Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 552 Elder Zhuang's Verbal Battle with the Elders

The mountain gate.

Lin Chen smiled at the disciples of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect. Elder Zhuang's temper was still as fiery as ever, but this also showed that Elder Zhuang truly regarded him as one of his juniors, otherwise he would never have spoken in such a tone.

As a prodigy disciple of the Canglan Sect, representing the sect in public, even Elder Zhuang would treat him with the utmost respect if he weren't considered a junior member of the sect.

"Then I won't take up any more of Brother Lin's time."

The disciples of the Wanhuo Sect also twitched at the corners of their mouths. Since Elder Zhuang had personally sent a telepathic message, they could no longer stop him. Elder Zhuang's fiery temper... none of the disciples in the sect were not afraid of him.

This time, Lin Chen went directly to the courtyard where Elder Zhuang lived.

"Senior Brother Lin?"

When Zhao Haoyang saw Lin Chen, he was first stunned, then his face showed excitement.

"Junior Brother Zhao."

Lin Chen smiled as he looked Zhao Haoyang up and down. After more than two years apart, Zhao Haoyang's demeanor had matured considerably.

"Senior Brother Lin, what brings you here?"

"Junior Brother Zhao, you don't know? I came to your sect at Elder Zhuang's invitation."

Hearing Zhao Haoyang's question, Lin Chen was also a little puzzled. Didn't Elder Zhuang tell Junior Brother Zhao?

"Invited by my master?"

Zhao Haoyang looked surprised. Why hadn't his master told him about this?

"Junior Brother Zhao has become Elder Zhuang's disciple?"

Although Lin Chen had already guessed what was going on when he saw Zhao Haoyang at Elder Zhuang's residence, he was still happy for Zhao Haoyang when he learned that Elder Zhuang had accepted him as a disciple.

“My master doesn’t mind that I’m slow-witted, he’s willing…”

"He really is an idiot. Even now, he hasn't even completely refined the second innate fire."

Zhuang Lie's voice came from behind, and his figure walked over. Zhao Haoyang immediately shut up, while Lin Chen bowed and said, "Junior greets Elder Zhuang."

"What realm are you in now?"

Zhuang Lie squinted at Lin Chen. Before sending someone to deliver the message to the Canglan Sect, he was not sure if Lin Chen would be there. But after the messenger returned, he was told that the message had been delivered to Lin Chen.

Since Lin Chen had received the letter, and based on his understanding of Lin Chen, he knew he would definitely come to the sect. His divine sense had been focused on the mountain gate, which was the real reason why he was able to detect Lin Chen's arrival at the mountain gate immediately.

However, at the mountain gate, he only sensed Lin Chen with his divine sense, but his perception of Lin Chen's realm was very vague. This discovery shocked Zhuang Lie, which is why he asked Lin Chen this question as soon as he saw him.

"I have been fortunate enough to enter the fourth realm of the Innate Realm."

Zhao Haoyang, standing to the side, suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if he had heard something unbelievable, his mouth agape...

The Four Realms of Primordial Innateness...

How did Senior Brother Lin cultivate?
Zhuang Lie's expression remained unchanged; he had already anticipated this, and now he was simply hearing it from Lin Chen himself.

"You stay with me for a while. I have something to discuss with the sect leader. I'll be back to see you in a bit."

"Elder Zhuang, please proceed. This junior is not in a hurry."

Lin Chen nodded. He had a guess in his mind: Elder Zhuang's meeting with the Sect Master of the Myriad Fire Sect was most likely to discuss matters related to him.

Zhuang Lie left, and Zhao Haoyang led Lin Chen into the courtyard and brewed some fragrant tea.

"Senior Brother Lin, do you know why my master summoned you here?"

Zhao Haoyang took the initiative to ask, and Lin Chen shook his head: "Elder Zhuang did not say it clearly in the letter, but only asked me to come to the Wanhuo Sect."

After hearing Lin Chen's answer, Zhao Haoyang pondered for a while and said, "If I'm not mistaken, the reason Master summoned you, Senior Brother Lin, is very likely related to the Sacred Flame Realm."

Internal sect matters should not be disclosed to outsiders, but Zhao Haoyang knew how much his master valued Lin Chen, and the only reason his master would summon Lin Chen to the sect at this time was because of the Sacred Flame Realm.

If he revealed the matter of the Sacred Flame Realm to Lin Chen, his master would not punish him. Even if the deacons of the Enforcement Hall knew, he would not be afraid. Given his master's temper, the people of the Enforcement Hall could only turn a blind eye.

