Translator: CinderTL
Three months later.
Feng Qi sat at his desk in his private office at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, scrolling through the latest news on his tablet.
Opening the news app, a flood of articles about him appeared:
Tomorrow's Rising Star Shines Again: After years of silence, Feng Qi has successfully developed the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, a Super Cultivation Technique poised to reshape human history.
The Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, currently in testing, has received unanimous praise from Major Cultivation Technique Research Institutes. Feng Qi proves his worth upon his return.
Lin Ran hails the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice as a groundbreaking milestone in human cultivation studies.
After years of secluded research, Feng Qi finally makes his triumphant return. With the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, he proves to the world that he remains the brightest star in the domain of cultivation studies.
As Feng Qi flipped through the related reports, his heart remained unmoved.
Just days ago, the beta version of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice had been officially submitted to major cultivation technique research institutes for initial evaluation.
The institutes, having received the preliminary version of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, were unable to detect any flaws within it.
The test results yielded a single conclusion:
This was a groundbreaking Super Cultivation Technique.
It was even believed that with the aid of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, human cultivation studies would usher in a new era.
Simultaneously, the Lord of the Mist, operating behind the scenes, instructed the Tiger Soul Research Institute to contact numerous cultivation technique journals and media outlets, launching an overwhelming public relations campaign.
Under the guise of "Lin Ran," he relentlessly disseminated glowing reviews of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice to the outside world.
Fueled by the Lord of the Mist's machinations, the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, despite its official release still pending, had already ignited a massive uproar in human society.
Many cultivators were eagerly anticipating its formal publication.
Consequently, Feng Qi, nominally credited as the technique's developer, had become the focal point of public discussion.
Praise poured in from all directions.
The public's perception of him had skyrocketed.
They now believed his years of silence weren't due to burnout, but rather to the meticulous development of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, a Super Cultivation Technique.
Fueled by public opinion, countless voices rallied to defend him.
Scrolling through the comments, one could find a diverse range of opinions:
"I always knew Feng Qi's silence couldn't last. He was clearly biding his time, preparing a massive comeback. It's an honor to live in the same era as him."
"When I first entered Star City Academy, the senior brothers often spoke of the legendary Feng Qi. Now I understand why they revered him so much. Who could have imagined he would single-handedly advance modern cultivation studies?"
"I feel ashamed. I was one of those who doubted Feng Qi had burned out. Now I see how shortsighted I was. He truly deserves to be called the 'Rising Star of Humanity.'"
The terror of public opinion lies in its malleability.
Those who control public opinion can easily promote their desired narratives and manipulate the masses into believing them.
They can convince people that what they see is the truth.
This explains why the Scarlet Research Institute, which had always maintained a low profile, struggled to withstand the Technology Research Institute's relentless propaganda campaign.
This time, however, the Lord of the Mist was manipulating public opinion to craft a "God Persona" for himself.
This was a crucial step in preparing for the establishment of a "divine statue" in the future.
This strategy closely mirrored the Lord of the Mist's previous timeline, where he possessed Lin Ran's body and then cultivated momentum for him.
The only difference was that this time, the process was far more thorough.
Influenced by the Miracle Bracelet, the Lord of the Mist was no longer content with creating a historical figure or hero.
He now sought to create a living "deity" for humanity.
By continuously drawing upon the power of faith from the spiritual realm, he could enhance his own strength.
The first phase of his plan was already underway.
All that remained was for the [ Flesh and Blood Sacrifice ] to pass the joint evaluation by the Major Cultivation Technique Research Institutes, after which it could be officially promoted to the outside world.
The external reception of the [ Flesh and Blood Sacrifice ] would then further fuel the creation of his "God Persona."
He had no doubt about the feasibility of the Lord of the Mist's plan.
At least the current public opinion had already proven that external perceptions of him were gradually beginning to "deify" him.
Putting down the tablet, he turned his gaze to the Lord of the Mist, who was hovering above the sofa with his eyes closed, his body enveloped in swirling mist.
On the coffee table before him lay eight S-Class spirit stones of ultra-high purity.
