The sudden appearance of a new mission caught Feng Qi off guard.
He hadn't thought of a good way to survive this unexpected crisis.
This realization made Feng Qi aware that this Bloodstone escort mission was likely the endpoint of this sacrificial timeline.
Before the mission even began, Feng Qi started contemplating a crucial issue—
If he was destined to die, how could he ensure that the intelligence he gathered in this timeline reached the Crimson Research Institute?
The information he had acquired on this sacrificial timeline was of extreme importance.
It included the history of the Psionic Race's rise, key intel related to Mo, and most critically—confirmation that the true mastermind behind the Institute of Technological Research was the Hei Xuan faction of the Psionic Race.
If he couldn't transmit this intelligence back to the Crimson Research Institute, then all of his efforts in this timeline would be wasted.
There was also the matter of the extensive domain studies he had painstakingly learned—knowledge that he had hoped to pass on to another version of himself.
But as enemy strength continued to grow, Gu Ke and his brain recovery squad found it increasingly difficult to retrieve his brain upon death.
The various domain factions involved in the Bloodstone escort operation were all exceptionally powerful.
And with the situation bound to descend into absolute chaos, Gu Ke's team would have almost no chance to recover his brain from the battlefield.
If he died while the Mist Lord was still alive, then the Mist Lord would never allow Gu Ke's people to retrieve his brain.
Worse yet, if Gu Ke's squad was killed by the Mist Lord, that would be a complete disaster.
Right now, the only person capable of stopping the descent of the black hand and retrieving his brain was Mu Qing, who was still in Star City.
But he had no way to contact Mu Qing.
With the Mist Lord constantly at his side, and ever since their separation in the Northern Territory, he had refrained from contacting Tiger Soul Research Institute or the Crimson Research Institute for safety reasons.
Now, with Hei Xuan secretly monitoring them, there was even less reason to reach out to Star City.
How was he supposed to survive this nearly certain death?
Feng Qi felt stuck.
Feeling frustrated, he decided to leave the special space for some fresh air.
The night was deep, and the city's once-bustling atmosphere had gradually settled into silence.
As he walked along the empty streets, the occasional streetlamp cast long shadows, and his mind remained occupied with thoughts of survival.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at an artificial lake in the northern district of Old Day City.
Lifting his gaze, he saw the moonlight and city lights reflecting off the lake's surface, while a gentle breeze rippled the water into expanding circles, like a flower slowly blooming.
The cool night wind brushed through his hair.
His expression was calm, but his heart was heavy.
The thought that he might die again didn't bring him any sorrow.
Death had long ceased to scare him.
What truly terrified him was dying for nothing.
He had changed history, but that also meant he would suffer the consequences of those changes.
This time, he had no external force to rely on during the Bloodstone escort mission.
At that moment, a figure appeared beside him.
Turning his head, he was startled to see Hei Xuan standing there.
Just as he had expected, Hei Xuan had been monitoring him all along.
"I didn't sneak out of Old Day City," he said immediately.
Hei Xuan shook his head with a smile, then asked curiously—
"Something on your mind?"
"Nothing, just feeling a little stifled, so I came out for a walk. After all, I still don't even know which clan I belong to."
Hearing this, Hei Xuan fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking—
"If you have no memory of your clan, and you've lived in human society for twenty years, do you feel a sense of belonging to humanity?"
"What about you?" Feng Qi countered. "You've been undercover in human society for just as long as I have. Do you feel any sense of belonging to the human race?"
"Me?" Hei Xuan chuckled. "I'm not like you. You integrated into human life, while I never interacted with humans directly. So, I don't feel any attachment to them."
Feng Qi had no idea what Hei Xuan was thinking when he asked that question.
After a brief pause, he nodded—
"Maybe, yeah. Since I lost my memories, I haven't even known who I really am. But it was only for a short time. As your clan's ancestor, Ling Zhan, once said—'one's true home is their clan. Outsiders will always be outsiders.' I can never truly integrate into another race."
Hei Xuan nodded in agreement.
"You're absolutely right. Friendship between races is always built on power and mutual benefits. Only when power is equal can exchanges be fair, leading to mutual interests. But when power is unequal, all that follows is exploitation and oppression."
