Three years later.
It was 11 PM, deep into the night.
The figures of Feng Qi and the Mist Lord materialized in a narrow alleyway in the northern district of Old Day City.
Without hesitation, they stepped forward and walked toward the alley's exit.
The New Year was approaching, and the cold drizzle fell from the sky, turning each exhaled breath into mist.
Stepping out from the dim alley, they found the ground wet with rain, reflecting the glow of the streetlights.
Along the roads, shops had all been redecorated, street lamps were hung with festive red lanterns, and New Year decorations stretched across the city, filling the streets with a celebratory atmosphere.
Pedestrians walked with smiles on their faces, eyes shining with anticipation for the new year.
Watching this scene, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions.
By his calculations, it had been three full years since he and the Mist Lord last left the Special Space.
For the past three years, they had traveled back and forth between the Psionic Race's Special Space and the Training Space, dedicating all their time to growing stronger.
The Mist Lord had a deep sense of crisis regarding the future. He never allowed himself to stop training, and so Feng Qi simply trained alongside him for three years straight.
The Training Space was indeed incredibly powerful, but it also had a clear limit to growth.
By now, even with the resources provided by Hei Xuan, Feng Qi found that his rate of improvement had slowed—his needs had surpassed what was being supplied.
Only the Mist Lord, who had special privileges, was continuously provided with enough resources by Hei Xuan to keep growing stronger.
Apart from that, there was another drawback to training in the Training Space.
Rapid growth made it difficult to fully adapt to his increasing strength.
Each time he finished a training session, he had to spend time adjusting to his new body strength.
Right now, he wasn't even sure how strong he had become.
Perhaps he was already as strong as he was in the main timeline—or even stronger.
That day, they finally received their first mission from Hei Xuan—to intercept and seize a shipment of resources.
Hei Xuan didn't specify the target, but Feng Qi and the Mist Lord already knew—it had to be the Psionic Race's resources.
They didn't know the shipment's origin, only that it would be transported outside of Old Day City.
Their mission was to intercept the shipment once it arrived.
Walking along the street toward the northern gate of Old Day City, they passed through a bustling plaza in the northern district.
There, a large screen was broadcasting news from the front lines, catching their attention.
On-screen, a female news anchor, dressed in formal attire, was reporting with a bright smile on her face—this year's ranking for the Ten Great War Gods.
The surrounding crowd, watching the screen, cheered and clapped, their faces full of excitement.
The Mist Lord suddenly stopped, turning to Feng Qi.
"Ah Qi, you've lived among humans for so many years. What do you think of them?"
Feng Qi immediately became alert, but after a brief pause, he still answered.
"Humans have limitless potential—but they lack the time to grow."
That was exactly what the Mist Lord had once said about humanity in the villain timeline.
Hearing this, the Mist Lord nodded thoughtfully.
"Humans already possess the potential to become a powerful race," the Mist Lord remarked, his gaze still fixed on the giant screen.
"They are diligent learners, constantly pushing the boundaries of research, trying to carve their own path to growth.
"They have pioneers who are willing to sacrifice themselves for their people, and countless ordinary individuals who work behind the scenes to support them.
"But the only thing they lack… is time."
The Mist Lord suddenly let out a sigh.
"Ah Qi, do you know which dynasty in human history I admire the most?"
Feng Qi thought for a moment before firmly answering:
"The Ming Dynasty."
The Mist Lord raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why?"
Feng Qi smirked.
"The Tang Dynasty used marriage alliances to appease their enemies. The Song Dynasty chose to pay tribute.
"But only the Ming Dynasty refused both. They never submitted, never paid tribute. The Emperor himself stood at the gates to defend the empire, and the rulers fought to the death rather than surrender.
"Even when they lost land, it was only after countless warriors had fallen defending it.
"They never retreated. That is the key."
Hearing this, the Mist Lord smiled and nodded in approval.
"Well said."
"Let's go. The savage is waiting for us outside the city."
With that brief conversation over, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord continued toward the northern city gate.
Finally, at 2 AM, they arrived.
When the gate guards requested identity verification, neither of them resisted.
