Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 581 The Misty Cloud Palace's Response

Yan Ran stared at Lin Chen, unsure whether Lin Chen truly knew or was saying it on purpose to throw him off balance.

Even the royal family didn't know what the rewards for the Invincible Arena were.

However, if it was done intentionally, and once he held back and Lin Chen couldn't produce any real evidence, then there would be no chance of turning things around.

Could Lin Chen really be such a crazy person?
The royal family has conducted a detailed investigation into Lin Chen's past and can confirm that Lin Chen is not such a crazy person. He would never put himself in a situation where he cannot recover just to force them to lose their composure.

Therefore, Lin Chen truly knew the little-known past of the founder of the Misty Cloud Palace.

Having made his judgment, Yan Ran still didn't intend to speak. He wanted to see what Lin Chen could say. Some secrets, once known by many people, would eventually spread even if only the elders within the Misty Cloud Palace knew them. He just needed to stick to this point.

Having figured all this out, the slight panic in Yan Ran's heart disappeared, replaced by a cold laugh.

"They really intend to play the rogue to the very end."

Lin Chen also caught the sneer on Yan Ran's face and could guess what the other party was thinking. He figured that after he revealed the secret of the founder of the Misty Cloud Palace, Yan Ran would continue to play dumb.

Unfortunately, once he revealed this secret, he probably can't deny it anymore.

“Senior, your sect’s founder left behind a jade tablet in the sect. I know what words are engraved on this jade tablet.”

"What did you say?"

The old woman's expression changed after Lin Chen mentioned the "jade tablet": "Do you know what words are engraved on that jade tablet?"

"Yes, after I fought with your sect's founder, I was fortunate enough to witness one of his experiences, including the scene where he carved words on that jade tablet."

"Is this true?"

The old woman stared intently at Lin Chen, who nodded emphatically: "Absolutely no exaggeration."

"Alright, then tell me, what is written on that jade tablet?"

Lin Chen transmitted his voice to the old woman, and after a dozen breaths, the old woman spoke: "If what you say is true, I can vouch for you that you really did see the Ancestral Master."

The old woman's words puzzled many martial artists present. It was obvious that Lin Chen had already transmitted his voice to this elder of the Misty Cloud Palace, so shouldn't the truth or falsehood be proven on the spot?

"The jade tablet left by our ancestor is hidden in the forbidden area of ​​our sect. No one has seen it to this day, not even I know what is written on it."

The elders of the Misty Cloud Palace seemed to sense the doubts of the martial artists present and directly explained: "Our sect's founder left an oral decree that unless someone who knows the contents of the jade tablet appears, no one may approach the jade tablet."

"real or fake?"

A martial artist at the scene raised a question, and an old man said, "Could it be that your sect's founder could have foreseen that someone in the future would know the contents of the jade tablet?"

"The Misty Cloud Palace is not skilled in divination. Is it possible that your sect's founder once told the contents of the jade tablet to someone, but did not inform the sect's disciples, so that the descendants of that person who knew the contents could seek help from the Misty Cloud Palace if they encountered trouble or other situations?"

Some martial artists raised questions, while others offered speculations. All of them were experts at the fifth level of the Innate Realm. Lin Chen glanced at these people who raised questions and made speculations, and he understood that these people were probably all related to the royal family.

Of course, it's also possible that they just want to take this opportunity to curry favor with the royal family. After all, anyone who isn't stupid can see by now that the royal family is targeting them.

"It's ridiculous."

Before Lin Chen could refute, the old woman from the Misty Cloud Palace couldn't hold back any longer, her face filled with anger: "If telling someone the words on the jade tablet is just to get their descendants to ask my Misty Cloud Palace for help in the future, then why didn't our patriarch just tell the disciples directly? Is it necessary to make it so complicated?"

In the old woman's view, these people's speculations and doubts were disrespectful to the ancestral master.

If the founder truly wanted to provide protection for the descendants of a friend or relative, given his prestige, he could have simply left an oral decree within the sect. Which disciple would dare disobey? Why make it so mysterious?

"That's unclear. Many powerful individuals have their own peculiar hobbies. I'm not saying this to disrespect your sect's founder, but simply to state the facts. Who can guarantee that Lin Chen isn't a descendant of the martial artist whose teachings your sect's founder left behind, and learned about this matter from that person, or perhaps he killed someone to steal their treasure... Such situations are not uncommon in the martial arts world."

