Hijacking the Timeline

Tiger Soul Branch Base.

Underground Prison.

This was the deepest part of the Tiger Soul Branch Base, a high-security zone perpetually shrouded in darkness and dampness. Moss crawled across the walls, and the air reeked of rust.

It was clear that the area hadn’t been maintained in ages.

Many outdated light bulbs were nearing the end of their lifespan, and various metal switches and fixtures were covered in rust.

Only the cage remained pristine, untouched by dust.

This specially designed cage for Tian Shu had metal bars that extended deep into the ground, and its floor was also crafted from a unique metal, forming a seamless, impenetrable structure.

It provided 360-degree containment with no blind spots.

Eighteen chains hung from the cage’s ceiling, wrapped around Tian Shu’s neck, limbs, and other vital points, severely restricting his movement.

Now that Feng Qi had confirmed Tian Shu as one of the miracles Mu Yao had discovered in her memories, his curiosity about him deepened.

Unfortunately, Tian Shu remained stubbornly unresponsive, ignoring Feng Qi’s repeated attempts to engage him.

However, it was clear that Tian Shu was intensely interested in Mu Qing—or, more precisely, in the Scarlet Rune Crystal embedded in her arm, which he referred to as the ”Scarlet Origin.”

This suggested he might possess detailed knowledge of the Scarlet Rune Crystal’s origins.

Realizing that direct questioning wouldn’t elicit any response from Tian Shu, Feng Qi now needed to find a different approach.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at Tian Shu again.

”Tian Shu, do you know Mu Yao?”

Tian Shu’s expression, previously indifferent, shifted upon hearing the name ”Mu Yao.”

”Mu... Yao,” he rasped, as if the words had been forced from his throat after a long silence.

”Yes, Mu Yao!” Feng Qi affirmed.

A fleeting daze crossed Tian Shu’s face, as if a long-sealed memory had been unlocked, plunging him into a trance-like state.

When he snapped back to awareness, his gaze sharpened.

”How... do you know Mu Yao? Where has that old woman gone?”

Feng Qi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of embarrassment hearing Tian Shu, a being over four hundred years old, refer to Mu Yao as an ”old woman.”

But upon reflection, he recalled the memory fragments he had witnessed: Tian Shu as a lollipop-licking child, while Mu Yao’s appearance remained unchanged.

This suggested Mu Yao was undoubtedly older than Tian Shu.

Her exact age remained a complete mystery, potentially spanning centuries.

Tian Shu wasn’t the only one to call her ”old woman”; Wei Wei used the same term.

”I don’t know where she’s gone, but perhaps we can exchange information... Rest assured, I stand firmly with the Human Faction.”

Feng Qi added this clarification, fearing Tian Shu might misunderstand his intentions.

Upon hearing this, Tian Shu’s eyes flashed with a purple light before he asked softly, ”First, tell me how you know her name.”

Faced with the question, Feng Qi fell silent.

After careful consideration, he decided to reveal his secret to Tian Shu.

After all, his existence in the Sacrifice Line was meant for trial and error. Moreover, Tian Shu was a trustworthy warrior of the Human Faction in his eyes, leaving him with no reason to hesitate.

He wasn’t some novel protagonist who needed to play dumb to surprise others later.

Hiding his secrets was a concern for the main timeline, irrelevant to his existence in the Sacrifice Line.

With this thought, he looked at Tian Shu and said, ”Tian Shu, what I’m about to tell you might sound unbelievable, but I swear everything I say is true.”

”Speak,” Tian Shu replied coldly.

”First, let me ask you a question: Do you believe someone could travel to the future?”

Tian Shu visibly stiffened at this unexpected question.

After a brief silence, a smile crept across Tian Shu’s face. ”Are you about to tell me you possess the special ability to travel through time?”

”Exactly!”

The smile vanished from Tian Shu’s face, replaced by his usual cold demeanor. ”Even the old woman couldn’t achieve that. Do you really think you’re capable of it?”

