The ability of Little Black to track and hunt him down had always been the greatest mystery plaguing Feng Qi.
From a historical perspective, when Little Black was first created, Feng Qi had already been dead for who knows how many years.
Fifteen hundred years had passed—oceans had dried up, lands had shifted, and even his ashes would have long since rotted away.
Logically speaking, there should have been no connection between him and Little Black whatsoever.
Yet every time he appeared in the future world fifteen hundred years later, Little Black would always be able to precisely lock onto his position and pursue him.
Staring at the dark silhouette hovering nearby, Feng Qi wondered if the shadow might hold the answer to this question.
At this stage, one thing was certain—Little Black was related to the miracle item the shadow had taken when it defected.
Only a miracle item could explain why Little Black possessed such an invincible level of combat power.
Otherwise, no matter how powerful the shadow was, even with all the resources of the Institute of Technological Research, there was no way they could have developed and created a unique lifeform like Little Black.
If one were to compare each miracle item to a cheat code, then the war of the myriad races in the future was akin to a battle of gods, where every race had its own cheat, competing in a brutal war for survival.
But among these so-called "cheats," Little Black was a truly unique existence.
While other miracle items granted their users a massive boost in potential, they could not immediately grant a race an invincible power from the start.
Yet from the moment of its birth, Little Black had been an unsolvable existence.
Through observation, they had determined that Little Black possessed three distinct combat forms.
The first was its Aggregated Form—the appearance Feng Qi had first encountered.
The second was its Vaporized Form—when it transformed into black mist.
Even in just these two forms, Little Black was already invincible. It was immune to all attacks and could infinitely proliferate spirit-energy nanobotss by devouring energy.
The Crimson Research Institute had once paid an enormous price, sacrificing nearly an entire subordinate war Squad just to capture a single spirit-energy nanobots.
Upon testing, they discovered that the spirit-energy nanobots was completely indestructible.
During energy consumption tests, it was found that the spirit-energy nanobots could devour energy up to fifty million times its own size.
And this was only the test's upper limit—not the nanoworm's true consumption limit.
Even with the resources of the Crimson Research Institute, they couldn't determine the actual threshold of the spirit-energy nanobots.
And this was merely one out of the billions of Little Black's bodies—like a single drop of water in the ocean. The Crimson Research Institute had no way to estimate the true depth or expanse of that "ocean."
Even the strongest opponents would feel powerless in the face of Little Black.
In the last future dream, Feng Qi had obtained an unimaginable level of combat power after receiving a collective sacrifice from thousands of Goat-Headed Demons.
At the time, he had even deluded himself into thinking he could fight Little Black for three hundred rounds.
Then, in the next moment, he was mercilessly beaten down by the sudden appearance of the "Dark God" using its spells, completely unable to fight back.
Yet even the Dark God, when facing Little Black, didn't even dare to have the thought of attacking. Before Little Black could even get close, the Dark God decisively tore open space and fled in panic.
That alone proved the terrifying deterrent power of Little Black.
Perhaps the third and final form that Little Black had never revealed was capable of reaching the legendary power of the Pillar Gods—standing at the pinnacle of the world, looking down upon all beings.
If the miracle items in the hands of the various races were all considered cheat codes, then Little Black was the ultimate trump card of all cheats—immune to both magic and physical damage, standing eternally undefeated.
It could be scattered but never truly destroyed. Even the smallest fragment of its body, down to a billionth of its form, was immortal and indestructible.
If the shadow truly had the ability to control Little Black, it would have never needed to fear the pursuit of the Psionic Race.
At this moment, faced with Feng Qi's question, the shadow's expression shifted to one of shock.
"You… you know about the Black Reaper Project?!"
Its exclamation was laced with disbelief, and a storm raged within its mind.
The Black Reaper Project was its greatest hidden trump card. Only the core members of the Institute of Technological Research, whom it had placed under strict surveillance, knew about this project.
The shadow instantly realized that there must be a traitor within the institute.
Otherwise, such a classified piece of information could not have been leaked.
But after a brief moment of shock, the shadow quickly composed itself.
