred.

After Li Hong and Lin Chen finished their tea, they took their leave. Li Qin personally escorted them back to the guest courtyard and then returned to Li Hong's courtyard.

"Fourth Elder."

"Qin'er, when there are no outsiders, you can call me Fourth Uncle."

Li Hong smiled at Li Qin: "The Xiao Yan you found this time is quite good. The clan will make a record of it for you. Do you know anything about Xiao Yan's background?"

"Qin'er didn't know, nor did she ask in detail."

Li Qin shook her head. Since Xiao Yan didn't say anything, she didn't want to press him for details. For the Li family, what mattered was that Xiao Yan participated in the final competition and achieved a ranking. As for Xiao Yan's background, it had little to do with the Li family.

The Thousand Machines Sect doesn't investigate the identities of every contestant participating in the final competition. As long as someone is skilled in weapon crafting and can pass the semi-finals, they can participate. Even if someone is a serial killer, it won't affect their ranking.

"Xiao Yan should be just over forty. How old is Qin'er this year?"

Li Qin looked up at the Fourth Elder, understanding the meaning behind his words...

"Although Xiao Yan started practicing alchemy a bit late, his talent is undeniable. Giving him a dozen or so years to become an alchemy master is no problem. An alchemy master in his fifties... also has a promising future."

Li Hong gave Li Qin a meaningful look. In terms of age, Xiao Yan was more than ten years older than Li Qin, but this age gap was nothing for martial artists. There were many cases of older men marrying younger women, except that in most cases the woman's family was slightly poorer.

"Qin'er understands."

Li Qin nodded. She understood what the Fourth Elder meant; he wanted her to keep Xiao Yan tied to him.

How to tie it up?

The answer is self-evident.

Li Qin walked out of the courtyard, head bowed in thought. As a member of the Li family, she didn't have much autonomy in matters of marriage; most marriages were arranged by the family.

Rather than waiting for her family to arrange a marriage, marrying Xiao Yan doesn't seem like an unacceptable option.

Wait a minute, Xiao Yan already has a niece, what if he already has a wife?

Li Qin's thoughts became jumbled until a voice interrupted her.

"Little sister!"

Li Qin looked up and saw Li Kai standing in front of her with a fawning smile.

Upon seeing Li Kai, Li Qin recalled the elders' words: if Xiao Yan won, Li Kai would have to apologize to Xiao Yan, and the apology would have to satisfy Xiao Yan.

"What is it, Second Brother?"

Li Qin feigned confusion, but Li Kai cursed inwardly, telling her not to pretend to be confused.

But when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. If Xiao Yan had only slightly outmaneuvered Yuan Shengyao, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But he completely crushed Yuan Shengyao, and even the elders personally intervened. If he couldn't satisfy Xiao Yan, the elders would definitely punish him severely. All the family businesses he was in charge of would be taken back. Without those businesses, he would be no different from any other ordinary junior member of the Li family.

The Li family has many members, with hundreds in their generation alone. Once they become ordinary members of the family, their martial arts realm will only be able to remain at the second level of the Innate Realm for the rest of their lives.

“Little sister, I was confused before. I hope you can put in a good word for me with Master Xiao. This is the apology I prepared.”

Li Kai took out two storage boxes and handed them to Li Qin: "This one is for Master Xiao, and this one is for you, little sister."

"Give me?"

Li Qin didn't expect Li Kai to have prepared something for her. When she saw the strange look in Li Kai's eyes, she immediately understood that Li Kai probably thought she and Xiao Yan had a special relationship.

Indeed, given Xiao Yan's demonstrated alchemy skills, it was enough for the elders to personally come and invite him. I am just a junior, how could I possibly invite Xiao Yan?

Li Kai thought this way, and he figured the Fourth Elder thought the same way.

"I will give it to Master Xiao, but I can't guarantee anything. Also, you should take this storage box back."

"I'm very grateful that you spoke up for me, little sister. These are all worthless items, so please don't be so polite. I'll be going now. Please call me anytime if you have any news."

Li Kai naturally wouldn't take it back, and Li Qin didn't waste time arguing with him either. Whether or not she would accept the apology depended on Xiao Yan.

……

"apologize?"

"Yes, this is Li Kai's apology to Master Xiao. Li Kai also prepared one for me."

Lin Chen looked at the storage box that Li Qin handed over and took it, saying, "Okay."

Seeing Lin Chen's straightforwardness, Li Qin was also taken aback. He forgave Li Kai so easily?
Could it be because Li Kai also prepared a storage box for her? Thinking of this, Li Qin's pretty face turned slightly red.

"Is there anything else, Miss Li?"

Seeing Li Qin standing to the side without saying a word, and with her face flushed, Lin Chen was a little puzzled. Could it be that she had some unspeakable secret that she couldn't tell him?
"No...it's nothing. I just didn't expect you, Master Xiao, to let Li Kai off so easily."

Hearing Li Qin's question, Lin Chen smiled and said, "This competition didn't cost me anything. I even gained twenty Xuanpo Pills and now I'm receiving an apology gift. What more could I ask for? If every competition brought such benefits, I would be more eager for more people to question me."

"Is that why?"

Li Qin subconsciously asked a follow-up question.

"Hmm, what else could it be, Miss Li?"

Seeing Lin Chen looking at her, Li Qin blushed even more and quickly shook her head: "No...no, then I'll reply to Li Kai."

"it is good."

Lin Chen nodded, then watched Li Qin leave with a flushed face and somewhat hurried steps, and said softly, "Is something on Miss Li's mind?"

"You do not know?"

Yin Yue, who had been indoors, came out. Lin Chen asked in confusion, "What should I know?"

"Given your talent in alchemy, the Li family will undoubtedly value you highly and will try every means to win you over. What is a more reliable way to win you over and make you their son-in-law?"

Lin Chen: ...

"It's perfectly normal for large families to arrange marriages between women from their own family and men with potential."

Looking at Yin Yue's calm face, Lin Chen shook his head helplessly. He knew that big families would choose to marry some promising geniuses, but the key was that he was already close to fifty years old, while Li Qin was only in her twenties, more than twenty years apart.

If word gets out that Li Qin is going to marry him, won't the Li family lose face?
That's why he didn't think about it.

It seems I was too shallow and didn't understand these big families.

(End of this chapter)