I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

As Feng Qi's consciousness began to fade, the Mist Lord, who had fled more than ten kilometers away, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Standing at the edge of a roaring waterfall, he stripped off his tattered clothes and looked down. His chest was now covered in intricate blood-red vein-like patterns, pulsating faintly as if alive.

The sight filled the Mist Lord with uncontainable joy.

This was the very prize sought by all the Domain factions—the Miracle Bloodstone.

From the moment the bloodstone became the center of their battle, the Mist Lord had realized something incredible: his ability to manipulate blood extended to the bloodstone itself.

Yet, he had concealed this power, not daring to reveal it during the chaotic struggle for the bloodstone. This secret ability was why he had risked remaining in such a dangerous battleground.

He believed there would be an opportunity, and indeed, that moment came.

Amidst the chaos, as the factions desperately fought against the giant hand, no one paid attention to the bloodstone. The Mist Lord, standing a hundred meters away, quietly activated his Bloodbinding Art.

To his surprise, under the pull of his technique, the bloodstone liquefied, transforming into a viscous crimson fluid. Like obedient blood, it flowed directly toward him with a single beckon.

At the time, he had been absorbing the essence of the fallen Domain beings, so no one noticed the unusual crimson stream surging toward him.

The bloodstone, now in liquid form, was easily assimilated. But it wasn't digested—it parasitized his body, etching itself into his skin as intricate, rune-like markings.

This newfound marking was also why he had fled in such haste. With such a divine artifact in his possession, he knew that danger surrounded him. Even the being that had saved his life moments ago could turn into his greatest enemy upon learning about the bloodstone.

Seeing the formidable "spiritual form" collapse was the final reassurance he needed to escape without hesitation.

As for repaying the life-saving debt? The Mist Lord smirked to himself, convinced that his savior had perished. If there were a grave, perhaps he might one day light incense to express his gratitude.

Gazing again at the crisscrossing markings on his chest, the Mist Lord laughed aloud. The perilous struggle for the bloodstone had been fraught with risk, but to him, every bit of it was worth it.

Noticing that the blood-red markings on his body seemed to follow a rhythm, he speculated that they represented some kind of energy flow or spiritual pathway. Curious and eager to uncover their secrets, he leaped into the cascading waterfall.

Behind the torrent lay a hidden cave. After setting up a formation to mask his presence, the Mist Lord began his research into the markings left by the bloodstone.

History, it seemed, had started to turn its familiar wheel once again.

Through the patterns and runes of the bloodstone's markings, the Mist Lord eventually developed a legendary cultivation technique—one that would profoundly influence future generations.

The moment Feng Qi opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the specialized container on the table in front of him.

Inside the container floated a brain, suspended in translucent fluid.

["Welcome back, Qi!"]

The voice was familiar, one he hadn't heard in nearly a decade. A grin spread across his face as he responded, "Narrator, long time no see."

He reached out to press the red button on the container. Black fluid seeped into the device through tiny nozzles, and the brain inside gradually lost its vitality.

Once the task was complete, Feng Qi closed the container, placing it into a compartment under the metallic table. Pressing a button, he watched as a metal plate slid down, sealing the compartment shut.

Due to the effects of memory overlap, he had completely forgotten what had happened in the dream realm. Turning to Narrator, he asked, "What useful information did I gather from the future dream this time?"

["Although history has changed, the overall trajectory remains intact. After your death, your remains were enshrined in the Martyrs' Cemetery. Learning of this, Mu Qing launched a relentless pursuit of the giant hand. Twenty years later, near Old Day City, she succeeded in killing its main body and avenged you!"]

"And what about the rest?" Feng Qi pressed on.

["The ritual described in The Flesh Sacrifice still occurred, the Dawn Army was still founded, and Mu Qing remains the historical overlord she was destined to be. However, there's been one peculiar deviation—someone keeps stealing offerings from your grave."]

Feng Qi froze. "What kind of scoundrel would do something so shameless?"

["We can rule out Mu Qing. While she does have a gluttonous streak, even she wouldn't stoop to such behavior."]

"You couldn't figure out who it was?" Feng Qi asked.

["That old woman installed surveillance near your grave to find out who besides Mu Qing would visit. But every time the thief appeared, the footage would mysteriously distort, making it impossible to identify them."]

Feng Qi was baffled. He couldn't fathom who would harbor such a grudge as to desecrate his grave in this manner.