"You and the Mist Lord seem to get along well," Hei Xuan continued, "but that doesn't mean your future descendants will be able to coexist in peace."
"Why do you say that?" Feng Qi asked.
"Unless you can achieve immortality and always maintain control, once your descendants surpass the Mist Clan in power, they will inevitably ask themselves—'Why should we share resources equally when we could take them all?'"
Feng Qi fell into deep thought, his expression shifting slightly.
"If you have a question, ask it," Hei Xuan said, smiling.
Feng Qi hesitated, then carefully asked—
"Hei Laoda… There's one thing I don't understand. Why don't you return to your clan?"
Hei Xuan fell silent for a moment, then spoke—
"I know many of you think I'm a traitor. That everything I've done is for my own gain, that I only seek power within the Psionic Race, without caring for its future."
"Isn't that true?" Feng Qi pressed.
"You don't understand." Hei Xuan sighed. "Ever since Ling Zhan passed away, the Psionic Race has not been the same…"
"Time changes many things. Our clan possesses great potential, but it has become rotten from within."
Seeing the doubt in Feng Qi's eyes, Hei Xuan smiled.
"You've studied human history," he said. "Do you know why human dynasties kept rising and falling before the Great Cataclysm? Why no empire could ever last forever?"
Hei Xuan glanced at him before continuing—
"At the beginning of every dynasty, people fought with everything they had. They worked hard, they struggled. They had no choice. The environment forced them to stand together. But when circumstances changed, certain things became inevitable."
"Especially when social classes became rigid," Hei Xuan said, his voice calm.
"The only way to break the stagnation… is through revolution."
"You're trying to say you're a revolutionary of the Psionic Race?"
"That's how I see myself. But whether I succeed or fail, I will ultimately be remembered as a traitor by this era's Psionic Race."
"Even if I succeed, I will not alter this history that is bound to be recorded in the annals of the Psionic Race. My merits and faults will be left for future generations to judge."
"You think that in the future, there will be those who acknowledge your contributions?" Feng Qi asked in surprise.
"If you look through human history, you'll find many figures who were condemned in their time but later recognized as great figures whose legacies spanned centuries."
"I think I understand why you're doing this now. But is it really worth it?"
"The arrival of the Great Momentum is like a dagger at our throats. Our clan's potential is enormous, but it is still far from enough. If we want to survive the Final Judgment, the Psionic Race must strive for perfection."
"And you think that after you die, the Psionic Race will definitely follow the path you envision? Even if you reform the clan now, how can you guarantee that as history progresses, new problems won't arise again?"
"I believe that when the time comes, someone like me will step forward once more to reignite the stagnant Psionic Race."
"You sure make yourself sound noble," Feng Qi rolled his eyes.
"I don't need your understanding. If I succeed, I refuse to believe that my life's achievements won't outweigh my sins. My merits and faults will be left for the future to judge," Hei Xuan said with a calm smile, his voice full of unshakable confidence.
Looking at Hei Xuan, Feng Qi suddenly realized that he knew too little about him.
To him, Hei Xuan had always been the villain, the traitor of the Psionic Race.
But in Hei Xuan's own mind, he saw himself as a revolutionary, someone with a grand vision and ambition—not just a selfish saboteur working against the Psionic Race's future.
"Alright, I'll leave you to your brooding," Hei Xuan said, his figure fading away before Feng Qi could ask any more questions.
As Hei Xuan vanished, Feng Qi leaned against the railing by the lake, gazing at the water.
The night was hazy, and a dragon boat rocked gently in the middle of the lake.
A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, but in the end, they all condensed into a single sigh.
In the face of the Great Momentum's impending crisis, he felt like this world was completely sick.
Killing had become the ultimate truth. Survival was dictated by the law of the jungle.
It was as if all races were trapped in a giant cauldron, forced to fight one another, just so the strongest could emerge—and when the cauldron's lid was lifted, they would be thrown against an unknown force.
It was absurd, yet the truth was both real and cruel.
Just then, a gray mist drifted toward him, eventually solidifying into the form of the Mist Lord.
"Finished with training?" Feng Qi asked curiously.
"I noticed you seemed troubled, so I ended training early to come check on you," the Mist Lord replied, gazing at the moon's reflection on the lake.
