The Northern Frost Region.
Lin Ran carried Yin Ling in his arms as he stepped through the shimmering blue domain barrier. In an instant, the vibrant green world before him was swallowed by a blanket of falling snow.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at the breathtakingly beautiful woman in his arms, her eyes tightly shut. A sorrow he couldn't suppress welled up in his heart.
In the end, he never managed to say those words.
The mission was over, but he realized he had lost something irreplaceable.
A sharp pain clenched his chest, making it hard to breathe.
Holding Yin Ling close, Lin Ran trudged through the snow, countless memories flashing through his mind.
Every time she called him a "noob," every playful insult—behind those words were Yin Ling's various expressions, filled with different emotions.
The more he remembered, the more unbearable the pain became.
Memories were like paths with no return. Even knowing they could never be relived, he couldn't stop himself from sinking deeper into them.
Just then, a figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
Lin Ran slowly lifted his head, and when he saw who it was, a choked sob escaped his lips.
"Qi-ge..."
Feng Qi reached out and placed a hand on Lin Ran's shoulder, remaining silent.
He understood what Lin Ran was feeling at this moment.
Hadn't he once approached the Mist Lord with a similar purpose?
But in the process, he realized that the Mist Lord had long since regarded him as family, as a brother—someone willing to abandon everything, even his own life, for his sake.
That was why he understood Lin Ran's pain.
Because what Lin Ran lost was a bond worth cherishing.
"Come on, let's go home," Feng Qi said softly.
Lin Ran didn't answer, only nodding silently.
Amidst the falling snow, he cradled Yin Ling in his arms and followed Feng Qi back the way they came.
After walking for a while, Lin Ran suddenly lifted his head and looked at Feng Qi.
"Qi-ge, Yin Ling already gave me all the information, including how to establish contact with the Silver Moon Clan in the domain world."
Feng Qi turned to him, nodding slightly before shifting his gaze to Yin Ling in Lin Ran's arms. After a brief pause, he asked,
"Ah Ran, when you were with her, did you ever consider bringing her over to humanity's side?"
Lin Ran's eyes darkened with sorrow, and he shook his head.
"There's no need to ask—I already know the answer. She and I are the same. We were always destined to place duty above personal feelings. If I were Yin Ling, I would have done the same. I would have buried my emotions and continued standing with my people."
Feng Qi had expected this answer.
He clearly remembered a previous timeline where Lin Ran had chosen to drink the memory-erasing potion and sacrifice himself for the greater cause.
Lin Ran had always been a trustworthy companion by his side.
Perhaps fate had chosen him to bear the burden of walking forward. But beyond his unwavering conviction, there were also those who walked alongside him—Lin Ran, Mu Qing, Lü Yue, Wei Wei...
They were all destined to meet.
"Qi-ge, why must different races always be in opposition?"
Lin Ran's question pulled Feng Qi from his thoughts.
Through countless timelines, he had already found the answer.
"The great calamity looming over us is like a parasite that can never be shaken off. Every race is fighting desperately to ensure their survival. With limited resources, the most efficient way to grow stronger is through plunder."
"Can't the races unite to face the calamity together?" Lin Ran pressed on.
"The imbalance of power between them makes true unity impossible. Even if they choose to work together, it will inevitably lead to the strong suppressing the weak. In the end, it will still evolve into another form of plundering and oppression. True unity can only exist under absolute equality in strength."
"It's like us humans—we would never share our resources with livestock. If different races want true equality despite their power imbalance, it would require an order-maintaining institution that stands above all races—an entity with no selfish interests, one that upholds balance for the sake of order itself. Otherwise, unity will always devolve into oppression."
Hearing this, Lin Ran fell silent.
He felt the weight of those words.
An ideal world was like the stars in the sky—beautiful but forever out of reach.
Seeing the gloom in Lin Ran's eyes, Feng Qi patted his shoulder firmly.
"It never existed before, but that doesn't mean it won't exist in the future. Every great dream begins as a vague, distant illusion. As long as there's a goal, it means the journey toward it has already begun. And maybe, one day, that dream will become reality."
"Turning a dream into reality…"
Lin Ran murmured as he lifted his head to gaze at the starry night sky.
The countless stars overhead flickered like the eternal lights of a world built on ideals.
"Qi-ge, I've found a new goal," Lin Ran said, nodding firmly.
Then, he looked at Feng Qi with unwavering determination.
