Six months later.
Death Star Third Combat Squad, base manor.
Although it was winter, the Old Day Supply Zone, located in the tropics, never experienced snow. The changing seasons didn't affect this area as distinctly as they did in Star City.
Waking up early, Feng Qi freshened up and left his quarters, heading toward the office building.
A fine drizzle fell from the sky, and dark clouds churned above, rumbling with intermittent thunder.
As he walked along the path, he passed rows of fruit trees.
The base manor of the Death Star Third Combat Squad was quite distinctive.
Various fruit trees were planted throughout the manor. Regardless of the season, there were always trees blooming and bearing fruit appropriate to that time of year.
Before the Mist Lord took over Wang Yi's body, she had cultivated a field behind the manor. She had poured significant resources into it, using spiritual water, powdered spiritual plants, and other materials enriched with spiritual energy.
Additionally, formations capable of autonomously absorbing spiritual energy from the environment were installed around the field.
After five years of meticulous cultivation, the field now possessed the characteristics of "spiritual land," producing high-quality crops. Some of the plants grown there were even suitable for cultivating and nurturing low-grade spiritual plants.
The environment within the Death Star base resembled a sprawling green plantation.
The Mist Lord had once explained this setup to Feng Qi.
By reading part of Wang Yi's memories, it learned that Wang Yi's father had been a fruit farmer. Growing up in an orchard instilled a deep affection for such landscapes in her heart.
After she became the squad leader, she decided to transform the base into a lush green orchard-like sanctuary.
However, Feng Qi always harbored doubts about Wang Yi's betrayal of humanity.
Wang Yi was a historical figure, featured prominently in textbooks.
After graduating from the academy, she fought tirelessly on the front lines. By all accounts, her unparalleled determination should have made her impervious to the temptation of betraying humanity for personal gain.
When Feng Qi brought up these doubts, the Mist Lord offered its explanation.
"People don't like real heroes," it said.
In the public's perception, heroes were tireless and indomitable, their wills as unyielding as steel. They were great figures who never faltered in the face of adversity and marched relentlessly toward their goals.
But reality wasn't so straightforward.
Heroes were human too. They had emotions, experienced moments of doubt, and even questioned their purpose at times.
Wang Yi was no exception.
Once, she stood firmly on humanity's side.
That changed during a domain field operation when she was cursed by a domain creature. The curse disfigured her and severely weakened her abilities.
At that time, she was consumed by the torment inflicted by the curse.
In her most desperate moments, her companions were absent. Instead, it was the shadow forces who stood by her.
They broke the curse, offering her both promises and hope.
Wang Yi failed to overcome her internal struggle and chose to embrace the darkness.
With the shadow forces' backing, Wang Yi eventually ascended to her current position as the leader of the Death Star Third Combat Squad.
Hearing this story, Feng Qi felt a mix of regret and disdain.
While he understood the Mist Lord's perspective, he didn't fully agree with it.
Heroes were human and could indeed experience doubt, but that doubt was merely a test on the path to growth. Without passing such tests, one couldn't claim to have true determination.
Through the memories of his countless sacrificial timelines, Feng Qi had come to understand one thing:
People only cheered for heroes standing triumphantly at the summit. Along the way, they would throw stones, set traps, and create obstacles to hinder their ascent.
These external challenges were mirrored internally, testing the strength of their resolve. Only then would they know if their determination was as solid as they believed.
Wang Yi, evidently, had failed her test.
Her so-called struggles and pain were nothing more than excuses and justifications for her decisions.
Reflecting on the great figures of history, Feng Qi noted that each one had transcended their circumstances, bringing hope to the world even amidst despair.
Wang Yi's reputation, as Feng Qi now understood, was nothing more than a fabrication of the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research.
The real Wang Yi wasn't worthy of being recorded in the history books.
In the end, she was nothing but a puppet.
Upon deeper reflection, it became evident that the shadow forces would never target individuals with unwavering willpower.
The fact that Wang Yi was approached by them only proved that they had identified her as someone weak-willed and susceptible to manipulation.
Walking along the path, Feng Qi's clothes became soaked by the rain. However, he paid no attention to it.
Reaching the office building, he stepped into the lobby. Extending his mental energy outward, he swiftly evaporated the moisture from his clothing.
As Feng Qi walked along, every soldier he passed greeted him with respect.
He nodded in acknowledgment to each one.
Under the leadership of the Mist Lord, the Death Star Third Combat Squad had improved its execution and efficiency by several magnitudes compared to its past.
