From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 49 Frontier Turmoil

The nights at Yanhuang Pass are much colder than those at Qingyun Sect.

Lin Chen stood in the makeshift tent assigned to him, gazing at the night sky through the cracks. In the distance, he could occasionally hear the footsteps and hushed conversations of patrolling soldiers.

After the Supreme Elder left, the entire Yanhuang Pass fell into a brief period of calm. But everyone knew that this was only the calm before the storm.

"Can't sleep?"

Lin Yuan's voice came from behind.

"Hmm." Lin Chen didn't turn around. "I'm thinking about something."

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking of the Dark Blade Pavilion." Lin Chen turned to Lin Yuan. "They've lost so many men this time, are they really going to give up now?"

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"Won't."

He went into the tent and sat down in a chair.

"The Dark Blade Pavilion's true purpose has never been killing. What they want is to prevent civilization from advancing to a higher dimension."

"Preventing dimensional ascension?" Lin Chen frowned slightly.

"That's right." Lin Yuan's voice turned low. "Do you know why the Dark Blade Pavilion has been targeting our Lin family for thirty years?"

Lin Chen did not speak.

"Because of your father," Lin Yuan said, "your father, Lin Yuan, is of the bloodline of the Time Guardians. He carries the key to dimensional ascension."

He looked at Lin Chen.

"You are the fusion of the Time Guardian and the Dimensional Ruler. You carry more within you than your father."

Lin Chen fell silent.

He had always known he had many secrets. But only now did he truly realize the weight of those secrets.

"So the Dark Blade Pavilion won't let us go," he said.

"No," Lin Yuan nodded. "They've only sent an advance team this time. The real trouble is yet to come."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the tent.

"General Lin! General Lin!"

A soldier rushed into the tent, his face pale.

"What happened?" Lin Yuan stood up.

"The patrol team discovered...discovered..."

The soldier swallowed hard, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing.

"What did you discover?"

"Ironclad troops!" The soldier's voice trembled. "An armored unit has appeared on the wasteland beyond the pass!"

Lin Chen and Lin Yuan exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Armored troops?

This is not the style of Dark Blade Pavilion.

"Let's go take a look."

Lin Yuan strode out of the tent, with Lin Chen following closely behind.

Beyond the Flame Wasteland, on the desolate plains.

Lin Chen stood on the city wall, looking into the distance, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Under the moonlight, the silhouette of that armored unit was clearly visible.

They were dressed in jet-black iron armor, each over two meters tall, and moved in perfect unison, like machines.

"What is this?" Lin Chen's voice was a little hoarse.

"Psionic mech."

Lin Yuan's voice came from behind him, his tone heavy.

"A psionic mech?" Lin Chen turned his head. "What is that?"

"It's a...weapon," Lin Yuan said, "a war machine powered by psionic energy."

"The earliest psionic mechs appeared three hundred years ago during the continental wars. At that time, the major empires invested heavily in developing this weapon of war in order to compete for resources."

"Later, with the rise of the cultivation civilization, psionic mechs were gradually phased out. This is because the power of cultivators far surpassed that of these tin cans."

He paused.

"Dark Blade Pavilion has clearly found a way to improve psionic mechs."

Lin Chen looked at the armored unit again.

Although the mech soldiers moved in perfect unison, they were incredibly fast, far exceeding the speed of ordinary people. Some of the mechs even gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

"Their cultivation levels..." Lin Chen's pupils contracted again, "...are at least at the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"That's right." Lin Yuan nodded. "These mechs have all been infused with the spiritual consciousness of Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"While they can't be as agile as real humans, their individual combat capabilities are already terrifying."

"What if a hundred of these mechs attacked simultaneously..."

He didn't continue, but Lin Chen already understood.

One hundred Foundation Establishment stage mechs represent one hundred Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.

This number is enough to conquer a medium-sized city.

Why don't they attack?

Lin Chen suddenly asked.

Logically, the Dark Blade Pavilion should have sent such a force to launch a direct attack. Why are they just lingering on the outskirts?

Lin Yuan remained silent for a moment.

"Because the time is not right."

"opportunity?"

"While psionic mechs are powerful, they also have weaknesses," Lin Yuan said. "They require a supply of psionic energy. Once the psionic energy is depleted, they're just a pile of scrap metal."

"So the Dark Blade Pavilion is waiting."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait for an opportunity," Lin Yuan said. "Wait until we lower our guard, until our defenders are exhausted, then strike with deadly precision."

