I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Following the narrator's suggestion, Feng Qi's gaze locked onto the mysterious statue not far ahead.

The statue stood about a meter tall, resembling the goat-headed demons, with a six-pointed star etched onto its forehead. At the center of the star gleamed a crimson rune crystal.

The narrator rarely gave meaningless advice, so Feng Qi was sure that destroying the life force inside the statue could grant him some extraordinary ability.

Before making a move, he glanced toward the entrance. Little Black was locked in combat with the goat-headed demons. Little Black's most terrifying trait was its nearly invulnerable body. Whenever attacked, parts of its body would dissipate into mist and instantly reassemble, keeping it virtually unscathed and unbeatable.

Initially, Feng Qi thought Little Black's ability only countered physical damage. But now, seeing it effortlessly absorb the fire breathed by the goat-headed demons, he realized the sheer horror of its power. No matter the type of attack, Little Black seemed to have an answer for it.

This level of invincibility made Feng Qi's scalp tingle. He couldn't think of any way to counter such a monster.

Taking advantage of the distraction as the goat-headed demons encircled Little Black, Feng Qi cautiously crept toward the mysterious statue.

Standing before the statue, he took a deep breath and swung his fist at its head.

His punch connected with the rune crystal on the statue's forehead. A ripple of crimson energy spread across its surface, and instead of shattering, the statue retaliated with a force that sent Feng Qi stumbling several steps backward.

Unwilling to give up, he stepped forward again and swung another punch at the statue. This time, before his fist even reached its target, he felt a transparent barrier spring up in front of the statue, blocking his attack.

As if reacting to his assault, the statue's eyes abruptly lit up, emitting a dazzling crimson glow. Its metallic surface shifted, transforming into flesh-like muscle fibers.

Witnessing this transformation, Feng Qi was momentarily stunned.

He felt like the narrator had set him up. Clearly, he had messed with something far beyond his capabilities.

Just as he prepared to flee, the statue froze mid-transformation. The crimson light in its eyes faded, and its surface returned to its original metallic sheen, as if someone had hit a shutdown button.

[Trust me! A tiger doesn't eat its cubs—I wouldn't lead you astray.]

Feng Qi: …

"What now?"

[Keep smashing it. The life force within the statue is incredibly weak; it can't even fight back.]

Encouraged by the narrator's reassurance, Feng Qi gritted his teeth and swung another punch at the statue.

One blow. Two blows. Three blows. Each punch sent shockwaves of pain through his arm as the newly grown muscles on his right arm were torn apart, revealing the white bone beneath.

Though his injuries worsened, he didn't stop. Blow after blow, he continued his relentless assault.

Finally, cracks began to form on the statue's surface. The fissures quickly spread, and moments later, the entire statue crumbled.

Inside lay a pulsating blood-red orb, resembling a heart. Encased in interwoven veins, it throbbed rhythmically. Through the translucent flesh, Feng Qi could faintly make out a curled-up figure within.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the blood-red orb and squeezed it tightly.

The orb shattered, spilling a translucent liquid across his face. The tiny life form within wriggled and let out a faint, childlike cry.

The cry was so soft it was entirely drowned out by the chaos of Little Black's battle with the goat-headed demons.

Glancing at the goat-headed demons still engaged in their fight, Feng Qi acted decisively. Clenching his hand again, he crushed the blood-red life form into a pulp, ending the peculiar domain creature's existence.

A burst of crimson mist erupted from the lifeless form and surged into Feng Qi's body.

The moment the energy entered him, it felt like drinking an ice-cold soda on a sweltering summer day—pure ecstasy. Waves of vitality coursed through him. The wounds on his arm began to regenerate rapidly, with new muscles forming over the exposed bones.

He could feel his power surging. As his body underwent these changes, his once-decayed heart began to stir. The dull gray tissue gradually turned a vibrant pink, and its beats grew stronger.

Curious, he summoned his status panel. A new prefix title had been added to his attributes.

[Blood Source · Nightmare · Resilience (Level 2) · Strong Zombie: Feng Qi]

Strength Level: Black Iron, Low Tier

Prefix Title:

Strong: Enhances physical strength by 20%, significantly boosts self-healing capabilities.

Resilience (Level 3): Increases muscle elasticity by 3%.

Nightmare (Non-Upgradable): Grants the ability to invade the target's consciousness, reading memories depending on the user's mental strength. This ability improves as the user's mental strength grows.

Blood Source (Non-Upgradable): Generates a blood core within the heart, dramatically improving its efficiency. This ability can also be actively triggered to draw on the blood core's energy and vital force, granting a burst of enhanced combat power. The ability's potency scales with the user's vitality.

Bloodline: Human (Basic)

Evolution Points: 235/1000

Feng Qi noted the distinct characteristics of his new title compared to the others he had earned. While "Strong" and "Resilience" were passive abilities, "Nightmare" required active use, and "Blood Source" could function both passively and actively.

As his heart beat steadily, he could feel the immense vitality it generated. A simple mental command caused the heart to beat faster, like stepping on a gas pedal.

Experimenting further, Feng Qi directed his consciousness into the heart itself.

What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary. His heart's rhythm tripled in speed, and waves of vitality surged outward, spreading throughout his body.

Under the surge of power, the flesh buds on Feng Qi's body rapidly grew, transforming uncontrollably.

