Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 556 You are surrounded by me
The Sacred Flame Hall.

Capture the innate fire and sell it for a good price.
……

Lin Chen frowned as he listened to the conversation between the two people above. He was certain of one thing: these two were definitely not disciples of the Myriad Fire Sect.

The disciples of the Myriad Fires Sect would never reveal that they captured innate fire and sold it for a good price.

Could it be that other disciples who are not from the Myriad Fire Sect have also entered the Sacred Fire Realm? But why would the Myriad Fire Sect agree to that?

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, and at that moment, two figures were descending from above the crater.

"Search carefully, lest the innate fire escape."

"Big...Big brother, I can't move."

At the crater, the young man was filled with fear. He found himself bound by a terrifying force, unable to move at all.

The one addressed as "Big Brother" paused for a moment, but then made a surprising decision, heading straight into the sky, completely disregarding his brother.

Before the man could escape the crater, a ray of light shot out from behind. The man groaned and fell directly to the ground, crashing heavily into the volcanic ash below, burying himself completely under the ash.

Cen Kuan, who was imprisoned, felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing this scene. It wasn't just because he was imprisoned, but also because he saw his elder brother betray him at a crucial moment, which chilled his heart.

"Who are you?"

Lin Chen appeared from below, looking at Cen Kuan in front of him: "Why are you in the Sacred Flame Realm?"

Seeing Lin Chen emerge from below, Cen Kuan breathed a sigh of relief. With his body restrained, his first thought was that there was a terrifying innate fire beneath the volcano, and given the characteristics of innate fire, he had no chance of survival.

After realizing that the person was a martial artist, a glimmer of hope for survival welled up in his heart.

“Senior…we entered through the Sacred Flame Realm entrance of the Myriad Flames Sect.”

"court death."

A chill appeared in Lin Chen's eyes, and a terrifying pressure enveloped him. Cen Kuan trembled and hurriedly said, "Senior, I really didn't lie to you. I really did come in through the Sacred Flame Realm entrance of the Myriad Flames Sect."

"The Sacred Flame Realm is a secret realm of the Myriad Flames Sect, and people from outside sects are not allowed to enter. It seems you have no intention of telling the truth."

“Senior, everything I’ve said is the truth. Because of the emergence of the Sacred Flame Hall, the Myriad Flame Sect has opened the Sacred Flame Realm to the outside world, allowing martial artists from other sects to enter.”

Upon hearing Cen Kuan's words, Lin Chen narrowed his eyes: "What is the Holy Fire Hall?"

"I... I don't know too much either. I've only heard others say that the Holy Fire Palace was created by the founder of the Myriad Fire Sect, and that the Holy Fire Realm being opened to the public was also a rule set by the founder of the Myriad Fire Sect."

"Are all innate martial artists allowed to enter?"

"No... no, you need to have a certain talent for fire refining. My older brother and I both have some talent in fire refining, which is why we were able to get in."

The so-called talent for fire refining does not refer to refining innate fire. Being able to refine innate fire means that the talent for fire refining is already very high. Cen Kuan and his elder brother have never refined innate fire, but they have cultivated a technique for controlling flames with their divine soul.

As long as one masters a technique that allows one to manipulate flames with one's soul, one is considered to possess the talent for fire refining.

Lin Chen never expected that such a change would occur in the Sacred Flame Realm in just a few days.

How did the people outside discover the Temple of Sacred Flame?

"The Ten Thousand Fires Sect made it public on its own initiative, as if the Ten Thousand Fires Sect has a way of knowing whether the Sacred Fire Hall has appeared."

How many people came in in total?

"This...this junior is not quite sure, but there should be several thousand people."

Several thousand people?
Lin Chen frowned. This was quite a number; it wasn't just a few thousand martial artists, but several thousand innate martial artists.

"Aside from the requirement of having talent in fire refining, are there any other restrictions on those who are allowed to enter this time?"

When Cen Kuan heard Lin Chen ask this question, he was also puzzled. Why didn't this senior know these things? Could it be that this senior didn't enter after the Holy Flame Hall opened, but entered before the Holy Flame Hall opened?
So, this senior is from the Myriad Fire Sect?
But that doesn't make sense either. If they were from the Myriad Fire Sect, how could they not know about the Sacred Fire Hall?
Despite his doubts, Cen Kuan didn't stop talking. He knew very well what the senior's purpose was in asking this question, so he answered truthfully: "Any innate martial artist under the age of fifty with the talent for refining fire can come in. Before I came in, I heard that there were already more than a dozen experts at the fourth level of the innate realm. As for those stronger... that's beyond my knowledge."

