Tiger Soul Research Institute - Branch Base
After finishing breakfast, Feng Qi followed Lin Ran to Spell Laboratory No. 3, as he had been doing regularly.
Standing beside Lin Ran in front of the Spell Formation and Combination Analyzer, he silently observed Lin Ran's actions.
Through his recent interactions and study, he had gained a deeper understanding of spell research.
And in doing so, he truly grasped just how terrifying Lin Ran's talent in this field was.
Currently, there were countless known attributes of spiritual energy.
Apart from the earliest discovered gold, wood, water, fire, and earth attributes, researchers had since identified wind, lightning, darkness, light, nature, blood energy, and over 200 other categorized attributes.
Additionally, there were more than 20 unnamed attributes still under investigation.
As for those yet to be discovered, their total number remained unknown.
This vast variety of spiritual energy attributes was precisely what had led to the vast array of domain races, with each race possessing unique abilities and innate racial talents.
For example, domain creatures that inhabited water-rich worlds had spent countless generations exposed to and nourished by water-attributed spiritual energy.
Over time, they naturally developed water-elemental manipulation abilities.
With continuous inheritance, these abilities became embedded in their very bloodline.
Newborns of these races inherited elemental control from birth.
Compared to such deeply established domain races, human development was drastically behind.
Spiritual energy had only appeared in the human world for a little over 500 years.
While human physiology had evolved through spiritual energy's influence, each new generation surpassing the last, the gap between humanity and the long-established domain races remained overwhelming.
It was in this context that spell techniques and cultivation methods became crucial.
If cultivation techniques were about developing the human body's full potential, then spell techniques were about harnessing the properties of spiritual energy in nature.
Neither field was inherently superior to the other.
However, in the current stage of human civilization, enhancing physical abilities through cultivation methods was the immediate priority.
Yet, the complexity of spell research was by no means lower than that of cultivation techniques.
The core of spell research lay in arranging and combining different attributes of spiritual energy to generate the desired effects.
This process was extremely intricate.
To create a new spell, a researcher first needed a strong affinity for detecting and manipulating spiritual energy attributes.
In the field of spell research, this sensitivity was professionally termed "Spiritual Energy Affinity."
Without sufficient affinity, a researcher was akin to a colorblind person, unable to distinguish between different attributes of spiritual energy, let alone arrange them into complex formations.
Only with exceptionally high affinity could a spell researcher navigate the chaotic ocean of spiritual energy attributes and craft unique spells.
This fundamental barrier alone eliminated a vast number of aspiring spell researchers.
Lin Ran's monstrous talent in spell research came, in part, from his near-perfect Elemental Affinity.
Without needing any external measuring devices, he could precisely identify every type of spiritual energy that drifted through the air.
To put it into perspective using visual analogy—
If a researcher without spiritual energy affinity was like a completely colorblind person, and a researcher with minimal affinity was like someone with partial color vision, then Lin Ran was akin to someone possessing superhuman vision, able to see an entirely different spectrum of colors invisible to normal people.
When it came to innovative research, talent was always the most critical factor.
Hard work could only narrow the gap, but never close it entirely.
Some individuals had perfect theoretical knowledge, yet if they lacked Spiritual Energy Affinity, they could never become true spell researchers.
By contrast, Lin Ran was born with an unrivaled natural advantage in spell research.
Yet, affinity was only one of his terrifying gifts.
The second major difficulty in spell research was understanding how to arrange and combine different types of spiritual energy.
This step was the true core of spell creation.
The interactions between different spiritual energy attributes could generate an endless variety of unique effects.
Take, for example, a seemingly simple Water Ball Spell.
Its formation and arrangement process did not merely require water-attributed spiritual energy.
It also needed other elemental energies to support its stability.
In this sense, it bore some resemblance to the ancient Five Elements Theory, where different elements influenced each other in positive or negative ways.
By combining water-attributed energy with complementary elements, the power of the spell could be significantly amplified.
However, compared to the traditional concept of the Five Elements, the real-world interactions of spell research were vastly more intricate—
The number of possible synergies and counteractions was so vast that it could only be described as endless.
Every spell researcher was essentially a trailblazer, carving a path through an unexplored frontier.
The knowledge left behind by predecessors was limited, and researchers could only rely on their intuition, insight, and creativity to explore new possibilities.
And in this field, Lin Ran's talent was nothing short of terrifying.
Lin Ran's method of spell creation was akin to that of a master architect.
With his superior elemental affinity, he could clearly perceive the properties and interactions of every type of spiritual energy.
