After a thousand years of cultivation, he returns at the pinnacle!

Overnight, news of the explosion in VIP room 888 of the Dihao Hotel exploded in Jiangzhou.

The Liu family's residence is located in a lakeside villa area.

A night breeze swept across the lake, bringing a chill, but it couldn't dispel the bone-chilling cold that permeated the villa.

Liu Mingxuan stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, without turning around. A visible pale blue chill surrounded him, and fine white frost had formed on the expensive solid wood floor beneath his feet, silently spreading outwards.

The tea set on the coffee table cracked from the cold, making a faint cracking sound.

The temperature in the living room dropped by more than ten degrees, and several servants huddled in a corner, not daring to breathe.

He is an S-rank Ice-type Awakener, the brightest star at the Jiangzhou Awakening Ceremony twenty years ago. Although he now lives in the business world, he has never relinquished his strength.

"Like smoke... How is that possible?!"

Tonight was supposed to be a celebration banquet for his beloved daughter after she awakened her S-level talent. Since all the guests were her classmates, he, as her father, did not attend, thinking that his presence would surely make others uncomfortable.

However... he never expected that what should have been a happy night would turn into her nightmare!

Lung contusion, three broken ribs, concussion, and will likely suffer severe psychological trauma afterward!

This is the doctor's evaluation!

She was once a promising star, but now she can only suffer in a hospital ward.

Liu Ruyan's mother sobbed softly beside her, her makeup disheveled.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!" Liu Mingxuan roared at his assistant, who stood silently with his hands at his sides, his voice hoarse but full of ruthlessness.

"Use all resources and connections! I need to know every detail of what happened in that private room that night! Hotel surveillance footage, everyone's communication records, their social media posts, even every word the hotel staff heard!"

"Especially that guy named Jiang Chen!"

Of course he knew Jiang Chen. He had even learned about Jiang Chen before his awakening. Jiang Chen was a prodigy at Jiangzhou Academy, whose academic performance had always been top-notch since childhood. Because of this, even though he didn't have any family background, he didn't object to his daughter being with him.

But just a few days ago, on the day of awakening, Jiang Chen, who was once highly anticipated, became the only person in the world without abilities. His special nature is self-evident. His daughter chose to break up with him because of this, and it is not impossible that he harbors resentment. Moreover, according to the current intelligence, Jiang Chen also went to the dinner party tonight, but left before the explosion.

Everything was too much of a coincidence...

The connection between these elements makes it hard not to draw conclusions.

"yes!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Liu family's secret guards who were present disappeared from the spot.

Liu Mingxuan silently watched the scenery along the river. Once the truth of this matter came to light, no matter who was behind it, he would make that person pay a price of despair. Large patches of ice flowers silently spread across the windowpane in front of him.

.....

Lin.

The sound of lightning exploding came from the study on the second floor, followed by the dull thud of a heavy mahogany desk being overturned.

The two guards on duty in the courtyard exchanged a glance, lowered their heads, and even softened their breathing.

Lin Zhenting stood in the center of the study, his body surrounded by silvery-white arcs of electricity that flickered like snake tongues, and the air was filled with the scorching aura of ionization.

He is forty-seven years old this year, in his prime, and an S-class awakened being of the lightning element. Twenty years ago, he and Liu Mingxuan awakened in the same year and were recognized as the strongest fighters of that year.

Now, his only son, Lin Feng, who was also given high hopes and had awakened an S-level lightning talent, is lying in an isolation ward in the hospital.

A few days ago, when he learned that Lin Feng had awakened an S-level lightning talent, he was overjoyed. Wasn't that exactly the same as his own talent? Since it was a talent of the same attribute, he could naturally give him some guidance, and Lin Feng's progress would be a qualitative leap.

However... it all ended before it even began.

"It's ruined."

Lin Zhenting's voice was hoarse and deep.

"More than 60% of his spiritual energy source was damaged, his meridians were extensively burned, and his talent growth potential... was almost zero."

He looked down at his hands, where the lingering thunder still crackled at his fingertips.

