Chapter 362: Another Breakthrough

【Achievement: Light of Daliang】

【Effect: The more Daliang martial artists admire you, the faster your Martial Way cultivation progress.】

【Fate: 【Natural Success】: On the Ninth-Rank Martial Way, persistence and gradual progress lead to unstoppable momentum, free from the distress of bottlenecks.】

Lin Chen's figure transformed into a streak of rainbow light, heading straight for the Lord Lingxiao Great Hall.

This time, the sudden signs of a breakthrough, with the Qi and blood within his body surging so wildly that he couldn't suppress them, made Lin Chen realize that it must be the 【Light of Daliang】 and 【Natural Success】 fates working in tandem.

Before today, looking across Daliang, many of the older generation of martial artists only held appreciation for him, and he imagined there were quite a few who would be jealous of him.

But after today, his prestige throughout the entire Daliang would reach an unprecedented height.

Lord Lingxiao Great Hall.

Hua Qianwu had just walked out of the great hall with several elders. When he saw a streak of rainbow light heading toward them, especially after seeing clearly that it was Lin Chen, he was stunned.

"Lin Chen, we are fine; you don't need to come in person."

Hua Qianwu subconsciously assumed Lin Chen had come to the great hall to welcome them, fearing that they had consumed too much Qi and blood to infuse Pei Qingming with more Lord Lingxiao energy, causing them difficulty in walking.

"Dean Hua, this disciple has a premonition of a breakthrough. I wish to borrow the Lord Lingxiao Great Hall."

Lin Chen's figure did not stop, heading directly toward the entrance of the great hall, his words drifting in the wind.

Yu Sanghua's pupils shrank, his old face wearing a complex expression. Another breakthrough?

If his senses were correct, Lin Chen's finger strike at the city gate earlier already possessed the strength of a High-Rank martial artist. If he continued to break through...

Could it be that he was aiming for the Second Rank or First Rank?

A Second-Rank martial artist under the age of twenty was rare in the world.

"Truly a heaven-sent prodigy."

Hua Qianwu listened to Yu Sanghua's exclamation, while smiles appeared on the faces of the other elders.

"Actually, thinking about it, it makes sense. Only with such talent would the Canglan Sect be so attentive to Lin Chen, with an Elder personally taking him as a disciple."

Yu Sanghua nodded upon hearing Hua Qianwu's words. The Canglan Sect was so powerful; if Lin Chen were only an ordinary genius, it would be impossible for a Canglan Sect Elder to have taken a fancy to him.

Inside the Lord Lingxiao Great Hall, Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the central green jade cushion, his body wreathed in pale golden Lord Lingxiao energy. The star-patterned stones embedded in the hall's ceiling sensed the surging Qi and blood, flickering on and off, illuminating the entire hall as if a galaxy were pouring down.

This time, Lin Chen did not close his eyes and focus as he had during previous breakthroughs; instead, he opened his eyes to look at the star map flowing across the dome.

The Canglan energy within his body circled through his meridians like a flood dragon, and the originally dormant acupoints lit up one after another, like ignited beacon towers, running straight from the Bubbling Spring point at the soles of his feet to his crown.

At the same time, Lord Lingxiao energy continuously descended from the dome, enveloping his entire body. This Lord Lingxiao energy gathered in Lin Chen's dantian, finally merging behind that golden sun.

The radiance of the golden sun shone upon Lin Chen's internal organs and his entire body. Tiny golden crystals filled his limbs and bones, but the next moment, flames appeared around Lin Chen's acupoints, beginning to burn these golden crystals.

The crystals melted, turning into golden trickles that began to be absorbed by the acupoints. A thin golden film began to appear on all his meridians, including his bone marrow.

Repeating this, with every cycle, the aura radiating from Lin Chen's body grew stronger. The blood Qi steaming from his body surged toward the walls of the great hall, finally crashing against them with the sound of waves striking the shore.

Han Guo.

When the voices of the three Canglan Sect Elders fell, Murong Xin's beautiful eyes held a look of confusion as she looked at the three Jiuque Sect disciples beside her.

"Young Master Wei, is this Canglan very strong?"

Murong Xin naturally understood the meaning behind the words of the three Canglan Sect Elders. She had not expected that Lin Chen would be taken as a disciple by an Elder of this Canglan Sect without a sound.

It was just that the words of this Canglan Sect Elder were a bit too overbearing.

Not only did they protect Lin Chen, forbidding anyone from laying a hand on him, but even Liang Guo was under their protection. And listening to this, if Lin Chen wished, he could incorporate any place in the Nine Nations into his protected territory.

Such overbearing words would surely anger sects like the Jiuque Sect, right?

However, the next moment, Murong Xin was stunned, because what she saw on the faces of these three Jiuque Sect disciples was fear and excitement.

"It's actually an Elder of the Canglan Sect."

