Hijacking the Timeline

After the crisis subsided, the convoy made a brief stop on the supply bridge to regroup.

Once the damaged vehicles were repaired, the convoy crossed the bridge and continued along the main road toward Old Day City.

Feng Qi stood atop a truck at the rear of the convoy, his gaze frequently drifting forward to observe the movements of the various factions.

He was now certain that multiple Domain Forces were lying in wait for this operation.

Their objectives were identical: to seize the ”miracle-bloodstone” being escorted.

The sudden crisis on the bridge had subtly altered the dynamics within the escort team.

The recent scramble for control of the bloodstone’s protection rights clearly indicated that each faction was vying for the upper hand in the impending conflict.

Feng Qi had come to terms with this reality.

Regardless of the circumstances, he would never sacrifice his life to protect the bloodstone.

Such an act would be utterly foolish.

After all, he and Liu Yue alone stood no chance against the combined might of the Domain Forces.

Even with the addition of the fully trustworthy Qin Shikong and his Heavenly Pillar Battle Group, their odds of victory against multiple Domain Forces remained slim to none.

If Mu Qing were here, they might have been able to take more risks.

But without her, a head-on confrontation would be nothing more than a suicidal charge.

His own path was already a Sacrifice Line, and he had far more critical tasks to fulfill.

Sacrificing himself to protect the bloodstone wouldn’t help his other self in any way.

While the bloodstone held immense significance for all of humanity, it clearly couldn’t alter humanity’s inevitable path to destruction. Gathering useful intelligence was far more crucial.

He and Liu Yue had agreed that if an uncontrollable emergency arose, they would lead the Dawn Battle Group to withdraw immediately.

As for the bloodstone, let the various Domain Forces tear each other apart—it was none of his concern.

If possible, he even wanted to sit back and watch the show, while also trying to figure out which Domain Forces were backing these domain combat teams.

After the convoy crossed the supply bridge, the desolate desert gave way to noticeably more greenery along the main road.

As they continued driving, he observed an interesting development.

The various Domain Forces had clearly tightened their security perimeters, positioning their respective battle groups closer to the truck carrying the bloodstone.

Now he was eager to see which Domain Force would make the first move.

The situation was incredibly delicate.

No one wanted to strike first, yet everyone wanted to strike.

Liu Yue, standing beside him, turned to look at him.

”Brother Qi,” he said, ”I think if this delicate stalemate holds—if no Domain Force dares to risk being targeted by everyone else—the bloodstone might actually reach Old Day City safely.”

Hearing this, Feng Qi smiled and shook his head.

”The chances of that happening are extremely slim. You probably haven’t realized just how tempting the bloodstone is to them. According to my intelligence, one creature betrayed its entire race for something similar, risking being hunted down by its own kind just to possess a miracle item resembling the bloodstone.”

”Are you talking about the Black Shadow Faction behind the Technology Research Institute?” Liu Yue immediately recalled Feng Qi’s earlier mention of a Domain Force operating behind the institute.

”Exactly. As for the miracle item, I believe it’s the special material used to forge little black.”

”The bloodstone might not be as valuable as the material used to forge little black, but in my view, controlling the bloodstone is equivalent to acquiring a vast army of domain creature slaves that can be commanded at will... Of course, that assumes we can secure the bloodstone from other factions.”

Liu Yue nodded in understanding.

After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly spoke up again.

”Brother Qi, do you think it would be better to use the miracle material from little black to forge a sword? Such a sword might possess little black’s unique properties, like being indestructible, absorbing any form of energy attack, and decomposing into nanoparticles to mimic any shape...”

Hearing Liu Yue’s words, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Though he had entertained similar thoughts—such as making little black a guardian, which would undoubtedly allow them to dominate the Dream World—given their current intelligence and capabilities, such an idea was clearly unrealistic.

As they chatted, the two sat in the truck and began eating lunch.

During missions, they naturally didn’t have the lavish meals of their base camp. Instead, they ate strange-tasting nutrient pastes, barely enough to fill their stomachs.

After finishing lunch, he pulled a silver-white metallic disc from his backpack.

Pressing the power button, a map materialized on the disc, with a red dot blinking to indicate their current location.

This disc was standard equipment for domain combat teams, capable of connecting to satellites for precise positioning.

As long as they weren’t within a Domain Field, activating the disc would display a retractable map with a red dot marking their current location.

Checking the map, he realized they had already covered more than a third of their journey.

If they maintained their current speed, they would reach Old Day City in less than a day.

