Chapter 6 – When the Stone Stirs
Lin Feng returns to the sect after his hidden transformation.
The sun sat lower than usual when Lin Feng passed beneath the arched gates of the Thousand Spirit Sect.
The outer court buzzed with noise. Disciples sparred, argued, trained. Nothing had changed — yet everything felt different.
To Lin Feng, the world moved slower now. He could hear the beat of his own heart. Smell the faintest sweat in the air. Feel the tension in every pair of eyes.
> But no one saw him.
Not really.
Not yet.
---
His robes were patched crudely. His broken sword still hung across his back like an insult to cultivation itself.
He slipped through the crowd like a ghost. A few glanced at him in vague recognition.
> "That's… Lin Feng? He's back?" "Didn't he vanish after that ruin patrol?" "Dead weight always floats back, I guess."
He ignored them.
But inside his chest, something growled.
His body was different now.
Each step felt heavier, grounded. His senses were sharper. The Qi around him felt thinner, almost distant — as if his body was no longer of this realm alone.
---
It came the moment he returned to his hut.
A red scroll, nailed to his door.
The mark of a formal challenge.
Lin Feng's brows rose. He tore it open.
> Challenger: Zhang Ke
Time: Tomorrow, noon
Location: Outer Court Combat Platform
Witnesses: All disciples
Stakes: Loser forfeits cultivation resources for one month
Zhang Ke.
A mid-stage Qi Disciple, popular, arrogant, one of Elder Hu's favorites.
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes.
> This wasn't a challenge. It was a performance.
Someone wanted to make an example of him — likely for surviving the ruin mission.
Or maybe… because they'd sensed he was no longer meek.
---
Noon, the Next Day
The combat platform gleamed under the sun. Hundreds of outer disciples surrounded the edges, whispering, betting, laughing.
Zhang Ke stood at the center, smirking. His golden saber gleamed.
> "Still using that broken stick?" he called as Lin Feng arrived.
"It won't help you kneel faster."
Lin Feng said nothing.
He merely stepped onto the stage and unslung the broken sword, holding it low like a farmer would hold a hoe — casual, almost dismissive.
Elder Hu himself appeared on a hovering platform, arms crossed.
> "Begin."
---
Zhang Ke didn't hesitate. He leapt forward, saber flashing like sunlight.
Lin Feng didn't move.
The saber struck — a blur aimed for his shoulder.
Clang.
Sparks flew.
Zhang Ke stumbled back, staring in shock.
> "What…?!"
He had struck Lin Feng's bare forearm — and the bone beneath had not cracked.
The crowd gasped.
Lin Feng raised his head. For the first time, his voice carried.
> "That was the first strike."
---
Zhang Ke roared, Qi surging. His next flurry was faster — five strikes in an arc, filled with power.
But Lin Feng moved now.
One step forward. A tilt of the blade.
The broken sword deflected two blows. His arm took the third. His shoulder, the fourth.
The fifth never landed.
> CRACK!
Lin Feng's fist smashed into Zhang Ke's stomach like a hammer.
The saber clattered away. Zhang Ke collapsed, gasping, eyes bulging.
The crowd fell silent.
Even Elder Hu's gaze changed.
> "That's… not just brute strength... What technique was that?"
But Lin Feng simply turned and walked away.
---
By nightfall, the sect buzzed like a disturbed hive.
> "Did you hear? Lin Feng broke Zhang Ke's ribs — with a punch!" "Elder Hu looked furious. He won't let this go." "That wasn't normal strength. It's… something else."
The elders whispered. Some feared. Others watched.
And Lin Feng?
He sat alone in his hut, staring at his fist.
The skin had split. Blood still oozed.
But inside, his bones hummed — like a bell struck in another world.
> [Body Refinement – Bone Resonance: Stabilized]
[Progression unlocked – Layer 2 may be attempted]
He exhaled slowly.
But somewhere high above, in a palace of frost, a certain young woman opened her eyes again.
She didn't know his name.
Not yet.
But she had felt the tremor.
> "It grows…"