Gazing at Little Cripple, now reduced to a mindless undead, Feng Qi felt no pity.
Even though he understood that everything Little Cripple had done was for the survival and rise of its race, it had made the fatal mistake of building its ambitions on the invasion and destruction of human civilization.
Even if the Mist Lord had not inadvertently harvested Little Cripple and its tribe, the Star City Shelter's human survivors would have faced internal and external crises. They might have been ruthlessly slaughtered by Little Cripple and its kin.
[Split! Split it clean!]
With the narrator's sharp cry, Little Cripple, who had just struggled to its feet, collapsed into a humiliating split.
Without the rune crystal to stabilize its form, its innate deformities left it unable to stand properly.
Feng Qi stepped forward and crushed Little Cripple's head beneath his boot.
As expected, killing Little Cripple yielded no new abilities.
The reason was clear.
His bloodline allowed him to extract abilities from domain creatures he killed. However, Little Cripple had already become a sacrificial pawn for the Mist Lord. It was now nothing more than a lifeless corpse, animated into a new form without consciousness. Extracting abilities from such a being was impossible.
Although he now fully understood Little Cripple's origins, in Feng Qi's eyes, it was never a real threat.
Compared to the Mist Lord, whose meticulous planning spanned millennia and whose power was overwhelming, Little Cripple's schemes were naive and laughable.
And its ending was nothing short of tragic.
It had believed that leading its tribe through the spatial rift to the human world would spark their rise, heralding a bright future for its people.
But the result of its centuries of effort was the utter annihilation of its race.
Even worse, this extinction came in an absurd manner—they were all unwittingly harvested as fuel for the Mist Lord's ascension.
Looking at the human survivors, now also transformed into undead, Feng Qi felt a bitter pang in his heart.
But he didn't dwell on these emotions for long, quickly steadying himself.
In his heart, he held hope for a future timeline where humanity and he would stand united against the invading domains, forging a path to victory.
This battle was but a step along the way, not the final destination.
[All that passes is but a prelude.]
"Ah Bai, you really get me," Feng Qi said, his tone light.
[No one knows their child better than their parent. Between us? I know you better than anyone.]
"Pfft, shut up, Dog Bai."
Ignoring the narrator's snarky retort, Feng Qi raised his head to the sky.
The Mist Lord had now condensed its form into a massive humanoid figure, composed entirely of gray mist from the torso up. Its arms outstretched, it absorbed the life force of blood and energy flowing in from all directions.
The gray mist was visibly growing at an astonishing rate.
This time, Mu Yan had not appeared.
Instinctively, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the east.
In a previous future timeline, Mu Yan had sought to destroy the Mist Lord. But an unforeseen event in the east had forced her to abandon the battle and leave.
Before departing, she had left a threatening promise to return and finish off the Mist Lord.
Now, in the eastern sky, faint starlight flickered, forming radiant connections that hinted at some mysterious event.
Feng Qi had a vague idea of what awaited Mu Yan.
Domain fields were encroaching from all directions, set to engulf the entire world. The plains at the edge of the ruined cities were the last bastion of purity.
When that final sanctuary fell, Mu Yan would become a statue, standing as a silent testament to humanity's end as the world was swallowed whole.
Even now, Feng Qi couldn't grasp the full meaning of the "Great Event" the shadowy figure had spoken of.
Initially, he had assumed it referred to the domains consuming the entire world. But now, it was evident that it meant something far beyond that. He speculated that the Great Event referred to what would happen after the domains had completed their conquest.
It was clear that all the domain forces were preparing for that day.
The Mist Lord's millennia-long plans to harvest humanity and the weaker domain tribes' life force were part of this preparation.
The shadow clan's occupation of the Research Institute and their development of the superweapon "Little Black" were also pieces of this puzzle.
Everyone seemed to be bracing for the arrival of the Great Event.
But what the Great Event truly entailed, Feng Qi could not know. This timeline offered no answers.
Turning his gaze back to the Mist Lord in the sky, he found its eyes fixed on him.
The Mist Lord's massive form of gray mist began to descend, lowering itself over the Star City Shelter, directly above Feng Qi.
As it looked down at him, the face formed from swirling mist twisted into a mocking smile.
[Qi-ge, it looks like it's laughing at you. Clearly, it thinks you've lost and it's won. Sure, we're no match for it now, but we can't lose the war of words. Before it kills you, let's roast its ancestors thoroughly. Start with its mother... Ready, fire!]
Feng Qi: "..."
Staring at the Mist Lord, Feng Qi maintained a calm expression as he asked, "So Lin Ran lost?"
