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Translator: CinderTL
"No, Brother Qi, you must be joking, right? The Tiger Soul Research Institute's publicly released cultivation techniques must undergo multiple safety checks. Before they're published, they're even tested by personnel. How could they possibly release a technique with cultivation flaws?"
Facing Lin Ran's skepticism, Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"I told you, this was the information I got the first time I checked your future database. At the time, I believed it, but history proved me wrong... Don't interrupt me. Listen to me finish, and you'll understand."
Feng Qi then detailed the intelligence he had gathered about Lin Ran across multiple timelines.
It began with discovering in the future shelter's database that Lin Ran would become a historical scourge. This led him to question why the Tiger Soul Research Institute would release a cultivation technique without first conducting proper testing.
Next came the realization that Le Ping'an was compromised. Through Le Ping'an, he learned that the Technology Research Institute had been infiltrated. This prompted an investigation into Le Ping'an's motives for joining Star City Academy, which in turn raised suspicions about the Tiger Soul Research Institute... followed by a series of subsequent investigations.
By integrating the intelligence from these multiple timelines, a clear narrative emerged.
Lin Ran, initially bewildered, gradually came to understand the full picture.
By the end, his forced composure had completely crumbled.
He could never have imagined that his historical legacy would be so tragic.
Across all these timelines, his fate was invariably one of two outcomes:
In the normal timeline, humanity faced a grim choice: either be corrupted by the Lord of the Mist, spreading cultivation techniques that shattered meridians, or be possessed by the Lord of the Mist, becoming a "historical great" who would ultimately bring about the destruction of all humankind.
In essence, the Lord of the Mist was the bell tolling the death knell for humanity.
Taking a deep breath, he turned to Feng Qi and asked, "Brother Qi, you said that in the normal timeline, the Lord of the Mist possesses Old Wang's body, becoming the new Old Wang, and I become a historical criminal by developing a technique that shatters meridians, right?"
"Correct."
"Then is it possible that, as you mentioned, the Lord of the Mist infiltrated the Tiger Soul Research Institute to promote the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice technique? Could it be that in the normal timeline, I actually developed a cultivation technique even more potent than Flesh and Blood Sacrifice? If this technique were released, it would undermine the promotion of Flesh and Blood Sacrifice."
"After all, if a technique as outstanding as Flesh and Blood Sacrifice emerged, cultivators would have more choices, which would halve the effectiveness of Flesh and Blood Sacrifice's promotion. To suppress this technique, the Lord of the Mist chose to target me."
Hearing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but pause.
He had never considered the angle Lin Ran was suggesting.
But upon closer reflection, it was indeed a possibility, however small the probability might be.
Lin Ran was right. One didn't need a cultivation technique that rivaled the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice. A sufficiently outstanding technique would suffice to diminish its influence.
Given his understanding of the Lord of the Mist, Feng Qi could easily imagine him doing something like this.
By doing so, the Lord of the Mist could simultaneously encourage more people to practice the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice and stifle the development of human cultivation studies, making cultivators hesitant to experiment with new techniques.
This would effectively amplify the influence of the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice.
In the normal timeline, the incident where millions of cultivators suffered ruptured meridians caused decades of stagnation in cultivation technique research. Cultivators became afraid to try newly developed techniques, hindering further advancements in the field.
This impact lasted for over a century.
Yet, the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice, released around the same time, achieved remarkable success during this darkest era of cultivation studies.
Upon deeper thought, this might be another chess move by the Lord of the Mist.
The Lord of the Mist used Lin Ran as a cautionary tale to create favorable conditions for the promotion of Flesh and Blood Sacrifice.
By making cultivators afraid to practice new techniques, and with Flesh and Blood Sacrifice being so outstanding, it would naturally become the cultivators' best choice.
From a historical perspective, the Lord of the Mist was undoubtedly a genius.
Every step he took was considered from a long-term perspective, never prioritizing immediate gains.
At this point, Lin Ran interrupted his thoughts:
"Brother Qi, do you think my speculation is possible?"
Snapping back to attention, Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"It seems you're trying to prove that you have innate talent for cultivation technique research, right?"
Unfazed by having his thoughts exposed, Lin Ran nodded with a smile.
"The fact that an untested cultivation technique was released doesn't mean the technique itself is flawed. It's clearly being manipulated. This actually proves my talent for cultivation technique research."
Feng Qi: ...
Even at this point, he was still concerned about whether he had innate talent for cultivation technique research.
What an obsession.
Now that he understood the historical context, Lin Ran fell into deep thought.
Feng Qi remained silent, giving Lin Ran time to digest the information.
Half an hour later, Lin Ran looked up at him, his eyes firm. "Brother Qi, I understand. I will join you on this Sacrifice Line, just like the others, and become your comrade."
Lin Ran had said these words to him once before, fifteen hundred years in the future. Yet hearing them now still sent a warm current through his heart.
His path to saving the world was not the grand, world-altering saga seen in movies, nor was it illuminated by any protagonist's halo. Instead, it was paved with companions like Lin Ran. It was precisely their support that allowed his Sacrifice Line to proceed more smoothly.
At that moment, Lin Ran raised his wine glass with a playful grin. "Brother Qi, cheers."
Seeing this, Feng Qi immediately raised his glass and clinked it against Lin Ran's. After draining their drinks, he turned to Lin Ran with a solemn expression. "A'Ran, I need your cooperation in investigating something."
"Tell me," Lin Ran nodded immediately.
"Based on your description and the intelligence I've gathered, I suspect the Tiger Soul Research Institute has been compromised by the Domain Force. You might be being used by them to develop the art magic they require."
"As you know, the Sacrifice Line requires me to help the Lord of the Mist rise to power as quickly as possible. To do that, I need to thoroughly investigate the current situation at the Tiger Soul Research Institute and eliminate any factors that could hinder its future development."
"Of course, my suspicion that the Tiger Soul Research Institute has been infiltrated by other Domain Forces is just a conjecture. Everything still needs to be investigated. I need your cooperation to carry out this investigation."
After hearing Feng Qi's explanation, Lin Ran immediately nodded.
"After hearing what you've said, I'm also beginning to suspect that the Tiger Soul's leadership may have been compromised. We should definitely investigate this."
During their subsequent casual conversation, they began planning the internal investigation of the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
As time passed, the horizon lit up with the dawn.
The light stained the clouds crimson, the fiery glow rapidly spreading until the sunrise painted half the sky in fiery hues.
After talking with Lin Ran all night, Feng Qi's anxieties dissipated.
Lin Ran's words had deeply moved him.
He said that no romantic sentiment in this world is more worth pursuing than striving for an ideal.
Even if the final outcome is failure, at least one can still hope that the flower of the ideal will bloom in the future of another timeline.
After saying this, Lin Ran drained his cup in one gulp.
His frankness and carefree spirit completely dispelled Feng Qi's guilt.
Looking west, a red sun rose.
Flocks of wild geese flew south in neat formation.
(End of the Chapter)
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