Combining this innate perception with his creativity, he would assemble various elemental attributes like building blocks, crafting spells that conformed to his vision.
This aspect of spell research heavily relied on creativity and insight.
The power and effectiveness of a spell depended entirely on the talent and capability of its creator.
The Third Barrier in Spell Research: Spell Trajectories
"Consciousness as the needle, threading through myriad laws."
These eight words encapsulated the core of spell trajectories.
When a spell was cast, the consciousness acted like a needle, weaving through the spiritual energy particles in the air, linking them together in a structured formation according to their predetermined arrangement and combination.
While the second barrier in spell research—the arrangement and combination of energy attributes—established the framework of a spell, it was spell trajectories that ensured the spell could be properly executed in reality.
Even if a spell passed the second barrier, many were rendered useless at the third barrier.
This issue was especially common among complex spell formations—the longer the spell took to construct, the less practical it became in combat.
Thus, spell trajectories were crucial in determining a spell's casting fluidity and efficiency.
Two spell casters using the same spell could have drastically different casting speeds—sometimes with a gap of several times—depending on the efficiency of their spell trajectories.
It was like traveling to a destination—one person took a straight path, while another took a long, winding detour. The difference in arrival time would be substantial.
For combatants on the frontlines, casting speed was directly tied to survival.
Because of flaws in spell trajectories, humanity had discarded over tens of thousands of developed spells throughout the years.
Feng Qi once heard Lin Ran talk about the most absurdly rejected spell in history—"Sole Dominion."
The researcher who developed it had dedicated half his life to designing this spell, purely from the perspective of raw destructive power.
During its initial tests, Sole Dominion achieved an unprecedented record, surpassing the previous highest-ranked spell in destructive output by over ten times.
Yet, despite this groundbreaking power, the spell was ultimately deemed useless and was merely preserved in training museums across various cities.
The problem?
Its spell trajectory was utterly impractical.
To fully trace and construct the spell, it required a staggering 18 hours of continuous mental focus.
One of the evaluators at the time mocked it mercilessly, stating:
"This spell is like a pile of garbage in an outhouse—long, drawn out, and completely worthless."
For large-scale spells, lengthy construction times were expected, but even then, there was a limit.
The average domain battlefield engagement didn't even last 18 hours.
By the time someone finished tracing this spell, the battle would be long over.
Even worse, the process required absolute precision—one tiny mistake meant the entire trajectory collapsed, and the caster would have to start over from scratch.
Imagine tracing the spell for 17 hours only to make one small error at the end—the caster would have to restart from the very beginning, wasting another 18 hours.
The risk and impracticality of such a system were disastrous.
For this reason, despite its overwhelming power, Sole Dominion had no real-world application and was rightfully eliminated from practical use.
Other discarded spells followed a similar fate—their spell formations were too complex, and their spell trajectories couldn't be simplified into a fast, efficient process.
Lin Ran's Mastery in Spell Trajectories
In this area as well, Lin Ran displayed an exceptional talent.
The spells he designed typically had simple yet efficient structures, ensuring quick execution without sacrificing effectiveness.
However, his most revolutionary contribution to the field of spell research was his creation of a new casting method—
The "Seal Formation Casting" Technique.
This technique drastically enhanced casting speed for small to mid-scale spells, making spell execution significantly more efficient.
"Seal Formation Casting" acted as a boosting mechanism for spell construction.
By simplifying the spell trajectory process, it allowed spells to be formed and executed with higher precision and speed.
Within the spell research community, Lin Ran had already earned his place as the founding pioneer of an entire new school of casting methodology.
From overcoming the three major barriers in spell creation to developing an entirely new casting approach, he had achieved unprecedented milestones in the field.
It was for this reason that Lin Ran was destined to be one of the most influential figures of this era.
During his time at Tiger Soul Research Base, Feng Qi gained a much clearer understanding of spell research.
He also witnessed firsthand the terrifying potential Lin Ran possessed.
Watching Lin Ran, still immersed in his work within the spell element simulation apparatus, Feng Qi felt confident—
If Lin Ran were given complete creative freedom, his potential would only grow even further.
Each era has its brilliant prodigies, leaving a lasting mark in the river of history.
And in this era, Lin Ran was undoubtedly one of them.
The only regret was that his environment had never allowed his talents to fully flourish.
First, he was exploited by the Night Shadow Clan, then later possessed by Mist Lord.
From a historical perspective, Lin Ran's life was nothing short of a tragedy.
