I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

In the following days, apart from attending classes, Feng Qi primarily alternated between the library, his dormitory, and the academy cafeteria.

There were still two days left until the Tiger Soul Concept Competition, but he remained calm.

After all, the championship was already a foregone conclusion.

Originally, the Tiger Soul Concept Competition was intended as a collaborative event, with teams from each class working together to propose an innovative cultivation system concept and demonstrate its feasibility.

If the concept was recognized by the Tiger Soul Research Institute, it would be included in the next major update to the cultivation system and further refined by their researchers.

However, Feng Qi had already perfected the theoretical knowledge of the Planting Deities in the Body concept. The students simply needed to follow his teachings, and during the competition, they only had to present the concept as he had outlined it.

It was akin to competing with the answer key in hand.

Thus, there was no need to worry about the eight million credits not making their way into his account.

That morning, Feng Qi woke up, ate a hearty breakfast at the academy cafeteria, and then headed directly out of the academy.

The sun blazed overhead, and the scorching air shimmered in wavy patterns, distorting the view.

Following the path by the dormitory's lake, he eventually reached the main avenue flanked by statues of historical heroes. After walking for about ten more minutes, he arrived at the academy gates.

Just as he was about to leave, a burly security officer in uniform stepped forward to block his path.

"Students aren't allowed to leave the academy during the special training period. Do you have a permit?"

Hearing this, Feng Qi smiled and replied, "Sir, I'm a teacher, not a student."

The officer froze, clearly skeptical that someone as young-looking as Feng Qi could be a teacher.

"Let's verify your identity," he said after a moment.

Feng Qi nodded and stepped up to the identification scanner at the gate.

A green light swept over him, and after verifying his iris and facial features, the display showed his information. Under the Position field, it clearly stated: "Temporary Instructor."

"My apologies, just doing my job," the officer said as he stepped aside.

"No problem. Thanks for your hard work." Feng Qi smiled, walked out of the academy gates, and pulled out his phone.

Moments later, the car he had reserved arrived.

After confirming the details, he got in, and the vehicle headed toward the Star City Cultural and Sports Plaza.

The driver, a middle-aged man, turned out to be quite chatty, sharing his nostalgic dreams of attending the academy.

He claimed that if he hadn't been short by three or four hundred points out of the 700 required for admission, he could've been a student at Star City Academy himself.

Amused by the banter, Feng Qi chatted with the driver until they reached the southern entrance of the plaza.

After the fare was automatically deducted, Feng Qi stepped out and headed toward the cultural plaza.

He had an important task today.

As the proverbial "butterfly," he was ready to flap his wings, delivering a resounding slap to the trio of troublemakers who would otherwise obstruct humanity's path to progress.

According to the database, the Destiny Association was established on this day at this location. Although the exact time wasn't specified, Feng Qi decided to stake out the plaza from morning until the trio showed up.

Walking along the granite-paved pathways lined with greenery, he admired the open sky unblocked by tall buildings, the expansive view lifting his spirits.

Even early in the morning, the plaza was bustling with activity.

Elderly men played chess, fitness enthusiasts used outdoor equipment, joggers ran laps… The pace of life here was much slower compared to the academy, with a relaxed and leisurely atmosphere.

As his gaze swept across the plaza, he noticed several individuals with physical disabilities.

Many of them were former frontline soldiers who had retired due to severe injuries.

These veterans had once fought valiantly on the frontlines, but after being classified as severely disabled, they were left to spend the remainder of their days in quiet contemplation.

Becoming a frontline warrior meant facing great odds against a peaceful end.

On the long, arduous path of resisting domain invasions, countless warriors had laid down their lives, leaving only memorials for their families to mourn.

Moved by such thoughts, Feng Qi arrived at the center of the plaza.

Here stood a towering memorial, over ten meters tall, engraved with countless names.

This monument commemorated the fallen heroes who had shed blood and sweat with their comrades to form a steel wall that repelled the domain invasions and preserved Star City.

Today's thriving Star City was built upon the sacrifices of these brave souls.

Residents of the city often believed that the spirits of the fallen continued to protect Star City, watching over its growth and progress, and hoping for the day of humanity's ultimate triumph.

Bowing respectfully before the monument, Feng Qi then turned his gaze toward the far end of the plaza.

He didn't know when the troublemakers would arrive or when the meeting to establish the Destiny Association would take place, so he began wandering aimlessly through the plaza.

As the sun climbed higher, the air grew hotter.

But thanks to the enhancements his body had undergone in the dream realm, he remained unaffected, not even breaking a sweat.

Strolling through the cultural plaza, he occasionally paused by the artificial lake to watch the goldfish or meandered along cobblestone paths lined with vibrant flowers.

The tension in his mind eased, allowing him to relax.

By the time the sun reached its zenith, the air had become unbearably hot.

Most of the elderly and other early risers had left, leaving Feng Qi as one of the few still wandering the plaza.

Like a patient hunter waiting for his prey, he wasn't about to leave until the butterfly's slap had been delivered.

