A thick, ink-like, endlessly twisting darkness engulfed Feng Qi's consciousness.
It felt like he had fallen into an endless abyss, unable to break free.
All kinds of negative emotions flooded his mind. In the darkness before his eyes, countless grotesque and terrifying monsters emerged. They bared their fangs and claws, swirling around Feng Qi, dragging his struggling self deeper into the darkness.
The suffocating pressure grew heavier.
With every breath, thick darkness poured down his throat, filled his chest, and spread through his entire body, corroding his consciousness.
Feng Qi gradually lost himself in this environment.
He felt exhausted, unwilling to fight any longer. His consciousness slowly began to merge with the darkness.
In that moment, Feng Qi's primary consciousness was on the verge of being swallowed by the unconscious negative persona.
Just as his primary consciousness was about to fully transform into the negative persona, a familiar voice suddenly exploded in his mind:
"Hey little brother, what's this? Can't even handle this much? Get your ass up and start grinding again!"
"Weren't you the one who once said, 'If the future doesn't go my way, then I'll shape it into the future I want'? Time to cash that check you wrote back then. Get up and get back to work!"
That familiar voice kept ringing out.
Like sunlight piercing through the darkness, it showed Feng Qi a way out.
His abandoned will to fight instinctively followed that light.
He didn't know how long he flew through that darkness.
Finally, when he felt the existence of a body again, he abruptly opened his eyes.
His blurry vision slowly cleared.
In front of him was a metallic round table, reflecting his own face.
His bloodshot eyes, contorted expression, and the sweat dripping from his forehead made it look like he had just survived a brutal battle.
The overlapping of memories hadn't completely faded. Feng Qi braced himself on the table, panting heavily, as if the air itself was some kind of medicine suppressing the turmoil within him.
"There's a reinforced mental calming agent on the table. The old hag made it for you. Hurry up and take it. Don't fall back into the pit of negativity," the narrator reminded him.
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately scanned the table until his eyes locked onto a vial of blue liquid.
Without hesitation, he grabbed it, twisted off the cap, and downed it in one gulp.
As the liquid slid down his throat, Feng Qi felt like his entire consciousness was being frozen. He shivered involuntarily.
It was like gulping down ice water on a hot summer day, causing a brain freeze that made his arteries spasm.
He stood there, dazed, clearly sensing the dark clouds in his mind slowly dispersing, retreating back to the depths of his spiritual sea.
Several minutes later, Feng Qi let out a long breath of relief.
It felt like he had just returned from the gates of death.
If not for the narrator's intervention, his consciousness would have completely sunk into that negative abyss.
The most likely outcome would have been his primary persona collapsing into the negative one, with the uncontrollable negative emotions fully taking over.
That would have meant his true death, giving birth to a fully independent Negative Feng Qi.
This wasn't like the Negative Persona merely borrowing his body in the past, but the birth of a true Negative Feng Qi with its own will.
When he first opened his eyes just now, he had felt like he could be dragged back in at any moment.
Luckily, the enhanced mental calming agent that Wei Wei had developed proved to be effective, finally pulling him out of that abyss.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi felt the lingering terror of surviving a near-death experience.
He had been just one step away from letting that demon locked deep within him become the master.
"Narrator… long time no see," he whispered, wiping the sweat from his forehead, a smile forming on his face.
"I didn't miss you at all," the narrator replied flatly.
"But I missed you, hahahaha."
After exchanging a few words with the narrator, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the pulsating brain on the metal table. Reaching out, he pressed the shutdown switch.
After countless years, the mission of this brain was complete. It was time for it to rest.
As black fluid drained from the outlet, the brain gradually stopped pulsating, and the metal lid slowly closed over it.
Feng Qi looked around.
The second underground level of the Scarlet Secret Base had changed from what he remembered.
The space had expanded several times over, filled with strange, unfamiliar equipment.
The only thing unchanged was the control panel at the center of the level.
He walked over, wiped the dust off the console, and noticed that the button layout was still exactly as he remembered.
Pressing the red power button, the large screen in front of him suddenly lit up.
After a short wait, the familiar interface appeared.
