Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 629 Royal Abdication, Physical Body Approaching Godhood
Three days later!
The entire Yan Dynasty's martial artists were shocked by a piece of news.

Lin Chen attacked the Mountain and Sea Sect, shattering the sect's stone tablet!

The mountain gate stele is the face of a sect. If it is smashed, it means that the face of the entire sect has been trampled underfoot.

This is why the warriors of the Yan Dynasty were shocked. How dare Lin Chen?

What shocked them even more was that even so, the Myriad Manifestations Realm experts of the Mountain and Sea Sect did not make a move, and it was rumored that Lin Chen safely descended the mountain in the end.

The warriors of the Yan Dynasty were discussing this matter extensively.

Some were shocked by Lin Chen's actions, while others were shocked by the reaction of the Mountain and Sea Sect, who actually yielded to Lin Chen.

The only beneficiary in the entire Yan Dynasty was the Canglan Sect.

In recent years, the Canglan Sect has not had an easy time.

Although the Canglan Sect doubled its territory after annexing the Eight Desolate Domains, the large number of disciples killed or wounded in the sect war could not be compensated for by simply expanding its territory.

It's true that the larger the territory, the more martial arts resources one has, but once you reach the third level of the Innate Realm, you can't just rely on resources to get there, unless you pile up resources regardless of cost. But that's clearly not in line with the long-term development of a super sect.

The Canglan Sect, which possesses two domains, is naturally coveted by the super sects of neighboring domains, and conflicts have even begun to surface, though so far they are all minor.

But everyone knows that the Canglan Sect cannot hold onto such a large territory, and losing it is only a matter of time. The only problem is whether the Canglan Sect will give it up voluntarily or whether it will be forcibly seized by other super sects.

Eight Desolate City.

Elders Zhou Zhifeng and Qu Guanfu personally oversaw the operation.

“Elders, there have been far fewer fights in the city these past two days than before, and those who are fighting and causing trouble are mostly second-rate forces.”

As Zhou Zhifeng and Qu Guanfu listened to the report from their disciples, they exchanged a glance and smiled.

The Eight Desolate City has not been peaceful lately, mainly because disciples from several other families around the city have been causing trouble in the city under various pretexts. The two of them are well aware of their purpose: these families want to use their disciples to create some conflict with their Canglan Sect, and also have a reason to attack the Canglan Sect.

The disciples of these families have now fallen silent, and the reason is quite simple: Lin Chen's actions at the Mountain and Sea Sect have made these families somewhat wary.

Rumors circulated that Lin Chen trampled through the stone tablet of the Mountain and Sea Sect and left in a carefree manner, without the sect's interference.

However, according to information they received from the sect, a powerful expert from the Mountain and Sea Sect at the Myriad Manifestations Realm had indeed intervened, but he did not fare well against Lin Chen and ultimately offered compensation before Lin Chen left.

As for why compensation was required, it was naturally because of the elders of the Mountain and Sea Sect who attacked Qiao Yuan.

Lin Chen has no evidence for this matter, but he doesn't need any.

In the letter Qiao Yuan sent to the sect, Lin Chen only said one sentence: "Anyway, I don't have much time left. It wouldn't be a loss if I could take the Mountain and Sea Sect down with me before I die."

Lin Chen's current strength may not be stronger than that of a Myriad Manifestations Realm expert from the Mountain and Sea Sect.

However, Lin Chen's lifespan was limited, and the Myriad Manifestations Realm experts of the Mountain and Sea Sect were unwilling to risk serious injury or even death to fight Lin Chen to the death.

If they don't fight desperately, they won't be able to stop Lin Chen from crushing the Mountain and Sea Sect.

In the end, the Mountain and Sea Sect had no choice but to swallow its losses, pay huge compensation, and lose face, allowing Lin Chen to leave.

“We have obtained detailed information, and these other groups have probably obtained it as well. Even though the Mountain and Sea Sect strictly prohibits information from leaking out in order to save face, some things can still be guessed.”

