The Northern Winter Territory.
Although it was nearing noon, the northern region remained shrouded in darkness.
A lone figure soared through the icy winds, cutting through the heavy snowfall.
The snowflakes that drifted toward him were pushed away by an invisible force, parting around him as he moved.
Closing in, it was clear that this figure was Feng Qi, in his Bone Form.
His flesh had transformed into a spiritual core, imprinted on his forehead, while his powerful telekinetic force carried him through the air effortlessly.
He no longer had to worry about running out of mental energy.
Even if he flew continuously for an entire day, his reserves wouldn't be depleted.
On his way to the Mist Domain Field, Feng Qi found himself pondering a critical question.
How would humanity's future change if he came clean to the Mist Lord?
Before taking this step, he had already made up his mind about one thing.
The only memories he would fully reveal were those between him and the Mist Lord—he wouldn't divulge too much else.
Especially not anything concerning the Crimson Research Institute.
Those parts of his memory had already been edited out of the preservation vial.
Just as Wei Wei had warned him, pure trust without consideration of benefits was naive.
Even if someone seemed entirely trustworthy, it was still necessary to have contingency plans.
For Feng Qi, that contingency plan was the Crimson Research Institute, which held all his secrets and intelligence.
He agreed with Wei Wei's reasoning.
He trusted Old Mist, but that was his personal sentiment.
He couldn't let his personal emotions drive all of humanity into a gamble.
That would be reckless and irresponsible.
The Mist Lord was undeniably dangerous—never a helpless sheep, but a carnivorous predator.
The way Hei Xuan had been turned against him was proof enough.
As for why he chose to reveal the truth in reality, Feng Qi had two main considerations.
First, he had already thoroughly understood Old Mist's true nature.
The future version of the Mist Lord was incredibly powerful, but the present-day Old Mist posed no significant threat.
And in the event of any unforeseen changes, he could always reset the timeline.
Second, it was about cooperation and trust.
The Mist Lord wasn't a fool.
If they were to work together, he needed to understand the existence of both the Primary Timeline and the Sacrificial Timeline.
This was the foundation of their cooperation.
Many of Feng Qi's future plans depended on this understanding.
If this foundation didn't exist, then the moment his Sacrificial Timeline self perished, Old Mist would lose any reason to continue supporting humanity's development.
The memories from multiple Sacrificial Timelines would also help Old Mist understand the difference between the versions of himself in each timeline.
If Feng Qi always approached him from a Sacrificial Timeline, the Mist Lord would inevitably grow suspicious and wary.
And no amount of deception could cover it up.
The distinctions between the Primary and Sacrificial Timelines were too obvious.
That was why choosing to reveal the truth in the real world was the only viable approach.
Feng Qi needed to earn the Mist Lord's trust, just as the Mist Lord needed to believe in him for their collaboration to be genuine.
Without that trust, Old Mist would never fully commit to helping him.
This wasn't just Feng Qi's own decision—it had been thoroughly discussed and approved by the top leaders of the Crimson Research Institute.
The only condition was that the Crimson Research Institute itself must never be exposed.
Everything else could be laid bare before the Mist Lord.
Going forward, the Tiger Soul Research Institute would replace the Crimson Research Institute as the publicly acknowledged research partner aiding him across multiple timelines.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Research Institute would retreat further into the shadows, continuing its role as an unseen force supporting him from behind the scenes.
He had no idea how long he had been flying, but a frozen forest finally appeared in the distance.
Most of the trees were buried beneath thick layers of snow, forming massive mounds that resembled a great white dragon sprawled across the landscape.
The howling winds intertwined in the air, creating an eerie roar that sounded like the dragon's bellowing cry.
The Northern Winter Region was a place of harsh conditions.
Perpetually blanketed in snow and ice, it was nearly devoid of human life.
Yet, it possessed a unique, unparalleled beauty.
The stars, the auroras, the endless snowfall, the profound silence—all combined into a scenery exclusive to this remote land.
As he took in the breathtaking sight, his gaze finally landed on a familiar structure.
A white barrier shimmered on the horizon—the entrance to a Domain Field.
Feng Qi recognized this place immediately.
He had been here before with Mu Qing during a previous Sacrificial Timeline.
If he wanted to reach the Mist Domain Field without taking a long detour, he had to pass through this area—the Wave Domain Field.
As he crossed the barrier, he found himself surrounded by a vast ocean of milky-white liquid.
The strange, viscous substance clung to his body, giving him a faint sensation of buoyancy.
The liquid was similar to air in the real world.
With each breath, the white fluid seeped through his nose and mouth, transforming into thin spiritual energy that diffused through his body.
Although the quality of spiritual energy here was low, the density was incredibly high.
Feng Qi activated his telekinetic force, pushing the surrounding liquid away, allowing him to continue flying unhindered.
Before long, he encountered the native creatures of this Domain Field.
A species of jellyfish-like spiritual creatures floated ahead.
This time, now that he had come with his Primary Timeline body, Feng Qi decided to hunt a few of them.