From its perspective, the towering crimson giant before it likely only knew the name of the Black Reaper Project, but not its specific details.
After all, even the core researchers of the Institute of Technological Research knew very little about the project.
Only "Mo," whom it had hidden away, was privy to the full extent of the Black Reaper Project.
As for the other participating researchers, they had only been allowed access to the surface-level components of the project.
With this in mind, the shadow felt a little relieved.
Its gaze turned cold.
"So, you have people planted inside our Institute of Technological Research? Someone like… Li Xingchen, perhaps?"
The recent unexpected betrayal of Li Xingchen had caught the shadow completely off guard.
Now, it was almost certain that Li Xingchen's defection had been orchestrated by the forces of Star City operating from the shadows.
But even if Li Xingchen had been a high-ranking core member of the Institute of Technological Research, he would not have had access to the details of the Black Reaper Project.
So, the shadow wasn't too worried that the specifics of the project had been exposed to the crimson giant standing before it.
"That's right. Li Xingchen is my man." Feng Qi admitted without hesitation.
"You traveled all this way… just to interrogate me about the details of the Black Reaper Project?"
Feng Qi nodded calmly.
He knew that if he didn't present solid evidence, the shadow would definitely brush off his questions and refuse to tell him the truth.
After all, the Black Reaper Project was its ultimate trump card.
It was also the core of its future plans.
There was no way it would easily reveal such crucial information.
It would likely assume that Feng Qi had only heard rumors and didn't actually know the project's details.
After all, in the shadow's mind, the only ones aware of this project were itself, its tribe, and the mysterious Mo.
Even the core members of the Institute of Technological Research had no knowledge of the truth.
But Feng Qi still wanted to probe for more information.
With that in mind, he spoke in a deep voice.
"I know that you are creating a special kind of lifeform—something that could be called a spirit-energy nanobots. It has the ability to devour all forms of energy, can merge into a new form of life, and even possesses complete immunity to magic… Oh, and I'm guessing this project is connected to the miracle item you took with you when you defected from the Psionic Race, isn't it?"
The information contained in those words was staggering. The once-calm expression on the shadow's face finally cracked.
A few short sentences had revealed nearly all of its secrets.
"Who exactly are you? Where did you get this information?" The shadow's face twisted in a snarl.
Feng Qi's words made the shadow feel like the situation had spiraled completely out of its control.
It knew nothing about its enemy, yet its enemy seemed to know everything about it.
Fear was born from the unknown, and now, the shadow could no longer maintain its composure.
Seeing the nearly panicked change in the shadow's demeanor, a smirk appeared on Feng Qi's face.
Once upon a time, he had been the one trembling in fear of the unknown.
He still remembered the confusion and terror he had felt when first facing the shadow, and the sense of helplessness about the future.
But now, he stood upon the corpses that had paved his path, at a new starting point, at a new height.
This time, the roles had been reversed.
Now, it was the shadow who was hesitating, trapped in the fear of the unknown, overwhelmed by the weight of intelligence possessed by its opponent.
Just as Feng Qi was about to press further, the shadow suddenly steadied itself, suppressing its emotions before speaking in a cold voice.
"I think you don't actually know all of my secrets. Stop pretending. If you truly knew everything, you wouldn't be standing here trying to negotiate for information on the Black Reaper Project."
Hearing this, Feng Qi nodded without hesitation.
From the very beginning, the true goal of this war was never to completely destroy the Institute of Technological Research.
Information was the real objective behind it all.
When he devised this battle strategy, he had two contingencies in place.
First, to use war as a means to force an equal negotiation with the shadow.
Second, if the shadow refused to cooperate, then he would crush the Institute of Technological Research entirely, seize its internal archives, and extract the valuable intelligence himself.
Since the shadow seemed willing to negotiate, he decided to probe even further.
"You're right—I don't know all of your secrets. That's exactly why I'm here. This war was never about extermination. It was about creating an opportunity for us to talk face-to-face."
"If I truly wanted you dead, I wouldn't have needed to go through the trouble of starting a war. All I'd have to do is notify the Psionic Race of your whereabouts, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to come for you."
