The Mist Lord's words made Feng Qi realize that the timeline had corrected itself.
History was once again progressing along its predetermined trajectory.
Initially, he had assumed that the Mist Lord's decision to infiltrate the Tiger Soul Research Institute was a personal one. However, it now seemed evident that this idea had been influenced by the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research.
The recent meeting convened by the shadow forces had clearly enlightened the Mist Lord about the enormous benefits of controlling a human research institute. This was an irresistible temptation for someone eager to expand his influence.
Moreover, the meeting had introduced the Mist Lord to the ambitious "Black Reaper Project" spearheaded by the shadow forces—a revelation that planted the seed for his future plans to embed "spies" within the core circle of the Institute of Technological Research.
Many previously vague points in Feng Qi's understanding now became clearer, forming a coherent timeline in his mind.
However, numerous questions still lingered, especially concerning the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research.
Previously, he had believed that compared to the Tiger Soul Research Institute, the Institute of Technological Research was far weaker. At the very least, the shadow forces had failed to control Little Black and had not demonstrated significant power in the future. Their presence in future events was nearly nonexistent.
In contrast, the Mist Lord, who controlled the Tiger Soul Research Institute, had become a dominant figure 1,500 years into the future. His development of the Flesh Sacrifice technique marked the beginning of a period of rapid growth. Given enough time, his potential seemed limitless.
But there was something odd about all this.
In past sacrificial timelines, any efforts to confront the Institute of Technological Research would result in significant changes to the future. Conversely, altering other aspects of the timeline inevitably led to humanity's extinction.
Given the seemingly limited influence of the Institute of Technological Research, how could opposing it have such a profound impact on the future?
This discrepancy seemed anything but coincidental. Instead, it suggested that the Institute of Technological Research did indeed wield substantial influence over the future.
As Feng Qi pondered this, a hypothesis began to form in his mind.
The Institute of Technological Research was far more complex than he had imagined. If left unchecked, it was destined to grow into a formidable power.
Based on the intelligence he currently had, the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research appeared to be a relatively new faction, formed by defectors from the Psionic Race in recent years. He could approximate the timeline from Le Ping'an's memories, which indicated that this group had been active for only about two decades.
When Le Ping'an's parents were coerced, Le Ping'an was around four or five years old. From this, Feng Qi deduced that the complete infiltration of the Institute of Technological Research had occurred over the past twenty years.
Compared to ancient factions like the Psionic Race, which had been lurking within human society for countless years, it wasn't unreasonable to label the shadow forces as a fledgling power.
Feng Qi couldn't help but speculate that the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research had immense potential for growth in the future.
In his sacrificial timelines, targeting the Institute of Technological Research was effectively a preemptive move to stifle the rise of this faction. This, in turn, had a major impact on the future, granting humanity a brief reprieve from extinction.
Perhaps this was why combating the Institute of Technological Research in sacrificial timelines allowed him to establish contact with individuals from the future.
While Feng Qi couldn't verify this theory, it felt plausible. At the very least, it aligned logically with the evidence he had gathered.
He realized that his journey toward uncovering the truth had been a process of continuously correcting his misconceptions.
Initially, when he misunderstood the Crimson Research Institute as a domain faction, he believed it secretly controlled the world and conducted inhumane experiments on humans. That genius list he had discovered seemed like a hit list for assassinations.
But reality proved otherwise. The Crimson Research Institute had always been on humanity's side. The altered humans participating in rune modifications were volunteers, striving to infiltrate domain worlds to locate the source of domain portals.
As his understanding of the world's truths deepened, Feng Qi had created a ranking of the threat levels posed by various domain factions. He had placed the Institute of Technological Research at the bottom of the list.
Now, however, it was clear that the Institute of Technological Research, though not particularly powerful in the present, would become a significant force in the future. Its growth potential was immense.
The shadow forces behind the institute might not yet rival the Mist Lord's Tiger Soul Research Institute, but if they succeeded in controlling Little Black, they would undoubtedly become the strongest known domain faction.
Fortunately, Little Black remained uncontrollable.
At this thought, Feng Qi remembered a piece of intelligence indicating that the Tiger Soul Research Institute had once developed an anti-control device.
When Feng Qi initially suspected the anti-control device was responsible for Little Black's instability, he also assumed it was part of the Tiger Soul Research Institute's covert plan to counter the Institute of Technological Research.