His fate could only lead to one of two endings:
If Old Wang had never joined the Crimson Research Institute, then after Mist Lord seized Old Wang's body, Lin Ran, as one of the most accomplished spell researchers, would have inevitably become Mist Lord's greatest threat—sooner or later, he would have been eliminated, his potential permanently cut off.
If Old Wang had learned the truth and joined the Crimson Research Institute, then Lin Ran would have become Mist Lord's first target for possession. He would have either become a puppet under the guise of a great visionary, or he would have strayed so far from his ideals that he was nothing more than a tool to be used.
Even if 1,500 years later, the Counter-Parasitic Consciousness Plan successfully overthrew Mist Lord, by then, human civilization would have already been wiped out.
For Lin Ran, at that point, there would be no meaning left in survival.
Watching Lin Ran, still deeply focused on his spell research with a serious expression, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
But at the very least, Lin Ran had always remained optimistic, no matter the circumstances.
On this doomed path, he had long accepted his fate of being possessed by Mist Lord.
Yet, he never ran away from it.
Instead, he chose to face it with a smile, calmly continuing his work.
It never affected his daily life—he still poured all his energy into spell research, every single day.
His attitude reminded Feng Qi of Wei Wei.
Wei Wei had once said:
"Even if I know how my story ends, I will still live my life my own way."
Clearly, Lin Ran had the same mindset.
At that moment, Lin Ran powered down the testing apparatus and pushed open the glass chamber door.
He turned to Feng Qi with a smile, saying:
"Qi-ge, it's done. Help me check the spell's effect."
Feng Qi nodded immediately.
In the following days, Feng Qi spent every day working on spell research alongside Lin Ran.
To him, these learning experiences were far from meaningless.
Because when his future self retrieved these memories, all the knowledge he was absorbing now would become part of his arsenal.
And in the future, there would certainly come a time when this knowledge would be useful.
Ever since his last conversation with Mist Lord, Feng Qi hadn't heard from him in a long time.
But he knew that Mist Lord had already begun infiltrating the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
His plan was to use his identity as a member of the Night Shadow Clan to stir up internal conflicts, causing the clan to fracture from within.
Right now, the Night Shadow Clan was already on the brink of conflict due to unequal resource distribution.
All it needed was one final spark to ignite the flames of discord.
Once that happened, the Night Shadow Clan would split into factions, engaging in both open and covert battles.
Their internal strife would rapidly weaken their overall power.
And when that moment came, it would be Mist Lord's opportunity to seize control.
Feng Qi had never doubted Mist Lord's abilities.
If he hadn't possessed the power to traverse time and access intelligence from future timelines, he wouldn't have stood a chance against Mist Lord.
In a normal timeline, if he hadn't died young, he might have ended up as one of Mist Lord's victims.
After all, before gaining his time-travel abilities and narrator's guidance, he had been on track to become a researcher of cultivation techniques.
The moment Flesh Sacrifice was published, he would have definitely attempted to study and practice it.
And that would have made him just another pawn, harvested by Mist Lord's sickle.
Looking at history through the lens of his current intelligence, Mist Lord was without a doubt, humanity's greatest enemy—even more terrifying than Little Black.
Little Black's greatest threat lay in its unmatched combat strength.
Even Mist Lord was powerless against it, let alone humanity.
But ultimately, Little Black's impact on human civilization was still limited.
From a historical perspective, the only catastrophic event linked to Little Black was the destruction of Future City.
And even now, whether Little Black was truly responsible for Future City's fall remained uncertain.
In contrast, Mist Lord personally orchestrated the complete annihilation of human civilization.
He was the one who rang the death knell for humanity.
Through all his years of interactions with Mist Lord, Feng Qi had witnessed firsthand his ruthlessness and cruelty.
To Mist Lord, the only thing that mattered was "profit."
For the sake of profit, he was willing to do anything.
But at the same time, Feng Qi couldn't deny one thing—
Mist Lord truly saw him as a brother.
He still vividly remembered that snowy day in Winterfell, when Mist Lord, smiling, had said to him:
"In this world, I have no family left. But from now on, you are my only family."
He wasn't joking when he said that after reaching the peak, there would always be a place for Feng Qi at his side.
And because of that, Feng Qi couldn't shake the feeling of guilt.
From a moral standpoint, Mist Lord could not be allowed to exist.
But on a personal level, Mist Lord had more than earned the right to be called "brother."
Yet some choices in life left no room for hesitation.
Feng Qi had already made up his mind—
When the time came, he would kill Mist Lord, no matter what.
All he needed to do was wait for the right moment.
But until then, in this timeline, he would continue walking this path with Mist Lord, descending into the darkness—
All in search of the light.