Staring at the distorted spatial rift in the sky and the colossal hand emerging from it, Feng Qi felt a familiar sense of overwhelming pressure wash over him.
His body trembled slightly, unable to suppress its natural response.
But he didn't feel any panic deep down.
This time was different.
In the previous sacrifice line, he lacked the strength to contend with such a force.
But now, with Mu Qing present, there was no reason to be overly concerned.
At that moment, the giant hand began descending with the weight of an entire world, pressing down on everything below.
Feng Qi immediately felt the pressure increase, as if a mountain had been placed squarely on his shoulders.
His gaze turned to the battlefield in the canyon.
The various domain forces had all noticed the oppressive force emanating from above. They tilted their heads to look at the sky, their faces betraying unmasked fear.
The pressure intensified as the colossal hand descended further, spreading across the battlefield like a tangible force.
Faced with a life-or-death crisis, the domain forces finally shifted their focus away from the Bloodstone.
After all, with the barrier now in place, even possessing the Bloodstone wouldn't allow them to escape the confined domain field. Survival was the only thing that mattered now.
At this critical moment, members of the Psionic Race took the lead, loudly calling for the various forces to band together and fight against the Super Domain Creature.
The other forces, who had been locked in brutal combat over the Bloodstone just moments earlier, quickly responded to the Psionic Race's rallying call.
Meanwhile, Mu Qing was also gazing at the sky.
Unlike the fear that gripped the domain forces, she remained entirely calm.
The oppressive might emanating from the giant hand didn't affect her in the slightest. Instead, she felt her blood flowing faster, her heart beating more intensely.
It was an odd sensation—like a famished predator suddenly encountering its prey after a long hunt.
The instinctive feedback coursing through her blood made Mu Qing unconsciously clench her fists, her body shifting into a combat-ready stance.
At that moment, the Psionic Race and the domain forces worked together to construct a defensive barrier.
A blue energy curtain shot up into the sky, forming a protective dome around them.
With the barrier in place, the crushing pressure on the forces decreased significantly.
However, the bloodline-level suppression emanating from above still left the domain creatures trembling in fear, unable to muster any confidence about their chances of survival.
The giant hand's descent accelerated.
The pressure on the blue barrier increased dramatically, cracks quickly forming across its surface.
Just as the forces prepared to strengthen their energy output at the Psionic Race's command, the blue barrier suddenly shattered.
In an instant, the terrifying weight bore down on everyone, forcing the domain creatures to stagger under its crushing force.
But surprisingly, the barrier hadn't been broken by the external force.
It had been destroyed from within.
Amidst the stunned expressions of the domain forces, Mu Qing's figure appeared above them.
The jade-colored energy swirling around her body surged in intensity, flowing faster and brighter. Floating mid-air, Mu Qing took a deep breath before launching a powerful punch upward.
A deafening roar followed.
The impact of the jade-colored fist imprint against the colossal hand shook the very space around it, sending tremors rippling across the battlefield.
Not only did Mu Qing's punch force the giant hand to retreat, but it also left the gathered domain forces utterly stunned.
Every domain force present knew of Mu Qing.
Even domain infiltrators like the Mist Lord, who often kept tabs on frontline news, were familiar with her name.
Her frequent appearances in top headlines had made her a prominent figure.
However, none of them had ever seen her true strength in action.
When Mu Qing's name appeared in the list of participants for this joint operation, they hadn't thought much of it.
Only those who had previously fought against her, like the Mist Lord, understood how terrifyingly strong she truly was. They never dared underestimate her.
Now, the domain forces finally realized their mistake.
Mu Qing's combat prowess was on an entirely different level from theirs.
They also understood why she had been observing the chaos of their infighting like a bystander at a circus.
With her strength, she could have easily ended the battle for the Bloodstone at any time.
At that moment, Mu Qing struck again.
This time, her movements were so fast that they were imperceptible to the naked eye. Yet, in an instant, countless jade-colored fist imprints shot into the sky.
The colossal hand was struck repeatedly, each blow forcing it back further.
From the spatial rift above, an earth-shaking roar erupted, reverberating across the canyon. The Super Domain Creature was enraged.
But Mu Qing showed no fear.
Instead, she faced the looming threat of the Super Domain Creature head-on, her instincts telling her that this terrifying being was nothing more than food she had long been craving.
While Mu Qing battled the blood-red hand in the sky, the Mist Lord quietly made his move below.
Like the other domain creatures, he watched the confrontation above.
But in secret, he manipulated the blood he had absorbed earlier, crafting a replica of the Bloodstone.
With a subtle wave of his hand, he directed the real Bloodstone to slowly melt, reducing it into a pool of blood that flowed toward him unnoticed.
One of the unique traits of miracle items was that they emitted no detectable aura.
As the Bloodstone dissolved, it drew no attention from the surrounding domain forces, allowing the Mist Lord to seamlessly replace it with his fabricated version.
After completing the switch, he acted as if nothing had happened, calmly lifting his head to observe the sky once more.
Out of curiosity, the Mist Lord glanced toward Feng Qi in the distance.
Seeing Feng Qi standing there unharmed, unaffected by the oppressive might of the colossal hand, the Mist Lord felt a rare sense of relief.
