So, after that whole mess with Mei Hua, things got pretty wild for Lin Feng. I mean, the days were this total blur of contradictions, you know? On the one hand, he was still the sect's official whipping boy, doing all the grunt work from morning till night. He'd be sweeping courtyards, hauling ridiculously heavy buckets of water, and, like, polishing training dummies until they gleamed. Honestly, it was a whole lot of punishment disguised as chores.
But here's the thing: he wasn't just doing chores. Every single one of those boring, humiliating tasks was a secret workout. He'd channel the Cosmic Origin Pearl's energy, right? Feeling this subtle hum in his muscles as he lifted those buckets. Or he'd be practicing his footwork, a deadly, silent little dance, while he swept the dusty ground. Let's be real, he was basically a god on the down-low, and every moment of humiliation was just another chance to get stronger. It's kinda brilliant when you think about it.
At night, he'd go back to his little musty shack and pour every ounce of that new power into his Cosmic Dust Refinement Technique. His progress was just insane, I mean, it was almost comical. A certified genius like Mei Hua would take months to do what he was crushing in a single night. And that stupid curse on his spiritual root? The one that was supposed to be his prison? Yeah, that was actually his greatest weapon now, a perfect turbo-charger for his cultivation. He was getting stronger, faster, and you could tell he was loving every single second of it.
Meanwhile, Mei Hua was literally losing her mind over him. She just couldn't get his words out of her head. That insane suggestion he'd made, about going counter-clockwise on her fourth meridian? It sounded like a guaranteed way to go off the rails and ruin years of hard work. But the way he said it, you know? That quiet, unshakable certainty in his eyes… it was seriously messing with her. She wrestled with the thought all day, and it just nagged at her even as night fell. Finally, she just gave in. She was like, "You know what? What's the worst that could happen?" And she gave it this tiny, hesitant try.
The second she did it, it wasn't like some huge dam broke or anything. No, it was more like this impossible, tangled knot deep inside her just finally popped loose. The instability she'd been fighting for weeks? Just… gone. Poof. Her spiritual energy didn't just rush—it exploded, this powerful, free torrent. She felt the solid, impossible wall to the next realm just turn to dust. A breakthrough. Right there, right then, in her own quiet room. She must have been totally floored.
So the next morning, her eyes were practically glued to Lin Feng. She watched him sweep the courtyard, still looking clumsy, still looking like the same old Lin Feng. But she knew better now. That kid—that "waste"—had handed her a secret that pushed her to a whole new level. He wasn't some fool. He was something else entirely. And honestly, this quiet, almost reverent awe started to bloom in her heart.
But of course, as always, a new day meant new trouble. It just always happens that way, doesn't it?
Chen Wu, that same jerk who had nearly killed Lin Feng, was still fuming. He'd been looking for a chance to get back at the kid, but Lin Feng was always busy with chores or hiding in his shack. Today, though, Chen Wu finally saw his chance. The sect was having its monthly "assessment." It was this big test where all the disciples showed off their skills. The winners got more resources and bragging rights. Lin Feng, being a servant-disciple, didn't actually have to go, but Chen Wu saw his opportunity to make a scene.
He swaggered up to Lin Feng, who was just wiping down a training dummy. "Hey, trash. So brave, giving advice yesterday," he sneered, a nasty twist on his lips. "Let's see you be so brave in the assessment. I heard everyone can join this time, even the worms."
Lin Feng didn't even look up. Just kept wiping the dummy. He totally knew this was coming.
"Don't worry," Chen Wu continued, his voice dripping with fake concern, this sickly sweet tone that was so obviously a lie. "I'll be there. And I'll make sure to teach you a lesson. A permanent one this time."
Lin Feng finally looked at him. That calm, confident look was back in his eyes. "Is that a challenge?"
Chen Wu laughed, a loud, ugly sound that honestly grated on the ears. "It's a promise."
"Good," Lin Feng said, just a simple, final word that somehow held more weight than any threat could. He just turned and walked away, leaving a furious Chen Wu and his bewildered lackeys standing there. He was a god, after all, and he was ready for a real test. He wasn't going to show them with flashy tricks, but with pure, unstoppable power. He wasn't just going to pass; he was gonna absolutely crush the whole damn thing.
End of chapter 5