Before the mission started, it was obvious that Hei Xuan had already taken care of their identities.
For someone like Hei Xuan, who secretly controlled Old Day City, this was child's play.
Just as expected, after a quick facial scan, their identities were cleared, and they were allowed through.
Walking along the long corridor of the city gate, they traveled over a hundred meters before finally stepping outside the northern walls.
Above them, the crescent moon hung high in the night sky.
The trees lining the main road swayed gently in the wind, their leaves drifting with the cold rain.
In the distance, lush greenery stretched endlessly, forming waves in the night as the wind passed through.
Compared to the lively city behind them, the vast wilderness outside felt refreshing and untamed.
After walking along the main road for some time, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord stopped.
Their gazes shifted toward the tall trees in the distance.
At that moment, a shadow leaped from the treetops, landing right in front of them.
"I've been waiting for you."
The figure lifted his head—it was none other than Lie Ren, one of Hei Xuan's recruited warriors.
"Savage, where's Xuan Feng?" Feng Qi asked as he eyed Lie Ren.
A gruff voice suddenly called out.
"I'm right here!"
As the voice rang in his ears, Feng Qi turned his head to the right.
A Xuan Feng suddenly materialized beside him, and as it dispersed, a pale-faced man with three deep cracks etched across his forehead emerged.
He looked extremely weak, as if he might collapse at any moment.
But Feng Qi knew better—this man was immensely powerful, capable of manipulating the wind at will, a walking natural disaster in human form.
"Now that everyone's here, let's move out," Lie Ren grinned, pulling out a positioning device.
Without hesitation, the group nodded and followed Lie Ren, moving according to the coordinates.
Leaving the main road, they headed west.
The path, unmaintained and overgrown, had become a muddy mess under the persistent drizzle.
In the distance, a thin mist rose from the damp forest, swirling between the trees.
After some time, Xuan Feng suddenly spoke up.
"What do you guys think Hei Xuan's real goal is this time?"
"His goal?" Lie Ren answered immediately. "Obviously, to rob the Psionic Race's resources. What else?"
"I'm not asking about the task," Xuan Feng rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "I'm asking about Hei Xuan's actual objective."
"To weaken the Domain Faction's strength while stockpiling more resources for himself?" Lie Ren guessed again.
"That's not the main point. The real question is—where are these resources actually going?" The Mist Lord smiled.
"Where? Obviously to Old Day City. Didn't you pay attention to the mission briefing?"
Ignoring Lie Ren, the Mist Lord turned to Feng Qi.
"Ah Qi, can you see what Hei Xuan is trying to do here?"
Feng Qi frowned.
The Mist Lord had deliberately emphasized the question of where the resources were going.
After a moment of thought, his mind clicked.
"Old Day City… Wait. These resources are actually being sent from the Domain Faction to Hei Xuan's faction?"
"Bingo," the Mist Lord nodded approvingly.
"So Hei Xuan is stealing the very resources the Domain Faction is sending him… He's robbing himself? Why would he do that?"
"It's simple. He wants double the joy. Steal one batch—then demand another."
"Shit! That sneaky bastard!" Lie Ren cursed as realization hit him.
"Keep your voice down. If Hei Xuan hears, who knows? He might hold a grudge." Feng Qi warned.
"Long live Lord Hei Xuan! I, Lie Ren, pledge eternal loyalty to you!"
Feng Qi: "…"
The Mist Lord: "…"
Xuan Feng: "…"
Now fully understanding the real reason behind the mission, Feng Qi was struck by Hei Xuan's sheer cunning.
If Hei Xuan had sent his own faction members, the risk of exposure would be extremely high.
After all, the Domain Faction had various powerful abilities, including localized time reversal, which made identifying attackers fairly easy.
But if outsiders—like them—were the ones carrying out the attack, it wouldn't matter if they got caught.
Hei Xuan could simply deny involvement and wash his hands clean.
And even better—after the robbery, he could still demand another batch of resources from the Domain Faction, claiming the first was lost.
This task confirmed what the Mist Lord had always believed—the Domain Faction never saw Hei Xuan's faction as rivals, nor did they intend to suppress them.