The truth, however, remained elusive.
He only hoped that on this timeline, he would live long enough to follow the Mist Lord closely and uncover more truths and secrets.
"What do you think? Should we also infiltrate a research institution to serve our purposes?" the Mist Lord asked, noticing Feng Qi's prolonged silence.
Interrupted from his thoughts, Feng Qi returned his focus to the Mist Lord's question. Staring at the leader's curious expression, he paused before replying, "It's a good idea, but infiltrating a research institute isn't a simple task. There are plenty of powerful individuals among humanity. A single misstep could lead to a series of crises. This must be planned meticulously before we act."
"Of course, it requires careful planning. But I believe infiltrating a research institute is feasible. On the way back, I kept thinking about which institute would be the best target," the Mist Lord responded confidently.
"So, which one do you have in mind?" Feng Qi probed further.
Hearing the question, the Mist Lord nodded and explained, "First, we can't choose any institute in Old Day City. This area has already been heavily infiltrated by the Psionic Race. I even suspect the entire city might be under their control."
"Even if it's not fully controlled, developing our operations here would inevitably bring us into direct conflict with the Psionic Race. That wouldn't be favorable for our early-stage growth."
"Second, I'm not considering any research institutes near Winterfell City. With my current strength, I'm no match for Mu Qing. Her Dawn Domain Combat Squad is stationed in Winterfell's frontline supply zone, and they undoubtedly collaborate extensively with Winterfell's research institutes. We'd risk running into her, so it's too dangerous—off the table."
As the Mist Lord laid out his reasoning, Feng Qi nodded in agreement. "Go on," he encouraged.
The Mist Lord continued, his expression grave. "Research institutes in Future City are also a no-go. That city is almost entirely controlled by the shadow forces. With our current strength, there's no way we can contend with them. So, Future City's research institutes are out of the question."
"That leaves us with two potential cities: Star City and Victory City."
After a glance at Feng Qi, the Mist Lord elaborated, "Comparing the two, Victory City's overall strength is undoubtedly superior. Its military power is the strongest among the five major cities, and its Victory Research Institute and Galaxy Research Institute rank among the top research institutes. However, Victory City's security measures are also the strictest. Infiltrating one of its research institutes would be extremely risky, and failure could leave us with no chance to retreat."
Feng Qi nodded again, agreeing with this analysis.
Victory City was indeed the strongest of the five major cities. Before gaining the ability to traverse timelines, Feng Qi's dream had been to enter the Galaxy Academy's cultivation techniques program. After graduation, he planned to join the Galaxy Research Institute as a techniques researcher or return to Star City to contribute to the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
In terms of resource access and influence, targeting Victory City would offer the greatest rewards. However, the abundance of strong individuals there presented a significant risk.
Victory City's reputation for arming its populace and cultivating a society of soldiers was well known. Any attempt to infiltrate its research institutes carried severe consequences if discovered.
Feng Qi agreed entirely with the Mist Lord's analysis.
The Mist Lord then continued, "From a risk perspective, I believe Star City would be our best option. Its research institutes, while not as prominent as Victory City's, are still highly capable. The Tiger Soul Research Institute and the Crimson Research Institute, in particular, align perfectly with our needs."
Feng Qi was startled by the mention of the Crimson Research Institute. He hadn't expected the Mist Lord to consider it.
"I'm leaning more toward the Crimson Research Institute," the Mist Lord said, revealing his preference.
"On my way back, I used my access privileges to learn more about it. I discovered it's a unique, independent institution in Star City, granted numerous special privileges. Its research projects are shrouded in mystery, and it discloses the least information among all major city institutions. This level of secrecy would be advantageous for us after infiltration, as it reduces the risk of exposure."
Hearing this, Feng Qi shook his head internally.
If the Mist Lord succeeded in infiltrating the Crimson Research Institute, it would spell disaster for this sacrificial timeline.
Compared to earlier, shorter-lived sacrificial timelines where Feng Qi could simply document events via emails, his current approach required memory retrieval to understand the full sequence of events.
This timeline, for instance, demanded a comprehensive grasp of its processes, which could only be achieved by accessing memories. Maintaining the Crimson Research Institute's stability was essential for his plan.