However, he knew that as they approached the latter half of their journey, restless Domain Forces would inevitably lose patience and launch their attacks prematurely.

This time, he prioritized survival, choosing to observe the dogfight between rival factions from a safe distance.

The bloodstone-laden trucks continued their steady progress along the main road. The surrounding greenery gradually thickened, and lizards, antelopes, and other animals began to appear along the route, adding a touch of life to the desolate landscape.

After another two hours of travel, the convoy entered a canyon.

Towering cliffs rose on either side, with a paved road running through the heart of the canyon.

Looking up at the cliffs, Liu Yue noticed numerous pine trees clinging to the slopes. The terrain made it an ideal ambush site.

A Domain Force could easily gain a strategic advantage by occupying the high ground at the cliff tops.

Scanning his surroundings, he couldn’t help but grow wary.

As the convoy continued forward, the ground suddenly began to tremble violently.

”They’re coming!” Liu Yue exclaimed.

With a swift, one-handed sword incantation, he summoned Jianlan, which materialized behind him and hovered above his head.

”Brotherhood Battle Groups, be alert! Ambush ahead!” Wang Yi’s voice rang out.

Her warning was immediately followed by a sudden shift in the situation.

Dense cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, and a three-meter-wide chasm opened beneath the military truck carrying the bloodstone. The truck plunged straight into the abyss.

Seeing this, Liu Yue immediately moved to intervene.

Feng Qi stepped forward, blocking his path with a faint smile.

”No need to rush,” Feng Qi said calmly. ”I refuse to believe the other Domain Forces will let the bloodstone be stolen. They’ll definitely intervene. Let’s just observe for now.”

Just as Feng Qi predicted, a humanoid figure with black wings suddenly appeared in the sky.

The figure swung a rope it held, sending the rope’s tip shooting like an arrow toward the falling truck. The rope wrapped around the truck’s cab with lightning speed, and with a sharp tug, the entire vehicle was yanked skyward.

The black-winged domain creature then swooped down toward the bloodstone inside the truck.

But before it could reach the bloodstone, Wang Yi’s figure materialized behind it. A cloud of gray mist coalesced into chains that snapped around the creature’s neck.

Crack! The crisp sound of dislocated bones echoed through the air as the black-winged domain creature instantly died.

Witnessing this, Feng Qi’s suspicions about Wang Yi deepened.

With her strength, she could have easily shattered the encroaching darkness earlier, yet she had chosen to stand by and wait for death—a blatant act of deception.

As Wang Yi descended, several more figures materialized around her.

One of them lunged at her. This towering, three-meter-tall creature with bull horns and explosive muscles swung its scythe-like weapon, cleaving through Wang Yi’s armor and sending her flying.

Just as it lunged for the bloodstone, the group leaders of the domain combat teams leaped into action, converging on the bloodstone.

Witnessing this, Feng Qi immediately turned to the Dawn Battle Group soldiers, who were preparing to provide support, and shouted:

”Dawn Battle Group members, hold your positions!”

Hearing this, the soldiers who were about to rush forward turned to him, their faces etched with confusion.

”Vice-Commander, why are we holding back?” the eighth team captain immediately demanded.

”The situation is more complex than it appears. Hold your positions for now,” Feng Qi replied tersely, his gaze returning to the bloodstone.

In the distance, more and more figures surged toward the bloodstone from all directions.

With the first shot fired, the various factions could no longer restrain themselves, launching a full-scale scramble for the bloodstone.

The group leaders of the combat teams had completely shed their pretenses, ruthlessly turning on their ”allies” who had secured the bloodstone.

The Dawn Battle Group members observing the battle gradually sensed something was amiss.

Initially, they saw the group leaders attacking the domain creatures that had seized the bloodstone and thought nothing of it, assuming they were protecting the bloodstone from being stolen.

But when they witnessed the leaders turning on members of the Brotherhood Battle Group, they immediately realized something was wrong.

”Vice-Commander, they seem to be fighting over the bloodstone?” The Third Team Captain approached him, his expression grave.

”As you can see. Issue the order: the entire combat team must be ready to evacuate at any moment. I’ll explain the full situation when we return.”

Hearing this, the Third Team Captain immediately acknowledged the order and departed.

By now, the entire canyon had descended into chaos.

Domain creatures poured in from all directions, reinforcements arriving in ever-increasing numbers.

It was clear that many Domain Forces had been lying in ambush outside the canyon, having been alerted and rushing in from afar.

Amidst the chaotic fighting, he even spotted a familiar figure.

