Feng Qi entered the keywords and initiated a search for domain field-related information. Among the results, one domain field matched the characteristics of the Shadow closely.
This field was named the Secret Shadow Domain Field.
[Secret Shadow Domain Field]:
Coordinates: Eastern Region 139.46–42.24
Field Size: 1687 square kilometers (Large Domain Field)
Domain Monster Strength Levels: Bronze to Gold
Overall Field Strength Rating: Gold
Known Monster Species (23 types): Soul Reaver (Illustration), Blood Shadow (Illustration), Black Wraith (Illustration)…
Field Rules Inclination: Mental, Spellcasting, Limited Physical Cultivation
Resource Output (328 types): Spirit Stones (Spiritual Minerals), Specter Grass (Spiritual Plant), Mind Crystals (Spiritual Minerals)…
Exploration Progress: 49%
Dispersal Progress: 0% (Highest Recorded: 3%)
Remarks: Due to the high danger level of this domain field, dispersal attempts have been temporarily halted after several failed attempts, with efforts redirected toward resource collection.
Domain Field Strategy: None
Field Media (Photos, Videos): …
The database entry on the Secret Shadow Domain Field confirmed that it had not been successfully dispersed. Hence, no detailed strategies for conquering it were recorded.
However, in the monster illustrations, Feng Qi found a creature closely resembling the Shadow.
[Phantom Shadow (Domain Monster)]:
Description:
This entity possesses exceptional intelligence and is the strongest species within the Secret Shadow Domain Field. Its potent mental manipulation abilities have caused catastrophic incidents, such as when it induced the Tomorrow Domain Combat Squad into a self-destructive massacre, resulting in over a hundred casualties. The creature's body can also reconstruct itself and mimic other domain creatures' forms.
Group Catastrophe Rating: Zhu Yin Level (Tier Four)
Individual Catastrophe Rating: Sha Level (Tier Two)
The Phantom Shadow depicted in the illustrations appeared entirely black, its features indistinct save for its piercing crimson eyes.
Its abilities were remarkably similar to those of the Shadow. However, unlike the Shadow, which was composed entirely of spiritual energy, the Phantom Shadow seemed to possess a physical form.
Whether the Phantom Shadow and Shadow were the same entity was unclear.
After reviewing the details, Feng Qi closed the Secret Shadow Domain Field's profile. He resolved to investigate the field more thoroughly in the next timeline by hiring a domain combat squad.
If the Phantom Shadow in the Secret Shadow Domain Field was indeed the Shadow, he could then initiate targeted measures to dismantle it.
[Good grief, the Shadow infiltrates human society to destroy it from within, and you're planning to do the same to their domain. Is this a race to see whose 'home crystal' gets shattered first?]
"Of course, I'll dismantle theirs faster. If I fail, I'll just switch to a new timeline and start over." Feng Qi grinned.
Exiting the domain field database, Feng Qi opened the search interface and entered "The Savior."
However, the results surprised him—none of the entries were related to the game The Savior.
[You've been scrambled by the overlapping memories. Don't forget, the game you're thinking of was developed under your direction in the real timeline. Historically, The Savior was an evolution of your original concept. Naturally, its name and details have changed.]
Realization dawned on Feng Qi. The lingering memories from the sacrifice timeline had muddled his thinking, momentarily making him forget this detail.
Adjusting his search parameters, he soon found an entry related to the game concept—a project titled New World, developed using Fang Zhiyou's virtual engine.
[New World]:
Overview:
After Feng Qi left Star City Academy, Fang Zhiyou and a group of gaming enthusiasts successfully developed the future virtual engine. However, they lacked the time and resources to create a full game, eventually abandoning the project.
Over a century later, a professional development team built a game called New World based on the future virtual engine.
The game's framework was identical to The Savior, including its purpose:
a platform for advanced training simulations for cultivation students.
The game's introduction heralded a new era of rapid human advancement, as it resolved longstanding shortcomings in student combat training.
The similarities between New World and The Savior were uncanny. Even the game's creation process mirrored the historical development of The Savior.
Feng Qi, however, found something perplexing.
Given New World's transformative impact, akin to a divine-level technique, it should have attracted opposition from powerful institutes like the Institute of Technological Research and Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Yet the game had been launched successfully and without issue.
Something didn't add up.
Driven by curiosity, Feng Qi delved into the background of the game's development team.
Among the records, he discovered a key detail:
[Article]:
"Game New World Officially Released. Deputy Director of the Future Research Institute Attends Launch Event."
The mention of the Future Research Institute caught Feng Qi's attention.
His knowledge of the institute was limited; he only knew it shared Future City with the Institute of Technological Research and followed a technologically inclined research path, though it diverged in certain areas.
This wasn't the first time he had encountered the Future Research Institute's involvement in virtual game projects.
In a prior timeline, a message left by one of his future selves had mentioned the institute's ambition to develop a groundbreaking virtual game.
