Azure Dragon Divine Sect, Azure Dragon Peak.
At the mountain's summit stood a majestic grand hall, its architecture both grand and imposing.
Behind this hall, however, was a humble cottage, unremarkable and jarringly out of place amidst its opulent surroundings. The person living inside was none other than a figure of some renown in Nine Heavens Empire: the live-in son-in-law of the Azure Dragon Divine Sect, Lin Feng.
At this moment, inside the cottage, a young man sat motionless on the bed. Lin Feng’s eyes were unfocused, as if his soul had fled his body. He murmured to himself, unaware of the words he spoke.
Just then, the door was violently kicked open. Su Qingxue strode into the room, her gaze falling on the wooden figure of Lin Feng on the bed. A hint of disgust touched her lips. "Mother says we have a distinguished guest visiting today. You are not to go anywhere. Just stay in the house."
Lin Feng remained still, motionless. After a moment, he murmured quietly, "Across the long river of ages... a slumber of ninety thousand years... I have finally returned..."
"Ling Yue, Bai He, my dear wives... my prized disciples... none of you will escape!"
"What are you mumbling about now?" The disgust in Su Qingxue's eyes deepened.
Lin Feng’s daze shattered. He snapped his head up to look at Su Qingxue, his expression suddenly frigid.
Startled by his sharp gaze, she said with a flash of anger, "What are you looking at! Did you hear what I said? You're not allowed to go anywhere today!"
"Being stuck with you as a brother-in-law is the worst luck."
"I don't even know what my sister was thinking. She overlooked so many outstanding men, only to insist on marrying a good-for-nothing like you. Not only can you not cultivate, you're an idiot..."
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Su Qingxue glared at Lin Feng, her teeth clenched. "Why don't you just go die instead of clinging to my sister?"
"Son-in-law, good-for-nothing, idiot..." Lin Feng’s eyes flashed as memories surged through him.
He had once been the young master of the Lin Family in Pingyang City of Shi Country. But at the age of eleven, he was taken away by a terrifying being—the Asura Demon Lord—and brought to the Primordial Age, countless ages in the past. There, his soul was integrated into the body of an undying monster. He had traversed all the heavens and ventured through the most dangerous lands.
After countless calamities and tribulations, he finally broke free from the Asura Demon Lord’s control and came to dominate Myriad Realms.
But the original body, having lost its Primal Spirit, had become an idiot.
A year ago, he was brought to the Azure Dragon Divine Sect to marry the sect’s princess, Su Ruoxi, who was now his wife. He became the live-in son-in-law of the Azure Dragon Divine Sect.
In the year since, he had not received an ounce of the treatment a son-in-law deserved. Instead, he was bullied at every turn.
Within the Azure Dragon Divine Sect, his status was likely lower than that of a dog.
If not for the protection of his wife, Su Ruoxi, he would have died countless times over.
Seeing Lin Feng’s blank expression, Su Qingxue was about to scold him again, but then she let out a self-mocking laugh. "Forget it. Why am I getting angry at an idiot?"
With that, Su Qingxue turned and left, slamming the door with enough force to make the whole cottage shudder.
Lin Feng’s thoughts returned to the present. He gazed at the door, his eyes flickering with a cold light as he slowly muttered, "Idiot, huh? That name won't be mine for much longer..."
With his soul returned, he possessed a foundation beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Sitting on the bed, Lin Feng tried to circulate his Spiritual Force.
Feeling its presence, he let out a sigh of relief. "After sleeping for ninety thousand years, my Spiritual Force has diminished greatly, but at least half of it remains."
"Eh, my physique..." A jolt of surprise ran through Lin Feng as he realized there was something odd about his body.
"Could it be the very physique the Asura Demon Lord has been searching for all this time?!"
At that moment, Lin Feng was filled with shock and uncertainty.
After his Primal Spirit was stolen, the Asura Demon Lord had tasked him with searching for an extremely mysterious type of physique.
Now, having transcended countless ages and returned to his own body, Lin Feng discovered its extraordinary nature.
"If it really is that physique, then this time, I will crush the Asura Demon Lord under my heel and settle the old grievances!"
Even with Lin Feng’s temperament, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. "I'll go find a Spirit Gathering Pill to test it..."
While Lin Feng was using his Spiritual Force to examine his body, a young man with an extraordinary demeanor arrived on Azure Dragon Peak.
The youth was handsome, dressed in luxurious clothes, and his every movement carried the grace of nobility. The only flaw was the faint, uncomfortable air of disdain that clung to him.
The one who came to greet him was a graceful and composed woman who appeared to be in her early thirties. This was Lin Feng's mother-in-law—Shen Mei, the wife of the Sect Master of Azure Dragon Divine Sect and an Elder of the sect herself.
