Feng Qi's aura surged higher and higher.
Under the Mist Lord's blood perception, Feng Qi at this moment was like a blazing inferno of blood energy, radiating an intense, dazzling brilliance.
Unlike Mu Qing, whose blood energy was restrained, Feng Qi, in Blood Source Form, unleashed his energy wildly, forcibly pushing away the surrounding gray mist.
"Old Mist, I know you're still recovering from your injuries. Can we talk now?"
Feng Qi wasn't actually planning to beat Old Mist up, but if he didn't show his strength, Old Mist would never yield.
As soon as he finished speaking, he clenched his fist.
A pillar of blood energy shot up from the top of his head, condensing into a swirling cloud of blood in the sky, pressing down on the Mist Lord with overwhelming force.
"Shall we talk?"
Feeling the searing energy fluctuations, the face within the mist darkened.
"Are you threatening me?!"
"Take it however you want."
The sea of mist churned violently.
The scarlet pupils within the gray face suddenly gleamed, and a colossal mist giant began to form.
Despite the Mist Lord assuming a combat stance, Feng Qi remained unfazed.
He knew Old Mist too well.
Except for that one time when he had died in battle for him, Old Mist always prioritized caution.
Now that Feng Qi had revealed his full strength, and considering Old Mist's ability to perceive blood energy, he must have realized he wasn't a match.
So would Old Mist really fight a losing battle head-on?
That wouldn't be Old Mist's style.
Feng Qi lifted his gaze toward the Mist Giant, his expression relaxed and confident.
"Fine… You win."
After some posturing, the Mist Giant suddenly shrank, transforming back into a purple-haired, purple-eyed youth with an exasperated look on his face.
"Are you ready to cooperate now?"
"Do you think I can run away?" The Mist Lord suddenly asked.
"I guarantee you won't escape. Before coming here, I made thorough preparations. I even understand your current strength better than you do."
Realizing there was no way out, the Mist Lord's expression turned cold.
"I still don't fully believe you, but since I can't resist, maybe I should take the gamble."
Faced with an unwinnable situation, the Mist Lord made the same choice he had when dealing with Hei Xuan—he compromised.
The saying "As long as the green hills remain, one need not fear a lack of firewood" perfectly applied to the Mist Lord.
[As the former leader of the Mist Clan, he had once endured working under capitalists just to survive. For someone this ruthless, what was there that he couldn't compromise on? This is exactly why, in multiple timelines, 1500 years later, Old Mist was still around.]
Seeing Old Mist relent, Feng Qi instantly withdrew his Blood Source Form.
He took out the memory serum from the metal case again, extended his hand toward the Mist Lord, and smiled.
"You won't regret this."
Hearing these words, the Mist Lord's expression turned complex.
After a long sigh, he stepped forward and took the syringe from Feng Qi's hand.
Staring at it for a few seconds, he finally hardened his resolve.
As the memory serum entered the Mist Lord's brain, it gathered at his forehead before gradually merging into his sea of consciousness.
In an instant, fragments of memory surged forth, piecing together countless scenes in his mind.
From their first encounter in the Frozen North, to working odd jobs in Winter City, to the fishing trials in the Old Supply Zone—each timeline ended, only to be replaced by a new one.
In these vivid, immersive visions, the Mist Lord saw Feng Qi's struggles, his pain, his transformation—from using him at first, to truly treating him as a brother.
A powerful movie could bring an audience to tears.
A fully immersive memory experience was even more overwhelming.
Within these scenes, the Mist Lord saw himself change.
His heart-wrenching cries before dying outside Old Day City, his glory leading the Tiger Soul Research Institute, and ultimately, his reign as an overlord 1500 years into the future.
It felt as if a lifetime's worth of memories had suddenly been implanted into his mind.
When the Mist Lord opened his eyes again, two streams of blood-red tears slid down his face.
Lifting his head, he saw Feng Qi extending his right hand toward him.
