Star City.
Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Seated at the desk, Feng Qi was adjusting the recording device positioned in front of him.
It had been half a day since his return to Star City.
During this time, high-ranking officials from Star City had contacted him, hoping he would hold a leadership meeting to recount his experiences over the years.
Feng Qi flatly refused.
If he told it once, they'd want it again. Recording a video was more efficient—anyone who needed the info could just watch the footage.
More importantly, the video could be watched repeatedly.
He had gathered a massive amount of intel during this long journey—much of it critical.
Video was a better way to preserve the content.
Besides, the Crimson Research Institute had already gone underground. If he wanted to reach Wei Wei and the others, he'd first need to locate members of their external ops team.
Back then, any needs the Crimson Research Institute had were communicated to Star City through this external team.
Even now, the location of the Crimson Research Institute's secret base was unknown to the upper echelons of Star City. It remained the city's highest-level classified information.
Honestly, if the Star City leadership really wanted to find the base, they probably could.
They'd just need to coordinate with the military and conduct a citywide sweep using every type of detection equipment available—even if the base was underground, it would eventually be found.
But no one would dare propose such a search.
The higher-ups in Star City knew perfectly well—the Crimson Research Institute's secrets were not theirs to uncover.
At present, if Feng Qi wanted to see Wei Wei and the others again, he'd have to go through this field team.
He did know the rough coordinates of the Crimson base. If he really wanted to go, his identity would definitely pass the base's verification protocols.
But there was no need to go in person.
A sudden visit might disrupt the isolation protocol the Crimson Research Institute had in place. It was better to follow procedure and reach out through the team.
Before the Crimson Research Institute responded, he still had things to deal with on his end.
He looked up at the camera on the desk.
In the frame, he had already changed out of the Blade Demon robe made by Xiao You and was now wearing casual clothes—something he hadn't worn in a long time.
He centered himself in the frame and glanced back at the fluttering Xiao You.
"Xiao You, quiet down. I'm about to record a video."
"Boss, what's recording a video?" Xiao You floated to his side, curious.
"It's a way to save what I'm about to say. You'll understand later. Just don't interrupt for now."
"Okay, Boss. Xiao You will be quiet, I promise not to disturb you."
Lowering her voice, Xiao You tiptoed out of the frame.
Feng Qi turned and saw her settle in the corner of the room, hugging her knees with her head buried, leaving only her eyes visible, watching him like a sneaky spectator.
Feng Qi: …
His gaze shifted to Lei Ting and the others.
Lei Ting was flipping through books, though more often he was just looking at the illustrations—he couldn't read human language anyway.
Po Jia sat cross-legged on the sofa with red currents surging across his body—clearly in a cultivation state.
Meanwhile, Taihang was already fast asleep on the floor.
Feng Qi ignored them and turned back to the camera.
He was going to record a video recounting his long, strange journey.
He'd detail everything from the moment he left Star City, including the sights along the way and all the critical intel he gathered.
He pressed the red button beneath the lens.
Numbers appeared in the top right corner of the screen—recording had begun.
As he spoke, it felt like he was walking the path of the God Ascension Challenge all over again. His thoughts followed his memories on that same journey once more.
Several hours passed before Feng Qi finally reached out and hit the "stop" button.
Clearly, it was unrealistic to finish telling everything in a short span of time.
He glanced at the time—it was already dinner.
He decided to take Xiao You and the others to the Tiger Soul cafeteria for a meal.
Turning toward Xiao You, he found her asleep in the corner, head tilted against the wall, drooling slightly.
Like some kind of telepathic instinct, she suddenly snapped her head upright and opened her eyes the moment she sensed his gaze.
"Boss?"
"Let's go eat."
"Okay!"
Xiao You immediately nodded excitedly and jumped to her feet—but her legs didn't cooperate.
After just two steps, they went numb and buckled beneath her. She stretched out her arms and hit the ground hard.
"My legs are asleep…"
She sat up, scratching her head sheepishly.
Feng Qi, Lei Ting, Po Jia, Taihang: …
"You idiot. You really are an idiot. If Fate City held a stupidity competition, you'd win first place every single round," Lei Ting sighed.
Hearing that, Xiao You ignored him, rubbed her legs, and stood up. Then her body floated off the ground. Eyes sparkling, she looked at Feng Qi.
