As the black mist fully enveloped his body, Feng Qi lost consciousness.
He had no idea how long he had been out.
A sharp pain jolted him awake from the darkness.
His eyes snapped open.
Slowly sitting up from the sofa, the familiar yet distant surroundings filled his vision.
He raised a hand to his forehead, feeling a dull ache.
The overwhelming flood of emotions from the Sacrificial Timeline surged in his mind, stirring up countless memories of past iterations.
One scene, in particular, stood out—
The moment the Mist Lord fell in battle.
That mixture of disbelief, guilt, and sorrow was still vivid in his heart.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed down the negativity swirling in his mind and stood up from the sofa, making his way to the refrigerator.
Opening the door, he grabbed a bottle of chilled drink, twisted off the cap, and took several deep gulps.
The icy liquid flowed down his throat, instantly clearing his head.
Still feeling somewhat groggy, he gave his head a slight shake, drink still in hand, and made his way toward his desk.
Pulling out the chair, he sat down and flipped open the notebook resting on the tabletop.
However, instead of immediately writing down notes, he began flipping through previous records.
He wasn't in the right mental state to start analyzing just yet.
For now, he decided to rest for a bit—he would begin documenting once he had recovered.
The sky darkened outside.
Feng Qi reached over and turned on the desk lamp, casting a warm glow over his workspace.
His phone suddenly buzzed—
It was Lin Ran, calling to urge him to come grab dinner.
He explained he was busy and promptly hung up.
Then, with his focus back on the notebook, he continued flipping through page after page, his fingers grazing the inked words as memories surfaced.
Every entry in this notebook was a condensed summary of his sacrificial timelines.
Yet behind each short sentence was possibly years of struggle and effort—
The culmination of an entire lifetime's worth of sacrifice.
Each piece of intelligence recorded here had cost a version of himself his future—some even his life, willing to become a pathfinder in the darkness.
So many past experiences flooded his mind like wildfire, burning away hesitation and solidifying his resolve.
Every timeline lost only added to the weight on his shoulders, and the expectations carried from his past selves only made him stronger.
By the time he reached a blank page, it was already 1 AM.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the pen on his desk and began recording the intelligence gathered from this timeline.
Intelligence Summary:
The Origin of the Flesh Sacrifice
It has been confirmed that the Flesh Sacrifice technique originated from the Mist Lord.
Specifically, it was created during his modifications of the Miracle Bloodstone's engraved pathways in an attempt to enhance it further.
Derivative Information:
The Mist Lord's modifications led to two distinct branches:
Flesh Cauldron Ritual → The complete, improved version of the Bloodstone's original trajectory engravings.
Flesh Sacrifice → A watered-down, stripped version of the engravings.
In reality, the Flesh Cauldron Ritual is the true core of this cultivation technique.
Flesh Sacrifice was never meant to be a true cultivation method—rather, it was designed to produce offerings for Flesh Cauldron cultivators.
Practicing Flesh Sacrifice enhances bloodline strength, but its purpose was solely to make practitioners easier to consume for those who practiced Flesh Cauldron Ritual.
Future Considerations:
Old Wang should continue researching ways to remove the hidden dangers of Flesh Sacrifice.
If the technique can be purified, it could become an immensely powerful asset for humanity's cultivation progress.
After finishing the first entry, Feng Qi fell into silence.
The question of how to remove the dangers of Flesh Sacrifice had troubled him for a long time.
One solution was to eliminate the Mist Lord entirely.
But that approach was risky—it wouldn't completely remove the hidden dangers.
After all, the Bloodstone the Mist Lord possessed was incomplete.
There were certainly other factions that held fragments of the Miracle Bloodstone.
If those groups figured out a way to utilize the Bloodstone's pathways, it could lead to disastrous consequences.
The odds were low, but even a small risk was unacceptable.
All things considered—
The only real solution was to eliminate the core danger of Flesh Sacrifice.
Another idea he had entertained was introducing Flesh Cauldron Ritual to humanity instead.
But after thorough deliberation, he ultimately dismissed it.
Why?
Because when the Mist Lord first discovered the Bloodstone's trajectory, his goal was to develop a supreme cultivation technique to uplift his people.
However—
Halfway through his research, he created Flesh Sacrifice because he realized that Flesh Cauldron Ritual was too complex.
At early stages, it was still manageable.
But the further one progressed, the more intricate it became.
In the long run, instead of helping his race thrive, it would limit their development.
Only a minuscule fraction of beings with absolute genius-level talent would ever be able to truly cultivate it.
That was why the Mist Lord ultimately chose to create the simplified version, Flesh Sacrifice.
If even he found Flesh Cauldron Ritual too complex, then following that path would be an insurmountable challenge.
