Crimson Research Institute, Training Room.
After the meeting ended, Feng Qi didn't return to Star City Academy immediately.
After having a late-night meal with Wei Wei, she left early to pull an all-nighter analyzing the data he brought back. Meanwhile, Feng Qi went to his personal training room, a facility built exclusively for him within the Crimson Research Institute.
This room was equipped with state-of-the-art testing and training equipment, tailored for his needs.
He planned to test the effects of his newly acquired abilities here.
This was crucial for advancing his next sacrifice timeline.
After all, even though he could seamlessly use his abilities in the real timeline, his counterpart in the sacrifice timeline had to rely on faith connection to access these abilities. This made switching between them cumbersome and simultaneous use could even result in mental instability or complete body collapse.
His exclusive training room was roughly half the size of a soccer field and divided into three distinct zones.
The leftmost section was dedicated to various types of training, including strength enhancement, impact resistance, reflex improvement, and other specialized regimens. The equipment was regularly maintained and upgraded by Crimson Research Institute personnel.
The central area was a spacious open ground meant for freeform combat training. This was also the designated sparring area, where Gu Ke would often engage him in battle during the sacrifice timeline.
The flooring in this section was crafted from materials sourced from domain fields, resembling a martial arts arena's surface, providing high-impact cushioning and self-repairing properties.
The rightmost section contained functional equipment, including an access-restricted control terminal, a medical recovery chamber, and a physical assessment device.
Additionally, against the wall was a storage counter, next to which stood a refrigerated cabinet containing rare spiritual materials used to replenish blood energy.
Sweat dripped from his forehead as Feng Qi dug his foot into the ground and launched forward like a ferocious tiger.
His heartbeat accelerated in an instant.
As his blood energy surged, it began seeping through his pores, enveloping his entire body in a red mist.
In that moment, Feng Qi became a being of pure blood energy, and the space around him began to distort.
Activating his newly acquired ability [Blink], his blood-wreathed form vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the air.
When he reappeared, he was already over ten meters away.
As his body stabilized, the spatial distortion dissipated.
Panting heavily, he immediately assessed his energy consumption—he had burned through nearly one-tenth of his total blood energy in a single use.
That was a massive drain—enough to maintain his Blood Source Form for over a minute.
But instead of frustration, a smile spread across Feng Qi's face.
[Blink] was the first spatial ability he had ever obtained.
It was highly compatible with his combat style, making it an invaluable asset in battle.
He was well aware of his own weaknesses.
In close combat, he feared no one—his raw strength could shatter boulders, and his rapid regeneration made him an unstoppable force against melee opponents.
Against spellcasters, he was just as confident.
With the enhancement of [Purple Soul], his innate resistance to magical attacks gave him a natural advantage. Even if he couldn't fully nullify spells, he could mitigate their impact, giving him the window he needed to brutally eliminate any ranged opponent.
But there was one type of enemy that always troubled him—fighters like Three-Tails who were absurdly fast and agile.
They were too quick to catch, too slippery to strike, and too unpredictable to corner.
If such an opponent also had high attack power capable of piercing his defenses, he would fall into a disadvantageous position and eventually be worn down to death.
[Blink] solved that problem.
A short-range teleportation ability that allowed him to close the gap instantly—it was a nightmare for highly agile opponents.
As long as he caught them, the fight would immediately shift into his domain.
A direct, raw battle of strength.
Even against spellcasters, [Blink] gave him a critical advantage—allowing him to dodge, evade, and counterattack unexpectedly.
Even though the blood energy cost was astronomical, it was still within acceptable limits.
This was an ability that could decisively turn the tide of battle.
After a brief rest, Feng Qi initiated another round of testing.
His figure darted across the training room, teleporting from point to point.
Through repeated trials, he discovered that his maximum teleportation range was around fifteen meters.
Before long, his blood energy reserves were completely drained.
The flesh on his body began to melt like ice cream under the sun, dispersing into mist-like energy before fading into the air.
[It's gone. Not a single drop left.]
Ignoring the narrator's sarcastic remark, Feng Qi turned and walked toward the functional area of the training room.
Standing before the workbench, he picked up a pair of custom-made gloves and put them on.
Then, he walked to the refrigerated cabinet and retrieved three transparent containers, each filled with refined blood essence from domain creatures.
He placed the containers onto the workbench and opened them one by one.
Raising his right hand, Feng Qi activated the crystal array embedded in the glove, which projected a blood absorption formation in midair.
The blood essence was drawn into the formation and gradually merged into his body, replenishing his exhausted reserves.
His shrinking heart began to beat again, its rhythm growing stronger as fresh blood surged through his veins.
After consuming the first batch, he reached into the cold storage and retrieved three more containers.
After nine consecutive doses, he finally removed the gloves.
With a single thought, his muscle fibers regenerated, weaving together new flesh and skin.
Within moments, he was back in human form.
Feeling the surging energy within him, Feng Qi couldn't help but look forward to his second bloodline evolution.
What new form would it bring?
How would his Battle Form and Human Form evolve?
His Bloodline Evolution Points were nearing the 10,000 threshold.
It wouldn't be long now.
At that moment, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind:
[I bet your second evolution will give you three heads and six arms, with limbs thicker than steel pillars, and a roar that could make neighborhood kids cry for three days straight.]
"Would that even still count as human?" Feng Qi rolled his eyes.
[Does it matter? As long as you're stronger, that's what counts.]
Feng Qi: …
Without paying further attention to the narrator's remarks, Feng Qi reached for a bottle of mental soothing agent from the workbench and took a large gulp.
A cool sensation spread through his mind, instantly dissipating the restless aggression within him.
The mental soothing agent was extremely expensive to manufacture. However, to help Feng Qi resist the negative side effects of his abilities, the Crimson Research Institute had prepared an entire refrigerated cabinet full of it.
Recently, they were even working on an improved version of the formula.
Ever since the Crimson Research Institute deemed Feng Qi as the future of humanity, they had spared no expense in supporting him.
When it came to funding his development, cost-effectiveness was never a concern.
The Crimson Research Institute was undeniably wealthy—absurdly so.
Every year, half of Star City's domain resource allocation was taken by three major institutions: Crimson Research Institute, Tiger Soul Research Institute, and Star City Military Department.
The remaining half was then divided among other research institutes, academies, and organizations.
Even with their immense annual consumption of spiritual materials, the Crimson Research Institute's reserves remained astonishingly deep.
As Mist Lord once put it—the resources stockpiled by these three institutions were enough to rival entire nations.
However, Feng Qi had traversed multiple timelines and knew that the Crimson Research Institute never wasted resources carelessly.
Every single unit of material was used where it mattered most.
For example, the luxurious cafeteria within the Crimson Research Institute.
The food served there consisted of high-grade spiritual ingredients, sourced directly from domain fields—ingredients so rare that they were unaffordable for the average household.
By market value, the research staff here ate better than ancient emperors.
But the reason for incorporating spiritual materials into their meals was not for luxury—it was for enhancing the physical resilience and immunity of the research personnel.
Pulling all-nighters was the norm in the Crimson Research Institute.
It wasn't uncommon for researchers to work several nights without rest.
When inspiration struck, they had to seize the moment—if they took a break, they might lose the momentum needed to complete their breakthroughs.
This resulted in extreme workloads for the research teams.
Irregular schedules became routine.
Especially when a new project was initiated, researchers would barely have time to eat.
For those who had no time to exercise or cultivate, this work environment was both mentally and physically exhausting.
A popular joke among the Crimson Research Institute's personnel was:
"We must have committed grave sins in our past lives—so now, we're here at the Crimson Research Institute, atoning for them."
Another joke went:
"This place is so unbearable, even stray dogs wouldn't come. If I get a second chance at life, I'll be a normal citizen. Saving the world is your job now!"
These jokes reflected the extreme intensity of working at the Crimson Research Institute.
Apart from New Year's celebrations, they practically never had any holidays.
From the moment they joined the institute, their lives were no longer just their own—they had become humanity's last hope, entrusted with the survival of the species.
Lavish meals?
That was never the goal.
The only reason the Crimson Research Institute introduced spiritual ingredients into their meals was to keep their staff alive and healthy amidst the grueling work conditions.
Feng Qi had seen the internal reports of the institute.
Before spiritual food was added to their diet, the Crimson Research Institute had an alarmingly high rate of work-related deaths.
This data was never publicly disclosed, but it spoke volumes about the insane work culture within the institute.
Unlike Wei Wei, who had a unique constitution, the majority of the Crimson Research Institute's staff were ordinary humans.
They simply could not handle continuous, high-intensity research work without severe consequences.
Long-term overwork would inevitably lead to fatal health complications.
Some of them would drop dead unexpectedly, their bodies giving out without warning.
This was a massive loss for the Crimson Research Institute.
Every researcher admitted into the institute was a top-tier expert in their field.
If a key researcher suddenly died, it would halt entire projects for extended periods.
