Future City.
Institute of Technological Research Base.
The once-thriving base had been reduced to ruins. The once-flat ground was now covered in craters, littered with debris and the remnants of collapsed buildings.
Under the impact of the battle, the central plaza of the Institute of Technological Research had been practically plowed from end to end.
The conflict had raged on until now, no longer just a battle between Future City and Star City.
Over half a day had passed, and various Domain Battle Squads that opposed the continuation of this war had begun to arrive one after another.
Even though they had not received approval from the city's higher-ups or the Battle Squad Council, they had come anyway.
First, it was Wei Fa, who had smashed through the Seventh Squad of the Domain Hounds, arriving on the scene first. Then, more figures continued to flood in from all directions.
What had once been a straightforward battle had now devolved into utter chaos due to the intervention of these Domain Battle Squads.
But at that moment, Mu Qing's figure finally appeared, and Feng Qi, whose heart had been hanging in suspense, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as Mu Qing was about to reach his position, Wei Fa unexpectedly chose to step forward and block her path head-on.
Feng Qi already knew what was about to happen next.
Even the shadow hovering nearby couldn't help but shake its head in exasperation.
It had personally witnessed Mu Qing's strength—an existence that even Chimera Demons couldn't rival, an entity no mere mortal body could possibly oppose.
From the shadow's perspective, Wei Fa's actions were akin to an egg smashing against a rock. The outcome was obvious.
As the crimson and golden lights clashed, the golden radiance was instantly devoured by the crimson glow. Wei Fa's body crumbled apart at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Just as he was about to meet his demise, a streak of black light suddenly flashed across the battlefield, and Wei Fa's figure vanished from where he stood.
Feng Qi's gaze immediately shifted to the right.
There, a white-haired elder clad in black robes stood, one hand holding the now-unconscious Wei Fa, his gaze locked onto Mu Qing, who had halted her advance.
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes.
To his surprise, he recognized this old man.
The newcomer was Jiang Nanqiu.
The last time they had met was back at Star City Academy. Back then, Jiang Nanqiu had come to the academy to give a lecture, and during his visit, he had specifically requested to see Feng Qi.
He remembered the question Jiang Nanqiu had asked him at the time.
"If pledging loyalty to the Domain Forces could grant you longevity, power, and everything else you desire, would you betray humanity?"
Feng Qi had never forgotten Jiang Nanqiu.
During Professor Wang Jinsheng's history class, he had heard extensive discussions about this man.
He was once hailed as the greatest warrior of this era, one of the Ten Battle Gods of his time.
However, according to what Feng Qi knew, Jiang Nanqiu had long since retired from the frontlines due to injuries.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to continue his influence through public lectures.
But now, witnessing Jiang Nanqiu saving Wei Fa from Mu Qing's grasp in an instant, Feng Qi realized that this old man had been concealing his true strength all along.
The claim that he had retired due to injuries was clearly false.
"Jiang Nanqiu?!" The shadow beside him suddenly spoke in a deep voice.
"You know him?" Feng Qi turned his head curiously.
"Of course! One of the Ten Battle Gods! I've studied human history, you know."
Feng Qi: …
Hearing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but think of Old Mist.
It seemed that these Domain Creatures who had infiltrated human society all shared a common interest—they enjoyed studying human history.
According to Old Mist, understanding history was the key to grasping the rise and fall of a civilization, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
"Senior!" Feng Qi suddenly called out.
The moment he spoke, Mu Qing, who had been staring at Jiang Nanqiu, instantly flickered and appeared by his side.
Jiang Nanqiu's gaze slowly shifted toward Feng Qi. His calm eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"Feng Qi, do you still remember the promise you once made to me?"
Even though he was currently in his Blood Source Form, Jiang Nanqiu had instantly recognized his true identity.
"Jiang Lao, how did you recognize me?"
Instead of answering, Jiang Nanqiu handed the unconscious Wei Fa to someone behind him, then reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small black bead.
Feng Qi immediately recognized it.
It was the Positioning Bead that Blue-Skinned Assassins carried.
The fact that Jiang Nanqiu possessed one of these beads meant that he had personally slain one of the Blue-Skinned Race.
At that moment, realization dawned on Feng Qi.
Jiang Nanqiu had clearly used this bead to track his presence back when they had first met.
Thinking back now, he finally understood why Jiang Nanqiu had asked him that question.
It was obvious—Jiang Nanqiu had identified him as someone carrying a Miracle Artifact, someone who could potentially influence the future of humanity.
That question had been a test.
Jiang Nanqiu had wanted to determine whether the holder of a Miracle Artifact would become a blessing or a threat to humanity.
However, what Feng Qi couldn't understand was why Jiang Nanqiu had hidden his true strength and his real identity all this time.
"Feng Qi, you have disappointed me."
Jiang Nanqiu shook his head and sighed.
