Feng Qi had previously learned about the Scarlet Rune Crystal from Wei Wei and had seen fragments of related memories in Mu Yan's recollections.
The origins of the Scarlet Rune Crystal could be traced back to the very foundation of the Crimson Research Institute, established by its first director.
At the time, it was Mu Yan who had assisted in its creation.
The task she had given the first director was to analyze and harness the power of the Scarlet Rune Crystal.
Centuries passed, and rune modification technology continuously advanced, yet the integration of the Scarlet Rune Crystal remained an unsolvable challenge.
This particular rune crystal was highly unique, its uncontrollable nature far surpassing any rune crystals extracted from domain creatures.
For centuries, countless warriors—even humanity's strongest elite—attempted to wield the Scarlet Power.
Without exception, every single one of them failed.
The fate of those who underwent modification was always the same—a tragic and horrific demise.
Then, a turning point came.
It began with Mu Qing's parents.
At the time, her terminally ill parents entered Star City and voluntarily participated in the Crimson Research Institute's secret experiments.
During these trials, Wei Wei made a stunning discovery.
The Scarlet Rune Crystal, which had always remained unstable, suddenly exhibited a trace of control—when placed within Mu Qing's father.
This discovery shocked everyone.
Now, thinking back, Feng Qi suspected that Mu Qing's father may have partially activated a mysterious power—perhaps exactly the kind of miracle warrior that Mu Yan had been searching for.
Unfortunately, Mu Qing's father was critically wounded during an attack by domain creatures while migrating to Star City.
Before the experiment could progress, his body gave out.
After his death, Wei Wei turned her focus to Mu Qing, who had been left an orphan.
When asked, Mu Qing immediately agreed to continue the experiment.
She did not hesitate.
She declared that she was willing to sacrifice her life in exchange for the power to avenge her parents.
At that time, Mu Qing was still young, but as a Scavenger, she had been raised with hatred for domain creatures.
With her parents having died due to poison from a Transcendent Domain Creature, her heart was consumed with vengeance.
Thus, Wei Wei brought Mu Qing back to the Crimson Research Institute, continuing the Scarlet Rune Project.
According to Wei Wei, Mu Qing's physique was extremely unique.
Whenever she neared the brink of being consumed by the Scarlet Power, she would miraculously suppress it—regaining control over her own consciousness.
In addition, her body healed at an extraordinary rate.
Injuries that would take an ordinary person months or even years to recover from would heal in days for Mu Qing.
What surprised Wei Wei even more was Mu Qing's willpower.
Despite the excruciating pain inflicted upon her body, she never showed any sign of suffering in front of others.
She only wept in solitude, tending to her wounds alone.
Her unusual constitution and unyielding determination ensured the experiment's success.
At first, Mu Qing could only bear the Scarlet Rune Crystal for one minute before it had to be removed.
Then, over time, she gradually adapted to its power.
10 minutes… 30 minutes… 1 hour… 24 hours…
Her compatibility with the Scarlet Rune Crystal kept increasing.
Her body even began growing an internal core for the Scarlet Rune Crystal.
At 9 years old, Mu Qing completed her final transformation.
She fully merged with the Scarlet Rune Crystal, becoming its true master.
Or rather…
The Scarlet Rune Crystal had become part of her body.
According to Wei Wei, Mu Qing's success wasn't luck.
Her relentless effort, unwavering willpower, and extraordinary physique had all been essential factors.
As for the true origins of the Scarlet Rune Crystal, even Wei Wei did not know.
However, based on Mu Qing's rapid power growth, she suspected that the Scarlet Rune Crystal originated from a terrifyingly powerful Super-Domain Creature.
The truth, however, could only be known by Mu Yan.
Looking at the messy dining table, Feng Qi finally voiced his questions regarding the Scarlet Rune Crystal.
Hearing his words, Mu Yan paused, then casually spat out a bone from her mouth onto the table.
She looked up, extended her index finger, and pointed at Feng Qi's forehead.
In an instant, his vision blurred as ripples spread across his sight, and his surroundings distorted.
The world around him collapsed.
Darkness engulfed everything.
He couldn't see anything.
He couldn't even see himself.
At that moment, Mu Yan's voice echoed in his mind.
"Don't panic.
"This is a spiritual illusion.
"What you're seeing now is a replica of a memory I once experienced."
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately asked:
"What memory is this?"
Mu Yan replied with a calm voice.
"The Void Realm.
"A world with no light, no spiritual energy, and where even the Void Beings are few in number.
"Nothing dares to exist openly here.
"Otherwise, they would be corroded by the void—until they become nothingness."
As her words fell, a golden miniature sun suddenly appeared beside her.
The light from the sun illuminated the surrounding area, revealing the nothingness of the void.
For the first time, Feng Qi could see himself again.
He was still in his aged form, floating within the void.
