Lost in a deep slumber, Feng Qi had no idea how much time had passed before he slowly opened his eyes.
Staring at the ceiling for a few seconds, he spoke inwardly:
"Ah Bai? Dumbass system?"
Receiving no response from the narrator, Feng Qi sank his consciousness into his spiritual sea.
Aside from the vast ocean of spiritual energy, the golden core and talent tracks were nowhere to be found.
Now, he was certain—he had entered the Sacrificial Timeline.
Understanding his situation, Feng Qi felt a sense of calm.
Death was inevitable for all. The only thing that mattered was ensuring that his death held meaning.
Rubbing his messy hair, he got out of bed, headed to the bathroom, washed up, and changed into a fresh set of clothes before leaving his room.
When he arrived at Wei Wei's lab, he found her dressed in a brand-new Crimson uniform, her hair neatly tied up, focused on her work at the workstation.
"Wei-jie, do you ever sleep?"
"I'll catch up on rest once I'm done. My body can handle it," she replied without looking up, then suddenly paused. "Is this the Sacrificial Timeline or the Main Timeline?"
"The Sacrificial Timeline has been activated."
"Got it. Follow the planned strategy from here on out. Go pick up the Mist Lord first, and from now on, don't associate too closely with Crimson Research Institute. I don't want Old Mist getting the wrong idea."
Feng Qi: …
After some casual conversation, Feng Qi bid farewell and left Crimson Research Institute.
—
This time, on his way to Winterfell, he chose not to take a Crimson Research Institute private jet.
He had already come clean to Old Mist, but Crimson Research Institute remained his backup plan.
Moving forward, Tiger Soul Research Institute would be his main public ally.
As for Crimson Research Institute, it wouldn't completely retreat into the shadows.
As one of Star City's most powerful and influential institutions, Crimson Research Institute couldn't suddenly disappear without raising suspicion from Old Mist.
Therefore, both Tiger Soul Research Institute and Crimson Research Institute would continue to operate, but any connection between Crimson Research Institute and Feng Qi would be completely erased.
This was a necessary precaution.
As Wei Wei had said, no matter how much trust existed, they still had to plan for humanity's safety—keeping a contingency was crucial.
Hiding Crimson Research Institute's involvement in the Sacrificial Timeline had been a deliberate decision made after careful discussion among its top executives.
In the future, much of the information from the Sacrificial Timeline would be shared with Old Mist.
It was possible that some of this information contained hidden messages left by Old Mist, ones that only his Main Timeline self could interpret.
Though the odds were low, precautions still had to be taken.
—
At 9:20 PM, Feng Qi arrived at Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Recently, he had purged the Night Shadow Clan that had secretly controlled Tiger Soul Research Institute, bringing it back under human control.
After his explanation, Tiger Soul's upper management now fully understood the situation.
Just like in the previous Sacrificial Timelines, Tiger Soul Research Institute had become one of his trusted allies.
Most importantly, gaining Tiger Soul Research Institute's support meant controlling most of Star City's media outlets.
—
The most popular media in Star City revolved around cultivation techniques, combat training, and competitive tournaments.
These events were akin to pre-Cataclysm sporting tournaments, drawing massive audiences.
Among them, the annual competitions hosted by Tiger Soul Research Institute were always Star City's biggest events, capturing the public's attention.
Since Tiger Soul Research Institute held exclusive first-hand access to these tournaments, their influence skyrocketed in the post-Cataclysm era, making them Star City's most dominant media force.
While Tiger Soul's military strength was nowhere near the Star City Military Department, its public influence was unrivaled.
Many families in Star City dreamed of enrolling their children in Tiger Soul Research Institute, considering it the ultimate goal in their cultivation journey.
In previous Timelines, Crimson Research Institute had been severely suppressed by public opinion, proving the power of media control.
Now, however, those issues had been eliminated.
—
That night, under Tiger Soul's arrangements, Feng Qi boarded their private jet bound for Winterfell Supply Zone.
This was to create a legitimate flight record.
No matter which plane he took to Winterfell, there would be official logs.
