The Freshman Championship lasted for three days.
However, the remaining two days held little significance for Feng Qi and his Combat Class Three.
They had already secured the championship for this year's competition.
The remaining days were reserved for other participating classes to battle for their rankings, a process unrelated to them.
Nevertheless, Feng Qi paid close attention to the subsequent matches.
On the first day, Lü Yue's brilliance had overshadowed everyone else. Yet in the following days, several other outstanding freshmen showcased remarkable talent, earning Feng Qi's interest.
When the third day concluded, the class rankings were announced, and the award ceremony commenced.
Feng Qi and his Combat Class Three ascended the podium, receiving the championship medal from Victory Academy's principal, adding a significant milestone to their resumes.
Then came the photo session.
Pictures were taken with the principal, with other participating classes... they were kept busy for a long while before finally getting some time to rest.
Once the awards ceremony ended, a new wave of trouble quickly surfaced.
Lü Yue was again surrounded by captains of various Domain Combat Squads, all enthusiastically inviting him to join their teams, despite having been rejected before.
The result was no different this time.
Faced with these invitations, Lü Yue remained aloof.
He rejected all the olive branches extended by the Domain Combat Squads, including a face-to-face invitation from Qin Shikong.
Ultimately, the disappointed squad captains left regretfully.
Back in his room, Feng Qi received a congratulatory phone call from Bai Fusheng.
Over the phone, Feng Qi could sense Bai Fusheng's elation and happily chatted with him for a long while.
Feng Qi always felt grateful toward Bai Fusheng.
Bai Fusheng had consistently supported him, and now Feng Qi had finally achieved something to bring honor to the academy.
After ending the call, he freshened up and lay down on his bed.
Lost in thought, drowsiness soon overtook him, and he drifted into sleep.
The next morning, Feng Qi woke up early and began calling Lin Ran and the others one by one before starting to pack his luggage.
Shortly after, he pushed his luggage out of the room.
Outside the dormitory, several buses were already waiting along the road.
As time passed, Lin Ran and the others gradually arrived.
After taking attendance, Feng Qi led everyone to a bus labeled with "Star City Academy," and they began boarding.
Moments later, the bus pulled out of Victory Academy.
Watching the scenery pass by through the window, Feng Qi reflected on the trip.
This visit to Victory Academy had brought more than just the championship trophy and a substantial cash prize—it had yielded other important gains.
First was his interaction with Qin Shikong, giving him a preliminary understanding of the man.
Particularly intriguing was the second fortune-telling Qin Shikong had performed for him. Feng Qi found it deeply mysterious and planned to investigate further in his next future timeline.
Secondly, there were the outstanding freshmen from the competing classes.
These individuals were excellent talents worth nurturing. If Feng Qi ever needed to form his own forces in the future, they would be prime candidates for recruitment.
Of course, the premise was ensuring their trustworthiness.
Given the limited intelligence available from Victory Academy, Feng Qi remained cautious. If there were werewolves within Star City Academy, there might very well be spies here too.
Without confirming their backgrounds, he would not act rashly.
After several hours of travel, the bus entered a specialized route and eventually arrived at a private airport.
Once on the plane, they waited about an hour for the remaining teams from Star City Academy to arrive.
When the other supervising teachers congratulated him on their victory, Feng Qi humbly responded with a smile.
It was evident that these teachers were delighted about their academy's win.
Within Star City Academy, they might be competitors. However, outside the academy, they all represented its reputation.
Combat Class Three's championship brought honor to all of them.
Shortly after, the plane took off.
Through the window, Victory City gradually shrank in view before vanishing behind the clouds.
This chapter of the journey had reached its conclusion.
History's evaluation of Feng Qi gained another flourish of color.
When they returned to Star City Academy, Feng Qi noticed a banner hanging at the school gate.
"Welcome Champions Back Home!"
After passing the security check, the bus drove into the academy and finally stopped in front of the dormitory building.
After getting off the bus and bidding farewell to Lin Ran and the others, Feng Qi returned to his dormitory to put away his luggage.
Without lingering, he left the dormitory and headed straight to the principal's office to report to Bai Fusheng. After a brief discussion, he returned to his room.
By now, the effects of the overlapping memories had largely subsided.
Feng Qi decided it was time to re-enter the Dream Realm.
This time, his objectives for the future timeline were clear, with two pressing issues to resolve.
First, uncover the truth behind the Dawn Army's massacre of the city.
Second, establish contact with Mu Yan and uncover the secrets surrounding her.
With these goals in mind, he walked over to the refrigerator and began retrieving the ingredients for brewing the Clear Mind Brew.
Next came the meticulous brewing process.
Though he was already familiar with the steps, he approached the process with extreme caution to avoid any mistakes that might result in financial loss.
The brewing went smoothly this time.
Hours later, a glass container next to the equipment was filled with a blue liquid.
After cleaning up and carefully washing the equipment, Feng Qi grabbed the glass container and walked to the sofa. Sitting down, he unscrewed the lid and drank a third of the liquid.
The effects kicked in almost immediately.
Glancing at the attribute panel, he noticed the energy progress bar beginning to increase in small jumps.
Moments later, lying on the sofa, his expression gradually relaxed...
When he woke up, an overwhelming sense of weakness washed over him.
It felt as if he had been submerged in water for a long time, only to suddenly emerge, with every muscle in his body feeling heavy and sluggish.
"System Voice?"
Despite his call, there was no response from the narration system.
After failing to switch to his combat form, Feng Qi realized something significant: a new timeline had already been generated.
He was now the soldier of this timeline.
