When the Silver Moon Clan patriarch asked about the timing for Yin Ling and Lin Ran's wedding, Feng Qi felt it wasn't the right time.
Right now, the people of Star City were not yet ready to accept an alliance with a domain force.
If they announced a grand wedding for Lin Ran now, it wouldn't bring blessings. Instead, it would stir controversy and likely attract hordes of passionate young people who'd try to sabotage it.
Having the Silver Moon Clan assist Star City in secret was part of laying the groundwork for publicly announcing the alliance in the future.
By the time the alliance was officially revealed, the citizens of Star City would be surprised to realize that many of their city's new facilities had been quietly built with the help of Silver Moon Clan members.
Holding the wedding now would be too abrupt. Feng Qi wasn't considering it for the time being.
And Silver Moon City was still in the early stages of development, with a heavy workload. They wouldn't have the time to plan Yin Ling and Lin Ran's wedding over the next few years either.
After discussing with the Silver Moon patriarch, Feng Qi agreed to postpone the wedding until the time was right.
The meeting lasted a full day.
The codex details weren't finalized in this session.
They decided that the codex-writing team from Star City would continue working with the Silver Moon Clan elders afterward, refining the contents gradually. Once the work was complete, Silver Moon Clan engineers would enter Star City to begin facility upgrades.
At the same time, the Silver Moon Clan would form a specialized team to co-plan the construction of Breaking Dawn City with the human side.
After the meeting, the Silver Moon patriarch and the elder council returned to Silver Moon City.
Feng Qi returned to the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
For the next few years, Feng Qi didn't leave the Tiger Soul base again.
All affairs were handled through Star City's top brass, who coordinated directly with the Silver Moon Clan. He stopped managing any administrative matters and threw himself entirely into meditation and cultivation.
The revised version of Spiritual Eternal Life fixed the instability issue that occurred during mental growth. However, it also made the growth of spiritual consciousness slower than the original version.
The first version of Spiritual Eternal Life was more like a heretical technique.
You didn't even need to actively cultivate it—spiritual consciousness would grow slowly on its own. When life around you died, their dissipating consciousness would be absorbed, accelerating growth dramatically.
The revised version had pros and cons. It lost the rapid growth feature but gained structural stability for the consciousness.
Feng Qi could only work harder to speed up his cultivation and unlock the Faith Path as soon as possible.
During this time, only Xiao You and Zhang Daowen stayed by his side.
As for Old Mist, he was now permanently stationed at the Star City Military Department, focused on training the first generation of Blood Refinement Warriors.
Once the training of three thousand Blood Refinement Warriors was complete, Star City's expedition plan would officially begin.
One day.
Feng Qi was meditating in the Tiger Soul training chamber when a violent tremor suddenly snapped him out of his trance. His consciousness swiftly returned to his body, and he opened his eyes.
Floating right in front of him was Xiao You, beaming with joy. Her face practically said, "Hurry up and praise me."
"Boss! The two hundred spatial wristbands are finally done!"
As she spoke, Xiao You gently shook the spatial wristband on her right wrist. Immediately, a spatial black hole appeared beside her, and wristbands started falling out one by one.
Soon, a pile of two hundred spatial wristbands was stacked on the floor.
Realizing Xiao You had completed the task he assigned, Feng Qi smiled and reached out to pat her head.
"Great job. Tonight, I'll grill meat for you myself."
"Hehe, I haven't had your grilled meat in ages. So happy!"
Floating mid-air, Xiao You couldn't help but wiggle her little butt in excitement.
Seeing her like that, Feng Qi burst out laughing.
Turning to glance across the room, he saw Zhang Daowen still training hard. Over the years, Zhang Daowen had grown noticeably taller—now a full head taller than Xiao You. He was no longer the "little shorty" she used to call him.
Xiao You, on the other hand, hadn't changed in height or maturity at all.
Feng Qi took the wristbands she handed over and stored the two hundred spatial wristbands into his own storage. Then he stood up from the sofa.
It was time to head to the military department.
