The blue energy cluster—there was no doubt now. It was a Miracle Item.
Its temporary designation was "Will", since its effects depended entirely on the user's willpower. The stronger one's will, the greater the power it could unleash.
After leaving the "Huang" Laboratory, Feng Qi returned to the training room.
He sat down in front of the screen, browsing through the latest emails.
There had been a lot of good news in the past few days.
First, the Prajna Domain Combat Squad, which had already decided to relocate to Star City, had finally begun their move. Their core combat members were transferred first, while some personnel remained at the Northern Supply Zone of Old Day City to hold their position.
This staggered relocation was Feng Qi's idea.
After all, the area around Old Day City was under the control of the Psionic Race.
If the Prajna Squad, one of the Top Ten Domain Combat Squads, moved all at once, it would surely attract the attention of the Psionic Race, which could bring unwanted trouble.
The current priority was dealing with the shadow forces behind the Institute of Technological Research—not the Psionic Race.
Aside from the Prajna Squad, eight other human underground forces had also responded to the call to arms and were preparing to move to Star City.
To accommodate the arrival of these forces, Feng Qi had already convened a high-level meeting with the military and senior members of Dawn Organization.
The decision was made to designate a new area within Star City to serve as a headquarters for these incoming forces.
Everything was moving in the right direction.
The consolidation of combat power meant that this battlefront would last longer than in any previous timeline.
But the cost would be steep.
Yet, if they wanted to achieve victory, sacrifices were inevitable.
Feng Qi had already mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
After reading through all the latest emails, he paused for a moment, then opened the restricted archives.
He hesitated briefly—then typed in his father's name.
When he was a child, he had been told that his parents died while raiding a domain field.
But their teammates never actually saw them die.
All they found were their abandoned gear and personal items—their bodies were missing.
After an extensive search, they were declared deceased.
After all, in a domain field, a sudden disappearance almost always meant certain death.
But now… Feng Qi had a different theory.
Throughout human history, there were many powerful individuals who had mysteriously vanished without a trace.
Back then, Feng Qi had been obsessed with this mystery, but he never found any leads.
Later, when he encountered Lü Yue, he learned that the entire sword lineage of the Lü Family had also disappeared.
That was when he first formed a hypothesis—
Perhaps those who vanished hadn't actually died.
Maybe they had gone somewhere else.
And now, with Tian Shu's revelations, he finally had an answer.
All those legendary human warriors from history—
They had been sent to the Path of Ascension by Mu Yan.
They had become the Guardians of Humanity's First Line of Defense.
So now, he couldn't help but wonder—
Were his parents among them?
But he knew that this answer wouldn't be found in the restricted archives.
After all, information about the Path of Ascension was classified at the highest level.
Even the Institute of Technological Research, with all its clearance, wouldn't have access to it.
That was why he had never pursued this investigation in previous timelines.
But this time, thanks to Tian Shu, he had learned many secrets about the Path of Ascension.
Now, he wanted to piece together whatever clues he could from the records.
He entered his father's name and filtered the results.
Immediately, a file surfaced—
[Feng Tianyuan (Captain of the Smash the Domain's Skull Second Squad)]
Age at Death: 48
Background: Graduated from Lingxiao Academy, recognized as an Outstanding Graduate.
After graduation, he and several close friends joined one of the Top Ten Domain Combat Squads—the Smash the Domain's Skull Squad.
During his third year on the frontlines, he met Ying Zhuyu, a medical graduate from Star City Academy.
A year later, they married.
In the years that followed, both he and Ying Zhuyu distinguished themselves in combat, earning numerous accolades.
When the previous Second Squad Captain perished in battle, Feng Tianyuan succeeded him as the new commander.
When Ying Zhuyu became pregnant, the two temporarily left the frontlines to return to her hometown, Star City, where they gave birth to a child.
After raising their child for several years, they both returned to the battlefield.
Cause of Death: During the final phase of the Scarlet Ape Domain Field Raid, Feng Tianyuan and Ying Zhuyu mysteriously disappeared.
Their gear and personal belongings were found, but their bodies were never recovered.
After ten days of searching, they were declared KIA (Killed in Action).
Lifetime Achievements & Honors: Former Captain of Smash the Domain's Skull Second Squad, holder of the A-Rank Human Elite Medal, Outstanding Graduate of Lingxiao Academy, Humanity's Silver Medal of Excellence, and more…
Reading through the details, Feng Qi felt a mix of emotions.
He knew very little about his parents.
The frontlines were brutal, and they had never shared much about their struggles with him when he was young.
But one memory remained etched in his mind—
Right before they left, his parents had told him:
"Everything we do is so that you can live in a world of peace."
Many other memories had faded over time, but he still remembered their affection toward him.
Their time together had been far too short.
But he did recall that their domain combat squad had a legendary reputation.
His neighboring aunties would often tell him,
"If only my son could join that domain combat squad in the future… what an honor that would be."