Sitting silently on the sofa for a while, his gaze grew resolute.
Walking to the desk, he began drafting a detailed plan for his life in this timeline.
His focus was clear: everything he did in this timeline was to provide intelligence for the other version of himself.
The primary direction of this timeline was to integrate with the Dawn Army. This meant he could not disrupt its formation or interfere with Mu Qing's future development.
At the same time, with his current strength severely diminished, he needed to visit the Crimson Research Institute for reinforcement.
As his pen flew across the paper, he meticulously planned his future.
Once he finalized the plan, he pulled out his phone and dialed Monk's number.
After a few rings, the call connected, and Monk's slightly surprised voice came through:
"Qi-ge, what's up?"
"Where are you right now?"
"In my room."
"I'm coming over. I have something to discuss with you."
"Uh... okay."
Ending the call, Feng Qi stood and left his room.
Exiting the dormitory building, he headed toward Dormitory Building No. 3, where Monk's room was located.
Soon, he arrived at Monk's door and knocked.
He heard hurried footsteps approaching, and moments later, the door swung open.
"Qi-ge, come in."
Without hesitation, Feng Qi stepped inside.
As he expected, Monk's room was a chaotic mess. Items were strewn about haphazardly, and several mismatched slippers lay scattered on the floor.
Taking a seat on the sofa, Feng Qi observed Monk scratching his shiny, bald head under the light. Monk looked at him curiously and asked:
"Qi-ge, what brings you here?"
"Monk, do you plan to keep pretending around me?"
"Pretending what?" Monk froze for a moment, his expression blank as though he had no idea what Feng Qi was talking about.
"Coming from the Prajna Domain Combat Squad, you've always presented yourself as someone who's content to muddle through life. It must be exhausting to keep up this act every day, isn't it?" Feng Qi asked with a smirk.
"Qi-ge, my background in the Prajna Domain Combat Squad is public knowledge. Didn't you already get my file when you started teaching? Why bring this up now?" Monk replied, looking genuinely confused.
Seeing Monk's refusal to admit anything, Feng Qi chuckled. He was curious to see how long Monk could keep up the pretense.
If not for the memories from his previous timeline, Feng Qi would never have suspected that Monk was a fellow traveler hiding in the shadows.
After a moment of contemplation, Feng Qi locked eyes with Monk and said:
"We are companions, working towards the same goal."
"You mean you also like the 'uniform temptation'?" Monk asked, feigning curiosity.
Feng Qi: …
Looking at Monk, Feng Qi realized that getting Monk to open up and share the truth wouldn't be easy.
Even during moments when Monk chose to reveal secrets, his true nature remained concealed. This alone showed how highly Monk valued his own secrets and the forces behind him.
And these hidden details were precisely what Feng Qi wanted to uncover.
However, Feng Qi had no intention of forcing Monk. He took a different approach. Slowly, he began recounting his experiences of traveling across multiple timelines, including the fateful encounter just before his execution.
"At that time, I asked you why you chose to keep things hidden. Your reply was simple... 'You never asked.'"
As Feng Qi spoke, a trace of emotion flickered across Monk's face.
Yet, just as Feng Qi thought the conversation might take a pivotal turn, Monk chuckled foolishly and said, "Qi-ge, your story is really interesting."
Staring at Monk deeply, Feng Qi understood that Monk had his reservations. Monk didn't entirely believe his words—at best, he was skeptical.
After all, everything Feng Qi mentioned belonged to futures that hadn't occurred yet. Even in previous timelines, Monk likely found it hard to believe such extraordinary truths.
This realization explained something Feng Qi had always wondered about: Why Monk always appeared at his executions in those timelines. Why Monk's face carried a mixture of sorrow and understanding in those moments.
Perhaps it was only at those final moments that Monk truly believed him and realized Feng Qi had never lied.
(PS: This is related to content in Chapters 57 and onward.)
Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi said earnestly, "Monk, I've never lied to you. If the day comes when you're ready to share the truth with me, you can contact me anytime."
With that, Feng Qi stood, preparing to leave.
Unexpectedly, Monk's carefree smile disappeared. He let out a long sigh and said, "Qi-ge, can you answer a few of my questions first?"
Feng Qi paused, turned back, and sat down again. He nodded. "Ask away."
"You've crossed timelines over and over, trying to save a civilization destined to perish… Is it worth it?"
"It's worth it," Feng Qi replied without hesitation.
"Give me a more detailed explanation," Monk pressed.
Feng Qi fell silent for a long time.
There were countless ways he could answer this question. But for him, there was only one true answer.
After pondering, a faint smile appeared on his face. Looking directly at Monk, he said:
"My teacher once taught me that even though humanity is as insignificant as ants in the face of domain catastrophes, there will always be people who look up at the stars and search for a glimmer of hope. It's because of these people that our civilization has endured."
"And today, someone must continue to stand up and pave a new path for humanity's survival. So… why can't that person be me?"
Monk's eyes flickered with emotion as he listened, and he was visibly moved by Feng Qi's unwavering resolve.
As Feng Qi said, throughout history, there had always been individuals who defied the odds and looked toward the stars.
Even if humanity was small and weak, it chose to resist, fighting for a sliver of hope.
Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, Monk finally said, "Qi-ge, I've always thought of you as a peerless genius. But now I see I was wrong. As a pathfinder, you deserve to be called a pioneer of humanity."
Hearing these words, Feng Qi waved his hand dismissively and smiled.
"That's not important. The real question is—are you ready to tell me the truth now?"
At that moment, Monk, who had steadfastly refused to admit anything, finally nodded.