The primary objective was to sever any apparent connection between him and Crimson Research Institute.
Publicly, Tiger Soul Research Institute was his main ally, while Crimson Research Institute was merely a secondary collaborator—a swap of roles.
—
During the flight, thoughts churned in Feng Qi's mind.
In this Sacrificial Timeline, he would ensure Mu Qing followed the original historical trajectory.
Now, he began reviewing the key historical events of the "Mu Qing Line."
In the original timeline, Mu Qing graduated from Star City Academy, following her parents' last wishes.
After graduation, she traveled to Winterfell Supply Zone, registered as a Domain Combatant, and enlisted in a small combat squad.
Since Mu Qing was a nobody in the academy, she didn't receive offers from top combat squads.
She entered the Winterfell frontlines as a regular graduate and was recruited into a small combat team…
From that moment, Mu Qing actively sought to become the core combatant of her battle squad, pushing herself to learn how to lead and command a team.
The once soft-spoken and unassuming Mu Qing transformed drastically when she arrived on the frontlines.
Even back in the academy, she had already mapped out her future path—establishing her own battle squad had long been part of her plan.
This was evident from the day she invited Feng Qi to be the vice commander of her future team during their conversation by the lake.
The next major turning point in her story was the Mist Domain Field.
In an astonishing feat, Mu Qing single-handedly annihilated the entire Mist Domain Field, catapulting her to instant fame and earning her a place among Winterfell's top ten rising stars.
Over the following years, her brilliance only intensified. She successfully eradicated multiple domain fields, eventually becoming one of the top ten frontline warriors.
By then, Mu Qing was a rising legend, garnering a loyal following.
Even Old Mist, during the villain timeline, had been shocked by how quickly she had risen through the ranks. Winterfell became a place he dared not approach for fear that Mu Qing would recognize the aura on him.
Mastering combat formations, squad configurations, and battle tactics, Mu Qing eventually founded Dawn Battle Squad, which rapidly grew into one of the top ten domain combat squads of the era.
As time passed, another crucial historical event emerged.
This event revolved around the appearance of a fragmented Bloodstone in the Eastern Old Supply Zone.
To ensure its safe transport to Old Day City, the Eastern Old Supply Zone issued a call for aid to the top ten battle squads.
Dawn Battle Squad, led by Mu Qing, was among them.
During his last attempt at the Mu Qing timeline, Feng Qi's death occurred precisely because of the Bloodstone escort mission.
However, in the original historical trajectory, Mu Qing had personally participated in the escort.
Without her forcefully blocking the mysterious giant hand that emerged during the mission, no one would have survived.
Yet, in the chaos, the Mist Lord managed to steal the Bloodstone, altering the fate of the event.
This event was an important historical node, one that Feng Qi had participated in across multiple timelines.
What happened after Dawn Battle Squad's rise was something he had not personally experienced, but he had researched it thoroughly.
In the years that followed, Dawn Battle Squad continued its meteoric rise, eventually being recognized as the number one domain combat squad by the Battle Squad Council, with sub-divisions spread across multiple supply zones.
At this stage, Dawn Battle Squad had already evolved into what would later be known as the Dawn Army.
By that time, as the Supreme Commander of Dawn Battle Squad, Mu Qing's influence had reached an unprecedented level.
She had countless followers, her reach extending across five major cities, and news about her frequently dominated headlines.
During this era, Mu Qing was hailed as the Humanity's God of War, becoming the symbol of hope for all humans.
People had even grown accustomed to the continuous good news of Mu Qing wiping out domain fields one after another.
However, the details of what transpired after this point were unclear in Star City Shelter's historical records.
What was known was that, at the peak of Dawn Battle Squad's influence, Mu Yan finally made contact with Mu Qing.
That was the moment when the Dawn Army was formally established.
Unfortunately, Feng Qi knew very little about the formation of the Dawn Army and its aftermath.
Rumors of betrayal, massacres, and Mu Qing turning into a Demon King had tainted history, claiming she had abandoned humanity and sided with the domain forces.
But Feng Qi refused to believe these accounts.
