The conference room, decorated in a blue-and-white color scheme, carried a distinct futuristic atmosphere. Feng Qi followed the senior management of the Crimson Research Institute to the metallic table embedded with advanced technological systems.
As he pulled out a chair and sat down, the metal table in front of him lit up with a soft blue glow.
One after another, the attendees took their seats, and corresponding blue lights illuminated in succession.
A total of twenty seats were arranged around the table, with eighteen occupied. To Feng Qi's left sat Wei Wei, the Director of the Gene Division, while to his right was Gu Ke, the head of security. Directly across from him was the white-haired elder, the dean of the Crimson Research Institute.
A new round of the Crimson Conference had begun.
The primary agenda was to discuss and analyze the intelligence gathered from the most recent sacrificial timeline.
After the dean finished his report, his gaze landed on Feng Qi, giving him a small nod.
Feng Qi nodded in return and, after sweeping his eyes across the assembled members, began his briefing.
He summarized the critical intelligence obtained from this timeline, speaking concisely but thoroughly.
When he mentioned that the Mist Lord had now been successfully recruited into their faction, the room was filled with stunned expressions.
Even though the senior members had been aware of Feng Qi's intentions, none had expected him to achieve this goal so quickly.
Time slipped away as they continued the discussion.
Throughout the entire process, no one left their seat. They listened intently, occasionally nodding in agreement or furrowing their brows in deep thought.
Eventually, Feng Qi reached the conclusion of his report on the sacrificial timeline.
He scanned the room one more time and said, "Esteemed seniors, this concludes my briefing on the major events from this timeline."
"You've worked hard." The dean gave a nod of acknowledgment before turning to Wei Wei.
"Director Wei, take Feng Qi to unlock Lin Ran's memory. Once it's retrieved, make sure to store and secure it properly. Afterward, we'll discuss the next steps."
"Understood." Wei Wei responded with a bright smile before turning to Feng Qi.
"Come on, let's update your body's strength data first, and then we'll extract the memory."
The dean rose from his seat, surveying the assembled researchers before issuing his next command.
"Meeting adjourned."
Everyone stood up in unison, raising their hands in the "Breaking Dawn" salute.
To those in the Crimson Research Institute, "Breaking Dawn" was not merely a name—it was a shared belief and an ultimate goal.
It symbolized shattering the darkness and welcoming the first light of dawn.
All those striving toward this future, regardless of their roles, were part of Breaking Dawn—and the Crimson Research Institute was no exception.
After the meeting concluded, Feng Qi followed Wei Wei to the medical examination room to update his physical condition data.
During the assessment, he noticed an issue.
With his increasing physical strength, the institute's current testing equipment was gradually becoming inadequate for measuring his full potential.
This was not the first time such an issue had arisen within the Crimson Research Institute.
The last person to face this limitation was none other than Mu Qing.
With the conclusion of this timeline, Feng Qi's base strength—without activating Blood Source—had already reached the mid-tier Gold level, nearly reaching the peak of human classification.
If his power surpassed the upper Gold level, the current testing equipment would become entirely obsolete.
Wei Wei could only sigh at the situation. "I'm afraid we'll have to order new testing equipment from the Institute of Technological Research again."
Unlike combat techniques and research into cultivation, designing high-grade technology was not the specialty of the Crimson Research Institute.
Most of their advanced instruments were acquired from the Technological Research Institute, undergoing rigorous evaluations before being integrated into their facilities.
The issue underscored a more profound limitation: the overall development ceiling of humanity.
Even if humans were given a stable 1,500-year period of uninterrupted progress, they would still struggle to compete with the ancient domain races that had thrived for millennia.
The fundamental problem was that humanity had only recently begun integrating spiritual energy into their development.
Factors such as bloodline potential, cultivation techniques, and infrastructure were all major obstacles preventing humanity from catching up to long-established domain races.
These obstacles weren't just technological.
Every powerful race had its own unique growth ecosystem.
