Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 557 Silence
Lin Chen spoke softly, his voice so calm and even that it instantly plunged the bustling plain into a deathly silence.

To everyone's surprise, Lin Chen made the first move against more than a dozen disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect, including two experts at the fourth level of the Innate Realm.

Without any fancy moves or dazzling lights, Lin Chen simply threw a punch.

But this seemingly ordinary punch seemed to ignore the distance in space, and even exceeded the limits of what many people could see.

Everyone only saw a blurry trajectory pass by, followed by a muffled thud that made their scalp tingle.

"Oh!"

The young disciple of the Eight Desolations Sect hadn't even fully frozen his sinister grin when his protective aura, upon contact with the invisible fist imprint, became as fragile as thin ice thrown into a furnace.

With a soft "poof," it didn't shatter, but rather vanished!

He was just gone!

As if vanished into thin air in an instant, only a few drops of blood spilled on the ground.

The scene was completely silent.

The waves of fire that had been surging forward seemed to stop flowing at this moment.

From the moment Lin Chen threw his punch to the annihilation of the young man from the Eight Desolations Sect at the third level of the Innate Realm, it happened so fast that many martial artists couldn't react in time, and didn't even understand what had happened.

Lin Chen's punch was beyond their comprehension.

That was the third level of the Innate Realm! Yet there was no reaction at all; it just vanished into thin air like that?
The expressions of the many martial artists on the plain were remarkably uniform: shock and bewildered disbelief.

"Junior Brother Chu!"

Wan Xingyao's eyes were bloodshot. Junior Brother Chu was the elder's son. This time, when he came to the Holy Fire Realm, the elder specially bestowed upon Junior Brother Chu a set of armor. This armor, forged by a master forger from the Thousand Machine Domain, could withstand several blows even against a fourth-level Innate Realm martial artist.

But when faced with Lin Chen's punch, it simply melted.

"All junior brothers, attack together!"

Wan Xingyao's roar awakened the Eight Desolate Sect warriors who were in shock and confusion, and they began to move out in a panic.

However, Lin Chen was faster than them.

After throwing a punch, Lin Chen immediately turned around and, without pausing for a moment, slammed into another martial artist from the Eight Desolations Sect next to him.

In his panic, the Eight Desolations Sect warrior turned pale and his body exploded like a blood mist, following in the footsteps of the one before him.

However, at the same time, attacks from other martial artists of the Eight Desolations Sect also arrived.

Wan Xingyao's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and unleashed his innate power. Instantly, a jet-black halberd, radiating terrifying killing intent, appeared in his hand—the Eight Desolate Sect's supreme martial art: the Creation Halberd.

"Die!"

A vast and fierce aura surged into the sky, as if to tear the heavens apart. The halberd ripped through the air like a roaring dragon, slashing directly at Lin Chen.

This strike was his all-out effort.

With the addition of the other Eight Desolate Sect warriors, the space around Lin Chen became chaotic, filled with various energy lights.

Seeing Lin Chen surrounded by various energies, many of the martial artists present sighed inwardly. Lin Chen was too impetuous; he shouldn't have continued to attack the Eight Desolations Sect martial artists, which led to him being caught in their group attack and likely suffering serious injuries.

Facing the full force of Wan Xingyao and several warriors from the Eight Desolations Sect, Lin Chen remained indifferent, showing no intention of dodging at all.

If he has to dodge even the attacks of these few people, then wouldn't all the suffering he endured in the Thousand Layers Secret Realm have been for nothing?

boom!
The terrifying energy, powerful enough to tear everything apart, landed precisely on Lin Chen at this moment. Countless energy rays burst forth, and seeing that Lin Chen did not dodge, Wan Xingyao breathed a sigh of relief. This attack... would surely leave Lin Chen severely injured, if not dead.

As long as Lin Chen is killed, even if two of his junior brothers die, he can go back and explain to the elders.

However, the expected scene of Lin Chen's body spraying blood mist did not appear!

As the energy dissipated, a collective gasp filled the entire plain.

Lin Chen stood there unharmed.

It can't be said that it was completely intact; its clothes were torn, but only the clothes, and there was no trace of injury to the skin at the tear site.

"How is this possible?"

On the plain, Meng Bing, Jiang Chen, and the others' pupils shrank, their eyes filled with disbelief. If they were Lin Chen, facing the full force of Wan Xingyao and several Eight Desolate Sect warriors, they would certainly be injured, if not killed.

Wan Xingyao, the person involved, looked utterly bewildered.

The moment his all-out Creation Halberd struck Lin Chen, it was as if he had crashed into a towering mountain. A terrifying, overwhelming force, so powerful it seemed to shatter him, surged back along the halberd and along his arm, causing his arm to tremble.

If he was in such a state, the other disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect who made the move were even worse off. At this moment, facing Lin Chen's counterattack, they all spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.

The scene, where many martial artists were just shocked by Lin Chen's intervention, fell into absolute silence once again because of this scene.

