It took one full month.
Only traveling during the four midday hours when the temperature was tolerable, Feng Qi led Xiao You and Po Jia through the domain field of blazing heat by day and freezing cold by night.
But the moment they emerged, another domain field loomed ahead.
There was no human-world gap between the two—just a direct transition. As soon as they crossed the barrier of the harsh previous domain field, they stepped into the next one.
The environment changed drastically.
A violent storm howled all around them. The sky was filled with streaks of purple lightning tearing through the air, crisscrossing like a spiderweb.
Crack!
A thunderous boom echoed. Not far ahead, a towering tree over ten meters tall was struck by lightning and immediately burst into crimson flames.
Seeing this, Feng Qi let out a helpless sigh.
After enduring that hellish heat and biting cold, he'd hoped the next domain field would at least be a little easier to traverse—but instead, they'd entered what felt like a tribulation zone.
"Boss, it's so loud here." Xiao You, wearing her mask, floated over to his side.
"Don't fly too high. You'll get struck."
Feng Qi slung the Demon Blade across his back and walked forward.
"Okay~" Xiao You instantly obeyed, lowering her flight altitude.
Po Jia followed behind silently.
As they moved on, Feng Qi stepped forward steadily, maintaining his Body Control Technique at all times.
The ground was muddy from the constant downpour. Without the support of the Body Control Technique, he would've sunk right in.
He had considered using Xiao You's flying mask.
But while the mask could carry him in the air just fine, it couldn't handle the added weight of the Demon Blade.
That made the Body Control Technique the best choice for traveling with the blade.
Still, it was an awkward process. Feng Qi wasn't yet used to keeping it running smoothly. Unlike instinctive breathing, it required constant mental focus.
Over time, it wore him down mentally.
The downpour showed no sign of letting up. Thunderbolts kept ripping the sky apart, slicing it into fragments like shattered glass.
Lightning struck down all around them at random.
Feng Qi mentally dubbed this place the "Random Lightning Strike Domain Field."
With this much lightning, the chance of getting hit was terrifyingly high.
Naming the domain fields was something he always did on the road.
While honing his skills through life-and-death experiences, he also recorded intel about every domain field—its native races, its resources, and other details.
All of this information was added to the mental domain bestiary he was building. It was among the most valuable pieces of intel gathered along this sacrificial path, destined to help humanity in dealing with domain races—whether for war, exploration, or resource harvesting.
After walking for some time, Feng Qi looked back.
Xiao You had slumped forward mid-air, her body dangling like a boneless fish. Her face was pointed at the ground while the flying mask kept her drifting forward lazily.
Po Jia, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and pressed forward with quick, firm steps despite the storm.
Unlike Xiao You, Po Jia rarely spoke. He was solitary by nature, but Feng Qi appreciated his focus and the ruthlessness he showed toward himself.
During physical training, knowing Feng Qi was nearby to keep him safe, Po Jia often pushed himself to the brink. He trained to the point of collapse multiple times, even fainting from overexertion.
That kind of brutal training paid off—his power had grown fast, even faster than Xiao You's.
But Feng Qi also recognized Po Jia's flaws.
He was like a wild wolf that hadn't been tamed—useful for now, but once his wings grew strong, he'd surely want to break free and disappear.
Feng Qi had analyzed the root of Po Jia's personality.
It clearly came from his upbringing.
Though raised in an underground mine, the environment was anything but humble. It was a brutal, competitive place, a miniature reflection of surface-level war among domain races.
Food was limited. If you wanted more, you had to steal it.
And there were constant power struggles between different races.
After all, mine slaves weren't all from the same race. Naturally, they formed factions.
According to Po Jia, the rations there were technically enough for everyone to be full. But some races had bigger appetites—if they wanted more, they had to steal it.
Snatching food had become a way of life.
The small groups that specialized in food raids had grown experienced. They knew better than to take everything. They understood the logic of sustainable plundering: if you gorge once, there's nothing left to gorge on next time.
Even when they stole, they only took part of the food—just enough to leave the victims alive.
One more ration meant one more opportunity to rob again during the next meal.
Po Jia was one of those who were raised like livestock, waiting to be plundered.
Every mealtime, most of his share was taken away.
