To the north of the Winterfell Supply Zone.
At the Silent Domain Field.
The towering gray barrier of the domain field resembled a massive curtain blocking the convoy's path. Upon closer inspection, the gray expanse was visibly expanding outward, albeit at a slow pace.
The convoy came to a halt one kilometer away from the Silent Domain Field. Mu Qing followed the Snow Wolf Squad members off the vehicles, helping set up camp.
Tents of various colors soon began dotting the temporary campsite.
The setup process for the tents was remarkably simple. In their compact state, the tents resembled metal briefcases. Once the "deploy" button was pressed, four metallic rods extended from the corners, automatically anchoring into the ground. The folded structure in the center then unfurled, forming a fully assembled tent.
This advanced product was specially designed by the Future Research Institute for domain combat squads stationed on the front lines. Having gone through multiple iterations, the design was now both portable and easy to use.
Meanwhile, the squad's support personnel unpacked tools and ingredients, preparing to cook dinner—a proper meal before entering the domain field. Once inside, they would rely on pre-packaged rations, as lighting fires for cooking was both risky and foolish.
At the same time, the six domain combat squad captains participating in the operation gathered around a campfire, discussing and finalizing the mission's deployment strategies.
The fire danced in the cold wind.
When the steaming hot food was finally placed in front of her, Mu Qing couldn't help but swallow audibly.
Seeing her eager expression, the woman sitting beside her chuckled, "That hungry?"
"I eat a lot," Mu Qing admitted earnestly.
Over the past few days, she had been restraining her appetite, but now it was getting harder to suppress.
"You might eat a lot, but can it compare to me? I've been a big eater since childhood. Back at Winterfell Academy, my classmates even nicknamed me 'Rice Barrel,'" Wild Bull chimed in with a hearty laugh.
Mu Qing replied seriously, "I might be several barrels... maybe even ten barrels."
Thinking she was joking, the group burst into laughter, with Wild Bull laughing the loudest.
Their amusement quickly turned into disbelief.
As dish after dish was brought to the table, Mu Qing revealed a voracious side. While others ate, Mu Qing's speed and intensity could only be described as "devouring."
Watching the food vanish rapidly, Wild Bull shouted toward the busy support staff, "Little Ye, more food! Bring a lot more!"
"Got it!" The young man called Little Ye replied cheerfully as he worked.
The meal dragged on for a long time. By the time everyone else was stuffed, Mu Qing was still eating.
Her incredible appetite left everyone in awe. They couldn't fathom how so much food fit into her slender frame.
Little Ye, still preparing food, stared at the rapidly depleting supplies and began to question his life choices. He even wondered if the mission might end prematurely due to a food shortage.
Thankfully, Mu Qing finally put down her plate with a blissful expression, signaling the end of her feast.
Wild Bull gave her a thumbs-up. "Respect. Complete respect."
"Was it too much?" she asked, slightly embarrassed.
"Not at all. We're a C-rank squad. We can afford to feed you," Wild Bull replied with a grin.
After some lighthearted banter, Captain Tuo Yan approached from a distance.
Gathering everyone, he shared the latest intelligence gathered from the other squad captains.
The Silent Domain Field's rate of expansion was accelerating.
Three joint squads had already entered the field before them, but none had returned.
With no signal available inside the domain field, there was no way of knowing what had happened—whether they had encountered danger, were still exploring, or were harvesting resources.
Their mission was to explore the Silent Domain Field, gather intelligence, and, if possible, locate the missing squad members.
After finishing his briefing, Tuo Yan added, "Pack up and get a good night's rest. We move into the field at dawn."
He then turned and headed toward his tent.
The squad members dispersed, tidying up the area and exchanging goodnights before retreating to their tents.
Mu Qing entered her own tent.
The interior was compact, with a layer of transparent film made of special material at the top, allowing her to see the sky clearly as she lay down.
Listening to the howling wind outside, her thoughts wandered before she gradually fell asleep.
A few hours later, a glimmer of drool formed at the corner of her lips as she mumbled in her sleep, "So delicious..."
At seven in the morning, the polar region was still shrouded in darkness.
Most of the squad remained asleep, except for a few guards keeping an eye on the domain field's expansion.
Suddenly, a sentry stationed atop a vehicle spotted movement within the field. Several figures emerged, breaking through the domain barrier and stumbling into the outside world.
