Just as Feng Qi thought Mu Qing might have seen through his identity, she turned her gaze away.
Witnessing this, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
For this sacrificial timeline, it was best to avoid any unnecessary interaction with Mu Qing. Otherwise, it could jeopardize the progression of the villain's path.
At that moment, the Mist Lord left the formation to meet with the various brigade leaders.
After a brief exchange, confirming that all teams were assembled, the Mist Lord issued the command: "Move out!"
Upon hearing the order, the soldiers promptly boarded the military vehicles.
Feng Qi followed the Mist Lord to the vehicle carrying the "Miracle Bloodstone."
The convoy departed from the plaza in front of the recruitment hall, heading along the pre-planned route toward the main road leading to Old Day City.
After several hours of travel, the convoy exited the supply zone and reached the main road.
On either side of the winding road was a desolate desert stretching to the horizon, the highway seemingly merging with the sky.
The vehicle Feng Qi was in was located at the center of the convoy, surrounded by others for protection.
This escort mission felt vastly different from the one in the previous timeline.
In the last sacrificial timeline, his position was at the left rear flank of the convoy, working in coordination with Qin Shikong at the right rear.
This time, however, he was stationed at the very heart of the convoy.
His objective had also shifted from escorting the Bloodstone to seizing it.
Glancing at the Miracle Bloodstone ahead, shrouded in black cloth, he turned to the Mist Lord standing beside him.
"Mist, you have the ability to absorb the Bloodstone. How confident are you that you could escape if you acted now?"
"Highly likely to die," the Mist Lord replied without hesitation. "We're in the very center of the convoy. Even if I absorbed the Bloodstone, where could I possibly flee to?"
"Not to mention Mu Qing from the Dawn Brigade is right there at the left front. There's no chance of escape. Our only option is to act during the chaos and absorb it then."
Hearing this, Feng Qi nodded. His gaze shifted to the Dawn Brigade positioned ahead on the left.
Atop a truck from the Dawn Brigade stood Mu Qing, alone. Her eyes scanned the horizon ahead.
Almost as if sensing something, she turned her head to look directly at Feng Qi.
Their eyes briefly met before Feng Qi immediately lowered his head.
For the next three hours, the convoy proceeded steadily without incident.
Then, in the western distance, clouds of dust began rising.
A sizeable convoy was rapidly approaching their escort team.
The Mist Lord raised his communicator and said in a calm, measured tone, "All brigades, stay alert and prepare for combat."
Feng Qi rolled his eyes at the statement.
He didn't even need to guess; the approaching convoy was undoubtedly the Devouring Wolf Domain Combat Squad dispatched by the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
The Mist Lord's order to prepare for battle was just for show to placate the other brigades.
As expected, once the convoy approached, their representatives disembarked and explained that they were reinforcements from the "Devouring Wolf Domain Combat Squad."
Upon hearing this, the Mist Lord immediately allowed them to join the escort team.
While other brigades expressed some skepticism, they refrained from questioning the decision.
After all, "she" was the overall commander of this joint escort operation, with full authority over the mission's arrangements.
With the convoy's formation adjusted to accommodate the reinforcements, they continued moving forward.
The barren landscape on either side of the main road was devoid of greenery, littered only with the skeletal remains of animals.
This desolate scenery, unchanging for hours, began to strain the eyes.
Two more hours passed before they arrived at the Old Day Supply Bridge.
"Is it time to act?" Feng Qi asked, staring at the distant bridge.
The Mist Lord nodded.
"The ones stationed on the bridge are combatants recruited by the Tiger Soul Research Institute, part of the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance. Their task is a probing attack, not to seize the Bloodstone. We'll adapt to the situation as it unfolds."
Feng Qi acknowledged this and turned his attention back to the bridge.
The Old Day Supply Bridge was constructed as part of the supply zone by the sea. Beneath it flowed a powerful river that eventually emptied into the eastern sea.
The convoy began crossing the bridge.
Halfway across, nothing unusual occurred.
But as they approached the center of the bridge, a voice crackled over the communicator, rough and urgent:
"I'm sensing significant life signs beneath the bridge. Prepare for combat!"
As the words echoed, cracks began appearing on the bridge's surface. A streak of black light burst through the fissures, rapidly expanding into a black curtain in midair.
Before the curtain could fully envelop the area, the vanguard soldiers sprang into action.
A crimson blade aura shot up, tearing the black curtain into shreds.
"All units, focus on securing your respective zones. No interference between teams. Keep moving forward," ordered the Mist Lord.
As countless dark figures surged from both sides of the bridge, the battle officially commenced.
Compared to the memories Feng Qi had from the sacrificial timeline, the Mist Lord was far more cautious this time.