That alone spoke volumes.
His parents' squad must have been one of the most powerful forces among humanity.
As Feng Qi reminisced about his childhood, he realized that at the time, he hadn't remembered exactly which domain combat squad his parents had belonged to. The memory was vague, buried beneath the years of his early youth. However, now that he was actively searching, piecing together the fragments of the past, everything was slowly coming together. The information he had uncovered confirmed one thing—his parents' achievements were significant enough to be classified under Historical Luminary. This further solidified his suspicion that they hadn't merely disappeared; instead, they had been taken somewhere else.
With this thought in mind, he continued his search. This time, he entered his mother's name, Ying Yuzhu, into the search bar. After filtering by gender, region, and time period, a detailed file appeared on the screen. Her records were remarkably similar to his father's. Born in Star City, she had studied at Star City Academy before joining the "Smash the Domain Bastards" Combat Squad as a member of its medical division. Later, she rose through the ranks to become the Deputy Commander of the Second Squad, as well as the Chief Medical Officer.
Both of them had outstanding records. His mother, Ying Yuzhu, had even secured first place in a joint combat-medical competition hosted by multiple major cities. Given these records, there was a high possibility that Mu Yan had taken them to Path of Ascension. Their so-called mysterious disappearance might have been a cover-up to conceal the truth of their departure. After all, information regarding Path of Ascension was a highly classified secret, hidden even from the highest-ranked research institutions.
However, this was just his speculation. The truth was something he had yet to confirm.
A thought suddenly crossed his mind—Could he also enter Path of Ascension?
But gaining access required two conditions.
First, his own strength needed to be sufficient for him to qualify as a Path of Ascension Warrior.
Second, and more importantly, he had to be acknowledged by Mu Yan.
Without Mu Yan's approval, he wouldn't even know where the entrance was, much less how to get there.
Even Tian Shu, without Mu Yan's guidance, had no way of returning to Path of Ascension.
How could he possibly find Mu Yan?
There was a chance in this battle timeline.
If Star City and Future City went to war, the impact would be massive.
If Mu Yan wasn't in seclusion at the time and was still wandering the world, he would definitely show up to investigate.
That would be his chance.
If he failed to meet him in this timeline, he would have to seek another opportunity in the next one.
From a historical perspective, if he managed to hold out until the Dawn Army was established, then Mu Yan would inevitably appear.
And when that happened, they would meet.
He was certain that the secrets surrounding Mu Yan would help him uncover crucial intelligence.
And intelligence was the foundation of trial-and-error progression.
If he ever got the chance to enter Path of Ascension, he would even consider using it as a gateway to visit the Domain World.
According to Old Mist, the Domain World was currently facing an existential crisis.
A crisis known as "The Great Momentum's Arrival."
Old Mist himself had not witnessed it firsthand, but he had seen the warning signs.
The spiritual energy of the Domain World was leaking away, giving the entire realm a sense of slow decay—as if the world itself was dying.
This phenomenon had struck fear into every major faction.
It was similar to how humans felt powerless in the face of natural disasters, watching helplessly as catastrophe crept closer.
What happened after the Great Momentum arrived?
Old Mist wasn't sure.
But what he did know was that the crisis currently unfolding in the Domain World would soon become humanity's problem as well.
The Domain World was just the first stop in the path of destruction.
Once it was wiped out, the next target would be the human world.
This was why so many domain creatures had migrated en masse to human civilization.
It wasn't just because of their innate bloodlust.
Some of them were simply trying to escape the impending doom.
To all the major domain factions, the human world was a temporary refuge.
As for the slaughter and pillaging that followed? That was merely a means to an end—a desperate race to build strength before the inevitable final judgment.
Old Mist had once described it as two choices—submit to fate or rebel against the heavens.
To resist the Great Momentum's arrival, there was only one solution—kill, pillage, and gather massive resources to strengthen one's faction, preparing for the ultimate challenge.
Feng Qi had always been curious about the Great Momentum.
But if he could enter Path of Ascension, then travel into the Domain World, perhaps he could witness it in real-time.
That kind of firsthand knowledge would be invaluable for his future timelines.
After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Feng Qi stood up from his chair.
It was time to train.
He moved toward the center of the training room and began practicing his fist techniques.
Mastering Fist Momentum depended on one's understanding of fist intent.
Unlike other techniques, Fist Momentum's mastery carried over across timelines, making it a universal advantage.
Its concept of pressing forward without hesitation resonated perfectly with his combat philosophy.
So no matter which timeline he was in, he never slacked off in its training.
As Wei Wei had once told him, "Momentum techniques have incredibly high potential, and they evolve alongside your strength."
The best example of this was Mu Qing.
When Mu Qing fought, she didn't just rely on raw power—she also wielded a bloodline-based suppression effect.
That, too, was a form of momentum.
It was like how a prey animal would instinctively freeze when it encountered a top predator—an effect deeply rooted in biological fear.
