Chapter 347: Major Change

Li Yuan was seething with frustration!

He, a fourth-rank peak martial artist, was being crushed by this junior, Lin Chen.

Worse, he could feel Lin Chen was deliberately mocking him—every time he tried to surface, Lin Chen slammed him back down.

This brat was utterly despicable.

Beyond frustration, Li Yuan was more terrified.

He now had to admit: he couldn't touch Lin Chen.

Even with his spirit weapon fused with venomous viper blood, he couldn't pierce Lin Chen's defense. The ten-zhang giant form of Lin Chen was inherently invincible.

At first, he'd hoped Lin Chen's transformation wouldn't last long—but as Lin Chen continued to toy with him, Li Yuan realized this form could endure for a very long time.

Underwater, Li Yuan no longer intended to surface; instead, he shot swiftly toward Zhao Guo's border.

He had abandoned all thoughts of killing Lin Chen; now he only wanted to reach Zhao Guo's territory—once there, Lin Chen could no longer pursue him.

As for Lin Chen…

Han Guo was currently at war with Da Liang. If he revealed Lin Chen's martial realm to Han Guo, they would spare no cost to eliminate him—such terrifying cultivation growth was unthinkable.

Otherwise, once Lin Chen matured, Han Guo would face its nightmare.

Three breaths later, Li Yuan leapt from the water, now less than ten zhang from Zhao Guo's border.

For a fourth-rank martial artist, ten zhang was but a single breath away.

"Wait."

Li Yuan turned back, his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at Lin Chen—he would head straight to Han Guo the moment he reached Zhao Guo.

On the river, the giant Lin Chen saw the hatred in Li Yuan's eyes, and a cold smile curled his lips. He stomped hard, shattering the river's surface, sending a hundred-zhang curtain of water surging toward Li Yuan.

Seeing the water curtain rush toward him, Li Yuan smirked—he admitted he was weaker than Lin Chen, but did this fool truly believe a splash of water could stop him? How absurd.

He was Li Yuan, a fourth-rank martial artist.

The water curtain descended—he made no attempt to dodge, his body piercing straight through it.

But Li Yuan didn't notice: mingled with the falling spray were four flying daggers, glowing with icy light.

The next instant, Li Yuan staggered. To the onlookers, he plunged into the water curtain, overwhelmed by its pressure, his body flung backward, crashing onto the river's surface.

Then they saw the giant's hand reach the curtain, clenching the air—and seizing Li Yuan within its palm. From within, crimson-gold flames erupted outward.

A shrill scream tore from the giant's palm, sending chills through everyone present.

Three breaths later, the giant's hand opened. Bones and flesh fragments turned to ash before their eyes, leaving only a few grains of bone dust and bits of meat that fell onto the river, stirring negligible ripples.

"He crushed a fourth- or fifth-rank martial artist with one palm… What is this giant?"

The Zhao Guo martial artists were icy with dread, especially as the giant's gaze swept toward them—they dared not so much as twitch.

Flee?

They couldn't even conceive of it.

Even a suspected fourth-rank martial artist couldn't escape—what chance did they have?

Fortunately, the giant merely glanced at them once, then looked away, allowing them to exhale in relief.

On the Da Liang border, several guard martial artists saw the giant turn toward them and immediately went on full alert—but to their surprise, the giant nodded to them, then stepped forward with massive legs, vanishing upstream in mere blinks.

"Sir, did that giant just greet us?"

Only now did the Da Liang guards realize what had happened; one spoke hesitantly.

"You ask me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

The leader rolled his eyes, though inwardly he was certain—the giant's nod had been a greeting.

So this giant was connected to Da Liang? A Da Liang martial artist?

If he was Da Liang's, he must be a secret weapon. Until he revealed himself, the leader wouldn't dare expose him publicly.

"Return to base. Report everything that happened. I suspect Da Liang is hiding power."

The Zhao Guo guards, too, had come to their senses—they'd seen the giant nod to the Da Liang side, meaning he was likely tied to Da Liang.

A ten-zhang giant…

If Da Liang had dozens like him, they could charge through battlefields unchecked—his destructive power might rival even a first-rank martial artist.

Da Liang and Han Guo are locked in stalemate, while other nations watch. We must relay this to our superiors—so they can accurately assess Da Liang's strength and avoid fatal miscalculations.

…

…

Dozens of li away.

Lin Chen's form returned to normal, and he headed back toward the camp.

This clash with Li Yuan gave him a clear sense of his own strength: fourth-rank martial artists couldn't break his Wu Jin Shen Xiang Jue's defense. Below the upper rank, he was truly invincible.

Taizhou Camp.

When Lin Chen returned to camp, he went straight to see his master.

"You've reached fourth-rank martial artist level?" Jia Jia Nanzhu stared at his disciple. He'd heard Li Yuan escaped the camp, and his disciple had vanished for a full day and night—only one explanation: Lin Chen had chased Li Yuan.