In the end, even the questioning martial artists sneered. In the martial arts world, there have been many instances of people killing others to steal their treasures and then finding jade slips containing notes on their bodies to learn their secrets.

Most of the martial artists present felt that this possibility was too small, but it could not be ruled out. It was possible that Lin Chen had known about this matter for a long time and was taking this opportunity to say it.

"That's impossible!"

The elder of the Misty Cloud Palace shouted, "The forbidden area where the jade tablet is stored has been forbidden to disciples by our ancestor. He also invited the array master of the Thousand Machines Sect to set up the array himself. To open the array, one must know the contents of the jade tablet. Otherwise, even a Myriad Manifestations Realm expert cannot break in."

"As for why our sect's founder knew that someone would be able to know the contents of the jade tablet later, it was because he asked a senior from the Thousand Machines Sect to perform a divination. The Thousand Machines Sect also has a record of this matter, so it should be able to be compared."

The elders of the Misty Cloud Palace have already made their point to this extent, so there's no way they can lie about it.

"That's really strange. What was the purpose of your sect's founder's arrangement?"

After a long pause, a strange, sarcastic voice came from the crowd. The elder of the Misty Cloud Palace immediately looked over with a stern expression: "What? Does it concern the secrets of my Misty Cloud Palace that I need to tell you? Who do you think you are!"

These words were quite harsh, and the middle-aged man in the crowd turned red in the face. As a martial artist at the fourth level of the Innate Realm, when had he ever been reprimanded like this?

But the other party was an elder of the Misty Cloud Palace, and behind him stood the entire Misty Cloud Palace, one of the twenty-four super sects of the Yan Dynasty. He really didn't dare to completely offend the other party.

Originally, he was thinking of taking this opportunity to curry favor with the Sixth Prince. If the Sixth Prince was satisfied with his performance and remembered him, it would be an opportunity for him.

Speculation...

This was the common thought among many of the martial artists present who voiced their doubts. Whether Lin Chen cheated or not was completely unimportant to them.

……

“Since you all have doubts, I will not hide anything. Lin Chen just told me that the ancestor left four words on the jade tablet: ‘When the water flows, the channel will be formed.’ I will go back to the sect now to check. If these four words are true, anyone who does not believe me can come to my Misty Cloud Palace to verify them at any time.”

Upon hearing the elder's words from the Misty Cloud Palace, Yan Ran's expression turned somewhat grim for the first time. He asked with a stern face, "Are you going to vouch for Lin Chen?"

This was the first time Yan Ran's tone carried a hint of threat, because he couldn't sit still any longer; the attitude of this elder from the Misty Cloud Palace was too strange.

Logically speaking, this matter has nothing to do with the Misty Cloud Palace. As an elder of the Misty Cloud Palace, it is impossible that he could not see that the royal family was targeting Lin Chen. If he did not want to be involved, he could have easily declined. However, this elder seemed to be completely unaware and was willing to get involved in this mess.

"If the contents of the Jade Stele are the same as what Lin Chen said, not only I, but the entire Misty Cloud Palace is willing to vouch for what Lin Chen said."

Faced with the threatening tone in Yan Ran's words, the elder of the Misty Cloud Palace did not hesitate at all, and his answer caused an uproar among the martial artists in the entire square.

The elder from the Misty Cloud Palace meant that he was going to stand up to the royal family alongside Lin Chen; he was getting involved.

The royal family's prestige is undoubtedly the strongest in the Yan Dynasty, but Lin Chen has the Canglan Sect behind him, as well as that Flower Clan, and the Misty Cloud Palace, all of which are top forces in the Yan Dynasty.

With three top powers vouching for Lin Chen's words, the weight of that endorsement was considerable, ensuring that public opinion among the martial artists of the Yan Dynasty would not lean towards the royal family.

Yan Ran's face was so gloomy it could drip water. Following the Canglan Sect, now the Misty Cloud Palace was also showing him no respect whatsoever.

This is the human heart!
When the royal family was at its peak, it commanded the entire dynasty, and none of these super sects dared to disobey. But now, they are all harboring other intentions.

