Soul Departure Domain.
Wangchuan Platform.
An ancient city within the Soul Departure Domain.
East of the city, Yan Family’s territory.
A small courtyard with only a single entrance located in the outer streets and alleys.
"Princess, the main family is being too much, arranging such accommodations for you."
Su Qin’s face was full of discontent. Her Princess had crossed the Eastern Sea Domain, traveling thousands of miles to the Yan Family of the Soul Departure Domain, yet the Yan Family treated their Princess with such disregard.
"It’s already good that the Yan Family arranged a place for us. Our Murong Family is just one of hundreds of branches of the Yan Family."
Murong Yan, however, didn’t mind, she smiled while observing the courtyard.
Though small, the courtyard at least posed no danger.
From the island to the Soul Departure Domain, the sea journey was quite smooth. With Elders from the Martial Arts Alliance escorting them, they arrived safely at the Eastern Sea Domain.
But from the Eastern Sea Domain to the Soul Departure Domain, they encountered some danger. The escort team her father had sent was reduced to only Su Qin and two others; the other eight members met with misfortune.
True, she was a Princess of Yan Kingdom, but in the Flame Dynasty, it meant little.
Su Qin, hearing her Princess’s words, said nothing more. She understood there must have been some matters between the Princess and the Yan Family’s main family.
Initially, when the Princess first arrived at the Yan Family, they were enthusiastic. They had even taken the Princess to meet the Yan Family Elders. However, after meeting the Elders, the Yan Family’s attitude changed drastically from enthusiasm to indifference.
Su Qin did not know why the Yan Family’s main family’s attitude changed so drastically, but Murong Yan understood.
Let us turn back to half a day earlier.
Yan Family’s main residence.
Murong Yan, led by Yan Family members, met with the Elders of the clan.
"Good, good, good, it’s unexpected that our Yan Family has a branch overseas. You’ve come a long way from the East Sea Islands; it must have been hard on you."
The Yan Family Elder’s attitude was very kind, which relieved Murong Yan.
On her way here, she feared the main family wouldn’t recognize their branch. Now she could settle down and find a way to write to her father and mother.
But the moment the Elder touched her arm, everything changed.
"You’re no longer chaste?"
Murong Yan sensed the fury in the Elder’s eyes. Before she could respond, the Elder’s expression turned cold, and she was dismissed.
Her chastity, before leaving the island, was given to Lin Chen.
Once she exited the main residence’s hall, the clan members who brought her lost their previous warmth, and their words were filled with mockery.
Unable to maintain her chastity.
A waste of that face.
In this, Murong Yan understood everything.
The main family’s earlier enthusiasm was due to her appearance, intending to arrange a marriage alliance?
However, because she was no longer chaste, the possibility of a marriage alliance disappeared, and to the main family, she became worthless.
Considering this, the Yan Family has hundreds of branches.
To the main family, a branch is nothing, let alone a branch with no contact for over a thousand years. Where is the kinship in that?
Perhaps, in the eyes of the main family, these branches are not as close as the servants in the clan.
"The Yan Family is not a place to linger."
As a Princess of Yan Kingdom, Murong Yan was all too aware of the dealings between the powerful.
Because of her appearance, the Yan Family was warm to her, yet because she was no longer chaste, they became cold.
This only indicated the Yan Family needed to curry favor with some power through marriage.
The rapid change in the Yan Family’s attitude showed the matter was urgent to them, facing a crisis they could not solve alone, requiring external help.
After tidying the courtyard, Murong Yan was about to rest when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps and discussions outside.
Murong Yan paused, and Su Qin immediately said, "Princess, I’ll go ask what’s happening outside."
A few moments later, Su Qin returned, her face unable to hide her excitement.
"Aunt Qin, what has you so excited?"
Murong Yan was puzzled. They had no ties in the Flame Dynasty—what could excite Aunt Qin this much?
"I heard news of Young Master Lin."
Su Qin replied immediately, unable to conceal the joy on her face, "Those young people outside were all preparing to watch Young Master Lin’s challenge at Martial Arts Mountain."
...
...
At the alley entrance.
At this moment, many young men and women had gathered, among them was a graceful woman wearing a veil, her bright eyes fixated on the illuminated screen ahead.
In half a year, Lin Chen’s appearance hasn’t changed much, but the confidence between his brows is more intense than when he was in the Nine Kingdoms.
When a hidden dragon emerges from the deep, it transforms into a dragon upon encountering the storm.
The Nine Kingdoms is the abyss, and Lin Chen is the hidden dragon.
The Canglan Sect is the storm.
Now, having left the Nine Kingdoms and arrived in the Flame Dynasty to become a disciple of the Canglan Sect, he can finally unleash his unique martial arts talent and strength to the fullest.
During the Martial Arts Mountain summit battle, the Yan family also received news. The Yan family has members who possess the Martial Arts Seal, but those living in this alley are the less important branches of the Yan family, with only one or two possessing the Martial Arts Seal. To watch the top hundred battles of the Martial Arts Mountain, a young clan member with the Martial Arts Seal broadcasts at the alley entrance, so everyone can see it.
