The Eastern Sea, Black Abyss Domain Field.
The coastline.
The sky gradually brightened, the first light of dawn stretching across the horizon.
The campfire had long since died out, leaving behind smoldering embers, faint wisps of white smoke rising into the crisp morning air.
The charred remains of the roasted sea beast lay atop the grill—picked clean down to the bones by Feng Qi's ravenous feast.
At this moment, Feng Qi lay flat on the white sand, his gaze fixed on the vast blue sky.
After a long while, he suddenly flipped over and leaped to his feet, his eyes turning toward the dense rainforest ahead.
He had already acquired the Miracle Bracelet, successfully completing the mission that had brought him to the Black Abyss Domain Field.
All that remained was to bring the Miracle Bracelet back to the Crimson Research Institute, where they would help him construct a Faith Statue.
Once the Faith Statue was completed, his Sacrificial Line self would be able to worship the statue, using the faith connection to establish a spiritual link with him.
However, during his battle against the Humanoid Tribe Leader, his Nightmare ability had granted him fragments of the leader's memories.
Among them was a broken scene depicting the construction of a Faith Statue for the Humanoid Tribe Leader.
Feng Qi figured it might be worth heading back to the Humanoid Tribe's settlement to see if he could find that statue and bring it back to the Crimson Research Institute for research.
Perhaps it could provide valuable insights for his own Faith Statue project.
Now that the Humanoid Tribe Leader was dead, there were still plenty of warriors left in the settlement, but in his Blood Source Form, no matter how many of them there were, they wouldn't be able to break through his defenses.
He wasn't worried about his own safety at all.
[Not a bad idea. You and Old Mist only managed to figure out some of the principles of statue construction in the last timeline, but you never actually put them into practice. It'd be way more reliable to just take a completed one back for research.]
Hearing the Narrator's analysis, Feng Qi nodded.
"I'll leave finding the statue to you."
[Declined!]
Feng Qi knew the Narrator all too well by now.
It never agreed to anything upfront, but when it came down to actually getting things done, it was always surprisingly reliable.
A smirk appeared on his face as he stepped into the rainforest.
After a full night's rest, his condition had completely recovered.
Hunting the sea beasts had replenished his depleted blood energy, leaving him fully prepared to charge into the Humanoid Tribe's settlement.
As he ventured into the dense rainforest, he followed the route he remembered.
This time, he didn't even need the Narrator's guidance—the path was clear.
During his pursuit of the Humanoid Tribe Leader, he had left deep footprints along the way, and his reckless charge had toppled countless trees.
All he had to do was follow the trail of destruction to return to the Humanoid Tribe's settlement.
After some time, he emerged from the dense rainforest to find himself once again facing the familiar sight of the waterfall, the lake, and the Humanoid Tribe's settlement beside it.
The settlement was bustling with activity—countless figures moving about, carrying tools, working on repairing the damaged structures.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi launched himself into the air, charging toward the Humanoid Tribe's settlement once more.
His sudden appearance immediately alerted the watchmen outside the settlement.
One of them raised a horn to its lips and blew a warning signal.
The sound echoed through the settlement, and countless Humanoid warriors gathered, rushing toward the entrance to confront the intruder.
Feng Qi felt no fear at all.
The Blood Source Form activated.
His speed increased, his footsteps thunderous as he accelerated toward the settlement's gates.
Just before impact, he leapt into the air, his massive body slicing through the sky, before slamming down hard inside the settlement.
The Narrator's voice echoed in his mind at that moment:
[Ten o'clock direction—the largest wooden building. That's where the Humanoid Tribe Leader placed his Faith Statue.]
Feng Qi turned his head, his gaze locking onto the structure in the direction the Narrator had indicated.
His eyes scanned the settlement, quickly identifying the largest wooden structure.
With a powerful push off the ground, the earth cracked beneath him, and his body shot forward like a cannonball, hurtling toward the building.
The hundred-meter distance was covered in just a few steps.
With unstoppable force, he crashed into the wooden structure, smashing through its defenses.
Though made of wood, the materials used for the structure were spiritual materials from the rainforest, their hardness comparable to steel.
But in the face of Feng Qi's raw physical strength, it shattered like paper.
Stepping inside, his eyes swept across the interior.
Numerous ritual vessels were neatly arranged, some still stained with fresh blood, the pungent scent of iron filling the air.
Aside from the ritual vessels, the walls were adorned with mounted beast skulls, serving as trophies of past hunts.
Each beast's forehead bore a unique warrior's mark, seemingly used to identify the hunter who had slain it.
It was clear that each of these creatures had been a formidable opponent, their heads displayed here as symbols of glory.
After scanning the room, Feng Qi's gaze finally locked onto a statue positioned at the far end of the chamber.
The statue stood about half a meter tall, meticulously carved from jade stone. Upon closer inspection, it bore a slight resemblance to the Humanoid Tribe Leader, though its facial features were not clearly defined.
