Translator: CinderTL
Six months later.
Death Star Third Battle Group, Garrison Estate.
Though it was winter, the Old Days Supply Zone's tropical climate meant it remained snow-free year-round. The seasonal changes here were far less pronounced than in Star City.
After waking up early, Feng Qi washed up and left his residence, heading toward the administrative building.
A steady drizzle fell outside, and dark clouds churned overhead, rumbling ominously.
The path was lined with rows of fruit trees.
The Death Star Third Battle Group's Garrison Estate was remarkably distinctive.
The estate was planted with a variety of fruit trees, ensuring that no matter the season, there were always trees in bloom and bearing fruit.
Before Wang Yi was possessed by the Lord of the Mist, she had cultivated a field behind the estate, investing heavily in its development. She had watered it with spirit water, fertilized it with spirit plant powder, and enriched it with other spiritual substances.
She had also set up a formation around the field that autonomously drew spiritual energy from the environment.
After five years of cultivation, the field had acquired the properties of a "spirit field." The plants grown here were of exceptional quality, even suitable for cultivating many low-grade spirit plants.
The environment within the Death Star's garrison resembled a lush green plantation.
The Lord of the Mist had explained the reason for this to Feng Qi.
By accessing fragments of Wang Yi's memories, Feng Qi learned that her father had been a fruit farmer. Growing up surrounded by orchards had instilled in her a deep affection for such environments.
After being promoted to group leader, she conceived the idea of transforming the garrison's surroundings into a verdant garden.
Feng Qi had always harbored doubts about Wang Yi's betrayal of humanity.
Wang Yi was a figure enshrined in textbooks.
Since graduating from the academy, she had consistently fought on the front lines. One would expect such a warrior to possess an unwavering will, yet she had sold out humanity for personal gain.
The Lord of the Mist offered this explanation:
He said that people don't truly admire genuine heroes.
Their idealized notion of a hero is someone perpetually driven, with a will as unyielding as steel. Such a figure would never falter in the face of setbacks, remaining steadfastly focused on their predetermined goals—a paragon of greatness.
But reality is far more complex.
Heroes are still human, subject to emotions and moments of doubt, even questioning the future.
Wang Yi was no exception.
Once, she stood firmly on humanity's side.
But one day, during a Domain Field operation, she was cursed by a domain creature, leaving her disfigured and weakening her abilities.
In those dark days, she was consumed by the torment of the curse.
At her most desperate, it wasn't her comrades who stood by her side, but the Black Shadow Faction.
They broke the curse and offered her promises of hope.
Unable to overcome her inner turmoil, Wang Yi chose to embrace the darkness.
With the Black Shadow Faction's support, she rose to become the group leader of the Death Star Third Battle Group.
Learning Wang Yi's story filled Feng Qi with sorrow.
But he couldn't agree with the Lord of the Mist's words.
Heroes are human and can falter—he didn't deny that.
But these trials are part of the path to growth. Without overcoming them, how can one claim to be "steadfast"?
The memories from countless Sacrifice Lines had taught him one thing:
People only cheer for a hero when they reach the mountain's peak, yet they place countless obstacles in their path, constantly trying to drag them back, throwing stones, and hindering their progress.
This is both an external trial and an internal test of the self.
Whether one's inner resolve is as steadfast as they believe will be revealed in such moments.
Wang Yi had clearly failed this self-examination.
As for her supposed struggles and pain, he saw them as nothing more than justifications and self-consolation after making her choice.
Reflecting on the great figures of history,
which one hadn't achieved self-transcendence through adversity, bringing hope to the world from the depths of despair?
After learning about Wang Yi's upbringing, he understood that her reputation had been bestowed upon her by the Black Shadow Faction lurking behind the Technology Research Institute.
The real Wang Yi was utterly unworthy of being recorded in history textbooks.
In the end, she was nothing more than a puppet.
Come to think of it, the Black Shadow Faction would never approach those with unwavering wills.
Being targeted by the Black Shadow Faction only proved that they considered one's willpower weak and easily swayed into joining their ranks.
After walking for a while, raindrops soaked his clothes.
Feng Qi paid no attention.
Arriving at the office building, he strode into the lobby, simultaneously projecting his mental energy to absorb the moisture from his clothes.
The warriors he encountered along the way greeted him respectfully, to which he responded with a nod each time.
Under the Lord of the Mist's leadership, the Death Star Third Battle Group had become several times more efficient and disciplined than its previous incarnation.
He had to admit that the Lord of the Mist, having once served as a clan leader, had a knack for managing subordinates.
The Lord of the Mist's reforms had significantly eased Feng Qi's workload. The battle group now operated with clear rewards and punishments, and its discipline was exceptionally strict.
Reaching the Lord of the Mist's Group Commander's Office, he pushed the door open and entered.
Sitting down at the desk, he picked up the latest battle group intelligence reports and began reviewing them.
A knock sounded at the door.
He immediately glanced at the computer on the desk, which displayed the live feed from the security camera outside the office.
A smile spread across his face as he recognized the familiar figure:
"Not letting you in."
Hearing this, the door was pushed open without hesitation.
The figure entering the room removed their mask, revealing familiar purple hair and violet eyes.
"I'm back," the Lord of the Mist announced, striding to the desk and settling into the chair.
Feng Qi smiled and nodded at the returning Lord of the Mist. "Six months of seclusion. How has your cultivation progressed?"
"I should be able to hold my own against the Heijue Domain Field forces now. But I'll need to engage them directly to know for sure. With support from other factions, we should be fine."
Feng Qi was taken aback. "Didn't you say it would take two years to reach that level?"
"I meant two years of cultivation would guarantee victory. After six months, my progress has been rapid. I've already reached the early spirit king realm."
Feng Qi was stunned.
Though he had periodically supplied the Lord of the Mist with vast resources during his cultivation, he hadn't anticipated such astonishing progress.
The "early spirit king realm" mentioned by the Lord of the Mist was a standard for measuring power within the domain world.
The Domain Force's evaluation criteria for cultivation were far more detailed than those developed by human cultivation studies.
(End of the Chapter)
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