For example, the Mist Clan didn't need technology to evaluate their physical attributes. They used specialized mystical techniques to assess a warrior's strength. They also had specialized gray mist energy formations that automatically absorbed spiritual energy from the environment, enhancing their warriors' training efficiency.
Such infrastructure was a testament to a race's heritage and accumulated strength.
And these were problems that Feng Qi knew he had to resolve in the future.
As the final test concluded, Feng Qi turned to look at the force testing device, which now had a deep indentation left from his last punch.
He sighed, his face showing resignation.
"Looks like we'll need another batch of new testing equipment soon."
Wei Wei chuckled and turned to him. "Alright, let's go. It's time to unlock Lin Ran's memory."
Feng Qi nodded and followed her into her private laboratory, lying down on the experimental platform.
As Wei Wei sat down at the control panel, she pressed the activation switch.
Eight mechanical arms extended from the platform, their indicator lights sequentially turning green.
A purple scanning beam swept down from his head, moving methodically across his body.
Wei Wei then stood up and walked over to a refrigerated storage unit, retrieving a specially formulated memory extraction solution.
Placing it on the tool table, she picked up an S-grade equipment case.
At his current level, ordinary surgical tools could no longer penetrate his skin.
Only rare materials from domain fields, crafted into specialized instruments, could be used.
The Crimson Research Institute only had one complete set of such tools—and Wei Wei was the only one who had access to them.
Opening the equipment case, she pulled out a precision syringe and inserted it into a small blue vial.
The liquid inside was known as "Slumber", a rare compound recorded in the Domain Research Database.
It possessed a potent anesthetic effect, capable of suppressing neural activity at both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system levels.
A single milliliter of this "Slumber" solution was potent enough to knock out and potentially kill an adult elephant.
This anesthetic was extremely rare, derived from domain creatures resembling jellyfish found in the Eastern Sea. The Crimson Research Institute had a limited annual quota, making every drop highly valuable.
This scarcity was also one of the reasons why Wei Wei had to update Feng Qi's body data before every procedure.
With accurate data, the correct dosage could be precisely calculated.
As the cold needle punctured his skin and the blue liquid entered his bloodstream, Feng Qi's consciousness gradually faded.
When he opened his eyes again, the procedure was already complete.
Wei Wei was standing in front of a machine, busily working on something. A small vial of liquid was placed in the center of the instrument, while the screen above flickered with complex parameters.
"Wei-jie, how's it going?" Feng Qi asked.
"The memory extraction is complete. I'm analyzing the data for replication now. You don't need to help, just go to the cafeteria and grab some dinner. Oh, and bring me a meal while you're at it." Wei Wei replied without turning her head.
When she was focused on work, her usual carefree and playful demeanor disappeared, replaced by a sharp and capable aura.
Feng Qi nodded silently and left her private lab.
For the next three days, Feng Qi remained at the Crimson Research Institute.
On the third day, Wei Wei finally completed the decoding and duplication of Lin Ran's memories.
Through these memory fragments, Feng Qi was finally able to piece together the later developments of Lin Ran's story in this sacrificial timeline.
After receiving the intelligence provided by Yin Ling, Lin Ran returned to Star City Academy.
But within just a month, he left Star City Academy and joined the Crimson Research Institute.
The institute clearly recognized Lin Ran's immense potential. Even though they didn't know what kind of project he intended to pursue, they gave him full support, providing him with a private lab and offering him anything he needed.
Even the Crimson Dean personally assured him that he could request any resources, and the institute would do its best to accommodate.
However, in the beginning, Lin Ran did nothing.
Instead, he spent every day deep in thought, locked in his own world.
During this period, he became extremely withdrawn, neglecting his appearance and completely immersing himself in contemplation.
This state lasted for two years.
Then, one day—Lin Ran finally took action.
But he did not research cultivation techniques.
He did not explore new developments in spiritual arts, the field he was most proficient in.
Instead—he began to design a system of order.
Within just a few days, his private laboratory was piled high with blueprints and drafts.
Lin Ran envisioned a world where all races and factions could coexist peacefully, ruled by a harmonious and structured order.