Feng Qi didn't need the Narrator to confirm it—he could already tell that this was exactly what he had come for.
He stepped forward, reaching out to lift the statue.
Though only half a meter tall, the jade stone used to carve it was incredibly dense, making it remarkably heavy.
However, in his Blood Source Form, the statue's weight was insignificant to Feng Qi.
Without needing to gather strength, he easily hoisted the jade statue onto his shoulder.
As he turned around, he saw that a large number of Humanoid warriors had already blocked his way.
After mentally calculating his remaining time in Blood Source Form, he decided that before leaving, he might as well have some fun with them.
The more Humanoid warriors he killed now, the safer it would be for human explorers venturing into the Black Abyss Domain Field in the future.
He felt no guilt in slaughtering them.
Taking a step forward, he charged into the crowd like a rampaging bull, his left hand swinging like a reaper's scythe.
With every strike, a Humanoid warrior was sent flying, spitting blood before collapsing, dead.
Against absolute power, the best defense was an overwhelming offense.
And so, using raw, brutal strength, Feng Qi plowed his way forward, slaughtering his way from the ritual building to the entrance of the Humanoid Tribe's settlement before leaping away.
All the Humanoid warriors saw was a fading silhouette drenched in blood.
That figure would haunt their nightmares for years to come—a demon wreathed in hellfire, a crimson shadow, a monstrous visage, an unstoppable force…
That figure would forever be the nightmare lingering in the minds of the Humanoid warriors.
Rushing through the rainforest, Feng Qi moved at full speed, making the most of his remaining Blood Source Form.
With the Narrator guiding him, he headed toward the coast where he had first arrived on the island.
Four minutes later, his Blood Source Form dissipated, reverting him back to Combat Form.
But he didn't slow down.
Along the way, he cut some vines, tightly wrapping the statue before securing it to his back.
He then shifted his backpack to his chest, freeing up his hands to deal with any potential threats along the way.
After several hours, he finally heard the sound of waves crashing onto the shore.
Brushing aside the thick foliage, he stepped onto the familiar sandy beach.
As the ocean breeze washed over him, he lifted his gaze to the sky—bright blue, endless, just like his mood at that moment.
Despite a few unexpected complications, the mission to retrieve the Miracle Bracelet had gone surprisingly well.
The most shocking part was that the current Humanoid Tribe Leader was far weaker than expected, much weaker than the one from the Sacrificial Line timeline.
He had killed the leader with ease, without even forcing him to use the dreaded 'Death Curse'—the very ability that had troubled the Mist Lord so much in the past.
[Even if he had used it, you wouldn't have been affected. Thanks to your Purple Soul immunity, most energy-based attacks get nullified anyway.]
Feng Qi grinned. That was precisely why he had dared to come here alone.
With Purple Soul shielding him, any energy-based attack was greatly weakened, and with his rapid regeneration, the so-called Death Curse was no longer a real threat.
After resting briefly by the shore, Feng Qi hoisted the statue onto his back and stepped into the water.
The waves crashed against him, his body gradually submerging as he waded deeper into the ocean.
Carrying a heavy statue while swimming significantly slowed him down, but he refused to abandon it.
As expected, after swimming for a short distance, Feng Qi was attacked by sea beasts.
These creatures were no different from the mindless domain creatures in the future dreamscape—they didn't bother to assess their opponent's strength.
Once they identified him as prey, they attacked without hesitation.
Thanks to his Water Skin ability, his mobility underwater was significantly enhanced.
However, fighting while carrying the statue was incredibly inconvenient, and he had to ensure the statue wasn't damaged in the chaos.
After an endless battle against sea beasts, Feng Qi finally reached the boundary of the Black Abyss Domain Field.
It had taken him three times as long as his initial journey to get here.
With a slight resistance, he passed through the black barrier, returning to the outside world.
Now that he was outside the Domain Field, he no longer had to worry about endless sea beast attacks—only domain-transcendent creatures posed a threat now.
At this point, he retrieved a specialized communication device from his fireproof, waterproof, shockproof backpack and dialed the Crimson Research Institute.
The voice on the other end wasn't Wei Wei.
Feng Qi simply reported that he was safe and that the mission was complete, before hanging up the call.
Next, he pulled out a compact navigation system.
It was a palm-sized screen, capable of precisely pinpointing locations.
As long as he wasn't in a rule-distorted Domain Field, he could always determine his position.
After a brief calibration, the screen lit up, displaying his exact coordinates.
Switching to human form, he zoomed in on the map, locating the Eastern Supply Zone's port.
With his destination confirmed, he packed up his gear and began swimming toward the port.
Due to the immense weight of the statue, his swimming speed was much slower than before.
It took him two and a half days before he finally reached the dock.
Dragging his exhausted body onto land, he carried the statue back to his hotel room.