"I'm fine," Feng Qi shook his head.
"Is it the upcoming mission that's giving you a bad feeling?" The Mist Lord asked, intrigued.
"You're really sharp. Yeah, something like that." Feng Qi turned to the Mist Lord and suddenly changed the subject. "Hey, Old Mist, if you knew you didn't have long to live, and no matter what you did, you couldn't escape death, what would you do?"
"Obviously, I'd do everything I could to make up for my regrets. That's a dumb question," the Mist Lord rolled his eyes.
"Make up for regrets…" Feng Qi murmured, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.
At that moment, he made a decision.
If he couldn't avoid it, then he would steer history toward the direction he wanted as much as possible.
After chatting for a while longer, Feng Qi and the Mist Lord returned to the special space.
The next morning, after informing Hei Xuan, Feng Qi returned to Old Day Academy.
His dormitory had accumulated a thick layer of dust from being unused for so long.
After half an hour of cleaning, he picked up a new notebook that had been placed on his desk.
Sitting down, he began writing a letter.
Several hours later, he tore out a few pages, folded them, and placed them inside a specialized backpack on the couch.
Before leaving, he hesitated, then took a brain activity needle from the backpack.
This escort mission was unusual.
The brain activity needle might not even be useful—if he died, his head would likely be destroyed beyond recovery.
But bringing it was better than not having it.
Who knew? It might come in handy.
After finishing his preparations, he locked his dormitory door and left Old Day Academy.
Five days later, at dusk.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord arrived at Old Day East Supply Zone.
Feng Qi was very familiar with this place.
During his time on the villain's path, he and the Mist Lord had started from the bottom as entry-level domain warriors, going out to sea to hunt for resources, until the Mist Lord eventually rose to lead the Death Star Third Combat Brigade.
They had lived here for several years.
He could still clearly remember walking into the brigade commander's office every morning, always finding the Mist Lord glued to his tablet, browsing the latest frontline reports.
Whenever he saw news about Mu Qing, the Mist Lord would always give himself a pep talk, as if reaffirming his own resolve.
Now, Old Day East Supply Zone seemed calm on the surface, but tensions were brewing underneath.
The struggle for the Bloodstone had already begun.
There had been several scouting attempts by hidden forces, all of which had been repelled mid-way.
Attempts to steal the Bloodstone had also occurred multiple times.
Feng Qi had considered making a move here, grabbing the Bloodstone at this very location.
But the risk was too great.
If he acted now, he would immediately become the primary target of countless factions—including the Blue-Skins.
The Blue-Skin members present were all powerful—in some battles, their performance had even surpassed the Psionic Race.
If he tried to seize the Bloodstone now, he would paint a massive target on his back.
Moreover, Hei Xuan had already laid out a precise plan for them to follow.
They would accompany the transport team under the guise of Old Day Research Institute's escort personnel. At this stage, making any reckless moves would not be acceptable to Hei Xuan.
Feng Qi had no valid reason to convince Hei Xuan otherwise.
If in previous Bloodstone escort missions, his real goal had been to steal the Bloodstone, then this time, his real goal was to protect it.
After all, he now stood on Hei Xuan's side, and this mission's objective was to deliver the Bloodstone to Old Day City and hand it over to Hei Xuan.
This time, his purpose had shifted from theft to protection.
Thinking about it carefully, Feng Qi couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of fate.
He had walked similar historical paths many times, but each time, he had experienced them from a different angle and position.
Four days later.
The day to escort the Bloodstone to Old Day City had arrived.
On the surface, the operation seemed calm, but beneath it, an undercurrent of danger surged.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord had already noticed that many forces had arrived in secret, their target undoubtedly the Bloodstone.
Especially the Mist Lord, who had already made up his mind after learning about the Bloodstone's effects.
He planned to deliver the Bloodstone to Hei Xuan first, then request permission to use it himself.
As for whether Hei Xuan would agree, Feng Qi believed he probably would.
After all, the Mist Lord was one of Hei Xuan's key protégés. The stronger he became, the more beneficial it would be to Hei Xuan's future plans.
