Judged by Posterity

Reading the review by user "Fallen Leaves Return to Root," Feng Qi felt somewhat moved.

He had never expected Mu Qing to stand by his side without hesitation during his darkest hour, willing to endure the condemnation of the world.

A flickering flame in the darkness warmed the heart far more than a raging blaze in the light. What seemed like an insignificant act of kindness in your eyes might be a ray of warmth and hope in someone else's.

"Since when did you get so literary, Narrator?" Feng Qi asked in surprise.

I'm just telling you to stop being so damn melodramatic and get to work already!

Feng Qi: ...

As he reflected, he stopped wasting time. After opening the search list, he entered Lin Ran's name.

Information related to Lin Ran immediately appeared.

Lin Ran:

Age at death: 103

Profile: Once hailed as the most gifted newcomer at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, he possessed an exceptionally solid foundation in theoretical knowledge and made numerous outstanding contributions to art method research. He also pioneered the "Seal Incantation Stream" school of art methods. Later, he was transferred to the newly established "Infinite" team at the Tiger Soul Research Institute as its leader, where he began researching Cultivation Methods.

However, history proved that Lin Ran was gifted only in art method research. His research into Cultivation Methods went completely off course, leading his entire team astray. Several Cultivation Methods he developed contained numerous hidden dangers. After their release, they caused the meridians of several million people to rupture, resulting in severe consequences and slowing the progress of humanity as a whole. Overcome with guilt, he never again set foot in the fields of Cultivation Method or art method research during his later years, eventually dying in despair.

Historical achievements: Human S-Class Elite (revoked), Leader of Tiger Soul Infinite Team (revoked), Elite Member of Tiger Soul Research Institute (revoked), Outstanding Graduate of Winter Academy (revoked), Founder of Seal Incantation Stream Spells, Founder of Five Elements Generation Stream Spells, New Planner of Zero Spell Trajectory...

Character tag: Historical Calamity

User comments:

Years That Drifted Away: Lin Ran's accomplishments are beyond question. Even eight hundred years later, the Seal Incantation Stream Spells he pioneered remain one of the five most mainstream art method schools. Lin Ran is also someone remembered by history. Although he did take the wrong path, his original intention was for all humanity. All of his honors should not have been revoked.

I Have Not Forgotten: Revoking all of Lin Ran's honors was unavoidable. That incident had far too great an impact. If they hadn't revoked them, could you imagine how furious the families of those who lost loved ones would have been? The Tiger Soul Research Institute endured enormous pressure just to protect Lin Ran from the death penalty. What a pity. A genius of his generation never again set foot in the field of art methods. That was undoubtedly a loss for all humanity.

Art Method Genius: He is the Old Ancestor of my Seal Incantation Stream Spells. Forget everything else—when it comes to talent in art method research, throughout all of history, there really hasn't been anyone who could compare to him aside from Shi Wudi. Looking at those photos of Old Ancestor Lin Ran in his destitute later years really breaks my heart. What a shame.

Walking Like the Wind: Speaking of Lin Ran, Feng Qi must be mentioned. Back when Lin Ran was at the height of his glory, he brought up Feng Qi during an open-air lecture attended by hundreds of thousands of people. While explaining the principles of art methods, he said that Feng Qi was the person he admired most in terms of talent. When he spoke of Feng Qi dying young, he couldn't help but shed tears. I wonder whether Feng Qi was really as incredible as the rumors say.

Ruthless Iron Hand: Lin Ran will always be a god. He was reviled by the world in his own era, yet seven hundred years later, he was deified once more. But there is no denying that his faults outweighed his achievements. The disastrous consequences he caused at the time seriously slowed the development of human civilization. It even led to a period when no one dared try newly developed Cultivation Methods. What a pity.

...

Future generations' opinions of Lin Ran were mixed.

The early comments were generally condemnatory, while comments made seven hundred years after his death were generally more favorable than critical.

Yet from those comments, Feng Qi discovered that every user believed Lin Ran's mistakes outweighed his achievements. This showed just how serious the consequences had been.

In the era Feng Qi came from, excluding support professions such as healers, Spiritual Pharmacists, and Formation Masters, there were only tens of millions of cultivators in total.