The man’s body was mostly mechanical, his internal energy systems roaring as they operated. With each punch, blue light flashed across his metallic skin.

It was Li Xingchen, the current dean of the Future Research Institute.

Having undergone semi-spiritual mechanical transformation, Li Xingchen possessed formidable strength. Even the seemingly massive domain creatures proved no match for him in close combat.

But melee combat was only one of his strengths.

His body was equipped with various advanced ranged weapons, allowing him to provide devastating long-range fire support.

The Technology Research Institute was also involved in this operation, and Li Xingchen had clearly received orders from the black shadow to seize the bloodstone.

Li Xingchen’s strength was far from the greatest present.

Many others surpassed him.

Wang Yi, for example, wielded a sword forged from condensed mist, its power rivaling mythical demon blades.

Any wound inflicted by the mist sword would bleed uncontrollably, the blood drawn into the surrounding blood mist.

Among the domain creatures, many possessed formidable power.

All factions had clearly come prepared, and the battle raged fiercely. Whoever claimed the bloodstone would instantly become the target of concentrated fire.

Escaping with the bloodstone would be no easy feat.

Yet, the allure of the bloodstone drove all factions to fight relentlessly, each fearing it would fall into another’s hands.

Several figures who seized the bloodstone attempted to flee, only to be immediately targeted by overwhelming force. Those lacking sufficient strength were inevitably slain on the spot.

The central area of the battlefield had become a meat grinder, with figures constantly being torn apart by external forces.

”If I’d joined the fray earlier, that old woman might not even have found my corpse,” Feng Qi murmured, watching the warring factions with a mix of awe and dread.

”As long as the brain’s intact, it’s still usable,” Liu Yue muttered.

Feng Qi: ...

Seeing the fierce battle raging and the imminent danger of it spilling over, he shouted in a deep voice, ”Dawn Battle Group, retreat immediately!”

Hearing his command, the Dawn Battle Group warriors, who had already prepared for this, swiftly started their trucks and began withdrawing.

Once they reached a safe distance, he signaled them to stop. Then, he and Liu Yue climbed onto the roof of a truck to continue observing the battle.

The entire canyon shook violently from the intense fighting, with boulders and debris constantly crashing down from the cliffs on either side.

The ground sank steadily under the force of their clashes, and within moments, the battlefield had transformed into a massive crater.

The battle showed no signs of resolving as time passed. Instead, more figures joined the fray, intensifying the chaos.

Feng Qi even spotted the blue-skinned assassins amidst the chaos.

Just as he had suspected, the force behind the blue-skinned assassins was collecting miracle items, and they hadn’t missed this opportunity to seize the bloodstone.

As Feng Qi watched with rapt attention, Liu Yue suddenly turned and thrust his sword forward with lightning speed.

Jianlan pierced through an invisible barrier, impaling a slender, blue-skinned figure.

Seeing this, Feng Qi realized he had become a target of the Blue-skinned Assassins as well.

Evidently, while tracking the bloodstone’s aura, they had also sensed his presence.

With this in mind, he decisively ordered the battle group to retreat another hundred meters before stopping.

Looking to his right, he saw Qin Shikong in the distance had made the same decision, withdrawing to observe the battle from a safe distance.

Sensing his gaze, Qin Shikong turned to look at him, grinning widely.

Feng Qi nodded in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to the battlefield.

As the battle raged on, he noticed various forms of energy pouring into the bloodstone, yet it remained completely unscathed.

This near-indestructible quality reminded him of little black.

”Brother Qi, Wang Yi’s mask is breaking!” Liu Yue shouted.

Following Liu Yue’s gaze, Feng Qi looked toward Wang Yi’s position.

The black iron mask covering her face was now mostly shattered, her long, purple hair billowing in the wind as she moved at high speed.

Contrary to rumors, Wang Yi’s face hadn’t been destroyed by a domain creature’s curse, forcing her to wear a mask and avoid public appearances.

Beneath the mask lay a remarkably young and delicate face.

Her violet eyes added an eerie allure.

As he gazed at her figure, he couldn’t help but frown.

Though he had never seen this figure before, her appearance bore an uncanny resemblance to the Lord of the Mist he remembered.

The Lord of the Mist, who had once possessed Lin Ran, had assumed this very form when manifesting in human guise.

Apart from minor differences in appearance, all other features were strikingly similar.

When he glanced at the gray mist sword in Wang Yi’s hand, his conviction solidified.

Wang Yi had long been possessed by the Lord of the Mist, and her subordinate battle group was now under the Lord’s control.

(End of the Chapter)

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