Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Brother Qi, in that case, start your speech. I’m curious about what you’ve experienced.” Lin Ran smiled and raised his glass.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Lin Ran and said.

“Would you believe me if I said that I can transmigrate through the timeline?”

It was a familiar confession, but it exceeded Lin Ran’s expectations.

Lin Ran, who had just taken a sip of wine, spat it out when he heard this.

“Cough, cough.. Brother Qi, are you telling me a fantasy story?”

As Lin Ran stood up and wiped his clothes with a tissue, he couldn’t help but complain. He believed that Feng Qi was joking.

“I told you to be mentally prepared. Do you think I’m telling a story?” Feng Qi couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Are you telling the truth?”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Lin Ran’s expression instantly became serious.

He sat down again and nodded at Feng Qi, indicating for him to continue.

He also realized that Feng Qi would not joke with him at this time.

Next, Feng Qi began to briefly tell Lin Ran about his experience.

Listening to his story, Lin Ran’s expression kept changing.

It was especially so when he heard Feng Qi say that he had committed a heinous crime in the future database and become a sinner despised by history, his heart turned cold.

His enthusiasm for cultivation technique research instantly dissipated by more

than half.

In his mind, he thought of how he was still repenting for the sins he had committed in this life when his hair was white.

“Come on, Brother Qi, you must be joking. The Tiger Soul Research Institute thoroughly tests the cultivation techniques before sharing them with the public. They make sure the experimenters try them out first to ensure they’re safe. They wouldn’t release any faulty cultivation techniques to the public, would they?”

Faced with Lin Ran’s confusion, Feng Qi couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“This was the information I obtained when I first checked your future database. At that time, I believed it, but reality showed that history can be deceiving.. Hold on, let me finish. If you listen, you’ll get it.

Next, Feng Qi recounted the information about Lin Ran’s multiple timelines in detail.

He brought up the first time he checked the future shelter’s database, where it claimed Lin Ran would turn into a historical scourge. This made him question why the Tiger Soul Research Institute would release untested cultivation techniques.

Then, he discovered that there was something wrong with Le Ping’an. Through Le Ping’an, he learned that the Science and Technology Research Institute had been infiltrated. He investigated Le Ping’an’s motive for joining the Star City Academy and suspected the Tiger Soul Research Institute.. as well as the subsequent investigations.

With the integration of intelligence from multiple timelines, a clear timeline appeared.

Lin Ran gradually understood the whole story from his initial confusion.

In the end, Lin Ran couldn’t hold back his forced calmness.

He never thought that he would be so miserable.

There were only two endings for him in the multiple timelines.

He would either be harmed by the owner of the fog and release a cultivation technique that could break one’s meridians, or he would be possessed by the owner of the fog and become a “historic great”, bringing destruction to all of humanity.

He could even be considered the harbinger of mankind’s downfall.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Feng Qi and asked,

“Brother Qi, you mentioned in the regular timeline, the owner of the fog takes over Old Wang’s body and becomes the new Old Wang. So, I’ll end up labeled a historical sinner for creating a technique that damages people’s meridians, is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Could it be that, in your view, the owner of the fog infiltrated the Tiger Soul Research Institute to endorse the Flesh Sacrifice cultivation technique? In the normal timeline, I’ve created a technique more potent than Flesh Sacrifice. If this technique gets out, it might impact the promotion of Flesh Sacrifice.” “Considering the emergence of a cultivation technique as remarkable as Flesh Sacrifice, cultivators would have more options, significantly reducing Flesh Sacrifice’s promotion. Hence, to eliminate this competition, the owner of the fog targeted me.”

Hearing this, Feng Qi could not help but be stunned.

He hadn’t considered the angle Lin Ran had mentioned.

However, after thinking about it carefully, there was indeed a possibility, although the probability might be very small.

Lin Ran was right. There was no need for a cultivation technique comparable to Flesh Sacrifice. As long as a sufficiently outstanding cultivation technique appeared, it would weaken the influence of Flesh Sacrifice.

With his understanding of the owner of the fog, it would definitely do such a thing.

This way, not only could more people cultivate Flesh Sacrifice but it could also stop the development of human cultivation, preventing them from easily cultivating new cultivation techniques.