"I never expected that someone in this place could be taken a fancy to by an Elder of the Canglan Sect."

"A desolate land of the Martial Way. An island without even a single Innate martial artist. This... is truly inconceivable."

The three Jiuque Sect disciples seemed not to have heard Murong Xin's words, all immersed in shock.

"Young Master Wei?"

Murong Xin asked again. This time, the Jiuque Sect disciple looked at her and explained: "The Canglan Sect is one of the super sects of the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao, far beyond what our Jiuque Sect can compare to. It's not just our Jiuque Sect; even if all the sects currently on this island were to unite, they couldn't block a single finger of a Canglan Sect Elder."

Murong Xin's beautiful eyes narrowed. The Canglan Sect was this strong?

With so many sects added together, they were still no match for a single Elder of the Canglan Sect.

"The Canglan Sect is the number one sect in the Canglan Domain. The entire territory of the Canglan Domain is nearly dozens of times larger than the Nine Nations. Sects of the Canglan Sect's level do not come to islands like yours that have yet to have an owner after the Annihilation Storm disappears, because the Canglan Sect disdains scavenging."

"Scavenging?" Murong Xin was puzzled.

Wei Yichen saw Murong Xin's confused expression and continued: "Miss Murong, I won't hide it from you. Sects like ours come to islands like yours that have yet to have an owner just to try our luck, to see if there are any Martial Way cultivation resources on the island. In the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao, this behavior is called scavenging."

"Sects like the Canglan Sect don't look down upon the Martial Way resources of islands in the sea, and sects like ours are only at the bottom of the second-rate existence even in the Canglan Domain."

Listening to Wei Yichen's detailed explanation, Murong Xin finally understood how strong the Canglan Sect was.

"Then Lin Chen was taken as a disciple by a Canglan Sect Elder?"

"No one in your Nine Nations dares to offend Lin Chen. Even our Jiuque Sect, including other sects, has to consider whether we have offended Lin Chen anywhere during this period. If we have, our Elders would have to go to his door to apologize. Even if we want to continue staying here, we have to get Lin Chen's consent."

When Wei Yichen said this, the two Junior Brothers beside him frowned: "Senior Brother, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?"

"What I said is absolutely not exaggerated. Even if Lin Chen's own strength is not strong right now, since he has been taken as a disciple by a Canglan Sect Elder, it is highly likely that the Canglan Sect will send someone to pick Lin Chen up. If Lin Chen is dissatisfied with our Jiuque Sect at that time and complains to the people coming from the Canglan Sect, how do you think the experts from the Canglan Sect will treat our Jiuque Sect?"

Wei Yichen looked at his two Junior Brothers, and seeing their thoughtful expressions, he smiled bitterly: "Just like the attitude we sects have when entering the Nine Nations toward the martial artists of the Nine Nations, that is the attitude the Canglan Sect has toward us."

What was their attitude toward the martial artists of the Nine Nations?

It was a high-and-mighty attitude, not putting the martial artists of the Nine Nations in their eyes at all.

If they didn't submit, they would just kill them.

Murong Xin looked at the two silent disciples of the Jiuque Sect, her beautiful eyes holding a strange light, and at the same time, a trace of envy. She whispered: "Little Sister bet right again this time."

"Miss Murong, I heard that your Little Sister has a beauty that could topple cities and countries. Why didn't she come here with you this time?" A Jiuque Sect disciple asked curiously upon hearing Murong Xin's whisper.

Murong Xin had a good appearance and could be called a beauty even in the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao, but they had also come into contact with many youths from Han Guo during this period and heard from them that the most beautiful princess of the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao's generation was the Sixth Princess.

Murong Xin smiled brilliantly. This was not the first time this Jiuque Sect disciple had asked about her Little Sister. In the past, she had always found excuses to explain it away, but now she didn't intend to hide it.

"To tell you the truth, my Little Sister has a very good relationship with Lin Chen. This time, Little Sister didn't follow us to Han Guo, but went to Liang Guo to find Lin Chen."

When the Jiuque Sect disciple heard this, his expression instantly became awkward.

If he had heard this a quarter of an hour ago, he would have wanted this Lin Chen to come to Han Guo in person to see him, but now...

"Miss Murong, Zhang Lin Shidi just mentioned it casually, don't take it to heart."

Wei Yichen spoke up. If there was a relationship between the Sixth Princess of Yan and Lin Chen, then the fact that his Zhang Lin Shidi was thinking about this Sixth Princess, if it reached Lin Chen's ears, would likely cause trouble.

Youths of this age often engaged in jealousy.

The more talented they were, the less they wanted others to think about the woman who belonged to them.

His words were to hint to Murong Xin not to mention his Lin Lin Shidi's questioning to the outside world, and even more so, not to mention it in front of Lin Chen.

"Why, are you envious of Little Sister?"

