Old Day East Supply Zone.
In the estate of the Death Star Third Combat Brigade.
At the break of dawn, Feng Qi had already finished washing up and left his quarters.
Unlike his usual routine of high-intensity physical training, today he headed straight to the commander's office.
Pushing the door open, he saw the Mist Lord flipping through the brigade's latest intel reports.
Sitting across from him, Feng Qi asked casually, "There's a meeting this morning, right? When are you heading out?"
Hearing the question, the Mist Lord looked up with a smile.
"I'm leaving soon. You don't need to come with me—stay here and organize the battle preparations for the escort mission."
"Alright," Feng Qi agreed without hesitation.
After a brief chat, the clock struck 7 a.m.
The Mist Lord stood up, leaving the commander's office to head for the recruitment hall where the meeting would be held.
As the overall commander of the joint escort operation, he needed to brief the participating combat squads on the mission details.
Once the Mist Lord left, Feng Qi took his seat at the commander's desk.
After some deliberation, he retrieved a phone from his bag.
The device featured multiple layers of security: fingerprint lock, facial recognition, voice verification… Finally, the interface appeared.
This phone was specially designed for contacting the Crimson Research Institute, equipped with two separate systems.
Unlocking it with his thumb led to a standard interface, while using his index finger granted access to an encrypted system linked directly to the Crimson Research Institute.
Navigating the contact list, Feng Qi dialed Wei Wei's number.
After a few rings, a familiar voice answered.
Feng Qi explained in detail what he had experienced since leaving the Crimson Research Institute.
Several hours later, he ended the call and opened the contact list again.
This time, he selected Brain Guardian and made another call.
After a long wait, the line connected, though there was no sound on the other end.
Feng Qi broke the silence.
"Where are you now?"
In response, an aged voice replied, "We're deployed at the Atlantis Hotel in the Old Day East Supply Zone. It's close to your Death Star Third Combat Brigade estate—we can be there in 10 minutes if needed."
"Are you aware of the joint escort operation happening soon?"
"We've gathered intelligence on it. Based on the information you left at the Crimson Research Institute, we have a clear understanding of the situation. Are you planning to participate in this mission again?"
"Most likely," Feng Qi confirmed. "If anything unexpected happens, be ready to retrieve my brain."
"Rest assured, even if it costs me my life, I'll ensure your brain makes it back to Crimson."
"Thank you."
"This is our duty. Everything we do is to create the future we envision. We are your steadfast companions on this path."
"Much appreciated," Feng Qi said before hanging up.
This call was made to ensure the Brain Guardian team was prepared in advance.
The upcoming mission was fraught with danger. The Mist Lord would have his hands full, and Feng Qi anticipated the likelihood of his own demise.
While his death was inevitable, he needed to ensure his brain could be preserved.
The intelligence he shared with Wei Wei was only a fragment of his experiences.
To recount every detail would take days. The most reliable method remained accessing his memories directly.
By noon, the Mist Lord had yet to return.
Feng Qi picked up the phone and began calling the squad leaders.
After lunch, fully armed soldiers assembled in the estate's central area.
Once the squad leaders reported on the status of their teams, Feng Qi issued a series of orders.
With the escort mission imminent, the brigade needed to coordinate resources, inspect equipment, and carry out maintenance to ensure everything was in optimal condition.
Preparations for the joint escort operation had to be thorough.
As the squad leaders and their soldiers busied themselves with their tasks, Feng Qi made his way to the armory to inspect the state of the brigade's weapons and ensure their readiness.
Recruitment Hall.
Conference Room.
The room, decorated in a blue and white theme, was dominated by a large circular metal table with thirty seats arranged around it.
By mid-morning, most of the combat brigades participating in the joint operation had arrived—fifteen brigades in total, many having traveled from other front-line supply zones.
Seated at the head of the table, Li Duo glanced at his watch before addressing the room:
"I just received a call from Xiao Hu at the airport. The personnel from the Dawn Combat Brigade have arrived. They rushed here immediately after finishing their previous mission. Please remain patient."
The announcement elicited no visible reaction from the attendees. Such situations were common—emergency joint operations often required teams to move from one mission to another without rest.
At that moment, the doors to the conference room opened.
Mu Qing entered, clad in her pristine white battle robe.
Her gaze swept over the gathered combat commanders, and then her eyes landed on the Mist Lord.
For a brief moment, a sense of familiarity tugged at her, but she couldn't pinpoint where she had seen him before.
The Mist Lord, wearing his mask, instantly felt an overwhelming sense of pressure emanating from her. However, the sensation dissipated just as quickly as it had come.
Still, he had mentally prepared himself to break out of the room if necessary.
Securing the Bloodstone would not be possible without overcoming the first hurdle—Mu Qing.
If she recognized his identity, the entire plan would collapse. His persona as "Wang Yi" would have to be abandoned, and even then, his life might not be spared.
But Mu Qing's gaze lingered only briefly before moving on.
Sweat began to bead on the Mist Lord's forehead, but he feigned calm and spoke up:
"Commander Mu, you're late."
"Apologies," Mu Qing replied, her tone even. "We had just completed a mission when we received the emergency summons. Thank you all for waiting."
Gone was the innocence of her younger days. The naïve expression on her face had been replaced by one of confidence and maturity. Years of front-line battles had forged her into a composed and formidable leader. The blood and fire of countless conflicts had tempered her spirit into one of unyielding resolve.