Using a single damaged Miracle item to increase the likelihood of success in future plans—this was a situation where both the Mist Lord and Hei Xuan would benefit.
The escort mission began before dawn.
A long convoy of domain combat brigades rolled out of Old Day East Supply Zone.
On the main road, the convoy split into sections, forming a protective perimeter around the Bloodstone transport vehicles.
Among them was Qin Shikong, someone Feng Qi was very familiar with, leading the Qingtian Combat Brigade.
In the original timeline, it was during this escort mission that Qin Shikong met Mu Qing, eventually choosing to follow her and becoming one of the founders of the Dawn Rebel Army.
But in this timeline, Mu Qing would not be there to fight the Giant Hand, which meant Qin Shikong was in serious danger.
At this moment, Feng Qi had no way to warn Qin Shikong.
Hei Xuan could very well be watching everything from the shadows.
Making a rash move could completely derail the plan and push history toward an even more uncontrollable outcome.
But he was sure that Qin Shikong would sense something was wrong.
After all, he possessed a Miracle artifact capable of predicting fragments of the future.
Back during the canyon battle, Qin Shikong had withdrawn in advance, choosing to observe from a distance and avoiding the most intense fighting.
It wasn't until the Giant Hand appeared and its domain field expanded for miles that Qin Shikong was finally caught in the blast radius.
The convoy moved steadily along the main road.
On either side stretched desolate wastelands, where billowing dust clouds followed the fleet as they advanced.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord stood on one of the transport trucks carrying the Bloodstone, gazing at the distant horizon.
"You think we have a high chance of successfully delivering it?" Feng Qi asked, turning to the Mist Lord.
"Very high."
"Why?" Feng Qi was skeptical.
"Because apart from us, Hei Xuan has definitely prepared backup plans. He's probably deployed Psionic Race members among the escort forces, and there are likely hidden factions loyal to Hei Xuan within the combat brigades. This is Hei Xuan's home turf."
Hearing this, Feng Qi silently shook his head.
The Mist Lord's analysis was logical, but plans never accounted for unexpected changes.
If the Giant Hand did not appear, then the Psionic Race would indeed have the upper hand in securing the damaged Bloodstone.
But if the Giant Hand appeared, everything would spiral out of control.
Thinking back, in the original timeline, the Mist Lord had managed to seize the Bloodstone precisely because Mu Qing had been fighting the Giant Hand.
Without that distraction, and given his injuries at the time, the Mist Lord would have had no chance to get the Bloodstone.
What did it mean to be the protagonist?
The Mist Lord had given him multiple lessons.
His clan had been wiped out, yet he alone survived.
And afterward, fortune seemed to favor him, leading to one miraculous comeback after another.
He had seized the Bloodstone, and 1,500 years later, he had activated the Flesh Cauldron, absorbing the world's life essence to build his divine foundation.
His growth trajectory was straight out of a legendary protagonist's script.
Meanwhile, Feng Qi had to struggle step by step, relying on multiple sacrificed timelines to gather information and strength.
The convoy traveled for an entire day.
Eventually, they approached the canyon region.
This made Feng Qi realize—the real battle was about to begin.
Many hidden factions were lying in wait near the canyon, planning to ambush the convoy and seize the Bloodstone.
They were right in the middle of it—it would be impossible not to get caught in the chaos.
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi steeled himself for battle.
By now, Gu Ke and the Brain Recovery Squad were likely trailing behind.
But in the midst of such an intense battle, could they really retrieve his brain?
Feng Qi had no confidence in that.
Before leaving Old Day East Supply Zone, he had written two letters and left them with the Mist Lord.
Those letters were his only way to steer the future toward his desired outcome.
It was the only way he could make up for his regrets.
As the convoy reached the canyon's entrance, the ground suddenly trembled.
A massive crater suddenly formed ahead.
Several lead transport trucks had no time to brake and plunged straight into the pit.
"It's started," the Mist Lord's expression turned cold as his arms dissolved into gray mist.
"Fight!" Feng Qi's eyes hardened.
From the cliff walls, countless figures leaped down, charging toward the vehicles carrying the Bloodstone.
Before Feng Qi and the Mist Lord could make a move, the escort brigades had already engaged the attackers.
Among them were combat brigades that had secretly pledged allegiance to hidden factions.