A martial artist under fifty years old with innate talent for fire cultivation...

Lin Chen pondered. He was no longer a novice who knew nothing about the Yan Dynasty. The Yan Dynasty had twenty-four sects, ancient clans, and even some mysterious families. There were definitely no shortage of martial artists under the age of fifty who were at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, and there might even be some who had reached the fifth level of the Innate Realm.

What's inside the Temple of Sacred Flame?

With so many experts at the fourth level of the Innate Realm entering, it's impossible that they're only here for the Innate Fire or the Fire Source Pearl; there must be some treasure in the Sacred Fire Hall that attracts them.

"This... this junior does not know. If the Myriad Fire Sect had not taken the initiative to announce it to the public this time, this junior would not have known about the Sacred Fire Hall."

Cen Kuan looked troubled. He was only a second-level innate martial artist and did not come from a super sect, but from a secondary sect. He had never heard of the Holy Flame Hall before.

"I've heard... that the Sacred Flame Hall contains the legacy left by the founder of the Myriad Flames Sect, but this is just hearsay, and I'm not sure if it's true."

Cen Kuan told him everything he had heard in detail; he really didn't know anything more than that.

He and his elder brother didn't come in for the Holy Flame Hall; their target was the Fire Source Pearl and the newly born innate flames. In fact, there were quite a few martial artists who shared the same idea as him and his elder brother.

The Sacred Flame Hall is so prestigious that anyone below the fourth level of the Innate Realm has no chance of even getting a piece of it. And those who can cultivate to the Innate Realm aren't all fools; they all know their own limitations.

"Let's go."

Unable to get any more information from Cen Kuan, Lin Chen waved his hand, but Cen Kuan hesitated for a moment and did not leave.

"What, don't you want to leave?"

"Senior... my older brother, he..."

Cen Kuan hesitated to leave because he was thinking of his older brother who was still buried under the volcanic ash.

"Your older brother abandoned you and ran away, and you're still thinking about him?"

Lin Chen hadn't expected that Cen Kuan would still be thinking about his selfish older brother.

“I can understand my brother’s actions. The strength that the senior displayed was too terrifying. My brother thought it was a powerful innate fire. If he were to save me, we brothers would both perish here. Besides, my brother has been kind to me…”

Cen Kuan's voice grew softer and softer. He was only deceiving himself, but there was one thing he wasn't lying about: his elder brother had indeed been kind to him.

If it weren't for his elder brother, he would have died many years ago.

Lin Chen gave Cen Kuan a deep look, said nothing more, and then disappeared from the spot in a flash.

Even without Cen Kuan, she didn't intend to kill the man. She had no grudge against him, and he hadn't offended her. If she were to kill him just because he was here, wouldn't she become a bloodthirsty person?

Seeing Lin Chen disappear, Cen Kuan breathed a sigh of relief; his entire back was soaked with sweat.

As a martial artist with innate abilities, the fact that this mysterious senior could make him feel so uncomfortable just by his aura shows that he can't even imagine how strong he is.

Soon, Cen Kuan composed himself, looked down at the volcanic ash below, his expression becoming complicated, but in the end he still headed downwards.

……

……

One day later.

The mountains shook, and the earth cracked once again.

Lin Chen stopped and looked north, where a crimson palace stood prominently in the northern sky.

"Is this the Temple of Sacred Flame?"

Lin Chen's eyes gleamed, and without any hesitation, he flashed and headed north.

……

At the northern edge of the Sacred Fire Realm, a palace stands atop a volcano.

At its base is a raging mountain of flames, and the entire Sacred Fire Temple is enveloped in an immense, blazing inferno.

This raging fire was no ordinary flame; it pulsed with dazzling, scorching light, radiating extreme heat that caused the surrounding space to distort and ripple. Waves of heat rolled in, and even from a great distance, one could feel the burning sensation on their skin.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that the flames of the Flaming Mountain are slowly weakening, like the receding tide. With each flicker of the flames, the height seems to be lower than the previous one, and the heat emitted also diminishes slightly.

On the plain, thousands of martial artists gathered, their eyes fixed on the Flaming Mountain. They came from different sects and forces, their auras varying in strength, and they were divided into small groups.

