Tiger Soul Research Institute – Subterranean Prison
This was the deepest part of the Tiger Soul Sub-base, an area restricted to only those with the highest clearance.
The air was perpetually damp and cold, the walls overgrown with moss, and the stench of rust lingered in the air.
It was clear that this place had not been maintained for a long time.
The old-fashioned light bulbs had nearly reached the end of their lifespan, and various metal switches and mechanisms were covered in a thick layer of rust.
Yet—
The prison cell stood in stark contrast to its surroundings.
It was spotless—not a single speck of dust.
This was a cell built specifically for Tian Shu.
The metal bars extended deep underground, and the floor inside was constructed from the same specialized alloy, forming a seamless, airtight enclosure.
A 360-degree lockdown—absolutely no weak points.
From the ceiling of the cell, eighteen chains hung down, tightly wrapped around Tian Shu's neck, limbs, and torso, restricting his every movement.
Now that Feng Qi had confirmed Tian Shu was one of the Miracles discovered by Mu Yan's memory, his curiosity about him grew even stronger.
But—
Tian Shu refused to acknowledge his presence.
No matter how many times Feng Qi spoke, Tian Shu remained silent, giving no response.
Yet—
He was clearly interested in Mu Qing.
Or more precisely—
He was interested in the Scarlet Rune Crystal embedded in Mu Qing's arm.
He had even referred to it as the "Scarlet Origin."
This indicated he might know the full truth behind the Scarlet Rune Crystal.
Feng Qi realized that direct questioning wouldn't work.
He needed a different approach.
After a brief silence, he looked up at Tian Shu once more.
"Tian Shu, do you know Mu Yan?"
At that moment—
The indifference on Tian Shu's face vanished.
His expression changed.
"…Mu Yan."
It sounded as if he hadn't spoken in years.
The words were forced from his throat—his voice hoarse and raspy.
"Yes, Mu Yan!" Feng Qi confirmed.
For a brief moment—
Tian Shu's gaze turned hazy, as if he had just unlocked memories long buried.
But when he came back to his senses—
His expression sharpened.
"You… how do you know Mu Yan? Where the hell did that old woman disappear to?!"
Hearing those words, Feng Qi was speechless.
This 400-year-old man had just referred to Mu Yan as an "old woman."
But—
Now that he thought about it…
In the memory fragments he had seen, Tian Shu was just a little kid licking a lollipop.
Meanwhile, Mu Yan's appearance hadn't changed at all.
That meant—
Mu Yan was definitely older than Tian Shu.
And her true age remained a complete mystery.
She could have lived for centuries, maybe even longer.
Tian Shu wasn't the only one to call her an old woman—Wei Wei had done the same.
Feng Qi shook off his thoughts and spoke again.
"I don't know where she is now, but maybe we can exchange information."
"And don't worry—I've always stood on humanity's side."
Just in case Tian Shu misunderstood his intentions, Feng Qi quickly clarified.
Tian Shu's eyes flickered with a purple glow, and he finally spoke again.
"Then first, tell me—where exactly did you learn her name?"
Feng Qi fell silent.
After thinking it through—
He decided to be honest about his secret.
After all—
The Sacrificial Timeline was meant for experimentation.
Besides, Tian Shu was a human warrior worth trusting.
There was no reason to hide it from him.
He wasn't some novel protagonist who had to pretend to be weak.
Keeping secrets was something his Main Timeline self would worry about.
The Sacrificial Timeline? It didn't matter.
Feng Qi met Tian Shu's gaze and spoke.
"Tian Shu, what I'm about to tell you might be hard to believe—but I need you to trust that every word I say is true."
Tian Shu remained cold.
"Speak."
Feng Qi took a deep breath.
"Let me ask you something first—do you believe it's possible for someone to travel to the future?"
Tian Shu visibly froze.
His expression shifted for the first time—it was clear he hadn't expected this.
After a moment of silence—
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"Let me guess—you're about to tell me you have the ability to travel through time?"
"That's right."
The smirk vanished instantly.
Tian Shu's face turned expressionless again.
"Even that old woman couldn't pull off something like that. Do you really think you can?"
Feng Qi stayed firm.