He wanted to see if they could grant him any new abilities.
He extended his right hand, reaching toward one of the floating creatures.
His telekinetic force shot outward, forming an invisible hand that crushed the jellyfish-like being on the spot.
A faint golden glow emerged from its remains, trailing behind a golden streak as it merged into his body.
Feng Qi could immediately tell that killing these creatures hadn't increased his mental energy at all.
Clearly, they were too weak to provide any meaningful enhancement.
Summoning his Reality Feedback Panel, he noticed a new ability had appeared in his list of talents.
[Mental Thrust (Active Talent)]
Talent Rank: Eighteenth Sequence
Talent Description: Compresses mental energy into a concentrated attack that strikes a target. Upon impact, it delivers a mental shock, with effects depending on the target's spiritual strength. If the target's mental resistance is too low, it may induce dizziness.
Seeing the newly acquired talent, Feng Qi couldn't help but shake his head.
There were eighteen talent sequences, and the lowest-tier talents belonged to the eighteenth sequence.
Not only was this ability weak, but its growth potential was also abysmal. Other than breaking it down for talent evolution points, it was completely useless.
[Even Sanwei would shake its head at this, saying, "Not even a dog would eat this garbage."]
Hearing the system's sarcastic remark, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
As he continued forward, he encountered several other spirit-type domain creatures, some resembling jellyfish, others looking like octopuses.
After slaying them one by one, he gained three more spirit-type talent abilities.
But without exception, all three were classified into the eighteenth sequence.
This made it clear—the creatures in this domain field had very low growth potential. No wonder they had no significant presence in history.
Even for humanity, this was just a small, low-risk domain field with little challenge.
From this point onward, unless the domain creatures actively attacked him, Feng Qi had no intention of engaging them.
They were too weak to be worth his time.
He knew that hunting creatures in the Dream Realm would yield far better results.
Even the feral beasts scavenging in the ruins of Star City—which Old Mist had once called a barren wasteland—had occasionally given him surprising gains after being slain.
Speaking of special talent abilities, Feng Qi suddenly thought about Blood Source.
Thanks to what Old Mist revealed in the previous timeline, he now understood the origin of the Goat-Headed Demons.
It was all a trap set by the Dark God.
Before its death, the Dark God passed down a method to resurrect itself, ensuring that it could rise again through faith.
On a normal timeline, when the Dark God was revived, all of its worshippers would have their spiritual power drained, along with half of their lifeblood, transforming them into a new type of believer—the Goat-Headed Demons.
Once the Dark God awoke, they would become eternal slaves, endlessly supplying it with faith energy.
This explained why the white bone masks worn by the Goat-Headed Demons were identical to those of the Dark God's followers—they were essentially faith-converted slaves.
And the Goat-Headed Demons that appeared in Star City 1,500 years later were likely former members of the Dark God's cult, who had been stationed in Star City to spread its teachings.
As for why a fragment of the Dark God's essence remained in Star City, Feng Qi still hadn't found an answer.
Perhaps the Blood Source sealed within the statue acted like a Faith Bracelet, serving as a faith conduit that could transmit and receive divine energy from afar.
But the true nature of its function remained unknown.
When Old Mist had first explained all this to him, Feng Qi had been shocked beyond words.
Across countless timelines, he had witnessed many different ways to exploit others.
For instance, Old Mist had harvested the flesh of countless weak races, while the Night Shadow Clan used mind control to drain Tiger Soul Research Institute's resources.
But what the Dark God did was something else entirely.
It harvested its own descendants just to resurrect itself.
In a previous Sacrificial Timeline, when Feng Qi had been imprisoned in Old Day City, he had briefly spoken to the Dark God's cult leader, "Mask."
Back then, Mask had said, "The Dark God is our faith, our glory."
Clearly, even Mask never realized that he was nothing more than a pawn in the Dark God's resurrection scheme.
He believed that by gathering faith and reviving the Dark God, the Dark Clan would rise to glory once more.
But what he didn't know was that they were resurrecting a nightmare that would devour them whole.
The Dark God didn't just exploit others—it devoured its own followers.
In Feng Qi's eyes, it was the ultimate villain archetype.
That being said, there was one thing he respected about the Dark God.
Despite its immense ambition, it acted like a meek lamb in front of the Mist Lord, never daring to show any defiance.
Feng Qi had seen the greed and fury in the Dark God's eyes when it realized he carried a missing piece of its essence.
Yet, as long as the Mist Lord remained silent, the Dark God could only beg, never daring to act out.
When it came to controlling subordinates, Old Mist was unrivaled.
To command a legion of powerful supernatural beings and keep them firmly under his rule—this alone proved his strength and dominance.
Thinking about this, Feng Qi felt even more anticipation for the changes Old Mist could bring to humanity.
Two days later, Feng Qi finally emerged from the Wave Domain Field.
The moment he crossed the white barrier, his view expanded instantly.
