Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 518 The finals begin

As Lin Chen finished speaking, the previously gray space underwent a tremendous change.

As the gray fog dissipated, the four sides of the Tower of Babel were revealed, and only now did Lin Chen realize that he was indeed inside the Tower of Babel.

[The real battle has begun! This level features one of the top 100 individuals in the history of the Yan Dynasty, representing the third level of the Innate Realm!]

The sound of the Martial Dao Seal rang out, and the next moment a arena appeared in front of Lin Chen, with a hundred figures materializing above it.

There was a burly giant covered in dragon scales, a swordsman in a blue robe whose sword intent soared to the sky, a giant shadow engulfed in flames, and an unruly swordsman carrying a long sword on his shoulder... Although they were all at the third level of the Innate Realm, each of them exuded a unique aura—these were the strongest peerless geniuses at the third level of the Innate Realm since the founding of the Yan Dynasty!

"Were the top 100 selected by the Divine Seal themselves?"

Lin Chen thought of Yin Yue's guess: the Tower of Babel evolved from the Divine Seal, and the Divine Seal represents the fortune of the entire Yan Dynasty, and it is not just as simple as fortune.

The Yan Dynasty has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, and to rank among the top 100 in those hundreds of thousands of years, each member must be an absolute genius of their time.

Three breaths later, Lin Chen heard the sound of a sword ringing out, and his whole body instantly broke out in goosebumps.

A chill ran through him, and the next moment he saw that all the other figures among the hundred had dispersed, leaving only the unruly swordsman with a long sword on his shoulder.

So strong!

Even before stepping onto the ring, Lin Chen felt immense pressure.

Even so, Lin Chen still flashed forward and shot towards the arena.

The moment he landed, his eyes were filled with a blade of light. He didn't even see how the other party made the move before a sharp pain shot through his chest. If his Immortal Body hadn't already reached the third level, he probably wouldn't have been able to withstand that attack.

However, before Lin Chen could retaliate, a second flash of light filled his vision.

The second course, the third course...

After three strikes, Lin Chen found himself below the arena, his body drenched in sweat. The swordsman on the arena had resumed his shoulder-mounted sword posture, as if he had never drawn his sword at all.

Lost!

This was the first time Lin Chen had faced a martial artist of the same level, and he was defeated without even having a chance to fight back.

If it weren't for the Tower of Babel here, and the divine seal's ability to prevent him from getting hurt, he would probably be a corpse by now.

A perfect level of sword will!
An impeccable swordsmanship!
This is the strength of the top 100 in the three realms of the Innate Realm over the past hundreds of thousands of years in the Yan Dynasty.

Lin Chen's confidence, which had just surged due to his breakthrough in strength, was instantly extinguished as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

With his immortal body and powerful soul, Lin Chen was confident that he could even fight against a fourth-level innate martial artist.

But this battle just now completely shattered the pride that had been growing in his heart.

Being able to fight across realms is nothing special; these hundred seniors could probably do it easily. On the path of martial arts... not to mention realms, even within the same realm, I am far from being truly invincible.

[Failed to clear the tower. Currently on the 30th floor. Temporarily ranked first on the Tower of Trials Ranking. Rewards will be given based on rankings once 100 people have cleared the tower!]

The sound of the Martial Dao Seal reached his ears, and the next moment Lin Chen saw a circle of light appear beneath his feet—the circle of light for leaving.

Lin Chen stared at the swordsman on the arena for a few moments before finally stepping into the circle of light.

……

In front of the Tower of Babel, when a beam of light landed on the circular platform, all the martial artists in the entire square did not look at the platform, but rather at the tip of the Tower of Babel.

The Heavenly Rankings have fallen.

[Lin Chen: Conquering the Tower to the Thirtieth Floor]

[Lu Zejia: Conquering the Tenth Floor of the Tower]

[Zuo Chuan: Conquering the Sixth Floor of the Tower]

When they saw Lin Chen's name at the top of the list, and the number of floors he had climbed, the scene fell silent instantly.

The ordinary innate third-level martial artists were shocked and incredulous, while the anonymous black-robed figures had their eyes fixed on the list.

Thirty floors!
This means that Lin Chen has reached the limit of the third level of the Innate Realm in both his physical body and his soul. In addition, with the unknown ten levels to come, Lin Chen has reached the limit in at least one other aspect as well.

How did he manage to do it in two years?

Seeing the silence on the scene, Lin Chen glanced at where Yin Yue was and nodded slightly. Then he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the senior brothers of the Canglan Sect below and said, "Senior brothers, I will take my leave now."

Hearing Lin Chen's words, the warriors of the Canglan Sect finally snapped out of their shock.

"Junior Brother Lin, you may withdraw if you have other matters to attend to."

After Lin Chen's figure disappeared in front of the Tower of Babel, the entire square erupted in an uproar the instant he vanished.

"Thirty floors... This... the Yan Dynasty is about to produce an unparalleled genius."

