Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 535 Entering the Thousand-Layer Secret Realm

Tengcheng left, arriving with confidence and departing in disappointment.

Half an hour later, Linghua and Liumei left with smiles on their faces.

Linghua and Liumei's expressions didn't change much. The only change was that they knew that those in the clan who originally looked down on Lin Chen were likely to suffer a great loss this time.

No wonder, no wonder the elders all remained silent after the princess revealed her fiancé; they must have known of Lin Chen's strength.

……

"What's wrong? You're not happy about defeating Tengcheng. Are you afraid of running into trouble when you go to the Flower Clan?"

In the courtyard, Yin Yue saw Lin Chen standing there silently in thought and couldn't help but ask him a question out of curiosity.

"Not really."

Lin Chen shook his head. Liu Mei had just told him that after his senior sister revealed that her fiancé was him, the elders of the Flower Clan did not express their opinions but remained silent.

In Liu Mei's view, it was because the Flower Clan elders knew her potential and were willing to give her a chance.

But he was thinking about something else entirely.

To marry the Flower Clan princess, one needs the unanimous approval of the entire Flower Clan. So, what about one's own father-in-law?

My father-in-law's martial arts talent is nothing compared to what he has in the Yan Dynasty, so how did my mother-in-law end up marrying him?
Considering what Yin Yue said about the former princess of the Flower Clan disappearing for many years... then the answer becomes clear.

His mother-in-law and the elders of the Flower Clan had a falling out.

To pursue love, she chose to defy her family's objections and leave for a distant land!
hiss!
My mother-in-law is still a hopeless romantic.

As for the Flower Clan elders' choice to remain silent, he now understands why.

Having learned from their own mother-in-law's experience, the Flower Clan elders dared not push too hard, lest their senior sister follow in her mother-in-law's footsteps and leave the clan without ever returning.

These flower clan elders were afraid!

Lin Chen also believed that since his mother-in-law dared to send his senior sister back to the clan, she must have anticipated this situation and perhaps reached some kind of agreement with the elders of the Flower Clan.

Therefore, the elders of the Flower Clan should not object to my marriage with my senior sister.

……

……

Two days later!
Qianlang arrived at the courtyard and informed Lin Chen and Yin Yue that the Thousand Layers Secret Realm would be opening today, and the elders invited everyone who wanted to enter the secret realm to go to the entrance.

At the entrance to the mountain range beneath layers of clouds, when Lin Chen and Yin Yue arrived, there were already quite a few young people standing there, dozens at a glance.

Seeing Lin Chen's gaze, Linghua and Liu Mei nodded slightly to him and smiled back. Lin Chen also smiled back. However, Teng Cheng, who was standing to the side, was a little embarrassed and did not dare to meet Lin Chen's eyes.

A few breaths later, Lin Chen felt a hostile gaze, which belonged to a giant who was nearly ten feet tall.

This person is slightly smaller than the giant who chased Yin Yue back then.

Judging from the other person's height and the hostility in his eyes, Lin Chen knew that this person must have been sent by the traitor of the Moon Soul Clan to compete with Yin Yue for the Moon Soul Clan's treasure.

The entire scene was filled with young people under the age of thirty; not a single elder from any of the ethnic groups was present.

This is a rule set by the Entropy Clan: when the Thousand Layers Secret Realm opens, only the younger generation is allowed to come. As for the elders of other clans, they are not allowed to come together unless there are extreme circumstances.

However, in the past, when the secret realm was not open, the Entropy Clan also welcomed powerful individuals from other races to visit.

Sixty-three people from twenty different clans came. It can be said that apart from the other three major clans and a few other ancient clans, all the ancient clans have come this time.

This information was given to Lin Chen by Qian Lang on the way here. The number of people involved far exceeds that of the previous Thousand Layer Secret Realm opening. The previous Thousand Layer Secret Realm opened sixty years ago, and only about thirty people entered the secret realm at that time. This time, it is almost double that number.

As Lin Chen sized up the crowd, the crowd was also sizing up Lin Chen.

The contest between Lin Chen and Teng Cheng last night was unknown to these members of the remnant clans, but the internal affairs of the Moon Soul Clan were no secret among the various remnant clans. Moreover, the reason why the Thousand Layers Secret Realm opened ahead of schedule this time was because of the Moon Soul Clan, so many people's eyes were also curiously focused on Lin Chen.

Everyone knew about Lin Chen's background; the Thousand Die Clan hadn't hidden it from him.

"This should be the first time that someone who is not from our clan has entered the Thousand Layers Secret Realm. The Moon Soul Clan is not afraid that this will make them a laughing stock."

A young man on the scene spoke slowly, his gaze toward Lin Chen filled with sarcasm.

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, and many of the other young people from various ethnic groups present showed signs of agreement upon hearing this.