"Old Mist, welcome aboard. From now on, we walk this road together."
Looking at the familiar figure in front of him, countless corresponding memories resurfaced in the Mist Lord's mind.
Carrying him through blizzards, fighting together in blood-soaked battles on Black Abyss Island, and in the end, during the Bloodstone Escort Mission, Feng Qi had activated his divine form to protect him.
Just before losing consciousness, that one sentence echoed in his mind:
"Old Mist, do I look cool?"
Faced with the invitation of a "brother" from multiple timelines, the Mist Lord's eyes wavered.
He didn't immediately extend his hand to shake Feng Qi's.
At this moment, he felt both moved and furious, his emotions tangled in a chaotic mix.
Snapping back to reality, he looked at Feng Qi again, a hint of resignation flashing in his gaze.
"Give me some time to think. I'll give you my answer later."
Hearing this, Feng Qi nodded without hesitation.
"I'll wait for you. Ten days. I'll come back then."
The Mist Lord nodded and, in the next moment, his body dissolved into mist and scattered.
Watching Old Mist leave, Feng Qi turned back the way he came.
Would the Mist Lord accept his invitation?
Feng Qi already knew the answer.
Feng Qi walked away from the Mist Clan's domain field, stepping into the open world outside. The moment he exited, snowflakes filled his vision, swirling under the cold wind.
Next, he planned to return to Star City.
His next target was Tiger Soul Research Institute—specifically, the Night Shadow Clan currently controlling it. He intended to eliminate them completely and bring the Tiger Soul Research Institute under his control in the real timeline.
Star City's power structure was already clear. He had no reason to waste time cleaning up the same threat again in the future.
As for the Night Shadow Clan, they weren't even a threat to him.
Compared to Old Mist and other powerful beings, the Night Shadow Clan had almost no historical presence. If it weren't for following Old Mist through an entire future timeline, Feng Qi wouldn't have even known that the Tiger Soul Research Institute had been controlled by them before Old Mist took over.
They weren't even on the same level as the Silver Moon Clan, who controlled Star City's energy institutions.
The Night Shadow Clan's only advantage was their innate ability to manipulate minds, whereas the Silver Moon Clan lacked such abilities and had to rely on decades of careful planning to slowly infiltrate and take over Star City's energy infrastructure.
But when it came to actual power, the Silver Moon Clan completely outclassed the Night Shadow Clan.
The Silver Moon Clan had a clear historical record in Star City. They had even almost conquered the entire city, their strength a hundred times greater than the Night Shadow Clan.
If it hadn't been for Suction Cup holding off their tide-like assault, the first time he arrived 1500 years into the future, there wouldn't have been a Star City Shelter—only a Silver Moon Clan territory.
Now, however, the Silver Moon Clan's threat had been resolved.
Although he hadn't yet dealt with Yin Ling and other Silver Moon members, they weren't a problem at this stage.
Right now, the Silver Moon Clan wasn't greedy for resources. In fact, they were actively helping develop Star City's energy sector. Yin Ling had personally proposed many improvements to Star City's energy infrastructure in recent years.
The reason was simple:
They already considered Star City their future home.
Building up the city was an investment in their own survival.
The second reason was that they needed to maintain a good reputation under the scrutiny of the Star City Supreme Council.
So, for now, the Silver Moon Clan was beneficial, not harmful.
The Night Shadow Clan, however, was different.
They had been constantly siphoning Star City's resources through the Tiger Soul Research Institute, funneling them into super spell research and personal cultivation.
Since Feng Qi had already uncovered the situation, wiping them out early was the best option.
Ten Days Later.
After dealing with the Night Shadow Clan and taking over Tiger Soul Research Institute, Feng Qi returned to the Mist Domain Field.
The moment he crossed the domain field barrier, he saw Old Mist, already waiting for him in the distance.
Walking up to him, Feng Qi grinned and extended his right hand once again.