The shadow's pupils shrank violently.
The Psionic Race was a forbidden name in its heart. As a traitor, it was all too aware of how powerful they were.
If the Psionic Race ever discovered its location, it would face nothing short of relentless pursuit and extermination.
"I think we can talk. In the end, this is all about profit. There's no deep-seated blood feud between us."
For the first time, the shadow softened its stance, finally showing signs of compromise.
"In that case, tell me everything about the Black Reaper Project now, and I'll consider pulling back my troops. Just as you said, there's no real enmity between us," Feng Qi replied without hesitation.
Faced with Feng Qi's demand, the shadow took a deep breath.
"I want to understand something first—why are you so obsessed with the secrets of the Black Reaper Project? Where did you even learn about it?"
"That's none of your concern. What matters is that you tell me everything about the Black Reaper Project. If you do, you'll remain in control of the Institute of Technological Research. You'll still have a place in the future. Who knows? We might even become allies."
To break down the shadow's mental defenses, Feng Qi deliberately dangled an empty promise.
As long as he could obtain the intelligence he needed, there was nothing he wouldn't agree to.
If necessary, he could always go back on his word later.
The shadow's face darkened.
It had originally planned to act submissive, feigning cooperation to extract information from Feng Qi instead.
But Feng Qi clearly had no intention of dragging things out.
Realizing this, the shadow gave up on deception.
Lifting its head, it let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"So, I can't get a read on you after all. But if you think you can get the full truth of the Black Reaper Project from me, you're underestimating me too much."
"From the moment I betrayed the Psionic Race, I knew I'd have to face them one day. If I were to surrender now, I'd be handing you leverage over me. You could use the threat of the Psionic Race to control me forever… If you think I'd let you do that, you're the one overestimating yourself."
Feng Qi wasn't surprised by this sudden shift in the shadow's attitude.
Using the Psionic Race as a threat had always been a risky gamble.
As the shadow said, if it yielded now, it would be forced to yield again and again in the future.
Feng Qi could simply dangle the threat of exposure over its head, using it to manipulate the shadow repeatedly.
The shadow's furious response was well within his expectations.
Realizing the negotiation had failed and the shadow had no intention of revealing anything more, Feng Qi decided to initiate his backup plan.
Destroy the Institute of Technological Research and extract the truth from its remains.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi lunged forward, reaching out toward the shadow.
A surge of vital energy condensed into a vortex in his palm. As he struck, a crimson curtain of blood spread outward, attempting to envelop the shadow completely.
But just before it could land, the shadow's body flickered, disappearing from its original spot. When it reappeared, it had retreated several meters away.
Feng Qi stomped down, shattering the ground beneath his feet. His body shot forward like a pouncing tiger, lunging at the shadow again.
He had a rough estimate of the shadow's strength.
In one of the timelines where multiple forces had joined hands against the Institute of Technological Research, the Crimson Research Institute had managed to retrieve a corpse of one of the shadow's kind.
After analyzing its energy composition, density, and various other indicators, they had concluded that the deceased shadow's power level was approximately at the Silver Upper Tier.
The foundation of the shadow and its followers' survival was not their individual strength. It was their ability to create, innovate, and develop external tools—those were the real weapons of their race.
In this regard, they were strikingly similar to humanity's technological advancement.
For example, humans had created firearms, which could easily kill their own kind.
Being physically weak did not mean that the Psionic Race was weak as a whole. Their creations were their most lethal weapons.
The Psionic Race and the Mist Tribe had taken completely opposite paths.
The Psionic Race focused on development, growth, and innovation.
The Mist Tribe, on the other hand, had put everything into enhancing their bloodline and individual power.
Old Mist had once told Feng Qi that the Mist Tribe never cared for external objects. Over thousands of years, their civilization was far less prosperous than human society. Every resource they had was used purely for strengthening their combat abilities.
Mist Tribe warriors would rather endure hunger than waste resources on anything other than cultivating. Even their last reserves would be exchanged for spirit stones to enhance their strength.
Feng Qi had been puzzled by this growth strategy.
Old Mist was not a fool.
He had to understand how crucial internal development was for a civilization.