"Boss, I'm ready."
Feng Qi nodded and led Xiao You and the others out of the room toward the Tiger Soul Cafeteria.
They had returned to Star City late yesterday. By the time they arrived at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, it was already night.
After settling into their accommodations, he had a brief chat with Star City's top brass but didn't have dinner.
This would be his first meal back in Star City.
He hadn't eaten proper human food in over a hundred years. He couldn't wait to finally enjoy a taste of home again.
Following his memory toward the cafeteria area, Feng Qi noticed that the interior design had changed significantly from what he remembered.
It looked much more high-tech now. Every 100 meters, there were identity scanners installed.
That was obviously a response to what had happened before.
Lesson learned—the previous infiltration had severely impacted the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
The institute, which should have been focused on developing cultivation techniques, had been led astray by the Night Shadow Clan, causing a huge waste in both resources and manpower.
Watching the changes within the Tiger Soul Research Institute along the way, Feng Qi couldn't help but nod.
Star City was very safe now.
But safety always required vigilance.
Every sacrifice line came with different circumstances. Even the smallest change could stir massive waves over time.
Better safe than sorry.
After a while, Feng Qi led Xiao You and the others through the security checkpoint.
In front of them was a spacious and brightly lit hall, filled with the aroma of various foods wafting through the air.
At that moment, many staff members wearing Tiger Soul uniforms were seated around the cafeteria having breakfast.
"Smells so good," Xiao You said as she sniffed the air, her eyes lighting up.
Feng Qi led the group toward the food pickup area. He was just about to explain how to grab food, when he suddenly noticed Xiao You had vanished.
Scanning around, he quickly spotted her.
She had dove straight into a metal bin full of steamed buns. When she popped her head out again, her arms were full, her eyes curled into crescents as she chewed happily.
"Boss… so good! These buns are stuffed with spiritual plants!"
"This embarrassing thing—maybe we should just throw her out?" Lei Ting couldn't help but cover his face with his hand, glancing at Feng Qi with a sigh.
Feng Qi was also speechless.
Xiao You now looked like a stray dog who had found a treasure trove, completely immersed in the sea of food.
But he could understand her excitement.
Back during their wandering days, going hungry three times a day was a normal thing for Xiao You.
In the worst times, she had even offered to sacrifice herself so he could eat.
In those barren domain fields, they could go ten to fifteen days without seeing any food, barely surviving on whatever they carried with them.
That only changed after Xiao You managed to craft her first spatial ring.
Maybe because of all the hardship, food now seemed more precious to her than even bloodstones.
Especially delicious food.
Now that they'd suddenly arrived at the Tiger Soul Cafeteria—where the food variety was overwhelming—it really was like unlocking a vault of treasure.
Watching Xiao You flutter around the buffet, taking bites from one dish to the next, Feng Qi shook his head with a laugh.
Xiao You's presence also caught the attention of many staff members at the institute.
They hadn't seen how she managed to fly, which piqued their curiosity. Many began guessing where this mysterious girl had come from.
The Tiger Soul Research Institute wasn't like other public agencies. Even internal staff weren't allowed to bring children inside.
This was all for security reasons.
The institute was a restricted zone in Star City, housing many secrets and radiation hazards.
Considering all factors, the rule banning children from entering was firm.
Now seeing Xiao You flying around, many of the Tiger Soul staff paused mid-meal, curiosity filling their expressions.
They couldn't imagine who would dare break this rule.
The current director was a strict enforcer of regulations. It couldn't be him.
Since the institute's founding, there had only ever been one exception—Zhang Daowen, the current commander of the Star City Western Supply Zone.
But then again, the child Zhang Daowen brought in… was brought in by the legendary "Feng Qi" himself.
As the others speculated about Xiao You's identity, Feng Qi explained how the cafeteria worked to Po Jia and the others, then picked up a tray and began getting food.
"Xiao You, eat all you want, but don't waste anything," Feng Qi called out as he picked up his tray.
"Okay!" Xiao You mumbled through a mouthful, both hands still reaching for more food.
Her belly was slowly rounding out, but she didn't seem ready to stop.
Hearing Feng Qi talk to Xiao You, everyone nearby turned to look at him.
That face—it was unfamiliar, yet somehow felt very familiar.