"Jiang Lao, maybe you should hear me out first." Facing this esteemed senior, Feng Qi decided to try reasoning with him.
"Answer me first—can you withdraw your forces?"
"No!"
Feng Qi rejected the request without hesitation.
As soon as he spoke, the aura around Jiang Nanqiu surged dramatically. His black robe billowed under the force of the energy radiating from him, waves of spiritual energy rippling outward.
Seeing this, Mu Qing stepped forward without hesitation. Her fists clenched, and a jade-colored glow enveloped her body.
"Leave this to me!"
At that moment, Jiang Nanqiu's robe was torn apart by the energy fluctuations, revealing the body beneath.
What shocked Feng Qi was that Jiang Nanqiu, despite his countless battles, had not a single scar on his body. His skin was smooth like polished jade, and embedded in his chest were five gemstones, each a different color—red, blue, green, black, and gold.
Unlike irregularly shaped rune crystals, these five gems were all precisely cut into the same rhombus shape.
With a low growl, the black gem in Jiang Nanqiu's chest lit up.
A dense black energy burst forth from behind him, coalescing above his head into a monstrous, grotesquely twisted shadowy entity.
The black energy spread rapidly, soon engulfing Jiang Nanqiu entirely. Even his eyes turned completely pitch black.
The next instant, Jiang Nanqiu vanished from where he stood, reappearing right in front of Mu Qing.
Without hesitation, Mu Qing struck forward with her fist.
Boom!
Their fists clashed, unleashing a terrifying force that shattered the ground beneath them.
A shockwave erupted from the impact, sweeping outward with them at the center. Feng Qi and the shadow, caught too close, were blasted away, crashing into a building behind the Institute of Technological Research before finally coming to a stop.
The members of the Domain Battle Squads who had just arrived weren't spared either. The shockwave sent them tumbling across the battlefield.
Feng Qi could hardly believe what he was witnessing.
Jiang Nanqiu was matching Mu Qing's strength in direct combat.
Even though Mu Qing wasn't in her peak state right now, her sheer physical might was something no ordinary human body should be able to resist.
Feng Qi's gaze immediately locked onto the five gems embedded in Jiang Nanqiu's body.
Considering that Jiang Nanqiu also carried the Miracle Positioning Bead used by Blue-Skinned Assassins, Feng Qi had every reason to suspect that the five gemstones in Jiang Nanqiu's chest were part of a Miracle Artifact.
The battle continued.
The shockwaves spread in waves, causing the ground beneath them to crack and crumble. The very earth trembled under the pressure, unable to bear the sheer force.
Suspended in midair, Mu Qing and Jiang Nanqiu remained locked in a contest of strength.
Jiang Nanqiu, still wrapped in black energy, wore a twisted, eerie grin. The black gemstone in his chest shone with dazzling light, his strength rising steadily under its power.
His fist inched forward.
Slowly but surely, Jiang Nanqiu was gaining the upper hand in the contest of raw strength.
Feeling the pressure, Mu Qing's emotions began to shift.
Her eyes flickered with a crimson glow. Above her head, a vague shadow of a ferocious beast began to emerge, letting out a deafening roar toward the pitch-black entity behind Jiang Nanqiu.
As the beast materialized, Mu Qing's emotions started spiraling out of control.
"Roar!"
A deep growl escaped her lips, and a streak of crimson flickered within the jade-colored glow surrounding her body. Her power skyrocketed instantly.
In Jiang Nanqiu's astonished gaze, Mu Qing's fist suddenly surged forward.
Boom!
A brilliant scarlet light burst forth like a miniature sun, illuminating the entire battlefield.
The devastating force crashed into Jiang Nanqiu's body. His pitch-black form disintegrated instantly, scattering into a mist of blood across the sky.
The residual force continued its path of destruction, reducing skyscrapers to dust in an instant. It carved a massive trench several thousand meters long through the battlefield.
Even the lingering shockwaves made the ground tremble long after the impact had passed.
"What kind of monster is this?!"
As Feng Qi struggled to process Mu Qing's sheer power, the shadow beside him couldn't help but exclaim in shock.
"Don't even think about running—I've got my eyes on you!"
"I don't have time for you. Their fight isn't over yet." The shadow spoke with a low tone.
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately turned his attention back to Mu Qing.
Jiang Nanqiu had been reduced to a mist of blood, leaving only five gemstones floating in the air.
At that moment, the green gemstone lit up.
The scattered blood and flesh in the air began converging rapidly under some mysterious force, reforming in an instant.
Jiang Nanqiu's figure emerged once more.
Feng Qi's suspicions were confirmed—Jiang Nanqiu was definitely in possession of a Miracle Artifact.
To be obliterated into blood mist and still resurrect on the spot—this wasn't an ability a normal person could possess, nor was it something achievable through modern cultivation techniques.
"Again!"