After placing it down, he showered, changed into fresh clothes, and headed straight for the modified boat rental facility.
The sinking of the modified ship was his responsibility.
After explaining the situation to the staff, Feng Qi contacted the Crimson Research Institute.
Using his own meager savings to compensate for the loss of the ship was obviously not an option, and he certainly wasn't going to wash dishes to pay off the debt, as the Narrator had suggested. This was a matter best left to the Crimson Research Institute.
To an institute that controlled an entire city's resources, the cost of a single modified ship was insignificant.
The daily expenses of the institute, including spiritual materials and various resources, were astronomical.
In fact, the cost of a modified ship wasn't even enough to cover a single day's expenses at the Crimson Research Institute's cafeteria.
After half an hour of processing paperwork, the Crimson Research Institute transferred the compensation in full.
Back at the hotel, Feng Qi headed straight to the restaurant.
After two and a half days of swimming, he hadn't eaten a single meal.
Coupled with the intense physical exertion, he was starving—all he wanted was a massive feast before leaving.
He walked into the hotel restaurant and ordered an entire table full of seafood.
Although ordinary seafood couldn't compare to the delicate, flavorful flesh of sea beasts, when one was hungry, anything tasted amazing.
He arranged eight different dipping sauces on the table and began devouring the food.
Eating etiquette? That was the least of his concerns.
The other diners around him were shocked by his appetite, but their own eating manners weren't much better.
Most of the people here weren't civilians—they were frontline soldiers or supply workers.
Those stationed at supply zones were used to eating on the go, and many had developed the habit of eating as fast as possible.
Especially in Domain Fields, quick meals were a necessity. Lingering too long over food could be fatal.
After finishing his seafood feast and paying the bill, Feng Qi returned to his room.
As soon as he collapsed onto the soft bed, he didn't even bother covering himself with a blanket.
Within a few breaths, he was asleep.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he woke up again.
Looking outside, the sky was already dark.
Getting out of bed, he walked over to the couch and pulled out the communication device from his backpack, dialing the Crimson Research Institute's number.
After a few moments, a staff member answered.
Feng Qi informed them that he was ready to return, and the Crimson Research Institute immediately confirmed that they would dispatch a private aircraft to pick him up.
After hanging up, Feng Qi sat on the couch, lost in thought.
There was still some time before the aircraft arrived, and he began considering his next steps.
His gaze shifted to the statue of the Humanoid Tribe Leader.
Two days later, Old Day Eastern Supply Zone Airport.
The rumbling of aircraft engines echoed as the Crimson Research Institute's private jet landed in front of him.
As the cabin door opened, Feng Qi walked up the lowered boarding ramp and entered the plane.
The staff inside gave him respectful nods before picking up their communication devices to coordinate with the pilots.
After confirming everything, the ramp retracted, and the aircraft slowly took off along the runway.
Watching the shrinking landscape below, Feng Qi knew that this part of the journey was over.
Next, aside from researching the statue, he needed to begin planning the next Sacrificial Line timeline.
If his Sacrificial Line self could establish a faith-based mental link with his current self, and if power could be transmitted through this connection, then he was ready to initiate an aggressive strategy in the next Sacrificial Line.
Instead of passively gathering intelligence, he would use brute force to investigate secrets—then, fifteen hundred years later, he would observe how the future had changed.
Lost in thought, he barely noticed as the Crimson aircraft soared higher, piercing through the dense clouds.
Two days later, Crimson Base Airfield.
The Crimson aircraft landed smoothly, and as the cabin door opened, Feng Qi descended the ramp.
Waiting in the distance was Wei Wei.
She was still wearing her signature Crimson Research Institute uniform.
Come to think of it, Feng Qi realized that he had never seen Wei Wei in any other outfit.
She always wore the same crimson uniform, her hair neatly tied up.
Yet, even with such a simple appearance, she radiated an undeniable charm.
She was a woman completely devoted to research—just like him, she too had a vision of a flourishing, ideal human civilization.
For this dream, she had never stopped working, dedicating herself across countless timelines, pouring her heart and soul into one research project after another.
If there was one phrase that could describe Wei Wei, Feng Qi thought it would be:
"Hidden, yet great."
Thinking back to the other timelines, Feng Qi recalled an aging, dying Wei Wei from a past Sacrificial Line.
Her final words before her death?
She had only one request—
She wanted to eat a plate of spicy crayfish.
The memory pierced his heart with an inexplicable pain.
This loud, carefree woman always put on a cheerful front, but she had hidden all her suffering deep inside, carrying it alone.
Suppressing his emotions, Feng Qi stepped forward with a grin and greeted her:
"Wei-jie, it's good to see you again."
Hearing this, Wei Wei smiled brilliantly.
"I'm more interested in the Miracle Bracelet on your wrist and the statue on your back than I am in seeing you," she teased.
"I can't wait to start the research."