"Qi-ge, I want to keep my memories of Yin Ling. Can you help me?"
Feng Qi froze.
He hadn't expected Lin Ran to make such a request.
That memory was precious, but it would only bring him endless pain and a future with no resolution.
Feng Qi understood the weight of Lin Ran's request.
To another version of himself, this memory would only bring endless pain. A story without a conclusion, a feeling that could never be resolved.
Yet, at the same time, he knew how precious this memory was to Lin Ran.
"Maybe another version of me will never cross paths with Yin Ling again," Lin Ran said softly. "But the memories of knowing her are worth keeping. I want to hold onto them."
Feng Qi fell silent.
The only reason he had been able to retain his memories across sacrifice timelines was because of his unique ability—Nightmare.
This ability allowed him to extract memories at the moment of death.
The containers and active compounds developed by the Crimson Research Institute were primarily designed to preserve his brain, rather than directly store memories.
As things stood, there was no viable method for Lin Ran to keep his memories intact…
Just as Feng Qi was about to express his regret, a sudden thought struck him.
In a previous future timeline, he had retrieved research data from the Institute of Technological Research. Among that data was a project on "memory extraction" technology, which had undergone 1,500 years of refinement and was now under the control of the Crimson Research Institute.
The only thing lacking was the further development of supporting equipment.
If this technology could be fully realized, Lin Ran's memories could be preserved.
(Note: Relevant technical details can be found in Chapter 348, Message 59 from Wei Wei.)
According to Wei Wei's notes, memories extracted through this technology functioned like a film reel. Specific segments could be selected, edited, and compiled into a new reel.
Other people could also view the extracted memory reel, allowing them to experience those moments from an observer's perspective.
At the time, the Crimson Research Institute had been focusing on this technology to help Feng Qi retrieve memories from past sacrifice timelines.
Since the method allowed memories to be observed from a third-person perspective, it avoided the intense emotional burden caused by direct immersion, unlike the Brain in a Vat Project.
If Lin Ran wished to preserve his memories with Yin Ling, this method could certainly achieve that.
As for the issue of emotional detachment, Feng Qi planned to consult Wei Wei and see if improvements could be made.
After a long moment of contemplation, Feng Qi looked at Lin Ran and asked seriously,
"Are you sure you want to keep this memory? For another version of yourself, it would only bring suffering. There may never be a resolution."
"I understand. Love doesn't always mean compatibility," Lin Ran replied. "I just want to keep this memory… and when the time is right, I want to pass it on to the other me. This memory has given me a new vision to pursue."
Seeing the unwavering determination in Lin Ran's eyes, Feng Qi nodded.
"Alright. I'll help you."
"Qi-ge… thank you."
"You've worked hard," Feng Qi said, patting Lin Ran's shoulder firmly.
They continued walking through the snow-covered land.
Before long, the distant roar of engines broke the silence.
Through the swirling snow, a convoy of snowfield vehicles emerged into view—reinforcements sent to retrieve them.
They climbed into the transport, setting off toward Winter City.
—
Three days later.
Feng Qi and Lin Ran returned to Tiger Soul Research Institute.
After their arrival, Yin Ling's body was cremated. Her ashes were placed in an urn, which Lin Ran personally took with him.
It was evident that Lin Ran had changed.
Feng Qi recognized this transformation all too well.
Back when he was still a student, his perception of domain creatures had been simple:
Evil, cruel, filthy, bloodthirsty, twisted…
Any negative description could be applied to these invaders.
But after encountering them personally, he realized that some of these creatures possessed noble qualities. They carried ideals, dreams. They were heroes to their own people, pioneers who carved paths for their races to survive.
Decisions that seemed merciless from one perspective were, in another, acts of responsibility for the future of their kind.
After this experience, Lin Ran had clearly matured.
But it was a maturity shaped by sorrow.
People always grow in ways they least desire.
The carefree and mischievous Lin Ran was gone. In his place was someone with a new goal, a new dream.
He wanted to shape humanity into the guardians of order.
And from now on, he would dedicate himself to turning what seemed like an impossible dream into reality.
This dream's ultimate purpose was to create an alternative path for all races—one beyond the brutal cycle of competition and destruction.
Feng Qi didn't voice an opinion on Lin Ran's vision.
But he knew one thing—once Lin Ran set his sights on something, he would pursue it relentlessly.
—
Early morning.