Opening Wei Wei's mailbox, Feng Qi started reviewing the updates on the aftermath of this sacrifice timeline.
He was especially concerned about any information regarding Jian Ji.
He still didn't know where Jian Ji had been sealed, so he could only search Wei Wei's messages for clues.
Clicking into Wei Wei's message box, the screen instantly filled with new messages.
1. "I suddenly got news today that your consciousness has died. Even though I knew this day would come, I still couldn't help but feel strangely sad."
"Partings like this are the worst."
"My long life has forced me to witness the deaths of so many. Thinking about how many more farewells I'll have to face in the future… it really ruins my mood."
"Let me start recording from the day you died. You already know everything that happened before, so I won't waste time repeating it."
2. "It's the second day since you died, but your body is still with Xiao You."
"According to the Tiger Soul staff, Xiao You refuses to leave your lifeless body."
"Her dependence on you makes it impossible for her to accept your death. She still believes you're just badly hurt from the God Ascension Challenge and that you'll recover soon, like you always have."
"But the Brain Activity Needle needs constant replenishment. Your spiritual sea has collapsed, and your consciousness is gone. If your brain isn't separated from your body soon, it might affect the preservation process."
"I guess I'll have to make a trip."
"After all, tricking a kid is what I do best."
"Mu Qing was raised by me, after all."
"Xiao You must be completely lost and in despair right now. What she needs is hope. I'll go give her that hope to live on."
3. I've already retrieved your body and completed the separation procedure.
During this, I made a backup of Xiao You's memories, keeping the parts where she was with you. When the time comes, I'll load them back into your mind. Whether you want to give these memories to the Xiao You of the main timeline is up to you.
The ice coffin holding your body has already been handed over to the external operations team. They will deliver it to Star City Military Headquarters.
As for your funeral, I won't be attending.
I hate the sorrowful and solemn atmosphere of funerals. It brings back too many memories I'd rather forget.
According to reports from the external operations team, your funeral has ended.
Something happened during that time.
After the ceremony, Zhang Daowen approached Xiao You and asked her to stay in Star City, but she refused. She said she was going to retrace your steps through the God Ascension Challenge. Then, she left Star City with Po Jia, Lei Ting, and Taihang.
Before she left, she took your Demon Blade with her.
When I heard that, I suddenly started looking forward to what that little one might achieve in the future.
Sadness is the best catalyst for growth. Your death took away Xiao You's carefree happiness, but it also made her realize how important it is to grow stronger. I can already imagine her retracing your path, defeating countless strong opponents, and using the same methods you once did—transforming through crisis after crisis—to make herself stronger.
Maybe when you return one day, you'll see a brand-new Xiao You standing before you.
Look forward to it. Anything is possible in the future.
Oh, by the way, if you decide to give Xiao You's memory backup to the Xiao You of the main timeline, I can also edit out the part about your death. That way, you'll get a lively and familiar Xiao You again.
I, Wei Wei, have always been reliable and meticulous. Both options are ready for you.
After all, I'm still the top worker under Boss Feng—working for free, mind you (grinding bricks emoji).
Jian Ji has been sealed in Room 1303.
To make sure Jian Ji stays asleep long enough, we placed a Sleep Crystal refined from fruits produced in the Forest Domain Field inside Room 1303. His body has also been sealed in an ice coffin by Zhang Daowen using Extreme Cold Power.
Right now, Jian Ji is completely unresponsive.
Your negative emotional power was terrifying. It crushed Jian Ji's spirit to the point of complete weakness. Even though his body wasn't physically damaged much, he's unable to break free from the torment of the negative hell.
I hope this effect holds.
We didn't touch the Million Sword Spirit Formation engraved on his body or the Fortification Gem.
I tried analyzing the formation mark on Jian Ji's chest and found it still holds terrifying energy. However, that energy seems to have gone dormant along with Jian Ji's sleep.
The Fortification Gem in Jian Ji's chest is the core of the formation. Trying to remove it poses huge risks. It could suddenly detonate, blowing up the entire Scarlet Secret Base—and possibly all of Star City.
