Feng Qi cupped his hands, splashing cold water onto his face.
Slowly, he lifted his head and gazed into the mirror.
The reflection staring back at him bore the scars of time, faint wrinkles crawling at the corners of his eyes.
He did a quick mental calculation—he was now 54 years old.
Unlike his main timeline counterpart, this version of him had no special physique. The only way to extend his lifespan was through cultivation to nourish his body.
But years ago, he had recklessly borrowed power from his main timeline's talents, leaving behind numerous hidden ailments.
The most severe was his weakened qi and blood, drained far beyond normal levels.
Although he had the ability to absorb qi and blood, it wasn't his own talent—it was granted by a special glove.
A special physique could fully refine the absorbed qi and blood, seamlessly integrating it into one's body.
But the glove's absorption was far from perfect—the energy it provided still carried impurities, which over time had adversely affected his health.
Now, the consequences were becoming apparent.
Standing up straight, he reached for a towel, gently patting his face dry before hanging it back.
Then, turning on his heel, he stepped out of the washroom and made his way toward the training room.
As he walked inside, his eyes fell upon a figure at the center of the room, deep in training.
A tall and straight silhouette, built like a pillar of steel, with a healthy tan, sharp brows, a high-bridged nose, thin lips pressed firmly together, and a pair of piercing blue eyes.
Beads of sweat rolled down his skin, his muscles flexing and contracting with each precise movement.
The little brat from back then had grown into a handsome young man.
Sensing Feng Qi's presence, the young man immediately halted his training, turned around, and flashed a radiant smile.
"Qi-shu, you're here!"
Feng Qi nodded with a smile, stepping toward the sofa and casually picking up the tablet on the table.
Rows upon rows of dense information filled the screen, and he began flipping through it.
Meanwhile, the young man resumed his training.
Time passed.
Feng Qi eventually looked up, watching the young man move with precision and strength.
A trace of gratification flickered in his eyes.
Over the years, the training room had been renovated three times, and the equipment replaced multiple times.
The once tiny brat had grown into a young man.
And he… had grown old.
As if sensing Feng Qi's gaze, the young man suddenly put down his wooden training blade, jogged over, and started massaging his shoulders.
Feng Qi had just opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden itch in his throat triggered a fit of coughing.
The young man's expression instantly changed. He quickly grabbed a cup of water, bringing it to Feng Qi.
"Qi-shu, Grandma Wei Wei said you shouldn't take mental-soothing agents anymore. You should drink more water instead."
Feng Qi didn't argue, merely nodding absentmindedly as he took the cup and sipped from it.
As the warm liquid slid down his throat, a firm resolve settled in his eyes.
He was only halfway through this sacrifice timeline—he refused to, and could not, fall now.
All this time, he had been keeping an eye on Mu Qing.
From the moment she discovered that Domain Creature's corpse disguised as a human, Feng Qi had sensed that she was likely stepping into a trap.
Domain Creatures were far from foolish. How could they have left behind such an obvious clue, leading Mu Qing directly to their tracks?
It felt too deliberate, as if someone was guiding her—baiting her into chasing a surface-level truth.
He had encountered similar situations before.
There was a time when he suspected that the Crimson Research Institute had been infiltrated and taken over by Domain forces.
But the reality turned out to be completely different from his expectations.
This led him to an unsettling possibility—Mu Qing was being used.
Some unseen hand was manipulating events from the shadows, using Mu Qing as a blade to cut down their own rivals.
That rival was most likely hiding in Winterfell City.
Mu Qing, however, seemed completely unaware of the danger.
She believed the clues she had found were a result of her own efforts—but in truth, they could have been planted.
Feng Qi had deliberately refrained from warning her.
The situation in Winterfell City was still unclear.
The forces behind the scenes wanted to use Mu Qing to eliminate their enemies, but Feng Qi… was watching from the deeper shadows.
He was waiting.
Waiting to identify the true players behind the curtain.
There were still over 60 years before the Dawn Rebel Army would officially form.
He could not afford to reveal himself.
As for surviving the next 60 years—he was confident he could manage.
If his body couldn't hold on, then he'd rely on gene-enhancing serums.
And if one dose wasn't enough?
Then he'd take several.
No matter what, he would live long enough to see the truth unveiled.
Snapping back to reality, Feng Qi set down the water cup and looked toward the young man sitting beside him.
"Xiao Wen, do you have something to say to me?"
The young man scratched his head awkwardly, as if caught off guard.
"Qi-shu… how did you know?"
Feng Qi smirked.
"I raised you with my own hands. I can tell if you need to take a dump or just fart, what could you possibly hide from me?"
The young man grinned sheepishly, finally dropping the act.
"Qi-shu, I want to ask you for a favor."
"Speak." Feng Qi leaned back lazily. "I might say no."
