I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Listening to Bai Fusheng's recount of events, Feng Qi gained a deeper understanding of Wang Jinsheng.

Although he was once ridiculed by those around him, he never lost his edge or made compromises. Instead, he changed how others viewed him.

His excellence and humility constantly influenced those in his surroundings.

To become outstanding oneself requires talent and hard work, but to help those around you become better also demands kindness, empathy, and the unwavering integrity Wang Jinsheng upheld.

Feng Qi felt that someone like Old Wang—who possessed the talent to stand above all his peers, yet never flaunted it—would have been the protagonist of a novel.

Old Wang, who always treated his classmates with kindness and humility and approached learning with firmness and conviction, inspired admiration.

At that moment, Feng Qi felt incredibly fortunate to have been Old Wang's student and to have received his guidance.

If it weren't for Old Wang's influence, he might not have been willing to take on this responsibility after acquiring the Dream Realm abilities.

His conversation with Bai Fusheng deepened his respect for Old Wang, whose legacy was truly admirable.

Meanwhile, Lin Ran concluded his lecture, and the classroom erupted in enthusiastic applause. Lin Ran maintained his composure, acting as if this was a routine occurrence, but when he turned to look at Feng Qi, he grinned brightly with a sunshine-like smile.

"Feng Qi, here's my contact number. If you encounter any issues while you're in the academy, feel free to reach out to me," Bai Fusheng said with a gentle smile, handing over a business card before standing up and leaving the classroom.

Feng Qi accepted the card and glanced at it. When he read the information printed on it, his expression froze.

Star City Academy – Principal: Bai Fusheng.

Oh my god!

After stepping out of the classroom, Feng Qi was still slightly dazed.

He hadn't expected his "Shigong" (grand-teacher) to have such a prominent background—he was the current principal of Star City Academy.

Reflecting on Bai Fusheng's earlier questions, he suddenly understood their true meaning.

This was clearly a move to recruit him to Star City Academy.

"Qi-ge, what did you think of my lecture today?" Lin Ran interrupted his thoughts, looking at him expectantly with a smile.

"You're really impressive!" Feng Qi snapped back to reality and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Do you think there's anything I could improve on?"

"I'm not too familiar with the specifics of magical arts, but I think you have a natural talent for this field. Your 'Seal Formation Technique' concept alone could pioneer an entirely new magical arts school. If you continue to refine your research, you will undoubtedly be remembered by history!"

"Hehe, I also think 'Seal Formation Technique' has the potential to create a whole new path in magical arts. I'll keep refining it and diving deeper into the research. But I'm still not giving up on cultivating techniques—that's my real dream."

Hearing this, the smile on Feng Qi's face froze.

"I really think you should continue focusing on magical arts research. You're exceptionally talented in this area—don't waste your potential."

"But what if I also have talent for cultivating techniques? I just haven't fully explored it yet. How can I know unless I try? When you're young, you need to be willing to experiment. If you don't try now, you'll regret it when you're old."

Feng Qi: ...

Faced with Lin Ran's unshakable confidence, Feng Qi didn't know what to say.

But he knew that when Lin Ran got older, he would indeed be in a state of "regret and remorse," having given up both magical arts and cultivating techniques in despair.

"I really think you should consider my advice," Feng Qi said, trying again. "A person's energy is limited. If you try to develop both magical arts and cultivating techniques, you'll likely end up achieving nothing in either. It's better to focus and specialize in one field—stick with magical arts."

Hearing Feng Qi's words, Lin Ran's face took on a thoughtful expression.

After a moment of silence, he nodded seriously and declared:

"Qi-ge, what you're saying makes sense. I've decided—I'll start studying cultivating techniques right away."

"That's really not necessary," Feng Qi replied, cutting him off. "I wasn't finished yet. What I actually meant was—someone as talented as you might excel in both magical arts and cultivating techniques. How will you know unless you try? Keep going—you've got this!"

Lin Ran: "???"

At noon, after eating lunch with Lin Ran and Mu Qing, Feng Qi returned to his dormitory.

In the afternoon, he had planned to meet Lin Ran at the academy library to study, but before that, there was something more important he needed to do.

Plan his future.

After a few trips to the Dream Realm, he had observed certain unique characteristics about it.

Every time he entered the Dream Realm, it didn't create a new timeline. Instead, the timeline in reality continued as normal while he explored 1,500 years into the future. It was only when he returned from the Dream Realm that a new timeline branched off, starting at the exact moment he had left. From there, history would diverge based on his actions.

In simpler terms, every time he entered the Dream Realm, it wasn't a newly created reality—it was the future of the current timeline.

And when he returned, the clock in reality stopped, and a new timeline began, completely disconnected from the historical events he'd seen.

This realization gave him an idea. He needed to leverage this for his future self—to leave behind something valuable.

After a moment of contemplation, Feng Qi pulled out a notebook and began to write.

Each trip to the Dream Realm cost him close to a million in cash. If he was going to continue doing this, he needed to maximize his returns instead of aimlessly killing monsters, collecting cultivation techniques, or upgrading his abilities.

As he scribbled furiously, three clear goals appeared on the notebook's pages—messages for his future self:

If possible, acquire an access account for the Star City Database. This will be of immense help to me.

Investigate the Crimson Research Institute and record your findings in a way I can access later—perhaps through notes stored in the database.

If you are unable to resolve the crises you're aware of, collaborate with the government. Share everything you know and let the nation intervene to resolve it.

These three points were of critical importance to Feng Qi.

He didn't currently have access to the Star City Database's locked sections, which contained invaluable information, including five-star and higher-level cultivation techniques. If he could obtain an access account, his gains from the Dream Realm would skyrocket.

However, he wasn't too optimistic about this first goal.

After all, the construction of the Star City Database would only happen hundreds of years later in this timeline, long after he was fated to die. He wouldn't be around to participate in building the Star City Shelter or its database, let alone secure any access privileges.

But still, it was worth trying. Who knew—he might get lucky.

The second point regarding the Crimson Research Institute was born out of suspicion. He was increasingly certain that something was very wrong with the institute.

It was highly probable that the Crimson Research Institute was continuing to conduct forbidden experiments on rune-modified humans—an atrocity that might have directly led to Mu Qing betraying humanity.

The third point concerned both Lin Ran and Mu Qing.

They were the "crises" mentioned in the historical records Feng Qi had uncovered. If their fates were truly inevitable, and he couldn't stop the events that led to disaster, then his future self would have no choice but to involve the government. Sharing all the information with the authorities would allow them to step in and intervene.

If the chain of disasters caused by these two "historical calamities" could be resolved, the future would undoubtedly take a completely different course.

After writing down the three messages, Feng Qi closed the notebook. He then logged onto his computer and created a private email account.

Next, he opened an online shopping site and spent 880,000 yuan to purchase a Twilight Wolf Rune Crystal (Low Grade).

Once everything was done, he leaned back in his chair, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

Now, he just had to wait and see how the future would change.