Without hesitation, the sentry sounded the alarm.
The piercing wail of the alarm drowned out the howling wind, jolting the soldiers awake.
Reacting instinctively, they quickly geared up and stepped out of their tents.
Spotlights turned toward the domain field, illuminating several humanoid figures stumbling forward, leaving bloody footprints in their wake.
"They're ours! Provide support!" shouted the sentry, who had identified them using observation equipment.
Understanding the situation, the well-trained soldiers rushed toward the domain field.
Before they could reach the figures, a misty hand materialized from the domain field, grabbing the staggering survivors.
In the blink of an eye, their bodies were drained of flesh and blood, leaving behind shriveled corpses.
"Damn it!"
Wild Bull, who had nearly reached the domain field, roared in fury.
"All personnel, regroup! Fall back and prepare for combat!" Tuo Yan's voice rang out commandingly.
Frustrated but obedient, Wild Bull turned and retreated to the camp.
The sight of the ever-expanding domain field filled everyone with a heavy sense of foreboding.
Just now, a misty hand pierced through the domain field barrier, indicating the presence of a domain-transcending creature. Such a being had the ability to leave the domain and enter the outside world.
This was undoubtedly bad news.
Domain-transcending creatures posed a far greater threat to humanity than the expanding domain itself.
A moment later, the dried corpses of the fallen domain warriors were carried back to the camp.
Looking at the lifeless remains, the warriors fell into a somber silence.
Though they were long accustomed to life and death, seeing their comrades fall before their eyes still stirred a suffocating grief.
Today's fallen comrades could very well be tomorrow's version of themselves.
The earlier incident made the team realize that the missing squads had most likely met a tragic end—a high-probability scenario given the circumstances.
The limited information about the Silent Domain Field, combined with this event, heightened their assessment of the field's difficulty.
However, now that they were here, retreat was not an option.
After burying the fallen warriors, Tuo Yan and the other squad leaders gathered their team members and began preparations.
Two hours later, at sunrise, the squads moved out.
Tuo Yan and the other captains led their respective teams, each entering the Silent Domain Field from a different direction.
"Stay alert and prepare for battle. This domain field might be more dangerous than we initially expected," Tuo Yan shouted before stepping into the field.
At his command, the team members tightened their grips on their weapons.
Following close behind Tuo Yan, Mu Qing walked alongside Wild Bull, her massive backpack weighing heavily against her back. She clenched her fists, ready for whatever lay ahead.
The moment her body touched the barrier of the domain field, Mu Qing felt a slight resistance followed by a pulling force. Then, she was inside.
The instant she stepped in, the stark difference between the domain and the outside world hit her.
The howling wind outside vanished in an instant.
The gravity here was several times stronger than normal, making her backpack feel significantly heavier.
Yet, the increased weight was well within her tolerance, leaving her unfazed.
The spiritual cultivators in the team felt the burden more keenly, but their physical training allowed them to adjust quickly to the heavier gravity.
Ahead of them, dense fog obscured their vision, refusing to dissipate.
Fear often stems from the unknown, and the eerie surroundings exerted considerable psychological pressure on the team.
"Stay close, and be mindful of who's around you. If anything happens, call out immediately," Wild Bull instructed, stepping forward to lead the way beside Tuo Yan.
Mu Qing followed closely behind Wild Bull.
Meanwhile, the team's analyst extended their hand, enveloping a wisp of fog in spiritual energy to analyze its composition. They jotted down the data using an electronic pen.
These findings would later be uploaded to the squad's main database and shared with other squads in real time.
Such contributions also earned contribution points—essential for a domain combat squad's advancement. Much like gaining experience points in a game, completing research tasks, exploring domains, and gathering data all added to the squad's progress.
Meeting the requirements for contribution points, manpower, and overall strength would allow a squad to rise in rank.
Higher ranks brought better benefits for squad members, as well as greater rewards from the resources distributed when a domain was dispersed.
High risks were balanced by high rewards.
As they pressed forward, the team's surveyors began charting the terrain using a blank map. Every tree, plant, and notable feature was meticulously recorded. Even though the thick fog limited visibility, the surveyors—trained at the prestigious Galaxy Academy—used their precise measurements to map out the environment.
The Snow Wolf Squad's primary task this time was reconnaissance and mapping. Similar objectives were assigned to the other squads entering from different directions.
As the group advanced deeper into the domain field, faint wails echoed in the distance.