In the blink of an eye, his skeletal form morphed into a towering, two-meter-tall humanoid muscle beast, his entire body brimming with bulging muscles.

Clenching his fist, he could clearly feel the immense, surging power coursing through his body, as if it was ready to explode outward at any moment.

[Impressive! You've directly evolved into a full-blown muscle freak. This ability really suits you!]

Hearing the narrator's sarcastic remark, Feng Qi rolled his eyes in response.

At the same time, he could feel the vitality and energy within him depleting rapidly.

Realizing that this state couldn't be maintained for long without exhausting his reserves, he turned to the distant entrance. He decided to make his escape while the transformation was still active.

With his decision made, Feng Qi took a deep breath, then suddenly bolted toward the entrance.

The power in his legs erupted, leaving a deep crater in the ground. His figure shot forward like a cannonball, each stride propelling him several meters.

Just as he was about to reach the blood-red tunnel's entrance, a goat-headed demon was flung by Little Black, landing heavily in front of him and blocking his path.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Without hesitation, Feng Qi swung a powerful kick. The muscles in his right leg instantly coiled and compacted, launching the goat-headed demon flying into the distance. He then leaped straight into the blood-red tunnel.

Staying behind was a dead end. If Little Black won, Feng Qi would be the next target. If Little Black lost, the situation wouldn't improve. Escaping while he was still in his transformed state was the wisest option.

Racing through the blood-red tunnel, Feng Qi moved with unmatched speed until he finally exited the pulsating, fleshy entrance.

The exit hung about ten meters above the ground, but without a second thought, he leaped into the air and let gravity take over.

As he plummeted, his body gained speed until he crashed into the ground with a deafening thud. Debris scattered in all directions as a two-meter-wide crater formed beneath his feet, its surface riddled with cracks.

Yet in his blood-enhanced state, Feng Qi felt no discomfort and landed firmly.

[Oh ho! Very strong. Clearly, the muscle freak mode is your true form. You should just evolve in this direction from now on.]

"Spit!"

Feng Qi shot another glare at the narrator, rolling his eyes at its teasing remarks.

Compared to the "Nightmare" ability, which he still hadn't figured out how to activate, the "Blood Source" ability was far easier to master. After just a few attempts, he had already grasped its activation method.

Feeling satisfied with the powerful enhancement, Feng Qi was in a great mood.

He glanced up at the blood moon hanging in the sky. Confirming his position, he set off eastward at full speed.

In his blood-enhanced state, his strength and speed were amplified severalfold. Even his physical defenses had been significantly boosted. The wind roared past his ears as he ran, each step leaving a deep imprint in the ground.

However, the transformation didn't last long. Soon, the muscles covering his body began to wither and fall off, dissipating into blood-red mist that vanished with the wind. His form returned to normal.

When the blood-enhanced state completely faded, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

It wasn't that he had grown weaker—after all, the "Blood Source" ability drew its power from the blood core in his heart, independent of his body. However, the sudden loss of his amplified abilities left him feeling disoriented and weak in comparison.

"I feel drained... like something's missing."

[Tsk tsk. So young and already losing vitality? How embarrassing.]

"Shut up! I wake up ready to go every morning!" Feng Qi snapped back at the narrator's taunts.

[Proof? Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving.]

Feng Qi: …

[By the way, I just realized something. The abilities you gain in the future dreamscape can be brought back to the real world. That means you could also activate the "Blood Source" ability in reality. What do you think would happen?]

Feng Qi froze for a moment, caught off guard by the thought.

As the idea sank in, a shiver ran down his spine. A sense of dread welled up inside him.

The defining trait of the "Blood Source" ability was its reliance on the blood core within his heart to temporarily amplify his physical capabilities. Once the blood core was depleted, his heart would return to its decayed, withered state. Even his newly grown muscles would vanish.

If he were to activate this ability in the real world, as the narrator suggested, it could have catastrophic consequences.

In the future dreamscape, Feng Qi could survive with just a skeletal frame. But in the real world, there was no guarantee he would be so lucky.

"Narrator, if I were to enter the Zombie state in reality, would I die?"

[Good question! Unfortunately, the only way to find out is through experimentation. So, do you want to give it a try? What if it works?]

"And what if it doesn't?"

[Then I'll have Suction Cup cry over your grave.]

Feng Qi: …

Raising a mental middle finger to the narrator, Feng Qi pondered the issue further.

Logically speaking, since the future dreamscape mirrored reality, any power he gained there would transfer back. That meant using the "Blood Source" ability in reality shouldn't be lethal—at least in theory.

Moreover, his unique body in the real world no longer allowed for traditional cultivation. He could only grow stronger by fighting and absorbing powers in the dreamscape. This suggested an inherent connection between his physical body and the dreamscape's version of him.

[Theory is nothing without practice. Why not take a bold step and test it out, brave one?]

Feng Qi: …

Despite the plausible theory, he had no intention of testing it out.

If his assumptions were wrong, activating the "Blood Source" ability in reality would likely result in instant death.

Glancing at the blood moon above, he resumed his journey eastward, keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings.

Until he reunited with Suction Cup, Feng Qi didn't dare let his guard down. After all, there was still so much information in the future database left unexplored.

He needed more time, and Suction Cup was the key to securing it.