Two years later, Future City Central District.
8:00 PM.
Feng Qi, dressed in a long coat, walked alongside Lü Yue on the road leading to the central television station in Future City.
Towering buildings lined both sides of the street, while above them, magnetic levitation vehicles moved in orderly streams. Virtual images were projected onto the pavement along the way, enhancing the futuristic atmosphere.
Everything here exuded technological sophistication. Yet, beneath the surface of this prosperity, darkness silently spread, enveloping the world. Humanity lived unknowingly within a web of lies.
Feng Qi's purpose tonight was simple—to pierce through these lies and try to grant humanity a chance at survival.
In the past two years, he had made all the necessary arrangements.
This included transferring numerous technological advancements obtained from the Future Research Institute—technologies that had originally been developed under the Institute of Technological Research—to the Crimson Research Institute.
Simultaneously, he meticulously planned and prepared how to expose the truth to the world.
One thing was certain: once the truth was revealed, every Dawn member who stepped forward to speak would be in grave danger.
To mitigate this, Feng Qi had arranged for them to leave Future City in advance. They only needed to speak out through online channels from safer locations.
This was the final gesture he could make to protect them in his last moments.
For this operation at the central television station, he brought only Lü Yue with him.
"When we storm the station, just buy me ten minutes. Then, leave as quickly as you can," Feng Qi said, turning to Lü Yue with a smile.
"Ten minutes is too short. I'll hold them off longer."
"You'll die if you do."
"And you won't?" Lü Yue replied stoically.
"Don't argue. You're still useful, so you need to live longer than I do. I don't need you dying here with me."
After a brief silence, Lü Yue asked, "After all these years, have you ever wavered?"
Looking at the glittering nightscape of the bustling city, Feng Qi smiled faintly.
"There were moments when I doubted the meaning of persistence. But when I traveled across the river of time and fought alongside others, when I listened to the stories they left behind in that vast timeline, I came to understand the weight and greatness of holding on to justice."
"In this life, there are many things to pursue—success, wealth, maybe even becoming someone celebrated and admired. But chasing a dream and sticking to it? That's pretty cool too."
Hearing this, a small smile appeared on Lü Yue's otherwise stoic face. "It is pretty cool."
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the plaza in front of the central television station.
At the heart of the plaza stood a tall, mechanical-arm-like structure—the television tower, their target.
Lü Yue drew the sword he carried on his back, Jian Lan, and said coldly, "For you, I'll make an exception today. Whoever dares to stand in your way—kill without mercy!"
"Take it easy. The television station is under the control of the Institute of Technological Research, but there are plenty of uninvolved people here."
"I can tell them apart."
Feng Qi smiled and patted Lü Yue on the shoulder. "Thank you for walking this path with me."
With that, he stepped forward and headed toward the station.
When they reached the entrance, the guards on duty immediately shouted at them, issuing warnings.
Before they could act, Lü Yue swung Jian Lan.
A flash of sword light swept past, accompanied by a faint breeze. In an instant, the guards collapsed unconscious to the ground.
Without breaking stride, Feng Qi entered the building.
He had studied the layout of the station thoroughly beforehand, and this operation had been rehearsed dozens of times in his mind.
Following the map in his memory, he walked to the elevator and pressed the button.
Alarms blared throughout the building as security personnel poured in from all directions.
Feng Qi didn't look back. Lü Yue was the sharpest blade in his arsenal, and he trusted him completely.
Behind him, Lü Yue stood with his sword raised, facing the advancing guards. Jian Lan rotated in his hands, releasing a burst of energy that sent the guards flying.
Many of them were seasoned warriors who had retired from domain combat squads, but in front of Lü Yue, they were no match.
With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and Feng Qi stepped inside.
Lü Yue followed, stepping into the elevator just as the last of the guards collapsed behind them.
When the elevator stopped on the eighth floor, the moment the doors opened, the sound of guns being cocked filled the air.
Bullets rained down in a dense barrage.
Lü Yue stepped in front of Feng Qi. His sword intent formed an invisible shield, blocking the hail of bullets.
As Jian Lan erupted in a dazzling burst of light, the unleashed sword energy swept forward. The attacking personnel were knocked off their feet, and the glass windows shattered from the force.
"Dawn Organization. Feng Qi and Lü Yue?" one man, still standing, asked in a deep voice.
Feng Qi ignored him and continued down the corridor toward the control room.
Lü Yue raised his hand to his brow, and a Sword Eye formed on his forehead. Through it, he saw the Mark of Death within the man blocking their path.
"Who said you could leave? I'm still—"
Before the man could finish, a look of terror overtook his face. A thin red line appeared down the center of his forehead, tracing from his brow down to his chest. His body split in two and collapsed.
