Lin Feng spent the next two days in absolute isolation, meditating within the relative safety of his secluded shack near the Central Scrap Mound. He focused fiercely on mastering the newfound power of the 4th Stage Mortal Body.
The breakthrough from the Acid Refining Pit was massive, but the physical price—the faint, resistant scarring on his right forearm—was a constant reminder of the razor's edge he walked. The Corrosion Scrap Qi felt volatile and destructive, different from the grounding metallic essence he usually absorbed. He quickly learned how to circulate it internally, reinforcing his bone density and muscle fibers with its unique, hardening properties.
[Current Cultivation Base: 4th Stage Mortal Body (15%)]
His physical transformation was now complete. He was no longer just fast; he was unnaturally heavy and solid, his body a dense shell of refined spiritual metals and stone, capable of withstanding immense force.
He knew his quiet period wouldn't last. The Mineral Valley was now silent, drawing no low-level beasts, which meant the Elders would soon realize the efficiency of his work. More importantly, his success had reached the ears of his most persistent, venomous rival: Lin Wei.
Lin Wei's humiliation in the sparring ring (Chapter 4) and Lin Feng's subsequent promotion to Resource Transmuter (Chapter 6) had festered into toxic resentment. Lin Wei was not just angry about losing; he was enraged that the family disgrace had surpassed him, using a method he couldn't comprehend.
On the third morning, Lin Feng was walking through the Outer Sect Training Field—a necessary shortcut back to the Resource Hall—when he felt the malicious surge of multiple, focused Qi signatures converging on him.
He looked up. Lin Wei stood directly ahead, flanked by six Outer Disciples, all clearly recruited for this confrontation. Lin Wei wore a smug, superior sneer, having finally found enough muscle and justification for a public beatdown.
"Lin Feng," Lin Wei called out, his voice carrying just enough to draw attention from nearby disciples without alerting the distant Elders. "I need a word with the Sect's newest 'genius' about stolen family honor."
Lin Feng stopped, setting down his empty scrap collection bag. He remained outwardly calm, but internally, the dense Scrap Iron Palm technique was already primed.
"Cousin Wei," Lin Feng replied, his voice level. "I am on official Sect business. If you have a grievance, take it to Elder Gao."
"Official business?" Lin Wei scoffed, walking forward slowly. "You think sorting trash gives you immunity? That victory in the ring was a farce! You cheated, you lowlife! You must have acquired some kind of short-term boosting drug from the Black Market! Now, you will pay for the shame you brought to the Lin Clan and the injury you inflicted upon me!"
Lin Wei gestured to his six companions—all disciples ranging from 4th to 5th Stage Mortal Body.
"We aren't fighting," Lin Wei announced to the surrounding disciples who were gathering to watch the spectacle. "We are administering a Clan Correction. A cripple using foul play against a true genius must be taught his place."
The six disciples fanned out, forming a semicircle. Lin Wei stayed safely at the back, his wrist still splinted but his stance arrogant.
"Show him what real Sect-taught martial arts look like, boys," Lin Wei commanded. "Just break an arm or two. Elder Gao will understand."
The first two disciples, both 4th Stage, lunged simultaneously. They used the standard Flowing Stream Fist technique—fast, fluid strikes designed to overwhelm.
Lin Feng did not try to match their speed or grace. He didn't even bother to retreat. He knew the nature of his strength: raw, unyielding density.
He met the two disciples head-on. He circulated his 4th Stage Scrap Qi, focusing the full, weighty power of his reinforced body. He executed the Scrap Iron Palm twice, a heavy thud-thud against their incoming fists.
The effect was instantaneous and shocking. The disciples' fists collapsed against Lin Feng's palm with a sickening crunch. Their Flowing Stream Fists were designed for speed and deflection, not impact against immovable spiritual mass.
Both 4th Stage disciples screamed in agony, their hands shattered, their momentum reversing instantly as they were thrown backward, colliding heavily with two of their companions.
The remaining four disciples froze, their confidence evaporating instantly. They saw the devastating effect of the first strike—it was not just powerful; it was physically crushing.
Lin Wei's face finally showed genuine fear, replacing his anger. "What are you waiting for? Attack him! He's just a 4th Stage cripple! Use formation!"
The remaining disciples, spurred by their fear of Lin Wei's wrath, gathered their courage. Two 5th Stage cultivators, their Qi visibly thicker, attacked together, flanking Lin Feng. One focused on sweeping his legs with a Gale Kick, while the other attempted a devastating Mountain Crush Elbow to his head.
Lin Feng allowed the kick to connect. The low blow, which would have crippled a normal 4th Stage disciple, felt like hitting reinforced basalt. He barely swayed.
