I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Upon spotting the Three-Tailed Beast, Feng Qi refrained from initiating an immediate capture.

His battle with the statue-like domain creature had completely depleted his blood energy reserves, leaving him unable to activate the "Blood Source" ability again.

With only the strength of his combat form, his chances of capturing the Three-Tailed Beast were slim to none.

He decided to hunt another domain creature first to replenish his blood energy and ready himself to reactivate "Blood Source."

After searching along his path, and with guidance from the Narrator, he quickly identified a suitable target.

It was a domain creature with a pair of thick, sturdy horns protruding from its head. The creature crawled on all fours, its movements appearing sluggish and heavy.

In his combat form, taking down a standard domain creature like this was a straightforward task.

It took him less than ten minutes to end the fight.

After killing the domain creature, Feng Qi not only regained a significant amount of blood energy but also acquired a new talent ability.

[Stasis (Upgradeable Talent)]: When the body is in a stationary state, it enters a dormant phase that enhances recovery capabilities and extends lifespan.

Reading the description of this newly acquired ability, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel amused.

This talent reminded him of a turtle in the real world.

["Don't sweat it. It's still a passive ability that provides a solid buff. It could boost your overall combat capabilities. For example, if you ever end up disabled, entering a dormant state would accelerate your recovery and reduce your downtime. It's definitely a win!"] the Narrator chimed in.

Nodding in agreement, Feng Qi turned his gaze to the distant rooftop.

The Three-Tailed Beast remained perched on the rooftop, occasionally glancing skyward at the ongoing battle while munching on grape-like spiritual fruits. Its demeanor was akin to that of a spectator at an entertainment event.

Whenever the battle above intensified, the Three-Tailed Beast wagged its tail with visible excitement.

It resembled a young fan watching a thrilling action series.

Compared to other domain creatures, the Three-Tailed Beast came across as an oddity.

Moreover, it was the only domain creature Feng Qi had encountered that exhibited no aggression.

This was evident from multiple observations.

For instance, during a prior dreamline, after Feng Qi killed the "Stone Mountain," his bones were shattered, and he lay immobile on the ground.

The Three-Tailed Beast could have easily killed him during this time but instead chose to taunt him at close range without delivering a fatal blow.

This confirmed it bore no lethal intent.

Still, Feng Qi felt no sympathy for domain creatures invading the human world. The Three-Tailed Beast was no exception; he was determined to kill it.

Only by killing the Three-Tailed Beast could he acquire its spiritual purification ability.

As he approached the tall building, Feng Qi began climbing the exterior wall.

Capturing the Three-Tailed Beast would require more than brute force; a direct confrontation would be the most challenging approach.

Given the creature's agility, even if he activated his Blood Source form, catching up to it would be nearly impossible.

More likely, he would end up being toyed with.

He was left with two options.

The first was a surprise attack.

If he could catch the creature off guard, there would be no chance for it to escape. Once he got a hold of it, the Three-Tailed Beast's agility would be useless in such a confined space. His raw strength would ensure it couldn't escape and allow him to finish it off.

The second option involved gaining the creature's trust through careful interaction.

In this timeline, he had yet to establish any hostility with the Three-Tailed Beast.

Since it had a penchant for consuming various spiritual plants, Feng Qi could gather some to feed it, lowering its guard and creating an opportunity for a decisive strike.

However, neither plan guaranteed success.

Scaling the wall toward the rooftop, Feng Qi neared his target when the Three-Tailed Beast suddenly became alert, its gaze sharp and watchful as it glanced down at him.

Their eyes met, and to avoid raising its suspicion, Feng Qi froze in place.

Seeing that he wasn't advancing, the Three-Tailed Beast's curious expression returned. It swallowed the last of its "grape bunch" before wagging its tail at him.

Then, as if to show disdain, it turned around and pointed its rear toward him.

A moment later, small, earth-colored pellets began raining down, landing directly on his head.

Caught off guard, Feng Qi was struck several times before realizing what was happening.

