I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

At this moment, the black mist was closing in fast. Feng Qi didn't hesitate any longer.

He turned to Lin Ran and said urgently, "No time to explain. Just get me out of here—Little Black is coming!"

Lin Ran looked puzzled. "Qi-ge, who's Little Black?"

Feng Qi's voice rose as he pointed behind them. "That thing! Get me out of here first!"

Lin Ran glanced at the black mist creeping ever closer, then stepped forward confidently, positioning himself behind Feng Qi. "Let me handle this!"

Seeing Lin Ran's eager posture, Feng Qi felt a twinge of unease.

Handle Little Black? Trying would only mean certain death.

With that thought, Feng Qi's expression hardened as he spoke firmly. "Don't get cocky. That thing isn't something you can kill. Besides, you've just gained control of the Mist Lord's body and definitely haven't fully adapted to it yet. Focus on getting me out of here. If we get caught, it'll be impossible to escape."

Lin Ran hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Got it!"

Perhaps realizing the terror of Little Black, Lin Ran's confidence wavered, and he decisively obeyed. His body twisted and dissolved into a dense, compact gray mist, which swirled beneath Feng Qi, lifting him up. Together, they shot into the sky.

"Which way?" Lin Ran asked.

"East," Feng Qi replied.

"Got it!" Lin Ran's speed surged, and they streaked toward the direction of the abandoned city.

Wind howled past their ears as they flew. Looking down at the earth from above was an exhilarating experience.

But Feng Qi couldn't afford to enjoy the view. Turning his head, he focused on the ominous black mist rapidly gaining ground behind them.

In a previous timeline, when the Mist Lord realized he couldn't defeat Little Black, he chose to flee. During that instance, Little Black didn't bother pursuing the Mist Lord.

But this time was different.

In that timeline, Little Black had ignored the Mist Lord's escape because it never cared about him to begin with. From start to finish, Feng Qi had always been its sole target.

As the pursuit continued, Little Black's speed increased, and its black mist form began condensing into a more concentrated mass.

"Qi-ge, what is that thing?" Lin Ran's misty face materialized from the swirling gray fog below, asking the question directly.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi gave a brief explanation of Little Black's nature and the events that led him to know about Lin Ran's eventual possession by the Mist Lord.

Lin Ran's face was a mix of astonishment and disbelief after hearing the story.

Learning about Feng Qi's ability to traverse timelines completely upended his worldview.

But he didn't doubt Feng Qi's words. The evidence was clear—how else could Feng Qi have known about the possession?

"Lin Ran, speed up! We're about to be overtaken!" Feng Qi's shout jolted him back to reality.

"Qi-ge, this is my maximum speed! This thing is beyond belief—it's getting faster!" Lin Ran exclaimed.

["Ladies and gentlemen, the first-ever Dreamline Racing Championship is nearing its climax! Our challenger, 'Gray Mist Somersault Cloud,' is going all out in a desperate bid to overtake our reigning champion, Little Black. But as expected, the undefeated champion will secure yet another victory, proving once again that all challengers are mere weaklings!"]

"Can you shut up for once?" Feng Qi snapped at the Narrator, exasperated.

As he glanced back, Feng Qi's face darkened. The distance between them and Little Black had shrunk to less than 100 meters. At this rate, they would be caught in mere moments.

The situation was dire.

"Qi-ge," Lin Ran's voice rang out, tinged with resolve, "I think I understand now why you asked earlier if I was willing to sacrifice myself."

Feng Qi's heart sank. Before he could respond, Lin Ran continued, "I'll hold Little Black off. You have more important things to do. Humanity is already extinct. Even with the Mist Lord's power, what's the point of living alone? Better to make my death meaningful."

Hearing Lin Ran's determination, Feng Qi sighed inwardly but didn't argue.

"Good brother," he said solemnly, "thank you."

"Qi-ge, stay safe!" Lin Ran replied with a grin.

Before Feng Qi could say another word, a powerful force propelled him forward, sending him hurtling through the air.

As his body plummeted toward the abandoned city below, he caught a glimpse of Lin Ran transforming into a swirling mist, charging directly at Little Black.

The instant the gray mist collided with the black, it began to dissolve rapidly.

The energy within Lin Ran's mist was devoured by the psionic nanobots that composed Little Black, becoming fuel for its terrifying power.

Just as in every previous encounter, the Mist's essence only served as nourishment for Little Black, incapable of inflicting any harm.