"Sacred Flame Realm?"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly: "When I first came to the Myriad Fire Sect, Elder Zhuang made an agreement with me to come back in two years. I guess Elder Zhuang wanted me to come back because it was related to the Sacred Fire Realm. But three years have passed now. Shouldn't the opening time of the Sacred Fire Realm have passed?"

"The opening time of the Sacred Flame Realm has passed, but it hasn't closed yet."

Zhao Haoyang lowered his voice slightly: "I'm not very clear about the specifics, but I do know that none of the senior brothers who entered the Sacred Flame Realm have come out yet."

"Still not out?"

“I’ve heard from other senior brothers that after the Sacred Flame Realm opens each time, those who enter will gradually come out within half a year, and some may come out as quickly as half a month. But this time, seven months have passed since the Sacred Flame Realm opened, and not a single person has come out.”

The opening of the Sacred Flame Realm is a major event for the disciples of the Myriad Flames Sect. The disciples who entered are all the sect's most talented. These talented disciples have been inside for so long without coming out. Even if the higher-ups of the Myriad Flames Sect wanted to keep the news hidden, they couldn't, since these disciples all have close fellow disciples.

Listening to the information revealed by Zhao Haoyang, Lin Chen also fell into thought. He could now confirm that Elder Zhuang had indeed summoned him because of the Sacred Flame Realm. However, it was obvious that the Sacred Flame Realm opened by the Myriad Flames Sect had caused an upheaval. Under such circumstances, why did Elder Zhuang still summon him?
……

……

In the main hall of the Wanhuo Sect, more than a dozen elders were prominently displayed.

Dong Congyang looked at Elder Zhuang, who was engaged in a verbal battle with many elders, and felt somewhat helpless.

"I am not wrong. Now that something has happened in the Sacred Flame Realm, so many disciples have failed to come out. Are you just going to watch these disciples stay in the Sacred Flame Realm forever?"

“Junior Brother Zhuang, you’re exaggerating. Something has indeed happened within the Holy Flame Realm, but that doesn’t mean all the disciples can’t get out. They may just be temporarily trapped.”

An elder countered, "Everyone has experienced what the Sacred Flame Realm is like. The most likely scenario is that a storm of wind has appeared inside, blocking the way out. Once the storm ends, the disciples will naturally be able to come out."

“Senior Brother Zhuang, I know you have always valued Lin Chen, but no matter how much you value Lin Chen, he is still just a disciple of the Canglan Sect. How can we use our sect’s resources to cultivate a disciple of another sect?”

"These are not resources from my sect, but resources from the Sacred Flame Realm."

Zhuang Lie corrected the objector's statement, saying that the martial arts resources in the Sacred Flame Realm are available to those who are capable of obtaining them, but if the person entering does not have sufficient strength and talent, they will only return empty-handed.

"Junior Brother Zhuang, what's the difference between these two? Why get hung up on the words?"

"Of course there is a difference." Zhuang Lie sneered: "Although the Sacred Fire Realm was created by our sect's founder, all the innate fires inside were born from heaven and earth. Our Myriad Fire Sect is more of a guardian. The resources inside will not be reduced because of one more person entering. Our founder did not stipulate that martial artists from other sects are not allowed to enter."

"When the Sacred Flame Realm allowed martial artists from other sects to enter, did it affect the development of our sect?"

Zhuang Lie's gaze swept across everyone present: "During that period, our sect actually produced many geniuses. But since the Sacred Flame Realm was no longer open to martial artists from other sects, and our sect monopolized the Sacred Flame Realm, has the sect's strength actually increased?"

These words caused many elders present to frown, because they knew that Zhuang Lie was telling the truth.

Whether the Sacred Flame Realm is open to the public or not has little impact on our sect, and there have been no major changes in the sect's disciples.

“Junior Brother Zhuang, the reason why we didn’t open the Sacred Flame Realm to outsiders was to allow all martial artists with fire-refining talent in the Yan Dynasty to join our sect. If the Sacred Flame Realm allowed martial artists from other sects to enter, many people with fire-refining talent might not necessarily join our sect.”

An elder at the top left slowly spoke, and Zhuang Lie sighed upon hearing this: "Junior brother, I recently reviewed all the information of disciples who have entered the sect over the past three thousand years, including some geniuses who have the talent for fire refining but have not joined our sect. I also reviewed the three thousand years when the Holy Fire Realm was opened to the public. The results left me speechless."

