At dawn, Feng Qi woke up.
He summoned the Reality Feedback Panel and noted that the energy bar had decreased from 148.27% to 48.27%.
Just as he had expected, entering the Dream Realm in the future would always require refilling the energy bar.
Unbothered by this, he got out of bed and began his morning routine.
Today was the scheduled cultivation exchange class, so he decided to attend the session first and spend the afternoon in the library studying cultivation theory.
Leaving his dormitory, Feng Qi headed straight to the academy cafeteria.
Scanning the northern corner of the cafeteria, he spotted Mu Qing sitting in her usual spot. Her cheeks were puffed up like a hamster as she chewed her food, giving her a soft, almost adorable appearance.
From her outer demeanor, it was hard to associate this quiet girl with the infamous World-Ending Overlord who brought an era to its knees.
"Rescuing a misguided World-Ending Overlord begins with sharing a meal!" Feng Qi thought with determination.
After piling a tray high with food from the self-service area, he walked over and sat down across from her without hesitation.
"Senior, what a coincidence! You're here for breakfast too?" he greeted warmly.
Mu Qing: …
Grabbing a meat bun and stuffing it into his mouth, Feng Qi continued, unbothered by her lack of response.
"Senior, about teaching me to play the harmonica—have you given it more thought?"
At this, Mu Qing finally looked up and met his gaze directly.
"There are plenty of online tutorials. You can learn by yourself or hire a music teacher from outside the academy."
"I'm not smart enough to teach myself, and I can't afford a music teacher."
"You're short on money? I have some. Would you like to borrow it?" Lin Ran's voice suddenly chimed in as he appeared next to Feng Qi with his own food tray. Without waiting for a response, he sat down beside him.
Feng Qi: …
Just when he had found a decent excuse to approach Mu Qing, Lin Ran's interruption had ruined everything.
"If I borrow it, do I have to return it?" Feng Qi asked sarcastically.
"Why wouldn't you return it?" Lin Ran looked genuinely puzzled.
"I borrowed it with my skills. Why should I return it?" Feng Qi quipped.
Lin Ran was left speechless and awkwardly sipped his porridge in silence.
The three of them ate in relative quiet after that, each absorbed in their own thoughts. For Feng Qi, his mind raced with strategies. Despite his repeated attempts to connect with Mu Qing, she remained distant and wary, making it impossible to truly get through to her or steer her in a different direction.
Even so, Feng Qi resolved to keep trying. Killing her—staining his hands with the blood of a peer—was a last resort he wished to avoid at all costs.
Half an hour later, Feng Qi finished his food and stood up, dragging Lin Ran along as he prepared to leave.
"Senior, we'll be heading out now," he said, turning to Mu Qing.
Just as he was about to walk away, Mu Qing unexpectedly lifted her head and called out, "If you're serious about learning, meet me by the lake near the dormitory tonight. I'll teach you."
Feng Qi froze mid-step, caught off guard. But soon, a grin spread across his face as he nodded eagerly. "I'll be there on time!"
Her sudden change of heart surprised him, but he wasn't about to waste this rare opportunity to truly get to know her.
Leaving the cafeteria, Lin Ran shot him a teasing glance.
"Looks like there's progress, Senior."
"Progress, my foot. Women only slow down the draw of my sword. I'm doing this for the greater good of humanity," Feng Qi replied bluntly.
Lin Ran stared at him, baffled, unable to reconcile Feng Qi's attempts at wooing Mu Qing with his talk of saving humanity.
The two chatted idly as they made their way to the Combat Class One classroom.
Before entering, Feng Qi glanced at the sign above the door and froze in place, his face suddenly blank.
"Did they change the class? Why does it say Combat Class One now?"
"Nope, it's always been Combat Class One. Remember the last time you accidentally ended up teaching here? I was standing outside the classroom and couldn't help listening in. Honestly, it was amazing! Even Old Bai sent me a notice afterward to attend this class. Little did I know, it was all part of a scheme to suppress me…"
As Lin Ran explained, Feng Qi's mind pieced the events together, forming a clear timeline.
