Over the next few days, apart from attending classes, Feng Qi devoted all his time to studying.
Through consistent effort, his understanding of cultivation studies deepened.
With a solid foundation, this would undoubtedly enhance his efficiency in memorizing cultivation techniques in future dreamscapes.
One day, after class, Feng Qi was about to return to his dormitory when he received a call from Bai Fusheng.
Upon answering, Bai Fusheng's aged voice came through:
"Ah Qi, come to the principal's office now."
"Is something up?" Feng Qi couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Director Liu from the Tiger Soul Research Institute is here specifically to meet you. This is a rare opportunity for you—perhaps you'll even gain early admission."
Hearing this, Feng Qi's thoughts immediately turned skeptical.
He couldn't help but suspect that the Tiger Soul Research Institute was scouting for potential "hosts" to allow the Black Mist Lord to parasitize and further promote their twisted cultivation technique, Flesh Sacrifice.
Feng Qi was well aware of the influence he currently wielded.
Within the confines of the academy, the impact wasn't as noticeable. But a quick glance online would reveal countless posts discussing him.
Many netizens even speculated that he would lead humanity into a new era of cultivation studies.
Considering his current achievements at such a young age, it was no surprise that expectations were so high.
If Feng Qi hadn't known the truth, he might have been flattered that Director Liu had specifically come for him.
After all, working at the Tiger Soul Research Institute had once been a dream of his.
But knowing that the institute was infiltrated by domain creatures, he now harbored nothing but the desire to destroy it.
With this thought in mind, he responded:
"Shi-gong, what's so great about early admission? Don't you want me to stay at the academy to teach?"
"Of course I'd prefer that, but with your potential, I know you're destined for greater things. Graduating and joining the Tiger Soul Research Institute could be the best way for you to shine."
"Fine, I'll be there soon."
Ending the call, Feng Qi turned to Lin Ran and said:
"I have to head to the principal's office for something. You go ahead to the library."
Hearing this, Lin Ran grinned and said:
"Qi-ge, if I'm not mistaken, the Tiger Soul Research Institute is probably going to offer you early admission. Who knows, we might even become colleagues in the future."
"I'm not interested in the Tiger Soul Research Institute. I might even join the Institute of Technological Research instead."
"Are you serious?" Lin Ran's expression turned incredulous at this remark.
"Maybe." Ignoring Lin Ran's bewildered look, Feng Qi set off toward the principal's office.
In truth, what he told Lin Ran wasn't entirely baseless.
One of the future timelines he had considered involved infiltrating either the Tiger Soul or the Institute of Technological Research to gather internal intelligence.
Between the two, Feng Qi leaned more toward the Institute of Technological Research.
Aside from the allure of potentially controlling Little Black, there was another important reason for his preference.
In comparison, infiltrating the Tiger Soul Research Institute carried significantly higher risks, including the possibility of exposing his secrets.
If the Black Mist Lord selected him as a host, there was a real chance that his memories could be compromised.
While he couldn't be certain that the Black Mist Lord would gain access to a host's memories after consuming their consciousness, the possibility couldn't be ignored.
If this were true, then all the information he left behind for future timelines could become distorted.
The consequences would be dire.
In contrast, infiltrating the Institute of Technological Research posed fewer risks.
From what he gathered from Le Ping'an's memories, their methods of control weren't as malevolent, and the risks were within manageable limits.
Thus, if he had to choose between infiltrating one of these two domain-influenced organizations in a future timeline, the Institute of Technological Research was undoubtedly the safer bet.
Even if he didn't find a way to control Little Black, he could still gather a wealth of useful information.
And if he did find a method to control Little Black, every subsequent entry into the dreamscape would feel like entering a game with cheat codes, enabling him to steamroll through challenges.
Lost in thought, Feng Qi soon arrived at the principal's office.
Knocking on the door, Bai Fusheng's voice came from within:
"Come in."
Opening the door, Feng Qi saw a middle-aged man seated on the sofa.
The man wore frameless glasses, had short hair, and was dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing sun-kissed skin.
His deep-set eyes and prominent nose gave him a composed and approachable appearance as he chatted with Bai Fusheng.
Noticing Feng Qi entering, both men turned their attention toward him.
"Shi-gong, Director Liu," Feng Qi greeted.
"Come, have a seat," Bai Fusheng said with a smile, patting the sofa beside him.
Without hesitation, Feng Qi walked over and sat on the sofa to Bai Fusheng's left, directly across from Director Liu.
After a brief introduction from Bai Fusheng, Director Liu took a moment to study Feng Qi before speaking with a smile:
"So young and accomplished. You've only just entered the academy, yet you've achieved so much. I have high hopes for your future."
Feng Qi replied humbly, "It's all thanks to my teachers."
"I discussed this with Old Bai earlier. Your previous teacher was Wang Jinsheng, correct? Such a pity… Back then, Wang Jinsheng was a promising talent I greatly admired and even considered nurturing. Unfortunately, he was too stubborn to listen to advice," Director Liu said, a hint of regret in his tone.
Listening to Director Liu, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a sense of resistance.
He wasn't sure if Director Liu was already under the control of the domain creatures behind the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
But considering his position as a director, it seemed highly likely—if not fully, then at least partially influenced.
After a brief chat, Director Liu got straight to the point. With a smile, he looked at Feng Qi and asked:
"Feng Qi, have you thought about what you'd like to do after graduation?"
"Stay at the academy and teach," Feng Qi replied without hesitation.