Everyone understood that the Holy Fire Temple was about to open, and all they needed to do was wait patiently.

Lin Chen did not use his divine sense to scan the entire scene. Unless he had the strength to crush all the martial artists present, using his divine sense to scan would be a provocation to all the martial artists present.

A few breaths later, Lin Chen spotted a familiar face and headed towards it without hesitation.

Martial artists were constantly rushing across the plain, so Lin Chen's appearance did not attract the attention of the people present. However, the moment Lin Chen landed, it caused a commotion among the surrounding martial artists.

Although only three years have passed since Martial Arts Mountain, Lin Chen won first place in the Tower of Babel back then. Although it was only a short-term victory, it still caused quite a stir in the Yan Dynasty.

It wasn't just because of Lin Chen's achievement in clearing the tower, but also because of his cultivation speed.

Many people remember his face.

"Brother Lin, did you come alone?"

Zeng Xi was very excited to see Lin Chen. As for the fact that Lin Chen's identity had been exposed, he didn't think it was a big deal. There were definitely quite a few people at the scene who recognized Lin Chen. Since Lin Chen did not choose to hide his face, it meant that Lin Chen did not care about being known.

"Ah."

Lin Chen nodded. He had just glanced around the room and hadn't spotted any of the Canglan Sect's fellow disciples.

With the sects at war, none of my fellow disciples had time to come.

"Brother Lin, this is Senior Brother Jiang Chen from my sect."

Zeng Xi introduced several men to Lin Chen, the first of whom was Jiang Chen, who was also the leader of the Thousand Machines Sect this time.

"Greetings, Brother Jiang."

Lin Chen looked at Jiang Chen. It had been more than two years since they last met, and Jiang Chen had advanced from the peak of the third realm of the Innate Realm to the fourth realm. His cultivation speed was quite impressive. "I have long admired Brother Lin's name. Today, I am finally able to meet you in person."

Jiang Chen looked at Lin Chen with a scrutinizing gaze, realizing that he couldn't see through Lin Chen's strength.

Either Lin Chen is stronger than him, or Lin Chen has cultivated a technique that conceals his abilities.

What puzzled Jiang Chen even more was that he felt a familiar feeling in Lin Chen's soul, as if he had seen Lin Chen before. However, in his memory, this was the first time he had met Lin Chen, and the two had never met before.

"Brother Lin, have we met before?"

"No, this is the first time I've met Brother Jiang."

Lin Chen shook his head, feeling somewhat surprised. He had changed his appearance and even his aura, yet Jiang Chen was still able to detect some clues. No wonder the Thousand Machines Sect was known as the strongest in soul cultivation.

"Senior Brother Jiang, why would you ask that?"

Zeng Xi looked at Senior Brother Jiang with curiosity, knowing that Senior Brother Jiang and Lin Chen had never met before.

"I just feel that Brother Lin looks familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before. Maybe it's because Brother Lin looks a bit like a friend I know."

Jiang Chen smiled and explained that he must have been overthinking things; Lin Chen was different from that person in both age and aura.

"That's what you call instant connection."

Zeng Xi chuckled and chimed in, expressing his hope that Senior Brother Jiang and Lin Chen would become good friends.

"Brother Lin, no one from your Canglan Sect has come, but quite a few people from the Bahuang Sect have. You should be careful."

Hearing Zeng Xi's telepathic message, Lin Chen nodded almost imperceptibly. He had been wondering why Zeng Xi would say such a thing, given her personality. Now he knew the answer.

Zeng Xi was worried that someone from the Eight Desolations Sect was in this plain, so he wanted to get along well with Jiang Chen. In this way, the warriors of the Eight Desolations Sect might not dare to cause trouble for him because they were afraid of Jiang Chen.

While Lin Chen and Jiang Chen were talking, at that moment, in another part of the plain, more than a dozen people heard the news and their faces all showed excitement.

"Senior Brother Wan, Lin Chen has actually come here."

"This is a golden opportunity. If we can kill Lin Chen here, the elders will surely reward us handsomely."

The disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect communicated with each other, saying that when Junior Brother Sima was defeated by Lin Chen on Martial Dao Mountain, it coincided with the start of the war between the two sects, which caused the morale of the Eight Desolations Domain to drop for quite some time.

At that time, the sect issued a kill order against Lin Chen, promising a generous reward if anyone could kill him.

When Lin Chen's results in the Tower of Babel were announced, the sect increased the reward for his kill order once again. The reward was so generous that every disciple of the Eight Desolations Sect felt their breath catch in their throats.