With the obstacle cleared, Lü Yue rejoined Feng Qi.
Pushing open the door to the control room, they were met with a sea of terrified faces.
"Out!" Feng Qi barked, stepping aside to clear a path.
Without hesitation, the staff fled down the corridor.
"Lü Yue, buy me ten minutes. Then leave."
"Got it," Lü Yue replied, turning and exiting the room.
Arriving in the still-broadcasting news studio, Feng Qi sat down, facing the recording camera, and began delivering the speech he had rehearsed countless times in his mind.
Outside the Studio.
The sudden interruption in the live news broadcast, which was supposed to cover frontline developments, caught the viewers off guard. The screen switched to Feng Qi's image.
As a well-known figure on Future City's most-wanted list, Feng Qi's identity was instantly recognizable to everyone.
Viewers quickly realized that the television station had likely been taken over by the "Dawn" rebel group. While outrage and indignation surged, most stayed glued to their screens, curious to hear what Feng Qi, this infamous figure, had to say.
Criticism and curses filled the broadcast's live comment feed, displayed as scrolling remarks across the screen.
"Traitor!"
"Rebel scum!"
"You think anyone will believe your lies?"
The barrage of vitriol seemed endless. Yet, Feng Qi remained unfazed as he scanned the corner of the screen, catching glimpses of the furious comments. He pressed on, his calm tone delivering a message that left viewers in disbelief.
He began dismantling the fabric of lies, laying bare the blood-soaked truth that had been hidden from humanity for so long.
But to the public...
What Feng Qi called the cruel truth, they dismissed as baseless lies. Deeply entrenched in their belief that humanity was steadily marching toward a glorious future, they saw his words as nothing but propaganda.
Even if they wouldn't live to see the promised era of prosperity, they were convinced their descendants would.
The comments scrolling across the screen were proof enough that the majority of viewers didn't believe him. For Feng Qi, that didn't matter. His goal was to plant a seed of doubt in their minds.
"Looking back through history," Feng Qi said, his voice steady, "I didn't find the truth. I only found enemies, cloaked in virtue, standing proudly in the light, deciding the fate of human civilization. Meanwhile, the real warriors, those who sought to protect humanity, were forced to lurk in the shadows, grasping desperately for a sliver of hope."
The truth was harsh, but even as he exposed it, Feng Qi refrained from offering despair. Instead, he spoke of hope.
He didn't want people to be defeated by the brutal truth. He wanted them to rise, just as the pioneers of the early Great Cataclysm did—those who refused to let humanity be swallowed by the darkness of the domain forces.
Outside the Television Tower.
Lü Yue stood guard with Jian Lan in hand, his cold gaze fixed on the growing enemy forces ahead.
The Institute of Technological Research wasted no time in responding. Military convoys arrived one after another, their headlights cutting through the night as they stopped in the plaza.
Soldiers deployed rapidly, and the first wave of combatants launched an attack on Lü Yue.
Sword intent surged within him as he swung Jian Lan. The overwhelming energy rippled forward like a tidal wave, pressing down on everything in its path.
"Whoever dares to step forward will die!"
His warning fell on deaf ears. The soldiers advanced as one, aiming to overpower him.
In a blur, Jian Lan disappeared from Lü Yue's hand and pierced through the throat of the foremost soldier. The blade's momentum didn't waver; it continued its deadly arc, slicing through one soldier after another.
Blood splattered across the battlefield.
Lü Yue had once vowed never to harm his own kind with Jian Lan, a principle rooted in the core of his swordsmanship. To break this vow was to risk shattering his sword's essence. Yet in this moment, he chose to forsake his oath.
And contrary to expectation, his sword's essence didn't falter. Instead, it grew stronger, resonating with his resolute spirit.
He followed his heart, and his blood burned with purpose.
"Kill!" Lü Yue roared. Sword intent surged outward, his hair flowing wildly as he unleashed devastating strikes.
The enemy numbers swelled. Waves of soldiers came at him, but he stood firm, holding his ground without retreating an inch.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Despite his promise to Feng Qi, Lü Yue refused to retreat. He remained steadfast at the entrance to the television tower.
With each swing of Jian Lan, he felled countless enemies, standing tall like an unyielding fortress.
His strikes left bodies in their wake, turning soldiers into casualties beneath his blade.
Though his clothes were tattered and blood dripped steadily from Jian Lan's tip, Lü Yue showed no fear of death.
As the battle raged on, his movements began to slow. Blood streamed from deep gashes across his body.
The sight of his fearless defiance made the attacking forces hesitate. For a moment, none dared to approach.
