One month later.
The initial version of the second spell developed by Lin Ran was officially submitted to Tiger Soul Research Institute for testing.
As expected, following the scripted plan, this spell once again exhibited critical flaws.
The first failure with Spiritual Body had still left many netizens supporting Lin Ran, believing that mistakes were inevitable.
"People aren't saints; who doesn't make mistakes?"—many had defended him, saying that since Lin Ran was still lacking experience, it was only natural that he would stumble. Instead of discouraging him, they believed he should be encouraged to continue improving.
However, the second spell suffered from yet another major failure, once again injuring multiple spell testers, forcing them to be rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
And the most damning part—this time, the mistake was another fundamental logic error.
Back-to-back failures, combined with Tiger Soul Research Institute's carefully orchestrated media influence, completely shattered Lin Ran's reputation.
This was the power of public opinion.
One didn't need to fully understand the situation—just presenting a narrative was enough to steer public perception.
Most people could only access information through the media; they couldn't personally verify the truth.
They didn't understand the technical logic of spellcraft.
They simply heard the media reports saying that these were basic errors that could have been avoided, and thus concluded that Lin Ran's repeated failures were due to his careless attitude.
Under this manipulated media narrative, some people even began speculating that Lin Ran might be a spy working for the domain forces.
Some went as far as claiming:
"Lin Ran is deliberately developing flawed spells with critical logic errors to sabotage frontline domain warriors! If not for Tiger Soul Research Institute exposing him, these spells could have become ticking time bombs!"
With mass hysteria on the rise, the flood of accusations and insults began overwhelming everything else.
These words were like countless invisible daggers, piercing straight into Lin Ran's psyche.
Even though he knew this was just part of the mission…
Even though he understood that this was all pre-planned…
The public outrage was very real.
And when he checked his phone, when he walked through the streets, when he saw the strange looks from passersby—it weighed down on him.
Even his parents and teachers had called, concerned about him, advising him to take a break and not overthink things.
With everything closing in on him, Lin Ran's emotions were becoming increasingly stifled.
One month later.
Starlight Lake Park. Deep into the night.
Lin Ran and Yin Ling sat across from each other, playing another round of chess.
Looking at Lin Ran's bloodshot eyes, his slightly sunken face, Yin Ling felt uneasy.
She knew how much pressure Lin Ran had endured in the past month.
Once a rising star, once hailed as a brilliant pioneer of spellcraft, he had fallen into disgrace, ridiculed by the masses.
His once radiant smile was gone.
Even his body looked thinner.
During these few rounds of chess, Yin Ling noticed that Lin Ran was clearly not in his best form.
She had witnessed everything—how he started with confidence, only to be dragged down by public condemnation.
She had read the official reports from Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Yes, there were flaws in Lin Ran's spells.
But they were nowhere near as disastrous as the media had exaggerated.
To her, it was obvious—Tiger Soul Research Institute was deliberately inflating the severity of these errors, manipulating public opinion against Lin Ran.
This led her to an alarming realization.
Something wasn't right.
From an outsider's perspective, it was hard not to suspect that Tiger Soul Research Institute had hidden motives.
Most civilians didn't know this…
But Yin Ling knew that a significant portion of Star City's media was controlled by Tiger Soul Research Institute.
There was no way this media attack was happening without their direct involvement.
And the more she analyzed it, the more she suspected—
Could Tiger Soul Research Institute be compromised by domain forces?
Otherwise, why would they intentionally try to destroy Lin Ran?
From a human perspective, Lin Ran's talent was undeniable.
He was an asset for the future, someone who should be nurtured and protected.
Even if he made mistakes, what mattered most was helping him improve—giving him the resources and support he needed to recover and keep innovating.
That was the rational way to develop new frontiers of spellcraft.
Yet Tiger Soul Research Institute's actions felt like deliberate sabotage.
It was almost as if they wanted to completely destroy Lin Ran.
This was abnormal.
Looking at Lin Ran, at his dim, exhausted eyes, Yin Ling felt a strange emotion rising within her.
"A'Ran… should you take a break?"
"No need." Lin Ran forced a weak smile. "I won't fall that easily. The research for my next spell is already underway. This time, there won't be any mistakes."
Hearing this, Yin Ling sighed internally.
She could tell that Lin Ran was obsessed now.
He was fixated on proving himself again.
But this single-minded determination was dangerous.
Under intense pressure, his physical and mental state were deteriorating.
The faint dark circles under his eyes told her that he hadn't slept well in days.
Even though she still intended to kill Lin Ran…
She didn't want him to die in despair.