But Lin Chen didn't give them any more time to think. Lin Chen moved again, like a demon god. With each punch, a martial artist from the Eight Desolations Sect lost his life.

Like cutting grass!

The innate martial artists present had very complicated expressions when they saw what was happening before them. No matter how humble they were in their daily behavior, they all had the pride of innate martial artists in their bones. Being able to cultivate to the innate realm meant that they had surpassed many martial artists of the Yan Dynasty. Even within the innate realm, there were differences in strength, but once one entered the innate realm, it meant stepping into the privileged class of the martial arts world.

Now, seeing innate martial artists whose strength was equal to or even stronger than theirs being harvested like weeds, they felt a complex mix of emotions.

Six warriors from the Eight Desolations Sect died in succession, and the remaining warriors were filled with fear. In their eyes, Lin Chen was now an invincible demon god.

run!
Even knowing that this escape would enrage the sect elders once the news reached them, because they had disgraced the sect, especially in front of so many powerful forces.

But it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. No matter how much you are punished, it's better than losing your life.

call out!
One of the Eight Desolations Sect warriors was the first to flee, and Wan Xingyao's face instantly darkened: "Damn it, none of the disciples of my Eight Desolations Sect are cowards who fear death."

After speaking, Wan Xingyao glanced at his remaining four junior brothers, his eyes filled with a strong sense of threat.

With the two sects currently at war, and so many forces watching, what happened in the Sacred Flame Realm can no longer be kept secret. Their defeat to Lin Chen will indeed have an impact on the sect, but fighting to the death despite knowing they are no match and fleeing for their lives have completely different effects on morale.

If they are afraid of death and flee, the news will reach the Eight Desolate Domains. In the future, when the warriors of the Eight Desolate Domains face off against the warriors of the Canglan Domains on the battlefield, if they are no match for them, they will also choose to flee rather than die in battle.

If even the disciples of the upper sect are like this, let alone us.

Wan Xingyao could easily imagine the excuses those warriors from the Eight Desolate Domains would give, which was something the sect would absolutely not allow to happen.

He used his eyes to tell his fellow disciples to think about their families and relatives, and that if they dared to run away, the sect would not let them off easily.

The Eight Desolate Sect warriors, who were originally going to run away, forcibly suppressed their thoughts of fleeing after receiving Wan Xingyao's threatening gaze. They could run away, but their families would suffer if they did.

At this moment, Lin Chen didn't care what the Eight Desolations Sect warriors thought. The two sects were enemies, there was no right or wrong, only positions.

puff!
puff!
puff!
Blood mist erupted across the plain as disciples of the Eight Desolations Sect perished one by one. Their desperate struggle, in the eyes of the onlookers, was utterly futile, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Now everyone could see that there was an absolute gap in strength between Wan Xingyao and his group and Lin Chen; no matter how hard they fought, it would be useless.

In just ten breaths, only Wan Xingyao and the escaped martial artist remained from the Eight Desolations Sect.

Lin Chen did not chase after the fleeing martial artist. What Wan Xingyao could think of, he could also think of. What happened in the Sacred Flame Realm today would definitely spread throughout the entire Yan Dynasty. Keeping that person alive would be a blow to the morale of the martial artists in the Eight Desolate Domains.

"Now, you're the only one left."

Seeing Wan Xingyao panting heavily, Lin Chen wasted no time. He raised his right hand and pointed out with one finger.

"Azure Wave Finger!"

A giant handprint solidified in the sky, and many martial artists below hurriedly retreated, fearing that they would be affected.

Wan Xingyao used the last of his innate power to transform the Creation Halberd once again, but unfortunately, the halberd shattered the moment it touched the fingerprint.

boom!
As expected, the fingerprints fell, causing the earth to tremble and stirring up endless dust.

When the dust settled, everyone saw a pile of blood and mud and a storage box in the deep pit, which was at least ten feet deep.

The storage box of a fourth-level innate realm expert must contain many treasures, but none of the martial artists present had any intention of coveting it.

call out!
Lin Chen reached out and grabbed the storage box, which flew out of the pit and landed in his hand. He scanned the contents of the storage box with his divine sense, and his eyes lit up, but he immediately put the storage box away.

The battle is over!

The thousands of warriors on the plain fell silent. At this moment, Lin Chen's aura was restrained, and his face was calm. But everyone could not forget that not long ago, this man, who had transformed into a demon god, had fought against twelve people single-handedly.

They believe this battle will be unforgettable in the days to come.

At the forefront of the plain, a glint of light appeared in Li You's eyes. No wonder even his young master wanted to recruit Lin Chen back then; Lin Chen's talent was indeed worthy of his young master's attention.

Similarly, on the other side of the plain, two women exchanged a glance.

"The last time Liu Mei returned to the clan, she said that Lin Chen was worthy of the little princess, and I scolded her. Now it seems that what Liu Mei said was not an exaggeration."

