Feng Lin sat cross-legged, his back straight and his mind focused. His body, weakened by years of inactivity, was a burden, but he didn’t have the luxury of lamenting. He had to move forward.

  He took a deep breath and began circulating his energy. At the very first attempt, a sharp pain shot through his body. His meridians were fragile, barely able to withstand the flow of Qi he was trying to guide. But he didn’t stop.

  "This is nothing compared to what I’ve been through before."

  His body trembled under the strain. Even the slightest circulation of energy felt like a blade tearing through his muscles. Yet, he continued. He forced his Qi through his meridians, making them strengthen under the pressure.

  Minute after minute, hour after hour, he slowly refined his Qi. His body, initially frail and unstable, began to adapt. His muscles tensed, his breathing deepened, and a familiar warmth settled within him.

  Then, suddenly, he felt a shift. His Qi surged like a river breaking through a dam.

  First level of Body Refinement reached.

  It shouldn’t have taken hours, but most of the breakthrough had been focused on his recovery.

  A shiver ran through his body. He knew it: this was far from enough. But it was a first step. A first step toward reclaiming his power.

  That’s when he sensed a presence behind him.

  The Feng Patriarch stood there, motionless, watching him.

  The Patriarch observed Feng Lin for a long moment, standing at the threshold as if trying to imprint this image in his mind. His son, who had just awakened from a fifteen-year coma, had just succeeded in a cultivation breakthrough.

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  He let out a sigh, then slowly stepped forward before calmly declaring:

  — Feng Lin, congratulations on your breakthrough. It has been a long time…

  He paused, searching for his words, then added:

  — I see that you have grown during your long sleep. We need to talk about the clan’s future. My lifespan is running out… and now that you’ve resumed cultivation the moment you woke up, it’s possible that you are the one who will carry the clan’s future.

  His gaze grew more serious as he continued:

  — But your sister is talented as well. She has already reached the fifth stage of Body Refinement at the age of nineteen.

  He let these words linger in the air, watching for Feng Lin’s reaction.

  Feng Lin couldn’t help but smirk inwardly. The fifth stage in nineteen years… and that’s considered talent?

  He knew that the Feng Clan was in decline, but hearing it directly from the Patriarch gave him a clearer picture of the situation.

  Feng Lin assumed that his father held the clan in higher regard than his own son; otherwise, why would he speak to him about succession so directly?

  The Patriarch studied Feng Lin for a moment before continuing in a softer tone:

  — During your breakthrough, your mother came.

  He paused, then added:

  — I told her not to disturb you and to arrange a dinner. At that time, we will gather as a family.

  His gaze settled on Feng Lin, trying to gauge his reaction.

  — Many things have changed in fifteen years, and it is time for you to be informed.

  Feng Lin gave a slight nod, masking his thoughts. A family dinner? This was a perfect opportunity to observe the state of the clan and learn more about its members.

  Even though he didn’t care about the clan, Feng Lin knew he had to play his role for now. If he raised any suspicion, if he let on that he was no longer the same, he risked being seen as an anomaly. With his current strength, he was no match for those who might seek to eliminate him out of fear or ambition.

  He had to proceed cautiously, adapt to this new life while preparing for his rise to power. This dinner might be a waste of time, but it could provide valuable information about the Feng Clan’s current situation.

  After all, an idea was already taking root in his mind: why not dominate the Feng Clan? By seizing power, he could accelerate his rise by monopolizing the clan’s resources. Even in ruin, the Feng Clan remained an established structure with knowledge and a network he could exploit to his advantage.

  Moreover, he needed to learn more about his spiritual root. Was it a special lineage unique to the Feng Clan? Or something even rarer and more powerful? By controlling the clan, he could search its archives, question the elders, and gather all the necessary information.

  His gaze turned colder. He was no longer just a forgotten young master. He was Feng Lin, and sooner or later, this clan would bend to his will.

  The real obstacle was his sister. Even if her talent was mediocre compared to the true geniuses of the cultivation world, for a declining clan like the Feng Clan, she was seen as a more reliable option. After all, she had been training all these years and had reached the fifth stage of Body Refinement by the age of nineteen.

  Compared to her, he was just a forgotten heir, a former young master who had spent fifteen long years in a coma. Now that he had only just awakened and was at the first level of Body Refinement, it was easy to imagine that most of the clan viewed him as dead weight rather than a serious contender for future leadership.

  But Feng Lin had no intention of letting things go that way. His gaze turned icy. No matter how things appeared now, it wouldn’t take long for him to overturn the situation.