I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

"Three Tails!"

With Feng Qi's shout, Three Tails leaped into the air, releasing a mental energy shockwave toward the distant domain creature.

The purple light streaked across, instantly rendering the massive domain creature dazed. Its galloping limbs, which had been moving in perfect synchronization, suddenly froze as if disconnected from its brain. With its momentum disrupted, the creature's head tilted forward and slammed into the ground, skidding several meters.

Seeing this, Feng Qi nodded in satisfaction.

He quickly approached the fallen domain creature, his heavy fist striking down without hesitation. By the time the creature snapped out of its mental confusion, it was too late to fight back.

Punch after punch, Feng Qi's relentless strikes quickly brought the creature to complete stillness. A cluster of blood mist emerged, drifting toward Feng Qi and being absorbed into his body.

Standing up, he opened his attribute panel to check the newly acquired ability. Satisfied, he marked it as "To Be Decomposed" for later.

At that moment, Three Tails shimmered into view next to him, chirping adorably.

Feng Qi smiled and rubbed Three Tails' head.

Since he had decided to keep Three Tails as a pet, he felt it wouldn't be fair to let it idle around all day, tagging along like a shadow. If it had the capability, it should contribute some value.

Thus, on their journey ahead, whenever they encountered domain creatures, Feng Qi made sure to let Three Tails "show its skills."

Three Tails was clearly displeased but had no choice but to obey under the looming threat of Feng Qi's mental erasure.

Feng Qi understood Three Tails' personality well—it was vengeful and held grudges fiercely. While it seemed obedient on the surface, he had no doubt it was cursing him inwardly behind its seemingly innocent demeanor.

At this point, his bloodline evolution points had reached 1,987 out of 10,000. There was still a long way to go before advancing to the next level.

However, becoming stronger was never an overnight process. Feng Qi resolved to keep moving forward.

The weather in the future world was unpredictable. The sky rumbled constantly with thunder and flashes of lightning. Occasionally, cold winds howled through, scattering white flower petals across a vast field of blooms.

Now, the sky began to drizzle blood-red rain, falling in a light mist. Combined with the dim lighting and the eerie sound of the wind, the scene resembled something straight out of a horror movie.

But to Feng Qi, this was nothing new. He had long adapted to such sights.

Even if a grotesque and terrifying monster were to leap out of the flower field right now, he wouldn't be startled. Instead, his first instinct would be to charge at it, deliver a few punches, and turn it into either a new ability or a bloodline evolution point.

After walking along a cliff edge for some time, Feng Qi glanced down at Three Tails, who trotted beside him.

"Three Tails, can you change your form?"

Three Tails looked up at him, its big watery eyes filled with confusion.

"In a while, we're going somewhere, and your current appearance isn't suitable for interacting with the beings there. You'll need to take on a different form," Feng Qi explained.

Three Tails seemed even more puzzled by his words.

Scratching its temple with a paw, it suddenly appeared to have an idea. To Feng Qi's surprise, Three Tails took a deep breath, puffing up its body until it looked like a large balloon version of itself.

"Chirp!" Three Tails gazed at him triumphantly, clearly pleased with its ingenuity.

Feng Qi: …

[This Three Tails might be an idiot. Maybe we should cook it into soup? If it pops out in Star City Academy, the whole city would go into lockdown, and tomorrow's headlines would scream: 'Domain Creature Invades Star City Academy!'] narrated the familiar voice in his head.

The Narrator's concern aligned with Feng Qi's own.

Three Tails' core token was embedded in Feng Qi's mental sea, but a Miracle Item was fundamentally different from an innate ability.

While abilities merged with his body and became a part of him, Miracle Items were more like collectibles stored in his mental sea. They retained their independent existence, as evidenced by Three Tails' ability to maintain its own consciousness and freely enter or exit his mental sea.

The potential risk of this behavior was significant. While Three Tails' actions in the dream realm didn't matter much, in the real world, it would be a completely different story.

Three Tails' appearance would immediately be mistaken for a domain creature—an otherworldly species unrelated to humanity.

If it showed up in a crucial place like Star City Academy, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar, possibly leading to the entire city going on high alert. The consequences would be severe.

To avoid this, Feng Qi began to consider whether Three Tails, being a product of the token's consciousness, could "reshape" its appearance into something less conspicuous, like a cat or a dog. Such a form would be easier to explain and wouldn't create panic.

However, Three Tails clearly misunderstood his intentions, opting instead to inflate itself like a balloon while giving him a smug look.

[What a clueless tail!] narrated the voice.

Watching Three Tails float gently upward, Feng Qi sighed in exasperation.

"Turn back; this isn't the kind of transformation I meant."

With a soft "puff," Three Tails exhaled the air inside and landed lightly on the ground. It tilted its head up at Feng Qi, looking as if deep in thought.

"Still don't get it? Fine, at the very least, could you change your three tails into one?" Feng Qi suggested.

Three Tails glanced back at its fluffy triple tails, its face filled with reluctance.