"I know you don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth."
Tian Shu sneered.
"Alright then. Show me. Travel through time right now—let me see you disappear from my perception."
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
Feng Qi: ...
Mu Qing: ...
Feng Qi felt a headache coming on.
Time travel was real—but explaining it was a nightmare.
When it came to Mu Qing, Lin Ran, and others, he could prove it with his knowledge of future events.
But Tian Shu was different.
This guy had been isolated in this prison for 400 years.
He had zero contact with the outside world.
Feng Qi had no way to provide proof that he could travel through time.
Even worse—
Tian Shu didn't exist in any future history records.
Which meant—
He had likely died in this prison and never appeared in the future at all.
Proving time travel to him was impossible.
As for showing him a live demonstration?
That was out of the question.
His Sacrificial Timeline self had already been locked into a fixed timeline.
He couldn't change it.
This was frustrating.
Tian Shu clearly didn't believe a single word he said.
And now—
Feng Qi was stuck.
Tian Shu scoffed.
"You obviously have no proof. So I have no reason to believe you."
"Now—let's get back to the real question. Where did you hear Mu Yan's name? You mentioned time travel. Are you seriously trying to tell me you met her in the future?"
Feng Qi met his gaze.
"Yes. I met Mu Yan in the future."
"Believe it or not—that's up to you."
Tian Shu raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting. Then tell me—how far into the future?"
"Fifteen hundred years."
Tian Shu suddenly burst into laughter.
"So that's it?"
"You just happened to hear her name somewhere and made up this ridiculous story?"
"Tell me—what do you actually want from me?"
Hearing Feng Qi's words, the smile on Tian Shu's face froze.
His expression became serious, and his sharp gaze locked onto Feng Qi, as if trying to see through his lies—to prove that everything he said was false.
But—
Feng Qi remained completely calm.
His breath steady, his face unshaken.
After all—
Everything he said was true.
The air in the underground cell grew heavy with tension.
Tian Shu clearly didn't fully believe Feng Qi yet.
Feng Qi was just about to explain further when a sudden thought struck him like lightning—he knew exactly what to say to prove his words.
"Oh, right—I also saw you in Mu Yan's memory."
Tian Shu's brows furrowed instantly.
"You saw me… in that old woman's memory?"
Feng Qi nodded.
"Let's go over everything again—carefully. I traveled to the future, 1,500 years from now. By that time… human civilization was already extinct. At least, Star City's civilization was gone. I don't know what happened to the rest of the world—I wasn't able to explore further. But based on what I saw… the probability of humanity's survival was near zero."
"At that time, Mu Yan was also dead."
"She had turned into a statue, forever standing in a massive crater to the east of Star City—lifeless, her presence nothing more than a remnant of the past."
"Aside from traveling to the future, I also have another ability—one that lets me peer into the memories of the dead. I call it 'Nightmare.'"
"When I touched Mu Yan's statue… my Nightmare ability activated. Her memories flooded into my mind. That's how I learned the truth—that she spent her entire life searching for 'miracles'—searching for something, anything, that could give humanity a chance at survival."
"And in those broken memory fragments… I saw you."
Hearing this—
Tian Shu's expression visibly changed.
For the first time since their conversation began—
His doubt wavered.
"Keep talking. What did you see?"
"If you can tell me something that only Mu Yan and I knew—I'll believe you."
Feng Qi's lips curled into a small smile.
"I don't know if this memory was truly something only you and Mu Yan knew—but I'll describe it in as much detail as I can."
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the fragmented images that had surfaced in his mind back then.
Then, in a calm and steady voice, he spoke—
"In the memory, you were sitting on a park bench."
"You were swinging your legs, eating a lollipop."
"Then, Mu Yan appeared. She circled around you a few times, studying you carefully. After a while, she crouched down in front of you and said—"
'Kid, I see that your bones are extraordinary. You're a once-in-a-million martial arts prodigy. Tell me—what's your dream?'
"But you ignored her. You just kept eating your lollipop, completely uninterested."
"She asked again, telling you that she could fulfill any wish you had—as long as you promised to dedicate your life to the rise of humanity."
"But you still didn't answer her."