When it dawned on him that the projectiles were the Three-Tailed Beast's droppings, his expression darkened.

["Hahaha! This cheeky little thing is hilarious! Just because it hasn't fought you before doesn't mean it can't mess with you. Enjoy its signature 'golden barrage!'"] the Narrator teased.

Ignoring the Narrator's banter, Feng Qi activated his "Blood Source" ability without hesitation.

The blood-colored markings etched into his bones began to glow, releasing bursts of crimson mist that enveloped his entire body.

In mere moments, he transformed into a towering figure of blood and muscle.

Digging his hands and feet into the wall for support, he charged upward, his every step embedding deep into the building's surface.

When he closed the gap to within ten meters, Feng Qi leapt toward the Three-Tailed Beast with a massive fist aimed squarely at it.

At this moment, the Three-Tailed Beast's figure flickered and disappeared from its original spot.

Boom!

Feng Qi's fist landed with immense force, shattering the rooftop and sending debris flying in all directions.

Regaining his footing, he quickly scanned the surroundings in search of the vanished Three-Tailed Beast.

After a rapid survey, he still couldn't spot it anywhere nearby.

Without hesitation, he moved to the edge of the rooftop and peered down.

As expected, the Three-Tailed Beast had spread its arms wide, gliding gracefully through the air like a bird, moving steadily into the distance.

Witnessing this, Feng Qi immediately leapt off the rooftop.

His hand stabbed into the building's exterior wall, slowing his descent as he slid down about ten meters before launching himself toward another dilapidated structure.

With gravity and momentum working in his favor, he crashed through the wall of the adjacent building, landing heavily.

Rolling to his feet, he bolted forward without missing a beat, tearing through the building's interior. At the far end, he leapt out again, his gaze locked firmly on the Three-Tailed Beast as it continued its gliding escape.

Boom!

The wall of the building he struck began collapsing, rubble cascading to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.

Feng Qi didn't stop, barreling through the structure with brute force. At the edge of the building, he emerged once more, the distance between him and the gliding Three-Tailed Beast now significantly reduced.

In one fluid motion, he sprang from the building, reaching out to snatch the Three-Tailed Beast midair.

But just as he closed in, the creature turned its head and cast him a mocking glance.

The Three-Tailed Beast took a deep breath, its body inflating like a balloon. Its descent slowed dramatically.

Caught off guard, Feng Qi stretched out his arm in a desperate attempt to grab it, but he was just a fraction of a second too late. The distance between them was an arm's length, and he missed, plummeting toward the ground below.

Boom!

His body slammed into the ground, scattering shattered rocks in every direction.

The impact startled a nearby domain creature that resembled a panther. It froze momentarily before springing to its feet, its wary eyes fixed on Feng Qi.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi launched himself toward the panther-like creature.

His speed was astonishing, leaving the domain creature no time to evade.

However, Feng Qi's sole focus was on the Three-Tailed Beast, and he had no interest in dealing with this obstacle.

"Out of my way!" he roared.

With a swift kick, his foot collided with the panther-like creature's abdomen.

The creature's stomach visibly caved in from the force of the blow, its eyes bulging in terror as it was hurled backward, crashing into a nearby storefront like a cannonball.

Feng Qi didn't spare it a second glance, charging straight toward the area where the Three-Tailed Beast was descending, hoping to intercept it.

["Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you now. The same guy who used to skulk around this zone, dodging fights, is now bulldozing through everything in his path. You've grown up so fast—I'm so proud of you, my boy."] the Narrator teased.

"Shut up!" Feng Qi barked.

With relentless determination, he sprinted ahead, finally arriving at the spot where the Three-Tailed Beast seemed poised to land.

Glaring at the descending creature, a predatory grin spread across his face. This time, I'll pluck every hair off you!

But just as he readied himself, the Three-Tailed Beast's three tails suddenly began spinning like the blades of a propeller, altering its trajectory and sending it drifting in another direction.

"Damn it!" Feng Qi cursed, immediately giving chase.