They still considered them allies and were actively helping them grow.
Meanwhile, Hei Xuan had no such loyalty—he was plotting for "double the joy."
His ambitions were far greater.
As they strayed further from the main road, the terrain grew worse.
The rain had turned the dirt into thick mud, making it difficult to walk.
Without hesitation, the Mist Lord transformed into a gray mist, lifting Feng Qi into the air and opting to fly forward instead.
At the same time, Xuan Feng took off in a tornado, soaring through the sky.
Only Lie Ren was left running on foot, occasionally glancing at the Mist Lord, hoping for a ride.
But the Mist Lord didn't even acknowledge him—he flat-out ignored the request.
Sitting atop the mist, Feng Qi peered downward.
Lie Ren's eyes glowed red, his body wrapped in a crimson aura, running at an astonishing speed.
He didn't even bother dodging trees or boulders—he simply plowed straight through them.
Watching this, Feng Qi finally understood why Hei Xuan recruited him.
As a descendant of a demi-god, Lie Ren might not be the smartest—but his raw strength and growth potential were undeniable.
After half a day of travel, they finally reached the designated coordinates.
Ahead lay the transport node, where the Domain Faction's resources were supposed to arrive.
They decided to wait in ambush.
One thing was clear—the incoming transporters wouldn't be particularly strong.
Hei Xuan must have received intelligence ahead of time.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent them to handle this mission.
Most likely, it would just be new recruits handling the shipment.
This was also part of Hei Xuan's long-term strategy—
Using them to loot and sabotage the Domain Faction's interests.
As for the exact arrival time, they had no precise information.
Several days passed, but no one from the Domain Faction appeared.
Still, Feng Qi and the others remained patient, choosing to continue waiting.
During this time, their conversations returned to the topic of demi-god descendants.
But simply knowing they were half-god bloodlines wasn't enough.
It was impossible to figure out Hei Xuan's true agenda just from that.
After all, recruiting demi-god heirs could simply mean Hei Xuan valued their growth potential.
Still, Feng Qi had his own suspicions.
Feng Qi suspected that Hei Xuan's true objective in recruiting demi-god descendants wasn't just their growth potential, but something deeper hidden within their bloodlines—perhaps even Miracle Artifacts, like the Miracle Will inside the Mist Lord.
However, with current intel, there was no way to confirm this theory.
Eight days later.
Feng Qi, the Mist Lord, Lie Ren, and Xuan Feng were gathered in the forest, chatting idly.
Beside them lay a metal sphere, emitting soft beeping sounds.
This device, provided by Hei Xuan, was meant for their mission—it masked all life signals within a 50-meter radius, making it ideal for ambushes.
As they chatted, Lie Ren and Xuan Feng shared their thoughts about the future.
Like the Mist Lord, they were only using Hei Xuan for resources, with no intention of swearing eternal loyalty to the Hei Xuan faction of the Psionic Race.
However, escaping Hei Xuan's grasp was an entirely different matter.
They had chosen to work under Hei Xuan for the sake of their races, but this shortcut to power was a gamble—a double-edged sword.
Yes, they were receiving massive support, but in doing so, they were betting the future of their entire people.
Perhaps one day, they would grow strong enough to break free.
But there was also the possibility that they would never escape, forever becoming slaves to Hei Xuan.
Hearing their concerns, the Mist Lord remained silent, his face as emotionless as ever.
Feng Qi understood his thoughts—this guy had always been proud and stubborn.
Showing weakness in front of others?
Never.
In all the time he had known him, Feng Qi had only seen the Mist Lord break down once—
Back when the Mist Lord had saved him from execution, carrying him to a mountain outside Old Day City.
With death looming over him, tears had filled his eyes as he begged Feng Qi to carry on his dream and reach the peak of power.
For a moment, those memories surged back in Feng Qi's mind.
Just then, the Mist Lord abruptly looked up, his voice low and firm—
"They're here."
Snapped back to reality, Feng Qi immediately followed his gaze.
His vision sharpened, zooming in on the distant sky.
A dark vortex suddenly tore open the sky, forming a spatial rift.
