After Jiang Nanqiu's death, Feng Qi noticed that many warriors who had come to stop the war had reddened eyes.
Especially those who had graduated from Victory Academy.
Many of them had grown up listening to Jiang Nanqiu's legendary tales, idolizing him as a hero and striving to follow in his footsteps.
Seeing Jiang Nanqiu fall in battle to prevent war, they charged at Mu Qing without hesitation.
As figures surged toward her from all directions, Mu Qing's expression remained indifferent.
The jade-colored radiance around her body transformed into arcs of lightning, pulsating outward in waves of energy.
When the domain warriors closed in, Mu Qing raised her fist and slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
The earth beneath her collapsed instantly, crumbling under her sheer power. A violent wind carried the scattered energy outward, sweeping away the approaching figures.
But these warriors who had come to stop the war were not ordinary.
Many among them were elite fighters with remarkable combat records—some of them Feng Qi had even seen before in Old Wang's history lessons.
They quickly stabilized themselves, adjusted their stances, and launched another coordinated attack, encircling Mu Qing in layers.
Seeing Mu Qing surrounded, Feng Qi's heart sank. He turned toward the shadow hovering nearby.
"You were planning to have her deal with me, weren't you?" The shadow spoke, its gaze locking onto him.
"You caught on." Feng Qi admitted his thoughts without hesitation.
He had already clashed with this shadowy entity.
With his current strength, he had no advantage against it, let alone the ability to kill it.
Only Mu Qing had the absolute power to suppress it.
But now, she was trapped in battle and unable to break free anytime soon. Feng Qi couldn't be sure whether the shadow would take this opportunity to escape.
"I'm no match for her. Sorry... I won't play along with your plan."
The shadow grinned, revealing jagged blue teeth, before vanishing in an instant, turning into a streak of darkness that shot toward the Institute of Technological Research Base.
Sensing its trajectory, Feng Qi immediately burst forward.
The ground beneath him shattered as his body shot forward like a cannonball, pursuing the shadow relentlessly.
As the chase continued, the shadow's speed increased.
Its body, composed entirely of energy, seemed unbound by gravity, moving in an unpredictable and ghostly manner that was difficult to follow with the naked eye.
But Feng Qi's gaze never wavered, locking onto it with precision.
This was entirely thanks to the enhancements brought by his Blood Source Form.
The Blood Source Form didn't just grant him immense strength—it enhanced him in all aspects.
It was as if his body had been reforged with the power of his blood and qi.
Strength, defense, regeneration, perception, reflexes, and even physical resilience—every ability was elevated to a new level the moment his Blood Source Body was formed.
That was why Blood Source remained one of the few abilities he had never abandoned.
As he chased the shadow, Feng Qi calculated the remaining time in his mind.
Since he had activated the Blood Source Form, it had been continuously consuming his blood and qi without replenishment.
Once the form dissipated, he would be powerless against the shadow.
Let alone stopping it.
At that thought, he clenched his teeth and pushed himself harder.
His heartbeat accelerated sharply, and the powerful surge of blood within his body roared like crashing waves.
If his blood and qi were like fuel, then his Blood Source Body was an engine, burning that fuel to generate power.
At maximum output, his body felt like an engine revving at full throttle, his blood pumping with a sound akin to tides crashing against the shore.
His speed surged again, rapidly closing the distance to the shadow, whose body had already begun slipping through the gates of the Institute of Technological Research Base.
Just as his right hand was about to grasp the shadow, its movement suddenly accelerated.
His fingers scraped past the edge of the black light.
Thrown off balance, his body tilted, crashing violently through the entrance of the Institute of Technological Research.
He rolled several times before forcefully launching himself back up like a feral beast lunging at prey.
His body was already reaching its limit.
But he had no choice but to fight with everything he had.
He had come this far—there was no turning back.
Following the shadow into the research institute, a long metallic corridor stretched out before him.
The shadow had already reached the middle of the corridor.
It glanced back at him, revealing its blue-toothed grin before extending a finger toward the metallic walls.
A beam of black light shot from its fingertip, striking the corridor's surface.
Immediately, the lights above turned red, flickering erratically.
A loud alarm blared.
The Institute of Technological Research Base's security system had been activated.
The walls on either side of the corridor collapsed inward like shifting panels, revealing rows of laser turrets.
Despite the imminent bombardment, Feng Qi didn't slow down—he gritted his teeth and kept chasing the shadow.
A brief pause later, the laser turrets fired.
Amid the deafening explosions, his body was shrouded in a blood-colored mist, struggling forward like a lone boat in a storm.
By the time he crashed through the security gate at the end of the corridor, his body was already severely damaged.
Feng Qi's originally blood-red body had turned charred black.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the searing pain coursing through him.
His formidable regenerative ability activated instantly, causing the blackened skin to rapidly peel away. New flesh sprouted and regenerated, restoring his body to its pristine state within just a few breaths.
