Hijacking the Timeline

Chapter 225 225: Escorting the Miracle [2.5k]

Translator: CinderTL

After a simple test, Feng Qi confirmed one thing:

The small, round black sphere carried by the Blue-skinned Assassins had the ability to locate miracle items.

Based on this, he deduced that the Blue-skinned Assassins were likely searching for miracle items across the land.

But a new question arose:

He wasn't a miracle, so why could the black sphere track and locate him?

He had previously suspected that he might possess a miracle item.

His initial suspect was the Narrator, whom he believed might be a type of "miracle" itself.

After all, existing intelligence didn't prove that miracles had to be objects or lack autonomous consciousness.

Even if it wasn't the Narrator, he thought it might be himself.

Before becoming part of the Sacrifice Line, he could kill creatures to absorb their Qi and Blood Power and extract their innate abilities.

Such terrifying abilities seemed far from "normal" and closely resembled the special powers granted by miracle items.

Yet, regardless of which possibility was true, it shouldn't apply to his current existence in the Sacrifice Line.

As part of the Sacrifice Line, he had lost his ability to plunder innate abilities and absorb Qi and Blood Power, and the Narrator was no longer by his side.

He was an utterly ordinary person, possessing no remarkable traits whatsoever.

This made him wonder if the disappearance of the Narrator and his other self had left some kind of mark on him.

Or perhaps a residual aura remained, allowing the black orb that tracked "miracles" to locate him.

But these were merely speculations.

The exact reason remained a mystery for now.

Just then, Li Duo strode over to him, casting a puzzled glance before following his gaze to the bloodstone. Finally, Li Duo's eyes refocused on Feng Qi.

"Commander Feng, what's wrong?"

Feng Qi shook his head and handed the black orb back to Li Duo.

"My apologies. I sensed the energy fluctuations emanating from the orb earlier and followed them. As you said, the orb's energy signature can indeed pinpoint the bloodstone."

Li Duo nodded thoughtfully, then smiled.

"Commander Feng, you've grasped the general situation. Any further questions?"

Feng Qi immediately asked, "Chief Li, why is there a laboratory beneath the recruitment hall in the supply zone? Is it really necessary?"

Li Duo chuckled in response.

"This laboratory actually predates the recruitment hall. It was originally an outpost of the Old Day Research Institute, primarily used for conducting hazardous experiments. To prevent any risks to the city's population, it was established outside the city walls. Later, the battle group headquarters planned a frontline supply zone nearby, and as the supply zone expanded, this area became part of it."

"This underground research base had largely outlived its usefulness. I was only temporarily reassigned here by the Old Day Research Institute to initiate a research project because of the bloodstone."

Feng Qi nodded in understanding.

He had previously wondered why a research laboratory would be located in such an insecure area as the supply zone.

Now it was clear that even Li Duo was a temporary reassignment.

Currently, the bloodstone couldn't be transported out of the supply zone; otherwise, it would already be at the Old Day Research Institute.

With this thought, he turned to Li Duo and asked, "Chief Li, how many battle groups are participating in this escort operation with us?"

Li Duo immediately nodded. "Besides your Dawn Battle Group, there are the Green Mountain Battle Group, Heavenly Pillar Battle Group, Desert Battle Group... a total of twelve battle groups are participating in this joint operation."

"The specific time is set for five days from now. At that time, you'll depart from the recruitment hall, escort the bloodstone along the main road into Old Day City, and finally hand it over to the Old Day Research Institute personnel who will be there to receive it."

The twelve battle groups Li Duo mentioned were all renowned top-tier units.

Among them, the Heavenly Pillar Battle Group's leader, Qin Shikong, had once crossed paths with Feng Qi and even performed a divination for him.

After understanding the mission's detailed procedures, Feng Qi nodded in acknowledgment.

Li Duo continued, "Once all the supporting battle groups have arrived, I'll convene another meeting where the leaders of all twelve groups can discuss and finalize the escort plan. I'm not familiar with this aspect, so I'll leave it entirely to your discretion."

After the discussion, Feng Qi bid farewell to Li Duo and returned to the hotel with Liu Yue.

Over the next two days, two more supporting battle groups arrived and were assigned to nearby hotels.

During this time, Feng Qi remained active, continuing to cultivate the Spiritual Immortality technique.

The advantages of this mental attack technique were clear: each session of cultivation significantly strengthened and enhanced his mental energy.

However, the drawbacks gradually became apparent during his cultivation.