“There are no other Canglan Sect warriors on the entire plain, only Lin Chen. I don’t believe Lin Chen can escape.”

Wan Xingyao's eyes also held killing intent. He was in the middle stage of the fourth realm of the Innate Realm and was also a deacon of the Eight Desolations Sect. However, given his current situation, it would take him at least twenty years to reach the fifth realm of the Innate Realm. If he could defeat Lin Chen, he was confident that he could reach the fifth realm of the Innate Realm within ten years, thanks to the rewards given by the sect.

If he had entered the fifth realm of the Innate Realm ten years earlier, he might have had a chance to break through to the sixth realm of the Innate Realm, or at the very least, he would have had a chance to enter the fifth realm of the Innate Realm and become an elder of the sect.

The Eight Desolate Sect, or rather all the super sects of the Yan Dynasty, require their elders to reach the fifth level of the Innate Realm before the age of sixty. If one reaches the fifth level of the Innate Realm after the age of sixty, one cannot become a sect elder, but only an Innate Realm deacon in the sect, whose treatment is much worse than that of an elder.

I am forty-six years old this year, and I still have a chance to fight for the position of elder, not only for myself, but also for my descendants.

Lin Chen's appearance here is nothing short of a stroke of luck.

You should know that there are many fellow disciples watching on the battlefield, but Lin Chen has never appeared on the front line. Even if you want to kill Lin Chen, you don't have the opportunity.

"go!"

Wan Xingyao spoke softly, and the expressions of the martial artists from the Eight Desolations Sect around him also became excited.

Wan Xingyao and the others did not head straight for Lin Chen, but instead dispersed and spread out in all directions around Lin Chen before converging.

"It's really hard to find anything without wearing iron shoes. It takes no effort at all!"

Once he was certain that Lin Chen could not escape, Wan Xingyao flashed across the room, his figure moving swiftly, and he arrived in front of Lin Chen in the blink of an eye.

The other disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect also stopped hiding and stepped out from the surrounding crowd to surround the area where Lin Chen was.

This sudden turn of events caused the other martial artists around to make way, and those who recognized Wan Xingyao and the others showed expressions of sudden realization.

With the Canglan Sect and the Bahuang Sect at war, Lin Chen appeared alone, and the warriors of the Bahuang Sect would definitely not let this opportunity pass.

Lin Chen was far too careless.

Wan Xingyao's voice drew everyone's attention, and everyone's eyes were on Lin Chen and the disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect.

Not far away, at the very center of the largest group, many disciples of the Wanhuo Sect changed their expressions upon hearing the commotion.

“Senior Brother Meng, the warriors of the Eight Desolations Sect are targeting Lin Chen. We cannot sit idly by.”

“Those junior brothers said that if Lin Chen hadn’t arrived in time, they would probably all be in grave danger by now.”

The Sacred Flame Hall opened, and the Myriad Flames Sect, as the host, also sent its disciples in, and they were the largest group of them. However, this time, the leader, Meng Bing, had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Innate Realm.

"Lin Chen has done a great favor for my Wanhuo Sect, so I will naturally not sit idly by and watch the Bahuang Sect deal with Lin Chen."

Meng Bing was also decisive. Regardless of the grudges between the Eight Desolations Sect and the Canglan Sect, Lin Chen had done a favor for their Ten Thousand Fires Sect, and he had to repay that favor.

He believed that even the sect elders would support his actions.

"Senior Brother Meng, I think we shouldn't rush over there."

Wang Chen quickly transmitted his voice and asked, "What do you mean by that, Junior Brother Wang?" Meng Bing looked at Wang Chen and asked, "What do you mean by that, Junior Brother Wang?"

Junior Brother Wang was also one of the trapped junior brothers. Logically speaking, Lin Chen was his savior, so why would he stop him from helping Lin Chen out of the predicament?

“If Lin Chen is no match for the Eight Desolations Sect warriors, it’s not too late for Senior Brother Meng to make a move. For now, let’s observe first.”

Wang Chen's words carried a deeper meaning. He had witnessed Lin Chen's method of annihilating those four innate flames with ease, and he had a guess about Lin Chen's strength: he was definitely at the fourth level of the innate realm.

Of the martial artists from the Eight Desolations Sect this time, only two are at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, while the rest are at the third level. Lin Chen might not necessarily suffer a loss.

