Wang Jinsheng

Feng Qi was exceptionally gifted in Cultivation Method Research. It was not bragging to say he was firmly ranked first in his year, a little genius in every teacher's eyes.

Following the instructor's movements in the video, he practiced the Cultivation Gymnastics. Before long, he had mastered the key movements of all 272 sets.

As time passed, Feng Qi discovered a problem during his cultivation.

He found that his body simply could not store spiritual energy.

The spiritual energy he absorbed into his body would leak away again in no time.

He could only speculate that it might be related to his current state as one of the Living Dead.

So Feng Qi decided to first learn the Cultivation Gymnastics, then test its actual effects after returning to reality.

After repeatedly watching the video several times, Feng Qi had mastered the instructional essentials of the Cultivation Gymnastics.

Having decided to bring the Cultivation Gymnastics back to reality, he felt that merely learning it was not enough. More importantly, he needed to understand the logic behind the circulation paths of Cultivation Methods.

After all, bringing improved Cultivation Methods back from the future would inevitably cause a sensation. He needed a reasonable explanation.

After thinking for a moment, Feng Qi had an idea. He decided to establish himself as a genius in Cultivation Method Research.

That way, if he kept resea—ahem, developing new Cultivation Methods, the outside world would not question him. They would gradually grow accustomed to it, and it might even become abnormal if he went too long without developing a new Cultivation Method.

Then, when he introduced a brand-new Cultivation Method, the outside world would think:

"After all, it was developed by Feng Qi, a once-in-ten-thousand-years super genius. Nothing strange about that!"

A smile appeared on his face at the thought.

Copy away, then. You have no shame at all, and you're calling yourself a super genius? Ptooey.

The sharp-tongued narrator appeared at just the right moment, interrupting Feng Qi's fantasy.

After confirming that he had proficiently mastered the future version of the Cultivation Gymnastics, Feng Qi did not look through any other Cultivation Methods. He had already used up his visitor privileges for browsing them.

After opening the search page again, he decided to see how the people around him had ended up in the future.

First was his best friend, Mo Fei. The moment he pressed the search button, the results appeared on the screen.

Since there were too many people with the same name, he opened the filter settings, adjusted the historical period to 2000–2300, and changed the gender to "male."

After pressing search again, only a dozen or so names remained on the list.

Among them was a photograph he recognized at a glance as his best friend, Mo Fei.

In the photograph, Mo Fei had a head of white hair, a black eyepatch over his left eye, and a gaunt face. He wore a blue uniform.

When Feng Qi opened the detailed profile, text appeared.

Mo Fei (Viper Technology Research Institute — Employee):

Age at death: 90

Cause of death: In his early years, he was exposed to intense radiation from spiritual energy materials while researching them, leaving behind a chronic condition. His old injuries relapsed at age ninety, and he passed away at the Third United Military Hospital.

Date of death: March 18, 2095.

Lifetime achievements (honors): Grade B employee of the Viper Technology Research Institute, Grade B Human Elite Medal, outstanding graduate of the Technology Academy, creator of the Machina-X Series, researcher for the Virtual Reality Technology - X Project...

Mo Fei's accomplishments left him dumbfounded.

Not only had he lived to ninety, but he had also earned a whole pile of lifetime achievement honors.

Thinking back to the grand ambitions Mo Fei often boasted about during their chats, Feng Qi now realized that he had not been bragging at all. He had truly achieved them.

Unlike himself, who had accomplished nothing and had even died young.

After closing Mo Fei's profile, text suddenly popped up on the screen.

Visitor privileges, remaining character information searches: 1

"Is this ever going to end? Damn privilege-hogging system, I hope you die horribly!"

With only one search left, Feng Qi began considering whose information would be most worthwhile to look up.

After pondering for a moment, he entered the name of History Teacher Wang, Wang Jinsheng.

After filtering the results, History Teacher Wang's detailed profile appeared.

Wang Jinsheng (historical figure)

Age at death: 187

Cause of death: Visitor does not have permission to view.

Historical achievements: Visitor does not have permission to view.

Evaluation: At the age of thirty-nine, after realizing that teaching could not change humanity's fate, he resolutely applied to Star City Academy to study Cultivation Method Research anew. After graduating with outstanding results, he joined the Tiger Soul Research Institute. His research achievements made tremendous contributions to advancing human evolution and development, benefiting later generations.

Feng Qi: ???

The moody and unpredictable History Teacher Wang from class had received such an outstanding evaluation from people of the future. He had even been classified as a historical figure. Feng Qi could never have imagined it.

But what puzzled him was why History Teacher Wang's file required privileges to view.

And those Cultivation Methods in the Database that had ratings above five stars also required the corresponding privileges to browse.

Logically, resisting the invasion of Domain Creatures required the collective effort of all humanity. Cultivation Methods should not have been restricted from being shared with everyone. Setting browsing permissions seemed like putting the cart before the horse.

Could there be some hidden reason behind it?

Just then, the narrator appeared, interrupting Feng Qi's thoughts.

You turned toward the six o'clock direction and discovered that danger was approaching!

Hearing this, Feng Qi hurriedly turned around. He immediately saw a figure wrapped entirely in Black Mist drifting out from the Metal Passage and entering the underground plaza.

Three eyes flickering with scarlet light could vaguely be seen within the Black Mist. A twisted Rune Crystal was branded onto the figure's forehead.

A Domain Creature?!

Although he had never encountered a Domain Creature before, he often heard teachers explain them in class. He knew that Rune Crystals were branded on their bodies, and he understood just how terrifyingly powerful they were.

"Narrator, I need your help. Give me some guidance!"

Whatever you do, don't run, because you cannot match a Domain Creature's speed. The proper course of action is to lock eyes with it, stare it down, then roar, "What are you looking at?" ...Mm, that way you'll die with more dignity!

Feng Qi had followed the instruction and stared fixedly at the Domain Creature. When he heard the latter half, his expression slowly turned blank.

Just then, the Domain Creature wrapped in Black Mist suddenly launched an attack. Its flashing form left afterimages as it pounced straight at him.

Waiting for death was not Feng Qi's style. He immediately clenched his fist and charged forward.

But before his fist could land, sharp fangs within the Black Mist had already pierced his throat through the fog.

Thick Black Mist swiftly engulfed him, and his consciousness blurred.

The familiar sound of chewing echoed beside his ears as his vision gradually darkened...

When he opened his eyes, he saw a grayish-white ceiling. The laptop on the desk was still playing a video on Basics of Cultivation Method Research.

Realizing that he had returned to reality, Feng Qi let out a long breath.

Even though he had experienced death once before, the suffocating sensation of nearing death still left lingering fear in his heart.

Turning his head, he saw Mo Fei seriously reviewing his lessons. The clock hanging in the upper-right corner showed that it was 11:20 p.m.

He clearly remembered that it had been this same time when he decided to take a nap.

In other words, although he had stayed in Future Dreamland for so long, time in reality had actually stopped.

Besides that, Feng Qi discovered that he had grown stronger again.

This time, he could clearly feel that his bloodline value had increased. It felt as though his entire body was filled with inexhaustible strength.

With every beat of his heart, blood surged throughout his body with a sound like rolling waves.

Just as he had previously guessed, growing stronger in the dream also gave his body in reality synchronized feedback.