On top of that, the explosion could attract attention from the Blue-Skin Clan, the Psionic Race, and other factions.
After much deliberation, even though we're greedy for the power of the Fortification Gem, we've decided to leave Jian Ji alone and let him sleep.
As for the future, do whatever you want.
By then, Star City will have already relocated. You can do whatever you want with Jian Ji.
The only thing that worries me is how long this seal will last.
Will a thousand or so years be enough to keep Jian Ji trapped in that negative mental hell?
Your fight with Jian Ji didn't do much physical damage to his body.
If he wakes up midway, Zhang Daowen might be the only one in Star City capable of taking him on.
If Zhang Daowen can defeat Rift Heaven Divine Lord, who holds the Seal Miracle, then he should have the ability to fight Jian Ji too.
But Zhang Daowen needs time to grow.
In the first 400 years after your death, if Jian Ji wakes up, Zhang Daowen probably won't be able to win.
Only with Old Mist's help might there be a chance of victory.
In any case, the longer Jian Ji stays asleep, the higher Zhang Daowen's chances of winning.
But even if they win, Star City would still lose.
Their battle would completely destroy Star City, making all the sacrifices of this timeline go to waste.
Today, the external operations team returned. They brought back the sealing chains gifted by Tian Shu.
We've wrapped those sealing chains around the ice coffin, hoping to prolong Jian Ji's sleep even further.
Killing Jian Ji would be easy. Sealing him is the real challenge.
Recently, we've been developing a life monitoring system.
With this system, we can monitor Jian Ji's life signs and mental fluctuations in real time. If anything happens, we'll be able to respond quickly.
Let me give you an update on cracking the Flesh Sacrifice Ritual.
According to Xiaoxin's latest report, they've made significant progress.
Through her and her team's efforts, they've found hope of breaking the ritual and have successfully isolated a segment of the original sequence that causes the Flesh Cauldron Ritual to consume practitioners.
This segment is the main reason why the Flesh Sacrifice Ritual gets absorbed by the Flesh Cauldron.
Right now, Xiaoxin and her team are trying to remove that sequence while ensuring the ritual can still be practiced safely.
Since we've already identified the problem, it's only a matter of time before we fix it.
After reviewing the data, I can't help but suspect that Xiaoxin might also carry the legacy of Pillar God powers, possibly making her one of the miracles that Mu Yan has been searching for.
She seems to have only partially activated her bloodline power, which explains her unique ability to rapidly grow stronger under pressure.
Based on all the intelligence we have so far, one thing is clear:
Everyone Mu Yan sees as a miracle has their own unique abilities.
Like Tian Shu's divine patterns, which can fuse with genes to obtain Domain Creature abilities…
Or Ye Huang's unrivaled combat power…
Or my long lifespan, wisdom, and beauty (hahaha, I know you're laughing, shut up—this lady is the very embodiment of beauty and brains, no doubt about it)…
Anyway, every one of Mu Yan's miracles has extraordinary abilities.
Xiaoxin is probably one of them too.
It's just that Mu Yan, that old woman, never managed to find her.
What a shame that old woman had to go through remolding. Otherwise, I would've liked to ask her. Who knows, she might've been able to help activate Xiaoxin's special ability even further.
Back when I was on the verge of death, it was that old woman who activated my half-dormant body potential, giving me a huge boost in lifespan.
Oh right, following that train of thought—
Do you think Lin Ran might also be one of the miracles Mu Yan was looking for?
Speaking of talent, Lin Ran's potential is in no way inferior to Xiaoxin's. In fact, she might even surpass Xiaoxin in every aspect.
Latest update from the external operations team.
The war in Winterfell City has officially come to an end. The Dawn Army and Winterfell Army have announced a formal ceasefire.
To settle the issue, we provided all kinds of video evidence proving that Winterfell City had been under the control of the Sword Clan all along.
I even filmed a dissection video of their military commander to prove that their leader was actually a Domain Creature the whole time. We also backed it up with all sorts of detailed data.
The conflict has been resolved now, but Winterfell City's development has taken a huge hit.
It's a real headache.