After all, even he had been labeled as a historical criminal at one point.
It was evident that domain infiltrators within human society had manipulated the truth.
Perhaps it was the Technology Research Institute, perhaps it was the Mist Lord, who had once controlled Tiger Soul Research Institute, or maybe even Hei Xuan of Old Day City—or possibly all of them working together.
The only thing Feng Qi knew for certain was that Mu Qing would never betray humanity.
This historical record had been tampered with.
At that time, Mu Qing had been hunted down by all of humanity.
It was even possible that domain forces had also joined in the attack—perhaps alongside other humans who possessed Miracle Items.
For example, Jiang Nanqiu, who had mastered the power of five Miracle Stones.
In the end, Mu Qing fell in battle under the siege of her enemies.
—
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Feng Qi's expression darkened.
The early stages of the Mu Qing Timeline were crystal clear, but after the Dawn Army's formation, everything had been shrouded in mystery.
The truth was something he had to witness firsthand. History could not be trusted.
His gaze shifted outside the window, where domain field barriers of various colors loomed in the distance, standing like massive curtains dividing the world into separate territories.
It reminded him of the theory about spatial nodes.
According to Old Mist, each domain field that descended upon the world generated a spatial node belonging to the Domain World.
Once enough spatial nodes had accumulated, the Blood Moon could descend into the human world, triggering a battle for dominion between itself and Mu Yan, who was suspected to be the original will of the human world.
What the truth behind this theory was, Feng Qi couldn't yet confirm.
But as long as this future timeline allowed him to meet Mu Yan, he would eventually uncover all the answers.
His fist clenched tightly.
The challenge of survival had begun once again.
If he could endure the Millennium Longevity Trial in the Cultivation Platform, he refused to believe that he couldn't extend his lifespan once more in the Sacrificial Timeline.
Stepping off the aircraft, Feng Qi was greeted by an endless expanse of snow-covered terrain.
Above him, the night sky shimmered, with the aurora stretching across like ethereal waves, turning the Northern Region into something out of a fantasy tale.
He checked the specialized backpack he carried, ensuring all items were intact, then made his way out of the airport.
This time, he didn't bother checking into a hotel but headed directly north along the main road.
From time to time, transport vehicles rumbled past, carrying heavily armed warriors.
Some were returning from the front lines, their expressions exhausted, their vehicles filled with a silent, heavy atmosphere.
Others were headed toward the battlefield, similarly armed to the teeth, but the mood inside their vehicles was charged with anticipation.
But no matter their direction, every time one of these domain warriors saw Feng Qi walking alone, they would cast him a look of confusion.
Some even stopped their vehicles, stepping out to question him.
It was clear that his actions puzzled them—traveling alone toward the frontline war zones was unwise and dangerous.
Even without actively entering a domain field, one could still encounter powerful domain creatures along the way.
Moving alone drastically increased the risk of death.
Despite their concerns and repeated warnings, Feng Qi politely declined all offers to turn back.
After traveling a considerable distance from Winterfell Supply Zone, he finally activated his abilities.
In an instant, his flesh began to erode, and an abyssal-gold vortex appeared on his forehead, rapidly devouring his blood essence, leaving behind a dark-golden imprint.
With a simple gesture, his telekinetic power enveloped his body, lifting him off the ground.
He soared into the night sky.
It was unwise to reveal his bone-form state within Winterfell Supply Zone, as he could be mistaken for a domain creature and attacked on sight.
But outside the supply zone, this concern no longer applied.
Now in his skeletal form, Feng Qi deviated from the main road, flying through the northern sky.
The aurora swirled around him, appearing almost within reach, while the stars stretched endlessly above him, guiding his way.
His destination—the Mist Domain Field.
—
Arriving at the Mist Domain Field, Feng Qi didn't hesitate.
He stepped forward, passing directly through the barrier.
A dense sea of mist spread out before him.
Without pausing, he released his telekinetic energy, stirring the mist violently, then sent out a powerful call:
"Old Mist, come out!"
His voice, amplified by his mental power, rippled through the mist, spreading outward in waves.
