Chapter 17: Jiang Yan, the Favored Son of the River of History (Requesting Follows and Monthly Tickets)

Ba Lie had seen many people in his life, all of whom called themselves geniuses.

When he saw this man so handsome it was absurd, he finally understood...

What a true genius is!

Although the Vajra Vajrayogini Cavalry were not the Imperial Guards of the Corpse-Release Wang Ting, they could already be counted as first-line elites.

Once the Vajra Vajrayogini activated the empowerment seal, they became invulnerable to blades and spears, and the Purification Mouth on their bellies could continuously devour flesh and blood to heal wounds; even many History Walkers called them "Immortal War Chariots" on the battlefield.

They were not just killers of newbies; they killed both newbies and veterans alike.

There had once been many veteran History Walker teams executing missions within the Sick Domain who encountered a terrifyingly large invasion force of Vajra Vajrayogini Cavalry, only to be crushed directly and their flesh and blood devoured.

Ordinary Spirit-Opening Realm cultivators were nothing but chicks awaiting slaughter before them.

Yet Jiang Yan alone annihilated an entire squad face-to-face.

As for deducing the time of the History Tide's ebb, many smart people could guess it, but the difficulty lay in taking action.

After all, most people would choose to act conservatively, seeing no need to take risks, yet Jiang Yan dared to borrow a knife to kill a rat, provoking General Lu at the peak of the Dao Foundation, and ultimately succeeded in using the opponent's overconfidence to sever his arm.

He single-handedly pushed through a Turbid Flow Grade A Boundary Zone.

This fellow is far too confident; what if his deduction was wrong?

This thought surfaced in Ba Lie's heart, but vanished quickly, leaving a faint bitter smile.

Truly the thinking of an ordinary person.

This world only recognizes the successful; there is no "what if" or "if."

The failed have already become dry bones in the grave.

The evaluation of a History Instance is based on the History Walker's own strength and the difficulty achieved.

A Law-Seed Realm History Walker entering it, even if they killed the Giant Rat Guards and General Lu, would only receive a Grade C or Grade B evaluation.

A Grade A+ evaluation signifies that Jiang Yan accomplished feats unreachable by mortals or even ordinary History Walkers, acknowledged by the River of History and inscribed in the past.

This is not mere nominal praise; the River of History will grant corresponding rewards.

Archives within the History Correction Bureau mentioned that a Grade A+ evaluation is already generous, and the reward for the first instance will be elevated by an additional tier.

It is the River of History's favor towards newcomers!

There have even been cases of a second History-exclusive Talent, a Top-Tier History Relic, or gifts such as ancient divine beast eggs, immortal and god inheritances, and so on.

Moreover, such rewards belong exclusively to the conqueror and are almost impossible to plunder.

There are also newcomers with Grade A evaluations within the History Correction Bureau, but their numbers are extremely rare, and without exception, they have either become top-tier powerhouses or are on the path to climbing the peak, destined to become great figures.

For this reason, many History Walkers grew envious, but as their strength increased, the Sick Domains they faced became more terrifying; surviving was already difficult, let alone farming points.

As for resetting one's cultivation to start over, even big shots pretending to be newbies to bully the newbie village have been done. But who knows how many terrifying things are hidden within the River of History; it won't fix-spawn low-level NPCs like a game. There is a significant probability of failure, and even if passed, the evaluation score would still drop, making it a net loss.

One can only comfort oneself that the evaluation does not represent the final achievement, but merely stronger potential.

'I recall that the Jiangnan Province Headquarters doesn't even have a Grade A+; it seems there are only two or three geniuses with Grade A- evaluations, yet I, in a mere small Pan'an Branch, have encountered one. Once he grows up, he will be enough to suppress an entire province.' Ba Lie thought silently.

Do not underestimate this evaluation; the Tianxia Alliance, due to its vast territory, has a single province whose area equals the sum of several other nations. Coupled with its long history, the River of History it connects to is exceptionally terrifying, nurturing many "Nation-Annihilating" level mutated creatures that would be called such in other countries.