The spinning tails carried the Three-Tailed Beast to the outer wall of another building, where it clung briefly before darting downward like a streak of lightning.

Seeing this, Feng Qi jumped after it, his massive fist aimed squarely at its landing point.

However, he was a beat too slow. Before his punch could land, the Three-Tailed Beast leapt away again, leaving his fist to smash into the rusted frame of an abandoned maglev vehicle, crushing it flat.

He wasted no time. The moment his attack missed, he pushed off with his legs, lunging toward the direction the Three-Tailed Beast had fled.

Thus began the relentless pursuit.

The Three-Tailed Beast moved like a phantom, its limbs barely touching the ground before propelling it forward in bursts of blinding speed. Each stride carried it a significant distance, making it seem as though it were teleporting.

Feng Qi, driven to his limits, poured every ounce of energy into the chase.

Yet, no matter how hard he pushed, the Three-Tailed Beast maintained a frustratingly consistent lead.

And just when he was on the verge of exhaustion and considering giving up, the Three-Tailed Beast would slow down ever so slightly, baiting him to continue.

After a grueling stretch, Feng Qi realized he was once again falling into the creature's game. He was being toyed with.

Frustrated, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

The Three-Tailed Beast mirrored his actions, halting its escape and turning to face him.

Their gazes locked.

The air between them seemed to hum with tension as a powerful energy began to radiate from the Three-Tailed Beast.

Suddenly, liquid energy materialized above its head, forming a translucent, animated image.

In the projection, Feng Qi—still in his Blood Giant form—was shown chasing the Three-Tailed Beast. In the next moment, the image depicted him tripping and falling, his face colliding directly with a trail of yellow pellets left by the creature.

At this moment, the animated projection looped repeatedly, showcasing Feng Qi in increasingly humiliating scenarios.

The Three-Tailed Beast entered its mockery mode, lifting its head, raising all three of its tails, and swaying its rear provocatively.

Feng Qi, watching the Three-Tailed Beast revel in its antics, could only feel a mix of exasperation and helplessness.

He tried stepping forward, only for the Three-Tailed Beast to immediately retreat two paces, ensuring it maintained a safe distance.

Then, he felt the last traces of blood energy drain from his body.

As the blood energy dispersed, the markings etched into his flesh faded away, and he reverted from his Blood Giant form back to his combat form.

Unwilling to concede, he activated his telekinetic ability, locking onto the Three-Tailed Beast. Simultaneously, he lunged forward.

The moment his telekinetic power made contact with the creature, it restrained its movements for a brief second. However, that was all. The Three-Tailed Beast's body shimmered with a purple luminescence, and the telekinetic force binding it shattered instantly. A mysterious energy rippled back at him, causing a wave of discomfort to crash through his mind.

The Three-Tailed Beast darted backward, evading his grasp with ease.

As the distance widened between them, the creature turned its rear toward him once more, dropping a fresh yellow pellet. Holding the pellet in both hands, it raised it high above its head in a gesture that could only be described as a mock offering.

["Let me translate that for you,"] the Narrator chimed in gleefully. ["I believe it means, 'Here, take this gift and stop chasing me!'"]

"So infuriating!" Feng Qi roared through clenched teeth.

["Hahaha! This little beast is an artist of torment. It's perfected the craft of driving you mad. Honestly, from the looks of this dreamline, you're powerless against it."]

Feng Qi reluctantly nodded in acknowledgment.

Despite the creature's playful demeanor, it was evident he was at a complete disadvantage. The Three-Tailed Beast's agility made direct confrontation impossible, and now he realized its ability to neutralize telekinetic force left him with no viable means to attack.

Even if he could overpower it, what use was strength when the creature refused to engage?

Resigned, he turned and began walking toward the nearby street.

If I can't deal with the Three-Tailed Beast, I'll use the time to hunt other domain creatures.

I owe it to Lin Ran's sacrifice not to waste the precious time he bought me.

