Thirteen years later.
Inside the Tiger Soul Research Institute's training room, Feng Qi finished his breathing exercises and walked to the sofa, reaching for the mental soothing agent placed in front of him.
But just as he was about to drink it, he paused.
Staring at the light red liquid inside the transparent glass bottle, an unexplainable sense of resistance rose in his heart.
The mental soothing agent had become a necessity in his daily life, helping him alleviate mental strain.
But Wei Wei had warned him before—long-term use of the agent would put a burden on his body.
In the main timeline, he didn't have to care. His special constitution naturally neutralized the side effects of the soothing agent.
But here, in the Sacrificial Timeline, he was just an ordinary human.
The toxins from the mental soothing agent would accumulate in his body, and though his metabolism could eliminate some of it, it couldn't clear everything.
If he kept taking it, his body would continue to deteriorate.
After a long moment of hesitation, he put the bottle down.
Staying alive was his top priority. No matter how painful the mental wounds, they were still better than a failing body.
Taking a deep breath, he leaned back on the sofa, and his mind filled with memories.
Without the mental soothing agent to suppress them, countless scenes from the past flooded into his thoughts.
As the headache set in, he opened his eyes and walked out of the training room.
After some time, Feng Qi found himself standing on the rooftop of Tiger Soul Tower.
The cool evening breeze brushed against his face as he lifted his head to gaze at the sky. The sun was setting, and the horizon was bathed in golden-red light.
More memories surfaced in his mind.
Standing at the edge of the rooftop, he gazed down at the thriving Star City below. His eyes, once sharp, now carried a hint of weariness.
He remembered standing here years ago with the Mist Lord, both overlooking the city, speaking bold words about the future.
The tall building in the distance was where Lin Ran first met Silver Moon.
That main road leading to Star City First High School—he still recalled the rough-talking but wise taxi driver who had given him a ride on his first day at Star City Academy.
In the direction of the Institute of Technological Research, a gray, shadowy figure loomed in his mind—another version of himself, one who had sacrificed everything for the truth.
Everywhere he looked, he saw memories. Every thought was filled with the past.
His memories were so vast and overwhelming that he lost track of time. By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, the night sky had already fallen. The lights of Star City shone brilliantly below.
Compared to the city in his memories, Star City had changed under his reforms. New buildings stood tall, marking progress.
He chuckled softly to himself.
"Am I getting old and senile?"
Realizing he had zoned out for hours, he couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile.
Without the mental soothing agent, his memories overlapped, making it hard to control the mental strain.
His mind was like a photo album too thick to flip through easily. Even a simple glance through it required a long time.
Rubbing his aching temples, he decided to return to the training room and continue his breathing exercises to preserve his body.
The next day.
Feng Qi arrived at the Crimson Research Institute.
Lying on an operating table inside Wei Wei's private lab, he watched as the medical scanners hovered above him, their lights flashing while soft mechanical hums filled the air.
Eight robotic arms moved around him, sweeping him with light beams, scanning his entire body.
Wei Wei walked over, drawing a vial of his blood with a syringe.
After a long moment, the examination finished.
Holding a medical report, Wei Wei stood next to him and said:
"Ah Qi, your body is in bad shape. If you don't stop taking the mental soothing agent, and if the hidden injuries from your past use of talent abilities continue to worsen, you'll have at most five more years to live."
Her tone was calm, but Feng Qi noticed the slight tremble in her pupils.
He grinned slightly, acting unconcerned.
"It's fine. I've got gene injections, right? When the time comes, I'll just use them to extend my life."
Wei Wei shook her head.
"Gene injections can prolong life, but your problem isn't aging. The effects might be limited on you."
Feng Qi laughed, putting on his jacket as he got up.
"Come on, Wei-jie. You're the best scientist in Star City. If anyone can find a way, it's you. I believe in you."
Wei Wei hesitated for a moment before saying,
"…I could try to develop an enhanced version of the gene injection, but I can't guarantee success. Until then, you absolutely cannot take the mental soothing agent anymore."
Feng Qi nodded.
"I know. I've already stopped."
They chatted for a while, then Feng Qi left Wei Wei's lab and returned to Tiger Soul Research Institute in a private transport vehicle.
Over the years, many newcomers had joined Tiger Soul Research Institute.
To prevent infiltration, they had adopted the Crimson Research Institute's vetting system, conducting routine physical exams for all members.
As Feng Qi walked through the halls, he noticed the employees working diligently.
When they saw him, each one respectfully greeted him.
"Elder Feng."
Hearing that title, Elder Feng, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
Unknowingly, he had already surpassed the lifespan limit he once thought impossible, extending it to 67 years.
For the first time, he truly understood what it meant to have ambitions but lack the strength to achieve them.