Through it, he could see a translucent energy wall rapidly expanding, forming a stable passage to block the chaotic spatial currents.
Three figures emerged from the portal, moving at high speed.
As soon as they stepped through, the passage began to close behind them.
"Finally," Lie Ren stood up, grinning.
With a swipe of his hand, his crimson short-handled battle axe detached from his back and flew into his palm.
His eyes glowed red, and his body ignited with crimson energy, releasing a wave of heat that distorted the air around him.
Xuan Feng also transformed, shrinking into a half-meter-high swirling tornado.
"Keep this quick. If we drag this out, reinforcements will come, and we're dead!"
The Mist Lord's voice was cold and sharp.
He reached out and grabbed the metal sphere, pulling it into his hand before dissolving into a vast sea of gray mist.
Feng Qi knew—now was the time to prove his worth.
If he wanted Hei Xuan's full trust, he had to show his value.
Only by earning Hei Xuan's favor could he gain deeper access to secrets—
Secrets about Hei Xuan.
Secrets about Little Black.
And possibly…
The truth behind everything.
Now was not the time to hold back.
Hiding his strength would only make him seem worthless.
Even if his resources weren't cut, they would never increase.
With a deep breath, he activated his Blood Source Form.
His heart pounded violently, his body swelling in size until he stood nearly six meters tall.
Years of relentless training had drastically boosted his power, especially his bloodline strength.
Though his natural talent was mediocre, his Blood Source ability compensated—multiplying his growth rate several times over.
In the training space, they had focused on strengthening his bloodline.
And talent?
Talent was merely a tool to unleash bloodline potential.
For example—
A weak talent and weak training? You stay weak.
A strong talent but weak training? You waste your potential.
A strong bloodline but no talent? You still grow stronger through sheer bloodline power.
The Mist Lord, with 1 unit of talent, could exert 2 units of power.
Feng Qi, however, could multiply his trained power further with his Blood Source ability.
Now, his entire body had transformed.
His flesh and blood fully converted into Blood Source energy, drastically boosting his strength.
A dark, twisted horn emerged from his forehead, swirling with thick black mist, making him look even more monstrous.
The three Psionic Race members had already noticed something was wrong.
But before they could react—
Lie Ren attacked first.
With a swift motion, he hurled his crimson battle axe straight at the leading enemy.
The axe spun through the air, tracing a red arc as it streaked toward its target at terrifying speed.
Boom!
A golden energy shield instantly materialized, colliding with the axe.
Sparks flew as the axe embedded itself into the golden barrier.
Lie Ren extended his hand, summoning the axe back—but before it could return, he threw it again.
Boom!
The second impact riddled the golden shield with cracks.
By now, the three Psionic Race members had recovered from their shock and were preparing to counterattack.
The leader's forehead shimmered, forming countless golden symbols that floated in the air, intertwining into a golden cage.
The cage snapped shut around Lie Ren's axe, completely sealing it off.
No matter how hard he tried to recall his weapon, the axe refused to move.
The Psionic Race member standing behind the golden elemental giant raised his hand, and several golden formations instantly materialized, inscribing themselves onto his body.
Immediately, endless spiritual energy gathered toward him, converging into his form.
In the blink of an eye, his body expanded into a towering eight-meter-tall golden elemental giant, and with a swift motion, he threw a massive punch toward Lie Ren.
The golden radiance surged forward like a roaring river, crashing toward him.
Sensing the danger, Lie Ren quickly raised his arms to block, his body skidding backward as the golden energy overwhelmed him.
Just then, Xuan Feng made his move.
A violent tornado erupted, enveloping the three Psionic Race members in an instant.
The storm roared, slicing through their bodies like countless sharp blades. Trees caught within the vortex were uprooted and shredded to pieces mid-air.
Yet, the Psionic Race members remained eerily calm and composed.
At that moment, the third member of the group finally acted.
His forehead emitted a blinding golden light, and immediately, the surrounding elemental forces fell into chaos.
The wind elements that fueled the tornado suddenly veered toward him, rushing into his body as if being devoured.
The storm rapidly weakened before everyone's eyes.