The Blood Refinement Warrior training was almost complete. Now that Xiao You had finished the wristbands, the expedition plan could finally begin.
That evening, Feng Qi brought Xiao You to the military department and met with Old Mist, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
Time had etched clear marks on Feng Qi's face, but Old Mist still looked the same as ever—unchanged.
Reunited, the two drank and chatted.
Feng Qi shared his thoughts.
When Old Mist heard that the expedition plan was ready to launch, he nodded silently.
Noticing the hesitation in Old Mist's eyes, Feng Qi grinned, punched him lightly in the chest, and said:
"When the Blood Refinement Warriors start bringing back resources, you'll get forty percent. You've been training them all these years and never got anything in return. Don't turn it down—you've earned it."
"Alright."
The Mist Lord didn't refuse and agreed on the spot.
"Old Mist, you think I don't know when you've got something on your mind? We're not the same race, but don't keep things bottled up. If something's bothering you, just tell me. Even if it involves how we split the benefits… well, whether or not I agree is a different story, haha. I still gotta think about my people's future, right? Hahahaha!"
Hearing that, the Mist Lord couldn't help but roll his eyes, but he felt a warmth in his heart.
The distance built up over the long separation disappeared in that moment.
He took the initiative to raise his glass and clinked it against Feng Qi's, then said with a deadpan expression, "I don't know what's so good about this stuff. One day, I'll let you try the Mist Clan's blood wine."
When he heard "blood wine," Feng Qi immediately recalled the blood pool he had seen in Mist City. Old Mist had said it was refined from the blood of super biological organisms. He and Xiao You had tasted it, and it really wasn't bad.
"Alright. I'll wait for you to revive your people and restore the glory of the Mist Clan."
This time, Feng Qi raised his glass first.
While they laughed and drank, time passed quickly.
By the time Feng Qi returned to the Tiger Soul Research Institute, it was already 11 p.m.
In the days that followed, Feng Qi continued focusing on cultivation. During occasional breaks, he also taught Xiao You and Zhang Daowen about human history.
He was training them as part of the new generation of humans.
Time flew by, day after day.
In the blink of an eye, another two years passed.
A lot had happened during those two years.
First, the construction of the Star City West Supply Zone was officially completed. The number of newly registered domain combat squads began to rise, and more squads from other cities also moved in, with a clear increase in domain squad activity.
The West Supply Zone could now steadily supply resources to Star City.
Although the problem of resource shortages hadn't been completely resolved, it was gradually improving with the development of the West Supply Zone.
Aside from that, the expedition plan had officially begun.
The military department in the central district of Star City was chosen as the launch point for the expedition. During this time, Yin Ling and engineers from the Silver Moon Clan helped build a spatial teleportation station at the military base.
This teleportation station was marked with 247 coordinates.
To make it easier for humans to use, all the labels on the station were translated by Yin Ling into human language.
Once activated, the 247 coordinates worked like a game's dungeon menu.
Each coordinate led to a brand-new domain field.
After selecting a coordinate, activating the station would open a space channel that directly connected to the location.
Even though it was only a small-scale station, the energy needed to keep it running was massive. To operate it, they had to shut off power in Star City's central district.
That issue couldn't be solved just yet.
To gather resources more efficiently, regular blackouts in the central district became the norm.
The Star City leadership was actively working on a solution. They decided to partner with the Silver Moon Clan to upgrade the city's energy transmission system, improving energy efficiency to reduce unnecessary waste.
Meanwhile, construction had already started on a dedicated energy station to power the teleportation hub.
The goal was to resolve the station's energy consumption problem within three years.
The second major development was related to the Silver Moon Clan.
Their cooperation with humans had officially begun.
Resources provided by Star City to the Silver Moon Clan were no longer given for free. Instead, they were paid as compensation for the contributions Silver Moon Clan members made to Star City's development.
Over the past two years, the Silver Moon Clan and humans worked together to upgrade the infrastructure between cities. A high-speed rail line was built, offering 24 trains per day.
