Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 507 The Noble Young Master Dongfang Canglang

With the weapon-refining competition approaching, Thousand Machine City was bustling with activity.

The weapon-refining competition, held every five years, is not only the most influential weapon-refining competition in the Thousand Machine Domain, but also a grand event in the Yan Dynasty.

Warriors from other regions of the Yan Dynasty also flocked to this place from the Thousand Machine Domain.

For martial artists from other regions, those who emerge in each weapon-refining competition are future weapon-refining masters. It's good to make friends in advance so that you can have something to talk to in the future if you need weapon-refining skills.

Master-level weapon refiners cannot be hired simply by having money. Not only do you need to prepare enough money, but you also need to have connections, and you may even have to wait in line, especially in the field of weapon forging, where sometimes it is normal to wait for several years.

The rules for the final competition are different from those of other cities. In Hundred Refinement City, all events are held simultaneously, but in the final competition, one event is completed before the next event begins.

The first event of the grand competition is forging!
"Forging, a man's speed bump."

After learning about the final competition schedule, Lin Chen, accompanied by Li Qin, went to the competition venue.

The Heavenly Craft Pavilion in Thousand Machine City can accommodate a million people. Lin Chen followed Li Qin into the venue and couldn't help but sigh when he saw the thousands of furnaces below.

The contestants below are all muscular men.

"What a pity, if only a Damascus steel sword could have been forged from this..."

"A Damascus steel sword? Brother Xiao, are you referring to some kind of special spiritual weapon?"

Li Qin looked at Lin Chen with curious eyes as she listened to his words. Lin Chen shook his head: "The Damascus knife is just a knife forged by an ordinary blacksmith shop in my hometown. When I was young, it was quite remarkable for a village to have a Damascus knife."

Yin Yue, standing to the side, pursed her lips. She was now used to Lin Chen talking about his "hometown" all the time, but that hometown was different from the Poyang County she knew.

Li Qin listened thoughtfully, recalling the ordinary blacksmith shop and the village...

It seems that Xiao Yan did not come from a good background, but for a martial artist from a poor background to be able to cultivate to the third level of the Innate Realm and also have such high alchemy skills, it proves how amazing Xiao Yan's talent is.

Soon, as the referee on the stage announced the start of the competition, thousands of muscular men below began to forge their weapons, sparks flying everywhere. At the same time, Lin Chen noticed that the flames of many of the furnaces were different from ordinary flames.

"Innate Fire?"

"Although innate fire is rare, with a large enough base, there will always be some lucky ones. In every competition, the number of blacksmiths and alchemists who possess innate fire is about the same."

Li Qin explained the forging competition to Lin Chen, and by comparing it with previous competitions, she made it less boring for Lin Chen.

The rules for the first round of the forging competition were simple: forge a weapon that can be used by a martial artist at the Innate Realm, and the weapon must also be able to withstand a full-force attack from a martial artist at the Innate Realm. The top 100 will be selected in the shortest time.

"For the blacksmiths present, forging a weapon for a martial artist in the Innate Realm is not difficult; the difficulty lies in completing it in less time than others."

"Ah."

Lin Chen nodded. Those who made it this far all had real skills. For them, forging weapons was not difficult; the difficulty lay in being faster than others.

In just one hour, he saw that many blacksmiths below had already finished forging their items, and the judges of the competition conducted tests on the spot after the contestants finished forging their items.

This is a test of the mentality of the other contestants, especially when there are only a few spots left. Many contestants are inevitably anxious, and several of them have lost their temper. This is because they did not control their temper well.

Two hours later, the top 100 spots were completely filled. Lin Chen saw that many people had not yet finished, and when he saw that the spots were full, he gave up on forging.

"So Yuan Shengyao was in the top 500 of the last alchemy competition, right?"

"Um"

"This ranking seems a bit inflated."

Lin Chen's lips twitched. Only the top 100 in the competition were ranked, and the rankings after that were done privately. It wasn't stipulated that only the top 500 would be ranked. Based on this, Yuan Shengyao's ranking should be 450 or lower.

If it's 450 or higher, then it should be said that it's close to the top 400.

If it's in the 300s or 200s, then we'd say it's in the top 400 or top 300...

Of the 450 people who finished alchemy, we have to exclude many alchemists who, like the blacksmiths around us, gave up when they had no chance of making it into the top 100. Their real ranking is probably over 600.

"What number is Yuan Shengyao in the four hundred?" Lin Chen finally asked out of curiosity.

Li Qin replied quietly, "Four hundred and ninety-three."

Lin Chen: ...

Yin Yue, standing to the side: ...

Lin Chen was speechless. He had overestimated Yuan Shengyao. With this ranking, his true level in the previous competition would probably not have even made it into the top 700.

……

……

In the arena below, with the elimination of the contestants, only one hundred contestants remained in a short time.