"No wonder my strength has been growing so slowly. It turns out Lin Ran wasn't dead after all but had instead parasitized my spiritual sea, constantly siphoning away my power... But now his consciousness is completely extinguished. I've won."
"But I'm curious about one thing. Earlier, when you explained to Lin Ran, you mentioned you could traverse between reality and the future. Is that true? Such an ability is unheard of. Perhaps not even the Pillar Gods possess such power."
Faced with the question, Feng Qi decided that if this was to be his end, he might as well try to extract some valuable information from the Mist Lord.
With that thought in mind, he locked eyes with the Mist Lord and asked, "First, tell me—what exactly are the Pillar Gods?"
"They are the architects of the old order."
"Be more specific. That doesn't make any sense," Feng Qi pressed.
"I don't know much about them either," the Mist Lord admitted, "but I do know that in the future, I will become one of the architects of the new order—a new Pillar God of the future. Now it's your turn. What secrets lie within you? And how did you know I would try to take over Lin Ran?"
"Wait," Feng Qi interrupted, "I have another question. What's happening in the East?"
The Mist Lord's gaze shifted toward the eastern sky, where faintly connected stars shimmered brightly. A flicker of surprise appeared in its eyes. "You seem to know quite a lot."
"So, what are those stars in the eastern sky?"
"I can sense your eagerness to extract information from me," the Mist Lord remarked. "Indeed, I could share much of what I know. However, you hold nothing of value to offer in return. I see no point in wasting any more time."
Seeing the mocking smile on the Mist Lord's face and the killing intent in its gaze, Feng Qi responded decisively.
He raised his middle finger.
"You've lived among humans for so long. Surely you understand this gesture? If not, I'd be happy to explain it to you."
"A loser's struggle."
As soon as those words left its mouth, the colossal hand of mist hovered above Feng Qi, ready to strike.
But just before it could descend, the Mist Lord abruptly turned its head toward the northern sky.
Feng Qi followed its gaze.
From the north, a mass of black mist was rapidly advancing, expanding as it moved, transforming into a sea of darkness.
Upon seeing this black mist, the Mist Lord's expression turned grim.
Feng Qi's face darkened as well.
He had assumed that in this future timeline, the Research Institute had been utterly dismantled, and even if Little Black were still created, it might not pursue him anymore due to historical changes.
But reality was proving otherwise.
[What's most remarkable is that no matter how history shifts, Little Black's murderous intent for you remains steadfast. Across time, space, and every barrier imaginable, it still comes after you. This is some next-level determination!]
Hearing the narrator's commentary, Feng Qi sighed internally.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't fathom why Little Black was so relentless in hunting him down.
Whether he resisted the Research Institute, joined it, or avoided any involvement with it, Little Black's pursuit never ceased.
Fifteen hundred years later, Little Black was like a heat-seeking missile, always able to locate him with unerring precision and take his life.
From Feng Qi's perspective, this defied all logic.
He had no direct connections to Little Black in any timeline. The domain forces behind the Research Institute clearly hadn't created Little Black specifically to deal with him.
So why was Little Black so fixated on him?
Then, a sudden thought struck him, and he couldn't help but ask internally, "Ah Bai, you don't think this thing is after you, do you?"
[Pfft! What a convenient scapegoat! I'm practically non-existent right now, barely clinging to a state of near-nullity. There's no way Little Black is coming after me. This is 100% your problem.]
"What problem could I possibly have?"
[You're a walking anomaly—alive without any flesh and blood. If that's not a problem, I don't know what is.]
Looking down at his bloodless body, Feng Qi's expression turned awkward.
As he raised his head again, he saw that Little Black was drawing closer. The black mist expanded into a vast sea, blanketing the northern sky.
The Mist Lord clearly hadn't realized yet that Little Black's true target wasn't it but Feng Qi himself.
Still, it chose to retaliate against the incoming threat.
The gray mist surged forward, accompanied by wailing specters, attempting to envelop Little Black.
Watching this unfold, a sly smile spread across Feng Qi's face.
The Mist Lord was undoubtedly powerful.
But against Little Black—a being that completely countered it—it didn't stand a chance.
In several previous future timelines, the Mist Lord had confronted Little Black.
And every time, it had been utterly defeated.
Even after consuming vast quantities of life force, the Mist Lord was no match for Little Black.
As expected, the moment the gray mist clashed with the black mist, the gray mist began to diminish at a speed visible to the naked eye. The area of contact between the two was swiftly consumed.
The Mist Lord's face displayed a rare expression of shock. However, it didn't yield to Little Black. Instead, it condensed its form, concentrating the gray mist into a dense body before launching another assault on Little Black.
