I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

At the Star City Shelter, Feng Qi stood before the database console, staring at the screen detailing the analysis of Rune-Enhanced Humans, deep in thought.

His first exposure to the concept of Rune-Enhanced Humans was during Old Wang's history class.

In the early stages of the Rune-Enhanced Human Project, humanity's exploration of cultivation science was still in its infancy. The idea of channeling the spiritual energy pervasive in the world into the human body was only beginning to emerge.

During dissections and structural studies of domain creatures, researchers discovered that the rune crystals embedded within these creatures contained immense power.

This led to a hypothesis: if rune crystals could be embedded into human bodies, could humans gain the same formidable strength as domain creatures?

Thus, the Rune-Enhanced Human Project was officially launched.

This research school quickly overshadowed cultivation science and became the dominant research direction of the era.

However, the downsides of this approach soon became apparent.

Those who participated in the initial experiments did indeed gain great strength in a short period, even being able to absorb spiritual energy through the rune crystals to enhance themselves. However, the inherent incompatibility between the crystals and human physiology soon became evident.

The first batch of participants began to exhibit rejection symptoms, leading to mental instability and erratic behavior. They became increasingly uncontrollable, creating significant safety hazards.

The exact cause of these issues could not be pinpointed.

The severe potential risks caused the once-brilliant Rune-Enhanced Human Project to stagnate and eventually fade into obscurity. Over time, the safer and more reliable cultivation sciences emerged, evolving into mainstream disciplines.

Cultivation sciences branched into various specialized fields such as modern cultivation techniques, magical arts, body refinement, formation studies, and spiritual healing.

The Rune-Enhanced Human Project was buried by history and rarely mentioned in detail, only briefly covered in history classes.

Yet, Feng Qi couldn't help but wonder: Why was the Crimson Research Institute still pursuing the Rune-Enhanced Human Project?

And why did Mu Qing, the historic figure who founded "Dawn," choose to restart the project? Was there a hidden truth behind these actions?

The analysis on the screen offered Feng Qi partial answers.

The article began by elaborating on the classification of domain creature strength levels, ranked from lowest to highest as Yin, Sha, Liao, Zhu Yin, and Chaos.

Each tier was further subdivided into lower, middle, and upper levels.

Every advancement in these tiers represented a leap in life essence and power.

While Chaos-level domain creatures existed only as theoretical concepts with no documented evidence, Zhu Yin-level creatures were very real.

One such creature resided in the ocean, descending with a domain field. Part of its body was ethereal, while another part formed an island within the sea.

As the domain field expanded, this colossal creature was gradually revealing its true form. Each movement of this terrifying entity stirred massive tidal waves on the ocean surface.

Currently, this Zhu Yin-level domain creature remained dormant, posing no immediate threat to human civilization. However, its existence was akin to a time bomb, capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction if it awakened.

Among domain creatures, there also existed intelligent species.

The Goat-Headed Demon Feng Qi had previously encountered was undoubtedly one of these intelligent domain races.

Ordinary domain creatures rarely left their domain fields, as doing so was akin to a fish leaving water, unable to adapt to the external environment. However, intelligent domain creatures, also known as "Domain Transcenders," were an exception.

These beings could survive outside their domain fields, actively hunting humans and posing one of the greatest threats to humanity.

To adapt to the external environment, Domain Transcenders had developed a unique solution—creating a derivative rune crystal within their bodies, enabling them to survive in the natural world.

Armed with intelligence, these creatures recognized humans as obstacles to the expansion of their domains, relentlessly targeting and sabotaging human development.

Large-scale attacks and destruction, like those occasionally reported in history, were typically orchestrated by such beings.

The article on Rune-Enhanced Humans also delved into the advantages and risks of integrating rune crystals into the human body.

One advantage was the significant enhancement of physical attributes.

For example, an ordinary person successfully implanted with a rune crystal would experience immediate adaptive improvements to their physical strength.

This phenomenon was comparable to the reaction of hot water adjusting to cold water—both temperatures stabilizing through mutual adaptation.

Similarly, when humans integrated rune crystals, the crystal's power would autonomously adapt to their physiology, enhancing their physical capabilities.

Setting aside potential risks, this method of embedding rune crystals was undeniably a shortcut to power compared to the lengthy process of cultivation.

Another significant advantage was the ability to inherit the innate abilities of the domain creature from which the rune crystal originated.

Abilities such as manipulating natural forces, telekinesis, and turning one's body into metal are just a few examples of the powers gained through rune crystal implantation.

The most iconic example is Mu Qing.

As the only human to have perfectly fused with a rune crystal, she inherited the devouring and growth traits of an unknown domain creature. As long as she had access to food, she could strengthen herself almost without limits.