He had tried to resist. But resistance brought nothing but beatings and bruises.
It was in that kind of environment that Po Jia's personality took shape.
He didn't trust anything around him—not even Feng Qi. Deep inside, there was always a sliver of wariness he couldn't put down.
His desperate pursuit of strength was fueled by a deep sense of insecurity.
Po Jia wanted power to take control of his own fate.
Feng Qi didn't dwell too much on that.
He had no intention of trying to change Po Jia's mindset either. That worldview had been shaped through blood and violence—it wasn't something that could be undone.
What Feng Qi valued was Po Jia's raw capability.
His potential was enormous. Compared to Xiao You, Po Jia was a far more efficient executor.
And that was enough.
He was a wildcard with ambition—exactly the type that could carve out a place in this brutal world.
Feng Qi glanced at Xiao You, who was still hanging limply in the air. He let out a sigh.
Xiao You's loyalty was unquestionable, but she was far too naive. She lacked drive and efficiency, treating Feng Qi like her one and only support.
She was basically a salted fish.
Every time she trained for a while, she'd get bored and start slacking off.
If she hadn't inherited her race's massive trove of knowledge, then no matter how much potential she had, this harsh world would've eliminated her long ago.
Feng Qi didn't force it.
Xiao You's abilities leaned more toward support. As for improving her combat strength, he'd already given up.
But that didn't mean she was useless.
Recently, Xiao You had been helping Po Jia design a custom energy entity suit.
That might just be the most suitable path for her—becoming the strongest support member of the elite team Feng Qi was building.
"Boss, I'm hungry."
Right then, Xiao You suddenly lifted her head and mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Endure it."
"Okay~"
After grumbling, she slumped back down and kept floating forward lazily on her flight mask.
In this brutal rainstorm, day and night were indistinguishable.
Feng Qi pressed forward without rest, leading Xiao You and Po Jia westward.
He had no idea how long they had been walking when he finally noticed that Po Jia was completely worn out.
Only then did he stop moving.
The surrounding terrain had shifted.
They'd entered a marshy wetland dotted with white plants several meters tall.
There were trees nearby that could be used for shelter, but Feng Qi didn't take the risk. The storm above was still raging, and hiding under a tree could easily invite a "lucky strike" from the lightning.
While resting in place, Feng Qi scanned the area for prey.
In the muddy swamp, he spotted a crab-like crustacean species. Maybe due to the spiritual energy here, they were all quite large.
They burrowed in the mud, blowing bubbles—easy to miss if you weren't paying close attention.
Feng Qi caught more than ten of them.
He then stuck the Demon Blade into the ground and ignited its flame.
This time, he didn't use any kindling. He let the Demon Blade burn on its own.
In this rainstorm, any regular fire would've gone out instantly.
But the Demon Blade's fire didn't go out. Even underwater, it could keep burning.
The only issue was that its flame was too fierce. If he didn't control the output, it would vaporize the food in an instant.
After checking the meat of the crustaceans, Feng Qi began cooking.
In fact, domain creatures' meat was quite delicious. Sashimi wouldn't have been a bad choice.
But he personally preferred cooked food.
After years of traveling together, Xiao You had gotten used to eating cooked meals too. She didn't like raw stuff anymore.
On this journey, not only had his strength improved, but so had his cooking skills.
At this point, his culinary talents could easily land him the role of head chef at a top academy.
To cook better food, he'd collected over ten different spices along the way.
Each one was made from dried and ground plants, and each could bring out exquisite flavors.
Eating Feng Qi's food had become the biggest joy in Xiao You's otherwise lazy lifestyle.
The moment the fire lit up, she perked up like a cat smelling fish, eyes sparkling.
"Boss, you got this!"
Hearing her shout, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel exasperated.
He'd set out to build a squad of loyal subordinates—yet Xiao You had really just turned him into her personal chef.
In contrast, Po Jia knew his place.
He always maintained a respectful attitude around Feng Qi, understood his position, and knew exactly what he needed to do.
But when it came to Xiao You… Feng Qi simply couldn't bring himself to be harsh.
Xiao You's loyalty was beyond question—she'd even die for him if he asked.
But her slacker tendencies were unshakable. Her goofy, muddle-headed personality couldn't be changed by force or threats.