In an instant, a gale swept across the battlefield.
The surging power triggered the forces of heaven and earth. Wherever the Mist Lord's massive hand of mist passed, dense black cracks emerged in the air. The space tore and mended repeatedly, a testament to the sheer destructive force of the strike.
Yet, the seemingly unstoppable blow had no effect on Little Black.
Every energy wave, every shockwave, everything that touched the swarm of psionic nanobots was devoured by Little Black. It didn't even take a single step back.
[Ah Qi, want to make a bet?]
"What's the wager?" Feng Qi asked, his tone laden with resignation.
[I bet the Mist Lord will lose to Little Black. You bet the Mist Lord will win. The loser calls the winner 'Dad.' Deal?]
"Stupid system." Feng Qi rolled his eyes at the proposition.
There were indeed entities capable of battling Little Black. But in Feng Qi's experience, he had yet to encounter anything capable of defeating it.
Especially an energy-based entity like the Mist Lord, whose entire composition was the equivalent of a buffet for Little Black.
As expected, the Mist Lord's shock grew as it watched its energy being continuously absorbed without causing any harm to Little Black. Realizing Little Black's terrifying ability to devour energy, the Mist Lord ceased its energy barrage and began rapidly retreating, consolidating itself further.
Eventually, the Mist Lord altered its form.
As the gray mist dispersed, standing not far from Feng Qi was a bizarre youth with purple hair and violet eyes.
The figure bore a striking resemblance to Lin Ran, though it exuded a sinister aura that Lin Ran had never possessed.
With a solemn expression, the youth stared at Little Black and extended a hand in its direction.
Instantly, cracks appeared in the space surrounding Little Black, forming a prison-like spatial barrier.
The move worked—at least momentarily.
The psionic nanobots couldn't escape the confines of the fractured space.
Seeing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but ask aloud, "Narrator, does this mean sealing techniques work on Little Black? What if I learn a sealing technique in the future and lock it up somewhere for a thousand years?"
[Sealing is a form of energy manipulation, but this particular technique from the Mist Lord is unique. It cuts off a section of space entirely, trapping Little Black within a self-contained dimension. Spiritual nanobots are too small to navigate through such spatial fractures. That said, I wouldn't bet on it being foolproof.]
As the narrator's explanation concluded, Little Black within the spatial prison suddenly transformed into a solid black humanoid form.
To Feng Qi's astonishment, Little Black extended a hand beyond the spatial fracture.
The black cracks instantly severed its arm.
It was as if a photograph had been torn in half, with the figure in the image breaking apart accordingly.
However, the severed portion of Little Black's body reformed into a black mist after leaving the prison.
Little Black then began repeatedly making contact with the spatial fractures, systematically cutting itself apart until it was fully free of the confinement.
Its original form was unharmed, and it reverted back into its black mist state, pressing down upon the Mist Lord.
At that moment, another figure came charging in from the distance.
The ground trembled with each step, accompanied by a billowing cloud of dust stretching for miles.
Feng Qi turned to see a familiar figure racing toward him from the west—a suction-cup creature scuttling low to the ground with all its might.
[Look at that—your weapon has a homing function!]
As Little Black overwhelmed the Mist Lord, the suction-cup entity leaped high into the air, slamming a massive fist into the fray.
A jade-green glow enveloped the punch, creating a huge fist-shaped shadow that came crashing down.
The ground shook violently. Little Black's black mist dispersed momentarily, while the Mist Lord was driven deep into the earth.
When the dust cleared, the Mist Lord floated out of the pit, looking battered but uninjured. However, its expression darkened at the sight of the suction-cup creature's return.
In a flash, the suction-cup creature vanished and reappeared behind the Mist Lord, throwing a small but precise punch.
The Mist Lord, seemingly anticipating the move, vanished just in time.
The punch landed on Little Black instead.
Watching the chaos of the three-way battle, Feng Qi couldn't help but grin.
"Not a bad show to watch before I die," he remarked.
But his thoughts were interrupted when the Mist Lord suddenly turned its gaze toward him.
"Enjoying the view?" it asked coldly.
Before Feng Qi could respond, a massive hand of gray mist came crashing down upon him.
"Your mother—"
Before he could finish cursing, his world was enveloped in gray and then black.
When the mist cleared, all that remained where Feng Qi had stood was a massive handprint. He had been crushed into nothingness.
In the aftermath of Feng Qi's death, the suction-cup creature's eyes turned crimson, launching itself ferociously at the Mist Lord.
Meanwhile, Little Black quietly moved to the spot where Feng Qi had been obliterated, shrouding the area in black mist.