But reinforcements soon arrived, led by captains of domain combat squads. Under their orders, the soldiers surged forward once more, determined to take back control of the station.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on Lü Yue. His strikes lost their fluidity, and his breathing grew labored.
Yet he stood his ground, unwavering.
At that moment, the current commander of the Devouring Wolf Domain Combat Squad launched a surprise attack from the side, slamming Lü Yue to the ground. In the same instant, a dagger slashed toward Lü Yue's neck.
Faced with the sudden assault, Lü Yue's eyes turned a piercing white.
Sword intent surged like a tidal wave from his body. Jian Lan, responding to his intent, shot forward and pierced through the neck of the commander.
Seeing Lü Yue's ferocious counterattack, the commander swiftly shifted to defense. Jian Lan's brilliance shattered the dagger, slicing through the commander's neck. His head, eyes wide open in shock, flew into the air before falling lifelessly.
Rising to his feet once more, Lü Yue stood amidst the bloodshed, his body soaked in crimson. Jian Lan hovered beside him, emitting a low hum like a death knell, warning that anyone who dared step forward would meet the same fate.
But the reprieve was short-lived. More enemies surged forward, led by powerful combatants from various domain combat squads.
The ongoing slaughter stained Lü Yue's body red. His movements grew slower, and his once-fluid strikes turned heavy. With each wound added to his body, his consciousness started to blur.
After slaying yet another opponent, Lü Yue staggered back two steps, his vision swimming. In his mind, the image of Feng Qi's teasing smile appeared.
"Lü Yue, you're as stubborn as a mule, always refusing to adapt…"
A faint grin crossed his face as he watched the oncoming tide of enemies. "You're right... As long as there's breath, there's hope. Kill!"
For Lü Yue, that hope lay in the man standing behind him—the one he had vowed to protect.
Jian Lan, as if sensing its master's resolve to fight to the death, trembled and let out a sorrowful wail.
Blood blurred Lü Yue's vision, yet he pressed on. His sword followed his will, cutting down foe after foe. Sword intent flared brilliantly, shining brighter than the stars above.
In the final moments before his consciousness slipped away entirely, Lü Yue unleashed one last devastating strike.
The sword energy ripped through the ground, carving a trench several meters deep. It tore forward for hundreds of meters, obliterating everything in its path. When the energy dissipated, the television tower behind Lü Yue remained unscathed, standing as a beacon amidst the ruins.
Propping himself up with Jian Lan, Lü Yue stood tall. The enemies before him, terrified by his unwavering stance, dared not advance.
As he felt the last embers of life fading within him, Lü Yue turned his gaze toward the frightened faces of his enemies. A peaceful smile graced his lips.
In this moment, he seemed to glow, his face radiant and serene.
"No regrets... sharing this journey with you," he murmured.
The flame of life extinguished, but his smile remained, and his body stood firm, refusing to collapse.
The wind brushed against his bloodstained face, making his long hair dance in the air.
At that moment, Jian Lan shattered into countless fragments, choosing to accompany its master on his final journey, unwilling to let him walk alone into the afterlife.
Inside the Television Station.
As Feng Qi revealed the truth to the world, members of the Dawn Organization also stepped forward, raising their voices in unison.
On forums, chat groups, and every platform they could access, they roared their defiance, each using their own influence to spark resistance.
The internet erupted.
The initial flood of curses and condemnation gave way to doubt and debate.
"I think Feng Qi might be telling the truth. My teacher just spoke up too. I'm starting to waver."
"Could the Institute of Technological Research really be controlled by domain forces? That's terrifying, but I'm still skeptical."
"I don't believe it. The Institute introduces groundbreaking technologies every year that advance humanity. Why would domain forces do something so counterproductive?"
"If the Institute truly is under their control, the implications are horrifying. I want to see them address these accusations publicly."
Feng Qi glanced at the live comment feed displayed on a side screen. The discussions confirmed what he had hoped for: doubt had been sown.
The seed of suspicion had been planted.
Now, it was only a matter of time before that seed took root and grew, eventually shaking the course of history and altering humanity's future.
Amidst the clamor outside, Feng Qi knew his time was running out. Turning to the camera, he smiled and said, "Fellow travelers, I call upon you to stand with me and fight for the survival of humanity!"
The door to the control room burst open with a deafening crash. Black-uniformed figures swarmed in, lunging toward him.
Feng Qi rose to his feet, choosing to face them head-on.
He knew that this timeline of his life was drawing to a close.
In that moment, as in countless others before, his unyielding will blazed brighter than ever. There was no trace of compromise or surrender in his heart.