Tiger Soul Research Institute.
2:00 AM.
The sealed-off core zone lay in ruins—scattered debris, shattered metal fragments, and bloodstains covering every surface.
It had taken Feng Qi and the students just an hour to completely secure the entire area.
His memories from the previous timeline gave him an intimate understanding of Tiger Soul Research Institute's layout, allowing for a perfectly executed surprise attack. Even the military combat units stationed within the institute hadn't realized what was happening.
The only real opposition was the Night Shadow Clan.
But their fate was already sealed.
With the battle over, everyone gathered near the command console.
Feng Qi, having shed his Blood Source Form, returned to his battle form, standing before the corpses of the Night Shadow Clan members.
He extended his gloved right hand, preparing to draw a qi and blood absorption formation.
The specialized glove acted as a medium, its inner structure channeling spiritual energy, guiding it along his fingertips to create intricate formation patterns in the air.
As soon as the absorption formation was completed, streams of blood energy began rising from the lifeless bodies of the Night Shadow Clan warriors, flowing steadily into his body.
Compared to the Blood Source ability in the main timeline, where he could directly absorb power from fallen enemies, this method was far more cumbersome.
But Feng Qi was already grateful that his sacrifice timeline self could even borrow some abilities from his main timeline counterpart. He didn't expect anything more.
At the same time, he was now certain of one thing—
In the sacrifice timeline, killing domain creatures did not completely erase them from existence across all dimensions, unlike in the main timeline.
The Narrator had once explained that the erasure ability was linked to his power to absorb innate talents.
And in this timeline, since he couldn't absorb talents, true erasure wasn't possible.
As the blood mist continued pouring into him, his withered heart began to regain color, its pulses gradually strengthening.
"Qi-ge, what do we do with them?"
Hearing Lin Ran's voice, Feng Qi turned his gaze toward him.
Not far from the command console, against the wall, stood a group of researchers—dressed in Tiger Soul Research Institute uniforms—their eyes filled with fear.
"Wait a moment."
With a final surge, the last stream of blood mist was drawn into Feng Qi's body.
His fist clenched tightly, the specialized glove ceasing its spiritual energy emissions, entering standby mode.
Feng Qi then walked toward a nearby room.
In an instant, he switched to his human form.
Dense blood energy surged from his heart, enveloping his entire body.
His flesh regenerated rapidly, spreading like flowing mist—in the blink of an eye, his body was fully restored.
He stopped before a wardrobe, retrieved a fresh set of clothes, and changed into them.
Then, without hesitation, he headed toward the Night Shadow Chieftain's private quarters.
The moment he entered, he was met with a scene of absolute extravagance.
The walls were inlaid with high-grade spirit stones of various attributes, arranged into a Seal Spirit Formation, causing the entire room to be saturated with dense spiritual mist.
For an ordinary person unfamiliar with cultivation, just breathing in the air of this room would increase their physical strength.
The south side of the room housed several potted spirit plants, all of which were among the most precious known to humanity.
The floor was embedded with gemstones of various colors, shimmering under the lights with an ethereal glow.
Even the bedside table was filled with top-tier cultivation resources, and the water dispenser in the northern part of the room contained rare spirit spring water.
All of these were exceptionally scarce resources, carefully rationed for scientific research within Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Yet here they were—squandered by the Night Shadow Chieftain.
Feng Qi stepped toward the desk.
On top lay a blueprint labeled "Super Spell Project".
At the center of the blueprint, an eight-armed Asura was sketched with terrifying detail. Each of its arms wielded a weapon, each possessing unique properties and immense destructive potential.
In the top-right corner, the document was marked: "Version 2.0."
Compared to other powerful races and their long-term strategic blueprints, the Night Shadow Clan's approach was primitive and crude—
They sought to brute-force their way into the final battle for racial survival.
Their so-called "Super Spell Project" followed the same basic concept—
They wanted to develop a spell that could fuse all their tribe's power into a single entity.
The envisioned Eight-Armed Asura would be colossal, serving as a war avatar controlled collectively by the Night Shadow Clan.
Each clan member would control a different body part, allowing for coordinated attacks.
The most dangerous aspect of this design was the eight weapons—each possessing a distinct property and extreme lethality.
However, developing this super spell required solving numerous challenges.
For example:
A mind-linking spell to synchronize the thoughts of all operators.
A power harmonization spell to prevent energy conflicts between clan members.
Countless other technical barriers.
In reality, the "super spell" wasn't just one technique—
It was a fusion of multiple spells, forming an intricate framework.