The idea was undeniably ambitious—and the challenges ahead were immense.
Lin Ran's first thought was that humanity should be the "Order Race" of the new world, responsible for maintaining and enforcing this grand vision.
But to achieve this, humanity would not only need unmatched strength, but also internal unity.
Using the Crimson Research Institute's AI, Lin Ran ran countless simulations—only to find that his vision was completely unrealistic.
Greed, jealousy, desire—these emotions would inevitably create conflicting ideologies within humanity.
Conflicts would lead to divisions, and divisions would eventually lead to fragmentation.
If humanity, the supposed Order Race, couldn't maintain its own stability, how could it possibly uphold order for an entire world?
Without a solution, even if humanity became the strongest race, history would repeat itself—and humanity would ultimately collapse from within.
Determined to find an answer, Lin Ran devoted himself to research, poring over countless records and theories.
Eventually—he had a breakthrough.
This world, he realized, needed a transcendent intelligence—a presence akin to a divine AI to enforce the rules of order.
Something like a "Heavenly Dao"—standing above all beings, yet detached from their struggles.
But another problem arose—
How could such a transcendent force exist without emotions?
How could it remain purely rational, following the laws of order without deviation?
The more Lin Ran explored the concept, the more questions surfaced.
And for the rest of his life—he never stopped searching for answers.
Until the day he passed away in the Crimson Research Institute, his hair having turned completely white, most of his questions remained unsolved.
After watching the edited clips of Lin Ran's memories, Feng Qi let out a deep sigh.
This dream—was simply too grand. Even he found it unrealistic.
[Honestly, I think you should keep this memory from Lin Ran for now. He's completely lost in his own delusions. Your dream of leading humanity to rise is already difficult enough—but at least it's grounded in reality. His dream is even crazier—creating an ordered world? Love really does mess people up, huh? Especially a beautiful first love… Look at how much it screwed up our little Ran!]
Feng Qi couldn't help but agree.
After seeing Lin Ran's recorded thoughts, he was inclined to seal this memory away.
Humanity's rise—was the top priority.
Even if an ordered world was to be built, it would have to wait until humanity had the strength and foundation to support such a system.
Right now, in a world filled with formidable domain races, humanity's path to becoming a dominant force was already filled with hardship.
Before considering building an order, humanity first needed to survive and compete on equal footing with the great races.
For now, he had no interest in Lin Ran's idealistic pursuit of order.
It was like someone with only five hundred bucks already planning how to spend five million—
Way too far-fetched.
But—he understood Lin Ran's mindset.
After deep consideration, Feng Qi made a decision.
He would ask Wei Wei to edit the extracted memory, keeping only the parts about Lin Ran and Yin Ling's time together, while removing the later obsession with order.
As for when to give Lin Ran this memory—Feng Qi felt that now was not the right time.
Even the Lin Ran of the sacrificial timeline had anticipated this.
His final instruction was:
"Give it to my other self—when the time is right."
The "right time" clearly referred to when the other Lin Ran had matured enough to face the truth without hesitation.
After finishing the memory review, Feng Qi felt both a sense of lament and inspiration.
Old Mist had once told him that for a race to maintain unwavering unity, it needed a spiritual banner in addition to having its material needs met.
As long as that banner stood tall, the race's cohesion would never waver.
Much like how the Psionic Race had their Psionic War.
Lin Ran's vision of creating a "Heavenly Dao" gave Feng Qi an idea.
Could humanity create a legendary figure—a permanent symbol etched into history?
For any race, changing leaders was always a critical event.
Each leader would inevitably have different visions and strategies for the future.
For example, the Mist Race, which had been on a steady decline, completely reversed its trajectory once Old Mist took over, gradually pulling itself out of the abyss and regaining its strength.
Leaders were the guiding lights of a race.
But if this "banner" kept changing, it would inevitably spark ideological conflicts.
The divisions in this future timeline's humanity were proof of that.
Different leaders had different interpretations of the path forward, and those who followed developed diverging beliefs.