Lin Chen's brows furrowed even more.

This Dark Blade Pavilion is much more difficult to deal with than he imagined.

"Is there any way to deal with them?" he asked.

Lin Yuan did not answer.

He simply stared silently at the armored troops in the distance, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

After a long silence, he finally spoke:

"have."

"But it will take time."

The next morning, Lin Chen began his life in Yanhuang Pass.

Unlike the inner sect of Qingyun Sect, the pace of life at Yanhuang Pass is much more intense.

Every morning, soldiers patrolled the city walls. During the day, the generals gathered to discuss military matters. At night, scouts would quietly leave the city to investigate the enemy's movements.

Lin Chen volunteered to participate in these activities.

He learned from Lin Yuan how to read maps, analyze enemy situations, and formulate tactics.

He also patrolled the city walls with the veterans to learn about the defensive layout of Yanhuang Pass.

After a few days, he gained a clearer understanding of the situation at Yanhuang Pass.

Yanhuang Pass is one of the most important passes in the northern frontier.

It guards the vital passage to the north; if it falls, the entire northern frontier will be exposed to the enemy's iron hooves.

There are 3,000 garrison troops stationed here year-round, and with the addition of civilian laborers and logistics personnel, the total population is about 5,000.

Their usual mission is to defend against the invasions of the northern barbarians. But in recent years, the barbarians have been unusually quiet, while the number of assassins from the Dark Blade Pavilion has been increasing.

"They're playing a long game."

Lin Yuan said this at a military meeting.

"The Dark Blade Pavilion's true objective is neither Yanhuang Pass nor the Northern Frontier."

"Their target is the entire continent."

Everyone was stunned when he said that.

"General Lin, what do you mean by this?" an old general asked.

"Have you ever wondered," Lin Yuan said, "why the northern barbarians have suddenly become quiet in recent years?"

Everyone looked at each other.

They were aware of this problem, but no one thought about it deeply.

"Because the Dark Blade Pavilion has reached some kind of agreement with the barbarians," Lin Yuan said. "The barbarians are holding back in the north, while the Dark Blade Pavilion is pressing forward step by step in the south."

"What do they want?"

"time."

"They are waiting."

"Once the psionic mech legion is fully formed."

"Once the Dark Blade Pavilion's layout is completely complete..."

He paused.

"Then, one battle will decide the fate of the world."

After the military meeting, Lin Chen found Lin Yuan.

"Uncle, is what you said true?"

Which ones?

"The Dark Blade Pavilion is colluding with the barbarians."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"I've been tracking the Dark Blade Pavilion for thirty years. In those thirty years, I've discovered far too many of their secrets."

"They are more than just a killer organization."

"They are an alliance of ambitious individuals."

"An alliance?" Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean, many people are involved in their conspiracy?"

"That's right," Lin Yuan said. "The scale of this alliance far exceeds your imagination."

"They included members of royalty, elders from various sects, business tycoons, and even heads of state from several countries."

"They have only one goal!"

"Preventing the ascension of civilization."

Lin Chen fell silent.

He suddenly realized that the scale of this war was far greater than he had imagined.

This is not a feud between him and the Dark Blade Pavilion, nor is it a conflict between the Azure Cloud Sect and some assassin organization.

This is a war that concerns the fate of the entire civilization.

"Then what should we do?" he asked.

Lin Yuan looked at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"Your father asked me the same question."

"What was his answer?"

He said!

Lin Yuan's voice became low.

"Since they want to stop dimensional ascension, then we'll accelerate it."

"Complete the dimensional ascension before their layout is finished."

"To elevate the entire civilization to a higher dimension."

"By then, their plot will fall apart on its own."

A glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.

"So my task is to complete the dimensional ascension as quickly as possible?"

"That's right." Lin Yuan nodded. "The legacy of the Time Guardian and the selection by the Dimensional Ruler are key to your dimensional ascension."

He then changed the subject.

"Your current strength is far from sufficient."

"I know," Lin Chen said, "That's why I need to become stronger."

"It's not just about improving one's cultivation level, but also about honing various skills."

"Can you teach me how to fight with psionic mechs?"

Lin Yuan was taken aback.

"You want to learn this?"

"Know yourself and know your enemy," Lin Chen said. "Since the Dark Blade Pavilion intends to use psionic mechs against us, then I must learn how to deal with them."

Only by understanding the enemy can we defeat the enemy.

Lin Yuan looked at him, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes.

"You're smarter than I thought."

"Okay, I'll teach you."