The sound was mournful, resembling sobs. But in the next moment, it turned into a guttural, enraged roar.
No one spoke. The entire group huddled together, moving cautiously under Wild Bull's guidance.
Suddenly, a scream erupted from the left flank.
The fog was so dense that visibility extended barely a meter, making it impossible to discern the source of the cry.
"What's going on, Monkey?" Tuo Yan shouted.
"A phantom figure! It's not physical—it grabbed Little Ye and dragged him off!" Monkey, stationed on the left, responded urgently.
"Direction?"
"Eleven o'clock from the center of the formation!"
Upon hearing this, the team's spiritual cultivators immediately cast illumination spells. Bright orbs of light formed in their hands before being hurled toward the indicated direction.
As the light pierced the fog, it revealed Little Ye suspended mid-air, a translucent blue phantom hovering above him.
"Wild Bull, hold your position! Dali, shoot it down!" Tuo Yan barked, noticing Wild Bull's instinct to charge forward.
At the command, a spiritual cultivator named Dali raised his hands.
A bow formed of pure spiritual energy materialized in his grasp, followed by a flaming arrow that appeared on the string.
Drawing back, he loosed the arrow with a sharp twang.
The flaming projectile shot forward at lightning speed, piercing through the phantom and igniting it in a burst of flames.
The phantom howled as it was consumed by fire, and Little Ye plummeted toward the ground.
"Monkey, catch him!"
Without hesitation, Monkey sprinted toward Little Ye, leaping up to intercept him just before he hit the ground.
After Monkey brought Little Ye back, the illumination orbs in the sky burned out, and visibility was once again shrouded by the thick fog.
"Monkey, report Little Ye's condition," Tuo Yan ordered, his voice calm but tense.
"His left shoulder has claw marks. The injury isn't severe, but it seems he's suffered some sort of mental trauma—he's not fully conscious," Monkey replied, his tone tinged with worry.
Hearing this, the team's analyst stepped forward. "My analysis is complete. The fog contains substances that can induce mental hypnosis. Everyone, avoid getting injured as much as possible."
Tuo Yan's expression turned grave upon hearing this. "Give Little Ye a Calming Pill and move him to the center of the formation. We'll proceed carefully," he instructed.
With the arrangements made, the group pressed forward.
The dense fog limited visibility, prompting Tuo Yan to have the spiritual cultivators in the team take turns casting Illumination spells to light the way.
This method consumed significant spiritual energy. Without continuous replenishment, the spiritual cultivators would quickly deplete their reserves, which could leave them vulnerable.
However, given the dangers lurking in the fog, Tuo Yan decided that the safety of the team outweighed the cost of using a substantial amount of spiritual energy supplements. He prioritized a secure return over risking an incomplete exploration.
After several hours of meticulous exploration, the surveyors managed to map out a portion of the Silent Domain Field.
As the group advanced, Mu Qing suddenly stopped and pricked up her ears.
"Captain, I hear fighting at two o'clock. It sounds like members of the other squads we're working with," she said firmly.
Tuo Yan turned to Wild Bull. "Wild Bull, did you hear anything?"
Wild Bull frowned, straining to listen. "No, I don't hear anything."
Tuo Yan's gaze shifted back to Mu Qing. "Are you certain?"
Mu Qing nodded resolutely. "I'm sure I heard it."
Taking her at her word, Tuo Yan took a deep breath and shouted, "Everyone, head toward two o'clock at full speed!"
Several illumination orbs were thrown ahead in the indicated direction as the group adjusted their course.
Following Wild Bull's lead, the team sprinted toward the source of the sound.
Within five minutes, the group spotted several illumination orbs rising into the sky, marking the location of another squad locked in battle.
The sight that met them was dire—a swarm of spectral entities engulfing their allies. The sheer number of enemies painted a grim picture of the situation.
Tuo Yan's expression hardened. Without hesitation, he barked orders, "Wild Bull, lead the charge with the warriors! Monkey, Crocodile, Stick, stay behind to protect our team!"
"Understood!" Wild Bull roared. Flames ignited around his body as he charged toward the encircled squad like a fiery comet, followed by twenty other warriors.
Meanwhile, the spiritual cultivators in the Snow Wolf Squad began weaving complex spells, hurling them into the dense cluster of spectral entities.
Mu Qing turned to Tuo Yan with determination in her eyes. "Captain, let me join the fight."