Zhou Zhifeng stroked his beard and smiled. Lin Chen had smashed the sect's stone tablet, which was a great humiliation for a super sect, yet the Shan Hai Sect had endured it. Anyone who wasn't a fool could roughly deduce what had happened.

"Haha, these companies are also afraid that Lin Chen will come knocking on their door."

Qu Guanfu smiled knowingly. As long as Lin Chen was alive, none of these families would dare to covet the Canglan Sect again.

However, amidst their joy, Zhou Zhifeng and Qu Guanfu also felt a bitter taste in their mouths. As elders of the sect, they were powerless to solve the sect's crisis and had to rely on their disciple, Lin Chen.

Thinking of Lin Chen, who was dragging out his remaining lifespan, working tirelessly for the sect, the two felt guilty.

……

Oriental family.

"How come Lin Chen is still alive?!"

Dongfang Canglang's eyes were almost spitting fire. He originally thought Lin Chen would only live for a year or two, but now five years have passed and this guy is still alive.

"Young Master, please don't be agitated. The reason Lin Chen is still alive is because he obtained the lotus seeds of the Nine-Star Divine Lotus five years ago. With these nine lotus seeds, his soul can remain intact for ten years, extending his life by ten years."

An old man in the courtyard slowly spoke: "I went to the Mountain and Sea Sect. According to what they said, Lin Chen's soul is not strong, only at the second level of the Innate Realm, but his physical body is comparable to the Myriad Manifestations Realm, and he has the strength to fight against the Myriad Manifestations Realm."

Hearing this, Dongfang Canglang's anger did not subside: "So, this guy can live for at least another five years?"

The thought that Lin Chen could live for another five years filled him with extreme displeasure. He had originally thought that Lin Chen would not live much longer, and he had been secretly plotting for the past few years, waiting for the news of Lin Chen's death to spread so that he could arrange for people to take action against Lin Chen's close relatives.

But now, all these plans have to be put on hold for the time being.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Lin Chen, but because his father had said that Lin Chen possessed the destiny of the world. It didn't matter if others targeted Lin Chen, but the Dongfang family absolutely could not.

As his father's only son, Dongfang Canglang knew more secrets than others.

Condensing the divine seal does not actually require gathering all the fortune in the world. Even the founding emperor of the Yan Dynasty only had 90% of it, and some of the earlier dynasties, in order to win in the competition with their rivals, had as little as 70%.

However, the more luck one has, the more perfect the divine seal that is formed, and the stronger one's power becomes.

Even among god-level powerhouses, there are differences in strength.

The father wanted to condense the strongest divine seal, so he couldn't take the initiative to attack Lin Chen.

“Young Master, there is no need to get angry with a dying man. The reason why these experts at the Myriad Manifestations Realm have refrained from attacking Lin Chen is also for this reason.”

Dongfang Canglang's eyes flickered. He understood the reasoning, but he was still seething with anger.

But thinking of his father's instructions, he knew that if he dared to disrupt his father's plans, even as his father's only son, he would face severe punishment.

"Lin Chen, then I'll let you be arrogant for a few more years."

……

……

For Lin Chen, the matter of the Mountain and Sea Sect was just an interlude.

He believed that after he took action, those forces that coveted the Canglan Sect would be wary, and as long as he lived, these forces would not attack the sect.

What the sect lacks now is time.

In ten years, with the martial arts resources of the Canglan Domain and the Eight Desolate Domains, it will be enough for Qiao Yuan's disciples to grow up and fill the gaps in the fifth and sixth realms of the Innate Realm. With Elder Ye and Elder Taishang in charge, other forces will have to think twice before they try to take advantage of the Canglan Sect.

……

……

one year later.

Ten Thousand Fire Sect.

"Senior Shan, then this junior will go in."

Lin Chen walked out of the Holy Hall of the Myriad Fire Sect. Half a year ago, he brought Murong Yan and Jiang Qing to the Myriad Fire Sect with the aim of using the sect's innate fire to continue tempering his body.

He wanted to cultivate his immortal body to perfection.