In an instant, the battlefield erupted into utter chaos.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord, however, remained composed.
They had expected this.
But they didn't make a move.
Their goal was to escort, not to steal.
Anyone who tried to take the Bloodstone would be their enemy.
As time passed, the battle at the canyon raged on, its intensity reshaping the terrain itself.
The once towering cliffs on either side had been gradually eroded, crumbling under the impact of the ongoing war.
The sun slanted westward, casting the sky in a fiery glow, as if the battlefield itself had been ignited. Smoke and flames painted the landscape, but neither Feng Qi nor the Mist Lord had the time to admire the fleeting beauty of twilight.
As the battle escalated, they too were inevitably drawn in.
Just as the Mist Lord had predicted, members of the Psionic Race finally made their move—clearly, this had been one of Hei Xuan's planned contingencies all along.
None of the forces vying for the Bloodstone chose to stand idly by.
From their hidden locations, various factions converged upon the canyon, eager to seize the prize for themselves.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord fought with the Bloodstone at their center.
As the battle reached its peak, the canyon itself seemed as if it had been struck by a meteor—a massive crater had replaced what was once a valley.
For miles around, the spiritual energy was in chaos.
At times, the air burned like the flames of an inferno.
At others, it turned as frigid as an arctic wasteland.
Had this battle taken place in a city, it would have resulted in complete destruction.
The sheer force of combat sent shockwaves rippling outward.
Every few seconds, a massive white energy pulse would explode from the center of the battlefield, expanding outward in a destructive wave.
The area had become a dead zone—any plant life or native creatures that had once thrived here had been obliterated in the wake of the energy surges.
Even the clouds that once drifted overhead had been blown away by the force of the battle. The sky was now clear and full of stars, a stark contrast to the carnage below.
Despite the chaos, Feng Qi had yet to unleash his full power.
This time, his sacrificial timeline had granted him a stronger physique than ever before.
With the enhancements from the Training Space, he could now activate Blood Source Form using the main timeline's power, achieving an even greater level of strength.
But his opponents weren't weak either.
Especially the Blue-Skinned Beings that appeared later in the battle.
These creatures wielded strange and unpredictable abilities, seemingly without fear of death.
The ones joining the fight for the Bloodstone were among their strongest warriors.
Fighting them was proving to be a major headache.
But Feng Qi's focus wasn't on them.
He knew that even with his and the Mist Lord's strength, trying to overpower the others and simply steal the Bloodstone outright was nearly impossible in this chaotic battlefield.
Dragging out the battle only meant one thing—the Giant Hand would appear.
The fight stretched into the night.
The battlefield was bathed in starlight, but the intensity of the battle only grew fiercer.
The Mist Lord had completely transformed into a mass of mist, making multiple attempts to seize the Bloodstone.
But even he failed to gain the upper hand.
Realizing this, he retreated back to Feng Qi's side, waiting for the right moment to strike again.
When the first glimmers of dawn broke across the horizon, Feng Qi's nerves tensed.
This was it.
According to his past experiences, the Giant Hand would appear at dawn.
"Qi-ge, why do you look so tense?" The Mist Lord's voice held a hint of confusion.
"Old Mist, do you trust me?"
"Of course."
"Then get ready… the big one is coming."
The Mist Lord was momentarily stunned, not quite grasping the meaning of Feng Qi's words.
Then—
A thunderous boom split the sky.
Feng Qi snapped his head upward.
The sky had been torn apart by a massive rift.
Beyond the rupture, a viscous black substance churned like ink, its eerie movement exuding an aura of unfathomable dread.
The crack in the sky widened, expanding as if being forced open from the other side.
Then—a colossal black hand emerged from the abyss.
As the hand reached through, a black shroud spread rapidly.
The entire sky darkened at an unnatural speed.
With a deafening crash, a massive black dome engulfed the battlefield, severing it completely from the outside world.
Every faction that had been fighting over the Bloodstone froze, their instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong.
All eyes turned skyward.
A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air.
The presence of a higher-tier lifeform triggered an overwhelming bloodline suppression, causing many of the weaker domain warriors to tremble involuntarily.
The Giant Hand was like an apex predator standing at the top of the cosmic food chain.