In the previous timeline, the Mist Lord had briefly acted while on the bridge, attempting to cooperate with the recruited warriors of the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance to seize the Miracle Bloodstone.
His performance back then could be described as laughably poor—almost like he wasn't even trying to act.
This time, however, the Mist Lord refrained from taking action.
Feng Qi didn't need to think hard to understand why. It was undoubtedly because of Mu Qing's immense presence.
While the Mist Lord wasn't afraid of threats from other brigades, he clearly feared Mu Qing.
The suffocating sense of near-death he experienced when his Core of Origin ruptured years ago was still vividly etched in his memory.
Despite his usual bravado, often boasting about how he would one day personally kill her, the moment they met, his courage would vanish entirely.
In Feng Qi's view, Mu Qing had instilled a psychological shadow so deep that the Mist Lord couldn't shake it.
The battle on the bridge ended quickly. During this time, the Mist Lord joined the fray, effortlessly eliminating the Domain Weak Tribe Alliance fighters who emerged from the bridge's cracks.
This skirmish had always been intended as a probing attack; the Mist Lord never expected to seize the Bloodstone here.
As for the lives of the Domain Weak Tribe combatants, he cared little. They were disposable, mere pawns.
Once the battle concluded, the Mist Lord immediately ordered a tally of casualties.
After a brief respite, each brigade reported their status.
The battle on the bridge resulted in only three lightly injured soldiers across the entire escort team, with no fatalities.
The convoy resumed its journey.
As they moved forward, the barren landscape began to change. Vegetation became more abundant, and wildlife appeared with increasing frequency.
Feng Qi opened the navigation map, noticing that they were only two and a half hours away from the ravine where the chaos in the previous timeline had unfolded.
The map clearly showed that the ravine was an ideal location for an ambush.
Anyone occupying the cliff tops on both sides could gain a commanding advantage.
This was one of the key reasons why the final chaotic battle took place in the ravine. Many other forces, initially stationed at different points along the route, converged on the ravine due to the escalating conflict.
What began as multiple ambushes along the route inevitably culminated in a massive showdown in the ravine.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi steeled himself for what was to come.
If the ravine battle occurred as expected, he would unleash his spiritual energy absorption abilities without hesitation to ensure the Mist Lord survived.
Time passed, and the clock struck 5 p.m.
The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows and dimming the light.
The convoy entered the ravine.
Towering cliffs rose on either side, and a paved asphalt road cut through the center of the canyon.
As the vehicles moved into the gorge, the Mist Lord issued an immediate command: "Prepare for battle."
He had already sensed an abundance of life signatures hidden within the ravine.
In his perception, the dense energy fluctuations were like blazing beacons in the night, impossible to ignore.
Moreover, his sensory abilities allowed him to discern the strength of these lifeforms, adding to his strategic awareness.
Realizing the impending ambush, the convoy tightened its formation and accelerated.
However, it didn't take long for the hidden forces to lose their patience. As the convoy reached the center of the ravine, the first attack was launched.
Over the communicator, the frantic shout of a brigade leader broke the silence.
Feng Qi looked up to see a pillar of blue light shoot into the sky before exploding. The light fragmented into countless azure arrows that rained down like meteors on the convoy.
These spiritual energy arrows were highly destructive.
Upon impact, they exploded, igniting the surrounding vegetation. The once-serene canyon was engulfed in flames.
The soldiers acted quickly, using their mental energy to trace spiritual patterns in the air, creating protective barriers above the convoy to shield them from the relentless barrage.
Amid the roaring fires and thick smoke, the convoy pressed forward at high speed.
It was as if they were navigating a minefield, with explosions erupting constantly around them.
The road ahead was soon reduced to a treacherous, uneven surface, causing the military vehicles to jolt and sway as they advanced.
Before they could regain their footing, figures burst out from the underbrush along the cliff edges.
In the dimming twilight, their features were hard to discern.
They charged directly at the moving trucks, their hulking silhouettes unstoppable.
One of the soldiers tossed an energy orb into the air, illuminating the battlefield.
What they saw sent shivers down their spines—a horde of nearly three-meter-tall Domain Creatures, their bodies rippling with muscle and crowned with sharp, menacing horns.
These creatures rammed into the trucks at the front of the convoy, overturning several vehicles and blocking the path forward.
Witnessing this scene, Feng Qi knew the real battle was about to begin.
The environment of the ravine was exceedingly complex. Once the convoy was halted, all the forces lying in ambush would converge on this location, escalating the battle further.
As time passed, the intensity of the conflict would only grow.
"Old Mist, don't lose your cool. Greed will get you killed. Let's wait for the right moment," Feng Qi advised sternly.
