Lin Qi's constant accidental perfection was taking a toll on Sect Master Wu. The pressure of maintaining the "hidden master" façade was becoming unbearable. Furthermore, the rival sects, now thoroughly intimidated by the Whispering Willow's sudden, inexplicable rise, began sending envoys to observe Lin Qi's "training."
Sect Master Wu decided the only solution was to force Lin Qi into an impossible act of profound humility—a task so mundane and physically demanding that even a secret Grand-Emperor would struggle to make it look impressive.
"Disciple Lin Qi," Wu announced gravely before the gathered envoys, including the perpetually observant Princess Lianhua. "Your next test is the Trial of Unwavering Servitude. You must transport the sect's entire Reserve Spiritual Arsenal—a collection of several hundred heavy weapons—from the ground-level storage depot to the newly constructed High-Peak Training Arena."
The training arena was 5,000 feet up the mountainside, and the arsenal weighed several tons, requiring coordinated effort and multiple spiritual vehicles. Lin Qi was given a simple woven bamboo basket and instructed to carry the entire arsenal in a single trip, without using any overt Qi or spiritual assistance.
Lin Qi just nodded. He was promised a rare, salty plum—a flavor he loved.
The Problem of Mass
Lin Qi walked to the depot, bamboo basket in hand. He wasn't thinking about the weight. He was thinking about how carrying all those weapons would scratch the nice bamboo of the basket.
He began loading the weapons into the small basket—heavy broadswords, massive halberds, and ancient, heavy spiritual cannons. The contents of the basket quickly outweighed the basket itself, spilling over the sides. The total weight easily surpassed ten tons.
Lin Qi picked up the handles of the bamboo basket. The ropes instantly snapped under the impossible weight. The arsenal should have dropped, crushing Lin Qi instantly.
However, the sealed Core of Infinite Density detected the immediate structural failure of the container and the potential destruction of the weapons. G-EVS's original power, the Dao of Structural Integrity, was triggered, not to repair the basket, but to negate the effective weight of the contents.
The sealed power established a subtle, permanent Anti-Gravity Field beneath the entire mass.
Lin Qi lifted the snapped handles of the basket. The bamboo broke, but the weapons—now rendered completely weightless—remained suspended, floating perfectly in the shape of the basket, held together by the lingering structural force.
Lin Qi frowned, looking at the broken handles. "Oh dear, the handles broke." He reached down and simply picked up the entire floating cluster of weapons, holding the ten tons of weaponry under his arm as if it were a stack of folded laundry.
The Ascended Fortress
Lin Qi began his ascent up the 5,000-foot path. He wasn't focused on maintaining the anti-gravity field; he was focused on avoiding stepping on any loose gravel.
To the observers, the sight was terrifying: Lin Qi casually strolled up the mountain path, carrying a massive, shimmering, floating block of lethal weaponry, held together by nothing visible.
Sect Master Wu and the envoys watched from below, utterly speechless.
Princess Lianhua was the first to gasp. "He has transcended physics! He didn't just counter the weight; he turned the entire arsenal into a single, cohesive, floating spiritual mass! And he is carrying it with zero visible Qi! This is the ultimate act of humility—using cosmic power for a common chore!"
Lord Jin, the Iron Citadel Master who had been recovering from Lin Qi's accidental psychic blast, watched the spectacle in horrified silence. He realized the weapons were not just floating; the subtle forces holding them together were so complex that the arsenal itself had been temporarily forged into an impenetrable Floating Fortress.
Sect Master Wu, seizing the opportunity to terrify his enemies, loudly proclaimed the final verdict:
"Witness the Dao of Unwavering Servitude! Disciple Lin Qi has demonstrated that true humility is merely the mastery of Gravitational Contempt! He used the failure of the container to prove that his own body is the only true vessel!"
Wu scribbled his latest maxim into his hand:
> "If a physical task is impossible, do not use your muscles. Instead, negate the concept of weight itself and carry your burden with the serene indifference of a cosmic being."
>
Lin Qi arrived at the top, placed the weapons down gently (they remained floating slightly above the ground), and received his salty plum. He was declared the Lord of Gravitational Contempt, completely unaware that he had just proven the Whispering Willow Sect had the capability to launch a massive, weightless, weaponized flying attack at any moment.