Thinking about it only left him more confused. No one among his friends would do something so petty, and as for enemies, he hadn't made any that hateful—at least none that he remembered.

Visualizing the scenario—a person visiting his grave, chatting with his tombstone while munching on the offerings—Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a mix of exasperation and amusement. In his mind, he flipped the mystery thief the proverbial middle finger.

Realizing he wouldn't solve this puzzle anytime soon, Feng Qi decided to focus on recounting the events of the dream realm with Narrator. However, just as he was about to ask another question, a searing pain struck his head.

It felt like an iron hammer had slammed into his skull, and his body collapsed to the floor.

Memories of the dream realm surged through his mind in a chaotic flood, images overlapping and blurring, making it impossible to piece them together into a coherent narrative.

It was as if his memories had been violently scrambled, leaving him unable to recall anything with clarity.

This pain lasted for a long time before it gradually subsided.

As Feng Qi stood back up, his bloodshot eyes revealed the toll it had taken.

["If my guess is correct, this is the effect of cumulative negative emotions. You still lack the ability to process these emotions. It would be best to hunt down the Three-Tailed Beast as soon as possible to gain the Mental Purification Ability. Otherwise, if you choose the Brain-in-a-Vat memory line again, you'll likely lose your mind!" the narrator warned.]

Feng Qi nodded immediately. "I hope Lin Ran can successfully counter-parasitize the Mist Lord in this timeline. Otherwise, I'll have to focus entirely on improving my strength for the next timeline; without it, capturing the Three-Tailed Beast is impossible."

["No big deal. Strengthening yourself is a win in any case."]

After some casual banter, Feng Qi made his way to the elevator.

The green light of the scanner swept over him, and the system confirmed his identity. He stepped into the elevator, pressing the switch. When the doors reopened, he found himself in the first-floor lobby of the Crimson Secret Base.

A scene of chaos unfolded before him.

Following the sound of combat, Feng Qi spotted Suction Cup locked in a fierce struggle with Little Black.

Just as in his previous experience in the dream realm, it seemed Suction Cup and Little Black were destined to clash.

["'Destined'? More like someone kept yelling 'next time for sure' and forced this showdown. Hmph!"] the narrator sneered.

Feng Qi: "..."

After observing for a moment, he decisively turned and headed toward the corridor. His priority was to search for the Three-Tailed Beast outside and attempt to capture it. If he failed, he would go after the Mist Lord instead.

He silently hoped that Lin Ran could successfully counter-parasitize the Mist Lord.

If the Right Protector position was secured, this dream realm timeline would be entirely within his grasp.

"What are you, a crab?"

["I'm your dad!"]

The moment the words left his mouth, Feng Qi regretted them. As expected, the narrator immediately launched into a relentless barrage of snarky commentary.

Ignoring the narrator's rambling, Feng Qi exited the metal corridor and entered the abandoned hospital.

Once outside, he noticed subtle changes in the layout of the surrounding buildings—obvious signs of history being altered. However, one constant remained: the blood-red moon high in the sky, casting its eerie scarlet light.

"Narrator, scan the area for any trace of the Three-Tailed Beast," Feng Qi said as he stepped onto the street, heading back toward Star City Shelter.

["Hmph, curse at me and then expect me to work for you? Even capitalists wouldn't exploit a system this ruthlessly!"]

Feng Qi: "..."

"I was wrong, okay? I promise it won't happen again."

["Write me a one-million-word apology letter to prove your sincerity."]

"You're pushing it, stupid system."

["Bonehead Feng, don't test me. If I had a physical body, I'd grind your face into the ground!"]

After their usual exchange of insults, Feng Qi resumed his journey, confident that the narrator, despite its complaints, would secretly assist in locating the Three-Tailed Beast. Though the narrator often acted unreliable, it never failed him in critical moments.

Switching his body to combat form, Feng Qi's muscles dissolved into glowing lines of blood energy etched onto his skeletal frame. The transformation enhanced his physical abilities dramatically, and his running speed increased exponentially.

Compared to the demon dragon rune-modified body from a previous sacrificial line, this form felt far more natural to him.

The two forms of power were fundamentally different. The demon dragon modification involved implanting rune crystals into his body, granting him the dragon's attributes and physical resilience. However, mastering this foreign power was always an uphill battle. Even after training, he couldn't achieve complete compatibility, and the control remained imperfect.