The Mist Lord's desire to infiltrate the institute threatened to cut off his only avenue for preserving this timeline's progress. If successful, it would render Feng Qi's efforts futile and deny his alternate self the critical memory data from this timeline.
Feng Qi was unsure what had caused the Mist Lord to change his mind about targeting the Crimson Research Institute in the future.
If his influence couldn't alter the Mist Lord's plan, the situation would spiral out of control.
With this thought, Feng Qi broke his silence.
"Aren't there other options like the Tiger Soul Research Institute? Why not consider them?"
"Of course, I've considered it," the Mist Lord replied without hesitation. "The Tiger Soul Research Institute is a cultivation techniques research institution with a far greater influence than the Crimson Research Institute. It controls multiple media channels for publishing cultivation techniques in Star City. However, compared to the Crimson Research Institute, it's too high-profile, constantly in the public eye."
He paused, glancing at Feng Qi. "If we choose to infiltrate the Tiger Soul Research Institute, any internal changes will be magnified by the outside world, possibly attracting the attention of humanity's top experts. When weighing the pros and cons, the Crimson Research Institute is clearly the better choice."
Hearing this analysis, Feng Qi opened his mouth but ultimately chose not to argue further.
From the Mist Lord's perspective, his analysis was spot-on. The Crimson Research Institute's low-profile nature and mystique indeed made it an ideal choice for infiltration.
Reflecting on this, Feng Qi realized just how secretive the Crimson Research Institute was.
Its understated presence was also why it struggled against the Institute of Technological Research's suppression in the future. In terms of public influence, the Tiger Soul Research Institute dominated.
Annual events like the Tiger Soul Cultivation Techniques Tournament, concept contests, and the publication of groundbreaking research ensured it remained in the spotlight. Moreover, its collaborations with other research institutions on cultivation system innovations kept it perpetually relevant.
In contrast, the Crimson Research Institute operated under a veil of secrecy. Many were unaware of its research scope.
The institute's recruitment policies were equally enigmatic—it didn't participate in campus recruitment events. The admission process involved multiple stringent screenings that took an immense amount of time and effort.
For such an institution, weak public influence was almost expected.
Regardless, Feng Qi knew he had to steer the Mist Lord away from targeting the Crimson Research Institute.
The Mist Lord's plan was nothing short of a "home invasion."
If the Crimson Research Institute fell, Feng Qi's plans for the sacrificial timeline would collapse entirely.
Besides, infiltrating the Crimson Research Institute was far from simple.
Wei Wei alone would be an insurmountable obstacle.
The Crimson Research Institute's primary focus on researching domain creatures meant the Mist Lord's disguise, no matter how flawless, would eventually be exposed.
However, Feng Qi kept these thoughts to himself. He planned to subtly influence the Mist Lord's mindset over time, dissuading him from targeting the institute.
After their discussion, Feng Qi noticed the Mist Lord's resolve. Their preliminary plan for infiltration had already begun to take shape.
In the days that followed, the Mist Lord devoted himself to enhancing his strength.
The batch of spiritual resources obtained from the Psionic Race's supply depot became a cornerstone for his progress.
During this period, the Mist Lord also organized a memorial service within the Death Star Third Combat Brigade's estate.
The ceremony honored the warriors who had perished on Black Abyss Island.
However, Feng Qi could tell the Mist Lord's grief was entirely superficial—just a formality meant to reassure the surviving soldiers.
Once internal affairs were settled, the Mist Lord entered a period of closed-door cultivation.
Meanwhile, Feng Qi didn't remain idle. Between managing the brigade's affairs, he dedicated himself to rigorous physical training.
Even though he knew his fate in this timeline was sealed, he never allowed despair to dictate his actions.
Sacrifice was his choice, but that didn't make this timeline's version of himself any less alive. He had his own thoughts, emotions, and purpose.
This philosophy defined his approach to living in the sacrificial timeline.
Six months later.
After finishing his morning training, Feng Qi arrived at the commander's office as usual.
He began by brewing a pot of tea, then took his seat at the desk, reaching for the daily combat brigade report.
After spending half an hour reviewing the report, he opened the desk drawer and retrieved a tablet to check the latest front-line updates from the Old Day East Supply Zone.
One news article immediately caught his attention.
The accompanying photograph showed an item Feng Qi recognized all too well—the Miracle Bloodstone.