Meng Bing understood the meaning behind Wang Chen's words, and her pupils narrowed slightly: "You mean these martial artists from the Eight Desolations Sect are no match for Lin Chen?"

Having understood the meaning behind Wang Chen's words, Meng Bing was somewhat shocked. Even he himself wouldn't dare say that he could defeat the martial artists of the Eight Desolations Sect on his own. How long had Lin Chen been cultivating?

"Senior Brother Meng, Lin Chen cannot be treated as an ordinary prodigy. Anyway, there's nothing to do in a while."

Wang Chen also saw the doubt in Meng Bing's eyes, but he didn't know how to explain it to Senior Brother Meng. If he hadn't personally witnessed Lin Chen annihilating those four innate flames, his doubts would have been even greater than Senior Brother Meng's if someone else had said these words to him.

"Let's wait and see."

Although she still had some doubts, Meng Bing ultimately agreed to Wang Chen's suggestion.

……

……

"Fellow members of the Thousand Machines Sect, this is a feud between my Eight Desolations Sect and the Canglan Sect. I hope you will not get involved."

Wan Xingyao did not rush to make a move, but instead looked towards the Thousand Machine Sect. He was confident that the Thousand Machine Sect would not interfere.

This is no ordinary feud; now it's a war between two sects. If the Thousand Machines Sect tries to stop it, it means that the Thousand Machines Sect will also be drawn into the war between their Eight Desolations Sect and the Azure Waves Sect.

Even the elders of the Thousand Machines Sect wouldn't dare to make a decision on such a major matter lightly, let alone the deacons and disciples of the Thousand Machines Sect in front of them.

Zeng Xi looked anxious and glanced at his senior brother.

"Brother Zeng, there's no need to worry about me."

Seeing Zeng Xi's anxious expression, Lin Chen sent her a telepathic message, saying that there was no need for a friend to worry about him.

"Brother Lin, don't be reckless. We'll figure out a way to break through later, and I'll persuade my senior brother to help you secretly."

Upon hearing Zeng Xi's reply, Lin Chen's lips twitched. It was clear that Zeng Xi didn't believe in his abilities.

Jiang Chen's gaze also lingered between Lin Chen and Wan Xingyao. If it were up to him, he would be willing to help Lin Chen, but Wan Xingyao's words were very serious. This was a sect war between the Eight Desolations Sect and the Canglan Sect, and if he intervened, it would mean that the Thousand Machines Sect was on one side in this sect war.

Such a major matter was beyond his control.

"Since this is a matter between the Eight Desolations Sect and the Azure Waves Sect, my Thousand Machines Sect will naturally not interfere."

Jiang Chen made his stance clear, and Lin Chen was not surprised by Jiang Chen's statement, nor did his opinion of the Thousand Machines Sect change because of it. Anyone in Jiang Chen's position, even himself, would have made the same choice.

"Lin Chen, if you continue to hide in the Canglan Domain, no one will be able to do anything to you. But since you dare to come out, you are digging your own grave."

Having confirmed Jiang Chen's attitude, Wan Xingyao then turned his gaze to Lin Chen. Meanwhile, the other disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect surrounded Lin Chen, their eyes filled with intense killing intent.

"Really."

Lin Chen smiled, showing no sign of nervousness at being surrounded. Even if the warriors of the Eight Desolations Sect didn't come looking for him, he would go looking for them anyway.

"Lin Chen, you are surrounded and have no chance to escape."

On the other side, a young disciple from the Eight Desolations Sect couldn't help but speak up, his eyes gleaming with eagerness.

"Surrounded?"

Lin Chen nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips: "We are indeed surrounded, but not by you. It's you who are surrounded by me."

These words instantly caused a stir among the surrounding martial artists.

One person surrounded twelve warriors from the Eight Desolations Sect?
That's really domineering!
Wan Xingyao was also taken aback, not expecting Lin Chen to be so arrogant even in this situation: "He's about to die, and he's still talking big!"

"Let's see if this is just empty boasting."

Lin Chen uttered a soft sound, and the next moment his aura suddenly surged. The martial artists on the plain who had been watching the show with a relaxed attitude all had an incredulous look on their faces when they felt the aura emanating from Lin Chen.

"Let's start with you."

With a low murmur like that of a war god, Lin Chen's gaze fell on the young disciple of the Eight Desolations Sect who had spoken earlier, and he unleashed a punch!
(End of this chapter)