Just a few days ago, Zhang Daowen went to Winterfell City on behalf of Star City. He held a meeting with the upper ranks of both the Dawn Army and Winterfell City.
The meeting focused on the rebuilding of Winterfell City and discussions about forming a three-way alliance for the future.
Since the crisis brought by Jian Ji had been resolved, everyone spoke freely at the meeting. With no more obstacles, the alliance was officially established.
But the problem now is that rebuilding Winterfell City won't bring Star City any real benefit. Instead, it'll slow us down.
Winterfell City needs a massive amount of resources to rebuild, and that burden falls on Star City.
Jian Ji's Million Sword Spirit Formation nearly emptied all of Winterfell City's reserves, especially their combat strength.
Their population was cut down by two-fifths, and their military is practically wiped out.
The best move now would be to let the Dawn Army take over as Winterfell City's new military and fully merge them into Winterfell.
But the wounds left by the war have created a rift between the Dawn Army and Winterfell. It'll take time and a lot of mediation from Star City to bridge that gap. Right now, forcing a merger seems impossible.
Actually, the leadership in Star City has already debated another possibility:
Abandoning the rebuild and just merging both Winterfell and the Dawn Army into Star City.
According to the external operations team, the debate at the meeting was fierce, but the final conclusion was that a full merger just isn't practical.
There are two major problems we can't solve.
First, a merger means fully supporting this population. With Star City's current resource output, that's just not possible. Even if it were, it would halt our development, possibly even push us backward. We wouldn't be able to continue investing in growth, construction, or research.
Besides, Star City doesn't have the land to absorb such a huge population unless a new city gets built.
But that's still just a concept, far from reality.
Second, if we abandon Winterfell City, we lose the entire Northern Frontier.
The Northern Frontier has always been the richest source of spiritual resources. It's one of humanity's most important lifelines for development.
Giving up Winterfell would be like cutting off one of humanity's arms.
It would have a massive negative impact on humanity's future progress.
So in summary, merging the Dawn Army and Winterfell City is the best option.
Star City will act as a mediator, helping both sides understand that their true enemy was the Domain Creatures stirring up conflict—not each other.
Right now, Winterfell City's reconstruction plans are underway, and Star City will send representatives to participate. We'll also provide the necessary supplies during the rebuild.
Doing this will seriously slow down Star City's growth, but I believe that future cooperation between Winterfell and Star City will push human civilization further than ever.
…
Seeing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but nod.
The higher-ups' plans matched his own thinking exactly.
He also believed that rebuilding Winterfell was the best choice. Merging wouldn't solve the problem and would only drag humanity's progress down.
Choosing to merge would mean giving up on the future.
In his mind, a true merger could only happen under one condition—
When the new city, still in its conceptual phase, is fully built.
This new city would be based entirely on the human cultivation system, designed to continuously expand and hold a massive population.
It would also be connected by Spatial Transmission Arrays to all five major frontline cities—Winterfell, Old Day, Star City, Future City, and Victory City.
At that point, the population wouldn't need to spread out across five cities anymore. Everyone could live in the new city.
Winterfell's existence right now is only because of the Northern Frontier's resources and processing plants, which can't be abandoned.
Without a city as a supply hub, the frontlines wouldn't get the resources they need.
But once the new city is built, soldiers could instantly travel to any frontline supply zone using stable Spatial Transmission Arrays. Supplies could be delivered quickly, point-to-point, through the arrays.
At that point, Winterfell would have no reason to exist as a city anymore. It would only need to serve as a frontline supply zone. The civilians could all move to the new city and contribute to the war effort from there.
The battle squads wouldn't have fixed bases anymore. The new city would be their only base, making it much easier for squads to support each other.
For example, if the Dawn Battle Squad was resting in the Northern Frontier and received a call for help from the western supply zone of Star City, they could instantly return to the new city via the transmission array in Winterfell. From there, they could quickly head to the western supply zone.
That's Feng Qi's vision of a real merger.
It wouldn't hold back human development, and it would make providing frontline support much more efficient.
But he knew that this goal was still a long way off.
At least on this sacrificial timeline, the cities were nowhere near ready for that kind of merger.