Feng Qi's descent accelerated, the dilapidated structures below growing larger with each passing second.

Activating his telekinesis, he encased himself in a protective barrier, slowing his fall. As he neared the rooftop of a crumbling skyscraper, his psychic energy spread outward, forming a large net that caught him securely.

With both feet landing solidly on the rooftop, Feng Qi raised his gaze toward the sky.

At this moment, Lin Ran had already engaged in battle with Little Black. During their clash, Lin Ran quickly realized that using his mist form against Little Black was essentially a death sentence. He decisively transformed back into his original body to launch a direct assault.

However, with physical strength inferior even to that of Suction Cup, Lin Ran was once again suppressed by Little Black.

Unwilling to concede, Lin Ran formed a hand seal with one hand, and a surge of blood energy erupted from within him, releasing a brilliant red glow across the sky.

It was as if a crimson sun had risen, radiating dazzling brilliance.

Beaten back in close combat, Lin Ran shifted tactics, unleashing spell techniques to confront Little Black head-on.

In his heart, he clung to a shred of hope—that there might be energy that even Little Black couldn't absorb or neutralize.

The overwhelming blood energy radiating from the crimson sun distorted the surrounding air. Under Lin Ran's control, the sun condensed from blood energy descended toward Little Black like a meteor.

Little Black remained composed as ever, neither dodging nor retreating. It advanced with unshaken confidence to meet the attack.

As the crimson sun collided with Little Black, its mass visibly shrank at an alarming rate. At a microscopic, nano-scale level, countless psionic nanobots surged toward the energy cluster, voraciously consuming the blood-energy particles.

In a matter of moments, the crimson sun disintegrated entirely.

Seeing Little Black emerge unscathed, Lin Ran felt an icy chill settle in his heart.

The ability to consume energy and nullify physical attacks—it was a power that defied logic, a seemingly invincible trait. He couldn't fathom any method to counter it.

For the first time, Lin Ran truly understood why Feng Qi had described Little Black as "unbeatable." Little Black's unique traits rendered it invulnerable in any environment.

As the black mist rapidly engulfed him, Lin Ran retaliated with every ounce of strength, hoping to buy Feng Qi as much time as possible.

Meanwhile, on the ground below, Feng Qi glanced at the unfolding battle in the sky. Without hesitation, he leapt from the rooftop.

The flesh on his body transformed into blood energy markings that etched themselves onto his bones.

In an instant, his human form shifted into combat form.

With a thunderous crash, the fractured pavement beneath him shattered into fragments as he landed heavily, but Feng Qi's posture remained steady.

He decided to take advantage of the time Lin Ran was buying to search for the Three-Tailed Beast.

If he could capture and kill it, the effort wouldn't be wasted.

Along the way, he planned to hunt other domain creatures to enhance his strength. Even if he couldn't locate the Three-Tailed Beast, strengthening himself would justify Lin Ran's sacrifice.

Enhancing his personal power was, in his eyes, equally crucial.

He was desperate to uncover the truth behind the "Great Momentum," a force even domain creatures feared.

But to witness this "Great Momentum" in action, he needed to lead humanity to endure the ultimate battle before the world's demise.

If humanity perished before the "Great Momentum" arrived, the event would lose all meaning. Thus, personal strength was vital for future dreamlines and confrontations with domain factions.

As for Little Black's relentless pursuit, he hoped to rely on the advanced capabilities of the future's humans to develop a solution.

In this dreamline, enhancing his strength remained an immediate priority.

The most pressing question now was which abilities to improve.

He leaned toward enhancing his spiritual power. After all, stronger mental energy could mitigate the effects of negative emotions.

["Young man, let me offer some advice: don't stray down the wrong path. Enhancing spiritual power is a dead end. Have you forgotten what happened when your spiritual energy erupted from your body in that other timeline?"] the Narrator interjected.

Feng Qi raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Narrator, during that timeline, my consciousness didn't follow my spiritual body. If I could find a way to anchor my consciousness to my spirit, wouldn't that achieve true Eternal Spirit?"

["Perhaps,"] the Narrator replied. ["But even if you attained Eternal Spirit, so what? Compared to the visceral thrill of close combat, Eternal Spirit is such a wimpy choice. If you're comparing growth paths, an indestructible body clearly outshines Eternal Spirit."]

Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a pang of embarrassment.

