Chapter 47: Returning to the Real World, a Bountiful Harvest
"Gan, thank goodness I ran fast!"
In the real world, the Historical Dust dispersed.
Jiang Yan reappeared in the forest, his once calm heart rippling with waves, his scalp tingling.
Given his personality, how could he bear to give up on the corpse of the Six-Armed Heart Monkey—such a top-tier material?
However,
Although the Life Lamp on the corpse was blurry, it still blazed fiercely, like a small sun.
Just getting close was enough to feel that suffocating, burning sensation—almost blinding to the eyes.
Anyone with a brain would realize that this so-called King of Deception Beasts, Shou'e, had long been led around in circles by lies.
The secret lay within the unexplored five percent of the mission.
Most crucially, the bizarre Life Lamp on Xiao Bai’s body was faintly connected to the Six-Armed Heart Monkey, most likely a hidden card left behind by the Heart Monkey.
Even he had been secretly guided, becoming a blade that broke the deadlock.
Yet Jiang Yan did not expose it, instead using force against force, reaping a good deal of benefits.
But if he had truly dared to take the corpse, the Coffin Spirit might as well come collect his own body afterward.
Therefore,
Jiang Yan ultimately repaid Xiao Bai’s kindness of giving him the elixir with freedom and the Deception Beasts’ people, severing karmic ties. Taking advantage of her not reacting in time, he left the Sick Domain with the Heart Monkey’s internal organs.
"The Deception Beasts following her should be able to live peaceful and quiet lives now."
Jiang Yan’s thoughts shifted and soon drifted away.
The Sick Domains within the Historical Long River were endless. Once one left, without corresponding coordinates, chances of encountering the other again were slim.
In the mountains, phone signal was poor and he couldn’t connect to update the system, but Jiang Yan judged by the celestial star paths and the battle traces he left behind.
He had stayed in the Monkey King Temple for nearly two days, but in the real world, not even half an hour had passed. The Bureau probably wouldn’t consider him missing.
"But how do I get back?"
Jiang Yan looked at the forest, now emptied and cleared of battle traces, and felt a bit of a headache.
He had arrived riding the Five Madness Carriage, but now,
The carriage was gone.
Was he supposed to climb mountains and cross ridges like Lady of the Mountain?
In the end,
Jiang Yan sat on the coffin lid and flew the coffin.
Leaving this desolate wilderness behind.
To prevent another crash, he headed to the nearest service area, paid extra to call a ride-share, and finally returned to the Qing Shi Technology Building at seven in the morning.
At the company cafeteria,
Yin Yiyi was holding a steaming basket. Seeing Jiang Yan, she waved her little hand:
"Fresh buns just out of the steamer!"
Jiang Yan didn’t stand on ceremony, grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth, savoring the feeling of food filling his stomach. He couldn’t help but sigh:
"The meaning of being alive is eating buns made by Yiyi!"
Unlike the Monkey King Temple, where everything was fake!
It nearly turned him into an Incense God.
Yin Yiyi’s delicate ears turned red. She glanced around, and after confirming no one was around, patted her chest and whispered:
"You're exaggerating too much."
Though she said that, as a cook, seeing her work appreciated made her quite happy.
Jiang Yan, full and satisfied, returned to his room to begin sorting through the gains from the Sick Domain.
First was the King of Deception Beasts.
Its shadow repaired the Dual-headed Shadow-Eating Serpent’s head.
Its soul transformed into a White Candle.
The corpse was originally going to gestate separately, but Jiang Yan remembered the illusory domain created by the feigned-dead Heart Monkey.
On a whim, he threw its extraordinary organs along with the conveniently acquired Heart Monkey’s internal organs into the Dark Mother Tree to nurture new offspring.
【Six-Armed Bodhi Calamity Heart Monkey Bloodline (Weak Level)】
【Grade: Perfect】
【Description: The heart that clings to the external world and grows restless is the Heart Monkey. Guard the Heart Monkey, restrain the Will Horse, and realize the true self in the three-inch Spirit Terrace.
An innate lifeform born under the Bodhi Tree due to a fleeting lapse in mental state by ■■■■. Gifted with intelligence, eloquence, and the ability to perceive the essence of all things and manifest it into a form under one’s control.
After fusing with the King of Deception Beasts, part of the heart’s path was completed, giving birth to the Mask of Lies.
Your words will be more convincing. The more people believe in the lies you tell, the more likely they are to become reality. Proficient at triggering disasters.
After fusion, talent and perception increase significantly. Partial Heart Monkey abilities are gained, manifesting a pair of invisible Heart Monkey arms that protect the mind from external corruption.
They can be used offensively to shatter the target’s mind. If the soul is strong enough, it can interfere with reality.
As strength increases, new arms can be refined, up to six. These can devour lifeforms on the ‘Subhūti’ path and adjacent paths to accelerate growth and enhance the bloodline.
By paying a certain price, the Bodhi Calamity Heart Monkey form can be activated.】
【Evaluation: Lies are the mask of the heart.】
“A bloodline-type offspring... it’s pretty much like a class change for Warlocks in games.”