At the time, Feng Qi had asked him, "Can the Mist Tribe really survive long-term by pouring all of its resources into brute strength?"
Old Mist's answer had made him realize the true nature of their strategy.
Old Mist had simply replied:
"If my neighbors hoard food, I hoard guns. That means my neighbors are my food supply."
That one sentence made everything clear.
The Mist Tribe followed a path of pure slaughter. Food, resources—everything they needed would come from other races.
The Psionic Race had simply been unlucky enough to become their neighbors. Their suffering and exploitation made sense in hindsight.
The Mist Tribe's growth strategy meant they contributed nothing of value to the outside world. They did not trade, did not engage in mutual benefit, and did not create anything that could be exchanged with others.
They only pillaged and absorbed resources to grow stronger.
The Psionic Race was the complete opposite.
Through their civilization's growth, they had created countless valuable resources.
Not only did these resources benefit their own kind, but they could also be used for trade, accelerating their race's development.
Now that Feng Qi had thoroughly understood the Psionic Race, he no longer feared the shadow.
Even though his strength in this timeline was not as high as in the main one, after unlocking his bloodline power, he had at least reached the Gold Tier in combat.
Even if he wasn't the shadow's match, the shadow wouldn't be able to take him down easily either.
Besides, Mu Qing was already on her way.
The most important thing right now was to stall the shadow and prevent it from escaping with Mo and Little Black.
If the shadow fled now, it might destroy all the research data once it returned to the Institute of Technological Research.
If that happened, even if Feng Qi won the war, he would gain no valuable intelligence from it.
That kind of victory was meaningless to him.
To Feng Qi, intelligence was the foundation of ultimate victory.
As thoughts raced through his mind, he closed the distance between himself and the shadow.
His blood energy surged, forming air currents that spiraled around his body.
Bathed in this blood energy, he looked like a war god drenched in crimson, ripples of force expanding from him in waves. A blood-colored halo even formed beneath his feet.
With a flick of his wrist, his blood energy condensed into countless fist shadows, smashing toward the shadow in rapid succession.
The shadow's body, formed purely from energy, grew distorted under the barrage of blood-colored fists, as if it was on the verge of collapsing.
Yet before the attack could land fully, the shadow flickered again, its form dissipating and reappearing a short distance away.
After a brief exchange, Feng Qi noticed something.
The shadow had yet to counterattack.
This only confirmed his suspicion—the shadow wasn't his match.
Just as he was about to press the advantage, a sudden roar echoed from above.
Looking up, he saw a black transport aircraft slicing through the sky.
A moment later, figures began plummeting from the aircraft.
Zooming in, he realized that the people jumping out of the transport had no parachutes or any kind of descent equipment.
They simply let themselves fall freely from the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, heavy impacts rang out as bodies slammed into the ground.
As the dust cleared, the figures emerged into view.
Their attire was highly unconventional.
None of them wore standardized military gear. Many were dressed casually—some in T-shirts with cartoon prints, others in sandals and flip-flops.
At the front of the group stood an elderly man with a head full of white hair. He looked to be at least seventy years old.
He glanced at the shadow first, then at Feng Qi, before breaking into a warm, kind smile.
Feng Qi was taken aback.
He had initially assumed these newcomers were reinforcements for the shadow.
But when he looked at the shadow, he saw the same confusion in its expression.
"Who are you?" The shadow was the first to ask before Feng Qi could even speak.
The old man leading the group grinned brightly.
"Allow me to introduce myself—I am Wei Fa, Seventh Squad Commander of the Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad."
Upon hearing this name, Feng Qi's expression changed.
Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad—how could he not know about them?
His parents had once been members of this Domain Squad.
Not only that, but Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad was one of the legendary Top Ten Domain Squads.
After his parents passed, Feng Qi had taken the time to research their group's rise to power.
Despite their ridiculous name, countless warriors had carried their banner forward with blood and sweat.
Their glorious battle record had secured their place as one of the Top Ten Domain Squads.
Through centuries of war, they had produced too many legendary generals to count.
Unlike other groups whose status fluctuated throughout history, Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad's leaders had always been titans of their time.