"Very well, then I will await your final message."

Yan Ran's voice carried a hint of anger. He was thinking more deeply. The elder of Misty Cloud Palace was showing him no respect, not because he wanted to help Lin Chen, but most likely to make a statement to the Dongfang family.

The elders of the Misty Cloud Palace didn't even reply; they simply left the Tower of Babel Plaza.

"Lin Chen, what private dealings do you have with the Misty Cloud Palace?"

Teng Wangshan couldn't help but send a telepathic message to Lin Chen, as he was somewhat surprised by the tough stance that this elder of Piaomiao Yungong had shown towards the royal family.

Testifying for Lin Chen would offend the royal family! This matter would not benefit the Misty Cloud Palace at all. When an elder of a sect considers a problem, he will not only consider his personal preferences, but also the perspective of the sect.

"Before today, I had no connection with the Misty Cloud Palace and did not know any of its disciples."

"That's strange. Why would this elder of the Misty Cloud Palace support you so much?"

"I don't know either."

Lin Chen's eyes also showed a thoughtful look. He hadn't expected the attitude of the elder of the Misty Cloud Palace. His words and actions clearly indicated that he was on Lin Chen's side.

Lin Chen quickly recalled the memories of the founder of the Misty Cloud Palace in his mind, wanting to see if there were any important points he had missed.

That founder established the Misty Cloud Palace... Afterwards, he recruited disciples and made the Misty Cloud Palace flourish... until he left the Misty Cloud Palace in his later years...

and many more!

Lin Chen's eyes gleamed. All these memories were coherent, except for the one about his ancestor leaving the Misty Cloud Palace in his later years, which was abruptly interrupted. The next connection was the ancestor returning to the sect and leaving behind a jade tablet.

He hadn't thought much about it at first because he felt that this memory was more about helping him understand the ever-changing martial arts will, and the process of how this patriarch was able to create the ethereal and mysterious path of martial arts.

But now it seems that this memory was deliberately erased by the Tower of Babel, or as the elder of the Misty Cloud Palace said, it was a scheme set up by the founder of the Misty Cloud Palace after consulting the divination master of the Thousand Machines Sect.

The phrase "water flows naturally and things fall into place" doesn't seem like much when you don't think about it much, but the more you think about it now, the more you realize it refers to yourself.

Isn't one's destiny simply a matter of water flowing into a channel?
……

……

After descending from the Tower of Babel plaza, Wei Lan headed straight for the Misty Cloud Palace and struck a bronze drum at the palace gate.

As the drums resounded, figures from all the major palaces of the Misty Cloud Palace transformed into arcs of light and headed towards the Misty Cloud Palace.

"Senior Sister Wei, was it you who sounded the call to arms?"

Soon, several figures filed into the main hall. When they saw Wei Lan standing in the hall, the elders of the Misty Cloud Palace all looked puzzled.

The summoning drum of the Misty Cloud Palace has not sounded for nearly a hundred years. The last time it was sounded was during the Misty Cloud Palace's celebration. When this drum sounds, even elders who are in seclusion must come out of seclusion and rush to the Misty Palace as soon as possible.

This drum will not sound unless something major happens.

"Wei Lan, what important matter requires us to sound the summons?"

At the very top of the main hall, a beautiful middle-aged woman in a red dress appeared, and all the elders present bowed and said, "Greetings, Sect Master."

The Misty Cloud Palace is different from other super sects. The sect leaders of other super sects are all at the sixth level of the Innate Realm, and the Supreme Elders are at the Myriad Manifestations Realm. However, the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Palace is himself at the Myriad Manifestations Realm and is also the strongest person in the Misty Cloud Palace.

"Sect Master, I just learned some news at the Tower of Babel Plaza, which is related to the jade tablet left by our ancestor."

As soon as Wei Lan said this, all the elders present immediately turned their attention to her. The sect leader Xing Yuyu above also raised an eyebrow: "Elder Wei, is this true?"

"I cannot guarantee the veracity of the information, which is why I have summoned all the elders and the sect leader to discuss it together."

Wei Lan quickly recounted what had happened at the Tower of Babel plaza, and the expressions of the many elders present kept changing as they listened.