When a warrior reached a certain mastery of momentum, they wouldn't even need to make a move—the mere presence of their aura would be enough to crush their opponents.
Similar situations had occurred to Feng Qi before. During a previous timeline, when he was escorting the Miracle Bloodstone, he had been ambushed by a calamity-level domain creature. At that time, facing such a monstrous being, his body involuntarily trembled. Even though he was fearless at heart, his body reacted on instinct, beyond his control. This was the terrifying power of "momentum."
After an intense training session of full-powered punches, Feng Qi was drenched in sweat. He stepped into the training room's private area, took a shower, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Glancing at the time, it was already seven in the evening. He decided to head back to Star City Academy.
Stepping out of the Tiger Soul Research Institute, he found the outside world illuminated by streetlights, and snowflakes drifting down from the darkened sky. The cold air turned his breath into white mist as it dissipated into the night. Looking at the snow-covered scenery before him, a nostalgic expression surfaced on his face. He recalled the previous timeline, when Old Mist stood atop the headquarters of the Tiger Soul Research Institute and told him something.
Thinking back now, those words resonated deeply with him.
"In times of crisis, hope is the source of strength that defies all adversity."
The arrival of the Great Momentum had forced many races to rethink the meaning of survival and whether to resist the heavens. Once they understood the reality of their predicament, they faced a choice. To choose survival meant stepping onto the path of slaughter, competing against all races for a slim chance of survival, where every step forward would be met with enemies. The struggle of all races on a single-log bridge was bound to be brutal. Once a decision was made, one had to be prepared for the cost of moving forward.
Humanity, caught in the midst of this struggle, had no choice but to participate, whether they wanted to or not. Everyone wanted to live, but to survive, they had to kill and plunder. The second option was to go with the flow, accepting fate until the Great Momentum arrived and wiped them away like dust in history. But the moment one made that choice, they were doomed to become stepping stones for other races to rise.
"You want to go with the flow, but they want to survive."
"They will plunder your resources and slaughter your people, and you cannot resist, because they are merely trying to survive. Your decision to submit has nothing to do with them."
Faced with this choice, Old Mist had chosen the former.
"In truth, my desire for power has always been low. You know well that I've never liked using force against others. I yearn for the peak, only because true freedom lies there—where no external force can dictate the fate of me or my people."
"Sometimes, whether to use power is one thing, but having it is another."
"Only by possessing it do you have the right to choose and negotiate. Without it, you have no choice."
"When you have something you truly wish to protect, your perspective will change, and your actions will follow."
"Ah Qi, if what you want to protect surpasses your personal dreams, then that itself becomes your new dream."
Brushing the snow off his shoulders, a smile tugged at Feng Qi's lips.
Thinking back on Old Mist's words now, he found them even more meaningful. Once, his dream had been to join the Galaxy Research Institute and become a cultivation technique researcher. But now, as the weight of protection outweighed his dreams, that had become his new pursuit. And it was no longer just his dream—he carried the dreams of countless others walking the same path.
Old Mist's philosophy, born from his own experiences, and Feng Qi's perspective, formed from standing as a guardian of humanity, unexpectedly aligned. The only difference was their stance. But both were fighting for their people and their future.
Looking back now, Old Mist might as well have been a philosopher. Especially given his deep fascination with human history and mythology.
However, he had one particularly annoying habit—whenever he read human history books and myths, he always had to offer his own critique, often showing disdain for the intertwined stories of history and legend.
For example, he once said, "If human history truly had gods who could move mountains and fill seas with a wave of their hand, then we wouldn't have been the ones invading the human world. Most likely, the moment we arrived, those so-called gods would have swept us into the steel mills with a flick of their sleeve and put us to work refining steel. Or worse, we'd be sent to other labor sites as slaves. In the end, humanity would have enslaved us instead."
Every time he said something like that, Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes. When it came to sharp-tongued critiques, Old Mist had a natural talent for cold humor, always catching people off guard with his remarks.
Lost in these memories, Feng Qi made his way toward the gates of the Tiger Soul Research Institute. His next plan was to return to Star City Academy and begin laying out the groundwork for the future—a step that was crucial to advancing the battlefront.
Following the snow-covered path forward, his footsteps left a trail behind him. He looked up at the night sky and suddenly recalled something Wei Wei had once told him.
"When you feel lost, try looking up. Perhaps a star in the night sky will guide your way."
The deeper meaning behind those words was that history's guiding light might illuminate the path forward.
At the time, he had asked, "What if there are no stars?"
Hearing that, Wei Wei had rolled her eyes and responded, "If there are no stars, then you are the star. A mature star should learn to shine on its own and light the way forward."
Brushing off the snow from his clothes, Feng Qi continued walking through the wind and snow, his figure gradually fading into the distance.
As memories surged through his mind, a smile formed on his lips.
A new year had begun. It was time to continue moving forward.