As expected, the Psionic Race members were incredibly powerful.
Even though they weren't carrying Miracle Artifacts, the Clan's warriors were known for their battle prowess.
Unlike the Hei Xuan faction, which had been hiding within human society, the Clan's main forces had spent centuries expanding through warfare—they were on an entirely different level.
This was why their resource stockpile far surpassed Hei Xuan's faction.
Realizing they had to finish the fight quickly, Feng Qi locked onto the golden elemental giant and launched an attack.
He pushed off the ground, the force of his leap cratering the earth beneath him as he soared toward his target.
At the same time, the golden giant noticed him and swung its massive fist in retaliation.
BOOM!
Their fists collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Golden mist clashed against blood-colored energy, spiraling in a chaotic vortex of power.
After a brief stalemate, Feng Qi began falling backward, but he refused to let go.
He grabbed onto the golden giant's right leg, dragging it down with him.
As they plummeted, the Mist Lord swept past Feng Qi in mid-air.
A sea of gray mist surged forward, engulfing the lead Psionic Race member.
Meanwhile, Lie Ren, now free, charged toward the last remaining enemy.
The moment Feng Qi and the golden giant hit the ground, he slammed his enormous fist into its head.
BOOM!
Golden light exploded outward as the giant's head jerked backward from the impact.
But in response, it retaliated with a brutal knee strike to Feng Qi's abdomen.
Both fighters staggered backward, temporarily creating distance between them.
"Who are you?" The golden giant finally spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.
Feng Qi didn't bother answering.
Instead, he kicked off the ground, lunging forward like a cannonball, his fist barreling toward the enemy's face.
The golden giant swung its own fist in return.
BOOM!
Their punches collided once again, and blood-red and golden energy intertwined, swirling violently around them.
A low growl rumbled from Feng Qi's throat as he pressed forward, forcing the golden giant to retreat step by step.
"Elemental Resistance?"
The golden giant's expression shifted as he noticed the purple runes glowing across Feng Qi's body, continuously negating his elemental attacks.
Feng Qi ignored him.
Seeing an opening, he suddenly swung his left fist, aiming straight for the giant's face.
BOOM!
The golden giant staggered back, finally losing its balance and crashing to the ground.
Feng Qi was about to press his advantage when—
A deafening explosion echoed above.
Looking up, he saw a sea of golden energy clashing with gray mist—
Two forces devouring each other, sending waves of destruction in all directions.
The battle above was intense, but Feng Qi could tell—
The Mist Lord was clearly winning.
Deciding to ignore the aerial battle, Feng Qi turned his attention back to the golden giant.
But before he could move—
A golden fist came rushing toward him, growing larger in his vision.
Before he could react—
BAM!
The punch slammed into his face, sending him flying backward.
He skidded across the ground, dragging his hands through the earth to slow himself down, leaving deep trenches in the soil before finally stopping.
As he got back on his feet, he noticed something different—
The golden giant's arms had transformed.
Now, it had six arms instead of two—
And each one radiated a different elemental force.
Blue arm: emitted a frigid chill, freezing the falling raindrops into tiny icicles.
Red arm: radiated intense heat, distorting the air around it.
Purple arm: crackled with lightning, sparks dancing across its surface.
Yellow arm: was thick and solid, pulsing with earth energy, its form more massive than the others.
Behind the golden giant, a faint, menacing Asura phantom emerged, its eyes glowing ominously.
This time, the golden giant didn't attack immediately.
Instead, it beckoned to Feng Qi, clearly taunting him.
Realizing that his opponent had been holding back earlier, Feng Qi cursed under his breath.
He wasn't sure where this guy ranked among the Psionic Race's warriors, but he definitely wasn't the strongest.
The strongest warriors had appeared on the frontlines of the war, wielding multiple Miracle Artifacts.
Some of them had trapped Mu Qing in a sensory deprivation state, preventing her from escaping for a while.
It was no wonder Hei Xuan was obsessed with recruiting powerful individuals—
Because the Psionic Race warriors were absolute monsters.
And yet, Hei Xuan actually believed he could seize control of the Clan's Holy Spirit Repository, becoming the sole ruler of the Psionic Race.