Looking into the distance, he saw only darkness—an endless abyss.
The blackness was so thick that it seemed to devour the very light from Mu Yan's sun.
The light was limited, unable to extend far.
And then…
The scene changed.
The darkness ahead churned as Feng Qi's vision rapidly zoomed forward. A distant, dim light swelled in his eyes, growing larger at an incredible speed.
Soon, a massive island materialized before him.
Suspended in the Void Realm, the island was in ruins—shattered and decayed. Countless fragments of stone floated around it, and many of its ancient buildings were riddled with gaping holes, eroded by both time and the void. It looked as though it could collapse at any moment.
An overwhelming sense of history and desolation flooded over him, remnants of an ancient era long past.
Just by looking at it, countless fragments of information flashed through his mind.
These were symbols—intricate, indecipherable runes—forcefully imprinted into his consciousness. The influx of incomprehensible knowledge overwhelmed him, sending sharp pain through his skull. His vision shuddered, and the illusionary realm teetered on the brink of collapse.
Sensing that Feng Qi was struggling to endure the lingering power of the island's ruins, Mu Yan's miniature sun flared brightly.
The intense golden radiance engulfed everything, dimming the overwhelming influx of knowledge.
Feng Qi's vision blurred.
When it cleared again, he found himself standing in a dimly lit grand hall.
The palace around him was severely damaged—its ceiling collapsed, revealing the endless churning blackness of the Void beyond.
His gaze swept across the interior of the hall.
Rows of stone statues lined the walls, but most had crumbled. The remaining statues were weathered beyond recognition—their features eroded by the passage of time.
Beneath him was an ancient formation, its glow faint and flickering.
At first glance, the formation appeared simple, even primitive—not nearly as intricate as the modern cultivation formations devised by humanity.
But then…
Feng Qi quickly overturned his initial assumption.
The formation nodes beneath him seemed to possess a strange magnetic pull, drawing his focus. His vision zoomed in.
And then he saw it—a vast network of microscopic formations, layered infinitely upon one another, like the endless expanse of a starry sky.
Only then did he realize—every node of this formation was actually an intricate combination of countless micro-formations, all woven seamlessly together.
The true complexity of this array was beyond human understanding.
His mind reeled.
A sense of intense discomfort surged within him as unreadable knowledge symbols once again invaded his consciousness.
This wasn't the first time he had experienced something like this.
In a previous timeline, when he had looked into the mysterious scarlet projection above Mu Qing's head, he had felt the same incomprehensible flood of knowledge.
At that time, the Narrator's explanation was that the forced transmission of knowledge was akin to a high concentration of information being poured into a lower concentration—like an overflowing vessel.
The mysterious scarlet projection had contained too much information, while Feng Qi had been the receiving end, unable to process or understand it.
If he had continued looking, his mind would have been overloaded, his spiritual sea shattered—reducing him to a vegetative state.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi shifted his gaze away from the formation, directing his attention forward.
At the end of the hall stood a majestic yet broken throne.
The throne was three meters tall, embedded with countless formation nodes, all composed of micro-formations, intricately interwoven.
Yet, despite the throne's magnificence, there was something unsettling about it.
The hollowed-out areas of the throne's structure seemed impenetrable to vision—as if shrouded in shadow, yet glimmers of dim scarlet light flickered faintly within.
At the center of the throne were two circular indentations.
One of them held a pristine blue gemstone—glistening with an ethereal glow.
The other… was empty.
Feng Qi's breath caught.
The shape of the missing gemstone's indentation was identical to the Scarlet Rune Crystal embedded in Mu Qing's arm.
Even after countless eons, an overpowering presence radiated from the throne—a sovereign aura, an unquestionable dominance.
If he wasn't mistaken…
Then the original owner of this throne was also the original master of Mu Qing's Scarlet Rune Crystal.
The sheer power that such an existence must have wielded in its prime… was unimaginable.
At that moment, Mu Yan's voice echoed in his mind:
"The layout of this ruined island is incredibly complex. Even now, I've only explored less than a tenth of it.
"During one of my expeditions, I stumbled upon this grand temple, where I found the Scarlet Throne—along with the Scarlet Rune Crystal embedded at its core."
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately asked,
"So, Mu Qing's Scarlet Rune Crystal isn't from a domain creature, but rather a Pillar God's inheritance, right?"
Mu Yan paused before responding,
"I'm not entirely sure.
"But… I did uncover some interesting things inside this temple."
"When I first entered, I examined the formation beneath our feet.
"It's far beyond anything humans have ever devised.
"I tried activating several still-functioning nodes, and I discovered something—this formation wasn't meant for combat.
"Its purpose was transmission—designed to send information.
"But because most of the formation has been damaged, I couldn't tell where the signal was being sent.
"I don't even know how far this formation's reach extends.