The Tiger Soul Research Institute was not something he wanted to get involved with at the moment. Even if he considered infiltrating it in the future, he was confident he could secure a position whenever he wanted.
After all, cultivation studies were his forte.
Not to mention the wealth of cultivation techniques he had "borrowed" from the future database. If he truly wanted to, he could easily enter the Tiger Soul Research Institute, just like Wang Jinsheng once had.
But right now, he had no desire to get tangled with the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Who knew if they might groom him as a potential host for the Black Mist Lord? That would be a serious problem.
Hearing Feng Qi's answer, Bai Fusheng's eyes widened, and he kept throwing him subtle glances, as if urging him not to let such a rare opportunity slip by.
Feng Qi, however, chose to ignore him.
Director Liu seemed taken aback by Feng Qi's response. A brief flicker of surprise crossed his face before he regained his composure and smiled again:
"No wonder you're Wang Jinsheng's student. Your aspirations are so similar—both of you want to teach and nurture talent for humanity."
Pausing briefly, he continued:
"But I still feel compelled to advise you. Compared to teaching, your talents are much better suited to joining the Tiger Soul Research Institute. There, you could truly shine in the field of cultivation technique research. There are many capable people who can teach, but few who possess your potential."
"How many people can you influence as a teacher? But if you were to develop a groundbreaking technique that pushes cultivation studies forward, you could influence tens of millions, even billions of practitioners worldwide."
Listening to this, Bai Fusheng couldn't help but nod.
It was clear that this argument resonated with him as well.
While he cherished Feng Qi as a student, he also understood that Feng Qi's talents would be better utilized at the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
However, these words had no effect on Feng Qi.
If he had heard this before gaining the ability to traverse dreamscapes, or before uncovering the truths about the Tiger Soul Research Institute, he might have felt deeply moved. But now, his heart remained unmoved.
The Tiger Soul Research Institute was nothing short of a death trap.
Wang Jinsheng had been consumed by the Black Mist Lord. Lin Ran, despite his exceptional talent, had created a cultivation technique that became a historical disaster.
A review of history made it clear: entering the Tiger Soul Research Institute was only safe if one remained unremarkable.
Developing techniques that were excellent but didn't drastically alter the trajectory of cultivation studies posed no danger. But standing out too much invited calamity.
Lin Ran, labeled as a historical criminal, was a prime example.
Feng Qi had initially thought Lin Ran's failures stemmed from his own mistakes. But based on current information, the issue was his brilliance.
He was so exceptional that the domain forces behind the Tiger Soul Research Institute feared humanity's rapid rise due to his contributions.
As for how geniuses were eliminated, the domain forces had plenty of methods—defamation, assassination, consciousness manipulation, and more.
Feng Qi suspected that the Tiger Soul Research Institute had targeted him because of his growing influence in the external world.
Promoting Flesh Sacrifice naturally required a researcher with significant clout to endorse it.
Just like Lin Ran in the future, celebrated as a super-genius, whose techniques garnered an instant following upon release.
At this point, Wang Jinsheng hadn't yet expressed his desire to rejoin the Tiger Soul Research Institute, making Lin Ran and Feng Qi prime candidates.
Lin Ran had already been recruited.
Feng Qi was likely a candidate in waiting.
Thus, he responded with a smile:
"Director Liu, my current plan is to teach at Star City Academy. Maybe my thoughts will change in the future, but for now, I don't have any intention of pursuing anything else."
Feng Qi's words were clear enough. Director Liu was momentarily taken aback but nodded.
"If you have your own plans, I won't push. If you ever change your mind, the doors of the Tiger Soul Research Institute will always be open to you."
With that, Director Liu stood up and turned to Bai Fusheng:
"Old Bai, I have some matters to attend to. Let's catch up another time."
After exchanging pleasantries, Feng Qi and Bai Fusheng escorted Director Liu to the entrance of the administrative building.
Back in the principal's office, Bai Fusheng's demeanor changed immediately.
"You little rascal, did you not see me giving you hints just now?"
"I saw them but chose to ignore them," Feng Qi replied honestly.
Hearing this, Bai Fusheng's face turned red with frustration:
"Years ago, I had a falling out with Jinsheng over this same issue, and now you're pulling the same stunt? Do you have any idea of your value? Staying here will only waste your talent!"
Faced with Bai Fusheng's scolding, Feng Qi grinned:
"Shi-gong, don't get mad. Come, have some tea."
Saying this, he guided Bai Fusheng to the sofa and handed him a cup of tea from the table.
As Bai Fusheng took the cup, Feng Qi added:
"Shi-gong, calm down. I'm just keeping my options open. I never said I'd never go—I just said I'm not thinking about it for now."
"Director Liu made it abundantly clear today that this was an early admission offer. And you just threw it away like that! Do you know how rare such an opportunity is? People would kill for it!"
Bai Fusheng downed the tea in one gulp, then looked at Feng Qi with a mix of disappointment and frustration.
Sensing that Bai Fusheng was still upset, Feng Qi grinned:
"I understand how valuable an early admission opportunity is. But Shi-gong, you have to understand—with my talent, getting into the Tiger Soul Research Institute isn't exactly a challenge."
"For others, early admission is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. For me, it's just a matter of convenience."
Bai Fusheng: …
Looking at Feng Qi's confident demeanor, Bai Fusheng felt conflicted.
Compared to Wang Jinsheng, Feng Qi had an additional trait—he could be incredibly smug.
The problem was, whenever he acted smug, Bai Fusheng couldn't find a solid reason to refute him.