Tuo Yan studied her briefly before nodding. "Go, but stay close to Wild Bull. Don't lose your way in the fog."
"I understand," Mu Qing replied earnestly. She quickly shrugged off her heavy backpack and bolted forward.
What happened next left Tuo Yan and the others stunned.
Mu Qing's speed was like lightning. In the blink of an eye, she had overtaken Wild Bull, who was still charging forward, and reached the edge of the spectral swarm.
Planting her feet firmly, Mu Qing raised her fist.
The energy coursing through her body radiated outward like a blazing sun. Just her presence alone caused the nearby specters to evaporate instantly.
When her fist slammed forward, a violent gust of wind surged ahead, uprooting dirt and debris.
Boom!
The ground beneath her trembled from the impact, and the sky seemed to ripple as her punch dispersed a portion of the fog, leaving a visible gap that lingered in the air.
The single strike eradicated a large number of specters, leaving the embattled squad in awe.
Not stopping there, Mu Qing drew back her fist and unleashed a second blow.
Her attacks were simple yet overwhelmingly powerful. The mere shockwave from her punch tore through the spectral entities, shredding their incorporeal forms.
Watching this from the rear, the Snow Wolf Squad's secretary muttered in disbelief, "How did a powerhouse like her not get recruited by a top-tier squad? How did we get so lucky?"
Tuo Yan couldn't help but grin, though his tone was still one of incredulity. "You're the one who picked her. I was going to ask you where you found this monster."
Despite his words, excitement gleamed in Tuo Yan's eyes.
The secretary was right—Mu Qing's strength far exceeded their expectations. She was a gem that the Snow Wolf Squad, a mere C-rank squad, had no business recruiting.
Back on the battlefield, Mu Qing's relentless onslaught decimated the spectral horde.
Within minutes, the fight was over.
The fog in the immediate area was cleared by the force of her punches, creating an open space where the sky was visible once more.
As the other squad members looked on, their expressions were a mix of shock and reverence.
At that moment, the Historic God of War was beginning to show her true potential.
After regrouping, the two squads began tending to the injured. Medics moved swiftly to stabilize the wounded.
Wild Bull approached Mu Qing, a wide grin splitting his face. "Mu Qing, looks like all those survival tips I taught you were unnecessary. I underestimated you."
Mu Qing shook her head earnestly. "No, Wild Bull, those skills are invaluable. I'm planning to form my own squad someday, and I'll make sure to pass on what you taught me to my team."
Wild Bull chuckled, but before he could respond, a sudden shift in the fog above them caught everyone's attention.
The dense mist began to contract, condensing into the shape of a massive face.
The face, made entirely of swirling fog, gazed down at the group with a sinister smirk.
"Fresh food has arrived," it sneered, its voice dripping with malice.
The oppressive aura it radiated pressed down on everyone, leaving no doubt that this was a domain-transcending creature.
"I'm curious," the face continued, its tone mocking. "You're so weak. Where did you find the courage to enter my domain?"
Its words struck a nerve, but none of the warriors responded.
This entity, capable of speech, had clearly encountered humans before. Worse, it might even be a type of domain creature that absorbed human memories.
Seeing that no one below responded, the face formed from the mist continued, its tone mocking:
"The three squads that entered with you have already been devoured by me. Now it's your turn. Let me feel your fear—that's my favorite delicacy."
As its voice faded, the misty face dissolved into tendrils, and the surrounding fog began to descend rapidly, thickening ominously.
Mu Qing reacted instantly, flashing to the front of the squad. She clenched her fist and swung upward into the sky.
The force of her punch tore through the air with a thunderous crack, generating a shockwave that halted the descending fog in its tracks.
A gasp of surprise echoed from within the mist.
Without missing a beat, Mu Qing launched another strike. The terrifying power of her punch churned the fog, scattering vast swathes of it in all directions.
Suddenly, a massive claw formed from the mist shot out, swiping at Mu Qing.
With a deep breath, Mu Qing's body was enveloped in a shimmering jade aura. She pivoted and unleashed another punch toward the claw.
The jade-colored energy emanated from her fist, twisting into a form that resembled a soaring dragon.
Boom!
The sky seemed to split apart as her strike shattered the mist claw into countless fragments.
The face reformed within the fog, now more focused, its expression solemn. Clearly, it hadn't expected to encounter such a formidable opponent.