His aging body felt like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment. No matter how much passion and ambition he had, he was still bound by his decaying vessel, constantly feeling the weight of exhaustion.
Pushing open the door to the training room, he suddenly noticed a familiar figure sitting inside.
It was none other than the Mist Lord, who had been absent for quite some time.
After the plan to annihilate the Silver Moon Clan had succeeded, the Mist Lord had left Star City, heading toward Old Day Supply Zone.
This was the second time the Mist Lord had ventured to Old Day Supply Zone in this Sacrificial Timeline.
The first time had been before the escort mission for the Bloodstone.
Since he had known in advance that the Bloodstone would appear in the eastern section of Old Day Supply Zone, the Mist Lord had made his way there early, setting up an ambush.
To him, the incomplete Bloodstone was a miracle item perfectly suited for his growth. If he could obtain it, his potential growth ceiling would increase dramatically.
Since he was already aware that the escort mission would be dangerous and that powerful domain creatures would be involved, the Mist Lord had no intention of taking unnecessary risks.
Instead, he had laid in wait at Old Day Supply Zone long before the Bloodstone was transported there.
By the time the Blue-Skinned Creature carrying the incomplete Bloodstone arrived, the Mist Lord had swiftly ambushed and eliminated it, taking the Bloodstone without much effort.
Seizing the advantage, the Mist Lord had claimed the Miracle Bloodstone with ease.
That had been the first time he left Star City.
After returning with the Bloodstone, the Mist Lord had remained silent for a long time, until the day the plan to exterminate the Silver Moon Clan officially began.
On the day the decades-long plan was finally set in motion, Star City experienced a total blackout and energy shutdown for three days.
That day, space-time fissures extended across the skies outside Star City.
Receiving a spatial transmission, the Silver Moon Clan Leader, along with a group of Silver Moon warriors, descended outside Star City.
To the Silver Moon Clan, this spatial rift was their pathway to the future.
Their vanguard troops had already set up the plan, and now it was their turn to reap the rewards.
However, the moment they stepped out of the spatial tunnel, the Blood Refining Grand Formation was silently activated.
By the time the Silver Moon Clan realized something was wrong, it was already too late—their retreat route had been cut off by a space-time reversal trap.
Everything unfolded exactly as the Mist Lord had planned.
One by one, the Silver Moon warriors were refined into blood mist, and under the Mist Lord's Blood Gathering Formation, the blood essence crystallized, raining down from the sky in glittering red shards.
A decades-long preparation had finally yielded its harvest.
Once Star City's power grid was restored, an era of rapid growth began.
With blood essence crystals harvested from the Silver Moon Clan, Star City's martial arts progression skyrocketed.
Blood Refining Techniques also became widely practiced.
Both Star City Academy and Dawn Academy were used as test sites for the new training methods.
Each month, students from both academies were allocated a set amount of blood crystals to aid in their cultivation.
After the annihilation of the Silver Moon Clan, the Mist Lord took 30% of the blood crystals, as agreed, and departed for Old Day Supply Zone.
During that time, he had contacted Feng Qi a few times, but for the most part, he remained silent and out of reach.
Based on what the Mist Lord had described in his messages, he had analyzed the power dynamics of the Eastern Region and concluded that if he wanted to expand his influence, heading toward the ocean would be his best option.
The Winterfell Supply Zone was teeming with powerful races, including the Lie Tian Divine Clan, who were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
If he entered that area, he would immediately be thrown into a nightmare-level battle.
Victory City was the strongest of the five major cities, but its situation was unclear.
Unlike Star City, which had accepted him, Victory City would not be so welcoming. In fact, there was a high likelihood that domain forces were hidden within, meaning that he would be treated as an enemy invader and hunted down.
Future City was under the control of the Institute of Technological Research and Hei Lin's faction.
Meanwhile, Old Day City was ruled by Hei Xuan's faction and the Psionic Race.
No matter where he went, the Mist Lord found himself unwelcome.
After careful consideration, he decided that the best option was to establish his base on the ocean islands.
Some possibilities included isolated islands left behind after the disappearance of the Hei Jue Domain Field, or even venturing further to find other remote islands.
The Eastern Sea had plenty of resources.
If he could gain a foothold there, he could begin expanding and growing stronger.
During this time, the Mist Lord called again, stating that he was building a small-scale Mist Domain Field.
Once the initial structure was complete, he planned to revive his people.
At that point, the revival of the Mist Clan would be unstoppable.
That phone call was the last Feng Qi had heard from him.
Since then, every attempt to contact him had failed—the communication device remained unreachable.
Feng Qi had considered many possibilities.
Perhaps the Mist Clan was too busy plundering and expanding, ignoring all outside communication.
Or maybe, the stronger forces of the ocean territories had eliminated them before they could rise.
