I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Listening to the muffled thuds of collisions from above, Feng Qi's expression remained calm.

Though Little Black and Suction Cup were engaged in an intense battle, it didn't interfere with his focus on browsing through the database for cultivation techniques.

He was, after all, just an emotionless database-scouring robot.

"He~tui!"

Feng Qi: "..."

After a few moments of searching, he clicked on the detailed page of a technique.

[Heaven and Earth Meditation (Cultivation Technique)]

Creator: Wang Dong (B-Rank Researcher, Galaxy Research Institute)

Rating: Two Stars

Description: This technique focuses on spiritual cultivation. Through its practice, a cultivator's mental awareness is sharpened, greatly improving the fluidity of spellcasting.

Quality of Spiritual Energy Produced: B+ Rank

Compared to Tiger Fist and Body Tempering Technique, Heaven and Earth Meditation was geared more toward techniques that emphasized spell-based combat.

Having already copied two body cultivation techniques, Feng Qi thought it was time to snag a spiritual cultivation method.

Spiritual cultivation, like physical cultivation, was one of the two primary streams in combat studies.

Physical cultivation centered on strengthening the body by refining muscles, bones, and skin with spiritual energy, resulting in physical resilience and power on par with domain creatures.

In contrast, spiritual cultivation emphasized the refinement of mental awareness and the quality of internal spiritual energy.

Mental awareness was akin to a control lever for spells. The stronger the awareness, the smoother the spellcasting. Similarly, the higher the quality of spiritual energy, the more powerful the spells.

Modern cultivators generally opted for dual cultivation, rarely focusing on just one path. Since physical and spiritual cultivation didn't conflict, unlike in games where classes were restricted to "warrior" or "mage," practitioners in reality could pursue both simultaneously.

Flexibility in application was paramount.

After clicking on the instructional video for the technique, Feng Qi quickly immersed himself in learning. His focus was on the instructional framework rather than mastering the technique himself—he couldn't cultivate anymore as a living dead, after all.

As time passed, he became increasingly absorbed.

For Feng Qi, the process of learning wasn't tedious. On the contrary, it brought him a sense of satisfaction, much like uncovering a fascinating historical narrative. Every new addition to his mental repository felt like an achievement.

This was the joy of learning—the refusal to remain ignorant.

The two-star-rated Heaven and Earth Meditation wasn't particularly complex. Beyond memorizing the fundamental principles, the most critical aspect was the spiritual energy's flow path within the body.

The practice resembled an advanced version of a connect-the-dots game. Every acupuncture point in the body acted as a node, and practitioners had to guide external spiritual energy into their bodies, navigating through various points to form a specific energy flow pattern. This resulting trajectory defined the technique's execution.

The underlying principle lay in a practitioner's ability to control the speed and rhythm of spiritual energy circulation—knowing when to accelerate, when to decelerate, and maintaining synchronized breathing.

Compared to the study of techniques, the act of cultivation itself wasn't particularly difficult.

After many repetitions, Feng Qi finally committed the instructional content to memory. To ensure he had it down, he reviewed the material one last time before closing the video.

The sounds of combat from above had ceased, but Little Black hadn't shown up to collect his soul, indicating Suction Cup had yet to be defeated.

He suspected that the battle had moved away from the shelter during the clash.

Taking advantage of the remaining time, Feng Qi decided to browse the database for more information.

After pondering for a moment, he opened the search bar and typed:

"Lottery winning numbers from previous years."

A list of numbers for various years appeared on the screen.

Resorting to the lottery to make money wasn't his first choice; its limitations were too restrictive for his long-term goals.

The modern world's lottery system had long abandoned offline methods, fully transitioning to an online-only platform.

Purchasing lottery tickets required multiple layers of identity verification, including facial recognition and other complex authentication steps. Additionally, strict government regulations capped daily betting limits for citizens—each person was allowed a maximum of 2 yuan per day, with only one ticket permitted. The prize amount was fixed at 5 million yuan.

This wasn't an era for reckless entertainment. Occasional small bets were acceptable, but the government did not allow citizens to waste excessive time and resources on lottery gambling. Lastly, even if one won, collecting the prize involved further identity verification.

This meant the lottery could only be used as a one-time solution for quick cash. Repeated winnings would inevitably attract attention and bring unnecessary trouble, which was why Feng Qi was reluctant to rely on the lottery as a source of income.

Currently, his bank balance could only support two more trips into the future dream realm. Before securing a stable income, he decided to use the lottery for a one-time payout and then abandon this method entirely.

After noting down the day's winning lottery numbers, he turned his attention back to the database, opening the "Domain Field Details" section. He wanted to gather information related to domain fields, especially those that hadn't yet been cleared in his timeline but were already dealt with in the future. He hoped the database contained detailed records of the processes involved in clearing those fields.

Even better, he hoped it included information on the weaknesses of these domain fields.

Having such knowledge would be incredibly helpful for building an organization capable of opposing the Crimson Research Institute. For an organization to rise, money was essential but not omnipotent.

Many rare resources produced in domain fields were not available for purchase, even with wealth. These resources were usually prioritized for major research institutes, particularly those that could significantly enhance lifespan and power.

If he planned to establish a strong organization to rival the Crimson Research Institute, acquiring rare resources would be crucial. For this, forming a domain combat squad to venture into domain fields seemed inevitable.

Unlike major research institutes, he had no support from the military or existing domain combat squads. His needs would have to be met by his own efforts.

Thus, gaining advanced knowledge about domain fields was invaluable.

As he browsed the database, time slipped away.

When the familiar voice of the narrator echoed in his ears, Feng Qi turned to see Little Black emerging from the metal corridor.

There was no miracle. Despite Suction Cup's terrifying combat prowess, she had ultimately fallen to Little Black.

"Goodbye, Narrator!" Feng Qi said resolutely.

"Broke boy, travel safely—I won't be seeing you off!"

Feng Qi: "..."

Clenching his fists, he charged toward the oncoming Little Black without hesitation.

The moment they clashed, darkness engulfed his vision. Unsurprisingly, he was instantly "killed."

…

Back in the real world, Feng Qi sat at his desk, staring at the countdown timer for the lottery draw with excitement.

After returning from the future dream realm, the first thing he did was go online to buy a lottery ticket. After navigating the lengthy verification process, he successfully purchased his very first lottery ticket. This one ticket was supposed to bring him a windfall of five million yuan.

As he waited, the lottery results were announced.

The moment he saw the winning numbers, the smile on his face froze.

"Unbelievable."

Staring at the numbers, he couldn't help but clap sarcastically.

He had heard rumors before about online lotteries being rigged, with the results manipulated by the system to ensure ordinary people couldn't win. He never believed it—until now.

He had planned to exploit the lottery just this once and then call it quits, but it seemed the system wouldn't even give him a single chance. Tears welled up in his eyes.

"Damn it!"