Could the Future Research Institute be the force behind New World?
If so, this raised further questions.
Even with the institute's backing, how had New World escaped interference from the Institute of Technological Research, which should have had the power to suppress it?
Feng Qi formulated two theories:
1. The Future Research Institute might be supported by a formidable domain faction that deterred the Institute of Technological Research from acting recklessly.
It was possible that this domain faction only became known to the Institute of Technological Research after Feng Qi's death in the sacrifice timeline, which would explain why he had no knowledge of it.
2. Alternatively, the Future Research Institute could be a hidden human faction, much like the Crimson Research Institute, covertly advancing humanity's interests.
This faction might possess significant power and support from elite human forces, enabling it to resist suppression from institutes like the Institute of Technological Research.
Both speculations were plausible, but the second seemed to align more closely with the observed behavior.
If the Future Research Institute was aligned with a domain faction, why would they develop a super virtual game to advance human civilization?
Unless… the game shared hidden risks similar to Flesh Sacrifice.
But as Feng Qi pondered further, he found the idea unlikely.
Virtual games were fundamentally different from cultivation techniques. They couldn't plant hidden dangers within a person's body or directly impact their physical health.
[What if the problem lies with the virtual game devices themselves? Imagine if these devices subtly influence players' mental states during gameplay, ultimately altering their thoughts—a form of covert mental manipulation.]
Feng Qi felt a chill. That theory wasn't entirely implausible.
Developing this game was a key goal for his next phase of planning. If the game proved harmful, it would be a catastrophic mistake. He would need more sacrifice lines to atone for his errors.
To resolve his doubts, Feng Qi began combing through related documents, seeking evidence of hidden risks associated with the super virtual game.
He soon confirmed that the Future Research Institute was deeply involved in the game's development. A crucial piece of the puzzle was the virtual gaming pod.
This device connected directly to a player's neural network, simulating realistic feedback. For instance, if a player was struck in the chest during the game, the pod would stimulate the corresponding nerves, providing an immersive experience.
This groundbreaking virtual gaming pod had been developed by a subsidiary of the Future Research Institute.
While virtual gaming pods already existed in the real world, their adoption rate was low due to a lack of compelling content.
Further investigation revealed that these earlier pods were also creations of the Future Research Institute.
It became clear that the institute had been planning the super virtual game for a long time.
However, Feng Qi still couldn't determine whether the Future Research Institute's motives were benevolent or malicious.
Determined to uncover more, Feng Qi initiated a search for detailed information about the institute.
This time, he stumbled upon a new discovery—a record of an incident involving a conflict between the Future Research Institute's combat squad and the Institute of Technological Research.
At first glance, this conflict didn't confirm the Future Research Institute's allegiance to humanity. After all, domain factions often clashed with one another, much like the rivalry between the Institute of Technological Research and the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
But the document provided an intriguing detail.
The conflict had arisen when the Institute of Technological Research attempted to seize a shipment of resources from the Crimson Research Institute.
At the time, the Crimson Research Institute was under heavy scrutiny, suspected of being infiltrated by domain factions.
Despite this, the Future Research Institute had intervened, confronting the Institute of Technological Research's combat squad and ensuring the resources were safely delivered to the crimson domain combat team en route to Future City.
This suggested that the Future Research Institute might have known that the Crimson Research Institute was falsely accused.
However, the Future Research Institute never openly defended the Crimson Research Institute.
[Could it be that the Future Research Institute knew the Institute of Technological Research was compromised by domain forces, but couldn't be certain of the Crimson Research Institute's reliability? Maybe they stepped in to prevent outright suppression but avoided deeper involvement.]
Feng Qi fell into deep thought before responding.
"That's possible. They might have recognized that the Crimson Research Institute was aligned with humanity but feared internal corruption, so they chose only to mediate and not form closer ties."
[It's hard to say for sure. But we can reasonably assume that the Crimson Research Institute isn't the only group working behind the scenes for humanity. There are likely other hidden human factions making silent efforts, though they remain concealed, and we haven't encountered them yet.]
Feng Qi nodded in agreement. He also believed that humanity's survival efforts weren't limited to the Crimson Research Institute. Other hidden factions must exist, operating in secrecy.
The reason for their secrecy was obvious.
Humanity needed the illusion of hope to move forward.
Revealing the full extent of their precarious situation would plunge many into despair. Faced with the likelihood of extinction at the hands of domain factions, some might abandon resistance entirely.
Only by providing hope could humanity continue its struggle under the promise of a brighter future.
If despair prevailed, even the most gifted individuals might lose their will to fight, opting for apathy or self-destruction instead.
Feng Qi believed that those working in secret to protect humanity's future understood this.
Even if they uncovered the truth, they wouldn't shatter the fragile illusion.
In fact, individuals within these factions who accidentally learned the truth might go so far as to refute it publicly, ensuring the illusion of hope remained intact.
The balance among domain factions within human society created a precarious stability.