One phrase from the military archives summed them up best:
"Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad isn't just one of today's Top Ten Domain Squads—it's one of history's Top Ten Domain Squads."
Their deep-rooted legacy could not be overstated.
As Feng Qi stood there processing their sudden appearance, Wei Fa clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"The higher-ups were too slow. They wanted to hold multiple meetings just to settle a dispute. I got tired of waiting, so I brought my men ahead of schedule… But it looks like we won't be needed to break up any fights after all."
As Wei Fa's words fell, his expression turned cold.
"It seems the rumors were true. The ones controlling this war from behind the scenes are domain-transcending beings like you. If we want to stop this war from continuing, we'll have to deal with you first."
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately understood why the Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad had come.
However, upon seeing him in his Blood Source Form alongside the shadow, they had clearly changed their stance. Now, they were planning to take them both down first.
At that moment, the warriors behind Wei Fa moved.
In an instant, they swiftly closed in, forming a tight encirclement around both Feng Qi and the shadow.
Seeing that things were taking a turn for the worse, the shadow immediately flickered, attempting to escape.
"Heavenly Formation!"
With Wei Fa's command, over a hundred warriors raised their hands in unison and swiftly traced intricate patterns in the air before them.
Hundreds of Spiritual Energy Light Points danced through the air, forming a massive, golden circular formation over a hundred meters in diameter.
Feng Qi and the shadow were trapped at its center.
The shadow, attempting to escape, crashed into the golden barrier. The moment it made contact, the translucent golden wall shimmered and forcefully bounced it back into the formation.
As the members of the Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad continued their coordinated movements, the formation burst into a dazzling golden radiance.
An intricate Eight Trigram Diagram took shape beneath their feet, with golden lines flowing like liquid, forming increasingly complex patterns within the formation.
Feng Qi had a basic understanding of formation techniques, though Formation Mastery had always been considered a minor branch of cultivation studies—one of the least popular, in fact.
But a large-scale formation like this, created by over a hundred people working in unison, was something he had never witnessed before.
Despite being trapped, Feng Qi remained exceptionally calm.
He turned his gaze toward the shadow, which hovered a short distance away, also staring back at him.
"Shall we cooperate to break through?" The shadow's voice was cold.
"No."
Feng Qi rejected the offer without hesitation.
Mu Qing was on her way. The most important thing now was stalling the shadow and preventing it from escaping.
If the shadow returned to the Institute of Technological Research, there was no telling what devastating weapon it might unleash next to disrupt the battlefield.
There was absolutely no need for Feng Qi to help create a chance for the shadow to turn the tables. In fact, being trapped inside the formation was a good thing.
"Annihilation Formation!" Wei Fa's voice rang out once more.
The golden formation began to rotate, releasing torrents of energy like a grinding millstone, pressing down on Feng Qi's body, attempting to crush him.
As the formation spun, the pressure intensified.
Feng Qi suddenly stomped his foot, his entire body tensing. He let the external force wash over him, resisting it with sheer physical strength.
His heartbeat quickened.
His blood energy surged outward, flowing across his body like liquid, forming a suit of blood armor around him.
On the other side, the shadow's form flickered continuously, trying to resist the crushing force.
Strange, twisting runes emerged across its body, pulsating like musical notes. The runes moved at extreme speeds, counteracting the pressure from the formation.
The power of the formation continued to increase.
This was the terrifying thing about formations—once a formation was set up, its effects could be endlessly amplified.
Formation Masters could continuously refine and strengthen their formations in battle, expanding their advantage over time.
The best strategy when fighting a Formation Master was to kill them before the formation was fully activated.
However, that wasn't Feng Qi's plan at all.
His combat style was rooted in physical attacks. While his cultivation in fist techniques had compensated for some of his previous shortcomings, he still struggled to suppress an entity like the shadow, which existed in a pure energy state.
In a way, this formation was actually helping him.
It had successfully trapped the shadow.
Now, all he had to do was hold out until Mu Qing arrived.
Once she got here, her overwhelming combat prowess would allow her to completely turn the situation in their favor.