These hands had taught Lin Feng how to condense an electric arc for the first time just two days ago. Seeing the look of surprise in his son's eyes, that was the proudest moment he had ever experienced in all these years.

Looking at the report from the doctor, Lin Zhenting's face turned ashen.

Just then, the butler's voice, tinged with suppressed urgency, came from outside the door.

"master."

Lin Zhenting didn't turn around, but the arcs of electricity emanating from his body suddenly subsided. He stood still, his shoulder line still taut and straight, like a sword yet to be sheathed.

"explain."

"Young Master is awake."

Lin Zhenting turned around, and the outer robe draped over the back of the chair was already in his hand.

"Prepare the car."

Special care ward area of ​​the hospital.

Four Lin family guards stood on either side of the corridor, all of them Awakened Beings of Rank B or higher. Upon seeing Lin Zhenting, they all lowered their heads and made way, none of them daring to utter a sound.

When Lin Zhenting pushed the door open, Lin Feng was leaning against the headboard, staring blankly at the dawn sky outside the window.

His face was wrapped in gauze, and his bare arms were covered with fine burn marks, like a piece of paper that had been scorched by fire.

Hearing footsteps, Lin Feng slowly turned his head.

In the instant the father and son locked eyes, Lin Zhenting saw what was in his son's eyes.

It wasn't pain, it wasn't anger, but rather a deep fear.

What could have happened to make my usually unruly son show such an expression?

"dad."

Lin Feng's voice was hoarse and broken.

"Is my talent......?"

"It will be alright." Lin Zhenting sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It will be alright."

"It's not going to get better."

Lin Feng interrupted him, his voice very soft.

"I know it's not going to get better."

Lin Zhenting remained silent.

He didn't refute it, nor did he say anything more about things getting better.

His son wasn't stupid. Lin Feng understood better than anyone what it meant that his S-level talent had been ruined like that.

The ward remained quiet for a long time.

Lin Feng kept staring out the window, his eyes, which had always been full of pride, now empty, like two dry wells.

Looking at his son like this, Lin Zhenting felt extremely angry.

"Son, tell me, what exactly happened last night?! Who caused all of this?!"

Lin Feng did not answer immediately.

He continued gazing out the window, the sky gradually brightening, but the shadows in his eyes remained unmoved. After a long while, he slowly turned his head to look at his father.

"Dad," his voice was hoarse, "Do you know Jiang Chen?"

Lin Zhenting's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He remained silent for two seconds, then spoke:

"Know."

He knew that Jiang Chen's existence was probably known not only in Jiangzhou, but also throughout the entire Dragon Kingdom and the whole world.

Three days ago, the Awakening Day test results were released, revealing him to be the only one in the world without abilities. This label is enough to make any Awakened person remember this name, even if it's just as a topic of conversation.

But he knew far more than that.

He knew Jiang Chen was Liu Ruyan's ex-boyfriend. He knew that the celebration banquet was Liu Ruyan's celebration banquet.

He knew Jiang Chen was at the scene when the explosion occurred, so he left beforehand without looking back.

They even discovered that Jiang Chen had a conflict with Liu Ruyan and her son in the private room, and learned from the waiters that before the explosion, the students in the private room had humiliated Jiang Chen in front of him.

He is the prime suspect.

"So...did he do it?"

Lin Feng remained silent for a moment, the fear in his eyes still lingering.

"I don't know... I have no evidence... but... no matter how you look at it, he did it."

Lin Feng's body trembled slightly, as if he were recalling something extremely terrifying.

Afterwards, Lin Feng recounted the details of what happened in the private room. He didn't have any evidence to prove that Jiang Chen was responsible, but his gaze and the words he spoke all proved it.

Lin Zhenting remained silent, listening to his son's fragmented account.

The only sound in the ward was the ticking of the monitor.

After saying that, Lin Feng didn't speak again, but just lowered his head and looked at his hands, which were wrapped in bandages.

"I understand. Leave the rest to me. You can rest here."

Lin Zhenting stood up, turned and left, but beneath his seemingly calm face were a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent.