Staring at Feng Qi, whose appearance had suddenly changed, Xia Qian opened his mouth as if to speak but then turned his gaze to the portrait hanging on the wall to his right.
"Stop looking—it's me, your ancestor," Feng Qi said with a grin.
Hearing these words, Xia Qian still couldn't bring himself to believe that the man sitting before him, claiming to share the same name as the historical figure Feng Qi, was actually the Feng Qi who had founded the Dawn Organization.
He had read The Biography of Feng Qi written by the predecessors of the Dawn Organization dozens of times. He knew that Feng Qi had been executed at the execution grounds in Future City 1,500 years ago.
Countless people had witnessed Feng Qi's death either in person or via live broadcast.
This history was irrefutable.
Even if Feng Qi had somehow survived back then, it was impossible for him to be alive 1,500 years later.
As this thought crossed his mind, Xia Qian's expression grew increasingly solemn.
"Don't use some cheap trick to alter your appearance and make jokes about such a revered figure," Xia Qian said, his tone serious.
Feng Qi understood Xia Qian's skepticism.
In the sacrificial timeline, he had indeed died—in plain view of the entire world. How could anyone believe he had come back to life?
The problem was clear: How could he prove that he was truly himself?
"How do you want me to prove it?" Feng Qi finally asked, throwing the question back at Xia Qian.
Xia Qian, staring at Feng Qi's serious face, couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
If it weren't for Feng Qi's contributions to Star City Shelter, Xia Qian would have had him detained and thrown into solitary confinement for a month. It was the only way to teach him not to joke about such a respected figure.
Seeing Xia Qian's unwavering disbelief, Feng Qi felt a wave of embarrassment.
He immediately sought advice from the Narrator in his mind.
"Do you have any suggestions for proving I'm myself?"
[How about transforming into your Blood Source battle mode and challenging him to an arm-wrestling match? Winner takes all. Real men settle disputes with raw strength, no tricks allowed.]
Hearing this absurd suggestion, Feng Qi mentally spat in disgust.
Feeling helpless, he turned back to Xia Qian and said, "You can ask me anything—any question about Feng Qi. I'll answer whatever you want to know."
"That won't prove anything. Who hasn't studied Feng Qi's history?" Xia Qian countered.
"Then ask me something obscure—something very specific about Feng Qi's life."
Hearing this, Xia Qian seemed to lose patience and said, "If you really are Feng Qi, then you should know this: Feng Qi was secretly interrogated before his execution. When asked why he founded the Dawn Organization, what was his answer?"
Feng Qi thought for a moment before smiling.
"He said, 'The future is uncertain, but I want to fight for the ideal future before the dust settles.'"
"Wrong," Xia Qian replied firmly. "Feng Qi's answer was, 'I want future generations to look at the sky and still feel the warmth of the sun, and when they gaze at the night, they can still see the stars.'"
Feng Qi: ???
[You're a fake! You don't even understand Feng Qi, yet here you are trying to pretend. What an epic fail! Bravo to Xia Qian for slapping your face with the truth!]
Watching Xia Qian's serious demeanor as he recited the famous words, Feng Qi rolled his eyes internally.
This approach to proving his identity wasn't going to work.
If they were relying solely on history, anything he said could be refuted.
Feeling frustrated, he tried another angle.
"Your ancestor Xia Long was my student," Feng Qi said. "The first lesson I ever taught him was about envisioning the future. Do your family records mention that?"
"My ancestor was a warrior. He never kept diaries," Xia Qian replied bluntly.
[Who writes diaries? Xia Long's straightforward personality totally fits this. You've just confirmed that you're a fraud. Stop using unverifiable facts to trick people.]
Feng Qi mentally spat at the Narrator before falling silent.
As he considered another way to prove himself, Xia Qian suddenly spoke.
"Actually, there is a simple way to verify your claim," Xia Qian said.
"Go on," Feng Qi urged.
"Feng Qi underwent rune modification. Embedded in his chest was a Shadow Rune Crystal. If you're really Feng Qi, that rune crystal should still be embedded in your chest—or at least there should be a scar."
Feng Qi: …
Xia Qian's statement was accurate, but it only made proving himself harder.
[Face it—you're busted. The Crimson Research Institute erased any evidence of your time-traveling ability. Just focus on leaving key information for your next timeline.]
Hearing the Narrator's mocking tone, Feng Qi sighed inwardly.
He then looked at Xia Qian and said, "…"
"I can understand why Xia Long and the others would hide my ability to traverse timelines. If the Domain Forces infiltrating human civilization learned about this, they would undoubtedly lay traps ahead of time to target me. But I still have to tell you—I am Feng Qi."