These past days were worth remembering—there should have been beautiful moments in them.
She didn't want the final chapter to be filled with regret.
With this thought, she looked at Lin Ran and spoke solemnly.
"A'Ran, let me help you with your next spell."
Lin Ran looked up at her.
Seeing her serious expression, he suddenly grinned.
"Let's finish this game first. Don't overthink things."
Hearing his completely unappreciative response, Yin Ling's expression darkened.
She wordlessly lifted her hand, conjuring an elemental chess piece, and slammed it onto the board.
"Idiot. Take this—Elemental Seal!"
In the days that followed, Yin Ling spent all of her time outside of work staying by Lin Ran's side, helping him refine the framework for his new spell.
This time, she was especially serious.
The Domain Weak Tribe Alliance's assassination had yet to commence, something that caught her off guard. She had even made a special call to inquire about the delay.
The response she received was that preparations were still being made, but the action would begin soon.
That meant Lin Ran was still going to die.
But before that happened, she wanted to make sure he left with dignity.
At the very least, she didn't want him to die with regrets.
This new spell would be his final proof of worth.
As they worked together to develop the spell, Yin Ling felt something different inside her.
Watching the spell slowly take shape, it was like raising a child together, watching it grow bit by bit.
With her own hands shaping its creation, she couldn't help but immerse herself in the process.
More than ten days later, the initial framework of the spell was finally completed.
To ensure that this spell wouldn't have any hidden issues, they decided to skip their usual chess match that night and instead spent hours painstakingly reviewing the spell's operational structure.
After confirming there were no mistakes, they submitted it to Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Then, all that was left was the anxious wait.
A few days later.
The moment she woke up, Yin Ling headed straight to her office and opened her tablet.
She tapped on her news app, and the first thing that greeted her was Tiger Soul Research Institute's latest announcement.
[Lin Ran's Newly Developed Spell – Evaluation Results: Severe Structural Issues Detected, Rejected]
Issued by: Tiger Soul Research Institute
Attachment: (Detailed Diagram and Explanation)
After carefully reading through the announcement, Yin Ling's brows knitted tightly.
If the previous two reports had merely exaggerated minor logical flaws, then this third announcement was utter nonsense.
The public could only see the list of supposed errors, but she had personally participated in the spell's development.
She knew for a fact that the overall structure of the spell was perfectly viable.
Yes, the first version of any spell would have imperfections—but those were merely minor issues, ones that could be easily refined and optimized later.
Yet, Tiger Soul Research Institute had completely dismissed it with a biased and unfair evaluation.
This reckless behavior made her think back to her previous suspicions.
Tiger Soul Research Institute was intentionally suppressing Lin Ran.
And this wasn't benefiting them in any way—which meant only one explanation made sense.
There was a hidden domain force inside Tiger Soul Research Institute.
They didn't want a human genius like Lin Ran to rise to prominence.
To Yin Ling, this was valuable intelligence.
It could even affect the Silver Moon Clan's future plans for invasion.
Scrolling down, she saw that the comment section was already flooded with backlash.
Some netizens even accused Lin Ran of deliberately creating spells to "poison" cultivators, claiming his goal was to harm all practitioners.
There was no longer any debate.
Any voices that had once defended Lin Ran had now completely disappeared.
The first mistake was excusable.
The second mistake still had some people supporting him, arguing that a rising star shouldn't be crushed over a few errors.
But the third mistake?
No one could justify it anymore.
With a heavy heart, she dialed Lin Ran's number.
After a few rings, his hoarse voice came through.
"I'm fine."
"Fine, my ass! This is obviously Tiger Soul Research Institute's fault! The issues they listed aren't even real problems! It's just an early version—of course, there's room for refinement…"
"It's fine. I just need to rest for a while."
Hearing how weak his voice sounded, Yin Ling couldn't hold back her frustration.
"Rest, my ass! You should be confronting Tiger Soul Research Institute and demanding answers! What kind of cowardice is this?!"
"Can't you be a little more ladylike? You swear way too much."
"Ladylike? Are you seriously that spineless? Tiger Soul Research Institute is clearly screwing you over, and you're just going to take it?!"
As Lin Ran listened to her furious rant, he felt a warmth spread in his chest.
He could tell that Yin Ling was genuinely worried about him.
But right now, he couldn't show any signs of positivity.
This was all part of the plan.
According to Feng Qi's strategy, he had to act defeated.
With public opinion crushing him, he had to gradually reveal his resentment toward humanity—leading Yin Ling to consider recruiting him.
Lin Ran was fully aware that Yin Ling had feelings for him.
But their greatest barrier was their opposing racial loyalties.