This led to the emergence of two major factions:
The Breaking Dawn faction, who adhered to the old ideals—
And the Liberation faction, which arose after several shifts in Star City's leadership.
These ideological clashes were one of the main sources of division.
But the real question was—how could he create this unshakable hero?
Feng Qi was willing to try it himself, but he knew that if he wanted to survive long enough to see the future, there were far too many obstacles in his path.
[Before you personally become that symbol, why not look for potential candidates? See what kind of impact they could have on humanity's future. But keep in mind—the leader must have an extraordinarily long lifespan and be willing to make complete self-sacrifices for humanity… There are a lot of conditions to fulfill.]
Feng Qi nodded at the narrator's suggestion.
After pondering for a while, he set the idea aside for now.
There were too many immediate problems that needed to be solved before he could tackle this one.
Now that Lin Ran's memories had been extracted, Feng Qi didn't need to personally oversee the subsequent archival work—the Crimson Research Institute would handle that.
Back when he first returned to reality, he had to manually input all the data into the archives, often staying up late for half a month or even longer just to complete it.
But with the Crimson Research Institute's technology advancing rapidly, this issue had already been resolved.
The only lingering problem now was the lack of suitable technological equipment.
Even though the technologies from 1,500 years later were highly advanced, they weren't always immediately applicable.
Some of them required specialized research equipment to function properly.
Even if they had blueprints for manufacturing these devices, it wasn't something that could be resolved overnight.
After all, the Crimson Research Institute lacked a fully developed supply chain and industrial system.
This meant they often had to break down the blueprints and distribute them to different institutions such as the Institute of Technological Research, the Future Research Institute, and other facilities for production—before assembling the final product at the Crimson Research Institute.
This process was not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also came with certain risks.
To address this issue, the Crimson Research Institute had recently put forward a proposal for a "Universal Research Institute."
Self-reliance was the best solution.
Once the proposal was approved, they would begin establishing their own technology departments.
But this too would take time.
The lack of technological talent was the first major hurdle.
The Crimson Research Institute had some experts, but not enough to support an entire technology division.
They needed to find more researchers through other means.
Recruiting new talent through universities would take too long.
Fortunately, Li Xingchen from the Future Research Institute had already prepared a solution.
The sealed list of experts he had compiled was finally about to be put to use.
These experts were all renowned scholars from Future City, and many of them had the exact skills and knowledge the Crimson Research Institute needed.
They could serve as the founding members of the new technology division.
After the Universal Research Institute proposal was finalized, Feng Qi bid farewell to the senior members of the Crimson Research Institute and left.
Before he could start a new future timeline, there were still two things he had to take care of.
Exiting the Crimson Research Institute, Feng Qi removed his backpack.
Unzipping the main compartment, he took out a small blue metallic box.
After entering the security code, he lifted the metal lid, revealing a vial of memory-preserving solution, softly glowing beneath a veil of white mist.
Sealing the box once more and securing it in his specialized backpack, Feng Qi made up his mind.
It was time to have an open conversation with Old Mist.
He was looking forward to seeing how far humanity could go with Old Mist's support in this future timeline.
Maybe—just maybe—when he opened his eyes in the Dream Realm once more, he would see a humanity standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the strongest domain races.
[Or maybe when you wake up, you'll just see Little Cripple doing an epic split, howling at you in greeting: "Yo, little bro, you're back again!"]
Feng Qi: …
[Speaking of which, it's been a while since we've seen Little Cripple's splits. How about we visit a future timeline where he exists, just to watch him do a perfect split? It'd bring me peace of mind.]
"Dumbass system, do you seriously have nothing better to do?"
[Dumbass zombie, who are you calling dumb?]
"I'm an elite human now. I've got nothing to do with zombies anymore. Stop calling me a walking corpse."
[Oh, so what if I keep calling you a dumbass zombie? What, you gonna bite me?]
Amid their usual bickering, Feng Qi walked further and further away.
As he lifted his gaze toward the northern horizon, a bright smile spread across his face.
A new future awaited.
And this time, they would face it together.