As his feet touched the ground, the golden imprint on his forehead shattered, releasing a surge of vital energy that rapidly reconstructed his flesh.
In the blink of an eye, he had returned to his human form.
Looking ahead, he saw the gray mist retracting at a rapid pace, eventually condensing into the shape of a purple-haired, purple-eyed young man.
"So the Sacrificial Timeline has begun… otherwise, you wouldn't have come here."
Hearing this, Feng Qi grinned.
"That's right. The Sacrificial Timeline is active. You can begin your attempt now."
As he spoke, he took off his backpack and tossed it to the Mist Lord.
The Mist Lord caught it effortlessly, unzipping it to examine its contents.
Inside, the bag was packed with compressed Bloodstones.
"These are for your recovery. In previous Sacrificial Timelines, you always attempted to reconstruct your essence while in a heavily wounded state. I'd rather you heal up before making another attempt—it makes me feel more at ease."
The Mist Lord glanced at Feng Qi, then gave a solemn nod.
Without another word, his right arm dissolved into mist, extending into the bag, absorbing the Bloodstones within seconds.
Once the bag was emptied, he casually tossed it back to Feng Qi.
At that moment, the Mist Lord's form began to unravel, turning into a dense swirl of gray mist, but this time, traces of red energy flickered within it.
As the blood essence fused into his mist, the crimson streaks gradually faded, absorbed into his being.
Time passed slowly.
After ten minutes, the rate at which the Mist Lord absorbed energy increased dramatically.
The remaining traces of blood essence disappeared rapidly.
Five minutes later, his form stabilized, and his original body reformed.
There was a noticeable change—his gaze no longer carried the lifeless, exhausted look from before.
Instead, he seemed rejuvenated, fully restored.
"Thank you." The Mist Lord spoke with sincerity.
"We're brothers—there's no need for gratitude. You're making me uncomfortable." Feng Qi smirked.
The Mist Lord's expression softened as memories surfaced in his mind—the countless timelines where they had fought together, the sacrifices made, the bonds formed.
A rare smile appeared on his face.
"Fine. From now on, I won't hold back my words."
Feng Qi nodded.
"Are you planning to rest first, or do you want to start the Rule Fusion immediately?"
Instead of answering, the Mist Lord asked a question of his own.
"If I fail in the fusion process… will you reset the timeline immediately, or will you continue forward?"
"What kind of dumb question is that? Of course, I'll keep moving forward. Whether you succeed or fail, nothing will stop me."
The Mist Lord laughed.
"That's the answer I wanted to hear."
Without further hesitation, he turned and walked toward the Mist Domain Field's barrier.
Seeing this, Feng Qi followed close behind.
Reaching the domain field's barrier, the Mist Lord halted, placing his palm on the surface.
Immediately, ripple-like patterns spread across the barrier.
Feeling the flow of energy within the Mist Domain Field, his expression hardened with determination.
The Rule Fusion attempt was about to begin.
The Mist Lord turned back to look at Feng Qi and said in a solemn tone, "No matter what happens next, whether I live or die, do not interfere. Even if my essence shatters, you must not bring me back to the Mist Domain Field."
Hearing this, Feng Qi gave a firm nod.
Though the words seemed directed at him, they were just as much meant for the Mist Lord himself.
The power of Miracle Will was directly influenced by the wielder's determination—the stronger the will, the more effective the power.
In previous Sacrificial Timelines, the Mist Lord had successfully merged with world rules and reconstructed his essence solely because of his unyielding desire to survive. It was precisely that will that had saved him.
By making this declaration, he was severing all retreat paths.
If he had even the slightest belief that someone would rescue him at the moment of death, his survival instinct would weaken, and the effectiveness of Miracle Will would be greatly diminished.
Only by cutting off all escape routes could he truly move forward with no hesitation.
With Feng Qi's assurance, the Mist Lord did not hesitate.
He charged straight into the Mist Domain Field's barrier.
In an instant, his figure vanished from Feng Qi's sight.
Without a second thought, Feng Qi followed suit and stepped into the domain field.