"Next is the round of 100 to 10, which will be held tomorrow. Then it will be the round of 10 to 3, and finally the round of 11 to 10 ...

With the top 100 determined, today's competition is over. Lin Chen didn't stay here any longer. Others wanted to remember the names and identities of these 100 people, but it wasn't necessary for Lin Chen.

"I won't be coming for the next few days; I'll stay in the alchemy building."

The first round of the forging competition also served as a reminder to Lin Chen not to underestimate anyone. With his innate fire, he was second to none in controlling pill refining, but there was still a gap in understanding the principles of pill making.

You might pass the first round of the preliminary rounds, but the subsequent rounds, from 100 to 10 and from 10 to 3... are definitely not just about pursuing speed.

If one only pursues speed, the results of the weapon refining competition will not be recognized by all weapon refiners, even if the Thousand Machines Sect is backing them up.

In actual weapon crafting, employers never have time requirements; being a day earlier or later doesn't matter.

The Li family's alchemy building contains many alchemy notes and insights, as well as various elixir recipes. The Li family granted him the permission to freely browse through the alchemy building in order to befriend him, but this also happens to make up for his current shortcomings.

……

……

The Thousand Machine Sect.

A bell rang out, three times in a row.

"A distinguished guest has arrived from the sect?"

Zeng Xi was surprised when he heard the bell. It was the welcoming bell of their Thousand Machines Sect. Three rings meant that the visitor was of extremely noble status. Since he joined the sect, he had only heard it once, and that time it was said that the Crown Prince of the Yan Dynasty had come in person.

Although the Yan Dynasty will not interfere in the affairs of various regions, it is still the ruler of the world. As the crown prince of the royal family, he deserves to be treated as an honored guest.

Could it be that the Crown Prince is here again? Or perhaps the sect leader of a certain sect is coming in person? As for why it's not a powerful expert at the Myriad Manifestations Realm, it's because if it were, the sect's supreme elder would receive them, and there wouldn't be any bells ringing.

The experts at the Myriad Manifestations Realm in the Yan Dynasty are extremely low-key and only speak with other experts at the Myriad Manifestations Realm.

"The flying boat actually entered the airspace directly above the sect!"

While Zeng Xi was pondering, other senior brothers exclaimed in surprise. Zeng Xi looked up at the flying boat passing overhead, his face also showing disbelief.

Even distinguished guests would never dare to fly directly over the Thousand Machines Sect in a flying boat; it's a matter of face for a super sect.

"Just who is this distinguished guest who has arrived, that the sect would make such an exception for them?"

While Zeng Xi was puzzled, a young woman on the flying boat snorted, "Young master, the Thousand Machines Sect only made three sounds, which is far too disrespectful to you."

“Three times. Back when the Crown Prince of the Yan Dynasty came to the Thousand Machine Sect, he also thought of three times. I, this young master, cannot surpass that Crown Prince, that would be overstepping my bounds.”

"But young master..."

The young man sitting in the cabin raised his hand to stop the woman from continuing, and at that moment the flying boat was descending towards the main hall below.

"Let's go."

The flying boat came to a stop, and Dongfang Canglang stepped out of the cabin. His dark robes remained motionless in the spiritual wind of the Thousand Machines Sect. Two white-haired elders of the Thousand Machines Sect stood smiling before the hall. The elder in the green robe at the head of the group cupped his hands and said:

"Young Master Dongfang has come from afar, which is an honor for our humble sect. I, Zhou Yan, am here to welcome you on the orders of our sect leader."

Dongfang Canglang nodded slightly, but his gaze swept over the two men’s shoulders and swept towards the main hall: “Elder Zhou Yan, you flatter me. Your sect has opened the door to convenience, allowing my flying boat to reach directly above the inner hall…” He curled his lips into a smile that was not quite a smile, “Such an exception makes Canglang feel flattered.”

"Young Master is joking."

Zhou Yan smiled but did not respond to Dongfang Canglang's words. It was not that their Qianji Sect had opened the door for them, but rather that this young master Dongfang had directly piloted his flying boat here, and the Qianji Sect simply did not stop him.

The two have different meanings.

"The sect leader has been waiting for you at the Heavenly Evolution Hall for quite some time. Please, young master!"

Zhou Yan gestured for him to enter. Dongfang Canglang chuckled, flicked his sleeves, and strode towards the main hall, followed quickly by a young man and woman.

Inside the Tianyan Hall, Xuan Jing, the sect master of the Qianji Sect, smiled as he looked at Dongfang Canglang who had entered.

"Dongfang Canglang greets Sect Master Xuanjing."

Facing the sect leader of the Thousand Machines Sect, Dongfang Canglang put aside his thoughts. Although the Thousand Machines Sect only gave him the same treatment as the crown prince of the Yan Dynasty, which made him very dissatisfied, he came to the Thousand Machines Sect this time because he needed their help.

