Chapter 1

In the changeable weather of May, which could turn from clear to stormy in an instant, Song Li, who was drenched from the sudden downpour, stood at the entrance of the Nansha Temple, holding a crumpled newspaper over his head as he hurriedly rushed into a large hall.

"Damn it, what kind of weather is this!" he muttered, turning around, only to shiver suddenly.

Song Li was a typical otaku, and on any other day, he would rather stay in his dorm, watching videos of Hida Ai and enjoying the company of Aoi Sora, than step out for a moment. But today, fate had it that the girlfriend of the third roommate had come from out of town, and coincidentally, the first and fourth roommates had also left for a few days. In the third roommate's eyes, Song Li, who was comfortably lying on his bed, had become an unwanted third wheel.

After some negotiation, the third roommate finally managed to kick Song Li out of the dorm with the promise of ten bowls of instant noodles and fifty yuan. It was no wonder, as the third roommate, who had been calculating his girlfriend's menstrual cycle for three months, was determined to make the most of the day. If Song Li hadn't understood the hint, the third roommate might have killed him.

With no place to go for the entire afternoon, Song Li, the otaku, had no idea what to do. He overheard someone talking about visiting the Nansha Temple and decided to follow them.

By the afternoon, most of the visitors had left the temple, but Song Li, who still had a few hours before his meeting, had no choice but to wander around, hoping time would pass quickly.

Who would have thought that a sudden rainstorm would trap him there? In his panic, he had rushed into the main hall of the Nansha Temple, where he found himself alone.

It was said that one should not enter a temple alone, and Song Li felt a chill run down his spine. He felt as if the statue of the god Zhu Rong in the center of the hall was alive, and its eyes followed him wherever he went.

"Grandpa God, I don't steal, I don't rob, and I don't harm bachelors. Please don't look at me like that!" Song Li muttered, walking behind the statue. He thought that if the front of the statue was scary, the back would be safe. But as soon as he reached the back, his eyes widened in shock. He saw something astonishing!

On the wall behind the statue, the dragon that was originally depicted as flying through the clouds seemed to come to life, writhing and rolling on the wall.

Song Li felt a chill run down his spine. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the wall, only to see the dragon suddenly spew out a strange fireball. The fireball rolled on the wall and then broke free, causing the temperature in the hall to rise sharply. Even from a distance, Song Li felt his clothes dry and turn to ashes!

The temperature continued to rise, and the hall was bathed in a red glow. Song Li instinctively tried to escape, but he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

As the fiery ball drew a strange arc in the air and shot toward him, Song Li screamed in despair. He felt his body temperature rise to an indescribable height, and then he saw strange flames envelop his body, consuming him completely.

The world began to spin, and his body seemed to be falling into an endless abyss, with everything around him distorting. His body was stretched infinitely, and he gradually lost all sensation and consciousness, feeling the world around him sinking...

Darkness enveloped everything. After an unknown period, a white light appeared in the distance, growing larger and causing the surrounding space to shake violently. Then, everything fell silent, leaving only a warm light surrounding him and a faint, anxious voice calling out.

"Li'er, Li'er, wake up!" In a room of the Hai County Duke's mansion in the Holy Lion Empire, a middle-aged beauty was hugging an unconscious young man, sobbing.

Beside her stood a tall, well-dressed man with a dignified air, his face full of anger.

The unconscious young man's shirt was stained with blood, his face black, and his body lay limp, seemingly unconscious for a long time.

The middle-aged beauty, while crying, gently stroked the young man's face.

"Li'er, wake up, be strong, you'll be fine!"

The man, who had been standing silently, sighed deeply and turned to leave. But the woman, who had been crying, suddenly turned her head, her eyebrows furrowed, and shouted, "Song Xinghai, stop!"

The man's body stiffened, and after a moment, he turned around, a bitter smile on his face. "My lady, why do you do this?"

The woman sneered, "Why do I do this? Li'er was harmed, and it disgraces the Song family, a great humiliation. If they hit him, they hit the Song family. What does it have to do with me, Yun Lin?"

Song Xinghai's face changed. "My lady, you—"

Before he could finish, the woman, Yun Lin, sneered again, "The Song family's honor has nothing to do with me. Now, I just want justice for my Li'er. Whether it's a Nine-Gate Inspector, a few old ministers, or even princes and generals, anyone who harms my son will pay a price beyond imagination!"

Song Xinghai was silent, his body trembling. Clearly, his heart was not calm. As a member of the royal family, though not as prominent as the princes, he was still a county duke with some status. But now, his son had been beaten to near death, and the person who did it was appealing to higher authorities, trying to punish his son.

Despite trying to comfort his wife, Song Xinghai himself was on the verge of exploding.

The young man was their son, who had always been weak. Song Xinghai never forced him to practice, so by the age of sixteen, the young man's cultivation was still at the second level of the Entry Stage. Even poor children, starting cultivation at six, could reach the second level of the Body Tempering Stage, with the strength of two oxen. But as the son of a county duke, with many advantages, the young man was still at the second level of the Entry Stage, a level that six-year-olds could surpass. This made him a target of ridicule, and indeed, a laughingstock in the capital.