Gazing at the now-vanished shadow, he did not hesitate. He immediately pressed forward, delving deeper into the Institute of Technological Research Base.
He was highly familiar with the layout of the institute's interior.
Aside from the internal map provided by Li Xingchen, he had once been a member of this institute himself.
In one of his past sacrificial timelines, he had spent a long time here.
Every corridor, every room—he knew them all.
Without hesitation, he took the most direct route toward the core zone of the institute.
As he advanced, he smashed through one heavy metal door after another with his fists, resembling a predator hunting its prey. He relentlessly pursued the shadow, drawing ever closer to the base's core.
The main base of the Institute of Technological Research covered an enormous area, at least twice the size of Crimson Research Institute.
During its construction, Future City was still in its early developmental stages, with vast tracts of land available for planning and expansion.
As the second specialized research institute of Future City, the Institute of Technological Research was allocated an extensive territory for scientific research and infrastructure.
This was evident in the sheer scale of its main base building.
The network of pathways was complex and intertwined, leading to various scientific research departments. Anyone unfamiliar with the layout would undoubtedly become lost in the labyrinthine corridors.
Simultaneously, the institute's security measures posed a significant hindrance.
The shadow, now ahead of him, had clearly activated the security system. Along the way, various high-tech weapons bombarded Feng Qi at every turn.
In addition, security robots were dispatched to intercept him.
However, their attacks were insufficient to halt him—he simply endured the damage and pressed forward.
Finally, he arrived at the core zone's metal gate.
With a furious roar, he swung his fist forward, a strike infused with surging blood and qi, slamming into the door with immense force.
A deafening boom echoed through the corridor. A distinct fist imprint appeared on the door, yet it surprisingly did not break apart.
The material of the door was all too familiar to him.
It was the same mysterious metal used in the construction of the Star City Shelter Stele fifteen hundred years later.
This metal, originally provided by Star City to aid in the construction of Future City, had now become a roadblock in his path.
Feng Qi immediately assumed the starting stance for Tiger Fist.
With a brief moment of focus, his aura surged dramatically. The essence of his fist technique ignited like flames, burning fiercely within him.
As his right fist shot forward, his left fist followed instantly—
In an instant, countless fist shadows emerged like a torrential downpour, repeatedly hammering the metal door.
The door was soon covered in imprints of his fists.
Roar!
With a furious bellow, he accelerated his punches.
At this moment, Feng Qi was like a human artillery cannon, each punch a fired projectile slamming into the metal door. The imprints left behind dissipated into scarlet energy upon impact.
Under his relentless barrage, the metal door finally began to give way, fine cracks appearing on its surface.
Boom!
With a thunderous explosion, the door shattered apart, sending fragments of metal flying in all directions.
Without any hesitation, he leaped through the broken doorway into the core zone of the institute.
He had assumed that the shadow would have already entered the institute's most secretive classified area, but the moment he crossed the threshold, he saw the shadow hovering nearby.
With a casual wave, the shadow unleashed a flicker of black light, slicing an intercepting security mech cleanly in half.
Around the shadow lay a heap of security mechs, all completely dismembered.
Seeing this, Feng Qi immediately realized—this was all Li Xingchen's doing.
Before his death, Li Xingchen had not only opened the South Gate for the Dawn Army but had also arranged for an inside force within the core zone.
They had been waiting for him to arrive.
A wave of gratitude surged within him, further strengthening his determination—he had to kill the shadow.
Forcing it to reveal its secrets was no longer a realistic option.
The shadow had once betrayed the Psionic Race. It was clearly ruthless, the kind that would never surrender or compromise.
If he wanted to uncover the truth about Little Black and Mo, his only option was to secure the vital data stored within the Institute of Technological Research and analyze it himself.
If he allowed the shadow to enter the classified area, there was a high chance it would resort to scorched earth tactics, wiping out all critical data before escaping.
Feng Qi knew the shadow well—it was absolutely the type to do such a thing.
Especially any records related to Little Black. Those files were the shadow's trump card for controlling the future. It would never allow outsiders to gain access to them.
Without hesitation, he lunged toward the shadow.
The shadow, however, still refused to engage him directly. Instead, it flickered toward the classified area.
Its movements were astonishingly fast, like an ethereal ghost. Each time it flickered, it propelled itself forward in bursts, covering vast distances in an instant.
If one were to freeze its motion and replay it in slow motion, they would see that each time it moved, its body compressed tightly before launching forward like a bullet, pushing its speed to the absolute limit.
Until the burst of force subsided, the shadow would momentarily reappear before repeating its movement pattern.
This formed the shadow's peculiar rhythm—stopping and flashing forward intermittently as it advanced.
It quickly passed through the first security gate leading to the Classified Area, and just as before, it activated the security system.
Yet again, Feng Qi refused to stop.
He charged forward through the laser radiation, enduring the burning pain.