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. He had anticipated many scenarios, but he hadn't expected Xiao Wen to request becoming a frontline warrior.
"You want to go to Star City West Supply Zone and register as a frontline soldier?"
At first, Feng Qi was momentarily stunned, but soon after, he shook his head.
"That's nonsense."
Thirteen years ago, the West Supply Zone had officially opened its main route to Star City, allowing full-scale operations.
Since then, it had provided a constant flow of resources to Star City.
The resources from the West Supply Zone were divided into five portions—Star City claimed 30%, while the remaining 70% was split among four other cities. These cities had contributed manpower and supplies during the initial construction of the West Supply Zone.
Now, the zone had fully taken shape, with over 2,000 battle groups stationed within it, including the 13th division of the Dawn Battle Group.
But Mu Qing had not returned.
Feng Qi wasn't surprised.
Back when she graduated, Mu Qing had chosen Winterfell Supply Zone as her battlefield.
It was the most brutal among all supply zones, suffering the highest casualty rates, and was also home to many extremely difficult-to-conquer domain fields—especially in the northern regions of Winterfell.
From the very beginning, Mu Qing had chosen the hardest challenge.
To her, that battlefield was once her destined resting place.
Perhaps now, there were things in Star City she held dear, but she understood her worth and where she was needed most.
Over the years, thanks to the resources from the West Supply Zone, many of Star City's planned development projects had been completed or were still under construction.
Among them was the establishment of Dawn Academy.
For the academy's first headmaster, Feng Qi had chosen Old Wang.
One of the luckiest things in his life was meeting Old Wang as his teacher.
Courage, perseverance, and fearlessness—Old Wang had taught him many things, strengthening his love for humanity and his unyielding will to fight for it.
A headmaster was like the captain of a great ship, and with Old Wang at the helm, Feng Qi felt at ease.
After all, he himself was once Old Wang's student.
Bringing his mind back to the present, Feng Qi frowned slightly.
His original plan was to wait until the new semester of Dawn Academy and send Xiao Wen there.
Though the academy might not be able to teach Xiao Wen anything new, experiencing normal human life was still part of Feng Qi's vision for his future.
Unlike Feng Qi himself, Xiao Wen did not have to constantly carry the burden of Star City, the future, and the truth on his shoulders.
For him to fully integrate into human society, he needed an environment where he could meet other humans outside of Tiger Soul Research Institute, form friendships, and build bonds.
A few days ago, Feng Qi had already contacted Old Wang, arranging for Xiao Wen to take the entrance exam.
Technically, he could have just pulled some strings and placed Xiao Wen directly into Dawn Academy.
But there was no point in doing that.
With Xiao Wen's knowledge and abilities, he could easily pass the exam.
In fact, his knowledge far exceeded that of most Dawn Academy professors—letting him enter through the back door would be an insult to his talent.
Yet now, Xiao Wen was asking to become a frontline domain warrior instead.
"Qi-shu, you've told me many heroic stories before. Many of them went to war at a young age, even before cultivation techniques were fully developed. Back then, they used only their flesh and blood to hold off Domain Creature invasions. Now, I've already reached Gold Upper Rank. I am fully capable of contributing to the expansion of the frontlines."
Before Feng Qi could even respond, Xiao Wen sneaked a quick glance at his expression and continued.
"Qi-shu, you once said that flowers raised in a greenhouse can't survive the harsh world outside. I want to go to the frontlines and temper myself, to become a sharpened blade for Star City. If I never face adversity, how can I ever truly grow up?"
Feng Qi had originally planned to dissuade him, but upon hearing these words, he suddenly fell silent.
In truth, with Xiao Wen's current strength, he had already reached the pinnacle of human combat power.
Becoming a frontline warrior was no issue at all.
More than a decade ago, Xiao Wen had already developed a cultivation technique suited to his unique physique.
And every year, he continued to refine his technique, progressing alongside his combat abilities.
Originally, if Xiao Wen hadn't been able to create his own cultivation method, Feng Qi had considered teaching him the secret technique of the Flesh Cauldron.
The Flesh Cauldron was not the same as Flesh Sacrifice—it was a technique with no hidden dangers.
The only drawback was its insane complexity.
Even if an ordinary person dedicated their entire life to studying it, they would likely get stuck at the very beginning stages.
But Xiao Wen was different.
His bloodline potential was far superior to ordinary humans, and his learning efficiency was terrifyingly high.
With his longevity, bloodline power, and intelligence, he had the perfect qualifications to train in the Flesh Cauldron.
However, the technique was too important.
If one day, Xiao Wen followed the same path as the Mist Lord and managed to decipher the secrets of Flesh Sacrifice through the Flesh Cauldron…
And by that time, if he had already risen to the highest ranks of humanity, but held resentment towards them…
Then, humanity's complete extinction would be inevitable.