"Useless Young Master," that was the title given to the young man, even called the biggest joke in the capital. But what was frustrating was that despite his low cultivation, he still wanted to be a hero, forming a Justice Alliance to fight for justice. Though the alliance had only two members, he still tried to stand up to the children of noble families, trying to save a poor man being bullied by a noble's son. The result was predictable: the young man, with only the second level of the Entry Stage, was no match for them. After one such attempt, he was severely injured and nearly lost his life.

Seeing his usually gentle and virtuous wife now full of anger, and his son, who always smiled, now unconscious, a wave of anger rose in Song Xinghai's chest. "I've been patient for too long, but my patience has only brought this result. Cheng Guangde, do you really think I, Song Xinghai, am a soft target?"

In fact, the young man was already regaining consciousness, but he was still dazed. His mind was filled with conflicting thoughts and fragmented memories, making it hard for him to adapt.

"Am I alive or dead?" Song Li wondered, feeling the warmth from the woman holding him, he realized he was still alive.

"Looks like I'm not dead, but who are these two talking?" As his consciousness returned, Song Li couldn't open his eyes. The fragmented memories in his mind were reassembling, and scenes he had never experienced suddenly felt familiar.

In the room, the third roommate was laughing, the statue of Zhu Rong was laughing, some familiar yet strange people were laughing, and a few menacing young men were laughing. Then, countless images flashed through his mind: university, Nansha Temple, the Star Cloud Continent, the capital, Song Xingtian, Hai County Duke's mansion, father, mother...

Song Li felt his head almost explode. He tried to move, but a sharp pain in his chest made him choke, and a mouthful of sweet, bloody fluid spurted out.

Yun Lin, who was talking to Song Xinghai, cried out in pain, holding Song Li tighter and pulling a black pill from her waist, crushing it and feeding it to him.

"My son, take this Three-Transmutation Rejuvenation Pill. It's a low-grade Earth-class pill I made myself. With it, you'll be fine!"

Song Li was startled. Remembering how unscrupulous merchants in his previous life would use fake drugs to deceive patients, he had never seen this pill before. Taking it blindly in his current state, though he wasn't a doctor, he knew basic human anatomy. The pain from the internal bleeding and broken bones was excruciating, and he was clearly in a critical condition.

With multiple broken bones and internal bleeding, he would be in critical condition in a hospital, requiring major surgery.

But now, the woman claiming to be his mother, who indeed was his mother from his memories, and he was Song Li, was not sending him to a hospital but giving him a pill.

As Song Li was about to struggle and shout, "Don't talk, take me to the hospital!" the pill turned into a warm stream, and a special force quickly circulated in his body, rapidly reducing his pain.

Song Li was now mostly awake, and unlike before, he could faintly sense the injuries in his body, including the rapid healing of his wounds and the mending of his broken bones.

He was stunned. "What is this? How can it be so miraculous?"

Could it be a legendary elixir? Otherwise, how could it be so effective? Song Li had felt the severity of his injuries: multiple broken bones, severe internal damage, and heavy internal bleeding. In the past, even with surgery and months of hospitalization, he might not have recovered. But now, this single pill was activating his body's potential, and he was healing at an almost visible speed. This was truly a miracle.

The existence of such a miraculous drug in the world was incredible.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Song Li's mind: if such a drug were mass-produced, how many hospitals would close, and how easily he could become the world's richest person, or even a person richer than a nation!

These thoughts were fleeting, but Song Li was still overwhelmed with shock and awe, as he realized this was no longer the world he knew. Although the pill was miraculous, recovery still took time. After spitting out blood, Song Li still felt extremely weak.

Seeing Song Li's condition improve, Yun Lin gently brushed his disheveled hair, her eyes full of concern. "Li'er, don't scare your mother. I know you feel wronged, unable to seek justice for the bullying you faced. Don't worry, even if your father doesn't stand up, I will!"

Hearing Yun Lin's words, Song Li, now more conscious, felt something was off. He noticed the two were speaking to him as parents, but his parents had long passed away. How could someone now claim to be his mother? Moreover, her words seemed to carry a hint of provocation and stimulation. Though he couldn't open his eyes, he was almost certain the middle-aged man was blushing.

Indeed, Song Xinghai's face was red. He was the sixth son of the previous emperor, second only to the emperor in status, on par with the powerful Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Princes. But his kind and uncompetitive nature had made him a target of contempt. During the struggle for the throne, he had quietly stepped back, but in the royal family, kindness and humility brought no rewards.

When the emperor was alive, he didn't compete, and after the throne was secured, the emperor's lineage and the princes who had fought for the throne didn't consider him one of their own. Despite being the son of the empress, he was only given the title of county duke.

Song Xinghai had his complaints, but his nature made him endure. His kindness and non-competitive attitude gave others the impression of weakness. He had been enduring and avoiding conflict, but seeing his son unconscious and remembering the hateful faces of those who had wronged him, his anger could no longer be contained.

Yun Lin, as if speaking to him or to herself, said, "My husband, you are of royal blood, but they don't respect your status. You always weigh the pros and cons, but they don't consider them. You retreat, but they push. In the past, you tolerated their provocations, and you were too timid to fight. But now, you are weak, and you want to drag us into their bullying? What if I am beaten like this, and you still don't stand up? They have injured Li'er so severely, and we are still supposed to endure? Xinghai, if you don't want to stand up, don't want to fight, and don't dare to fight, then stay at home. I, Yun Lin, will seek justice for Li'er!"