Even though only its hand had appeared, it exuded an unbearable sense of absolute dominance.
"This is the thing you were talking about?!" The Mist Lord's voice trembled with uncharacteristic fear.
For once, even he seemed truly shaken.
Feng Qi didn't answer.
His gaze remained locked on the sky, his expression grim.
Then—a deep, guttural roar rumbled through the battlefield.
The very fabric of space trembled from the sound.
The Giant Hand suddenly descended.
A storm of wind erupted from its movement, tearing across the battlefield like a tidal wave.
Feng Qi's clothes billowed wildly, the sheer force of the pressure making it hard to breathe.
At that moment, a Psionic Race member shouted out, their voice carrying urgency:
"If we don't work together, none of us are making it out alive!"
As they spoke, the Psionic Race warrior retrieved a gemstone from their forehead and threw it into the air.
The gemstone hovered midair, unleashing countless threads of blue energy that extended outward like rapidly growing vines.
In the blink of an eye, a massive array formation took shape, descending over the battlefield and enveloping everyone present.
"Find a position and pour your energy into the formation—it's our only chance of survival!" the warrior called out.
Nobody hesitated.
Even the most hardened factions understood that survival came first.
Feng Qi and the Mist Lord quickly took their positions within the formation.
But the Giant Hand pressed down again.
Crack!
The newly formed barrier formation immediately fractured, a network of hairline cracks spider-webbing across its surface.
The entire formation threatened to shatter apart.
Seeing this, everyone frantically channeled their energy into the array.
Under the sudden surge of energy, the cracks mended, and the formation stabilized.
But this was only a temporary reprieve.
The Giant Hand kept pressing down, giving them no chance to recover.
The sheer weight of its presence crushed down on the battlefield.
Even through the protective formation, Feng Qi could feel its suffocating force.
For the first time, he truly understood the gap between himself and an existence like this.
He couldn't fathom how Mu Qing in the future had managed to defeat this thing.
Then another voice rang out—
"Someone needs to retrieve the survivors outside the formation—we need everyone if we're going to hold out!"
It was another Psionic Race warrior.
Feng Qi turned his gaze toward Qin Shikong, who was still outside the barrier.
His eyes narrowed.
"I'll go!" he declared.
"Go, I'll clear the way for you."
Feng Qi moved immediately, sprinting toward the outside of the formation.
As he neared, a gap split open in the barrier.
He darted through the opening, stepping into the space beyond the protective field.
At that moment, an immense pressure crashed down from above, nearly forcing him to his knees.
His body sank involuntarily, the oppressive force from the sky making it impossible to stand upright.
Without hesitation, he activated Blood Source Form.
His heartbeat surged, and his body rapidly expanded.
His reinforced physique withstood the crushing weight from above.
He lunged forward, racing toward Qin Shikong.
At this moment, Qin Shikong and his battle squad were struggling to withstand the downward force.
They had formed a defensive formation, but Qin Shikong was already drenched in blood, his condition dire.
If he wasn't rescued soon, he wouldn't last much longer.
Feng Qi reached the fractured formation shielding Qin Shikong's team and smashed through it with a single punch.
The barrier, already on the verge of collapse, shattered instantly.
Using telekinesis, he lifted Qin Shikong and several squad members, pulling them toward safety.
Less than a minute later, he had brought them back inside the defensive array.
Feng Qi glanced at the severely wounded Qin Shikong, saying nothing.
Instead, he turned away and returned to the Mist Lord's side.
Meanwhile, a Psionic Race member approached Qin Shikong, explaining the next steps of the defense plan.
Feng Qi paid no further attention to them.
Everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.
In the end, there was no avoiding the suppression of the Giant Hand.
He had considered countless countermeasures, yet none offered a perfect solution.
If he defied Hei Xuan's orders, he would have been eliminated before the escort mission even began.
If he tried to run, where could he even escape to?
Though he hadn't signed a mission contract, Hei Xuan was watching him closely.
If he tried to flee Old Day City, it would mean certain death.
Worse yet, he wouldn't be able to bring the intelligence he had gathered on this timeline back to the Scarlet Research Institute.
With no alternatives, he could only continue along the predetermined path.
