Translator: CinderTL
After glancing at the battle between Suction Cup and little black, Feng Qi turned back along the metal corridor toward the underground shelter.
In his eyes, Suction Cup and little black employed completely different combat styles.
Suction Cup was a tank-like brawler, capable of withstanding tremendous damage while unleashing devastating physical attacks in close combat.
To other domain creatures, Suction Cup was a living weapon of mass destruction. Few could withstand even a single punch from her; if one failed, two would surely suffice.
But against little black, Suction Cup's abilities were perfectly countered.
Whenever little black vaporized his body into mist, Suction Cup's punches passed harmlessly through him, unable to inflict any damage.
This was the aspect that puzzled Feng Qi the most.
Logically, with Suction Cup's physical strength reaching such an extreme, even the wind pressure from her punches should have been able to disperse the black mist. This implied her attacks weren't purely physical but also carried magical force.
Yet the reality was that even when the wind pressure scattered little black's vaporized form, disrupting its mist-like structure and scattering fragments far away, the particles swiftly drifted back together, reforming into a cohesive whole.
It was as if some unseen force was drawing each mist particle back, compelling them to coalesce into a unified entity.
Logically, any aggregate structure should lose its coherence when its original structure is disrupted. The detached parts should lose all connection to the main body.
Take the human body, for instance, which is composed of countless tiny cells.
If a person scrapes their skin, the wound will heal, but the detached skin, having separated from the whole, is no longer part of the body's aggregate structure.
Little Black's situation was entirely different.
Each particle of mist in his body seemed to possess a life of its own. Even when scattered far from the main body, they were irresistibly drawn back to rejoin the aggregate.
This kind of living aggregate reminded him of ants and bees.
Ants and bees, as decentralized living aggregates, can only survive in nature as a collective unit.
Yet even with ants and bees, individual units separated from the colony cannot survive for long, just as human cells cannot survive indefinitely outside the body.
Little Black defied this principle entirely. While one part of his body battled the Suction Cup, another part, scattered by the force of the punch, took a detour on its return journey to devour a living dead before rejoining the fray.
It was as if the detached portion had developed its own consciousness, capable of independent thought.
"What the hell is little black? This is too damn weird."
Have you seen the Terminator movies? Little black is like a Terminator sent from the future to eliminate you. It locks onto its target with pinpoint accuracy and erases the source that could alter history.
"Then why doesn't it kill me in the Reality Line?"
How should I know? I'm just using an analogy, not stating a certainty. Besides, the chances of little black coming from the future are practically zero. Don't forget you saw its photo in the shelter's research lab—it existed long before you arrived.
Feng Qi pondered the Narrator's explanation.
If little black had existed before his arrival, why was it so precisely targeting him?
In the world 1,500 years in the future, almost all traces of his existence had been erased, leaving only faint mentions in historical documents.
This made little black's relentless pursuit all the more baffling.
Unable to grasp the reason, Feng Qi stopped dwelling on it. He trusted that one day he would uncover the answers and the truth behind everything.
Approaching the Database Control Console, he opened the search interface, filtered by year, narrowed the scope to Star City, and began reviewing information on contemporary geniuses.
When he eventually established his domain combat team, the Dawn Organization, and other factions, these geniuses would be invaluable potential recruits.
Feng Qi believed that improving his strength in the real world might be easier than in the Dream Realm.
His unique constitution prevented him from cultivating spiritual energy, but it granted him the ability to plunder the lifeblood and talents of domain creatures upon killing them.
In the Dream Realm, he was forced to fight alone, and the dangers were overwhelming. Even with Suction Cup's protection, survival was far from guaranteed.
Beyond little black, the Dream Realm undoubtedly harbored creatures far more formidable than Suction Cup. The twin-winged giant beast that streaked across the sky and the mountain-sized figure shrouded in swirling dark clouds west of the shelter served as stark reminders of this reality.
Future explorations in other directions would inevitably be fraught with peril, with death lurking at every turn.
But the real world offered a completely different scenario.
He could form a domain combat team with Liu Yue, Lin Ran, and others to explore the Domain Fields, hunting domain creatures while ensuring they left the final blow for him.
This would essentially be group combat, with him reaping all the experience.
This method of strengthening himself was clearly far more efficient than the solitary struggles in the Dream Realm.
Of course, this hypothesis hinged on whether hunting domain creatures in reality would yield the same power-enhancing feedback as in the Dream Realm.