"Auntie," the young man greeted Shen Mei with a bow.
"Chen, you've arrived. Please, come into the hall and take a seat." A smile touched Shen Mei's eyes. She seemed quite pleased with the young man, welcoming him into the great hall with a laugh.
"Auntie, you're too kind. I came this time hoping to see Ruoxi," Xiao Chen said, bowing to Shen Mei again before stepping inside.
"You've come at an unfortunate time, Chen. Ruoxi is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Spirit King Realm," Shen Mei said with a smile.
Xiao Chen couldn't help but express his surprise. "It's no wonder Ruoxi is considered the number one Fairy of Nine Heavens Empire. Barely eighteen and already striving for the prince realm."
"You jest, Chen. Ruoxi's talents are far inferior to yours. Now that you've emerged from your own seclusion, you must have already stepped into the realm of a prince," Shen Mei said, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
Xiao Chen heaved a sigh. "I went into seclusion that year to aim for the Spirit King Realm, but when I emerged, I learned that Ruoxi was already married. That is the greatest regret of my life."
At those words, a complex expression flickered in Shen Mei's eyes.
Xiao Chen was one of Su Ruoxi's most ardent suitors. He was the Holy Son of Jade Cauldron Holy Land; his father was its Sect Master, and his mother was one of its most powerful Elders.
One had to know that the overall strength of Jade Cauldron Holy Land far surpassed that of the Azure Dragon Divine Sect, as it ruled over an entire Upper Country.
Xiao Chen and Su Ruoxi were, by all accounts, a perfect match in status and were often spoken of as a destined couple. Their two sects had been on the verge of cementing a marriage alliance.
In those years, Shen Mei had also been very fond of Xiao Chen as a match for her daughter.
What a pity that Su Ruoxi later insisted on marrying Lin Feng, a decision that nearly caused a rift between the Azure Dragon Divine Sect and Jade Cauldron Holy Land, which had begun to target them as a result.
Every time Shen Mei thought about it, she seethed with irritation.
Noticing the shift in Shen Mei's expression, Xiao Chen sneered inwardly but kept his composure. "Since Ruoxi is in seclusion, perhaps we could have her husband come out to meet us instead?"
The suggestion only deepened Shen Mei's irritation.
Have Lin Feng come out? Wouldn't that be a profound humiliation for her?
"Unfortunately," Shen Mei said formally, "he is also in seclusion."
"Oh?" Xiao Chen feigned surprise. "I had heard that Ruoxi's husband was born a fool, unable to cultivate at all. He's in seclusion too?"
The words left Shen Mei at a loss for a reply.
"Mother, I already spoke with that idiot Lin Feng," Su Qingxue said as she walked in.
The atmosphere in the hall became suddenly awkward. For a moment, Shen Mei didn't know what to say.
"Xiao Chen?" Su Qingxue noticed their guest and immediately frowned at her mother. "Mother, is he the honored guest you were talking about?"
Su Qingxue disliked Xiao Chen, perhaps even more than she detested Lin Feng, and her expression was anything but pleasant.
"Sister Qingxue, were you just talking about Lin Feng, that idiot brother-in-law of yours?" Xiao Chen took the opportunity to ask.
Su Qingxue sneered. "I have never acknowledged him as my brother-in-law."
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
The three of them paused, turning to look toward the entrance.
A youth in black robes entered the great hall with a steady, unhurried pace. His gaze fell upon Su Qingxue as he spoke, "Do you have a Spirit Gathering Pill? Lend me one."
The newcomer was none other than Lin Feng. He had already determined that his physique might be of that special kind and needed a Spirit Gathering Pill to confirm it. Having none himself, he had come to ask Su Qingxue.
"Who is this?" Xiao Chen frowned, staring intently at Lin Feng.
"Lin Feng?" Su Qingxue's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You... you can speak properly now?!"
Shen Mei also stared at Lin Feng in astonishment.
They were all aware of his history as an idiot. She had specifically investigated it; after his mind broke at age eleven, Lin Feng had never spoken a complete sentence.
Yet now, five years later, Lin Feng was not only speaking, but doing so with perfect clarity.
"Is this gentleman Ruoxi's husband, Lin Feng?" Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows, a cold smile playing on his lips as he leisurely stood and approached the newcomer.
"Didn't I tell you not to let him out today?" Shen Mei hissed at Su Qingxue, her voice tight with displeasure.
"But I did tell Uncle Chen," Su Qingxue replied, just as confused. After her conversation with Lin Feng, she had specifically asked Uncle Chen to keep an eye on him.
By now, Xiao Chen had reached Lin Feng. The tall young man stood a full head above him, looking down with unconcealed contempt. "A useless man with no cultivation whatsoever."
"How could Ruoxi have ever taken a liking to such a pathetic specimen?"