That level of ambition…
Was as ridiculous as a snake trying to swallow an elephant.
But regardless of how insane Hei Xuan's goals were—
Feng Qi had to stay close to him to gather more intel.
Seeing the golden giant's provocation, Feng Qi's lips curled into a menacing grin.
He clenched his fists tightly.
Exhaling sharply, he lowered his stance—
Then launched himself forward like a predator, charging straight at his enemy.
His fist ignited with blazing fire, and his heart pounded like a war drum, hammering at full capacity.
The moment he closed the distance, he threw a rapid one-two punch.
In an instant, countless afterimages of his fists filled the air, raining down like a storm of meteors upon the golden giant.
The golden giant retaliated, swinging all six arms at once.
As their attacks collided, the shockwaves shattered the earth beneath them.
Golden elemental energy burst outward, yet under Feng Qi's relentless barrage, the golden giant began to shrink.
Feng Qi was not unscathed.
On his body, four distinct bruises—blue, purple, red, and yellow—were imprinted from the previous exchange.
Though the Purple Soul Mark helped mitigate elemental damage, it could only reduce it, not fully nullify it.
The pain ignited a savage instinct within him.
Without hesitation, he pushed his body to its limits, increasing his energy output, causing his blood source energy to burn faster.
Though this significantly shortened his transformation duration, his combat strength surged exponentially.
Fighting against the golden-arm phantom, Feng Qi pressed forward step by step, enduring the countless golden fists crashing against him.
Then, he swung a fully charged punch.
The elemental giant, already covered in cracks, shattered completely under the impact.
Before the fragmented golden light could scatter, Feng Qi's hand reached forward, seizing the Psionic Race warrior previously encased in the golden energy.
"Close combat is the battlefield of flesh and blood. Next time, don't play a game you're not built for."
His right arm expanded, nearly doubling in size, and with a violent squeeze, the disbelieving Psionic Race warrior was crushed into pulp.
With his task completed, Feng Qi lifted his gaze toward the sky.
The aerial battle had nearly concluded.
The golden sea was barely holding against the Mist Lord's endless fog, and with Xuan Feng's assistance, the Mist Lord finally swallowed the last Psionic Race warrior whole.
Turning his gaze elsewhere, Feng Qi saw Lie Ren, drenched in blood, gripping the head of the last warrior.
His right hand raised his bloodstained battle axe, radiating a feral, untamed presence, his killing intent reaching its peak.
The Mist Lord reformed his body, descending lightly beside Feng Qi.
"Old Mist, where's the cargo?"
"Right here."
The Mist Lord extended his palm, revealing a small, pale-purple gemstone resting in his hand.
"This is a rare spatial gem. I scanned it with my consciousness. The resources are all stored inside."
With the mission objective secured, Feng Qi immediately nodded.
"In that case, let's move out."
Without hesitation, the Mist Lord dissolved into mist, lifting Feng Qi into the air, flying toward Old Day City.
At the same time, Xuan Feng transformed into a miniature tornado, following closely behind.
"Damn it! Can't you at least take the wounded with you?!"
Lie Ren cursed as he watched them leave.
Grumbling, he turned to glance at the location where the spatial gate had been torn open, then quickly strode away.
A few hours later.
A shadowy figure emerged at the battlefield.
It was Hei Xuan.
Sweeping his gaze across the devastated terrain, a smile crept onto his face.
From the top of his head, golden tendrils stretched outward, piercing into the void, sending a message into the unseen realms.
After a brief pause, the air above twisted violently.
A spatial passage was torn open.
A warrior covered in golden markings stepped out.
"Elder Hei Xuan, what happened here?"
Facing the newcomer, Hei Xuan remained composed, his expression neither humble nor arrogant.
"This was already the state of things when I arrived. Has your clan attracted unwanted attention recently?"
The golden-marked warrior surveyed the battlefield.
Then, his forehead radiated a dazzling light, scanning the terrain.
Immediately, the scattered elemental energy particles of the fallen warriors were absorbed into the golden leaves embedded in his forehead.
After a moment, he spoke.
