I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

In the days that followed, Feng Qi began practicing Eternal Spirit.

As Lin Ran had described, this extreme spiritual attack technique boasted extraordinary efficiency. Feng Qi could feel his spiritual power rapidly increasing each day.

Within just a month of diligent cultivation, he could project his spiritual power outward, using it briefly to manipulate objects from a distance. Though not as flexible as full-fledged telekinesis, it demonstrated the technique's immense growth potential.

The more Feng Qi cultivated, the more he marveled at Lin Ran's talent for developing spiritual techniques.

As for the inherent risks Lin Ran had warned about, none had manifested yet.

Feng Qi had discussed this with Lin Ran, who explained that his current physical strength was still capable of accommodating the growth of his spiritual power. However, there would come a time when his spiritual power would surpass his body's capacity, and his physical form would become a burden.

At that point, Lin Ran speculated, his spiritual power might break free from the confines of his body, transforming him into a pure spiritual entity.

But this outcome was theoretical, as there was no data available to confirm what might happen.

During their conversations, Lin Ran had strongly advised Feng Qi to halt his cultivation of Eternal Spirit, suggesting he wait until the technique was perfected before resuming.

Feng Qi, ever the pragmatist, agreed on the surface. Then, behind Lin Ran's back, he continued practicing without hesitation.

There was no other choice—how else was he supposed to counter the assassins?

In the previous four assassination attempts, Feng Qi had observed a troubling pattern: the attackers' strength grew with each encounter, and the intervals between attempts were getting shorter.

He urgently needed to strengthen himself, even if it required paying a steep price.

As for Mu Qing, she had her own path to follow. Feng Qi refused to tether her to himself, and as the vice-captain of Dawn Domain Combat Squad, it was impractical for her to constantly remain by his side.

Over the next few months, his spiritual power continued to soar. He even managed to release basic spiritual shockwaves. While nowhere near as potent as those of the blue-skinned assassins, it was still a significant improvement.

This growing spiritual strength also enhanced his awareness of the world around him, allowing him to sense even the faintest vibrations in the air.

He was confident that if his spiritual power continued to develop, he would eventually be able to detect even the most well-hidden blue-skinned assassins.

One day, Mu Qing returned to Dawn Manor with a team of warriors who had completed a mission at the Old Day City supply zone.

That very night, she sought him out with a proposal.

The upcoming graduation season would bring a wave of elite newcomers to the Dawn Domain Combat Squad. She proposed expanding the squad by establishing a new outpost in another supply zone.

Feng Qi immediately voiced his support for the idea.

He had already noticed the issue.

With the Dawn Domain Combat Squad's growing influence, it had become one of the top choices for outstanding academy graduates.

However, the current squad size made it impossible to accommodate the influx of fresh recruits. Expanding their operations and establishing a new base was the only viable solution.

That evening, the two of them discussed the matter at length. They ultimately decided that the next Dawn Domain Combat Squad outpost would be established in the Galaxy Supply Zone, west of Galaxy City.

Two days later, Mu Qing set out to oversee the preparations.

The second Dawn Domain Combat Squad would soon be formed in the Galaxy Supply Zone.

In the following days, Feng Qi continued managing the internal affairs of the main squad while also joining the front-line warriors in battles within the domain fields.

His skills in battlefield command gradually improved through hands-on experience.

One day, as he was reviewing documents in his office, the squad secretary entered, carrying a red-marked file.

Feng Qi took the file and skimmed its contents, his expression turning grim as he read.

It was a request for help from the Old Day City supply zone.

The document requested Mu Qing to personally lead a team to escort a critical item from the supply zone.

The item was said to be of extraordinary significance, with the potential to drastically accelerate humanity's development.

However, the file did not specify what the item was.

At the bottom of the document, a deadline was indicated. The Dawn Domain Combat Squad was expected to arrive at the supply zone by that date.

Feng Qi glanced at the calendar on his desk. The deadline was only six days away.

The problem was that Mu Qing had recently entered a domain field.

Based on past experiences, it would likely be half a month before she returned. Communication tools were useless inside domain fields, meaning Mu Qing couldn't be contacted to take on the mission.

After a moment of contemplation, Feng Qi stood and turned to Lü Yue.

"Lü Yue, notify the third, sixth, and eighth squads to prepare to head to the Old Day City supply zone with me," Feng Qi ordered firmly.

"Understood!" Lü Yue immediately stood up, acknowledged the command, and left the room to carry it out.

Although Mu Qing was absent for this operation, as the vice-captain of Dawn Domain Combat Squad, Feng Qi had the authority to take charge in her place. If the mission required extended time, Mu Qing could always join later to provide reinforcements.