For instance, the Corpse-Release Wang Ting, if placed in other nations, would have already descended into the present world, swallowing living flesh and blood, and establishing an earthly Nether Kingdom.

But in Jiangnan Province, it is merely one of several major disasters.

Sometimes Ba Lie would envy the cultural shallowness of other countries; this is not a flaw, but a happiness!

Especially in these years, the mutations of the River of History have grown increasingly severe, with more and more Sick Domains descending upon Jiangnan Province, causing numerous branches to enter an overloaded operational state, making many History Walkers suffer greatly.

Especially the Pan'an County Branch where he was stationed, which had already borrowed several newcomers from the city, only to have them lured away by high-salary benefits.

Now they can barely maintain order, but if the mutation worsens further, a major chaos will surely erupt.

If Jiang Yan could join the History Correction Bureau and grow up, he would definitely greatly reduce the pressure, or even reverse the situation.

"Grade A+, indeed excellent. Mr. Jiang, I see great potential in you; would you like to join the History Correction Bureau?" Ba Lie calmed his emotions and said with feigned indifference.

If he showed too much enthusiasm, what if the person held out for a better price and was then snatched away by another branch?

This is a Grade A+ evaluation; even the Headquarters would shamelessly come to snatch him.

Previously, a Grade A- newcomer emerged from the Northern Shanhai Pass area; the news accidentally leaked, and the Gusu Province Branch found out. They immediately disregarded martial ethics and used the beauty trap.

Those who know, know. Northern big men had never seen such gentle and lovely Southern girls; their souls were immediately hooked, and they moved their entire families to the South.

The key was that they staged a chance encounter on the road, a love at first sight like a white moonlight; everything was an accident. Before this, that newcomer hadn't even had time to sign an employment contract. Even if the Northern Branch complained to the Headquarters, it would be useless; they could only swallow this bitter loss in silence.

The only good news was that during that time, the mutated creatures descending in the North all felt what it meant for History Walkers to descend from the heavens, furious and ferocious.

Only they suffered; the rest of the Northern Branches' "Worlds of Praise" were born!

Thinking of this, Ba Lie looked at Zhao Zhao Yinman, nearly forgetting he had brought a flower from the branch himself, and signaled with his eyes for her to say something good.

Pretty girls speaking has a much better effect than middle-aged uncles.

Zhao Zhao Yinman's crimson eyes fixed on Jiang Yan as she said seriously, "The branch offers excellent treatment. If you come, you'll have endless work to do!"

Her tone was cold, but exceptionally sincere.

"..." Ba Lie was momentarily speechless.

Is this introducing the treatment or driving people away? Except for the Chosen Ox-Beast Saint Body, who would like having endless work to do!

And the one who has been working constantly seems to be me!!

Seeing the two react calmly to his History evaluation, Jiang Yan didn't think much of it; after all, with the foundation of over a billion people in the Tianxia Alliance, even if only one in a hundred thousand became History Walkers, simply by piling up numbers, there would likely be many people achieving this evaluation.

It seems I cannot be complacent; I must avoid arrogance and impetuosity!

This is also a good thing; Jiang Yan need not worry about becoming a conspicuous target and can quietly develop for a while.

Jiang Yan asked curiously, "Is the History Correction Bureau mandatory for History Walkers to join?"

"Of course not."

Although he very much wanted Jiang Yan to join the branch, Ba Lie was not so foolish as to tell a lie easily exposed, so he explained:

"Because the River of History is alive; when it falls ill, it seeks out individuals with strong spiritual perception. Therefore, examples of ordinary people accidentally entering Sick Domains and finally awakening are everywhere."

Many among them were unwilling to leave their parents, some even refused to take risks, preferring only a peaceful life; another portion belonged to factions established by veteran Historical Walkers.

The sects you see in films and novels actually have real prototypes, such as the Wudang and the Celestial Master's Mansion, long-standing factions that operate independently of the government. Bringing them all under the Historical Correction Bureau is unrealistic, and too many factions would be troublesome; as long as they obey laws and regulations and do not harm ordinary people, it is fine.

