Chapter 432: The Person Behind the Scenes

Five days later.

"Lin Shidi, we've arrived at the sect. I'll head to the Mission Hall first to turn in my mission."

"Lin Lin Shixiong Wen, thank you for the escort all the way here."

After bidding farewell to Wen Yunting, Lin Chen did not return to his own courtyard, but instead headed straight for his master's residence.

"You've come."

Du Xiaofeng saw Lin Chen and scrutinized him for a moment. "Tell me, what gains did you make at the Wan Huozong this time that allowed you to defeat the assassins from the Yama Hall?"

The Yama Hall: they do not strike unless they intend to kill, and once they strike, it is a guaranteed kill.

Very few targets of a Yama Hall assassination survive.

This is because before an assassination, the Yama Hall conducts a detailed assessment of the target's strength and arranges two assassins: one who actively accepts the mission, and another specifically hand-picked by the Yama Hall—almost always an assassin at the absolute peak of the target's realm.

Since his disciple had defeated Sima Kong at Mount Wudao, the Yama Hall's second assassin must have been at the peak of the First Stage of the Martial Way.

When Lin Chen left the Canglan Sect, his strength was still some distance away from the peak of the First Stage of the Martial Way. Yet, according to the news sent back by Wen Yunting, Lin Chen had defeated both Yama Hall assassins without sustaining any injuries himself.

From this news, he could confirm that his disciple had made significant gains at the Wan Huozong.

"Disciple met Elder Zhuang at the Wan Huozong, and Elder Zhuang helped me refine the third Innate Fire, the Huanhai Xinyan..."

In his account, Lin Chen did not mention that Elder Zhuang had made the refinement of the third Innate Fire a condition for allowing him to observe the Wan Huozong's techniques.

However, Du Xiaofeng was no fool; he could infer the inside story just from Lin Chen's words.

"Do not take such risks in the future. You are now a heaven-gifted disciple of the Canglan Sect, and the sect will provide you with sufficient cultivation resources. Sometimes, staying alive is more important than breaking through a realm."

Du Xiaofeng patted Lin Chen on the shoulder. He knew of Lin Chen's martial path experiences on the island; Gao Zeming had investigated Lin Chen's situation thoroughly upon bringing him back and had already reported it to the Sect Master.

On the island, Lin Chen came from humble beginnings and had to risk his life every time to obtain cultivation resources. He had been extremely diligent on his path, and several of his breakthroughs in realm and strength had been achieved by risking his life.

This habit was not a good thing.

"There are many geniuses in the Yan Huang Chao. Those like you who can reach the summit of Mount Wudao almost all have the potential for the Wanxiang Realm. Yet, on average, one genius steps down from the top spot of Mount Wudao every year. Even among the top, there are differences in strength, but of all these geniuses, very few ultimately manage to step into the Wanxiang Realm."

Du Xiaofeng looked at Lin Chen. "Do you know the reason why?"

"Disciple does not know."

"It is because more than half of these geniuses perish before they even step into the Sixth Stage of the Innate Realm. In order to maintain the rapid progress of their martial strength, these geniuses, like you, mostly attempt numerous risky breakthroughs. The smoothness of their past martial breakthroughs gave them confidence, believing it would be the same after stepping into the Innate Realm, but ultimately, they lost their lives because of it."

"Once you step into the Fifth Stage of the Innate Realm, you will understand that sometimes time counts for nothing. Even if you are Innate at twenty, or at the Fourth Stage of the Innate Realm at thirty, so what? This kind of aggressive, risky breakthrough path can cost you your life at the slightest carelessness."

Hearing his master's earnest teachings, Lin Chen listened carefully. He knew his master said these things for his own good, hoping he would not be so aggressive on his future cultivation path.

It was just that his master did not know he now had the help of 【Racing Against Time】, which allowed him to predict the probability of success in advance, so he was not entirely taking risks.

"Thank you for your teachings, Master. Disciple has taken them to heart."

Du Xiaofeng nodded and then smiled. "As for your curiosity about why Zhuang Lie wanted you to go to the Wan Huozong again in two years, it is because two years from now is when the Wan Huozong's Sacred Fire Realm opens. The Wan Huozong's Sacred Fire Realm and our Canglan Sect's Canglan Secret Realm are equally famous in the Yan Huang Chao. The difference is that our Canglan Sect trades spots in the Canglan Secret Realm with other sects, while only Wan Huozong disciples can enter the Wan Huozong's Sacred Fire Realm. Judging by Zhuang Lie's intentions, he likely secured a spot for you to enter; it is indeed an exception."

"So that's it. Then, Master, what is inside this Sacred Fire Realm?"

"It contains the martial inheritance left by the Wan Huozong's founder. Many of the Wan Huozong's techniques were discovered by successive generations of disciples in the Sacred Fire Realm. Entering the Sacred Fire Realm truly counts as opening all of the Wan Huozong's techniques to you. If you have enough fortune, you might even encounter techniques not yet discovered by the Wan Huozong."

Hearing this, Lin Chen felt even more grateful to Elder Zhuang. To a Wan Huozong disciple, this Sacred Fire Realm was like a pilgrimage site, and for him, an outsider, to possess a spot, Elder Zhuang must have expended a great deal of effort to convince the high-level figures of the Wan Huozong.

Du Xiaofeng saw the expression on his disciple's face and knew that his disciple must be filled with gratitude toward Zhuang Lie.

There were some things he did not say out loud.

It was impossible for Zhuang Lie to be able to give a Sacred Fire Realm spot to an outsider disciple; this matter must have been agreed upon by the Wan Huozong Sect Master.

There was likely a hidden story behind this.

But regardless, this was a good thing for Lin Chen. Moreover, he could not give Lin Chen too much guidance on the Wujin Shenxiang Jue that Lin Chen cultivated, so letting Lin Chen feel grateful to Zhuang Lie was also a way to extract more good things from that old fellow.

"Putting the Wan Huozong matter aside, this time the Yama Hall people assassinated you—have you thought about who the mastermind behind it is?"

Du Xiaofeng's expression became serious. Lin Chen shook his head. "Master, since coming to the Yan Huang Chao, Disciple has not yet formed any grudges with others. If there really were any grudges, it would only be from challenging the disciples of various sects on Mount Wudao."

Who hired the Yama Hall to assassinate him? Lin Chen had also pondered this on the way back.

In the Nine Kingdoms, he could say he had some enemies, such as the remnants of the Nansha San Dao, or the martial artists of Han Guo...

But neither the remnants of the Nansha San Dao nor the Han Guo imperial family could offer a price that would make the Yama Hall assassinate a heaven-gifted disciple of a super sect.

"The battles on Mount Wudao are fair fights. If one were to seek out the Yama Hall to hire assassins because of a defeat, then Mount Wudao would have been in chaos long ago. This is something that all sects do not allow." ===== CHAPTER 433 =====