He now occasionally felt sharp, stabbing pains in his body, and his control over his physical form had diminished.

Originally, the demon dragon had granted him perfect mastery over his body's muscles.

But this innate ability was being progressively weakened as he cultivated spiritual immortality.

As Lin Ran had warned, the excessive strengthening of his mental energy had caused his body to become "incompatible."

If he continued cultivating, his nearly materialized spiritual consciousness body might break free from its physical constraints, transforming him into a purely spiritual entity.

This inevitably reminded him of the concept of the soul.

Ancient myths were filled with legends of consciousness separating from the body.

The crucial difference, according to Lin Ran, was that the process of the spiritual consciousness body breaking free from its physical constraints wasn't a mere illusory separation, nor was it akin to the mythical soul projection.

A cultivated and strengthened spiritual body could also be a tangible entity.

The process was more akin to a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, tearing through the physical shackles to become a new life form.

Yet, to him, this potential danger was as good as nonexistent.

The lifespan of this timeline was entirely unknown. Trading his lifespan and physical body for power was a bargain too good to pass up.

As a result, he felt no psychological burden while cultivating, and even felt like laughing after his strength increased.

In addition to cultivating Spiritual Immortality, he recently compiled a detailed report of the intelligence gathered during his mission and emailed it to the Scarlet Research Institute.

The Scarlet Research Institute quickly responded.

Wei Wei and other Scarlet executives shared his suspicion that the other "him" carrying the Narrator likely possessed a special ability granted by a miracle.

Furthermore, before the timeline split, some residual aura might have remained in his body, allowing the black orb that tracked miracle items to also track him.

Therefore, the blue-skinned monster's pursuit was likely a case of mistaken identity.

However, these were merely hypotheses.

The Scarlet Research Institute couldn't provide a definitive explanation for the exact cause.

Wei Wei had already initiated related research, deciding to develop a specialized interrogation tool targeting the Blue-skinned Assassin to extract all the secrets from its memories.

Additionally, the Scarlet Research Institute resolved to attempt communication with the Old Day Research Institute once the miracle-bloodstone was delivered, seeking to collaborate on the research project.

After reading Wei Wei's message, Feng Qi stopped following the matter.

By the time Wei Wei's research yielded results, he figured he would likely have already left this beautiful world.

It was the evening of the third day.

After dinner, Feng Qi and Liu Yue left the hotel and headed for the recruitment hall.

Upon entering, they were led by a staff member to the conference room.

Several people had already arrived.

One of them was very familiar: Qin Shikong, whom Feng Qi had met at the Victory Research Institute.

"Feng Qi, right?" Qin Shikong, dressed in a Daoist robe, greeted him with a smile.

Feng Qi sat down beside Qin Shikong, nodding with a smile. "Commander Qin, it's been eight years since we parted ways at Victory Academy. How have you been?"

Qin Shikong sighed wistfully. "I always thought your future lay in the research institutes. Never imagined you'd end up on the front lines. If I'd known, I would have recruited you into my battle group back then."

He then turned his gaze to Liu Yue, who was standing behind Feng Qi, and chuckled. "I remember you too. You were the Match MVP at the Rookie Tournament. I tried to recruit you into the Heavenly Pillar Battle Group multiple times, but you always refused. You're... Liu Yue, right?"

In response to the inquiry, Liu Yue smiled and nodded.

As they chatted, the group leaders of the twelve battle groups participating in the escort operation began to arrive.

Li Duo entered the conference room at the same time.

He strode to the head of the table and addressed the assembled group:

"Regarding this escort operation, everyone is free to speak and discuss until we reach a plan that suits us all. As for the command of this operation, we've provisionally decided to appoint Commander Wang Yi. She's intimately familiar with the terrain here."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi and the others turned their gazes to a woman seated on the left side of the conference table, wearing a black iron mask.

Over the past few days, Feng Qi had thoroughly researched the circumstances of each battle group participating in the operation.

Among the twelve battle groups involved, the woman with the black iron mask had the most formidable background.

Her name was Wang Yi, and she belonged to the Death Star Battle Group, one of the Top Ten Battle Groups. She currently served as the commander of the Death Star Third Battle Group, whose headquarters were stationed in this very supply zone.

Her life story was nothing short of legendary.

Having fought on the front lines for over twenty years, she had survived countless near-death experiences and earned remarkable military achievements.

The rumors surrounding her ever-present mask claimed that during a Domain Field operation, she had been cursed by a domain creature, leaving her face disfigured. Ultimately, she chose to wear the mask, never again showing her true face to the world.