"Don't worry, I won't gamble with my life," the Mist Lord replied, nodding in agreement.
As Feng Qi predicted, the Domain Creatures with horns on their foreheads blocking the convoy's path were soon joined by another group of forces.
More and more factions arrived, and the escalating chaos led Feng Qi to pull the Mist Lord back from their position near the Miracle Bloodstone.
Staying close to the Bloodstone at this stage was asking to be targeted.
The situation was far from chaotic enough yet. At this point, anyone trying to seize the Bloodstone would certainly be killed.
The only chance to snatch it and escape safely would come when a Super Domain Force appeared. At that moment, all the other forces would prioritize survival over fighting for the Bloodstone.
As time went on, more Domain Forces emerged from the shadows.
Feng Qi estimated at least eight different factions were now part of the battle for the Bloodstone.
Among them, some brigades that had initially appeared to be allies now revealed their true intentions, joining the fray to claim the Bloodstone for themselves.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord retreated to the rear of the convoy.
Seeing the Mist Lord's growing eagerness, Feng Qi warned him, "Don't act rashly. Let's keep watching for now."
"We can't wait any longer. The situation is already chaotic, and there are beings here who can use spatial jumps or teleportation. The Bloodstone could be gone in an instant," the Mist Lord argued, his urgency evident.
Feng Qi understood the Mist Lord's perspective.
In the previous timeline, he had witnessed the ravine battle firsthand. Many forces indeed had the ability to leave the battlefield instantly, making hesitation costly.
This created a sense of desperation among the forces, with each faction willing to risk everything to seize even a slim chance of obtaining the Bloodstone.
The Mist Lord clearly shared this mindset.
"I'm going in. Hesitation leads to defeat," the Mist Lord declared.
"Defeat leads to death. Stay put for now. Even those with spatial abilities will struggle to escape with the Bloodstone while all these forces are locked in conflict," Feng Qi countered firmly.
The Mist Lord gritted his teeth but eventually relented. "Fine, I'll listen to you."
Relieved, Feng Qi turned his attention to Mu Qing.
She hadn't joined the battle for the Bloodstone, choosing instead to stay back with the soldiers of the Dawn Brigade.
Feng Qi could understand her caution.
He recalled how he and Qin Shikong had acted similarly during the previous timeline.
The odd behavior of some brigades participating in this operation had likely aroused Mu Qing's suspicions.
She was undoubtedly observing and identifying which brigades might pose a problem.
Feng Qi quickly shifted his gaze back to the battlefield to avoid drawing Mu Qing's attention.
At the center of the battlefield, more and more forces converged, their focus solely on the Bloodstone.
Under the cover of night, the ravine was illuminated by the radiant glow of various spells and abilities.
The scene resembled a spectacular fireworks display, but beneath the beauty lay brutal carnage.
The battlefield was a stormy sea, and every life within it was a fragile boat, vulnerable to being capsized at any moment.
The battle raged on for hours, with the cliffs on either side of the ravine gradually reduced to rubble. The intensity of the fighting only grew.
Several times, the Bloodstone was nearly stolen.
Each attempt was thwarted by the intervention of other forces, preventing anyone from succeeding.
Watching these near-misses left the Mist Lord visibly on edge.
One particular moment made his heart race—a Domain Creature had managed to drag the Bloodstone halfway into a spatial portal, mere seconds away from escaping with it.
The Mist Lord's anxiety was palpable.
"I'm going in. I'll be careful," he declared, unable to contain himself any longer.
Caught off guard, Feng Qi couldn't stop him in time. The Mist Lord charged into the fray.
"Damn it!" Feng Qi cursed under his breath.
Protecting the Mist Lord was his top priority. Without hesitation, Feng Qi followed him toward the heart of the battlefield.
As he ran, a grim realization struck him.
Greed could drive anyone to madness, and madness often led to death.
The Mist Lord's desperation to change his fate was evident.
Having spent so much time with him, Feng Qi understood the depths of the Mist Lord's obsession.
He wanted to resurrect his fallen kin but harbored doubts about the future.
In the Mist Lord's own words, countless people like him had existed before—ambitious dreamers who ultimately became stepping stones for others.
He believed he was likely destined to die on his path to the summit.
The Miracle Bloodstone represented hope, a chance to defy that destiny.
To the Mist Lord, it was a ticket to the top—a chance to rewrite his fate.
As Feng Qi approached the heart of the battlefield, ready to pull the Mist Lord back, a familiar silhouette appeared before him.
"Feng Qi!"
Before he could react, his Black Iron Mask was pulled from his face.
He froze, caught completely off guard.
The moment stretched, heavy with tension.