Chapter 22: The Ancient Domain
In the secret chamber, the walls were not made of metal or wood, but of stacked sponge.
In the center floated an eyeball covered in a heavy stone shell, roughly the size of an adult man’s fist—though now swathed in black cloth, creating a discordant visual.
But it had its eyes closed, immersed in slumber.
Gurgle, gurgle!
Fine stone pillars embedded in the ground connected to the shell, with lava flowing slowly across them like veins linking to the depths.
As Jiang Yan approached, he faintly heard a heartbeat reminiscent of a human’s, but denser and more oppressive.
Facing it, he felt as though he were standing before an immense, boundless earth.
Vast and profound!
Even sealed, its aura made Jiang Yan’s spine chill.
It was the instinctive terror born from a vast chasm in life’s hierarchy.
The coffin spirit in his pocket sensed its master’s emotion, extending a small hand from woven blood vessels to touch his fingers.
And it conveyed a thought:
“Anyone who harms my master shall be buried by me.”
“Even death itself shall not suffice!”
Jiang Yan felt gratified, his mood quickly steadying.
Gazing at this historical relic, he wondered: what offspring could be nurtured from it by the Dark God Embryo?
As he pondered, Bai Lie’s voice reached his ears:
“How does it feel to confront an Ancient-Talisman-level entity?”
Bai Lie stood beside the stone-armored eyeball, gently touching it, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
Like poking Mother Earth’s… um, heart.
Bai Lie spoke softly, “You wanted to know how strong an Ancient Talisman level is. You just saw those petrified zones. The biggest difference from Transcendent Realm is that they can condense their own domain!”
“Domain? Like the Borderland ones?”
Jiang Yan immediately thought of the temporal branches overlapping the present, forming independent spaces where one could fight freely without affecting the outside world—yet their destruction would reflect back into reality.
“Something like that, but those are formed by the Long River’s flow overlapping the present, capable of warping spacetime. A ‘domain’ can’t do that.”
Bai Lie nodded and continued: “A domain forcibly opens a realm around its user via their mastered laws. Within it, all life except the user is suppressed, while their own power is enhanced. As a result, life beneath Ancient-Talisman level becomes mere lambs to the slaughter.”
Jiang Yan understood: it was like a boss zone in a game—suppression of level, health, mana, and boss skills multiplying damage magnitude. Without cheats, and under-leveled, you’d shatter at the first strike.
“As for how to ascend to Ancient Talisman… that’s far beyond you. Your urgent task is to elevate your spiritual essence to its peak, then find a cultivation method to transform into Foundation Establishment…”
Bai Lie paused his explanation and looked at Jiang Yan, asking:
“Oh—almost forgot—do you have a cultivation method yet?”
“Not yet.”
Jiang Yan shook his head.
It wasn’t just because the Lamp‑Igniting Hell Visualization Method related to an ancient immortal god and might bring trouble, but also because it focused mainly on the spirit-soul chapter.
Transcendent Stage Three still builds foundations, honing body and spiritual power.
He had effectively skipped elementary and secondary stages, leaping straight into university-level calculus.
Too advanced!
The process of accumulating spirit essence and building a foundation was utterly bypassed.
Yet, Lamp‑Igniting Hell didn’t consider: how could one cultivate the soul without enough spiritual foundation?
Though Jiang Yan got a cheat via offspring, it still left a void—he needed another cultivation method to patch it.
“Cultivation methods are very important.”
Zhao Yinman, who had been listening, spoke up.
"Don't choose at random, it will affect the condensation of the Old Talisman."
Ba Lie's eyes lit up, and he quietly gave Zhao Yinman a thumbs-up.
She was finally starting to cooperate!
He explained, "What Xiao Zhao said is right. If you compare cultivation to planting a tree, Spirit Awakening is digging the hole, Foundation Establishment is the base, Law Seed is sowing the seed, and the Old Talisman is the sapling that begins to grow and spread its roots.
And a good cultivation method can help you accumulate a deep foundation during the third tier of Transcendents, making it easier for the sapling to grow into a towering tree, even making you stronger than others at every stage.
The most crucial part is that Old Talismans also vary in strength. A powerful Old Talisman Law Domain can cover an entire city, changing the world, while a weak one struggles to cover even half a county. The gap is greater than that between man and dog, and that's the difference between cultivation methods."
Jiang Yan looked at Ba Lie, who resembled a top seller in an old-school TV infomercial, and cooperatively asked, "Then how does one obtain a good cultivation method?"
"The optimal choice is naturally to resolve a Sick Domain and receive a reward from the Historical Long River, which often grants top-tier cultivation methods. But it's highly difficult, and the rewards are random—there’s no guarantee you’ll get a cultivation method, which can lead to wasted time.
The black market also sells them, but they're either of average potential or incomplete fragments obtained from Sick Domains, filled with traps. If they were truly good, they'd have become heirlooms by now—they're the kind of heritage that can establish a clan.