This marked the initial phase of the collaboration model Feng Qi had envisioned.
At around 7 a.m. each day, large numbers of Silver Moon Clan members boarded trains from various stations in Silver Moon City to travel to Star City. Once there, they spread out to various districts, offering advice on development or personally joining the construction efforts.
Travel typically took under an hour, though reaching the western districts took longer.
At nightfall, Silver Moon Clan members would take the high-speed trains back to Silver Moon City to rest, then repeat the process the next day.
In addition, a small number of Silver Moon Clan members chose to settle in Star City.
These members offered services that couldn't be completed in the short term and couldn't afford to leave. They were granted long-term residency permits after approval from the highest council.
Pioneers like Yin Ling were among those who received permits. They played a key role in upgrading Star City's energy systems.
As for how compensation was calculated, the Star City Supreme Council and the Silver Moon Clan elder council decided on a point-based system.
Every contribution made by a Silver Moon Clan member was converted into points.
Points were awarded based on the amount of labor provided.
All data was jointly monitored by the Star City Supreme Council and the Silver Moon Clan elder council.
At the beginning of each month, both sides calculated the previous month's point totals. Resources were then distributed to the Silver Moon Clan based on those points.
This cooperative model had become well-established after two years of trial.
The contribution points functioned as a one-way currency for Silver Moon Clan members to purchase resources from Star City. The Supreme Council even created a special resource list for this purpose.
This list worked like a menu at a restaurant, with clear point costs for each resource. Silver Moon Clan members could choose what they needed and pay with points. Once an order was placed, the resources would be packed and delivered to Silver Moon City by transport train within a day.
However, the point exchange list wasn't set in stone.
After all, Star City's resources mainly came from the West Supply Zone frontline and other cities' frontlines. Every time a new domain field was opened, new resources would emerge. Likewise, if a domain field disappeared, the corresponding resources would gradually dwindle until they were exhausted.
So the resource exchange list Star City provided to the Silver Moon Clan changed roughly once a month.
And the price of each resource also shifted monthly.
For example, if Star City's stockpile of Resource A dropped significantly, its price would rise. The Silver Moon Clan would need to spend more points to buy it. If Resource A's supply suddenly surged that month, the price would drop accordingly.
Another example—if the Silver Moon Clan frequently purchased Resource A in large quantities, the price would also rise.
To ensure smooth cooperation, Star City always explained these price adjustments to the Silver Moon Clan ahead of time.
All of these systems were decisions jointly made by Star City's highest council and the Silver Moon Clan's elder council.
Meanwhile, after talking with the Silver Moon Clan leader, Feng Qi learned that the Silver Moon Clan planned to develop their own supply zone in the east once Silver Moon City was completed and its functions stabilized. This would allow them to generate their own resources continuously.
But that plan was clearly impossible to achieve in the coming decades.
The Silver Moon Clan had no support from other cities and relied solely on earning resources through Star City. This slow pace significantly limited their development.
There was no helping it.
If their city's basic infrastructure wasn't fully functional, the Silver Moon Clan didn't dare risk establishing a frontline supply zone.
The idea of "taking too big a step leads to falling flat" was something the Silver Moon Clan leader clearly understood.
But Feng Qi also knew that the Silver Moon Clan would inevitably move toward self-sufficiency. They couldn't rely on Star City forever.
Once they had the strength to build their own supply zones, the cooperation model between the two sides would also shift.
At that point, contribution points might become a dual-currency system used by both races for trade.
No longer would it be a one-way system where only the Silver Moon Clan spent points to buy from Star City.
But that was exactly the kind of result Feng Qi wanted to see.
An alliance wasn't meant to be one side clinging to the other. The stronger the Silver Moon Clan became, the more benefits the human race could gain from the alliance. In the future, the Silver Moon Clan could also provide resources from their own frontlines to support Star City. That was his ideal vision of a growing alliance.
A one-sided dependency would only cause the weaker side to become a burden over time.
The competition ahead would only grow more brutal. A dependent partnership was doomed to end in tragedy.