Causing the meridians of several million people to rupture, with many cultivators even dying after only a few days of cultivation—Lin Ran had effectively crippled one-tenth of the world's cultivators through his own actions.

But what puzzled him was why Lin Ran had released incomplete Cultivation Methods.

He could understand why several million people had followed the trend and cultivated them.

After all, before Lin Ran shifted to researching Cultivation Methods, he had already been an art method research prodigy watched by the entire world. He had countless fans across the globe and could be considered one of the most influential celebrities of that era.

Therefore, Lin Ran releasing a new Cultivation Method would inevitably have been one of the most influential events of the age. It was perfectly reasonable for millions to follow suit and cultivate it.

But the question was, how could the Tiger Soul Research Institute, which had always been known for its rigor, agree to let Lin Ran release incomplete Cultivation Methods?

To find the answer, Feng Qi began searching the Database.

A moment later, he found the answer.

It turned out that the several new Cultivation Methods developed by Lin Ran had shown no problems whatsoever during simulated testing. Later, the Tiger Soul Cultivation Method Review Team controlled spiritual energy to conduct tests inside animals, and there were no problems there either. Lin Ran himself also experienced no issues cultivating them.

But once they were released for ordinary people to cultivate, a huge problem emerged.

In the end, the problem still lay with Lin Ran.

Animals had no problems cultivating them, and neither did he, but ordinary people did? Was this guy some kind of livestock?

Feng Qi: ...

The Narrator's angle of mockery was so sharp that he actually felt it made a bit of sense.

Though he did not know whether to laugh or cry, he became even more determined to make Lin Ran abandon Cultivation Method Studies and continue researching Art Method Studies.

If he succeeded, Lin Ran's future would undoubtedly undergo earth-shaking changes.

Perhaps he would even become a historical figure like Wang Jinsheng. His research achievements would surely advance human civilization and leave a profound impact.

After checking the future evaluations of himself, Mu Qing, and Lin Ran, he decided to look into major events from his current era.

But after checking the time, he realized that less than half an hour remained before Little Black arrived.

For safety's sake, he decided to leave first. Once Little Black had also departed, he would return to check the Database.

He immediately turned and headed toward the Metal Passage.

Before leaving the Metal Passage, he tried pushing and pulling the large door embedded in the metal wall, hoping to see whether he could close it.

But no matter how hard he tried, he could not move the metal door in the slightest and could only give up helplessly.

He already had a plan for where to go next.

Since the Narrator had said to keep heading east, he would go east.

Although the Narrator was annoyingly smug and incredibly sharp-tongued, its directions had always been reliable. It was a companion he could trust.

The world outside was bleak and lifeless, with chilling winds howling through it.

The wails of the Living Dead sounded from time to time, adding another layer of cold dread.

As he traveled east, he did not spare any Living Dead he encountered along the way. He treated them as nourishment for his growth, drawing power from them.

After walking for an unknown length of time, a cluster of urban buildings that had nearly become ruins appeared ahead.

Looking into the distance, he saw a devastated city littered with rubble and the remains of collapsed buildings.

After entering the ruins and climbing a towering structure, he gazed into the distance, wanting to see just what changes this world had undergone.

But the moment he looked up, he suddenly saw a familiar figure speeding toward him from the west, where piles of withered bones lay scattered.

Realizing that Little Black was chasing him again, he felt a headache coming on.

"Truly a Lingering Soul."

At that moment, the Narrator's voice sounded in his mind:

Seeing Little Black pursue you so persistently, I can't help but wonder—what kind of deep affection is this... brief pause, BGM begins playing: I spent half a year's savings to cross the seas just to see you. For this reunion, I even practiced my breathing over and over for the moment we met... How I wish I could see you off for a thousand miles, until the mountains end and the waters run dry, relying on each other for life.

Feng Qi: ...

With veins throbbing on his forehead, he climbed down from the tall building without hesitation. The moment he landed, he turned and ran.

His life was too valuable. When it was time to back down, he had to back down.

Facing an enemy head-on was the behavior of a reckless brute.