From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 44 Undercurrents

Three days later.

Qingyun Sect, Inner Sect Member Yun Shejiqi.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

His injuries had mostly healed, but there was always a slight sluggishness when circulating his spiritual energy.

That's a side effect of using time stamps.

The power released when the mark shattered damaged his meridians to some extent. Although not fatal, it would take at least one or two months for him to fully recover.

More importantly, there was no space between his eyebrows.

He could no longer feel that mark that had accompanied him for two years.

Whenever Lin Chen thought of this, an indescribable sense of loss would well up in his heart.

But he knew that now was not the time to be discouraged.

"Knock knock knock".

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Xiao Yan walked in.

His complexion wasn't good either; his lips were a little pale, but his eyes remained sharp.

"How is it?" Lin Chen asked.

"I've found out." Xiao Yan walked to the table and sat down. "The commotion at the Demon Suppression Tower that night has spread throughout the entire Qingyun Sect."

"What did the sect say?"

"The official explanation is that there was an unusual activity in the forbidden area, and a disciple mistakenly entered the forbidden zone of the Demon Suppression Tower and has been expelled." Xiao Yan's lips curled into a cold smile. "As for Elder Shen, she has been released on the grounds of 'insufficient evidence, so she will not be pursued for the time being.'"

Lin Chen nodded slightly.

He had anticipated this outcome.

Shen Qingluan is a senior figure in the Qingyun Sect, and with Chen Xuanfeng, a Nascent Soul Realm expert, backing her up, she cannot be easily convicted.

But this is only a temporary calm.

The real storm is yet to come.

"There's one more thing," Xiao Yan suddenly lowered his voice, "Zhao Yuanzhen came out of seclusion last night."

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"He broke through?"

"Early stage of the Core Formation Realm," Xiao Yan said. "Moreover, it is said that he consumed a fire-attribute spiritual pill during his seclusion, which further enhanced his fire spiritual root. Now, he has a top-grade fire spiritual root at the Core Formation Realm, and his strength is at least 30% stronger than before."

%.

Lin Chen silently calculated in his mind.

The gap between the Dan Yuan Realm and the Ling Xiu Realm is a qualitative leap.

A cultivator who has just broken through to the Core Formation Realm can easily defeat ten peak Spirit Cultivation Realm cultivators.

Moreover, Zhao Yuanzhen also has the added advantage of having a first-grade fire spiritual root.

If Lin Chen still had the Time Imprint, perhaps he could put up a fight.

but now……

"Did he say anything?" Lin Chen asked.

"He said something at the banquet last night," Xiao Yan's voice turned somber. "He said that the parasites in the Qingyun Sect will be eliminated sooner or later."

Woodworms.

Lin Chen's lips twitched slightly.

That's a really hurtful thing to say.

Although he didn't explicitly name anyone, everyone knew who he was talking about.

Shen Qingluan.

Chen Xuanfeng.

And then there's... Lin Chen.

"He's forcing me to abdicate," Xiao Yan said.

Lin Chen nodded.

Zhao Yuanzhen is forcing the higher-ups of the Qingyun Sect to make a statement.

If the higher-ups continue to protect them, he will have a reason to unite with other forces to put pressure on the Qingyun Sect.

If the higher-ups compromise, they will become the "parasites" to be eliminated.

Either outcome would be disadvantageous for Lin Chen and his allies.

"What's the attitude of the higher-ups?" Lin Chen asked.

"Indecisive," Xiao Yan said. "The sect leader is still in seclusion, and the elders have differing opinions. Currently, only the sect leader has clearly expressed his support for Elder Shen, but his power alone is limited."

The Master of the Sect.

Lin Chen recalled the old man with white hair and beard, who had an air of otherworldly wisdom.

He was the nominal supreme leader of the Qingyun Sect. Although he did not have much real power, he had extremely high prestige.

With him involved, at least it can buy some time.

But it only stalled them.

"If Zhao Yuanzhen really makes a move, can the sect leader stop him?" Lin Chen asked.

Xiao Yan fell silent.

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"It can't be stopped."

Lin Chen took a deep breath.

The situation was more serious than he had imagined.

Without the marks of time, he was like a tiger whose claws and teeth had been pulled out.

Zhao Yuanzhen achieved his breakthrough at that very moment.

With one increase and one decrease, the balance of power has been reversed.

"We need allies," Lin Chen said.

"Allies?" Xiao Yan sneered. "In the entire Qingyun Sect, how many people are willing to offend the Zhao family for our sake?"

"Is the Zhao family very powerful?"