He had to admit, the Mist Lord, having once served as a tribal leader, had exceptional methods for managing subordinates.
The reorganization it implemented within the Death Star Combat Squad had significantly lightened Feng Qi's workload. The squad now operated under a strict system of rewards and punishments, maintaining excellent discipline.
Upon reaching the Mist Lord's office, Feng Qi pushed open the door and entered.
He walked to the desk, took a seat, and picked up the latest intelligence report from the squad, flipping through the pages.
Moments later, there was a knock at the door.
Feng Qi immediately glanced at the computer screen on the desk, which displayed the surveillance feed from the hallway. When he saw the familiar figure outside, a smile crept across his face.
"No entry," he said with mock sternness.
Despite his words, the door swung open, and the figure strode in. They removed their mask, revealing striking purple hair and eyes.
"I'm back," said the Mist Lord as it walked to the desk and sat down.
Feng Qi smiled as he regarded the Mist Lord, who had just returned from closed-door cultivation. "You've been in seclusion for half a year. How's your progress?"
"I think I'm ready to face the rulers of the Black Abyss Domain Field. But I'll need to test myself in combat to be sure. If we can secure help from allied forces, I should be able to handle it," the Mist Lord replied confidently.
Feng Qi's eyes widened. "Didn't you say you'd need two years before you'd have the strength to take them on?"
"I said two years would guarantee absolute victory. After just six months, my strength has grown faster than expected. I've already reached the early stage of the Ling Wang realm," the Mist Lord explained.
Feng Qi was stunned.
Although he had periodically delivered substantial resources to the Mist Lord during its cultivation, he hadn't expected its progress to be this rapid.
The term "Ling Wang early stage," as used by the Mist Lord, referred to the domain world's system of power classification. This system was far more detailed than the standards developed in human cultivation research.
In total, the domain system classified strength into six realms: Ling Bing, Ling Jiang, Ling Wang, Po Xu, Wu Wo, and Ji Mie. Each realm was further divided into early, mid, and late stages.
The final realm, Ji Mie, was described by the Mist Lord as equivalent to the strength of a Pillar God.
Based on the Mist Lord's descriptions, Feng Qi had drawn up a rough comparison between humanity's power evaluation and the domain system:
Ling Bing corresponded to Bronze to Black Iron in human standards.
Ling Jiang aligned with Silver to early-stage Gold.
Ling Wang began at mid-stage Gold, though its upper limits were uncertain, as there were no direct examples for comparison.
Currently, human cultivation systems capped their evaluation at the Gold stage, with no detailed criteria for higher levels. Beyond that, humanity relied on disaster-level classifications for calamities.
Feng Qi found this understandable.
Human cultivation research had only developed over the past 500 years, while the domain creatures had likely been advancing along this path for countless ages.
Human cultivation science was born from the study of spiritual energy and domain lifeforms, which accounted for its rapid progress. Its current limitations were a natural consequence of its relative infancy.
As humanity's cultivation science continued to evolve, it was inevitable that power levels beyond Gold would be formally defined, corresponding to the Po Xu, Wu Wo, and even Ji Mie realms.
When Feng Qi first learned of the domain world's six-tier system and realized that the Mist Lord had only just reached the third realm, he was both amazed and unsettled.
It meant that the domain forces housed beings of unimaginable strength far beyond the Mist Lord's current level.
However, the Mist Lord's reassurances had eased his concerns.
The Mist Lord explained that while six realms existed, very few ever reached the Ling Wang realm and beyond. The domain world's cultivation system followed a pyramidal structure, with only a small handful standing at the apex.
Feng Qi also considered another possibility: humanity might already have individuals surpassing the Gold level; they just lacked the framework to define them.
The most obvious example was Mu Qing.
Her combat power defied evaluation by modern cultivation standards. No instrument could accurately measure her true strength.
This clearly demonstrated that while Mu Qing's strength was classified as Gold level, she had already surpassed it by far.
Feng Qi thought back to the escort mission where they encountered a super domain creature. Based on his analysis, that creature's strength was likely at the fourth stage, the Po Xu realm.
Yet Mu Qing had managed to kill it, proving that her strength was at least on par with that level.
The current human cultivation system, with its flawed standards, couldn't adequately evaluate warriors at the pinnacle of human strength.
If a comparison had to be made, the domain creatures' strength evaluation system provided a more fitting framework.
After chatting with the Mist Lord for several hours, they discussed the recent developments within the Death Star Third Combat Squad in detail.