Reformed from blood, Jiang Nanqiu disappeared from sight once more, reappearing mid-strike as he hurled a fist toward Mu Qing.
Mu Qing remained unfazed in the face of Jiang Nanqiu's fierce assault.
In her completely berserk state, she instantly locked onto his movements. Her fist, radiating a scarlet glow, swung fiercely to the side.
Boom!
Terrifying force erupted in the direction Mu Qing's fist pointed.
Once again, Jiang Nanqiu's body shattered into a mist of blood before he could hold out for long.
But in less than a second, his form reassembled. At the same time, the blue gemstone on his chest slowly lit up.
The black energy on his body instantly faded, replaced by a flowing blue aura.
His figure vanished from sight in an instant—so fast that the naked eye couldn't track him.
Before Mu Qing could react, Jiang Nanqiu's fist had already smashed into the left side of her face.
Caught off guard, Mu Qing was sent plummeting into the ground.
Just as she leaped out of the crater, Jiang Nanqiu reappeared on her right, landing another punch squarely on her face.
Mu Qing's body was sent flying sideways, and before she could stabilize, Jiang Nanqiu disappeared again.
His movement speed had reached an almost unsolvable level.
Mu Qing was knocked back and forth like a ragdoll, unable to trace Jiang Nanqiu's trajectory at all.
Seeing this, Feng Qi's brows furrowed deeply.
From Jiang Nanqiu's performance, it was clear that besides Path of Ascension, human society still had hidden powerhouses.
Jiang Nanqiu was one of them.
But when it came to Mu Qing, Feng Qi had confidence.
Though she seemed passive in the face of Jiang Nanqiu's relentless attacks, she remained completely unscathed.
That alone meant Jiang Nanqiu couldn't do anything to her.
The battle continued.
The red gemstone on Jiang Nanqiu's chest lit up, and his entire body was instantly covered in a crimson hue, transforming into a monstrous being with eight arms.
All eight arms crossed in front of his chest, and his body suddenly split in two—then into four. In the blink of an eye, seven identical copies of himself emerged.
The eight figures surrounded Mu Qing, all reaching forward at once.
A massive illusory blood-colored cauldron appeared out of thin air, trapping Mu Qing within.
The eight twisted, blood-colored figures each occupied a position around the cauldron, channeling energy into it.
Inside, terrifying blood energy surged wildly, attempting to refine Mu Qing's flesh and bones.
Mu Qing swung her fist violently in response.
Crack!
A thunderous sound, like a sky-rending explosion, shook the battlefield.
A crack appeared on the surface of the blood-colored cauldron, and the eight figures around it flickered erratically.
At that moment, the last gemstone on Jiang Nanqiu's chest—the golden one—lit up.
Immediately, the flickering figures stabilized, and even the crack on the cauldron vanished in an instant.
After a brief adjustment, the eight figures resumed channeling their energy into the cauldron.
Seeing this, Feng Qi felt a twinge of concern for Mu Qing.
He turned his head and looked at the shadow hovering beside him.
"What do you think? Who will win?"
"Not sure, but one thing's clear—those gems embedded in Jiang Nanqiu's body are definitely Miracle Artifacts."
"The blue one grants speed, the black one grants strength, the green one allows instant regeneration, the red one enhances spellcasting, and the last one—the golden one… seems to provide instant energy replenishment. Just now, Jiang Nanqiu was clearly struggling to sustain the Blood Furnace's refining power, but the moment the golden gemstone lit up, his energy was fully restored to peak levels."
As the shadow spoke, countless symbols flickered across its pupils, analyzing every aspect of the battle.
"Is this five different Miracle Artifacts, or just one?" Feng Qi pressed.
"It's probably a single artifact. But even if it's incomplete, each fragment can still function independently. There are too many Miracle Artifacts in a broken state. The fact that Jiang Nanqiu managed to assemble a complete one—it's no wonder he's considered a legendary war god." The shadow's expression suddenly turned greedy.
"How does it compare to the Black Reaper you have?"
"Of course, it's—" The shadow stopped mid-sentence.
It turned to see Feng Qi's eager, prying expression, his ears practically perked up. A flash of irritation crossed its face before it turned back toward the battle, ignoring him completely.
Feng Qi clicked his tongue in disappointment but quickly refocused on the battlefield.
Inside the Blood Furnace, the crimson hue was deepening.
Every time Jiang Nanqiu's energy neared depletion, the golden gemstone on his chest would light up, instantly restoring his reserves and sustaining the cauldron's power.
At this level of battle, Feng Qi wouldn't even be able to interfere.
Meanwhile, within the Blood Furnace, the vague beastly shadow above Mu Qing's head was becoming clearer.
A terrifying force was awakening inside her. The crimson energy pouring out of her body made the Blood Furnace tremble violently, as if it were on the verge of collapse.
The two forces clashed and reached a deadlock…