"You're strong," it said slowly, its tone heavy with deliberation. "I'll let you leave, but everyone behind you must stay."
Mu Qing's response was immediate and biting, her voice cold. "Idiot!" she snapped, raising her middle finger—a gesture she'd picked up from Feng Qi.
Behind her, Wild Bull chimed in, shouting, "We'll spare you this time! Get lost back to whatever pit you crawled out of!"
The misty face smirked, unfazed. "Even if I leave, your human civilization is doomed to extinction. There's nothing you can do to change your fate."
"Bullshit!" Wild Bull roared. "Humanity will prevail! If we can't disperse these domain fields, our descendants will!"
"Your fearlessness comes from ignorance. Ignorance makes you foolish," the face retorted, its gaze cold and condescending, as if looking at insignificant insects.
Mu Qing crouched low, gathering her strength, before launching another punch skyward.
The powerful shockwave obliterated a large portion of the mist, leaving the misty face contorted under the force of the impact.
"You're powerful," it admitted, its voice tinged with frustration. "The strongest human I've ever encountered. Killing you would take considerable effort, but I have more important matters to conserve my strength for. I'll give you one last chance to leave."
Mu Qing's clenched fist was her only answer.
Seeing her defiance, the misty face chuckled, its tone laced with menace. "You're strong, but you can't protect everyone behind you. If I wanted them dead, it would take no more than a thought."
"You dare?!" Mu Qing roared, her fury igniting. She hurled another devastating punch toward the sky.
The mist, thick and oppressive, surged from all directions, enveloping the squad's position. The face charged toward Mu Qing, its form twisting violently.
As the two forces collided, a terrifying stalemate ensued.
From behind her, screams erupted as the corrosive mist began to consume those it touched. Warriors cried out in agony as their flesh melted away, leaving behind lifeless husks.
The fighters in the rear desperately deployed energy barriers to hold back the mist, but the barriers disintegrated almost instantly, unable to withstand its corrosive power.
Watching her comrades fall, Mu Qing's heart clenched.
She wasn't afraid of the mist herself, but the others clearly couldn't endure it.
Gritting her teeth, she made a swift decision. Turning back, she struck out with a powerful punch, dispersing a large swathe of the mist.
"Follow me! I'll clear a path!" she shouted.
Her voice carried over the chaos, rallying the surviving warriors. They regrouped quickly, following closely as Mu Qing forged ahead.
Amidst the retreat, mocking laughter echoed from above, but no one looked back.
The squad now understood that the Silent Domain Field was far beyond their capabilities. Staying any longer would only mean death.
Mu Qing sprinted around the perimeter of the squad, her fists flying, scattering the mist in bursts of raw power. Each strike carved out a safe corridor for the team to escape.
Despite her efforts, the mist surged relentlessly. No matter how fast Mu Qing moved, some team members were still overtaken. The moment the mist enveloped them, their bodies were drained of blood and flesh, leaving only desiccated husks behind.
Watching more of her comrades fall, Mu Qing's fury boiled over. Her eyes glowed a deep crimson, teetering on the brink of losing control.
Clenching her fists tightly, she forced herself to stay focused.
For hours, she pushed herself to the limit, leading the survivors through the domain's barriers and into the safety of the outside world.
By the time they escaped, nearly a third of the squad had perished.
Mu Qing's crimson eyes, filled with seething anger, flickered as she took stock of the situation. Without a word, she turned and charged back into the mist.
Inside the domain, Mu Qing unleashed a deafening roar, her fists tearing through the ghostly forms lurking in the fog.
The misty face watched her rampage from the shadows, observing her carefully. It hesitated to attack outright but grew increasingly wary as she continued to decimate its minions.
When it finally decided to confront her directly, the mist coalesced into a massive claw.
Mu Qing met it head-on.
The collision shook the domain itself, and the force of her blow created a visible rift in the surrounding space.
She pressed forward, each step dispelling more of the oppressive mist. Her jade-colored aura flared, the sheer intensity of her power forcing the misty entity to reassess its position.
Realizing it had underestimated her, the entity condensed itself further. The swirling fog transformed into a humanoid figure—a young man with purple hair and glowing violet eyes.
The two clashed again, their strikes shattering the very air around them. Cracks formed in the domain's barriers as their battle raged.
Finally, Mu Qing seized the purple-haired figure by the hair, slamming him into the ground with overwhelming force.