Above, Mu Qing's battle with the giant hand raged on.
As the fight intensified, Mu Qing seized one of the hand's enormous fingers, attempting to drag the Super Domain Creature out of the spatial rift entirely.
But the creature seemed unable to fully emerge through the narrow rift.
Ultimately, under the immense force of Mu Qing's grip, one of the giant fingers was torn off.
Blood rained down from the sky.
From the Mist Lord's perspective, the blood raining down from the sky was nothing short of an unparalleled treasure trove of growth.
Every drop of blood carried immense energy, each capable of substantially enhancing his strength.
Ignoring the wary gazes of the surrounding domain creatures, the Mist Lord decisively used his consciousness to draw the falling blood toward himself.
As the blood entered his body, a surge of pure qi and blood energy coursed through him, making his long hair dance wildly in the air.
In an instant, his skin turned a glowing red, scorched by the intensity of the qi and blood.
The feedback from his body was overwhelming as it absorbed the energy.
For the Mist Lord, this process was akin to a human savoring an exquisite meal.
Consuming the blood of a Super Domain Creature was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if every cell in his body had been awakened by this divine taste, sending waves of euphoria through his brain.
At that moment, the giant hand in the sky seemed to lose its will to fight.
It began retreating slowly, attempting to retract back into the spatial rift.
But Mu Qing wasn't about to let it go so easily.
With a flash of jade-colored light, she wrapped the entire hand in her energy and began pulling with all her might.
The confrontation between Mu Qing and the Super Domain Creature turned into a fierce tug-of-war.
After a few minutes of stalemate, the enraged roar of the Super Domain Creature echoed across the battlefield.
Under the disbelieving gazes of the domain creatures below, Mu Qing tore the massive hand from the rift with sheer brute force.
Blood sprayed from the severed hand like a crimson rain, drenching the battlefield.
Compared to the colossal hand, Mu Qing's figure seemed insignificant.
But in the eyes of those watching, she was utterly terrifying.
The image of her standing in mid-air, clutching the severed hand, was seared into the memories of the domain creatures present.
After the hand was torn off, the spatial rift quickly sealed itself shut.
With the energy sustaining it gone, the barrier enclosing the battlefield crumbled as well.
Without hesitation, the domain forces scattered, fleeing in all directions. The Bloodstone was no longer their priority. Survival was.
Glancing at the severed hand, Mu Qing released her grip.
Her hatred for domain creatures ran too deep to allow any of them to escape unscathed.
But with the domain forces dispersing in all directions, and without any barrier-like abilities to trap them, she could only pursue them selectively.
Before beginning her hunt, she landed heavily near the Bloodstone.
Mu Qing had once asked Feng Qi about the fate of the Bloodstone.
Feng Qi hadn't given her a definitive answer.
Now, seeing the Bloodstone lying before her, she assumed it was destined to fall into her hands.
Grabbing the Bloodstone, she turned her gaze to the targets she had marked as domain forces and shot off in a streak of light, beginning her pursuit.
Meanwhile, the Mist Lord wasted no time in making his escape.
With the Bloodstone already integrated into his body, he headed straight for Feng Qi.
"Let's go! Quickly!"
"What about the Bloodstone?" Feng Qi asked curiously.
"I swapped it. Nobody noticed. Let's get out of here!"
Hearing this, Feng Qi froze in surprise.
In the previous sacrifice line, despite witnessing and even participating in the Bloodstone battle, he had died without ever learning where the Bloodstone ended up.
Now, hearing the Mist Lord claim to have it, he was completely caught off guard.
He couldn't tell if this was an event from the original timeline or a deviation caused by his actions.
"Let's move! If Mu Qing catches up, we're dead!"
The Mist Lord transformed into a cloud of gray mist, enveloping Feng Qi as they fled toward the Old Day Supply Zone.
As they traveled, they began discussing their next steps.
"This operation has completely exposed our identities and tactics to the domain forces. If we continue acting as Wang Yi, we'll face serious restrictions. I think it's time for a new identity," the Mist Lord said.
Feng Qi nodded in agreement.
"We definitely need a new identity. But before that, I suggest finding a safe place to retreat and study the Miracle Bracelet's functions. You can also use the Miracle Bloodstone to steadily increase your strength. After all, power is the key to planning for the future."
Hearing this, the Mist Lord's voice echoed from the mist.
"I couldn't agree more. After today's battle, I've realized I need to grow stronger as quickly as possible."
"Because of Mu Qing?"
"Her growth is far faster than I ever imagined. If I don't catch up soon, the gap between us will only widen."
"Didn't you once boast that your talent surpassed Mu Qing's? Looks like reality slapped you in the face," Feng Qi teased.
"I never said she's better than me. I said Mu Qing will never surpass me in the future. I wasn't talking about the present."
Feng Qi couldn't help but think of the small suction cup in 1500 years.
If the Mist Lord's claim of "future superiority" referred to longevity, then he indeed outlasted countless powerful figures of his time, including Mu Qing.
As they chatted, Feng Qi casually asked, "So, what's your plan after our retreat?"
The Mist Lord took a long time to respond.
"How about... we head to Star City?"
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately realized the Mist Lord's plan to infiltrate the Tiger Soul Research Institute was finally about to begin.