"Junior Brother Zhuang, you might as well speak directly." The Left Elder frowned.

"During the three thousand years that the Sacred Flame Realm was open to the outside world, the overall strength of our sect's disciples was far greater than during the three thousand years that the Sacred Flame Realm was closed. One of the reasons for this is that some disciples with the talent for refining fire but who did not join our sect came to our Sacred Flame Sect and engaged in mutual discussions and encouragement with our younger disciples."

"The path of martial arts is long, but how many young disciples can truly settle down completely?" Zhuang Lie looked at everyone again: "The Sacred Flame Realm does not allow martial artists from other sects to enter, and very few geniuses from other sects come to our sect. Disciples are left with only competition within the sect, but sect struggles are internal struggles. If you lose once or twice in a row, you have to accept your fate."

“But if it is disciples from other sects who come, then the meaning is different. I have been observing the cultivation progress of our sect’s disciples in the past two years. In the past two years, especially the batch of disciples who have just entered the Innate Realm, their strength has generally increased much faster than the previous batch. The reason for this is because of Lin Chen’s arrival two years ago.”

"When Lin Chen first came to our sect, the talent he displayed aroused the fighting spirit of these disciples. For example, my disciple Haoyang, although he greatly admired Lin Chen, I know that he never stopped cultivating, just in order to catch up with Lin Chen."

"I informed the sect leader about this situation half a year ago."

Upon hearing Zhuang Lie's words, all the elders present turned their gazes toward Sect Master Dong Congyang.

Dong Congyang nodded: "Elder Zhuang is right. After Elder Zhuang told me about this, I also arranged for people to find out. The result was the same as Elder Zhuang's. After Lin Chen arrived, this batch of disciples cultivated faster than the previous batch by 20%, and they also spent 20% more time cultivating than the previous batch of disciples."

At this moment, all the elders in the entire hall fell silent.

The reason why everyone opposes Lin Chen entering the Sacred Flame Realm is not because of Elder Zhuang or Lin Chen himself, but simply because of the sect's rules, and they do not want to make an exception for Lin Chen.

“I have no objection to the reopening of the Sacred Flame Realm to the public, but the situation within the Sacred Flame Realm is currently unclear… and most importantly, Lin Chen is a disciple of the Canglan Sect. The Canglan Sect is currently at war with the Eight Desolations Sect. If Lin Chen is allowed to enter, will the Eight Desolations Sect misunderstand and think that our sect has allied with the Canglan Sect?”

Among the major super sects of the Yan Dynasty, neighboring sects are sworn enemies. Due to the special nature of its cultivation, the Wanhuo Sect has no enmity with the Canglan Sect, but the Wanhuo Sect does not want to get involved in the war between the Canglan Sect and the Bahuang Sect.

"There's no need to worry about that. As long as we don't disclose it to anyone, no one will know."

Zhuang Lie had already prepared his response and continued, "Even if the news leaks out, it doesn't matter. Something has happened in the Sacred Flame Realm, and many of my disciples are inside, their fates unknown. We need to send people in to find out what's going on, and the Eight Desolations Sect won't be able to find fault with that."

“Junior Brother Zhuang, even if we are to send someone in, we don’t necessarily have to choose Lin Chen. We can choose someone else.”

“Because Lin Chen is irreplaceable, there is no one more suitable than him.” When he said this, Zhuang Lie smiled, but an elder frowned and said with dissatisfaction, “Junior Brother Zhuang, I know you value Lin Chen, but to say that there is no other suitable candidate besides Lin Chen is a bit of an exaggeration.”

The other elders showed expressions of agreement. They were also aware of Lin Chen's strength. The strength he displayed on the Tower of Babel was at the third level of the Innate Realm. Although there weren't many people in the Yan Dynasty under the age of thirty at the third level of the Innate Realm, there were still some.

"Is it possible that my fellow disciples can find a martial artist under the age of thirty who is at the fourth level of the Innate Realm?"

Zhuang Lie's smile widened. Lin Chen was really something, making all the words he had prepared unnecessary.

"Four realms of innate cultivation? Junior Brother Zhuang, you're not joking?"

The elders present narrowed their eyes. There were very few people in the entire Yan Dynasty who had cultivated to the fourth level of the Innate Realm under the age of thirty. More importantly, the elders present knew Lin Chen's age.

The age limit for entering the Sacred Flame Realm is below thirty, and Lin Chen has only been at the top of Martial Dao Mountain for three years, which means that Lin Chen's real age is actually twenty-three.

