Chapter 102: Triple Denial
After delving into the data about the Dawn Rebel Army, Feng Qi found himself confronted with even more unanswered questions.
Who was Mu Yan, and why did Mu Qing choose to mentor her?
What qualified her to become the second leader of the Dawn Rebel Army? Was she truly from the Path to Ascension?
These were answers he couldn't uncover just yet, and for now, he had no choice but to set them aside.
However, Feng Qi made up his mind: in his next journey into the future Dream Realm, he would follow the path of infiltrating the Crimson Research Institute.
Perhaps the answers he sought could be uncovered through Wei Wei, who had lived for over 500 years.
Having exhausted his three chances to search for character information, Feng Qi decided to use the remaining time to study cultivation techniques and research methodologies. He planned to leave something useful for his future self.
After all, his future selves always seemed to have tragic endings. If he learned more now, it could become a foundation for his later developments—even if he didn't share the knowledge immediately after returning to reality.
The idea was simple: the more he learned, the more his future self could draw from this accumulated knowledge to maintain his edge.
As long as his lifespan remained short enough, perhaps the dreaded "loss of momentum" that future evaluations often described would never occur.
[I'll say it now: future you owes present you a huge debt of gratitude. You're a truly dedicated comrade.]
Feng Qi: ...
Closing the search page, Feng Qi opened the cultivation technique library and selected a three-star spiritual cultivation technique to study.
Immersed in learning, time passed quickly.
It was like reading a novel or playing a game—when fully engrossed, one's sense of time blurred.
The three-star cultivation technique he had chosen was far more intricate than the two-star techniques he had studied before. By the time he finished reading it twice, over four hours had passed.
With the remaining time, Feng Qi switched to the basic cultivation research methodology course to continue his studies.
However, he was surprised to discover that the third lesson didn't pick up where the second left off. The introduction alone left him utterly confused.
Clicking on the first lesson confirmed his suspicions: the content of the basic research course had undergone significant updates, with many new sections added.
These changes brought a smile to his face.
At the very least, his efforts over the years had clearly influenced the development of humanity's cultivation system. Compared to his first journey into the Dream Realm, the future database's cultivation knowledge had become far more refined and comprehensive.
With that in mind, Feng Qi decided to start the course from the beginning.
Time slipped by as he immersed himself in his studies. After an indeterminate period, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind:
[Young friend, a crisis is approaching. I suggest you leave quickly.]
"Why are you calling me 'young friend'?"
[I'm roleplaying as one of those old grandfathers in novels, the ones who guide protagonists to grow into heroes.]
Feng Qi: ...
While mentally flipping off the narrator, Feng Qi made his way toward Room 005 in the underground plaza.
As he kicked open the door, his suspicions were confirmed: the room was packed with various cold weapons.
Although these weapons didn't feel particularly comfortable to use, their sheer destructive power made carrying one for self-defense worthwhile.
Scanning the options, Feng Qi settled on a black spiked mace.
It was the closest thing to a bone club—his ideal weapon type.
Wasting no time, Feng Qi left the underground shelter.
The outside world was like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie: dim, lifeless, and eerily silent.
Turning his gaze westward, he spotted a massive, mountain-like silhouette looming in the distance, motionless amidst the flashes of lightning.
At first, he had thought it was a cloud-covered mountain. Now he knew better: it was a terrifyingly powerful domain creature.
Heading west was out of the question—he wasn't strong enough to explore recklessly without risking his life.
As for the north and south, he wasn't sure what lay in those directions. Since the narrator had advised heading east, he decided to follow its suggestion.
The narrator might be snarky, but it had never led him astray.
Feng Qi proceeded along a path littered with skeletal remains. Any zombie or Death Worms he encountered were easily dealt with using a single swing of the spiked mace.
The weapon's power was astounding.
Each swing of the mace was accompanied by a burst of black spiritual energy that enveloped its surface and detonated upon impact, amplifying its destructive force.
Occasionally, the narrator chimed in with tips, helping him gather numerous spiritual plants along the way.
These plants would serve as Suction Cup's sustenance when the time came for her to face Little Black.
After several hours of walking, a ruined city emerged on the horizon.
Compared to before, the city seemed larger, with its buildings noticeably taller.
Yet its state of disrepair remained unchanged.
Time and the onslaught of domain creatures had stripped the city of its former glory. All that remained was decay and a faint echo of its once-thriving history.
Upon entering the city ruins, Feng Qi heightened his vigilance.
The domain creatures in this area might not be incredibly strong, but whether Feng Qi could handle them was still uncertain, even with his significantly enhanced Blood Source abilities.
After venturing roughly a hundred meters inside and climbing over rubble-strewn roads blocked by collapsed buildings, the scene before him shifted.
The road ahead was riddled with cracks, with store signs hanging precariously from shattered facades and exposed wires dangling. Not far away, a domain creature resembling an ape stared straight at him.
