Thor led Lin Feng to Odin's palace.
It was the most magnificent and glorious palace in Asgard.
Upon entering, Lin Feng saw Odin seated on his throne.
He held a scepter in his right hand, his aura fluctuating between strength and weakness.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Feng frowned.
He sensed that Odin's aura was significantly weaker than during their last encounter…
"Lin Feng, welcome to Asgard once more!"
Upon seeing Lin Feng, Odin rose, greeting him with a smile, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
His single eye could no longer discern Lin Feng's strength.
Lin Feng had become even more powerful since their last meeting…
After a deep gaze at Lin Feng, Odin's smile remained.
He invited Lin Feng to sit and motioned for Thor to withdraw temporarily.
He then looked at Lin Feng and spoke directly, "Lin Feng, you are here today for a reason, I presume?"
As the saying goes, one does not visit a temple without a purpose.
A powerhouse of Lin Feng's caliber wouldn't simply visit Asgard out of idle curiosity.
It was highly likely he required Odin's assistance.
For a powerful being like Lin Feng, unnecessary pleasantries were usually skipped in favor of direct requests.
Lin Feng nodded in response to Odin's question.
"Indeed, there are matters, Divine King."
"I have seen glimpses of the future, the future of Asgard, and I wish to discuss it with you."
Odin's eyes widened with surprise once more.
"Lin Feng, can you also see the future?"
Odin knew of a sorcerer on Earth, the Ancient One, who could see the future with the Eye of Time.
Odin himself could also glimpse fragments of the future, akin to precognition.
However, he couldn't choose specific time points to view as freely as the Ancient One, nor were his visions as detailed.
"A little. The future I've seen is not very optimistic, which is why I've come to you," Lin Feng replied, not entirely truthfully, with a hint of embellishment.
Having watched the movie "Thor: The Dark World," Lin Feng's knowledge of the plot made his claim of seeing the future almost accurate.
"Oh?" Odin's expression grew serious upon hearing this.
Lin Feng's immense power commanded Odin's attention, and his words carried significant weight.
After a moment's thought, Odin stood and invited, "Please, follow me…"
Lin Feng rose and followed Odin into a room resembling a tea chamber.
Through the window, they could see the prosperous sights of Asgard.
A servant brought tea, and Odin gestured for Lin Feng to partake.
"Please, elaborate!"
Lin Feng took a polite sip of tea and nodded. "Divine King Odin, you are aware of the Dark Elves, are you not?"
The mention of the Dark Elves caused Odin to falter.
"The Dark Elves…"
He hadn't heard that name spoken aloud in what felt like ages.
To Odin, they were a race both familiar and strangely distant.
The Dark Elves were born of Eternal Night, their leader, Malekith, used darkness to create the Aether, a weapon of immense power (a modification of the Reality Stone, akin to the Space Stone's relationship with the Tesseract, serving as a vessel or conduit for an Infinity Stone.)
It was an irregular, ever-shifting fluid.
It could transmute matter into dark matter, find a host, and parasitize it, draining its life force.
Malekith sought to use the Aether's energy to plunge the entire universe back into darkness…
To stop him, Odin's father, Bor, had stepped forward.
After a prolonged and bloody conflict, Bor emerged victorious.
This victory ushered in millennia of peace across the Nine Realms.
This was Odin's understanding of the Dark Elves.
After recalling these events, Odin frowned and asked Lin Feng with confusion, "The Dark Elves are extinct, Lin Feng. Why do you bring them up now?"
"Extinct?"
Lin Feng shook his head.
"The Dark Elves are not extinct, and their leader, Malekith, did not perish."
"In the future I saw, Malekith's weapon, the Aether, has resurfaced."
"He will appear in Asgard before long."
"You understand the consequences, don't you, Divine King?"
Lin Feng's words struck Odin like a thunderclap, catching the Divine King completely off guard.
"No, that's impossible…" Odin shook his head, reluctant to believe.
The Dark Elves had been eradicated by his father!
And the Aether should have been destroyed by his father as well.
The Aether was an ancient weapon dating back to the birth of the universe.
If Lin Feng spoke the truth, Asgard was on the brink of a catastrophe!
Seeing Odin's disbelief, Lin Feng spoke earnestly, "Divine King Odin, nothing is impossible!"
Odin's single eye met Lin Feng's gaze intently, as if trying to discern the truth from his expression.
After a long pause, Odin sighed.
"If what you say is true, this bodes ill for Asgard…"
Lin Feng nodded gravely. "That is why I have come to warn you, to prepare."
Old Odin nodded, his brow furrowed.
A being of Lin Feng's caliber had no reason to travel to Asgard and spin a baseless tale.
Therefore, the veracity of Lin Feng's words was not in question.
Suddenly, Odin recalled something and asked Lin Feng, "Lin Feng, did you see the outcome of this catastrophe?"
Lin Feng hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak the truth.
"Yes, Divine King Odin," Lin Feng replied.
"Although the path will be arduous, Malekith and the Dark Elves are ultimately doomed to fail."
In the original story, Thor had even battled Malekith on Earth, and Odin had been banished to Earth by Loki.
It was a complete mess, but Lin Feng wouldn't go into such detail.
At this revelation, Odin visibly relaxed, but Lin Feng's next words sent him into a sudden rage.
"I also saw that your Queen, Frigga, made a sacrifice during this disaster…"
"What?"
Odin sprang to his feet in disbelief, his eyes wide with horror and fury.
His wife, Frigga, would perish in this catastrophe?!
In that instant, rage surged through him, and the terrifying aura of the Divine King enveloped the tea chamber.
Frigga's importance to Odin was paramount. This wisest of Asgardians had stood by him through countless trials and tribulations.
Frigga was, in essence, Old Odin's Achilles' heel.
And now Lin Feng claimed Frigga would be sacrificed!
Odin's usually tranquil heart erupted in fury.
The terrifying aura caused the entire tea chamber to tremble, and Odin seemed to lose all semblance of reason.
Indeed, in the original narrative, Odin had also lost some of his composure due to Frigga's sacrifice.
The Divine King's aura was immense and terrifying.
Anyone else would have likely cowered and fallen to their knees in fear under such pressure.
Yet, Lin Feng remained unfazed, calmly sipping his tea, his gaze towards Odin impassive, devoid of emotion.
The surge of energy was as swift as it was intense.
Odin quickly realized his inappropriate display and retracted the unconsciously released aura.
"My apologies, Lin Feng, for showing such a display…"