"I examined the battlefield damage. It wasn't the faction we were fighting against."
"Then… could it be that traitor?" Hei Xuan subtly guided the conversation.
"Possibly. I will have Hei Sha investigate further. His time-reversal ability should uncover the truth. Then we'll know who ambushed our warriors."
His gaze shifted back to Hei Xuan, his tone deepening.
"Elder Hei Xuan, I will arrange for another batch of resources to be sent your way. If you need anything, let me know."
"Much appreciated."
"We are family."
"Yes," Hei Xuan's smile widened. "We are family."
Inside a specialized spatial chamber, centered around a massive golden tree.
The Mist Lord retrieved the spatial crystal, and in an instant, piles of valuable materials materialized.
Within moments, an entire area over a hundred square meters was filled with spiritual plants, energy stones, and various rare resources.
Unlike the others, Feng Qi remained calm, but Lie Ren and Xuan Feng's eyes gleamed with greed.
"This is top-grade loot. If I could bring all this back to my people, we'd grow exponentially," Lie Ren muttered enviously.
"Here, take it. Do as you wish. I won't stop you."
The Mist Lord casually tossed the empty spatial crystal toward Lie Ren.
He caught it, but after a brief pause, he awkwardly shook his head.
"I was joking. Don't take me seriously."
Ignoring him, the Mist Lord turned toward Feng Qi, whose blood source energy was nearly depleted, causing him to revert to his skeletal form.
Without hesitation, he placed his hand on Feng Qi's shoulder, channeling pure blood energy into his bones.
Feng Qi had never hidden his blood energy limitations from the Mist Lord.
After all, the more he concealed, the harder it would be to explain later.
Instead, he was honest about it—a decision that had proven wise.
Given how often he had to activate his blood source form, he would frequently end up in skeletal form.
Having the Mist Lord as a personal blood energy charger saved him from the hassle of using blood-recovery gloves.
As the energy flowed into his body, his flesh rapidly regenerated, and within seconds, he returned to his human form.
Seeing this, Xuan Feng—who was still pale from battle fatigue—raised an eyebrow.
"How do you survive when you run out of blood energy? Is your skeleton form your real body?"
"I have no idea," Feng Qi replied nonchalantly, brushing the question aside.
"I lost part of my memory."
As they rested and recovered, a shadow appeared within the chamber.
It was Hei Xuan.
The moment he arrived, everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention to him.
To Feng Qi's surprise, Hei Xuan had a broad grin on his face—as if he had just experienced "double the joy" the Mist Lord had joked about earlier.
"Well done. Your first mission together exceeded my expectations."
Hei Xuan's gaze swept across the mountain of loot, then shifted to the spatial crystal in Lie Ren's hand.
Understanding the silent message, Lie Ren immediately tossed the crystal to Hei Xuan.
Taking the spatial crystal, Hei Xuan swept his consciousness through the internal space. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, the towering mountain of resources diminished by more than half.
"The remaining resources will be split among you. The Mist Lord takes 40%, while Xuan Feng, Lie Ren, and Feng Qi each get 20%."
Hearing this, Lie Ren and Xuan Feng remained expressionless, showing no visible dissatisfaction.
Perhaps they felt some resentment, but they did not voice it.
When it came to resource distribution, no amount of arguing mattered—Hei Xuan had the final say.
If they wanted a bigger share, the only way was to prove their worth to him.
Feng Qi was a little surprised.
Normally, he received the least share, but this time, his cut was on par with Lie Ren and Xuan Feng.
Clearly, it was because he had single-handedly killed a Psionic Race warrior.
As expected—if he wanted better treatment under Hei Xuan, he had to prove his value.
"Keep training. Moving forward, there won't be many cooperative missions between you. I expect each of you to grow into a force of your own. If possible, I hope your tribes can rise with you. As for the resources I provide, they will increase in proportion to your strength."
After speaking, Hei Xuan's form gradually faded until he vanished completely.
Once he was gone, Feng Qi turned to the Mist Lord.
"Old Mist, what's your plan?"
"Continue training. Get stronger. Wait for his next mission." The Mist Lord's expression remained calm and indifferent.