Though the probability was low, it was still a real possibility—one that Feng Qi could not ignore.
Feng Qi knew that he wouldn't always be able to guide Xiao Wen.
One day, temptations or external influences might push him onto the wrong path.
Fortunately, Xiao Wen had already embarked on the path of creating his own cultivation technique.
This road was undoubtedly difficult, but if he succeeded, he might create something stronger than Flesh Sacrifice, perhaps even on par with the Flesh Cauldron, or something with an even higher potential ceiling.
When he heard Xiao Wen's request to train on the frontlines, Feng Qi's first instinct was to refuse.
Even though Xiao Wen was strong enough to handle many dangers, there were always risks.
But after listening to his explanation, Feng Qi suddenly realized that he had fallen into a mental trap.
He had always focused on Xiao Wen's future, but never considered that the journey itself required hardships.
"Qi-shu, please let me go! I want to contribute to Star City's development, even if it's just a small part."
Xiao Wen's expression turned pleading, and he grabbed Feng Qi's hand, shaking it back and forth, hoping that both words and actions would persuade him.
But Feng Qi did not immediately agree.
He carefully weighed the pros and cons.
Training on the frontlines would allow Xiao Wen to grow quickly, and he would meet brothers-in-arms who would fight alongside him.
Perhaps, the frontlines were even more suited for his development than Dawn Academy.
But deep inside, Feng Qi still felt a strong sense of reluctance.
This feeling was hard to describe.
It was like seeing the child he had raised about to leave home for a long journey—there was both worry and reluctance.
But he also understood—children must eventually set off on their own paths.
He had always raised Xiao Wen as a future leader of Star City, and experiencing the cruelty of the battlefield would allow him to better understand the real situation of Star City and humanity.
This would help him lead Star City in the right direction in the future.
If this Sacrificial Timeline could withstand external pressures with Xiao Wen and future Star City leaders fighting for its survival, then maybe, 1,500 years later, they would meet again in the future.
Feng Qi's thoughts rushed like a tide, and he let out a deep sigh.
"Xiao Wen, since you've decided to train on the frontlines, I won't give you any financial support. From now on, you'll have to rely entirely on yourself. Once you've made this decision, you can't go back on it."
Hearing Feng Qi's agreement, Xiao Wen's face lit up with joy.
Immediately, he eagerly massaged Feng Qi's legs.
"Qi-shu, don't worry! I can take care of myself. Just make sure to check the Star City Frontline Report every day. My name will definitely appear on it! I will bring honor to you and fight for Star City's rise!"
Hearing his bold declaration, Feng Qi nodded in relief.
After a while, Xiao Wen left to prepare for his journey to the frontlines.
At the same time, Feng Qi took out his phone and called Old Wang.
Just a few days ago, they had discussed Xiao Wen's admission into Dawn Academy.
Now that Xiao Wen had chosen the frontlines, Feng Qi needed to explain the situation to him.
Once the call ended, Feng Qi slowly stood up.
Even though his body was exhausted, his heart burned with determination.
He walked to an open space, sat cross-legged, and began circulating his breath, using spiritual energy to nourish his body.
Right now, his body was riddled with hidden injuries, all caused by his past use of talent abilities.
These hidden wounds even affected his spiritual sea, often giving him intense headaches—problems that had no solution.
At the very least, breathing exercises could slightly extend his lifespan, though not by much.
Now, his desire to live was stronger than ever.
He even thought that if he had the Miracle Will of the Mist Lord, he might be able to resurrect himself through sheer willpower.
With each breath, the spiritual particles spread through his organs, slowly nourishing his aging body.
By the next morning, Feng Qi rarely wore formal attire.
He arranged for a Tiger Soul vehicle and personally took Xiao Wen to Star City's western gate.
The western gate had been expanded, with the main road widened to connect directly to the West Supply Zone.
Every day, a constant stream of supply trucks transported resources between the frontlines and Star City.
Additionally, a shuttle system had been set up to transport warriors between Star City and the western frontlines.
After getting out of the vehicle, Feng Qi accompanied Xiao Wen to the bus waiting area.
The next round of shuttles hadn't arrived yet, so Feng Qi began listing all the precautions Xiao Wen needed to take on the frontlines.
Xiao Wen listened obediently, nodding seriously at every word.
When the shuttle finally arrived, Feng Qi picked up Xiao Wen's luggage and escorted him onto the bus.
As they were about to part, Feng Qi couldn't help but remind Xiao Wen one last time—
On the frontlines, he must always stay vigilant and be careful.
Xiao Wen grinned brightly, full of confidence, and said—
"Qi-shu, don't worry! I'll take care of myself. In the future, I'll be the one taking care of you."