A twenty-three-year-old reaching the fourth level of the Innate Realm has only appeared in the history of the Yan Dynasty; at least for now, they have not heard of anyone reaching this level at that age.

"What's there to joke about? Lin Chen has already arrived at the sect. You'll all know his cultivation level when the time comes."

Upon confirmation, the elders present displayed various expressions, but when they saw that the sect leader's expression remained unchanged, they knew that Elder Zhuang must have already communicated with the sect leader, and that the sect leader had probably already made a decision. The reason for summoning them was simply to have Elder Zhuang persuade them.

"If this Lin Chen is truly at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, I have no objection."

After a long pause, the left elder spoke up, and Zhuang Lie's smile widened when he saw that even the most troublesome elder had agreed.

The biggest obstacle to Lin Chen entering the Sacred Flame Realm was the Grand Elder. Now that the Grand Elder has agreed, the other elders will have no objections.

As Zhuang Lie had predicted, after the Grand Elder agreed, the other elders in the hall also agreed.

"Since all the elders agree, I hereby grant Lin Chen permission to enter the Sacred Flame Realm. As for whether the Sacred Flame Realm should be opened to the public, I will report to the Supreme Elder after he emerges from seclusion."

With Dong Congyang's final decision, the matter was concluded. The other elders withdrew from the main hall, leaving only Zhuang Lie.

"Why didn't Junior Brother Zhuang tell the others about Lin Chen refining four innate flames?"

Dong Congyang looked at Zhuang Lie. He had heard Zhuang Lie mention Lin Chen's entry into the Sacred Flame Realm two years ago, and he had agreed to it.

Since becoming the sect leader of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect, he had carefully reviewed the situation of the sect's disciples over the past thousand years and had the idea of ​​reopening the Sacred Fire Realm to the outside world. Lin Chen's appearance and Junior Brother Zhuang's suggestion were just a coincidence.

Even without Lin Chen, he would still have pushed for the opening of the Sacred Flame Realm to the outside world.

"Lin Chen has entered the fourth realm of the Innate Realm, and the other senior brothers have all agreed, so there is no need to bring it up again."

Zhuang Lie smiled slightly. The reason he didn't say anything was because Lin Chen mysteriously disappeared after winning first place in the Thousand Machine Domain. Furthermore, some things happened in the Thousand Machine Domain. Although he didn't know if they were related to Lin Chen, since Lin Chen chose to hide his identity, there must be a reason.

If Lin Chen's refinement of four innate flames were to become known to his fellow disciples, Zhuang Lie couldn't guarantee that the news wouldn't leak out.

With the four realms of innate energy and the four innate flames, some might suspect that Lin Chen is Xiao Yan.

Dong Congyang gave Zhuang Lie a deep look. Elder Zhuang valued Lin Chen more than just highly; he probably didn't care about his own disciple this much.

"Elder Zhuang, go back and tell Lin Chen that he can enter the Sacred Flame Realm tomorrow."

"it is good."

Zhuang Lie nodded in agreement and left the main hall.

……

……

"You scoundrel! How dare you reveal sect secrets! Do you have no respect for sect rules?!"

In the courtyard, Zhuang Lie's first words were a stern reprimand to his disciple, but Zhao Haoyang didn't care and chuckled, "Disciple knows he was wrong."

"If you know you're wrong, then go to the Hall of Enforcement to be punished!"

"what!"

Zhao Haoyang was stunned. Was his master serious?
"Do you think I'm joking with you?"

Seeing Elder Zhuang reprimanding his disciple, Lin Chen's lips twitched slightly: "Elder Zhuang, please calm down. Junior Brother Zhao only revealed it because of me. If you must punish someone, punish me instead."

"Punish you? You're not a disciple of my Ten Thousand Fires Sect, much less my own disciple. What right do I have to punish you?"

Hearing Elder Zhuang's words, Lin Chen smiled and said, "In my heart, Elder, you are the same as my master."

"See that? Now that's what you call having good eyesight. Get back into the fire pit and don't come out until you've refined the second innate fire."

Zhuang Lie was furious to see his disciple still standing there in a daze. Zhao Haoyang shrank back, gave Lin Chen a helpless look, and walked towards the courtyard gate.

He should have realized that with Senior Brother Lin's arrival, he was bound to have a rough time.

"Elder Zhuang, Junior Brother Zhao is actually quite good."

