Translator: CinderTL
Staring at the suddenly transformed Feng Qi, Xia Qian opened his mouth, then abruptly turned his gaze to the portrait on the right wall.
"Don't look at that," Feng Qi said with a grin. "It's just your ancestors."
Hearing this, Xia Qian clearly still couldn't believe that the man sitting before him, who shared the same name as the great historical figure, was the same Feng Qi who had founded the Dawn Organization.
He had read the Dawn Organization's senior members' biography of Feng Qi, The Biography of Feng Qi, dozens of times. He knew that Feng Qi had died on the execution ground of Future City 1,500 years ago. Countless people had witnessed Feng Qi's execution through live broadcasts or in person. This historical event could not possibly be false. Even if Feng Qi hadn't died then, it was impossible for him to have lived until today, 1,500 years later.
Thinking this through, Xia Qian's expression grew solemn. "Don't play such a joke on me with your little trick of changing your appearance."
Feng Qi understood Xia Qian's skepticism completely. The Feng Qi who had died on the Sacrifice Line had indeed perished, witnessed by everyone. How could he possibly have been resurrected?
He was stumped on how to prove his identity.
The problem returned to the same one he had faced before reaching Shelter City: how to prove he was who he claimed to be.
"What do you need me to prove?" he thought, turning the question back to Xia Qian.
Xia Qian was so exasperated by Feng Qi's earnest expression that he burst out laughing.
If it weren't for Feng Qi's contributions to the Star City Shelter, Xia Qian would have locked him in solitary confinement for a month to teach him that one doesn't joke about great figures.
Realizing Xia Qian still didn't believe him, Feng Qi felt ashamed.
He immediately asked the Narrator in his mind:
"Narrator, is there any way for me to prove myself?"
[How about you transform into your Blood Origin Great Muscle Overlord form and have an arm-wrestling match with him? We'll agree beforehand that the winner gets to make the rules. It'll be a contest of pure, primal manliness, with no cheating allowed.]
After listening to the Narrator's deadpan suggestion, Feng Qi spat in his mind.
Feeling helpless, he turned to Xia Qian and said, "You can ask me any question you like, as long as it's related to Feng Qi."
"That proves nothing. Anyone can read Feng Qi's historical records."
"You can ask me about obscure historical details related to Feng Qi."
Hearing this, Xia Qian seemed to have lost his patience for the game. He said in a stern voice:
"Since you claim to be Feng Qi, do you know that Feng Qi was secretly interrogated before his death? When asked why he established the Dawn Organization, what was his reply?"
Feng Qi pondered carefully, a smile appearing on his face. "The ending is yet to be revealed. I simply wanted to strive for an ideal future before the dust settles."
"Wrong. Feng Qi's actual reply was: 'May future generations still feel the sun's warmth when gazing at the sky, and still see the brilliance of stars when gazing at the night sky.'"
Feng Qi: ???
[I'm dying laughing! Do you even understand Feng Qi? You're trying to act like you know him in front of someone who's studied him for decades. This is a massive slap in the face—slap, slap, slap!]
Staring at Xia Qian, who had delivered this line with such earnestness, Feng Qi rolled his eyes inwardly.
This completely derailed his attempts to prove his identity.
Based on historical records, anything he said might be wrong.
Thinking this, he couldn't help but ask Xia Qian, "Your ancestor, Xia Long, was once my student. The first lesson I taught him was about perspectives on the future. Is that recorded in your family's genealogy?"
"My ancestors were warriors. They never kept diaries."
[Who keeps a diary anyway? This is perfectly in line with Xia Long's boorish personality. Now that you've been exposed as a fake Feng Qi, don't try to deceive people with fabricated information not recorded in historical records.]
Hearing the Narrator's snide remark, Feng Qi spat inwardly.
Just as he was pondering how to prove his identity in a different way, Xia Qian suddenly spoke:
"Actually, there's a very simple way to prove whether you're truly Feng Qi."
"Tell me more."
"Feng Qi underwent rune modification. A ferocious shadow rune crystal was embedded in his chest. If you are Feng Qi, that rune crystal should still be embedded in your chest, or at least leave a mark even if it's been removed."
Feng Qi: ...
Xia Qian's words were true, but they made it even harder for him to prove his identity.
[Good heavens, you might as well just admit you're a fake. The descendants of the Scarlet Research Institute have erased all memories related to you, making it impossible to prove your ability to traverse timelines. You'd better leave some crucial information in the next timeline.]