"Young Master Dongfang, you're too kind. Please have a seat."

Dongfang Canglang sat down on a chair to the side, with two attendants standing behind him.

"Sect Master Xuanjing, Cang Lang has come to your sect this time with a request."

"Please speak, Young Master Dongfang."

Xuan Jing's expression remained unchanged. He had long anticipated that this person would not come to their Thousand Machines Sect unless there was a reason.

"I have come here just in time for the Thousand Machine Domain's weapon crafting competition. I would like to ask the Thousand Machine Sect for a spot in the competition."

"Spots for the competition?"

Xuanjing glanced at the young man standing behind Dongfang Canglang and immediately understood what was going on.

The weapon crafting competition is indeed a grand event in the Thousand Machine Domain, but it is held only once every five years. As the sect leader, he doesn't always pay attention to it unless a truly exceptional talent emerges.

"Medicine words."

Dongfang Canglang did not turn around, but the young man behind him walked to the center of the hall, clasped his hands and said, "Junior Jiang Yaoyan greets the sect leader."

Upon hearing the name of the young man, Xuanjing narrowed his old eyes: "Jiang Yaoyan, what is your relationship with Medicine King Valley?"

"This junior comes from Medicine King Valley and is the young master of Medicine King Valley this year. I heard that there is an alchemy competition in Thousand Machine Domain and came here to prepare for the competition. Unfortunately, I missed the quota competition. I hope that the sect master can give this junior a quota."

Jiang Yaoyan spoke slowly, but Xuan Jing did not respond immediately. The two elders of the Thousand Machines Sect, Zhou Yan and Xuan Jing, who followed in, were shocked when they heard Jiang Yaoyan's identity.

Although Medicine King Valley is not a super sect, it is still a first-class force. Most importantly, Medicine King Valley is famous for its alchemy and has many rare and precious materials. In the hearts of many alchemists, Medicine King Valley is the holy land of pills.

The Thousand Machines Sect is a sacred place in the hearts of all weapon refiners, but when it comes to alchemy alone, the Medicine King Valley is in no way inferior to the Thousand Machines Sect.

In the past, disciples from Medicine King Valley would occasionally participate in the alchemy competitions, and they would always rank among the top. However, those were just disciples of Medicine King Valley, while the young master of Medicine King Valley had no need to prove himself through the alchemy competition.

There's probably more to this story.

If Zhou Yan and the other two could think of this, then Xuan Jing, as the sect leader of the Thousand Machines Sect, was certainly aware that there was something fishy going on.

"Sect Master, with Yao Yan's status, getting a spot in the competition shouldn't be a problem, right?" Dongfang Canglang interjected when he saw Xuan Jing remain silent.

"It is perfectly acceptable for Jiang Shaogu to mainly participate in the alchemy competition."

Xuanjing eventually agreed, because he had no reason to refuse.

"Thank you, Master."

After Jiang Yaoyan thanked him, he retreated behind Dongfang Canglang, bowing his head and looking down like a servant.

"Sect Master, the Thousand Machines Sect takes it upon itself to improve the weapon-making skills of all weapon refiners in the world, and has always been deeply respected by martial artists. Pills are especially important to martial artists. I think that in order to encourage alchemists, we should increase the rewards for the alchemy competition."

When Dongfang Canglang spoke calmly, the expressions of the two elders, Zhou Yan and others, changed. They now understood the origins of this young master Dongfang.

First, they asked Jiang Yaoyan for a spot in the alchemy competition, and then they wanted to increase the rewards for alchemy. Their intentions were obvious.

Xuan Jing's expression remained unchanged: "What reward does Young Master Dongfang think should be given?"

"Everyone knows that there are two great divine arts in alchemy: the Taiyi Qingling Record of Medicine King Valley and your sect's Nine Revolutions Primordial Scripture. When I came here, I asked the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. Medicine King Valley is willing to give the opportunity to comprehend the Taiyi Qingling Record to encourage the first place winner of this competition. Why don't you also bring out the Nine Revolutions Primordial Scripture? In this way, this alchemy competition will surely shock the world and inspire all alchemists."

After speaking, Dongfang Canglang stared intently at Xuanjing, his eyes revealing a sharp edge: "Sect Master Xuanjing, what do you think?"

"can."

Xuan Jing readily agreed, but Dongfang Canglang frowned slightly, while Jiang Yaoyan, standing behind him, showed a look of joy.

He has already comprehended the "Taiyi Qingling Record". If he has the opportunity to comprehend the "Nine Revolutions Primordial Scripture", his path to the Myriad Manifestations Realm will be unobstructed, and he will be able to catch up with the ancestor of the Thousand Machines Sect in alchemy.

(End of this chapter)