And so, he waited for hours.

The once-blazing sun began its slow descent, painting the sky a fiery red as it neared the horizon.

Finally, in one corner of the plaza, Feng Qi spotted three boys sitting on the grass, munching on snacks.

To avoid making a mistake, he circled around and hid behind a nearby sycamore tree, listening in on their conversation.

One slightly chubby boy munching on a bag of chips nodded in agreement as he said, "I think you're right. Resources should be concentrated in the hands of elites like us. We're the ones who can push civilization forward. The current system is too biased toward those useless people. If we could just consolidate these resources, we'd create so much more value."

Hearing this, another boy, who was eating an ice cream cone, hesitated before replying, "But my dad says that people aren't inherently superior or inferior. History is full of heroes who started from nothing, slowly building themselves up until they were remembered by all. If we did what you're suggesting, wouldn't we be cutting off the path for ordinary people to rise?"

Before the boy could continue, the third boy, wearing glasses, shook his head and retorted, "Your dad's thinking is wrong—outdated, even. I recently looked at the statistics. The probability of heroes emerging from commoners is far lower than from wealthy families. If that's the case, why not just give all the resources to us? That way, the number of talented individuals would naturally increase."

Listening to these twisted ideas from behind the sycamore tree, Feng Qi's forehead began to throb.

He had no idea where these kids had picked up such warped logic.

When one's worldview is still being shaped, exposure to distorted perspectives can easily lead to the mistaken belief that they are universal truths. Worse, these ideas can become entrenched and spread among like-minded groups.

After another round of misguided discussions, one of the boys stood up and declared, "If that's the case, let's establish the Destiny Association today, right here. Our purpose will be to change this flawed society and its unfair system, until the day all resources are concentrated in the hands of the elite like us."

That was all Feng Qi needed to hear to confirm his suspicions.

The Destiny Association that would cause so much trouble in the future was indeed being founded by these three brats.

His patience had reached its limit.

The butterfly's slap was ready.

With that thought, Feng Qi stepped out from behind the tree and approached the three boys.

Seeing him suddenly appear, the boys jumped in surprise.

The boy who had been leading the conversation looked at Feng Qi, glanced behind him at the sycamore tree, and asked in confusion, "Are you here to join us?"

"Join you? Your grandpa, maybe!" Feng Qi snapped. "Books are meant to teach you right from wrong, to instill humility and discipline, and to guide you to be strict with yourself while showing kindness to others. They're not here for you to think you're superior just because you know a few more characters or have a smidge more education. You're nothing but arrogant fools!"

With that, Feng Qi grabbed the leader by the collar, pulled down his pants, and delivered a series of firm smacks to his backside. No amount of struggling or protests softened Feng Qi's resolve.

In truth, the eventual rise of the Destiny Association would have little to do with these three boys.

They were merely its early proponents, but once a movement gains momentum, it can quickly snowball.

Much like the movie The Wave, what started as a simulated experiment spiraled out of control, with the altered ideology becoming dangerously real.

These boys' behavior mirrored that scenario.

Feng Qi knew what he had to do: nip this problem in the bud before it could grow.

Seeing their leader being thrashed, the other two boys were dumbfounded.

They wrestled with whether to flee. Running away would seem disloyal, but staying might mean getting the same treatment.

While they hesitated, Feng Qi finished with the first boy—whose backside was now thoroughly swollen—and turned his attention to the second.

Ultimately, none of them escaped, each receiving their turn under Feng Qi's relentless hand.

Though they tried to fight back, their efforts were futile against Feng Qi. Their resistance only earned them harsher punishment.

Eventually, one of the boys couldn't hold back and burst into tears.

But Feng Qi remained unmoved. If anything, it only fueled his resolve. The butterfly's wings—or rather, his hands—continued their work, stirring the tides of history with resounding slaps.

"Still planning to form the Destiny Association?" he demanded, glaring at them.

The three boys, sniffling and tearful, frantically shook their heads. They were utterly defeated.

"I'm giving you a chance to change your ways. Spend more time reading history books and broadening your understanding of culture. Then you'll realize just how ridiculous you're being. If I catch you trying to form this so-called Destiny Association again, you won't get off with just a spanking."

Faced with Feng Qi's cold stare, the boys nodded obediently, their spirits crushed.

Satisfied, Feng Qi gave them one last withering glare before turning and walking away.

After he left, the boys sat there crying for a while longer, unable to process what had just happened.

Their throbbing backsides left them in despair.

Even now, they couldn't figure out who Feng Qi was or why he had singled them out.

They began to suspect he was just some random lunatic who decided to beat them up for no reason.

"We can't give up. The harder things get, the more we must persevere," the leader sobbed, his face streaked with tears.

Hearing this, the other two boys looked at him hesitantly.

"Next time, we'll pick a different place and time. What are the odds he'll find us again?"

The other two wavered but eventually nodded.

"Let's go home first."

Under the setting sun, the three boys hobbled away, supporting each other as they choked back tears.

This day would remain etched in their memories forever.