Translator: CinderTL
Feng Qi stared intently at the information about rune augments displayed on the large screen before the Database Control Console in Star City Shelter, deep in thought.
His earliest understanding of rune augments came from Old Wang's history class.
In the early days of the rune augment project, human exploration of cultivation studies was still in its infancy. The concept of channeling the spiritual energy permeating the world into the human body had only just been proposed.
During the dissection and study of domain creatures' anatomy, researchers discovered that the rune crystals embedded within their bodies contained immense power.
This led to the hypothesis that if rune crystals could be implanted into humans, they might also gain terrifying strength comparable to domain creatures.
Thus, the rune augment project was officially established.
This research school quickly overshadowed cultivation studies, becoming the dominant scientific pursuit of the time.
However, the drawbacks soon became apparent.
While humans implanted with rune crystals initially gained tremendous power and could even draw spiritual energy from the environment to enhance themselves, the long-term consequences proved disastrous.
However, rune crystals originated from various domain creatures and were inherently incompatible with the human body.
The first batch of experimental subjects gradually developed rejection reactions, including mental instability, drastic personality changes, and loss of control, posing significant safety risks.
The root cause of these issues remained elusive.
The severe potential risks brought the once-glorious rune augment project to a standstill, causing it to fade from mainstream historical narratives.
Subsequently, safe and reliable cultivation studies rose to prominence, eventually becoming the dominant academic discipline.
Over time, cultivation studies branched out into new fields, giving rise to modern research schools such as cultivation arts, art magic, body cultivation studies, rune array studies, and spiritual healing studies.
As for the rune augment project, it was buried by history, mentioned only briefly in history classes without detailed elaboration.
What puzzled Feng Qi was why the Scarlet Research Institute was still pursuing the rune augment project.
Why would Mu Qing, the founder of "Dawn" in the future timeline, revive this failed project? Could there be hidden secrets behind this revival?
The article on the screen, analyzing the rune augment project, revealed partial truths to him.
The article began by detailing the strength tiers of domain creatures, ranging from lowest to highest: Nether, Demon, Eerie, Dragon, and Chaos.
Each tier was further divided into Lower Stage, Middle Stage, and Upper Stage.
Advancing to the next strength tier represented a leap in both life stage and power.
According to existing records, Chaos-tier domain creatures were purely hypothetical, with no confirmed sightings. However, Dragon-tier domain creatures were known to exist in reality.
This creature resided in the ocean, having descended with its Domain Field. Part of its body was ethereal, while the other part formed a massive island on the sea.
As the Domain Field expanded, this terrifying being gradually materialized, each movement unleashing colossal tidal waves.
Currently dormant, this Dragon-tier domain creature posed no immediate threat to Human Civilization.
Yet its existence was like a ticking time bomb, poised to unleash a catastrophic disaster should it awaken.
Among domain creatures, certain special populations possessed wisdom.
For example, the Goat-Headed Demon he had encountered earlier clearly belonged to a sapient domain race.
Ordinary domain creatures never leave their Domain Fields. Outside these fields, they are like fish out of water, unable to adapt to the natural environment.
But intelligent domain creatures are entirely different.
Also known as Domain-Transcending Creatures, they frequently venture beyond the Domain Fields to hunt humans, making them humanity's most troublesome enemies.
As for how they adapt to the natural environment outside the Domain Fields, Domain-Transcending Creatures have their own methods.
Just as humans create diving equipment, they can use spiritual energy to create a derivative rune crystal within their bodies, allowing them to adapt to the external environment.
Because of their wisdom, they understand that humans are obstacles to the expansion of their domains, so their sabotage against human development has never ceased.
For example, large-scale destruction occurs frequently.
This article analyzing rune augments, in addition to detailing the potential risks of combining rune crystals with the human body, also elaborates on the benefits they can provide.
One such benefit is the enhancement and amplification of physical capabilities.
For instance, when an ordinary person successfully implants a rune crystal, their physical strength rapidly increases through adaptive enhancement.
For example, just as cold water adjusts to the temperature of hot water, the human body automatically adapts to the power within a rune crystal after implantation, resulting in enhanced strength.
Excluding potential hidden risks, embedding rune crystals is undoubtedly a shortcut to increasing one's strength compared to the long, gradual accumulation required through cultivation.
Moreover, the greatest advantage of embedding rune crystals is that it grants the implantee the innate abilities of the domain creature from which the crystal originated.
These abilities include manipulating natural elements, psychokinesis, metallic body transformation, and more.
The most representative example of this is Mu Qing.
As the only human to have perfectly fused with a rune crystal, she inherited the domain creature's unique ability to grow through consumption. With an endless supply of food, her growth potential is virtually limitless.