Then there are noble families and sects. They all have quality cultivation methods, but you must rise to the level of a true heir, or you'll be taught secondary methods. It’s not that you can’t cultivate them, but before you're fully trusted, there are often hidden tricks inside."
Ba Lie explained all the ways to obtain them, then finally mentioned his own side:
"Putting the Bureau of Historical Revision last is a bit of my own bias, but I can swear on my chest—we're definitely the fairest, and we also have the largest and most complete collection of cultivation methods in the modern world. That’s why many top forces send their geniuses to train with the Bureau.
As long as you’re a newcomer to the Bureau of Historical Revision, you can freely choose one advanced cultivation method. If it doesn’t work out, you can change it—up to three times in total.
Of course, what you'll see are only the basic chapters for the Transcendent realm. To get higher-level ones, you need to exchange points. You're clean and upright—perfect for joining us."
Ba Lie finished speaking in one breath and waited for a response, feeling a rare sense of nervousness.
After all, this was a Grade A+ recruit—like a top-tier character in a gacha game. If he missed this chance, he might never get another.
But he had done everything he could. If the other party wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t resort to pestering.
Zhao Yinman nodded and echoed, "There are no bad people in the Bureau of Historical Revision."
Jiang Yan fell into deep thought.
To be honest, he didn’t have a bad impression of the Bureau—quite the opposite, he felt mostly positive.
After all, his safe growth was inseparable from their quiet maintenance of order, and the bureau chief’s humility added emotional value.
Official forces were definitely more standardized than sects or noble families.
Jiang Yan could grow on his own, but with an organization supplying resources and intelligence, he would grow faster.
Moreover, he realized that the other party valued him too much.
The two before him were far stronger than he was, so it wasn’t because of strength.
Most likely, it was because...
The Grade A+ rating was more valuable than he had imagined.
"Can you tell me about the benefits of joining? I'm a pretty laid-back person and don’t like being controlled," Jiang Yan asked.
He wanted to lean against a big tree for shade, not be ordered around like a punching bag.
Better to clarify now than to have conflicts later.
Ba Lie was stunned at first, then overjoyed.
Because someone with no interest wouldn’t ask about benefits. He quickly said:
"After joining the Bureau of Historical Revision, you get a minimum monthly salary of fifty thousand, six types of insurance and two housing funds. Mission bonuses are separate, and completing multiple tasks leads to promotions and pay raises. Each time you go out for a mission, there's full coverage for food, lodging, and travel, plus bonuses.
Apart from the tasks maintaining modern order, all other missions are optional. After completing a mission, you earn points, which can be exchanged for cash or the transcendent materials you need.
And don’t worry—the founder of the Bureau deliberately kept it independent from the political system to prevent supernatural power from being tainted.
At the same time, History Walkers hold high authority. In emergencies, they can act first and report later, even mobilize local military forces to seal off areas or forcibly investigate illegal research institutions and companies—as long as evidence is preserved and a report is submitted later.
And since every excision of a diseased node involves risking one’s life, the Bureau can provide high-paying, relaxed jobs for your spouse and family members.
As for not liking being managed—our Bureau doesn’t require daily clock-ins. You get fifteen days off per month, and as long as you show up for missions, it’s fine.
Also, I can personally appoint you as the acting commander of the Pan’an County Branch of the Bureau of Historical Revision. That makes you second-in-command, with only me as your superior. If you’re still unhappy after joining, you can submit a resignation anytime—I’ll stamp it for you."
"That’s actually a pretty good deal." Jiang Yan nodded, then suddenly asked, "Ms. Zhao, how many people are in our Bureau?"
"Counting you, there are 7 in total," Zhao Yinman replied.
Ba Lie’s smile froze, just as he was about to explain, he saw Jiang Yan stretch out his hand and say seriously:
"I like a quiet work environment. Please take good care of me, Director Ba!"
"No problem!"
Ba Lie shook Jiang Yan’s hand, grinning from ear to ear, his solemn face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
A Grade A+ recruit—secured!
This year’s new recruit training in Jiangnan Province—Pan’an County was sure to shine!
Jiang Yan was happy too.
A unit with few people, plenty of money, and simple relationships—it was perfect for milking… oh no, working.
However, Jiang Yan glanced at the historical relic in the center of the secret room and curiously asked, "Director Ba, what’s the name and ability of this Old Talisman-level historical relic?"
As the branch’s second-in-command, even if he hadn’t officially taken office, he still needed to understand every blade of grass and every strand of thread in the branch.
Ba Lie was still excited and blurted out without thinking:
"This? It’s called the ‘Eye of Gongyang.’ Its ability is to survey and map out earth veins, but after every use, it must be wrapped in yellow cloth and ritually sacrificed with a live pig, cow, and sheep. Otherwise, it will riot—and in serious cases, even cause an earthquake."
As he finished speaking, Jiang Yan's pupils trembled slightly.