The blinding golden light from the Spiritual Pressure Platform finally, mercifully, died down. A thick, heavy silence fell in its place, the kind where you can practically hear the blood pounding in your ears. It felt like nobody in the entire sect was breathing. Disciples stood frozen, jaws slack, eyes wide as saucers, staring at Lin Feng like he'd just sprouted dragon wings right there on the spot. Which, honestly, wasn't all that far from the truth.
Lin Feng just stood there, cool as you please. The golden glow had settled back into his core, a quiet, steady hum from the Cosmic Origin Pearl. He let the silence hang, letting it sink in. He'd done it. He had shown them. Not with flashy, over-the-top fireworks, but with a display of raw, undeniable power. Five rings. From a servant-disciple. It was beyond unheard of. Completely off the charts.
Then, the Head Elder, the super serious one with the giant beard, finally broke the spell. His voice came out rough, as if he hadn't used it in years. "Lin Feng…" He actually paused, almost choking on the name. "What… what in the heavens just happened?"
Lin Feng gave him a small, almost innocent look. "Me? Oh, I just tried my absolute best, Elder." He kept it simple. No need to lay out his whole cosmic past for these mortals. Not yet, anyway. He had to save some surprises.
But Chen Wu? Oh man, he completely lost it. "No! That's impossible!" he shrieked, his voice cracking like a dry twig. He lunged forward, a shaking finger jabbing straight at Lin Feng. "He cheated! He has to have cheated! His spiritual root is shattered! He's a waste! There's no possible freaking way!"
The elders exchanged uneasy glances. They knew Chen Wu was a loudmouth, a real obnoxious one. But his desperation? That was… telling. And, honestly, the facts were pretty hard to believe, even for them.
"Silence, Chen Wu!" the Head Elder boomed, a hint of his usual authority finally snapping back, though his eyes were still glued to Lin Feng. "The Spiritual Pressure Platform cannot be cheated! It measures pure cultivation!" He looked back at Lin Feng, and you could practically see a flicker of something new in his gaze. A weird mix of genuine fear and, well, outright greedy fascination. "Lin Feng, step forward."
Lin Feng did, his tattered old robes somehow looking noble now, almost dignified. He wasn't scared. Why would he be? He'd stared down beings who could literally crush entire planets with just a thought. These elders? They were like ants.
"Your spiritual root was deemed shattered," the Elder continued, trying to get some control back into his voice. "How... how did you achieve this, boy?"
Lin Feng's mind raced, a thousand cosmic memories flashing. He couldn't spill the beans about the Cosmic Origin Pearl or his whole reincarnation thing. Not yet. He had to give them something. A plausible lie, maybe. "Elder," he began, subtly referencing Chen Wu's recent beatdown, "after my… unfortunate incident, I stumbled upon a hidden technique. A last resort. It… it basically allowed my 'shattered' root to pull in external energy. The process was agonizing, truly. But it wasn't actually shattered, you see. Just… dormant. And now? It's finally woken up."
It was a half-truth, but just plausible enough for mortals. The elders murmured amongst themselves. A "dormant" spiritual root? A "hidden technique"? It sounded wild, fantastical even, but it actually explained the impossible. Plus, the bit about it being agonizing and risky? Perfect. That would definitely keep anyone else from looking for it. Smart.
The Head Elder finally cleared his throat again, making a big, important decision. "Lin Feng… you have demonstrated unprecedented talent. Effective immediately, you are promoted to an Inner Disciple!"
A collective gasp went through the crowd. Inner Disciple! From servant-disciple to Inner Disciple in a single day. That was like going from rags to riches in one crazy, impossible leap. Resources, way better techniques, and, like, actual respect.
Chen Wu stood there, his face completely drained of color. His entire world had just shattered. His personal punching bag, the kid he'd constantly humiliated, had just utterly surpassed him. And not just him, but most of the sect's inner disciples. Yeah. That had to sting.
Lin Feng nodded respectfully to the elders, but inside, a quiet, deep satisfaction settled in. This was just the first step. The very first tiny victory on what he knew would be a long, long road. He'd gained access, he'd silenced his loudmouth detractors, and he'd just put the genuine fear of a god into Chen Wu. The game, as they say, was well and truly on.
End of chapter 9