Lin Fei began his ascent. He didn't run. Every step he took shattered the mountain's stone stairs, sending vibrations through the earth that caused the weaker disciples on the cliffs to cough up blood.
THE TRAP OF THREE CORES
As he reached the Middle Plaza, the air turned to lead. Three Gold Core Elders—Iron-Hand, Frost, and Gale—descended in a triangular formation. Their combined pressure was like a mountain falling on Lin Fei's shoulders. His knees popped, and a trickle of blood ran from his nose.
"Foundation Stage 1?" Elder Iron-Hand laughed, his fist glowing with the density of a star. "You are a fly challenging a hurricane."
They struck simultaneously. Iron-Hand delivered a blow that could level a city, Frost froze the very air in Lin Fei's lungs, and Gale sent thousands of invisible wind-blades to shred his flesh.
Lin Fei took the hit. He had to. He allowed Iron-Hand's fist to slam into his chest, the impact snapping three of his ribs and sending him skidding back a hundred meters.
BATTLE IQ: THE DRAGON'S CALCULUS
Lin Fei stood up, spitting a glob of gore. To any observer, he was losing. But Lin Fei's mind was moving faster than their attacks. He wasn't just fighting; he was measuring.
He realized that while their individual power was immense, their Tri-Element Array relied on a specific sequence: Frost creates the brittle environment, Gale provides the speed, and Iron-Hand delivers the shatter.
When they lunged again, Lin Fei didn't retreat. He accelerated.
As Elder Frost unleashed a wave of absolute zero, Lin Fei didn't block it. He used his Saint Demonic Dragon Body to absorb the cold, letting it numb his pain receptors and harden his white scales into an even more brittle, glass-like armor.
At the exact micro-second Iron-Hand's fist made contact with his frozen chest, Lin Fei shattered his own ice-armor outward. The explosion of frozen shrapnel acted like a directional claymore.
THE FIRST SHATTER
Elder Iron-Hand was blinded for a split second. That was all Lin Fei needed. He reached through the cloud of ice, his hand shaped into a needle of white Qi. He didn't punch; he pierced.
His fingers found the gap between the Elder's ribs and drove straight into the Dantian. His clawed hand closed around the Golden Core—a thumb-sized, pulsating sphere of terrifying heat.
"No!" Iron-Hand gasped.
CRUNCH.
Lin Fei crushed the Core. The feedback of energy was so violent it blew Iron-Hand's body into a red mist and sent Lin Fei flying back, his arm charred to the bone from the exploding golden energy.
THE SECOND AND THIRD FALL
Elder Gale and Elder Frost were screaming now. Their array was broken, and their Qi was backlashing. Lin Fei, despite his shattered ribs and burnt arm, felt a manic surge of power. The Saint Demonic Dragon Body was feeding on the spilled Gold Core energy.
Breakthrough: Foundation Stage 2!
His aura erupted. He appeared behind Elder Gale. The Elder moved with the speed of sound, but Lin Fei had already predicted his path based on the wind currents. Lin Fei grabbed Gale's leg and slammed him into Elder Frost.
As they collided, Lin Fei drove both hands into their midsections.
CRACK. CRACK.
Two more Golden Cores were crushed simultaneously. The resulting explosion leveled the entire Middle Plaza, sending a pillar of golden light into the heavens that could be seen for a thousand miles.
THE SECT MASTER'S FINAL STAND
At the peak, Sect Master Han—the strongest Gold Core—stood trembling. Lin Fei climbed the final steps, his white hair now a matted, crimson mane. He was limping, one arm hanging uselessly at his side, his chest a mess of bruised scales.
"You're a monster," Han whispered, raising his Jade Longsword.
Lin Fei didn't use a technique. He simply walked forward. Han lunged with a strike that contained the entirety of his life's cultivation.
Lin Fei leaned into the blade, letting it skewer his shoulder. As the sword buried itself in his flesh, Lin Fei smiled. He had trapped the blade in his muscle.
He grabbed the Sect Master by the neck. With his remaining good hand, he reached into Han's stomach. He pulled out the fourth Golden Core, holding it inches from the man's terrified face.
"Your core is beautiful," Lin Fei whispered. "It will make a fine snack for my children."
SHATTER.
The core exploded, and the Sect Master's soul was extinguished.
THE RUINS OF A LEGACY
Lin Fei sat in the center of the Sect's Forbidden Treasury, surrounded by the corpses of ten thousand years of history. He swallowed the "Ancient Cloud-Core" and felt his meridians scream.
Foundation Establishment — Stage 2 (Peak).
The "White-Haired Rakshasa" walked out of the ruins as the sun began to rise. He was broken, bloodied, and half-dead—but he was the only one walking.
Lin Fei has destroyed the Sect, but his injuries are severe and his power is unstable.