Jade energy coalesced around her fist as she brought it down in a devastating blow.
The earth trembled, and the figure was driven deep into the ground, the domain trembling from the impact.
The ground beneath Mu Qing shattered violently as she tore it apart with her bare hands, lunging toward the purple-haired boy.
Realizing his strength was no match for hers, the boy swiftly dodged, tearing through the earth and emerging from another point, then flying into the sky.
Mu Qing gave chase without hesitation, launching herself like an arrow from the ground, her speed so immense that the purple-haired boy had no time to react before she grabbed his hair again, hurling him back toward the ground.
Boom!
The impact resonated as Mu Qing's fist smashed directly into his face, driving him into the earth once more.
This time, the pain radiating from his face ignited the boy's fury.
A stream of gray energy began to leak from his body, enveloping him completely. He clawed his way out of the ground and rushed toward Mu Qing, engaging her in a flurry of punches and strikes.
Each collision was brutal, their attacks sending shockwaves through the surrounding area.
However, with her jade-colored aura protecting her, Mu Qing remained unscathed, her body showing no signs of injury.
In contrast, the purple-haired boy was battered and bruised, his chest visibly caving in from one of her punches.
Realizing he couldn't match her in close combat, he dissolved into a mist and retreated, reforming his body a short distance away.
His violet eyes gleamed with a strange, eerie light as he glared at Mu Qing.
Suddenly, whispers and murmurs filled Mu Qing's mind, attempting to erode her will with a mental assault.
But in her enraged state, such psychological tricks were useless. The attack dissipated the moment it reached her.
Mu Qing closed the distance once again, unrelenting.
When the boy realized his mental attack had failed, he quickly began tracing complex patterns in the air. Space around Mu Qing abruptly tore apart, forming a cage that imprisoned her.
Within the spatial cage, countless misty spikes materialized, striking at her body.
Mu Qing paid them no mind. Her jade-colored aura remained an impenetrable defense.
Her fists pounded relentlessly against the spatial walls, each strike shaking the very fabric of the domain.
Her uncontrollable rage transformed her into an unstoppable force, akin to an ancient beast of unparalleled power.
As the jade aura around her thickened, the faint image of a ferocious beast appeared behind her, exuding overwhelming dominance and disdain for all.
With a sudden motion, Mu Qing thrust her hand through the spatial rift.
The destructive spatial energy, capable of tearing apart anything, failed to harm her in the slightest.
Using sheer brute force, she stepped through the rift, shattering the spatial cage as she emerged.
Seeing this, the purple-haired boy's face twisted in fear.
He finally understood the terrifying extent of Mu Qing's physical strength and realized he couldn't win.
For the first time, he felt the genuine threat of death looming over him.
Without hesitation, he dissolved into mist and fled toward the sky.
In her frenzied state, Mu Qing had no intention of letting him escape. She opened her mouth wide and inhaled sharply.
The beastly shadow behind her mirrored her action, opening its massive maw.
The mist in the sky was immediately drawn toward her, pulled by an invisible force into her body.
Panicked, the boy pushed his misty form to its limits, trying to escape through the domain barrier.
Despite his efforts, a significant portion of his body was still devoured by the suction, leaving only about one-third of his original form as he managed to flee beyond the domain's boundary.
Back within the domain, Mu Qing's rage remained unsated.
With clenched fists, she slammed into the ground, her strikes carrying unprecedented power.
The entire Silent Domain Field trembled violently.
Cracks spread outward from her position, splitting the ground open in all directions.
Another punch, then another, each more ferocious than the last.
Her relentless assault caused the core spatial crystal of the domain to flicker erratically, on the verge of shattering completely.
With one final blow, the ground beneath her crumbled into a massive crater spanning tens of kilometers.
The beastly shadow behind her roared into the heavens as the domain's crystalline core disintegrated into dust.
The barrier that had encapsulated the Silent Domain Field dissolved entirely.
Unlike other domain combat squads, which relied on targeted strategies to break the core crystal, Mu Qing's method was pure destruction. Her overwhelming force tore the domain apart, reducing it to ruin before obliterating its heart.
As her rage subsided, clarity returned to her eyes.
Surveying the enormous crater she had created, Mu Qing took a deep breath, her trembling fists clenched tightly.
A sense of lingering fear surfaced within her as she realized the extent of the devastation she had caused.