The moment Feng Qi woke up, his communicator buzzed with an incoming call.
It was from Wei Wei.
Currently, the Crimson Research Institute had already relocated to an underground facility. Contacting them required pre-approval from Gu Ke, who would then serve as an intermediary to establish communication with Wei Wei.
The underground base had been completely cut off from external networks and communication channels.
A necessary precaution for security.
As he answered the call, Wei Wei's familiar voice came through.
"I heard from Xiao Gu that the mission was completed?"
"Yeah, I've already got the Silver Moon Clan's spatial coordinates and contact method. Once Lin Ran records them, I'll have Uncle Gu deliver them to you."
"How's that kid Lin Ran holding up?"
"He was in deep, but he's pulled himself together now. No major issues, don't worry."
"Tsk tsk, well, he's a hot-blooded young man. It's understandable that he'd fall for a beauty like Yin Ling. Make sure to talk to him, help him process things."
"I already did. He has a new dream now—he wants to build a world of order."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call before Wei Wei responded with a chuckle.
"I won't lie, that sounds a bit naive."
"It's fine. Having a dream is good for him. I don't want him spending his life trapped in regret and sorrow."
"That's true... But wait, you didn't call me just to chat, did you?"
"Of course not. I need your help with something."
"Go on."
"I want to help Lin Ran keep his memories of Yin Ling. Is that possible?"
Wei Wei went silent for a while before answering.
"Preserving memories isn't difficult. The memory extraction technology we retrieved from the previous timeline can already do that. The equipment is nearly finished too. The issue is that the extracted memories don't have full immersion. The person watching will always feel like an outsider."
"If Lin Ran keeps the memory this way, it'll be like watching a movie. It won't feel anything like how you experience memories from sacrifice timelines."
Feng Qi frowned slightly at her explanation. But this outcome wasn't unexpected.
"Can the technology be improved?"
"Hmm... It's not impossible. The tech itself is highly adaptable. It works by editing and extracting memories, so I might be able to insert them directly into Lin Ran's mind instead. That way, it would feel like a real memory rather than a recorded scene."
"So in the end, there are two options. The first is keeping the memory like a film reel—he can watch it, but he won't experience it. The second is integrating it into his consciousness, making it feel like an actual lived memory. The difference lies in how deeply he experiences it."
"As for whether the second method is viable, I'll need to run some experiments first."
"Got it. Wei-jie, I appreciate it."
"No problem, working for Ah Qi is my pleasure. Just another few hundred years of eating nutrient paste, no big deal." Wei Wei teased.
Feng Qi rolled his eyes.
"Alright, get back to work. I'll have Gu Ke bring you some spicy crayfish when he visits."
"Make sure it's extra spicy."
—
After hanging up, Feng Qi got out of bed and started his morning routine.
After a quick breakfast at Tiger Soul Research Institute, he made his way to his private training room on the top floor.
Sitting by the window, he opened a book on Domain Studies and pulled out the bookmark.
Time passed as he immersed himself in reading.
After a long while, he looked up and gazed out the window.
The top floor offered a clear view of Star City, a sight that helped calm the mind.
His personal training room here wasn't as large as the one in Crimson Research Institute, nor was it meant for combat training or ability testing.
It was more of a study room, lined with bookshelves filled with domain-related materials.
Even so, these books contained only a fraction of Domain Studies knowledge.
In the early days, everything about domain creatures could fit into a single book. But as humanity delved deeper into domain research, the field expanded tremendously.
By the year 3528, there was more information on domain creatures than a person could learn in a lifetime.
Because of this, Domain Studies had been divided into numerous subfields.
Some of these included Domain Linguistics, Spirit Material Studies, and Racial Studies.
Domain Studies encompassed everything related to domains, with new knowledge added every year.
This field was essentially an encyclopedia of domain-related matters, tracing its origins back to the early days of humanity's Rune Warrior Project during the Great Cataclysm.
The evolution of Human Cultivation Studies had been heavily influenced by Domain Studies.
After all, early human cultivation was based on imitating domain creatures that could absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy—an attempt to gain power comparable to theirs.
To Feng Qi, learning about Domain Studies never felt dull.
Accumulating knowledge had always brought him a deep sense of satisfaction.
The phrase "learning makes me happy" wasn't just something he said—it was something he truly believed.
His next destination was Old Day Academy, and his knowledge of Domain Studies would pave the way forward.