Hijacking the Timeline

Chapter 158 158: Ink [2k]

Translator: CinderTL

After spending most of the day in Star City, having Wei Wei record data related to the "control mark," Feng Qi hurried back to the technology research institute.

He had briefly escaped the abyss, but ultimately, he had to return.

This was the fate of his Sacrifice Line.

In the days that followed, Feng Qi studied and worked simultaneously, hoping to gain higher clearance and gather more intelligence before his premature death.

He also kept in regular contact with Wei Wei, preparing for the upcoming confrontation with the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

During this time, Feng Qi obtained a wealth of information about the technology research institute.

Most notably, he learned that a person named "Mo" was perpetually confined within the Primal Laboratory, the institute's most core facility.

Mo was a super genius highly valued by the domain creatures behind the technology research institute. He was also the founder of the Spirit Energy Nanoworm Project.

He had single-handedly completed the overall framework for creating Spirit Energy Nanoworms.

Yet, no one at the technology research institute had ever seen his true face, nor did anyone know whether he was human or a domain creature.

His existence was like a legend within the institute's inner circle.

If not for the constant stream of groundbreaking technological products emerging from the Primal Laboratory, no one would believe such a person even existed.

Feng Qi's understanding of Mo came from the technology research institute's latest technological marvel: the Spirit Energy Forbidden Zone.

The core research staff of the institute's inner circle had only been responsible for testing its effects; the actual construction had already been completed. The device arrived as a finished product.

But the subsequent test results left Feng Qi deeply shocked.

The Spirit Energy Forbidden Zone was a black metal sphere containing a large quantity of a special substance that neutralized spirit energy. It was activated by throwing it like a grenade from the pre-cataclysm era.

Though harmless in itself, it was the bane of spirit cultivators.

When activated, the Spirit Energy Forbidden Zone expelled all spiritual energy within a one-kilometer radius, turning the area into a forbidden zone.

If used against a spirit cultivator in combat, it effectively cut off their ability to replenish their inner spiritual energy. Once their reserves were exhausted, they would become helpless lambs awaiting slaughter.

According to the user manual, the Spirit Energy Forbidden Zone they tested was only the first-generation product. Mo, the creator of the device, could upgrade and modify it to expand its range to ten kilometers or even further.

Besides the Spirit Energy Forbidden Zone and the Spirit Energy Nanoworm Project, Mo had developed numerous other black technology products.

These technologies greatly armed the technology research institute, giving them not only an elite domain combat team but also a vast arsenal of cutting-edge weapons. Their strength surged exponentially.

This sparked Feng Qi's curiosity about Mo. He desperately wanted to know why Mo had so many incredible ideas and could even create the nearly unbeatable super black technology of the Spirit Energy Nanoworms.

However, with his fourth-tier access within the core circle, he had no way of contacting Mo. For now, he had to abandon his pursuit of this knowledge.

Furthermore, launching an operation against the Tiger Soul Research Institute was beyond his current clearance level.

The opportunity finally arrived when Feng Qi turned thirty.

The Wolf Pack Battle Group, the third domain combat team within the technology research institute's core circle, was devastated by a mysterious force. Nearly all of its high-ranking members were killed.

This domain combat team was crucial to the technology research institute. It handled many sensitive missions that the institute couldn't publicly undertake, including assassinating promising young human talents.

The leader of the Wolf Pack Battle Group was a second-tier figure within the core circle of the technology research institute.

That very day, the core circle of the technology research institute convened a meeting.

The meeting ultimately decided to dispatch a core circle member to take over as the Wolf Pack Battle Group's group leader and continue leading the group on covert missions.

Feng Qi was among the shortlisted candidates.

The dark force behind the technology research institute highly valued his ruthlessness, believing he could excel at the task.

However, he was merely one of several candidates.

Besides him, four other core circle members were also on the shortlist.

All had contributed significantly to the technology research institute's development and possessed sharp minds, making them capable of commanding the Wolf Pack Battle Group.

When faced with the decision, the black shadow presiding over the meeting argued that while capability was essential, becoming the Wolf Pack Battle Group's group leader required more than just skill. The candidate also needed the strength to command respect.

The meeting ultimately decided to hold a month-long assessment based on individual strength to determine who would become the Wolf Pack Leader.

This decision caught Feng Qi off guard.

The true reason for the Wolf Pack Battle Group's encirclement and annihilation was the Scarlet Research Institute's doing.

The purpose was to create a path for his advancement.

Once he controlled a battle group under the technology research institute, he could seek opportunities to confront the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

He had assumed that the Domain Force behind the technology research institute would highly value him and naturally choose him.

But to his surprise, they brought in four other candidates to compete with him.

In recent years, he had devoted all his time to studying and had never cultivated.

The only enhancement he received was a gene needle injection at the Scarlet Research Institute. If the position of Wolf Pack Battle Group leader truly depended on strength, his chances were slim.

Faced with this predicament, Feng Qi refused to give up.

He still had a month. He would use that month to make himself stronger.

Within the technology research institute, there was one place where he could achieve this: the Biochemical Genetics Research Laboratory, which fell under his jurisdiction.

But the process of becoming stronger would undoubtedly be excruciating.