After thinking it through, Feng Qi felt that cracking the hidden dangers of Flesh Sacrifice was the most feasible path.
If they could succeed, humanity would gain a groundbreaking cultivation technique capable of unlocking the full potential of their bloodline.
Right now, Old Wang was making progress on deciphering it in every single timeline.
Though slow, there was still hope—it was only a matter of time before a breakthrough happened.
With that thought, Feng Qi continued writing in his notebook.
Intelligence Report:
Current Status of the Tiger Soul Research Institute
The Night Shadow Clan, a domain faction, has occupied the institute.
Assessment: A weak faction, not a threat. Can be easily wiped out.
The Psionic Race's Strategic Recruitment
The Psionic Race seems to be gathering and nurturing potential domain factions in preparation for future endeavors.
Confirmed subordinate faction: Dark God Clan
Related findings:
The existence of Goat-Headed Demons is linked to the Dark God Clan.
It is highly likely that these demons are the Dark God Clan's descendants 1,500 years into the future.
Dark God Clan's future plans (speculation):
Establish and expand the Dark God Cult in five major cities and their affiliated settlements.
Harvest human faith through the cult to create a supernatural entity known as the Dark God.
Countermeasure Analysis:
The Dark God Clan's plans are not unbreakable.
The real threat lies with the Psionic Race backing them.
Underground Base in Twilight City
According to the Mist Lord, the Psionic Race has a secret base beneath the sewers of Twilight City, an affiliated city of Old Day City.
Primary research subject at the base: Blue-Skinned Assassins
Speculation 1: The Blue-Skinned Assassins are genetically engineered creations of the Psionic Race.
If this theory holds true, it would confirm that the Psionic Race possesses multiple Miracle Items, making them an entity powerful enough to single-handedly overturn human civilization.
Speculation 2:
The Blue-Skinned Assassins were captured while attempting to steal the Psionic Race's Miracle Item, the "Sacred Spirit Consciousness Repository."
This speculation is more plausible than the first.
Analysis:
This situation is highly abnormal, but due to insufficient intelligence, it's difficult to make further assessments.
The Black Reaper Project
Through information provided by the Mist Lord, it was confirmed that the future plan of the Institute of Technological Research is called the Black Reaper Project.
This project is undoubtedly the origin of "Little Black."
However, since the Mist Lord only operated in the combat division, he had no direct access to the scientific research documents related to the project.
As a result, there was no way to conduct an in-depth investigation into the Black Reaper Project at this time.
Miracle Item Located in the Black Abyss Domain Field
Confirmed intelligence: There exists a Miracle Item within the Black Abyss Domain Field, located in the ocean to the east of Old Day City.
This Miracle Item will be temporarily named "Miracle Bracelet".
Function:
Allows the collection of faith energy regardless of distance.
However, its absorption efficiency is yet to be determined.
Future Prospects:
If utilized correctly, it might be possible to establish faith-based connections between the main timeline and Sacrificial Timelines.
This would allow Sacrificial Timelines to inherit powerful abilities, such as the Blood Source talent.
If this theory is correct, future Sacrificial Timelines could be used to launch full-scale offensives instead of just gathering intelligence.
Next Steps:
Take a few days to recover mentally.
Then, travel to the Black Abyss Domain Field to seize the Miracle Bracelet.
Risk Assessment:
At the time, the Mist Lord was severely weakened yet still effortlessly defeated the leader of the humanoid creatures residing there.
Additionally, the life-curse ability of the domain creatures posed minimal effect on me, thanks to my Purple Soul talent, which significantly weakens all forms of energy-based attacks.
Overall Risk: Extremely Low.
Understanding the Mist Lord's Past
Findings:
Having spent an entire Sacrificial Timeline alongside the Mist Lord, I came to understand his pain, dreams, and unwavering determination.
Reflection:
I once thought of him as an irredeemable villain.
But after seeing a different side of him, I realized—
He wasn't just a ruthless monster.
He had moments of deep loyalty, strong emotions, and personal sacrifices.
Yet no matter how much his good side revealed itself, it didn't erase the atrocities he committed against humanity.
Feng Qi paused his writing at this point.
The memories of spending over a decade alongside the Mist Lord played vividly in his mind.
Especially that one scene—
The Mist Lord risking his life to carry him through a battlefield, drenched in blood.
At the time, Feng Qi was deeply moved by his selflessness.
Even now, he clearly remembered the dying Mist Lord struggling to carve words into the ground, entrusting his final dream to Feng Qi before his last breath.
Putting aside their opposing beliefs, they could have been true friends in a different world.
This Sacrificial Timeline taught him many things—
It made him realize that few beings are truly evil.