“That’s good. Then go back and tell your master that you want to become my disciple, and I will give Haoyang to him.”

Zhuang Lie spoke slowly, and Lin Chen's lips twitched, but he ultimately chose to remain silent.

Junior Brother Zhao is good, but not compared to myself.

Junior Brother Zhao was reprimanded, but he was also caught in the crossfire.

"Now you know why I've come to find you."

"Sacred Flame Realm?"

"Hmm, you're quite lucky, kid, you didn't miss the Sacred Flame Realm, but I don't know if this is a good thing for you." Zhuang Lie's expression was serious: "The reason why the Sacred Flame Realm hasn't closed yet is because my sect's disciples haven't come out yet. I can't say for sure why they haven't come out. If you go in, you might end up with the same result."

"As for the reasons Haoyang gave you, those are just guesses, given to appease the other disciples, and should not be taken as fact."

Hearing Elder Zhuang's words, Lin Chen was also moved. Elder Zhuang had been completely honest with him, without hiding anything.

Earlier, Zhao Haoyang had told him that the reason why the disciples of the Myriad Fire Sect had not come out was because they encountered the innate fire storm in the Sacred Fire Realm. The fire storm in the Sacred Fire Realm was somewhat similar to the storm in the Thousand Layers Secret Realm. Zhao Haoyang had heard this from his other senior brothers, who in turn had learned it from the sect's stewards.

But now Elder Zhuang is telling himself that it may not be the storm's fault; it could very well be some other dangerous cause.

"Whether you want to go in or not is up to you. If you don't want to go in, that's fine too. The promise I made to you two years ago that I would open the Ten Thousand Fires Sect's cultivation techniques to you still stands. I can take you to the library."

Seeing Lin Chen hesitate, Zhuang Lie added a sentence.

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Zhuang. I am willing to give it a try."

A few breaths later, Lin Chen made his decision. He had an urgent sense of crisis, and entering the Sacred Flame Realm was an opportunity for him to improve his strength, which he absolutely could not give up.

"Alright, then you should rest well today. Tomorrow I will take you to the Sacred Flame Realm."

Zhuang Lie was not surprised by Lin Chen's choice; it was within his expectations.

"Junior, take your leave."

After bowing, Lin Chen walked towards the courtyard gate. Just as he reached the gate, Zhuang Lie's voice came from behind him.

"Is that mysterious alchemist Xiao Yan from the Thousand Machine Domain you?"

Lin Chen paused, turned around and looked at Zhuang Lie with some surprise. How did Elder Zhuang guess?
"I understand."

Although Lin Chen did not answer, his eyes already gave Zhuang Lie the answer he wanted.

"I was also in the Thousand Machine Domain with a few disciples at the time, to broaden their horizons."

Lin Chen suddenly realized that Elder Zhuang was also present at the time, but how did Elder Zhuang recognize his identity?
It should be noted that even the sixth-level Innate Realm expert of the Thousand Machines Sect could not see that Elder Zhuang was only at the fifth level of the Innate Realm.

"Young man, your talent for refining fire is indeed very high, but you must remember that every innate fire has its own characteristics. Understanding the characteristics of innate fire will help you on your future path. After you emerge from the Sacred Fire Realm this time, stay in the Myriad Fire Sect for several months."

Zhuang Lie sighed softly. Such talent in fire refining as Lin Chen was extremely rare. Even though he valued Lin Chen highly, he still wanted to say in his heart that giving this talent to Lin Chen was indeed a waste.

Before refining any of the disciples of the Myriad Fires Sect, which one didn't thoroughly research the characteristics of various innate fires, searching for one that suited them, choosing the right one from hundreds of options? But Lin Chen…

Zhuang Lie believed that Lin Chen had absolutely not made any selections. There were not that many innate flames for him to choose from, especially the Azure Dawn Flame. Lin Chen refined it whenever he encountered it, and his success in refining it was entirely due to his own talent and strength in refining fire.

If word gets out, the disciples of the sect will likely have their martial spirit shattered.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior."

Lin Chen nodded. He knew Elder Zhuang meant well, assuming that he had refined any innate fire he saw without making any selections.

According to the "Ten Thousand Fires Manual" that Elder Zhuang gave him, if the selected innate fires are incompatible, it will affect the subsequent refining of other innate fires.

However, what Elder Zhuang didn't know was that he didn't choose randomly, but was reminded that "every second counts."

P.S.: Long chapter, please vote for me next month! Muah, brothers!

(End of this chapter)