Above them, the Giant Hand kept descending, its oppressive force growing stronger.
The defensive barrier could hold no longer.
With a thunderous shatter, the formation collapsed entirely.
A suffocating wave of power crashed downward.
Several domain creatures exploded on the spot, their bodies unable to endure the pressure.
A chorus of enraged roars erupted as warriors from various factions launched an all-out counterattack.
Thousands of spells and energy blasts streaked toward the Giant Hand, soaring like shooting stars.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of brilliant firelight erupted across the Giant Hand's surface.
But despite the onslaught, the hand remained unaffected.
Even with thousands of attacks, its descent did not slow in the slightest.
The difference in power levels was simply too great.
The pressure intensified.
Feng Qi's entire body tensed.
It felt as if an entire mountain was pressing down on him, slowing his movements.
He looked up at the Giant Hand, cursing silently.
He had long realized he wasn't the protagonist of some fantasy novel.
Most main characters started with weak enemies and gradually got stronger.
They leveled up step by step, growing alongside the challenges they faced.
But for him?
Every enemy he faced was an unstoppable monster.
There was no gradual progression, only constant despair.
Without Mu Qing, there was only one possible solution.
He had to repeat his past strategy—absorbing fragmented mental energy to build an immortal spiritual body.
But if he did… he would die without a doubt.
This technique was flawed, focusing solely on spiritual power while ignoring its fatal side effects.
But what other choice did he have?
His only hope lay with the Mist Lord.
A series of sharp cracking sounds filled the air.
Feng Qi turned his head.
All around him, domain creatures collapsed.
Their bones shattered under the Giant Hand's pressure, blood seeping into the earth.
He looked at the Mist Lord.
Even he was struggling.
Most of his body had transformed into mist, barely resisting the crushing force.
"Old Mist, can you hold on?"
The Mist Lord's face flickered within the swirling mist, his expression grim.
"My physique isn't as strong as yours… but I can manage."
Feng Qi nodded, his gaze returning to the sky.
He had made his decision.
Since escape was impossible, there was only one path forward.
In this moment of crisis, he began channeling his spiritual energy.
Invisible tendrils of mind force extended from him, piercing into the minds of the fallen domain creatures.
He began devouring their remaining mental power, claiming it as his own.
In the past, his weak physique had struggled to contain his growing spiritual power.
But this time, his body was far stronger.
If he could withstand the strain, his immortal spiritual form might reach an even greater level.
The Giant Hand continued its descent.
Beside him, the Mist Lord struggled bitterly, his mist form compressed into a shrinking sphere.
The ground cracked beneath them, slowly sinking under the pressure.
With death looming, warriors across the battlefield abandoned all restraint, unleashing their full power in a desperate bid to push back the Giant Hand.
But no matter how many attacks they threw, nothing worked.
And this was only the Giant Hand's fingers.
The rest of its body remained on the other side of the dimensional rift, unable to enter.
The Giant Hand was like the Sword of Damocles, suspended above them, ready to wipe them out at any moment.
The psychological and physical pressure was unbearable.
Then—
From within the shrinking mist beside him, a face emerged.
The Mist Lord locked eyes with Feng Qi, his expression solemn.
"Qi-ge, I'll help you break through."
"If we stay here, we're both going to die."
"One of us needs to survive."
Hearing those words, Feng Qi's heart trembled, a familiar feeling surging within him.
He knew that the Mist Lord was planning to sacrifice himself to help him escape.
But this time, he didn't want the Mist Lord to fight for him anymore.
Given the Mist Lord's current strength, even if he risked everything to help him break through, the chances of success were extremely low.
Feng Qi turned to the Mist Lord, a twisted smile appearing on his face.
"Old Mist, if you help me escape, what do you think my chances of survival are?"
"Less than ten percent. We're facing a superior lifeform of the domain world—their power is far beyond what we can currently resist."
"In that case… how about we switch roles? I'll help you escape, and I guarantee you'll live."
The Mist Lord's expression filled with confusion, but Feng Qi didn't explain.
More and more domain creatures were crushed under the Giant Hand's pressure, their bodies collapsing as their souls dissipated.