"Old Mist, welcome aboard."
But instead of shaking hands, the Mist Lord slapped his hand away, his face expressionless.
"Did I say I agreed?"
[Old Mist is definitely pissed right now. In the future timeline, he would've at least beaten you up first to let off steam before agreeing. But in this era, he's just not strong enough.]
Feng Qi chuckled inwardly—this was exactly what he expected.
Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out three condensed blood cores and handed them over with a smile.
"Whether you agree or not, take these to heal your injuries first."
Seeing this, the Mist Lord's expression turned complicated.
The memories in his mind surged again.
Across multiple timelines, they had fought side by side.
He knew Feng Qi was sincere about working with him and truly saw him as a brother.
But knowing he had been used in other timelines still made his blood boil.
Manipulating emotions? Scumbag!
Even so, his rational side won out.
He reached out and took the blood cores, his right arm dissolving into mist, wrapping around the cores before absorbing them into his body.
His expression remained indifferent.
"Why approach me in the real timeline? You could've just continued using the sacrifice timeline to contact me."
"Because you're my brother. This is my trust in you."
Hearing Feng Qi say that with a grin, the Mist Lord's heart softened slightly.
A moment later, he stepped forward and punched Feng Qi squarely in the chest.
With a loud bang, Feng Qi was sent flying, letting out a "miserable cry" as he crashed into the snow.
Lying there, he spat out a mouthful of blood, condensing it from his own blood energy to make it look extra dramatic.
"Quit faking. Get up."
Feng Qi immediately got up, grinning sheepishly.
"Still mad? How about I let you punch me a few more times? I promise I won't fight back."
"Forget it."
"So… does that mean you agree?"
"For the sake of reviving my people, for the sake of reaching the peak, I'll reluctantly accept."
Hearing Old Mist's direct acceptance, Feng Qi took two steps forward and hugged him tightly.
Immediately, Old Mist shoved him away with a look of disgust.
"Tell me what intelligence you've gathered. The memory fragments gave me limited information—I need to understand the full picture."
Feng Qi nodded without hesitation.
The two sat on the ground, and Feng Qi began recounting many key pieces of intelligence that weren't included in the memory fragments.
After all, the memory images primarily focused on their time together, and a lot of crucial details had been left out.
As Feng Qi spoke, the Mist Lord's expression turned thoughtful. He nodded repeatedly as he processed the information.
When he heard about Mu Yan and what had happened in the future dreamscape, his brows furrowed deeply.
"You're saying that after Mu Yan's death, the entire human world was consumed by the Blood Moon?"
"I'm not sure if it was Mu Yan's death that led to the Blood Moon taking over, or if the Blood Moon's conquest led to Mu Yan's death. But either way, they're definitely connected."
Feng Qi took a deep breath. He had made up his mind to reveal another truth to Old Mist.
The domain creatures called the guardians of the Path of Ascension by a specific term: "Blockers".
However, what they didn't know—including Old Mist—was that these so-called "Blockers" were actually humans.
Since he had chosen to be honest with Old Mist, he couldn't avoid this revelation.
After all, there was a chance they might work with the Path of Ascension Warriors in the future.
It was better to be upfront now rather than letting Old Mist discover it on his own later.
"Old Mist, have you ever heard of the Blockers on the Path of Ascension?"
Old Mist nodded immediately.
"They guard the Path of Ascension. Their origins are mysterious, and each one possesses unique special abilities. They're all incredibly powerful."
Feng Qi stared into his eyes and said slowly:
"They're all humans. The reason they stand on the Path of Ascension is to stop the forces of the domain world from descending upon humanity."
Old Mist's expression froze completely.
Silence filled the air.
"Do you hate them?"
Old Mist remained silent for a long time before finally nodding and shaking his head at the same time.
