The afterglow of the Golden Forge had barely faded before the weight of reality set in. Lin Feng sat in the center of his dormitory, the Golden Dragon's Anchor pulsing beneath his skin, but his mind was fixed on the shimmering blue interface before him. He had thought that with 100,000 points, he could simply buy his way to a Red Ring. He was wrong.
[System Notification: Evolution Path Locked.]
Target: 2nd Spirit Ring (Current: 25,000-Year Black).
Next Tier: 50,000-Year (Greater Black).
Requirement 1: 60,000 System Points (Insufficient).
Requirement 2: Body Tempering – The Weight of the World. (Incomplete).
Requirement 3: Catalyst Item – Heart of a Mountain-Type Beast.
Warning: The human body is a vessel. Attempting to force evolution without meeting these 'Stability Nodes' will result in 100% chance of Body Soul Collapse.
Lin Feng let out a sharp breath. The System wasn't a cheat code; it was a blueprint. And the blueprint was telling him he was built on sand.
"So, points aren't enough," Lin Feng whispered, his eyes narrowing. "I have to actually find the materials and survive the strain. The world doesn't want me to have this power."
The Inner Court Challenge: The Seven-on-Seven
The sun rose over the Sea God Lake, casting long shadows across the arena where the "Selection Match" was to take place. This wasn't a tournament for students; it was a trial by fire.
Seven core members of the current Shrek Seven Monsters stood on one side, led by the calm but terrifying Ma Xiaotao—now stabilized—and the master of the "Rainbow Dragon," Dai Yueheng. On the other side stood the "Reserve Team": Lin Feng, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and four other top freshmen.
The gap was astronomical. The seniors were Soul Kings (Rank 50+) and Soul Emperors (Rank 60+). The juniors were barely Grandmasters.
"The rules are simple," Elder Xuan said, lazily tossing a chicken bone. "Survive for ten minutes. If any of you are standing at the end, you pass. If you're knocked out, you lose your candidate status."
Dai Yueheng stepped forward, his White Tiger aura far more refined than his younger brother Dai Huabin's. "Lin Feng, right? My brother tells me you have a 'weight' problem. I'd like to see if you can hold up the pride of the White Tiger clan."
The Conflict: The Crushing of the Reserve
"Begin!"
The air didn't just vibrate; it shattered. Ma Xiaotao didn't hold back this time. A wave of Phoenix Fire swept across the arena, intended to clear the field in seconds.
"Yuhao, Ultimate Ice Shield! Wang Dong, Vertical Ascent!" Lin Feng commanded.
As the fire roared toward them, Lin Feng stepped to the front. He didn't activate a ring. He pulled on the Golden Dragon's Anchor.
"Active: Gravitational Surge!"
His weight increased tenfold instantly. The shockwave of the fire hit him, but instead of being blown back, Lin Feng acted as a literal anchor. The fire split around him like water around a rock.
"He's still standing?" Dai Yueheng frowned. He lunged forward, his Rank 55 spirit power concentrated into a single, devastating claw strike. "White Tiger Annihilation!"
Lin Feng met the strike with his bare gauntlet.
BOOM!
The impact sent a hairline fracture up Lin Feng's arm. He gasped, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth. He's too strong. My body isn't tempered enough for Rank 55 impacts yet.
[System Warning: Physical Integrity 88%.]
[New Condition Triggered: Survive the impact of a Rank 50+ Soul Skill without using Soul Skills to unlock 'Body Tempering' node.]
You want me to take it raw? Lin Feng's eyes turned a manic gold. Fine. If the System wants a sacrifice, I'll give it one.
The Blood-Iron Trial
"Again!" Lin Feng roared, spitting blood onto the sand.
Dai Yueheng was confused. "You're Rank 25. Why aren't you using your rings? You're trying to block me with pure muscle? That's suicide!"
"I don't need rings to out-weight you, Prince!"
Lin Feng deactivated all his defenses. He leaned into the next strike. Dai Yueheng's fist buried itself in Lin Feng's stomach. The force was enough to kill a normal Soul Grandmaster. Lin Feng felt his ribs snap, but he grabbed Dai Yueheng's arm, his fingers digging into the White Tiger's flesh.
"I... have... you," Lin Feng hissed.
"Yuhao! NOW!"
From the back, Huo Yuhao unleashed his Spiritual Shock, amplified by his new Ice Jade Empress aura. Dai Yueheng's mind staggered for a split second—a microsecond of vulnerability created by Lin Feng's suicidal bait.
Wang Dong dived from the clouds, his wings glowing with the light of the Butterfly Goddess, striking the stunned Dai Yueheng.
The White Tiger Prince was forced back three steps. The arena went silent. A Rank 25 freshman had just successfully parried and countered a Rank 55 Soul King by taking a direct hit.
The Price of Evolution
The match ended with the freshmen barely clinging to consciousness, but they had survived the ten minutes. As Lin Feng was carried to the infirmary, the System chimed with a sound that felt like a heavy hammer falling.
[Condition Met: The Weight of the World.]
Node 1/3 Complete: Survived high-tier soul suppression.
Cost: Severe internal damage.
Healing required: 5,000 Points.
Elder Xuan stood over Lin Feng's bed later that night. "You're a madman, kid. You could have used your gravity to deflect him, but you took it head-on. Why?"
Lin Feng looked at the ceiling, his body wrapped in spirit-infused bandages. "Because a shield that only deflects is a coward's shield, Elder. I needed to know... exactly how much a Soul King weighs."
"You're not human," Xuan muttered, leaving a small, glowing red stone on the nightstand. "This is a Mountain-Heart Ore. It's a catalyst for earth-type souls. Consider it a reward for not dying."
Lin Feng's eyes widened. He touched the stone.
[Catalyst Detected: Heart of a Mountain-Type Item.]
Requirement 2/3 Complete.
Final Requirement: Reach Rank 30 and 60,000 Points.
Lin Feng closed his eyes. The "easy" path was gone. He was broken, out of points, and facing a wall that required him to hunt even stronger monsters. But as he felt the Mountain-Heart Ore's energy seep into his skin, he felt a smile touch his lips.
The harder the path, the heavier the crown.
[Status Update:]
Lin Feng: Rank 25 (Injured/Recovering).
System Points: 18,185 (After healing costs).
Evolution Progress: 66%.
[End of Chapter 14]