From the blueprint's concept, it was clear that the blue energy construct surrounding the Night Shadow Chieftain wasn't even a prototype of the "Eight-Armed Asura."
Feng Qi had no interest in this so-called Super Spell Project.
Instead, he reached for the tablet resting on the desk.
Activating the screen, he entered a series of passwords.
Once inside, a menu of options appeared.
The Night Shadow Clan's infiltration into Tiger Soul Research Institute had significantly accelerated their growth, allowing them to learn many things.
From future strategic planning to critical event documentation, their records were comprehensive.
Feng Qi selected "Mission List."
A detailed task overview appeared, documenting the Night Shadow Clan's recent assignments and schedules.
After filtering out completed missions, he focused on the ones still in progress.
He memorized the contents word for word, ensuring that no detail was overlooked.
Then, he turned and left the Night Shadow Chieftain's quarters.
Arriving at Lin Ran's position, Feng Qi cast his gaze toward the group of people standing against the wall, their faces pale with fear.
These were not domain creatures—they were researchers and staff members of the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Most of them had been under the Night Shadow Clan's mental control, forced into submission against their will.
With the Night Shadow Clan now eradicated, their mental control severed, clarity had returned to their eyes.
But there were exceptions.
Among them were human traitors—those who had willingly sided with the Night Shadow Clan, much like Director Liu.
Had it not been for the intelligence from the previous timeline, Feng Qi might have been at a loss, unable to distinguish the loyal from the treacherous.
But fortunately—
He had a list.
During his previous sacrifice timeline, when he had taken over Tiger Soul Research Institute for the Mist Lord, he had demanded this list from Night Second Elder.
Perhaps Night Second Elder hadn't understood why Feng Qi wanted it.
But for Feng Qi, this list was invaluable.
Even though his previous timeline self wouldn't have needed it, he had always known—
Another version of himself would.
Every iteration of his sacrifice timeline self never thought only for "himself."
He always planned from the perspective of the next timeline, ensuring that the main timeline's future was secure.
And now, the list of traitors was proving its worth.
He looked at the group, who now stood restless and uneasy.
Then, he spoke.
"I'm going to call out names. Step forward when you hear yours."
"Yu Yuanzheng."
A man, about 1.8 meters tall, standing on the left side of the group, visibly trembled.
But he still stepped forward.
"Bao Gan, Jiang Wenxuan, Ji Shihuai..."
One after another, more than ten names were called.
Each individual looked anxious, but still moved forward.
"Follow me."
Without another word, Feng Qi turned and walked toward a nearby room.
The traitors exchanged glances.
Then, one by one, they followed him inside.
As soon as the last person entered, Feng Qi raised his hand, using telekinesis to shut the door behind them.
Inside, he stood before them, scanning their faces.
He had already decided their fate.
But before making a move, he asked:
"Do you regret betraying humanity?"
"We only wanted to survive! Now that the Night Shadow Clan is gone, we can serve you instead! We know everything about Tiger Soul Research Institute. We can use our knowledge to bring value to you!"
One of them spoke up frantically, trying to prove his worth.
"Unfortunately for you..."
Feng Qi's tone remained calm.
"I stand on the side of humanity."
Silence fell over the room.
Their faces went pale.
Now they understood.
They had assumed Feng Qi was just another faction fighting for control over Tiger Soul Research Institute, just like the Night Shadow Clan.
They thought that once the Night Shadow Clan was gone, they could switch allegiances and continue living under a new master.
But—
Hearing Feng Qi's words, they finally realized the truth.
Their fate was sealed.
"We just wanted to live... is that a crime?"
An older man, his hair graying, his uniform bearing the insignia of an earlier era of Tiger Soul Research Institute, spoke with trembling lips.
Feng Qi met his gaze.
The fear of death was evident in their eyes.
But they all had the same thought—
That survival alone was a justification for betrayal.
Feng Qi sighed softly.
"You were once elite scholars—selected for Tiger Soul Research Institute because of your talent. Society invested countless resources into your training and development.
My teacher once told me—
To choose the path of knowledge is to become a beacon for humanity's progress.
To illuminate the future.
Not to snuff out the candles of others just to save your own life."
"You ask me if wanting to live is wrong? Then let me ask you—when you chose to betray humanity, did you ever consider that the privileged education you received was made possible by the sacrifices of ordinary people?"
"The reason society allocated valuable resources to nurture you was in the hope that you, as the elite, would lead humanity to rise—not so you could stand before me now, talking about 'just surviving.' If all you ever wanted was to live, why didn't you remain an ordinary person? That way, you wouldn't have to face the choice of submission or death."