In contrast, his current body, which allowed him to plunder innate abilities from Domain creatures, felt entirely different. The moment he acquired a new ability, it seamlessly integrated with his body at full compatibility, eliminating any sense of awkwardness.

The difference was stark—his current body was superior to the rune-modified form by a wide margin.

Feng Qi began to suspect that this unique body was somehow linked to a Miracle Artifact.

Feng Qi pondered deeply, speaking to the narrator in his mind. "Narrator, based on what we've seen in the memory of this sacrificial line, do you think you could be a Miracle Artifact?"

["I've considered that possibility... but I don't want to admit it. It makes me feel like a lifeless tool, like some plaything being used. The thought alone makes me want to grind my nonexistent teeth to dust. It's too cruel. Damn it."]

"Don't overthink it," Feng Qi reassured. "Maybe your origins are more extraordinary than they seem."

["What's that supposed to mean?"]

"I think you're not just an ordinary Miracle. You're probably a high-grade Miracle Artifact, one of the rarest and most powerful."

["Idiot Bonehead, isn't that still a Miracle Artifact!"]

Feng Qi: …

As they casually bickered, Feng Qi continued running through the crumbling streets of the city ruins. The landscape had changed slightly due to shifts in the timeline, but the general terrain remained familiar enough for him not to lose his way.

"Narrator, any sign of the Three-Tailed Beast?"

["Don't rush me. Let me sulk in peace for a bit."]

"Fine, keep sulking. Just let me know if you find it."

This time, the narrator fell silent.

Feng Qi moved swiftly through the streets, occasionally spotting Domain creatures along his path. However, he had no interest in engaging them. It wasn't that he lacked the desire to grow stronger—on the contrary, he expected that the next dream realm timeline would focus on strengthening himself. When that time came, there would be plenty of opportunities to hunt Domain creatures.

For now, his limited time in this dream realm had to be spent on locating the Three-Tailed Beast or dealing with the Mist Lord.

Even as he left the ruined city behind, there was no sign of the Three-Tailed Beast. The narrator offered no updates either, indicating no progress in locating it.

Ahead lay the Bone Pile Zone—a vast area formed from the accumulated remains of countless Little Cripple tribe members.

As Feng Qi stepped into the Bone Pile Zone, the sound of bones crunching underfoot echoed with every stride.

After running for over twenty minutes, he reached the entrance to an exposed metal passageway but didn't pause. Instead, he pressed onward, heading toward the thick, looming fog.

Stopping just short of the dense mist, Feng Qi reverted to his human form. His mental energy reached out, stirring the mist as he took a deep breath.

"Lin Ran! Get out here!" he shouted into the fog.

For a moment, the air was still. Then, as if responding to his voice, the fog began to recede. Haunting wails echoed from within as a face emerged, formed entirely of mist.

"Who dares disturb me? What faction do you belong to, and why—" The voice stopped abruptly. The Mist Lord stared at Feng Qi, its expression shifting to one of shock.

Memories began to surface in the Mist Lord's mind as it scrutinized Feng Qi. Something about this figure was eerily familiar.

The face before him matched that of the benefactor who had once saved his life. The resemblance was undeniable.

After unlocking part of the Bloodstone's mysteries, the Mist Lord had re-entered human society under a new identity. He had devised a grand plan to resurrect his fallen kin, using the Bloodstone's refined operational pathways as the core method.

During this time, the Mist Lord infiltrated the Tiger Soul Research Institute, selecting influential pawns to further his scheme. His wandering had brought him to Star City, where he learned about Feng Qi.

Though Feng Qi's precise identity was unclear, the Mist Lord deduced that he too might be a Domain creature masquerading as human. Driven by gratitude, the Mist Lord occasionally visited Feng Qi's grave, leaving offerings—and, on occasion, helping himself to the food left behind as tribute.

Now, centuries later, the Mist Lord was face-to-face with the same man. For a long moment, he was silent, his thoughts tangled with disbelief.

Finally, he spoke hesitantly. "Feng Qi? Are you… still alive?"

"That's none of your damn business," Feng Qi retorted, flipping him off.

The Mist Lord didn't react angrily. Instead, he found himself recalling a moment from his past. Back then, he had asked Feng Qi why he had saved him, only to receive the same brusque reply:

"Because I felt like it, alright?"

This familiar tone of voice sent a shiver down the Mist Lord's spine. As Feng Qi stood there, the memory solidified in his mind.

The Mist Lord could no longer deny the truth.

It really was Feng Qi.