"Don't worry, young friend. The Holy Flame Hall will be closed for a while, so you can focus on your training."

Dan Hong was very friendly to Lin Chen, not only because of Lin Chen's strength, but also because Lin Chen was recognized by the patriarch.

As for closing the Sacred Flame Hall, it will have some impact on the sect's disciples, but not a particularly large one. In addition to the Sacred Flame Hall, the Myriad Flames Sect also has many innate flames in the back mountain of the sect. It's just that the disciples will have some trouble, having to test each volcano one by one.

Lin Chen naturally knew about the sacrifices made by the Myriad Fire Sect so that he could train in peace, and he remembered this favor.

……

Deep within the majestic Temple of Sacred Flame, the air is distorted by the extreme temperature.

Thousands of clusters of innate fire of various shapes floated in the void, resembling a burning galaxy.

Each cluster of flames possesses its own unique characteristics, some wild and unruly, others burning quietly.

Lin Chen stood in the center of the main hall, his expression calm.

This time, the Sacred Flame Hall was different from the first time he came. Last time, many of the innate flames in the Sacred Flame Hall were sealed in oil lamps, but this time the Myriad Flames Sect had released the seals on these innate flames.

The terrifying heat and pressure released by thousands of innate flames were difficult for even ordinary experts at the sixth level of the innate realm to withstand.

Feeling the high temperature around him, Lin Chen slowly raised his hand, and an ancient and mysterious mark appeared in his palm—the fire mark passed down to him by the founder of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect.

This Fire Dao Seal originally resided between his eyebrows, but since his soul began to dissipate, the seal ended up in his hand.

The moment the Fire Seal appeared in the world, it was as if a sleeping king had awakened.

"Buzz!"

The entire Sacred Flame Hall emitted a deafening hum and echo.

The thousands of clusters of primordial flames suspended in the air seemed to be summoned from the depths of their bloodline, and suddenly their light surged!

Crimson, deep blue, brilliant gold… flames of all colors transformed into dazzling streams of light, flowing like rivers into the sea, carrying an overwhelming power capable of incinerating everything, and frantically converging towards Lin Chen. In an instant, an enormous vortex of flames roared to life, centered on Lin Chen!

The raging fire energy completely engulfed him, and the terrifying heat was enough to instantly vaporize the refined gold.

However, Lin Chen's body stood firmly in the center of the vortex like an ancient rock, allowing the torrent of flames that could destroy everything to wash over him.

Lin Chen was very aware of his own physical strength; he had already reached the limit that a martial artist could achieve. If he wanted to continue to improve, he would have to endure pain that ordinary people could hardly bear.

Therefore, Lin Chen didn't even activate the Immortal Technique, and simply let these flames burn him.

Guided by the fire mark, the first to act were hundreds of golden flames, which first adhered to Lin Chen's body. They did not simply burn, but rather, like the most precise carving knife, they moved and penetrated inch by inch.

Lin Chen's charred skin sizzled under the licking flames, peeling off piece by piece like withered leaves.

Each peeling was accompanied by unimaginable burning pain, as if every inch of skin was being torn apart and burned.

However, beneath the ashes of destruction, new skin quickly appeared.

Lin Chen himself couldn't remember how long this process lasted. The pain of being tempered by the innate fire this time far exceeded any previous one, because it wasn't just one, but hundreds of them.

After a long while, the outermost layer of crimson flames finally dissipated, but the tempering was not over. The next moment, the dark blue fire marrow, like a cold, venomous snake, burrowed into Lin Chen's body, penetrating every crevice. Their target was the meridians that covered his entire body.

Lin Chen's body had already been tempered many times, but as time went on, more and more dark blue fire marrow poured in, and a few black impurities were burned away by the fire marrow.

The entire process lasted a full month.

Just as Lin Chen was finally able to endure the pain of the burning fire marrow, the next moment the dark blue fire marrow dissipated, and the most terrifying Heavenly Golden Flame, accompanied by a gale that seemed capable of tearing apart dragon bones, slammed into Lin Chen's bones like countless divine hammers.

