Lin Feng's new assignment was a stark realization of his position: highly valued, but still relegated to the world of waste. He was now officially the Resource Transmuter, yet his job was essentially glorified, high-stakes cleanup.
His task was to clear the massive buildup of mineral waste accumulating near the Outer Sect Alchemy Pits. This area, known informally as the Mineral Valley, was a sprawling, semi-enclosed basin where the residual slag, contaminated soil, and discarded crucibles from a dozen mid-level refining operations were dumped. The accumulation had created a toxic, unstable landscape.
The Elder's warning about low-level spiritual beasts was confirmed the moment Lin Feng arrived. The air here was heavy with a chaotic mix of volatile energies—failed formation currents, half-dissolved acid baths, and the pervasive stink of burnt sulfur. This spiritual pollution was a beacon for desperate, mutated creatures.
He found his first challenger immediately: a Two-Headed Vicious Earth Snake, its scales mottled green and black from consuming contaminated soil. It was low-tier, perhaps 3rd Stage Mortal Body in strength, but its venom was highly toxic due to the environment.
Lin Feng dispatched it quickly with a single, heavy Scrap Iron Palm strike, demonstrating the raw effectiveness of his new Black Grade technique. The strike shattered the rock beneath the snake and broke its spine instantly. He then used the Dao of Transmuting Refuse on the snake's carcass.
[Target Detected: Two-Headed Vicious Earth Snake (Contaminated Carcass). Contains Mutated Earth/Beast Essence and High Toxin Residue. Absorb?]
Absorb.
The system's filter worked overtime, converting the highly toxic Beast Essence into a strange, potent energy that was heavy, slightly bestial, and extremely dense.
[Refined Beast Essence assimilated. Progress: Significant Gain. Bone and Muscle Reinforcement: +1%]
This confirmed a new, crucial resource: contaminated spiritual beasts. The toxic environment, which crippled other cultivators, was his perfect hunting ground.
Lin Feng spent the next four days meticulously clearing the edges of the Mineral Valley. He was methodical, using the iron grabber not just as a tool, but as a long-range conductor for the Dao of Transmuting Refuse.
He focused primarily on the vast mounds of rejected Meteorite Iron Slag and Copper Essence Dust, minerals that would significantly boost his Metallic Scrap Qi and propel him toward the 4th Stage Mortal Body.
[Current Cultivation Base: 3rd Stage Mortal Body (85%)]
He learned to use the Scrap Essence Focus with almost intuitive speed, constantly switching targets: isolating the copper essence from the inert dust, then the metallic essence from the slag, then the beast essence from any mutated rodents that scuttled by.
His cultivation soared. He could feel the final barrier of the 3rd Stage growing thinner, his entire body becoming incredibly dense and heavy—a walking ingot of refined spiritual metal.
On the fifth day, he penetrated deeper into the center of the valley. The air grew thicker, and the terrain became treacherous—a mosaic of brittle, contaminated earth interspersed with pits of corrosive liquid.
He came upon the largest single source of waste yet: the residual pit from the Sect's Acid Refining Operations. This was where the corrosive agents used to dissolve impurities from high-grade metals were dumped. It was a pool, perhaps thirty feet wide, filled with a sluggish, viscous, pale-green liquid. The very air above it shimmered with chaotic, aggressive spiritual energy.
[Target Detected: Acid Refining Pit (Extreme Contaminant). Contains Vast, Volatile Acid Essence and Trace Metal Dissolution Essence. Extreme Toxicity. Absorb at Own Risk.]
Lin Feng felt a jolt of alarm. The System had never issued an "Own Risk" warning before. The sheer volume of concentrated, chaotic energy here was lethal. A normal cultivator would be dissolved instantly if they fell in, and even ambient proximity was dangerous.
He took out a low-grade testing plate, retrieved from the Resource Hall, and dipped his iron grabber into the green liquid. The end of the grabber instantly began to hiss and corrode.
Lin Feng didn't retreat. He saw not poison, but power. The sheer, massive volume of concentrated acidic energy was overwhelming. He knew that if his Void Spirit Root could successfully filter this, the resulting power would be enough for the final push.
He had a desperate idea. He remembered the basic principle of Extraction and Infusion.
He needed a buffer. He looked around and found a massive, heavy slab of discarded, impure Black Jade—the same material he had used as a refining surface in Chapter 2. This slab was so massive it had to have been discarded because of structural flaws, but its bulk was perfect.
Lin Feng used his newly reinforced 3rd Stage strength to roll the massive slab right up to the edge of the corrosive pool. He then activated the Dao of Transmuting Refuse, not targeting the acid, but the Earth Essence within the slab. He fully absorbed the remnant Earth Essence into his core.
The Black Jade slab was now spiritually inert, a massive, dense shield of pure, raw rock.
He then carefully positioned the heavy, inert slab so that a large portion of it was submerged in the corrosive green liquid. The slab didn't dissolve instantly; its mass and inertness provided a temporary barrier.
The goal is to buffer the volatile Acid Essence using the inert rock, allowing the System to isolate the stable, useful component.
Lin Feng placed his hands on the exposed, dry portion of the slab. He focused all his mental energy and initiated the Dao of Transmuting Refuse, instructing the system to filter two things: the volatile Acid Essence (to be absorbed and filtered), and the stable Earth Essence within the liquid (leftovers from minerals dissolved in the pit).
The spiritual battle began immediately. A terrifying wave of volatile, aggressive energy rushed from the pool, through the slab, and into Lin Feng's hands. It felt like his core was being flooded with liquid fire.
The Void Spirit Root shrieked in silent agony, dedicating nearly all of its filtering power to neutralizing the toxicity. Lin Feng felt his vision grey out; the strain was immense, unlike any pain he had experienced since his meridians were shattered.
[Warning! System Overload: Filtration at Critical Mass. Stability compromised.]
[Acid Essence successfully isolated. Toxin Residue: 0.1% remaining.]
Lin Feng's willpower was the only thing preventing him from collapsing. The filtering process stabilized just as the submerged portion of the Black Jade slab began to bubble and rapidly dissolve.
The reward, however, was massive. The system had converted the acidic volatility into a scorching, clean stream of pure Corrosion Scrap Qi—a unique energy that felt intensely destructive and refining.
[Massive Corrosive Essence absorbed. Cultivation Progress: +14%!]
The surge was enough. The final barrier of the 3rd Stage shattered with a massive, internal boom.
[Cultivation Barrier Breached: 3rd Stage Mortal Body (100%)]
[BREAKTHROUGH: Host has advanced to the 4th Stage Mortal Body!]
Lin Feng collapsed onto the ground, breathless, as the last of the Black Jade slab dissolved into the bubbling green pit. He felt a profound release of power. The pain was gone, replaced by surging, vibrant energy. He was now a mid-stage Outer Sect disciple, achieved entirely through garbage.
His exhaustion, however, was quickly replaced by a new, chilling sensation.
[Toxin Warning: 0.1% Residual Toxin Assimilated.]
[New Condition Acquired: Trace Acid Scarring (Minor and Controllable).]
Lin Feng slowly raised his right hand. The skin along his palm and forearm felt subtly different—unnaturally tough, like aged, hardened leather, but tinged with a faint, pale green residue. He had paid a slight price for the immense gain. The Acid Scarring was minor, but it showed that even the System had limits when dealing with such raw, lethal energy.
He had broken through, but the Mineral Valley still held dangerous secrets. He knew he had to retreat and consolidate this massive gain before pushing further. He needed a period of absolute peace.
He gathered his tools, his eyes gleaming with the dangerous satisfaction of a gambler who had just won big.