Just as he expected, the Three-Tailed Beast trailed behind him. It made no attempt to conceal its presence, intentionally staying within his line of sight. Its small, wagging tail seemed to mock him further, as if silently declaring, You can't ignore me even if you try.

The taunting was relentless.

Feng Qi tilted his head upward toward the sky. Lin Ran's battle with Little Black was still raging on.

From the looks of it, Lin Ran had managed to break through the black mist's encirclement, but it was clear he was struggling. His movements were sluggish, his responses desperate. He was barely holding his own.

Shifting his gaze forward, Feng Qi noticed the Three-Tailed Beast once again conjuring an animated projection. This time, it showed him kneeling repeatedly before the Three-Tailed Beast, accepting its "offerings" of yellow pellets with an exaggeratedly subservient smile.

Feng Qi's teeth ground audibly. Of all the creatures he had encountered, the Three-Tailed Beast's antics were the most infuriating. Even Little Black, who had killed him countless times, paled in comparison to this.

At least Little Black made it quick, he thought bitterly. The Three-Tailed Beast, on the other hand, is pure psychological torment.

He shuddered at the thought of any domain creature crossing paths with the Three-Tailed Beast. If it couldn't escape the world like he could, the creature's relentless mockery would surely drive it to madness.

The prospect alone was enough to make his scalp tingle.

Continuing his search, Feng Qi avoided targeting any powerful domain creatures. Without blood energy, he couldn't activate his Blood Source ability, making it too dangerous to confront stronger foes.

Half an hour later.

Following the Narrator's guidance, Feng Qi stumbled upon a new target amid a pile of rubble.

The domain creature resembled a mouse but was no larger than his palm. Its dark-red fur gave it a strange, menacing appearance.

Using his telekinetic power, he restrained the small creature, stepping forward and delivering a heavy punch to its head.

The blow landed with a resounding thud, causing the tiny creature's eyes to roll back as its body convulsed.

Feng Qi couldn't muster much enthusiasm for the kill. A creature this weak likely wouldn't grant him any significant abilities.

As he raised his fist for a second strike, a sudden flash of purple light darted across his vision. The mouse-like creature vanished before his punch connected.

Whipping his head toward the source of the flash, Feng Qi saw the Three-Tailed Beast sitting nearby, the mouse dangling from its mouth, twitching feebly as if to mock him.

The Three-Tailed Beast raised its head triumphantly, shaking it side to side in a clear display of provocation.

Feng Qi's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The situation was eerily similar to what had happened in a previous dreamline.

"Fine! Take it!" Feng Qi snapped, spinning on his heel and walking away.

The Three-Tailed Beast froze momentarily, surprised by his lack of pursuit. Then, with a flick of its head, it tossed the mouse aside.

That's when Feng Qi suddenly turned back, lunging for the discarded creature.

A blur of purple light flashed again, and the mouse was back in the Three-Tailed Beast's mouth before Feng Qi could reach it.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

His feigned retreat had failed. Thoroughly frustrated, he finally gave up the chase altogether.

Resigned to his fate, he resumed his search for other prey.

Trailing behind him, the Three-Tailed Beast dangled the mouse from its jaws, wagging its head from side to side in exaggerated glee. The taunts continued unabated.

After covering some distance, Feng Qi located a larger target. This time, it was a creature too big for the Three-Tailed Beast to easily interfere with.

But just as he prepared to strike, the Narrator's voice interrupted his thoughts.

["Ding! Clocking out! Time to end the shift!"]

Feng Qi instinctively glanced skyward.

A massive black cloud loomed ominously overhead, descending rapidly.

The Three-Tailed Beast, sensing the danger, immediately dropped the mouse and bolted without a second thought.

Watching its retreating form, Feng Qi couldn't help but raise a middle finger at its back.

Bullying me takes no skill. Why don't you go mess with Little Black for a change?

Turning his attention skyward, he clenched his fists, settling into the opening stance of his Tiger Fist technique.

["And now, ladies and gentlemen, we present the Weakling's Last Struggle, Style One: Flailing Chicken!"] the Narrator quipped mockingly.