Crack!

Click!

The dense and terrifying crackling of bones resounded like thunder within the hall. These special innate fires were like giant hammers forging divine weapons, and Lin Chen's bones, under extreme forging and high temperatures, experienced a surge in strength.

Gradually, a faint yet incredibly pure and resilient golden light emanated from within its bones.

If a master craftsman were here to see this, he would surely exclaim in astonishment that every bone in Lin Chen's body is comparable to a divine weapon.

A single bone can be used to forge a divine weapon.

……

……

Sun rises and sets, cold comes and heat goes.

Lin Chen was like an eternal sculpture in the Holy Fire Hall, standing at the center of the vortex of flames, enduring the endless scouring and forging of a thousand kinds of innate fire.

For a full six months, he remained completely still.

Until a certain critical point is broken.

"Zheng!"

A clear and melodious sound, like the sound of crystal and jade clashing together, burst forth from Lin Chen's body without warning, instantly cleansing the entire Sacred Flame Hall!
This is not an external sound, but a celestial sound produced by the natural resonance of Lin Chen's muscles, bones, flesh, meridians, and skin when they achieve perfect coordination and extreme toughness!
Immortal form, ultimate perfection.

At this moment, Lin Chen was radiating a divine glow that was as smooth as jade, yet contained explosive power.

Beneath the skin, the faint golden light of bone marrow shone through.

He simply clenched his fist lightly, without even exerting any force, yet the space around him rippled slightly due to the pressure of his pure physical strength, creating visible ripples!
If his physical body was once comparable to the Myriad Manifestations Realm, Lin Chen is now confident that he can shatter an ordinary Myriad Manifestations Realm expert with a single punch.

The gates of the Sacred Flame Hall slowly opened.

As Lin Chen stepped out of the main hall, Shan Hong, who was standing outside the hall, felt the aura emanating from Lin Chen's body, and his aged face was filled with shock.

Lin Chen's physical body... might just be the limit of body tempering that the patriarch spoke of back then.

Back then, our ancestor also had the opportunity to take this step, but for some reason, he didn't have the chance. Now, Lin Chen has cultivated his physical body to this level, which can be considered as making up for our ancestor's regret.

At the very least, it proves that the path our ancestor took was viable.

As the Supreme Elder of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect, Shan Hong naturally knew some of the secrets of the founder. Before the founder established the Sacred Fire Hall, he had already begun to collect many innate fires.

However, the founder's purpose in collecting the innate fire was not to create a sect later, but to take a different path to godhood.

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the founder had to give up and eventually founded the Ten Thousand Fires Sect.

The Ten Thousand Fires Sect was, to some extent, a product of its founder's disappointment.

As the one who inherited the true legacy of the founder, Lin Chen now has the opportunity to retrace the path the founder took. As a disciple of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect, how could he not give his full support?

The only thing that Shan Hong regretted was that even though Lin Chen's physical strength far exceeded that of ordinary Myriad Manifestations Realm cultivators, his soul still failed to recover. If his soul was only at the Innate Realm, it would be acceptable, but the key issue was that Lin Chen's soul would continue to dissipate.

Once it dissipates below the innate level, it means that the soul has completely disappeared, leaving behind only a terrifying body devoid of consciousness.

Lin Chen saw Jiang Qing and Murong Yan standing at the entrance of the hall. He exchanged glances with the two women and walked towards Shan Hong: "This junior thanks Senior Shan for his kindness. I will remember this favor."

“Young friend, there’s no need for that. You have a special relationship with my Myriad Fire Sect, so don’t take this little matter to heart.”

Dan Hong stroked his beard and smiled. He naturally wouldn't mention Lin Chen's soul condition at this time, as that would be too disappointing.

Lin Chen chatted with Shan Hong for a while, and then met with his old friends from the Wanhuo Sect, including Zhao Haoyang and Du Shuang. Although Zhao Haoyang and Du Shuang were still only at the third level of the Innate Realm, there was no doubt that they had become the key disciples cultivated by the Wanhuo Sect.