Hearing the Narrator's words, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
He turned to Xia Qian and said, "I can understand why Xia Long and the others kept my ability to travel through timelines a secret. If the Domain Force lurking within Human Civilization knew about it, they would undoubtedly plan to target me in advance. But I still need to tell you: I am Feng Qi."
"Wait, you said you can travel through timelines?" Xia Qian's expression suddenly turned serious.
Seeing Xia Qian's change in expression, he was taken aback, realizing Xia Qian might have heard rumors about such abilities.
Just when he thought things were taking a turn for the better, Xia Qian suddenly said, "Prove it. Travel through a timeline right now."
Hearing the Narrator's burst of laughter in his ear, he decisively gave up. "Alright, let's just say I was joking. Don't take it seriously. Please provide me with an access account as soon as possible. I need to consult the database for some information."
"Don't make such jokes again. They're not funny at all," Xia Qian said, visibly relieved.
He then pointed at the screen on his desk and said,
"Post-war cleanup is underway in the shelter. If you need to look up any information, you can do so here. My display is connected to the Star City Database."
As Xia Qian spoke, he extended his right hand and swiped across the screen.
Instantly, a line of authenticated text appeared on the display, followed by the database search interface.
Feng Qi, without hesitation, walked over to the desk and sat down.
He tapped the search bar on the screen and entered his name.
After filtering the information, his character introduction appeared.
The words "Historical Great Figure" appeared after his name.
Under the authority account, in addition to his personal data, numerous video files related to him were retrieved.
As he scrolled through the results, one video caught his attention.
The thumbnail featured familiar figures: Xia Long and Jia Yi. The video's title read:
[If the purpose of historical heroes is to serve as a timeless beacon, then after reviewing Feng Qi's records, I can confidently say that heroes are the eternal lighthouses of history, guiding future generations and dispelling their confusion. This video pays tribute to Feng Qi and his comrades.]
When he opened the video, he was shocked to see it was his own memorial service.
Xia Long, Jia Yi, and others were carrying his coffin, and the five-mile route was lined with Future City residents paying their respects.
He didn't linger on the details of his memorial service, immediately closing the video.
He already had a general understanding of the Sacrifice Line. After briefly skimming the introduction page, he closed it and typed in Lin Ran's name.
After filtering, information related to Lin Ran appeared on the screen.
In this Future Line, Lin Ran's trajectory remained unchanged.
Without Wang Jinsheng's interference, he had clearly become the Lord of the Mist's prime choice for shaping the future, and the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice had ultimately occurred.
Xia Qian, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask, "Why are you looking up information on these historical figures?"
"Have you cultivated the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice?" Feng Qi immediately turned to him and inquired.
"Everyone has cultivated it, including the Domain Force factions secretly operating within the base. This deity-tier cultivation technique has undergone numerous improvements and is considered the human race's premier cultivation technique."
Hearing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Actually, whether they cultivate or not doesn't matter. The Flesh and Blood Sacrifice is likely a bloodline-inherited technique. As long as their ancestors practiced it, their descendants can't escape its grasp. Now, we can only hope Old Lin succeeds in body possession of the Lord of the Mist, preventing him from snapping his fingers, or that Old Wang can uncover the hidden dangers within the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice.
"We still need to focus on finding a solution. What if the Lord of the Mist's clansmen know how to activate the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice? Even if Lin Ran succeeds in body possession, we'll still lose."
[That's a valid point.]
"Why are you asking?" Xia Qian inquired curiously.
Feng Qi didn't hesitate to reveal the truth:
"The Flesh and Blood Sacrifice is essentially a bloodline trap set by the Domain Force for us humans. It contains a major hidden danger. As long as the Domain Force that planted this seed desires it, they can turn anyone who has practiced this technique, along with their descendants, into Flesh and Blood sacrifices at any time."
Xia Qian's expression froze as he heard this.
"Where did you get this false information? The Flesh and Blood Sacrifice has been thoroughly verified by the Tiger Soul Research Institute and proven safe through over a thousand years of testing. There's absolutely no problem with it."
"The Tiger Soul Research Institute? That institute has long been controlled by Domain Force, much like the Technology Research Institute before it."
"First, tell me where you got this information." Xia Qian's expression turned grave, clearly skeptical of Feng Qi's claims.
"I personally witnessed the Lord of the Mist, who controls the hidden switch to trigger the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice's hidden dangers, destroy Human Civilization."
"So you're still trying to tell me you're Feng Qi, that you possess the ability to traverse timelines, and that you personally witnessed the destruction of Human Civilization?"