"One of the five great families of the dynasty," Xiao Yan said. "The head of the Zhao family is the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, and his disciples and former officials are all over the court. Even in the cultivation world, the Zhao family is one of the top families. Zhao Yuanzhen's father is from a collateral branch of the Zhao family, but he himself is highly regarded in the clan and never lacks resources."

Lin Chen fell silent.

He thought of his opponents during the martial arts examination in the Great Yan Dynasty.

Bai Yutang, Zhao Wuji, Wang Tianba...

Compared to the Zhao family, the families behind those people are like fireflies compared to the bright moon.

No wonder Zhao Yuanzhen dares to be so arrogant.

He has the right to be arrogant.

"What about Qin Mo?" Lin Chen suddenly asked. "Is there any news about him?"

Xiao Yan shook his head.

"I haven't seen him since we parted that night. He seems to be investigating something, and his whereabouts are uncertain."

Lin Chen frowned slightly.

Qin Mo was one of the few people he could trust in the Qingyun Sect.

If we can't even contact him, the situation will become even more passive.

"There's one more person," Lin Chen said, "Lin Yuan."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment.

"That boy who shares your father's name?"

"Yes." Lin Chen's gaze deepened. "Before he left, he said that if we encountered any trouble, we could go to a place to find him. That place is called 'The Corridor of Time'."

"The Time Corridor?" Xiao Yan frowned. "What place is that? I've never heard of it."

"I don't know either," Lin Chen said. "But since he said it, he must have his reasons. I plan to go and look for him once I'm healed."

Xiao Yan looked at him, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

"Do you really believe him?"

"I don't know," Lin Chen said honestly, "but one thing is certain: he's related to my father. That blood connection doesn't lie."

Xiao Yan fell silent.

He recalled Lin Yuan's performance during the trial.

That incredible ability to time.

That sense of vicissitude, as if he had lived for countless years, despite being a young man.

What exactly is the background of that person?

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the door.

"Lin Chen! Is Lin Chen there?"

It was a woman's voice, filled with anxiety and panic.

Lin Chen and Xiao Yan exchanged a glance, then got up and walked towards the door.

A young female disciple, about fifteen or sixteen years old, stood outside the door, her face filled with panic.

"What's wrong?" Lin Chen asked.

"Something terrible has happened!" the female disciple gasped, "Yanhuang Pass... something terrible has happened at Yanhuang Pass!"

Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Yanhuang Pass!

That was the place his father guarded!

That was the place he promised to protect!

The fate of those three thousand soldiers and five hundred and twenty-seven men!

"What is it?" His voice suddenly turned cold.

"Urgent report from the border!" the female disciple said in a trembling voice, "The Yanhuang frontier was attacked last night, and the defending troops suffered heavy casualties!"

How many casualties?

"It is said...it is said that more than a thousand people died in the battle!"

Lin Chen's mind exploded.

More than a thousand people!

That was the person he promised to protect!

He had just lost his time imprint when this devastating news arrived.

Is this a coincidence?

Or is someone taking advantage of the chaos?

"Who was the attacker?" Xiao Yan asked the question Lin Chen wanted to ask.

"I don't know." The female disciple shook her head. "The urgent report didn't say. It only said that the attackers came and went like the wind, striking and retreating in an instant, like...like an elite assassin team."

Assassin squad.

Lin Chen thought of the Dark Blade Pavilion.

That assassin organization hiding in the shadows.

That mysterious force that once hunted him, Uncle Chen, and even Murong Xue.

Could it be them?

But Yanhuang Pass is located on the frontier, so what grudge does it have with the Dark Blade Pavilion?

unless……

Someone instructed them.

"There's one more thing," the female disciple suddenly added. "The urgent report says that General Lin Yuan was seriously wounded in battle and remains unconscious!"

Lin Chen's body swayed violently.

Lin Yuan.

The boy who shared the same name as his father.

The person who claimed to be protecting Yanhuang Pass.

He was seriously injured and unconscious?

"You can go now," Xiao Yan said to the female disciple, then closed the door and turned to look at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen stood still, motionless.

His face was pale, and his hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Lin Chen..."

Just as Xiao Yan was about to say something, Lin Chen raised his hand.

"Stop talking."

His voice was calm, but beneath that calm was a barely suppressed rage.

"Zhao Yuanzhen".

He pronounced the name slowly and deliberately.

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment.

"You suspect it's Zhao Yuanzhen?"

"He just emerged from seclusion yesterday, and today Yanhuang Pass was attacked." Lin Chen's voice was as cold as frost. "The timing is too coincidental."