"So, last time, I went to the wrong classroom?" he muttered to himself.
Thinking back to how the students had immediately asked him to teach and their subsequent reactions, the truth clicked into place. He had unknowingly filled in for Lin Ran.
The discussions on the academy forum praising Lin Ran now made sense too. They weren't praising him—they were praising Feng Qi.
Reflecting on the future where Lin Ran's talent for rune arts was considered S-tier while his cultivation research was labeled "catastrophic," Feng Qi realized there was no way Lin Ran had any talent for body-tempering techniques.
"Senior, are you heading to the Cultivation Exchange Class next?" Lin Ran asked excitedly.
His enthusiasm stemmed from a deep interest in Feng Qi's insights into body-tempering techniques. The chance to listen to another lecture had him buzzing with anticipation.
Feng Qi, noticing Lin Ran's eager expression, suddenly felt a wave of unease.
This guy, in the evaluation of future generations, is regarded as a historical blight and disaster. While he achieved significant breakthroughs in rune research, the cultivation techniques he developed led to the destruction of countless lives, harming millions.
"I have to stop him from pursuing the path of cultivating techniques," Feng Qi thought grimly.
He turned to Lin Ran, his expression serious, and asked, "Lin Ran, do you have an intense passion for researching cultivation techniques?"
"Of course!" Lin Ran replied confidently. "Ever since I was a child, my parents exposed me to cultivation-related topics. I've made it my life's goal to create a groundbreaking cultivation technique that will take the world by storm."
Storm? More like a calamity! Feng Qi rolled his eyes internally, but outwardly, he maintained his composure.
With a solemn tone, he advised, "Lin Ran, you're still young. There are more important things you should focus on besides researching cultivation techniques."
"What do you mean, Senior?" Lin Ran looked confused.
"For example, while you're still young, why not experience a passionate love story? Discover the beauty of romance," Feng Qi suggested, trying to guide Lin Ran's interests elsewhere.
"No way! Women will only slow down my sword-drawing speed," Lin Ran replied, mimicking Feng Qi's earlier dramatic tone.
Feng Qi: …
As they chatted, the two arrived at the Cultivation Exchange Class.
The students here came from various classes and gathered weekly to share their experiences and learn from each other. The atmosphere buzzed with intellectual curiosity, and students formed small groups, sitting together and exchanging knowledge.
Feng Qi and Lin Ran found an empty spot and sat down.
But within moments, both of them decided to leave.
For Feng Qi, the discussions were centered on content far beyond his current understanding, leaving him feeling lost. Meanwhile, Lin Ran found the class too rudimentary and yawned through most of it.
The rest of their afternoon was spent in the library.
During their time there, Lin Ran learned that Feng Qi had recently developed a preliminary body-refinement technique called "Body Tempering Technique." His curiosity peaked, and he bombarded Feng Qi with excited questions about the details.
Unwilling to withhold information, Feng Qi began to explain the foundation of "Body Tempering Technique" to Lin Ran.
When Lin Ran eagerly asked how Feng Qi had conceived of such a novel path for body refinement, Feng Qi couldn't resist showing off.
"I didn't think about it intentionally," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "Inspiration just came to me. I couldn't block it even if I tried. I'd wake up in the middle of the night with ideas flooding my mind, so I had no choice but to jot them down. And just like that, I ended up drafting the basic framework of Body Tempering Technique. I'll refine the later chapters when the time is right."
Lin Ran's eyes lit up with admiration, envy clearly written all over his face.
Feng Qi, seeing this expression, smirked inwardly. He knew Lin Ran had taken the bait. Next came the critical step—crushing Lin Ran's confidence in developing cultivation techniques entirely.
In Feng Qi's eyes, Lin Ran was no different from a ticking time bomb for humanity's development. If left unchecked, his disastrous cultivation techniques could single-handedly set back human progress.
His potential for destruction far exceeded that of any ordinary domain creature.
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