The article also provided a speculative analysis of the rune crystal embedded in Mu Qing.

The author theorized that the rune crystal fused with Mu Qing likely originated from a Zhu Yin-level domain creature, which would explain her terrifying growth potential.

However, this theory was speculative, with no concrete evidence to support it.

After finishing the article, Feng Qi identified two crucial takeaways:

A shortcut to growth and innate abilities.

Excluding potential risks, the Rune-Enhanced Human Project was the most direct path to acquiring significant power.

This raised a possibility—was Mu Qing's decision to restart the Rune-Enhanced Human Project driven by the urgent need to build a powerful army to combat an unknown threat? Did she prioritize immediate strength over long-term risks?

This was something he could not confirm. He decided that in his next dream journey, he would leave a message for Mu Qing to seek clarification.

Closing the article, Feng Qi began searching for biological sciences-related knowledge.

If he chose to infiltrate the Crimson Research Institute in a future timeline, this knowledge would help him integrate into the institute's core operations.

During his search, he came across an intriguing document titled "Limb Regeneration."

The document outlined research directions and findings on using genetic engineering to regenerate lost body parts.

The research was inspired by salamanders, creatures capable of regenerating severed limbs. Humans, however, lacked such regenerative abilities.

This discovery piqued Feng Qi's interest.

If limb regeneration became viable, it could play a crucial role in humanity's battle against expanding domain fields. Every year, countless cultivators suffered severe injuries within domain fields, often leading to the loss of limbs and forced retirement.

Mature regeneration technology could solve this issue, providing some safety assurance to domain combatants.

If someone lost an arm, they could regrow it. If a leg was severed, a new one could be cultivated.

The salamander's ability to regenerate limbs stemmed from a unique enzyme within its body. The scientists hypothesized that synthesizing this enzyme artificially could enable humans who had lost limbs or organs to regenerate them.

Preliminary tests on human skin showed promising results. Wounds healed faster, and skin regrew at an accelerated rate.

Although the technology was still in a semi-mature stage, it was already sufficient to capture Feng Qi's attention.

With the future database at his disposal, he could accumulate and refine this research incrementally.

If one attempt wasn't enough, he could try again. Each iteration would build upon the advancements of the previous 1,500 years, ensuring the technology would eventually be perfected.

However, the document was lengthy and dense, making it challenging for him to memorize.

After reading the opening sections, Feng Qi revisited them, feeling as though his brain was on the verge of overload.

The document contained numerous technical terms and concepts that left him bewildered.

Still, he resolved to commit the information to memory, intending to consult supplementary materials in the real world to understand the content more thoroughly.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For now, he could only take small strides toward understanding these unknown fields.

Suddenly, the narrator's voice interrupted his thoughts.

[You're trying to learn everything. If you gain infinite memory, won't you become a super genius in every field?]

The remark gave Feng Qi pause.

Reflecting on it, he realized the narrator might be right.

Cultivation studies, mechanical technology, biological sciences—these were just the beginning. In the future, countless new disciplines would likely await his exploration.

For now, though, his priority remained advancing cultivation studies.

By studying cultivation techniques, he aimed to lay a foundation for humanity's cultivation science. Each new technique he brought back contributed to refining and enhancing this field.

If it weren't for the access restrictions on techniques rated three stars and above, he would have devoted himself to copying and perfecting a single cultivation method until it reached god-tier status.

For instance, the foundational Cultivation Technique s could be incrementally refined with multiple 1,500-year iterations, bringing it infinitely close to perfection.

After finishing the opening section of the Limb Regeneration document, Feng Qi noted that Suction Cup and Little Black were still battling.

With some time left, he decided to browse information on contemporary prodigies. These individuals, as pioneers of their era, contributed significantly to human civilization's growth and were key figures for him to follow closely.

Alternatively, he could review data on eradicated domain fields. Such information served as guides and strategies for navigating and clearing domain fields, invaluable for future expeditions.

Before doing so, his curiosity got the better of him. He decided to check on Suction Cup and Little Black's battle.

Perhaps Suction Cup had finally managed to defeat Little Black.

With this thought, Feng Qi turned and headed for the metal passage.

Moments later, he emerged outside the shelter.

Scanning the surroundings, he quickly spotted Suction Cup and Little Black still locked in combat.

In its black mist form, Little Black resembled a black hole, devouring everything in its path. Only Suction Cup's formidable body could withstand its relentless assault.

"Hey, narrator," Feng Qi muttered, "if I manage to kill Little Black, do you think I could gain an almost immortal ability like it?"

[Heh~tui!]

Feng Qi: "…"