It was becoming increasingly clear—the Narrator was a devout advocate for physical cultivation. Not only did it champion body refinement, but it also dismissed spiritual cultivation as inferior.

Despite his initial resistance, Feng Qi found himself drawn to the idea of physical enhancement. The raw, visceral nature of close-quarters combat resonated with his desire to release his pent-up frustration and negative emotions.

With that thought, he spoke aloud, "Then help me locate some domain creatures nearby with abilities suitable for me."

["You got it, boss!"] the Narrator replied, its tone instantly cheerful.

As they conversed, Feng Qi began heading toward the area where he last encountered the Three-Tailed Beast.

Before he got far, the Narrator's voice rang out in his mind.

["HQ, HQ! Come in! We've got a target at nine o'clock, 130 meters away. It's not weak, but if you activate your Blood Source, you've got at least an 80% chance of winning. Go for it!"]

Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately turned and made his way toward the target.

Ahead loomed a tall building, its broken signage hanging precariously above the entrance. The faded text was too weathered to decipher.

Stepping inside, he discovered what appeared to be a former shopping mall. The interior was divided into various shops, now overtaken by wild, untamed vegetation.

Domain plants of all shapes and sizes thrived within, intertwining with the ground, walls, and ceiling, blending seamlessly with the building's structure.

As he ventured deeper, remnants of futuristic technology became faintly visible among the overgrowth.

Following the Narrator's guidance, he finally arrived at a broken escalator and spotted his target.

The domain creature stood motionless near the stairs, its gray and white body resembling a statue. Towering at two meters tall, it stared at Feng Qi with piercing, glowing green eyes.

For a moment, their gazes locked.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi activated his Blood Source ability.

Blood-red tendrils sprouted from his bones, weaving together to form muscle and tissue. His body began to expand, quickly growing to over three meters tall.

A surge of overwhelming power coursed through him, and he clenched his fists instinctively.

The stretching of his bones produced a symphony of crackling sounds, while the rushing of his blood echoed like crashing waves within his body.

Blood Source was a unique talent that grew stronger alongside his physical capabilities.

If Feng Qi were to rank all the abilities he had gained so far, there was no doubt that Blood Source would hold the top spot.

This ability originated from the statue worshiped by the Goat-Headed Demon. Activating it granted him an explosive boost in power for a limited duration.

It was his ultimate trump card in battles.

The difference between fighting with and without Blood Source was akin to two entirely different power levels.

At that moment, he charged directly toward the statue-like domain creature.

His right fist, as large as a washbasin, rocketed forward like a cannonball, striking the creature squarely in the face.

Fragments of stone flew everywhere as the domain creature's body was sent hurtling backward by the force, embedding half of its body into the shattered escalator behind it.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng Qi lunged forward and grabbed the domain creature's head. With sheer brute strength, he yanked it out of the escalator and smashed it against a nearby support pillar.

Shards of stone scattered as the repeated impacts elicited ear-piercing screeches from the domain creature.

Feng Qi then turned to the damaged escalator nearby. His muscles tensed as raw strength surged through his body. With a metallic screech, he violently dismantled the escalator, wielding it as an improvised weapon.

He swung it down onto the domain creature with ferocity.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The makeshift weapon struck three heavy blows before it shattered under the strain, breaking apart entirely.

As Feng Qi prepared to press his advantage, a black liquid seeped from the surface of the domain creature's body, coating it in a dark sheen.

When his fist connected with the creature again, an unexpected force traveled back up his arm, sending a shockwave through his body and rattling his internal organs.

The recoil, however, was well within his tolerance.

With Blood Source active, his recovery ability was greatly enhanced. Any injuries caused by the counterforce would heal in mere seconds.

Undeterred, he continued to pummel the domain creature with relentless punches.

The creature fought back, slashing at Feng Qi with razor-sharp claws that glowed with an eerie green light. The claws tore through his muscular defense, leaving five deep gashes on his chest that exposed bone.

Feeling the sharp sting, Feng Qi bared his teeth in a vicious grin.

To him, this level of pain was nothing more than a drizzle in a storm.

The gashes on his chest healed at a visible rate, sealing up as if they had never existed.

Ignoring the domain creature's attacks, Feng Qi focused solely on offense.

With Blood Source active, the best defense was an unrelenting offense.