It clearly wasn't one of the regular staff members…
That didn't seem strange to anyone. After all, the Tiger Soul Research Institute had so many departments, it was normal to occasionally run into someone who looked familiar but wasn't personally known.
But before long, some of the staff eating nearby started whispering among themselves.
"Hey, did you notice? That guy getting food over there kinda looks like Feng Qi."
"Holy crap, now that you mention it, he really does!"
"More than just 'looks like.' It's basically the same person—only the expression's a bit different. With that face, he could strut across all of Star City."
"I heard the Publicity Department is planning a biopic about Feng Qi. This guy's perfect for the role. Wonder which department he's from…"
...
Feng Qi's enhanced hearing easily picked up the whispers, and he could only sigh inwardly.
His return to Star City hadn't been publicly announced.
When he first came back, many high-level officials had suggested holding a formal, well-documented welcome to boost public morale.
But he'd refused.
He had too much on his plate to waste time on PR and speeches.
Who could stand pretending to be all-important every day?
Once his current tasks were settled, he might lay some groundwork for developing the belief-based growth system.
But right now wasn't the time.
After filling up his tray, Feng Qi led Po Jia and the others to an empty table and sat down.
Just like him, Po Jia and the rest had heaped their trays with food.
Finally, Feng Qi got to enjoy a taste he hadn't had in forever.
After a while, Xiao You fluttered over to his side, trembling as she clutched her belly.
"Boss, my stomach hurts…"
Feng Qi looked up and nearly burst out laughing.
Her belly was round and taut, her brow furrowed tight, and her body drooped low. Even her voice was shaking.
"How much did you eat?"
"I… I don't know. I just can't eat anymore. The food's already stacked up to my throat, there's no more room!"
Xiao You tilted her head back and gave her answer, then slumped with a pitiful look.
"Boss, save me… I'm gonna explode…"
Sighing, Feng Qi reached out and pulled her closer. Vibrant life energy flowed from his right palm into her body, riding along her bloodstream to speed up her metabolism.
With the help of the Life Elf Seed, her bloated belly visibly deflated.
As soon as Feng Qi let go, the dejected Xiao You sprang back to life. Hands on hips, she beamed.
"Thanks for saving my life, boss! I'm going back to battle!"
"Don't overeat this time."
"Okay!" she replied without even turning around.
Half an hour later, she came back, clutching her belly in agony.
"Boss… save me… I'm dying…"
Feng Qi, Po Jia, Lei Ting, Taihang: "…"
After breakfast, Feng Qi returned to his room to continue recording his video. He carefully selected key moments from his journey to share.
The content also covered traits of different domain forces.
All of it would be crucial intelligence for Star City's future development.
By the afternoon, he received a call from the current director of the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
The director respectfully invited him to attend Star City's highest-level meeting, scheduled for three days later. The focus would be on Star City's future development.
Representatives from the Crimson Research Institute would also attend.
This time, Feng Qi didn't refuse. He agreed on the spot.
After hanging up, he turned on the monitor at his desk.
The new system's landscape wallpaper lit up the screen. He quickly entered his username and password.
After logging in to his Star City clearance account, he opened the database interface from the options menu.
He planned to spend the next few days dealing with Star City's affairs and documenting the key observations from his journey.
But the most important issue on this sacrifice line was how to kill Jian Ji.
First, he needed to get a detailed understanding of the situation in Winterfell and how the Dawn Army was being built up.
Clearly, in this timeline, Mu Qing's Dawn Army had already formed.
The Rune Modification Plan should be underway. It would be one of humanity's lifelines after the collapse of the cultivation system.
He had to use the database to dig up all the information on that.
Typing "Dawn Army" into the search bar, he hit confirm. Immediately, a list of related entries filled the screen.
There were also images linked to the keyword.
One of them showed none other than Mu Qing.
Compared to the Mu Qing in his memory, she had changed a lot.
If the Mu Qing from his memory had been a cute little loli, the current Mu Qing now had the aura of a mature queen.
The photo seemed to be taken in a domain field. She stood there with a clenched fist, surrounded by the corpses of domain creatures. Not a drop of blood stained her. Her icy eyes were like frozen blades, and her long hair billowed in the wind.
"You've grown up," Feng Qi grinned.