"Sister, you also agree to Lin Chen and the princess's relationship?" The other woman looked surprised when she heard her companion's words.

"In terms of strength alone, Lin Chen can only be considered qualified. But don't forget that this was said by the little princess herself. As far as the elders are concerned, as long as Lin Chen is not particularly bad, they will not object to the relationship between Lin Chen and the little princess. And Lin Chen's performance now is certainly not particularly bad, and can even be described as good."

Zhuang Qiang looked at her younger sister. There were some things her sister didn't know, but she had learned about them from her mother. The matter of the little princess returning to her clan was something that the eldest princess and the elders had agreed upon.

The elders are not allowed to interfere in the little princess's marriage.

If the princess's marriage is decided by the clan, it can only be said that Lin Chen is qualified, but he is definitely not the best choice for the elders.

However, due to the agreement between the elders and the princess, the elders had to accept Lin Chen no matter how bad he was.

Under these circumstances, Lin Chen's displayed talent was enough to delight the elders.

At least……

Lin Chen is unlike the princess's consort...

……

……

boom!
Just as everyone was still immersed in the terrifying strength that Lin Chen had just displayed, a wave of fire swept in from the front. This wave of fire caused many martial artists on the scene to sway, and everyone's eyes shifted from Lin Chen to the plain in front of them.

The flames on the Flaming Mountain were mostly blown away by the heat wave, leaving only a thin layer, through which everyone could see the mountain itself.

Thousands of warriors on the plains looked up in unison, their eyes fixed intently on the mountain peak, including Lin Chen. Everyone knew that the Holy Flame Hall was finally about to open.

next moment!
The heavens suddenly changed dramatically!

A fiery wave that pierced the heavens and earth poured down from the clouds, carrying the aura of burning everything, dyeing the entire sky a boiling golden-red.

The raging flames that had enveloped the palace surged violently like a receding tide, and within a few breaths they all subsided, revealing the true face of the Sacred Flame Palace.

The palace was covered in crimson-gold runes, and the gate, which was a hundred feet wide, slowly opened. The moment the gate opened, a pure white wave of fire surged out, and the heat wave instantly swept across the plain. Many martial artists could not withstand the heat wave and retreated.

This also applies to Lin Chen.

Everyone retreated several hundred feet.

Fortunately, the pure white stream of fire gradually weakened, and after a hundred breaths it completely stabilized, continuing to gush out at a steady flow rate, forming a waterfall of fire.

"The Holy Fire Hall is open, but not everyone can enter. Those who cannot withstand the flames should not attempt to enter."

On the side of the Myriad Fire Sect, Meng Bing slowly spoke. Although the ancestral teachings left by the founder stated that any martial artist with the talent for fire refining could enter the Sacred Fire Realm, this did not mean that everyone could enter the Sacred Fire Hall.

Ordinary martial artists at the second level of the Innate Realm cannot pass through this stream of fire.

Meng Bing's words made many martial artists present look grim. Although they had expected this and knew that the inheritance in the Holy Flame Hall had nothing to do with them, they still held onto a sliver of hope. But now, with the Holy Flame Hall open and Meng Bing's words, they had lost even their last chance.

But only a minority were disappointed; most people were eager to try.

"I'll start by giving you all a taste of what's to come."

A figure transformed into a rainbow of light and headed towards the Sacred Flame Hall from the plain. Following the lead of one person, several other figures also rose from the ground and rushed towards the Sacred Flame Hall.

The Sacred Flame Hall has not been opened for a long time. Even the Myriad Flame Sect does not know what is inside the Sacred Flame Hall. What if one could obtain the inheritance by entering the hall?

There has never been a shortage of adventurers in this world.

Lin Chen wasn't in a hurry. The inheritance hall left by a top expert would definitely not determine the successor based on who came first.

"Brother Zeng, hold on."

Seeing that Zeng Xi's eyes had also become intense, Lin Chen reached out and patted Zeng Xi on the shoulder: "There is a saying in my hometown: the bigger the event, the calmer you should be."

Zeng Xi gave a wry smile, but Lin Chen's interruption calmed his heart, which had been burning with excitement because of the opening of the Holy Fire Hall.

"No wonder Brother Lin has such strength; I am indeed inferior to Brother Lin."

Zeng Xi's tone was full of emotion. Thinking back to three years ago, he had only narrowly lost to Lin Chen. Later, Lin Chen defeated Sima Kong, and he only felt that Lin Chen was slightly better than him.

Even though Lin Chen defeated Sima Kong twice, he still didn't feel that he had fallen too far behind.

It wasn't until Lin Chen stormed the Tower of Babel that he realized the gap between him and Lin Chen had widened considerably. And now, needless to say, he was still competing for the top spot in the under-thirty age group, while Lin Chen had already become the undisputed champion among those under fifty.

In terms of talent and mindset, I am inferior to Lin Chen.

(End of this chapter)