At over fifty years old, she was undoubtedly a veteran among them.

Many of her legendary exploits had even been recorded in history textbooks.

When it was announced that Group Leader Wang Yi would command this operation, everyone considered it perfectly natural, seeing no reason for concern.

Wang Yi rose to her feet and pressed her hand against the conference table.

A 3D holographic map immediately projected above the table. She then began outlining the chosen route for the mission and assigning each battle group to guard specific sectors along the way.

During the discussion, the other group leaders shared their perspectives.

After several hours, the escort plan was finalized. Feng Qi's Dawn Battle Group was assigned to the rear left flank of the formation.

After reiterating the escort plan in detail, the group leaders left the conference room.

Two days later.

At dawn, the rising sun pierced through the night's veil, radiating countless rays of light across the horizon.

After inspecting the warriors' personal equipment and supplies, Feng Qi led them toward the recruitment hall.

Upon arriving, they found several battle groups already assembled.

As he approached, the group leaders greeted him warmly, and he responded with a polite nod and a smile.

While they waited, Wang Yi, the commander of this mission, arrived with the warriors of the Death Star Third Battle Group.

This battle group's equipment was exceptionally elite, forged primarily from high-grade spirit minerals mined from the Domain Field. Their gear was painted black, and each warrior wore a black iron mask, exuding an aura of chilling menace.

"Commanders of the Brotherhood Battle Groups," Wang Yi announced, "please report your group's status. If all is in order, we'll depart immediately."

Hearing her request, Feng Qi and the other group leaders confirmed that their groups were ready to move out at any time.

Next, Wang Yi's black iron warriors distributed pre-tuned communicators to each of them, ensuring constant contact during the escort mission.

With all preparations complete, Wang Yi issued the order, and Feng Qi, along with the other group leaders, led their warriors to board the vehicles.

The central vehicle carried the mission's core objective: the bloodstone.

Currently covered by a black cloth, it was personally guarded by Wang Yi and her elite team.

The convoy swiftly departed the supply zone. Upon entering the main road, they slowed their pace, and the formation spread out like a spiderweb, with each battle group assuming their designated guard positions.

Only the vehicle carrying the bloodstone continued to speed along the main road, while the rest of the convoy veered into the desert on either side.

Fortunately, the specially designed military vehicles were adapted to handle harsh terrain, allowing them to maintain forward momentum despite the slightly reduced speed.

As the convoy advanced, billowing dust clouds trailed behind.

Feng Qi and Liu Yue stood atop a military vehicle at the rear left flank, scanning the horizon for potential enemies.

"Do you think any Domain Forces will try to seize it this time?" Liu Yue asked, turning to Feng Qi.

"Most likely," Feng Qi replied with a smile.

"Why?"

"Based on my experiences across multiple timelines, miracle items hold immense significance for Domain Forces. They'll inevitably come to compete for it."

"Take the bloodstone we're escorting, for example. The smaller stones it generates can enhance a race's bloodline potential. With it, you could easily control vast numbers of Weak Domain Races and make them fight for you. Its value is incalculable."

"Any Domain Force that learns about the bloodstone in the supply zone will definitely try to get involved. Escorting it will be extremely difficult. We might even see Domain Forces that have infiltrated human society emerge."

Liu Yue nodded thoughtfully at this explanation.

Just then, a raspy voice crackled through the communication device:

"A Domain Force has appeared on the team's right flank. I've sent scouts to make contact. Initial reports indicate it's the Wolf Domain Battle Group, also here to escort the bloodstone. Commander Wang, have you received any prior notification about this?"

Commander Wang's voice responded:

"The Wolf Domain Battle Group is also part of the escort team, though they weren't originally expected to join. They had their own mission underway, but it seems they've completed it and been authorized to join the escort."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qi's expression shifted.

He was no stranger to the Wolf Pack Battle Group.

In a previous timeline, he had even served as their group leader.

It now appeared that the first Domain Force to intervene had arrived, and this force was none other than the Black Shadow Faction backing the Technology Research Institute.

"Things are about to get interesting. I even suspect there might be moles among the twelve escort battle groups."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," Liu Yue said calmly.

A smile crept across Feng Qi's face.

"If things get out of control, you should leave first. I don't need you to die with me."

This time, Liu Yue didn't reply, his gaze fixed impassively ahead.

Feng Qi shook his head inwardly.

As always, Liu Yue remained his sharpest sword and most steadfast shield.

His only flaw was his stubbornness.

(End of the Chapter)