"Saying I don't hate them would be a lie. After my people died, I lived in endless pain. But more than anything, I blame myself for my mistakes and feel guilt toward my fallen kin. As for the Path of Ascension Warriors… if they are indeed human, I can understand their actions. After all, I was the invader. But even knowing this, I still can't help but hate them."
Feng Qi nodded.
"Old Mist, I chose to tell you this truth because I want us to clear up any potential conflicts before we continue working together. I promise you—one day, I will help you revive your entire clan."
"Alright." Old Mist agreed without hesitation, then added:
"You understand the customs of the Mist Clan. To us, death is not the end. My obsession with resurrecting my people isn't just about hatred—it's about responsibility and guilt. My grudge against the Blockers is secondary."
Hearing this, Feng Qi let out a deep sigh of relief.
He knew Old Mist well. Since he had said this much, it meant he was truly willing to let go of the grudge.
Now, all Feng Qi needed to do was help him resurrect his people in the future, and the conflict would be fully resolved.
Just as Old Mist said, in essence, the Mist Clan had led their people in an invasion, and humanity had simply defended itself.
From another perspective, the Path of Ascension Warriors' actions were completely justified.
Old Mist's hatred wasn't about revenge—it was his own self-blame for making the wrong strategic decisions.
At that moment, Old Mist's voice interrupted Feng Qi's thoughts.
"But what I don't understand is… why do the Path of Ascension Warriors guard the Path of Ascension instead of returning to the human world?"
Feng Qi shook his head.
"I don't know either. Based on the intelligence I have, I can make a guess. It seems like the Path of Ascension Warriors guard the road to reduce the number of domain beings descending upon the human world—like a filter that lessens the burden on humanity. It's like soldiers protecting a nation's border."
Hearing this, Old Mist's eyes filled with helpless frustration.
"Your guess might make sense at the beginning of the domain invasion. Back then, the human world was still intact. Even a single domain field descending could be a catastrophic disaster. It would have been crucial for the Path of Ascension Warriors to hold the line and protect humanity."
"But in today's world? That reasoning no longer holds. The human world has been almost entirely consumed by domain fields. Humanity's last refuge consists of only five major cities. If I were a Path of Ascension Warrior, I would return to the human world, gather the remaining humans into one unified force, and establish a new human faction. Even though humanity's foundations are weak, with the Path of Ascension Warriors leading them, they could still become a strong power. They'd have the ability to resist the surrounding domain forces. Why would they allow history to keep repeating itself, leading to humanity's slow downfall?"
"As I see it, their home has already been infiltrated to the point of collapse. What's the point of staying on the Path of Ascension?"
"Of course, it's possible that the Path of Ascension Warriors don't fully understand the changes happening in the human world. But Mu Yan clearly knew. Why didn't she lead them back?"
Feng Qi was stunned.
What Old Mist said made perfect sense.
The Path of Ascension Warriors' special abilities couldn't be passed down, but if they took command of the five major cities, humanity could easily rise as a strong faction.
They wouldn't be vulnerable to domain infiltration.
And no other domain force would dare to bully them.
From the Mist Lord's perspective, the behavior of the Path of Ascension Warriors did seem odd.
He had once discussed the Path of Ascension with Tian Shu, but the explanation he received no longer seemed to fully explain everything.
After all, Tian Shu didn't have much intelligence about the Path of Ascension either. He was merely following Mu Yan's orders, guarding his assigned main road in solitude and rarely interacting with the other Path of Ascension Warriors.
"By the way, what exactly is Mu Yan's origin? Why is she connected to every Path of Ascension Warrior?" the Mist Lord asked again.
"I don't know where Mu Yan came from," Feng Qi admitted. "All I know is that she has been searching for miracles, trying to help humanity resist the invasion of the domain world. There are many key moments in the history of human cultivation where she has appeared. She is incredibly important to humanity… but I don't even know if she is actually human."
As Feng Qi continued speaking about Mu Yan, the Mist Lord kept nodding.