If this method proved viable, the plan to explore the Domain Fields could be expedited. While there, they could also search for rare spirit plants and other special products rich in spiritual energy to aid the team's growth and enhance their strength.
The resources harvested from the Domain Fields would also serve as a future funding source for developing Savior and replenishing the funds needed to enter the Dream Realm.
Most importantly, armed with the secret to clearing the Domain Fields, he might be able to leverage the Future People's decoded information to eradicate them in the simplest and most efficient manner.
This would undoubtedly have a profound impact on humanity's future.
Across the real world, Domain Fields were expanding, and new ones were appearing intermittently, constantly shrinking humanity's living space.
This also posed a challenge to resource extraction.
For example, about 800 kilometers north of Star City, there used to be a vast mountain range rich in iron ore.
But now that area was enveloped by a Domain Field, depriving humanity of a crucial ore-gathering resource and impacting steel production.
Moreover, the special spiritual materials that descended with the Domain Field wouldn't vanish after the field was dispersed, promising a substantial windfall.
Talent was crucial; every strategic move in the future required skilled individuals.
In the Dream Realm, he had no choice but to fight alone. But in the real world, he couldn't afford foolish acts of lone heroism. He needed to integrate and leverage all available resources.
He planned to initially focus his search within Star City, recruiting talent from his own era before gradually expanding outward.
Isn't this like a rabbit eating the grass right by its burrow?
"It's called 'first come, first served.' You clearly haven't read many books—you're uncultured."
A son doesn't despise his ugly father, nor does a dog scorn its poor home. You embody both flaws. He~tui!
Feng Qi: ...
Having exhausted his daily quota of character information queries, he now had to rely on historical articles in the database for details.
During his search, a title caught his eye:
Xiaoxin: From Ordinary to Genius—A Tale of Resilience and Unyielding Spirit.
The name felt vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't quite place where he'd encountered it before.
Curious, he clicked on the title to read more.
Xiaoxin: From Ordinary to Genius—A Tale of Resilience and Unyielding Spirit.
Mentioning Xiaoxin might evoke a sense of unfamiliarity for many.
Yet she was undoubtedly one of the most promising cultivation technique researchers of the 21st century. Throughout her career, she developed a total of twelve cultivation techniques, including one four-star technique, three three-star techniques, four two-star techniques, and four one-star techniques (the one-star techniques were primarily developed during her early years).
While her talent in cultivation technique research might not have been the absolute strongest of her era, she was certainly among the elite few.
However, despite her exceptional talent, Xiaoxin spent her early years completely overshadowed by another figure: Feng Qi.
Feng Qi is a name familiar to everyone. Even if we disregard all other achievements, his innate talent in cultivation technique research alone would place him among the top ten historical figures, perhaps even within the top three.
During his time at Star City No. 1 High School, Feng Qi had yet to fully demonstrate his terrifying potential. Nevertheless, he was already the standout student of his cohort, consistently dominating the school's academic rankings.
In contrast, Xiaoxin's arrival at Star City No. 1 High School didn't immediately place her at the top like Feng Qi.
She was like a warrior, constantly challenging her academically superior classmates, climbing step by step from over 300th place in her grade to second.
Her ultimate rival was Feng Qi.
But reality was cruel. Against Feng Qi, she suffered repeated defeats.
It was said that her closest brush with success came during the graduation examination. At that time, Xiaoxin's predicted scores in all subjects were higher than Feng Qi's. (Note: This data was compiled by the Star City Ministry of Education, not fabricated by the author.)
Tragically, Feng Qi didn't even take the exam. He had already secured a direct admission spot to the Star City Academy.
Thus, Xiaoxin's closest chance at victory ended in utter failure.
From that point on, their paths diverged completely. Feng Qi became a rising star of the era, someone Xiaoxin could only look up to, and the gap between them widened with each passing day.
Did you think Xiaoxin would give up?
Wrong. Far from giving up, she channeled the pressure into relentless effort, growing stronger with each setback.
Here's a quote from Xiaoxin's early days, spoken to her mentor:
"My talent is ordinary, but I want to contribute to the coming golden age just like Feng Qi. Since I lack natural gifts, all I can do is chase after him with every ounce of my strength. His strength is my constant motivation to improve."
But after Feng Qi's execution, Xiaoxin's life also met its Waterloo.
She couldn't believe that the "rival" she had always seen as bright and ambitious could be a traitor to humanity. The driving force that had propelled her forward shattered like a bubble.
A prodigy of her era, who had already developed a four-star cultivation technique by the age of 26, saw her potential dim during her peak years.