Of course, based on his understanding of the Mist Lord, if he had chosen to settle in the Eastern Sea, it meant he had already scouted the area in advance and confirmed that there were no powerful clans nearby. He was most likely living well and thriving.
Regaining his focus, Feng Qi looked at the youthful appearance of the Mist Lord, who was seated on the couch, and immediately raised his middle finger at him.
The Mist Lord stood up at that moment, his gaze flickering as he looked at Feng Qi.
Feng Qi walked over and sat beside him, smiling as he asked, "Old Mist, I feel like you're looking at me weirdly. Something on your mind?"
The Mist Lord casually sat back down and asked, "Did Wei Wei, that old hag, tell you about your body's condition?"
Feng Qi chuckled, shaking his head, "I just got back from a check-up. My condition isn't looking great."
Hearing that, the Mist Lord nodded and said, "I just sensed your qi and blood earlier. It's completely unstable, and your body is gradually deteriorating. If you can't stop the decline, you won't last more than a few years."
"It's not a big deal. I still have the gene extension injections. No matter what, I have to hold on in this timeline until Mu Yan appears."
The Mist Lord smirked, crossing his arms, "And then what? I get to stand in front of your grave, eating the offerings, thinking, 'Damn, if that kid had lasted a few more years, he might've actually fulfilled his dream. What a pity, just one step short.'"
Feng Qi rolled his eyes. "Can you say something a little more positive? Anyway, what brings you here this time?"
The Mist Lord smiled and nodded. "The encrypted communicator you gave me was damaged in battle, so I couldn't reach you. Old Day City is tricky to enter. If Hei Xuan found out, it'd be a huge hassle, so I decided to come in person."
He continued, "The small-scale Mist Domain Field is now fully built. The three portions of qi and blood crystals I took have been completely used up. I've successfully revived twelve Mist Clan elders to assist me."
"Recently, with these twelve elders, I managed to open up a new domain field. That field is now providing me with a steady supply of resources. I want to construct a teleportation array linking my domain to Star City. This will strengthen the connection between my clan and Star City. In the future, while I expand at sea, you'll develop on land. This way, we can complement each other's resources."
Without hesitation, Feng Qi nodded. "Good. I've actually had the same idea for a while now. I was just waiting for your response."
When he first learned that the Mist Clan in this Sacrificial Timeline had decided to expand and grow, he had already considered building a stable teleportation array.
The Mist Clan would never settle near Star City—doing so would impact Star City's resource efficiency, and their development would conflict with Star City's growth.
This meant that the Mist Clan would inevitably seek distant lands.
However, thousands of mountains and rivers stood between them, making collaboration difficult.
Furthermore, Star City couldn't openly build a main transport route to the Mist Clan's domain, as that would reveal too much. The only viable option was to construct a stable teleportation array.
Because of this, Feng Qi had already designated an area in the eastern outskirts of Star City for the teleportation array.
He had only been waiting for the Mist Clan to complete the foundational work on their domain field.
Now that the Mist Lord had returned with confirmation that their domain was established, it was finally time to begin construction on the teleportation array between Star City and the Mist Clan's land.
Following this, they began discussing the specifics of the teleportation array's construction.
At this point, the Mist Lord brought up another request—he wanted to borrow some additional blood crystals to revive more capable Mist Clan members to help expand his clan's influence.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi agreed.
This investment was a guaranteed profit.
The plan to eliminate the Silver Moon Clan had been entirely handled by the Mist Lord, from the Blood Refining Techniques and Blood Refining Grand Formation to personally training blood-refined warriors.
The three portions of blood crystals he had taken back then were purely out of respect for Feng Qi.
Now that he had returned and wanted to borrow more, there was no reason to refuse.
With the Mist Lord's strong sense of loyalty, he would undoubtedly repay the favor heavily in the future.
Even if Feng Qi were no longer around by then, Star City would thrive under the Mist Lord's protection, gaining more time and space for stable development.
As they chatted, the Mist Lord's gaze grew distant, a hint of melancholy appearing in his eyes.
After some hesitation, he finally said, "You've gotten old."
Looking at Feng Qi, whose temples had turned gray and who no longer resembled his younger self, the Mist Lord's eyes flickered.
Feng Qi, however, didn't seem to care. He nodded nonchalantly. "And you still look the same as ever. Did you find some kind of secret technique to stay young forever?"
The Mist Lord nodded without hesitation. "Actually, I did. My Mist Clan has a special technique that allows us to borrow life force. Want me to lend you a hundred years of lifespan?"
Feng Qi's eyes widened. "Really?"
The Mist Lord grinned. "Nah, just messing with you. What, have you been reading too many novels? You actually believed there's a technique that lets you borrow lifespan?"
He patted Feng Qi's shoulder and continued, "Just hang in there for a few more years, alright? I don't want to be offering incense at your grave just yet."