The creature stood about 1.8 meters tall, covered in white fur with a tuft of golden hair on its forehead. Its disproportionately thick arms were like tree trunks, and a triangular red rune crystal was embedded in its forehead.
After a brief moment of eye contact, the gorilla-like domain creature let out a deafening roar, baring symmetrical fangs as long as half a finger.
"Narrator, analyze its abilities for me. Can I take it down?" Feng Qi gripped the spiked mace tightly, his tension apparent.
[A true man doesn't cower—just go for it!]
Hearing the narrator's reply, Feng Qi steeled himself. If he had to fight one-on-one like a real man, he wouldn't run.
At that moment, the ape-like domain creature leaped four or five meters into the air, its massive arms crashing down toward Feng Qi like twin battle axes.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi dove to the side.
Boom!
The creature's arms smashed into the ground where Feng Qi had been standing, leaving a crater and sending shards of rock flying.
The creature turned its fierce gaze back toward Feng Qi, who had narrowly dodged the blow, and roared again.
"Roar all you want!" Feng Qi shouted as he got to his feet, swinging the spiked mace in a wide arc and slamming it into the creature's arm.
Black spiritual energy swirled around the mace, erupting with force that sent the creature flying into a nearby shop. The impact caused the already fragile structure to collapse inward, burying the creature in rubble amidst a cloud of dust.
Despite this apparent victory, Feng Qi didn't let his guard down.
As expected, a low growl came from beneath the debris. The ape-like creature burst out of the rubble, its enormous fist hurtling toward him.
Feng Qi dodged instinctively, but to his surprise, the punch was a feint. The creature's open hand lashed out, grabbing him mid-air.
The overwhelming pressure in its grip left Feng Qi struggling. Realizing he had no choice, he decided to use his trump card.
He had hoped to save his Blood Source power as a last resort, particularly since the journey to find Suction Cup would likely lead to encounters with more domain creatures. But now, it was do-or-die.
Focusing his consciousness inward, Feng Qi activated his Blood Source.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded violently as a blood-red aura surged through his body. His muscles swelled visibly, growing at an astonishing rate.
The surge of power forced the ape-like creature to loosen its grip, and Feng Qi dropped to the ground.
When the transformation was complete, Feng Qi stood over two meters tall, his body rippling with slabs of muscle. His thick arms now matched the creature's in size.
[The Muscle King has arrived! Let's hear the crowd roar!]
Feng Qi felt an intoxicating strength coursing through him. He clenched his fists, confident that he could crush anything in his path.
Staring at the stunned creature, he grabbed its right hand and sneered. "Hey, little brother, care to arm wrestle?"
Before the creature could react, Feng Qi used its arm as leverage to throw it over his shoulder, slamming it into the ground with a thunderous impact.
The creature roared in defiance and tried to resist, but Feng Qi gave it no chance to recover. With his Blood Source power burning fast, he had to end the fight quickly or risk being overpowered when the effect wore off.
He kicked the struggling creature to the ground, tightened his grip on its arm, and began swinging it like a ragdoll. The ground shook as the creature was smashed back and forth, leaving deep craters on either side of him.
By the time Feng Qi stopped, the creature was barely clinging to life.
Grabbing the spiked mace from the ground, Feng Qi prepared to deliver the final blow. He leaped high into the air, bringing the mace down with a powerful swing.
Crack!
The sickening sound of bones shattering echoed as red and white liquid splattered. The ape-like creature twitched a few times before going still.
A blood mist rose from the creature's body, swirling into Feng Qi and merging with him.
Opening his attribute panel, Feng Qi saw he had gained a new prefix title and a passive ability.
[Savage Strength (LV1)]: Physical attributes increased by 5%. In close combat, damage dealt to targets includes additional force damage based on blood vitality (the stronger the blood vitality, the greater the force damage).
Feng Qi grinned. He was one step closer to the dream of having thousands of prefix titles in the Dream Realm.
[Well done, another brawling ability. You were born to be the Muscle King, destined for greatness as a warrior of brute force.]
"Bah, next time I'll target a technique-focused domain creature. I still prefer long-range combat—something like the telekinesis from the Crimson Eye. If I can use my brain, I'd rather not use my fists." Feng Qi rolled his eyes at the narrator's taunt.
[Remember what you told Lin Ran?]
"What did I say?"
[Give up your stubborn notions and embrace the talents you've been given.]
Feng Qi: ...
Those had indeed been his words when persuading Lin Ran to abandon his unrealistic pursuit of cultivation research and focus on magical arts.
He never thought the narrator would throw his own advice back at him.
But then another thought crossed his mind. "Wait a minute. How do you know what I've said in reality? Are you in the real world too?"
[What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean. You must be mistaken.]
The narrator quickly denied it three times, clearly avoiding the topic.