"Your grandfather wouldn't let you go because he's a fool. He took a trump card that could single-handedly flip the table and treated it like worthless scrap paper."
There was a faint, mocking edge to Lin Feng's tone. "And now, that trump card is in your hands. Bring me along. We aren't going to beg her; we're going to see an 'old friend.' Understand?"
Qin Ruyan stared blankly at Lin Feng, looking into his deep, bottomless eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything. At that moment, she felt that the man before her was not merely skilled in combat—he possessed a terrifying wisdom, a master strategist who held the entire situation in the palm of his hand.
The despair and confusion in her heart vanished completely, replaced by an unprecedented surge of excitement and hope.
"Alright!" Qin Ruyan abruptly stood up, determination reigniting in her eyes.
"We'll go together!"
She looked at Lin Feng and said solemnly, "If we succeed this time, I'll treat our agreement as the real deal."
Lin Feng smiled noncommittally and turned to walk toward the apartment's guest bedroom.
"Get some rest, build up your energy. We have a hard battle to fight tomorrow." He closed the guest room door, shutting out the rest of the world.
The casualness and mockery instantly vanished from Lin Feng's face, replaced by the dignity and gravity that belonged to an exalted supreme being.
He sat cross-legged with his five centers facing the sky, slowly closing his eyes.
The mental techniques of the Heavenly Dao Formula flowed through his mind: "I crossed the nine heavens and ten earths, overlooking the rise and fall of ten thousand realms, yet in the end, I capsized in a gutter."
He chuckled bitterly at himself, and the fragmented memories of his past life as the Immortal Venerable Chonglou surged forth like a tidal wave.
He had been the number one person in the Immortal Realm, a figure looked up to by countless proud prodigies, an object of adoration for holy maidens. He had once believed he had severed all mortal emotions and desires, single-mindedly pursuing the path to eternal life.
Right up until the Nine-Nine Convergence Annihilation Heavenly Tribulation descended. Right up until that figure draped in lightning threw herself unhesitatingly in front of him!
"Yuejian!" Lin Feng's heart gave a violent wrench, and a sharp, piercing pain erupted from the depths of his soul.
"In this lifetime, not only will I return to the peak, but I will also make up for every single regret!"
A fierce obsession transformed into boundless motivation. He reined in his focus and began furiously cycling the Heavenly Dao Formula.
The sparse Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, as if summoned by an emperor, frantically converged toward this small guest room, forming an invisible vortex of energy.
This mortal body acted like a parched sponge, greedily absorbing every last wispy thread of spiritual energy.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, when the first sliver of sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, Lin Feng abruptly opened his eyes! A brilliant flash of light shot from his pupils, and the air throughout the entire room seemed to vibrate!
"Pop—" An extremely faint, crisp sound came from his dantian, as if some barrier had been shattered, and a wave of warmth far stronger than before instantly coursed through all his limbs and bones!
The First Layer of Qi Condensation was complete! Feeling the surging power within his body, Lin Feng's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Though this bit of strength wouldn't even count as an ant in the eyes of his past life, here on Earth where Spiritual Energy was exhausted, breaking through in a single night could already be called a miracle!
He stood up, feeling his body much lighter, his five senses far sharper. He could clearly hear the sounds of cars on the street downstairs and even smell the scent of breakfast drifting in the air.
Pushing open the guest room door, Lin Feng prepared to head out. At that exact moment, the door to the master bedroom across the hall clicked open, and their gazes locked.
Qin Ruyan had just woken up and was heading to wash up. She was wearing only a thin, silk slip dress.
The light pink fabric clung tightly to her exquisite curves, the snow-white and full contours of her chest faintly visible, while her long, straight, beautiful legs were exposed to the air without a shred of cover, her skin dazzlingly fair.
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
"Ah—!" After a brief, dead silence, an immensely piercing shriek shattered the morning calm.
Qin Ruyan jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her pretty face turning instantly red down to the roots of her ears.
Her hands instinctively covered her chest, and then, with the speed of a lifetime, she slammed the door shut with a loud *bang*! A flurry of chaotic clattering and falling objects echoed from behind the door.
Lin Feng rubbed his nose, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
How sharp was his vision? With a single glance, he had taken in the entire magnificent scenery. Well, her figure certainly wasn't bad—she had a lot more to offer than those flat-chested holy maidens in the Immortal Realm.
A few minutes later, the master bedroom door opened again. Qin Ruyan had changed into a conservative loungewear set, but the blush on her face had still not faded. When she saw Lin Feng, she darted her eyes away, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed.
Acting as if nothing had happened, Lin Feng spoke first: "I'm heading out to take care of some things. At seven tonight, we'll meet at the entrance of the Qiao Family Manor."
With that, he walked straight to the entrance, changed his shoes, and left, leaving Qin Ruyan standing there alone, angrily stamping her foot at his retreating back.
This jerk! He saw things he shouldn't have seen, and yet he didn't have any reaction at all?!
As evening fell, the city lights began to twinkle. Outside the Qiao Family Manor, luxury cars were already gathered in throngs, and guests milled about like clouds—nearly all the prominent figures of Haicheng's upper crust had gathered here.
Security at the manor gates was strict, and every guest had to present a gilded invitation to enter.
An aging taxi stopped not far away, looking utterly out of place among the surrounding Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.
Lin Feng stepped out of the car in casual attire. Among the guests decked out in tailored suits and evening gowns, he looked like a barnyard duck mixed into a flock of swans.
Predictably, he was stopped by the security guards at the entrance: "Sir, please show your invitation."
The guard's tone was still polite, but a hint of vigilance had crept into his eyes.
Unflustered, Lin Feng took out his phone and sent Qin Ruyan a message: "I'm at the gate. Come out and pick up your lawful husband."
After sending the message, he stood off to the side with poised composure, watching the Haicheng elites with growing interest.
Just then, a blazing red Ferrari sports car roared to a halt. A young man wearing a Versace suit stepped out, and as he prepared to enter, his gaze swept over and landed on Lin Feng.
He froze for a second, then rubbed his eyes as if seeing something utterly impossible, the expression on his face instantly freezing!
"What the fuck—Lin, Lin Feng?!" The young man pointed at Lin Feng, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull.
His voice cracked from extreme shock: "Aren't you a vegetable?! You woke up?!"
Following the voice, Lin Feng recognized the newcomer: Cao Quan, his college classmate.
During their university days, Cao Quan had an ordinary family background and mediocre grades, but he always loved pulling stunts behind people's backs and harbored an intense jealousy.
Lin Feng remembered that back then, because of his top grades, this guy had frequently tripped him up behind the scenes.
At this moment, Cao Quan was decked out in a designer suit that failed to mask his petty, smug vulgarity. Clinging to his arm was a heavily made-up, voluptuous woman who was currently looking Lin Feng up and down with a critical gaze.