Only through mutual effort could an alliance achieve the synergy of 1 + 1 > 2.
Feng Qi understood this. Clearly, the Silver Moon Clan leader did too.
So Feng Qi supported the plan. The Star City Supreme Council also backed it, even expressing willingness to offer free material support when the Silver Moon Clan opened their own frontline supply zone.
In the third year of the alliance.
The three thousand Bloodrefined Warriors returned with full loads for the first time.
In their previous expeditions, there were always casualties, and the resources they brought back had been disappointing.
Every area they entered had been occupied by domain powers.
Even though Bloodrefined Warriors were currently the strongest human combat force, there were only three thousand of them. Facing entrenched domain powers, direct confrontation was hopeless.
Each mission had ended in failure, and they'd only managed to bring back scraps.
But this time was different.
According to the returning warriors, the area they entered had no domain powers present. Instead, they found a large spirit field. The spirit plants there hadn't been tended in a long time but were still perfectly preserved.
The warriors emptied the entire spirit field, bringing back a massive haul of resources for Star City.
As per the agreement, the Star City Supreme Council handed over 40% of that haul to Old Mist.
Feng Qi hadn't personally handled any of this. It was all managed by personnel from the Supreme Council who later informed him.
What pleased Feng Qi was seeing Star City steadily advancing along the path he had planned.
And even without his direct involvement, the city's progress wasn't hindered.
…
Time passed like an arrow. Autumn gave way to winter.
Fifteen years went by in a flash.
On this day, it snowed in Star City for the first time in years.
Feng Qi walked through the Tiger Soul Research Institute's courtyard with Xiao You and Zhang Daowen. His thoughts were in a whirl.
He knew the time for his departure was drawing near.
The pain in his body had never gone away. It felt like being pricked by countless needles—nearly unbearable. If not for achieving a state of mind like a mountain, he wouldn't have lasted under such torment.
This body could no longer contain his ever-expanding spiritual consciousness.
It felt like breaking out of this shell was only a single thought away.
With Xiao You in his left hand and Zhang Daowen in his right, Feng Qi suddenly didn't know how to say goodbye.
Especially to Xiao You.
She simply couldn't live without him.
Even though he'd been trying to prepare her for this for years, Xiao You always dodged the topic. She refused to accept reality.
"Uncle Qi, is something bothering you?"
Zhang Daowen looked up at him, curiosity in his eyes.
Faced with his question, Feng Qi's gaze flickered. In the end, he chose to tell the truth.
"I'll be leaving soon."
"Where to? Are you going to pick up Xiao Jia and the others?"
Xiao You floated into the air and hovered near Feng Qi's head, asking with interest.
"To a special world. I'll be with you in a different way."
"Okay!"
Xiao You nodded sweetly, completely unaware of how serious this was.
"You can't come to that place."
"Why not?" Her expression suddenly turned tense.
"Only I can go there. But it doesn't mean I'll be gone. If you ever want to see me, you can still reach out and connect with me."
"No! I want to go with you, boss!"
Xiao You immediately refused, her tone firm.
Feng Qi reached out and rubbed her head gently, speaking in a soft voice:
"Xiao You, you'll still be able to talk to me every day."
"No!"
Xiao You looked angry. She had always been obedient to her boss, but now she was clearly agitated.
Seeing that reasoning wouldn't work, Feng Qi didn't push further. He just rubbed her head again.
"Xiao You, I'll always be here."
Just then, Zhang Daowen tugged on Feng Qi's right hand. When Feng Qi looked down, he saw a serious expression on Zhang Daowen's face.
"Uncle Qi, I don't want you to go. But I know you must have a reason why you have to. Just like you taught me before, we have to take responsibility for every decision we make, and think about what it might lead to."
Feng Qi nodded and smiled. He reached out and ruffled Zhang Daowen's hair but didn't say anything.
He looked up at the falling snow. Feng Qi took a deep breath.
It was time to say goodbye.