However, when he heard that he himself had encountered Mu Yan in the future dreamscape, he couldn't help but frown.
"You're saying that 1,500 years later, I had a conversation with Mu Yan? That I mentioned an imminent spatial node forming in the east? And after that, she left without killing me, even though I was occupying Old Wang's body at the time?"
"That's right. Mu Yan seemed to have something more important to do. She only fought you briefly and then left, only saying, 'Wang Jinsheng, I'll come back to kill you later.' After that, she departed…"
Feng Qi took a deep breath and continued, "Later, I saw her final moments in a memory image—she was surrounded by countless domain creatures and died in battle, turning into a statue. And it was at that moment that the Blood Moon consumed the human world."
(The narrative prompt mentions key foreshadowing points in Chapter 116 (I Am Miracle) and Chapter 142 (The End Is Also the Beginning).)
Hearing this, the Mist Lord fell silent for a long time before finally speaking.
"I don't have those memories, so I don't know what I meant by the formation of a spatial node in the east. Keep giving me more intelligence. Maybe we'll find some connections."
Feng Qi nodded and continued explaining.
Much of what he revealed was information that even Old Mist from the sacrifice timeline had never known.
For example, the shadow entity within the Institute of Technological Research—during the sacrifice timeline, in order to avoid alarming Old Mist or Hei Xuan, Feng Qi never mentioned it. He had only suspected that the shadow entity within the research institute was related to Hei Xuan.
When Feng Qi reached the topic of the shadow entity and Mo, the Mist Lord suddenly interrupted him.
"Wait, you're saying that someone called Mo is secretly controlling the Institute of Technological Research? That he has been recruiting powerful individuals from the domain world and forcing them to sign unbreakable contracts?"
"That's right. But I don't know what Mo's ultimate goal is. Maybe he has a grand plan for the future, but I haven't lived through that timeline."
Hearing Feng Qi's response, the Mist Lord was silent for a moment before suddenly smiling.
"I think I might have found the answer."
Feng Qi's eyes lit up. "What answer?"
Information about Mo was extremely scarce.
No clear records of his existence could be found, but many scattered clues led back to him—the rise of the Psionic Race, Little Black, the shadow entity in the research institute… they were all connected to Mo.
However, all that was known about him was that he was secretly training powerful individuals. As for why he was doing it, there were no direct clues.
Now that Old Mist claimed to have figured something out, Feng Qi couldn't stay calm.
The Mist Lord spoke again.
"I'll give you a few key pieces of information. See if they connect."
"First, you said that when Mu Yan died, the sun disappeared, and the Blood Moon covered the entire human world."
"Second, before Mu Yan's death, she was besieged by an endless army of domain creatures."
"Third, Mo has been recruiting powerful warriors, preparing them to carry out a specific task in the future."
"Fourth, Mo once told Ling Zhan that he was merely a clone, which means he has a hidden true form."
"Now, let's put all these pieces together. What do you think the answer is?"
As the Mist Lord spoke, the scattered clues in Feng Qi's mind began to align.
A clear timeline began to form in his thoughts.
The first clue was Mu Yan's final battle.
She had stood alone, wielding a silver spear, facing an endless horde of domain creatures that attacked her without fear of death, as if they were following some unseen will.
Then there was Mo's secret recruitment of powerful warriors, making them sign contracts to serve him in the future.
And finally, Mo's statement to Ling Zhan that he was only a clone, implying that his true body had never been revealed.
When all these clues connected, Feng Qi's heart trembled.
Could it be…
The warriors that Mo recruited—the ones he forced to sign contracts—were the same ones that attacked Mu Yan in her final battle?
Had Mo spent centuries gathering an army, all for the purpose of killing Mu Yan?
Just as this shocking realization struck him, the Mist Lord's voice broke his thoughts.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. The Blood Moon you mentioned? In the domain world, we call it 'Mo Yue'—the Moon of Mo."