["That's the spirit! Your muscles are condensed from blood energy, and they'll dissipate once Blood Source deactivates. Losing a bit of meat here and there doesn't matter, so give it everything you've got and pummel it into submission!"] the Narrator cheered.

Feng Qi dismissed the Narrator's commentary and gripped the domain creature's hands tightly. With a wicked grin, he delivered a devastating headbutt.

Bang!

The impact sent a jolt through his skull, momentarily stunning him.

The black coating on the domain creature's surface seemed to possess a reflective property, amplifying the force of his own attack back at him. The harder his strikes, the greater the counterforce.

But the daze lasted less than a second before his regenerative ability erased it entirely.

Undeterred, he unleashed another headbutt.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Repeated headbutts slammed into the domain creature, forcing its body to bend under the pressure. It teetered on the verge of collapse, emitting hoarse, guttural sounds that resembled a mix of growls and whimpers.

Feng Qi showed no intention of letting up.

The blood energy in his body surged at an accelerated rate. His muscles grew denser and harder, and a faint crimson mist swirled over his skin.

With a roar, he lifted the domain creature single-handedly.

Then came the familiar brutality—he smashed it into anything and everything in sight.

As Feng Qi vented his pent-up frustrations through violent swings, a sense of exhilaration swept over him. He hadn't felt this invigorated in ages.

Support beams shattered one after another under the onslaught. The building itself crumbled further, debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Finally, gripping the domain creature tightly, Feng Qi leapt high into the air. He crashed down through the ruins, creating a massive crater on the ground.

He glanced at the creature in his grasp, noting its heavily deformed body. The once-brilliant green glow in its eyes had dimmed significantly.

["This thing is stubborn. Keep going!"] the Narrator urged.

Without needing further encouragement, Feng Qi resumed his attack, slamming the domain creature back and forth like a rag doll.

By now, the creature had lost all ability to resist. It lay limp in his grasp, completely at his mercy.

The road, already in disrepair, had been reduced to rubble by Feng Qi's relentless assault.

Just as he prepared to continue, a blood-red mist began to emanate from the creature's surface. The mist drifted toward Feng Qi, seeping into his skin upon contact.

A soothing warmth coursed through his body, leaving him feeling invigorated.

Opening his status panel, he discovered a newly acquired ability.

[Recoil LV1 (Upgradeable Talent)]: Reflect a portion of contact-based physical damage back to the attacker. The strength of the reflection depends on the user's physical condition and the strength of the attack. Overwhelming damage beyond your tolerance will shatter the recoil barrier, nullifying the reflection.

After reading the description, Feng Qi noted the similarity between Recoil and the Thorns ability he had gained earlier.

The difference was that Thorns utilized his own blood energy to counterattack, while Recoil purely relied on the opponent's force to strike back.

Which ability was superior? He couldn't say for sure.

Regardless, acquiring a new talent always brought him joy. A grin spread across his face as he casually tossed the lifeless domain creature aside.

He continued down the dilapidated street, heading toward the area where he had first encountered the Three-Tailed Beast.

As he looked up, he saw that Lin Ran was still engaged in battle with Little Black.

The sky above churned with black mist, resembling a vast, undulating sea under the blood moon's glow. Within the mist, a figure could be seen repeatedly charging at the fog, desperately attempting to break free.

But such resistance was clearly futile.

If he had the terrifying physical strength of Suction Cup, he might have been able to break free from the black mist's confinement.

The Mist Lord, a domain creature specializing in magic rather than physical strength, was at a severe disadvantage when it came to raw power. A mere physical charge could not possibly break through Little Black's blockade.

At this moment, attempting to cast a spell to break free from the black mist's grip was out of the question, as any form of energy directed at Little Black would only become nourishment for it.

It could be said that Little Black's ability countered the Mist Lord perfectly.

Seeing this, Feng Qi sighed inwardly and quickened his pace.

He wasn't sure how much longer Lin Ran could hold on.

Seizing the limited time left, Feng Qi decided to continue searching for the Three-Tailed Beast and hunt domain creatures along the way to increase his physical strength.

As he searched, he caught sight of a familiar fiery figure.

This domain creature was one of the strongest in the Abandoned City region, capable of instantly melting its opponents with its high-temperature flames.

Feng Qi remembered how, in the past, a mere spark from this creature had caused the Crimson Eye to lose half of its life, giving Feng Qi the opportunity to kill it and gain the "Malice" ability.