Through the swirling snowfall, he spotted the distant silhouette of the Mist Domain Field.
Towering black walls stretched into the sky, seamlessly merging with the heavens above.
Their massive expanse extended endlessly in both directions.
Feng Qi's body hovered mid-air, motionless for a moment.
Then, with a single thought, he shot forward like an arrow, streaking toward the Mist Domain Field.
In the blink of an eye, he had arrived at its gates.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi stepped through the barrier of the Mist Domain Field.
The moment the resistance disappeared, a thick gray fog filled his vision, completely obstructing his sight.
Feng Qi released his psychic power, forming an invisible hand that pushed the mist forward, clearing a visible path ahead.
After advancing a short distance, he stopped moving forward.
The mental core on his forehead glowed brilliantly under his guidance, unleashing a powerful psychic shockwave that spread in all directions from his position.
"Mi Yun, come out!"
His mental energy churned the mist, and his words echoed like crashing waves, spreading throughout the domain field.
As he waited for a response, his flesh rapidly regenerated, covering his body once more.
At that moment, he switched back to his human form.
Moments later, a face formed from the swirling mist materialized in front of him.
Scarlet eyes gleamed with wariness, hidden within the gray haze.
"Do you know me?" a hoarse voice asked.
"Show yourself. I want to talk." Feng Qi smiled as he looked at the face in the mist.
"Show myself? And why would I do that?" the voice retorted, deep and cautious.
Feng Qi grinned.
Just as he remembered, Old Mist was always extremely cautious, never revealing his vulnerabilities so easily.
"Mi Yun, I have a way to revive your people. Are you willing to talk now?"
The scarlet eyes within the mist narrowed slightly.
"You seem to know me well… but why do I sense a strange familiarity from you? Have we met before?"
As the words fell, the swirling gray mist rapidly compressed.
A moment later, a young man with purple hair and purple eyes emerged from the fog.
Even though he had revealed his true form, his wary expression remained.
Feng Qi didn't step forward.
At this moment, Mi Yun was clearly on guard. Any sudden move could make him flee.
Organizing his thoughts, Feng Qi finally spoke:
"What I'm about to tell you will sound unbelievable. Prepare yourself."
Mi Yun gave him a skeptical look, but Feng Qi proceeded to tell their story—their encounters, their cooperation, their struggles together.
Throughout the explanation, Mi Yun's brows furrowed deeply, his sharp eyes analyzing every word, searching for flaws.
Hours passed.
Feng Qi reached into his specialized backpack, unzipping it to reveal a small vial of memory preservation fluid.
"Inject this into your brain, and you'll understand everything."
However, Mi Yun shook his head and refused.
"Your words are too far-fetched. I can't believe them outright, and I certainly won't inject some unknown liquid into my body."
Feng Qi wasn't surprised.
If Mi Yun had accepted so easily, he wouldn't be the Mist Lord.
Since words had failed, there was only one solution left.
If you won't inject it, I'll inject it for you.
His flesh disintegrated instantly, turning into a golden energy current that condensed at his forehead, forming a mental energy crystal.
With a flick of his wrist, his psychic power surged forward, encasing Mi Yun in an invisible grip.
At the same time, he launched the syringe straight at Mi Yun's head.
Clearly, Mi Yun hadn't expected an ambush.
Caught off guard, the syringe pierced into his skull.
In an instant, the memory fluid was forcefully injected into Mi Yun's brain.
Just as Feng Qi thought his plan had succeeded, Mi Yun suddenly opened his mouth—
"Pah!"
A spray of liquid shot out of his mouth.
At the same time, his entire body burst into gray mist, rapidly dispersing.
Feng Qi reacted quickly.
Before the memory fluid hit the ground, he used his psychic power to suspend it midair, then guided it back into the syringe before it could be wasted.
Placing the syringe back into its metallic case, he raised his head and looked at the floating misty face in the distance.
"Old Mist, you're going to regret this."
"Oh?" The misty face responded with a mocking smirk.
Seeing Mi Yun's expression, Feng Qi set his backpack down, cracking a smile of his own.
"Well, since it's come to this… I have no choice."
As his words fell, the sound of a beating drum echoed in the air—but it wasn't a drum.
It was the sound of his heart pounding like a war drum.
In an instant, his body was enveloped in a dense, crimson aura.
His figure expanded rapidly, growing over eight meters tall in the blink of an eye.
Blood energy surged like tidal waves, radiating outward from him, distorting the surrounding air into rippling blood mist.
Feeling the overwhelming power, Mi Yun's expression shifted from mockery to horror.
He had activated his Blood Perception, and what he saw shook him to his core.
Feng Qi lifted his gaze toward Mi Yun, revealing a wicked grin.
"Old Mist, don't blame me for using force. You're the one who refused to cooperate."
[I suspect you're just taking revenge for all the beatings Old Mist gave you in the Dream Realm... but I fully support this! Crush him! Show him that no amount of scheming matters in the face of absolute strength! Hooowwllll! Hit him!]