Thinking back to when they first met, in those early six months, Feng Qi had tried everything he could to get her to take cultivation seriously.
But she always burned hot for a minute, then cooled right off.
One moment she'd clench her fists and vow to train hard, promising not to let her boss down—then the next moment she'd space out, and not long after that she'd doze off.
When it came to Xiao You, Feng Qi could only shake his head helplessly.
After a long while, the scent of food spread through the air, and the three finally started eating.
Peeling open the crustacean shells revealed snowy white meat—tender and flavorful.
Gazing westward, Feng Qi still had no idea exactly where he was or how far he had left to go.
He hadn't brought any tracking devices when he left Star City.
There was no need.
In domain fields, location devices were completely useless. Even if there happened to be a human-world gap nearby, it would still be surrounded by domain fields, making the tracking gear worthless.
Maybe he was now somewhere in the central-western region of the human world. Maybe his destination was still a long, long way off.
Either way, Feng Qi treated the whole journey as part of his training.
He could feel himself steadily growing stronger along the way.
If this sacrifice-line version of himself could reach the level needed to defeat Jian Ji, then this version of him might even surpass the mainline reality self in combat strength.
Maybe he could even break another life expectancy record and live longer than ever.
He had high hopes for the future.
He looked forward to the day he returned to Star City, to seeing a world that had changed beyond recognition.
He looked forward to the moment he would personally kill Jian Ji.
After they finished eating, Feng Qi took Xiao You and Po Jia back on the road.
The heavy rain hadn't let up at all—it just kept pouring.
The water on the ground was slowly rising. In the distance, every raindrop that hit the surface sent ripples across the flooded terrain.
Just then, Feng Qi narrowed his eyes—his pupils darkened.
He saw dozens of figures cutting through the downpour, charging straight toward them.
"Fall back."
As soon as Feng Qi spoke, Po Jia understood immediately. He rushed forward, grabbed Xiao You, and dragged her back with him.
Feng Qi tightened his grip on the Demon Blade.
In a domain field, encountering native domain creatures meant one thing—strike first.
Trying to talk things out was always the dumbest move.
But to his surprise, the approaching figures seemed to spot him and suddenly came to a halt.
Then, without warning, they shifted direction and began circling around him, continuing on their way.
Feng Qi was surprised.
All these years traveling through domain fields, native creatures always attacked him on sight—no negotiation, no hesitation.
He didn't blame them.
After all, if a domain creature appeared inside Star City, human warriors wouldn't think twice about killing it.
Even if the creature said, "I'm just passing through," no one would believe it.
From that perspective, it was natural for native domain creatures to see outsiders the same way.
Every domain field had a spatial core crystal—it was the key to stabilizing the entire domain space.
If that crystal was destroyed, the whole domain field would collapse.
So when an outsider entered, there was no way for the natives to tell whether the intruder was truly just passing through or secretly targeting the crystal to sabotage them.
Feng Qi had once witnessed a case of exactly that.
A warrior clad in red-yellow armor had his homeland devoured after being infiltrated by ghost-type beings. The domain field collapsed, and their already-defeated forces were wiped out in the blink of an eye.
So in the domain world, there was no need for justification.
The rule was simple: all intruders are enemies.
But now, those dozens of figures had chosen to go around him instead of attacking—and that made Feng Qi very curious.
Xiao You and Po Jia returned to his side.
Feng Qi didn't dwell on it. Since he couldn't figure out why, he just kept leading them forward.
Along the way, they encountered several more rushing groups. At one point, more than a hundred figures approached them.
But every time, when those figures noticed Feng Qi, they took a detour, retreating without any aggression. Some even seemed like they were deliberately avoiding any contact with him.
Feng Qi also noticed something else—all those people were carrying supplies.
They looked like they were fleeing—refugees on the move.
That usually only happened when a domain race had suffered a total defeat in war.
Most of their people would have died in battle. Some survivors might get captured for labor, and the rest would scatter, fleeing the collapsed domain field and becoming wandering forces.
Many of the weaker races now living in the Weak Tribe Alliance stationed near Star City had ended up there exactly like this.
That made Feng Qi even more curious.
What exactly had happened up ahead?