His disciple wasn't impulsive. If he dared pursue Li Yuan alone, he must have confidence in his strength.

This had left Jia Jia Nanzhu restless all day, wondering just how high Lin Chen's cultivation had climbed. Lin Chen had only said he'd gained fortune from misfortune, and Jia Jia Nanzhu had assumed he'd merely broken through to sixth rank.

From seventh to sixth rank, alone chasing Li Yuan? Anyone with sense wouldn't do that.

"Yes, I now possess fourth-rank martial artist strength."

Seeing Lin Chen nod, Jia Jia Nanzhu's eyes brightened. Though he'd suspected it, hearing it confirmed still stunned him—he fell silent for several breaths before saying: "You shouldn't call this fortune from misfortune. This is heavenly fortune."

In just a few months, he rose from seventh to fourth rank—crossing the entire middle tier—equivalent to a genius's ten years of grueling practice. Even Pei Pei Qingming took ten years to advance from seventh to fourth rank.

"The Yan Huang Dynasty's martial arts are truly beyond what our nine nations can match."

In the end, Jia Jia Nanzhu could only attribute it to Lin Chen's cultivation of Yan Huang Dynasty techniques.

"Yan Huang Dynasty's martial arts are indeed far superior to ours—I felt it when I fought their martial artists on Mount Dengwudao."

Lin Chen nodded. Seeing his master's shock, he decided not to reveal his invincibility below upper rank—too much would overwhelm him.

Unnoticed by Lin Chen, a flicker of worry surfaced in Jia Jia Nanzhu's eyes.

If Yan Huang Dynasty martial arts were this miraculous, their martial artists would crush the nine nations. If any Yan Huang martial artist entered the nine nations, the balance would shatter overnight—terrible news for Da Liang.

But Jia Jia Nanzhu quickly suppressed the thought. No Yan Huang martial artist had appeared yet—who knew what the future held?

Worrying too much is just needless anxiety.

By the time Yan Huang martial artists descend upon the nine nations, I'll likely already be dust.

"What happened to Li Yuan?"

"I've slain him."

Jia Jia Nanzhu: …

"Then you and I should leave the camp. Don't trouble Governor Ge any further."

"Understood."

Lin Chen nodded and went with his master to Governor Ge's tent to bid farewell.

He didn't mention killing Li Yuan—he didn't want to cause unnecessary alarm.

"I've already dispatched men to pursue Li Yuan. The court won't let him escape. As for the soldier who leaked the news—though unintentional, he broke military law. I've punished him according to regulations."

Ge Ge Hongyi gave his assurance and personally escorted the master-disciple pair out of camp.

…

…

Capital of Da Liang.

Wuzheng Force.

Kong Zhao Qifeng stared at the letter in his hand, smiling.

Beside him, Chu Chu Zining frowned—he hadn't seen his lord smile since Han Guo declared war on Da Liang, and since Lin Chen vanished into the sealed Huo Fire array.

Though officially "missing," Chu Chu Zining believed Lin Chen had no chance of survival.

"Lord, is something good happening?"

Chu Chu Zining couldn't help asking. Kong Zhao Qifeng stroked his beard and smiled: "Take a look—this letter is from Governor Ge Ge Hongyi of Taizhou."

Chu Chu Zining quickly scanned the letter. When he saw Ge Ge Hongyi wrote Lin Chen had appeared in Taizhou, his pupils widened.

"Lin Lin Shidi… is still alive?"

"Ge Ge Hongyi wouldn't joke with me about this. I suspect Lord Fang will send word soon too."

"Lin Lin Shidi truly… survives great disaster and gains great fortune."

Chu Chu Zining couldn't help sighing. No other phrase fit—surviving being consumed by Huo Fire was unthinkable.

"You're right. Great disaster—"

Kong Zhao Qifeng's words cut short as hurried footsteps approached the courtyard gate.

"Lord! The Left Chancellor has sent orders—a critical military report. He requests you appear in the imperial hall immediately."

Critical military report!

At those words, Chu Chu Zining's expression turned grim. If the report favored Da Liang, the Left Chancellor would have sent a messenger with clear news. The fact he summoned Kong Zhao Qifeng directly meant the report was dire for Da Liang.

Upon uttering those four words, Chu Chu Zining's expression turned grave; if this critical military intelligence favored Great Liang, the Left Chancellor would have sent someone to deliver the news directly—now, they were summoning Lord Kong, which could only mean this critical intelligence was detrimental to Great Liang.

Kong Zhao Qifeng replied, then shot upward like a streak of light, vanishing over the courtyard wall toward the palace.

Kong Zhao Qifeng responded with a nod, his figure transforming into an arc of light that shot over the courtyard wall, heading toward the imperial palace.

(End of chapter)