Feng Qi was also deeply curious about what kind of item could hold the potential to advance human civilization so significantly.

That very day, Dawn Manor entered a state of bustling activity.

The three designated squads began assembling, organizing their equipment and supplies. They gathered on the central training field of the manor, fully armed and carrying their gear.

Standing at the forefront, Feng Qi observed the neatly assembled soldiers and commanded in a steady voice, "Squad leaders, conduct a final headcount and inventory check!"

Responding to the command, the three squad leaders immediately began verifying their personnel and supplies.

A few moments later, they approached Feng Qi, reporting that everything was in order.

"Board the vehicles. Let's move out!" Feng Qi gave the order decisively.

The squad leaders shouted commands to their respective units, instructing the soldiers to board the transport trucks lined up along the edge of the field.

Not long after, the convoy of trucks departed Dawn Manor, heading toward the airfield.

When they arrived, several transport aircraft, pre-arranged for the mission, were already waiting on the tarmac.

As the soldiers boarded the aircraft, Feng Qi coordinated with the ground crew. Once everyone was aboard, the engines roared to life, and the aircraft took off, heading toward Old Day City.

Old Day City was located in the northeastern part of the Eastern Region.

It was a low-lying area near the sea, flanked by two frontline supply zones.

One of the supply zones was established north of the city to counter the expanding domain fields approaching from that direction.

The other supply zone was located to the east, close to the ocean, where marine domain creatures frequently emerged to attack. This posed a significant threat to the city's security.

Their current destination was the supply zone near the sea.

After half a day of travel, the telltale sensation of weightlessness signaled their descent.

The aircraft's cabin doors opened, letting in a burst of glaring sunlight.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, Feng Qi issued a command.

"Disembark and assemble!"

The soldiers swiftly exited the aircraft, jogging onto the open ground of the airfield to form ranks.

Feng Qi and Lü Yue followed closely behind, stepping out into the crisp coastal air.

A man in a supply zone uniform approached them. Upon confirming Feng Qi's identity as the mission leader, he began briefing him on the situation.

Soon, Feng Qi led the Dawn Domain Combat Squad soldiers onto a convoy of transport vehicles, which set off toward the supply zone.

During the journey, the man continued explaining the details of their mission.

According to his account, they were to collaborate with several other squads to escort a rare and valuable item from the supply zone to Old Day City.

Hearing this, Feng Qi frowned and asked, "If the item is so important, why not transport it by air to Old Day City?"

The man's expression turned bitter as he explained, "We've tried air transport twice. Both times, the aircraft were shot down shortly after takeoff. The precious cargo was only recovered because multiple squads were sent to retrieve it immediately afterward."

"Recovered?" Feng Qi caught the key detail.

"Yes," the man confirmed. "It seems several domain-transcending creatures have taken an interest in this item. Multiple attempts to seize it have already occurred. After two failed airlifts, we decided to seek help from Dawn Domain Combat Squad and a few other well-known teams."

As he absorbed this information, Feng Qi's curiosity about the item grew.

He began forming his own theories about its origin.

Based on the intelligence he had, there was one type of item that all domain factions craved—a miraculous artifact.

Such items had the potential to propel human civilization forward, just as they had done for the Psionic Race with their "Consciousness Database" and the miracle materials used to craft tools like Blacklight.

Even the Prajna Domain Squad, to which the monk Hui Xu belonged, dedicated itself to pursuing such miracles. They believed that acquiring a miracle might grant humanity the strength to resist the domain factions.

By emulating the Psionic Race's rise to power, they hoped to use a miracle to advance human civilization.

However, the specifics of this particular item remained a closely guarded secret, even from the supply zone personnel. The man accompanying them lacked the clearance to reveal any further details.

Despite the mystery, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

The convoy traveled along a coastal road, the deep blue sea glimmering in the distance. Waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, and the occasional cry of a seagull echoed in the salty air.

As Feng Qi's gaze extended to the horizon, the edge of the ocean was shrouded by a looming black curtain, unmistakably marking the boundary of a domain field rising from the sea.

An hour later, the convoy came to a halt at the central square of the small supply town.

Following the local staff, Feng Qi disembarked and led his team into Supply Zone's Number Three Hotel, where accommodations were arranged.

After a quick check-in process, each soldier received their room keys.

Gesturing for the soldiers to rest, Feng Qi, accompanied by Lü Yue, followed the staff toward the recruitment hall within the supply zone.

The Old Day City recruitment hall was distinct, with its exterior resembling a giant bird in mid-flight.

Inside, they navigated through a bustling crowd to reach an elevator near the rear of the building. They descended to the third basement level.