The Thousand Layers Secret Realm was created by the ancestors of their various races with the help of the ancestors of the Entropy Clan, so they are naturally qualified to enter it. But why should Lin Chen be qualified?
In their view, the Moon Soul Clan princess's actions were indeed inappropriate.

Yin Yue's expression turned cold. The speaker was from the Ice Soul Clan, and the Ice Soul Clan had no enmity with their Moon Soul Clan. The Ice Soul Clan member's sudden outburst must mean that they had reached some agreement with the traitor, wanting to use this opportunity to prevent Lin Chen from entering the secret realm, or to make Lin Chen be ostracized in the secret realm.

Just as Yin Yue was about to speak, someone beat her to it.

"What are you laughing at? Didn't our ancestors set out a rule that forbids outsiders from entering?"

Teng Cheng, who was speaking, stared at the man with an imposing aura: "Or do you think you can represent all the races? I'm afraid even your clan elders are not qualified to say such a thing."

Teng Cheng's words caused an uproar among everyone present. No one expected that the Flower Clan would stand up for Princess Yin Yue.

Could it be that Princess Yinyue sought help from the Flower Clan?

That makes sense. The Flower Clan didn't send anyone when the secret realm opened the previous two times. Why did they suddenly send someone this time?

It is highly likely that Princess Yinyue approached the Flower Clan. Perhaps the Flower Clan had a relationship with her father, which is why they sent these three to secretly help Yinyue.

Everyone from other races felt they were right, including the giant from the Moon Spirit Clan, whose expression instantly turned ugly.

They couldn't think of any other possibilities.

As for Tengcheng standing up for Lin Chen?
In their minds, this was absolutely impossible. The Flower Clan was a superior clan, and Lin Chen could not possibly be taken seriously by them.

These people naturally didn't know that Teng Cheng questioned the Ice Soul Clan man because he had been subdued by Lin Chen's strength. In terms of martial arts strength and potential, Lin Chen was no worse than the three in the clan.

With both strength and potential, and having won the princess's heart, Lin Chen has a high chance of becoming the prince consort of the Flower Clan. To ridicule Lin Chen is tantamount to ridiculing the Flower Clan.

How dare you, the Ice Soul Clan, mock my Flower Clan's consort?
Lin Chen was also somewhat surprised to see Teng Cheng stand up for him, and the Ice Soul Clan man also chose to remain silent under Teng Cheng's imposing gaze.

Thank you.

Lin Chen gave Teng Cheng a thank-you look, but Teng Cheng did not respond.

Sensing Teng Cheng's awkward demeanor, Lin Chen couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that Teng Cheng was indeed a proud and arrogant person.

After Tengcheng's incident, no one else at the scene revealed their true intentions regarding Yin Yue's arrangement for Lin Chen to enter the secret realm.

There was a silence of about ten breaths, until the Second Elder of the Entropy Clan appeared.

The second elder of the Entropy Clan appeared, and everyone bowed in respect.

"In accordance with ancestral teachings, the Thousand Layers Secret Realm will be opened today."

Without delay, the Second Elder of the Entropy Clan glanced at everyone present, then waved his right hand. Three flags of different colors flew out from his sleeve and slowly headed towards the sky. Finally, the three flags burst into flames in the air, turning into three pillars of fire of different colors that shot into the depths of the sky.

The layers of clouds in the sky changed under the influence of the three beams of light. All the clouds began to shift, eventually creating a vacuum. At the end of the vacuum, a cloud gate slowly descended, finally appearing above everyone.

Looking at the descending cloud gate, Lin Chen finally understood why the Thousand Layers Secret Realm was named that way.

The layers of clouds parted, revealing the entrance to the secret realm.

"There is no time limit in the Thousand Layers Secret Realm, but you should do your best and not lose your lives because of arrogance."

The second elder of the Entropy Clan glanced at the burning desire in the eyes of the young people present and poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

The Thousand Layers Secret Realm is magical. Time flows slower inside than outside. Many geniuses who enter try to achieve the slowest flow, but the slower the flow of time, the greater the pressure. Even if one can withstand it at first, problems will still arise later because the body exceeds its limit.

The Second Elder of the Entropy Clan believed that the elders of each clan must have given these geniuses some warnings before they arrived. He was speaking to Lin Chen more than anything else.

The little princess of the Moon Soul Clan asked Lin Chen to help her retrieve treasures from the secret realm, but she might not necessarily tell Lin Chen about them.

He had asked Qianlang to send a telepathic message to Lin Chen, hoping to curb the arrogance of the young people in the clan, thus incurring Lin Chen's debt of gratitude.

As for the generous reward he had promised, he hadn't decided yet; he could wait until Lin Chen sent it from that secret realm.

……

……

"Lin Chen, if things can't be done, then give up."

As the others began entering the Cloud Gate, Yin Yue also spoke to Lin Chen.