Once updated on the situation, the Mist Lord announced that preparations to launch the assault on the Black Abyss Domain Field should begin.
Feng Qi nodded in agreement, knowing this day would come—though he hadn't expected it to arrive so soon.
For the next month, the Death Star Third Combat Squad entered full battle readiness.
The Mist Lord's strategy was simple: attacking the Black Abyss Domain Field wouldn't solely rely on their own strength. Other domain combat squads could be leveraged as well.
To that end, the Mist Lord posted a mission request on the platform, calling for a joint operation to dispel the Black Abyss Domain Field. Within a month, 38 squads had responded.
This was one of the key reasons why the Mist Lord had chosen to take over Wang Yi's body.
By using Wang Yi's subordinates and her influence, the Mist Lord could secure significant benefits for itself.
To further this goal, the Mist Lord proactively reached out to the Institute of Technological Research for assistance, employing an array of clever fabrications to persuade the shadow forces backing the institute. It emphasized how this operation would greatly enhance its influence and strengthen the squad's future standing.
The shadow forces expressed their support for the plan, even dispatching the Third Squad—commonly referred to as the Devouring Wolf Combat Squad—to aid the operation.
Meanwhile, Feng Qi was equally busy.
Over the course of the month, he traveled to Old Day City to connect with the Weak Alliance of Domain Forces in that area. Using resources Wang Yi had accumulated over the years, he successfully recruited several capable domain forces to participate in the battle against the Black Abyss Domain Field.
Connections, influence, resources—these elements could all be transformed into power.
Gradually, a massive joint operation force began to take shape.
However, there was still much to do before the operation could officially commence. Besides awaiting the arrival of all participating forces, the logistics of resource allocation were critical.
Organizing supplies for such a large-scale operation required careful planning.
During this time, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord often worked late into the night to address various matters.
Finally, after two months of grueling effort, everything was ready.
Old Day East Supply Zone, War Dock.
Main Dock (Dock One).
At this moment, various forces had gathered in response to the Mist Lord's call to action against the Black Abyss Domain Field. The dock was crowded with activity.
As he watched soldiers move supplies onto the ships, Feng Qi directed the logistics teams with precision.
Turning his gaze toward the Mist Lord, he saw it engaged in discussions with squad leaders regarding the details of the operation to dispel the Black Abyss Domain Field.
Feng Qi knew that, despite the appearance of a collaborative effort, everything was under the Mist Lord's control.
Even though numerous forces and domain entities had joined the operation, the Mist Lord was undoubtedly the strongest presence there.
He understood that, when it came time to claim the miraculous item within the Black Abyss Domain Field, the Mist Lord wouldn't allow any unexpected variables to disrupt its plans.
Unlike a storybook scenario where the protagonist suddenly swoops in to seize the spoils of others' labor, this was the real world. The Mist Lord wouldn't let others steal its hard-earned victory.
After all, the Mist Lord itself was the embodiment of a protagonist's template.
Walking along the dock, Feng Qi looked out at the scene before him.
Rows of warships and battleships lined the harbor, numbering over a hundred. Many of these vessels had been borrowed by the Mist Lord from squads not participating in the operation.
This was because many of the recruited forces didn't hail from the Old Day East Supply Zone. Only the combat squads stationed near the sea had the necessary ships and vessels.
The Mist Lord had personally visited the various squad bases to secure the resources needed for this operation.
Wang Yi's reputation had been used to its fullest extent by the Mist Lord.
Feng Qi even suspected that the Mist Lord, having tasted the benefits of influence during this operation, might have been inspired to take over Wang Jinsheng or Lin Ran in future plans.
After all, reputation and influence could translate into tangible benefits.
This operation had attracted 10,194 participants, nearly 3,000 of whom had been recruited thanks to Wang Yi's reputation and influence.
After half a day of work, the meticulously prepared supplies were finally loaded onto the ships and battleships.
With everything in place, Feng Qi followed the Mist Lord up the gangway to the flagship of the Death Star Combat Squad, adorned with its iconic burning mask emblem. They made their way to the foredeck.
As the Mist Lord surveyed the surrounding warships and vessels, it pulled out a communicator. Activating it, the Mist Lord spoke solemnly:
"Brothers of all squads, let's move out!"
As its voice echoed, the ships in the harbor erupted into a chorus of horns.
Even ships returning from other missions joined in, sounding their horns in salute.
Amid the reverberating horns, the joint fleet began to slowly depart from the war dock, setting course for the blue expanse of the sea.
Their destination: the dark curtain looming at the horizon.