"Can you do it or not? If not, then you're staying in the mental sea from now on."

Faced with the choice between transforming or being confined, Three Tails hesitated. It occasionally turned to nibble on its tails, its eyes brimming with reluctance.

Feng Qi could understand Three Tails' attachment to its tails. He had caught it grooming and playing with them on numerous occasions.

As Feng Qi considered, he crouched down and gently rubbed Three Tails' small head.

"I'm not asking you to cut off your tails. What I mean is, can you hide them?"

Three Tails froze momentarily, then looked up and nodded enthusiastically.

Purple light began emanating from its body, swirling around it in vibrant streams. Slowly, the three distinct tails merged into one single tail.

Feng Qi picked up Three Tails, flipping it over and inspecting it from every angle.

"The tail is still too long. Shorten it a bit more."

Three Tails complied without hesitation.

"Your belly is too small. Make yourself a little rounder—more cat-like."

"And your expression, tone down the human-like intelligence. Aim for something more adorably vacant..."

After what felt like a painstaking session of "character editing," Three Tails' appearance underwent a subtle transformation. With its large watery eyes and fluffy body, it now bore a passing resemblance to a ragdoll cat.

Satisfied with the result, Feng Qi resumed his journey with Three Tails.

The two continued along the edge of the crater, passing through fields of white flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see.

This open terrain gave him a clear view of the plains below, where countless domain creatures wandered or fought in endless skirmishes.

After traveling for an indeterminate amount of time, the scenery around them began to change. The pristine white floral expanse faded away, replaced by blackened, scorched earth that stretched out over the horizon.

The charred ground seemed to have been burned by an intense fire, leaving nothing but desolation. Floating in the skies above this barren land were countless spiritual entities.

These spiritual beings came in various colors and shapes, their forms ranging from abstract and amorphous to those resembling weapons. Quietly, they drifted in the air, swaying gently with the wind.

Among these spiritual entities, numerous white bubbles floated through the air. Each bubble had a transparent, glossy surface, and inside, faint blue liquid swirled gently.

Curious, Feng Qi extended his hand to touch one of the bubbles drifting toward him.

Pop!

The bubble burst upon contact, its blue liquid evaporating rapidly into the air. Moments later, a golden light seeped into his body.

It felt as refreshing as drinking a cold glass of water on a scorching summer day. His entire body relaxed, and he felt a surge of energy within his mental sea. Golden liquid appeared out of nowhere, pooling in his consciousness.

Realizing that these bubbles were also living entities and that popping them could enhance his spiritual power, Feng Qi's eyes lit up with excitement. He immediately turned his gaze toward the other bubbles floating nearby.

Using telekinesis, he extended invisible tendrils from his body, poking at the bubbles scattered across the air.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

With each burst, his spiritual strength steadily increased. However, just as he was getting into a rhythm, Three Tails let out a sharp cry of alarm.

The familiar voice of the Narrator chimed in immediately after:

[Exploration progress has advanced! You have stepped into an unknown domain of spiritual entities. Warning: You've attracted the attention of numerous spiritual beings. High likelihood of an attack. Prepare to run!]

Looking up, Feng Qi saw countless colorful spiritual entities turning their attention toward him. A surge of spiritual energy filled the air as these entities began to converge on his location.

The once-serene sky suddenly erupted with dazzling bursts of light. Spiritual techniques, glowing with radiant energy, rained down like a torrential storm.

Seeing this, Feng Qi didn't hesitate for even a second. He turned and ran without looking back.

Clearly, his bubble-popping spree had infuriated these spiritual entities. He couldn't help but suspect that the bubbles were likely their offspring.

Despite the danger, a hint of regret lingered in his mind.

Currently, he still hadn't found an ability akin to "spiritual purification," which would allow him to safely read memories from another timeline. Without such an ability, delving too deeply into his mind risked triggering mental instability or even total collapse.

There were only two potential solutions to this problem.

The first was to locate a spiritual purification talent, which would permanently resolve the issue of accumulating negative emotions and mental strain.

Initially, he had believed that Three Tails might possess such an ability. However, it turned out that Three Tails' strength lay in mental countermeasures—a spiritual retaliation skill unrelated to purification. Furthermore, Three Tails couldn't use its abilities on him, just as his Blood Source abilities couldn't be self-applied.

Even so, the journey wasn't entirely fruitless.

The miraculous effects of "evolution" had proven to be a game-changer, allowing him to continuously enhance his talent potential. This alone was a huge boost to his growth.

In the absence of spiritual purification, there was another viable method: increasing his spiritual power directly by absorbing external sources, such as the spiritual entities in this domain.

This approach not only bolstered his spiritual strength but also enhanced his telekinetic abilities—his "malice."

Originally, he had thought this region would be an ideal "training ground" to strengthen his spirit. He hadn't anticipated that his actions would provoke such a swift and intense backlash.

As the sky filled with swarming spiritual entities and an endless barrage of energy-based attacks, Feng Qi knew he stood no chance in a direct confrontation.

