After spending half a day in Star City and allowing Wei Wei to record data related to the "Control Mark," Feng Qi returned to the Institute of Technological Research.
Though he had temporarily escaped the abyss, he knew he would inevitably return. That was the fate of this sacrificial timeline.
In the days that followed, Feng Qi immersed himself in studying and working, striving to gain higher clearance and collect more intelligence before his untimely demise.
He frequently communicated with Wei Wei, coordinating preparations to counter the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
During this time, Feng Qi uncovered significant intelligence about the Institute of Technological Research.
One detail, in particular, stood out: in the most secretive area of the Institute—the "Prime Laboratory"—a person named Mo was confined.
Mo was highly valued by the domain creatures secretly controlling the Institute and was hailed as a super-genius.
He was also the creator of the Spiritual-Energy Nanobot Project.
The entire framework for Spiritual-Energy Nanobots was Mo's independent work.
Yet, no one in the Institute had ever seen him. It remained unclear whether Mo was human or a domain creature.
His existence was more legend than reality within the Institute's core circles.
If it weren't for the innovative technologies continuously emerging from the Prime Laboratory, most wouldn't believe he even existed.
Feng Qi's understanding of Mo came from one of the Institute's newest creations: the Spiritual Energy Exclusion Zone.
Feng Qi and other core researchers were only involved in testing the effectiveness of this creation, as the development had already been completed when it was handed to them.
But the test results left Feng Qi utterly shocked.
The Spiritual Energy Exclusion Zone was a black metallic sphere containing a unique psychic energy substance.
Its usage resembled a pre-catastrophe hand grenade.
Although it lacked direct offensive capabilities, it was a nightmare for spiritual cultivators.
When activated, it repelled all spiritual energy within a one-kilometer radius, creating an energy void.
If used in a battle against spiritual cultivators, it would sever their ability to regenerate energy. Once their internal energy was depleted, they would be powerless.
According to the user manual, the version they tested was merely the first-generation prototype.
Mo had the capability to upgrade the exclusion zone to expand its effective range to ten kilometers or even more.
In addition to the Spiritual Energy Exclusion Zone and the Spiritual-Energy Nanobot Project, Mo developed numerous other groundbreaking technologies.
These advancements significantly strengthened the Institute of Technological Research, equipping it not only with elite domain combat squads but also with cutting-edge weapons. The Institute's power grew exponentially.
This piqued Feng Qi's curiosity about Mo.
He wondered how someone could conceive such extraordinary innovations, including the nearly invincible Spiritual-Energy Nanobots.
However, as a fourth-tier core member, Feng Qi had no access to Mo or his secrets.
He reluctantly set this curiosity aside for the time being.
Similarly, initiating actions against the Tiger Soul Research Institute remained beyond Feng Qi's current clearance level.
An opportunity finally presented itself in Feng Qi's 30th year.
The third domain combat squad of the Institute's core circle, the Devouring Wolf Squad, suffered a devastating attack by a mysterious force, leaving nearly all its leaders dead.
This squad held immense strategic importance for the Institute.
They often undertook missions that the Institute could not publicly involve itself in, including assassinating promising young human talents.
The squad's leader had been a second-tier core member of the Institute.
That same day, the Institute convened a high-level meeting.
After deliberation, it was decided that a core member would assume leadership of the Devouring Wolf Squad to continue their covert operations.
Feng Qi was among the candidates considered.
The domain force behind the Institute admired his ruthlessness and believed he was capable of fulfilling the role.
However, he wasn't the only candidate.
Four other core members, all with significant contributions to the Institute and exceptional intellects, were also in contention.
During the meeting, the shadowy figure presiding at the head of the table declared that ability alone wasn't sufficient for the role. To lead the Devouring Wolf Squad, one needed personal strength to command respect.
It was ultimately decided that the selection would occur one month later, based on the candidates' individual abilities.
This decision caught Feng Qi off guard.
The downfall of the Devouring Wolf Squad had been orchestrated by the Crimson Research Institute to create an opportunity for Feng Qi's rise.
With control of one of the Institute's combat squads, Feng Qi could finally act against the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
He had assumed the domain forces would favor him unconditionally, but now he found himself competing against four other candidates.
Over the past few years, Feng Qi had devoted all his time to studying, neglecting cultivation entirely.
The only enhancement he'd received was the genetic injection from the Crimson Research Institute.
If the selection truly came down to personal strength, Feng Qi's chances seemed slim.
Despite the daunting challenge, Feng Qi refused to give up.
He had one month. He would use every moment to make himself stronger.
Within the Institute of Technological Research, there was one place where such transformation could be achieved—the Biochemical Gene Laboratory under Feng Qi's jurisdiction.
However, the process of becoming stronger would undoubtedly be excruciating.
A month later, the selection meeting for the position of the Devouring Wolf Squad leader was convened.