After all, since the Historical Correction Bureau was founded, its founder set a rule: Historical Walkers must join voluntarily, and the Bureau must unite most targets that can be wooed, making many friends. Therefore, there are two response plans for wild Historical Walkers who awaken unexpectedly.

"The first is not to join the Historical Correction Bureau, but the Historical Walker must register with the Bureau, record their abilities, and guarantee that, without endangering their own life or major interests, they will not use historical abilities against ordinary people."

"Will they really listen?" Jiang Yan was somewhat doubtful.

After gaining power, I estimate many could maintain sanity on the first day, but after a few days, they would absolutely become citizens of the Nation of Ancestors.

Ba Lie explained with a smile: "This is not merely to prevent people from using supernatural abilities to commit crimes; it is also because frequently using historical skills in the present world establishes a connection with the River of History. Like countless invisible threads, once they reach a certain quantity, one will be directly dragged into a random Disease Domain within the River of History, unable to surface."

The stronger a Historical Walker's power, the greater the scope of destruction in the present world and the more disastrous the impact; the stronger the historical gravitational pull.

Only by completing the mission can one return to the present world.

In this process, those without combat experience have almost no chance of survival. Furthermore, some Historical Walkers with special abilities might even summon the gaze of ancient existences from the depths of the River of History, using their bodies as anchors to descend into the present world, triggering chaos."

"I'm lying. Even if they never use their abilities once, they cannot escape the fate of being dragged into a Disease Domain; it is merely escaping reality." Zhao Zhao Yinman added abruptly: "The moment you accept the gift of the River of History, it is no longer you chasing supernatural knowledge; rather, they, like hounds, are chasing you."

"Either survive and become a powerful being who looks down upon all living things!"

"Or die in the belly of some Disease Domain demon."

"..."

Ba Lie was numb; this young lady truly held nothing back, directly ramping up the intensity for everyone.

This will scare people away!

"I see!"

Hearing this, Jiang Yan finally understood why few people in the present world use supernatural abilities on a large scale.

Because every use shortens the cooldown for entering a Disease Domain instance. If one is unlucky enough to enter a Disease Domain of the level of the Corpse-Dispersal Wang Ting but fails to complete the mission, death is certain.

Therefore, as long as one is not a fool, they will restrain their desires, largely limiting the destructive power of Historical Walkers.

"Wait!"

Jiang Yan suddenly realized an issue: the abilities he used were all "offspring" nurtured by the Demon God Embryo, yet they all originated from the knowledge of the River of History. Even though they bore the side effects of historical skills for Jiang Yan, their pure essence seemed to create an even tighter connection with the River of History.

For others, even with numerous abilities, they are counted as a single person; the timing for entering the Disease Domain Cycle is calculated normally.

If they do not use supernatural power, they can extend their time in the present world.

But for Jiang Yan, if the River of History regards his offspring as independent individuals, then the more offspring he has, the stronger the accumulated power of corruption.

After all, they are all controlled by Jiang Yan, and skill-type offspring exist on him as concepts, formless and intangible.

By then,

If the River of History cannot find them, can it not find Jiang Yan?

Even if one offspring only refreshes a tiny bit of cooldown, the accumulation of small amounts will eventually lead to a qualitative change.

In this case, the speed at which Jiang Yan's cooldown for entering instances shortens could be several times, or even dozens of times, that of others.

Let alone the River of History's own son... even a biological father wouldn't receive such treatment.

"This is truly..."

Thinking of this possibility, Jiang Yan licked his dry lips, his heart in his chest beating faster:

"Excellent!"

Two chapters, six thousand words! Requesting monthly votes! Requesting follow-reads! Requesting recommendation votes; the follow-read ratio is a bit poor, and there are too many books being raised; subsequent PK recommendation slots will be dangerous. New book seedlings urgently need support!

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(End of this chapter)