Finally, Lin Chen also visited Elder Zhuang alone, an elder who, although not in a master-disciple relationship with him, had taken great care of him.

Zhuang Lie's expression was complicated when he saw Lin Chen. He had always thought highly of Lin Chen and even felt that if possible, the sect would pay any price to bring Lin Chen away from Canglan Sect.

Unfortunately, he was only an elder and could not represent the Myriad Fire Sect.

Lin Chen's later progress in martial arts proved his foresight.

Although it was a pity that Lin Chen failed to become a disciple of the Ten Thousand Fires Sect, he still did his best to help Lin Chen.

In his estimation, if Lin Chen were given another ten or twenty years, he would definitely grow into the top figure in the martial arts world. However, he did not expect that Lin Chen would reach this point in a shorter time than he had estimated, achieving it in less than ten years.

The only pity is that Lin Chen overdrawn his lifespan, leaving behind an irreparable wound to his soul.

After staying at the Myriad Fire Sect for three days, Lin Chen left with Jiang Qing and Murong Yan.

Lin Chen did not choose to wander around the Yan Dynasty anymore, but instead took Jiang Qing and Murong Yan back to Canglan Island.

Return to the place where the three of them first met.

……

……

one year later!

In the Central Plains of the Yan Dynasty, an imperial edict shocked the entire world.

This edict, personally issued by the current emperor, shocked all martial artists.

[For seventy years I have reigned under your rule, working diligently day and night, mindful of the hardships endured by our founding emperor in expanding the empire and the heavy trust placed in us by the people. Yet, the mandate of heaven is fickle, and destiny is predetermined. Since the divine seal has dimmed, the land has been in turmoil, and factional warfare has been incessant. Though I wish to restore order, the imperial order has crumbled, and my power is insufficient.]

[In the past, our founding emperor held the divine seal and ruled the eight directions; now, the divine seal is less than one in a hundred, and its collapse is imminent. This is not something that human power can reverse, but rather the cycle of Heaven. If we hold onto this divine weapon and merely maintain an empty title, it will inevitably lead to endless wars and calamities, and the suffering of the common people will be even greater. I am too virtuous to reverse Heaven's will, and I cannot bear to sacrifice millions of lives for a hollow throne.]

It is hereby declared that:

From this day forward, I relinquish the weight of the Nine Tripods and return the divine artifacts to the Heavenly Emperor.

The imperial titles were abolished, and the laws and regulations of the dynasty came to an end. The various regions then governed their own territories.

The royal family of Zhongzhou relinquished their position as the rulers of the world.

After that, only the Yan family of Zhongzhou remained; there was no more royal family.

For the lower-level martial artists, the contents of this edict were shocking. They couldn't understand why the royal family would issue such an edict. For the top powers, the collapse of the Yan Dynasty was within their expectations. The only thing that shocked them was that the royal family would actually give up the position of the ruler of the world.

Zhongzhou!

Imperial City.

Dongfang Canglang walked out of the hall, accompanied by two old men.

"Lin Chen, speaking of which, I should thank you."

Dongfang Canglang sneered. The Yan family had given up their claim to the throne, which naturally showed they understood that the tide was irreversible. However, part of the reason they took the initiative to relinquish their royal status this time was because of Lin Chen.

My father reached an agreement with the royal family. Once my father condenses the divine seal, the Yan family will be allowed to take action against the Canglan Sect. At the same time, the territory that originally belonged to the Canglan Sect will be handed over to the Yan family.

From this day forward, the Yan family will become a super sect within their Eastern Dynasty.

Although Dongfang Canglang did not understand why his father would give the Yan family such generous treatment, he hated Lin Chen more than the Yan family. It was naturally better that the Yan family was willing to take the initiative to attack Canglan.

……

……

Three years later!
After consuming the last lotus seed, Lin Chen bid farewell to the two women and boarded the ghost ship once more.

(End of this chapter)