"So finally—Mu Yan crossed her arms, pointed at your forehead, and said—"
'Fine. If you won't answer, I'll just take that as a yes.'
"After that… the memory ended. I didn't see what happened next."
Silence filled the underground chamber.
Tian Shu's eyes widened slightly—his face showing undeniable shock.
This memory—
He remembered it vividly.
Even though 400 years had passed, he had never forgotten.
Because—
That was the moment that changed his entire life.
Back then—
He had been an orphan.
His parents had been soldiers of the Seven-City Military Division.
At that time, domain creatures ran rampant.
Humanity's cultivation system was still in its infancy, and the first cultivation techniques had only just been created.
The Seven Cities hadn't yet merged into what was now Victory City—instead, they were a collection of smaller urban centers, each struggling to survive.
The methods used to fight domain creatures were primitive and inefficient.
Every time a domain invasion occurred, the casualties were devastating.
His parents had been killed in battle, defending their home.
At the time—
He was only five years old.
Because of his parents' sacrifices, he had been placed in an orphanage within the Seven Cities.
And that was when he met Mu Yan—the person who changed the course of his life forever.
Hearing Feng Qi accurately describe that encounter, Tian Shu's expression hardened.
He could no longer deny the possibility—
That Feng Qi was telling the truth.
Because—
He had never told anyone about this memory.
Not a single soul.
That meant—
The only way Feng Qi could have known was if he truly had seen Mu Yan's memories.
For the first time—
Tian Shu's gaze turned serious as he looked at Feng Qi.
"For now, I'll believe you."
"Now—tell me. Why did you come looking for me?"
Feng Qi let out a quiet breath of relief.
If Tian Shu had refused to believe him, this conversation would have gone nowhere.
Unlike dealing with enemies—where brute force and coercion were sometimes necessary—Feng Qi knew he couldn't force Tian Shu to cooperate.
If Tian Shu had been completely resistant to his words, this entire discussion would have hit a dead end.
Now that Tian Shu was finally willing to listen, Feng Qi could ask the real questions.
"Tian Shu, my first question—why did you choose to imprison yourself in this underground cell?"
Tian Shu's eyes darkened.
For a moment—
A flicker of pain and hesitation crossed his face.
Then, he answered in a quiet voice—
"I had no choice."
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes.
"Be specific. I don't just need the answer—I need the full process, the details."
"Any information you provide could help me find a way to save humanity's future."
Tian Shu's gaze sharpened.
"What do you mean?"
Feng Qi met his eyes.
"As I said before—I can travel to the future."
"That means I can see which historical events—what key moments—led humanity toward destruction."
"If I can identify those moments… I can change them."
"And if I change them—I can alter the fate of human civilization itself."
Tian Shu stared at him for a long moment.
Then—
A deep sigh escaped his lips.
"I see."
Hearing this, Tian Shu's expression turned complex, a mix of excitement and disbelief.
He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking again.
"I chose to imprison myself because the power I obtained is highly unstable. I frequently fall into a state of mindless frenzy. When that happens, I attack everything around me indiscriminately. For humans, I am an extreme danger. If I don't contain myself while I am still sane, once I lose control, not even the entirety of humanity's armed forces could restrain me."
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately thought of Mu Qing.
Mu Qing had experienced something similar.
But there was a difference—
Mu Qing's emotional outbursts were still relatively controllable. She could still hold herself back, especially when surrounded by humans.
And in historical records, her instability was not permanent.
As she gradually merged with the Scarlet Rune Crystal, her loss of control eventually disappeared completely.
She even mentioned this herself in her personal journal.
From this perspective, Tian Shu's condition was clearly far more dangerous.
His decision to imprison himself made sense.
At that time, human cultivation techniques were still in their infancy.
Humanity simply didn't have the power to fight someone as strong as Tian Shu.
If he ever lost control, the destruction he could unleash would be catastrophic.
It was a decision made for the survival of humanity itself.
But Feng Qi still had more questions.
After a brief pause, he continued—
"Why do you lose control? Is it because of the power Mu Yan gave you?"
Tian Shu shook his head.
"It has nothing to do with that old woman. Everything that happened was my own fault—I brought this upon myself. Mu Yan gave me longevity and bestowed the Divine Mark upon me. Those powers have always been within my control."