A month later, the selection conference for the group leader reconvened.

The core members of the technology research institute sat in the conference hall, awaiting the final results.

The other four candidates had arrived, but Feng Qi was absent.

Nevertheless, the meeting proceeded as scheduled without waiting for his arrival.

The four candidates on the shortlist were then subjected to the "black shadow's" assessment, which evaluated their strength.

Just as the black shadow was about to announce the results, the conference hall doors were kicked open. Feng Qi, covered in blood and grinning savagely, strode in.

He was utterly transformed.

His body was covered in nearly festering wounds, and a twisted scar like a centipede crawled across his face.

He walked to the empty seat reserved for the "Wolf Pack Leader," sat down casually, and looked at the black shadow.

"I'm taking this seat," he declared.

Silence fell over the conference hall.

Even the four candidates who had been vying for the group leader position were intimidated by Feng Qi's sheer momentum.

Gazing at his scarred body, they felt a chill run down their spines, realizing what he had done to achieve this.

To secure this position, he had ruthlessly subjected himself to biochemical modifications.

Even if the price was a shortened lifespan and constant, excruciating pain for the rest of his days.

Now, as they looked at Feng Qi, their expressions were complex.

"I want this position!" Feng Qi declared again, facing the black shadow.

As he spoke, blood continued to drip from his body, staining the floor crimson.

The conference hall fell silent, not a single person speaking.

Gazing at Feng Qi, the black shadow suddenly burst into laughter before nodding. "This position is yours, and yours alone."

"My Lord..." one of the other candidates standing beside him protested, unwilling to accept defeat.

But before he could finish, the black shadow cut him off. "If you can endure the pain of the biochemical modifications he has endured, the position is yours."

Hearing this, the candidate opened his mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

After the meeting, Feng Qi officially took over as the group leader of the Wolf Pack Battle Group.

With this, the mission against the Tiger Soul Research Institute could finally begin.

During this time, Feng Qi was forced to continue his evil deeds.

He led the demons through human society, hunting down the rising stars of humanity's next generation.

His actions caused him immense pain, but he couldn't show it. He had to force a smile even when his heart was breaking.

The physical and mental torment gnawed at him constantly.

Yet he endured the pain in silence.

Since joining the technology research institute, he had faced a new sorrow every day. He discovered that even suffering could become familiar.

Meanwhile, he used intelligence gathered by the Scarlet Research Institute to launch a series of operations against the Tiger Soul Research Institute, aiming to provoke a war between the two Domain Forces.

In reality, the technology research institute already knew that the Tiger Soul Research Institute was controlled by another Domain Force. They had even held internal meetings to discuss the matter.

But their final decision was infiltration.

Just as they had arranged for Le Ping'an to join the Star City Academy, they now dispatched several werewolves to infiltrate major cultivation academies. Their mission was to work hard, pass the entrance exams, and gain entry to the Tiger Soul Research Institute to steal intelligence.

At this stage, the Domain Force behind the technology research institute believes it's unwise to take any rash actions until they fully understand the Domain Force backing the Tiger Soul Research Institute.

This was clearly not the outcome Feng Qi desired.

To achieve his goals, he began secretly launching operations against the Tiger Soul Research Institute, even deliberately exposing himself to provoke a war.

Just then, Feng Qi received the latest news: the technology research institute was preparing a plan targeting the Scarlet Research Institute.

After thoroughly investigating the situation, Feng Qi understood the reason.

It turned out that a powerful protector of a super genius from the Scarlet Research Institute had been captured by the technology research institute.

The protector had remained steadfast, revealing no information about the Scarlet Research Institute even in the face of death.

However, the technology research institute had found clues. Using powerful Artificial Intelligence, they searched the protector's identity information and ultimately traced it back to the Scarlet Research Institute.

While they couldn't confirm with absolute certainty that the Scarlet Research Institute was secretly targeting them, the technology research institute decided to continue their investigation to uncover the truth.

During the meeting, someone proposed that the best course of action would be to destroy a key Scarlet Research Institute base and seize core intelligence from it to understand their true activities.

They then proceeded to discuss their next steps.

During their discussion, they tentatively set their target as the Scarlet Base outside Twilight City.

However, this plan was merely a proposal and didn't require immediate implementation.

The technology research institute intended to conduct a deeper investigation into the Scarlet Research Institute before deciding whether to proceed with the sabotage plan.

The sudden turn of events made Feng Qi realize that history had returned to its proper course.

In the previous timeline, the Scarlet Base outside Twilight City had been destroyed, its data stolen, and the technology research institute had launched a relentless assault on the Scarlet Research Institute.

This forced the Scarlet Research Institute to retreat into a Secret Base, isolating itself from the outside world.

Feng Qi had wanted to prevent this, but the investigation was being led by the first battle group, which had no connection to the third battle group under his command.

All he could do was warn the Scarlet Research Institute in advance.

He urged them to delete the core data stored at the Scarlet Base outside Twilight City as quickly as possible to prevent future conflicts.

With this matter settled, Feng Qi resumed his plan to provoke a war between the technology research institute and the Tiger Soul Research Institute, aiming to ignite a conflict between the two Domain Force factions.

(End of the Chapter)

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