His second encounter with the Fire Elemental was during an assassination attempt in the real world, where he was killed at the age of 17, setting a "record low."

In order to have the strength to deal with domain assassins upon returning to reality, Feng Qi had chosen to spend the remaining time focusing on improving his power.

During this period, he roamed the Abandoned City with the Goat-Headed Demon and encountered the Fire Elemental again. In a brief encounter, the Goat-Headed Demon was instantly melted by the Fire Elemental.

Feng Qi had originally planned to hunt the Fire Elemental but quickly gave up the idea. With his current abilities, trying to engage the Fire Elemental in close combat was simply a suicide mission.

However, this time the situation was different.

Although his strength was still close combat-oriented, he had gained a talent ability to counter elemental energy—Rune.

This ability was obtained after Feng Qi killed the "Stone Mountain" in the eastern plains of the Abandoned City area.

The purple markings on his body appeared only after he gained the Rune ability.

This talent allowed him to nullify a portion of elemental damage when facing energy attacks from elements.

The exact effect depended on the intensity of the elemental damage, and Rune was a talent that grew stronger with his physical strength.

With this thought in mind, Feng Qi asked aloud, "Narrator, what are my chances?"

["It's hard to say. After acquiring the Rune talent, your resistance to fire damage should have significantly increased. However, it's uncertain how much damage you can nullify and what the maximum limit is. Therefore, I can't give you an accurate probability of winning."]

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi relaxed his killing intent.

There was still time, and he could hunt other domain creatures instead of risking his life against the Fire Elemental.

He chose to ignore the Fire Elemental and continued on his way to the area where he first encountered the Three-Tailed Beast.

After leaving the Fire Elemental's territory, his muscle tissue began to dissipate and turned into blood-colored mist that blew away in the wind.

Once the Blood Source ability ended, he switched back to his combat form.

A sense of weakness washed over him.

After a brief moment of self-adjustment, he quickly adapted to the shift in his physical strength.

This self-regulation ability had been acquired during his harsh training at the Crimson Research Institute in the sacrifice timeline.

At the time, after merging the Demon Dragon Rune crystal, his strength fluctuated every day.

This made it difficult for him to control his body, often leading to excessive force being applied.

In order to adapt quickly to the changes in his strength after each power increase, he had diligently trained his self-regulation ability.

Once he absorbed all the memories from the sacrifice timeline, these abilities had been inherited.

On his way to the target area, Feng Qi carefully observed his surroundings.

The dilapidated Abandoned City had clearly become a nest for many domain creatures, with traces of their presence everywhere.

Occasionally, he saw the remains of domain creatures that had been consumed along the streets.

Crossing the next district, he was confronted by sprawling vines that looked like webs.

These purple vines were as thick as forearms and moved and pulsated slowly, resembling blood vessels.

They covered the entire district, even climbing the walls of nearby houses and shops.

Following the path of the vines, Feng Qi saw a giant purple egg, pulsing gently, connected to all the vines.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed liquid flowing through the vines, eventually reaching the egg.

Feng Qi wasn't unfamiliar with these vines; after all, this wasn't his first encounter with them.

As for whether he could defeat these vines, he wasn't sure.

With that in mind, he asked, "Narrator, what are my chances?"

["It's hard to estimate. I detect many life forces in this area, but if the life within the purple egg is compared to yours, your blood strength is several times stronger than the life inside the egg."]

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi's interest was piqued.

His blood energy was depleted after using the Blood Source ability, and he urgently needed to replenish it to shorten the cooldown time for Blood Source.

However, just as he was about to make his move against the purple vines, the Narrator's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

["Look at the three o'clock direction."]

Without hesitation, Feng Qi looked to his right.

However, the area was empty, with only distant broken buildings in sight.

["Look up."]

Following the Narrator's advice, he glanced upward, where he immediately spotted a familiar figure.

There, atop a tall building, the Three-Tailed Beast—looking like a cat—lay on the rooftop, swinging its tail and munching on a bunch of plants that resembled grapes. It tilted its head and stared intently at the battle between Little Black and Lin Ran in the sky.

It occasionally ate another "grape," looking very much like an onlooker.

Confirming that it was the Three-Tailed Beast, Feng Qi decisively abandoned his idea of hunting the purple vines.

The Three-Tailed Beast was clearly more important to him than the vines.

Even though the Three-Tailed Beast was agile and difficult to catch, Feng Qi decided he would give it one more try.