Meanwhile, humanity's hidden forces quietly developed in the shadows, searching for a glimmer of salvation.
The Crimson Research Institute was a prime example.
Though fully aware of humanity's infiltration by dark forces, they had never disclosed this information to the public.
If the Future Research Institute was similarly aligned with humanity, their actions could be understood as a form of calculated restraint.
Without complete clarity, they couldn't afford to expose themselves fully to assist the Crimson Research Institute.
From this analysis, Feng Qi felt reasonably confident that the Future Research Institute was working for humanity's benefit.
Historically, the super virtual game had addressed deficiencies in combat training for cultivators. No records indicated that the game posed any hidden dangers.
However, one perplexing question remained.
Why hadn't the Future Research Institute faced suppression from the Institute of Technological Research?
[Maybe they've struck a balance. The Institute of Technological Research knows that the Future Research Institute is powerful and attacking them would result in heavy losses. As long as the Future Research Institute doesn't threaten their core interests, they might choose to tolerate its activities. After all, even with the super virtual game, combat awareness and techniques alone can't change the ultimate outcome for humanity.]
"That makes sense," Feng Qi replied thoughtfully.
Listening to the narrator's explanation, Feng Qi couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Cultivation techniques form the foundation of a cultivator's strength. Combat skills and awareness serve only as supplementary tools—important, but ultimately secondary.
When faced with opponents of similar power, combat awareness and techniques could allow a cultivator to take on two, three, or even more enemies at once.
But without a cultivation technique as a base, even the sharpest combat awareness was meaningless.
Take the humanoid domain creature he had just killed as an example.
Its ability to freely manipulate its own bones allowed it to switch seamlessly between offense and defense. Against ten or more goat-headed demons, it had remained untouchable.
Yet when Feng Qi activated his Blood Source state and crushed it with overwhelming power, all its techniques were rendered useless.
In the end, it had been humiliatingly smashed to death.
The Institute of Technological Research controls humanity's technological advancements, while the Tiger Soul Research Institute holds sway over cultivation techniques. As a result, the Institute of Technological Research doesn't need to worry about a single super virtual game overturning the balance of power.
Hearing the narrator's analysis, Feng Qi felt a sudden clarity.
From the information he had gathered so far, it seemed likely that the Future Research Institute was aligned with humanity's interests.
He decided to include further investigation of the Future Research Institute as one of his objectives for the next future timeline.
If he could confirm that they were trustworthy, he would have another powerful ally in his mission.
Closing the current document, Feng Qi opened the search bar and typed "New World" before pressing confirm.
Over the next several hours, he began painstakingly memorizing the game's extensive codebase.
The sheer volume of data was overwhelming, and Feng Qi decided that he would allocate time during each future timeline to memorize sections of the code. By doing so, he could work on developing the super virtual game in advance.
Once the Technology and Tiger Soul Research Institutes were eliminated, this game would become a crucial tool for humanity's progress.
In addition to providing combat training for cultivators, the game could serve as a cutting-edge platform for technological research and cultivation testing.
Many cultivation researchers had lost their lives during the testing of new techniques. Lin Ran's grandfather, for instance, had perished while experimenting with an innovative cultivation method.
This game could eliminate such risks entirely.
With its 1:1 replication of reality and a physics engine capable of simulating physical interactions with extraordinary accuracy, researchers could conduct tests in-game without endangering their real bodies.
Even if their virtual avatars died during experiments, they could simply log out and restart with no consequences.
From his perspective, this game was as important as a divine-level cultivation technique.
It would be a vital tool for humanity, accelerating their growth and development.
However, the process of memorizing the game's code proved to be an exhausting and frustrating ordeal.
The code was not only vast but also complex and non-linear. Feng Qi had to constantly cross-reference earlier sections to ensure accuracy, making the task even more tedious.
Fortunately, his memory had significantly improved following his bloodline evolution.
Had he attempted this with his original memory capabilities, he would have likely given up in frustration, deeming it an impossible challenge.
After several hours of memorization, Feng Qi began reviewing the sections he had already committed to memory.
Once again, he found himself longing for the "Infinite Memory" ability the narrator had described.
Aside from gaining this ability or significantly boosting his mental faculties, there seemed to be no other solution for improving his memory.
In the natural world, humans were among the most memory-capable creatures. Expecting Wei Wei to develop a human embedded with rune crystals to enhance memory was both impractical and fraught with uncertainty.
Mu Qing's case served as the perfect example.
Thinking of this, Feng Qi couldn't resist asking, "Narrator, how's your memory? Can you help me memorize all this?"
[My memory's terrible—like a goldfish. A few seconds, and it's gone. Sorry, no can do.]
"Stupid system! Can't you at least be useful in times like this?"
[Stupid skeleton man! Can't do it yourself, so you blame me? Heh, tui!]
After this round of banter, Feng Qi refocused and returned to the arduous task of memorizing the code.