She had oversimplified things. If those traitors could cooperate with the Ice Soul Clan, how could she guarantee that there weren't others among those who went in who were also cooperating with the traitors?

Although she wanted to retrieve the treasure, quell the rebellion in her clan, and avenge her father, she also didn't want to see Lin Chen encounter danger inside.

"Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who risks my life. If things really can't be done, I'll give up on my own."

Lin Chen nodded, and after seeing Teng Cheng and the other two step into the Cloud Gate, he stepped out and entered the Cloud Gate himself.

……

……

呲!
The moment Lin Chen stepped into the Cloud Gate, he felt the surrounding space distort, and at the same time, a pressure came from all directions. Lin Chen immediately activated the Immortal Technique within his body to dissipate the pressure.

The moment he landed, Lin Chen looked around curiously.

The ground was a vast plain, but apart from him, there was no one else in sight.

Lin Chen wasn't surprised. Yin Yue and Qian Lang had both told him that the Thousand Layers Secret Realm was very large, and the people who entered were randomly distributed. Sixty-odd people in the Thousand Layers Secret Realm were nothing at all.

"The pressure here is indeed much greater than outside. Those below the Innate Realm will find it difficult to move an inch once they enter."

As Lin Chen unleashed the Immortal Technique, he felt a pressure on his skin, causing his skin membrane to sag inwards. He could even feel the pressure when he lifted his foot.

"This is only the first level of the Thousand Layers Secret Realm; the pressure increases as you go deeper."

Lin Chen looked up and saw that the clouds above were as thick as a wall of clouds, and the second level of the secret realm was behind those clouds.

To enter the second level, you need to find the entrance to the cloud wall.

The treasures of the Moon Soul Clan are hidden in the third level of the secret realm, where time will pass at half the speed of the outside world.

The entrance to the second floor wasn't difficult to find. The cloud-shaped walls on the wall resembled arrows, acting like street signs to guide Lin Chen.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

As another day passed, Lin Chen couldn't help but twitch his lips. His luck was really bad. According to Qian Lang, those who entered the Thousand Layers Secret Realm would generally find the entrance within a day. Some unlucky ones might take more than a day, while those with extremely bad luck would need two days.

I was the extremely unlucky one.

He still hasn't seen the entrance to the cloud wall in the sky.

Just as Lin Chen was about to continue forward, his gaze was drawn to a huge rock not far away. When he got closer, he saw the crystals resembling bamboo shoots at the bottom of the rock, and his eyes widened.

Cloud Soul Crystal.

This is an extremely precious refining material.

Lin Chen took the crystal off and put it in his storage box. This small amount of crystal would be worth tens of thousands of Flame Coins if it were outside. It is an essential item for setting up spatial arrays.

At least my day wasn't wasted.

There are many treasures in the Thousand Layers Secret Realm, but whether you can find them depends entirely on your luck.

The next day.

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the gap that had appeared in the Sky Cloud Wall; he had finally reached the entrance to the second level.

Since the first layer of tone is so bad, the second layer should be a turn for the better.

After reassuring himself somewhat, Lin Chen transformed into an arc of light and headed towards the entrance of the cloud wall.

The pressure of the first level was nothing to him; as long as he used the Immortal Technique, it would be no different from being in the outside world.

As Lin Chen stepped into the second floor through the entrance, he paused for a moment. The pressure on this floor was twice that of the first floor, but it did not affect him much.

This time, Lin Chen was quite lucky, finding the entrance to the second level in just four hours.

At other times, Lin Chen would explore the second floor before heading to the third. Since he could find treasures like the Cloud Soul Crystal on the first floor, there must be other treasures on the second floor as well.

Unfortunately, he came in with a mission: to obtain the Moon Soul Clan's treasures before that traitor could.

the third floor!
The moment Lin Chen stepped into the third level, his bones cracked and popped, the pressure on this level was twice that of the second level.

Upon entering the third floor, Lin Chen did not proceed immediately, because two figures were standing in front of him.

One of the two Ice Soul Clan members was the same one who had mocked Lin Chen earlier.

There is no competition among those who enter the Thousand Layers Secret Realm, unless they discover a treasure at the same time and neither wants to give it to the other, but this is clearly not the case right now.

Lin Chen understood perfectly why the two men were guarding the entrance to the third floor; they were there specifically to watch over him.

It seems that the rebels of the Ice Soul Clan and the Moon Soul Clan have reached an agreement, or have promised or already offered extremely generous terms.

"Lin Chen, the affairs of the Moon Soul Clan are not something an outsider like you can interfere with. Don't make trouble for yourself."

Hearing this, Lin Chen laughed: "What if I'm just asking for trouble?"

"Then you'll have to stay here forever!"

The two members of the Moon Soul Clan made no attempt to conceal their killing intent. Their mission, as ordered by the elders, was to cooperate with the Moon Soul Clan in retrieving their treasures.

(End of this chapter)