To combat this, the previous director of the Crimson Research Institute implemented a mandatory rest policy—the minimum standard was a 996 work schedule (9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week).
For urgent projects, additional work hours required special approval. Otherwise, any research exceeding the daily limit was forcibly halted.
But this policy failed completely.
The researchers at the Crimson Research Institute might complain endlessly about their work, but their actions proved otherwise—
They willingly carried the burden of humanity's future, refusing to step back.
As a result, the death rate didn't decrease significantly even after the new policy was enacted.
Instead, the new rest schedule disrupted project timelines, causing unnecessary delays.
After several days of high-level discussions, the Crimson Research Institute's leadership made a final decision—
They allocated a portion of their resources to introduce spiritual nourishment into their daily meals.
Using food therapy to maintain the physical well-being of the researchers.
This policy remained in place to this day.
The first time Feng Qi stepped into the Crimson Research Institute's cafeteria, he was shocked by the amount of spiritual ingredients used in the buffet.
His first thought was that the food here was too extravagant.
But after his initial surprise, he understood why.
After all, everyone here was a pillar of human civilization—eating well was the bare minimum they deserved.
As he traveled through multiple timelines, his understanding of the institute deepened.
Only then did he realize that behind the seemingly extravagant dining conditions was a bitter reality—
The Crimson Research Institute had never wasted resources on luxury.
To this day, the only thing they were willing to spend limitless resources on… was him.
Building an exclusive training room for him…
Providing him with the most advanced equipment and medical care…
These were just the beginning.
The real hardship came after his death—in the future, 1500 years from now.
Even though the Crimson Research Institute had massive resource reserves, stretching them across 1,500 years was an impossible challenge.
Beyond their normal research consumption, the researchers chose to eat flavorless nutrient paste every day—
Not to sustain themselves, but to preserve their cognitive functions, ensuring that their brains remained at peak efficiency.
Everything else was poured into his development—
From creating new abilities for him…
To breeding and modifying domain creatures to be used in his evolution…
The entire institute was willing to sacrifice everything—
Just for the sake of his future.
Feng Qi knew that in the previous timeline, the reason why a healthy Suction Cup had been able to meet him was due to the unwavering support of the Crimson Research Institute's personnel.
Across multiple sacrifice timelines, the Crimson Research Institute had silently given him their full backing.
Deep in his heart, he was immensely grateful for the contributions of every Crimson researcher who had walked this path with him. He also felt fortunate that, in the journeys ahead, he would not be alone—they would continue to stand by his side.
Setting aside the half-empty bottle of mental soothing agent, he stepped forward to the center of the training room and resumed his ability release training.
Activating Blink and other innate abilities came effortlessly to him, as if they were ingrained into his very soul—as natural as breathing.
His training wasn't about whether he could use these abilities—it was about mastering the perfect timing for their execution.
It was like wielding a firearm—pulling the trigger was easy, but hitting the target with pinpoint accuracy was another matter entirely.
And that was the true purpose of his training.
—
For the next three days, Feng Qi remained at the Crimson Research Institute, dedicating himself fully to his training.
The day after finishing his regimen, he returned to his dormitory at Star City Academy.
Having been away for over ten days, he found a thin layer of dust had accumulated inside his room, prompting him to begin cleaning.
Since the disappearance of his parents, he had lived alone. It wasn't until he enrolled in the academy that he had a roommate—and that was when he met Mo Fei.
For Feng Qi, maintaining his living space was just another part of daily life, something he had long been accustomed to.
After an hour of cleaning, he had thoroughly tidied the room and gathered the trash into a biodegradable plastic bag, which he placed outside the dormitory door for the cleaning staff to collect later.
Once that was done, he sat down at his desk, flipping open his notebook, and began contemplating the direction of his next sacrifice timeline.
After a long period of thought, he picked up his pen and started writing.
Future Plan 1: Enroll at Old Day Academy for advanced studies in Domainology. During this period, gather intelligence regarding the Psionic Race.
—
This future path was actually a suggestion from Wei Wei.
The primary goal was to broaden his understanding of the domain world's language, racial traits, customs, and culture.
In his previous war timeline, he had suffered major setbacks due to his inability to read the domain world's written language—which led to missed opportunities in deciphering critical intelligence.
This issue, he believed, could potentially be resolved through studies at Old Day Academy.
At Old Day Academy, there was a specific field of study known as Domainology, which included courses on domain world scripts.
Moreover, each year, the curriculum was updated with new data obtained from recent explorations and new research.
