Chapter 9: The White Tiger's Pride and the Weight of Truth
The sun hung high over Shrek Academy, but in the shadow of the arena's spectator stands, the air felt unnaturally cold. Lin Feng stood with his eyes closed, his breathing so slow it was almost nonexistent. To any observer, he was merely resting between matches. In reality, he was deep within the System's mental sanctum, calculating the cost of his next move.
[System Alert: Targeted Scrutiny Detected.]
Source: Wang Yan (Rank 50+ Research Master).
Observation Level: High (Analyzing your kinetic displacement).
Risk: 65% chance of your 'Absolute Gravity' being categorized as a secondary latent ability rather than a Body Soul trait.
Let him wonder, Lin Feng thought. As long as they don't see the Hammer, they can categorize me as a 'Mutated Body Soul' all they want.
He opened his eyes and looked at his teammates. Huo Yuhao was sitting cross-legged, his brow furrowed as he maintained a low-level Spiritual Detection to monitor the surrounding teams. Wang Dong was leaning against a wall, his fingers drumming a restless rhythm on his thighs. They were both growing, but the gap between their public reputation and the hidden power Lin Feng had bestowed upon them was beginning to draw dangerous attention.
"Feng," Yuhao whispered, his eyes opening. "Team Dai Huabin is coming. They just finished their match. Five seconds. That's all it took for them to decimate their opponents."
Lin Feng turned his gaze toward the tunnel. Emerging from the darkness was a young man with a presence that felt like a predator entering a herd. Dai Huabin. His blonde hair was swept back, and his eyes—the heterochromatic eyes of the White Tiger clan—were fixed directly on Lin Feng. Behind him were Zhu Lu and another student, their auras sharp and jagged.
Dai Huabin stopped ten paces away. The air between the two teams seemed to thicken.
"So, you're the one," Dai Huabin said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "The 'Bronze Body' that Zhou Yi is betting on. I watched your last match. Tripping people like a common street thug isn't strength. It's a trick."
Wang Dong stepped forward, his wings twitching with suppressed irritation. "A trick that would put you on your face just the same, White Tiger."
Dai Huabin ignored him, his gaze never leaving Lin Feng's. "I am a descendant of the Star Luo Empire's royalty. My bloodline is pure. If you think you can hide behind secrets and gimmicks to win this tournament, you are mistaken. When we meet on that stage, I will peel away your 'Golden' skin and show everyone the weakling underneath."
Lin Feng didn't flinch. He didn't even show anger. He simply looked at Dai Huabin with the detached gaze of a man looking at a bug under a magnifying glass.
[System Prompt: Provocation Detected.]
Quest Update: The White Tiger's Downfall.
Objective: Defeat Dai Huabin's team in under 60 seconds without using a single offensive Soul Skill.
Reward: 12,000 System Points.
Hidden Bonus: 3,000 Points if you force Dai Huabin to use his White Tiger Barrier defensively.
"Dai Huabin," Lin Feng said, his voice quiet but resonant enough to make the stone tiles beneath them hum. "You talk about bloodlines and purity. But weight... weight is the only thing that doesn't lie. When we meet, make sure you bring enough of it. Because if you don't, you'll find that the earth is very unforgiving."
As Dai Huabin walked away, his face twisted in a sneer, Lin Feng turned to his team.
"Yuhao, Wang Dong. Change of plans for the next few rounds. We aren't just winning. We are going to build a 'legend' that explains my power without revealing the truth."
The Strategy: The Forging of a Lie
That evening, in the secrecy of their dormitory, Lin Feng didn't practice. He lectured.
"The teachers, especially Wang Yan, are looking for the source of my gravity," Lin Feng explained. "If I keep using it as a 'hidden' force, they will eventually realize it's a separate Martial Soul. We need to give them a physical reason for it."
He reached into the System storage and pulled out a heavy, dark-grey metal ingot. Deep-Sea Silver Essence.
"I'm going to the Soul Tool department tonight," Lin Feng said. "I'm going to 'forge' a pair of gauntlets. But in reality, I'm using the System to create a Gravity-Stabilizer Core. From tomorrow, whenever I use my weight, the gauntlets will glow. People will think it's a high-level Soul Tool I built myself. It explains the power, it explains my interest in Fan Yu's class, and it keeps my Hammer hidden."
Huo Yuhao nodded, his mind spinning with the tactical implications. "And if people think you're a 'Soul Tool Genius' on top of having a Body Soul, they'll be so focused on your inventions that they'll stop looking at your Spirit Rings."