Jiang Yan murmured inwardly. Bloodline-type class changes were not uncommon among History Walkers.
After all, relying solely on cultivation was too slow. There would always be those who sought shortcuts to grow stronger.
For example, merging with powerful Monster or Spirit Beast bloodlines, or transformations like the Bianpo of Guisheng Area or the undead of the Corpse-Dissolution Court—these were all forms of bloodline alteration.
However, bloodlines varied in quality, and Zombies had one of the strictest hierarchical divisions.
Ordinary Zombies lacked intellect after transformation and feared sunlight. If they did not constantly advance by sucking blood, they would eventually decay into ash over time.
The idea of side-effect-free immortality was a false proposition.
Zhao Yinman’s bloodline, for instance, did not require blood consumption, was immune to Pure Yang Talismans, and cultivated the Celestial Master Path—qualifying it as a top-tier Zombie bloodline.
It was like how snake-type bloodlines didn’t qualify to be compared to the Xiangliu bloodline.
Unlike cultivation methods, ordinary bloodlines affected potential and could even cap one's growth limit.
In the description of the Six-Armed Heart Monkey, an unknown existence suspected to be an Immortal God was mentioned. It was an innate lifeform.
Even containing only a weak-level bloodline, it could significantly boost talent and perception—fundamentally reshaping one’s self.
Released to the public, top-tier powerhouses would definitely fight over it.
“The key point is, others can't change once they fuse with a bloodline—they must be extremely cautious.
But offspring are just parts of me. I can fuse and peel them off at will. If I regret it, I can replace it or fuse it into another for upgrades.”
Jiang Yan didn’t hesitate and used it decisively.
In an instant, he felt as if wisdom had been poured into his mind. His ears and eyes sharpened. He gained an invisible pair of ears, as though hearing the world’s echoes.
The previously obscure and difficult parts of his cultivation path became crystal clear, even sparking new insights. His understanding of the world, himself, and his mind became more lucid.
His body instinctively adjusted his breathing rhythm, gradually aligning with nature.
All his skill-type offspring cheered joyfully, empowered equally. Their proficiency levels began to climb.
“It’s like being in a constant epiphany state, a low-tier version of Unity of Heaven and Man. At this rate, I’ll soon push several skills to the Perfect level—or even the Grandmaster level!”
A glint of joy flashed in Jiang Yan’s eyes.
As the Historical Long River continued to mutate, the real world would be impacted more and more severely. Not to mention that Lord Gaoshan, the Corpse-Dissolution Court, and other major Sick Domains were eyeing Jiangnan Province greedily.
Once things spiraled out of control, the real world would become a battlefield.
There wasn’t much time left for him to grow.
He had to seize every opportunity to strengthen himself to face impending calamities and protect what he cherished.
As for the final item—it was a reward rated Grade A in the Historical Long River.
【Substitute Undead Ginseng Fruit】
【Consumable】
【Function: A fruit nurtured from the Undying Divine Material—‘Substitute Undead Ginseng Fruit Tree’. Drop a drop of your blood into it to activate. When encountering mortal danger, it can substitute your death once.】
“So it's an Undying Divine Material!”
Jiang Yan’s gaze showed surprise, as Zhao Yinman’s notes had mentioned related information.
Undying Divine Materials were rooted deep within the Historical Long River. Each one was a treasure nurtured by the world, involving laws and possessing the ability to create miracles.
Such as prolonging life, resurrection, and so on,
Therefore, they were also known as world-class secret treasures.
A complete Undying Divine Material was enough to tempt even the greatest Immortal Gods.
Unexpectedly, this time the Historical Long River generously offered a fruit borne of an Undying Divine Material—and one with death-substitution capabilities at that.
"Wait a second, giving me this kind of reward all of a sudden... is that a hint the next instance will be very dangerous?"
Suspicion flashed in Jiang Yan’s eyes.
Most other newcomers wouldn’t even encounter a Turbid Stream level instance after ten runs. He had gone twice—both were Turbid Stream Grade A.
Especially the second one. Without some foundation in Buddhist studies and the support of the Ash Lamp, even a History Walker at the peak of Foundation Establishment Stage might have fallen there.
It was hard to imagine...
What would the third instance's difficulty be?
Unfortunately, the Historical Long River never gave any response apart from publishing mission information and rewards.
"I wonder... if I plant this thing, could it grow into an Undying Divine Material?"
Jiang Yan looked at the red jade-like doll in his hand—the Substitute Undead Ginseng Fruit. Tempted though he was, he ultimately gave up on that unrealistic thought.
The nutrients required for an Undying Divine Material to grow could drain an entire world.
Even if it matured, without sufficient strength, it would merely benefit others.
Converted into an offspring, it remained a consumable.
Well then, no need to overthink.
Jiang Yan followed the instructions and dropped a single drop of essence blood.
The ginseng doll’s face transformed into how he looked as a child. Then it turned into a stream of light and entered his body, stretched lazily, and fell sound asleep beside the Ash Lamp.
Revival token, in place.
Just as Jiang Yan was preparing to begin skill cultivation, his phone vibrated with a message from Old Ba.
【Get to the office now. Time to receive your cultivation method.】