Mu Qing walked to an empty seat and sat down, her gaze settling on Li Duo.
"Director Li, you may begin," she said simply.
Li Duo nodded in response, pressing a button on the table.
A holographic image was projected into the center of the table, depicting the Bloodstone.
Li Duo began explaining its origin and extraordinary properties, as well as the numerous conflicts that had erupted over its possession.
After an hour of detailed explanations, he stood and addressed the room with a grave expression:
"Ladies and gentlemen, this Bloodstone has the potential to significantly impact the future of human civilization. I implore you all to ensure its safe delivery to Old Day City."
"Now, I'll hand over the discussion of the escort strategy to Commander Wang Yi."
With that, Li Duo sat back down.
The Mist Lord stood, glancing briefly at Mu Qing before beginning his presentation.
Seeing Mu Qing present had already heightened his awareness of the challenges ahead. The difficulty of seizing the Bloodstone had increased substantially.
But he knew there was still a chance—he just needed chaos.
If he could create enough confusion, the resulting disorder might allow him to absorb the Bloodstone into his body.
With this in mind, he tailored his escort plan to route the convoy through areas most likely to incite conflict and chaos.
During the discussion, Mu Qing remained silent.
The other commanders, however, chimed in frequently, offering suggestions and debating route modifications.
After several hours of deliberation, the meeting was adjourned.
As the Mist Lord exited the conference room, intending to return to the brigade's estate, he heard a voice call out behind him.
"Commander Wang Yi."
He turned slowly, his movements deliberate.
Seeing Mu Qing standing behind him with a faint smile, his expression froze.
"Is there something you need?" the Mist Lord asked, striving to maintain his composure.
"Commander Wang Yi, have we worked together in a previous joint operation?"
"No." The Mist Lord's tone was calm and flat, betraying none of the tension beneath.
"I must have mistaken you for someone else. My apologies." Mu Qing nodded slightly, offering a polite apology.
As the Mist Lord turned and walked away, Mu Qing watched his retreating figure with a faint trace of doubt in her eyes.
The aura surrounding Wang Yi felt strangely familiar to her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall where she might have encountered him before.
After a few moments of thought, she decided to let it go and left the recruitment hall.
…
Two days later.
The day of the escort mission had finally arrived.
Before dawn, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord gathered the brigade to start moving supplies and equipment.
After hours of busy preparation, the Mist Lord issued the order, and the soldiers began marching toward the plaza in front of the recruitment hall.
On the way there, Feng Qi glanced at the Mist Lord, who was already wearing his mask, and couldn't help but smile.
He recalled yesterday's meeting.
According to the Mist Lord, the entire meeting had been a tense ordeal.
Throughout the meeting, the Mist Lord had kept his body taut, ready to flee at a moment's notice. He had even mentally prepared to abandon everything and start over if his identity were exposed.
Fortunately, Mu Qing hadn't recognized him behind the mask.
Or perhaps, more accurately, she had failed to recall his presence from years ago.
This was undoubtedly good news.
At the very least, the plan to seize the Bloodstone could proceed, rather than being thwarted before it had even begun.
However, there was still one issue that made Feng Qi uneasy.
How should he face Mu Qing?
In truth, he could have chosen to avoid participating in the joint escort operation entirely.
Doing so would have allowed him to avoid any direct confrontation with Mu Qing and lowered the risk of death during the mission.
But after careful consideration, he decided to accompany the Mist Lord on this mission.
The joint escort operation had already undergone numerous changes due to his involvement. He couldn't be certain that the Mist Lord would survive the impending crisis.
Of course, he didn't delude himself into thinking he could guarantee the Mist Lord's safety.
However, he could at least ensure that if he fought with all his might—even at the cost of his physical body—he could create an opportunity for the Mist Lord to escape.
The Mist Lord's value lay in three key scenarios:
First, if he survived alongside Feng Qi, the Mist Lord's infiltration of the Tiger Soul Research Institute would allow them to uncover many historical secrets.
Second, if Feng Qi perished but the Mist Lord survived, the plan could shift to Lin Ran taking over the Mist Lord's body, allowing the continuation of their broader objectives.
Third, if this timeline led Lin Ran to abandon the idea of possession, his connection with the Mist Lord would still grant access to valuable information.
Feng Qi speculated that 1,500 years into the future, the Mist Lord might have unearthed countless secrets through his own efforts—secrets of immense value to their goals.
No matter the outcome, one thing was clear: Feng Qi could die, but the Mist Lord absolutely could not.
If the Mist Lord perished, all their efforts would be for naught.
Thus, even if it meant risking his own life, Feng Qi was determined to ensure the Mist Lord's survival. His sacrifices would pave the way for another version of himself to gain invaluable intelligence and further their mission.
Lost in thought, Feng Qi and the others arrived at the plaza in front of the recruitment hall.
Dozens of military vehicles, which had arrived earlier, were already neatly arranged and ready for departure.
Like the other members of the Death Star Brigade, Feng Qi donned a black iron mask and stood among the ranks, blending in seamlessly.
Even so, he couldn't shake the worry that Mu Qing might recognize him.
Glancing toward the Dawn Brigade, he spotted Mu Qing, who was engaged in conversation with several brigade commanders.
At that moment, Mu Qing seemed to sense his gaze and suddenly turned to look in his direction.
Their eyes met briefly, and a flicker of doubt crossed her face.
Feng Qi: …