"But there's no evidence..."

No evidence is needed.

Lin Chen turned around and looked out the window.

The sunlight was just right, shining on his face, but not into his eyes.

Those eyes held a bottomless darkness.

"Whether it was him or not, I've remembered this debt."

His voice was very soft, but every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth:

"The more than one thousand lives lost at Yanhuang Pass, Lin Yuan's serious injuries... I will make everyone involved pay for their crimes in blood."

Xiao Yan looked at Lin Chen, a chill running through his heart.

He had known Lin Chen for some time.

In his memory, Lin Chen had always been a gentle and rational person.

Even when faced with the greatest difficulties, they can remain calm.

but now……

The gentle Lin Chen is gone.

Standing before him was a boy consumed by rage.

The flames burning in those eyes made Xiao Yan's heart tremble.

He knew that this anger was a double-edged sword.

It can make Lin Chen stronger, or it can make him lose his mind.

The key question is... whether he can control this rage.

"What do you plan to do?" Xiao Yan asked.

Lin Chen remained silent for a while.

He cannot act impulsively.

He has just lost his time imprint, and his current strength is greatly reduced.

If we act rashly, we will not only fail to save Yanhuang Pass, but we will also get ourselves into trouble.

He needs to calm down.

He needs a plan.

He needs allies.

"Xiao Yan," he suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"Is there any way to salvage your relationship with the Xiao family?"

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled wryly.

"That's all," he said. "I betrayed my sect in public and then defected to the Qingyun Sect. The Xiao family wishes they could tear me to pieces."

"Then it's over," Lin Chen said. "From now on, you'll stand with me. No matter what happens, don't waver."

Xiao Yan looked at him, his expression complex.

He recalled what had happened in the secret realm.

She recalled the moment when Lin Chen pulled her out of the darkness.

He recalled the sword Lin Chen had blocked for him during that battle.

"Don't worry," he said. "You saved my life, Xiao Yan. From now on, if you want me to go east, I will never go west."

Lin Chen nodded.

Although he lost the marks of time, he was not left with nothing.

At least he still has Xiao Yan.

And Qin Mo.

There's also Shen Qingluan.

There's also Chen Xuanfeng.

He is not fighting alone.

"I have a few things to do next."

Lin Chen walked to the table, spread out a piece of paper, and began to write and draw.

"First, find Qin Mo. Have him gather information for me, especially about Zhao Yuanzhen's movements."

"Second, I need to find Lin Yuan. No matter who he is, I need to know what he's like and what he knows."

"Third, I need to recover from my injuries. My current strength is insufficient; I must break through as soon as possible."

"Fourth!" he paused, "We found other clues left by my father. Since he arranged everything, he couldn't have left only a manuscript. There must be something else."

Xiao Yan listened from the side and nodded in agreement.

These plans are very pragmatic.

It's also very risky.

But under the current circumstances, if we don't take the risk, we'll only face certain death.

"There's one more thing," Xiao Yan suddenly said.

"What?"

Elder Shen asked me to pass on a message to you.

Lin Chen looked at him.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and slowly said:

"She said that the matter at Yanhuang Pass is not as simple as just the Dark Blade Pavilion. If you want to find out the truth, you should investigate the dynasty's border wars over the past decade."

The dynasty's border wars in the last decade?

Lin Chen frowned.

He recalled the map of the Great Yan Dynasty's territory.

Yanhuang Pass is located in the far north and is the first line of defense against the barbarians.

But the barbarians had been defeated five years earlier.

For the next five years, the border remained peaceful.

What's going on with the recent border war?

unless……

Someone is starting a war.

Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

He suddenly thought of a possibility.

A possibility that sent chills down his spine.

If someone secretly starts a war...

If the existence of Yanhuang Pass is itself a conspiracy...

If Lin Yuan's father, the true guardian of time, had already sensed all of this...

Then everything makes sense.

Words from my father's manuscript.

The timing of Lin Yuan's appearance in the trial.

The timing of the attack on Yanhuang Pass.

There is also the timing of Zhao Yuanzhen's departure from the pass.

All the coincidences, when strung together, form a vast web.

And he... may have been trapped in this net from the very beginning.

"It seems this matter is much more complicated than I imagined."

Lin Chen's voice was soft, but his eyes burned with an even more intense flame.

No matter how big or complicated the net is, he will tear it apart.

He wants to find the truth.

He wanted to seek justice for the more than one thousand lives lost at Yanhuang Pass.

He wants to make the mastermind behind this pay the price.

Even if it means stepping into an even deeper abyss.

He was willing to do anything about it.