Feng Qi's strength had fueled her own, but his downfall extinguished the fire in her heart.
In essence, she was an unconventional genius who had rapidly grown by constantly challenging herself under Feng Qi's "shadow."
Online Comments:
Ye Shiwen: "OP is talking nonsense. I hate to admit it, but Feng Qi's talent for cultivation technique research was historically unparalleled. Even after his period of dormancy, his potential remained undiminished—he simply lost interest in developing techniques and focused on destroying the world instead. So you're telling me this Xiaoxin almost defeated Feng Qi at Star City No. 1 High School? If I believe that, I'm a damn fool."
Happy Today Too: OP, where did you dig up this obscure historical data? I've never even heard of Xiaoxin before. If she really developed a four-star cultivation technique before the age of 26, she should be incredibly famous by now.
Spicy Potato Chips: You're making me laugh! Feng Qi may have been a scumbag, but his talent was unmatched in his era. Apart from a few exceptions like Lin Ran, no one else even came close. You're telling me Xiaoxin nearly defeated Feng Qi and citing Ministry of Education statistics? I'm not buying it.
A Combo Strike:
I actually looked up the relevant records, and OP isn't lying.
Xiaoxin did shine brightly alongside Feng Qi during his peak, and her talent and potential kept growing. But after Feng Qi's downfall, she faded into obscurity as well.
This Xiaoxin seemed to have truly viewed Feng Qi as her lifelong rival. Thankfully, she didn't betray humanity like he did.
After reading the article introducing "Xiaoxin," Feng Qi immediately recognized who she was.
Who else could it be but the airheaded, busty girl from the neighboring class who constantly shouted about "duels" like a delusional teenager?
No wonder the name "Xiaoxin" sounded familiar.
Feng Qi hadn't paid much attention to Xiaoxin during their school days.
Talent-wise, she was by no means exceptional. Although they consistently ranked first and second in Star City No. 1 High School, their overall ranking among Star City's high schools only qualified them as "excellent." They were far behind super-geniuses like Lin Ran, who had already gained widespread fame before even entering the academy.
However, Xiaoxin's later achievement of developing twelve cultivation techniques proved she was undoubtedly one of the era's most exceptional geniuses.
The article mentioned Xiaoxin's gradual rise from over 300th place in the grade level to second. Feng Qi had never known this.
If the article's account was accurate, he had no doubt that Xiaoxin possessed the potential to surpass him in their future growth.
The article's claim that Xiaoxin had the potential to defeat him on the day of the graduation examination might well be true.
The Ministry of Education did indeed compile data on each student to assess their performance before the examination.
Xiaoxin had already surpassed many of her peers. He was likely her final target, and perhaps after defeating him, she would seek new challenges, initiating a fresh round of "duels."
It seemed her growth was a continuous cycle of finding new whetstones to sharpen herself into an ever-sharper blade.
However, in the period leading up to the graduation examination, he had gained a "cheat" that allowed him to skyrocket ahead.
From Xiaoxin's perspective, the gap between them widened, making it increasingly difficult for her to surpass him.
This spurred Xiaoxin to redouble her efforts, her innate talent and abilities growing exponentially as she chased after him. Later, she even created a four-star cultivation technique.
The stronger her opponent, the stronger she became. The article depicted Xiaoxin undergoing repeated transformations under pressure, each one making her more formidable.
Could such an extraordinary genius truly exist?
Intrigued and skeptical, Feng Qi began searching the database for information about Xiaoxin.
The results confirmed the article's description: Xiaoxin was indeed a remarkable, chuunibyou girl whose growth potential increased with pressure.
Chuunibyou girls are terrifying! With that kind of indomitable spirit, she'd definitely be the protagonist in a chuunibyou shonen manga. Maybe you should try putting more "pressure" on her to see how far she can grow. Who knows, there might be some surprises. Keep an eye on this chuunibyou girl in the future.
Hearing the Narrator's commentary, Feng Qi couldn't help but nod in agreement.
What the Narrator said perfectly mirrored his own thoughts.
Xiaoxin wouldn't be a major focus in the Reality Line, but she would have a significant presence in the future timeline's historical records. As the protagonist's actions shifted, she would become a pivotal figure whose influence shaped the future in various ways.
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
👉 The chapters I upload here on WebNovel are totally FREE, no strings attached. If you are reading here, please support me by leaving reviews, comments and giving the book powerstones. 🙏
📚 Read [HTT] exclusively on the site, upto Ch196!
🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 7,200+ FREE