"It's only been two years in total. If Lin Chen is given enough time to grow, I'm afraid that in less than twenty years, there will be no one below the Myriad Manifestations Realm who can be his opponent?"

Reaching the thirtieth floor on his first attempt at the Tower of Babel was an achievement that defied everyone's expectations; it was a terrifying number that no one had dared to even dream of.

"I must report the good news to the sect!"

Xu Xia was extremely excited, and this time no one at the scene thought Xu Xia had done anything wrong. Not to mention the warriors of Canglan Sect who wanted to report the good news, even they were eager to leave here to tell their sect and the people around them about this shocking result.

The warriors of the Eight Desolations Sect no longer looked distressed; their mouths were agape, and fear was evident in their eyes…

When the gap became larger than they had imagined, the initial discomfort faded, replaced by fear...

……

……

Li Family Guest House.

The young man sitting in the courtyard also had a look of surprise on his face.

"We've actually passed the thirtieth floor..."

The young man's expression shifted constantly. If Lin Chen had only passed ten or even twenty floors, he would not have changed his original decision.

But the thirtieth floor...

"So Lin Chen is the variable in the divination?"

This was the first time the young man had hesitated; his decision could very well determine the future rise and fall of the Thousand Machines Sect.

If the weather changes, let nature take its course.

Finally, the young man uttered a word, and then his figure disappeared from the spot, along with the wine on the table, as if no one had ever been there.

……

……

Canglan Sect!
At this moment, the entire sect was immersed in excitement, and countless inner disciples were cheering, but the main hall fell into silence.

Lin Chen's potential was greater than anyone present had guessed.

"Sect Master, the most important thing right now is Lin Chen's safety."

Du Xiaofeng, as Lin Chen's mentor, no longer showed excitement, but rather anxiety and worry.

The war between the Eight Desolations Sect and the Canglan Sect was deterred by the visit of the Supreme Elder to the Eight Desolations Sect, preventing them from assassinating Canglan Sect disciples. The battle was decided on the battlefield. As for the Yama Palace, it had already been almost completely wiped out by the Canglan Sect. However, given the potential Lin Chen has displayed this time, the Eight Desolations Sect will likely spare no effort to eliminate him.

The most important thing right now is to get our disciples back to the sect safely.

"I will inform the Supreme Elder of this matter."

Ji Cangtian nodded. It was his martial uncle who sent Lin Chen to travel in the Yan Dynasty. In his martial uncle's words, a strong person cannot grow up under the protection of a sect; they must experience all kinds of life-and-death battles.

However, such life-or-death battles are more about the same realm, but right now the Eight Desolate Sect will definitely send elders at the fifth or even sixth level of the Innate Realm to hunt down Lin Chen.

Growing up through life and death is a completely different concept from dying.

……

……

Thousand Machine City.

"Young master, Lin Chen has not responded."

"Oh?"

Dongfang Canglang fiddled with his fingertips, casually raising his eyes: "How did you tell him?"

"Just now in front of that Tower of Babel, I sent him a telepathic message, informing him that the young master wanted to see him. I told him the young master's surname and that his status was extremely noble. Even the Supreme Elder of the Canglan Sect would treat him with respect. But Lin Chen did not respond at all."

Do you think Lin Chen knows anything about me?

The woman pondered for a while: "Given Lin Chen's background, he shouldn't know. Even if he is a disciple of the Canglan Sect, the sect wouldn't inform him of the existence of the young master if he hadn't reached the fifth level of the Innate Realm."

Dongfang Canglang smiled: "Ignorance is no excuse. Considering that he passed the thirtieth floor, if we meet again next time, I will give him another chance to follow me."

"The young master is kind and benevolent."

……

……

Li Family Guest House.

Lin Chen also came down from the martial arts seal, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

Just now, on the round altar, someone spoke to him, their words filled with arrogance.

Are you willing to give me a chance to follow him?
He himself is a super genius of the Canglan Sect, and he wants to follow someone else? How big is this so-called Young Master Dongfang's face?
Even the royal family probably wouldn't dare to make such a request.

Lin Chen completely ignored the person spouting nonsense. Now he needed to review the "Nine Fire Technique" again in preparation for tomorrow's alchemy competition.

……

……

Sleepless night!
next day!

The final of the Thousand Machine City Alchemy Competition has begun. All the martial artists in the city who are qualified to enter the competition rushed to the Heavenly Craft Pavilion as soon as possible. Those who did not have the opportunity to enter the competition began to sit in the various restaurants in Thousand Machine City. The managers of these restaurants were able to know the progress of the competition as soon as possible.

However, before the competition began, many martial artists were not talking about the alchemy competition.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, Lin Chen from the Canglan Sect entered the Martial Dao Seal and challenged the Tower of Babel, passing the thirtieth floor."

"Thirty floors? Really? Lu Zejia only has ten floors, right?"

"Of course it's true, and Lin Chen is already at the peak of the third realm of the Innate Realm. It's unbelievable. I really don't know how he cultivated."