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes.
"Divine Mark? What's that?"
Tian Shu turned around and pulled down the collar of his robe, revealing his back.
Feng Qi saw it immediately—
A golden pattern, winding up from the center of Tian Shu's spine, stretching all the way to his neck.
The pattern shifted and twisted with his breathing, taking on the shapes of ferocious beasts one moment, then birds soaring in the sky the next.
After showing his back, Tian Shu turned back around and spoke calmly—
"This is the Divine Mark. It allows me to cultivate any technique at a speed tens of times faster than normal people. It also enables me to replicate the abilities of domain creatures."
Feng Qi's eyes widened slightly.
"Replicate their abilities?"
Tian Shu nodded.
"For example, if I taste the blood of a Blood-Soul Tiger, my Divine Mark will automatically analyze its essence. My body will then begin to undergo changes, granting me the Blood-Soul Tiger's strength and unique abilities."
As he spoke—
Tian Shu raised his right arm.
Before Feng Qi's eyes, his arm began to rapidly transform—
Dark red fur sprouted.
His fingernails sharpened into deadly claws.
And in just a few seconds—
His entire arm had turned into the massive paw of a tiger.
"The Divine Mark allows me to adapt to any environment. No matter how harsh the conditions, I can adjust. By continuously absorbing the abilities of different creatures, I can acquire a vast range of useful powers."
Feng Qi couldn't help but marvel—
"That's insanely powerful!"
Compared to his own ability to directly steal talents in the main timeline, Tian Shu's ability was far less broken.
But from the perspective of a normal cultivator, this was nothing short of divine.
Still, there was something that didn't add up—
"If the powers Mu Yan gave you were completely stable, then why did you lose control? You said you made a mistake—what exactly happened?"
Hearing this, Tian Shu's expression darkened.
He fell into deep thought, his eyes filled with reminiscence.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"The Divine Mark is not limitless. Mu Yan warned me about this many times."
"But I wanted to become stronger. I wanted to break past my limits."
"So… I tried to fuse with a drop of a Pillar God's blood."
"That attempt—was what drove me mad."
Feng Qi's heart clenched.
"Tell me everything. I need details."
Tian Shu nodded and began to recount his past—
"I grew up under Mu Yan's guidance. She raised me, trained me, taught me everything I know."
"She was a strange woman. On the surface, she always acted carefree and reckless. But deep down, she was unshakable—even in the face of absolute despair, her will never wavered."
"She taught me courage. She taught me about sacrifice. She taught me how to face death without fear."
"For years, she took me everywhere—dragging me across the world. And sometimes, she'd abandon me in random cities and disappear."
"She did this to make me learn how to survive on my own."
"Sometimes, she'd leave me for a few days. Other times, a few months. The longest she ever left me was two years. That time, I honestly thought she had forgotten about me."
Feng Qi listened quietly.
Then Tian Shu's voice grew solemn—
"The second turning point in my life came when I was sixteen."
"That was the day Mu Yan told me—I was finally strong enough to stand on my own."
"She said it was time for me to go to a new place. A place that I might never return from."
"I asked her if that meant I would never see her again."
"She only smiled and said—'Maybe we'll meet again. Maybe we won't.'"
"I asked if this place was really that important—if I had to go."
"She told me—'It's humanity's first line of defense. It's critical to our survival. You're strong enough now—it's time for you to take up this responsibility.'"
"But… she never forced me. She said even if I refused, she would still have to leave."
"She had something bigger to do."
"I hesitated for a long time. But in the end, I agreed."
"Because deep down, I understood—Mu Yan was planning for humanity's future. Even if I stayed by her side, I would only hold her back."
"And so, I left."
Tian Shu suddenly paused and looked at Feng Qi.
"Do you know about Path of Ascension?"
Feng Qi's expression shifted.
At the mention of humanity's first line of defense, one thing immediately came to his mind.
Path of Ascension.
And now—
Hearing Tian Shu confirm it, he knew his guess was correct.
"You're saying that the first line of defense… was Path of Ascension?"
Tian Shu nodded without hesitation.
"I came from there."