…
Three days later, Feng Qi convened Star City's Supreme Council.
More accurately, it was a farewell gathering.
Old friends showed up one after another.
Aside from Mu Qing, who was still fighting on the Winterfront, people like Lin Ran, Yin Ling, Lü Yue, Hui Xu, and the Mist Lord had all arrived.
At this meeting, Feng Qi didn't talk about grand goals or the future.
Too frail to handle much, he sat quietly in his chair and simply spoke about his journey.
How he once had hope for the future, until the truth of the world hit him like a hammer, and only then did he finally realize how harsh reality was.
His path wasn't just filled with hard work and determination—he had also felt lost, even crushed.
As Feng Qi spoke, the room stayed silent.
His tone was soft, not dramatic, but every word came from the heart. It was hard not to be moved.
At the end of the meeting, Feng Qi, looking frail and aged, shakily got to his feet. His eyes swept over everyone in the room before he slowly bowed.
"My body can't last much longer. I'm leaving Star City's future—and the human race's future—to all of you. From now on, I'll accompany you in a different way. May humanity thrive forever."
His eyes were brimming with tears as he said it.
There was sorrow in his heart, but more than that, there was hope for what lay ahead.
…
That night, at the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Feng Qi gently laid the already sleeping Xiao You onto her bed.
He softly stroked her hair. She seemed to feel it, frowning and mumbling in her sleep. Then, like always, she rolled over and turned her back to him, her little body curling up instinctively.
Feng Qi smiled and shook his head, then turned and walked away.
There's always a time for goodbyes.
Old Mist would be the one to explain his departure to Xiao You. From then on, Feng Qi would stay connected with her through spiritual links, keeping her company in a different way.
A while later, Feng Qi arrived at the rooftop of the Tiger Soul Research Institute's main building.
He sat alone at the edge of the rooftop. On the table in front of him sat an opened bottle of mental-soothing wine.
Lately, his body had reached its absolute limit. It was now constantly tearing open with wounds that bled endlessly.
This meant his spiritual consciousness was about to break free of its physical shell, completing the final stage of the Spirit Immortality path—spiritual transcendence.
At this point, holding on any longer served no purpose.
The farewell was done. He had decided tonight would be the time to go.
He poured himself a large glass of the wine and took a deep drink. The restless energy of his spirit began to settle down.
At the edge of his departure, he hadn't invited anyone to witness it or to stay by his side.
He looked up at the crescent moon hanging in the sky, his mind churning with thoughts.
His memories ran wild, playing back the many timelines he had lived through.
So many stories replayed in his head.
Like old, yellowed film reels or creased letters that had been tucked away and treasured—every time he revisited them, his heart stirred.
He looked down into his wine glass, where the moon reflected back at him.
A smile spread across his face. He raised his cup and drank a toast to solitude.
Then he stood and took in the nighttime cityscape of Star City beneath the darkness.
The curves and outlines of the city glowed before his eyes. This was the place he had fought for—and always would.
Draining the last of his wine, Feng Qi's body suddenly lit up.
Cracks spread across him from head to toe. Golden light burst from the fissures, shining through his skin.
Bang!
A crisp, clear sound rang out. His flesh scattered into nothing. Feng Qi, now free of his body, had transformed into a golden spirit form.
The world he perceived through this new form looked completely different from what eyes could see.
The process of breaking free from his physical body went smoothly. There was no resistance. He completed the spiritual transcendence effortlessly.
Feng Qi slowly closed his eyes.
His faith consciousness was rapidly linking with his spirit form.
Using the same method he once used to enter the main timeline and choose a gifted ability, he sent his consciousness into the main timeline through that link of faith.
As his golden spirit gradually faded away—
In the next moment, the spirit-form Feng Qi opened his eyes within the spiritual sea of the main timeline.
Above him was a star-filled sky. Beneath him, a golden sea surged.
Feng Qi, now pure consciousness, sat cross-legged at the center.
He didn't know when the believers would come.
But he would stay here, waiting—guarding the seed of hope for the future.