Translator: CinderTL
After reviewing the Dawn Army's data, Feng Qi found himself with even more unanswered questions.
Who is Mu Yao? Why did Mu Qing nurture her?
How did she become the Dawn Army's second leader? Did she come from the Heaven-Reaching Road?
For now, these mysteries remained unsolved, forcing him to set them aside.
He resolved that his next plan for entering the Dream Realm would focus on the undercover route within the Scarlet Research Institute.
Perhaps he could find answers from Wei Wei, who had lived for over 500 years.
Having exhausted his three character data retrieval attempts, Feng Qi decided to spend the remaining time studying cultivation techniques, research methodologies, and related subjects.
He wanted to leave more resources for his future self.
After all, his future selves always suffered terribly. By learning more now, he could either teach others upon returning to reality or provide his future self with the capital for further development.
In other words, the more he learned, the more knowledge his future self could draw upon to continue showing off.
If his lifespan remained short enough, perhaps he could avoid the "lack of staying power" that the Future People had criticized.
"I thank you on behalf of your future self. You're truly a damn good comrade."
Feng Qi: ...
After closing the search page, he opened the Cultivation Technique Library and selected a three-star spirit cultivation technique to study.
Once he entered a state of focused learning, time seemed to fly by.
Just as some people lose track of time when engrossed in novels or video games, his perception of time blurred as he became fully immersed in the material.
The three-star technique he had chosen was significantly more complex than the two-star rated techniques he had studied before.
By the time he had reviewed it twice, over four hours had already passed.
With the remaining time, he opened the Fundamentals of Cultivation Technique Research Approach course and began studying.
To his surprise, the third lesson didn't follow up on the second. Instead, it started with concepts that left him completely bewildered.
When he opened the first lesson, his suspicions were confirmed: the content of the Fundamentals of Cultivation Technique Research Approach course had undergone significant changes, with much more material added.
These changes brought a smile to his face.
At least after all his efforts, humanity's cultivation system had been profoundly influenced by his contributions.
Compared to his first entry into the Dream Realm, the cultivation system within the future database was now far more mature and refined.
He chose to start learning from the very first lesson again.
Time flew by. Before he knew it, the Narrator's voice echoed in his mind:
Young friend, danger approaches. This old one advises you to depart swiftly.
"Why are you calling me 'young friend'?"
I'm cosplaying the wise old mentor from novels, guiding the protagonist's growth.
Feng Qi: ...
Mentally flipping the Narrator the bird, he strode toward Room 005 in the underground plaza.
Kicking open the door, he found the room exactly as he'd expected—filled with an array of cold weapons.
Though these weapons weren't particularly easy to wield, their immense killing power made carrying one for self-defense better than nothing.
After scanning the room, he selected a black mace studded with wolf's teeth.
The wolf's-tooth mace was the closest thing to his ideal weapon: a bone club.
Without lingering, he immediately left the underground shelter.
The world outside resembled the hellscapes depicted in movies—dimly lit and eerily silent.
Turning to the west, he could vaguely discern a mountain-like figure standing motionless amidst the lightning and thunder.
At first, he had mistaken it for a towering mountain shrouded in dark clouds, but now he knew it was a domain creature of terrifying power.
He lacked the strength to venture west; reckless exploration would only lead to his death.
As for the north and south, though he didn't know what lay there, since the Narrator had advised him to head east, it was best to heed the Narrator's guidance.
The Narrator might be sharp-tongued, but it wouldn't genuinely harm him.
Advancing along the bone-strewn path, he dispatched the living dead and death worms with a single strike of his black wolf-tooth club.
The club's power was astonishing.
With each swing, a shroud of black spiritual energy enveloped its surface, unleashing explosive force upon impact.
Throughout his journey, the Narrator occasionally chimed in with reminders, prompting him to gather numerous spirit plants along the way.
These plants would serve as Suction Cup's crucial endurance reserves during her confrontation with little black.
After several hours of travel, the city ruins came into view.
Compared to his previous visits, the city seemed to have expanded, with the skyscrapers now towering even higher.
The only constant was the city's continued state of ruin.
Ravaged by time and domain creatures, its former glory had faded, leaving behind only decay and the remnants of its history.
As he entered the city ruins, he grew wary.
The domain creatures here might not be particularly strong, but whether he could withstand them remained uncertain, even with his formidable Blood Source Ability.
After venturing about a hundred meters into the ruins, climbing over debris-strewn paths, he found himself on a cracked road flanked by overturned shop signs and exposed cables.
In the distance, a monkey-like domain creature was staring at him.
Standing approximately 1.8 meters tall, it was covered in white fur, with a tuft of golden down on its forehead. Its disproportionately massive arms and a crimson, inverted triangular rune crystal embedded in its forehead completed its menacing appearance.
After a brief standoff, the gorilla-like creature roared, baring symmetrical, finger-length fangs.