If he wanted to bridge that gap, he had to make himself appear vulnerable in her eyes.
This was all part of the grand design.
Two days later, at Tiger Soul Research Institute.
After hanging up Lin Ran's call, Feng Qi closed the Domain Studies book in front of him.
From their conversation, he learned that the hostility toward Lin Ran had only intensified. Even just walking down the street, he was met with countless hostile stares.
At the same time, Lin Ran had begun showing his resentment toward humanity in front of Yin Ling, just as the script dictated.
The previous groundwork had paid off.
Now, Yin Ling was testing Lin Ran, hesitating on whether to fully recruit him.
With this, the second phase of the plan was complete.
Now, it was time to begin the third and final phase of the script.
The first phase had been about introducing Lin Ran to Yin Ling and developing their relationship. The hero saving the damsel scenario had been deliberately orchestrated for this purpose.
The second phase had made Yin Ling witness Lin Ran's rise and fall—from a celebrated genius to a despised outcast—and had even drawn her into the design process of his spells, making her personally feel the oppression from Tiger Soul Research Institute.
This was all preparation for phase three.
Now, he needed to make Yin Ling fully trust Lin Ran and push the storyline to the "revelation of secrets" stage.
This phase had four key steps:
1. Suppress the Energy Research Institute
This would pressure Yin Ling and make her suspect that the Silver Moon Clan's plan had been exposed.
2. Make Yin Ling believe that their plan had been compromised
At this stage, Lin Ran needed to unconditionally side with Yin Ling, securing her absolute trust. She had to believe that Lin Ran was willing to betray humanity for her.
3. Initiate a pursuit against Lin Ran and Yin Ling
However, the pressure couldn't be too overwhelming. They needed to be given a chance to escape, allowing them to build deeper trust during their flight.
4. Severely injure Yin Ling, but leave her alive
She must survive long enough to pass on her final words.
Once these four subplots were executed, Yin Ling would be gravely wounded and unable to recover.
By then, she would fully trust Lin Ran, and in her final moments, she would inevitably reveal her secrets.
At that point, Lin Ran, having escaped with her, would no longer be able to return to human society.
Yin Ling would have no choice but to entrust her mission to Lin Ran—
The Silver Moon Clan's grand invasion plan.
She would desperately hope that Lin Ran would carry on her mission, and in doing so, she would give him a reason to join the Silver Moon Clan.
If this plan succeeded, Lin Ran would become a valuable asset to the Silver Moon Clan.
Even though he was an outsider, he would at least be guaranteed survival.
As long as the script progressed this far, Lin Ran would gain the exact details of how to send a spatial signal to the Silver Moon Clan—
And the plan would be a complete success.
This three-phase plan was meticulously interconnected, with each step serving as a foundation for the next.
Establishing contact, building trust, deceiving for secrets—
Yin Ling had walked right into the script, exactly as planned.
Victory is achieved through careful strategy.
Personally orchestrating this entire script, Feng Qi had come to understand why Old Mi had been so obsessed with strategy.
Because some problems couldn't be solved through brute force alone.
A well-crafted plan ensured that everything moved according to your design, ultimately leading to the outcome you desired.
After a brief pause, Feng Qi closed his notebook.
Now that the third phase of the plan was underway, Tiger Soul Research Institute could officially begin suppressing the Energy Research Institute.
With this in mind, he picked up his phone from the desk and dialed Gu Ke's number.
After a moment, the call connected.
Feng Qi's voice was calm but firm.
"Uncle Gu, it's time to start the third phase. You're in charge of mobilizing Tiger Soul Research Institute's combat division. Make sure the Energy Research Institute is completely crushed."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Feng Qi turned toward the window.
The night sky was scattered with stars, blending seamlessly with the bright lights of the city.
He was walking further down the path of salvation, and every step forward was becoming more effortless.
From his reckless beginnings, he had now learned to think calmly and plan ahead.
But he was also aware of the harsh reality behind this growth—it had come at a painful cost.
His memories drifted through different timelines, as if time itself had slowed for him.
To some, his ability felt like a cheat, but to him, it felt more like a curse.
A curse he had willingly accepted.
Standing up, he opened the window.
The night breeze brushed against his face.
As he gazed up at the starry sky, he thought of the countless sacrifices—of those who had once shared his dreams, looking up at this same sky.
This curse was not his burden alone.
His companions had sacrificed everything, and their burning ideals fueled his determination.
"Time to study. Studying makes me happy."
Shaking off his momentary sentimentality, Feng Qi turned back to his desk, flipped open his Domain Studies book, and began another long night of studying.