The article also speculated about the rune crystal embedded in Mu Qing's body.
The author theorized that the crystal likely originated from a "Dragon"-tier Domain-Transcending Creature, explaining Mu Qing's terrifying growth potential.
However, this was merely speculation, and he lacked concrete evidence to support it.
After reading the article, Feng Qi gleaned two crucial pieces of information:
Shortcuts to Growth: The rune augment project offered the most straightforward path to achieving immense power, provided its potential risks could be mitigated. Innate Talents: The rune crystals embedded in Mu Qing's body likely originated from a Domain-Transcending Creature, granting her extraordinary growth potential.
Could it be that Mu Qing had revived the rune augment project out of an urgent need to build a formidable army to counter an unknown, looming threat, even if it meant disregarding the project's inherent risks?
Unable to confirm this for now, Feng Qi resolved to leave his contact information with Mu Qing next time, hoping she would shed light on his doubts.
Closing the article on rune augment, he began researching biological sciences.
If his next Future Line involved infiltrating the Scarlet Research Institute, this knowledge would be invaluable for his future self to blend into the scarlet core.
During his search, he stumbled upon a document titled "Limb Regeneration."
This document detailed research directions and achievements in using genetic engineering to regenerate missing human body parts.
The primary inspiration for this research came from salamanders, which can regenerate severed limbs. Humans, however, lack this regenerative capability.
This information immediately piqued Feng Qi's interest.
If limb regeneration were possible, it would undoubtedly accelerate Human Civilization's efforts to resist the Domain Field's expansion.
In the real world, countless cultivators suffer severe injuries in the Domain Field each year, resulting in amputations and forced retirements.
With a mature limb regeneration technology, these problems could be resolved, providing domain warriors with greater personal safety.
Missing a hand? Grow a new one. Missing a leg? Grow a new one.
Salamanders possess a unique enzyme that enables limb and organ regeneration. The scientists in the report hypothesized that artificially synthesizing this enzyme could allow humans who have lost limbs or certain organs to regrow them.
During testing on human skin, researchers observed that wounds healed significantly faster, and skin regeneration occurred at an accelerated rate compared to normal.
The technology described in the data was still in a semi-mature stage, but for Feng Qi, that was enough.
With the future database at his disposal, he could steadily advance this research.
If one iteration wasn't enough, he'd try again. Each time, he'd start with the future technology as a foundation and extrapolate 1,500 years into the future, inevitably perfecting the technology.
However, the sheer volume of information made it difficult to memorize.
After reading the introduction, he reread it immediately, feeling his brain cells straining to keep up.
Many of the technical terms and jargon left him utterly bewildered.
Still, he resolved to memorize everything first, planning to consult relevant materials for detailed explanations once he returned to reality.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When it came to knowledge of the unknown, he could only learn gradually, unable to become an expert overnight.
Suddenly, I realize you're trying to learn everything. If you gained Photographic Memory ability, wouldn't you become a super-genius in every field?
Feng Qi paused, startled by the Narrator's words.
After careful consideration, he realized the Narrator was right.
Cultivation studies, mechanical technology, biological sciences—and perhaps many other entirely new systems of knowledge—awaited his exploration in the future.
But for now, his primary focus remained the advancement of cultivation studies.
He studied cultivation arts to lay the foundation for human cultivation studies. Each new cultivation technique he brought back contributed to the progress and refinement of this field.
If not for the access restrictions on techniques of three-star or higher, he would have obsessively copied a single cultivation technique, refining it into a deity-tier cultivation technique.
For example, he could have repeatedly stacked 1,500-year iterations of the foundational "cultivation exercises" to approach perfection infinitely.
After reviewing the introductory materials on "Limb Regeneration," he found that Suction Cup and little black's battle was still ongoing.
With the remaining time, he decided to examine the information on contemporary super-geniuses. These pioneers of their era would contribute significantly to the growth of Human Civilization and were thus a key area of focus for him.
Alternatively, he could review data on the dispersed Domain Fields. To him, these records were like walkthrough guides and secret manuals for conquering Domain Fields. Mastering this information would aid him in future exploration and dispersal efforts.
Driven by curiosity, he decided to venture to the surface to observe the battle between Suction Cup and little black.
Perhaps this time, the violent Suction Cup has finally eliminated little black, he thought.
With this in mind, he immediately turned and headed toward the metal passageway.
Moments later, his figure emerged from the shelter.
Scanning the surroundings, he quickly spotted Suction Cup and little black, their battle still raging.
Little black, now in his black mist form, resembled a black hole, devouring everything in his path. Only Suction Cup's formidable physique could withstand the onslaught.
"Narrator, if I kill little black, will I also gain near-immortality?"
He~tui!
Feng Qi: ...
(End of the Chapter)
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