"Wait, did you say you have the ability to travel through time?" Xia Qian's expression suddenly turned serious.
Seeing Xia Qian's reaction, Feng Qi was momentarily taken aback, suspecting that Xia Qian might have heard rumors about this ability.
Just as Feng Qi thought there might be a turning point in their conversation, Xia Qian added, "Show me your ability right now."
Hearing the Narrator's uncontrollable laughter ringing in his head, Feng Qi decisively gave up. "Fine, let's pretend I was joking. Don't take it seriously. Can you just give me a permissions account? I need to access the database for some information."
"Don't joke about something like this again. It's not funny," Xia Qian said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Xia Qian pointed to the display screen on his desk and said, "The shelter is currently in post-battle cleanup. If you want to look something up, do it here. My screen is connected to the Star City database."
With that, Xia Qian swiped his hand across the screen. A line of text appeared confirming his credentials, and the display switched to the database search interface.
Seeing this, Feng Qi wasted no time and sat at the desk. He tapped the search bar on the screen and typed his own name.
After filtering through the results, information about him appeared.
The words "Historical Luminary" stood prominently next to his name.
Using the permissions provided, he not only accessed his personal profile but also unearthed numerous video records related to him.
While skimming through the entries, one video caught his attention.
The cover image featured familiar figures—Xia Long and Jia Yi. The video's title read:
"If heroes exist in history, their purpose is clear. After reviewing Feng Qi's life, I can say with certainty that heroes are eternal beacons, guiding future generations and keeping them from losing their way. This video is dedicated to Feng Qi and his companions."
Clicking on the video, Feng Qi saw footage of his ceremonial burial.
Xia Long and Jia Yi were carrying his coffin, and the streets of Future City were lined with residents paying their respects over a five-mile procession.
Feng Qi didn't linger on the video and closed it after a quick glance. He had already understood the circumstances of the sacrificial timeline.
After briefly skimming through the introduction page, he entered another search term: Lin Ran.
The results for Lin Ran's profile and related information appeared.
On this timeline, Lin Ran's trajectory had not changed.
Without Wang Jinsheng's intervention, Lin Ran had clearly become the Mist Lord's optimal pawn for future plans. The Flesh Sacrifice ritual had ultimately taken place.
Watching from the side, Xia Qian couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking up historical figures?"
"Have you cultivated the Flesh Sacrifice technique?" Feng Qi turned to Xia Qian and asked directly.
"Everyone has, even the Domain Forces hiding in the shelter. This divine-level technique has undergone multiple revisions and is regarded as humanity's premier cultivation method," Xia Qian replied without hesitation.
Hearing this, Feng Qi sighed inwardly.
[Whether they've practiced it or not doesn't matter. The Flesh Sacrifice technique is inherently tied to bloodline inheritance. As long as someone's ancestors practiced it, their descendants can't escape its effects. Now we can only hope Old Lin manages to possess the Mist Lord and disrupt his plans—or hope Old Wang successfully uncovers the hidden dangers in the Flesh Sacrifice.]
"We should focus on unraveling the technique's issues. If other members of the Mist Lord's species know how to activate the Flesh Sacrifice trigger, even if Lin Ran successfully takes over the Mist Lord, humanity will still lose."
[You have a point.]
"Why are you asking this?" Xia Qian asked curiously.
Faced with Xia Qian's question, Feng Qi saw no reason to hide the truth and explained, "The Flesh Sacrifice technique is essentially a trap set by the Domain Forces for humanity. It contains a major hidden danger. If the Domain Forces that planted this trap decide to, they can turn anyone who has practiced the technique—or their descendants—into sacrifices at any time."
Xia Qian's expression froze. "Where did you hear such baseless claims? The Flesh Sacrifice technique has been rigorously vetted by the Tiger Soul Research Institute and has been validated over a thousand years. It has no issues."
"The Tiger Soul Research Institute? That organization has long been under the control of the Domain Forces, similar to what happened with the Institute of Technological Research," Feng Qi replied.
"Tell me, where did you get this information?" Xia Qian's expression grew more severe, clearly skeptical of Feng Qi's claims.
"I've personally witnessed the Mist Lord activating the Flesh Sacrifice and destroying human civilization."
"So, you're still claiming you're Feng Qi, that you have the ability to travel across timelines, and that you've seen the destruction of human civilization firsthand?"
"That's correct," Feng Qi said firmly.
Hearing this again, Xia Qian's gaze became even more uncertain as he stared at Feng Qi.