"You actually like these missions? Every time we go on one, we're risking our damn lives. I only do them because I have no choice." Lie Ren grumbled in frustration.
The Mist Lord shook his head.
"If we don't take on missions, we have no value in Hei Xuan's eyes. Besides, these missions bring us benefits. If you truly want to break free from Hei Xuan's control, you should grow stronger while you still matter to him."
As he spoke, the Mist Lord turned his gaze toward the pile of resources.
"Time to split the loot."
The next three months were uneventful.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord remained in the training space, focusing on continuous cultivation to improve their strength.
This sacrificial timeline felt remarkably stable to Feng Qi.
After all, he was deeply embedded with the Psionic Race, meaning there was little external threat to worry about.
The special space had obvious shielding mechanisms—even the Blue-Skin Tribe hadn't shown up.
Aside from occasional mission risks, it was incredibly safe.
And even those missions were manageable.
Hei Xuan had invested a large amount of resources into them—there was no way he would send them to die unnecessarily.
In the past three years, while Lie Ren and Xuan Feng had taken on several missions, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord had only participated in one.
Clearly, Hei Xuan was focusing on nurturing them first.
As for when he would use them, it might take decades or even a century.
The stronger they became, the more valuable they were.
Right now, when facing the main forces of the Psionic Race, their strength was still too weak.
At best, they could ambush the younger generation, but facing them head-on was still impossible.
Realizing that this sacrificial timeline might break records, Feng Qi couldn't help but sigh.
Ever since he started walking the path of sacrifice, he never expected to live long.
After all, every sacrificial timeline ended with his death—no exceptions.
A long lifespan, something even ordinary people could easily achieve after the Great Cataclysm, was as unreachable as an illusion for him.
But in this timeline, he actually had hope.
Everything pointed toward him surviving for a long time.
With Old Mist by his side and Hei Xuan, the villainous boss, backing him up, he couldn't think of any external force capable of killing him.
Unless… it was the moment when Little Black awakened.
That could kill him.
But based on the timeline, by the time Little Black fully activated, he would already be over 100 years old.
Thinking about this, Feng Qi—who was in the middle of a stone-pillar strength training session—smirked slightly.
At that moment, a spatial fluctuation appeared nearby.
The air rippled, and Hei Xuan's figure emerged.
Feng Qi immediately stopped his training, turning toward Hei Xuan.
The Mist Lord, who had been meditating on a prayer mat, floated over and stood before Hei Xuan, waiting for orders.
Seeing the two of them gathered, Hei Xuan spoke in a deep tone.
"A fragmented Miracle Relic has appeared in the Old Day East Supply Zone. Lie Ren and Xuan Feng are occupied with other missions, and I've sent most of our clan members elsewhere. This time, you two will go. Bring back that relic at all costs."
"What kind of Miracle Relic?" Upon hearing this, the Mist Lord's expression shifted slightly.
"A Fragmented Bloodstone."
The moment those words left Hei Xuan's mouth, Feng Qi's heart skipped a beat.
The battle for the Bloodstone—he was far too familiar with it.
Many forces would compete for it.
That didn't bother him.
Most of those were Domain factions hidden in human society, far weaker than the Psionic Race.
To him, they weren't much of a threat.
The real problem was that he remembered what happened during the battle for the Bloodstone.
A gigantic black hand had appeared.
That thing was beyond anything he could handle.
In the original timeline, Mu Qing had been there to fight it off.
In an alternate timeline, without Mu Qing, he had barely escaped by using Lin Ran's Mental Immortality technique and absorbing the mental power of various tribes.
Even then, he had only managed to tear open a small rift to flee.
And he still died in the end.
With just him and the Mist Lord, they had zero chance against the black hand.
His heart sank slightly.
In this timeline, Mu Qing never formed the Dawn Battle Corps.
She had remained in Star City, focusing entirely on helping with its reconstruction and growth.
That meant the Old Day East Supply Zone would never send her a request for assistance.
Mu Qing wouldn't show up.
In other words—there was no one to stop the black hand from descending.
"So much for living to a hundred… F!*"