Feng Lin left the dining hall without looking back. He cared nothing for the gazes upon him—half-hidden pity and undisguised contempt. This meal had only confirmed one thing: he was no longer considered a member of the clan but a dead weight, a remnant of the past tolerated out of obligation.

  — Pathetic… he murmured as he returned to his room.

  He had no intention of playing the role of the lost boy seeking to regain his family's love. The soul of the former Feng Lin was dead, and with it, all innocence and naivety. He was no longer that five-year-old child but a former Celestial Emperor, betrayed and reincarnated in a miserable body. Why should he follow the rules of a declining clan?

  No, he had a better idea. He would subjugate the Feng clan and use it as a stepping stone to reclaim what he once was. And if, in the process, his so-called "relatives" could serve as cannon fodder, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

  Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he immediately activated his cultivation. Energy slowly coursed through his muscles, awakening a dull pain in his weakened body. He gritted his teeth. This was only the beginning of a long process.

  — This miserable body… he growled. I will break it and rebuild it.

  Minutes passed, then hours. He could already feel his muscles strengthening slightly, but it wasn’t enough. Not yet. He had to forge this body until it was worthy of his soul once more.

  Sooner or later, they would all regret underestimating him.

  Feng Lin closed his eyes, plunging into a state of absolute concentration. He had to reach the second stage of body refinement: bone refinement.

  His body was still weak, fragile after fifteen years of unconsciousness. But that didn’t bother him. He had no intention of staying in this miserable state for long.

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  As he channeled his energy, he felt something strange. A subtle yet undeniable change.

  — Hm?

  He suddenly recalled what had happened when he had purged the poison from his body. At that moment, he had used the remnants of his soul from his past life to cleanse his system. But without realizing it, a tiny fraction of that energy had been absorbed by his spiritual root.

  And now, he could see the effects.

  His breakthrough speed was far faster than normal. His once-fragile body was adapting at a terrifying rate, absorbing energy with frightening efficiency.

  — Interesting…

  An arrogant smile curled his lips. If this continued, he wouldn’t just catch up—he would quickly surpass the pathetic cultivators of the Feng clan.

  But that wasn’t enough. He needed to be self-sufficient. Rely on the Feng clan? Out of the question.

  He had to obtain his own resources, amass his own power.

  And for that… he already had an idea.

  Feng Lin decided to head toward the alchemy hall he had spotted earlier.

  Though the Feng clan was in ruins, some vestiges of its former glory remained. The alchemy hall, for example, spanned several thousand meters. At its peak, the clan must have housed thousands of disciples and elders, all dedicated to pill refinement and experimentation.

  But today…

  The place was most likely deserted, abandoned by those incompetents.

  Feng Lin had no intention of becoming an alchemist himself, but he knew one thing: other people's ignorance was his greatest opportunity.

  — Who knows? Maybe some fool left behind an old furnace, a precious herb…

  If he could get his hands on rare ingredients or an old manual, he would already have an advantage.

  With a slight smirk, he quickened his pace.

  At that moment, Feng Lin noticed that half the building was in ruins.

  Scars of battle and destruction spread across the collapsed walls. Deep cracks ran through the ground, and broken pillars lay scattered everywhere. It was obvious that a fierce battle had taken place here.

  — A former clan plundered to this extent… Not surprising. Anyone would be interested in resources.

  His gaze swept over the wreckage. He could still see the charred remains of alchemy furnaces, shattered shelves, and a few broken jade fragments—probably ancient manuals reduced to dust.

  Everything had been looted.

  But Feng Lin showed no sign of disappointment.

  — It doesn’t matter. Even if the raiders took everything, they might not have been smart enough to understand it all…

  He advanced slowly, analyzing every corner, searching for an overlooked detail, a neglected treasure.

  At that moment, a murderous intent filled the air—cold and oppressive.

  Feng Lin stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze hardened, and his instincts, sharpened by his past life, screamed at him to stay alert.

  The air grew heavy, as if a predator had just held its breath to stalk its prey.

  — Interesting… Feng Lin murmured with a smirk.

  Someone was there.

  And they did not have good intentions.