On the other side of the barrier, a world of endless snowfall stretched out before him.
Not far ahead, the Mist Lord walked forward, his figure slowly disappearing into the distance.
However, he had barely taken a few steps before his knees suddenly buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
He let out a ragged breath, his hands clenching into fists, veins bulging on his forehead.
His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to suppress the suffocating rejection of the world.
But the discomfort did not fade—it only intensified.
It was as if a drowning man had suddenly been thrown into deep waters, his mouth opening in desperation, only for liquid to flood into his lungs.
If he didn't return to the Mist Domain Field soon, he was certain to suffocate in the human world.
He turned his gaze toward the Mist Domain Field behind him, his body trembling.
And then, he threw himself into the sky, flying upward at full speed, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the domain field.
Boom!
Mid-flight, his body suddenly lost control, and he plummeted into the snow below.
He struggled to push himself up, but his strength was rapidly draining away.
Hunched over in the snow, wisps of gray mist leaked from his body, dissipating into the air.
His lips turned a ghastly pale, his entire being trembling, as if he could die at any moment.
"Cough… cough…"
His body convulsed, and he spat out two clouds of mist.
His life force was draining rapidly.
But his unyielding will to survive kept him from slipping into death's embrace.
Realizing how close to death he was, a fierce determination flashed in his eyes.
Scenes from the memories Feng Qi had given him played in his mind.
He had seen his people resurrected in the future.
"As long as I hold on… my people will rise again… I can do this!"
His fingers dug into the frozen earth, nails piercing through the layer of snow, gripping the soil tightly.
A low growl escaped his throat—he was fighting against death itself.
But his life force continued to fade, his body withering as if he were a deflating balloon, with gray mist endlessly seeping from his form.
Live… I must live!
He muttered to himself, reinforcing his will to survive.
Yet the intense suffocation wrapped around him like claws from hell, dragging him further into the abyss of death.
Even so, his relentless desire to live kept him clinging to the last threads of existence.
This was nothing short of a battle against death itself.
His only weapon—his unyielding determination.
If his will faltered, he would be swallowed whole by oblivion.
As time ticked by, his consciousness grew faint, his vision blurred, and his pupils lost focus.
The Mist Lord had reached the brink of death.
His body curled up in the snow, his expression blank and motionless.
Watching from a distance, Feng Qi's gaze flickered, his heart heavy.
He could clearly sense that the Mist Lord's life force was nearly extinguished.
Like a candle in the wind, it could fade away at any second.
Yet, he did not intervene.
This was the Mist Lord's choice.
To step in now would be to become an obstacle to his breakthrough.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out.
A black fissure split across the Mist Lord's back.
Immediately, the gray mist escaping from his body increased dramatically.
His form began to disintegrate under the world's rejection.
At the same time, in his spiritual sea, dark cracks appeared—a sign of complete collapse.
Suspended above his spiritual sea, the scarlet origin pearl had stopped spinning, its surface covered in fine black cracks, like a flower wilting at an unnatural speed.
More and more cracks spread across its surface, unable to withstand the pressure of the world's rejection.
And then—
Boom!
The scarlet origin pearl shattered, fragments scattering in all directions.
From within its core, a brilliant blue radiance emerged—Miracle Will.
—
In the physical world, the moment his scarlet origin pearl shattered, the last traces of life disappeared from the Mist Lord's body.
His eyes turned dull and lifeless, and the mist energy within him dissipated into the wind.
His body lay still, an empty husk.
Feng Qi inhaled deeply but did not move.
He trusted the Mist Lord.
He believed that he would rise again—from death, he would be reborn.
As time passed, the falling snow slowly covered the Mist Lord's body.
Feng Qi stepped forward, brushing off the layer of snow, and then sat down nearby, waiting.
—
Days passed.
Staring at the motionless Mist Lord, Feng Qi's expression darkened.
This had already exceeded the time it had taken in previous attempts.
A sense of unease crept into his heart.
He wasn't planning to memorialize Old Mist with offerings in this timeline.
"We promised to reach the peak together… don't you dare collapse before we get there. Get up and start working, damn it."