”I know you don’t believe me, but I’m telling you the truth.”

”Very well,” Tian Shu said, a mocking smile curling his lips. ”Show me a time travel. Let me witness you vanish from my perception.”

Feng Qi: ...

Mu Qing: ...

Time travel was real, but explaining it remained a persistent headache.

To Mu Qing, Lin Ran, and the others, he could offer his experiences as proof. After all, their timelines converged at a shared historical node, with numerous events to corroborate his claims.

But Tian Shu was entirely different.

This man had been self-imprisoned for over four centuries, completely isolated from the world.

With no connection to the outside world and no interaction with Feng Qi, he had no evidence whatsoever to prove his ability to traverse timelines.

After all, Tian Shu’s name never appeared in any future records or intelligence.

Feng Qi surmised that Tian Shu’s fate was likely to remain imprisoned in this cell until his death, never to appear in subsequent history.

Proving his claims had become an insurmountable challenge.

As for demonstrating time travel before Tian Shu’s eyes, as the man demanded, that was even more impossible.

In the Sacrifice Line, Feng Qi’s timeline had already been fixed, leaving no room for alterations.

Faced with Tian Shu’s obvious disbelief, he felt a genuine headache coming on.

”Regarding this matter, you clearly have no evidence to prove your claims, and I refuse to believe them. Let’s return to the original question: where did you meet Mu Yao? You mentioned traveling to the future earlier. Are you trying to tell me you met the old woman in the future?”

”Exactly. I met Mu Yao in the future. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

”Intriguing. How far into the future was this?” Tian Shu pressed.

”1500 years into the future.”

Hearing this number, Tian Shu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

”So, you merely learned the old woman’s name from somewhere, but you’ve never actually met her. I’m curious, though: what exactly are you trying to gain from me by fabricating this elaborate story?”

”Who said I’ve never met her? I saw her wielding a silver spear, clad in shattered battle armor, her face still bearing the youthful features of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, untouched by age. At that time, she stood alone against an overwhelming tide of beasts, choosing to fight to the death rather than retreat. In the end, she fell alongside the setting sun.”

Upon hearing these words, the smile froze on Tian Shu’s face.

His expression turned grave as he stared intently into Feng Qi’s eyes, as if trying to find a flaw in his demeanor that would prove his words were false.

But Feng Qi remained calm, his breathing steady and showing no signs of panic.

After all, he was telling the truth.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Realizing Tian Shu still didn’t believe him, Feng Qi was about to elaborate further when a sudden flash of insight revealed what he needed to say to prove his claims.

”Oh, right! I also saw you in Mu Yao’s memories.”

”You saw me in the old woman’s memories?” Tian Shu frowned.

”Let me clarify. I traveled to a future 1,500 years from now, where Human Civilization had already been destroyed... at least, the Human Civilization within Star City had been destroyed. I couldn’t explore other regions, so I don’t know for sure, but it’s highly likely they were destroyed as well.”

”By that point in the timeline, Mu Yao was long dead. She had ultimately transformed into a statue, standing eternally in a crater east of Star City, devoid of life.”

”Besides my ability to travel to the future, I possess a unique power I call ’Nightmare.’ This ability allows me to access fragments of others’ memories.”

”I stumbled upon Mu Yao’s remains by chance. When I touched her statue, it triggered my Nightmare ability, flooding my mind with fragmented memories. Through these fragments, I learned much about her—that she had always sought miracles, desperately searching for a glimmer of hope for humanity’s future.”

”And within those broken memory fragments, I saw you.”

Tian Shu’s expression shifted, his initial skepticism wavering.

”Continue. What did you see? If you can reveal something only Mu Yao and I know, I’ll believe you’re telling the truth.”

A smile crept across Feng Qi’s face.

”I can’t be certain if this memory is exclusive to you and Mu Yao, but I’ll describe it as vividly as possible.”

(End of the Chapter)

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