Throughout the entire Thousand Machine City, all the martial artists were discussing only one thing: Lin Chen's outstanding performance at the Tower of Babel yesterday.

The weapon-refining competition hosted by the Thousand Machines Sect is indeed the grandest competition in the Thousand Machines Domain, but the Tower of Babel is something that all innate martial artists in the entire Yan Dynasty are paying attention to.

Because of what Lu Zejia's senior brother said, some secrets about the Tower of Babel also began to circulate.

Having passed through the thirtieth level, Lin Chen's physical body and soul had reached the limit of the third realm of the Innate Realm, making him truly invincible among the three realms of the Innate Realm.

Amazement, disbelief, envy, jealousy...

Various emotions emerged from the martial artists, even overshadowing the upcoming alchemy finals.

Listening to the discussions among his fellow disciples, Zeng Xi felt extremely unsettled. He recalled that not long ago, Lin Chen had written to inquire about any cultivation techniques related to the soul. At that time, he thought that Lin Chen might have encountered some trouble with his soul, and he even invited Lin Chen to the sect in the letter.

Looking back now, I realize I was worrying for nothing!
Yesterday, he specifically asked his master, and the answer he received was that the limits and strength of the divine soul in the Tower of Babel are different.

Some martial artists may have a spiritual strength that exceeds their current realm, but that does not mean they can reach the limit of their spiritual power. The so-called limit of spiritual power refers to the limit that spiritual power can reach in that realm.

In layman's terms, some people are born with great strength and can lift a boulder weighing a thousand pounds, while others can only lift a boulder weighing a hundred pounds. However, by using martial arts techniques, they can unleash a force far exceeding a thousand pounds. The former, having not practiced any techniques, can only exert a force of a thousand pounds.

Zeng Xi had originally planned to write a letter to Lin Chen yesterday, but after picking up the pen, he suddenly realized that even if he wrote the letter, he wouldn't know where to send it.

The letter Lin Chen sent last time wasn't from the Canglan Sect, which means Lin Chen isn't in the Canglan Sect.

Boom!
The discussion among all the martial artists in the stands was interrupted by the ringing of a bell, and everyone's eyes turned to the entrance of the competition arena below. The alchemy finals were about to begin.

Inside the waiting hall of the passageway, Jiang Yaoyan sat in a chair with her arms crossed, saying nothing. Jiang Chen, on the other hand, was chatting with someone she knew well. Lin Chen, who was not familiar with the others, also sat in a chair by himself. As for Wei Yang, he did not raise his eyes once from beginning to end, and it was unknown what he was thinking about.

"Brother Jiang, have you heard about the Tower of Babel incident yesterday?"

"Brother Zhao, are you perhaps referring to Lin Chen of the Canglan Sect's attempt to break into the Tower of Babel? If so, how could I not know? Many of my fellow disciples were discussing it yesterday," Jiang Chen said with a smile.

"It's not just the Thousand Machines Sect, the whole Thousand Machines City is probably talking about it. Our limelight in this alchemy competition is going to be stolen by them."

Jiang Chen smiled upon hearing this: "Being under twenty-two years old and at the peak of the third level of the Innate Realm is indeed worthy of heated discussion in the martial arts world, but there's nothing surprising about it."

“What Brother Jiang said makes sense. Besides, we are just there to accompany you in this competition. Brother Jiang has the ability to win the championship. I’m just afraid of stealing your thunder.”

Jiang Yaoyan, who had been standing with his arms crossed, turned cold upon hearing this. He had chosen to follow Young Master Dongfang because he knew that the young master had extended an olive branch to Lin Chen.

You see, he was the one who took the initiative to approach the young master, and only after passing the young master's test was he qualified to follow him. But Lin Chen was able to get the young master to actively recruit him, which filled him with resentment.

No matter how strong you are, you'll still need elixirs to break through in the future.

"I don't care about stealing the limelight."

As soon as Jiang Chen finished speaking, Jiang Yaoyan sneered: "Of course you don't care, because you can't get first place."

Swish!
As soon as Jiang Yaoyan spoke, the eyes of the other alchemists in the hall all fell on Jiang Yaoyan and Jiang Chen.

The smell of gunpowder instantly intensified.

Jiang Chen's expression also darkened slightly. Just as he was about to speak, the sound of a bell rang into the hall. Jiang Yaoyan stood up from her chair without even glancing at Jiang Chen and walked towards the exit.

"This young valley master is far too arrogant."

Some alchemists looked indignant, and Jiang Chen snorted, "Alchemy relies on real skills and knowledge, not on eloquence."

Sensing the sudden smell of gunpowder, Lin Chen remained calm, glanced at Wei Yang who was still looking down, and followed the crowd toward the exit.

One hundred breaths later.

Standing on the field, feeling the gazes of countless eyes, Lin Chen took a deep breath and quietly waited for the match to begin.

P.S.: It's almost the end of the month, please vote for me! Don't save your votes anymore!
(End of this chapter)