He spun into the attack, ignoring the pain. He executed a sudden, short Scrap Iron Palm strike to the ribs of the flanking disciple and simultaneously backhanded the disciple attacking his head with the heavy, scarred forearm that now contained the Corrosion Scrap Qi.
The effects were spectacular. The palm strike sent the first disciple flying, his ribs visibly cracked. The scarred forearm, infused with the concentrated Corrosion Scrap Qi, didn't just push the second disciple; it delivered a sharp, burning shock. The disciple shrieked, clutching his forearm as if burned by acid, and fell back, disoriented.
The skirmish had lasted less than ten seconds. Six disciples, ranging from 4th to 5th Stage, lay scattered across the training ground, injured, shocked, and defeated by a single, terrifyingly effective technique.
Lin Feng stood alone in the center of the fray, his chest heaving slightly, but his stance utterly dominant. He looked like an iron statue that had just effortlessly smashed delicate pottery.
He turned his cold, green-tinged gaze directly toward Lin Wei, who was now stumbling backward, his false courage entirely gone.
"Cousin Wei," Lin Feng said, his voice flat and heavy, imbued with the raw, metallic power of his cultivation. "You spoke of Clan Correction. Do you still feel I am the one requiring correction?"
Lin Wei was shaking, sweat pouring from his temples. He could only manage a choked, pathetic whimper: "Y-you are a monster! You used poison! That's not martial art!"
Lin Feng took one slow, deliberate step toward him. The act of movement seemed to fill the entire arena with dread.
"I use the strength I possess, Cousin," Lin Feng corrected, his voice carrying the finality of judgment. "You use weak strikes and weaker minions. This is the difference between genuine strength and inherited arrogance."
He looked past Lin Wei to the dozens of stunned Outer Disciples who had watched the entire, brutal exchange. They had seen the trash collector destroy six superior-stage disciples in moments, not with speed or skill, but with the terrifying, incomprehensible force of refined spiritual mass.
Lin Feng didn't pursue Lin Wei, who was already scrambling to flee the arena. He had made his point. He bent down, picked up his empty scrap bag, and turned toward the gate.
A clear, commanding voice boomed from the stands. "Lin Feng! Halt!"
It was Elder Gao, who had finally been drawn to the scene by the noise and the collective shock of the crowd.
Lin Feng stopped and bowed respectfully, his face serene, his Qi instantly suppressed to appear calm.
"Elder Gao," Lin Feng acknowledged. "I apologize for the disturbance. I was ambushed while attempting to return to the Resource Hall for my next assignment."
Elder Gao strode down, his spiritual sense sweeping over the groaning disciples and the massive force fractures Lin Feng's strikes had caused on the ground.
"You inflicted these injuries?" Elder Gao demanded, his voice strict.
"They initiated a group attack, Elder," Lin Feng replied. "I utilized the defensive density of my Scrap Iron Palm to protect myself. I used the minimum force necessary for self-preservation."
Elder Gao looked at the disciple clutching his chemically burned forearm—the result of the Corrosion Scrap Qi. He looked at the shattered hands of the first two attackers. He knew Lin Feng was lying about the "minimum force," but the situation was complicated. Lin Wei and his companions were the clear aggressors, attacking an official Sect resource.
"Lin Wei and his associates are to be penalized for unauthorized conflict and the misuse of spiritual resources," Elder Gao ruled instantly, delivering the final humiliation to Lin Wei. He then turned back to Lin Feng, his eyes filled with a new, sober understanding. "Lin Feng, your defense was... overwhelming. You have proven the viability of your unique path."
"However," Elder Gao continued, his voice dropping to a low warning, "the destructive nature of your technique is too volatile for the Outer Sect. Effective immediately, you are to be assigned to Deep Waste Reclamation—the Inner Sect's primary disposal tunnels. The environment there will demand your full attention, and your powerful techniques will not cause further disruption here."
This was an unexpected and immediate promotion—a consequence of his overwhelming strength. He was being moved away from the scrutiny of the Outer Sect and granted access to the far richer waste of the Inner Sect. The price was permanent isolation and proximity to much greater spiritual contamination.
Lin Feng accepted the new assignment immediately. "As the Elder commands."
He walked out of the training arena, leaving behind the chaos and the defeated faces of his rivals. He had achieved total victory and secured his next major resource upgrade: the Inner Sect Waste Stream.
His heart was steady and cold. He was no longer the crippled disgrace. He was the Iron Will of the Trash Collector, and his ascent was unstoppable.
[Total Victory Achieved. Lin Wei thoroughly humiliated and neutralized.]
[Assignment: Inner Sect Waste Tunnels (Resource Grade: Legendary).]
[Cultivation Base: 4th Stage Mortal Body (18%).]