As for the Smash the Domain's Skull Domain Squad, if they insisted on fighting to the death, Feng Qi would have no choice but to wipe them out.
Because in the end, the most important thing was advancing this battlefront.
After taking the Institute of Technological Research, they would need to scour its internal archives for all valuable information.
And after that, the Dawn Army would have to march onward.
Feng Qi had already planned their next step.
Originally, he had intended for the Dawn Army to capture Future City, rest there for a few days, and then launch an assault on Old Day City.
However, after his exchange with the shadow, he had changed his mind.
Their next target would be Twilight City.
Old Day City was deep within the Psionic Race's territory.
Compared to the shadow, the overall strength of the Psionic Race remained a mystery.
But judging from how even the shadow feared them, it was clear that the Psionic Race was far more powerful than anything the shadow controlled.
If the Dawn Army marched straight into Old Day City, they would likely never come back.
Moreover, their journey there would be riddled with uncertainties.
Many factions might attempt to ambush them along the way.
In contrast, Twilight City—a subordinate city of Old Day City—was much easier to deal with.
Perhaps in the Psionic Race's secret underground base beneath Twilight City, he could even uncover detailed intelligence on the Blue-Skinned Tribe.
That information was just as valuable.
To ensure humanity's rise, the most crucial step was gathering intelligence on their enemies.
The fact that the Psionic Race valued the Blue-Skinned Tribe so highly was proof that they played a significant role in the future.
At that moment, the formation's power continued to rise.
Feng Qi turned to look at the shadow.
He saw that the energy runes had completely wrapped around its body.
Countless black sigils swirled around it, colliding with the formation's golden radiance, canceling out the damage being inflicted.
Feng Qi himself also began to feel the increasing pressure.
The golden lines beneath his feet seemed to come to life, shifting and twisting along with the formation's operation.
Dragon-like and phoenix-like creatures formed from golden energy emerged from the formation, biting at his body.
As the pressure mounted, every muscle in Feng Qi's body tensed.
The intent of his fist techniques burned within him like a raging fire.
The moment his eyes snapped open, he struck.
Blood energy surged wildly from within him, transforming into a storm of fist shadows that swept in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fist shadows tore through the air, colliding with the attacking golden beasts.
One after another, they were shattered, exploding into spiritual energy rain that scattered from above.
Watching the sudden surge of blood-colored waves within the formation, Wei Fa, standing outside, revealed a look of surprise. However, his expression quickly shifted back to a grin. He took off his robe, exposing his scar-covered body. Some scars were fresh, others old, each a testament to his battles on the front lines.
Besides the scars, his body was also etched with intricate crisscrossing patterns. He pressed his palms together in front of his chest.
"Ha!"
As he exhaled, the engravings on his body emitted a faint golden glow. It was a formation—he had engraved a formation directly onto his body.
The moment he expelled the air from his chest, he inhaled sharply. Instantly, the engraved patterns on his skin lit up, pulling in the surrounding Spiritual Energy from the air and rapidly channeling it into his body.
His body began to expand at a visible speed.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Fa transformed from a frail old man into a towering, muscular warrior over two meters tall. The Spiritual Energy Runes imprinted on his body twisted and transformed, taking the shape of a coiling dragon that wrapped around his body.
The dragon's head rested on his chest, its tail extending down his spine.
He clenched his fists, and waves of golden light overflowed from his body, making him appear like a divine being descending to the mortal world.
He stepped toward the formation.
The moment he approached, the formation barrier automatically parted before him, creating a clear path for him to enter.
Feng Qi, who was still resisting the crushing force of the formation, turned his head to look at Wei Fa as he stepped inside.
The golden light of the formation began gathering toward Wei Fa's body.
In an instant, he was enveloped by the radiant glow.
At this moment, Wei Fa had merged completely with the formation, his aura skyrocketing.
Then, his figure suddenly vanished.
Feng Qi, who had remained alert, caught the trajectory of Wei Fa's movements and swung his fist to the right.
Boom!
Their fists collided, golden light clashing against blood-colored energy.
Roar!