Most are simply forced into impossible choices.
Throughout his time with the Mist Lord, he had asked himself many times—
If humanity were to face extinction, and the only way to survive was to invade and conquer another world… what would he do?
The answer was clear as day.
He was no saint—
But he chose to fight from humanity's perspective.
To him, anything that threatened humanity's survival was evil.
And while he believed his actions were justified, he could now admit—
Perhaps the Mist Lord wasn't truly wrong either.
At its core, the difference between him and the Mist Lord was just a matter of perspective.
But regardless of perspectives, Feng Qi would always stand with humanity, defending against external invasions and striving to carve out the future he envisioned.
The only regret in his heart was that fate had destined him and the Mist Lord to be enemies.
Their brief encounter and mutual understanding—
Nothing more than a fleeting dream.
[System: Actually, you and the Mist Lord don't necessarily have to be enemies. I watched all of your Sacrificial Timeline memories, and I found a way to resolve this conflict… though it's not something you can use right now.]
Hearing this, Feng Qi froze.
"What do you mean?"
[Based on the timeline from your Sacrificial Memory, at this point in time, the Mist Lord has already arrived in this world, carrying his domain field—the one humans later referred to as the 'Silent Domain Field.']
[But right now, humanity hasn't launched an attack on the Silent Domain Field yet. This means, at this moment in time, the Mist Lord has never harmed humanity—nor has he posed a direct threat to them.]
[From what we've gathered from his own words, his true goal is to ascend as a Pillar God—but the reason for that is simple. Only by becoming a Pillar God can he protect his people for eternity, shielding them from external threats.]
Upon hearing this, Feng Qi immediately understood what the system was getting at.
"You're saying that if I can convince the Mist Lord to stand on the same side as humanity, not only will he not become our enemy—he might actually become an ally?"
[Exactly. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. If you can persuade him to align with humanity, we will gain an ally with endless potential.]
Feng Qi's expression changed dramatically as he processed this information.
This revelation opened an entirely new path forward.
Thinking ahead, he realized that the road to the future was still long.
The Great Battle of the Races, the arrival of an unknown force, the various crises yet to come—humanity would have to overcome countless obstacles.
If what the system said was true…
Could he actually recruit other domain factions that shared common interests and form an alliance with humanity?
Would it be possible to stand together against the terrifying Great Arrival that even the races of the domains feared?
But as the system said, this wasn't the right time to recruit the Mist Lord.
For that, three key conditions had to be met.
Condition 1: Absolute Strength
Strength is the foundation of all negotiations.
Without overwhelming power, there was no way to even hold a conversation on equal footing.
But this wasn't actually a difficult issue to solve.
Right now, after activating his Blood Source form, his combat power was on par with the severely wounded Mist Lord.
If he continued to grow, surpassing the Mist Lord wouldn't be hard at all.
Condition 2: A Way to Resurrect the Mist Lord's People
Force alone could subdue, but not convince.
For the Mist Lord, reviving his people was his greatest obsession.
Unless this issue was resolved, even if Feng Qi forced him to surrender, he would absolutely betray humanity at the first opportunity.
If he wasn't careful, he might end up getting stabbed in the back while still thinking they were allies.
Or worse—he'd be helping the Mist Lord count the money he'd been sold for.
Condition 3: A Future Worth Fighting For
The Mist Lord was deeply sentimental.
If he helped resurrect his people, he would certainly be grateful.
But gratitude alone wouldn't be enough for a lasting alliance.
Feng Qi understood the Mist Lord's personality—
If nothing changed, he would probably assist humanity's growth from the shadows, but never truly stand alongside them.
The only way to make him stand firmly with humanity was to give him a future worth fighting for—
A future where his people could live in eternal peace.
But this problem was the hardest to solve.
He would have to paint a grand vision, something so convincing that the Mist Lord would truly believe he could make it happen.
If he couldn't make the Mist Lord believe in the dream, then it was all just empty talk.
The Mist Lord was too sharp to be easily deceived.
If he could solve these three issues, then the Mist Lord could become a true ally—standing side by side with humanity against the Great Arrival.
The thought sent a thrill through Feng Qi's mind.
The guilt and sorrow that had weighed on him for so long—completely vanished.
Thanks to the system's guidance, he had found a brand-new path.
For the first time, he saw a way to bridge the gap between him and the Mist Lord.
Maybe…
Their opposing fates weren't set in stone.
Maybe there was a way out of the cycle of mutual destruction.
A genuine path forward.
A bright smile broke across Feng Qi's face.
"A'Bai, you really helped me out this time."
[If you're really grateful, show some proper respect.]
"Like what?"
[How about calling me 'Father'?]
"Dumbass system."
[Heh—tui!]