"That's correct."
Hearing this again, Xia Qian's gaze flickered uncertainly.
"Can you tell me why White Eyes is so dependent on you?" After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Xia Qian pressed, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart.
In response, Feng Qi gently rubbed Suction Cup's small head.
"The White Eyes you mentioned is actually a clone of Mu Qing. Her dependence on me is inherited from her. The fractured rune crystal on her right arm, now dull and lifeless, is the one missing from Mu Qing's remains."
Xia Qian's heart surged with shock at these words.
Having studied history extensively, he knew Mu Qing's deep dependence on Feng Qi.
Though their relationship wasn't romantic, their bond surpassed love.
Feng Qi was her refuge, her anchor in a tumultuous world.
He was her spiritual pillar, her faith.
If the White Eyes were truly Mu Qing's clone, her instinctive dependence on Feng Qi made perfect sense.
"You... are you really Ancestor Feng Qi?"
"I am," Feng Qi replied with a solemn nod.
Taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, Xia Qian's gaze shifted:
"I have many questions now. Could you answer them for me?"
Glancing at the screen, Feng Qi wanted to spend his time reviewing data and cultivation techniques. The apocalypse could strike at any moment, and time was precious.
But knowing he would need Xia Qian's help with something later, he decided to speak:
"Hurry, I may not have much time left."
Hearing this, Xia Qian immediately grabbed a nearby chair, sat down beside him, and began asking about his condition.
Feng Qi didn't hide anything. He briefly recounted his first journey to the future, where he witnessed the end of humanity, and his subsequent attempts to change the future through repeated time travel.
As he listened to Feng Qi's account of his struggles across different timelines, Xia Qian's expression shifted constantly. When he learned that Human Civilization would ultimately still perish, his face became deeply conflicted.
"I once feared that Human Civilization might meet its end under my watch, but I never imagined it would truly happen," Xia Qian said, his usually strong facade crumbling before him. He suddenly seemed to age decades in an instant.
"Don't share these secrets with anyone else in the shelter," Feng Qi said.
"I understand. I don't want them to experience despair prematurely."
"I'm sorry for forcing you to face such despair early," Feng Qi said, his expression complex.
"Though I'm not the leader of humanity, I am the leader of tens of thousands within this shelter. I can bear this weight."
As his words faded, Xia Qian turned to him and said, "Ancestor Feng Qi, you've told me so much. You must need my help with something, otherwise you wouldn't have revealed these secrets to me."
He glanced at the Suction Cup in his arms and nodded solemnly. "I need you to open the Resource Repository for me. I need to replenish White Eyes' energy."
If this request had been made before Xia Qian knew his secret, it would have been met with immediate rebuke. After all, the Resource Repository, which stored food and energy crystals, was the most crucial element in maintaining the shelter's internal cycle. Any disruption to the Resource Repository would completely shatter the shelter's self-sustaining system. Requesting a large withdrawal of food was essentially severing the lifeline of the shelter's survivors.
But now, knowing the apocalypse was imminent, Xia Qian understood Feng Qi's intentions. He nodded immediately. "When do you plan to retrieve them?"
"Not now. I don't know exactly when the apocalypse will arrive in this timeline—it could be in a few hours or a few days. I can't touch these supplies yet. Open the Resource Repository for me only when the apocalypse is confirmed."
"Alright!"
Despite the heavy weight in his heart, Xia Qian quickly regained his composure.
For the next few hours, he turned and left the command room, no longer disturbing Feng Qi as he reviewed the information.
Feng Qi seized the opportunity and immediately opened the Cultivation Technique Library.
Scanning through the options, he selected the five-star-rated cultivation technique, "Limitless."
After opening the details page, he entered a state of complete concentration, immersing himself in the study of the technique.
The complexity of a five-star cultivation technique far surpassed the one- to three-star techniques he had previously learned. However, his memory had also improved significantly.
He believed that with several times the effort, memorizing this five-star cultivation technique would be entirely manageable.
Time flew by as he diligently memorized the technique.
After an unknown amount of time, Xia Qian rushed back into the command room.
His first words upon seeing Feng Qi were:
"Ancestor Feng Qi, the Domain Field's expansion rate has suddenly accelerated. I fear... the apocalypse is upon us."
[Sigh... Quickly send Suction Cup to gain experience. Then we'll know whether Old Lin successfully resisted the parasitic takeover. If he failed, have Suction Cup beat him up.]
(End of the Chapter)
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