To save his life, Feng Qi decisively activated his Blood Source ability.

In the blink of an eye, his body transformed into a nearly four-meter-tall Blood Giant. Greenish-black flames ignited across his skin as he spun on his heels and bolted.

The barrage of spiritual energy techniques smashed into him from all directions. The purple patterns etched across his body seemed to come alive, crawling over his skin to absorb and redirect a portion of the incoming energy.

The Purple Soul ability activated, shielding him from some energy-based damage. However, the relentless bombardment eventually tore into his back, exposing bone beneath the scorched flesh. Even so, his body's rapid regeneration was already at work, stitching the wounds back together.

Fleeing with his head down, Feng Qi ran with Three Tails trailing behind him. The two of them managed to escape the scorched zone, but when he looked back, countless white spiritual entities were still in pursuit.

Three Tails darted ahead of him, transforming into a streak of purple light. In mere moments, it had outpaced him by over ten meters.

Despite his determination, Feng Qi began to falter after another frantic sprint. The self-healing process demanded massive amounts of energy, and maintaining his Blood Source form drained his vitality at an alarming rate.

Realizing that escape was no longer an option, a dark resolve gripped his heart.

"If I can't get away, then I'll take a few of them down with me!" he thought grimly.

With that decision, he unleashed his telekinetic power, dragging one of the spiritual entities from the sky. Holding the glowing figure in his massive hand, he swung his flame-wreathed fist and smashed it into the entity's form.

Pop!

The spiritual entity shattered instantly under the impact, its fragile body unable to withstand the strike. A surge of golden light flowed into Feng Qi's body, once again enhancing his spiritual strength.

Three Tails, aware of the dire situation, stopped running and turned back. Leaping onto Feng Qi's head, it released a burst of purple energy, forming a shimmering barrier above them.

The incoming spiritual techniques struck the barrier and dissolved into harmless fragments of light, scattering into the air.

However, the sheer volume of attacks was overwhelming. Within ten seconds, the barrier began to crack and falter. Three Tails' form twisted under the strain, eventually transforming into a streak of purple light that dove back into Feng Qi's body.

Surrounded on all sides, Feng Qi continued to manipulate his telekinetic energy, pulling more spiritual entities toward him and destroying them with ruthless efficiency. Each kill brought another small boost to his spiritual power.

The Purple Soul talent was the only reason he had survived this long. Without its support, the relentless barrage of spiritual techniques would have overwhelmed him instantly.

But even with its protection, his stamina was limited.

As the blood mist around him dissipated, his Blood Source form collapsed. The regeneration ability had drained the last of his vitality reserves.

At that moment, as he prepared for the inevitable, the Narrator's voice rang out in his mind:

[Your savior, Big Black, is approaching with a giant cleaver in hand. Looks like my shift is about to end.]

Turning to the west, Feng Qi saw a massive black cloud rolling toward him at an incredible speed.

The spiritual entities in the sky seemed to sense something ominous. They stopped their pursuit and retreated toward the scorched zone, abandoning their attacks entirely.

[Big Black never fails to make an impression. Just its mere presence has sent an entire swarm of spiritual entities running. When will you ever have that kind of aura?] teased the Narrator.

Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes at the comment.

The dark mist surged closer, and he realized he had no chance of lingering any longer. Summoning the last remnants of his strength, he struggled to his feet.

Before he could fully regain his posture, the Narrator chimed in again:

"Dying Struggle Technique: Part Two! Remember, never lose your aura!"

The black mist descended, engulfing the area. Feng Qi internally flipped the Narrator off one last time.

When he opened his eyes again, Feng Qi found himself back in reality.

Coming back to his senses, he immediately asked, "Narrator, my spiritual strength has increased quite a bit. Does that mean I can safely access another future timeline's memory now?"

[Your spiritual strength has improved significantly, and it should be fine, but I'd recommend resting for a few days before attempting it.]

"Got it," he replied with a nod.

Closing his eyes, he prepared to enter his mental sea.

But just as he was about to immerse himself, a purple light emerged from his chest, and Three Tails' form materialized before him.

Feng Qi exhaled in relief at the sight.

Earlier, he had been worried that Miracle Items might not be transferable to reality. If Miracle: Evolution had been lost, it would have been a massive setback—not only had he failed to acquire a purification talent, but he would have also lost a Miracle Item crucial to his growth.

Seeing Three Tails in front of him confirmed his fears were unfounded.

However, another question lingered in his mind.

Since the Miracle Item from the dreamline was now in his possession, had the version of Miracle: Evolution from that timeline ceased to exist? Perhaps it had been permanently removed, much like how a domain creature would vanish upon losing its talent.

He had no way of knowing for certain.

Shaking off these thoughts, he turned his attention back to Three Tails, who was curiously examining its new surroundings.

"Three Tails, cat form!" he commanded.

Obediently, Three Tails chirped in response. Its body shifted and twisted, transforming into the pre-configured feline shape.

Feng Qi picked it up and carefully inspected its appearance. Satisfied that there were no flaws, he nodded in approval.