With a furious roar, Feng Qi's heart pounded like a revved-up engine, surging blood energy washing over his entire body.
The impact waves exploded outward from their clash, spreading through the air.
Finally, with a deafening explosion, the two were forced backward several steps.
From just that brief exchange, Feng Qi had gauged Wei Fa's strength and was immediately relieved.
"Come again!"
As he spoke, Wei Fa's eyes gleamed with golden light. He suddenly struck with a knife-hand chop aimed at Feng Qi's chest.
Facing this fierce attack, Feng Qi raised his hand to block the strike.
However, at that moment, Wei Fa abruptly lifted his right leg and kicked viciously at Feng Qi's lower body.
"This is called striking the weak spot… huh?"
Wei Fa had planned to follow up with another attack after landing his strike, but to his astonishment, Feng Qi remained completely unfazed, gripping his arm with unwavering strength.
"Is this fun for you?" Feng Qi grinned wickedly.
The attack had certainly caught him off guard.
However, he was currently in Blood Source Form, his entire body formed from condensed Blood Energy.
He was completely immune to such "critical strikes."
Feng Qi twisted his body and swung Wei Fa's right arm back and forth like a ragdoll before sending him flying with a powerful kick.
With Wei Fa temporarily dealt with, Feng Qi turned his gaze toward the shadow.
The shadow was still his top priority. If it managed to escape, the situation could quickly spiral out of control.
But the next sight left him dumbfounded.
The black sigils on the shadow's body had already spread onto the formation, seamlessly merging with its operation.
The problem was, wherever the black sigils passed, the golden light of the formation faded away.
"Is it… breaking the formation?"
Feng Qi was genuinely surprised by this discovery.
Formations were incredibly complex, like vast woven nets, with every Spiritual Energy Thread following its own unique trajectory.
Finding a flaw in an active formation was extremely difficult—most people could only rely on brute force to break them.
Yet, the shadow had only just come into contact with this formation, and within mere moments, it had already grasped its structure and begun dismantling it with ease.
Wherever the black sigils touched, the formation crumbled at an alarming rate.
Finally, with a final flicker, the partially dismantled formation could no longer sustain itself.
With a resounding crash, it collapsed, dissolving into countless golden Spiritual Energy Light Points that scattered into the wind.
Realizing that the shadow was about to escape, Feng Qi acted without hesitation, closing in and throwing a punch.
His fist landed directly on the shadow's body.
The black sigils surrounding the shadow flickered in response, rapidly absorbing and neutralizing the force of his attack.
The shadow turned to look at him, and the black sigils began spreading toward him.
Feng Qi initially thought that the green-black flames burning on his body could erode the Spiritual Energy Runes, but to his shock, the flames dissipated the moment they touched the runes.
It was as if these black sigils had the ability to dismantle everything.
Anything that came into contact with them would break down into raw energy.
As soon as the black sigils touched his flesh, his body rapidly disintegrated, turning into pure Blood Energy that gushed outward.
His heart pounded violently.
But as quickly as his flesh was stripped away, his Blood Energy immediately reconstructed the missing tissue.
He reached out and seized one of the flickering black sigils, clenching his fist tightly.
"Crack!"
A crisp shattering sound echoed as the black sigil in his grip was forcibly crushed.
Just as Feng Qi was about to continue his assault on the shadow, a deafening roar came from above.
He instinctively looked up.
A fleet of massive transport aircraft streaked across the sky, and countless figures descended from the air.
Seeing this, Feng Qi's expression darkened.
More and more forces were intervening to prevent the war from continuing.
If he couldn't take the Institute of Technological Research soon, the situation would spiral beyond his control.
Figures continued to land around him, closing in rapidly.
Just as things were slipping into chaos, a blinding crimson light streaked across the battlefield at an astonishing speed.
Wei Fa, standing not far away, noticed the approaching light and charged forward to intercept it alone.
His fists bloomed with golden lotus-like radiance, striking straight toward the incoming Mu Qing in an attempt to block her path.
Feng Qi could already predict what would happen next.
He couldn't help but grin, baring his teeth.
Beside him, the shadow shook its head and muttered:
"Idiot. He's done for."