"Can you tell me why White-Eyed Girl relies on you so much?" Xia Qian asked, suppressing the turmoil in his heart with a deep breath.
Feng Qi gently rubbed Suction Cup's little head and replied, "The White-Eyed Girl you're referring to is actually a clone of Mu Qing. Her dependence on me stems from Mu Qing's own feelings. That shattered rune crystal on her right arm, now devoid of luster, was originally taken from Mu Qing's remains."
Hearing this, Xia Qian was thunderstruck. As someone well-versed in history, he knew how deeply Mu Qing relied on Feng Qi.
Although their relationship had no romantic element, the dependence Mu Qing showed toward Feng Qi exceeded love—it was as if he were her harbor amidst storms. No matter how tumultuous the outside world became, Feng Qi was her spiritual anchor, her unwavering belief.
If White-Eyed Girl truly was a clone of Mu Qing, her instinctive reliance on Feng Qi made perfect sense.
"Are you really the ancestor Feng Qi?" Xia Qian asked, his tone shaking with newfound respect.
"I am," Feng Qi answered with a firm nod.
Xia Qian took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. When he met Feng Qi's gaze again, his expression was different. "I have so many questions—could you answer them for me?"
Glancing at the screen, Feng Qi hesitated. He wanted to focus on studying the cultivation techniques and information from the database. The apocalypse could arrive at any moment, and time was too precious.
But knowing he needed Xia Qian's help later, he finally relented. "Ask quickly. I might not have much time."
Xia Qian immediately pulled over a chair and sat down beside him. His questions poured out, one after another.
Feng Qi didn't hold back. He recounted his first journey to the future, witnessing humanity's downfall, and subsequent attempts to alter the course of history.
As Feng Qi described his struggles across multiple timelines, Xia Qian's expression shifted continuously. By the time he mentioned humanity's inevitable destruction, Xia Qian's face was full of pain.
"I once worried that humanity might meet its end under my leadership," Xia Qian said, his voice heavy. "But I never thought it would truly happen."
In that moment, Xia Qian's strong facade crumbled, and he seemed to age years in an instant.
"Don't share these secrets with anyone else in the shelter," Feng Qi warned.
"I understand. I don't want them to feel despair ahead of time," Xia Qian replied solemnly.
"I'm sorry for letting you face this despair so early," Feng Qi said, his expression complex.
"Although I'm not humanity's supreme leader, I am responsible for the lives of tens of thousands in this shelter. I can bear this burden," Xia Qian said, his tone resolute.
After a moment of silence, Xia Qian looked at Feng Qi again. "Ancestor Feng Qi, you've shared so much with me. I assume you need something from me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have revealed these secrets."
Feng Qi glanced at Suction Cup in his arms and nodded seriously. "I need you to grant me access to the resource vault. I need to replenish White-Eyed Girl's—Suction Cup's—energy."
If he had made this request before sharing his secrets, Xia Qian would have likely rebuked him. After all, the shelter's survival depended heavily on the food and energy crystals stored in the vault.
If the vault were depleted, the shelter's internal circulation system would collapse entirely. Asking for such resources was tantamount to threatening the survivors' lifeline.
But now, knowing the apocalypse was imminent, Xia Qian understood Feng Qi's intentions. He nodded without hesitation. "When do you plan to retrieve the supplies?"
"Not yet," Feng Qi replied. "I'm not sure when the apocalypse will arrive on this timeline. It could be hours or days. I won't touch the resources until I'm certain."
"Understood."
Despite the weight on his heart, Xia Qian quickly regained his composure. He left the command room to give Feng Qi space to work.
Feng Qi, wasting no time, focused on the cultivation database. His gaze swept over the available techniques until he selected a five-star-rated method called "Wu Liang."
Clicking on the detailed page, he immersed himself in studying the technique.
Five-star techniques were far more complex than the one- to three-star methods he had studied before. Fortunately, his memory and comprehension had improved significantly, allowing him to tackle the challenge.
Though it would take several times longer, Feng Qi was confident he could memorize and master the five-star technique.
Time passed quickly as he studied.
He didn't know how much time had gone by when Xia Qian suddenly rushed back into the command room.
Xia Qian's first words upon entering were, "Ancestor Feng Qi, the Domain Fields are expanding at an accelerated rate. I think... the apocalypse is upon us."
[Oh no, time to let Suction Cup devour some experience. Soon, we'll know if Lin Ran successfully turned the tables on the Mist Lord. If he failed, we'll have Suction Cup beat some sense into him.]