When the elevator doors opened, they stepped into a mechanical storage area, its shelves neatly lined with various components.

"Walk straight ahead. Our supervisor is waiting for you there. He will explain the mission details. My clearance doesn't permit me to hear the specifics," the staff member explained.

"Understood. Thank you," Feng Qi replied with a nod.

Proceeding down the hallway, Feng Qi and Lü Yue arrived at the end and pushed open a reinforced metal door.

Inside was a stark, white-toned hall bustling with researchers clad in lab coats.

A tall man, approximately 1.8 meters, with glasses and a scruffy beard, approached them. He extended his hand with a smile, his voice hoarse and his pale complexion suggesting long-term exhaustion.

"Hello, I'm Li Duo, the initiator of this mission."

Feng Qi shook his hand and introduced himself. "Feng Qi, vice-captain of Dawn Domain Combat Squad, and the leader for this operation."

"Did Captain Mu Qing not accompany you?" Li Duo inquired.

"When your request arrived, Captain Mu Qing had already entered a domain field and cannot be contacted at the moment. If you can afford to wait a few days, she might return and join us," Feng Qi explained.

Li Duo nodded in understanding but shook his head. "Unfortunately, we can't wait. It was already a challenge to gather multiple squad leaders, as they are all preoccupied with their respective zones. Moreover, this item needs to be transported immediately to avoid further incidents."

Feng Qi's curiosity intensified at Li Duo's insistence. "Supervisor Li, what exactly is this item that requires such urgency? May I take a look?"

Without hesitation, Li Duo nodded. "Follow me."

He turned and walked toward the laboratory's far side, prompting Feng Qi and Lü Yue to follow.

At the end of the lab corridor, they passed through three layers of security doors before entering a room.

Through the room's glass partition, Feng Qi spotted an uneven, blood-colored stone placed on an experiment table within the isolated chamber.

Sensing Feng Qi's curiosity, Li Duo began to explain, "This is it. Based on our analysis, this object is incomplete. Our simulations estimate it to be only one-tenth, possibly less, of its original form."

"In your mission request, you mentioned this item could advance human civilization. Can you elaborate?" Feng Qi asked.

Li Duo nodded and pointed toward the stone's right side. "Do you see the notch over there?"

Feng Qi followed Li Duo's direction and noticed a metal container placed beneath the stone. From the notch, a red liquid dripped slowly into the container.

As he observed closely, he realized that the liquid coalesced mid-air into small, blood-colored stones.

Recognition flashed in Feng Qi's eyes. The miniature stones were identical to the miracle stone given to him by the assassin as compensation.

"This bloodstone is incredibly unique. It produces 49 bloodstones per hour. If infused with high-purity spiritual energy, its yield can be further increased. Regardless of how many bloodstones it produces, its own mass remains unchanged, which clearly defies physical laws," Li Duo explained.

"The bloodstones it generates have extraordinary properties. They can slightly enhance the upper potential of a person's bloodline strength."

As Li Duo spoke, Feng Qi's earlier suspicions were confirmed.

This bloodstone was indeed one of the miraculous artifacts craved by powerful domain factions.

Though this was only a fragment of a greater whole, its value was immeasurable. The bloodstones it produced were treasures capable of elevating human potential.

Reflecting on the intense desire exhibited by weaker factions during previous encounters, Feng Qi turned to Li Duo and asked, "Supervisor Li, where did you acquire this bloodstone?"

"On the way back from a mission conducted by the Black Flag Domain Combat Squad, they encountered a severely injured blue-skinned domain-transcending creature. After taking it down, they recovered this item from its possession," Li Duo explained.

"Blue-skinned?" Feng Qi muttered, immediately recalling the blue-skinned assassins.

"We still have the specimen in the adjacent room. Would you like to take a look?"

"Please," Feng Qi responded without hesitation.

They entered a spacious room filled with preserved specimens of various domain creatures.

Among them, Feng Qi immediately recognized the blue-skinned assassin.

Li Duo pulled out a small metal box from his pocket and retrieved a black orb from within.

"We also found this orb on the creature. After running tests, we discovered it emits faint energy waves that connect to the bloodstone."

Hearing this, Feng Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Accepting the black orb, he returned to the bloodstone's chamber and released his spiritual energy to investigate.

He immediately perceived faint threads of energy emanating from the orb—one leading to the bloodstone, and another extending toward himself.

A startling realization dawned upon him.

The black orb seemed capable of locating miracle artifacts.

The blue-skinned assassins were actively gathering these artifacts.

However, a deeper question now surfaced.

Why was the black orb also targeting him? Could this connection be the reason behind the repeated assassination attempts?