"The technology here is beyond comprehension—to the point that I even suspected…
"This formation might have been used to transmit information across time itself."
Feng Qi's eyes widened.
Mu Yan's voice continued:
"Besides the formation, I also examined the collapsed statues throughout the temple.
"At first, I thought they were worshiping the Scarlet Throne's owner—all of them kneeling in reverence, their heads bowed toward the throne.
"But later… I found something that completely changed my theory."
Mu Yan's voice continued in Feng Qi's mind.
"The last thing I examined was the Scarlet Throne. I found the scarlet gemstone embedded in it—radiating an inexplicable power—as well as the damaged blue gemstone you now see. While the scarlet gemstone remained intact, the blue one was severely damaged over time."
"I conducted an in-depth analysis of both. The scarlet gemstone's structure resembled a storage device, containing an unimaginably powerful energy—one that was wild and uncontrollable. When I extended my consciousness into it, I felt my spiritual energy being consumed at an alarming rate."
"The blue gemstone, however, turned out to be a communication artifact—inscribed with a formation almost identical to the one on the temple's floor."
"Piecing together these clues, I came up with a hypothesis. The Pillar Gods worshiped inside this temple might not have existed on this island at all—or even in our dimension. Instead, they used this mysterious formation and gemstones to establish a weak connection across space and time with an unknown existence. The scarlet energy projected through this connection coalesced into the Scarlet Rune Crystal."
Hearing this, Feng Qi's mind raced.
"You mean... the Scarlet Rune Crystal is merely a condensed projection of the scarlet entity's power?"
"That's just my guess. The real truth remains unknown. There are many possibilities. One theory suggests that the owner of the Scarlet Rune Crystal was once one of the Pillar Gods, who left for some reason. His people, using this mysterious formation, maintained a weak connection with him, and the Scarlet Rune Crystal was merely a crystallization of his lingering energy, enshrined in the throne as a tribute."
Feng Qi suddenly recalled one of the Scarlet Research Institute's most classified projects—the Reverse Infiltration Plan.
This plan aimed to transform human warriors into domain lifeforms and send them into the Domain World—with the hope that one of them would sever the spatial nodes connecting the Domain World and the human world, bringing an end to the endless invasions.
Mu Yan's explanation triggered a new possibility in his mind.
"What if... the Scarlet Lifeform was originally selected by the Pillar Gods to intercept the Great Momentum at its source?"
His gaze locked onto the Scarlet Throne, deep in thought.
The information surrounding the ruins of this island had already surpassed the scope of any known intelligence. He was now treading into completely uncharted territory.
But one thing was certain—the Pillar Gods of the previous era must have encountered an overwhelming crisis, one they could not overcome. In the end, they all perished, unable to survive into the new era.
Taking a deep breath, he asked,
"Mu Yan, do you know what the Great Momentum really is?"
Mu Yan's voice echoed again,
"Mo and I have analyzed the Great Momentum extensively, and we've formulated many theories. But let me focus on the two most notable ones."
"The first theory—what if our world is actually a hyper-realistic simulation, like a game?"
"If that's true, then the Great Momentum could be the equivalent of a system update. If you've ever played a game, you'd know that as players grow stronger, the existing monsters and dungeons become outdated. At that point, the game undergoes an update, introducing new content to challenge the players."
"Following that logic, the Great Momentum could be the equivalent of our current version being wiped, to make way for a new version."
"The Pillar Gods we never met? They could be the previous version's inhabitants—completely erased when the new version was introduced. And before them? There might have been countless other versions, each one wiped out in the wake of a new Great Momentum."
Mu Yan paused for a moment before continuing,
"However, this hypothesis has many logical flaws. If I were the game's creator, I would have absolute control over the world's functions. The Pillar Gods wouldn't have been able to break free from the system's grasp, nor would they have been able to leave messages for the next generation."
"Of course, there's another possibility—the true controller of this game knows everything, but chooses not to intervene. Maybe they find amusement in watching anomalies unfold, believing that everything is still within their grasp."
"But ultimately, I find this theory unlikely. Mo spent a lot of time trying to prove this hypothesis, and his conclusion was that our world is undeniably real. I wanted to punch him for making me listen to all his research, but I have to admit—his findings are always convincing."
Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
If this theory was the truth, then the future was utterly hopeless.
Every action, every struggle—all happening under the gaze of an unseen entity. Even if unexpected events occurred, the final outcome had already been predetermined.
Feng Qi shook his head, pushing the thought aside.
He and Narrator had discussed the nature of reality before.
Narrator had scoffed at the idea.
"Too many conspiracy theories. If that's the truth, then we'll just punch our way out of it."
Feng Qi smirked at the memory.
He looked toward the Scarlet Throne and asked,
"And the second theory about the Great Momentum?"