"I have heard of Lin Chen of the Canglan Sect, but I never expected him to have grown to such a level. He is truly a formidable young man."

Some elders sighed, while others snorted: "The royal family is getting more and more anxious, and has already lost the dignity that a royal family should have."

Outsiders may not know whether Lin Chen's words are true or false, but how could they not know?

The Misty Cloud Palace has no connection with Lin Chen and rarely interacts with the Canglan Sect. The matter of the jade tablet left by the patriarch is a top secret within the sect, known only to the elders, and it is impossible for it to be leaked.

Lin Chen could not possibly have known about the jade tablet left by the founder of the Misty Cloud Palace. The moment Lin Chen mentioned it, the elders present already believed him.

Looking at the expressions of the other elders, Wei Lan knew that these fellow disciples thought the same thing as her. The fact that Lin Chen could say this was already highly likely to be true.

"As the dynasty declines, the royal family has begun to lose its sense of propriety. In the past, how could they have risked the reputation of the entire royal family to slander a junior?"

Xing Yuyu, standing above, spoke calmly, her beautiful eyes showing disdain.

The royal family has changed.

"Sect Master, what should we do?" an elder asked.

"To verify the truth of Lin Chen's words, if it is confirmed that they match the handwriting on the jade tablet, my Misty Cloud Palace will stand as witness for Lin Chen. Everyone should be aware of the secret edict left by our ancestor back then."

All the elders present, including Wei Lan, nodded emphatically. In addition to leaving behind the jade tablet, the founder also left behind a secret edict: whoever can recite the words on the jade tablet, Canglan Cloud Palace will do its utmost to help that person.

Wei Lan took a deep breath and followed the sect leader and other elders to the forbidden area. The reason she had spoken so supportively of Lin Chen in front of the Tower of Babel was because of the secret edict left by the ancestor.

Lin Chen is very likely the one the founder spoke of, the one who needs the sect's full support.

The Forbidden Land of the Misty Cloud Palace.

Xing Yuyu stood in front of the formation, her hands forming a hand seal. The next moment, a scroll slowly appeared in front of her, the entire scroll was blank.

Xing Yuyu raised her right hand, her fingertips glowing, and used her fingers as a brush to write four characters on the scroll: "When the water flows, the channel is formed."

As the four characters were finished, the scroll shone with a dazzling light, and the faces of the many elders standing behind Xing Yuyu were filled with anticipation.

The formation, which has never been activated since the patriarch left behind the jade tablet, is very likely to be activated today.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

Ten breaths later, a terrifying energy suddenly emanated from the entire forbidden area, and the mist in front was blown away by a gust of wind, revealing its true appearance that had been hidden for tens of thousands of years.

A jade tablet stands before the crowd, bearing only four characters: "Water flows naturally into the channel."

Wei Lan and the other elders exchanged glances, all seeing excitement in each other's eyes. The forbidden area had finally been opened.

Standing at the front, Xing Yuyu turned to look at Wei Lan: "Elder Wei, please go through the Tower of Babel again. The other elders can also enter together."

"As the clan leader commands."

All the elders shouted in unison and followed Wei Lan out of the forbidden area. This was partly due to the sect leader's order, and partly because they knew that there must be other secrets in the forbidden area besides the jade tablet.

But this secret should only be known to the sect leader. Now the sect leader is sending them to the Tower of Babel, not only to support Lin Chen, but also to deliberately send them away.

However, none of the elders present expressed dissatisfaction; the sect leader must have had a reason for sending them away.

With the departure of Wei Lan and the others, Xing Yuyu was soon left alone in the forbidden area. Looking at the jade tablet in front of her, Xing Yuyu murmured, "Back then, our ancestor created the Misty Cloud Palace in order to protect the Misty Holy Land. Successive sect leaders have always sought the opportunity to open the Misty Holy Land. I never thought that it would be realized in my generation."

Xing Yuyu walked towards the jade tablet, but when she placed her right hand on it, her face suddenly turned pale and she staggered back a few steps after only a few breaths.

"How...how is this possible?"

Xing Yuyu's beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief. As a powerful expert in the Myriad Manifestations Realm and the head of a sect, what kind of storms had she not seen? Looking at the entire Yan Dynasty, there were not many things that could make her change color.

(End of this chapter)