With his powerful regeneration, the wounds on his body quickly healed even as he moved forward.
However, the intense consumption of his qi and blood was rapidly wearing him down.
Realizing he couldn't hold on much longer, he let out a furious roar, throwing himself forward with all his might, shattering the second security gate that was closing in front of him. He reached out, trying to seize the shadow once more.
But at that moment, the shadow abruptly increased its speed, gliding toward the third security gate.
Gritting his teeth, Feng Qi fixed his blood-colored eyes on the rapidly closing third gate. His aura surged, climbing to its peak.
He stretched out his hand, clawing at the distant shadow.
This move nearly drained him of all his mental energy, sending a sharp pain through his mind and blurring his vision for a brief moment.
His Heaven and Earth Meditation ability had a flaw—using two abilities simultaneously made it extremely unstable.
Years of meditation had somewhat mitigated this flaw, but it was still there.
Now, maintaining Blood Source Form while using psychokinesis nearly caused his entire form to collapse.
But he had gambled correctly.
The shadow's movement speed drastically slowed under the effect of his psychokinesis.
Seizing the opportunity, Feng Qi lunged like a predatory tiger, his body streaking through the air as he grabbed the shadow with both hands.
The shadow hadn't yet reacted when a vicious glint flickered in Feng Qi's eyes. A purple seal surfaced on his palm, glowing ominously in the dim light.
The shadow, preparing to disperse its energy form and reconstitute itself elsewhere, was suddenly shocked to find that the areas touched by the purple seal… could no longer regenerate.
Seeing this, a twisted grin spread across Feng Qi's face.
Against elemental beings, he wasn't particularly skilled.
But he had mastered an innate ability that was a natural counter to them.
An ability so rare and terrifying that its evaluation tier was even higher than Blood Source Form, a power that only grew stronger over time.
It was—Purple Soul.
Now, Purple Soul energy spread from his palm, rapidly infecting the shadow's form.
Wherever the Purple Soul touched, the shadow's energy flow stilled, unable to surge or fluctuate.
However, using Purple Soul while in Blood Source Form placed an immense strain on Feng Qi. His form trembled violently, the blood mist swirling around him in turbulence, as if on the verge of collapse.
Before his form could break apart, he acted decisively—swinging his right arm in a savage motion and slapping the shadow's face.
Slap!
A crisp, resounding smack echoed through the corridor.
The shadow's face caved inward from the force, its body hurtling backward and crashing into the corridor's metal wall with a deafening bang.
Feng Qi didn't stop.
He lunged forward, his clenched fist smashing directly into the shadow's abdomen.
Due to the Suppression Effect of Purple Soul, the shadow's energy flow had drastically slowed. It could no longer dissolve and reassemble its body at will.
With no way to evade, the shadow took the full force of Feng Qi's punch—completely and utterly.
The sheer momentum behind the strike sent waves of energy rippling across the corridor.
Grinning wildly, Feng Qi looked at the shadow and sneered.
"You've tormented me across so many timelines—this time, you're paying for all of it!"
As his words fell, a crimson domain of fists erupted around them, engulfing the shadow entirely. Countless fist shadows materialized in the air, raining down upon the shadow's body like an unstoppable storm.
At this moment, Feng Qi's expression was maniacal.
So many had sacrificed their lives for this very moment.
He carried the hopes, the dreams, and the vengeance of all those who had fallen. At this moment—he could not afford to fail.
With a furious roar, his fists blurred as their speed increased exponentially, striking the shadow like a relentless tempest.
Desperately, the shadow attempted to resist. Mysterious black symbols surfaced across its body, forming protective seals to block the incoming attacks.
But under the suppression of Purple Soul, the black symbols flickered, their effectiveness waning as they struggled to sustain themselves.
One by one, the symbols shattered.
Finally, with the last punch, the final defensive seal collapsed completely.
The shadow's form flickered wildly, its unstable energy shifting erratically. Its gaze turned toward the large doors at the end of the corridor.
Just a little more.
Beyond that door—several unused secret weapons remained.
But before it could make another move—its body collapsed to the ground.
Huff…
Feng Qi exhaled heavily. His flesh-and-blood body dissolved into a mist of blood energy, dispersing into the air.
He could no longer sustain Blood Source Form. His bone humanoid form replaced it.
His condition was far from good.
The prolonged high-intensity combat had left cracks running across his skeletal frame.
He turned his gaze toward the shadow—now completely slumped in the corner.
Though not dead, the shadow no longer had the strength to resist.
Feng Qi lifted a trembling hand and flipped his middle finger at it.
Then, without a word, he turned his back to the motionless figure.
His body, unsteady and shaking, took slow, deliberate steps toward the final door at the corridor's end.
His entire being screamed for him to open it.
To finally uncover the shadow's greatest secret.
The Black Reaper Project? Mo?
The answers that had eluded him across countless timelines—they were waiting behind this door.
And this time, he was going to find them.