According to Wei Wei, learning Domainology would greatly aid his future sacrifice timelines.
He would eventually encounter more and more domain factions, and learning their languages wouldn't just facilitate communication—it would provide numerous other strategic advantages.
Feng Qi had taken this suggestion seriously.
The frustration of having valuable information in hand yet being unable to decipher it had been burned into his memory.
During the previous war timeline, he had desperately wished for a translation device capable of instantly decoding the classified documents within the Institute of Technological Research's restricted archives.
That experience made it clear—studying Domainology was a necessity.
Even if it wouldn't allow him to understand all domain languages, it would undoubtedly help him in future timelines.
Aside from learning, he could also use his time in Old Day City to gather intelligence on the Psionic Race.
—
There were many mysteries surrounding the Psionic Race.
Two things, in particular, bothered him the most.
The first was that, when he initially encountered the Psionic Race, they hadn't seemed as powerful as they later turned out to be.
His first real interaction with them was during the Bloodstone Escort Mission, when the Psionic Race sent members to seize the artifact.
At that time, the Psionic Race had indeed demonstrated great strength, but they didn't give off the same overwhelming sense of oppression as they did in the previous war timeline.
During the Bloodstone Conflict, the Psionic Race had failed to gain an absolute advantage.
Back then, this had seemed normal—but looking at it now, something felt off.
The Psionic Race had known in advance that a Miracle Artifact was about to emerge, yet they had only dispatched a handful of warriors to fight for it?
And in the end, they had even allowed Old Mist to steal it from under their noses?
But in the previous war timeline, when the Psionic Race sensed the presence of Black Shadow, they arrived armed with two Miracle Artifacts.
This wasn't just to eliminate traitors—it was also a recovery operation to reclaim their lost Miracle Artifact.
From this perspective, the Psionic Race's power appeared highly inconsistent.
At times, they seemed formidable beyond comprehension. At other times, they struggled against weaker opponents.
The disparity between the Bloodstone Conflict and the previous war timeline was just too vast.
—
There was also another clue that further confirmed the Psionic Race's strangeness.
In one of his villain timelines, he had been captured by the Psionic Race and used as bait to lure out Old Mist.
Unexpectedly, Old Mist had actually sacrificed himself to rescue him.
At the time, Old Mist had already cultivated the Flesh Cauldron Ritual, as well as obtained a fragmented Bloodstone—his power was growing daily.
However, he still wasn't anywhere near his peak strength from 1,500 years later.
Feng Qi had a clear estimate of Old Mist's abilities during that period.
Against the Psionic Race, which possessed multiple Miracle Artifacts, Old Mist had no chance of escape—even if he burned his own life force in a desperate struggle.
And yet…
For some unexplained reason, the Psionic Race hadn't used a single Miracle Artifact against Old Mist that day.
They had been completely sealed off by Old Mist's Blood Sea, allowing him to successfully break Feng Qi out of captivity and escape from Old Day City.
From these two incidents alone, the Psionic Race did not seem to be as terrifyingly powerful as legend described.
Yet, at the same time, there were countless pieces of intelligence that indicated they were unfathomably strong.
Even Black Shadow, with all the power of Future City at his disposal, feared the Psionic Race deeply.
The Black Shadow faction was not weak—they controlled Future City, possessed multiple superweapons, and commanded a formidable defensive force.
There was no reason for them to fear any hidden force in the domain world.
And yet, Black Shadow had been terrified of the Psionic Race, believing that he had no chance against them.
This only made the mystery even deeper.
Some reports described the Psionic Race as an unstoppable force, with endless reserves of power.
Others painted them as merely another domain faction, no different from any other.
By enrolling at Old Day Academy, perhaps he could finally find answers to this contradiction.
Just then, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind—
[Could it be that the Psionic Race is internally divided into factions? Some factions are extremely powerful, like the one that appeared in the war timeline, while others are much weaker, like the group that fought over the Bloodstone. You might want to reference the Night Shadow Clan, which once controlled the Tiger Soul Research Institute.]
"Maybe. I guess I'll find out when the time comes."
After finishing the first future plan, Feng Qi started writing the second.
Future Plan 2: Follow Mu Qing's rise, track down the traitors hidden within the Dawn Army, and find a way to approach Mu Yan.
Key Objective 1: Identify the traitor.
Key Objective 2: Uncover the reason behind the Dawn Army's mass slaughter.
Key Objective 3: Establish contact with Mu Yan.
—
The main focus of this future line was Mu Yan.
