Translator: CinderTL
North of Star City, a misty drizzle fell from the sky.
Ahead, the mountain range stretched endlessly, the marching column winding upward like a long dragon.
The earth, softened by the rain, turned muddy, gradually slowing the army's advance.
Feng Qi soared through the air, gazing into the distance. The misty rain shrouded the green mountains and the path ahead.
Beyond these towering peaks lay the plains, and beyond them, Future City—the Dawn Army's destination—was now within reach.
The moment of truth was approaching. Would years of effort finally bear fruit?
His figure plummeted rapidly, landing at the head of the column.
"We'll reach Future City in two days at most. Any thoughts?" Qin Shikong, clad in his tattered daoist robe, approached him.
"What's there to think? Just charge in and get it done," Feng Qi grinned. "Why don't you cast a divination to see how this ends?"
Qin Shikong shook his head helplessly. "This old daoist has tried multiple times, but I can't pierce the veil of fate. You know I need to grasp the threads of destiny to divine the future, but those threads remain elusive. I can't predict the outcome of this journey. Such a thing is exceedingly rare... I even suspect Future City possesses something that conceals the threads of destiny."
Hearing Qin Shikong's explanation, Feng Qi immediately thought of Little Black.
If there was anything in Future City that remained consistently impenetrable across multiple timelines, it was Little Black and his mysterious creator, "Mo."
Little Black was an old acquaintance.
Though they had never met in the Sacrifice Line, he always received a "warm welcome" whenever Feng Qi traveled to the future 1,500 years ahead.
Among them, Mo was the most enigmatic figure.
During his time infiltrating the Technology Research Institute, Feng Qi learned of a highly secretive researcher known as "Mo."
Spirit Energy Technology, the Black Reaper Project, the Spirit Energy Dispersal Bomb, the Truth Machine... Mo's influence permeated every piece of black technology.
If the black shadow was the ruler of the Technology Research Institute, Mo was its technological core.
It was with Mo's assistance that the black shadow-controlled Technology Research Institute successfully surpassed the Future Research Institute, formerly Future City's most powerful institution.
Even Li Xingchen's mechanized modification technology relied on Mo's technical support.
During his years undercover at the Technology Research Institute, Feng Qi had witnessed two pieces of black technology developed by Mo.
The first was the Spirit Energy Dispersal Bomb.
This weapon possessed virtually no lethal power, yet its impact was immense, with an extremely high upper limit.
Upon detonation, the Spirit Energy Dispersal Bomb would disperse spiritual energy within a one-kilometer radius, creating a spiritual energy vacuum. For creatures that relied on manipulating spiritual energy in combat, this was akin to striking their vital point.
Unless they possessed vast reserves of spiritual energy within their bodies, they would instantly be rendered unable to cast spells.
This was particularly devastating for those who relied heavily on external spiritual energy for combat. In a spiritual energy vacuum, they would be unable to unleash their full combat potential.
Furthermore, the spiritual energy vacuum would instantly cut off cultivators' access to external spiritual energy replenishment.
To address this issue, Feng Qi had prepared in advance.
He opened the Tiger Soul and military department's armories, equipping each warrior with a personal spirit stone. In the event they couldn't draw spiritual energy from the environment, they could temporarily replenish their reserves using the spirit stone's stored energy.
The second item was the Truthspeaker Device.
This machine had nearly exposed him during his time as an undercover agent.
Without Wei Wei's assistance, he would never have survived that internal test.
However, Wei Wei hadn't found a true solution to the Truthspeaker Device's detection methods. Instead, she developed a special drug that would instantly induce a coma when his spiritual energy was being corrupted.
At the time, he was undergoing biochemical modification, leaving his body extremely weakened. The black shadow simply assumed this was a severe side effect of the procedure, compounded by his already deteriorating physical condition, which barely allowed him to survive the premature exposure.
This incident underscored the truly terrifying nature of Mo's abilities.
Mo remained an enigma in Feng Qi's mind.
Some speculated he was human, while others believed he was a domain creature abducted by the black shadow. Still others theorized that "Mo" was the black shadow himself.
Within the Technology Research Institute, only the black shadow had direct contact with Mo.
Among these theories, Feng Qi leaned toward the idea that Mo was indeed the black shadow.
He had witnessed the black shadow's capabilities firsthand.
If the Lord of the Mist was a master of strategy, the black shadow was a master of manipulating human hearts.
He could make countless warriors willingly sacrifice their lives for him, even betraying humanity itself—a testament to his extraordinary influence.
Yet the black shadow's greatest strength wasn't his manipulation tactics, but his origins.
Through exploring multiple timelines, the black shadow's identity had become clear: he was one of the Spirit Energy Clan members who had fled with the "miracle."
Being from the Spirit Energy Clan proved the black shadow was a genius.
Every member of the Spirit Energy Clan is a genius, possessing the miraculous "Holy Spirit Consciousness Repository" that allows them to continuously draw knowledge and skills from the memories of their ancestors and clansmen.
The black shadow, having once been a member of the Spirit Energy Clan and having access to extremely precious miracle items, proves that he remains a core member of the clan.
This alone demonstrates the black shadow's vast reservoir of knowledge.
Such knowledge would be a formidable weapon at any time.
Lost in thought, Feng Qi, Qin Shikong, and the others traversed a mountain range, continuing their journey toward Future City.
Future City.
Technology Research Institute.
Li Xingchen stood before the black shadow, recounting the details of the mission and its disastrous outcome, which had resulted in heavy losses.
After finishing his report, Li Xingchen glanced at his subordinates standing behind him, their mechanical bodies severely damaged.
Of the original twenty who had returned, only eight remained.
The other dozen had chosen to self-destruct before entering Future City.
He had once told Feng Qi that he didn't need to know how he would explain things to the black shadow.
But he knew better than anyone how terrifying the black shadow truly was.
A total of ninety-six individuals had participated in this investigation mission.
Everyone else had died, yet not a single one of the twenty who followed him had fallen. This would inevitably arouse the black shadow's suspicion.
Knowing the black shadow's nature, Li Xingchen understood that he couldn't simply gloss over the truth.
Before entering Future City, he had his subordinates draw lots.
Thirteen of the lots were death tokens, while eight were life tokens.
The subordinate warriors accepted his decision without complaint, facing their deaths with stoic resolve.
This was his explanation to the black shadow, proof of the battle's ferocity and the heavy losses his side had suffered.
After listening to his account, the black shadow, hovering nearby, fell silent for a moment before speaking:
"I understand. Let's go back."
Li Xingchen didn't reply. He immediately turned and led his subordinates out of the Technology Research Institute.
Leaving the core zone and traversing the technologically advanced base roads, he arrived at the institute's exterior.
Before him stretched a dazzling urban panorama.
In the distance, countless maglev cars zipped along fixed tracks in the sky, moving with orderly precision. The city lights glittered brilliantly against the night sky.
After instructing his subordinates to return to the Future Research Institute, Li Xingchen began walking toward home.
The scene resembled a cyberpunk cityscape from a science fiction film. Virtual projection billboards lined the streets, and even the roads were marked with holographic signs.
(End of the Chapter)
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