The core members of the Institute gathered in the conference hall, awaiting the final announcement of the results.
While the other four candidates were present, Feng Qi was noticeably absent.
Nevertheless, the meeting proceeded without waiting for him.
Each candidate underwent an evaluation of their capabilities, overseen by the enigmatic Shadow.
Just as Shadow prepared to announce the decision, the conference hall doors burst open.
Feng Qi entered, his body covered in blood, a menacing grin on his face.
The sight was shocking. His entire appearance had transformed.
His body was riddled with nearly rotting wounds, and a grotesque scar like a twisted centipede ran across his face.
Feng Qi strode confidently to the empty seat designated for the "Devouring Wolf Squad Leader," sat down nonchalantly, and said to Shadow:
"This position is mine."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
Even the four other candidates vying for the position were overwhelmed by Feng Qi's intimidating presence.
Looking at his scarred and bloodied body, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines, finally realizing what Feng Qi had done to himself.
To secure this position, Feng Qi had ruthlessly undergone biochemical modification.
The cost of this transformation wasn't just his lifespan but also the relentless pain he would endure every waking moment.
Their gazes turned complex as they looked at Feng Qi.
"This position is mine," Feng Qi repeated, staring at Shadow.
Blood continued to drip from his wounds, staining the floor beneath him.
The room remained deathly silent until Shadow suddenly erupted into laughter.
With a nod, he declared, "No one but you deserves this position."
"Master..." one of the candidates standing near Shadow spoke up, clearly unwilling to accept the decision.
However, before he could finish his protest, Shadow cut him off:
"If you can endure the pain of the biochemical modifications he underwent, the position is yours."
The candidate opened his mouth to retort but ultimately fell silent.
The meeting concluded with Feng Qi officially taking on the role of the Devouring Wolf Squad leader.
Finally, Feng Qi had the opportunity to initiate actions against the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Yet, during this time, Feng Qi was forced to continue his atrocities.
Leading his squad of "demons," he prowled through human society, hunting down young human talents.
Every act he committed filled him with anguish, yet he dared not let it show. Even in his darkest moments, he forced himself to smile.
The pain—both physical and mental—gnawed at him constantly.
But Feng Qi endured it all in silence.
Since joining the Institute, Feng Qi had discovered that every day brought a new sorrow.
Over time, he learned that even agony could become something one could adapt to.
With intelligence gathered by the Crimson Research Institute, Feng Qi initiated several operations targeting the Tiger Soul Research Institute. His goal was to provoke a war between the two domain forces.
At the same time, the Institute of Technological Research was well aware that the Tiger Soul Research Institute was controlled by another domain force.
To that end, the Institute of Technological Research had previously convened a meeting to discuss their strategy.
The Institute's chosen approach was infiltration.
Similar to how Le Ping'an had been placed in Star City Academy, several werewolves were sent into various cultivation academies.
Their goal was to work their way into the Tiger Soul Research Institute to gather intelligence.
At this stage, the domain force behind the Institute of Technological Research decided to avoid rash action until they fully understood the domain force controlling the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
But this wasn't the outcome Feng Qi wanted.
To achieve his goals, Feng Qi began secretly taking measures to escalate tensions, even deliberately exposing himself to provoke a conflict.
Around this time, Feng Qi received alarming news.
The Institute of Technological Research was preparing a plan targeting the Crimson Research Institute.
Upon investigating the details, Feng Qi learned the root cause:
A powerful protector from the Crimson Research Institute had been captured by the Institute of Technological Research.
Despite his resilience and refusal to reveal any information, the Institute of Technological Research had managed to uncover clues linking him to the Crimson Research Institute.
Although they couldn't confirm the Crimson Research Institute's involvement with absolute certainty, the Institute of Technological Research decided to continue their investigation.
During a meeting, someone proposed destroying a significant base belonging to the Crimson Research Institute to gather core intelligence for further planning.
The proposed target was the Crimson Base outside Twilight City.
However, the plan remained a suggestion and had yet to be executed. The Institute wanted more concrete information before proceeding.
This sudden development made Feng Qi realize that history was returning to its original trajectory.
In the previous timeline, the Crimson Base outside Twilight City had been destroyed, and its data stolen, leading to a relentless assault on the Crimson Research Institute.
This forced the Crimson Research Institute into hiding, retreating to secret bases and severing ties with the outside world.
While Feng Qi wanted to prevent this from happening, the investigation was being handled by the First Combat Brigade, which was outside his authority as the leader of the Third Combat Brigade.
All he could do was notify the Crimson Research Institute in advance, urging them to delete any critical data stored at the Twilight City base to avert disaster.
Once this matter was settled, Feng Qi resumed his efforts to provoke a war between the two domain forces, continuing his plans against the Tiger Soul Research Institute.