Feng Qi extended his spiritual tendrils, piercing into the shattered spirit seas of the fallen domain creatures, devouring their fragmented mental energy.
The multicolored chaotic spirit energy rapidly flooded his own spiritual sea, his mental power growing at a terrifying speed.
But for Feng Qi, it still wasn't enough.
He extended his now-solidified mental tendrils, launching direct attacks on the remaining domain creatures.
His tendrils forcefully pierced into their spirit seas, extracting their mental power.
This method was highly dangerous.
His spiritual sea was now filled with chaotic, unstable energies that clashed against one another.
Luckily, his body was strong enough, allowing him to absorb far more power than before, reinforcing his spiritual form.
The semi-transparent spiritual tendrils lashed out like whips, slaughtering the remaining domain creatures one after another.
Each one of them became nourishment for Feng Qi's spiritual body.
Within his spiritual sea, his mental projection grew larger, its form solidifying rapidly.
It felt like his spiritual body was breaking through its original limits, as if it was trying to shed its fleshly restraints.
An intense internal pressure built up within him.
He felt as if his consciousness was trying to force its way out of his physical body, breaking free to exist independently.
It was a bizarre sensation—he could feel his control over his body weakening, while at the same time, his spiritual body became more dominant.
He turned to glance at the Mist Lord, who had now shrunk into a basketball-sized mist ball, still struggling to resist the crushing force.
"Old Mist, just hold on a little longer."
The words had barely left his mouth when Feng Qi's spiritual tendrils surged outward, accelerating his slaughter and absorption.
Before the Giant Hand fully descended, he needed to become stronger.
"I can't hold on much longer! While I still have strength left… I can carry you out of here—don't hesitate!"
The Mist Lord's strained voice reached his ears.
At that moment, Feng Qi felt his body reaching its absolute limit, and he finally chose to stop absorbing more spirit energy.
His consciousness dived into his spiritual sea.
What appeared before him was a colossal five-colored giant, standing tall within his cracked, unstable spiritual sea.
Having absorbed too much chaotic spirit energy, his spiritual sea was now covered in deep fissures, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Without hesitation, he activated his Faith Power, borrowing his true self's divine ability—"Divine Body."
In an instant, the five-colored giant within his spiritual sea shattered.
The fragments exploded into a torrent of spiritual energy, surging toward a golden divine rune that had appeared in the sky of his spiritual sea.
As he opened his eyes, a golden divine seal emerged on his forehead, emitting radiant light that enveloped his entire body.
In the blink of an eye, his flesh dissolved, replaced by pure golden spiritual energy, wrapping around his skeleton.
A pure energy form.
His spiritual body continued to absorb energy, evolving further.
The originally golden divine form gradually turned into a multicolored entity, reflecting the chaotic spirit energy he had absorbed.
His perception of the world shifted dramatically.
He could now see the world's structure—an intricate web of countless interwoven threads, with various elemental particles drifting in the air.
The Mist Lord was stunned.
In his mind, Feng Qi's strongest ability was Blood Source Form, a muscle-enhancing state that provided a tenfold increase in strength and durability.
But this elemental transformation… was completely beyond his imagination.
At that moment, Feng Qi had fully activated his Divine Body.
The spirit energy he absorbed became part of his Divine Body, corrupting its original pure golden form, turning it into a chaotic, multicolored state.
This dramatically increased his power, but also made his elemental body dangerously unstable.
The Mist Lord's eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at Feng Qi.
Feng Qi turned toward him and grinned.
"Old Mist, watch closely—I'm about to pull off something massive."
As he spoke, Feng Qi raised his hand toward the sky.
Without needing to weave a spell, the elemental particles in the air obeyed his thoughts, rapidly condensing into an enormous elemental hand.
It was just as massive as the descending Giant Hand.
The domain creatures nearby, like the Mist Lord, were completely stunned.
They couldn't understand.
Why had an elemental lifeform suddenly appeared among them?
And more importantly—why could he manipulate elemental energy without even casting a spell?
Feng Qi pointed at the Giant Hand.
In an instant, thousands of elemental formations appeared in mid-air.
From the centers of these formations, countless elemental tendrils extended outward, latching onto his colossal elemental hand.
And then—it struck upward, colliding head-on with the Giant Hand.