"Exactly," Lin Feng said. "Wang Dong, I need you to play the 'distraction.' Your wings are the most beautiful thing in this academy. Use them. Be flashy. Draw their eyes while Yuhao and I control the field."
Wang Dong smirked. "Being the center of attention? I think I can handle that."
The Forge: Crafting the Deception
Hours later, Lin Feng stood alone in Fan Yu's lab. The fires were hot, but the heat of his Golden Spirit Body was hotter. He wasn't just forging metal; he was merging System-purchased components with the reality of the Douluo world.
[System: Commencing Crafting - Heaven-Shaking Gauntlets.]
Cost: 3,000 Points (Material + Fabrication).
Current Points: 1,500. (Warning: Points insufficient).
Wait, what? Lin Feng frowned. I only have 1,500?
He checked his logs. He had spent 3,000 on the upgrades for his friends. He was short.
[System Suggestion: Take a 'Debt-Contract'.]
Terms: -3,000 Points. Interest: 10% daily.
Penalty: Failure to repay in 3 days results in 'Spirit Power Suppression'.
Lin Feng didn't hesitate. "Accept."
The System's blue light enveloped the silver essence. Lin Feng hammered the metal with his bare hands, the golden radiance of his skin acting as the furnace. To any onlooker, it would look like a miracle of blacksmithing. By the time he was done, a pair of sleek, matte-black gauntlets lay on the anvil. They looked heavy, yet they felt like an extension of his own skin.
[Item Created: Heaven-Shaking Gauntlets (Modified).]
Rank: 4 (Equivalent).
Ability: Weight Distribution. Allows the user to project gravity through the gauntlets.
Secondary Ability: Visual Deception. Pulses with light to mimic Soul Tool activation.
Lin Feng put them on. He felt the latent weight of the Clear Sky Hammer hum in response. Now, he was ready.
The Arena: The Rise of the Iron Trio
The next morning, the tournament resumed. The crowds were even larger, as word had spread about the "Gravity Boy" from Class 1.
"Arena 1! Team Lin Feng vs. Team Star Sword!"
Their opponents were three Agility-type masters, their swords glowing with a sharp green light. As soon as the match started, they vanished into a blur of speed.
"They're fast!" the crowd yelled.
Lin Feng stood still. He raised his left hand, and the Heaven-Shaking Gauntlets pulsed with a deep, rhythmic violet light.
"Absolute Gravity: Field Deployment!"
The Agility-types, mid-dash, suddenly hit an invisible wall. The gravity didn't just trip them; it pinned them to the floor like insects on a board.
"Look! His gauntlets!" Wang Yan shouted from the stands, leaning so far forward he almost fell over. "It is a Soul Tool! A Rank 4 Gravity Stabilizer? How can a freshman build that?!"
Lin Feng didn't give the opponents a chance to recover. "Wang Dong!"
Wang Dong exploded into the air, his wings unfurling in a magnificent display of blue and gold. He dived like a hawk, his hands glowing with the light of the Butterfly Goddess. With the opponents pinned by Lin Feng's gravity, they couldn't move an inch to dodge.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three strikes, three knockouts.
"Team Lin Feng wins! Time: 12 seconds!"
Lin Feng retracted the gravity, the gauntlets dimming. He looked up at the balcony, meeting Wang Yan's shocked eyes. He then turned his gaze toward Dai Huabin, who was watching from the sidelines.
Dai Huabin's face was pale. The "trick" he had laughed at was now a tangible, glowing weapon.
[System Notification:]
Match Points: +2,000.
Reputation Bonus: +500.
Debt Status: -1,650 Points (Interest applied).
Lin Feng walked off the stage, his team following him like a royal guard. The "legend" had begun. Everyone now believed Lin Feng was a Soul Tool genius with a mutated body. The secret of the Hammer was safer than ever.
"Yuhao, Wang Dong," Lin Feng whispered as they entered the tunnel. "Tomorrow we face the White Tiger. No holding back. I want his pride crushed under the weight of this arena."
Yuhao clenched his fist. "We won't let you down, Feng."
Wang Dong grinned, the competitive fire in his eyes burning brighter than ever. "He won't even know what hit him."
Lin Feng looked at his gauntlets. Underneath the matte-black metal, his golden skin was itching for a real fight. The 30,000 points were within reach. And once he had them... the first Black Ring in history would be born.
[Status Update:]
Lin Feng: Rank 17 (Cultivation accelerating).
Points: -1,650 (In Debt).
Next Target: Dai Huabin (Worth 15,000 Points).