These stones continuously emitted spiritual energy, which flowed into the Lord of the Mist's body.
Such spirit stones were extremely rare, typically found in Domain Fields with high calamity ratings, making them exceptionally valuable.
Furthermore, these ultra-high purity spirit stones were exclusively supplied to major research institutes and the military department. Private companies had no legitimate channels to purchase them for research purposes.
However, after the Lord of the Mist seized control of the Tiger Soul Research Institute, these resources became his personal supplements for enhancing his power.
Compared to his time commanding the Death Star Third Battle Group in the Old Day City East Supply Zone, the benefits the Tiger Soul Research Institute provided the Lord of the Mist were far more terrifying.
The monthly allocation of research resources alone surpassed the total amount the Death Star Third Battle Group had received since its founding.
Over the past few months, the Lord of the Mist had been subtly restructuring the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
His method of controlling the institute differed significantly from that of the Nightshadow Clan.
While the Nightshadow Clan controlled the Tiger Soul Research Institute, they still allocated the majority of the monthly spiritual resources to research projects at Tiger Soul Headquarters and its various branches.
Art Magic Research, in particular, was a key area of focus for the Nightshadow Clan.
The Lord of the Mist considered this a remarkably shrewd strategy.
The Nightshadow Clan lacked any true research talent.
Even with the resources to rapidly enhance their clan's strength, they would inevitably hit a growth bottleneck, especially in art magic.
The Nightshadow Clan only possessed a few mental bewitchment techniques, leaving them weak in practical combat.
Without addressing this deficiency, the clan's development would stagnate.
However, by seizing control of the Tiger Soul Research Institute and leveraging humanity's most brilliant minds to lay the foundation for their clan, the initial results might be modest. But as a series of art magic techniques tailored to their race were developed, the Nightshadow Clan's strength would steadily increase.
The Lord of the Mist approved of the Nightshadow Clan's investment strategy.
In his words, the Nightshadow Clan was a weak race, so they needed such methods to propel their clan's development.
But he was different.
The Mist Clan possessed art magic and cultivation methods far surpassing human cultivation studies. Investing the Tiger Soul Research Institute's resources into various projects would be less efficient than using them himself.
This, the Lord of the Mist believed, was the most efficient path to growth.
Over the past period, the Lord of the Mist had already begun cutting funding for major research projects.
The resources he withheld were all transferred to his personal control.
Currently, the Lord of the Mist takes 15% of the allocated resources each month for his cultivation practice.
His next goal is to gradually increase this percentage to around 70%.
His decision not to take everything wasn't out of benevolence.
Rather, the Lord of the Mist understood that to leverage the Tiger Soul Research Institute's authority and influence for his own benefit, he needed to ensure the institute continued to function normally.
Like a parasite.
To continuously draw sustenance from its host, it couldn't let the host die completely.
The Tiger Soul Research Institute, under the Lord of the Mist's control, operated similarly.
Even if research progress slowed significantly in the future, they still needed to release some results to the outside world, proving the institute was still functioning steadily.
Without consistent breakthroughs, the Tiger Soul Research Institute's influence and monthly resource allocation would inevitably diminish.
The Lord of the Mist considered this an unacceptable outcome.
The series of reforms he implemented after seizing control of the institute further demonstrated his deep understanding of human society, a fact that continued to impress Feng Qi.
Just then, the Lord of the Mist, who had been hovering above the sofa, opened his eyes.
The ultra-high-quality spirit stones on the coffee table had turned transparent, their refined spirit liquid having been converted into qi blood and absorbed into his body.
Letting out a long exhale, he turned his gaze toward Feng Qi, who was seated at his desk.
"How does it feel to be praised by the outside world?" he asked with a smile.
Feng Qi shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing special. Are you finished cultivating?"
"This round of cultivation is complete. Have Old Ye bring more resources over this afternoon."
The "Old Ye" mentioned by the Lord of the Mist was Ye Er, one of the 23 surviving members of the Nightshadow Clan.
The Lord of the Mist had never bothered to memorize their names.
Instead, he assigned them new names using the surname "Ye" followed by numbers 1 through 23.
(End of the Chapter)
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