"The Great Momentum," Mu Yan's voice darkened, "might be an interdimensional harvest—conducted by an existence far beyond our understanding."
Feng Qi narrowed his eyes.
"A harvest?"
"Exactly. If our world is nothing more than a breeding ground for some higher-dimensional beings, then it explains why every era ultimately ends in destruction. It's like ancient human agriculture—sowing seeds in spring and harvesting in autumn. The beings of the new era are like freshly planted seeds, while those at the end of an era are ripe for harvesting. The arrival of the Great Momentum is like a cold, merciless scythe, reaping every matured lifeform."
"That's... quite the outrageous theory," Feng Qi muttered, feeling a chill creep down his spine.
"Outrageous? Maybe. But consider this—what if the Pillar Gods of the previous era refused to accept their fates and chose to fight back against these higher-dimensional beings? And in the end, they failed."
"Do you have any evidence to support this?" Feng Qi frowned.
"It's just a theory, so of course there's no hard proof. But we can observe patterns in how the world operates."
"Think about it. If I were a higher-dimensional harvester, and I found that the beings of a new era were growing too slowly, what would I do? I'd accelerate their development—trigger the Great Momentum earlier, ensuring that the 'crop' matures faster. We can think of it as adding a catalyst to speed up the process. And what happens as a result? Different races, preparing for the impending Great Momentum, engage in endless slaughter and competition. The human world has become the primary battlefield, much like a controlled breeding experiment. The more the species fight and evolve, the faster they grow. That's exactly what the higher-dimensional harvesters want to see—they're simply waiting for a supreme being to emerge from this brutal survival process."
Mu Yan paused for a moment before continuing.
"In this kind of hyper-competitive environment, it's undeniable that some races evolve rapidly. There may come a day when only a few peak races remain, and among them, perhaps beings will emerge that rival the Pillar Gods of the past. But when that moment arrives, it will only mean that the final harvest is near."
Mu Yan's second theory struck Feng Qi harder than the first.
It was as if a frog at the bottom of a well had suddenly leaped out, realizing for the first time how vast the world truly was.
Compared to this grand cycle of destruction and renewal, everything he had been struggling for felt insignificant.
For now, he had no choice but to keep pushing forward.
Mu Yan had mentioned that the strongest races would continue to grow, and that some might evolve into beings comparable to the Pillar Gods. Feng Qi didn't doubt this at all.
After all, the future he had traveled to—1,500 years from now—was merely the time of humanity's destruction, not the moment of the Great Momentum's arrival.
The true war for supremacy among the races had only just begun.
As the Mist Lord once said, the Eight Royal Clans may be the dominant forces for now, but that didn't mean they would remain so forever.
There were other hidden races—like the Blue-Skinned Clan—lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to rise.
There were likely countless others with similar ambitions, eager to challenge the Eight Royal Clans for supremacy.
And in this ruthless struggle, some races might achieve transcendence, breaking free from their original lifeforms and evolving into new beings—perhaps even on par with the Pillar Gods.
But that future was too far away for him to worry about now.
For now, he had far more immediate problems to deal with.
As Feng Qi was lost in thought, a sudden wave of dizziness struck him.
The world before him cracked like shattered glass, with countless fissures spreading rapidly before everything collapsed into fragments.
His vision blurred, and when he regained focus, he found himself back in the real world.
The searing heat from the nearby fire and the cold draft from the side confirmed that he had returned to reality.
He instinctively rubbed his temples, feeling an intense mental strain.
The sheer volume of information he had absorbed in the spiritual illusion had left his mind overloaded. He couldn't help but wonder—if he had physically entered the ruins instead of experiencing them through Mu Yan's illusion, would he have been mentally crushed by the sheer flood of knowledge?
A bead of cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
It took him a few moments before the intense mental pain finally subsided.
Lifting his gaze, he saw Mu Yan still devouring food at the table, seemingly unfazed.
Noticing Feng Qi's stare, Mu Yan looked up, his mouth still full, and said with a muffled voice,
"Looks like your mental capacity was reaching its limit, so I had to end the illusion early. Originally, I wanted to show you a few more ruin sites, but it's a shame... Anyway, do you have any other questions? Ask away, and I'll answer whatever I can."
Feng Qi nodded immediately.
The information Mu Yan had just shared was still sinking in, but he hadn't fully processed it yet.
Lifeform inheritance, the Pillar Gods' era, simulated game updates, a higher-dimensional harvesting farm—every single one of these theories was mind-blowing.
It was too early to draw any firm conclusions about such complex matters.
After all, progress had to be made step by step. Rushing ahead without enough knowledge would only lead to failure.
For now, there were far more immediate mysteries that needed answers.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at Mu Yan and asked,
"Mu Yan, do you know the origin of Little Black?"
"You mean the mysterious entity created by Mo, the one that chased you down 1,500 years in the future?"