"The very foundation of humanity is crumbling, and you—who should be its pillars—have no resolve to hold it up, yet you dare to talk to me about survival? Go to hell."
Hearing these words, the old man's expression darkened.
He opened his mouth, struggling to justify himself:
"I hesitated before, but let me ask you—have you ever faced the choice between life and death? If you stood before death, would you not fear it? Would you not yield?"
Feng Qi laughed.
To others, death was distant—something one would face only once in a lifetime.
But for him—
He had died countless times.
For his ideals, he had bowed his head.
For his ideals, he had sunk into the abyss.
For his ideals, he had fought, bled, and fallen.
For his ideals, he had struggled tirelessly across multiple timelines.
Each time he perished, it did not make him fear death.
Instead, the flame of his conviction rekindled stronger every time it was extinguished.
So why should he fear?
"The pursuit of life's continuation is not wrong." Feng Qi's voice was calm, but it carried an unshakable weight.
"But we should never forget the unwavering spirit ingrained in our cultural memory."
"And more importantly—never forget that as human beings, when we look up, we all see the same sky."
His words were light—almost gentle.
But the determination behind them was as heavy as a mountain.
The old man's eyes flickered, then dimmed, finally giving way to a heavy sigh.
"Do it."
Feng Qi did not hesitate.
He switched his talent ability to "Malice", and a surge of telekinetic force locked onto the necks of every traitor in the room.
They struggled violently—
But the force only tightened, lifting them slowly into the air.
Feng Qi had no mercy for human traitors.
The moment they chose to stand with domain creatures, he had already stopped considering them human.
A few moments later, Feng Qi stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.
The killing intent in his eyes faded as he turned toward the remaining Tiger Soul researchers and staff—the ones still standing against the wall.
These were different from the traitors.
They had been mentally controlled by the Night Shadow Clan, but they never willingly submitted.
And because they refused to submit, the Night Shadow Clan had been forced to use brutal mental suppression to enslave them—knowing full well that doing so could damage their minds permanently.
Feng Qi approached them, scanning their faces before speaking:
He explained everything.
What had happened here.
Why he had come.
Why they had been controlled.
Tiger Soul Research Institute would soon resume operations.
And these people would be the ones to take charge—including some of the former senior officials who had been under mental control.
From now on, Tiger Soul Research Institute would become a part of "Dawn."
The researchers listened carefully, and as they slowly processed the situation, their fear faded—replaced by understanding.
They had known they were under the Night Shadow Clan's control, but until now, they hadn't understood who had come to free them.
Now that they did, their eyes hardened with determination.
Immediately, a few senior researchers stepped forward to discuss the next steps for resuming operations.
But Feng Qi wasn't in a hurry.
Because—
The job wasn't finished yet.
The Night Shadow Clan's forces inside the Tiger Soul Core District had been wiped out.
But there were still Night Shadow operatives outside, carrying out missions.
For now, the network blackout inside the Core District had to be maintained.
If external Night Shadow operatives noticed the sudden loss of communication, they might suspect something.
If those remaining operatives were not eliminated, they could become a threat—or worse, leak intelligence about this operation.
But there was a solution.
After discussing the situation with Tiger Soul's senior members, Feng Qi and Lin Ran changed into new clothes.
Then, along with three senior Tiger Soul personnel, they left the Core District.
From now on, these three senior personnel would manage Tiger Soul's internal affairs and provide a cover story for the network blackout.
Meanwhile—
Feng Qi and his team would head out to finish the job.
Under Tiger Soul's arrangements, they boarded separate vehicles.
The convoy rolled out of Tiger Soul Research Institute, dispersing into different directions across Star City.
Feng Qi already had the list of remaining Night Shadow operatives.
All their mission locations had been recorded in the Night Shadow Chieftain's tablet.
Now, with the exception of Yang Xiaoxin, Yan Yue, Cai Guo, and Xu Hongyun, who remained in the Core District, the rest of the team had split up to carry out the final phase of the operation.
This was it—
The final hunt of the night.
The moon hung dimly in the sky, casting a soft glow over the road as their vehicles moved steadily forward.
Tonight—
There would be no sleep.
Through the window, Feng Qi gazed at the luminous, round moon.
A smile crept onto his face.
Once this operation was complete, Tiger Soul Research Institute would be returned to humanity.
And—
It would become an unshakable pillar of support for "Dawn."
Fuel for the war ahead.