Uncovering the traitors was secondary—after all, even if he exposed one, it would only be one of many infiltrators from various domain factions.
With the Psionic Race still unresolved, eliminating traitors wasn't his top priority.
But establishing contact with Mu Yan could yield valuable intelligence that might aid his future sacrifice timelines.
That said, this future path carried many uncertainties.
It would take decades for the Dawn Battle Corps to evolve into the Dawn Army. His involvement would undoubtedly change the course of its development.
Whether he could survive long enough to witness the Dawn Army's formation was unknown.
But if there was one constant across his previous timelines, it was that his life was always short.
Death always arrived unexpectedly and without warning.
Even Old Mist, who was supposed to live for centuries, had met his end prematurely after encountering Feng Qi.
With that in mind, this future path was just an option under consideration—not something he was eager to act on immediately.
After a brief pause, Feng Qi picked up his pen and started writing his third future plan.
—
Future Plan 3: Infiltrate Yin Ling's inner circle and extract intelligence regarding the Silver Moon Clan.
Key Points:
Find a way to gain Yin Ling's trust.
Extract critical intelligence on the Silver Moon Clan.
Discover how Yin Ling transmits messages to the Silver Moon Clan and document the method.
Once all objectives are complete, execute the cleanup plan—eliminate all Silver Moon Clan vanguards and retake control of the Energy Institute.
—
On the surface, this future path seemed simple, but it was actually extremely complex.
How to approach Yin Ling was a problem.
How to earn her trust was another.
How to obtain the coordinates of their operations was the most critical challenge.
The Silver Moon Clan was not like the Institute of Technological Research under Black Shadow.
Black Shadow needed human researchers to develop technology, so Feng Qi had been able to blend in by pretending to be a sociopath, which eventually caught Black Shadow's attention.
As long as he played his part well, Black Shadow would extend an olive branch.
But the Silver Moon Clan was fundamentally different.
They had no interest in recruiting humans.
Their infiltration of the Energy Research Institute was solely for energy extraction, not scientific development.
At their core, the Silver Moon Clan was waiting for the right moment to act.
When the time was ripe, they would use Star City's energy reserves to activate a spatial teleportation array—summoning their full forces to conquer the entire city.
Their ambitions were vast.
Unlike Black Shadow or Old Mist, who preferred to grow their influence slowly, the Silver Moon Clan's plan started with total conquest.
Because of this, they had no reason to recruit human geniuses.
Even if Feng Qi joined the Energy Research Institute, earning Yin Ling's trust would be extremely difficult—let alone getting her to reveal secrets.
If he couldn't win Yin Ling's trust, this future path would be meaningless.
If he chose this plan, it needed to be backed by a detailed and foolproof strategy.
Just as he was considering ways to refine his approach, his phone started ringing.
Reaching over to grab it, he saw that it was Wei Wei calling.
Answering the call, a familiar voice came through:
"Have you finalized your future plans?"
"I'm still planning, but I haven't figured out how to approach Yin Ling yet."
"That's exactly why I'm calling."
"You have a plan? Tell me the details." Feng Qi immediately sat upright, suddenly fully alert.
"It's simple. Have you heard of the Genius Breeding Program?"
"The what?"
"The Genius Breeding Program. Its goal is to pair exceptional individuals together so they can produce offspring with superior genetic potential… You know how low the birthrate is in this era. The top graduates from major academies are either recruited into research institutes or sent to the front lines. Because of this, the fertility rate among top talents is critically low. This program was created to address that."
"So basically, it's state-sponsored matchmaking?"
"Exactly. The matched candidates are given time to interact and determine compatibility before making a final decision."
Hearing this, Feng Qi felt an overwhelming sense of doom.
"I think you've figured it out already. This might seem like an absurd approach, but it's the perfect opportunity to get close to Yin Ling. Once you make initial contact, we can set up the rest of the plan!"
Feng Qi broke into a cold sweat and couldn't help but protest:
"Wei Jie, I may have the mental maturity of someone who's lived through countless timelines, but… physically, I'm only 17 years old!"
"Relax. That's not a problem. What's important is that, at just 17, you've already developed multiple cultivation techniques and received the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Medal. You're the perfect match for Yin Ling—she's also a genius. No pressure, this is just to gain access to her. Once we get the intelligence we need, we can still execute the cleanup plan and take down the Silver Moon Clan."
Then, Wei Wei chuckled over the phone.
"So? What do you think?"
Feng Qi: …
At that moment, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind, perfectly expressing his inner thoughts:
[I think… women will only slow down my punches.]
Awooo~