In her own courtyard, Murong Xin was staring blankly at the delicate flowers in the garden when the voice of her Fourth Sister, Murong Shuang, came from behind.

"Fourth Sister, I am indeed a bit envious of Little Sister. Little Sister's eye for people is truly good."

"Actually, Little Sister has changed a lot since she went to Liang Guo."

Murong Shuang looked at her Fifth Sister and said softly: "Before Little Sister went to Liang Guo, she once had the idea of recruiting a son-in-law. Going to Liang Guo at that time was actually for Lin Chen, but at that time, Little Sister just wanted to see if Lin Chen was qualified to be our Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao's son-in-law."

"There's such a thing?" Murong Xin was surprised; she hadn't heard Little Sister mention it.

"Only Mother knew about this matter. I also heard it from Mother later. And since Little Sister returned to the country, she never looked at other young talents again, having only Lin Chen in her heart. At that time, I even felt that Little Sister was a bit silly. Even if she liked Lin Chen, she could still go see other talents. But now, thinking back, Little Sister was right."

"At the imperial banquet, Su Zhe, the grandson of the Han Guo State Preceptor, was above Lin Chen in both family background and strength in everyone's eyes. But Little Sister, fearing that Lin Chen would overthink, even disregarded the relationship between our imperial family and Han Guo and appeared in person to express her stance."

"Fifth Sister, if it were you, would you do that?"

Murong Xin shook her head; she wouldn't.

Unless she and Lin Chen had set a marriage contract, she would never have appeared on the day of the banquet.

As an imperial princess, what she had been exposed to since childhood was how to maximize her own interests.

"Later, Lin Chen was stunning at the ranking tournament, and everyone envied Little Sister's eye for people." Murong Shuang's eyelashes trembled: "But I believe Little Sister didn't know that Lin Chen's Martial Way strength had improved to this extent before that."

Murong Xin was startled. Little Sister didn't know Lin Chen's specific strength, yet chose to offend Su Zhe and offend Han Guo for Lin Chen. This shocked her endlessly. She had originally thought Little Sister knew Lin Chen's true strength.

"From that moment on, I knew that Little Sister's heart belonged to Lin Chen, not because of Lin Chen's talent, but because of Lin Chen himself." Murong Shuang suddenly smiled: "Including the later entry of sects like the Jiuque Sect into the Nine Nations, Little Sister didn't choose to come to Han Guo, but chose to go to Liang Guo to find Lin Chen, which confirmed my guess."

Murong Xin was silent. She knew her Fifth Sister was right.

If Little Sister's heart didn't belong to Lin Chen himself, when the Jiuque Sect and other sects entered the Nine Nations, she should have been like herself, coming into contact with the young disciples of the Jiuque Sect. Even if she didn't look down on the Jiuque Sect's disciples, she could use this as a stepping stone to get to know talents from the Yan Yan Yan Huang Chao in the future.

"Fifth Sister, I know that several aunts, including Mother, have taught us since childhood that we should maximize the use of our appearance and not be swayed by so-called romantic feelings. But facts have proven that Little Sister's choice was the right one. If you meet someone you like in the future, don't be too utilitarian. In this world, there is always someone higher than another. Finding a reliable mountain that suits you is enough."

Daliang, on a certain official road, the carriage stopped.

"Princess, are we going to Poyang County or Lord Lingxiao City now?"

Su Qin had a look of excitement on her face; she had also heard the voice just now.

Lin Chen was in Lord Lingxiao City!

"Let's return to Yan Guo."

Murong Yan's lazy voice came from the carriage.

"Return to Yan Guo?"

Su Qin was stunned. Wasn't the Princess here to find Lin Chen? Why return to Yan Guo again?

"Let's go back, Aunt Su."

Murong Yan's voice came out again: "Lin Chen is now the focus of the Nine Nations, so let's not go join in the fun. Besides, the crisis in our Yan Guo has also been resolved."

Hearing her Princess's words, Su Qin sighed in her heart. The Princess was now considering Lin Chen in everything.

Not going to see Lin Chen was for fear of causing misunderstandings for that Miss Jiang.

Western Daliang.

In an abyss, black mist swirled.

This was the far west of Daliang, a forbidden zone for the entire Daliang.

When the voices of the three Elders reached this place and resounded in the sky, these black mists suddenly surged, frantically rushing upward.

But just as these black mists were about to rush out of the abyss, the cliff walls shone brightly, and complex and mysterious runes began to shine, condensing into a barrier in the air. No matter how the black mist surged, it could not break through.

Half an hour later, the surging black mist slowly sank again, and the abyss returned to calm once more.

A few breaths later, a middle-aged man appeared above the abyss, his brows furrowed: "With such a big commotion, I don't know if it's good or bad. I hope it doesn't disturb this thing."

And at this moment, under the black mist, a name kept echoing.

"Lin Chen."

"Lin Chen."

"Lin Chen."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 363 =====