She resolved to improve her emotional control moving forward, understanding that her inability to rein in her power could lead to irreparable consequences.
After steadying her breath and suppressing her lingering bloodlust, Mu Qing turned south, heading back toward the squad.
Meanwhile, in a snow-covered forest to the north of the shattered domain, the purple-haired boy lay sprawled on the ground, his body riddled with injuries.
Wisps of gray mist leaked from his form, and his pale lips quivered as his life force dwindled.
Coughing violently, he expelled two small puffs of mist, his breath growing weaker by the second.
Even so, the intense desire to survive burned within him, keeping him clinging to the edge of life.
Grasping the dirt with trembling hands, he let out a guttural growl, his body wracked with pain.
But no matter how strong his will, his vitality continued to fade.
With the domain destroyed, the rules that had once sustained him were severed, leaving him unable to heal from the injuries inflicted by Mu Qing.
His vision blurred, and he began to hallucinate, seeing the faces of his kin gazing at him from a distance—some filled with pity, others with anger, and a few with profound sorrow.
"Patriarch, you promised to resurrect all of us. We cleared the path to hope for you, yet you abandoned your promise."
"Patriarch, why did you forsake us?"
"Keep living! Devour enough blood and essence to reconstruct our bodies and bring us all back to life!"
"Brother, I still want to live. But for your sake, I was willing to die. Don't disappoint me."
"There is a world full of miracles. Each miracle holds the power to change fate. Seek them out and achieve your dream of ascending to godhood."
"You are unworthy of being our patriarch! You said you'd plunder opportunities from another world to build a new home for us. Did you succeed?!"
"You are the greatest genius our clan has ever produced. Your talent is on par with the divine children of stronger clans. Today, I pass the title of patriarch to you. Lead our clan to rise again. Don't let me down…"
Countless voices interwove in his mind.
But his body's incompatibility with this world continued to drain the gray life force within him.
Yet, in that moment, the purple-haired boy's eyes snapped open.
I must live!
Driven by a desperate will, he began to attempt harmonizing with this world. In his desperation, he even severed his own life source, trying to reforge it into a new adaptable origin to align with the rules of this realm.
He gambled everything to defy the heavens and rewrite his fate.
As he struggled, the gray hues consumed his eyes entirely. His body collapsed onto the ground, lifeless.
It was unknown how much time had passed, but his corpse, now buried under layers of snow, lay motionless.
Suddenly, a hand emerged from the snow.
The white layers covering his body crumbled away, and the purple-haired boy floated upward.
His eyes, now a brilliant violet once again, shimmered with newfound vitality.
He had succeeded.
Defying the odds, he had reversed his fate, forging a new life origin that seamlessly integrated with this world's rules.
However, his current state was far from triumphant. His strength, compared to before his battle with Mu Qing, had been halved, and his body bore countless hidden wounds and cracks.
With a wave of his hand, countless spectral figures emerged from within him, encircling his body.
The sky darkened as it filled with the faces of the departed, their familiar gazes reflecting sorrow and longing.
Looking at them, his resolve solidified. He reabsorbed the spectral forms into himself.
He cast a cold glance toward the ruins of his "clan's domain," the battlefield that had sealed his fate.
What was done was done. He understood now that his plan needed a complete overhaul.
Originally, he had intended to use the clan's domain as a nucleus, expanding it outward like the great clans, consuming all life and essence in its wake to resurrect his people.
But now, with the domain shattered, he realized this path was far beyond his capabilities.
Turning his gaze southward, a new plan began to take form in his mind.
If the old domain was gone, then he would start anew. He would create an entirely new future.
With this thought, his body rose into the air, transforming into a misty cloud that drifted toward the south.
At that moment, history veered onto a path eerily reminiscent of other timelines.
The ambitious Mist Lord, who once sought to consume the world starting from his clan's domain, had encountered Mu Qing—a newcomer among domain warriors.
One, the greatest prodigy in the history of his clan.
The other, a historical tyrant whose might transcended her era.
The battle ended with Mu Qing securing an overwhelming victory.
Having clawed his way back from the brink of death, the Mist Lord found his destiny irrevocably altered. He abandoned his dream of expanding the clan's domain and ruling the world, realizing the futility of such a path with his current strength.
Instead, his fate would now intertwine with Lin Ran.
A thousand-year plan to resurrect his people would one day come to fruition.