When a figure appeared on the Battle Plain of the Martial Arts Mountain, the audience was instantly filled with chatter.
"Lin Chen from the Canglan Sect has already won so many matches in a row and is second on the Martial Arts Mountain. If he wins this match, he will truly reach the summit."
"A hundred thousand consecutive wins to reach the summit; I heard a steward in the clan say this has already broken the Martial Arts Mountain’s record."
The words of these Yan family members were full of shock and envy.
"I really don’t know how these people train; we’re still striving for middle grade, while they’re already stepping into the Innate Realm."
"It’s incomparable, considering our background. In the Yan family, we can’t even catch the main family’s attention, while they’re key disciples nurtured by super sects, receiving martial arts resources each month that equate to our multiple years."
"Having such strength is normal for other geniuses at Martial Arts Mountain, but I heard Lin Chen hasn’t been in the Canglan Sect long. Before joining the Canglan Sect, he was said to have come from a martial arts desolate land."
"Is that true?"
"Impossible. How could a martial artist from a desolate land possibly have the strength to challenge the Martial Arts Mountain? Your information must be false."
"I think it’s false too. Can a young martial artist from a martial arts desolate land really compare to the genius disciples cultivated by super sects in the Flame Dynasty?"
"It’s not just simple comparison; he’s firmly overpowering these geniuses, now only Sima Kong is left."
On the outer edge of the crowd, Murong Yan, wearing a veil, revealed a gorgeous smile, while beside her, Su Qin softly said, "Miss, I didn’t expect Young Master Lin to be so outstanding even in the Flame Dynasty."
In Su Qin’s eyes, Lin Chen was already the most renowned in the Nine Kingdoms, being number one there.
Arriving in the Flame Dynasty, with many geniuses there, she feared Lin Chen might lose his aura, at most gaining minor fame in the Canglan Sect.
Never expected, in less than half a year, Lin Chen would also make such a significant name in the Flame Dynasty that even these young people from the Yan family knew him.
At this moment, she wanted to say that the information was indeed wrong. Lin Chen did not come from a martial arts desolate land, but from a martial arts barren land.
A place without even a single Innate Martial Artist is barren. Only with a few Innate Martial Artists is it considered desolate.
"Yes, he’s always been this outstanding."
Murong Yan was pleased as well, but unlike Su Qin’s excitement, she had confidence in Lin Chen, knowing he could shine even coming to the Flame Dynasty.
"Miss, if you were to tell the main family about you and Young Master Lin?"
"Let’s not mention this anymore."
Murong Yan immediately interrupted Su Qin, worried that if the main family knew about her relationship with Lin Chen, they might set their eyes on Lin Chen. She didn’t know how severe the Yan family’s crisis was or how strong the opposing force was.
But regardless of the opponent’s strength, she wouldn’t drag Lin Chen into the Yan family’s troubles. The Yan family had no familial affection for their branch, and she didn’t feel a sense of belonging to the Yan family either.
Fortunately, since an elder from the Yan family changed his attitude towards her, he didn’t even want to speak much, not knowing which island in the Eastern Sea she was from, thus not connecting her with Lin Chen.
After the battle at the Martial Arts Mountain concludes, Lin Chen’s identity will surely be investigated by many forces. If the Yan family discovers she and Lin Chen came from the same island, they will likely make some moves.
She felt grateful for the elder from the Yan family’s impatience.
...
...
Battlefield on the Plain of Martial Arts Mountain.
After Lin Chen appeared, the figure of Sima Kong emerged on the plain as well.
Sima Kong stood with his hands behind his back, his robe fluttering in the wind, exuding an aura of supremacy.
"Lin Chen, right? I heard you come from an overseas island of the Eastern Sea. To reach this point with your strength is somewhat surprising to me, but this is where it ends."
Sima Kong’s words were composed, without ridicule or arrogance, as if stating an ordinary fact.
"This person, so strong!"
Su Qin watched Sima Kong on the light screen. Even through the screen, she could feel the terrifying presence of Young Master Lin’s opponent, making her complexion pale.
Murong Yan didn’t respond, only fixating on the screen. The title of number one at Martial Arts Mountain meant Lin Chen’s opponent’s strength was bound to be formidable; without strength, he couldn’t sit securely among all martial artists under twenty in the Flame Dynasty.
Lin Chen sensed the powerful aura released by Sima Kong, yet he didn’t verbally respond.
"Looks like you’re not giving up. If so, let me show you what a gap truly is."
Sima Kong saw Lin Chen’s silence, assuming Lin Chen was unwilling to accept defeat. The next moment, he stepped forward, his protective Gang Qi erupting like a storm, instantly creating a fissure dozens of feet deep on the ground.
Simultaneously, twenty points of light shone around him, visible to all!
"Having condensed twenty Innate Crystals, Sima Kong already possesses Late Period Gang Transformation Realm strength."
All martial artists witnessing this scene wore expressions of shock.
Thousand Mechanism Sect.
Zeng Xi displayed a bitter smile, realizing that during his previous two challenges, Sima Kong hadn’t even used his full strength.