It was equivalent to increasing the influence of Flesh Sacrifice.

In the history of the normal timeline, the meridians of millions of people were severed, causing the research of cultivation techniques to reach a bottleneck in the next few decades. Cultivators no longer dared to try the latest cultivation techniques, affecting the subsequent updates and improvements.

This influence spanned more than a hundred years.

However, the Flesh Sacrifice cultivation technique that was released at about the same time created glorious achievements during the darkest era of cultivation.

Thinking about it carefully, this might be another game of chess played by the owner of the fog.

He used Lin Ran as a negative example to create favorable conditions for the promotion of Flesh Sacrifice.

At that time, cultivators would not dare to cultivate new cultivation techniques. Coupled with the fact that Flesh Sacrifice was outstanding enough, it would become the best choice for cultivators.

From a historical point of view, the owner of the fog was definitely a genius.

Every development would be considered from a long-term perspective. What he cared about was never the immediate benefits.

At this moment, Lin Ran interrupted his thoughts.

“Brother Qi, do you think my guess is possible?”

When Feng Qi came back to his senses, he could not help but roll his eyes. “You seem eager to prove that you’re talented in cultivation technique development.”

Lin Ran, whose thoughts had been seen through, didn’t care at all. He smiled and nodded.

“Releasing an untested cultivation technique indicates that the issue isn’t my fault and I’ve clearly been manipulated. This demonstrates my talent in cultivation technique research.”

At this time, Lin Ran was still thinking about whether he had talent in cultivation technique research.

What kind of obsession was this?

After understanding the history, Lin Ran fell into deep thought.

Feng Qi didn’t say anything and gave Lin Ran time to digest the information he had said.

Half an hour later, Lin Ran looked up at him and said firmly, “Brother Qi, I understand. I will be like them on this sacrifice timeline and become your companion.”

Lin Ran had said this to him 1,500 years later.

However, when Feng Qi heard it now, he still felt warmth flowing in his heart. His path to salvation wasn’t as desperate as in the movies, nor did he have the aura of a protagonist. Instead, he had peers like Lin Ran.

Their assistance played a crucial role in executing his sacrificial timeline more effectively.

At this moment, Lin Ran raised his glass and giggled.

“Brother Qi, cheers!”

Seeing this, Feng Qi immediately raised his glass and clinked it with Lin Ran’s. After drinking the wine in his glass, he looked at Lin Ran and said solemnly, “Ah Ran, there’s something I need you to work with me on.”

“What is it?” Lin Ran immediately nodded.

“From what you’ve described and what I’ve gathered, I have grounds to suspect that the Tiger Soul Research Institute has been infiltrated by a domain faction. It’s highly possible that you’re being manipulated by this faction to aid in the development of the spells they require.”

“You know that I need to help the owner of the fog rise as soon as possible on this sacrifice timeline. Therefore, I need to investigate the Tiger Soul Research institute’s current situation and eliminate all factors that are unfavorable to its future development.”

“Of course, suspecting that the Tiger Soul Research Institute has been infiltrated by other factions is only my guess. Everything still needs to be investigated. I need you to cooperate with me in this investigation.

Hearing Feng Qi’s explanation, Lin Ran immediately nodded.

“Considering your account, I’m starting to entertain doubts about potential infiltration at the higher levels of the Tiger Soul Research Institute. It’s time to launch an investigation.”

As they chatted, they began to formulate an investigation plan for the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

As time passed, dawn appeared on the horizon.

The light painted the clouds in hues of red, swiftly spreading and coloring half the sky crimson.

After talking to Lin Ran all night, Feng Qi’s worries dissipated.

Lin Ran’s words touched him greatly.

He claimed that no romantic pursuit in the world was more worthwhile than striving for one’s ideals.

Even if the outcome was a failure, at least he could still hope that the ideal flower would bloom in the future in another timeline.

After saying this, Lin Ran finished the wine in his glass.

That calmness and carefreeness dissipated the guilt in Feng Qi’s heart.

He raised his head and looked to the west, where the red sun rose.

Flocks of geese formed neat lines as they flew south..