"Narrator, analyze its abilities. Can I win?" Feng Qi asked nervously, gripping his wolf-tooth club.
A true man never backs down! Take it on!
Hearing the Narrator's response, Feng Qi steeled his resolve. He would face this like a true man, one-on-one, no running.
Just then, the ape-like domain creature leaped four or five meters into the air. Its massive arms, like twin battleaxes, crashed down toward his head.
Seeing this, Feng Qi dove to the side without hesitation.
Boom!
The creature's arms slammed into the spot where Feng Qi had been standing, leaving a crater in the ground and sending debris flying.
Watching Feng Qi evade the blow, the domain creature turned and roared again.
"Roar your mom!" Feng Qi shouted, rising to his feet. He swung his spiked club with all his might, slamming it into the creature's arm.
As black spiritual energy surged through the club, the sudden burst of power sent the creature flying. It crashed into a nearby shop, collapsing the already weakened structure. Debris rained down, burying the creature in a cloud of dust.
But Feng Qi remained vigilant.
Just as he'd anticipated, a muffled roar erupted from the rubble. The ape-like domain creature leaped out, its massive fist hurtling toward his head.
Feng Qi dodged instantly.
To his surprise, the creature's attack was a feint. As it lunged, it suddenly clenched its fist into a palm and snatched at him.
Caught off guard, Feng Qi was immediately seized.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure crushing his body, he knew there was no choice but to use his ultimate move.
He had intended to save his blood source ability as a trump card, preferring not to use it unless absolutely necessary. After all, he might still encounter other domain creatures on his way to find Suction Cup.
But now that he was captured, holding back any longer would mean his demise.
With that thought, he plunged his consciousness into his heart.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart began to pound violently, and crimson energy surged through his veins, causing his muscles to swell visibly at an alarming rate.
This surge of immense power forced open the domain creature's crushing grip, allowing him to drop heavily to the ground.
By the time the blood source ability had completely drained the blood from his heart, Feng Qi had grown to over two meters tall, his body a mass of bulging muscles. His massive arms were now comparable in size to those of the ape-like domain creature.
The Muscle God has arrived! Let the cheers erupt!
He felt power coursing through every fiber of his being, convinced he could kill a bull with a single punch.
Staring at the domain creature's stunned expression, he seized its right hand and grinned savagely.
"Hey, buddy," he growled, "how about an arm wrestle?"
Before the words had even left his lips, he unleashed his full strength, hoisting the creature over his shoulder and slamming it violently to the ground.
The domain creature roared, attempting to resist Feng Qi's oppressive force, but he gave it no chance.
After all, the blood source state had a limited duration. Failing to end the fight quickly would result in a fatal counterattack.
With this in mind, Feng Qi kicked the struggling creature back to the ground, gripped its right hand, and unleashed a series of brutal left-right slams.
The sheer disparity in strength left the ape-like domain creature utterly helpless.
Feng Qi channeled his surging power into a frenzied assault, leaving two deep craters in the ground on either side of him.
The ape-like creature lay gasping for breath, clearly too weak to resist further.
Picking up the spiked club from the ground, Feng Qi resolved to end the battle.
He leaped high into the air, swung the club downward with tremendous force, and smashed it into the creature's face.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed as a crimson-white liquid splattered.
The ape-like creature twitched violently before falling still.
Simultaneously, a cloud of bloody mist rose from its body and seeped into Feng Qi's flesh.
Opening his status panel, he discovered a new prefix title and a passive ability.
Brute Force (LV1): Physical attributes increased by 5%. Melee attacks inflict additional kinetic force damage (kinetic force damage scales with the user's Qi and blood; the stronger the user's Qi and blood, the greater the kinetic force damage).
Feng Qi grinned, feeling one step closer to unlocking the thousands of prefix titles he'd seen in his dream.
Good grief, another close-combat ability? This is clearly fate! You're destined to become a muscle-bound warrior.
"Pfft! Next time, I'm hunting domain creatures with art magic. I still prefer ranged attacks, like the Scarlet Eye's telekinesis. Why get my hands dirty when I can use my brain?" He rolled his eyes at the Narrator's taunt.
Remember what you told Lin Ran?
"What was that?"
Abandon your stubborn ideas and embrace the path chosen by your talent.
Feng Qi fell silent.
He had indeed said those words to Lin Ran, trying to persuade him to abandon Cultivation Technique Research. His goal was to encourage Lin Ran to accept his natural aptitude for Art Magic Research and pursue that path instead of chasing the unrealistic dream of Cultivation Technique Research.
He never imagined those words would become the Narrator's ammunition for mocking him.
Suddenly, a thought struck him:
"Wait, how do you know what I said in the real world? Are you actually present in reality too?"
What are you talking about? I don't understand. You must be mistaken.
The Narrator immediately denied it three times in a row.
(End of the Chapter)
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